Pilgrimage and Retreat

I will not return to blogging until I return to Eagle Pass. I am departing in only a few moments to begin a pilgrimage to Medjugorje. I will not be blogging on this journey as it would defeat the purpose. Expect new reflections on or around the 12th of October. Please pray for me. Praised be Jesus Christ and Mary Immaculate!

Flowing Water

"Like flowing water is the heart of the king in the hand of the Lord, who turns it where he pleases."(Proverbs 21) How can a heart that is flesh, that is solid, be like water that is liquid? Recall the story from St. Johns Gospel of the women at the well. Jesus told her that he would give her living water that welled up to eternal life. The king's heart can be said to be like flowing water because it is filled with the living water that Jesus speaks about in the Gospel. In other words it is filled with grace. The king mentioned in the first reading is not refering to Jesus or David or any other king in the bible. It is refering to you and to me. Recall that at our baptisms we were anointed with Sacred Chrism as priest, prophet, and king just like Jesus, and we were to live as such until we shared eternal life with Him. He then is the Lord in the first reading and we are the kings. So our hearts then are in the hands of our Lord. In His hands our hearts are like flowing water for he pours His living water, His grace into our hearts. This of course is especially through the Sacraments, and in particular through the Eucharist and Confession. Confession in particular. Remember the woman at the well (Jn 4:1-42) her experience was basically one of having her sins forgiven. In other words she acknowledged her sins as Jesus revealed to her how she had been living. Then the living water welled up in her and she brought others to Him who had healed her. Now this living water is alive in our hearts, and our hearts are in the hands of the Lord. Often we do not acknowledge this or fail to recognize this truth of our life. He turns our hearts where ever He pleases. In other words He directs our hearts by His Grace. He pours out His Grace as he pleases. If we can let our lives be set thus on this firm foundation we have no need to fear, or be stressed out, or anxious about anything. What better foundation could we ask for than the hands of our Lord. What greater comfort could desire than the living water of grace that saturates our hearts. In living in this truth then we can imitate the woman at the well and draw others to the Lord, that they may be healed and have their stoney hearts filled with flowing water.

