Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord!

The opening prayer for today's Liturgy says: "Lord our God, help us to love you with all our hearts and to love all as you love them." That is really what Jesus came to teach us and what we should be about each day.

The response to the Psalm is: "The Lord remembers his covenant for ever."
My favorite verses from today's Psalm 105 are: "Glory in his holy name; rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord! Look to the Lord in his strength; seek to serve him constantly."
The serving the Lord constantly is a challenge and needs daily personal reflection. I think that I am aware of serving the Lord when I can glory in his holy name and rejoice! Joy is always the touchstone for me; just a quiet joy that is deep in the heart. I suspect that when we are seeking the Lord we do have that kind of joy!

In the Gospel today, Jesus cures not only Peter's mother-in-law, but all those who were brought to him after sunset. Then, Jesus "rising very early before dawn...went to a deserted place, where he prayed." Jesus needed this early morning prayer and has taught me how vital it is in my own life.

Feast of St. Hilary

St. Hilary was born in Poitiers around 320. He was an adult convert to Christianity and was chosen to be bishop of Poitiers in 350. He defended the faith against the Arian heresy and was exiled to the East but then sent back as he was causing trouble with his strong defense of the true faith. He was made a Doctor of the Church in 1851.

The opening prayer for today's Liturgy asks God to direct his love that is within us, that our efforts in the name of his Son may bring mankind to unity and peace. We need peace so badly in our world and it begins with each of us. The alternate opening prayer is also worth reflecting on today: "Almighty Father, the love you offer always exceeds the furthest expression of our human longing, for you are greater than the human heart. Direct each thought, each effort of our life, so that the limits of our faults and weaknesses may not obscure the vision of your glory or keep us from the peace you have promised. We ask this through Christ our Lord." Amen.

And then we have the wonderful lines from both Hebrews and Psalm 8: What is man that you should be mindful of him, or the son of man that you should care for him?

The Gospel tells us that the people were astonished at the teaching of Jesus for he taught them as one having authority..."

The Communion antiphon tells us "Look up at the Lord with gladness and smile; your face will never be ashamed." That is good for all of us to do today!

"Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men."

The Gospel today has Jesus coming to the Sea of Galilee and seeing Peter and his brother, Andrew, casting their nets into the sea. Jesus calls to them and says:"Come after me, and will make you fishers of men."

The wonderful thing is that they left their nets and followed Jesus. They were willing to leave all because of Jesus. Then they walked a little farther (this is Mark's version of the call of the first disciples) and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. "They too were in a boat mending their nets. Then he called them. So they left their father Zebedee in the boat along with the hired men and followed him." The first four of the twelve to leave all and set out on the road with Jesus. Since then, Jesus continues to call us; he still is saying "Come, follow me" but so often we are too busy to even hear the call; or we are too attached to our "nets", our boats, our family, our own concerns, that we do not even hear the call of Jesus. May this year of 2009 make us more attentive to the many calls each of us receives from Jesus. May we have the grace to always follow him without looking back. It takes trust, but above all it takes love!

The Baptism of Jesus

Jesus goes to be baptized in the Jordan by John. "On coming our of the water he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit, like a dove descending upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, 'You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.'"

This was an important moment for Jesus. He is given the affirmation for his mission; he had left Nazareth to begin his public ministry but he may not have been sure of what he was to do. Now there is a visible sign of the Spirit and he hears the Father telling him that he is beloved. We all need moments when we feel that God is telling us, "You are my beloved; with you I am well pleased." Let us thank God for those moments and remember that it was after this that the Spirit led Jesus into the desert!

In the first reading from Isaiah 55 in this Sunday's liturgy, we are told, "Seek the Lord while he may be found, call him while he is near." All the readings are good for reflection and speak to us of God's love;I need to mention the Psalm refrain, "You will draw waters joyfully from the springs of salvation." It is with joy that we draw the life-giving water from the Heart of Christ.

Today is a good day to reflect on the gift of our own Baptism.

New Book!

Today, one of my former students in the International On-line Certificate Program in Spirituality Studies, sent me his latest book. It is called Spiritual Formation on the Run: Meditations to Grow the Busy Life by Alex Tang. The book was published in Singapore in 2009 and I have received an autographed copy. That is fast work, but Alex was always so efficient and able to do the work of several. Here is what the back cover says about him and his book:
"Alex is a consultant paediatrician in private practice and director of Kairos Spiritual Formation Ministries in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. He earned his medical degrees from Malaysia and the United Kingdom, and his theological degrees fro Malaysia and the United States. Alex is active as a Bible teacher, preacher, blogger, spiritual director and writer. His personal passion is to nurture disciples of Jesus Christ to develop informed minds, hearts on fire and contemplative actions. Alex is married with two daughters."
About the book: "Many of us live life on the run. But busyness is not an excuse to neglect the spiritual formation of our souls. In fact, the busier we are, the more we need spiritual formation. This book allows us to practice lectio divina, which is the Latin for "spiritual reading". Lectio divina opens us up to the work of the Holy Spirt in our lives and instills in us the disciplines of reading, listening, meditating, praying, and contemplation.
Short and crisp, the meditations and stories in this practical and thought-provoking book will give you focus in your life, rejuvenate your soul and draw you closer to God. Topics covered include: choose to grow, know His love, yield to His rule, a Christian on the run, a Church in the world, heroes and superheroes, tales from the monastery, and windows to my soul."

