Ann Radtke

78) Stay Home

At the National Eucharistic Congress, I was blessed with an image of the Lord Jesus, sitting in the armchair in my bedroom and waiting there for me at home. Home – the place where I’m with Jesus; safe, comforted, protected, at peace :). I saw myself as a little girl, entering the room, coming to sit on His lap, and He wrapped us up in the afghan that had been crocheted by my mom, with a prayer for each stitch. What a precious place to be, warm and cozy, snuggled close to His Heart!

Sharing this image and story with my spiritual director, I mentioned that a word that has been reappearing in my journals has been, “Stay Home!” The temptation to run off to various spiritual opportunities has not always been in balance with my duties and responsibilities as a wife and mother. I’ve been seeking to come to the right equilibrium as this word continues to show up!

As our session continued, more thoughts of Home began coming to mind, in different variations. I’ve moved a fair amount in the last ten years, as I’ve cared for my Mom in her last years, experienced divorce, and moved from our house to a house of my own, then to a small apartment, a more permanent apartment, and now to two bedrooms in my daughter’s house. In the process of these later moves I’ve recognized that Home for me is being close to a Tabernacle, where Jesus is always present and waiting for me.

The last several moves brought me to a new geographical place, away from friends and Church community I had known for more than 40 years. These moves have brought me to two new faith communities, starting all over again in meeting fellow parishioners. Yet this sense of Home, always having an Adoration chapel and daily Mass as an anchor have made the transitions quite smooth. I’ve been so grateful for the generous hospitality offered in these parishes to newcomers like me.

The Girl Scout song I learned years ago comes to mind here: “Make new friends, but keep the old; one is silver, but the other Gold.” The Gold is my friendship with Jesus, and to be with Him is always a coming Home.

Today I’m at our family cabin the the North Woods, a place that has always been Home for me. My parents bought it in 1946, when I was just one year old, and it’s been the place of family connecting and a stable peaceful retreat location as I’ve made all the many geographical moves in my lifetime. From city to city, state to state, house to apartment, this spot has always been there, always a coming Home destination.

As I sit here at the family table, I see the names of our family members which had been etched on the chairs around the table. I’m surrounded by the communion of saints, praying for me and calling me to join them in the eternal Home, in Heaven!

Another level of Home began to surface in reflection, that being the reality that Home is in my very own heart, where Jesus resides always. In the wake of the Congress, with the Eucharistic Pilgrimages, I came to recognize that each one of us is actually a Eucharistic Procession, as we carry Jesus with us wherever we go! I can envision Christians around the world, each with the Light of Christ within them, radiating that Light and bringing it’s Glow into the darkness of this suffering world.

“Home is where the Heart is,” is a saying that’s often been shared. If indeed Jesus lives in my heart, as His Word proclaims, I’m always at Home, no matter the time or location. I can indeed stay home, for Home is in my Heart! May I continue to live in that awareness of Jesus in my heart, to “stay Home” through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and Home to the Heart of the Father in Heaven!

Lord God, thank you for all the images and remembrances of Home. Thank You for connecting the dots between Home and Heart, between Home here and Home in Heaven. Thank you for calling us to live in communion with Your Heart, present within us, and to bring the Love of Your Heart to all we meet, to stay in the intimacy of Home with You…

77) Call to Holiness

A friend was sharing about a book she had recently read and enjoyed, which sounded like a nice easy read for the summer. I ordered a copy, expecting to relax and enter into its narrative, touching on memories that resonated with my own growing up years in the country. The book also spoke of the author’s first romance, experienced in an era of more grace and restraint than our modern culture demonstrates. As I read of the budding romance that led to marriage, I was struck by the purity of the courtship, and surprised by how my heart was being moved, to the point that tears began to flow freely.

I’m not one to cry often, and rarely in the presence of other people, so the intimacy of entering into this story proved to be a place where I was more open to God’s touch. For indeed He was touching my heart, and I didn’t understand why. When I casually mentioned my crying experience to my daughters, they asked me the “why” question, and I didn’t elaborate for two reasons. One (1), I knew I would begin to cry again (I could feel it!), and Two (2), I didn’t know the answer.

