Follow His Heart

  As I was driving I saw a large heart with the words "Follow Your Heart". The sign was very cute, but I wondered if there wasn't a better message for everyone.  I would guess most days we tend to follow our own hearts.  We tend to "treat" ourselves or buy things that make us happy. We spend time with people that make us laugh or feel good about ourselves.  I think many of us have a good idea how to amuse ourselves when we have some down time.  However,  I wondered...... wouldn't it be wiser to follow Jesus' Sacred Heart? 
  When was the last time you searched for the heart of Jesus? Is His heart close to your own?  How much distance separates the two? Have you ever began the day asking Jesus, "What would make Your heart happy today?"  
  In order to follow the Heart of Jesus we must spend quiet moments in prayer. Perhaps we should decrease the amount of time we spend entertaining ourselves, and instead spend those moments enriching ourselves with His Presence. Let the rhythm of your life match the beat of His Heart.  The secret to being a good follower resides in trusting the path of the One who is leading.

-Susan

Who's Hungry?

  "Mom, are you almost home?  We're all starving over here."
  "I know. I'm hungry too. I have dinner and I'll be home soon. Tell everyone to get ready."  Ten minutes later Jodie pulled into the driveway and then hopped out with a large carryout bag.  She walked inside her house to find her family anxiously waiting around the table.  "Who's hungry?" she asked.
  "Which one is mine?" asked her son Jonathan.
  "They're all marked.  Just give me a second to sort through it," said Jodie.  "Ok, who ordered the gospel narratives?"
  "That's mine," said Tabatha.
  "I have a Rosary that is a little pink in the middle."
  "Oh, that would be for me," said Taylor.
  "Here's a CRS rice bowl."
  Jonathan smiled and said, "Toss it this way, Mom."
  "This one says Soup Kitchen Volunteer Form."
  "Thanks, honey, that's for me."
  Jodie unwrapped the last order which was hers--a book entitled Meditations Before the Blessed Sacrament. Jodie sat down and was pleased with herself.  It's not always easy to feed the whole family, but she felt pretty good about this meal.  Everyone's spiritual hunger was being fed.  For a moment, she wondered what the other mothers were serving this Lent. She could always use a few more good dinner ideas.

-Susan

Carry On

  I have been working on a Stations of the Cross project for my parish.  Needless to say, I have been doing a lot of thinking about "The Cross".  I like to wear a cross around my neck.  I like to hold the cross at the end of my Rosary, and I love to gaze at the cross when I'm saying my prayers.  But to be perfectly honest, when I have to pick up and carry my cross, I'm not so happy.  I don't mind little crosses and sacrifices, but when I'm asked to suffer with a very difficult cross, I find myself asking the question,"Why?"
  I once heard a homily that has stuck with me some twenty years later.  The priest said, "It's okay to ask God, 'Why?', but just don't run away from Him while you search for the answer."  
  I think most of us find suffering difficult.  We want there to be a reason.  We want it to make sense. Most of the time it doesn't seem to make any sense at all.  However, I have found in my own life that asking the question "Why?" isn't as important as asking the question, "How?" 
  I have found that when I'm down on my knees asking, "How can I carry a cross so heavy?" that I can't run away.  It is on my knees, I beg for God's help.  It is on my knees, I trust in His love. It is
 on my knees, when my strength is gone, that the Lord whispers, "You are not alone. Lean on me and carry on."

-Susan

Ash Wednesday

Let's pick up our cross and begin 

our Lenten journey!

-Susan

More Than Anything (Part 3)

(More Than Anything began on post 2-6-18.)

  Ezra sat very still for a few minutes wondering which to choose.  It was always so easy to just feel sorry for himself.  He never seriously considered that God still had a plan for his life.  How was he going to be able to do God's Will with this stupid twisted foot?  Couldn't he do more with a foot that was healed?  Ezra closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. As he exhaled, He felt a tear roll down his face and then a small voice came from deep inside.  He trembled as he said, "I would like God to chose which is best for me."
  Jesus smiled as He wrapped His arms around Ezra.  "Ezra, your faith and trust in God has healed you!"  
  As Jesus spoke, Ezra felt a powerful surge of love permeate his whole body.  It was an amazing feeling beyond description.  He was loved!  He was truly loved by God!  How had he lived without realizing this?  At that moment, Ezra let go of all his past anger, so that his arms could embrace Jesus as well. "Thank you for finding me!  Thank you for healing me!  I will spend the rest of my life praising God!"
  Jesus smiled and said, "May you always be filled with His peace and trust in His mercy."
  "Jesus, if you would allow, I would like to follow you for the rest of my days.  I have so much to learn.  When I heard you teaching today, I felt a fire within me. I can't explain it, but I know I want to love the Father more than anything."
  "Then come, follow me."
  Ezra couldn't help but cry out, "Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you today to meet me!" As Ezra took his first step following Jesus, he realized his whole life was about to change.  He looked down at his foot and smiled.  If it wasn't for his foot, he may have spent his whole life following the crowd.  Now he was going to spend his life following Jesus!  He wondered how he ever got so lucky as to be blessed with a twisted foot! 

-Susan

More Than Anything (part 2)

(More Than Anything began on post 2-6-18).


