Blog Archives
Entrances
I was recently watching reels of extravagant entrances to weddings, sweet sixteens and other parties. In one the groom arrived riding on an elephant, another had a bride arriving in a Cinderella style carriage with six white horses, and a sweet sixteener had her entourage carry her in on an elaborate golden chair. With all of it there was lots of pomp and circumstance including music to accompany the entrance. All the people who awaited their arrival were dressed beautifully and excitedly clapped at their arrival. Now that the entrance had happened the real fun could start. It was definitely something to behold. While I was watching all of it, I could not help but contrast the quietness of Christ’s arrival.
The king of all creation arrives and there is no big hoopla. Scripture lets us know a few details. It occurred in the quiet of the night, during a busy time (a census), in a small village. Mary and Joseph found no space at an inn and in the humble abode of a manger (a cave used for baby lambs or a barn) Jesus arrives. No kings, no dignitaries were present, no friends, no family. Just a young holy virgin and her righteous husband. But heaven doesn’t let this go by in full silence. Angels excited at the new arrival- go and sing- not to the king or the rich tucked away in comfy inns surrounded by their wealth. They go to the fields – to the shepherds – the ones sleeping under the stars. They are the ones who get to see the angles light up the sky, sing and proclaim “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom His favor rests. (Luke 2 10-14)
Some biblical scholars think that the reason Satan didn’t know if Jesus was indeed the Christ is because of His humble entrance. Satan, who is the father of pride, would expect an entrance worthy of God. Not poverty, indifference and darkness. In a world full of noise where we strive to be seen and heard, how are we missing God’s daily coming into our lives?
Take the following interaction between Elijah and God
Then the LORD said: Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD; the LORD will pass by. There was a strong and violent wind rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the LORD—but the LORD was not in the wind; after the wind, an earthquake—but the LORD was not in the earthquake; after the earthquake, fire—but the LORD was not in the fire; after the fire, a light silent sound. When he heard this, Elijah hid his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. A voice said to him, “Why are you here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19 11-13)
Here in the silence is where Elijah can hear God speak to him.
We have come to believe that big entrances, opulence, and lots of noise equal important things. I remember a failing restaurant that put a bouncer and a stanchion outside and instantly became popular. Don’t get me wrong- I am not putting down the people described above and their entrances. What I did want to point out is that sometimes we miss God because He comes in simple ways. No grand entrances. And sometimes God misses us because we feel like we have to be something more before we can come to Him.
God is not calling for us to make big entrances, He is just asking us to be present. To allow ourselves to notice Him throughout the day and acknowledge Him in both His greatness and in the little things. Because He is indeed the creator of all good things – He will be found in all.
Why am I sharing this right before Lent and not during Advent? Because my dear friend, God wants to be found. As we approach the desert let us remember what He told Jeremiah “When you call me, and come and pray to me, I will listen to you. When you look for me, you will find me. Yes, when you seek me with all your heart, I will let you find me” Jerimiah 12-14. So, this lent, come to God in your littleness. Walk into the desert as you are because “God does not see as a mortal, who sees the appearance. The Lord looks into the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7). And if your heart is just as messy as a manger- don’t worry He has been there before and knows how to make it a home.
Have a blessed Lent!
3 Strands
I was recently invited to speak at a marriage retreat with my husband. I was so excited. I mulled over a few ideas and thought I would speak about the most famous married couple of all, Mary and Joseph. When I prayed on it further, I kept receiving a cord of three strands as the theme. Let’s get this straight, I am not a paratrooper – I have no idea of cord strength, the value of a 2 strand cord vs a 3 strand cord or anything else like that, but I just kept feeling that the three stranded cord was to be my direction. When I googled it- I just started laughing- little did I know God had already long ago written about a 3 stranded cord in the bible.
Ecclesiastes 4: 9-12
Two are better than one: They get a good wage for their toil. If the one falls, the other will help the fallen one. But woe to the solitary person! If that one should fall, there is no other to help. So also, if two sleep together, they keep each other warm. How can one alone keep warm? Where one alone may be overcome, two together can resist. A three-ply cord* is not easily broken.
I pondered this for a while. Why would you emphasize the importance of two, the strength of two and the benefit of two, then at the end just add in-as a by the way- a 3 ply cord is not easily broken. That last bit made no sense, until of course it did.
I remembered an article Scott Hahn had posted about marriage in Croatia. When you announce your engagement, people congratulate you on finding your cross. No one says wow you found your perfect person. On the contrary! Instead, they say to them: “You have found your cross. It is a cross to love, to carry it with you, a cross that is not to throw away but to treasure.”
When the bride and groom enter the church on their wedding day, they carry a crucifix with them. The priest blesses the crucifix. When the time comes to exchange their vows, the bride puts her right hand on the crucifix and the groom puts his hand on hers, so that both hands are joined together on the crucifix.
The priest covers their hands with his stole as they exchange their vows, according to the rite of the Church, to be faithful to each other, in joy and in sorrow, in sickness and in health, till death do them part. Then, instead of kissing each other, the bride and groom kiss the crucifix. Those who witness the ceremony understand from it that if one of them leaves the other, he or she leaves Christ on the Cross.
