Spending Time With Those You Love

 

 Mark jumped in the car and picked dinner before heading to his grandma's house. He pulled out the key to his grandma's house as he walked up the steps. Just before unlocking the door, he called his grandma on the phone. "Hi grandma, it's me, Mark. I picked up dinner for us. I will let myself in, so stay on the couch."

 "Oh, thank, Mark. That was so sweet of you."

 Mark was inside and unpacking dinner on the kitchen table two minutes later. "That smells really good!" said grandma as she emerged from the family room.

 "Your favorite, French Onion soup in a soup bowl. I got Mac & Cheese. How are you feeling today?"

 "Much better today. The doctor switched my medications, and it's working this time. I feel bad I missed Mass yesterday."

 "Grandma, you were sick. God doesn't expect you to go when you're sick."

 "I know, but I miss being at Mass. I watched it on tv, but I prefer to be there in person. You know what I mean?" Mark shoveled another forkful of Mac & Cheese into his mouth instead of answering. "So tell me what your priest said in the homily."

 Mark knew better than to tell his grandma a story. "I didn't really get a chance to go to Mass this week," Mark said aloud and inwardly said, "nor the last six months."

 "Oh, really?" Granda asked, "What were you doing? Did you have to work all weekend?"

 "No. I didn't have to work this weekend. I just worked all week long, and I needed a break."

 "What kind of work do you do that makes you feel like you need a break from God? If you ask me, it sounds like you need a new job."

 "I didn't mean it like that. My job is fine. I need time to unwind and get caught up on things."

 Grandma slowly took a few spoonfuls of her soup while considering her response. "I never felt like giving the Lord one hour a week was too much."

 "Grandma, things are just different these days. Hardly any of my friends go to church anymore. I can still be a good person and not go to church. I still pray all the time."

 "I'm glad you are still praying, but being a good person is not the same as being a good disciple. Mark going to Mass is really important."

 "Grandma, I know it's important to you, but I just don't really get anything out of it."

 "I have never understood when people say that. What could be more precious than reaching the Body of Christ? What about all the graces the Lord blesses you with. That alone is more than any of us deserve. So let me ask you something, Mark. When you come here to visit me, do you do it to get something from me?"

 "Of course not, Grandma. I like being with you."

 "What about your parents? Do you get something out of every conversation with them? I know I don't. Sometimes we talk about ordinary stuff, but I still like being with them. Do you see what I'm getting at Mark? We spend time with the people we love because we like being with them. We like being near them. We definitely have had some great times together, but lots of times, we don't really do anything special. But my life is better because I have kept the people I love and the relationships I value close to me. Sometimes, I feel my heart soaring when I go to Mass, but many times I don't. Sometimes the priest's homily is exactly what I need to hear, but sometimes it barely holds my interest. But it doesn't matter if I think the priest is interesting or if the music is inspiring, you know what matters?"

 "What?"

 "What matters is my attitude. I go to Mass because I want to praise and thank God. I want to be near Him. I love Him. I'm not there to be entertained or to obtain some spiritual high. I go to Mass to give, not to get. I know life can be busy, but you should never be too busy for those you love. Trust me, Mark, being too busy for God is a bad move. I hope missing Mass doesn't become a habit for you. That would make me really sad."

 "Grandma, please, don't put me on a guilt trip."

 "Oh, that wasn't a guilt trip. I mean, I will probably be praying on my knees for an extra hour for you every day for your mind to be open to God no matter how much my arthritis hurts me," Granda said with a smile.

 Mark started laughing, "Ok, ok, you win. Spare your knees. I promise next week I'll get to Mass. Will that make you happy?"

 "Yes, it would," Granda said, laughing. "Now, let me eat this soup before it gets too cold."

-Susan

A New Season To Love

   

  It's hard to believe, but there are only a few more days until the new season starts. Are you ready? Lent often has a way of sneaking up on us. Sometimes we are caught off guard. But that is the whole purpose of Lent-to deepen our faith and love, so we are not caught off guard one day. No one knows when that "one day" will come for them. Jesus tells us to stay alert and be ready.

 This Lent is a new season. Don't just replay what you did last year. Instead, try to gain some unique insight. Ask yourself what gets in the way of your being a better disciple? Remember being a good person is not the same as being a good disciple. Why not? The answer to that question is worth mulling over. Pray about it and see where the Holy Spirit leads you. 

-Susan  

Smile!

 

My four-year-old granddaughter was looking at my cell phone when she asked, "Can I take some pictures?"

 "What do you want to take a picture of?" I asked.

She looked around the room, "I want to take a picture of Jesus."

 I smiled. "Of course, you can." (Like, I'm going to say no to that request.) She then proceeded to do a photoshoot of my picture of Jesus. I could hear her hitting my camera button repeatedly. "I think you got Him!" I suggested. "Let's see how you did." My granddaughter was all smiles as she showed me her pictures.

 "Should we send a picture to my Mom?" she asked.

 "Yes! Let's put it on Snapchat! (our family group chat). I posted the picture with the caption, "Isabella wants to tell you all that Jesus loves you!" I looked at Isabella and said, "Do you know what you are being right now?"

 "What?" she asked.

 "You are being a fisher of men!"

 "I am? I'm a fisher of men just by taking a picture of Jesus?"

 "Yep! You wanted to share Jesus with others. That makes you a fisher of men! The more you tell others about Jesus, the happier He will be."

 I'm sharing this story because we often get intimidated by the word evangelization. We might think that it is something others do, or we don't know where to start. I want to suggest you follow Isabella's lead this week. Send someone a picture of Jesus and remind them that Jesus loves them. You will instantly make someone smile. Evangelization doesn't have to be complicated. Keep it simple. We all know the little things in life make our day.

-Susan  

Getting Back On Track

 

 I've spent the last couple of weeks a bit under the weather. Nothing serious. I've just been battling a cold that won't go away. I, of course, recognized the early symptoms but failed to realize what it would cost me- sleepless nights, lack of energy, headaches, and a "To-do" list left undone. It's easy to recognize when the body isn't doing well. This got me thinking...how easily do we realize when our spiritual life has caught a cold?

 Does a spiritual cold happen because we catch someone else's bad attitude? Is self-indulgence easy to pick up? Do distractions break down our spiritual cells? If our prayer life is dry, how do we hydrate it? What doesn't happen on our spiritual to-do list when our attitudes are cold?

 This week ask yourself how you are feeling spiritually. We have a few weeks before Lent begins. This is an excellent time to see what we should do to get back on track. Keep your soul healthy. You know what they say, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

-Susan