  Sheepishly, Ezra stood up from behind the rock and cautiously limped towards Jesus. "Rabbi, I am sorry to have disturbed your prayers.  But please, tell me how you knew my name?"
  Jesus walked towards Ezra, "The Father knows the name and heart of each of His children.  He asked me to seek you out."
  "You were looking for me?" Ezra was astonished.  "I thought I had found you!"
  Jesus smiled, "I hope we are both right.  I saw you leave the crowd and make your journey back to your home.  I knew a shortcut, and I thought our paths would intersect here."
  "But how could you have known?  I was walking aimlessly-thinking about your words today.  This is not even my usual path."
  "Ezra, I have come to seek the lost.  I want everyone to know of the Father's love.  I have come to heal those in need.  Would you like to be healed?"
  "Rabbi, yes I desire to be healed!" exclaimed Ezra.  "My foot keeps me from living a good life."
  "Ezra, it is not your foot that holds you back,  It is your anger and lack of trust in God that is holding you back."
  Desperate to be healed Ezra said, "I don't understand.  My foot prevents me from doing so many things.  If my foot was healed, I could walk like all the others do.  I could be happy!"
  "Ezra, the Father does not wish for you to walk among the crowds.  He wants you to stand out and reflect His love to others."  Jesus bent down and looked at Ezra's foot.  "Ezra there are days when you are filled with anger, and blame God for your injury.  Your foot was never a punishment. it was an unfortunate accident.  Often you doubt that God loves you, isn't that right?"
  From somewhere deep within himself Ezra let the word escape. "Yes."
  "Ezra, God loves you with a love that is stronger than you could ever imagine.  I could heal your foot and you could walk like everyone else, or I heal the pain and anger in your heart which prevents you from trusting in God's Plan for your life. Which would you desire?"
  Ezra looked at his foot and then at Jesus.  Ezra wanted his foot healed.  For years he had dreamed of walking like others.  With one hand he touched his foot, and then he placed his other hand on his heart.  Ezra began to wonder which was more broken.

(to be continued....)
  

More Than Anything

  Exhausted, Ezra sat down not far from the path he had traveled.  His twisted foot made walking difficult and slow.  He noticed that most of the crowd was sitting further down the hill closer to the teacher called Jesus.  Ezra knew he would have difficulty walking the rough terrain in order to get any closer.  For nearly two hours, Ezra sat and listened to Jesus speak about love of one's neighbor and forgiveness.  Jesus seemed to emphasize love.  Ezra had never heard someone speak like this before.  Jesus encouraged everyone to return to their homes and pray to the Father.  Ezra loved the idea of calling the Almighty One, Father.  Jesus made prayer seem so easy and natural.
  As Jesus withdrew, the crowds closed in on Him.  Ezra could hear voices calling out to Jesus for blessings and healings.  Ezra felt the familiar pain as he stood up.  He wished he, too, could get closer to Jesus, but he knew that even if he made it down the hill, he would never make it back up.  "Stupid foot," cursed Ezra.  As Ezra glanced one last time at Jesus, he wondered if Jesus could see the crowd's faces from down there.
  Slowly, Ezra began the long walk home.  Ezra picked the path that would be most deserted.  He wanted some quiet moments to consider Jesus' message. An hour later he rounded the last bend on the path,  when suddenly Ezra stopped.  He ducked behind a lager boulder to his left. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Jesus was about 30 feet in front of him praying on His knees with His eyes and arms lifted towards the heavens.
  Silently, Ezra watched and listened to Jesus pray. Ezra strained to hear Jesus.  He noticed there were moments when Jesus would be silent, but nodding His head in agreement.  Ezra was astonished!  Jesus was actually having a conversation with God!  It was amazing!  More than anything, Ezra wanted to have a relationship like that with God.  He could hear Jesus mention so many who were in need.  He was asking the Father for physical and spiritual healings.  Ezra was taken aback when he realized He actually knew the people whose names were being mentioned.  And then he heard one name that changed everything.  Ezra heard Jesus pray for him!  Jesus knew his name? his pain, but how?  He had just seen Jesus preach for the first time today.  They hadn't even met face to face yet.  Jesus was praying to the Father to heal Ezra's foot.  Then he saw Jesus stop talking for a minute, and Jesus appeared to be listening. Jesus nodded His head in agreement and said, "You're right.  It's not his foot that's holding him back.....  Yes....  I will..."
  Then Jesus turned around and glanced in Ezra's direction.  "Ezra come out from behind that rock and pray with me."

(to be continued...)

-Susan

Just Picture It

 Many years ago my family and I visited the "Holy Land Experience" in Orlando, Florida. As you stroll the streets of the "Holy Land", the Bible comes to life with live acting performances and building replicas.  We were watching one of the live performances of Jesus preaching, when one of the apostles stopped an actor child from approaching Jesus. Jesus looked at the apostle and said. "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these."  As he said this the actor portraying Jesus walked into the crowd and looked right at my Theresa.  He took Theresa's hand and led her back to the stage for everyone to see.
  I remember how big my smile was when I saw Theresa walking hand in hand with Jesus.  Granted it was an actor portraying Jesus, but at that moment, all I could see was how much Theresa was loved by Jesus! 
  I am sharing this story with you hoping that I can encourage you to read the Gospels not as just some nice stories that occurred two thousand years ago, but to see yourself in the story.  Is Jesus talking to you?  Are you part of the crowd?  Are you a Pharisee, a tax collector, one of the apostles?  How do you respond to Jesus' words? Picture it in your mind.  You might just find that as you bring your life to the Gospel, the Gospel brings more of His life to you!

-Susan