I am beginning to read this book at once; I know it will make me think and reflect and also that it will be interesting as I have read other books and reflections by Dr. Alex Tang. I have no hesitation about adding this book to my list of books for Spiritual Reading.

Christmas Season still

I find myself wanting to hold on to the Christmas season; we used to celebrate the birth of Jesus until the Feast of the Purification, February 2; one year we even left our tree up until then which was not to be repeated in our warm climate. However, I did find the O Antiphons I wrote last year and think I probably did not have the humility to share them with anyone, but will start putting some on now to maybe inspire you to write your own or at least keep the Christmas spirit.

"O Come, O come Emmanual!
Wake my weary heart that slumbers still;
So sluggish to your daily presence.
Come this season to transform my will!

O Come, O come tiny Infant dear!
Attract me to your crib by helplessness;
My heart and arms reach out to hold you
As you fill me with your tenderness.

O Come, O come ever Faithful One!
Call me back to fervor everyday
That I may truly live for you alone,
Who for love left your heavenly home.

O Come, O come Shepherd of us all
Who knows each sheep deeply and by name
We follow joyfully when You call
You come to seek us when strayed or lame.

O Come, O come most Merciful One!
Forgive our world so fraught with sin
Bring your Peace to our suffering world.
Lord, do not delay, Come, take us in.

Come, O come Prince of Peace
Who rule the nations from afar;
Forgive our fighting wars without cease,
Come to teach us peaceful harmony.

Come, o come my heart's desire!
clear the clutter to make some space,
Take up your abode and flame the fire;
Give us light until we see your face.

O come, O come my Beloved dear
Come penetrate my heart,
Come to stay and not depart.
Come, Lord, do not delay!

I wrote these in Advent of 2007 but think they are still valid "O Antiphons" for this Christmas season!

Christmas Eve at St. Charles in 1818

This is long overdue, but I did say I would share the first Christmas eve with you and one of my readers reminded me of this promise.
I went to school at the Academy of the Sacred Heart in St. Charles, Missouri. Here is a description of the foundation in 1818: "when the sisters finally arrived in St. Louis (MO) they were asked to establish themselves in St. Charles, 14 miles from St. Louis on the Mississippi River, which Mother Duchesne described as “the remotest village in the United States.” In a one-room shanty on a two-acre plot without a tree or blade of grass, they established the first Convent west of the Mississippi and the first free school for girls in the United States.

In her famous letter describing that first brutal winter, she reported how water froze in the pails on the way from the creek to the cabin, how food froze to the table, and how the sisters often had no fire for lack of tools to cut wood. By the spring of 1819, the house in St. Charles was considered impracticable, and a new foundation with a convent, novitiate and boarding school was begun at Florissant, north of St. Louis, Mo."

Here is the story of the first Christmas Eve in the first convent of the Sacred Heart founded in America. It is taken from the "Life of Philippine Duchesne"
"A few village girls were invited to spend Christmas Eve at the convent with the boarding pupils. They arrived with their blankets or buffalo robes; each prepared to make her own shakedown for the night in the schoolroom. After supper they gathered around the log fire that lighted the rough, low-ceilinged room with its bright glow, and enjoyed a story hour. The wonders of the Christ Child's first coming to earth held their minds and hearts in rapt attention, then gay Noels were sung, and Mother Duchesne told them of Christmases in France and of the children she had known and loved at Sainte Marie. While the nuns prayed or completed preparations, the children slept for a couple of hours. At the sound of the bell all assembled in the chapel or its adjoining rooms for midnight Mass. The Christ Child was reborn on the altar and in the hearts of the twenty nuns and children who welcomed Him with love and gratitude. Then silence enveloped the little convent, and the children slept until the nuns called them to breakfast. The Christmas dinner was a festive affair, thanks to the kind Prattes, for Emilie was twelve years old that day, and her family had sent bountiful provisions for celebration."

A few days ago I finished translating the notice of Mother Gertrude (Daisy to friends)Flynn who had been the Mistress General at St. Charles from 1924 to 1951 - 27 years in charge of the school. It made me go back and relive my days there. It is a very holy place and the spirit of Mother Duchesne is very present. The school now has over 700 boys and girls in the grade school and they are still noted for their politeness and excel in both sports and academics. When I was there from 1944-48 we were less than 70 in the high school and most of us were weekly boarders.