A classic rule of a spiritual direction session is to bring forward the thing you least want to talk about. So, obedient to the model, I started to relate this experience to my director, and sure enough, there were the tears again, waiting to come forth! She gave me some space, and then named the word that solved the “why.” It was “Purity.” The beauty of witnessing

Purity, and how it blessed the people who were embracing it in their relationship, was a grace of God. A gift, that He wanted me to recognize and receive.

As I thought about this reality, another conversation confirmed it for me. I was briefly mentioning being surprised by tears as I read a book, without going into any detail or speaking of purity. My friend immediately connected with my experience, as he spoke of also being surprised by tears recently. He was googling “stuff” and came across a clip of four little girls singing the national anthem at a football game in Texas. He clarified that he was not drawn to any of those details; little girls, Texas, football or the national anthem. What touched his heart, as it had touched mine, was the purity, the beauty, of the singing. Their voices were in perfect sync with one another, and the arrangement had some additional harmony that was excellent. He found himself crying, it was so pure, and I would add, holy.

Vatican II has called all the baptized to a Universal Call to Holiness. I’m recognizing in this call how much Purity, a manifestation of Beauty, is central to holiness. I googled Truth, Beauty and Goodness and came up with these thoughts: “Truth, Beauty and Goodness are considered to be transcendentals, or eternal attributes of being that are present in all things created by God… God is the source of these attributes, and possesses them in their ultimate perfection… Humans, since they are made in the image and likeness of God, not only have the attributes as a reflection of Him, but are also aware of these transcendentals and are drawn to them because the desire to seek God out is written in the human heart.” (From http://www.corpuschristiphx.org, June 2021)

These words brought great consolation to my heart, as my friend who was moved by the purity / Beauty of the little girls’ singing is presently at odds with God and outwardly resistant to His Love. I rejoice to know that his response to these attributes corresponds to the desire to seek God that is written in his heart! I’ve known and believe that God has His Hand on him, and this series of events has confirmed that for me, praise God!

Thank You Lord, for the gift of tears experienced and shared which has opened another window to Your Goodness. Thank you for Your attribute of Beauty, manifest in purity that lifts up the call to Holiness. Thank You for again weaving experiences and events together in unexpected and surprising ways to reassure me of Your love and care for those I hold in my heart. May I continue to trust in Your Divine Providence as You make Your Goodness manifest to eyes that are open…

76) In Haste, or Procrastination?

Today is the Feast of the Assumption, and in the Gospel readings for Mass, we hear again the beautiful words of the Magnificat! The ones that often especially resonate with me are when Mary goes “in haste” to visit Elizabeth. Often I’m stopped by the words “immediately,” too – words that are pregnant with the importance of the task at hand.

In contrast to this of course is “procrastination.” Putting it off, mañana, I’ll get “around to it,” later…. I remember my mom telling me her Dad often scolded her for procrastination. I also remember buying a book on how to overcome procrastination, but I never got around to reading it! That speaks volumes in itself. (No pun intended 🙂 My mom’s Motto in her later years was D.I.N. DIN = Do It Now! Don’t put it off; if it needs to be done, get at it right now!

I started googling “procrastination” and was challenged by the many negative consequences listed as the result of procrastination. Missed opportunities, the thief of time, and the verse from James, “If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.” (James 4:17). This is not doing it at all, and not just being late in acting. But indeed, when I’m slow to do what I need to do, it sometimes falls through the cracks and never gets done at all; it has become a sin of omission, that could have been a blessing for someone!

Of course I started writing this two weeks ago, and then got derailed by whatever. So TODAY I determined to at least plop a few thoughts on the paper, and pray that by so doing I may begin again to fight against my tendency toward delay.

I’m thinking my snooze button may be one of the options I need to dispose of, as it definitely leads to that dreaded “p” word! And I’ll find some good Scripture verses to use as weapons in the battle, for I find it indeed to be a battle! And I’ll hop ahead and post this NOW, pray for Mary and my Guardian Angel’s help, and return to this in a few weeks to see how it’s going.

