The Present Moment -- What a Gift

   One example of the wisdom of God is that He does not reveal the future to us. This is truly a mercy!

    Many of us would have wanted to run away in order to avoid the difficult events that have occurred in our lives. But truth be told, it was those very events that helped us to grow in strength and virtue – helped us become the man or woman we are today.

     Even with that said, thinking about living with difficulties in the future is still frightening! The “unknown” in itself can be unnerving, but when you add all the “what ifs” that our imagination can conjure up, our fear can be endless. Thanks be to God, most of them never come about anyway, yet we allow ourselves to venture into the future where we may never tread.

     And then of course, there’s the past!

      We revisit memories that are filled with regrets and hurts. We beat ourselves up with the “should haves, would haves, could haves, and whys,” and experience the pain and regrets all over again. We allow the past to wound us again and again, till our wound is once more festering and raw.

     Why do we do this to ourselves? Why do we torture ourselves by revisiting the past or delving into the future? Why do we give in to the temptation to move from the present moment where God’s grace is located? We get trapped instead, feeling anxious and burdened.

     God’s grace is neither in the past nor the future!

     It is the devil’s aim to keep us from staying in the present moment. He knows if he can keep us in the past or the future, we’re doomed. God’s grace is not there. GOD IS IN THE PRESENT MOMENT – and so is His grace!

     The present moment is all that we have really anyway. It is the only offering that we can give to God. We need to stay close to our Papa and not allow ourselves to venture into the pain of the past or the unknown territory of the future. We have to keep hold of our Papa’s hand and stay with Him right here in the present moment. He will shower us with all the graces we need to navigate through our lives – with all its up’s and downs.

     This is not a new problem for mankind. It is evident from the writings of the saints, that many of them struggled with this temptation.

     St. Augustine advised us long ago: “Trust the past to God’s mercy, the present to God’s love and the future to God’s providence.”

    And then the words of wisdom from St. Francis de Sales: “Do not look forward to the changes and chances of this life with fear. Rather, look to them with full confidence that, as they arise, God to whom you belong will in His love enable you to profit by them. He has guided you thus far in life. Do you but hold fast to His dear hand, and He will lead you safely through all trials. Whenever you cannot stand, He will carry you lovingly in His arms.  
  
     Do not look forward to what may happen tomorrow; the same everlasting Father who cares for you today will take care of you tomorrow and every day. Either He will shield you from suffering, or He will give you unfailing strength to bear it.

     Be at peace then, put aside all useless thoughts, all vain dreads and all anxious imaginations.”

     And lastly, the beautiful prayer of St. Faustina. Let us make it our own:

     “O my God, when I look into the future, I am frightened, but why plunge into the future? Only the present moment is precious to me, as the future may never enter my soul at all.

     It is no longer in my power, to change, correct or add to the past; for neither sages nor prophets could do that. And so, what the past has embraced I must entrust to God.

     O present moment, you belong to me, whole and entire. I desire to use you as best I can. And although I am weak and small, You grant me Your omnipotence.

      And so, trusting in Your mercy, I walk like a little child, offering to You each day this heart burning with love for Your greater glory.”

     St. Augustine, St. Frances de Sales, and St. Faustina please pray for us! Pray that we may cooperate with God’s grace to stay in the present moment. Intercede for us that we may learn to trust God with every fiber of our being. Ask that God will help us to let go of the spirit of fear so we can receive the peace that He longs to bestow upon us. May our lives be one continual FIAT as we abide in the loving heart of the Father. Amen!
                                                                                    
    
   
    
    


        

Mary -- My Mother -- My Teacher

     “Your prayer, like all things, rests entirely in the hands of the Father. As you spend time with Mary in prayer, and as she reveals her heart to you, she will share with you how she is able to receive the Father’s love in all circumstances, whether holding Jesus in her arms at Bethlehem or Calvary. Mary’s pure heart is able to accept divine love in every moment, even when her circumstances are painful. Mary has utter trust in the Father’s care for her, and she is completely surrendered to His will, even to the point of offering her dear Son at Calvary without any resistance. Mary will show you how to trust completely, how to admit the Father’s love into every circumstance, and how to allow Him to have total control of your life, in the confidence that He will stay with you. By being with Mary at Calvary, she shares with you her freedom to allow God to love as He chooses and in the measure that He desires. No part of Mary’s life is protected from God; everything is His. Mary leads you into this experience from the inside, from her own awareness of God and from her own willingness to let Him be everything for  her.                                                                                           
 Good counsel from a wise and holy priest


     These precious words were given to me in spiritual direction over five and a half years ago. Since that time, I have meditated on these words, again and again, trying to glean and receive from Mary, my mother, this awesome lesson of trust.

