"Open wide your mouth that I may fill it." - Psalm 81:11 

Since the tree nuts aren't ripe yet, the squirrels are eating pine cones like they are corn-on-the-cob. It seems like picnic time with all the naked pine cones, and the little remnants that are left behind, scattered throughout the yard. 

Squirrels, like all outdoor animals and birds, are hungry and searching for food to satisfy their nutritional needs. 

Humans, on the other hand, are mostly blessed with enough food to satisfy their physical hunger. However, they continue to seek out food to satisfy an "other" hunger. This hunger, a spiritual hunger, is often undefinable. 

With summer upon us, picnics abound in backyards, parks and festivals. Satisfying a physical hunger is relatively easy, but a spiritual hunger may take some work and be hard to sate. 

This summer, make time to fulfill your spiritual hunger. Create a picnic, of sorts, of spiritual material to meet your yearnings. So hungrily devour this feast that your longings resemble corn-on-the-cob with only little remnants left behind. 

Divine Master, enable me to come to You to satisfy my mind, heart and soul with overflowing abundance and grace. Amen. 

TAGS: Prayer, Reflection, Story

"Samuel did not yet recognize the LORD, since the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him." - 1 Samuel 3:7 

The door had just closed in the elevator and started its descent to the first floor.  A voice came over the elevator speaker: "Hi, my name is Paul." and then drifted off. 

WHAT WAS THAT!?  Have you ever heard someone speak to you, in a non-emergency situation, through an elevator speaker?  Not sure if it was a real person or a computerized voice.  But it was definitely spooky, albeit a little humorous! 

Then I remembered Samuel: 
"Here I am. You called me." (1 Samuel 3:5) 
"Here I am. You called me." (1 Samuel 3:6) 
"Here I am. You called me." (1 Samuel 3:8) 

Three times Samuel heard a voice calling him and mistook it to be the voice of Eli.  Maybe this was the voice of God calling me disguised as the voice of "Paul". 

Then I remembered the story of Saul and his eventual conversion to Paul: 
"On his journey, as he was nearing Damascus, a light from the sky suddenly flashed around him.  He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'" - Acts 9:3-4 

Maybe this was meant to be a wake-up call to me.  Am I persecuting Christ?  After all, this occurred in the elevator as I headed to church services on Friday, the Passion of the Lord (Good Friday).  Coincidence or God-occurrence? 

Forgive me, Lord, for not recognizing you and for persecuting you through my thoughts, my words, and my actions.  Help me to be a better Catholic disciple.  Amen. 

TAGS: Prayer, Story