We All Have Our Little Red Wagons

This phrase is one I’ve often heard from my dear Cursillo friend and spiritual director Jeannine. When we’ve talked about baggage from the past such as sinfulness, heartbreak, sickness, loss, worries, painful memories, etc., she’ll get to a point when she’ll remind me that “we all have our little red wagons.” It’s true. Everyone carries with them or pulls behind them excess stuff from the past. I know she’s been saying this to people for a number of years because another friend bought her a little red wagon that now sits on her fireplace.
    
While I agree that we all have things from the past that we carry with us, I’d have to say that I’ve more often carried my load in a full-sized expedition backpack. My tendency, especially over a period of about twelve years, was to shove all of my hurt, pain, suffering, sadness, and anger into a pack that became a very heavy load for me to bear. I carried it with me at all times, took things out only to examine them and put them back in again. I preferred to keep the “stuff” in my very large pack concealed from everyone. I didn’t want any of it stolen or rearranged by other people. I had no intention of leaving any item behind for fear I might need it for something in the future.
    
Being opened to God’s love and getting a better idea of how He sees me has helped me ditch some of the baggage in my backpack, trade it in for a smaller one, and even feel comfortable enough to share the contents of my bag with people I’ve come to trust. Kevin, my husband, has certainly helped by loving me regardless of the size and weight of my backpack. He has pointed out when I start stuffing too much in it or when I spend too much time examining what’s inside but don’t get rid of anything and move forward.
    
Lord, please help us be compassionate to all we meet knowing that they, too, have their burdens to carry or pull behind them. Give us the courage to let You in all areas of our lives to determine what needs to stay and what it’s time to let go. Teach us to tread softly when others share with us their baggage so that we are able to be Your loving, healing presence in the midst of their pain. Amen.

Growing with God's Love

     After a long period of feeling rather bogged down by an acute awareness of my sinfulness, I’ve recently been given some deeper insights into God’s love, forgiveness, mercy, and grace.
     My wise, insightful spiritual director invited me to reflect on two questions over the next few weeks: Why are you not allowing God to forgive you? What benefit do you get from holding on to these sins?

The Seven Storey Mountain: An Autobiography of Faith by Thomas Merton

The Seven Storey Mountain is a classic autobiography about a man steeped in sin, who finds himself called to faith, the Catholic Church, and the priesthood right in the midst of his immoral activities and lifestyle is a story of hope. No matter how far off course we get, God can still reach us, always loves us, and invites us back to him.
   
It’s almost comical to consider the circumstances of Merton’s call to return to God and the Church. After a night of his usual drinking, smoking, and women, he feels drawn to the Church and receives an invitation to the vocation of the priesthood which he remarkably has the grace and wisdom to accept and even ask God for in prayer. The seeds of such contemplation were planted long before, but so much of his life he lived satisfying his desires for pleasure.
   
Being more familiar with Merton’s many spiritual reflections and revelations, it was interesting to read about what brought him to the faith. God’s grace was poured over Him time and again. He went from being a commonplace worldly young man to devoting his life to serving Jesus Christ and His people as a priest. Further proof that nothing is impossible with God.
   
One thing that made Merton’s story even more powerful for me was knowing about how this saint’s conversion and call to the priesthood in many ways mirrored the conversion that took place in my friend, in part, through reading this account of Merton’s spiritual metanoia.
   
I highly recommend this book as one that will be savored and enjoyed by those who think God’s grace isn’t great enough to bring about their conversion as well as for those who are praying for the conversion of someone who is living in sin seemingly oblivious to God.
   
I wrote this review of The Seven Storey Mountain for the Tiber River Blogger Review program.  Tiber River is the first Catholic book review site, started in 2000 to help you make informed decisions about Catholic book purchases.  I receive free product samples as compensation for writing reviews for Tiber River.

The Screwtape Letters

I love this creative approach to addressing how God calls us and how the Satan attempts to deter us from answering His call. This classic work of fabricated written correspondence between Screwtape, an experienced devil, and his young apprentice Wormwood proves to be a very telling look into the psychology of temptation, deceit, and evil.
    
