#LENT: (atrophied) joy vs. (every day) joy

Posted on April 2, 2019 by Virginia

 “From somber, serious, sullen saints, save us, O Lord.” Saint Teresa of Avila

On this Lenten Tuesday we’re over half way through Lent. Maybe there are things we were hoping to do (that we haven’t done) and things we didn’t want to do (stuff we gave up) that crept back into our ‘doing.’

Whatever the case may be, just don’t let this Lenten season be all doom and gloom. Lent is also a time to get our joy muscles in shape in time for Easter, to take them for a workout (so they don’t atrophy) by sharing a little joy with ourselves (& others.)

“The Lord of gladness delights in the laughter of a merry heart. These wedding guests at Cana could have done without wine, surely without more wine and better wine. But the Father looks with no esteem upon a bare existence, and is ever working, even by suffering, to render life more rich and plentiful.” George MacDonald (“The Miracles of Our Lord”)

“’Whatever He saith unto you, do.’

Out flowed His grapes divine;

Though then, as now, not many knew

Who makes the water wine.”

George MacDonald

grace, peace & (every day) joy

Virginia : )

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#Lent: harvesting joy (from tears)

Posted on April 1, 2019 by Virginia

Going through tough times and seasons of loss, sometimes we think we’ll never be happy ever (ever ever) again. But that’s when giving ourselves time to heal can help us move forward, one teary moment (& prayer) at a time.

“Those who sow with tears
    will reap with songs of joy.
Those who go out weeping,
    carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of joy,
    carrying sheaves with them.”

(Psalm 126:5-6)

“God of sowing and reaping, grant those moving from tears to joy the patience to wait, and the confidence to believe happiness will return.”  Sister Joyce Rupp, OSM

grace, peace & harvests of joy

Virginia : )

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#LENT: Looking @ The Beattitudes

Posted on March 31, 2019 by Virginia

On this Lenten Sunday Virginia is dusting off something she shared during her 1st post-a-day Lent gig (7 years ago.) Here’s an inspiring interpretation of the Beattitudes of Jesus Christ from favorite Scripture scholar, J.B. Phillips.

‘Exposition on the Beattitudes’ 

“Most people think:

Happy are the pushers: for they get on in the world.

Happy are the hard-boiled: for they never let life hurt them.

Happy are they who complain: for they get their own way in the end.

Happy are the blasé: for they never worry over their sins.

Happy are the slave drivers: for they get results.

Happy are the knowledgeable men of the world: for they know their way around.

Happy are the trouble-makers: for people have to take notice of them.

But Jesus Christ said:

Happy are those who realize their spiritual poverty: they have already entered the kingdom of Reality.

Roses by the Sea of Galilee

Happy are they who bear their share of the world’s pain: in the long run they will know more happiness than those who avoid it.

Happy are those who accept life and their own limitations: they will find more in life than anybody.

Happy are those who are ready to make allowances and to forgive: they will know the love of God.

Happy are those who are real in their thoughts and feelings: in the end they will see the ultimate Reality, God.

Happy are those who help others to live together: they will be known to be doing God’s work.”    (J.B. Phillips)

grace, peace & attitude adjustments

Virginia : )

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#Lent: De-cluttering (our hearts)

Posted on March 30, 2019 by Virginia

Virginia began this Lenten post-a-day gig focusing on tidying up our spiritual homes, utilizing scrub brushes (as necessary) to root out yucky stuff clogging the drains of our hearts & lives. On this Lenten Saturday maybe it’s time to take a deeper look into the internal corridors of our hearts and see what needs to go?

Stuff that’s just taking up space, sparking not joy but disgruntlement, discouragement, despair?

We might ask God for a little humility as we go along, keeping in mind that humility is not putting myself down (a slap in our Creator’s face) but acknowledgement that yes, sometimes I screw up. And yet I hold on to the knowledge that God’s mercy & grace are abundantly available cleaning out the messes in my failure closets.

“It’s easy to throw things away that are cluttering up our apartments, but is it easy to clean up the inside of my life – to throw away rebellious spirit, selfishness, pride, control, pettiness?”  Sister Macrina Wiederkehr

grace, peace & de-cluttered heart corridors

Virginia : )

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#LENT: Being Still (vs. frenetic)

Posted on March 29, 2019 by Virginia

So much clamors for our time and attention all day long (and at nighttime, too.)

Responsibilities tug at us from all sides while distractions deluge us thru social media as we constantly ‘check in.’

During Lent it’s a time to make space for stillness in our hearts. To be quiet (turn our phones off for a sec or two.) To listen.

“Be still and know that I am God…” (Psalm 46:10)

“Let us look within ourselves and see whether there is some delightful hidden place where we can be free of noise and argument. Let us hear the Word of God in stillness and perhaps we will then come to understand it.” Saint Augustine

grace, peace & stillness

Virginia : )

“What matters is to listen attentively to the spirit and to go obediently where we are being led, whether to a joyful or a painful place.”  Henri Nouwen

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#Lent: Keeping Away (from cliff edges)

Posted on March 28, 2019 by Virginia

CAUTION: KEEP AWAY FROM THE EDGE OF THE CLIFF

(Monument Valley, UT)

Here’s something for Lent to consider, how close do we get to the cliffs of temptation?