     Learning to accept and receive Papa’s love when circumstances are painful, is not something that comes natural to me. Often like a frightened little child, I want to run and hide – fleeing from the pain – hoping it will just disappear. The thought that my heavenly Father has allowed it, does not give me comfort but sets me in confusion. My reaction points out how very far I am from complete surrender and trust in the love of the Father. My vision is skewed. I do not yet see life as Mary does.

    “Blessed are the pure of heart, for they will see God” (Mt 5: 8).

     Unlike my mother Mary, my heart is not pure. I do not always see God nor feel His love in difficult circumstances. My heart is wounded by my own sins and by the pain inflicted by others. In my woundedness, I fear the cost of consciously making myself vulnerable. I fear laying aside my own will when receiving all the burden of life’s circumstances – and accepting the will of God without resistance. Nevertheless, I am well aware that I cannot control every aspect of my life, nor the lives of those I love. Life will have its way and things will happen that will be painful and difficult. And though I try to resist the idea of surrender, something deep within my mind and heart calls me to beg and plead to my Mother that I may receive this special grace from God.

     This desire causes me to want to spend time with Mary at Calvary, so she may share with me her freedom to allow God to love me as He chooses and in the measure He desires. I long to give all to God and not close any area of my life to Him as “off limits.” I yearn to truly learn from Mary how to accept God’s divine love in every moment of my life – painful times as well as joyous. I desire to stop hiding behind a chair, like a frightened child, and run to my Papa’s arms instead – receiving the love that He longs to lavish upon me. My hope is that my Mother Mary will teach me and lead me to allow God, my heavenly Father, to be everything for me.

     Although I have progressed in this area, it is clear I have much to learn and surrender. God ALONE knows the remaining time I have on this earth and He will adjust my lessons accordingly. Until He calls me home, I will continue to be a pupil in the school of Mary, praying to her Spouse the Holy Spirit, asking Him to fill me with His gifts and graces to respond fully that I may become a true daughter of my Mother Mary!
    
         
    

The Father's Response

     “Prayers are God-filled words in which our love and God’s love are joined. That love embraces the people for whom we are praying, and love changes people and situations. This doesn’t mean that we will always get what we want, but Jesus does promise we will get what we need.”                                                                                                                                Rev. Jude Winkler, O.F.M.

     “God loves me so much that He provides my every need. God’s providence disposes and directs everything for His honor and glory and for the good of my soul."                                                                                                                                                            Mother Angelica


     In our head, we know that both Father Jude’s and Mother Angelica’s statements speak truth. But in our heart, when life does not turn out the way we were hoping and praying it would, we are filled with doubt.

     Watching those we love suffer is difficult. We wish that we could take their place and relieve them of their pain. God will sometimes allow us to share in their suffering, but our loved ones still remain on the cross. It is difficult to see both God’s love and ours embracing them while their suffering continues. During times of trial, it is downright hard to believe we’ve received what we need!

The Light of Our Lives

     “Faith ought to be the light which envelops not only our moments of prayer but our whole life as well. In prayer we say, ‘I believe in God, the Father almighty’; but a few minutes afterwards, in the face of some difficult task, a tiresome person, or something which upsets our plans, we forget that these have all been willed and planned by God for our good. We forget that God is our Father, and therefore is more concerned about our welfare than we are ourselves. We forget that God is all-powerful and can help us in every difficulty. In losing sight of the light of faith, which makes us see everything as dependent upon God and ordered by Him for our good, we lose ourselves in merely human considerations and protests, as if God had nothing to do with our life or had very little place in it. We give way to discouragement as though we had no faith. Yes, we believe in God, the Father Almighty, but we do not believe to the point of seeing His will, or at least His permission, in every circumstance. And yet, until faith becomes such a factor in our life that it makes us see all in relation to God, and as dependent upon Him, we will not be able to say that the light of faith is the guide of our life. It is, of course, but only partially. How often this true light, which participates in the very light of God, remains hidden under the bushel of a mentality which is still too human, too earthly!                                                                                                                                                                                                            Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, OCD

     As I sat in Church that quiet summer afternoon, I felt weary! I had just experienced a very busy week that had exhausted me both physically and emotionally – and it wasn’t over yet – I still had many things to do and places to go. With my tank on empty, I realized I needed to be in the Eucharistic Presence of God and allow myself to be filled with Jesus and His love.