Screwtape advises Wormwood to do the exact opposite of what a Christian would do. He discourages all the fundamental practices and beliefs which strengthen a Christian’s relationship with God and with other believers.
   
C. S. Lewis’ use of satire is brilliant and at times very funny. What better way to advise Christians on the faith than to create a correspondence between two devilish sorts discussing ways to break down a believers trust in God?
    
In some ways, this unusual approach can have the effect of making a deeper impact than some books which attempt to preach and teach from on high what is necessary to grow in the spiritual life. The Screwtape Letters requires the reader pick out on his/her own the undertones and the implications of the author’s true intent rather than having each point and practice to use or from which to abstain plotted out in detail and hammered home.
   
As many people who have worked with rebellious individuals of any age know, sometimes the most effective way of getting them to do what is best happens to be to forbid them from doing what you don’t want them to knowing full-well that will make that option all-the-more appealing.
   
You can purchase this book here.
   
I wrote this review of The Screwtape Letters for the Tiber River Blogger Review program.  Tiber River is the first Catholic book review site, started in 2000 to help you make informed decisions about Catholic book purchases.  I receive free product samples as compensation for writing reviews for Tiber River.

Never Give Up

The title of this book sounds like something my dad would say. I think he’d also like the picture on the cover of a little fish leaping out of a small fishbowl into a bigger one. Never Give Up: My Life and God’s Mercy by John Janaro delves in to the stark reality of physical and emotional suffering in his own life and talks about how the unconditional love and grace of God have brought him through some very dark periods, giving him glimpses of the Light of the world in the process.
    
Janaro’s daily life thoughts, prayers, mediations are mixed in with sublime revelations, down-to-earth, pensive prose, questions, and reflections. The poems/prayers I found utterly profound. I don’t usually reread books, but I’m definitely going to go back through this one and spend more time with the poems.
    
I will admit that it was very uncomfortable to read this book at times because the descriptions of pain hit close to home, elicited memories of loved ones and some of my own suffering. The poignancy of the poetry and prose certainly fit within the realm of afflicting the comfortable and comforting the afflicted.
    
I can attest to the pain, frustration, and emotional distress caused by Lyme disease. I was diagnosed with it many years ago after I began developing a number of the symptoms during eighth grade when our family lived in NJ. Fortunately, I had a good pediatrician who was familiar with the illness, and I was given the treatment needed to get rid of it before it progressed too far. Reading about Janaro’s struggle with the illness and its countless symptoms reminded me again to pray for the many people who suffer daily in mind, body, and spirit, with little reprieve. I’m not sure how people do it without having a relationship with God.
    
Some of the internal monologue and even prayers are disturbingly easy to identify with if you or someone close to you has suffered a lot. The first part of the book is very much focused inward and on pain, then it moves outward to family and God, touching on major elements of the Catholic faith and beliefs along the way.
    
The only minor confusing aspect of the book is that it does hop around a bit from the microscope on pain and self to the wide angle lens of God’s grace and the vastness of His Kingdom. This microcosm versus macrocosm relationship I believe is best summed up by Janaro’s describing how Jesus Christ’s whole divinity and humanity are present in each Eucharist, every single Host.
    
This book digs deep into the soul and lifts the heart up high, just like the Lord does.
This review was written as part of the Catholic book Reviewer program from The Catholic Company. I receive a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Never Give Up - My Life and God's Mercy.

