Musings – Page 7 – Spiritual Sun Pennies

38) Poem – Chosen Vessel

chosen vessel

Mary’s womb

God’s Word spoken

“I want you”

here I am, Lord

Divine Mercy Chapel

after Mass at St Pius

Fr. Tom homily

moment of conception

how must it have felt?

Divine spark within her

flooded with Joy

Conchita’s great gift

to be one with Mary

spiritual incarnation

conception of Love

You made Yourself known, Lord

in the breaking of Bread

another epiphany

celebration of grace

my own revelation, Lord

Stevie’s class Mass

and it occurred to me

to act as if it’s all true

If I truly believe

You’re Alive in this Host

Lord God Almighty

in this small piece of Bread

if I believe this is True

my life must be changed

every thought every act

centered on Eucharist

believing You come to me

me, whom You’ve called

chosen to receive You

our hearts intertwined

God of the Universe

Creator Redeemer

how dare I believe

You’ve chosen and called me

I who am nothing

the blink of an eye

a puff of soft smoke

a drop in the sea

from the deep to a mountaintop

heart racing with joy

want to tell the whole world

it’s all true – He’s Alive!

stay with me, Lord

my heart aches to receive You

how could I live

without knowledge of You?

so here I am, Lord

here in the chapel

I’ll kneel for a while

before I must leave

enter my heart, Lord

please be at home there

I’ve prepared it for You

as best I know how

swept it and cleaned it

emptied the closets

scrubbed it and shined it

did all I know how

come Lord, live in me

my time’s running out

is it my 11th hour?

may I spend it with You…

37) Poem – Watch and Wait

watch and wait

nothing else I can do

but watch and wait

as the drama unfolds

this seems the last chance

You could escape certain death

the clock is ticking

the scourging is ordered

before crucifixion

Pilate washes his hands

to be free of Your blood

but doesn’t he know

it’s Your blood which could save him?

why is he blind

to the Fount of salvation?

would I be blind too

were I there in the crowd?

would I scream “Crucify!”

would I care if You died?

it’s only Your own heart

which You’ve given to me

that sets me apart

from myself that could kill

it’s only Your grace

that separates me

from the cruelty of man

that inflicts suffering and pain

it’s only Your grace

a fine thin thread

the life line that keeps

me from falling into sin

O Lord, may I never

abandon You again

may I stay with You Lord

world without end

Amen… Amen…

36) Nothing Is Impossible for God ~ Luke 1:37

The combination for the Adoration Chapel is 1:37. What comes to my mind here is Luke 1:37 ~ nothing is impossible for God! I’ve experienced His actions which are really impossible in the natural realm, but which actually happened, and which have strengthened my faith and trust in His promises. As we come to celebrate the feast of St Dismas on March 25, the following experience comes to mind…

My friend Joan is a holy woman who has had a hard life living as a Native American on a reservation. She shared this story in her own words… “One of the people I offer my pain for is my son, Bruce, who is in prison. Don’t think God doesn’t listen to your thoughts, ‘cause He does! I was wondering which Saint to pray to for Bruce. A few days later as I was lying in bed with my Bible, my prayer book, my Saints book, and my rosary, I picked up the Saint book to read, and flipping through the pages I ran across Saint Dismas. He’s the Patron Saint of prisoners, and is the good thief who was crucified with Jesus, and who Jesus told, “Today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

The first thought I had was, “Why had I never noticed you before in my Saints book?” The next morning when I got up I wanted to read about St. Dismas some more, but I couldn’t find him anywhere in the book. I had just read about him the night before, and now he wasn’t there. I looked through the book three times, but he just wasn’t in it. I don’t know how that happened, but I believe God knew my thoughts and introduced me to this Saint to pray for Bruce.”