A word of encouragement the Lord just gave me is the reminder that my mom overcame her own struggle with procrastination, and gave me that acronym DIN. Thanks, mom! Help me to put that into practice, now!

Lord God, You know how much of my life has been plagued by procrastination. I understand how hard it can be to change something that has been a habit for so long. I come to You now, knowing that of myself I can do nothing, but with your grace, all things are possible! I bring this to You now, out in the open, and beg Your help to act with promptitude as Mary did. Be it done unto me, according to Thy Word…

75) God Always Keeps His Promises

Rainbows

Faithful reminder

God always keeps His promises

Now and forever

Time of temptation

Doubting His Word

Is my loved one safe?

Is he beyond Hope?

Sitting on the dock

Clear blue sunny sky

Puffy billows of clouds

And then I see His sign

Personal for me

At the time of questioning

Just the hint of a rainbow

Perhaps a sundog one

But it goes straight to my heart

Reminder of God’s Promise

Gift to lift my spirits

Stop temptation in its tracks

Reminder of times past

Times when the impossible happened

Always at times of fear

For the welfare of those I love

Perfect love casts out fear

God’s Word is True

It has the power

To defeat the enemy’s lies

Replace fear with trust

Restore the sense of peace

All is in Your Hands, Lord

I need to hear that again

Loving brings sorrow and pain

Along with the gift of joy

Echo of Your Heart, Lord

To see Your children suffer

I’ll keep the rainbows before me

Chasing away the doubts

Lifting my heart with Joy

You will never fail me

It may not unfold as I desire

But that’s not the measure of faith

I’ll trust that Your desire is fulfilled

All in Your way, in Your time

Thank You Lord, Praise You

For the Gift of another Rainbow

You always keep Your Promises

And Your promise is to Love

74) Stand Firm

I have a perpetual calendar on my desk from 2007 with the words “Stand Firm” on the cover, taken from the Scripture Col 4:12b, “stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.” It has a verse about standing firm for each week of the year, often accompanied by words from a Christian witness, hymn or poem, or from the founder of “Moms in Touch,” Fern Nichols. I had joined a Moms in Touch prayer group in our parish, where we met together weekly to pray for our kids and our schools.

Our little group always began with a few songs, “As the Deer” and “The Battle Belongs to the Lord” were on the top of the list.

Then we would focus on a particular attribute, name or characteristic of God, reading the Scriptures about it and praising Him for Who He is. After a short time of silent confession, we would invite the Holy Spirit to lead us, and then pray God’s Word into the lives of our children and our schools. So many Words planted in the hearts and minds of our kids as we lifted them up in prayer, with the Lord strengthening us in our faith and trust in Him. How grateful I am for those weekly meetings, as I look back now and see how they were shoring up the foundations of my faith, preparing my heart to indeed stand firm in the trials and struggles of the years that followed!

The memory of those years, and of that calendar, have been coming back to my mind recently as I heard that phrase echoed by Msgr James Shea, President of the University of Mary in North Dakota. He spoke at one of the break-out sessions of the National Eucharistic Congress, on the topic “The Religion of the Day: Breaking Free from Post-Christian Influence.” How are we to respond to the non-Christian culture we live in? By “standing firm” in the faith of our fathers – in the Truth of the Bible, of the Catechism and the Magisterium of our Catholic Church. We’ve been given what we need to resist being confused or frightened by what’s going on in our society, in the world.

Last Saturday I was blessed to hear Peter Herbeck, Vice President of Renewal Ministries, repeat the same admonition: “Stand Firm!” It’s not complicated; we know who we are and Whose we are. We know Who has won the Victory, and He has us in His safe keeping, if we but stand firm in our faith! I go back to the words of that classic hymn, “The Battle Belongs to the Lord!” By Jamie Owens-Collins

With heavenly armor
We’ll enter the land,
The battle belongs to the Lord!
No weapon that’s fashioned
Against us will stand,
The battle belongs to the Lord!