The Call

Yesterday a friend sent me a link to a music video that brought Kevin and me close to tears. It’s good to be reminded that something as simple as sending an e-mail, a text, or picking up the phone can make such a difference in someone’s life. I can think of many instances when it has changed my whole outlook to hear from a loved one.
     “The Call” by Matt Kennon made me think of a time when I was really grateful to receive a call. A few years ago, I was between jobs, without a car, and was home feeling rather depressed one day when my dad called. He called me because he didn’t want to bother someone who was at work. I could tell he was out of breath. He asked me to take him to the doctor the next day, that he wasn’t feeling well, and he was going to try and get some sleep.
     I said I would take him, but I could hear that he really wasn’t doing well. He kept trying to tell me waiting until the next day would be fine. I knew he wouldn’t call 911, and I had no vehicle, so I made a couple phone calls while keeping him on the line talking to me.
     I asked Kevin to leave work immediately and go to my dad’s apartment, since he was the closest, then I called my mom and asked her to swing by and get me on the way to Dad’s. We got my dad to the nearest hospital, and they soon discovered he had a collapsed lung and needed emergency surgery. I was amazed later on when my dad said the doctor told him I’d saved his life; if he’d gone to sleep like he’d wanted to, he wouldn’t have woken up.
     Last July, my dad called just minutes after Kevin and I had arrived home from spending the evening with him. I let it go to the answering machine, but I sat next to it and listened, just to make sure everything was okay. He thanked us for the time we’d spent with him and how we’d made his birthday really special. He told us both he loved us. That’s one call I’m grateful I didn’t answer. I still have the message saved on our answering machine so I can hear my dad’s voice sometimes, reminding me that he loves us and has felt loved by us.
     Is there anyone who you know who would love to hear your voice? Go ahead and give the person a call.

The Return of the Prodigal Son by Henri J.M. Nouwen

I’ve never read a book by Henri Nouwen that I didn’t like, but this is definitely one of my favorites of his. His literary prose, vivid imagery, and appreciation for art and beauty alone would make this work a pleasure to read. The profound insights he has into the spiritual life and what he gleans from a very close study of a painting about a well-known Biblical story create a rich, thought-provoking work.
   
I have often been inspired to write after seeing/experiencing artwork and performances, but the enthusiasm and passion Nouwen possesses for the subjects of mercy and forgiveness as they are portrayed in the painting show the inner workings of a soul that is close to God. Certainly religious art has often inspired and been inspired by devout men and women of faith. Nouwen’s study of the portrayal of a parable in the form of a portrait is so meticulous and thorough. His observation of the father’s hands showing the Lord God as having both the love, compassion, mercy, and protection that come from both mother and father has stuck with me years after reading the book.
   
This spin on a parable most people are very familiar with is refreshing, insightful, and deeply moving. In The Return of the Prodigal Son, Nouwen has created a masterpiece out of art, carefully crafted prose, a life of prayer and reflection, and a spirituality which keeps inching closer to God at every opportunity.
   
You can purchase this book here.  I wrote this review of The Return of the Prodigal Son for the Tiber River Blogger Review program.  Tiber River is the first Catholic book review site, started in 2000 to help you make informed decisions about Catholic book purchases.  I receive free product samples as compensation for writing reviews for Tiber River.

The Shadow of His Wings

I read The Shadow of His Wings after hearing a friend sing its praises time and again. Though I’m not one to read many tomes that are predominantly about war, I took exception to this story and am grateful I did. Never before have I read about such profound faith being lived out in such unbelievable ways in the midst of a soldier in the midst of battle.
   
There were times when reading that I laughed aloud at the complete and utter audacity of this priest/soldier/nurse. Though steadfast in faith, boldly outspoken, and extremely courageous, even this man was amazed by how prayer and intercession made the impossible possible when it came to a number of circumstances. His journey to the priesthood is not by any stretch of the imagination normal, nor are the ways he lives out his call to be a man of the cloth once he does finally get ordained.
    
Among my favorite examples of his unorthodox approach has to be when he held a bishop at gunpoint who failed to believe he was a priest and honestly wanted to be let into the church to obtain Communion, so he could bring it to his comrades on the battlefield. The minute the bishop concedes, the first thing Fr. Gereon Goldmann wants to do is have the bishop hear his Confession.
    
Not only did this man dodge bullets to save soldiers physically and/or spiritually, but he also reserved using his weapon in order to gain access to the sacraments. He is a remarkable role model of faith fine-tuned in some of the most horrible circumstances. His missionary work after the war proves God had miracles upon miracles to bring about through this man dedicated to doing God’s will at all costs. I hope Fr. Gereon Goldmann’s life and service to God will be studied and that he will be considered for sainthood.
     You can purchase this book here. I wrote this review of The Shadow of His Wings for the Tiber River Blogger Review program.  I receive free product samples as compensation for writing reviews for Tiber River.

