Never alone

 

On this last day of 2023, I pray that we may be grateful for its joys, humble for the victories, forgiving for the missed opportunities, and trusting that we are never alone as we face the coming year. God is with us. We are in God's hands. God shows his presence in different ways. It could be through persons, events, a sudden inspiration, or just a quiet presence in our heart that enables us to live one day at a time until we slowly discover that there is something, albeit small, to be joyful about.

Miracles surround us

I was stopped by a lady this morning. She excitedly told me "Sister, I received a miracle". Then she went on to say that she is diabetic and she was able to find a good hospital where she is being treated. My first reaction was, so what is the miracle there? She is still diabetic. But on second thought, Vittoria was right. 

When we think of miracles we think of instantaneous cures or the complete resolution of a problem. But miracles abound every day. They surround us. We need the pure eyes of a child who can see wonder in the most ordinary things. We need a grateful heart that doesn't demand anything nor take anything for granted.

Thank you Vittoria. Lord, grant that I may see.

Grateful

 

How do I want to conclude this year? With gratitude.

Saint Paul exhorts us to "give thanks at all times" (1 Thes 5:18). I give thanks not only when things turn out favorable or according to my plans. I give thanks because, come to think of it, in anything that happens something good is always born. It may not be what I expect, but hey, who am I give the final word since I don't know the whole story. If I were to know the total and bigger picture, as only God knows, I will be surprised at the amount of good that a seemingly negative thing has put into motion.

Gratitude is an expression of faith. There is a Higher Force, a Greater Being, a loving God who is in charge. For this, I give thanks.

At all times, give thanks

Thank you, Lord, for your goodness and love.
Thank you for taking care of us in your own unique and unexpected ways.
Thank you for assuring us that whatever happens, we are always in your loving hands.
Convert me in your own ways. May this gratitude lead me to greater trust, and may trust open my heart to always be grateful.

Life forevermore

"God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son." (1 Jn 5:11)
There is more to life than today, but this today is an important part of life.
The present moment is what gives life concreteness; it's not just a memory nor a dream.
To live the present moment well does not mean denying the past; indeed, when we live the present moment, we pay homage to the past because we acknowledge its lessons.
To live the present moment well does not mean rejecting the future, for today is the soil on which the future is built.
To live the present moment is to be grateful because today, this fleeting time we have in our hands, is a gift, that is why we call it "present".

Grateful

As I grow old, I am not too much into making New Year's resolutions anymore. This for several reasons, one of which is that long before January ends, I realize that I just cannot be faithful to them. Perhaps I have made them with so many unrealistic goals in mind.
I am still being torn within myself as regards making New Year's resolutions. Perhaps I will let this day pass so that I can think more clearly after the euphoria of New Year's day.
There is one thing, though, that I would like to take up with more awareness: to be grateful.
Gratitude is to acknowledge that everything is a gift. No matter how hard I work in order to control everything, there is always that one (or even more) factor that depends on the kindness of others. I want to start the year believing this.

Hope

The beginning of the year gives us hope that we can always start anew.
As I retire my old calendar and hang a new one, it is as if God is giving me the gift of a fresh start. It is not really a back-to-zero thing, because I believe that everything that happens to us, especially our most significant experiences, will always be a part of us. Just as the resurrection did not erase the marks of the Passion, our wounds will always be a part of us; but so do our joys and triumphs.
A new beginning is a call to forgive, to give thanks, to dance to life's melody.

God, thank you

As we end this year, let us look back at what was accomplished and discover in them God's footprints, His faithful presence. Let us thank God for the gift of persons whom we have met on our journey this year.
May each one of us give thanks to God for the lessons learned, for the strength to persevere during difficult moments, for the joy found in everyday life. With Mary, let us sing the Magnificat for the wondrous deeds God has accomplished in our lives, in our families, in our communities, in each sister, in our Provinces, in the Institute, in the world. A heart that loves always finds a reason to give thanks.
Let us welcome the New Year with trust and with eyes of stupor, believing that God makes things new every day, at every moment.

A big heart

I wanted to title this reflection "Envy" but it sounds so negative I had a change of heart.
One of the most common roots of unhappiness is envy. It closes the heart and narrows our vision. It isolates us from others because we see them as threats to our well-being. Envy makes us suspicious, it takes away our capacity for delight. Envy takes away our joy because we fail to see and to appreciate the gifts that we have; rather, we focus on what others have that we don't have which, according to us, is a cause of injustice with us as the victims.
Instead, a big heart enables us to see people and circumstances in a positive way. They are not perfect but they are trying their best.
A big heart enables us to be more merciful and less judgmental.
We become more grateful and more forgiving.
We are more willing to give people a chance, and that includes ourselves, too.

