Come to me...And I will give you rest

I wish to write a little about suffering. You might think I know nothing about this topic considering my abundant blessings. I assure you, suffering is no stranger to me. We all have them, some greater than others. Some are hard to understand and terribly painful. To those of you in pain, confusion and heartache, I offer you my heart, my prayers and mostly my sufferings that they may alleviate some of your pain. I beg of you to open your heart to a loving God who desperately wants to hold you in His arms and comfort you like only He could.

If you feel alone, unwanted, unloved, look at a crucifix - if you don't have one, find a picture online. Know that Jesus suffered out of love for you so that He could share eternity with you. He didn't have to go through the pain, but He chose to - so that when we are heavily burdened, we might unite our heart to His and find the solace we are looking for. The pain is not lessened, but it becomes easier to bear.

I often think of our Blessed Mother. She not only lost her son, but witnessed Him being severely tortured knowing there was nothing she could do. I believe her pain intensifies when she sees her children on earth refusing the mercy her Son offers to each and every one of us, for He might have died in vain!

None of us can change the past, but all of us can change the future. Change begins with a glance at the suffering Christ. Cry out to Him: Lord, Save Me! He'll be there in an instant.

Whatever, wherever I am, I can never be thrown away. If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him; if I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him. He does nothing in vain; He may prolong my life, He may shorten it; He knows what He is about. He may take away my friends, He may throw me among strangers, He may make me feel desolate, make my spirits sink, hide the future from me. Still, He knows what He is about! He loves to see the trust makes us persist in knocking unceasingly. -- John Henry Cardinal Newman

Saintly Thoughts to Ponder

If God causes you to suffer much, it is a sign that He has great designs for you, and that He certainly intends to make you a saint. And if you wish to become a great saint, entreat Him yourself to give you much opportunity for suffering; for there is no wood better to kindle the fire of holy love than the wood of the cross, which Christ used for His own great sacrifice of boundless charity. Saint Ignatius Loyola

Pray Well ~ Pray Often ~ Pray Much

When is the last time you talked to God? Have you lost hope after it seems your prayer has not been answered?

Suppose your son or daughter, niece or nephew asked you for a special gift that you thought they deserved but you wanted to wait until just the right time to present it. How would you feel if the child demanded the gift immediately and stomped away because her demand was not fulfilled? I know that if that were me, I'd be insulted and devastated. If I gave the gift now, there would be no gratitude on the part of the child and the gift might be wasted. So, I'd hold it until the child humbled himself and asked for forgiveness.

Now imagine how God feels when we give up praying because we do not receive what we are asking for in our own timeframe. My guess is that He'd also be insulted and devastated. Why devastated? Because He loves us and wants us to be happy, but He also wants us to persevere in prayer.

There are times when certain situations seem to have no hope in sight. It is at the very peak of those moments that we should pray all the more because your prayers become louder and clearer until finally comes the answer. More times than not, the answer is even greater than we hoped for. Take St. Monica, for instance (whose feast we celebrate today). She prayed unceasingly for her son who was wicked in his ways. Not only did her son have a conversion of heart, but he became the great St. Augustine and is a Doctor of the Church. God had stored up all her prayers for Augustine waiting only for him to open his heart to which they flooded in making him a great saint. Imagine if she had given up hope!

I inspire you to start right now. Start simple. One Hail Mary said well is worth more than a rosary said poorly. Ask God to teach you how to pray. Talk to Him. Tell Him your worries, your needs and even your wants. Tell Him how you felt when someone hurt your feelings. He'll, no doubt, bring you comfort. Pray for others, especially in these days of confusion and temptation. Don't forget to thank Him for all of the blessings He's given you and that you praise, adore and love Him. I can't promise you an easy life, but I can promise a rosier view of life. My prayer for you is to one day hear these words: 'Well done, my good and faithful servant. Come, share your master's joy.'

Flower in the Field

In my younger years, I dreamt of being someone short of famous, whether it be an Olympian gymnast, a broadway singer or a professional dancer. Every once in a while I'd think, "If only I had done this or that, life could have been smooth sailing". But would it really? While there is nothing wrong with those professions should God will them, I think that it was not God's will for me. I might have missed His call to be His devoted child. And worse, I could have become so vain and lost my soul completely.

