 "I know every bird in the heights; whatever moves in the wild is mine." - Psalm 50:11
There were short-term renters at the bird house. The mother sparrow settled in to this quiet place in order to hatch and raise her two young ones. On Sunday there was plenty of steady chirping and by Thursday they had moved on. But for those four days, Mama was quite busy. Constantly coming and going, bringing food to the house and feeding her flock. "Mama, feed me!" Every time she arrived, the hatchlings sensed her presence, and the chirping increased in velocity and pitch. "Mama, feed me!" they joyously exclaimed upon every arrival. With mouths gaping, she fed them; coming and going, coming and going, she fed them. She often had to put her head into the house to ensure that the second child (a shy one) would receive food as well. "Mama, feed me!" Each day the small ones grew bigger and bigger. Once just little beaks peaking out of the house, by the third day they were practically pushing themselves out of the door. "Mama, feed me!" was repeated hour after hour, day after day. What about you? Are you growing spiritually? Are you approaching Mother Mary asking her to feed you with a wellspring of faith? The time for growth is short, but Mother Mary's attention toward you is non-stop. "Mama, feed me!" TAGS: Inspiration, Story  “'Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.'" - Matthew 7:12
How many times do you go out of your way to help someone, talk to someone, or contact someone? Have you done so today? Did you interrupt your daily routine and busy schedule to meet an unexpected and unplanned need of another person? Unlike these flowers, which are groomed for this, bending over backwards is not an easy thing to do. We don't like to shift or stretch or strain from our normal state. But God asks this of us. Do we hear Him? O God of our plans and schedules, reshape and contort us to meet the needs of our brothers and sisters. Amen. TAGS: Inspiration, Prayer  "But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them." - Matthew 6:29
It's that time of year again. The butterfly bush takes months to grow, form its flowers, and flourish. When all is in place, it emits the scent that attracts local pollinators. Yep, open for business! The customers, multi-colored butterflies, hummingbirds, bees, and moths, are all flocking to the bush to receive their nourishment. What an incredible sight of nature at its finest. We seek our nourishment at the table of the Lord. With the best linens, the finest vessels, the scent of incense, and the chiming of bells, we are called through the Word of the Lord to receive His body and blood. Come, all ye faithful, the doors are open for worship and praise. What an incredible sight of glory at its finest. TAGS: Reflection  "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  High fives to everyone! Our Blog is five years old this month so we're celebrating!
The most viewed posts this year were: While we are still committed to staying focused on "looking at little life moments with a spiritual eye", we are introducing a new feature in the coming year. The categories, or "tags", that have always been associated with each post will now be noted on the bottom of each one. You can click on a category on the sidebar to find posts categorized as Inspiration, Prayer, Reflection, or Story. Hope you enjoy this new feature to re-read older posts or find new favorites. Here's some insights to sharpen your spiritual eye as we head off to the new year! "The Lord walks with you today, pause to recognize him in those small but meaningful details. Spend time on things that few see; pay attention to the details that only the delicate heart perceives: the beauty of a flower, the smile of a brother, the feet that support you, the ground you walk on, the stranger who passes by your side. Embrace all reality and offer it to the Lord!" - Click to Pray app: excerpt from Afternoon prayer for 30 January 2021 "True freedom means that we see nothing with either the eyes of the world or with the eyes of our nature, but in the light of Christ, and with the eyes of Faith." - Dietrich von Hildebrand "How can you see things each day with a renewed vision of what matters?" - from What Would You Take? by Peggy Weber, Loyola Press  "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the holy Spirit be with all of you." - 2 Corinthians 13:13
The flowers had three clusters of three petals with three flower heads, all layered together to create a single blossom. Separate, but three, in one. Much like the Blessed Trinity, Set off against a green background with the sun making their whiteness bright, and their flower heads glistening in contrast, one could not notice the uniqueness and repetitiveness of their threefold composition. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit: with us, in us, and all around us, if we only look for it. Glory Be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Amen.  "Moses told Aaron everything the LORD had sent him to say, and all the signs he had commanded him to do". - Exodus 4:28
I was looking for a sign from God regarding which direction to take on a decision I had to make. Then WHAM!! I got hit with a ton of bricks. "OK, God, you can back off a little bit; I get it!" We often look for signs. Should I do this or should I do that? Should I go here or should I go there? Should I take this job or should I take that job? Should I donate to this charity or should I donate to that charity? We seek God to help us in our time of need to make the right decision for our self, our family, and those around us. But do we recognize the answer? Do we hear the voice of God giving us direction? Do we see the face of God showing us the way? Are we mindful of the answer given to us? What if it is not the answer we want? Do we wait until we find the answer we want? O God, show me Your will and I will see it; tell me Your will and I will hear it; teach me Your will and I will learn it; lead me according to Your will and I will follow. Amen.  "For I know well the plans I have in mind for you—declares the LORD—plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope." - Jeremiah 29:11
How did they do that? The side of the building was a mosaic of stone and bricks. But it wasn't a random mosaic; there was a pattern to it. How did they create the perfect pattern of curved and crisscrossed lines on this vertical plane? Much artistic ingenuity and foresight was necessary to ensure that the lines crossed at precisely the right location when the masonry work occurred. Having everything in place and executing as planned can result in an amazing feat. God works like that in you. With His plan, and your obedience, you can achieve anything. If you wander from the path sketched out for you, and don't pull yourself back in line, you will not reach the end result that God has in mind for you. Chart the course. Stay in line. And follow the path laid out for you. Dear God, thank you for knowing the plans for me and for guiding me along the way of those plans. Amen.  “Worthy are you, Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things; because of your will they came to be and were created.” - Revelation 4:11
Have you ever seen a dragonfly up close? What an interesting creation by God our Creator! Here's five fun facts about this fascinating insect. (1) Dragonflies were one of the first winged insects to evolve, some 300 million years ago. (2) Dragonflies are expert fliers. They can fly straight up and down, and hover like a helicopter. The flight of the dragonfly is so special that it has inspired engineers to dream of making robots that fly like dragonflies. (3) Dragonflies only eat prey they catch while flying. They provide a great natural method of mosquito control as a single dragonfly can eat 30 to hundreds of mosquitoes per day. (4) Some adult dragonflies live only a few weeks while others live up to a year. (5) Nearly all of a dragonfly's head is eye, so they have incredible vision that encompasses almost every angle except right behind them. Only God could have mastered such things. SOURCE: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/14-fun-facts-about-dragonflies-96882693/ |
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