Ps 119:1-16 Jan 5, 2022
Praying with Ps 119, filled with so many beautiful admonitions to ponder, study, observe, consider, treasure and keep God’s commandments, the word “heart” also kept jumping off the page at me. All these words are meant to be kept hidden in my heart, to be a source of comfort, strength and guidance for the journey ahead. The image of a special room in my heart, complete with a doorway, came to mind. It could be entered through the open door, and looking inside could be seen an open Book – the Bible, God’s very Word, inviting me to read and receive the Wisdom of the Scriptures.
I had been finding it helpful to sketch the images that came to mind as I prayed, so I wrote “to hide Your Word in my heart…” and then sketched that image of the Bible, seen through the open door within my heart. Although it hadn’t come to mind in my prayer time, I outlined a large key next to the image of the heart, and I remember wondering why I had put the key there ~
This entry had been dated 12/18; several days later I was catching up on the reflections in the Magnificat Magazine, and came upon one dated 12/21 by Caryll Houselander, one of my favorite writers. In that reflection she wrote: “[Mary] had given mankind the key. Indeed, she had unlocked and opened the door of every heart. Now men had only to leave it open.”
On Dec 8 I had made my annual re-consecration to Mary, and had been recognizing how much this growing relationship with her was touching every area of my life. Praying the consecration prayer several times daily and reminding myself to ask Mary throughout the day about decisions and choices to be made had become more central to my devotional life. And of course, Mary’s fiat, her Yes, was at the heart of this devotion.
This was another confirmation for me that 1) the Lord knows me; He knows everything before I do and 2) He delights in surprising me by putting pieces of the puzzle together for me to discover! 3) My relationship with Mary is indeed a calling, and 4) this combination of images and the words of Caryll Houselander remind me to continue to strengthen my devotion to Mary, and 5) to know that my Yes will help to keep the door of my heart open to receive and live the Word of God hidden within.
The call to daily time with Scripture has been on my heart for many years now. I don’t always make it, but whenever I do, especially coupled with a sketch and adequate time to reflect, the blessing carries forward many fold, often to be shared with others to multiply the blessing. Praise God for once more reminding me of the precious gift of daily prayer, and hiding Himself within my own heart…
Father God, thank you for surprising me again with words received that amplify and clarify the first part of a reflection. You have so much more to unfold for me as I spend time in prayer. I pray for the grace to keep this holy hour sacred, that I may receive what You desire to give, not just for me, but to be shared with others ~
Spiritual Sun Pennies 