Tag: god

62) Reconcilation gifting

The opportunity for Reconciliation was always especially meaningful when celebrated at the Cenacle of Our Lady of Divine Providence – it seems that the Lord often would bring up things from the past that were stumbling blocks to grace.

     At one of the sessions, I felt led to confess a sin of the past whose memory often haunted me.  I had confessed it in a general way previously, but now felt the need to be more explicit about the experience.  The priest was very helpful, as he assured me of God’s grace and mercy.  In thanksgiving, I went to the Adoration Chapel to express my gratitude to the Lord.

     As I sat before the tabernacle, the Lord gifted me with a beautiful image. I saw myself sitting on a bench beneath the Cross, with Mary sitting beside me with her arm around my shoulders.  In my lap I held a photo album – in it were pictures of the  situations I had confessed.  Jesus was on the Cross above us, and as we sat there, His precious Blood began to drip down on the photos, and each drop totally erased the pictures, making them white as if a drop of bleach had been put on them.  He was blotting out all those images with His precious Blood, so that I no longer saw them, but only saw a clean white frame, and felt the comfort of His Presence, and that of Our Blessed Mother.  Now whenever the enemy seeks to raise those pictures before my eyes again, all I see is that image of us sitting beneath the Cross, with those drops of precious Blood that make each photo all white.

      The Lord has blessed me several times by changing the way I remember a difficult experience.  Asking Him to show me where He was with me, or what He was doing, have brought forth images that provide healing grace to painful moments in time, and have allowed me to become more free.  What a beautiful way to bring healing, and to set the captives free!

     Lord God, thank You that You are a God outside of Time, Who has been with us throughout our lives and can bring healing and wholeness to all areas of our lives. Thank You for the healing balm of Your precious Blood, to wash away the stain of sin ~ 

(re-visited from Rosary Reflections, Sorrowful mystery, the Crucifixion. In this season of Lent, of Reconciliation, this memory has always blessed me. May it bring a blessing to others who may be unable to let go of images that want to rob us of our peace)

59) Lenten Resolution ~ silence

A new season of Lent, another opportunity to draw closer to Jesus, through Mary, to eternity! What resolution might help me on the journey? What came to mind was to commit to posting one “Musing” each week, long overdue. My friend’s weekly postings have been an inspiration and encouragement to do the same, so we’ll start today, and check back in at Easter to see how it went. I believe it will enrich my Lenten season, and hopefully drop a little grace for anyone who might chance to read them :). Here goes for week one:

“Be in the silent heart of Jesus”.   St Mother Terese Couderc.   2/15/24

     The words of St Mother Couderc to Anne Marie Schmidt have been coming to mind for me often lately.  To “be in the silent heart of Jesus.” What does that mean? What does it look like?

     For me, it’s a call to stop “thinking” and just BE with Jesus.  Taking a moment for prayer in the Spirit, and then a few moments of silence, close to His Sacred Heart.  WITHIN His Sacred Heart.  Going to a mental image of a location where I particularly am filled with the sense of wonder and awe at the Beauty of God’s Creation.  For me, this is in the woods Up North, in the Spring when the forget-me-nots are in full bloom and so thick, they look like a lake of brilliant blue in the woods.  Like steams of living water, gently moving with the breeze.

Our Marian Servant community is like the forget-me-nots.  The daisies?  Perhaps the Trinity, with the Saints and our Angels?  We’re all in this together, into eternity.

        How does this relate to “being in the silent heart of Jesus?” I’m reminded of the sacred silence that followed watching the film clip from “Saving Mr Banks.” It touched our hearts, our need for healing, and left us as a group in holy silence – any words spoken would surely have broken this tangible Presence we all felt.  The words from the song, “Mercy is falling, is falling, is falling…Mercy is falling like a sweet spring rain…” embodied the sense we had of God’s Presence, and His healing touch.  I want to spend more time in this precious place.  Not thinking, just Being with the Lord, in silence.     

Father God, help me to spend time with you in the Sacred Heart of Your Son.  In silence, just to BE there with Him.  To listen, to receive, and to bring Your love and mercy to a fearful and hurting world…

58) Visio Divina with Mary in Advent

Visio Divina with Mary

     Visio Divina is a complement to Lectio Divina, spending time with an image in the company of the Holy Spirit, and allowing Him to speak to my heart through the image.  A recent prayer opportunity has been a precious blessing to me in this second week of Advent.  

     

I spent several minutes focused on the image below, allowing my eyes to travel around the parts of the picture and be drawn to particular portions of it.  It’s a unique experience, as the Lord evokes particular thoughts and memories perfectly suited for each individual engaging in this prayer.  I did it with a group, and was blessed as each person shared what part of the image stood out for them, what particular word or Scripture came to their mind, and what they felt the Lord was revealing to them.

     My eyes were drawn to the center of the picture, where the bright Light was shielded by Mary’s hand.  It brought to my mind the word GLORY! And the Scripture, “All of us, gazing with unveiled face on the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, as from the Lord who is the Spirit.” (NASB 2 Cor 3:18) I thought of Christ’s resurrection Glory, of the moment when His dead human body was transformed as by a huge cosmic explosion into His glorified Body, producing a tremendous burst of Light and Power!  This was the image that was miraculously imprinted on the Shroud of Turin, and the image that is imprinted on my own soul, and on the soul of every baptized Christian.  The image that is sacred, is holy, and is to be respected and reverenced.

     I noticed how gently Mary held her hands, shielding and cradling the Light.  They seemed so tender, so very fragile yet strong.  There seemed to be a group of holy souls in the lower corners of the picture, the cloud of witnesses, adoring and marveling at the glowing and growing Light about to be born into the world.  

     I was blessed too to hear what the Lord was revealing to other group members.  Other words received were Grace, Peace, Purity, Longing, Contentment, Receptive, Focused, Caressing, a Love beyond all telling.  

The Lord was pouring out His grace on us as we prayed together in silence, and then shared the fruit of this sacred time together.

     You are invited by Jesus to spend time during Advent to be with His Mother, to prayerfully focus on an image or passage of Scripture of your choosing, and to receive His Love in preparation for the celebration of His birth.  May it be a time of blessing for you, drawing you more deeply into His Sacred Heart, through the Heart of the Blessed Mother, and into the Heart of the Father. 

Lord God, thank you for the the gifts of words and images, created in cooperation with Your grace, that help us to receive and share Your tremendous Love.  Grant us the desire and space to enter in to this sacred time with You, and more fully experience the Joy of Christmas!