Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Priests of the Domestic Church
Here is a short video we made for our family life ministry. I share it today as my blog post.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Peace
My posts have been few and far between these last few weeks and I find it easier and easier with each passing day, not to take the time to share the recipes of faith, hope, and love, that have enriched my family life. So, God has put it on my heart to step it up a bit. It is my intent to start blogging on Tuesday and Friday of each week, in order to be more consistent and get into a routine. Since today is Wednesday, I'll begin this new schedule next week.
Today, I'd like to share about the gift of peace that Jesus left us. I saw a bumper sticker once that read, "No Jesus, no peace. Know Jesus, know peace." The peace that Jesus gives is in knowing that He is always with us. The Truth that God is always with us brings me much comfort now. Jesus is so alive in my heart due to daily scripture reading and receiving/adoring the Blessed Sacrament, that I think about Him throughout my entire day. He is definitely with me and that brings me much peace.
I equate that to how a young child desires to be in the presence of their parent/s because they feel safe. They know from experience that their mom or dad will care for their daily needs. Even though they know that their parents love them, seeing the parent is what gives them security. I knew that God loved me, but it was when I started to see Jesus by experiencing Him as the source of love that was transforming my life, that I felt safe and filled with the peace of knowing that Jesus is always with me.
Children receive the most important basic need of feeling safe from their parents. I used to think that as long as I love my children, they will know love, and peace will flow from that love. But what I have learned is that a peace-filled home depends on the love between the mom and dad. The very first parenting seminar I ever attended was when our first-born son was 5 years old. The presenter was a psychologist and he opened his presentation with saying that the best thing a mother can do for her children is to love their father, and the best thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother.
Just as Jesus is the heart of the church, parents are the heart of the home, the domestic church. Jesus is in the sacrament of Marriage and once I began to put my Marriage at the center of our family life rather than the children, there was peace in our home. Our children felt secure in our love for each other. Whenever there was conflict between my husband and me, there was no peace. Whenever there was love between us, there was peace and the presence of Jesus. Our children feel safe and know love when they experience the source of love that flows between mom and dad and Jesus. Peace be with you!
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you." (John 14:27)
"And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age." (Matthew 28:20)
Today, I'd like to share about the gift of peace that Jesus left us. I saw a bumper sticker once that read, "No Jesus, no peace. Know Jesus, know peace." The peace that Jesus gives is in knowing that He is always with us. The Truth that God is always with us brings me much comfort now. Jesus is so alive in my heart due to daily scripture reading and receiving/adoring the Blessed Sacrament, that I think about Him throughout my entire day. He is definitely with me and that brings me much peace.
I equate that to how a young child desires to be in the presence of their parent/s because they feel safe. They know from experience that their mom or dad will care for their daily needs. Even though they know that their parents love them, seeing the parent is what gives them security. I knew that God loved me, but it was when I started to see Jesus by experiencing Him as the source of love that was transforming my life, that I felt safe and filled with the peace of knowing that Jesus is always with me.
Children receive the most important basic need of feeling safe from their parents. I used to think that as long as I love my children, they will know love, and peace will flow from that love. But what I have learned is that a peace-filled home depends on the love between the mom and dad. The very first parenting seminar I ever attended was when our first-born son was 5 years old. The presenter was a psychologist and he opened his presentation with saying that the best thing a mother can do for her children is to love their father, and the best thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother.
Just as Jesus is the heart of the church, parents are the heart of the home, the domestic church. Jesus is in the sacrament of Marriage and once I began to put my Marriage at the center of our family life rather than the children, there was peace in our home. Our children felt secure in our love for each other. Whenever there was conflict between my husband and me, there was no peace. Whenever there was love between us, there was peace and the presence of Jesus. Our children feel safe and know love when they experience the source of love that flows between mom and dad and Jesus. Peace be with you!
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you." (John 14:27)
"And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age." (Matthew 28:20)
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Thanksgiving
I'm the type of person who loves to share good recipes with everyone and anyone. When I serve a delicious homemade meal, I put my whole self into its creation. Seeing others enjoy it, brings me much joy. This is how I first related to God our Father. It made me realize that when we enjoy His creations, we glorify Him and He is very pleased. His pleasure was felt within me as I was experiencing genuine gratitude of all that is good and beautiful in my life; all of which comes from Him.
