It was great to see the Gospel from Matthew in the last weeks - Jesus walking on the water out to where the Disciples are getting tossed by the waves... Peter, when he realizes it is The Lord asks him; "Command me to come to you on the water." "Come." And Peter begins to walk to him on top of the water until he starts to get afraid and have doubts and then he starts to sink. "Lord, save me!" Jesus does not hesitate - "immediately" he grabs his hand and lifts him up and says; "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" Can we not relate to all the stages of this? Reading a meditation of Mother Mary Francis - a Poor Clare nun, who I was introduced to while Maria was behind the enclosure with the Poor Clares for 5 months discerning her call.
Family interactions are so interesting and special. Lately I have been aware of how Ruth's 5 are exactly the same age difference as our 5 were....hence I can study them as a reminder of our nest years being played out again for me. A special memory to enjoy again and again!
Mother Mary Francis reminds us that we are being called to Jesus from our birth to our death and all the time in between! "All these calls through life on to death must be answered on a very deep personal level. The call of those of us baptized in infancy was answered in our name by others; but it became a real, living, driving force in our lives, a practical vital force, as we grew to maturity and actuated that decision in ourselves."
I am reminded of the baptism of our grandson, Patrick, in NICU in Providence Hospital in El Paso in the middle of the night after his being born dead and brought back to life. His family knew that Jesus was in control and found peace knowing that I had baptized him as soon as possible - he is healed and healthy to this day!
Sunday rolls are the best!
"Knowing that we are called to the God who loves us is what sweetens every sacrifice, gives meaning to all suffering, infuses pain with splendor. It is being called that gives significance to human love as well and offers impetus to the mortifications life continually puts before us." Mother Mary Francis
No longer does Luke sit in one spot and watch - he gets there!
"If we could only remember that God is calling us by name in the unfolding circumstances of each day, we would assuredly reply: 'Yes! Bid me come to you.' It is not a case of , 'Yes, I will make this sacrifice.' Or, 'Yes, I will be patient; yes, I will suffer this.' There can be more than a bit of vainglory in that. But we come to understand that the call does not end any more than it began in the pain, the suffering, the sacrifice, the mortification, the situation, or the hour of death."
God is calling us throughout all that comes to us in LIFE to never fear of doubt or let our faith abandon us... Trusting in HIM to always be there with us and when we are weak carrying us across the stormy waves of LIFE! I can believe that when Jesus "immediately" reached out for Peter he picked him up and carried him into the boat - walking on the waves that was tossing the boat as the wind was against them. So much of this world is a wind that is against us! Just on the way to Church we were discussing the lie that couples believe these days that before marriage or even engagement that a couple should live together/cohabitate to discover if they are compatible and ready to unite in marriage. No! This is a sin against the Truth and actually undermines a future good marriage that will last til death! How does Satan get his foothold on this world, and falsehood becomes a path into darkness?
As the first reading says - God is in the "tiny whispering sound" not in the wind, earthquake and fire. May we listen to the Truth no matter the cost and follow Jesus down the narrow path carrying our Most Cherished Cross to find LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT!
Jesus, we know that you never stop commanding us to come to you and find a small slice of Heaven here on earth/The Kingdom of God! Today we came to your table and received You in the Eucharist!
When I saw this my heart soared - filled with so much LOVE! I know you so intimately Lord as You come into me... I love you with my all! May we walk on water at your command in our lives no matter how the storms of life surround us! Life is too precious - no matter how short it is! We must always cherish and protect all life at all costs! Jesus, we trust in YOU. Amen and Hallalujah
Bless-bless, Barbara Luke - framed as the Crazy-Catholic!
"Pope Benedict XVI made the point that the essence of Faith is that something meets us that is greater than anything we can think of for ourselves. That is literally what happens to the disciples as they see Jesus walking on the water. Jesus summons them to faith - a way of approaching reality that entails leaving behind our old way of measuring things and seeing all according to this Something Greater that meets us." see www.magnificat.com
Farmlife is like no other, and we are so grateful, O Lord. Please send rain our way!
Casting Crowns - Praise You in the Storm
Do life Big - Jamie Grace
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