Is Your Face Shining Like Moses?

When Moses would speak to God, his face would shine.  He had to wear a veil in order to keep from freaking out his fellow Israelites. When we have a personal relationship with God, our faces should shine as well.  It's got nothing to do with good skin creams or our inner beauty. The glow is a reflection of God's love.

I've heard it said that Mary is like the moon  in relation to Jesus, the sun.  Just as we can see the moon because the light of the sun reflects off of it's surface, Mary reflects the light of Jesus. I love that analogy, and it applies to each of us as well. Mary was full of grace, but she was still one of God's creatures, just like us. That means that we, too, can reflect the love of Jesus to everyone we meet.

So, how to we up the wattage?

Spend time talking to God...

To activate that shine, you first have to speak with God. If you're just starting out, you can use the words of prayers already written. Even better, God has given us words we can use to express every emotion in the Psalms. Don't just read them. Pray them.


...and listening...

If we wanted to learn the accumulated wisdom of our grandmother, we wouldn't go to her house, sit down, and proceed to talk the entire time, never letting granny get a word in edgewise. We would eagerly anticipate what she had to tell us, knowing that life will be fuller and richer if we heed her advice. If we want to hear what God is saying, we need to keep our mouths shut.

...so that God has a chance to tell us what He wants.

When we are worried or there is an outcome that we are focused on achieving, we can certainly tell God about it. But if we sit back and wait for an answer to what we think is the problem, we may dismiss or ignore what God wants for us. Mother Mary tells us repeatedly in her apparitions that God answers ALL prayers. That should give us great joy.

What if you told God that you were worried about your son, who has separated himself from God. In our limited minds, we expect the answer will be a sudden stirring of that son's heart and instant conversion. But what if God's response is to tell you repeatedly to volunteer for the soup kitchen?

You might get annoyed. You might push it aside, because what has a soup kitchen to do with your problem with your son?

But what if you went to the soup kitchen. You eventually make friends with a young God-loving female volunteer. One day, your son picks you up from your volunteer work. They meet. They start dating, and slowly he sees how God is an important factor in the beauty of this person he now loves. He starts attending Mass or services with her and finally develops his own relationship with God.

See how God answered your prayer?  Just not the way you expected.

(And remember, He will never impose Himself on the  person you are praying for. They have free will, too. So, He may issue an invitation to your son, but your son can reject Him.)

Spend Time in His Presence...

Moses got that light from being face-to-face with God. We can sit in the chapel, mere feet away from God, in Adoration. The Eucharist does not have to be exposed in order to adore. The physical presence of Jesus is in the tabernacle.

...and see the changes in our lives.

If you develop a relationship with God through reading His Word and regular prayer, you will change. Once you've given God permission to act, you won't be able to stop the flow of love that will permeate your life. He won't promise you riches or prestige. Those are things of the world. But, He will fill you will peace and love, and you will learn to recognize His presence during every moment of your day. And what could be better than walking with God?

The Enemy Has Made His Latest Attack...And I'm Singing

In the wake of the enemy's latest attack, my first response was depression. A horror of what's to come. Anger at the foolishness of mankind. And then I realized that, by my reaction, I was making the same mistake that many Christians make in the face of seemingly hopeless situations We inadvertently give the enemy more credit than we give God. And that's a mistake.

My God is massive. He's HUGE. In the words of the song, He is "Indescribable. Uncontainable... All powerful. Untameable." Which is why "Awestruck, we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim, You are amazing, God."

When I give glory to God for His goodness and recognize that He is the one in control, that He is all powerful, then I can get proper perspective. Too often, I think in little terms, the terms of the world around me. But in the right perspective, my troubles are so small. The government is so small. Even our world is so small compared to our humongous God.

Our prayers shouldn't be troubled, fearful whispers asking Him to save our world. They should be bold proclamations of His marvelous works. Joyful shouts telling of His unconditional love. Awestruck professions of His complete and absolute power. And song.

And I think that He is just waiting for us to turn our gazes on Him where they belong, and when we fall to our knees and humbly proclaim that our God is AMAZING, we will see the enemy recede into the darkness where he belongs. Then we will witness the power of God.

