RAIN FALLS AFTER A LONG DROUGHT

It has been a while since I have written on this blogsite.  Unfortunately, I fell victim to the busyness of life in the last couple of years.  I would get up each day, run to work and come home each night exhausted.  The only prayer done consistently was listening to Compline (night prayer) on my IPhone before falling asleep.  The app is all set up, so all I had to do was to was put on my earphones and listen to the soothing sounds of the ancient prayer.

I have read about saints who suffered from spiritual dryness, but did not completely understand it until now.  Blessed Mother Teresa is good example who felt she could not experience God after she began her work in India.  However, every day she remained faithful to Jesus with a smile, while most of us would give up.

 In my case, it was too easy to make excuses instead of praying through my tiredness.  I currently work the early shift which means getting up at 4:15 am, so time has been an excuse.  The solution is to find time again in the morning for prayer even for just a few minutes.  It might mean (gulp) getting up even earlier  but it is the only way to get back on track.  I, also, will make time to write as well.

The past year has not been completely void of spiritual activity.  I changed parishes to get a new perspective on my Catholic faith and meet new people.  I have also attended classes on contemplative prayer and consecration to Mary.  Recently, I started to work on an Advent retreat for women and suggested journeying with Mary to Bethlehem.  This involved rereading my 2009 blog entry about this subject.  As soon as I got back into my blog, I knew it was time to return.  I have no idea where the spirit will lead me, so I will just need to wait for the rain to fall on my parched hands.

This summer, we had a deluge of rain in Arizona after a hot, dry spring and summer.  Streets and freeways were flooded, which meant closing schools and offices for a day.  When the rain returns spiritually, we have to be careful of flooding.  It is time to slow down, so we are not inundated by the "rain."  The only way to do it is to take time to listen to God without any agenda or excuses.

Holy Spirit Come to Us

"Holy Spirit, come to us.  Kindle in the fire of your love.  Holy Spirit, come to us.  Holy Spirit, come to us."  Every night before sleeping, I listen to this beautiful Taizé chant.  The words are simple yet powerful.  I often wonder if people actually think about what they are chanting, since they are inviting the Holy Spirit  to dwell within them.

During the Conclave, Catholics and others around the world prayed for the Holy Spirit to guide the cardinals as they elected a new pope.  I even joined Adopt A Cardinal and prayed for a cardinal in Brazil as well as for all of the cardinals. The surprising election of Pope Francis proves that these prayers were heard.

Today is the feast of Pentecost, so many Christians around the have prayed to receive the Holy Spirit.  However, will these prayers persist as ordinary time takes over and we resume our busy lives?  I would suggest finding a few minutes each day to say a prayer to invoke the Holy Spirit.  It could be a prayer that has been written, a song or a prayer from your heart.  If we truly want to set the world on fire, we need to keep on asking the Lord to send forth His spirit and accept what we receive.  If more Christians did this simple prayer each day, there could truly be a New Pentecost.

Believe

If life is getting you down, there is always hope.  No problem, pain or hurt is beyond the mercy of God.  He is waiting for you with open arms and will respond to your needs with His everlasting love.  All you have to do is take the leap of faith and trust in Him.  He will respond to your prayer in His time.

In October 2010, I wrote a PowerPoint called "Believe" after surgery and stress left me physically and emotionally drained.  During this dark time, I wrote a few phrases in my journal that became "Believe."  It became my lifeline as I slowly recovered and my energy returned.  I still read it every time I face difficulties.

I thought about "Believe" last week when I learned that Junior Seau committed suicide and then there was a horrible murder-suicide in the nearby town of Gilbert, AZ.  I wondered if they felt that their situations were beyond hope.  So, I will share this with you and pray it will inspire you when you face challenges. Just believe and trust in God!

This is my favorite picture of Jesus.

This passage was inspired from reading Catherine Marshall's book .Meeting God At Every Turn.  Before she became a famous writer, she dealt with being a widow at a young age and tuberculosis.  

One way to plant the seeds is through constant intercessory prayer.  Have others pray for you, too.