The discovery that He created the world to share it with us and shower us with blessings, made me see everything as a precious gift. Instead of feeling sad that I didn't have enough love, appreciation, material wealth, I became overwhelmed with thankfulness of all that I had, including my husband. The fact that we are gifts to one another to be enjoyed rather than to be criticized or used, was a real eye opener for me. I realized that I had things really mixed up.
Just going through the motions of marriage rather than ejoying this union as a great gift from God, made me see that I was also going through the motions of participating in the Catholic faith and not enjoying it as a great gift from God. Each Sunday, we obediently attended Mass. Most of the Mass I would be thinking about the dinner I was going to prepare or the groceries I needed, etc. During the homily, I would hear words about love and discipleship, and can remember hoping that my husband was taking these words to heart, never considering my own heart. Once I began to see all of the blessings that God was bestowing on us throughout the week, there was a huge revelation within my heart.
Attending Mass each week became an opportunity for me to be like the one leper that returned to give thanks to Jesus for healing my hard heart. I was no longer attending church on Sunday to fulfill an obligation mindlessly, in the hopes that since we were coming to God, He would give me the grace I needed to get through another week. Being truly thankful for all of God's gifts, I started to see God in everything and everyone. Just as I put myself in the things I served, I now knew that God put Himself in all of His creations, and I couldn't wait to get to Mass and share in this powerful Thanksgiving meal with all my pilgrim brothers and sisters to celebrate God's presence in our daily journey.
My eyes were opened to so many beautiful things. Even though the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross happened only once, He lives that love for us each and every day until the end of time. It is what we celebrate at every Eucharist. His gift of love can be experienced each and every day if we only seek to see it in our daily lives. And then when we come together at Eucharist, it is a thanksgiving celebration of all the love that He shared with us throughout the week. He is still pouring all of himself out for us, in the form of bread and wine so that we can unite in love. It is an indescribable mystery, and a true Thanksgiving meal, as the word, 'Eucharist' means 'Thanksgiving.'
Even though our wedding ceremony took place only once, we are to live that love each and every day until death do us part; pouring ourselves out for the other. Then when we unite in the marital act, it is in thanksgiving for the love and caring that took place during family life. Whenever my husband puts me before himself, he is making love to me, and vice versa. For instance, when my husband took over one of my duties so that I could relax, he was making love to me. Whenever we physically unite as one, it is a thanksgiving celebration of all the times we made love through our caring of each other in family life. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you, Lord, for opening the eyes of my heart!!
"Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice, and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then said Jesus, 'Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?' And he said to him, 'Rise, and go your way; your faith has made you well." (Luke 17:17-19)
The discovery that He created the world to share it with us and shower us with blessings, made me see everything as a precious gift. Instead of feeling sad that I didn't have enough love, appreciation, material wealth, I became overwhelmed with thankfulness of all that I had, including my husband. The fact that we are gifts to one another to be enjoyed rather than to be criticized or used, was a real eye opener for me. I realized that I had things really mixed up.
Just going through the motions of marriage rather than ejoying this union as a great gift from God, made me see that I was also going through the motions of participating in the Catholic faith and not enjoying it as a great gift from God. Each Sunday, we obediently attended Mass. Most of the Mass I would be thinking about the dinner I was going to prepare or the groceries I needed, etc. During the homily, I would hear words about love and discipleship, and can remember hoping that my husband was taking these words to heart, never considering my own heart. Once I began to see all of the blessings that God was bestowing on us throughout the week, there was a huge revelation within my heart.
Attending Mass each week became an opportunity for me to be like the one leper that returned to give thanks to Jesus for healing my hard heart. I was no longer attending church on Sunday to fulfill an obligation mindlessly, in the hopes that since we were coming to God, He would give me the grace I needed to get through another week. Being truly thankful for all of God's gifts, I started to see God in everything and everyone. Just as I put myself in the things I served, I now knew that God put Himself in all of His creations, and I couldn't wait to get to Mass and share in this powerful Thanksgiving meal with all my pilgrim brothers and sisters to celebrate God's presence in our daily journey.
My eyes were opened to so many beautiful things. Even though the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross happened only once, He lives that love for us each and every day until the end of time. It is what we celebrate at every Eucharist. His gift of love can be experienced each and every day if we only seek to see it in our daily lives. And then when we come together at Eucharist, it is a thanksgiving celebration of all the love that He shared with us throughout the week. He is still pouring all of himself out for us, in the form of bread and wine so that we can unite in love. It is an indescribable mystery, and a true Thanksgiving meal, as the word, 'Eucharist' means 'Thanksgiving.'
