Home Sweet Home

 

  "Home is where the heart is" is a saying most people are familiar with and would agree is true.  Our homes are the place we feel safe and loved.  It is the place we feel most comfortable.  It is where we gather as a family to share meals, memories, and everyday moments.  You can put a price on how much a house is worth, but your home is priceless.

  I felt very blessed to have been a part of the consecration to the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary at my parish this week. There are twelve promises that Jesus desires to share with those who will have a devotion to His Sacred Heart. One of the promises is that "I will bless every dwelling where an image of My heart is both exposed and honored." My heart swelled with love as I brought my blessed image into my home, and my children joined me in praying the consecration prayer.

  My house may appear ordinary from the street, but the inside will enthrone the King of Mercy and Love and His beloved Mother. If "home is where the heart is" then I am blessed beyond measure because Jesus and Mary can call my house their home as well!

-Susan

Hands Up

 I had the opportunity to escape to the beautiful San Bernardino Mountains this past week.  While visiting I attended Mass at St. Joseph Catholic Church. Hands up this was a wonderful experience. 

  As my family and I approached the church, an usher greeted us with a warm hello and asked us if we would like to receive holy water. “Yes!” I replied and held my hands up as he placed a small amount of water in them so I could bless myself with The Sign of the Cross.  As I sat in the pew before Mass began, I was intrigued with a banner of St. Joseph near the altar.  St. Joseph held the child Jesus in one hand and the other hand was stretched out.  

  The deacon gave a very moving homily centered on the need for our hands to be held up in life, so that we may receive the graces God desires to bestow upon us.  Filled with God’s graces we would be equipped to lend a hand to those who needed our help.  If we walked through life with our hands in fists or our arms crossed tightly across our bodies, we would be unprepared to receive God’s graces and the gifts of the Holy Spirit  

  After receiving Communion my eyes were again drawn to the banner of St. Joseph.  St. Joseph held Jesus close to his heart with one hand, and the other hand was open to God’s plan. As I continued to pray I realized that I had just received Jesus in one hand, and I too, must keep my other hand open and available to God.  I felt overwhelmed with God’s Presence. He had inspired me to come and receive Him high up on these mountains.   I was in awe of the beautiful mountains He had created, but I felt more than experiencing the beauty around me; He needed me to hear this important message of love.  

  My stay on this mountain will not be long, but it will be remembered.  Refreshed and strengthened,  I will come down the mountain holding my hands up. In fact, my hands look so much different to me now.  I realize that God will touch my hands with graces.  God allows me the privilege of holding the Body of Christ in them.  Now as I look at my hands, they appear to be stronger and more beautiful than I have ever remembered.  

-Susan

  

Feast of the Nativity of Mary

"We become what we love

and who we love

shapes what we become"

St. Clare of Assisi

  Let us generously love our Heavenly Mother, for she does more for us than we could ever imagine. No soul has ever pleased God more than Mary's. The best present you could give her today is your heart.  Allow Mary to unwrap anything that stands in the way of you loving God, for it is Mary's desire to fill every heart with great love for God.

-Susan

 

Simply Beautiful

  

 One day when my granddaughter was visiting, she followed me into my bedroom. She looked at my bed and giggled. "What are they doing there?" she asked. She immediately jumped up on my bed and grabbed the plush dolls of Mary and Jesus.

 I smiled back as I sat next to her. "Well, I just feel better when Mary and Jesus are close to me. They make me smile, and they are fun to hug." We both laughed as I gave Jesus a hug.

 Later, when it was time for my granddaughter to go home, she grabbed the Mary doll, "I have to take her!" she announced.

 "You can," I said, "Just bring her back the next time you come." 

  My granddaughter brought the Mary doll back the following week. My daughter told me that Mary had joined them every night for prayers and my granddaughter went to sleep with the doll next to her. I couldn't have been happier. My granddaughter's loving relationship with Mary is already beginning.

 There are so many wonderful ways to share our faith with others. It doesn't have to be complicated. It doesn't require memorized passages from the Bible or the Catechism. The message just needs to be genuine and come from your heart. Now when my granddaughter goes into my room she says, "There they are!" and jumps up on my bed and plays with Jesus and Mary. I know in my heart that it is the beginning of something very beautiful.

 -Susan

The Door Is Open

   I sat outside on my deck watching the clouds very slowly float across the sky. It all looked so beautiful and peaceful. It’s no wonder why clouds have been associated with heaven. What could be more amazing than floating on a big white fluffy cloud, blue skies above you, and rays of sunshine warming your face? It’s always easier to think of heaven as somewhere up there, somewhere far away in distance and time. Is that true though?