And that's why I'm singing.

The Fallacy of Random Acts of Kindness

Random Acts of Kindness.  It's a phrase that bothers me. Every time I catch sight of a bumper sticker proclaiming these out of control impulses, I cringe.  If I replace the word random with some of its definitions, maybe you'll understand.

Accidental Acts of Kindness

I can't imagine how we can be kind accidentally. Our kindness may have unintentional consequences, such as when we are kind to the checker at the grocery store. The next person in line who witnesses our actions may feel better about the world. But we were intentionally kind to the checker in the first place.

Haphazard Acts of Kindness

This brings up images of someone stumbling around and spilling splashes of kindness paint on passersby, creating a Jackson Pollock-type world.

Hit and Miss Acts of Kindness.

While I admit that acts of kindness don't have to be accepted by the intended target, the actual act itself has to be directed at a recipient, even if it's ourselves. Try being kind to an empty room. 

So, why does this bug me? It belittles kindness by turning into some kind of tick. 

It takes an effort to be kind. It take practice. Kindness is like a muscle we develop through use. If someone cuts you off in traffic, which is more difficult? To wave your fist in the air and grumble about incompetent drivers, or to wonder if the poor soul is lost or late or frazzled and then follow with a quick prayer for the person's peace of mind? 

You have to work at being kind, especially in our knee-jerk reaction world. You have to have self-control, which requires discipline. 

We really should be kind to everyone we meet. If we practice Intentional Acts of Kindness, it could spread. We might even develop a sense of peace and a reputation as a nice person. Nice is underrated, but that's another topic.

Have you performed any Intentional Acts of Kindness?

Cherry Jam and the Good Steward

My cousin, Susi, is a blue-ribbon winner at state fairs for her jams and such.  She recently sent me samples of her cherry and apricot, and boy are they worthy of awards!  She makes the apricot from the trees in her backyard.

It really is a simple process. Not making jam. Being a good Martha.

First, you recognize the gifts you have been given, like the apricot trees in the backyard.

Then, you use those gifts, just like the top guy in the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30.  God doesn't give us gifts so we can admire them and then forget about them. I think He's happiest when we take them and run, like Susi with her jam.

It's homemade, so it's wholesome compared to something with chemicals you would pick up in the store. It's efficient, because now you don't have to buy jam.  And it's a celebration of creation, making something wonderful out of something beautiful.

But then there is the third part, and that's sharing. Susi could have hoarded her jam and had a private taste-bud festival, but she shared her wealth with others. She shared her talent, and she shared her joy.

And let me tell you. That jam is bringing us a lot of joy.

So, the secret to being a good Martha?

• Recognize the gifts all around you. 
• Use those gifts. 
• Share them with others. 

Sounds like a plan.

(I may remind Susi of this when I run out of jam.)

Walking Through The Rosary Meditation Guide

As I've matured in prayer, my Rosaries have gone from concentrated recitations of the prayers to personal meditations on the mysteries. I often apply the particular mystery to the challenges I'm facing for the day, and I've found great peace and solutions by doing so.

For example, if I'm worried about finances and the mysteries for the day are the Joyful Mysteries, then focusing on how Mary had complete trust in God during the scary times can really help. Or if I've been struggling with something I don't really want to do, knowing that Jesus followed the Father's will and was baptized by John, even though it wasn't necessary, helps put things into perspective.

I compiled some general meditations into a book, Walking Through The Rosary, and it's finally available on Amazon. I plan more books, such as meditations for brides and meditations on the Our Lady of Sorrows Chaplet.I like the Kindle cover shown here. The paperback has a different cover.

I originally came up with it as an addition to the Rosary decade bracelets I make, and I think it's pretty cool

Has meditating on the Rosary helped you to solve problems?

Do You Have a Problem with Acedia?