Even though our wedding ceremony took place only once, we are to live that love each and every day until death do us part; pouring ourselves out for the other. Then when we unite in the marital act, it is in thanksgiving for the love and caring that took place during family life. Whenever my husband puts me before himself, he is making love to me, and vice versa. For instance, when my husband took over one of my duties so that I could relax, he was making love to me. Whenever we physically unite as one, it is a thanksgiving celebration of all the times we made love through our caring of each other in family life. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you, Lord, for opening the eyes of my heart!!
"Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice, and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then said Jesus, 'Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?' And he said to him, 'Rise, and go your way; your faith has made you well." (Luke 17:17-19)
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
THE Holy Family
The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph is the model for all families. The Gospels do not reveal much about their family life. I believe that is because their family life was ordinary. Their focus was taking care of one another and their neighbors for and with the love of God. I look to them for constant help in my family life.
In our daily living of marriage and family life, I am sure that it is the precious gift of our Blessed Mother, given to us by Jesus at the cross, that helps to bring Jesus into our life. The closer my husband and I get to Jesus, the closer we get to one another. Mary is the holy vessel that God used to bring Jesus into human life. In addition, Mary and Joseph knew what it was like to lose Jesus when at the age of 12, Jesus was found teaching in the temple after being sought by His parents for three days. And then, at the wedding feast at Cana, Blessed Mother sees there is no wine left. No where in scripture does it say that she was put in charge of making sure that all the guests were served enough food and wine. But, when she saw that they were out of wine, she went directly to Jesus. I believe that like a good Mother, she is watching over every family and when she sees that we have run out of love, she runs to Jesus and asks Him to provide more.
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." (Matthew 7:7) Because I did not know that it was more Jesus that I needed, I did not ask God for it. But Blessed Mother knows and she asks Jesus for us, even if we don't put her in charge. Then she tells us the same thing she told the servers at the wedding feast, "Do whatever he tells you." (John 2:5) Jesus had the servers fill the stone water jars with water. Our bodies are made up of mostly water. Just as Jesus turned the water in the jars into good wine, Jesus will turn what flows through us into the good wine of compassion if we do what He tells us. "This I command you: love one another." (John 15:17)
Jesus lived the commandment to honor your father and mother. We imitate Him when we honor our parents, and His. Most non-Catholics do not understand the high place of honor the Catholic Church gives to Blessed Mother. We do not adore her, as if she is God. We honor her because she is the mother of God, and she was given to us by Jesus to honor her. Whenever I call on Blessed Mother, I honor her, and it gives glory to God. Jesus is the fruit of her womb and the mother of love. Whenever I look to St. Joseph as Jesus did as a child, I honor his faithfulness as Jesus' foster father, and it gives glory to God. Jesus gave everything for us, and that includes Mary and Joseph. I am ever grateful to God for the presence of the Holy Family in our marriage and family life.
The month of May is dedicated to our Blessed Mother in the Catholic Church. The first day of May is devoted to St. Joseph under his title of "The Worker." May all of us work hard at being ordinary by taking care of one another and our neighbors for and with the love of God. Jesus provides everything we need.
In our daily living of marriage and family life, I am sure that it is the precious gift of our Blessed Mother, given to us by Jesus at the cross, that helps to bring Jesus into our life. The closer my husband and I get to Jesus, the closer we get to one another. Mary is the holy vessel that God used to bring Jesus into human life. In addition, Mary and Joseph knew what it was like to lose Jesus when at the age of 12, Jesus was found teaching in the temple after being sought by His parents for three days. And then, at the wedding feast at Cana, Blessed Mother sees there is no wine left. No where in scripture does it say that she was put in charge of making sure that all the guests were served enough food and wine. But, when she saw that they were out of wine, she went directly to Jesus. I believe that like a good Mother, she is watching over every family and when she sees that we have run out of love, she runs to Jesus and asks Him to provide more.