Refrain:
We sing glory, honor,
Power and strength to the Lord!

When the power of darkness

Comes in like a flood

The battle belongs to the Lord

He’s raised up a standard

The power of His Blood

The battle belongs to the Lord!

Refrain

When the enemy presses

In hard do not fear

The battle belongs to the Lord

Take courage my friend

Your deliverance is near

The battle belongs to the Lord!

Refrain

How grateful I am for the Truth of the Scriptures, often put to music that resonates in our minds and hearts.

Isaiah 30:15 -”For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: “by waiting and by calm you will be saved, in quiet and in trust your strength lies…” “By waiting and by calm;” to me that translates as “stand firm!” Elisabeth Elliot”s words: “The Lord’s decrees (His promises, His plans, His every word) stand fast. The events in our private lives and the great catastrophes in the world do not budge the solid ground on which the Christian takes his position.”

Lord God, thank You for Your Word, that repeatedly calls us to stand firm in faith! Thank you for putting that word on the lips of leaders in our faith, reminding us of the posture we need to assume to live a victorious life amid the strife and confusion of this world. Thank you for all the ways you bring this Word to our awareness, and remind us of It’s Power! May we indeed stand firm with You, as we trust in Your mercy and love step by step on our journey home to You…

73) National Eucharistic Congress (1)

Blessed beyond all imagining! Those are the words that immediately come to mind as I begin to process the incredible gift of attending the 10th National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis in the year of Our Lord 2024! Main takeaway? The tangible holy energy of being among so many Catholic believers, all focused on the Reality of Jesus Christ, truly present among us in the Blessed Sacrament, and in one another. Each one of us carrying Christ within us, blessing and greeting one another with respect and joy! How grateful we all are to be living right now, and experiencing His coming among us with the promise of much more to come!

I’m reminded of Cd Dolan asking his Jewish Rabbi friend why he would come to Mass and sit in a front pew. His answer blesses me today: he saw people coming forward with expectant faith, receiving the Eucharist with reverence and respect, and then returning to their pews in an attitude of faithful recollection.

Fr Mike Schmitz reminding us to keep the fire burning, and to consider the question, “what are our fire extinguishers?” To be concrete, and put a name to them, for revival is impossible without true and sincere repentance.

Bishop Espaillat’s words, “God is Great; don’t hesitate!” God is never late; may I not be late in responding!

Martha Hennessy, granddaughter of Dorothy Day, with the reminder that Dorothy spent 20 minutes in silence each day after receiving Jesus in Holy Communion. How often I pack up and leave without this time of recollection; what am I missing that the Lord would have me hear? Dorothy’s plea of penance in the wake of the dropping of the atomic bomb; what bombs are being exploded daily in our culture and world that we are called to do reparation for? “Scripture and Eucharist have power that nothing on earth can withstand.”

Sr Josephine Garrett, “God is doing something here and we need to perceive it!” “Ordinary and simple encounters are sacred and profound.” We are called to be repentant pilgrims, “broken and sinful, yet hopeful and joyful!” She had a word from the Lord for each category of pilgrims at the Congress, from Bishops to laity, all called to cherish the Church as Mother and to bring God’s love to the world.

So many more good words! I think I’ll save some for the next post, so I can savor them and not just rush through them all. But I’ll end this segment with a gift the Lord gave me when Sr Miriam Heiland suggested we ask Jesus where He wanted to meet us.

I saw Him in my bedroom at home, sitting in the arm chair, waiting for me. (He looked like Jonathan Roumie 🙂 He reminded me that I don’t need to go looking for Him “out there, somewhere,” but that He is with me in all places, everywhere. He was happy that I was at the Congress, but waiting for me at home. Little me walked into the bedroom and climbed up on His lap, and He wrapped us up in my Mom’s afghan – which she had crocheted with a prayer for each stitch.

Thank You Lord, for calling me home, for holding me close to Your heart. Thank You for the Eucharistic Congress, and for pouring out Your Spirit on us all as we gathered in Your Name. May You seal the graces we received, and multiply them to be given as gift to this world so in need of Your Love and Mercy….