     When I am in a place of emptiness, I have found that writing a letter to God is helpful. I sat there with my pen and paper in hand and poured out my heart to my dear sweet Jesus. I wrote about everything and everyone that I was carrying. I was burdened and needed to hand it all over to Him. I knew He wouldn’t mind. He Himself told us, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take up My yoke and learn from Me, for I am meek and humble of heart: and you will find rest for yourselves. For My yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Mt 11: 28-30).

     When I finished the written part of my prayer, I began to verbalize, in my mind, what was troubling my heart. “Lord, give me faith the size of a mustard seed. Mine must be smaller than that because You tell us that if our faith was the size of a mustard seed, we could move a mountain. Right now I can’t seem to be able to move anything. Strengthen my faith. You know Jesus, I do believe. Help my unbelief!”

     With that prayer uttered, the flood gates opened. As my tears flowed, like a little child, I wanted to be with my Papa. I imaged myself running to Him, climbing on His lap. He opened His arms to me and held me close. Tears streamed down my face as some disappointing memories of life paraded before my mind. As each memory presented itself, I asked, “Why, Papa? Why?” The tears continued, as did the memories, as I sat face to face with life’s difficult mysteries. I didn’t understand why all of these hardships had occurred, or why my life was still “permeated” by some. I knew in my head that I may never understand the “whys” while I live here on earth, but that day, I had the courage to at least ask God the questions.

     Although I did not get an answer, a feeling of peace enveloped me. As I opened myself to God’s peace, from the depths of my heart a plea arose, my God, what do You want me to learn from all of this? What are You trying to teach me!

     As I sat in His stillness, I realized a truth I must never forget: God is my Papa! He cares about me like no one else. He only wants what is good for me and when things get difficult, He is there with me to guide me and fill me with His graces. Because of the stain of original sin, I sometimes make wrong choices. At times, to my detriment, my woundedness and my longing to be loved, blinds me to do far too much for others. It is my unconscious belief that my actions will repair damage that’s been inflicted. It hasn’t worked. I cannot “fix” what is broken. I must leave that to God and be patient and cooperate with His grace. My faith must be increased. Faith is KNOWNING that God KNOWS: believing that He really KNOWS what is happening and can handle things. I need to trust and allow the light of my faith to enable me to see things from this vantage point. God IS ALMIGHTY and brings about good from evil. Look at the crucifixion! It was followed by the resurrection. I need to be humble and trust God, embracing my place as the child of His heart.

     It so easy at times to forget that I am a sojourner and a wayfarer on this journey of life: heaven is my destination. I must grow in grace and virtue, as I navigate towards sanctification. At times, I must learn to walk in darkness, trusting the One who is mapping out my route. I must learn to listen to His promptings on the way and respond fully to them. He will not leave me to travel alone, but will accompany me every step of the way – whether I’m aware of Him or not.

     I pray one day that like Elizabeth of the Trinity, I may be able to proclaim: “Everthing that happens is a message to me of God’s great love for my soul.”

     Till then I pray: O my dear sweet God! I don’t want to hide the light of my faith under a bushel basket. I want it to shine and guide my whole life. I want to KNOW that You KNOW what is happening each moment and that I am totally dependent upon You for everything. Send me the Comforter – Your Holy Spirit – to reassure me on my journey and guide me. May He fill me with Your gifts, fruits and virtues, so I may not give in to discouragement. Help me to accept that all that happens is for my sanctity. Increase my faith.

     I believe Lord. Help my unbelief.

    

    

    

     

    

Become Whole-Hearted

     “An obvious sign of attachments is also your sadness in situations when God takes something away from you. He will, therefore, take that by which you are enslaved – hence everthing that is your greatest enemy, that which causes your heart not to be free for Him. It is when you start to accept this and do it cheerfully that you will become more and more free.
     During prayer in the presence of the Lord, show Him not only your empty but also dirty hands, defiled by the attachments to mammon, and pray that He will have mercy on you. Prayer can develop only in the atmosphere of freedom. As a disciple of Christ, you are called to prayer; and that is to contemplative prayer. For your prayer to become contemplation – that is, a loving gaze on Jesus Christ, your beloved – a free heart is essential. That is why Christ fights so much for your heart to be free. He fights through various events, through difficulties and storms, by putting you in difficult situations, all the while giving you a chance to cooperate intensively with grace. In all these situations, Christ expects that you will try to cleanse your heart, soiled by attachments and servitude to mammon. In this way, all these difficulties and all the storms are a grace for you. They are the passing by of the Merciful Lord, who loves you so much that He wants to give you this magnificent fight – the gift of total freedom of your heart. Your heart should not be divided, it should be a heart solely for Him.                                                                                                                                               To have faith means to see and understand your life’s sense in accordance with the Gospel – God is most important. Your life is to be aimed at Him: to seek and build primarily His kingdom believing that everything else will be given to you (Mt 6:33). God wants to bestow on each person all His love. However, He can gift a person only to the extent of his openness, of his readiness to be stripped of attachments, so that room may be made for Him. It is faith that creates in us this emptiness and vacuum for God.                                                                                                                                         Father Tadeusz Dajczer