“Free cheese is always available in mousetraps.” (Anonymous)

It’s been hard for me this Lent giving up chips and cheese. I like salty things, especially with sandwiches (a tad boring without chips to perk them up.) Temptation hides in kitchen cupboards waiting for me in bags of crispy chips.

Must say several times I’ve opened a bag and even put my hand in, but somehow managed to put everything back in the cabinet without indulging.

Close to the edge, but not toppled over?

I like chips, but I adore cheese. It’s much harder giving up cheese.Thus the cliffs of temptation vis a viv cheese must be avoided from a greater distance: I’ve gone back on the vegan wagon so cheese is not (not not not) an option.

Just sayin’ getting close to edge is a relative thing when it’s easy to fall in temptation whether it’s cheese, chips… or something more serious.

Whatever temptations we face, it’s good to keep at least two feet from the edge of their cliffs (& be on the lookout – sometimes cliffs are hard to see.)

grace, peace & cliffs of temptation(s)

Virginia : )

“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” (I Corinthians 10:13)

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#Lent: Hectic Peace (a prayer for)

Posted on March 27, 2019 by Virginia

Amidst our busy weeks it’s sometimes hard to know whether we are coming or going. On this Lenten Wednesday, here’s a prayer from a favorite spiritual writer about just that.

“O God, give me the courage to find rest in You, especially during the hectic times in my life. Let me learn to keep alive the flame of inner peace and to dwell in Your presence so that I can be of service to others.

Then may I be Your heart, hands and voice.”  Thomas Merton

grace, peace & hectic (inner) peace

Virginia : )

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#Lent: Forgiving others (& ourselves)

Posted on March 26, 2019 by Virginia

“Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the door of resentment and the handcuffs of hatred. It is a power that breaks the chains of bitterness and the shackles of selfishness.” Corrie ten Boom

Forgiveness is one of those Hard Things in our lives of faith that Christ asks us to do. In today’s Gospel when Peter asked, “how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answers, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” (Matthew 18:21-22)

Oft times forgiving others is not an easy thing to do even once, but 77 times? That’s a whole lot of forgiveness.

Forgiveness sets us free from the hold bitterness and hurts have over our hearts. Maybe the 77 times is that when we forgive by God’s mercy and grace (it’s sure hard on my own steam) we need to keep forgiving others (& ourselves.)

Say we forgive someone (or ourselves) for something specific, but a few weeks later we get steamed up about it, so we go through Forgiveness 101 again (& again) until we get to the 501 level where our anger & bitterness finally dissipate when the issue resurfaces.

Again, not (not not not not) easy, this forgiveness thing. This cracked clay pot usually needs lots of prayer (& Holy Spirit assistance) to forgive.

But Jesus Christ on the Cross asked God:

“Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”

grace, peace & forgiveness

Virginia : )

 “Forgiveness is me giving up my right to hurt you for hurting me.” Anonymous

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#Lent: Saying “YES” to God

Posted on March 25, 2019 by Virginia

Today on the Solemnity of the Annunciation we honor Mary’s open heart of faithfulness when Angel Gabriel appeared with the Good News of God’s love for us and of her special role in bearing God’s son into this world.

“…you will be with Child…”

“…Yes, I am the handmaid of the Lord; may it be done to me as you have said.”

I don’t think many of us realize what Mary risked with her ‘yes’ – not just dreams of future happiness as the wife of her fiancé, Joseph. It was a different time. Unmarried women with unexpected pregnancies faced a harsh death by stoning.

Mary risked DEATH.

But she believed the angel’s words: “NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD.”

…and then she looked at the impossibilities and saw possibilities with confidence in God.

Trust.  Faith.  Grace.  Love.

Confident in the love of God,  Mary continued saying ‘yes’ to God – from the joyous announcement of Christ’s indwelling in her to the foot of the Cross where by faith she stood in her sorrows.

May God open our hearts and strengthen our faith to say ‘yes’ like Mary, in joyful times and in times of sorrows.

“My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…”

grace, peace & open hearts

    Virginia  : )

“Mary’s whole heart is manifested in the words of the Magnificat. Mary’s words give us a new outlook of life. The outlook of an excellent and persevering faith; a faith which is the light of daily life. Of days sometimes tranquil but often stormy and difficult. A faith, which, finally, lightens up the darkness in each one of us.” Saint Pope John Paul II

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(#Lent) Óscar Romero & life-sermons of Love

Posted on March 24, 2019 by Virginia

On 24 March 1980 Archbishop Óscar Romero was assassinated while celebrating Mass at the Divina Providencia Chapel in San Salvador. Receiving death threats a few weeks before his murder, he said: “Let it be known that it is no longer possible to kill the voice of justice.”

Today as we remember Saint Óscar Romero’s life of courageous faith and the love of Jesus Christ he shared (especially with the poor), may his voice continue to challenge our world toward justice, peace & love. On this Lenten Sunday, here are a few of his quotes…

“There are many things that can only be seen through eyes that have cried.” Saint Óscar Romero

“Like a voice crying in the desert, we must continually say ‘No’ to violence and ‘Yes’ to peace.” Saint Óscar Romero

“Let us not tire of preaching Love; it is the force that will overcome the world.” Saint Óscar Romero

grace, peace & life-sermons of love

Virginia  : )

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