Wandering

+JMJ

I Sundayed today (N.B. Must watch "Blame it on Fidel" for a full explanation of the verb "to sunday"). My wanderings lead me first to St. Ignatius parish, where to my surprise Bishop Listecki (from the Diocese of La Crosse) celebrated Mass. I'd never seen him before, and was delighted to assist at Liturgy with him.

Today's readings were particularly poingnant for me...beginning with Jeremiah saying You duped me Lord, and I let myself be duped...and now I cannot do anything but Love You and proclaim You... to Paul saying we must lay down our lives for Christ...to Jesus saying we must be willing to loose everything to follow him. It was all about Sacrifice and Love--which is our Faith.

Bishop Listecki went on to speak precisely about sacrifice and love, and pointed to the Crucified Christ in the Church, and plainly said, "That is what our Faith is about...that is love." I was humbled and delighted. I'd never heard a priest, let alone a bishop, so passionately speak of suffering, sacrifice, love and Christian witness during a homily. It was edifying.

The rest of the day seemed to amplify that lesson. I walked around three different Chicago neighborhoods, toting with me Fr. Martin's "My Life with the Saints." Reading by Lake Michigan, I received insights on Dorothy Day and her practical Gospel love for the poor...in a little cafe I learned more about St. Peter and his humble humanity...and right before Mass this evening I got another take on St. Thomas. I've been reading Martin's book for about a week now, and I am almost always brought to tears by his memoir, which so gracefully weaves the lives of saints and holy persons into his own vocation story and life as a Jesuit.

All of the people I read about today knew what it meant to suffer, knew what it meant to love. As I walked through the neighborhoods the image that was most painfully brazen upon my mind was framed on the steps of an apartment complex in a more affluent neighborhood.

I first noticed the disheveled African American man, protected from the midday sun by the building's shadow--but he was resting upon something as he slept. As I got closer, I saw that it was a Caucasian woman, of similar age, upon whom his head rested. She was leaning on some bags. There they were...it was like an image from a film.

So often we see the poor and are tempted to think, "They got themselves into a mess, didn't they..." But, really? Dorothy Day would say, what about all of the social sins that create bad social structures that feed poverty? The man and woman I saw where those whom Christ commissioned Peter, and all of his followers, to bring to the fold, to invite to Eternal Life. Thomas would gaze with compassion upon the pair, and see deep theological lessons embedded in the suffering before him.

I can't get that image out of my mind. The question is, what will I do about it? When we are young, we naturally want to conquer the world. I don't pretend to have lost that passion, but as I grow a bit older, I see that my job isn't to combat every evil I see head on, but rather to love the BEST I can, where I am. If I can truly love, and accept the crosses given to me, than in that I will learn where my next step should be. I'll understand better Jesus' invitation to me.

I'll be unable, just like Jeremiah, to do anything but proclaim the goodness of God. Like Peter, I too can be a "fisher of men", and like Thomas, who stopped writing because he understood that nothing could compare to what we where created for...I too will discover that there is nothing I can say that will even touche what God has done. Yet how I live and love can mirror God, after whom I am imaged, and help to bring about the Civilization of Love we so deeply yearn for.

I Have a Dream?

+JMJ+

What an ironic day in the history of the United States of America. Tonight, Brack Hussein Obama, the most radically pro-abortion candidate in the history of this nation, will accept his nominiation as the Presidential Candidate for the Democratic Party...and on this day 45 years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech. Yet, the dream of King is radically different from that of Obama...

Today, Dr. Alveda King, the neice of the late Civil Rights Activist, had a message for the United States, which she shared with LifeNews.com:

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"[Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.] once said, 'The Negro cannot win as long as he is willing to sacrifice the lives of his children for comfort and safety...'"

"I know in my heart that if Uncle Martin were alive today, he would join with me in the greatest civil rights struggle of this generation - the recognition of the unborn child's basic right to life..."

"My uncle Martin would agree that we cannot end poverty, hunger, or suffering by killing those who might suffer," she explained. "We cannot claim to guarantee equal rights if we deny the rights of the helpless. And we cannot feign ignorance of the fact that those who are torn apart, crushed, or left to die on an abortionist's table are just as human as we are."

"My uncle said that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere," Alveda continued.
"There is injustice in our land. We have turned being unwanted into a crime penalized by death. Today, I echo the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. - let freedom ring. From every mountain top, let freedom ring for all Americans, wanted and unwanted, born and unborn," she added.