I always am amazed as I recall this story, along with an increased desire to enlist the help of the Saints as I pray for others. The communion of Saints is real, and we do well to seek their intercession ~

Lord God, thank You for answering our prayers, often in totally unexpected ways. Thank You for the communion of Saints, and for connecting us to them in our times of need. Thank You too for reminding us that You are indeed God beyond Time and Space, truly a God of the impossible ~ may we expand our expectations and rejoice in Your answers!

35) Amazing Grace

In meditating on several passages in Acts all referring to God’s grace, an experience recounted in Hannah Whital Smith’s book, THE CHRISTIAN’S SECRET OF A HAPPY LIFE, came to my mind. She recounted how a person had come to her full of anxiety and fear. This person begged God to show her whether He really was in everything or not.

God answered her prayer with a vision ~ she saw herself surrounded by a bright circle of Light, from which a Voice came, proclaiming, “This is the Presence of God! This is the Presence of God!” Through the circle she could see all the happenings of the world, the sorrows and pain, tragedies and sin, but not one of them could pass through the circle, except as the Presence divided to let the evil through. She saw herself in a state of perfect calm, undisturbed by whatever passed before her eyes. Even petty annoyances which had previously upset her no longer were able to shake this inner peace. She came to understand that all things were either sent or permitted by the providence of God, and by living in His presence He could keep her heart at peace in the midst of every circumstance.

Merlin’s Carother’s books on the Power of Praise come to mind here, as by example after example he shows how living in a trusting relationship with God, praising Him in All circumstances, brings that inner peace we desire to live the happy Christian life. Romans 8:28 becomes foundational to this reality: “All things work for good, for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose.” He has called us; we love Him; we desire to cooperate with the purpose He has set forth for us!

Lord God, may I remain in the awareness of being surrounded by Your Shield of Grace, in Your presence! May I believe in my heart that truly everything works for good for those who love You, and may I be one of those who live this truth, to be a credible witness of faith in You, evidenced by Your peace reigning in my heart…

34) Fifth Luminous Mystery – the Institution of the Eucharist

The Eucharist began to really come alive for me when our son was in the second grade. His class at Sacred Heart was preparing to receive the Sacrament of First Communion, and would come to the celebration of Mass together to learn more about it. Because of some renovating going on in the main church, daily Mass was being held in the basement of the Center, and there usually weren’t too many people besides the second graders in attendance. As it was open to adults though, I attended to be with the class.

On one occasion, Fr. Len hadn’t expected any adults to be present, but an older couple and myself came to the celebration. He hadn’t brought any Hosts from the tabernacle in church, as the second graders weren’t ready to receive yet. So at the conclusion of the liturgy, he said he would go over to the church and bring some Hosts for us adults. I didn’t know the older couple, and felt somewhat out of place; I had errands to run and things to do, so I thought I’d just leave and be on my way. It was snowing outside, so I was brushing the snow off my car when it occurred to me: if the Church teaches that Jesus Christ is truly present in the consecrated Host, what on earth am I doing walking away without receiving Him? Fr. Len had returned to the Center, so I went back in, but he thought I had left, and so had consumed the Host he had brought for me.

This really got me to thinking about what I believed.

I had recently read an article about faith, which had encouraged a doubter to just “act as if” what he professed was true, whether he felt like it or not. “Act as if.” If my faith tells me that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist, how should that affect my life? Would I ever leave Mass without receiving Him? Would I be casual about the Blessed Sacrament?

I began to attend daily Mass as often as I could, and often reflected on how my life should look if I truly believed that the Lord of the Universe, the Author of Life, my Lord and my God was present and available to me each day. And as I prayed and read, the recognition grew that this awesome God wanted to come to me; He thirsted for souls to love and receive Him. More than just being “available,” He deeply desired union with us, His children.

