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The voice of the surf speaks to me,

The tides repeatedly ebbing and flowing,

Sometimes thundering and roaring like a warrior as it attacks the dunes in the fury of a raging storm, as if the very sound itself could destroy all that the waves did not touch.

Other times quietly lapping as the waves gently carress the sandy shore during a low spring tide, like a lover softly kissing his beloved while she sleeps, trying not to awaken her.

Day after day, year after year,

Repeating, unchanging, storm and calm, ebb and flow, always present,

Always murmuring to me, whispering to me, like echos from eternity.

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In the long dark of our winter,
Amid the harshness of the cold earth,
Our spirit yearns for light.

Light which comforts us,
Light which illuminates the path before us,
Light which warms us.

In our desperation for light,
We gather whatever light we can find,
Locking it up within our spirit.

In the darkness of our poverty
We forget that hidden light is extinguished,
Like a flame without oxygen.

We must open our spirits,
Let our light shine forth for all to share,
So others may see in their night.

For shared light grows brighter,
Like one candle lighting another candle,
Both lights chasing the darkness away.

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Sometimes the Blesséd Sacrament catches me unaware. “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof. But only say the word and my soul shall be healed.”

Who am I that dares to present myself before your very presence, O Lord?

I am nothing more than a tiny insect that creeps unnoticed beneath your feet as you walk among all your magnificent creation.

Who am I, O Lord?

I too am part of your creation, made in your very image with all the rest of your creation.

And more than that, for you have sent your son to be my brother, my teacher, my Sovereign Lord, who heals me of my trespasses and shows me the narrow path that leads me to you, O Heavenly Father.

And your son, my brother, gives of himself, his Body and Blood, His Soul and Divinity, he gives to me true bread to feed me and nurture me on my journey.

True Bread, True Body, True Blood, True Soul, and True Divinity.

This knowledge is too much for me as the tears begin to moisten my eyes.

The Creator of all that ever was, is now, and ever will be has come to me and now rests upon my tongue in a piece of bread.

So much wonder and awe and thoughts beyond all comprehension begin to well up within me. And yet, as a child, I accepted it and understood it without reason or question.

This tiny peice of bread is all of that and more than I will ever comprehend while on this earth. I swallow the moistend bread.

It is then that the tears burst forth from my eyes, and my throat clenches shut. The flood gates open unbidden and I am swept away in a Eucharistic tsunami, unable to do anything but let the current carry me where it will. From that point I am lost to all that happens around me.

Slowly I regain my composure. I dry the moistue from my eyes and my face, clear my throat and start to breathe again in a slow pace. I return my attention to the Mass and my neighbors around me.

Who am I, O Lord?

I am your child, O Lord. My I alway remain your child. -Amen

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I fell in Love,
For I was first Loved.

I fell from my selfishness,
I fell from my self-importance,
I fell from my own priorities,
I fell from my own will.

I fell from all that was I,
Fell, into infinite Love,
And Love took me in.

Love called to me in Love,
Love wrapped me in Love,
Love cradled me in Love,
Love sang to me in Love,
Love nursed me in Love.

I fell in Love,
For I was first Loved.

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At this time of year here in the Northern latitudes, we receive about 9 and ½ hours of sunlight each day according to published schedules of sunrise and sunset times. But in the forested hilly area where I live, the actual time that the sun is directly visible in the sky is less than that.

This is a dark time of the year and the glittering lights displayed in festive array do little to cheer my spirit.  For me, despite all the colors and patterns, those lights are cold and piercing in the darkness, and they do not warm the body, much less the soul.

I need the power of the sun shining warmly on my face to chase away the cold and the darkness.

The solution for me is to Open, Clean, Reflect, and Bask.

OPEN: Open the window curtains and let the sun’s light inside.  This is one of my first tasks of the day, opening all the curtains in the house even before the sun rises so I can let in as much light as possible from the earliest glimmer of dawn to the final moments at the end of the day.

CLEAN: Keep the window glass clean of dirt and debris.  Window glass gets dirty, both inside and outside.  Eventually a hazy film builds up which diffuses the light passing through, changing the color and brightness of every object that is illuminated within.  I must remember that regular cleaning of the window glass maintains the quality of the light which enters.

REFLECT: Decorate the interior with objects that catch and reflect the light. Most of what is seen is reflected light.  Adding colorful decorations that catch the light and reflect their illumination into dark recesses of the interior is a way to multiply and share the light. The bright colors also help cheer my spirits when I view them.

BASK: Find a place to sit and relax in the sun’s light. Sitting in the sun’s light during this time of year is like being wrapped in a soft warm blanket.  I close my eyes, quieten my thoughts, and let the brightness and warmth envelope my body and my mind.  It may only be for a few precious minutes, but it can feel like an eternity.

. . .

This can also be a time of extended spiritual darkness for me when it seems that the ‘world’ re-writes the story of Christmas to serve their own design.  My interior spirit can sink into periods of dark thought, isolation, self-recrimination, and doubt.

When I find myself turning in upon myself and hiding in the dark desert of self, I use a similar process as described above to lift myself from my spiritual darkness and revive my soul.

I “open” my mind to the goodness of God’s Love and Mercy every morning and evening, with my first and last conscious thoughts raised in prayer of thanksgiving for what has been, what is now and, if God wills it, what is yet to come for me.

I “clean” the “windows of my soul” through examination of my conscience and ask forgiveness for all times when I do not let God’s law of charity and Love guide my thoughts, words, and actions.

I arrange my interior so it is filled with beauty that will catch and “reflect” the light of God’s wisdom and Love throughout my innermost recesses – banishing the darkness created by memories of injuries I have received, and injuries I have inflicted upon others.