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Bracka Hussein Obama is radically opposed to the ideals heralded by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I wouldn't be surprised if King rolled over in his grave today. Let's truly honor the legacy of this extraordinary man by fighting for the Civil Rights of all, born and unborn, using our political rights as citizens to see that Barack Hussein Obama is not elected president of the United States of America.

More on Friendship and Desires

"God sends us friends to be our firm support in the whirlpool of struggle. In the company of friends we will find strength to attain our sublime ideal..." ~ St. Maximilian

By now I shouldn't be shocked when I find things like this as I read various texts from dear St. Max. It seems every time struggle, I read something from him that speaks to exactly what I need to hear! I had been thinking about friends who have gone away recently when I read this passage just the other day...and I just smiled. As I continued to read, I came upon this:

"....after this life passes, we will obtain complete happiness. The Lord God will reward not only our deeds generously, but even the desires which we were not able to make real..."

What consolation! Like so many of my friends, I am at that point in life where I look ahead and see a blurry vision of what the future holds--and I desire to do so many things! Yet, there is no guarantee that I'll be able to do everything. How consoling it is to know that God is even pleased with our desires to do good--simply our desire for the good is an act of holiness in and of itself! In a way, it is an act of Faith, and truly it is pleasing to God...

Strawberry Swing

+JMJ

There is a captivating song on Coldplay's new album, Viva la Vida, called Strawberry Swing. The first time I heard it, I was hooked by the melody...it makes you feel safe, like you are surrounded by the people you really love, and just being exactly who you are, there are no worries and everything is o.k. The lyrics really reflect the sentiments of the melody.

"...I remember
We were walking up
To strawberry swing
I can't wait 'til the morning
Wouldn't wanna change a thing

People leaving all the time
Inside
A perfectly straight line
Don't you wanna curve away
It's such
It's such a perfect day
It's such a perfect day..."

The more I listen to the song, the more it helps me understand how important it is to be grateful for all the amazing gifts I've been given, especially the gift of friendship. Things are always moving and changing...and sometimes it is very sad to loose a person that you are close to, and to accept that a friendship can't always be so close. Yet, what about all those beautiful memories, and gifted moments?!

As we grow older, we have to say goodbye to things as we accept new challenges and new missions...but the people from our past, those beautiful people have so profoundly impacted who we are! It is so tempting to wish everything would stay the same--but then the fruit of those friendships would never ripen! We have to move on, trusting God will continue to bless us through the people we love, even if they are far away, or if the nature of the friendship changes.

I've really come to appreciate the line "It's such a perfect day." I thought hard about it, because with all the terrible things that happen, how cold it be a perfect day? Then I realized God loves us so much, and every day, the way He created it and intends it to be received, is perfect! It is our task to live as perfectly the day that God gives us...and if we cooperate with His love, the day can be perfect. Isn't that beautiful? It has been such a helpful reflection for me.

Truly I am amazed by this life, and how much we are invited to experience love in so many ways. There is sadness and evil, yet even that is diminished by the love that is offered to us. I think we all have "Strawberry Swing" Memories...and I am so grateful for mine! I know they've helped me to become the woman that I am today, and I pray that I will continue to grow into the woman God is inviting me to be...

Papa John Paul: Mirror of Christ

+JMJ

Recently Papa Benedict answered questions posed by German priests. One of them elicited a rather poignenat reflection on the life of Papa John Paul:

"In the first part [of His life Christ] teaches the joy of the Kingdom of God, brings his gifts to men and then, in the second part, he is immersed in the Passion until his last cry from the cross," the Holy Father explained. "In this very way [Pope John Paul II] taught us who God is, that God is love and that, in identifying with our suffering as human beings, [God] takes us in his arms and immerses us in his love and this love alone bathes us in redemption, purification and rebirth."

The Pontiff said that in a world "that thrives on activism, on youth, on being young, strong and beautiful, on succeeding in doing great things," people must "learn the truth of love which becomes a 'passion' and thereby redeems man and unites him with God who is love...This is a fundamental message of Christianity that stems from the theology of the cross: The fact that suffering and passion are present in Christ's love is the challenge for us to unite ourselves with his passion."

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I never considered the example of dear John Paul this way. Imagine, the best traveled Pope in the history of the Church! The man, through actions supported by profound prayer, was responsible for ending communism in Poland. Here is a witness to preaching the Gospel, yes in words...but most articulately through his deeds. We all know the John Paul who celebrated World Youth Days and embrace the beautiful culture South America and Africa had to offer...but we don't often consider the latter years of his life.

Yet, Pope Benedict points out that those years were, in a sense, a better witness, truly following in the footsteps of Christ. Through his suffering, dear John Paul was teaching the world something about love, and surrendering to the Divine Mercy of God. Isn't it interestng, dear John Paul died on the eve of Divine Mercy Sunday.

