Choosing To Follow. By: C.C.

"While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him." (Matthew 4:18-22)

Today's Gospel invites us to take an honest look and reflect on the ways that we respond to our call to follow Jesus daily. I am amazed at the complete surrender shown in this passage. Each day we are called to follow God. It is challenging to truly let go of what we cling to, and difficult to break free from what we are comfortable with. However, if these "things" are keeping us from following Jesus we need to trust Him and let go. In doing this I truly believe that we will be taken to a state of greater joy, a real joy found only through Him who is LOVE. Most of us today will not be asked to walk away from our fishing duties. We may struggle now to understand the relation of this Gospel to our current lives. I would like to ask each of you to evaluate yourselves. Briefly reflect on the things in your life that you cling to, things that have a hold on you. Reflect on the emotions you hang on to that Jesus is calling you away from to provide His healing, love, and joy. Sometimes we may not even recognize what we are being called away from until we give Him our complete self surrendered. It is when we are where God desires us to be that we can know PEACE. This idea of responding to God and letting go exceeds things in a physical sense. I write today about letting go and leaving behind emotions, behaviors, habits, addictions, friends, and anything else that prevents you from having a deeper union with God. There is so much fear of the unknown that often keeps us prisoner to old habits and familiar ways of living. There is a large amount of hesitation to simply trust, let go, and follow Him. The Gospel said that Simon, Andrew, John, and James left their things IMMEDIATELY and followed Him. Wow! How is that for faith? Lord I pray today that you help us respond to your call. Help us to see the things that prevent each of us from having a deeper relationship with You and our brothers and sisters. Let us recognize the pains of letting go and releasing all control as part of our journey to experiencing Your Joy. Keep us mindful of our actions, words, habits, and feelings so that we may do our best to always follow You. Lord I pray You stand by us through our Advent journey, help us to let go of the things that keep us from receiving you abundantly. Finally Lord I ask that You are patient with us as we struggle to respond to Your call. Forgive us when we fall short and provide us with the courage and strength to follow You immediately. Amen. (C.C.)

Advent: A Time To Prepare. By. : C.C.

"Take time to be aware that in the very midst of our busy preparations for the celebration of Christ’s birth in ancient Bethlehem, Christ is reborn in the Bethlehems of our homes and daily lives. Take time, slow down, be still, and be awake to the Divine Mystery” (Fr. Edward Hays)

I feel that it is very fitting and appropriate to begin my posts this week with an Advent reflection. Amidst the chaotic commercialized Christmas messages, decorations, and outward displays of "holiday cheer" it is crucial to take things back into perspective and into the focus of what Christmas is all about...... CHRIST! It is very easy to fall into the numerous distractions that surround us each day in relation to the holiday season. However, it so important that we take this time of Advent to "keep awake" and prepare ourselves spiritually for the birth of Jesus. We must recognize the ways that we treat one another, our families, our loved ones, and most of all our relationship with God. Advent is a time to prepare our hearts, to heal wounds, and to break through walls that prevent us from loving Jesus and one another as we are called to do. As we decorate our Christmas trees, and light up our neighbourhoods let us not forget about the greatest light of all, and He who came to shatter our darkness. As we prepare externally let us also be awake to the reality within us so that we may receive Christ abundantly. I came across some writings from Father Edward Hays and I feel he does a wonderful job of expressing the importance and true meaning of the Advent season..."Advent, like its cousin Lent, is a season for prayer and reformation of our hearts. Since it comes at winter time, fire is a fitting sign to help us celebrate Advent…If Christ is to come more fully into our lives this Christmas, if God is to become really incarnate for us, then fire will have to be present in our prayer. Our worship and devotion will have to stoke the kind of fire in our souls that can truly change our hearts. Ours is a great responsibility not to waste this Advent time." (Fr. Edward Hays) Lord today I pray that you guide us through this Advent season and remind us of what is truly important. Provide the clarity to see the things within our lives, our hearts, and our souls that need to be refined. Help us to deepen our devotions to You so that we will experience Your love more fully each day. Lord heal those who are suffering in loneliness and sorrow during the holiday season. Provide the poor, sick, and desolate with comfort and warmth. Lord use us as your instruments during Advent and show us the ways that we can lead others into relationship with You and Your light. Amen (C.C.)

"The liturgy of Advent…helps us to understand fully the value and meaning of the mystery of Christmas. It is not just about commemorating the historical event, which occurred some 2,000 years ago in a little village of Judea. Instead, it is necessary to understand that the whole of our life must be an ‘advent,’ a vigilant awaiting of the final coming of Christ. To predispose our mind to welcome the Lord who, as we say in the Creed, one day will come to judge the living and the dead, we must learn to recognize him as present in the events of daily life. Therefore, Advent is, so to speak, an intense training that directs us decisively toward him who already came, who will come, and who comes continuously." (Pope John Paul II December 18th, 2002)

"To the servant of God every place is the right place, and every time is the right time." (St. Catherine of Siena)

Lord today I pray that we have the faith to see You within our current situations. May we be reminded of Your Love for us as we attempt to do Your will. Allow us to accept where You have placed us, and guide us through discernment so we will know the place you want us to be. Lord even though we have our own dreams and desires help us to become better servants to You and trust that You know best. Stand by us through or anguish, close to us in our joys, and forever near us each day. Open our eyes to see You better, our ears to Hear your voice, and our hearts to You so that we may embrace everything You offer with Love. Lord I also ask that You help each of us understand that wherever we are You are near. Give us the patience and faith to truly know that You are always on time. (C.C.)