Silence

After this time his wife Elizabeth conceived, and she went into seclusion for five months, saying, “So has the Lord done for me at a time when he has seen fit to take away my disgrace before others.” (Lk 1:24-25)

Faced with a great mystery, our only response is silence. Silence sums up our awe and gratitude. Too many words, too much noise deprives us of a deep experience of something beautiful and totally undeserved.

Choosing the better part

 

In today’s Gospel reading taken from Luke 10:38-42, Jesus tells Martha the words that, according to me, are wise reminders to us. “Martha, Martha, you are worried about a lot of things. Only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”

We worry about a lot of things. We want to have everything under control. 

To want to be in charge of situations is not bad. In fact, it is a sign of maturity, of taking life seriously. The problem is, we have a mistaken way of understanding it. What we want in our life is often a fruit of a previous experience of joy, success, well-being, etc., anything that is positive. Our vision is limited only to that and we want it at all cost, closing our doors to other possibilities. So when something other than what we have focused our minds and our hearts on comes along, we are often unwilling to welcome it.

This is where the second part of the Gospel passage enters. “Mary has chosen the better part and no one can take it away from her.” What did Mary choose? Mary chose to live the present moment, to delight in the present moment, that is, in paying full attention to Jesus. It was okay to make meticulous preparations before the coming of the visitor, Jesus; but when the visitor is already present, “the only thing necessary” is to be there and be fully present to the visitor.

Perhaps this is the reason why children are naturally happy, because for them nothing else exists except the present moment, so they are just there and taking delight in it in ways unimaginable to us adults. 

Today's Gospel reading reminds me to live the present moment and delight in it. After all, there is no use in worrying about what is not yet in our hands, nor in crying for too long over the past. 

I have a hunch that when we are able to live well the present moment, to delight in it, to be grateful, without wanting to hoard it, our worries will disappear, or at least we can laugh them off. 

The only one thing necessary is to live totally the present moment. May we learn to choose this better part.

Sin no more

"Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"

His words made me aware that I am still alive. Yes, I am still here. The men haven’t stoned me to death.

I remember them all, men both young and old. Some of them looked familiar. Perhaps I have met them at one time or another. While some were totally strangers. But all were shouting as if in a chorus, "this woman has to die".

They dragged me to a man named Jesus. This name, too, sounds familiar. Have I met him somewhere? Oh no, he is a famous preacher going from town to town. Some were even saying that he works miracles.

I suddenly felt so alone amidst all these men. Don’t get me wrong. I am used to being alone. I have been for many years. Shunned by my family; despised by other women.

Then I remembered that he was asking me a question. I just managed a quiet "no one sir". I then waited for my sentence from this Rabbi. I was waiting for him to look at me with condemning eyes, or at least to sustain the judgment of the other men. After all people are like that. When they rise as a crowd no one can nor dare reason out. Besides, under our law I have to die. After all, I have committed a grave sin.

He didn’t even lift up his eyes to look at me. And suddenly I felt as if this man was looking through me and seeing my heart, the things I hold dear, the secret pains, the secret dreams. 

I haven't felt like this before. All through my life I have never felt this sense of completeness, of being at the right place at the right time. Perhaps that is the reason why I have drifted from place to place, from person to person. In exchange for a few moments of satisfaction I have prostituted my body; and worse, I have sold my soul.

Then he said his words of sentence "Neither do I condemn you. Go away, and from this moment sin no more." He said these words so softly, as in a whisper. Am I just imagining it?

But when I looked around and saw that everybody has left, I am sure that I am saved. Yes, saved, not only from physical death but from the death of my soul. I am saved by the graciousness of Jesus from a meaningless life.

Suddenly I feel at peace and grateful for this second chance. 

And when I am tempted again to sell my soul, I will just remember how once in my life a man named Jesus has risked his own life to give me back mine.

