Filling the Emptiness

Friends of Faith:

As I woke up this morning I started thinking about all I have to do and all I haven’t had time to do, like writing this meditation – and I realized that I have filled many empty spaces and a fairly disciplined routine with “junk” – meaningless and/or unstructured and unfulfilling busyness. Instead of my mission bringing me peace it is bringing me stress because I know it is incomplete and is missing flavor.

One of the things that I heard repeatedly at the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia a couple of weeks ago (yes, we did get to see the Pope J) was that if we didn’t take what we learned back out into our families and our communities, then being in the presence of “religion,” having faith, was meaningless. It would have no taste and result in no lasting change for the better.

“You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.” Mt 5: 13-16

As I think back over the last couple of years I realize that before being displaced at work by the fire I had a routine, everything had a place and for the most part my time was pretty structured. I had disciplines that put God first like getting up to go to mass, praying daily before we left the house and reading scripture daily (when my computer screen opened up).

Everything seemed to fall into place, to flavor each other, to carry out a God given purpose.

During the year we rebuilt I adopted a somewhat new routine in order to get new duties accomplished. And despite the fact that life was busier God seemed to always be at the center – not only did I need him to get through all of the decisions that needed to be made but I was very aware of all the blessings he was reigning down on us, on the many prayers that were being answered.

Both routines left me, for the most part, fulfilled and at peace. I got both house work and client work done in both a timely and orderly fashion-- answering messages and meeting deadlines. Life had a God given purpose.

But lately, especially this summer which has been filled with family, visiting friends and a very memorable trip to Philadelphia I have felt something missing – like the salt that had gone tasteless.

And most of you would think that moving into the new building would have “freed” me – given me more time, less stress etc, etc. However, I can’t seem to get as much accomplished and the routine days look a little like ground hogs day. I feel myself lacking the fulfillment and peace of what I know my faith should provide even when I accomplish most of what I put on my list for the day.

What I am realizing is that many of those “freed” up spaces haven’t necessarily been filled by Godly actions, by faith or especially by disciplines that put God first. They have been filled by me wanting “me” time, by “me” wanting “freedom,” and even by “me” wanting to hide.

Religion [cannot] be relegated to the inner sanctum of personal life, without influence on societal and national life. 
     -Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, 183

God has a different purpose – a purpose I was reminded of yet again this week when several of you reminded me that you had not seen this message in a while.

God doesn’t want us to hide. God doesn’t want our faith to be left inside of us, or just inside of our houses, or just at Sunday mass. God wants us to give to others, to think less about ourselves and to remember everyone of our blessings every day.  

He wants us to spread his Gospel message every day. He wants us to pray in thanksgiving, to ask for forgiveness and to ask for all our needs. He wants us to be filled by him and He wants us to fill others With Him—not through our words, but by our actions – by loving and serving our families and our friends.

St. Francis of Assisi said, “Preach the Gospel always. If necessary, use words.”

That is what gives me the most satisfaction, the most fulfillment – when I see those I love receiving what they truly need and thanking God for what they are being given. But without each of us doing our part, without each of us praying for, helping and being there for one another then we are the light under the bushel basket (hidden) and the tasteless salt that is searching for flavor.

May each of us fill our emptiness by serving and praying for one another. May all of us find our freedom in the discipline that puts God first.

Blessings,

Charlotte

Proclaim the Beauty

Friends of Faith:

Proclaiming the Beauty, Goodness and Truth of Christ.

Christ lived it. Pope Francis proclaims it. Are we doing our own part to live and proclaim it?

What does our life, our marriage, our family, our speech and our choices, say about the beauty, goodness and truth of being Christian? www.thealexanderhouse.org (Proclaiming the Beauty, Goodness and Truth of Marriage)

Do you have that one large family that you admire that doesn’t seem to have a lot of “rich” ie money, but always seems to have it together by just being together, by the way they take care of each other?

I often say I give credit for many of my behaviors and attitudes to my grandparents, parents and aunts and uncles. It is because they showed me what it means to help out a neighbor, to serve within our family and community, and to forgive those who hurt us in anyway. They showed me the beauty of having Christ thru the Church in our family and in their own marriages because being together as a family in church was always an important part of our gathering together.

