A CALL TO GROW...

GRACE
A CALL TO HOLINESS

Archbishop Michael Banach graciously joined us at St Joseph's Parish Church

and after the celebration of Mass we received a Lenten reflection on 

the Call to Be Holy!

His heartfelt talk focused upon five elements of approaching the Lenten season.

His approach was lighthearted and easily received.

He let us know that the child within each of us will be met by God wherever

 we happen to be in our walk with Jesus!

"Our only obligation in loving God is to grow!," he said.

To my mind, that meant constant growth all the way into eternity.

"Growth" he said "is the call to holiness!"

#1. What Does Lent Offer Us?

 A PAUSE... for a little while... to see what is...

To listen to the words and voice of the other...

to look into the eyes and faces of the others...

to see and sense, in that pause, the presence of grace...

to feel the breath of God...

to return to the Father of all Graces...

#2. What Does Lent Mean?
To be washed clean,

A chance TO REPENT...to 

To Renew our faith...

To prepare for a Joyful Resurrection!

#3. TO RETURN with your whole heart!

"But now, now---it is Yahweh who speaks---

come back to me with all your heart,

fasting, weeping, mourning"

Joel,2:12

God is full of love!

Let negligence be washed away!

#4 THE CROSS is the Universal call to holiness and Life!

He said,"Do not be afraid of the Cross he gives us,

discover that cross and carry it with Him"

#5 "KNOW that you are loved!"

"Experience the Joy by offering yourself to others!

Find someone more miserable than yourself...come out

from your own sadness and find Joy!"

SEEK and ASK, he said," What is the GRACE God wants to give me?"

Let God "open the doors to the Grace and the Joy He has in store for you!"

"This day I have given you two choices set before you,
life or death, blessings or curses;
therefore, choose Life that you and your seed may live!"
Deuteronomy 30;19,20

THE ANAWIM.. the remnant...little ones

THE REMNANT

Fr. Larry trained our group from St.Joseph's Church with the methods of how to teach children

the Catholic Catechism.  In the 1980's, some of us  were new and learning as we went along,

 others were there for the new certification that was required, as the Bishop requested.

Fr. Larry was actually explaining some of the biblical background that he thought we needed. 

This was all new to me!

Our pastor had put a book in my hands with the lessons to teach the children, and simply said,

"Just keep a week ahead of the kids, and come to me with any questions."

I needed this help!

Fr. Larry was talking about the "anawim". They were the littlest fish... the remnant people

faithful to God, living His precepts as best they could.

Something struck a cord and I was listening intently... he said that they  were the "little ones"

who could and did make a difference.

I have always loved and cherished the thoughts of God's "remnant" and the "anawim," Those

faithful few that He could count on to help Him to try and save a town like Sodom and Gamorra! 

They were begging for those souls to be saved! 

And that brought me to believe that there always exists those in every generation, those

 that please God's favor enough to appease His Justice.

I can honestly say that I have prayed that prayer of salvation at times, but I didn't consider

myself as part of the "little ones", the anawim, who could make such a difference...

until recently, when some thing very remarkable happened !

 PUT ON THE MIND OF CHRIST!

We have spoken about our "mind" being the battleground, and that the evil one would like to

  take over the mind and seed the thoughts of rebellion, pride, and control, denying God's will.

We know and understand that God's Word is alive and active when spoken in the 

Light of the Holy Spirit and His WORD  has power to guide, convert, heal and /or convict us gently.

And scripture warns and teaches that we need "to bring every thought  captive 

into the obedience of Jesus Christ."(2nd Corinthians 10 : verse 4.)
It is a big battle that needs to be faced and may take lots of perseverance in prayer
before experiencing results.

IT HAPPENED!

One day recently, while washing the dishes, a concern for one of my sons entered into my mind,

 and it brought me into a thoughtful conversation with God the Father. In my thoughts,

 I asked the Father for a blessing upon Don, my son, this day and in this moment.

In the space of a heartbeat...my phone texted me a message,"Thanks for the prayer, mom!"

HOW AWESOME IS  OUR GOD !

I continue to wonder in awe...in the face of that happening...

the sheer enormity and scope of the MAJESTY of GOD!

His loving existence throughout the Universe!!!

That He hears each voice, answers each plea...