I will go to my father

Yes, four years ago what happened to the prodigal son happened to me. I have squandered my life. I didn't go into drugs or anything of that sort. But I did things for many wrong reasons.
Then something happened, the most hurting experience I have ever had in my life. What made it worse was I was alone to do the battle. Had it been something ordinary like an illness or a death in the family, I would have certainly received the comfort and assistance of a lot of people. Instead it was something that I could not even share with anybody out of fear that I would be misunderstood and condemned.
So I went through my days pretending that everything was okay. In fact, it seemed like nobody even noticed anything different. Except for a few. And when I say few they were really so few I can count them in one hand. Yet even to them, I cannot say anything. How can I say anything when I cannot even figure out what was happening in my life?
My situation continued for a few more months.
Then somehow I found a person to whom I could confide. I know that it was not by chance that this person has entered my life. She was God-sent. She seemed to remind me with her presence and her patience that although my pain was very real, my place was not there "with the pigs". But she did stay with me even as I continued to stay in that uncomfortable place. I knew that was not my place but I just felt so powerless to leave.
And so I stayed there for over a year: knowing in my head what I had to do, yet too powerless to do it. Sleepless nights were a common occurrence. Crying too, for no reason at all. My prayers became more frequent but only because I had to hold on to something or I will break. God became so true to me because of desperation. Yes, I had all the signs of depression.
Then somehow, this is the miracle, one day I just woke up with a feeling that that day was going to be the start of a new phase in my life.
I cannot explain it, but it did happen. My situation remained the same but somehow, each morning I woke up there was a little bit more hope and enthusiasm, and, little by little, I found my smile back.
I am now in a good place. I live every day with gratitude and trust. It is true what Pope Benedict XVI said, "If only everyone could experience the joy of being Christian, being loved by God who gave his Son for us!". Yes, even when we go back to God for all the wrong reasons, somehow like the prodigal son's father, they don't matter to him. What matters is we're back. He brings out the best robe and clothes; restores our dignity and organizes a feast for us.
Believing in the love of God hasn't exempted me from suffering and from doubts. But they no longer frighten me. I know that I am not alone. I am beloved. My God and I are one.

Thank you, Benedict XVI

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for the gift of Pope Benedict XVI. His life and his message always remind us what you said that the only way to true meaning in life is the way you have taught us, the way of littleness and service. In today's Gospel you tell us "Among you this is not to happen", that is, your followers shouldn't just follow the prevailing mentality. We shouldn't blindly follow the crowd or the noise or people's expectations. Instead, we need to go deep in our heart, in the sanctuary of our soul, and make our decisions accountable to no one else but God.
Thank you, Pope Benedict for this wonderful example. God bless you!

Simplify

What we need is definitely less than what we desire.
If half the energy we spend in desiring more were used in appreciating what we have and what we receive every day, there will be less people lacking in self-esteem and more running off to do some good for others.

Mother and Child

Yesterday we went to a campsite which is curiously called "Il treno dei bambini" (Children's train). There is an unusual statue of the Mary with the Child Jesus. Below the statue is a brief description in Italian that can be roughly translated this way: under a pile of snow, the like of which has never been seen, the barn collapsed ... among the wreckage ... the Baby Jesus remained intact embraced by the protective hands of His mother, Mary. Jesus Christ is the baby... He always triumphs. His mother's (Mary's) hands always protects. They made a sort of an altar with the remains of the barn. What an impressive image, what a comforting message.
On this day of her Assumption into heaven, Mary reminds us that we are made for greater things. Our hearts are too noble to be satisfied with the passing things of this life. We don't need to despise the things of this world, after all they are gifts from God. Nay, we delight in them but it is useless to attach ourselves to them. It is a folly to build our lives on them.
We don't need a lot of things. We have what we need to be happy. What makes us unhappy is not the lack of things but the lack of attention and appreciation to that which we already have. It is the desire for more, to surpass what others have, that makes us insecure.
And as that inscription on the altar reminds me: Jesus is the One that endures forever. When our hearts are anchored on Jesus, we are already having a taste of heaven.

Grateful

When our life isn't focused on vindicating our so-called rights, our eyes and our heart remain uncluttered and we are able to see that we are surrounded by so much kindness. Then we always find something to be grateful for.

Easter for you

It is Easter, if in your heart you have more gratitude than regrets.

Praying

Today's Gospel presents us once again Jesus' parable about the Pharisee and the tax collector who both came to the Temple to pray (Luke 18:9-14).
The Pharisee actually starts His prayer on the right tone but immediately goes awry. He begins by saying, "O God, I thank you". That is a very good thing. Prayer is a time to be grateful, to recognize that everything is God's grace.
But then immediately afterwards he goes on to say "... that I am not like the rest of humanity -greedy, dishonest, adulterous- or even like this tax collector ...". From being a prayer, his discourse turns to a self-righteous condemnation of the rest of the world.
On the other hand, we understand why the tax collector's prayer was pleasing to God: because of his acknowledgment of God as the Other one.
Prayer is placing ourselves before God, the Other one. Jesus taught us to call God our Father, but this doesn't take away the immense difference between us and God.
This difference shouldn't be a cause of despair or inferiority. Rather, it should lead to gratitude because, in reality, when we pray, it is God Himself who crosses the boundaries and distance between us.
It is gratitude and humility that enable me to see God's great act of crossing over.
Only grateful and humble people pray.

Hope

Hope springs from a heart that remembers with gratitude.