The Little Flower

Incredibly although I have only been in Eagle Pass a little over a month, I have been invited to preach the opening night of the novena to Santa Teresita del Nino Jesus at the Carmel in Morelos, Coahuila, Mexico about an hour and a half away. Here is my reflection.
I want to thank Mother for inviting me to preach on this opening night of the Novena to St. Theresa of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face. I am new to the area, and as you can tell my Spanish is not so good. However I believe that it is by God’s Providence that I am here and so I will share what I can. You are here by God’s Providence as well. Yes you chose to come tonight, but only after the Holy Spirit invited you. The Holy Spirit called you by name to be here. There is a grace that he has prepared for you and will give to you through little Theresa. As he has said in the Gospel, “to the one who has more will be given.” So you have received the grace to be here tonight and now you should expect that our Lord has even more graces to give to you. Therefore do not be afraid to bring your requests to Him through St. Theresa in this novena. There are many things that one could say about the Little Flower. She is a Doctor of the Church. She has written the famous outline of her spirituality in her autobiography The Story of a Soul. We have many of her letters that we could reflect upon. We even have the beautiful story of her vocation. However I will leave those serious topics for the other priests to address this week. Instead I simply want to talk to you tonight about her image or more accurately her statue which we have all seen so often. When we first look at her statue it seems very simple. Theresa is in her Carmelite Habit with a tiny smile on her face, and in her arms are roses and a crucifix. We have seen her standing in our churches a thousand times. But I invite you to look closer. She has told us she would shower down roses from heaven, but look in her arms. In her arms the statue in Eagle Pass, she holds seven roses. Seven. Why? Because before she showers down roses from heaven she wants each of us to recognize the roses that we already possess. The roses she possessed while here on earth. These roses are the Sacraments. The sacraments strengthened, and nourished St. Theresa while on earth. She was especially strengthened by the Eucharist and Confession. In her arms are the roses that she invites you to embrace. It is no good to simply come to the novena to ask for favors if you do not accept in your hearts what has already been given. You are called as a Catholic to live a sacramental life. This is the life that St. Theresa lived. This is the life that Mother and the sisters here live. And it is the life you are called to live. Come receive the Eucharist each night, but be prepared. Confess your sins during the novena. By participating in the Sacraments you will be drawn into the Loving Mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ. That is why St. Theresa holds the crucifix as well. From our saviors wounded side flowed love and mercy. From his side the Sacraments flow out and it is through the Sacraments we find shelter in His wounded side, and in his Sacred Heart. It is in the Sacraments that we are strengthened to live as Theresa did. How did she live? She lived as the beloved daughter of God. She had confidence in the Merciful Love of God the Father at all times. If she failed or if she succeeded her experience never changed who she was as the Father’s beloved daughter. This truth is what caused the Church to proclaim her a Doctor of the faith. However this revelation given to her by God our Father was built upon a firm foundation. In her statue we see the foundation clearly and we can imitate her. The first foundation was the Sacraments. Our statue in Eagle Pass demonstrates this clearly. Seven roses in Theresa’s arms represent the Sacraments. Three roses are red and four are yellow. The red are baptism by which she became a daughter of God. Eucharist by which she was strengthened to live her life as his daughter, and confession by which she was healed when she sinned thus in his mercy she was reconciled with her Father. She holds the crucifix from which all graces flow. And she wears the habit of the Carmelites the vocation given to her by God the Father. The vocation that made her happy. The vocation that made her holy. The vocation that brought her peace. To those who have more will be given. The statue of the Little Flower tells you and me what we have been given. This is the foundation from which we begin our Novena to Little Theresa. Like her we have been given the Sacraments. Like her we come to Christ Crucified from whom all graces flow. And like her each of us has been given a vocation by God the Father that will bring us happiness, holiness, and peace. Before we begin asking for favors in this novena we would be wise to follow St. Theresa’s example and acknowledge what we already have been given. In doing this we will then be prepared to receive the more that our Lord Jesus promises in the Gospel, and that Little Theresa promises from Heaven.

3 Sentences

Seek the Lord while He may be found. Call upon Him while he is still near. Turn to Him for mercy. These three simple sentences could easily be overlooked in the first reading today, but in fact they are so profound that we could base our whole lives upon them. Seek the Lord while He may be found. In other words we have the ability to find our Lord anytime we seek Him. There are no preconditions. We do not have to be perfect or without any weakness or failings. We do not have to be sinless. In fact Isaiah is speaking to sinners, and those who are struggling not only in their faith but in life as well. We will find the Lord when we seek Him. This is a promise that God give to us. In your suffering seek Him. In your addictions seek Him. In your worries seek Him. In your fears seek Him. Do not be afraid. Seek Him. You will find Him. The second sentence confirms the first. Call upon Him while He is still near. The name Emmanuel means God is with us. Jesus is Emmanuel. So Jesus is near to you. In other words Jesus lives with us. He is part of our family. He is with us in our homes. He is part of our marriages. Call upon Him. He is among us at all times. Even when our lives are in turmoil Jesus is near. Even when we are constantly fighting Jesus is near. Even when we suffer terrible things Jesus is near. Nothing can separate us from His Love. He will never abandon us. Seek Him and call upon Him and you will find that he is with you in all your struggles and sufferings. He is with us now in the Sacraments to strengthen us and he is at home with you. He is at school with you. He is at work with you. If you turn to Him you will find Mercy. This is the third promise that God gives in the first reading. Jesus is the Mercy of God. The name Jesus means God saves. Our God is a God of Mercy. Today you can experience this Mercy if you turn to Him. Seek Him. Call upon Him. Do not be afraid. I am speaking to you sinners. I am speaking to you who have addictions and bad habits. I am speaking to you who are ashamed of you sins. I am speaking to you who feel worth less. I am speaking to you who have suffered abuse. I am speaking to you who have been used and told lies. I am speaking to every single person here. God loves you. He wants you to come now in your heart to Him. He wants to pour out His Mercy upon you and heal you. Do not be afraid. Seek Him now. Call upon Him now. Turn to Him now, and be free of all that binds you. No sin, no addiction, no abuse, no suffering is greater than His Mercy. Today he promises you this. This is how he sees you. You are His children. He wants to comfort and heal you. Come to Him Be not afraid.