He is here... and He is there...at the same time Present everywhere!

 GOD'S THOUGHTS, so far above our thoughts,

 GOD'S ways, so far beyond our ways.

Silencing our small and ego minds, we must attempt. A loving God
 comes to our aid when we decide to take the first step.

The battleground is the mind...
Silencing our "ego"minds we must pray to do!

How else can we become the anawim, 

the little ones, that can make a difference in this world ?
How else could we pray and ask to "put on the mind of Christ?"
And if we don't ask... how will we receive?

  

THE MASTER WEAVER....author, Ben Franklin

THE MASTER WEAVER

                                                  Benjamin Malachi Franklin

 Our lives are but fine weavings

that God and we prepare.

Each life becomes a fabric planned

and fashioned in His care.

We may not always see just how

the weavings intertwine,

but we must trust the Master's hand

and follow His design.

For He can view the pattern

from the upper side,

While we must look from underneath

and trust in Him to guide.

Sometimes a strand of sorrow

is added to His plan,

and though it's difficult for us,

we all must understand

that it's He who fills the shuttle,

It's He who knows what's best.

So we must weave in patience

and leave to Him the rest...

Not till the loom is silent

and the shuttles cease to fly

shall God unroll the canvas

and explain the reason why-

The dark threads are as needed

In the Weaver's skillful hand

and the threads of gold and silver

In the pattern He has planned.

THE MAYFLOWER HERITAGE...poem

THE MAYFLOWER HERITAGE

'Twas from a far off land I came

With roots of pride, fear and shame.

All those who paved the way before

Sailed far across to distant shore.

Pilgrim hearts ablaze with love

Sought their guidance from Above

Un-stifled now, began anew

To build in Spirit and renew the 

Freedoms that were once withdrawn.

They toiled and grew, lived and died

To leave a heritage of strength abide.

Yet all the while, a spirit grew and

Waited to emerge anew.

Now the time has circled 'round

What once was lost is to be found.

Our Freedom's won in ages past

to worship God may see it's last

If we give in and fail to right 

The same decrees that spurred our might.

So take the banner, once again,

Stand proud with those who had the dream!

Let not us be denied our due

To live, to love and worship True!

Jean Hopkins Mahan

3-20-04

ANCESTRY ROOTS ...continued: A Path of Light!

WHAT A REVELATION !

Just recently,a  link had been discovered that connected
the members of our family tree to  the year 1642, and beyond.
 What a revelation !

There they were..family names... dates ...movements from state to state...

 their gifts...sacrifices...resourcefulness...perseverance...service to

humanity...strength of spirit!  

It all opened up before us and was a little overwhelming to see!

Something else deeper,something that cannot be seen, began speaking to me

about our lineage and the lives of each person from whom we carry 

forward the same DNA makeup.

Their spirits are carried forth into each of our generations as gifts and strengths,

along with many negative weaknesses and character defects...also!

Many years earlier, in the late nineteen eighties, my "Journey" was focused
upon the healing of our family tree. This came as a result of an interest of past family members
 and a desire was stirred from a discovery of one of those family"skeletons hidden 

in the closet" that was never acknowledged or discussed in our family and had

 left many deep scars .
 Those wounds needed to be  uncovered and placed into the Light of Christ
where forgiveness and healing could happen.

There was something  their that brought anguish from deep within me.
God knew what it was. 

Something deep within the psyche. Something hidden that could not be touched

 with  or by human means.
What was it???

"COME LET US SET THINGS STRAIGHT!"


A PATH GIVEN LONG AGO

Many years ago, after Evening  Prayer, as I sat quietly alone,
words began to flood through my mind...
not my words, not my own thoughts!
"What is happening here?" I thought.
I reached for pen and paper and began to write...

THE PATH OF LIGHT
Jesus sought to walk His path of Light
through darkened tunnels of my night.
My anguished heart cried out to Love's own Face
to heal the wounds the years did trace
upon this child.
 Left to seek her own pursuits, she stumbled, fell
to rise again and find she had a destiny.

Can it be true that Love and Light
would lead onward toward the Night
so dark, so deep, so filled with fright?

Yes, it is true that Light pervades the
deepest pool where unknown forces seek to rule.
Our heritage of Adam's root gives way to Word
that cuts the ties of sin and death...
of fear and lies and shame.
The Word of God does  enter in
to places no one else has been!