And I make time to quieten myself and contemplate the wonder and glory of God’s Love and, when opportunity provides, to “bask” in silence, wonder, and adoration in the real presence of Christ’s Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity.

. . .

In both situations – physical and spiritual – the darkness will pass.

The earth will continue in its orbit around the sun, the hours of daylight will increase, and soon the earth will be filled with new life. 

So too will my spiritual darkness pass. The ‘world’ will quickly forget about Christmas and will move on to some new ‘distraction’ and I will laugh at the silliness of letting myself get dragged down by the actions of the fickle crowd. What I must remember is to be prepared to take action to chase away the darkness until the Sun returns.

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M and K,

Aunt L and I are sorry that we were unable to attend your wedding, but we are thrilled to watch you begin your lives together under the Sacrament of Marriage.

A Sacrament is an instance where the Grace and Mercy of God comes into your life and places an indelible mark upon your soul which cannot be removed (sort of like a “holy tattoo” only different).

There are seven (7) Sacraments in the Church: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Anointing of the sick, Marriage, and Ordination to Holy Orders.  The Sacraments are administered by ordained Ministers of the Church who represent the presence of Christ … except for the Sacrament of Marriage.

Marriage is the only Sacrament where the couple themselves are the ministers of the sacrament.  You administer the Sacrament of Marriage to each other on your wedding day and every day thereafter.  In times of great joy and happiness and in times of sorrow and grief; In times of sickness and in times of health; In times of prosperity and in times of poverty.

You both will be the presence of Christ to each other through all the times that are yet to come for you, as you continually renew the Sacrament of Marriage every day through ministering to each other and ministering to those whose lives you will become a part of, and to those who will become a part of your lives.

Please know that Aunt L and I will minister to both of you through our prayers as we continue to renew our own Sacrament of Marriage every day.

May the Peace and Love of Jesus Christ be with you both, guiding and guarding you as you navigate this new chapter in your lives together.

With Love and much affection,

Aunt L and Uncle G.

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Gracious and Merciful Lord,

Thank you for all your precious gifts which you continually bestowed upon me;

Patience, when I am misunderstood,

Fortitude, when I enduring suffering,

Strength, when facing temptation,

Courage, when I am falsly accused,

Forgiveness, when someone harms me,

Repentance, when I have harmed someone,

Perseverance, during times of trial,

Humility, when serving others,

Faith, through the darkness of disbelief,

Hope, in your promise of the life to come,

Love, always, as my first and only response.

With your help Lord, may I always be ready and willing to share Your gifts with those who are in need, and with those who you place in my life. And forgive me Lord, for the times when I withhold from sharing your gifts.

I ask this Prayer of you, O Lord, in the hope that, through my sharing of your gifts, I will come to better understand that it is Your Gospel that I am sharing, as I proclaim the coming of Your Heavenly Kingdom through the way in which I live.

In Christ Jesus’ most Holy Name, I Pray.

Amen.

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Today’s Gospel reading is when Jesus shares the Parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31). While some view this Parable as a warning about the eternal dangers of flaunting one’s wealth and status while disregarding the poor, to me it holds far deeper meanings that are worth meditating upon.

First, notice that the rich man had no name. He was only identified by those things that he treasured; his fine clothes, and sumptuous meals. It is almost as if he had traded his name for his temporal treasures. In comparison, the poor man was named Lazarus.  Lazarus possessed nothing except his name and the sores on his body which the dogs would lick.

Next, when both Lazarus and the rich man die, Lazarus is carried by angels to ‘the bosom of Abraham’ while the rich man is buried and finds himself in a place of torment. Throughout the ensuing dialog between the rich man and Abraham, a subtle detail emerges.  The rich man is alone in his torment, while Lazarus is in the company of Abraham. 

Modern culture imagines hell with pictures from Dante’s Inferno, a flame filled place populated with innumerable souls in torment for all eternity.

However, one definition of sin is separating oneself from God.  If this is true, then could hell be thought of as spending eternity in total isolation from God and all other souls? The thought of being ‘cast out into the dark where there is wailing and grinding of teeth’ sounds much more terrible now, doesn’t it?

One final thought to meditate upon is how this parable ends, and how it began.

The parable ends with Abraham telling the rich man ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.’ If we consider this statement to be Jesus equating himself to the poor man Lazarus, then the parable can be viewed with deeper meaning.

The rich man might then be thought to represent the corrupt leaders of Israel, and the desire of Lazarus to have ‘eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table’ might then be thought of as the desire of Jesus for those corrupt leaders to have a softening of their ‘hearts of stone’ – even if only in the least amount – and return to worshiping God the Father in truth, and through acts of selfless charity toward their neighbors.

The message I am left with is that Jesus desires even the smallest attempts we make to open our hearts to his Gospel, and He treats each attempt, every ‘scrap’ of conversion, as a feast, and that is a happy thought for me to end on. Peace be with you all. -geo.

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For all the times you took me fishing,
And for all the songs you taught me to sing,

For all the walks we took in the woods,
And for the times we worked in your shop.

For all the times we spent working on cars,
And for all times we built things together,

For all the times we struggled against sun and tide and storm,
And for all the times we rested, listening to waves lapping the shore.

For long talks on rainy summer nights,
And for silent nights spent gazing at the stars of heaven.

For a lifetime that we’ve spent together,
I give thanks to God for giving me a Father like you.

Happy Father’s Day, Dad!

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Never am I more at peace then when I empty myself of my self, and turn to you, O Lord.

When I stop judging myself and others and accept things as they are.

When I stop focusing on my pain and sufferings and place myself in your care.

When I stop serving myself and place myself in service to others.

When I stop busily seeking the false idols of the world and humbly rest at your feet.

Never am I more at peace then when I empty myself of my self, and turn to you, O Lord.