2 Sinners Or Maybe More

St. Paul and the woman in the Gospel today are both sinners who have been forgiven. Paul himself says that it is only by God's grace that he is forgiven. It is God's decision to forgive them. Neither felt worthy of forgiveness. Both are thus overjoyed at the Loving Mercy of God. Both are humbled by His Loving Mercy. Both then serve the Lord of Mercy unafraid of the work they are called to because they have been given back their lives. They have found forgiveness. They have found peace. So they offer their whole lives in service. Such is the gift of mercy that it elicits this total response of love. Paul says that by God's grace he is what he is, an Apostle. We can say the same in God's Loving Mercy. We can rejoice in His Loving Mercy. We can acknowledge that it is God's choice to forgive us. We do not have to be afraid of what He will ask of us. We can find in Him freedom and peace. Thus we can offer our lives to Him. We can serve Him with joy for in Him, in His Loving Mercy we have found our life. So maybe we can humbly join these two sinners today and respond in love to the Lord of Mercy. Then one day we can be confident we will rejoice together with them in Heaven.

I Am Trying

"If you are wise, then you know you have been created for the glory of God and your own eternal salvation. This is your goal; this is the center of your life; this is the treasure of your heart." These are the words of St Robert Bellarmine. Today is his feast day. Often time in our spiritual life we are obsessed with trying harder or doing better. As if we have to achieve some level of worthiness before God will even look at us. This is such a foolish foundation. Of course it is based upon a lie. Many of us believe this lie and so step upon the treadmill of self help so that one day we will be good enough for God to look upon us. Utter nonsense. See the wisdom of St. Robert's words and listen to them. Be wise! Recognize that you were created for God's glory. His glory is seen within you, it is in who you are. Why did God do this? Why did he create you this way? So that he may love you. It is his goodwill and pleasure to love you as he has created you. What about your sins and failings? Be wise! See how he himself has remedied our fallen situation by sending his only Son to be our savior, our salvation. So that in Christ Jesus the Father could see and love in us what he sees and loves in his only Son. This the Father has done because he loves you. Stop trying so hard to do better and accept the truth of who you are as a beloved child of God our Father. He created you only to love you and he has redeemed you that you may live in that love for all eternity. Thus St. Robert continues to say that this truth of the Father's love is the center of our life and the treasure of our heart. So beautiful and wonderful is this love, is this truth that we are to treasure it and base our lives upon it. In doing so we live in the freedom of the children of God. We know what our goal is and that our Loving Father is working out our salvation. If we but know and treasure his love we have no need to fear, no need to try harder to measure up for the foundation of our life is secure. All that we do begins in the Father's Love. The wise embrace this and rejoice in the Lord. The foolish move on to the next exercise, our the next book, our the next speaker, or the next spiritual practice, constantly looking for satisfaction but never finding any peace.

Seek The Smile Of Mary

On this Feast of our Lady of Sorrows anyone who reads this blog should read our Holy Father's homily today from Lourdes France at his final mass before departing. We are blessed with a very holy and fatherly Holy Father in Benedict XVI. Listen to what he says in his homily. I myself had a hard time getting through it because of my tears. You can find it at www.whispersintheloggia.blogspot.com that is where I read it. Praised Be Jesus Christ and Mary Immaculate!