The mystery of the Eucharist is so deep and multi-layered, I can only be amazed and incredibly grateful for the grace to believe that Jesus is truly present to us, Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity, in the Blessed Sacrament. So often God has revealed a truth to me through our children. The best thing I can do is pray, and the greatest prayer I can offer is the Mass…

Lord God, thank You for the incredible Gift of Yourself, offered to us at each Holy Mass. May we never take You for granted or neglect the opportunity to attend the sacred liturgy, keeping participation in the Mass at the center of our lives ~

33) Jesus is Passing By

Reflecting on the Sunday Gospel with my lectio group, the phrase “Jesus passed through…” was highlighted for me. It brought to mind a beautiful painting on the wall of the cafeteria at Mundelein Seminary in Illinois. I don’t know the story of the painting, but it has always captured my attention, as it depicts several people whose gaze is fixed on Something unseen. One person is bending down and touching the stone pavement. Others’ eyes are fixed on a long flight of stone steps. The wind seems to be strong as it is blowing the head coverings of others…All have experienced Something ~ Something that catches my heart and makes me want to know what has happened here…

My photo obviously is imperfect, as it includes the reflection of the lights in the cafeteria and on the windows of the room, but it’s enough to remind me of the painting, and it still stirs something within me ~

What does it stir? Jesus is passing by…. And how often in my day is He passing by, and I don’t notice? How often do I miss Him?

At Mass the other day, as the Eucharistic Minister was carrying the Consecrated Hosts to the back of the church for distribution, a woman in the pew in front of me bowed her head in reverence ~ Jesus was passing by…..

St Mother Teresa greeted each person she met with her hands clasped and her head bowed, in recognition of the sacredness and dignity of the person in front of her ~ seeing Jesus in each person she encountered and served. Jesus is passing by…

Lord God, help me to be more aware of Your Presence everywhere I may be, and especially within those I meet each day. May I live in awe and wonder as I believe, and know in my heart ~ Jesus is passing by…

32) Adoration surprise

While kayaking on the lake one summer day, I leaned on the side of my kayak and tipped over in the water. I had both my camera and my cell phone with me – the cell phone died, but the camera survived, altho it sometimes produced spots on the photos as if to remind me of my water adventure. The camera still worked pretty well most of the time, so I was using it to take some photos of the monstrance in order to promote Adoration in our parish of Sacred Heart. As I looked at the images, they were appearing with a big dot right above the monstrance, which looked just like a huge Host. I had seen dots appear before, but never like this one, and in such a perfect location. It seemed to me as if the Lord were magnifying His Presence in the Host, and the image has been a beautiful blessing for me. It’s not a photoshop trick – it’s a gift from God 🙂

We only had the tabernacle with Mary’s statue in this position for a short time before the tabernacle was moved to a position under the mosaic behind the altar – the “spot” wouldn’t have showed up there like it does on the brick wall. Perfect timing, perfect positioning… Lord God, thank You for this beautiful surprise and declaration of Your Presence in the Blessed Sacrament! May our hearts grow to welcome you and Your Presence be magnified in our lives ~

31) Blush of the Spirit

Blush of the Spirit Jan 8, 2023

Fr. Bob was at the podium to proclaim the Gospel reading, and he had the wrong reading. Oopsie, he began again, and once more was at the wrong day. Third time was a success, and as he began his homily, with a rosy blush on his face, he remarked how blushing was an interior movement, a response to an external experience.

Being the good holy priest he is, led by the Spirit, he followed up on what could have been an awkward or embarrassing moment by relating how God’s grace is too an interior movement.

Fr Bob’s life journey included a time of deep occult involvement, followed by being set free through many prayers of exorcism after a trip to Medjugorje. The Lord brought him into a powerful healing ministry, often bringing peace and healing through the laying on of his hands. He explained how the blessing he imparts when he lays hands isn’t what brings the healing, but rather that blessing evokes from the recipient what is already present ~ it awakens God’s life within the person. That holy life is already there, waiting for a catalyst. This spark ignites the embers waiting for the breath of the Spirit to fan them into flame, to bring healing and restoration.

As a drop of Jesus’ precious blood flows through our body whenever we ask, bringing healing and peace, so too we can see this new life in the eyes of the recipient, even as we see the blush on a person’s face.