I am convinced that suffering is the standard by which authentic love is tested. How much are we willing to surrender for love of God? Are we willing to be 'white martyrs' as they say, sacrificing reputation for the Gospel? Can we live truly counter-cultural lives? When we sustain mental, physical, emotional or spiritual sufferings, are we able to unite that with the sacrifice of Christ Himself?

We live in world that honors people who have the passion to make their dreams a reality. Isn't it curious, that same word, Passion, brought about Redemption? May we follow the example of dear Papa John Paul, and truly immerse ourselves in the suffering and passion we are invited to every day, always remembering it is better, as dear St. Francis said, to preach the Gospel by the way we live, not the words we speak.

Generosity

+JMJ

So often I've done mental Olympics trying to discern how best to mortify myself for the Kingdom. True, I am a bit odd, but I often feel as though I am not making enough sacrifices, or surely there could be a more ascetic way to live my life.

St. Max, once again, schooled me on this! I was blessed to spend four days in silence this past week at a beautiful Jesuit retreat center west of Chicago. My director didn't really proscribe reading for meditation purposes...and thankfully I had taken a little compilation of St. Max's sayings and directives. Dear Maximilian truly played a role as Heavenly spiritual director for me, which I didn't expect. (And, joyfully, his Feast Day was celebrated during my retreat!)

In looking to the self for a solution, one most surely falls short.

"The best mortification is that which flows from our everyday obligations, and so, those not dependent upon our own will, for those which we take upon ourselves by free choice may well favor self-love. When some cause for impatience arises, bear it serenely. This is the best mortification, for no one notices it, and in the course of the day there are numerous occasions for such mortifications...What is most to be recommended is mortification of the will...By this mortification we can bring the greatest possible benefit to souls."

This passage from Maximilian is absolutely perfect. As humans, we can even complicate our desire to sacrifice to please the Lord--yet, did not Jesus remind us that the Father will provide for all our needs? In the Divine Economy of Salvation, there is a need for sacrifice and mortification...and God will provide it! Bending our will to accept the crosses sent to us is a sure way to live in the shadow of the Cross, which we must all learn to carry, with the help of Christ Himself.

I often think that when Christ carried that cross up to Calvary, he was probably hunched over...but maybe, when Simon helped Him, he began to straighten out...and carry the cross more resolutely. God would never permit a cross we could not carry...and Jesus Himself is there right beside us, carrying the cross with us.

Did you ever consider what truly happened when Christ reached the heights of Calvary? There, before saints and sinners...Jesus was erected on the Cross, and consummated the Redemption of mankind. The Cross set mankind free...the Cross is the means to our salvation.

Even as Papa Benedict said, "Do not be afraid of Christ, He takes nothing away and gives you everything!" Fear only points to a faith that needs to mature, a faith not grounded in trust. Do not fear your crosses! Christ carries them with you, and they are your path to salvation. There is no mortification, great or small, which God places before you, for which He does not provide the grace to bear it well.

St. Maximilian knew this...and I am sure this is why the world now knows St. Maximilian. It is not for his glory or fame, but rather for the Glory of Christ and the Love of Our Lady that Maximilian abandoned his life to the service of God. May we, too, learn to accept the mortifications God generously provides, and allow our Crosses to lift us up towards Eternal Life.

Sister Clare, Brother Maximilian and Mama Mary

+JMJ

How generous is the Lord! This is an excellent week, for the witness of both a man and woman who consecrated themselves and laid down their lives--one by leaving the world, the other by martyrdom--in beautiful imitation of their Heavenly Queen!

I cannot pretend to understand Clare or Maximilian. I am in awe. We think we know so much, don't we? I think they'd be please for me to call them "Little Ones", for truly the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these.

As I strive to let my hands be open before Christ, I imagine the prayers of Clare and Maximilian must have been constant praise, and perpetual seeking of humility.

So often, I think I have so much to say, and others ought to hear it...yet look at Clare! She was cloistered, but she allowed her Divine Spouse to use her witness and her words to capture medieval Italy and spread through the world. I am sure Maximilian didn't want a high place--proven by his poverty and asceticism. In the spirit of Francis, both these saints lived for Lady Poverty...in order to embrace their deep desire, the Salvation of Souls.

As we walk through this week, let us allow Clare and Maximilian to teach us, in their quiet ways, the path to perfection. May we know Mary, know her love and desire that we give ourselves totally to sweet Jesus. In that moment of surrender, we'll have found what we are looking for...that same pearl Clare and Maximilian sold everything to purchase...

