The new addition fits so well on our newly renovated and remodeled church. It was fun to get some pictures of it in the dark after 5p mass on Saturday night. Such a work of art inside and out! To have a gathering space to linger and visit in... is a beautiful gift to us that have the church as our main social outlet. I would have to say that for myself with the contacts from Emmaus, Faith Formation, and numerous other activities in our church - including our own family - that this is where I find my friends and they in turn become family to us! Even TEC is our Catholic family on the diocesan level. Now we have a place where we can share with our friends and family, and where we can share educational and uplifting things one with the other in the form of DVDs or collecting for Birthright baby things to be shared. Lately there was a tree with gift requests for young people that need to be remembered for Christmas. Many ways that we can look outside of our own world and serve Christ found in others!
Pat and I have an ongoing ribbing... when we read the Magnificat together morning and night there are often mystics quoted... Pat thinks that this is a strange way to describe someone...today he was kidding that they must be on drugs, and that they were only people of old and that there are no modern day mystics. I told him that I would google it and prove him wrong, so I did this morning and found many fascinating mystics that are with us to this day! I should first clear the air and get the true definition of a mystic..."A person who seeks by contemplation and self-surrender to obtain unity with or absorption into the Deity or the absolute, or who believes in the spiritual apprehension of truths that are beyond the intellect." I suppose someone who has these kind of experiences could appear to be on drugs, but they are in the realm of the spirit and although dangerous at times if it is those of the evil world... to have that kind of experience in the Kingdom of God is a very amazing and exciting thing to behold. I just went to a mystic that I had heard of... Servant of God Maria Esperanza (2004)... and read a story about how as a girl..."At the age of five, she had her first mystical experience. While saying goodbye to her mother who was leaving on a trip, Maria Esperanza saw Saint Therese of The Child Jesus emerging from the waters of the Orinoco River. The saint tossed Maria a rose that she caught with her hand. It was a red rose and it had a velvet texture. She then gave it to her mother who was amazed because of the fact that there were no roses nearby." That is having contact with the Spiritual world that surrounds our Lord in heaven! Wow!
"Jesus my Son loves you very much and He wishes to give you a grace. Do you know how to make yourself worthy of it?” In my misery I did not know what to answer. She continued “I will be your Mother. Will you be a true daughter?” She then spread her mantle and covered me with it. At that moment Jesus appeared with all His wounds open, but blood no longer came out of those wounds. Rather, flames of fire issued forth from them and in an instant these flames came to touch my hands, my feet and my heart. I felt as if I would die. I fell to the floor, but my Mother supported me, keeping me covered in her mantle. I had to remain several hours in that position. Finally she kissed me on my forehead, and all vanished, and I found myself kneeling on the floor. But I still felt an intense pain in my hands, feet and heart. I arose to go to bed, and I then noticed that blood was flowing from those parts where I felt pain. I covered them as well as I could, and then with the help of my angel, I was able to go to bed. These sufferings and pains, although they afflicted me, filled me with perfect peace. The next morning I was able to go to Communion only with great difficulty, and I put on a pair of gloves in order to hide my hands. I could hardly stand on my feet, and I thought I would die at any minute. The sufferings continued until 3pm on Friday afternoon, the solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus."
Lord, I am filled with such excitement and joy at the depth and beauty of our amazing Church! There is so much to take in, and so much learning we can do with each new day. To "see" into heaven through the eyes, hearts, minds and spirits of the mystics in our Church... allows us to experience heaven and your Kingdom while here on earth! I am reminded of reading the journal of St Faustina two years ago at this time... in the evenings at Maria's home after John and I had traveled to Mayo for his whole brain radiation day after day... for 6 weeks! Her mystical relationship with You and your mother and all the times that she would be made aware of souls needing her prayers to you for their salvation... then for her to give us the amazing Truth - to repeat at all times - "Jesus, I trust in you!" How this gave us hope and courage in the face of John's cancer returning through the chemo... Bishop LeVoir reminded us that Jesus was in control and that we should repeat these words as given to the world from St Faustina through Jesus to remind us that we are the lost sheep that He is rejoicing over! Jesus, we trust in you. Amen and Halleluia!
Bless-bless, Barb"...... Oh love, oh infinite love! ... See: Your love, oh Lord, Your love penetrates even to my body, with too much fury. When, when will I unite with You, oh Lord, Who with such force of love keeps me in union here on earth? ... Do it, do it! ... Let me die, and die of love! .....What a beautiful death, oh Lord, to die a victim of love ......a victim for You! Calm down, calm down oh Jesus; if not, Your love will end up burning me to ashes! ... Oh love, oh infinite love! .....Oh love of my Jesus! ....Let Your love penetrate my all; from You I want nothing else. My God, my God, I love You!
Oh Jesus . . . oh Jesus . . . What are these strong attractions which unite me so powerfully to you? Is it Your heart which beats so near mine? . . . What power there is in Your heart! Explain it to me, Jesus. How is it that this poor soul does not escape from its prison to go to heaven and rejoice in Your Divine Presence? It can resist no longer . . . every morning I hear Your beloved voice . . . I taste such ineffable sweetness . . .
St Gemma Galgani (1903)
I would say that is feiry LOVE! Wow! St Nicholas pray for us this day of your feastday... we are reminded of your generosity in giving of your wealth without thought of yourself, but for those in need around you. Giving dowry money through the window of a poor family to save the 3 daughters from a life of prositution! We pray to you in this day and age where young women are drawn to the money of selling their bodies... ST Nicholas come to them and lead them to the right path!
Is baby Gus truly looking at snowflakes out the window or does he see his guardian angel and Mary and Jesus? At his innocent and close to God age.. we would not be too surprised by that would we? For sure he is seeing his reflection in the window and his family are sure of that being a mystical experience to have his precious life in this world with us!
Now from Maria's blog - grandparent snuggle time is mystical to us too!
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