My Life on the Rock: A Rebel Returns to His Faith

My Life on the Rock was a great read for a number of reasons, not the least of which are that Jeff Cavins has a good sense of humor and an interesting story of his run from and eventual return to the Catholic faith. As a cradle Catholic who has never strayed from the faith, I gained an even better appreciation for the history of the Church, its teachings, the sacraments, hierarchy, and infallibility by reading about how Cavins relentless search for the truth led this former Protestant minister back to his Catholic roots.
   
His style is down-to-earth, honest, and, at times, very humble. This is one occasion in which the most convincing proof available surfaces when a man’s desperate search for truth is combined with an almost equally strong confidence that the faith of his fathers isn’t the most valid. It’s fascinating to follow Cavins as he goes down each new pathway in an attempt to bring his ministry as a pastor and his own personal faith to a more authentic level only to discover over time that each road leads him back to the Catholic Church’s history, authority, biblical interpretation, liturgy, and sacraments.
    
I highly recommend reading My Life on the Rock whether you are a devout Catholic or someone who has been away from the Church seeking elsewhere for answers you haven’t yet found. I see this story being used to help many reverts and converts find their way to their true religious and spiritual home.
   
You can purchase this book here. I wrote this review of My Life on the Rock for the Tiber River Blogger Review program.  Tiber River is the first Catholic book review site, started in 2000 to help you make informed decisions about Catholic book purchases.  I receive free product samples as compensation for writing reviews for Tiber River.

The Autobiography of Teresa of Avila

It would be hard not to fall in love with such a sincere, honest, humble saint as Teresa of Avila when reading her Autobiography. Unlike some other writers and saints, she doesn’t have her life and spiritual journey mapped out neatly ahead of time. You can tell that her thoughts and feelings just poured right out on the paper. Because she was so close to God and so pure of heart, these seemingly random thoughts come together in a way that paints a beautiful picture of the interior life.
   
Teresa of Avila doesn’t hide that she has gone through periods of confusion, had dry spells, and really struggled internally and externally on her spiritual journey. It’s refreshing that while she was writing the things she was grappling with were still very real in her life and every day dealings. This makes it far easier to relate to her than some of the saints whose suffering and spiritual growth come across always as something much higher and loftier than anything the average Catholic in the pew might experience.
    
Even knowing that she’d been led astray by some of the spiritual directors she had over the years is an important reminder that we must always stay close to Christ and focus on God above all else because even the people He puts in our lives aren’t perfect or without sin. It is possible and probable they will make mistakes, too, and sometimes suggest things which are more in line with their own thinking and reason rather than in harmony with God’s will.
    
This work provides a stark contrast to that of her good friend St. John of the Cross whose wisdom and closeness to God are expressed through scholarly writing and are presented in a much more academic, organized fashion. St. Teresa of Avila is very accessible to both the learned and those who have come to Divine revelation without a solid academic religious/theological background.
   
I highly recommend The Autobiography of St. Teresa of Avila to anyone who is interested in learning about the interior life and growing closer to God through prayer.
   
You can purchase this book here. I wrote this review of The Autobiography Of St. Teresa Of Avila for the Tiber River Blogger Review program.  Tiber River is the first Catholic book review site, started in 2000 to help you make informed decisions about Catholic book purchases.  I receive free product samples as compensation for writing reviews for Tiber River.

Freedom

This collection of twelve stories about how the Theology of the Body can transform lives was an amazing first taste for me of the power within Pope John Paul II’s sermons. In preparing for a Catholic Writers Conference, I read several newly-released Catholic nonfiction books, checked out a number of Catholic websites and periodicals and found that many of them mentioned something about the Theology of the Body. This piqued my curiosity, so I ordered the very large tome Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology of the Body by Pope John Paul II. I knew I wouldn’t have enough time to read it before the conference, so I chose to read Freedom to see how this much talked about treasure could be applied to people’s lives today.
   
