Perseverance and Faith and Results

Perseverance -- truly a gift from the Lord and definitely a gift of the Holy Spirit (under many titles I'm sure). I could see perseverance coming through by the work of the seven gifts of the Spirit. Think about that: how wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, filial devotion to our God and awe for who God is. That certainly wil bolster perseverance.

Then there is Faith -- the inner vision of seeing the invisible as the real thing (or as St. Paul says, "what is not seen"). There's no doubt that faith is a firm anchor for perseverance.

Results come -- with dependence on the Spirit of God IN FAITH and with a steadfast rsolution to keep our eyes on Jesus as we move forward to the goal before us.

I'm praising the Lord on this feast day of the Queenship of Mary. My other blog got lost somewhere in cyberspace. So, again, I praise God for Mary and look to her as Queen and Mother for all of us.

God's Love -- Sharing It with Others

I wrote a posting the other day (tried it several times) but it never "took." As usual, I don't know why between clicks and sing-ins the "normal" route doesn't always happen.

Now I can't remember what I actually had to share with others.

But I'm trying again -- on the end of the feast day of the Queenship of Mary. It would be great to have an opportunity to look at "queen" in the light of the gospel and in the manner in which Jesus looks at nobility: the servants of all.

Mary, Queen of Apostles, (one title that has to go under her "Queenship") is teaching us to be just that -- apostles at our best, servants from our hearts, docile to the Spirit in our response, and obedient to the Word Made Flesh - Jesus the Lord.

What is your take on Queenship and on servant, on reigning and on humble obedience?

The Holy Spirit -- Alive and Active

Today -- quickly moving on -- we celebrated the feast of the Presentation of Jesus and of Mary's Purification. Both moments of consecration and of dedication to God alone!
Now that is a CHALLENGE to us -- to receive the gift of being consecrated to our God through Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit. IT IS NOT OUR WORK! YES, we do respond to such a gift and to such divine love, but it is God who takes that first step in a movement of loving surrender to us. And that is happening in the daily, expected events: in the details of our lives.

As we read this event in Luke's Gospel, we are reminded of what God is doing in our own lives. We DO celebrate Jesus and honor Mary. We ARE thrilled with Anna and Simeon (regular people like us) who are able to recognize the Messiah in this ordinary baby and a "highly favored woman" in this ordinary person. We are comforted by the presence of Joseph chosen to be their protector and ours.

February 2nd -- a special feast-- and a special reminder of how graced we are.

The Baptism of Jesus

Alive in the Spirit -- That's what the Baptism of Jesus is all about! So Jesus reminds us that because of what he has done for us, our own baptism is a marvel of grace and of divine love. Like John the Baptism, we also hear the words of God -- "This is my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." And how do we follow Jesus, God's beloved Son.? It is through the Holy Spirit who transforms us and all our abilities to be able to listen to Jesus, but in a way that changes us into his own likeness.

How has the Holy Spirit entered the details of your life up to now? And how has Jesus shown us the wonder of his presence in our daily experiences? The Baptism of Jesus is a great opportunity for us to celebrate God's gift to us --- as the children of God. It's the perfect time to remember who we really are - God's beloved son and daughter!

Gratitude to God -- Really ALIVE

What about real gratitude for the Spirit of God??? St. Paul reminds us of one of the many reasons to be grateful for God's presence within us: (Romans 8:9-11 from The Message)

"But if God himself has taken up residence in your life, you can hardly be thinking more of yourself than of him. .... For you who welcome him, in whom he dwells -- even though you still experience all the limitations of sin -- you yourself experience life on God's terms. It stands to reason, doesn't it, that if the alive-and-present God who raised Jesus from the dead moves into your life, he'll do the same thing in you that he did in Jesus, bringing you alive to himself? When God lives and breathes in you (and he does, as surely as he did in Jesus), you are delivered from that dead life. With his Spirit living in you, your body will be as alive as Christ's!"

For our own sharing: How do we experience the "alive-and-present God" within us during the day? What does that look like? And what does that feel like? What are some things that have helped you to become more aware of the God who lives and breathes in you?

The Spirit - Alive in Our Teens

CYO teens -- on a weekend retreat in Putnam Valley, New York. A great experience for me to see the Holy Spirit working through them and to see the depths of their love for Jesus Christ: both the teen directors and the teen participants. Now, that is what the Holy Spirit does, as St. Paul reminds in letter after letter.

So, let's start looking more closely to what God is doing in our young people and stop concentrating on what we think is negative. Look around (and go around) those circles where teenagers are growing in their relationship to Jesus and are being the real apostles of our day. Take note of what they are doing.

Let's share this good news of the Pentecost power that is being revealed to us.