Remember the Sabbath and Keep It Holy

A few months ago, I realized that I was more tired on Sunday than on other days of the week.  Between grocery shopping, going to the laundromat and then squeezing in time to attend church, I started the week exhausted.   I, then, remembered a Messianic Jewish friend who looked forward to celebrating Sabbath every week and decided to try it.  I could at least do it for a month.

Well, it is now six months later, and I am still learning to how to observe  Sabbath.  Learning to let go of all your busyness in life is a journey, but it is well worth the effort.  Not only do you please the Lord by this observance, but you also find time to renew yourself and start the week energized.  Here are some tips that you can use to begin this practice:

1)  God commanded us to keep Sabbath holy.  It is a day of rest from what you consider to be work, so you first need to decide what part of your life is work.   I decided to avoid shopping and laundry on Sundays.  My friend avoids any task that involves the exchange of money.  She, also, would make meals ahead of time and only heat them up on Sabbath in a crock pot.  I have not gotten to the point where I can stop cooking but have learned to make simple meals.  I also soak my dishes in the sink and do not wash them until the end of Sabbath.   

2)  Try not to do everything the day before Sabbath or you will feel exhausted when it arrives.  It is best to spread your work out if possible.  I am still running around on Saturdays but have tried to do grocery shopping on Fridays to free up the weekend.

3)  Do not stress about whether Sabbath should be on Saturday, Sunday or a different day of the week if you work on weekends.  The point is that the Lord wants one day set aside to rest and spend time with Him.  I celebrate Sabbath on Sunday because this is when it is celebrated by my Catholic faith.  Also, work on celebrating it at sunset on the prior day as in the Jewish tradition.

4)  Do not worry when your Sabbath is not perfect.  Sometimes, you have to pick up something at the store or clean up a mess in the house.  Try to keep work to the minimum and go back to resting as soon as possible.  Jesus also had the same message in the Gospels when he healed on Sabbath. 

5)  Make it a priority to set aside time for worship and prayer on Sabbath for this pleases God.  I have discovered that once I cleared my schedule, it was easier to go to church.  I even started to look forward to it as the high point of the day.

6)  Sabbath does not always mean spending the day in bed.  My friend would visit the sick or others in need of comfort.  The key is that you are not spending money or doing work.

Last year, we celebrated Christmas and New Year’s on Sabbath day.  Normally, I would be stressed and spend the day in a frenzy preparing meals.  However, since I wanted to observe Sabbath, I prepared some of the meal in advance and kept the rest simple which made the holidays more enjoyable.  My next task will be to  unplug from the cell phone and internet and see if that helps to rest.  I spend most of the week online in my job and at home so that has become work.  It will be an interesting challenge to stay away from technology for a day.

My friend sums it up best saying that observing Sabbath is like having a holiday every week.  Now, that is worth a little effort during the rest of the week.  Shabbat Shalom!  

I Know That Jesus Exists

The gospels after Easter are full of testimonials of eyewitness encounters with our Resurrected Lord.  Sometimes, we might feel like Doubting Thomas and need to see Him for ourselves to believe.   Often, we wonder if this could even happen over 2000 years later.  I am writing this blog to testify that the Lord still reveals Himself to the modern world, for he once came to me during a vision when I was 13.  Today, when I was praying the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy, I was urged to share this testimony with all of you.  Although my story is short, I will add it to the testimonies that Jesus does indeed appear today as he did to the disciples.

My vision occurred during an evening service at First Congregational Church in Ridgefield, CT where I lived during my teens.  It was 1975 during a rough time in my life, where I was a new kid who struggled to fit in at the local junior high.  My family attended the Congregational church, and to be honest, I was the typical bored teenager whose mind wandered most of the time.  The church was built in 1712, and we still sang the same hymns as the Pilgrims. 

One night, I went to an evening event with my family.  It was very different from the typical morning church service because we were singing contemporary songs.  I remember seeing people, who normally sat straight, start clapping and moving to the tunes. 

When you faced the front of the church, there were five stained glass windows that depicted scenes of Jesus.  They were in a semi-circle around the altar at that time.  The central window showed Jesus coming back at Judgment Day in a triumphant position.  He was surrounded by stained glass depicting rays of the sun. 