Through telling the stories of twelve people with very different lifestyles and circumstances, the reader is shown how Pope John Paul II’s insight into the holiness and goodness of the body can and has completely changed the thinking and behavior of men and women. What’s rather phenomenal is that the collection of sermons making up the Theology of the Body discourse as it is now commonly called were written about twenty years before they became popular to study and teach.
   
It’s likely that a wave of change will wash over a greater number of Catholics through books such as Freedom which show the benefits of learning about the Theology of the Body by showing the benefits of those who already have embraced such wisdom and applied it to their lives in a book whose length and reading level is more modern, not quite so technical and academic.
   
This book serves as a great introduction and interest-raising step into the Theology of the Body. You can purchase this book here.  I wrote this review of Freedom for the Tiber River Blogger Review program.  Tiber River is the first Catholic book review site, started in 2000 to help you make informed decisions about Catholic book purchases.  I receive free product samples as compensation for writing reviews for Tiber River.

At Home with the Word 2010

Last year our Cursillo prayer group decided to read and discuss the Scripture readings for the following Sunday during our weekly meetings. We found At Home with the Word 2009 a great companion for our small group.
   
Not only does each of these books provide the readings for each Sunday, extra information and prayers about each liturgical season, a section that encourages living out the message, but they also include reflections on the readings for each Sunday and questions to promote discussion and spiritual growth.
   
We are again very pleased to have this resource to use in preparation for Sunday Mass for 2010. The thought-provoking questions have helped us look deeper even the most familiar Scripture passages to examine what was being said then and how it applies to our lives today. The soft cover workbook format is great to highlight, take notes on, and jot suggestions down both before and during prayer group.
    
I highly recommend this wonderful resource for becoming more knowledgeable about Scripture and how it applies to our lives and helps us grow in our Catholic faith. Each of us has found that we have a much greater appreciation of the Readings and homily we hear on Sunday because we have done thorough preparation in advance for the Liturgy of the Word to sprout in our lives.
   
You can purchase the current version of the book here. I wrote this review of At Home With The Word 2010 for the Tiber River Blogger Review program.  Tiber River is the first Catholic book review site, started in 2000 to help you make informed decisions about Catholic book purchases.  I receive free product samples as compensation for writing reviews for Tiber River.

Do I Have to Go?

I consider any book a must-read that makes someone like me who would already answer the question in the book’s title with a resounding, emphatic Yes! even more interested in participating in the Mass. As a cradle Catholic who has never wanted to miss Mass, I read this book not expecting to learn anything new. Actually, I was pitching my own book idea to one of the authors, Matthew Pinto, who also happens to be ahead of Ascension Press, so I purchased a copy of it to become more familiar with what he writes and publishes.
   
I was pleasantly surprised when this relatively short, easy-to-read book included information about the Mass and Church history which I hadn’t come across elsewhere. I thought a book with a title including a question you’d expect to hear as a whine coming out of a teen’s mouth, a cover with an adolescent still in bed (presumably on a Sunday morning), and a question-and-answer format very much geared towards teens and young adults wouldn’t teach me anything new or make a devout Catholic even more drawn to the blessing of the Mass. Once in a while, it’s nice to be proven wrong.
     
Do I Have To Go? covers the basics of what’s behind the things that are said and done at Mass, but it also include quotes from Scripture and saints about the significance of the Mass in terms of life, spirituality, and growing closer to God.
    
I highly recommend this book for teens, young adults, and those who work with them, but I’d also give it to adults who have fallen away from the Church or who have just come into it and could use some extra info on the importance and draw of participating in Mass.
   
You can purchase this book here.  I wrote this review of Do I Have To Go? for the Tiber River Blogger Review program.  Tiber River is the first Catholic book review site, started in 2000 to help you make informed decisions about Catholic book purchases.  I receive free product samples as compensation for writing reviews for Tiber River.