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." (Matthew 7:7) Because I did not know that it was more Jesus that I needed, I did not ask God for it. But Blessed Mother knows and she asks Jesus for us, even if we don't put her in charge. Then she tells us the same thing she told the servers at the wedding feast, "Do whatever he tells you." (John 2:5) Jesus had the servers fill the stone water jars with water. Our bodies are made up of mostly water. Just as Jesus turned the water in the jars into good wine, Jesus will turn what flows through us into the good wine of compassion if we do what He tells us. "This I command you: love one another." (John 15:17)
Jesus lived the commandment to honor your father and mother. We imitate Him when we honor our parents, and His. Most non-Catholics do not understand the high place of honor the Catholic Church gives to Blessed Mother. We do not adore her, as if she is God. We honor her because she is the mother of God, and she was given to us by Jesus to honor her. Whenever I call on Blessed Mother, I honor her, and it gives glory to God. Jesus is the fruit of her womb and the mother of love. Whenever I look to St. Joseph as Jesus did as a child, I honor his faithfulness as Jesus' foster father, and it gives glory to God. Jesus gave everything for us, and that includes Mary and Joseph. I am ever grateful to God for the presence of the Holy Family in our marriage and family life.
The month of May is dedicated to our Blessed Mother in the Catholic Church. The first day of May is devoted to St. Joseph under his title of "The Worker." May all of us work hard at being ordinary by taking care of one another and our neighbors for and with the love of God. Jesus provides everything we need.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
The Apple Tree
Little by little, our Lord was showing me how to live a life of sacrificial love. "No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends." (John 15:13)
One day I was in an antique shop and I eyed a 70's decoupaged plaque which read, "It is not in doing the things we enjoy, but enjoying the things we must do, that makes life blessed -- Goethe." Along the perimeter of the plaque, are art renderings of a farmer plowing the field, a woman carrying produce into a house, etc. Being the only person in the store at the time, the clerk/owner struck up a conversation with me about the saying on the plaque. He said that his "pappy" used to say, "Have you ever seen an apple tree enjoy a freshly baked apple pie? Of course not. The reason for the life of the apple tree is to produce delicious fruit for God's children." The wise store-owner continued to share the wisdom that was passed down to him, and added how God provides the soil, water, and sun in order that the tree can be fruitful. We thank God for the apples, not the tree. A wonderful and inspiring discussion ensued on how we have all been created to find the joy in serving rather than in being served and that God provides everything we need. "Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:28)
As you may have guessed, I purchased the plaque and it has hung in our kitchen for many, many years as a reminder to me of the joy in serving with love. In hindsight, I saw how I was waiting to be loved by my husband, and desiring to be served in return for serving, and I was dying inside. Learning that family life is holy work and that when it is done with the love provided by God, it produces the life-giving fruit of love. "We love because he first loved us." (1John 4:19). With every act of love done in service with and for God, we are blessed with the joy of life and are fruitful. I thank God for the times that I cooperate with Him to produce the fruit of love for others to enjoy, rather than partaking in it just for myself. God's plan is so much better than anything I could ever dream of. How great it is whenever I give away God's love to feed others with the fruit of His love, for it is then that His love multiplies within me. Such joy!
Something we must enjoy doing in order to grow in our love of God and one another, is read scripture. A contemplation of the First Letter of John in the New Testament always blesses me with new insights about God's love. (It is very short.) Ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten you and sacrifice some time to read it. I promise, you will be blessed.
One day I was in an antique shop and I eyed a 70's decoupaged plaque which read, "It is not in doing the things we enjoy, but enjoying the things we must do, that makes life blessed -- Goethe." Along the perimeter of the plaque, are art renderings of a farmer plowing the field, a woman carrying produce into a house, etc. Being the only person in the store at the time, the clerk/owner struck up a conversation with me about the saying on the plaque. He said that his "pappy" used to say, "Have you ever seen an apple tree enjoy a freshly baked apple pie? Of course not. The reason for the life of the apple tree is to produce delicious fruit for God's children." The wise store-owner continued to share the wisdom that was passed down to him, and added how God provides the soil, water, and sun in order that the tree can be fruitful. We thank God for the apples, not the tree. A wonderful and inspiring discussion ensued on how we have all been created to find the joy in serving rather than in being served and that God provides everything we need. "Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:28)
As you may have guessed, I purchased the plaque and it has hung in our kitchen for many, many years as a reminder to me of the joy in serving with love. In hindsight, I saw how I was waiting to be loved by my husband, and desiring to be served in return for serving, and I was dying inside. Learning that family life is holy work and that when it is done with the love provided by God, it produces the life-giving fruit of love. "We love because he first loved us." (1John 4:19). With every act of love done in service with and for God, we are blessed with the joy of life and are fruitful. I thank God for the times that I cooperate with Him to produce the fruit of love for others to enjoy, rather than partaking in it just for myself. God's plan is so much better than anything I could ever dream of. How great it is whenever I give away God's love to feed others with the fruit of His love, for it is then that His love multiplies within me. Such joy!