During the service, I suddenly saw the center stained glass window grow brighter (at night).  The image of Christ Triumphant briefly came to life and Jesus gave me a smile.  Then, He slowly faded away and the window went back to the stained glass image.  It might have lasted a couple of brief seconds, but at that moment, time was suspended.  I remember this peaceful feeling that lingered for a few days afterwards. 

Although I was with my family and in a crowded room, there was never any mention of anyone else seeing Jesus.   After the euphoria went away, I was too terrified to tell anyone especially my family because they would think I was crazy.  I even wondered about it myself, since this encounter never occurred again during my remaining years at the church.  So, how do I know it was real?

First, I was not afraid at all and felt indescribably peaceful.  Before this time, I had been afraid of dying after my baby sister passed away when I was three.  My parents explained to me that you see Jesus when you die, so I was absolutely terrified of the thought of encountering Him.  So, if this came from my imagination, I would have been scared that I was about to die. I also never took drugs or drank, so it would not be from a hallucination.

This event finally had a huge impact on my life and I remember it clearly today.  It served to comfort me during difficult times, because the Lord cared enough to appear to me.  My spiritual walk with Christ also began at that age.  My journey eventually led me to the Catholic Church which is more accepting of mystical experiences.  I later became devoted to St. Joan of Arc, St. Faustina and St. Juan Diego,  because they also experienced visions during their lives.

I now go to St. Timothy in Mesa, Arizona.  A few years ago, they painted a mural, and in the center is Christ Triumphant which reminds me of that stained glass window many years ago.  Despite my wishes, He has never appeared to me in my current church.  However, I do believe that Jesus smiles at everyone when they are worshipping Him, even if we cannot see it.  For one brief time in my life, He opened up my eyes and I saw a glimpse of eternity.

Image of St. Timothy Mural, Mesa, AZ 

Results of the Rosary Experiment

I spent last month saying the Rosary each day prayed for 4 people including myself.  The last decade was left open for whatever need occurred during the day.  As a complete beginner, I decided to be open to the experience.

I chose from the beginning to focus on a loving Mary.  Occasionally, I used the mysteries of the day but found that it was too much multitasking for a beginner.  There is a beautiful rhythm in the Hail Mary’s, Our Father, Glory Be and Prayer of Fatima that I reflected on as I prayed.  Mary would come to me in different images.  Most of the time, she was the familiar Our Lady of Lourdes or Fatima image that is in most Western churches.

I also saw her wearing the cloak of stars of Our Lady of Guadalupe or a cloak that shone in pastel, rainbow colors.  My favorite image was what I call Our Lady of the Stars.  Mary appeared in the night sky surrounded by beautiful stars similar to Our Lady of Guadalupe being surrounded by sunlight.  Her eyes were also like stars.  She was truly Queen of the Universe.  I later looked at Google images for Mary but the closest was this one, however; the stars surrounded her from head to toe.

Each decade was assigned to an intention.  I first prayed for myself, then a friend, a family member and finally a friend with stage 4 lung cancer.  During each of these decades, I imagined Mary shining her love upon me and the others.  Sometimes, the Mary in my mind would give the person an embrace.  Once she placed her cloak on me and I then placed the cloak on each person who needed intercession.  She revealed to me that the cloak would bring healing.  One month later, I do not know if the prayers worked since God is on eternal time.  However, my friend with stage 4 cancer is currently in remission.

The challenge was in keeping this discipline every day.  My schedule became busy because my kids returned to school, so I normally prayed the Rosary before bedtime.  Sometimes, it was late so I had to force myself to pray it.  It often resulted in shortening the decades.  Since I listened to the prayers on my IPhone, I sometimes fell asleep in the middle of the prayers.  So, I learned that is best to pray the Rosary prior to bedtime..

After one month of prayer, I took a few days off but actually missed the Rosary, so I will continue the prayers and start adding the Mysteries.  The challenge is in connecting the Mysteries to my intentions.  I also reflected on how each mystery would be apply to the people in my intercession and found it to be very  enlightening. 

