Calming the Hurricane

     “Advent’s intention is to awaken the most profound and basic emotional memory within us, namely, the memory of the God who became a child. This is a healing memory; it brings hope.” Pope Benedict XVI


     Like travelers, who have lost their way, we wander through the Advent season forgetting our blessed destination. Because we have taken our eyes away from the star, which is burning brightly in the dark sky, we feel disoriented. We are like people caught up in a hurricane and there is no peace or serenity. We need to move toward the eye of the storm, where it is calm, and look up. Christ’s light is there shining in the darkness of our emotional night. We must keep our focus on Christ and His light. It will guide us, in spite of our present circumstances.

Peace -- Pass It On

     “The peace of our spirit does not depend on the good nature and kindness of other people. Our neighbor’s good nature and kindness are in no way subject to our control or opinion. That would be absurd. The tranquility of our heart depends on ourselves. The ability to avoid anger, with all its ridiculous effects, has to come from within ourselves and not be dependent on the nature of other people. The power to overcome the evil in our character must not depend on some perfection outside us, but on our own virtue.”                                                                      
                                                              St. Jose Maria Escriva



     The “blame game” started long ago in the garden. Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the serpent. As children of Adam and Eve, it might be a good time to say, “the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree!”

The Greatest Gift

     “We are called to withdraw at certain intervals into deeper silence and aloneness with God . . . not with our books, thoughts, and memories but completely stripped of everything, to dwell lovingly in God’s presence . . . silent, empty, expectant, and motionless.” Blessed Teresa of Calcutta



     Withdrawing from activity, to spend time with God is something that our souls truly yearn for and need. Taking moments to be in His presence will always be fruitful, whether it’s apparent to us or not.

Eternal Designs

     “The action of God upon His saints is most gentle. How He respects our liberty! How He condescends to our weakness! He does not run or jump or act violently. We, being weak creatures, rush; but God works slowly, because He deals with eternity. We bewail the passage of minutes; but God serenely watches the flow of years. We wish to achieve the goal of our desires with a single rush; but God prepares His work gently, nor does our inconstancy weary Him, nor do our failures startle Him, nor do the complicated vicissitudes of life overturn His eternal designs.”                 Archbishop Luis M. Martinez



          Our soul is priceless and fragile, created to spend eternity with God, and we must begin to treat it as such. We need to become gentle with ourselves, as God is. We often beat ourselves up because we fall, without taking into account the times we overcame our weakness. We have to learn to be patient with ourselves, and not expect sainthood to be achieved overnight.

Don't Stand God Up

     “Pray with your whole being even though you think it has no savor for you. For such prayer is very profitable even though you feel nothing, though you see nothing, even though it seems impossible to you. It is in dryness and barrenness, in sickness and feebleness that your prayer is most pleasing to Me, even though you think it has little savor for you.”                             God to St. Julian of Norwich


     Prayer to God is essential, if we want to grow in relationship with Him. It is the way we stay connected to Him and commune with God in love. It is an avenue of grace and love, where we can learn to grow past ourselves and focus on God. It is an opportunity to waste time, to keep God company, just because we love Him.

Your Hourglass

     “Like an hourglass with a certain number of grains of sand within it, God has appointed your life to last only a certain number of days, and you have absolutely no idea how many there are . . . In God’s presence consider: I have no idea when my life will end. All I know is that death will come for me eventually. Am I doing anything to prepare for the real possibility that God may call me, sooner than later? If He called me into eternity today, would I be ready?                                           Patrick Madrid


     During the month of November, the Church, in Her wisdom, has asked us to reflect on The Last Things: death, judgment, heaven and hell.

Love's Clock

     “The distance separating Our Lord from the house where Lazarus lived was about a day’s journey . . . in all it would have been four days since He received the news. God’s delays are mysterious; sorrow is sometimes prolonged for the same reason for which it is sent. God may abstain for the moment from healing, not because Love does not love, but because Love never stops loving, and a greater good is to come from the woe. Heaven’s clock is different from ours.”          Bishop Fulton J. Sheen


     Why does God allow suffering? Why does He delay in answering our prayers, or at times, appear not to even hear them? Those were probably the thoughts of Martha and Mary when they contacted Jesus and He failed to come to heal their brother Lazarus. Lazarus was already dead four days by the time Jesus arrived.