Reflections on & beyond THE SHACK

     At times while I was reading this novel, I would close my eyes and do my best to picture the transformed shack as it is described in the book. The language and imagery is beautiful, very poetic in spots. The conversations are rich and filled with love. Yet, there is a heaviness and a seriousness to what’s happening because the main character Mack has some doubts, questions, and even some unresolved anger towards God because of what’s happened to one of his children.
     I believe many of us can identify all too well with Mack’s trouble accepting God’s unconditional, unlimited love. When faced with illness, injury, and injustice, we are often inclined to wonder why things happen. We all have periods in life when we desperately need to be reminded that we are precious to God, that He can bring good out of absolutely any situation.
     The Shack provides a good combination of interesting characters, action, and suspense with otherworldly experience, spiritual revelations, and theological discussion. It’s a fascinating story that draws you in, yet this work of fiction incorporates many of the age-old questions people have had about God, religion, good vs. evil, and man vs. man.
     Actually, in many places throughout the book, the author eludes to various famous philosophical questions and discussions I studied in a course I took in college called the Philosophy of Religion. Reading this book reminded me of the hours I spent reading arguments and discussions by philosophers who lived and wrote a number of years ago.
     That semester I went to class with all of these different theories, questions, and debates in my head, then my professor would ask us questions that would make us dig even deeper to understand and explain what these men were proposing, what line of logic they followed, and if it made sense.
     At times, I could almost feel my mind stretching to new lengths and expanding when faced with these universal questions about God and man. Even if the answers weren’t clear, just knowing the questions people thought to ask made me feel like my brain would have to grow in order to contain all the possibilities.
     My favorite day of this course was on Friday. Why? Because Saturday was sure to follow? No, it was because after doing my best to sift through, consider, accept, and/or debate so many concepts, I would get into my light blue Pontiac 6000 and drive through a very picturesque valley. I would get out at the top of a hill and could feel God welcoming me, His mother outside waiting for me to enter.
     I always arrived just in time, gave a quiet nod to the other regulars who had come to worship, and sat down ready to let the clutter in my mind exit, so only faith would remain. Before long, the reasons and questions, some of which reason may never understand, were replaced by truth, hope, and love. I couldn’t help but smile as I said the Creed, reached out my hands to others to say the Our Father and do the kiss of peace. I yearned for the Eucharist. I had answers and could embrace, even appreciate, the mysteries inherent and perhaps necessary to having faith.
     I would walk out of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church after Mass feeling refreshed in my faith and grounded in the truth. It was a great way to put the philosophers’ voices and nitty-gritty debates to rest so that the Holy Spirit was easier for me to hear in the present.
     If we spend time actively participating in our relationship with God, it may very well come to our attention that the rotted out beams, broken floorboards, and rusty pipes in our soul need to be replaced. Without fear of condemnation or a demolition crew showing up on our doorstep, we can allow our loving Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to assess the damages. It can be uncomfortable or even painful at times when we are called to be aware of the desolation, the places in need of repair, and be willing to let the Carpenter in. The difference is the price quote for the damages is beyond anything you could pay. Fortunately, you have a lifetime warranty that covers any and all damages, including that of natural disasters, human misfortunes…and it’s been paid for in full. Are you ready to let God transform your shack into His tabernacle?
     You can purchase this book here.  I wrote this review of The Shack for the Tiber River Blogger Review program.  Tiber River is the first Catholic book review site, started in 2000 to help you make informed decisions about Catholic book purchases. I receive free product samples as compensation for writing reviews for Tiber River.