Image of Joy

The picture today is "an image of joy" that I had stored and could not remember what it was until I uploaded it as I was in the mood to find an image of joy. This one has a lot to reflect on, but I will leave it to each to do so.

We are having the last and most important college football game tonight here in Miami. The headlines in the special section of the newspaper are "Who Wants It More?"
I guess we could apply that to our own spiritual lives and New Year's Resolutions.
Today thousands will clog the roads leading to the stadium; a million more will be watching the game on television. The newspapers have spent the week comparing the coaches, the quarterbacks, the defensive lines, the offense, the history of the two teams...and all this for a football game!! (I am a college football fan and a Florida team is playing...).

In today's Gospel, Jesus goes into the synagogue in Nazareth where he had grown up. He read the passage from Isaiah, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor..."
And Jesus, after rolling up the scroll and handing it back to the attendant, sat down and said, "Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing."

Now that is something to get excited about!

"Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid"

The picture is of dawn on the sea of Tiberias. Today's Gospel is one of my favorites. After Jesus had fed the 5,000, Mark tells us,"Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and precede him to the other side...he went off to the mountain to pray."
Jesus sent his disciples out into a storm; he, however, is praying but realizes that they are in trouble for the boat is being tossed about and the wind was against them. "He came to them walking on the sea." They are terrified as Jesus is walking on the water! He calls out, "Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid." He is still saying the same to each of us and coming to us when we need him. So listen to him as he says once again, "Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid."

Today is also the feast of St. Raymond of Penafort, a 13th century Spanish Dominican who was famous for his teaching and preaching. He became the Master General of the Order and revised their Constitutions. He also organized the papal decrees which became the basis for the code of Canon Law.

Blessed Andre Besette

Blessed Andre was a saintly Holy Cross Brother who lived from 1845-1937. He was born in Quebec and orphaned at the age of twelve. He entered the Congregation of the Holy Cross and had a gift for tending the sick; he was called "The Miracle Man of Montreal" and was much loved by all. With some lay friends he built a wooden chapel in 1904 that became St. Joseph's Oratory; it is now a basilica with over two million visitors each year. Andre was declared "Blessed" in 1982.
One of my Dad's five sisters drove my grandmother to Montreal to visit St. Joseph's shrine when I was still a young child. I suppose I remember it because they brought me a rug with a bear woven into it. I seem to associate the rug with the shrine and the devotion to Andre.
I had two peaceful days at the Cenacle in Gainesville, but would never drive up on January 2 again. It seemed as if cars from every state were returning north on the Florida Turnpike. It was bumper to bumper with long lines for gas at the rest stops. However, the return trip on Monday was easy and took less than the six hours it usually does.
Beginning the year with a mini retreat is a real grace and I am grateful for the opportunity and for the visits with my spiritual director. I hope that it will be a year not only of gratitude and joy, but one of transparency--open to God to reflect his light and love to others.

Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen

Basil and Gregory Nazianzen are two of the four great doctors of the Eastern Church. They were great friends and both ended up being Bishops, but reluctant ones. Basil wanted to be a hermit but so many joined him that he wrote a Rule that is still used by monks today and influenced both eastern and western monasticism.

Here is my quote for the day: "May peace be your gift to all who come near or depend on you . . . May God's presence be ever your living joy; with that in your soul you can meet anything and each trial will be a small treasure to offer Him in the secret of the sanctuary." Janet Erskine Stuart

I am driving to Gainesville today for three days of prayer and visits with my spiritual director - a great way to begin the New Year! I will not be on the computer again until January 6 but wish you all a great feast of the Epiphany this Sunday and tomorrow is the feast of the Holy Name of Jesus.

New Year's Day 2009 - Feast of Mary, Mother of God

Today we begin a new year and it is good to begin it with this Feast that honors Mary as Mother of God. May she be with us each day during this new year.
It is a time to look forward and to plan to renew ourselves where we see we need to change. I will continue to try to live in gratitude and joy, but have added transparency with God, myself, and others. I thought I was very open and straightforward, but the more I reflect on that little word "transparency", the more I realize that I try to hide, forget, ignore, some areas of my life. Now I want to shed light even in the darkest corners and pray for that transparency that will reflect God's light and love.
The Gospel today is the story of the shepherds who found Mary and Joseph and the Infant lying in a manger...They made known the message that had been told them about this child. "And Mary kept all these things reflecting on them in her heart."

We, too, are called to reflect in our hearts today about these things. As we begin a new year, we are like the shepherds who found Jesus and "returned glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen..."

I read this excerpt from the writings of Mother Seton, the first native-born saint of the United States; she said: "We must be careful to meet our grace." As we begin this new year, grace is waiting for us. Each day we must be careful to "meet our grace." What joy to think that grace is waiting for each of us today!!