 As I immersed myself in the words of the Eucharistic prayers at Mass yesterday, I was reminded that heaven’s joy is right here, right now. Saints, sinners, angels are all gathered to celebrate God’s, incredible love. God is here. The Kingdom is centered around the altar. Jesus shares His body and blood with us, to heal, transform, and inspire. Filled with the Light of God, we will know true peace. 

 God doesn't expect us to catch a ride on a cloud to get to heaven. He has left a door wide open for us-- The Holy Mass. Celebrating Mass isn't just a good idea, it is the path that leads us to eternal salvation. Leave the sky to the birds and clouds, and concentrate on each step of the journey here on earth.

-Susan

Seeing Clearly

 

 Bob found the old familiar key on his keychain and slid it into the front lock. “Mom, it’s me,” he yelled as he walked into the house. 

 “I’m in the study,” yelled his mother. “Come on back, I’m almost done.”

 Bob walked down the hallway and stopped at the doorway. There was his mom with her face inches away from the book she was reading. Of course, he recognized the very worn-out Bible his mother was reading. “Hey, Mom, are you ready to go?”

 “Go where?” His mother asked. 

 “To your eye appointment. Remember?”

 “Oh, I don’t know why we have to bother doing that. I can see well enough.”

 “Mom I think a new pair of glasses would help you see things a lot more clearly. I don’t want you to have to put your face so close to the pages. I want you to be able to enjoy reading.”

 “What makes you think I’m not enjoying myself? Maybe I just like being that close to Jesus when He’s talking,” Eleanor said as she smiled 

 Bob chuckled at his mother’s sense of humor. “Come on we are going to be late.”

 A few hours later Bob and Eleanor returned home with a new pair of glasses. “Thanks for taking me today, Bobby. You better get a move on if you want to miss rush hour traffic.”

 “Your right, but I have one more surprise for you.” Bob grabbed a back out of the backseat. “Look inside, Mom. When you were getting your exam, I ran next door to the bookstore and bought you a brand new Bible to go with your new glasses.”

 “Oh, that was very thoughtful of you Bobby. You shouldn’t have spent your money. There’s nothing wrong with my Bible.”

 “I know there’s nothing wrong with it, I just wanted to treat you with a new version. It has nice illustrations in it just like your old one.” Eleanor smiled and tucked her new Bible under her arm as they walked up the front walk.

 A few days later, Bob took out the old familiar key and let himself in the front door again. “Hey, Mom, it’s me.”

 “I’m in the study,” Eleanor yelled. 

 Bob walked back to the study and saw his mom with her face inches from her old Bible again. “Mom, why aren’t you wearing your new glasses?” He glanced around the room and saw the new Bible neatly stacked on top of a pile of books in the corner. 

 “Oh, I have been wearing them. They are good for when I’m watching tv and opening the mail, but I don’t like them when I’m reading the Good Book.”

 “Why not?” Bob asked.

 “Well, I tried them with the new Bible you bought me, but it just wasn’t the same. Now don’t get mad at me, but the illustrations in that new book are all wrong.”

 Bob walked across the room and picked up the new Bible. He thumbed through the pages and then did the same with his Mom’s Bible. “Mom, the pictures look the same. It’s the same Bible, just a newer edition.”

 “No, they are definitely different Bobby. See look at my Bible. Can you see how Jesus is smiling, and look at His eyes. They are so loving in my book”. Eleanor turned the page, “ See how everyone is looking at Him here. Look how happy the people are to just be near Jesus. That’s how I feel too. Now, this other Bible is nice but when I read it with my glasses I noticed Jesus wasn’t smiling like He was in my Bible. Those glasses are good for me to see the world, but when I want to see Jesus speaking to me, I prefer to trust His vision. His vision for me is always clear. I’m better off not being distracted by the wrong details. You know what I mean?”

-Susan

Happy Feast Day!

 

 We all have our favorite family stories. The ones we tell over and over because they warm our hearts.  This is how I feel about Mary’s Assumption into heaven.  Today is a special feast day to celebrate Mary's faithfulness.  I also enjoy meditating on Mary’s Assumption every time I pray the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary. I love imagining that moment. I can see Jesus extending out His hand and Mary smiling as she places her hand in His.  Hand in hand, Jesus leads them into heaven. I imagine Mary with the same beautiful smile on her face as she had when she held baby Jesus in her arms for the first time. It is a bond of love that God would want the entire world to talk about for eternity. 

 I am just struck by God’s generosity!  He could have had this amazing moment with just Mary, but he shared the knowledge of this incredible event with all of humanity as well.  Why?  I think God wants us to also reach out our hands and embrace Mary. Not just as a faith-filled person from the past, but as our own loving mother who is constantly looking over us. Mary knows better than anyone that when you give God your ”yes” and allow Him to touch your life, you will begin your own beautiful love story with God which will continue throughout eternity. 

 I hope you all enjoy the day with Mary!

-Susan