Something we must enjoy doing in order to grow in our love of God and one another, is read scripture. A contemplation of the First Letter of John in the New Testament always blesses me with new insights about God's love. (It is very short.) Ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten you and sacrifice some time to read it. I promise, you will be blessed.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Our Family of God
My earthly Father is 100% Maltese, and my earthly Mother is 100% Polish. That makes me and my seven siblings 50% Maltese, and 50% Polish. None of us is more Maltese or Polish than the next. We have done nothing to earn this ethnicity and we have no recourse in changing it. I am very proud of my heritage and although I physically favor the Maltese side, I feel that I embrace the culture of my Polish ancestry more. My parents are first generation Americans; English was the only language spoken in our home. This reality helped me to see what I could not see.
My heavenly Father is 100% Holy. "So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew 5:48) All children of God are 100% Holy. None of us are holier than the next. We have done nothing to earn this holiness and we have no recourse in changing it. However, we can choose to embrace the culture of holiness more than our other sisters and brothers. Jesus IS the Word of God made flesh and He speaks the language of love.
Once I freed myself from the prison of a self-concerned heart, I longed for a true spirit of love to soar within me and my family. Through scripture and prayer, I was being inspired by the Word of God. I learned that the Holy Spirit is the love between the Father and the Son. It is through acts of love that we embrace holiness and encounter life with Jesus and His "perfect" family.
Marriage and family life provides multiple opportunities each day to perform acts of love that sanctifies us. I looked at these daily mundane tasks as drudgery, not blessings. A quote of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta states, "Do small things with great love." It's all about the language of love.
I got married to be loved. My husband got married for the same reason; to be loved. Servant of God, Catherine Doherty once asked, "If two people get married to be loved, who is going to do the loving?" God's plan for marriage is that each spouse care more about their life-partner than themselves. In caring for the other, we become holy and a spirit of love is born within our family.
God gives us a life-partner to help us get to Heaven. Our job as parents is to get our children to Heaven. Keeping score of how much I cared and loved compared to how much my husband did, is no longer important to me. It doesn't matter which team member scores the most, just as long as we win the prize. "In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?" (John 14:2) I believe that God has a family suite for each of us and if we do His will on earth as it is in Heaven, we get a taste of the fruit of the Spirit now. It is heavenly!
While I still look for times of appreciation, I now realize that if I do any good, it comes from our Holy Father and He deserves all the credit. My wonderful earthly family, and that includes my in-laws, whenever we call for help, they are right there to assist us in our physical needs. I now know that our Family of God is always waiting for us to call upon them for the spiritual help we need every moment of every day. "In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control." (Galatians 5:22-23) Come Holy Spirit, Come, and help us value family life!
My heavenly Father is 100% Holy. "So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew 5:48) All children of God are 100% Holy. None of us are holier than the next. We have done nothing to earn this holiness and we have no recourse in changing it. However, we can choose to embrace the culture of holiness more than our other sisters and brothers. Jesus IS the Word of God made flesh and He speaks the language of love.
Once I freed myself from the prison of a self-concerned heart, I longed for a true spirit of love to soar within me and my family. Through scripture and prayer, I was being inspired by the Word of God. I learned that the Holy Spirit is the love between the Father and the Son. It is through acts of love that we embrace holiness and encounter life with Jesus and His "perfect" family.
Marriage and family life provides multiple opportunities each day to perform acts of love that sanctifies us. I looked at these daily mundane tasks as drudgery, not blessings. A quote of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta states, "Do small things with great love." It's all about the language of love.
I got married to be loved. My husband got married for the same reason; to be loved. Servant of God, Catherine Doherty once asked, "If two people get married to be loved, who is going to do the loving?" God's plan for marriage is that each spouse care more about their life-partner than themselves. In caring for the other, we become holy and a spirit of love is born within our family.