Horses and Rosaries

+JMJ

Perhaps if I told you that today in West Humboldt Park within a 10 yard radius there were small children riding horses while others where simultaneously asking about praying the Rosary, you would not beleive me...but it is so.

A street fair hit the 38 hundred block of West Iowa Street, where the Mission of Our Lady of the Angels is located, and the neighborhood came out to partake in food, equestrian feats and a little bit of J-E-S-U-S.

Funny, not until Father began Mass a little before 8 a.m. did I realize today is the Feast of St. Theresa Benedicta of the Cross...my dear friend! Recall how she could not find satisfaction in the world, and yet her heart was satisfied in the cloister of Carmel.

After I spent some time in Adoration (which, JOYFULLY, continued throughout the whole afternoon), I stepped outside and Fr. Bob asked if I would take care of the Evangelization Table. I was delighted to do whatever asked, and within a half hour realized what a privilege I was given. My friend Kate and I were there the whole day, and afforded multiple opportunities to talk, mostly to children, about Jesus, Mary, the Bible and the Saints.

Within the first hour, I had a young man, who I'll call Jason, come up to the table. He didn't really want to talk...but soon asked for a cross (we had hand carved crosses on black cords). I told him he of course could have one, and asked his name...and about school, sports and such. Once he felt comfortable, he started asking me questions about things on the table, and was particularly interested in St. Anthony of Padua. I shared with him how St. Anthony and Fr. Bob both were Franciscans, but that St. Anthony lived hundreds of years ago...and brought the Gospel to many people. He liked that.

THEN he got intrigued by St. Pio...well, he was FASCINATED with the Stigmata, and we talked about that for quite some time. Then, in a really endearing way, he wanted to know about Mary, too...He must have stayed by my side for at least a 45 minutes. Little Jason is just one of many children who had questions and shared smiles with me today. I even had two fellows, about 12 or so, on separate occasions wait for me to write out the Hail Mary so that they could know the prayers that went with the Rosary beads they had taken. They were absolutely interested in knowing why we pray the Rosary and our relationship with Mama Mary.

Icing on the cake...one little girl asked me, "How can Mary be our Mother?!" She was kind of miffed. I said, "Well, Jesus is our brother, right?" She nodded "yes"...then I said, "Well, if Mary is Jesus' Mother...then she must be ours too, right?" She looked and me, smiled, and said, "yeah"...with a tone that melded understanding with 'why hadn't I thought of that before?'

With an amazing team of volunteers both from Chicago and Indiana, including a very joyful youth group, we were with the neighbors for about 4 hours. It went by so fast, and there were so many moments of grace. Today was an amazing lesson in how I, as a woman, am called to mother and nurture those around me. I understood better the great gift St. Theresa Benedicta had in caring for the orphaned children during the last week of her life. What a gift!

Today was also a witness to how truly simple efforts can yield such fruit through God's grace. The key to the New Evangelization is not huge events and cutting edge technology. True, those do have a role. But, really, the New Evangelization will have its foundation in exactly what Christ did...come to the people, be present to them, and love them each...as beautiful daughters and sons of God.

Religious Life: My Top Ten

+JMJ

My friend Benedict, who is around 2.5 years old, has taught me much recently about what life is all about: sharing JOY.

Yesterday, we spent time in the yard, and our games included making mint milk shakes and mint milk cake--a delicious desert, which, as Benedict reminded me, we should not have too much of, because "It has a lot of sugar in it." We also had fun playing fetch with "Barker" the dog. Now, nobody else could see Barker, but he is red with a little bit of black fur. We didn't let him go in the house...and I'll tell you, I didn't know I was capable of such an imaginative game!

In honor of Benedict, I would like to give my "Top Ten" Reasons why I hope to enter Religious Life...some of which are playful, but all very serious:

10) Never have to buy a new wardrobe: Have Habit, will never go out of style
9) Looking forward to that first cup of coffee around 5:00 a.m...BEFORE Holy Hour!!
8) Knowing that in some house, some child utters the phrase, "But Sister said..."
7) Hosting Holy Hours for Moms and Dads--we Sisters get to play with their kids, they get to be quiet with Jesus...pretty sweet trade off!
6) Living on God's Time all the TIME
5) Getting rid of all this baggage (a.k.a. stuff)...free to travel, any time, any place ;)
4) Being a radical witness to what we were created for...Eternal Union with God!
3) Challenging the Status Quo by serving One Master with a Joyful Heart
2) Inviting others to Fall in Love with Jesus
1) Falling in Love with Jesus more and more every day!