It was important for us to gather not just on holidays, but whenever possible. Traveling and vacation meant visiting cousins, playing cards, flying kites and Grandma’s walnut cookies and kolaches. We enjoyed just being together. And we were taught that peace and joy was found in giving instead of receiving by being active volunteers in our neighborhoods and communities.

We went to church every week as a family and often as an extended family, looking forward to the next time we would gather. Church was a priority and a central gathering place, a treasure that we looked forward to, especially when we traveled and got to visit someone else’s parish.

Have you ever tried to “hide” what is important, good or bad? Have you ever noticed that it is the church steeple that rises above other buildings in your community, and the bad news which gets all the publicity? But dark (bad) can be hidden, extinguished, by just a little light. And the beauty of Christ is that light.

Jesus said to the crowd: “No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it under a bed; rather, he places it on a lampstand so that those who enter may see the light. For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light. Take care, then, how you hear. To anyone who has, or will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he seems to have will be taken away.” Lk 8: 16-18

Light or darkness, there is no in between; for Christ or against him, there is no in between.

'The Amen, the faithful and true witness, the source of God's creation, says this: "I know your works; I know that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, 'I am rich and affluent and have no need of anything,' and yet do not realize that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I advise you to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may be rich, and white garments to put on so that your shameful nakedness may not be exposed, and buy ointment to smear on your eyes so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and chastise. Be earnest, therefore, and repent. "'Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, then I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me. I will give the victor the right to sit with me on my throne, as I myself first won the victory and sit with my Father on his throne. "'Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'" Rev 3: 14-22

Hot or cold, not lukewarm; rich or poor—in God’s view; light or dark; open door or closed—It is our/my choice to see and proclaim the beauty.

God is standing outside our door with a light that is the truth. Do I see the beauty and proclaim the truth? Will “I enter his house (church) and dine with him, and him in me” (receive His body in the Eucharist)?

Or have I hidden the light, become lukewarm (through misguided priorities), or for any reason completely closed that door (through sin), so that all that is seen from the outside is a lukewarm hypocrite. (Do I proclaim my Christianity but do nothing to live it?)

In his goodness and mercy God will wait forever for me to turn the handle and reopen the door to arrive at His beauty. He will not leave, if I repent—he will forgive, AND His grace through the sacraments will help me get back up and come back in. That is the beauty of His proclamation to us.

So, am I “hot” for my faith? Have I opened the door to beauty and to proclaiming the Church teaching on marriage, love, relationships and life? Am I seeking to learn more and to be educated in God’s light?

Do I look forward to visiting Church, remaining in His presence, and proclaiming His good news? Am I regularly seeking nourishment (through prayer) that is full and fulfilling: Scripture, the Eucharist, and truth?

Or am I eating cultural lies and societal junk food (happy surface stuff) which only keeps me warm for a little while?

Christ, You are the Light of the World. You hold the keys to the heavenly kingdom, to the door of hope, healing and forgiveness. Help me to proclaim your beauty and goodness by showing all I meet how opening your door has given me peace and joy. Give each person the grace to open the door for themselves and the gifts of courage, wisdom and knowledge to make others curious enough to open the door for themselves. Amen.

Be Hot for Christ!
Proclaim the Beauty, Goodness and Truth of the one holy, apostolic and Catholic (universal) Church, of Christ, of marriage, of life and of unending joy by the way in which you live this week.
Blessings,
Charlotte

Life is a Search

Women of Faith:

If we are willing to admit it, all of life is a search.

For those of us that have faith  in an “after life” (heaven or hell), whether we believe in God, Jesus Christ or some other power higher than ourselves, we are actually following a guide—a guide that says there is more to this life than just today, something richer and fuller than what is here on earth.

And even those who don’t believe in anything are on some sort of a search, somewhere, for something—searching for what to feel, how to feel or for something that will make them feel a particular way—a search for no more searching.

Those who might say today, that they have done everything they desire to do or that they wish to stay exactly the same as they are right now for the rest of their lives, will probably change their minds tomorrow.

So very few can ever say they have found everything they want, that they are truly content with what they have and where they are in life.

And yet, this is exactly what Christ offers to us—a beginning and an end to our search: “Peace be with You.” We are actually searching to answer for our call to holiness, to be holy.