72) Answered Prayer

Reply to Trust posting

Seems so long ago!

But this is the first space

Open for writing again

I had lost my peace

Caught from another’s anxiety

Both of us concerned

For the one we both love

The Trust poem helped me

Gave me direction

Reminded me of past action

Go to Mary

And of course

She answered

Restored my peace

Trust in You, Lord Jesus

I am not God

How often I need that reminder

You alone can heal hearts

You alone know what’s best

The enemy had been making suggestions

All leading to negative outcomes

I had listened to that voice

Led away from peace

You reminded me of what to do

Helped me be aware of lost peace

Helped identify the source

Re-direct my action

Thank You Lord praise You!

To take note of what happened

Being more sensitive

To interior stirrings

If my mind is more focused

On the problem

Than on You

That’s a big red flag

Time to STOP and Pray!

Over and over

I’m reminded to “act as if”

Do I live what I profess?

Am I consistent with what I believe?

For me the loss of peace

Is a sure sign to stop and pray

To know that all is in Your hands

You’ll let me know if I am to act

So thank You again,

My Lord and my God

I can never be wrong

When I put my trust in You

Bring You my concern

As a broken and sinful person

Living in hope and Joy

Always trusting in Your mercy

71) Trust

Trust

How deep is my trust?

How real is my peace?

How much am I called to do?

Questions

Running through my thoughts

Checking in with You, Lord

To know where you want my mind to be

Concerns

Those I hold in my heart

Especially those most struggling now

What’s my best posture?

Clarity

What does trust look like

On this day and in this time?

Am I called to action?

Am I the boat you’re sending?

Sharing

How much to include others in

Let them know what’s going on

Soliciting their advice

They have experience in this arena

Praying

With other believers

Calling on Your Name, Lord

The Name of Jesus

Savior and Redeemer!

Waiting

For the phone call

For Your assurance

For some sign

To know what’s next

Repetition

I’ve been here before

What did I do then?

Memorarae

Asked Mary’s help

Resolve

That’s what I’ll do now

Place it all in your care, Blessed Mother

With peace in my heart

Indifference

Holy indifference

Knowing that You have this

And will bring forth what is best

Trust

It looks like inner calm

Staying in this moment

Rejoicing in Your care

Thanksgiving

Thank You in advance

Only You are the answer

And always provide the best

Praise

Praise You Lord, thank You

Bless Your Holy Name!

Now and Forever!

In You I place my Trust…

70) In Persona Christi

70) In Persona Christi 6/23/24

The Church teaches that our priests are “in persona Christi,” in the very person of Christ. This has come home to me in a way that reinforces the reality of God’s personal knowledge and love for little me; He recognizes and knows me!

It’s always a delight when I meet someone I haven’t seen for a while and their face lights up as we recognize each other! It’s obvious that they remember me, and that they’re happy to see me 🙂 (Me too!) Gathering for family celebrations, meeting at conferences, and just bumping into people at the grocery store are all opportunities the Lord provides to bring His children together as family.

The ones that have really spoken to my heart are when a holy priest (or even a bishop!) recognizes little me, and their look conveys a warm welcome. There are so very many people that call for the attention of our pastors, I often marvel that they are able to keep us all straight! As I enter my late 70’s, I’m that much more aware of seeing people that look familiar, and searching my memory files to identify how we’re connected 🙂 When the name and relationship come in to focus, it’s a real gift!

As the Lord has been reminding me again and again, He really knows ME, and He provides circumstances and happy surprises to confirm that in my heart 🙂 I think of going to Mass in a small town far from home, and as I approached the pastor to receive Jesus, he recognized me, and said my name, Ann! He had prepared me for entrance into the Catholic Church 40 years ago, and I hadn’t seem him in a long time. In my spirit, I heard Jesus through this good priest call my name, and smile at me.

I remember a special Bishop remembering my name as we headed on the Quo Vadis boat to Holy Name Retreat House at Chambers Island; we hadn’t seen each other in several years, but he remembered me, and called me by name!

