Keep Focused

 

  I have been blessed to travel a little in my lifetime. Letting my eyes drink in so many of God's beautiful creations inspires me to praise Him for His many gifts and reminds me of my littleness in this big world. Sunday Mass is always essential. Catholic churches come in many sizes and architectural styles. The Mass, however, is universally the same. Wherever I am, I know that during the Mass, I am at home. I love the Mass! What saddens me, though, are the distractions I sometimes encounter before the Mass.

  I am grateful for parishes with active ministries serving the community's needs. It is wonderful, but I would prefer to give these programs my full attention after Mass. I am also happy that those in the pews have close relationships with one another, but let's celebrate those friendships after Mass. Like many of you, I have a busy life. I long to spend sacred moments with the Lord away from earthly distractions. I want to stay focused on praising God, but I am weak, and my senses can be easily distracted.  I need your help to stay focused.

  The Mass is the highest form of prayer.  The Mass is a sacred time when we join our prayers with Jesus to praise and worship God the Father. Participating in the holy Mass is the most important part of our lives.  The Mass is not meant to be casual or entertaining. It is sacred time spent praising God's goodness. I am embarrassed to admit that I can let distracting thoughts interfere with the sacredness of the moment.

  I realize I need help.  Personally, I need to prepare for Mass.  I need to prepare my heart to hear God's words and receive Jesus in the Eucharist.  I need to be open to the gentle guidance of my guardian angel, who leads me to worship as in heaven.  I need to unite myself with Mary so that I may imitate her disposition and receive all the graces the Lord has prepared for me. Preparing for Mass is important to me. When I walk through the church doors and enter the sanctuary, I want to focus on the Lord. 

  I realize some of you prayer warriors don't let anything distract you. I truly admire that. But it's possible that, like me, others are being distracted as well. Help me stay focused on the sacrifice of the Mass until the final blessing and dismissal. Then we can go out together to serve the Lord, the community, and one another.

-Susan

That's A Tough Question

 

  My granddaughter loves to read.  I recently bought her a "Would You Rather" book.  The book is filled with statements that make you choose between two good things or two bad things.  Generally, the Would You Rather statements are more fun when shared with someone. For example:  Would you rather spend one day in the past or one day in the future? Would you rather have the gift of prophecy or the gift of healing?  Would you rather eat a bowl of worms or a cup of dirt? As you can see, some decisions are easier to make than others.

  We face a similar question every day of our lives.  Would you rather live for this world or for heaven?  Although the answer to this question should be obvious to Christians, I wonder whether it is easier to answer than to live it out. Let's face it, most of us are not living saintly lives.  For some reason, the pull of this world is stronger than it should be. Oddly, we spend more time making our lives comfortable than preparing for eternity. It's easier to let others live their own lives than to share the truth of the Gospels with them. How do we live for God rather than for ourselves?

  Although the pull of gravity is strong here on Earth, it is no match for the word "yes" given to the Holy Spirit. Let's begin our day by asking the Holy Spirit to replace one worldly habit with a saintly one. Ask the Holy Spirit to present you with a "Would You Rather" question and see where the conversation leads. You may be surprised by what you learn.

-Susan

Today Is Mom's Birthday!

 

A Candid Conversation

 

  A few weeks ago, I was walking my dog in the park. A young boy (maybe seven years old) approached me and asked, "What's that?" 

  I was surprised by the question as he pointed to my dog. "My dog," I answered.

  He responded, "I think it’s a cat."

  "No, he's a dog."

   "No, I think it's a cat."  Then he walked away to play on the swings.  Of course, the only natural thing to do next was to shake my head and apologize to my dog, in case he felt offended.

  Later, during prayer, this interaction interrupted my thoughts. I smiled as I recounted the story to God and said, "I was so confused that the boy would argue what was so obviously true." And that's when it hit me. How often does God have the same conversation with me? Through Jesus' teachings, God has clearly revealed the truths of the kingdom. But how often have I decided that a particular teaching was a little harsh and that what God really meant was ...

  In today's world, we often prefer to offer our own interpretations to match our expectations rather than listen to God. Let's face it, life would be easier if we weren't Catholic. It would be easier to just be good people and do what we thought was right. But Jesus calls us to be more than just good people.  We are called to be like Jesus.  This means trusting His wisdom over our own. 

  I wondered how many times I called something right when it was wrong. I'm sure the number is quite high. What began as a silly conversation with a child suddenly became a candid conversation with God. Imagine how surprised I was to realize I was the child who called a dog a cat. But instead of running for the swings, I turned to the forgiving arms of my Father.  Being Catholic isn't a walk in the park, but it is the path to salvation. Keep leading me, Lord; please keep me on the path.

-Susan

So Blessed

 

   I went up north last weekend with my sisters.  On Sunday we attended Mass together in a small town by the lake. As I knelt to pray before Mass began, I noticed the church paper on the pew in front of me.  It showed a partial image of Jesus' face.  The somewhat mysterious picture instantly drew me in.  

  My eyes saw what my heart already knew: Jesus would be present with us as we celebrate the Mass. There will be blessings upon blessings! I am so grateful that my ears hear His invitation and that my soul is allowed to praise Him. Allowing me to stand so near to Him is more than I deserve, and then He invites me to come even closer. He places His heart in my hands, hoping I will love as He loves. His generous love amazes me.

 

  I must admit, I am a slow learner and still a work in progress. But I am trying, and I am so grateful that Jesus still has hope that I could be a faithful disciple.  As I stare at His picture and imagine what the other half of His face looks like, I wonder. . . Is Jesus looking at my heart and wondering when I will fully give the other half to Him? 

-Susan

The Word

 

  "The Flight into Egypt" is only three verses in Matthew's Gospel, but I have to admit, I am fascinated by this story. Trust and obedience are central themes. Joseph receives the message from the angel that Herod plans to destroy Jesus. Joseph trusts that this message is from God and immediately wakes Mary. Mary trusts Joseph's message, and together they depart for Egypt at once. I wonder whether I would have enough trust to do the same. This got me thinking...

  Imagine an angel informed you tonight that God was being hunted down, and that it was up to you to keep the Word of God safe.  You are warned to get up immediately and begin traveling to another country. You are not told your final destination, only the initial direction. You are instructed to bring a Bible and 3 other faith-filled books you own. Beyond the Bible, what other books would help you maintain your faith and share it with others? Would you trust that God could send you a message in a dream? Would you recognize an angel speaking to you? Would you be willing to leave your home and all your plans if God asked you to? Are you prepared to defend the Word of God, no matter the cost?

  Take some time with these questions. Talk them over with God. I imagine it would be an interesting conversation.

-Susan

  

  

Hail Mary, FUll of Grace

 

  Join me today in celebrating our beautiful mother, Mary! She is the perfect disciple of Jesus. Her love for God was so complete and pure that she never allowed even a trace of sin to separate her from the Lord. Jesus honored Mary throughout His earthly life; He honored her with His final words on the cross, and then He brought Mary, body and soul, into heaven, so that we could all honor her as well!

  I imagine the joy in heaven today is beyond words, but I hope the joy in each of our hearts is, too.  Allow your love for Mary to make today special by spending a little extra time with her. She loves us so much and wants to ensure we all make it to heaven. We would be wise to ask for her advice and intercession today and every day that follows. We would be even wiser to give Mary our hearts.

  Let Mary hold our hearts in her gentle hands and remove all the impurities that impede us from loving God more. Allow Mary to place her fingerprints all over our hearts. The more we look like Mary, the closer we will be to heaven!

-Susan