 “To you who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be holy, with all those everywhere who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” 1Cor 1: 2-3

In the first official writing released just this week by Pope Francis he says: “There is an urgent need, then, to see once again that faith is a light, for once the flame of faith dies out, all other lights begin to dim. The light of faith is unique, since it is capable of illuminating every aspect of human existence. A light this powerful cannot come from ourselves but from a more primordial source: in a word, it must come from God. Faith is born of an encounter with the living God who calls us and reveals his love, a love which precedes us and upon which we can lean for security and for building our lives. Transformed by this love, we gain fresh vision, new eyes to see; we realize that it contains a great promise of fulfillment, and that a vision of the future opens up before us. Faith, received from God as a supernatural gift, becomes a light for our way, guiding our journey through time.” Encyclical Letter Lumen Fidei (Light of Faith) Pope Francis http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/francesco/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20130629_enciclica-lumen-fidei_en.html

Instinctively we are seeking peace (in contentment) for ourselves and we seek to offer peace (to give joy) to others.

Heavenly Father, You are our guiding light, the answer to our search. Help me to see and follow You in faith. Give me the grace to put aside the search and the need for the worldly and to be grateful for the opportunity to give joy to others in service. Help me to find peace in my search for holiness and the achievement of Your will. Thank you for meeting all of my daily needs. Amen.

The search can be over. Peace can be achieved. But the work of giving joy is never done.

May the peace of Christ be with you, today, tomorrow and always,

Charlotte

Influence and Hope

Friends of Faith:

I recently related my “surprise” at how God influences my mood by putting just the right hope filled words in front of me at just the right time.

We spent some time with Andy at Loras yesterday and these are the words on banners in the front of the campus church:

“Keep the Surprise Alive!” “There is nothing more beautiful than to be surprised by the Gospel, by the encounter with Christ. There is nothing more beautiful than to know Him and to speak to other’s of our friendship with Him. Pope Benedict XVI”

And mass was dedicated to the memorial of St. Josephat Kuncevyc, bishop and martyr who died because he wanted to unify the divided church of Ruthenian.

He evangelized to give hope to a divided nation. Just as Paul evangelized to Titus, “For a bishop as God's steward must be blameless, not arrogant, not irritable, not a drunkard, not aggressive, not greedy for sordid gain, but hospitable, a lover of goodness, temperate, just, holy, and self-controlled, holding fast to the true message as taught so that he will be able both to exhort with sound doctrine and to refute opponents. Ti 1:1-9

St. Josephat’s influence was because he was holy, blameless and he held fast to the true message of God.  His message, like Christ’s was for unification, not division, one body, one Spirit for all. And St. Josephat became a saint in part because his influence, like Christs’ was after he was martyred, not when he was alive.

Will our influence AFTER we die, be greater than when we are alive? Who do we remember, who did we know, that influenced us MORE when we look back by how they lived their humble lives?

As I said, I have been surprised by some of the other messages this past week:

“The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest in great ones. ..... You justify yourselves in the sight of others, but God knows your hearts; for what is of human esteem is an abomination in the sight of God." Lk 16:9-15

God knows our hearts, it is His power that is important, not human power.

“The LORD keeps faith forever, secures justice for the oppressed, gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets captives free. Ps 146:7

God will protect and set us free. Forever!

“Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy that person; for the temple of God, which you are, is holy. 1 Cor 3: 16-17

We are God’s temples, in his image he created us to be holy, by our actions, by how we treat ourselves and others, like Christ treated us—to die to ourselves and give everything up for Him.

“Do everything without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine like lights in the world, as you hold on to the word of life, so that my boast for the day of Christ may be that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. Phil 2: 12-18

Around us there may be division, a lack of unity and seeming discord, but God made us to know him, serve him and love him—without blemish—so that we may be LIGHT to the world. Are we striving to become saints?

Heavenly Father, you are our creator, our hope, and our protector. May we become for you as HOLY as you intended us to be. Thank You for giving us Your son’s life to be our greatest influence. Set us free from the captives of this world, from the powers of money and oppression. Help us to honor You, by imitating Him. And may our actions reflect your light and bring us hope, peace and eternal joy. Amen.

If the truest judge of character is what we will be remembered for after we die, then are we doing what we want to be remembered by?