Unearth the Treasure

     I love thinking about how the theme of unearthing the treasure relates to spirituality. Of course it brings to mind wooden treasure chests brimming over with gold coins, emeralds, diamonds, sapphires, and rubies. It also makes me think about children digging in the dirt or the sand with a passion few adults bring to the same activity. When kids have a pail and shovel, it’s all about discovery and play. They have no idea what they’re going to find, so the energy and curiosity fuel their desire to dig deeper and deeper.
     We know that at some beaches kids are likely to find seashells, some pebbles, lots of sand (which they can and will manage to get in all of their major crevices), and possibly some trash that they will often mistake as being something of value.
     As adults, digging and fun aren’t often synonymous. We dig through closets to find shoes and purses to find keys. We sit in traffic while construction workers dig up pipes. We dig up weeds and dirt on other people.
     Perhaps what we need as adults is to rediscover the joy of digging while fully believing that we’ll find something really good if we’re willing to stick with the search.
     We have to take time out to unearth the treasure in ourselves and help those around us do the same. It’s far too easy to let our treasures get buried underneath the sand. Each time we are criticized, hurt, disappointed, afraid, or sad, it’s as if another pile of sand has been shoveled on top of our treasure chests. Not only do these piles of sand make it hard for others to find our treasures, but they also makes it difficult for us to open our own treasure chests even though we can locate them without trouble.
     To God, each of us is a precious treasure. We each have immeasurable value in His eyes. When we take the time to listen to God, He will show us how He feels about us and tell us how He sees us. God and those special treasure-seekers He places in our path will help us to discover the essence of who we are and who we can be.
     Treasure-seekers come in many forms. They may be church leaders, spiritual directors, family members, or close friends of ours. They could be co-workers, mere acquaintances, or total strangers. Perhaps a beloved pet, a touching movie, a well-written book will be part of the process that leads us to unearthing treasure. God has an uncanny ability to work in and through people, animals, nature, and experiences to reach us.
     There are circumstances that may cause us to lock up treasure inside our chests and hide it in hopes that it’ll never again be found. In that case, the excavation process may take some time. Trained spiritual anthropologists may need to go in to help remove the debris and grime allowed to build up. I say, dig anyway! Soon enough, you’ll strike it rich, and the beauty of God’s love will burst into every color of the spectrum when reflected and refracted through the diamond that is you.
Unearth the Treasure

However much digging it takes
to unearth the treasure,
it’s worth it.

However many shovels you break
and new friends you make
in the process of

unearthing the treasure
that is you,
it’s worth it.

Discover and accept
you are a treasure.
Live as the treasure you are.

Become a treasure-seeker,
and affirm the beauty
you see in others.

I wrote the above reflection and poem July 27, 2008 in honor of the participants on the 408th Central Virginia Men’s Cursillo Weekend whose theme was Unearth the Treasure. God bless you as you continue treasure-seeking.

Be Still and Know

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Psalm 139: 13-16
    
The Lord has known us and loved us unconditionally from before we were conceived until long after we have breathed our last breath and gone back into eternity. What a beautiful gift, to know that we are always loved. In Psalm 136, we are reminded every other line that: “His love endures forever.”
    
No sin we have committed, no decision we have made in the past or will make in the future, can separate us from the love of God. As it says in Romans 8:38-39: “…Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God…”
    
That having been said, there are many things that can bring us even closer to God. There are many ways in which we can become increasingly aware of His love in our lives. One of the main paths I have learned to expand perception of and reception to God’s love is prayer. Of course, prayer means many things to many people. It can mean reading sacred texts, reflecting on them, reading spiritual books, reciting prayers, making up prayers as we are inspired during the course of the day, meditation, singing, dancing, doing laundry, or the dishes. To some, it involves a period of silence, to others a period of praise and speaking in tongues. Regardless of the method, the result is that God is glorified, and we are drawn closer to Him. We are shown glimpses of His infinite love.
    
Something I have often struggled with in my prayer life is slowing down, being still, embracing silence, and really listening to God. I certainly believe God will come to me in the silence, but boy, it’s hard for me to get into a place that is silent and keep my mind from forming prayers, listing special intentions, worries, to-do lists…
    
It was no accident that the theme for my Cursillo weekend back in 2006 was “Be still and know” taken from Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God…” I am still learning how to just be and let God in. I’m so used to the ‘just doing’ that I have to practice the ‘just being’ or my actions will be devoid of the love, kindness, joy, gentleness, and peace which the Lord wants all of my words and actions to have.

What's in Your Bread?

     This morning I meditated on The Parable of the Yeast. “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch of dough was leavened.” Luke 13:20-21

A Penny for Your Prayers

     I love stories that help me see every day objects and situations in a new light. A couple weeks ago my mom forwarded me a story about a penny in which a woman is really curious about why a very wealthy man stops dead in his tracks to pick up a penny, marvel at it, and put it in his pocket as if he’d found a precious gem.

