Listening for His Voice

Have you ever personally felt and known God’s Presence?  I have, on many occasions.  This post that I wrote a few years back, reminded me of one of those amazing times.  Just wanted to share it with you:

Being that it’s a gorgeous sunny day today…in the eighties, I decided to take a walk during my lunch hour.

As I stepped outside and breathed in that amazingly warm and comforting air, I asked God to speak to me.  You see, usually I pray (talk!) the whole time I am walking, so I asked the Lord to do the talking today.

And I was listening for His voice.

For a few moments I was hearing the common drone of cars humming down the main road, and those sounds gave way to the gentle whirring of the breeze around me.  All of a sudden, there was the sound of a bird squawking.  The sound was getting nearer and nearer to me, and I looked down.  The bird was running in circles right in front of me and making all sorts of crazy sounds.  Then I saw it.  Her baby was off to the left of me, running toward the grass.  I realized that the mommy bird was protecting her baby!

Seeing the natural instinct of a mother protecting her little one really warmed my heart.  I thanked God for showing me such beauty, turned the corner and stepped up to the sidewalk.  Then I saw something I wish I hadn’t.  I saw two little furry baby birds, all soft and downy, lying dead on the ground.  I asked the Lord why He allowed me to see that?  Why did I need to see those sweet little birds that looked as though they just died?  And why did they have to die in the first place?

He answered, “there is beauty to be found through both life and death.”  After a few more steps, once again I looked down, and I saw it.  A bookmark had flown over and landed on the side of the path I was walking on.

I saw the words…Jesus is Alive! And I understood that because of Jesus, death holds no power over us.  In Christ Jesus, we are saved.  He is waiting for us to invite Him into our hearts and our lives, and accept the precious gifts He offers us.  Love, mercy, and salvation.  These are not merely words to bring us comfort.  Jesus is truly alive…He is right here with us now!

Lord, there are so many times I don’t understand your ways.  I don’t understand why some people suffer more than others, why some seem to attract the good things of the world, while others struggle just to survive.  Help me to understand that you are present in all of our lives, and in all circumstances.  Help me to trust that your grace is sufficient in all things, and that suffering, even death itself, can bring us closer to you.  All we need to do is open our hearts to you, and ask that you fill us with your saving holy presence.

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Open Your Wounded Heart

For about the last week, an image has been imprinted on my mind.  This same image, and what I believe is the meaning behind it, will not leave my thoughts.

I believe that I am being prodded to share what has been given to me.

Hopefully, your heart, no matter how wounded it is, or how high you have built your wall up to block the pain of those wounds, will open up to the pure love and mercy that only Jesus can bring.

Whenever I gaze at a Crucifix, or meditate on Jesus hanging on the cross and dying for me, the image that I see is what I would see looking toward him.

The focus of that perspective is the pain, and complete agony and suffering of our Lord and Savior…followed by the feeling of sorrow that I played a part in that suffering…through the times of turning my back on Him and through the grievous sins of my life.  That is the image that I usually experienced.

Now, I am viewing the image as Jesus would be seeing  it…looking out.

What first went through my mind was, “Of course He is looking out…He is always looking out in love.”

Then my mind started asking the question, “What was He seeing as He was suffering on that Holy Cross?”

As He struggled to keep His eyes open, through the blood and sweat that must have been dripping down His face, His eyes would have focused on His Mother and her sister, Mary, wife of Clopas, Mary of Magdala, and His beloved Apostle, John.  He saw the love and grief on their faces, and filled them with His Mercy and Pure Love…drawing them in even closer to Himself.

His eyes must have also scanned the empty spots…where were all of His followers? The anguish of being abandoned by His disciples…His Chosen…due to fear and lack of faith, must have added immensely to His suffering.

How do we still add to His suffering, due to our lack of faith, or fear?   How many times do we pass up the opportunity to spend an hour in His Holy Presence  during Adoration, or ignore His invitation to attend the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and receive His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Holy Eucharist?   Or how many times do we just go through the motions of attending Mass, and actually go up to The Altar, to receive His Body and Blood, while being in the state of Mortal Sin?  Why do we keep holding on to sins that hinder our relationship with Him…why do we choose not to receive the graces offered to us through the Sacrament of Confession?

When Jesus looked out as He was dying, He saw all of those things. He knew how we would all turn our backs on Him.