Knowing God’s presence lives within us, waiting to be shared in blessing, our very presence extended in love to another can be that spark that awakens God’s life within them. The atmosphere of a conversation, of a room, can be changed just by our intentional love extended to others.

A friend recently remarked how delighted and surprised she often is by the kindness of others, a kindness she hadn’t expected. She expects this from fellow Christians, but had been less expectant of non-believers. We spoke of how the presence of God within her, the desire to love and accept all those she encounters, is perhaps that very spark again that ignites the kindnesses she witnesses. After these encounters, that person who has shown kindness is brought closer to God, and likely to continue to extend His Goodness, perhaps without any awareness of what has happened. God’s Light is within every created being, just waiting to be called forth.

Thank You Lord, for Your presence within me, always with the potential to extend the Kingdom wherever I go. Reflecting on this Reality, another of those unseen yet real manifestations of grace, reminds me again to live in this awareness of God’s presence within me, and within everyone I encounter. Even as the warmth of a blush delights my soul, may it awaken Your life in all I encounter today and every day…

30) Everything I have is yours

Luke 15:31b. “everything I have is yours…” 10/24/19

Reflecting on the parable of the Prodigal Son, the phrase that resonated with me this day was “everything I have is yours…”. I’ve always been struck by the magnanimity of God’s generosity, by the super abundance of what he desires to give to us. My Bible is often highlighted at the words of superlatives, as I see more and more His desire to offer so lavishly from His treasures, while we so often settle for such a pittance, not expecting bounty.

CS Lewis writes, “It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” And sometimes we’re not pleased with the little either…

This brings me to a homily shared from his personal treasure store by our pastor, Fr Luke. He recalled a time of healing he received in the course of a directed retreat. As I remember it, the director was asking him about the up-coming Christmas celebrations, and Fr Luke responded that he always had a bit of a cloud over those celebrations. He shared that as a young boy in a large family, each child usually received one special large present and perhaps a few smaller ones. When it came his turn to open what he thought would be his much anticipated special gift, it turned out to be some mittens. He tried not to betray his disappointment, but it left him with a feeling of deep disappointment and of being overlooked and forgotten. His parents immediately realized they had actually forgotten his special gift, and made a hasty trip to buy him something special, but the wound had been created and remained with him even to this time of the retreat. The director suggested he take this to prayer, and ask the Lord where He was in this moment in time, as He was there, even though not in Luke’s awareness at the time.

Fr Luke came to prayer and returned to this memory, asking the Lord to reveal His truth in the situation. He envisioned the moment, and this time saw his older brother coming to comfort him and to assure him that indeed Luke could share and play with all of his brother’s toys, as indeed “everything I have is yours…”. The pain of the disappointment vanished as Fr Luke recognized Christ in His brother, offering all the treasures of the Father’s house to Luke.

Christmas celebrations became no longer a source of sadness and deprivation, but rather an assurance of God’s Goodness and abundant provision, of comfort and of love.

This recollection often brings tears to my eyes, even today when I related it to a friend. The sense of God’s desire to bless me abundantly is revealed to me over and over again as I experience His Goodness in day to day living, and fills my heart with gratitude! Yesterday He surprised me as I came from out of town to a conference of about 1000 people and walked in right next to a good pastor I’ve known for 20 years and had been hoping to see, and led me to a table where I turned around and found 8 ladies from a prayer group that were all so dear to my heart. Hugs and smiles and joy flowed as we were all so delighted at the unexpected meeting! Eph 3:20 comes to mind, “Now to him who is able to accomplish more than all we ask or imagine…”.

Lord God, thank You for the abundance of Your Goodness and Grace! May my capacity of expectant faith continue to grow as I experience Your Goodness overflowing, again and again. May I be ever grateful for Your desire to bless us in so many varied ways, even outside of time as You bring restoration and healing to our hearts…

Category: Musings