Humbly Accepted

Friends of Faith:

I am sometimes confused by what it means to be humble—does that mean that I am to always remember that I am a sinner and that I can do nothing right, or that nothing that I do is quite “right enough?” And does it really mean I have to give up everything or can I keep some of my “favorite things?”

Everything I have, even my most basic needs, are God given gifts. So, which parts of my life did God give me as a gift so that I could survive, and which parts did he give me so that I would be able to serve others? And why does sorting through that question seem so difficult?

Although I heard the same gospel readings multiple times this past weekend it struck me that each time the description of humility included the word “acceptance.”

Acceptance of my weaknesses and my faults but with a firm resolve to try to do better; acceptance of the “critical analysis” which friends give me to help make me better and an accepting attitude that it is my will, my resolve and my perseverance that will convert ME to be the daughter of God that God created me to be--in His image.

Everything I have is His and I could have done nothing that I have done without Him. It is with great humility that I REALIZE just how much God has already given me AND that He has a purpose for not only everything but every person he has placed in my life.

Without Him I would have nothing. Without His grace to bless my decisions nothing that I do would make a difference. And it His grace that takes and makes whatever it is I do in His name into something that makes others feel His very presence in their lives.

Humility isn’t about how I see myself or even more importantly it isn’t about how others see me. But rather humility is the grace to choose to do God’s will and to accept my weakness in needing His power to make what I do acceptable to Him.

He told a parable to those who had been invited, noticing how they were choosing the places of honor at the table. “When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not recline at table in the place of honor. A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him, and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say, ‘Give your place to this man,’ and then you would proceed with embarrassment to take the lowest place. Rather, when you are invited, go and take the lowest place so that when the host comes to you he may say, ‘My friend, move up to a higher position.’ Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” …blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” Lk 14: 7-14

Do I look and act like the person HE made—because I am created in His image, shouldn’t I do whatever it is that I am doing in the same way God would? Do I use and share the gifts that HE gave me in the way he expected I would use them? Do you?

Are my priorities the same priorities he would have chosen for me? What has He given me that I am trying to keep for myself instead of sharing it with others (time, talent or treasure)?

Do I willing accept the sacrifice of hard work or a suffering of discipline, or do I keep trying to find a shortcut, pain relief, or a way to make His work more politically correct so that I can have social gain, instead of heavenly gain?

Do I find excuses so that I can do what I want to do instead of taking the time to do what God wants me to do? Am I willing to walk the same path He did, choosing to be with the least, and putting others needs ahead of mine?

Or am I expecting something in return when I give up my place at the table?

Heavenly Father, When you sent the Angel Gabriel to Mary to announce that she would be the Mother of Your son, Jesus, “Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” (Lk 1: 38) Give me the grace to imitate both her humbleness and her acceptance of the gifts and the sacrifices that must be made because of those very gifts. As she thanked you for her son, Jesus, Your Son, so I thank you for the gifts of my family. As she sacrificed and gave everything back to you, help me to humbly accept all that You ask me to give back to you. In your name, Amen.

All of the earthly riches around me weren’t created for me to live happily, or have a greater place at the table. The gifts we each have been given are for us to use to joyfully help others see God, thru us, and thru our own willingness to give EVERYTHING for them regardless of their ability to pay us back for what we have given or given up.

Are we giving enough? Could we give more? What are we “expecting” in return?

Mary (and Joseph) and Jesus: we were all created in Gods image, with the Holy Family as our living example. Can we be as humble and accepting of the truth, of the way, and of the life as they were?

It’s a journey…..humbly accepted,

In Christ,

Charlotte

Love and Trust Near

Women of Faith:

Be bold, be humble. Speak the truth about love.

Why is it that we are so ready to believe something created by humans, yet are so fearful of speaking and believing the truth created by God?

Were you disgusted or did you believe what you saw depicted as love, and as “normal,” in the multi-million dollar ads on TV during the Super Bowl? Will you be as ready to stand up and advertise real love and real truth?

“Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place.” Lk 4: 24

(CNA/EWTN News) ‘Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday asked Christians to proclaim God’s love with “boldness, humility and coherence” like Jesus.

“Let us ask the Lord to give each of us a spirit of courage and wisdom, so that in our words and actions, we may proclaim the saving truth of God’s love with boldness, humility and coherence,” said Pope Benedict.
“Jesus did not come to seek the consent of men, but to give testimony to the truth. The true prophet does not obey anyone other than God and places himself at the service of truth, ready to pay in person.”
He noted that “it is true that Jesus is the prophet of love, but love has its own truth. Love and truth are “two names for the same reality” and “two names of God.”
“Love does not boast, it is not puffed up with pride, it is not disrespectful, it does not seek its own interests and does not get angry. It does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice over wrongdoings but rejoices with the truth,” he said. (1 Cor 13: 4-6)
The Pope said that to believe in God is to “give up prejudices and accept the concrete face in which he has revealed himself, the man Jesus of Nazareth. This way also leads to recognize him and serve him in others.”
He talked about the Sunday reading in which Jesus reads a passage of the Old Testament at a synagogue. Jesus said that “no prophet is accepted in his own country” and named two miracles performed by the prophets Elijah and Elisha.
Pope Benedict said Jesus’ words “showed that sometimes there is more faith outside of Israel.”
“At that point the reaction was unanimous as all rose to hunt him down and to try to throw him off a cliff, but he calmly passes through the angry people and leaves,” said Pope Benedict.
“Why did Jesus want to cause this failure?” he asked.
“But this is precisely the point: Jesus did not come to seek the consent of men, but to give testimony to the truth.”’ (CNA/EWTN News)

