This morning I was overwhelmed by the thoughts of the last month and the touch of God upon us! The fact that Joseph was there, in such normal ways, with his family after being gone since the end of June to Afghanistan! Just as with John's cancer and how it brought all of us together to stand and face the battle for John's life shoulder and shoulder... so with Patrick the miracles of healing as a family can be together facing with the armor of Faith all that comes to attack our HOPE and TRUST! I just googled the armor of God and discovered that it should be the first reading at mass this week! It is in the next chapter of Ephesians, which has been the first reading for the last week or so... today such amazing words to take to heart in this year of FAITH! First I would like to share the words from St Paul about the armor of God, which we all need to arm ourselves with so that we can stand firm as children of LIGHT!
Ephesians 6:10-18 New International Version (NIV)
The Armor of God10 "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people."
Today St Paul tells us to be "imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and handed himself over for us as a sacrificial offering to God... For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of LIGHT." There are so many unexpected "stroms" in life that come and swamp the boat we are in, we can easily fear and doubt that we can be safely on the shore or safe in the midst of the storm as the waves come crashing over the sides and the sail is torn from our hands! Yes, that is what it takes to show us that Jesus is in control! He comes walking to us across the water and the sea is calmed or the sail is guided by HIM! I thought with John that I had felt the most desperate of prayers, and probably when he was in surgery for his biopsy to discover what the tumor was in his brain... I felt the storm to be raging out of control! But when they pushed Maria, on her hands and knees to give Patrick as much chance to get some oxygen as they possibly could, and I knew that they could not find his heartbeat... when they pushed her out of the room to OR... I was terrified as if I had been tossed into the churning sea and a huge 20 foot wave was about to cover me! Yes, the Lord was with me and our Lady was bedside me at the foot of the Cross as we looked up to him and tried to have Faith and Trust in HIM! Trust that He can change the world through the Cross, and to see Him helpless as a Lamb and submitting to the torture and death on the Cross... that is so hard to believe! But once again I have been able to see the LIFE and LOVE that floods the world as the result of the Cross!
So many well-wishes and faces to all the prayers that surrounded us over the last month at mass yesterday! Maria and Joseph experienced that yesterday, as they too carried with JOY their gift from God, Patty Joe- Patrick Joseph, into mass shared with their fellow members of the body of Christ! Sitting in our beautifully remodeled Church, after being away a month for the battle for healing/life, I felt so powerfully the touch of God upon me and my family! There were those that came up to us and just shook their heads that we should face such huge battles in the last 3 years. Yet, there is something very special about being called upon to shoulder these two crosses... a lot like when Simon was called upon to help Jesus for a short ways carry his Cross. Christ was the one, who was without sin, and had humbly accepted the torture of being scourged relentlessly and mocked with cruel thorns pushed into his head... upon his bleeding and torn shoulders that heavy Cross was placed! He had walked carrying it... falling over and over under the weight and so weak after the blood loss and pain... seeing the agony of his dear Mother as she longed to take the suffering and death from him. Yet Simon was asked to help a short ways... he wasn't the most agreeable to this either, but did it grudgingly and fearfully. The fear was definitely there for me, and yes... I questioned - WHY? But to see how He answered all the prayers with such wondrous results fills me with humble thanksgiving and JOY! Just as the woman in the Gospel today, who felt the mercy of Jesus upon her after carrying the bondage of Satan upon her for 18 years! He is merciful and loving and forgiving - of that we need never doubt!
Dear Lord, we are filled with so much gratitude to you. You told us that to truly follow after you, that we must take up our Cross and follow after YOU! When the Crosses that come with our journey happen to us, we see that you are truly with us and teaching us in a very real way the lessons of LIFE and LOVE! We look at little Gift from God, Patrick, and he truly has taught us once again that we are yours and we need to Trust in you being in control of all that comes to us - revealing your Mercy to us! Jesus, we trust in you. Amen and Halleluia!
Bless-bless, Barb
"Behave like God as his dear children." Ephesians 5:1
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