Creation once more takes It's part
in patient stillness from the heart.
It was all so new, I dare to say "the Lord has been there
faithfully,since first I sought Him in my prayer."

Then, came a time when I knew the Light would
shine all through those darkened ways to make me new!
It is another step with Him, who opens to Eternity...
And I my Lord did see with eyes of faith given me...
His hands,His feet were nailed and torn
for me to rise on Easter morn!
Amen

ROOTS OF ANCESTRY...each one called...

EACH ONE CALLED FORTH

Both you and I, each one, are heirs of the Kingdom

and heirs of the spiritual gifts of Jesus Christ.

 Yesterday , my daughter Karen called, all happy and

excited about a new discovery; a find, a link forward to our 

ancestral family tree roots, dating  into the 1600's.

In my childhood days, time spent with my Nana Hopkins, my father's mother,

there were stories and reminders that our origins here in America began

from that ship that brought the English from England over the ocean in the Mayflower. 

The stories included a relative, a prominent man, who helped the Pilgrims settle and 

befriended the Indians there...and we might even have Indian blood in our genes!

As a child, wow, that sounded so awesome, but were they just telling a story, or

was it true?

Well, the story goes that a Mr. Munsey, also a descendant of the family, 

who owned a printing company, published a copy of our, so called, history.

The family supposedly had, and  owned that one copy!

These stories stayed with me and were passed on to our children and grandchildren.

One day, our grandson Ryan and later, our grandson Jesse, were asked by their teachers

to interview a grandparent. They each had a list of prepared questions to ask 

 that brought out memories of those childhood stories once again.

That may have been what prompted me to go into research of the past generations history

 and  enter a phase of the  generational Healing of our Family Tree.

As we sat at the kitchen table together, in front of Karen's  opened computer,

all the Hopkins men and our past families became real!

Family from families past.Unwoven treasures of our inheritance!

She had discovered the "link"that connected us to 1642 and beyond!

What a Revelation...in more ways than one!

There was something even deeper going on  that was not being grasped 

at the moment!

A MESSAGE...in the stillness

IN THE STILL OF THE NIGHT

"Have no fear...have no fear! No fear.

Fear separates us, one from the other

Fear is useless...what is needed is trust!

You are mine..never to let go!

Come to me in all instances of unrest

I will soothe your troubled heart, and

calm the voices in the mind.

Fear is not of my doing.The evil one seeks to kill

and the human side seeks to run away from Me.

I see your struggles;

do not fear.

Just come and rest in Me.

I love you, my little one."

ARE YOU SEEKING FOR MEANING?...

  COME HOME

 In the book of Kings,today's reading, a verse popped out at me!

The story is of King Solomon and his renowned wisdom, which reached far

and wide to the Queen of Sheba. 

"She came to test him with difficult questions," scripture says. "She had to see with

 her own eyes,the Wisdom in all his ways."

The palace he built, the food at the table, the organization of his staff and

 the joy and happiness of all his people amazed her.

She could not believe until she saw it with her own eyes.

Scripture states,  "She opened her mind freely to him."

"For all her questions, there was none too obscure for the King to answer."

 "FOR ALL HER QUESTIONS...

THERE WAS NONE TOO OBSCURE FOR THE KING TO ANSWER"

Are you seeking for meaning to life's questions?
Who am I?  Why am I here now?
What is my purpose in this life?
How could I hear God's Voice?

In God's realm, there is nothing God cannot explain,

if He chooses.

Don't block your blessings ...let Love guide you.

The Church is God's plan for the world !
We are the Church !
We are part of the Body of Christ!
We, you, are part of God's plan...

A body without a "head" is dead!

The Church is the Body of Jesus Christ..

Jesus is the Head...

We cannot have a Church without the Head...

In that Body of Christ ,the Church, is His Presence...

WHERE THERE IS COMMUNITY,

THERE IS PRESENCE...

"Wherever there are two or three together I AM Present"...
"I WILL NEVER DECEIVE YOU, OR LEAVE YOU ORPHANS, ALONE"

Come home...bring all your questions and doubts.

Come and see for yourself...

You are loved!
Be blessed too!