It is often easier to hear the “prophets of afar.” It is often easier to listen to the social and cultural media ads by giving them greater authority, by allowing them to distance me from living my Christian beliefs and values, and by enticing me to believe that I can judge and live by my own standards. Instead I should be listening to, responding to and speaking about the message that Jesus brought to us through his life of sacrifice and death on the cross.

Instead of “hearing” those God has placed nearest to me to help guide me: my spouse and faith filled friends, instead, sometimes, it can seem easier to choose to throw Him (them) off the cliff and believe in the media, the culture, so that I can remain “socially” acceptable.

In faith, however, I know the nearness of the truth within myself—the natural and born again truth, thru Christian baptism in water and the Spirit, which He created within my heart and soul for all eternity.

Jesus is “that native place,” the voice of truth and love.  He is present to offer me hope.  

By trusting in the real truth, by accepting His forgiveness, and by responding to those around me in charity and love, with patience and kindness, then my eternal reward will be far greater than anything temporary offered to me here on earth.

Heavenly Father, I will sing of YOUR salvation. You are so very near. Help me to speak YOUR truth. Help me to sacrifice me, for You! Guide me to avoid the temptations of following that which is far from Your path by being more aware of Your love which is so near. Give me the faith to speak up for the far richer gifts of heavenly reward while denying and avoiding the temptations of the temporary richness of this world.  Amen.

Jesus doesn’t need our consent. He is VERY near and only needs us to follow.

Will you accept the love and truth that is Christ near you?

Be blessed by seeing AND accepting Christ,

Charlotte

Standing Together

Women of Faith:
“Lord Jesus, open the Scriptures to us; make our hearts burn while you speak to us.” Lk 24-32

“How do we get more people to join us?” was a comment from one of our date night participants last night.

They echoed both my sorrow and sometimes my frustration of not only the marriage ministry and enrichment program but of life and living in general.

I want EVERY person that I meet to experience love in their marriage, joy in their life and hope in their futures—the hope, love and joy we are promised by Christ if we follow Christ.

And while praying that we can stand together as Christians, I also struggle not to judge others actions because it hurts to watch the people whom I care about experience sufferings and sorrows in their life because of their own actions.

Friends who say they are Christians, but yet do little or refuse to turn to God; who deny their faith by their actions (although sometimes their words would say otherwise); who struggle to forgive or to accept; who are self-serving instead of self-giving or who seem stuck in a lifestyle that won’t allow for offered enrichment or hope to enter their lives.

“Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!” Ps 119: 23-24

“Stephen, filled with grace and power, was working great wonders and signs among the people. Certain members of the so-called Synagogue of Freedmen.... came forward and debated with Stephen, but they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke.” (So they blasphemed him to try to take away his credibility) Acts 6:8-15

Even those in Christ’s time who were blessed to be present during his miracles denied, blasphemed, spoke against, crucified and tore down those who were clearly giving them God’s message.

“Jesus answered them and said,..."Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him the Father, God, has set his seal." So they said to him, "What can we do to accomplish the works of God?" Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent." Jn 6: 26-29

We have been blessed by the Miracles of Fatima and Lourdes, given the living examples of Mother Theresa and Pope John Paul II and yet we doubt like St. Thomas, deny like St. Peter and have persecuted like St. Paul.

We are being asked as Catholics and as Christians to stand for the law of Christ against the law of the nation which denies religious freedoms in the current health care mandates. Will we?

We are given opportunities to enrich our faith by ministries such as the date night program, men’s and women’s faith sharing groups and bible studies. Do we do take the time and prioritize an event that will enrich our marriage or are faith life beyond our “one hour” of weekly church attendance? Are we even giving God the one hour so that he might “open the Scriptures to us”?

Heavenly Father, May our hearts burn as we hear the words you have spoken. Help us to truly open our hearts and minds to do the actions you require of us as Christians. May we have the courage to stand together to give full attention and praise to your law even if it means we will be persecuted because we must deny societal rules. Protect our priests and religious who publicly hold themselves up to your righteousness. And may we all follow you, by taking the opportunities to enrich our faith lives in daily prayer, in reading and studying scripture and by doing something extra to help someone else today. Amen.

May you be blessed by God and may you have the strength and courage to do what is right by God,

In Faith,
Charlotte