I did a reflection for our Women's Bible Study on The Visitation. Through prayer, I felt that the point of The Visitation was, for me, at this time, a cure for acedia. Here's the reflection I presented:  

Acedia.  How many have heard that word?  Probably not very many. It's from the Greek word akedia. It's used in terms of spiritual apathy. It's also called the "noon day devil." You know that tiredness that comes over us around lunchtime? We've lost our first energy of the day and we just feel like taking a nap? The rest of the list for the day, well, I'll do it some other time.  It's that laziness or indifference in our spiritual lives. Not direct acts of evil, but a refusal to do the good because it takes too much time. It costs too much. It's too uncomfortable. It's such a little thing that it's not worth it. I can't be bothered. It's an indifference to our spiritual lives and our salvation.

We've all been apathetic at one time or another. After Easter, I used the leftover ham in a family recipe that called for horseradish. After I added it to the casserole, I did the math and realized that I'd had that same bottle for, oh, three years. My apathy could have led to the poisoning of my family, but I called Mom and Dad and they said, with their usual confidence in man's ability to overcome anything, "Three years? That's nothing. You'll be fine." And we were. I think the reason that it's so easy to give into apathy is because it doesn't require any effort. :)

So does that mean we're all doomed unless we become spiritual dynamos? I don't think so.

Once, when I was meditating, I saw a well. It went deep into the earth and I couldn't see the bottom. It was as black as pitch, as if there wasn't only an absence of light, but even air. It was suffocating. It was evil. It was the path to hell, the place where Satan sucked souls down into the dark nothingness where God isn't present because the souls there choose to break from Him.

But above ground, surrounding the well on the earth, there were lights. And the lights kept multiplying. Southern Californians are very familiar with fires and how fire spreads. It leaps from branch to branch and envelop everything that's in its path. These lights were us, spreading the light of Christ.

How do you stop a fire? You take away the fuel. The fuel of this fire is God's unfathomable love, the flame of His Sacred Heart, the burning love of His Word. 

And I realized that God's fuel would never run out. While there was still this hole, this well, people would have to get close enough to the well to get sucked in, but the lights would keep multiplying and spreading, and the well would never catch up.  

What does this have to do with the visitation?

  Here's Luke 1:39 from the NIV.

At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea,

From the NABRE:  

 During those days Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah,

Mary was on fire with the love of God. She had a mission and she didn't dawdle.  If it were me being told that Elizabeth were pregnant in her old age, I might stop to think about how inconvenient it would be. Maybe Elizabeth would settle for a phone call, or a carrier pigeon, or maybe I could send word through someone who was already headed in that direction. I would make excuses. I need to take care of myself. Or, I'm sure Elizabeth is really busy getting ready for her child. I'll only be in the way.  Or, it's not as if she's having the baby tomorrow. I can wait a month and get things in order here before I leave. Did I cover them all?

Mary had the best excuse ever.  She was pregnant with the Son of God, and she could have thought, "I need to take care of myself." But the Angel Gabriel made it known that her cousin was in a position where she would need Mary's help, and Mary hurried.  She traveled in haste. The Holy Spirit overshadowed her and she was on fire, and she spread that light.

And I love that she put her faith in God that He would take care of the details, because it WAS dangerous to travel back then. There were robbers. There were wild animals.  I looked it up online. I saw cute things in the desert around Judah, like gazelles and hares, but there are also wolves, jackals, leopards, and there used to be bears and lions.  That's why people traveled together. So Mary caught the first caravan and left.

There is so much evil at work in the world today. Sometimes it's obvious, like the killing of Christians in the Middle East, but more often, it's subtle. It's that noonday devil slipping in and whispering in our ear that the thing we were going to speak out against might hurt someone's feelings, or make us unpopular. That kind act that we were going to do really isn't important in the scheme of things. Maybe you see a woman who looks like she could use a kind word and you think, "I don't really know her. I'll be imposing on her. Who am I to think I could help her." So you remain silent. You don't spread the fire.

There is an 80/20 rule. 20% of the people do 80% of the work.  So 80% of the people don't care, or they think someone else will take care of the ministries or the volunteer work or the evangelizing. Well, you and I are that someone else. You and I need to be that 20%.

So how do we overcome the demon of acedia and hurry to do God's will in our lives? 