After the ceremony, the newlyweds bring the crucifix to their home and put it in a place of honor. It will forever be the point of reference and the place of family prayer. In times of difficulty, the family do not go to the lawyer or the psychiatrist, but kneel down together before the crucifix in search of help from Jesus Christ. They kneel down and maybe even cry and open their hearts asking the Lord and each other for forgiveness. They go to sleep with peace in their hearts because they have received forgiveness from the only one who has the power to save.
Husband and wife will teach their children to kiss the crucifix every day and not to go to sleep like pagans, without first giving thanks to Jesus. They know that Jesus is holding them in His arms and there is nothing to fear.
PS Here is where you find the lowest divorce rate in all of Europe.
This is the cord of 3 strands. In every marriage two become one. The Priest says “what God has united let no man tear asunder.” Jesus is the third strand of this union. Marriages that have Jesus as its center strand are stronger because, you don’t only lean on each other you can lean on Christ. I’ve been married for over 30 years, Jose and I made a promise to each other to always keep Christ at the center of our marriage. Have there been times where we got distracted, allowed other things or obligations to come between us? Yes of course, but we always come back to Jesus. We have found that our strength doesn’t come from ourselves, but is always found in Jesus. He is the very definition of love. His goal is always to draw you closer to Him and through Him each other. A Priest at my cousin’s wedding told them- “Judy – your job is to get Jason into heaven and Jason your job is to get Judy into heaven.” Many of us forget that love is sacrifice. But this is what Jesus teaches us on the cross. That love is sacrifice. It is willing the best for someone else and doing all possible to get them to heaven.
My prayer for you today is that you allow Jesus to be the third strand in your marriage. That you allow Him to be the glue that binds you and transforms you into love.
If this or any of my writings have touched you please share them! To ensure you dont miss any future posts please use the link in the upper right side to sign up to have these emailed to you.
A King’s Secret
“A king’s secret it is prudent to keep, but the works of God are to be declared and made known” Tobit 12v7
This is a biblical verse I have carried around for many years. When I first read it, I literally stopped and let it settle in my heart. It is what compels me to share my faith-even (especially) when I’d rather stay silent. This verse is what motivates my blog and is why today I am sharing a testimony.
Lectio Divina- Many of us are familiar with this way of praying the bible, It’s a meditative way of reading the Bible in which we let go of our own agendas and open ourselves to what God is trying to say to us. For those who are new to this-here is a quick intro to Lectio Divina
- Reading. Read a passage slowly and carefully within the bible. …
- Meditation. Read the passage again, thinking deeply or dwelling upon a spiritual reality within a text. …
- Prayer. Having a loving conversation with God.
- Contemplation. Resting in God’s presence.
- Action. Go and do likewise
Earlier this year I was introduced to Lectio Divina in a zoom class I was taking through Encounter School of Ministry (https://encounterschool.org/) The verse we were given was Matthew 8 5-11 The healing of the Centurian’s servant.
When he entered Capernaum, a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully. “He said to him, “I will come and cure him.” The centurion said in reply, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed. For I too am a person subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. I say to you, many will come from the east and the west, and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet in the kingdom of heaven.
I immediately became excited because at every Mass when we pray-Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed, I pray under my breath- “send your word to my children as well and meet them on their road to Emaus” Like most parents today, I worry over my children’s faith journey. A few of my kids no longer attend Mass. So being assigned this reading for our group, I felt like God was winking at me. He was, but not how I expected. Our group leader read the scripture three times- the first time we were to just receive it, the second time we were to ask God what part of the scripture He wanted us to rest at. The third time we read the scripture we were to ask God what message He had for us.
The second time we read the scripture I wanted to rest at “Lord I am not worthy that…” but I felt the spirit saying no, not there keep going, I was surprised but kept going “send your word” no, not there either- the fruit is further along. This is where I felt the Spirit say here- this is for you. “I say to you, many will come from the east and the west, and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet in the kingdom of heaven.” I remember being surprised and then I scrunched up my nose and said there Lord? Are you sure? What could you possibly have to say to me in this verse?
Are you ready? I sure wasn’t. I felt that gentle voice within say google the phrase “many will come from the east and the west” and find where else it exists in the bible.
Before I go on-the reason I am sharing this with you is because when God feeds one of His children, He expects us to share. His promises are not just for a few but for all His children. So, parents who are reading this – this is for you as well! I want to make sure that when you read this you know that this wasn’t just for me- it’s for you too! This is what I found.
I read this over a few times and just felt God hug me through His loving words. My kids are His kids. He is more interested in their salvation than I am. In His time, He will lead them all home. My job is to stay steady in prayer and thanksgiving, all the while planting seeds of love and faith that He will bring in.
St Peter says in his letters to always be ready to share the reason for your hope. Jesus is my hope. The way that God shares His abundant graces and continuously reassures us and feeds us demonstrates His love in a tangible way. I may not be able to touch it, but I can surely feel it in my soul.
I hope this testimony lifts you up as much as it did me. Anytime I read a testimony, I see it as food for the journey. It sustains us as we walk towards heaven.
Finding God In The Everyday 