“My home is within you.” Psalm 87:7

     For a while I’ve heard and known that God is in each of us, but it seems even richer to consider that His home is within us. The implications are so much deeper.
     If God’s home is within me, then He doesn’t just visit from time to time. He doesn’t need to call ahead to let me know He’s coming. He’s got the key and knows the code to turn off the alarm system.
     He created this home in me, but I get to make the rules for it. I choose what rooms He’s allowed to come into. I know that I’ve probably kept some rooms in my heart locked. Of course, God already knows what’s behind the closed doors, but if I’m completely honest with myself, I’d have to admit that there are some areas of my life that I’m not ready to examine closely with Him at this point in time.

The Joy of the Lord is Your Strength

I started reading: Mother Teresa and Me: Ten Years of Friendship by Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle, a remarkable woman of faith, writer, speaker, blogger, wife, mother…whom I had the privilege of meeting and hearing speak at the Catholic Writers Conference last August. I was only on page 29, when these two quotes from Mother Teresa really hit home:
  
“We must not attempt to control God’s actions. We must not count the stages in the journey he would have us make. We cannot long for a clear perception of our progress along the route, nor long to know precisely where we are on the path of holiness. I ask Jesus to make me a saint. I leave it to him to choose the means that can lead me in that direction. Lord, make me a saint according to your own heart, meek and humble.”   
  
I personally haven’t yet had the courage to pray for God to make me a saint, but perhaps one day that inspiration will come. In the meantime, I’m trying to work on gracefully accepting the rest of what she speaks about in regard to the spiritual journey.
  
The second quote comes from a letter that Mother Teresa wrote to Donna-Marie, “God loves you – give Him your heart to love – your will to serve Him – pray the Rosary daily. Our blessed Lady will lead you to her Son. Keep the joy of the Lord as your strength.”
  
When I read the last part, it gave me chills. “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10 is the quote engraved on the front of my current prayer journal. It’s also a quote the Baptist Campus Minister I became good friends with at college had as her Facebook status message that day. Though at our prayer group we read and discuss the Scripture readings for the following Sunday, I’d forgotten that Nehemiah was in them when I was writing a letter to a friend that Saturday.
  
I looked at Kevin wide-eyed when I heard the verse read at Mass. One reason being that I’d forgotten it was in that particular reading, and the second surprise was the translation in the lectionary which states and in my interpretation means something entirely different from the version that kept coming to me. The reading at Mass ended with, “Do not be saddened this day, for rejoicing in the Lord must be your strength!”
  
Without having said anything else about how often the verse had been appearing to me, the friend responded to the letter by saying that “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10 was what really jumped out at him in the typed three pages I’d handed him.
  
Just in case I’d missed the message the first several times, God drove it home through another person whom I hadn’t had contact with in a while. When chatting on IM with a friend of the family who is a minister in her church and asking her to pray for me, this powerful prayer warrior’s response to my request included none other than the reminder from Nehemiah. I was beyond certain this came from the Holy Spirit as I hadn’t mentioned anything at all to her about the verse. I’d simply asked her for prayers during a tough time.
  
All of the above are what I consider God incidents, especially since this verse is one that baffles me a bit. Joy has often alluded me, but thinking of the Lord’s joy seems utterly profound, and a much more likely source of strength. God’s joy must be wrapped up in love, compassion, mercy, freedom, and innocence. God’s joy must skip, dance, sing aloud, and laugh. Joy that is true, lasting in the midst of pain and suffering, that must be the joy of the Lord. I would like to experience and be more aware of the joy of the Lord, so I can make it my strength.
 
Lord, please make me more aware of the joy that exists in and around me. I know that joy can be a powerful gift when evangelizing and living out Your love. Make me a channel of Your joy and peace. Where there is despair, condemnation, loneliness, or anxiety, let me be a source of hope, mercy, friendship, and peace which passes all understanding. Amen.