Be influenced today by God’s Hope,

Blessings,

Charlotte

My Search

Women of Faith:

I search daily for my purpose, for what it is I am to do with the gifts I receive and for how I am to act and react to the circumstances of life. I search for answers to day to day choices and for control of difficult problems. I search to give hope and comfort to those who are suffering loss, loneliness and are afraid of the future.

I search to listen to and be guided on the “right” path, by the “right” voice, and with the “right” heart.

I seek to be patient in a world which is overcome with instant gratification and selfishness. I seek to act in kindness and compassion when I am tempted to be judgmental, cynical and sarcastic.

I seek to find the path of the Spirit while being led by laws in a society which is often self serving and ignores God’s simplest commandments and truths.

As I thought about Epiphany and the role of the three kings in Christmas I thought about how they searched for and found Jesus—without a bible, without GPS and without the knowledge of 2012 years of tradition, history and experience. Do we have the patience to wait or do we need an instant post on Facebook? And could we have endured travel on a camel?

"Go and search diligently for the child… And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Mt 2:1-12

Just think about the difficulty of their decision and the actions they took—they chose the “right” star, they chose to listen to the “voice” of an angel instead of King Herod who they could see, and they chose an infant, a stranger, to give their wealth, their gifts.

The sky was filled with a thousand stars for them to choose from, just as we have many paths to follow in our own journey.

A king, Herod, who they could see and touch, tried to lead them astray by tempting them with his own selfish desires.

Finally, they had to believe and trust a Spirit that spoke within them that Jesus was the Messiah, the Chosen One, the one sent to them from God to lead them—a stranger, worthy of gifts of a King.

So are we searching for and praying for the “right” Light?

Are we searching for the grace of understanding: that like the Magi we will recognize God in nature, in our experiences and in our relationships?

Are we searching for greater trust: that God’s Light will guide us into an uncertain future and that we will follow in confidence with a belief in God’s love for us?

Are we searching for peace: that our hearts would follow Jesus by rejecting violence and self gratification and being kind and compassionate in our relationships with spouse, family and friends?

Are we searching for the commitment to begin again: by opening our hearts to wholeness in the Spirit rather than to trying to fill them with earthly satisfaction which will only makes us temporarily happy?

Heavenly Father: I praise the brightness of Your star which guides me. May I continue to be blessed with the desire to follow it, and an opportunity to understand what Your will is for me. May I always search for Your righteous path. Grant me the patience to give to others without expecting instant gratification in return. Help me to stay committed to search for Your love, Your hope and Your peace. Amen.

May your search this week be for His Light, His Choice and His Will in your life,
Blessings,
Charlotte

Light in the Darkness

Women of Faith:

The first thing I do when I wake up is search for the light; the light outside that means It’s time to get up, and light inside so that I can find my glasses, clothes, and my way out of the bedroom.

Occasionally I get up in the darkness of night without turning on the light and I usually pay the price of a bump, bruise or stubbed toe.

The first thing God created in Genesis was light, to contrast with the darkness. Light so that we could see the rest of creation, light so that He could guide us, and light which we could reflect to help others also find the way. Likewise our choice to see Him and follow His light or to walk around in darkness, searching for some path to follow.

Think about a candle. It is a very small light. But in a very dark room it guides our path. It allows us to walk around without bumping into the walls or whatever other obstacles. And it allows us to see the door so that we can enter a new place with a much brighter light.

That’s the way my life is with Jesus too. I can either make the choice to search for His light, follow His light and reflect His light, or I can reject His light in my life. Just like my choice is to turn on the light when I wake up in the morning, so is it my choice to seek God in my life, to look for His guidance in whatever I am doing and hopefully to reflect His presence in my life by the actions I take.

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; Upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone. You have brought them abundant joy and great rejoicing. As they rejoice before you as at the harvest, as people make merry when dividing spoils. For a child is born to us, a son is given us; upon his shoulder dominion rests. They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace. His dominion is vast and forever peaceful. Isaiah 9:1-2, 5-6.

Dear God: Praise be the light You have given us in Your son, Jesus. Thank you for allowing me to see Your light. Forgive me for the times when I reject the light and instead turn to the darkness of sin. Wake me up with Your light so that I am guided to reflect Your Spirit and can find the peace that You offer forever in Heaven. Amen.

Don’t leave the light off so that you don’t wake up the rest of the house, turn it on! Wake up the house. Be guided by His light and reflect His light to the world.

Blessings,
Charlotte