Going to Mass in another small town away from home, there was my spiritual director as the celerbrant – he knows me well, but was surprised to see me there, and his happy and inviting greeting came to me as straight from Jesus; this priest was in persona Christi.

The most recent was at the a very large Mass with the Bishop presiding. My friends, who were ahead of me in the communion line, switched to the Bishop’s line, and I followed them. When he raised the Host, speaking those precious words, “the Body of Christ,” his eyes met mine, and lit up enough for me to know that he too recognized me, remembered me, and that it was a happy memory for him! Again, we hadn’t seen each other in several years, but had some written correspondence that had been a blessing for us both, and had created that bond of friendship that is centered on Christ. Once again I was reminded, “God Himself knows you, He remembers you, and He’s delighted to bless you again with a gift that would be meaningful only to you. He loves YOU!” (ME!!!). My heart sings with gratitude to the Good God Who can never be outdone in His generous love for His little children!

Lord God, how grateful I am for the repeated reminders of Your personal intimate love for me; that You know me, remember me, and delight in surprising me with this gift, offered especially through Your holy priests, “in persona Christi!” May You speak to each of their hearts so personally also, as they bring Your love and mercy to Your children…

69) Eucharistic Revival

When I first heard of the Eucharistic Revival, and the pilgrimages planned across the country, I wanted to be a part of that! My faith journey has led me to a deeper appreciation and awareness of Jesus truly present in the Eucharist, so the idea of walking with Him across the whole USA, with thousands of people participating, brought joy to my heart 🙂

When I heard the procession would be passing through the Shrine of Our Lady of Champion, I knew that was the place I wanted to join in. Having been a volunteer there when it was first declared worthy of belief in 2010, and watching as it’s status continued to grow, it was dear to my heart. Driving there through the farmlands, with little or no traffic, and arriving at this place of peace was always a highlight and blessing! I was already planning a trip to WI for my great-niece’s graduation party, so the timing was perfect!

There would be thousands of people arriving, so an early arrival for me made good sense. The actual program would start at 1:00; I came at 9:00 and was able to get a prime parking spot :), and just spend quiet time on the grounds and in the crypt, the actual site of Mary’s appearance in 1859 to Adele Brice. Lighting a few of the hundreds of candles flickering in the quiet and dimly lit room, I sat in silence and brought to Mary the many intentions on my heart, knowing that she received them and with her tender mercy placed them in the Heart of Jesus. I had come alone, and was blessed to join good friends and share this special day with them!

Throughout the talks offered on the pilgrimage route, the Reality of Christ present in the Eucharist, and present within each Christian believer, resonated again and again. We were reminded of Mary as the first Eucharistic processor, carrying Jesus in her womb as she traveled to meet Elizabeth, and that indeed we too carried Him wherever we went. God entered the human world to dwell within us, to be One with us, and to bring His presence with us wherever we go – to bring His Light and Love to this fearful and hurting world as agents of His Mercy.

The scene that repeated itself for me was a recent visit to an arts fair. The streets were jam packed and narrow between the multiple exhibit booths; we could only walk slowly and it was really difficult for me to actually appreciate the many offerings. I was tired, and counting the steps til we could get back to the car and away from the crowds. Then it occurred to me; I was carrying Christ! I was one of His living tabernacles processing among the multitudes, but they didn’t know it. It brought renewed energy to me though, and put a smile on my face that often was received and returned by the many souls traveling with me. Every Christian is part of a procession carrying Jesus, even when there’s no canopy or incense, no vestments or external trappings. The Procession at the Shrine has magnified that for me, and I thank the Lord for the incredible privilege of being His dwelling place wherever He leads me…

Lord God, thank You For putting the Eucharistic Revival on the hearts of Your people! Thank You for the pilgrimages crossing our country and awakening Hope in the lives of those who participate, and who witness this amazing journey! Thank you that you’ve called and chosen me, one of your littlest children, to be a small part of something so very big and wonderful! I pray that I may be ever mindful that I am carrying Jesus, everywhere I go…