"Jesus spoke to them again, saying, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'" - John 8:12
The lamp post at the neighbor's house didn't work for 15 years. Then one day it was discovered that two wires that at one point were connected became disconnected. The light now shines like a beacon in the neighborhood. A welcome sign for all visitors. A guide to those who lost their way. A lamp to guide people through the darkness. A signal for safe passage from fear. Christ, be my light. Lead me, guide me, protect me. Amen. "Blessed are those who trust in the LORD; the LORD will be their trust." - Jeremiah 17:7 There are Mary and Jesus statues, prayer books, rosaries, icons and pictures everywhere throughout the house. On the walls, on the desks, in the bookcases, and on the tables. "She must really have a strong devotion to Mary," I marveled. "She has the most faith of anyone I know," he replied. Those words resonated with me for a few days until I finally asked him, "How do you know the depth of her faith? What is faith? How does she show it? How do you see it?" "Trust," he said. "She always trusts that everything will be OK. Like Padre Pio says, 'Pray, hope and don't worry'. That is how much she trusts. She has always been like that. In the good times and in the bad times, she trusts that everything will be OK." What is faith? Trust. Do I trust? Do I have faith? Will others see me as having the most faith of anyone they know? "In his hand is the soul of every living thing and the life breath of all mortal flesh." - Job 12:10
For three weeks we stayed by her bedside, watching the monitors. Watching the graphs go up and down; watching the numbers do the same. We didn't understand what they meant or what they were supposed to be, but we watched them nonetheless. After all, there wasn't much else we could do. We could pray for a miracle, but not every prayer can be granted. For if every miracle occurred, then there would be no order to God's law. So we wondered: how would this story end? But we need not wonder. We have hope. For it is all in God's hands. We watched a stray napkin dance in the wind in a parking lot the other day. It kept us mesmerized as it hovered just over the ground. It was swaying back and forth, trying to escape from the parking blocks that confined it. It was as if it was in a "fun house", bumping aimlessly into one "wall" and then another. As we watched, we felt as though we wanted to help it to escape, to get free. But we just watched to see how it would free itself. To our amazement, it glided between the parking blocks, tumbled along the ground for a bit, and then the wind lifted it up. And up it went! It soared higher and higher, and further and further. We watched, our eyes glued to this napkin until we could see it no more, as the wind carried it towards the clouds and out of our sight. Then we wondered: Where was it heading? Where did it go? When did it land? Who did it captivate next? "You make the clouds your chariot; traveling on the wings of the wind." - Psalm 104:3 "I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing." - John 15:5
There were a few pieces of this vinca vine in a floral arrangement that we received seven years ago. We planted it outside to see if it would grow. And boy did it grow! It has spread plentifully to create a nice ground cover under a shady tree. Each leaf and branch trails back, in some circuitous manner, building upon itself, to the original vine. Staying connected, feeding off of the master, it should live forever. O God, let me always stay connected to you as you feed me with the food needed to sustain me in body, mind and soul. Amen. “Blessed is the one who will dine in the kingdom of God.” - Luke 14:15 The squirrels love to climb the hickory tree looking for the hickory nuts. One can only imagine the skip in their step and the glee on their face when they find a nut and settle in to feast on this delicacy. There certainly is an abundance of nuts in the tree, and a mess on our patio! Besides the whole nuts that slip through their paws, there are the husks and shells that are discarded en route to the meat of the nut. A feast day indeed! So much bounty and so much joy. It is unimaginable to our temporal minds. Much like Heaven, and the banquet that awaits us there. God, our Father, open wide the gates of the New Jerusalem so that all may enter in as we ready ourselves for your triumphant feast. Amen. "The child grew and was weaned, and Abraham held a great banquet on the day of the child’s weaning." - Genesis 21:8 The boy and his sister played in the creek, yelled and screamed, ran through the trees, swung on the swing, looked for bugs. They were kids being kids. I walked past their house the other day. As I approached, a car pulled in the driveway. A young man got out and went in the house. As the garage door went down, I heard him say, "Hey, Dad.". Oh my. Just "yesterday" he was the boy playing in the creek. Now he is driving a car. Where did the years go? How many memories and events occurred in his life between then and now? And his sister ... she is a varsity cheerleader this year. Oh my. I was sure there was a cricket in the basement. That constant chirping, off and on, off and on. It drove me crazy. I was able to pinpoint it to a spot in the ceiling. I moved the ceiling tile to the side and got the can of Raid. I checked with a flashlight, but saw nothing. Nonetheless, I sprayed and sprayed and sprayed. The next day it was still chirping, off and on, off and on. I sprayed some more and continued spraying until I emptied the can of Raid. But the chirping did not stop. Then someone asked me: "Did you change the batteries in the smoke detector?" I was embarrassed, but the problem was solved. "Those who trust in themselves are fools, but those who walk in wisdom are safe." - Proverbs 28:26 Thank you, Lord, for giving me wisdom in spite of myself, for even fools believe. Amen. You probably remember the album titled "Sounds of Silence" by Simon and Garfunkel that was released in January 1966, but I like to listen to my own sounds of silence. I enjoy sitting outside, closing my eyes, and just listening. In the quiet, I hear cars running along the nearby road, whistles blowing from the distant train, leaves rustling from the wind, water splashing in the fountain, melodies emitted from the wind chime, birds chirping among themselves, mowers humming in the neighborhood, air conditioners buzzing close by, jet planes roaring by that make me daydream of the places they are going or where they have been. God's work, God's creation, all around me. Such are the sounds of silence. An oxymoron indeed. "But the LORD is in his holy temple; silence before him, all the earth!" - Habakkuk 2:20 "Jacob, however, got some fresh shoots of poplar, almond and plane trees, and he peeled white stripes in them by laying bare the white core of the shoots." - Genesis 30:37
There's a sycamore tree behind our house. Every year around this time it pops its bark off. You hear crackling, a pop, and then find sheets of bark lying on the ground. Wouldn't that be great if we could "pop off" our bad parts every year? Starting fresh every year or so would be awesome. Oh wait, we can, and we can even do it more frequently than once a year. We have the Sacrament of Confession which continually gives us a chance for a fresh start. Dear God, lead me to your confessional so that I can "pop off the bark" which no longer needs to be carried around, and lay bare the core of my being. Amen. |
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