He saw those of us that were mocking Him, and those who were choosing the road that leads toward death.  He experienced the reality of our hopelessness and despair, in those that were (or would be) confused and deceived by the evil one.  As He hung on The Cross, He saw the evils that were done in darkness…that separated those hearts from Himself.

And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”  Luke 23:34

Jesus looked at all of us in our sin, and felt compassion, mercy and love for us.  He reaches out to each one of us, every single day, in many ways.

You know the ways He is reaching out for you.  You already are feeling the little nudges that He blesses you with…how long will you wait to accept His Sacrifice for you?

Take that step of Faith…open your wounded heart to His comforting and healing Presence.  

You were created for just that…to be one with Him.  Reach out for His loving, merciful heart that is reaching for you.

 

https://catholicstand.com/the-mass-calvary-made-present-for-each-generation/

 

 

 

 

Your Choice for Eternity

Christmastide is the perfect time to reflect on where we are in our relationship with Jesus.  The celebration of Advent, the preparations for Christmas Day, are all in the past.  The gifts, parties, baking, and  “glitz” of the season…that could be overwhelming for some…have been replaced with a quietness of spirit.  At least, there is a “quest” for quietness…maybe not fully attained yet!

Jesus is Love and Pure Joy! He loves us in a way that is incomprehensible to us.  He knows us perfectly…knows the struggles within us, and the reasons for those struggles…even when we don’t have a clue of what lies inside of our hearts.

This morning, I was looking through old family and friends photos, and I was reminded of so many blessings throughout the years.  Especially through the “in the trenches” days of early marriage and raising our sons.  During that time, it was clearly a “day to day” learning process, although I didn’t realize that at the time, I just trudged through each day’s events.   I didn’t realize that Jesus was right there with me, as I struggled through the haze of the personal inner struggles that I was beginning to work through.  All I knew at the time, was that I loved my husband and sons more than I could even understand.  I wanted what was best for them in this life.

I did not understand that my role as a wife and mother wasn’t necessarily to work toward their happiness in THIS LIFE…my role was to help them and guide them toward their eternal happiness.

Maybe that’s where we become confused when our life doesn’t go as planned…and sometimes our prayers are not answered in the way we expect them to be.  Only God knows what we truly need to prepare our souls for Eternal Life…with Him.  He showers us with blessings each and everyday.  Sometimes those blessings come disguised as difficulties, struggles and suffering.  We are constantly being given opportunities to turn our gaze away from the material world, and instead, look to Him.

Trust Him, who created you lovingly, and knows you inside and out.  Trust Him, and the Church He has gifted us with…and do all you can to know, love and serve Him in this fleeting world, so that you will be will be with Him…in the presence of Perfect Love and Joy…for all Eternity.

Think carefully about your choices in this life, because they will affect your most important relationship…which is with your Creator and your Savior.

So, during this time of peacefulness and meditation, remember this one thing:

The only thing you take to eternity is your relationship with God.  Everything in your life should tend to that relationship.  

 

Christmas Time

Rejoice, for a child is born for us.  Isaiah 9:6

I would like to share something special that I read before Mass this morning.   This is a gift that I am sharing with you…Merry Christmas!

 

Dearly beloved, today our Savior is born; let us rejoice.  Sadness should have no place on the birthday of life.  The fear of death has been swallowed up; life brings us joy with the promise of eternal happiness.  No one is shut out from this joy; all share the same reason for rejoicing.  Our Lord, victor over sin and death, finding no one free from sin, came to free us all…

 

Christian, remember your dignity, and now that you share in God’s own nature, do not return by sin to your former base condition.  Bear in mind who is your head and of whose body you are a member.  Do not forget that you have been rescued from the power of darkness and brought into the light of God’s kingdom.  Saint Leo the Great

May God bless you and keep you in His loving care!  With much love, Bernadette

 

 

The One Thing Necessary

Wanted to share something I read today…it breaks through all of the excuses and defenses that we (I) carry.

The One Thing Necessary

“We all in a way harden our hearts a little bit; some to the point where they no longer hear the Word of God at all. There is always that one person that you haven’t totally forgiven or loved with a pure love. There is still that one thing you won’t give up for Jesus. You are still capping your love. You do everything but this one thing. Well, do it today.”

I don’t know about you, but I have a few things that are “capping my love.”  Mother Angelica has a way of speaking the Truth straight to the heart!  May we pray for the grace needed to help us give Jesus our all.