As a conclusion, praying the Rosary confirmed the presence of Mary as a powerful force of intercession in a world that desperately needs her prayers.  She also presented herself as Queen of the Universe, so I know without any doubt that her petitions will be heard.  The Rosary is also a way to deepen the prayer experience in a meditative state and provide needed peace to your soul.  

The Rosary Experiment

This month, I started a new chapter in my spirituality.  I decided to pray the Rosary and focus each decade on a person needing Our Lady’s prayers including me.  I will pray for the same people during the first four decades and let the Holy Spirit decide on the 5^th decade’s intention.  My plan is to pray the Rosary every day in August and see what effect it has after one month of daily devotion.  Why pray the Rosary instead of other prayers?  I believe Our Lady has finally led me to it.

During the past few months, my spiritual routine slacked off.  Just one day of not meditating or praying turned into weeks of avoiding time with God.  As usual, the busyness of life and dealing with conflicts were convenient excuses.  However, Mary gently encouraged me to start this prayer.

In May, I attended a presentation made by a Catholic convert whose life was changed by regular devotion to Mary.  He is now discerning the diaconate.  My favorite 89 year-young Irish priest encouraged my parish to follow St. Louis de Montfort’s path of total consecration.  In this method, we dedicate our lives to Jesus through Mary.  I had to start and stop this consecration three times but the prayers had an effect.  I am currently on the 3^rd week where you study Our Lady and end by praying the Rosary.

Mary has also been present at critical stages in my faith journey.  I grew up Presbyterian but started to attend the Catholic Church at age 20.  It then took 10 years to convert.  The final straw was a game played at the young adult group at my Presbyterian Church where they eliminated historical figures.  Everyone was quick to eliminate Mary which horrified me. I walked into an RCIA class that same week in 1990 and became Catholic on Easter Vigil in 1991.

After my conversion, I still was uncomfortable with devotions to Mary so she had to reveal herself patiently to me.  In 2007, I visited the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City.  As soon as I walked in the square, I was struck by a tremendous amount of energy and knew that she had appeared there.  It was truly an emotional experience to walk up the hill to the chapel at the top of Tepeyac.  Ironically, I saw hundreds of images of Our Lady of Guadalupe that day in the various buildings but did not realize that the real one was in the ugly, new basilica.  However, it did not matter because I already had proof of her presence in my heart.

Chapel at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mexico City

In August 2008, the Diocese of Phoenix celebrated a beautiful Guadalupe festival with a number of speakers.  It culminated with the presentation of a relic from the tilma.  I was awestruck by the unity of everyone there from different nationalities for Our Lady.

Last October, I was very ill from a severe vitamin deficiency and had little energy.  I attended a Tom Booth concert at my church where he ended the concert by singing a beautiful song that he wrote called “My Lady.”  As I heard the song, tears flowed out of my eyes and I felt a strong urge to pray to Mary because she understood my pain.  So I prayed a most desperate prayer for healing and slowly over the weeks felt better. This experience was described in greater detail at an earlier blogpost.

Finally, I visited the Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche in St. Augustine, Florida last month.  It was a very serene place that was significant as the first US mission to the Catholic Church.  I spent a few minutes in prayer to Our Lady and felt peaceful afterwards.

Thus, my desire to pray the Rosary is to deepen my relationship with Mary and to see how daily devotion will help me and others who especially need her intercession.   I downloaded a CD in my Iphone with the soothing voice of Roma Downey praying the Rosary which came with the book Practical Praying:  Using the Rosary to Enhance Your Life by John Edwards.  The author is a famous medium who prays the Rosary daily.  I found his book very down to earth and perfect for beginners.  I decided on my intentions and will write down the results of my prayer experiences in my journal.

Our Lady of La Leche - St. Augustine, Florida

The first time I prayed a “practice run” on 7/30, I imagined Our Lady embracing the people I was praying for during each decade.  It was so beautiful that I decided to continue with this meditation.  The second time I prayed the Rosary, Our Lady gave me a red rose to hold with thorns.  It was again a peaceful and inspiring experience.  I hope to find out the meaning of the rose as I continue this month of devotions.  With Our Lady in charge, it will definitely be a rewarding journey.