Is That the Holy Spirit?

 

  My granddaughter and I were swinging in the backyard when I looked up and spotted a white bird high in the sky. My first thought was, “Oh my gosh, is that the Holy Spirit?”   My one-year-old granddaughter did not reply. 

  Now I know you may think I’m crazy, but hear me out. I have never seen a white bird in my backyard. I have seen robins, blue jays, cardinals, sparrows, ducks, and hawks, but never a white bird. Although you could easily argue this case otherwise, my heart wants to believe the Holy Spirit hovers around me. In fact, I love that idea. 

  We recently celebrated the feast of Pentecost, but why not celebrate it every day? Our Baptism marked and changed our lives in ways we can’t even comprehend. We sometimes say too casually that we have received the gift of the Holy Spirit at our Baptism. The Divine chooses to dwell in us. That should make our heads spin and our hearts swell. To say God is generous is an understatement. God has given us everything we need to live holy lives. He believes we can do it. Shouldn’t we live as if we believe this as well?

  So I say with confidence, “I saw the Holy Spirit today.”  He was flying over my neighborhood.  He is present in my granddaughter’s smile, and He was present in my daughter’s hands earlier that morning as she helped me. I see the Holy Spirit everywhere, and it fills me with joy! Join my enthusiasm for the Holy Spirit, and be sure to look for Him in your life as well!

-Susan

It's All About The Details

 

  

This past spring, I had the opportunity to hike with my sister on several beautiful trails in Arizona. To my delight, the timing was perfect for seeing the cacti bloom. I was captivated by the different flowers. I snapped picture after picture of these delicate blooms (almost to the point of driving my sister crazy). I was pleased when I returned home and noticed I had captured more than just the flower in one of my pictures.

 What I hadn’t noticed while taking the picture was the bee pollinating the flower. It made me realize that the beauty of God’s creations is even more amazing when you notice the details. It’s so easy to take for granted everything that God has created.

 
 Please join me this week in praising God! Take a closer look at your life. Remember some of your sweetest memories and notice how God was present. Recall a very difficult time in your life and how God helped you through it. What may have seemed like a coincidence or good luck was actually God arranging all the details just so. Take a deep breath in and blow it out. We live and breathe because the breath of God desires you and loves you.  You are an amazing person, and the intricate fingerprint of God is all over you.  We have been blessed with millions of tiny, unnoticed details. Don’t take God for granted this week. Take a closer look at our wonder- working God and love Him even more!

-Susan

Feast Of The Sacrad Heart Of Jesus

 

 "O come let us adore Him

O come let us adore Him

O come let us adore Him

Christ the Lord."

  As I bow down to honor you today, I beg You to pour Your Love and Mercy upon the Church and the whole world. Sacred Heart of Jesus, I trust in You!

-Susan

Your True Presence

 

 Reverently, I walk down the Church aisle. Is this just another ordinary Sunday? Never. My God is calling me forward. Who am I to be invited to receive Jesus?  I am no one special, not at all worthy, yet He loves me anyway.  My heart hears Him call my name.

  Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. I often repeat these words slowly over and over before and after receiving the Holy Eucharist.  I hope that by repeating these words, I will be able to grasp their meaning.  This gift, this moment, this Holy Eucharist is beyond my comprehension, and yet I boldly receive, because I so desperately need Him.  

  Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. Jesus gives me all of Himself; why do I give so little in return? Change me, Jesus. My love is too weak.  Strengthen and enlighten me with Your True Presence. Please keep loving me more than I deserve. 

-Susan