Tales from the desert...Part 7
"We had a Eucharistic Vigil last night in preparation for today's feast day of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. On this day, 49 years ago, our SOLT community was founded by Fr. James Flanagan.
It occurred to me once again last night that Jesus made us a certain promise. He promised He would be with us always, even until the end of time. This promise is fulfilled in many ways, but it is especially fulfilled in the Eucharist.
As I sat there in the chapel while the sun set and the crickets began to sing, I gazed at the monstrance and pondered some of the stories of Jesus from the Gospel. Jesus in the Eucharist who poured out His grace here in New Mexico last night is the same Jesus who calmed the storm for the disciples. It is the same Jesus who healed the woman suffering dreadfully from a hemmorage. It is the same Jesus who forgave the woman caught in adultery, healed the blind who wanted to see and taught the people with authority. He is one and the same.
St. Teresa of Avila commented once that people told her they would believe in Jesus more readily if they had lived in the time while He walked upon this earth. She replied that it isn't so. Just as believing in Jesus now is an act of faith, so it was back then.
Jesus looked like a regular man. He had a regular job (for a time) and an apparently regular family. When He performed miracles and healings, many people still had a difficult time believing that He was the Son of God. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?
If we just go to Church on Sunday, or even weekdays, because we feel that we have to "fulfill our obligation" or of a superstitious reason that something bad will happen to us if we don't go, we aren't living as full a life as Jesus came to give. Our life isn't an obligation or a "should". Our life is a "yes". Like Christopher West says, "Don't empty the Cross of its' power." God has gifts to give us that we can't even imagine. He is truly here with us, even until the end of time.
So ask God for that grace of a deeper, livelier faith. If you have trouble believing Him or find it a drudgery to attend Mass, tell Him so. Go to Confession often. Ask God to heal your blindness so you can truly see. So you can see that He is truly with you at every moment of your life, even the most sorrowful moments that you'd rather forget. Jesus is here with us. The same Man who calmed the storm 2,000 years ago speaks the same words in our hearts today.
Til then..."
It occurred to me once again last night that Jesus made us a certain promise. He promised He would be with us always, even until the end of time. This promise is fulfilled in many ways, but it is especially fulfilled in the Eucharist.
As I sat there in the chapel while the sun set and the crickets began to sing, I gazed at the monstrance and pondered some of the stories of Jesus from the Gospel. Jesus in the Eucharist who poured out His grace here in New Mexico last night is the same Jesus who calmed the storm for the disciples. It is the same Jesus who healed the woman suffering dreadfully from a hemmorage. It is the same Jesus who forgave the woman caught in adultery, healed the blind who wanted to see and taught the people with authority. He is one and the same.
St. Teresa of Avila commented once that people told her they would believe in Jesus more readily if they had lived in the time while He walked upon this earth. She replied that it isn't so. Just as believing in Jesus now is an act of faith, so it was back then.
Jesus looked like a regular man. He had a regular job (for a time) and an apparently regular family. When He performed miracles and healings, many people still had a difficult time believing that He was the Son of God. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?
If we just go to Church on Sunday, or even weekdays, because we feel that we have to "fulfill our obligation" or of a superstitious reason that something bad will happen to us if we don't go, we aren't living as full a life as Jesus came to give. Our life isn't an obligation or a "should". Our life is a "yes". Like Christopher West says, "Don't empty the Cross of its' power." God has gifts to give us that we can't even imagine. He is truly here with us, even until the end of time.
So ask God for that grace of a deeper, livelier faith. If you have trouble believing Him or find it a drudgery to attend Mass, tell Him so. Go to Confession often. Ask God to heal your blindness so you can truly see. So you can see that He is truly with you at every moment of your life, even the most sorrowful moments that you'd rather forget. Jesus is here with us. The same Man who calmed the storm 2,000 years ago speaks the same words in our hearts today.
Til then..."
Comments
Thanks for the blog and your tales...and from the swampy bayou here in Robstown, we are praying for you as you near the date of your vows.