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Spending time with Benedict, and now having the gift of simply holding his newborn baby sister Miriam really puts life into perspective. It isn't about how much I can do or how well I am known...but how well do I love?

Our vocation is not a burden...but a radical call to a way of loving...I pray for a perpetual romance, a falling more and more in love with Jesus, so that I can better and better invite others into relationship with Him...that one day we may know the joys of Heaven together for all Eternity!

What shall I ever return to the Lord for all that has been given to me? I will take this cup and call upon His Holy Name.

Praise God for August

+JMJ

Sometimes the most unbearable month of the summer...yet August affords us with some phenomenal feast days:

2nd: Our Lady of the Angels, St. Peter Julian Eymard (Saint of the Blessed Sacrament)
"The soul that lives on the Eucharist ought to occupy itself, before everything else, with the interests of this Adorable Sacrament." St. Peter Julian

4: St. John Marie Vianney--patron of Parish Priests
"Listen to me for one moment and you will see that only the service of God will console us and make us happy in the midst of all the miseries of life...The way of life that means serving God changes nothing in all that we have to do. On the contrary, we simply do better all the things we must do!" St. John Marie

6: The Transfiguration of Our Lord
"And He was transfigured before them, and His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white" Matthew 17:2

9: St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein)
"We must remember that even suffering can be a manifestation of love. It becomes redemptive when it is joined mindfully and in complete trust to God's universal design for all flesh." ~ St. Teresa Benedicta

11/12 (12 on the old calendar): St. Clare of Assisi
"Look, look on Jesus, poor and crucified, look on this Holy One, who for your love has died, and remember as you contemplate the sacred mysteries, this Jesus whom you gaze upon, loves you most tenderly." ~ St. Clare

14: St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe
"True love rises above creation and is steeped in God. Such love extends its arms in loving embrace and prays for all, suffers for all, wishes well to all and desires the happiness of all--because God wills it." ~ St. Max

15: Assumption of Our Lady into Heaven
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior..."

~Our Lady

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As I prayed the Rosary today, I wondered how saints look...Surely, there are men and women in the world today who will one day be canonized, outstanding in holiness. It is funny to think that people who wear Birkenstocks or Prada will be numbered among the blessed.

I vaugely recall as a small child never thinking there would be 'more' saints, not understanding the whole concept of sainthood. I smiled to myself as that thought crossed my mind today. As a little one, I was captivated by the saints...but I never considered that God is never done "making saints."

Perhaps one way to think of Heaven is like a club for those blessed, stubborn souls who spent a lifetime persevering through those challenges that arise when one desires to be conformed to Christ. May we be admitted to that club one blessed day!

Our Lady of the Angels

+JMJ

I arrived at 6:34 a.m...and sat out in front of the Mission for a few minutes, reading a little, until a neighbor came by and asked if the vegetable truck would come today. Assuming he was referring to something characteristic of the food pantry, I told him to hold on a minute and I'd see if Fr. Bob was around...Soon the Franciscan came to the door and affirmed that yes, the vegetable truck was coming today, "And spread the word to all the neighbors" he told the man.

Shortly before 7:00 a.m., Father began Mass, and much to my delight I learned that today is the Feast of Our Lady of the Angels--a very important feast for Franciscans...and as I allowed Jesus to lead me through the day, many thoughts came together, and I realized how Our Lady of the Angels fit into my own life.

Last summer while in Assisi, my fellow pilgrim T.J. determined that we must go into the valley, where the church of Our Lady of the Angels was, for within it was the humble Portiuncula.

Surely it was explained to me that this was a very important place for St. Francis...I just remember walking up to the little church within the grand church, and being captivated. When I got inside, almost instantaneously, I began to sob...and it persisted while I was there, kneeling, trying to pray quietly on the right hand side of the little Church. Perhaps the most intense spiritual experience of my life. There was such a sense of the presence of God, and of mission, some mission...I didn't know what...but I knew God needed me to do something...

Today as I prayed in the spirit of Francis, and worked among God's poor, I cannot tell you what a profound peacefulness I experienced. There was a great confirmation that nothing else in the world matters save loving God with my entire being, and loving others with the Love of God, the Joy of Christ. There was a remarkable freedom about it...I was absolutely me, and didn't hold back any of my gifts or my quirks. And I was happy.

Honestly, nothing in this world matters outside of Love. And when you find where it is that God is calling you to love, then you will discover peace, purpose...and be able to live your passion in a directed journey towards Eternal Life.

Our Lady of the Angels...pray for us!