Feast Of St. Catherine of Laboure

Today is the feast day of St. Catherine of Laboure. Her story is one that truly provokes us to draw nearer to our faith and our trust in the Lord. I have posted a quote from her that can offer us a simple way of surrendering in prayer before God. Each day as I wear the "Miraculous Medallion" I am reminded of St. Catherine's trust in the Lord and her devotion to the purity of the Blessed Mother and God's will. (C.C)
" Whenever I go to the chapel, I put myself in the presence of our good Lord, and I say to Him, "Lord I am here. Tell me what you would have me do." If He gives me some task I am content and I thank Him. If he gives me nothing, I still thank Him since I do not deserve to receive anything more than that. And then, I tell God everything that is in my heart. I tell him about my pains and my joys, and then I listen. If you listen God will also speak to you, for with the good Lord, you have to both speak and listen. God always speaks to you when you approach Him plain and simply." (St. Catherine Laboure)

Serving One Another. By: C.C

Show me your hands. Do they have scars from giving? Show me your feet. Are they wounded in service? Show me your heart. Have you left a place for divine love? (Archbishop Fulton Sheen)

Last Sunday's Gospel has been on my mind throughout this entire week. While these thoughts remain on my heart I felt the need to write about the ways we serve Jesus through serving one another as He calls us to. Here is the reading from last Sunday's mass..."for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' Then the righteous will answer him, `Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink? And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee? And the King will answer them, `Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.' for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' Then they also will answer, `Lord, when did we see thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to thee?' Then he will answer them, `Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.' And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." ( Matthew 25. 31:46) This Gospel passage invites us to recognize the ways in which Jesus calls us to treat our brothers and sisters here on earth. It is through our treatment of others that we honor God. This concept is also one that troubles many people. It is so simple to lose ourselves within our own tasks that we often ignore, walk past, or simply do not recognize another in need. Lord allow us to see You in everyone we meet. May we be eager to aid those in need and go out of our way to do what we can. May we extend beyond our own schedules, pride, and judgements in order to do Your will. Lord I ask that you use our hands to serve, our hearts to give unconditional love, and our speech to use comforting words for those who need us. May we carry this Gospel into every place we go. Amen. (C.C)

"We turn to God for help when our foundations are shaking, only to learn that it is God who is shaking them." (Charles C. West)

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." (Romans 12:12)

Thy Will Be Done. By: C.C.

“Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.”(St. Catherine of Siena).

It is amazing how many times we hide our genuine selves in fear of judgement, shame, or ridicule. Many of us strive so hard to "find ourselves" through various journeys, outings, and self-help books. We tend to avoid coming to terms with who we were meant to be and battle with the notion of wanting to be someone or something else. We spend days, months, and years in a state of confusion and angst when God waits for us with open arms to aid us in becoming the very person we were meant to be. His will is often difficult to see amidst the confusion. It is in these times we must take a step back and question if we are placing our own will in the way of God's. I believe that more confusion arises in our lives when we try to take God's matters into our hands. We cause ourselves more confusion by resisting the very thing that God wills for us to embrace.We must learn to trust. I know that this is much easier said than done...but as you spend more genuine time with the Lord it will become easier and the clouds will fade in time. When we truly let God do His work in us that is when things will fall into place. First, we must let go of our fears and our anxieties and offer them up to the Lord. I know that this may not happen over night, but in time there will be an overwhelming state of peace when we are where God wants us to be. We may even come to find that it is the last place we ever saw ourselves going. Be assured that He will give you the strength and clarity to know exactly where you need to be when you are fully aligned with Him. It is when we embrace who we truly are that we will "set the world on fire." God places us where we will best serve Him and for each person this can be very different. It may be religious life, a leadership role, business, teaching, missionary work, fatherhood, motherhood, music, art, or writing. Wherever it may be always remember that He walks with you and will support you through everything. God calls each of us. Some respond to the call, some ignore, and for some it takes a little more time to listen. "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." (Proverbs 3:5) Sit before the Tabernacle, before the cross, or in a quiet room of prayer and simply say "Thy will be done". Lord today I pray that Your will be made clear in all of our lives. Allow us to embrace where You have placed us. Please be patient as we discern your will. May we let go of our temptations, fears, anxieties, and judgements that hold us back from becoming who You want us to be. Take away the confusion from our minds and our hearts so that we may see clearly. Help us to trust in You with all of our hearts, and let You into every part of our lives. Lord we seek for the riches of this world, for higher status, to be known, and are on a mission to leave our mark. Come into our hearts and help us to see that it is by doing Your Will that we will leave the most valued and righteous mark. Thank you Lord for calling us, please make known your Will for our lives. "Thy will be done". Amen. (C.C.)