Taken from Mother Angelica’s Little Book of Life Lessons and Everyday Spirituality (Page 130)

 

Reverence in Thought and Dress

This last Sunday I saw something at Mass that greatly troubled me. I waited a few days to speak of it, because I wanted to make sure that my heart was/is in the right place before bringing up this sensitive topic….modesty and appropriate, reverent dress when in Church and/or attending the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

My husband and I were sitting toward the back of the Church. When I saw what was written in large letters on the back of a woman’s tee shirt, (not sure of age or what was written on the front) I was just about moved to tears. In large letters it read….”YOU CAN’T EAT THIS.”

Wow…so sad that someone would think that was ok.

This is in God’s Church. The True Physical Body and Blood of Jesus is in the Tabernacle, and is being offered FOR US on the altar during Mass. If we truly understood the glory and majesty of God, and understood that He is fully present in the Holy Eucharist, we would know that it is a gift from God… that we are privileged to attend Mass and be in His Presence.

There are many ways that we show reverence, and one of those ways is putting thought into the way we dress…being that we will be in the Presence of Almighty God. I have seen many sad displays of dress (and “undress”), and have also once witnessed a teenaged girl with a short miniskirt applying lotion up and down her legs. There may be legitimate reasons for wrinkled shorts and tee shirts at Mass…I have also dressed in ways that I would never even consider now.

I guess, what I am trying to say, is to dress appropriately for an intimate visit with God. (as we would dress for any “special” occasion) Put thought into your preparation, in your choice of clothing, and also your state of mind and heart.

Don’t be afraid to gently speak with those you know and love, if their manner of dress or demeanor is not reverent.

May God have mercy on us and keep us in His care. JMJ

Share the Light of Christ

We, as Christians, are called to be lights in the darkness.

Sometimes, it feels as though the darkness that is raging in our culture and in the world, is engulfing us.  However, we must remember that through the power of the Holy Spirit, the light of Christ resides in our hearts and souls.  That light calls out to be shared with those who are living in the darkness.

Listen to the voice of God that is stirring your heart.  

There are people all around you that are suffering…all in different ways.  See and hear the struggles and despair of those that are in need of compassion, love and mercy.  Ask the Lord to direct you, so that you may know the needs of his children that he places on your path.  It may be a family member, a friend, or someone that you come across in your day to day routine.

Listen.

Listen to what souls are in need of. It may be that they just need a listening ear and heart. They may have a particular financial or material need that you can help with.  They may be hungering for encouragement regarding their faith. They may be in dire need of hope.

You may be their lifeline to Jesus.  Sometimes, a person needs to know that “somebody loves me” before they can accept that “God loves me.” 

Let’s take the time to really see and hear those around us.  Let’s love eachother and extend friendship and fellowship.

Let’s be that person who shares The Light of Christ.

Hidden Things

As I make my way through Lent, my thoughts are drawn toward the light and mercy of Jesus.  What is hindering my relationship with Him…what is holding me back?

Fear is always what holds me back…but what is it that I am afraid of?

Maybe it is the unconscious fear of what lies within me.

I have always been the kind of person who prefers “controlled” light.  Curtains closed at the brightest times of the day, sheers that diffuse direct light, blinds raised and lowered to control exactly how much light enters the room.  All of that, because I do not want to see all the imperfection that is revealed when the sun shines through the windows unbridled.

I would rather live in my “happy place” where my home is just so, and everything is clean and tidy.

The light reveals stains on the couch, dust, and sometimes even cobwebs. It reveals the truth of reality.

I don’t want to acknowledge those hidden things…and would rather go through my life without seeing those things that I consider to be unattractive or damaged.  However, by always trying to camouflage  what is truly there, so much effort goes into the battle of constantly covering up the imperfections, that the issues are never resolved.

The issues, stains, imperfections and damage are always there. Some that we are aware of, and some that we are not.

When we make the choice to pull open the blinds of our heart, and invite Jesus to illuminate us, the Light reveals all…sins of our past and present, many that have remained buried, things that we never even remembered until revealed.  All of a sudden, we are made aware of how we have offended God in so many ways, and are reminded of the times we have hurt others or drew them into sin.  

The Light reveals truths that are unbearable to face…we can no longer camouflage the dirtiness of our souls.  This pure light forces us to face the truth of our unworthiness, and offers us a choice.

We can either acknowledge, confess and truly repent of our sins, which will free us to build a closer relationship with Christ in His mercy, or make the choice to continue living in darkness, which will keep us imprisoned.

I choose Christ. I choose mercy. And I choose the light of his love.

May God bless you during this Lenten Season.  Choose wisely.