God gives us a life-partner to help us get to Heaven. Our job as parents is to get our children to Heaven. Keeping score of how much I cared and loved compared to how much my husband did, is no longer important to me. It doesn't matter which team member scores the most, just as long as we win the prize. "In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?" (John 14:2) I believe that God has a family suite for each of us and if we do His will on earth as it is in Heaven, we get a taste of the fruit of the Spirit now. It is heavenly!
While I still look for times of appreciation, I now realize that if I do any good, it comes from our Holy Father and He deserves all the credit. My wonderful earthly family, and that includes my in-laws, whenever we call for help, they are right there to assist us in our physical needs. I now know that our Family of God is always waiting for us to call upon them for the spiritual help we need every moment of every day. "In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control." (Galatians 5:22-23) Come Holy Spirit, Come, and help us value family life!
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
The Ruby Slippers
Now begins the more lovely part of my story, thank goodness! If someone would have told me 30 years ago, that my husband and I not only remained married, but did family ministry together, prayed together, looked at one another with genuine love, I would have never believed it. "But Jesus looked at them and said to them, 'With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.'" (Matthew 19:26)
God was with me all along the way. Like Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz movie who was searching for a way to return home and didn't realize that she had the ruby slippers and they were the answer, I had the power of Jesus' love with me but didn't realize that it was the love I was looking for. To get to a home of love, I first had to journey on the "yellow-brick-road" into my own heart to find the answer.
"And he (Jesus) said, 'What comes out of a man is what defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, fornication, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a man.'" (Mark 7:20-23) Blaming my unhappiness on others and looking to others or to material things for happiness, was futile. Jesus taught that there is nothing on the outside that can defile us. What defiles us, comes from within ourself and we will never find happiness or love until we have a clean heart. A quote of Ralph Waldo Emerson comes to mind, "Though we search the world over to find the beautiful, if we do not carry it with us, we find it not."
The answer to a beautiful heart is Jesus. Jesus is the answer, the only answer, the answer to everything in this life and eternal life. Once I stopped looking elsewhere, and looked to Jesus and me, miracles started to happen. It required more than just desiring to change my heart. I had to do the work with Jesus. Once new life started springing forth within me, I couldn't get enough of Jesus in His Word and Sacraments. I was finding joy in serving my family with the newfound love of Jesus in my heart.
I know without a doubt that all of our names are written in Heaven. "Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." (Luke 10:20) Our creator, God the Father, is expecting us to one day reach our Heavenly home. And that is exactly what I want and long for. But Satan is after my ruby slippers (Jesus' love in my heart) as he does not want me to make it home. Every day I must choose Heaven or Hell, to love or not to love. Ever grateful for Jesus who saves me, I think to myself, "There's no place like Home. There's no place like Home. There's no place like Home."
God was with me all along the way. Like Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz movie who was searching for a way to return home and didn't realize that she had the ruby slippers and they were the answer, I had the power of Jesus' love with me but didn't realize that it was the love I was looking for. To get to a home of love, I first had to journey on the "yellow-brick-road" into my own heart to find the answer.
"And he (Jesus) said, 'What comes out of a man is what defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, fornication, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a man.'" (Mark 7:20-23) Blaming my unhappiness on others and looking to others or to material things for happiness, was futile. Jesus taught that there is nothing on the outside that can defile us. What defiles us, comes from within ourself and we will never find happiness or love until we have a clean heart. A quote of Ralph Waldo Emerson comes to mind, "Though we search the world over to find the beautiful, if we do not carry it with us, we find it not."
The answer to a beautiful heart is Jesus. Jesus is the answer, the only answer, the answer to everything in this life and eternal life. Once I stopped looking elsewhere, and looked to Jesus and me, miracles started to happen. It required more than just desiring to change my heart. I had to do the work with Jesus. Once new life started springing forth within me, I couldn't get enough of Jesus in His Word and Sacraments. I was finding joy in serving my family with the newfound love of Jesus in my heart.
I know without a doubt that all of our names are written in Heaven. "Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." (Luke 10:20) Our creator, God the Father, is expecting us to one day reach our Heavenly home. And that is exactly what I want and long for. But Satan is after my ruby slippers (Jesus' love in my heart) as he does not want me to make it home. Every day I must choose Heaven or Hell, to love or not to love. Ever grateful for Jesus who saves me, I think to myself, "There's no place like Home. There's no place like Home. There's no place like Home."
"Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high
There's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby.
Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true!"
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