     God wants your heart – your whole heart. He also wants you to be free, to love Him as you should. Jesus became man, suffered and died in order to give you this gift of freedom. Walk in that grace, realizing that it was bought with the blood of Christ.

Timeless Wisdom

     “Majestic sovereign, timeless wisdom, Your kindness melts my hard, cold soul. Handsome love, selfless giver, Your beauty fills my dull, sad eyes. I am Yours, You made me. I am Yours, You called me. I am Yours, You saved me. I am Yours, You loved me. I will never leave Your presence. Give me death, give me life. Give me sickness, give me health. Give me honor, give me shame. Give me weakness, give me strength. I will have whatever You give.” St. Teresa of Avila


     This beautiful prayer poem is entitled, “A Love Song.” It speaks of the deep, intimate relationship that St. Teresa had with her beloved spouse, Jesus Christ.

Let Him Sleep

     “As Jesus got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by waves; but He was asleep. They came and woke Him, saying, ‘Lord, save us! We are perishing!’  He said to them, ‘Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?’ Then He got up, rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was great calm. The men were amazed and said, ‘What sort of man is this, whom even the winds and the sea obey?” Matthew 8:23-27


     So often, when we are faced with violent storms in our lives, we are filled with fear and dread! Like the disciples, our focus is on the wind, the crashing waves and the trashing of our little boat. We wait, expecting Jesus to intervene, but nothing happens to quell the storm in our hearts, minds and souls. We feel frightened and fear that we will be capsized into the deep, dark, ominous sea!

     As our fear mounts, we finally shout out to God. It seems to us that He has been sleeping. Is He unaware of our current situation? Does He really love us? Do we really matter to Him?

     Scripture tells us over and over again that we are loved and precious to our God. “I have loved you with an everlasting love” (Jer 31:3). “I have called you and you are Mine” (Is 43:1b). “I will never leave you or forsake you” (Joshua 1:5).

     In times of trouble, it seems as if we forget that very truth! Like the disciples we call out to Jesus, “Can’t You see that we are perishing? Wake up! Why are You sleeping when I need You?”

     Jesus’ reply to us is the same, “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?”

     His words make our hearts sink. We do not want to be of little faith. We know that Jesus is God and is always with us. But, in our humanity, we forget and fall into the sea of doubt. We forget we are God’s little children, and expect far too much from ourselves. We need to recall our littleness and do what children do when they are afraid – go and cling to Jesus.

     As a parent of five, many a night, one of my children would crawl into bed with me when they awoke and were frightened. I did not chastise or send them back to their room. I allowed them to cuddle with me and held them tight until the fear faded away. They felt safe and would fall asleep in my arms.

     Do the same with Jesus. When the storms of life come and you feel as though He is asleep, instead of calling out to Him in desperation, run to Him. Let Him continue to sleep. Gaze upon Him with love. Cuddle up next to Him. Feel His strength. Feel His comfort. Place your head on His chest and listen to His sacred Heart -- beating with love for you. Maybe He’ll awaken and put His arms around You. Allow Him to do so. Whisper to Him all your worries and concerns. Remember that His is God and will give you the grace that you need to navigate through any storm – no matter how severe. Relax, realizing you are loved and cared about. Like a little child, fall asleep in Jesus’ arms – the strong arms that were stretched out on the cross to prove His great love for you. Experience the great calm, knowing you are not alone.

     Experiencing storms is going to happen to all of us, as we navigate the sea of life here on earth. Keep your eyes on Jesus, awake or asleep: He is the God of the universe, who is aware of everything and can quiet any storm. Remain little. As Jesus looks upon you with His love, allow Him to lift you above the storm, where the sky is blue and the sun is shining.

     But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me.” “Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you. See, upon the palms of My hands I have written your name” (Is 49:14-15).