 

Look for the Pattern

Today, I came across this post that I wrote years ago, reminding me of God’s Love and Providence.  Know that He is there, especially when we are not aware of His Presence in our lives.  I hope these words touch your heart.

Ok, I have to admit, I absolutely love playing a popular online word scramble game.  The kind that shows a bunch of letters, and you have to find all the words that can be made out of those letters.  If you don’t find the big word that uses ALL the letters, you lose.

When playing this game, I learned that the key is moving the letters around until you can find a pattern.  Sometimes it is easy to spot the word, and it is a familiar one.  Other times, if you just keep looking for a pattern and try it out, the word is eventually found.

Many times I never even heard of the word that is revealed to me.  I just had to trust the logic of the letters.

While playing the other day, the thought hit me that our lives are like the word scramble game.

For me, so many years of my life were a scramble, and I could not see any purpose or connection of one day to the next.  I was floundering.  The mixed messages from life experiences, peer pressure, inner turmoil and what I was hearing at school and Church, were scrambling my ability to see, think, hear and know what the Truth was.

My day to day existence was more or less just hanging on to the belief that there IS a God, and He says that He loves me.  I prayed, attended Church, and even was very involved with our Church Community, however, inside, I was struggling.

In those years, there were joyful moments with my husband, family, and friends, especially once my sons were born.  However, there was always a deep pain and longing inside my heart and soul.  I did not know where that darkness and pain was coming from, and I couldn’t understand why God wasn’t making it go away.  I could not see where He was working in my life.

Much like the scrambled letters in my word game.

Faith, spiritual growth, and the eventual opening of my heart to the Love of Jesus, has been a long process.  For so many years I have been only looking for the familiar patterns in my life, thinking I would be able to figure things out and heal myself with self-help books and visits to therapists.  Yes, progress was made, and I was enlightened one small step at a time.  But I knew something was missing.

Then, my journey took a sharp, unexpected turn.  I began to meditate on the life of Jesus through praying the rosary.  (something I never believed in before)  I meditated on the pure trusting spirit and humility of the Mother of Jesus, and how much God the Father trusted His Son to her loving care.  I realized that since God is my Father, and Jesus is His Son, then Jesus is my brother….that would make Mary my mother.  A loving mother that wants only good for my life.  A mother who is constantly praying, interceding and leading me toward her Son. The more I prayed, the closer my relationship formed with Jesus, my Savior.  I finally began to understand, that although I always believed that Jesus is the Son of God, I did not have a relationship with Him.  I didn’t know Him.

Through the Holy Spirit, I was lead to pray in faith, and to read spiritual books instead of “self help” ones.  I was being enlightened to READ AND TRUST the Bible, instead of trusting the scrambled so called “wisdom” of the world.

My foundation is now a firm one, and my eyes, ears and heart are being opened, a little at a time.

My journey with Jesus is just beginning.  There are many dark places in my soul that I trust that the Holy Spirit is working on right at this moment.  Many events that have occurred that have been scrambled from my comprehension…

In the past, I thought God wasn’t answering my prayers, because I asked Him to reveal things relating to my memories, and it didn’t seem as though He was allowing that to happen.  I felt like I had a steel trap door that was blocking me from seeing things that would help me to progress in my spiritual/emotional well-being.  I thought these things because I was unable to see the truth and the pattern of my journey. In order to do that, I had to look at my life through different eyes….see through the “scramble” and start to move the events around, seeing the patterns emerge…

because the patterns/evidence of Christ in my life were there, and the answers were there, all along. 

You see, the key to understanding, in faith, that God is always with you and working His wonderful plan for your life, is like finding the big word, using all the letters, in the word scramble game.  If you don’t find that word, you lose the round, and have to start over.

If you don’t put your faith in Jesus, you will flounder because you will not be able to see His work in your life, and will not see the pattern of your life.

Now, when I look at my life, I can see the pattern… the fingerprint of God.  He was there all along.  He was there loving me tenderly when I was afraid, lonely, suffering, and living in spiritual darkness.  He was there when I reached for help.  He was there when I prayed, even when I did not fully believe.  He was there when I demanded that He heal my heart…when in selfishness and despair I wanted certain people in my life to “disappear”.  He was there when I hurt the ones I loved the most.  He was there in my dreams, revealing bits and pieces of the source of my pain…ever so gently.