Instead, He chose me to be a small ordinary flower in the field, performing small acts with great love using the example of His Beloved Little Flower, Therese of Lisieux. (To many of you, Therese needs no introduction. In case you don't know her, make a point of getting yourself acquainted. )

Winning a gold medal sure could have been grand, but nothing is more grand than the treasure of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Venite Adoremus

What would you do if you heard Jesus was nearby just waiting for you to come see Him? Most likely, many of us would flock to Him. Well, if you don't already know, Jesus is nearby and He desperately longs to see each one of us. He's there in the tabernacle, hopefully in the center of the church. He's in a chapel exposed, so that we may praise Him, speak to Him, love Him and that He may speak to and love us in return.

There are some who can't understand how Jesus can truly be present in a small common substance. I won't quote the bible because they've heard it before and always rebut with explanations that seem logical. I will just say this. I know that Jesus is present in the Eucharist by the peace that has captured my soul, by the love that I feel for each person I meet and the fact that I truly know Him and not just "of" Him and choose to serve Him. None of these things would exist save for the very existence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist that He gives as a free gift to me. That is something that can't be replaced with logic.

So, Come Adore Him, not just at Christmas, but every day for even a moment. You will, no doubt, bring joy to your heart and even more to His.

My Guardian Dear

I think most of us are aware of our personal Guardian Angels, but how often do we call on them? They're there at every moment guiding us and waiting to be called upon. Be sure to call your Angel any time you feel threatened, nervous or just plain scared.

The Angel does more than just protect and guide. If you happen to need a nudge to get out of bed in the morning, ask your Angel the night before, and you can be sure you'll be up in no time. Worried about that job interview? Ask your Angel to be with you to keep you calm and collected. You might not get the job, but you can be sure you gave it your best shot.

One of my favorite things to ask my Angel - as inspired by St. Pio - is to be a messenger. Some time ago, I was walking over to a hair salon with the intention of getting a drastic cut. I prayed to my Angel to go to the stylist's Angel to find a suitable cut for me. Imagine my delight when I was introduced to the stylist whose name was Angel! Both Angels delivered as the cut was fantastic!

We should begin each day with the beautiful prayer to our beloved Angel. Angel of God, My Guardian Dear, to whom God's love commits me here. Ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.

Be Not Afraid

Have you or anyone you know been away from confession? What is holding you back? Maybe you've had a bad experience in the confessional. Maybe you're just so afraid to confess a certain sin. Maybe it's been 10, 20 or even 30 or more years and you forget. Perhaps you think, at this point, your sins can't be forgiven. Or worst of all, you might think you're a good person and have nothing to confess. While you may very well be a great person, we are all human and we always fall. The key is to get back up and start anew.

If you had a bad experience in the past, don't punish your soul in spite of it. Find a good parish with a confessor you are comfortable with and receive the wondrous gift of true forgiveness in the Sacrament of Penance. If you think you just can't be forgiven for some reason, know that nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus asked his Father to pardon the very people that were spitting upon him, mocking him and hammering nails into his flesh, ultimately killing the Son of God!

And finally, never, ever be afraid. The worst that can happen by going can't compare with the worst that can happen if you don't.

More than a Feeling

Being a "cradle Catholic" is something I cherish. I remember my high school teacher saying how much she "enjoyed" going to Mass. Sure, I'd sometimes get the chills while singing, but it wasn't until my "awakening" that I could fully "enjoy" the Mass. Nobody tells me that I am a "good" person just for being me. It's not a fun social setting. There are no bubbles about for the children to pop. While I'm fortunate to belong to a parish with holy priests that tell us what we need to hear (notice I didn't say "want"), this is not the main reason I enjoy the Mass.

It took me most of my life to realize that I had to give a little to get a lot. I started paying attention to the words I was saying and hearing, I'd meditate on the Last Supper, the Passion and finally the Crucifixion. Imagine Mary holding her lifeless son, the same son that she loved from the moment he was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And here am I, an unworthy sinner, about to consume the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of the Son! What a gift!

So, you see, there's more to it than just a feeling. It's food for the soul. You just can't get that anywhere but the Catholic Mass.

Cead Mile Failte

Thanks for visiting my blog :) I've been inspired to write....something, somewhere, somehow; so, here I go (an amateur, mind you). Hopefully, this is the beginning of many posts being read by one or two of you.