The book Noon Day Devil has a few suggestions.  One of them is prayer and work. Having a prayer life in which you talk to God every day keeps you in informed. You will know Him, and you will know His will for you.  As for work, you can't be listless when you're being active, whether it's your day job or making dinner, doing the laundry, or wiping a kid's sticky face. You're spreading the light of Christ to your husband, your children, your coworkers.

Another way to counter acedia is with contradiction. This is having scripture verses handy to counter those whispers that tell you what you're doing doesn't matter, or can wait.  Here are a few:

When I feel that what I'm doing just doesn't matter, or I think I'll give that volunteer work or that prayer time a pass, or if I can't come up with time to talk to God, or I think I go to Mass on Sunday. Why bother with weekday Mass. That's so fanatic, and besides. I want to sleep in. I can turn to

Colossians 3:23: Whatever you do, do from the heart, as for the Lord and not for others,  

Offer everything up to the Lord. That load of dishes you're washing. Make it a prayer. A prayer can turn the mundane into the sacred.

Of course, stress is always a problem. I work at home, which means I'm easy prey for people who want to talk to me. My mother calls me almost every day. There are times when I see her on the caller ID and I'm in the middle of something important. But my mother won't be around forever, and I doubt if I will remember those important things, but I'll remember the time I didn't give her.

Or there are times when I'm worried about all the things I have to get done, and I blow off my prayer time. Then I can turn to

Luke 12:26: If even the smallest things are beyond your control, why are you anxious about the rest?

There is a reason why Jesus kept telling us not to be afraid. It's because fear is the biggest snuffer of lights out there.

I encourage you to look through your Bibles to find a favorite verse of Scripture. I love Proverbs when I'm looking for practical advice. Write it down if your memory is like mine, and when you feel that apathy, when you think it's time for a break from your spiritual practices or your mission, or you feel your love for Jesus starting to flicker, pull it out and read it. Say a quick prayer. And be part of that 20%.  

One final thought. Gratitude.  We have so much. We have our friends here in Bible study. We just had a wonderful breakfast, so we're not hungry. We have this wonderful church, the Eucharist. But sometimes, we're like children at Christmas. You know how kids will open a ton of presents, and then they'll lay there like slugs, sighing. "But I didn't get what I really wanted!"

Gratitude makes it difficult to be apathetic. Gratitude can fill you with energy, and it can remind you of the God who is so good and then maybe put us in the frame of mind where we want to give him everything, in haste.

Open you're Bibles to  Luke 1:46  and we'll close by reciting the ultimate prayer of gratitude, the Magnificat.

Luke 1:46-55

The Canticle of Mary.  And Mary said:

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;

    my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
 For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness;
    from now on will all ages call me blessed.
 The Mighty One has done great things for me,
    and holy is his name.
 His mercy is from age to age
    to those who fear him.
 He has shown might with his arm,
    dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart.
 He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones
    but lifted up the lowly.
 The hungry he has filled with good things;
    the rich he has sent away empty.
 He has helped Israel his servant,
    remembering his mercy,
 according to his promise to our fathers,
    to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”

Stop Talking About Jesus!

You're in your home. Loved ones come over. You're so happy to see them...until they walk past you and sit at a table nearby. You can hear them talking, and they're talking about YOU! How much they love you. How wonderful you are. How they can't imagine life without you.

But they won't talk TO you. In fact, every time you try to jump into the conversation, they talk over you or ignore you.

from The Commons Getty Collection

Would that make you happy? All warm and fuzzy inside?

Not me. I want to be part of the conversation, and I think that might be how Jesus feels. There are many people who sincerely speak of their awe of God the Father, their affinity for the Holy Spirit, and their love for Jesus, but they can't find time to sit down in prayer and talk TO Him.

If my husband never listened to anything I had to say, he wouldn't know me. My wishes for our relationship. He wouldn't know what I wanted, even if it was something as simple as picking up milk from the store on his way home.

Take ten minutes today, find a quiet spot that is free of distractions, and talk to Jesus. Listen. It's the only way to grow in your relationship with Him, and it's the only way to change your world.