The Lord desires for us to be happy, living in His Presence.  The  mission of our life will be revealed to us…just be ready…expect the unexpected.   You will not find Truth and Peace  in the world’s scramble .  You will find it in the revelation of God’s love for you and the special place you hold in His Kingdom.

Never give up…always look for the ways the Lord is leading you.  He will speak to you in ways you do not expect.   But He is always there.

May you be blessed in the total peace and love of our Savior.

The Truth Will Set You Free

During the time when the government imposed lockdowns and mandates, due to the corona virus, many of us experienced suffering and misery.

Much of this suffering was due to the virus itself, however, much long lasting misery was based on many other issues caused by the isolation imposed on all of us.

 

Parents and grandparents were kept away from their families, many suffered and died alone, and many family members and friends were not allowed to celebrate birthdays, marriages, anniversaries, Holidays, or funerals with their loved ones. This precious time is forever lost to them.

Gatherings with family and friends were “allowed” if all were masked up and 6 feet apart, even when outdoors.  Does anyone else see how silly this was?

We all listened and obeyed “for the good of others.”  This was the time where many people started to eye eachother as “walking germ spreaders,” and started to label and demean each other…spewing hatred as to whether a person was masked up or not, if someone dared to stand too close, or whether or not the person was vaccinated.

Small businesses were shut down, however, large businesses were “allowed” to stay open.  Hmmm.

Bishops and Pastors allowed their Church doors to be locked…no Holy Masses and no Sacraments for the faithful.

Shame on them (supposed shepherds) for being so weak as to allow this evil to occur!

In the meantime, while our Church was locked down, my husband and I noticed something interesting while we walked through the downtown area where we lived. Victoria Secret was open for business!  So our government, in its wisdom, deemed our Churches as non-essential…however, Victoria Secret was “essential?”  Liquor stores remained open…no matter what their size.

Could you see any logic in this? I couldn’t…they knew exactly what they were doing when they closed small businesses and our Churches.

Have you noticed that the masses turned away from their faith, and allowed fear to dictate what they believed and followed?  Have you noticed that those same people would not even watch or hear anything different from the narrative of the day?

Very concerning.

Anyway, during this time of craziness, a funny thing happened.  While my Church was closed down, I discovered Catholic Priests who were not afraid to speak the Truth… on YouTube.  Priests who dared to teach the traditional Catholic Faith and Catechism.  Men who were not afraid to question what was being forced upon us…as a Church, nation and world.

I realized that I had a choice where life and my faith were concerned.

I could remain in ignorance and darkness, or I could choose to be open to The Holy Spirit.

I chose The Holy Spirit.

My purpose is not to argue or cause division. The purpose is to share The Truth…what you choose for your life, and that of your family, is between you and God.  However, each of our choices touches and affects The Body of Christ…His Church.

Choose wisely.  

Pray for faith, mercy, courage, knowledge, love and wisdom.  Pray for the strength to be open to the prodding of The Holy Spirit, and for the strength to make changes in your own life.

The things that need changed are the blotches of darkness in our souls…the very things we strive to hide and ignore.  Pray for The Holy Spirit to illuminate those dark spots.  Acknowledge, confess, repent and make the needed changes regarding those weaknesses/sins.

Go to your Priest and ask him to pray over you.

This is the time….WAKE UP from your slumber!

If you are confused, depressed, angry, or numb…you are living under the oppression of Satan.

FIGHT!  Get appropriate help from mental health professionals. Don’t ignore your issues…CONFRONT and make changes! Turn your whole heart and soul to Jesus, and His (and our) Blessed Mother.  Ask for their help in your fight against your personal demons. They are waiting for you to ask for their help, and invite them into your life.

The most important step is to close the doors you have opened to the evil one.  You know what those doors are…you know… the things you hide from others, and try to hide from yourself and try to excuse away.

Stop trying to hide your darkness from yourself…and from God.  He already knows your struggle…He knows where the struggle came from.  Jesus is waiting for you to give it all up to Him.  

Don’t wait too much longer.  None of us know how long we have on this earth.

You make your decision…I have chosen Jesus and look forward to an eternity with Him and all of His Saints and Angels.

I pray that you make the choice for Jesus…choosing light and not the darkness.  

Do not be afraid of The Truth!  The Truth will set you free.

 

Some of the Catholic Priests who are true shepherds that you can search for on YouTube:

Fr. Altman

Fr. Vincent Lampert

Fr. Michael O’Connor

Fr. Nolan: Those who are ignorant of the past are bound to repeat it

Fr. Chad Ripperger