Everything Is Holy Now

St. Catherine of Siena "Your Candle is Love"

2012-01-30T08:10:00.005-05:00

Came across these incredible words from St. Catherine while reading, Give Us This Day last week. It reminded me of an image I used in my talk on Saturday about an oil candle.

Nor is the sacrament itself diminished by being divided, any more than is fire, to take an example. If you had a burning lamp and all the world came to you for light, the light of your lamp would not be diminished by the sharing, yet each person who shared it would have the whole light.

True, each one's light would be more or less intense depending on what sort of material each brought to receive the fire. I give you this example so that you may better understand me.

Imagine that many people brought candles, and one person's candle weighed one ounce, another's more than that, and they all came to your lamp to light their candles. Each candle, the smallest as well as the largest, would have the whole light with all its heat and color and brightness. Still, you would think that the person who carried the one-ounce candle would have less than the one whose candle weighed a pound.

Well, this is how it goes with those who receive this sacrament. Each one of you brings your own candle, that is, the holy desire with which you receive and eat this sacrament. Your candle by itself is unlit, and it is lighted when you receive this sacrament. I say it is unlit because by yourselves you are nothing at all. It is I who have given you the candle with which you can receive this light and nourish it within you. And your candle is love, because it is for love that I created you, so without love you cannot have life.

Thank you, St. Catherine!

Mesa Moment #34: Another incredible sunrise out my back window

2012-01-27T08:10:00.002-05:00

Literally, this Mesa Moment took my breath away as I stumbled out of bed to get a cup of coffee.I still cannot believe the reality of life that this picture captures: both light and darkness. I look at these pictures and remember my own feeling of awe, and I know that there is something bigger than us in this world!

Thin Places

2012-01-26T08:10:00.004-05:00

My new post is up at dotMagis titled, "Thin Places"

William Barry, SJ, in his book, A Friendship Like No Other, invites us to be aware of our “thin places,” those moments where we easily find God. Barry’s challenge to name for ourselves our “thin places” was a challenge I took to heart, and I have come to two conclusions.

First, there are “thin places” that occur in my life that are unique, special places that I do not get to visit very often, but when I do the felt presence of God is almost overwhelming....

Second, as Barry’s question of “thin places” remained on my heart, I found myself pondering it often during my Examen. Over time, I began to realize that there are some very basic rhythms and routines of my life that allowed me to readily and easily find God: snuggling my daughter, Abby, while sipping my morning coffee; sitting down to lunch with my kids after preschool to hear about their day; reading to my kids and our night time ritual of prayer; and savoring the few quieter moments with my hubby after the last door of my kids’ room was closed.

Where are some of your "thin places"?

Getting Angry with God

2012-01-25T08:10:00.001-05:00

Friday's reflection by Ron Rolheiser honestly captured the reality that every person who believes in God will at some point get angry with God. He suggests that having complete honesty with God and struggling through and being honest about our anger can bring us to a new depth of love with God. A great read!

Too often we are under the impression that God does not want us to struggle with him, that God prefers sheep who docilely acquiesce (even as they swallow hard on the bitterness that so spontaneously arises in the emotional, psychological and sexual mechanisms which God built into them). But God wants to be wrestled with. As Rabbi Heschel points out, ever since the day that Abraham argued with God over the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah, and Jacob wrestled with the angel, those close to God have also occasionally engaged in similar arguments. The refusal to accept the harshness of God's ways in the name of God’s love is an authentic form of prayer. Indeed, the prophets and saints were not always in the habit of simply saying, “Thy will be done.” They often fought, challenged, squirmed and begged as a way of saying “Thy will be changed!” I suspect that sometimes they did annul divine plans. God wants to be struggled with, especially if we have been living in God’s house for a while.

How can wrestling be a form of prayer? Wrestling can be a form of prayer precisely because it can be a form of love. People who live together in love for a long time must resolve many tensions. There is constant wrestling, much anger and occasional bitterness. But the struggling together, if persevered in, always leads to new depth in love.

God invites and, I dare say, enjoys the struggle. ~Ron Rolheiser

What Can We Do? Action Steps for Moments of Return for Young Adults

2012-01-24T14:15:00.000-05:00

The second article I wrote for DRE Connect on Young Adults and Moments of Return is available. The first article defined what "Moments of Return" means, and this second article addresses specific things we can do: Celebrating, Inviting to Share Story, Teach, and Connect to other young adults.

The second step is giving young adults an opportunity to share their stories. Inviting young adults to share their sacred stories is an invitation for them to begin to notice God at work in their lives. One of the biggest gifts we can give a young adult is the gift of “holy listening.” For marriage preparation, it is simply inviting the young adults to share how they met, to share about their relationship, and most importantly why they chose to be here. For baptismal preparation, it is taking the time to listen to the story of their child’s birth, the reason they gave their child his/her name, the struggles or ease of getting pregnant, and their fears and joys of parenthood. When a parent calls about sacramental preparation or religious education, we can take a moment to hear about the child, to hear about the gifts of that child, and to minister to the parent. All three moments of return gift us with an opportunity to be “holy listeners” to the sacred stories of young adults’ lives. Truly listening is an opportunity to minister to young adults and provide a connection to our parishes.

Video: Why I hate religion, but love Jesus

2012-01-23T08:10:00.003-05:00

For those who have not seen or heard of this video by Jeff Bethke, this video as of Friday had over 15 million views and has sparked quite a debate.

I believe Scott Miller on Catholic Youth Ministry blog had an incredible response to his video. Scott also shares two videos that attempt to capture the Catholic response.

While there are things I agree with in Jeff's video, I keep returning to the two things I appreciate and love most about my Catholic faith: our understanding of community and our belief in sacramentality.

I learn about Christ by being in relationship with others and by experiencing Christ's love through being loved by another. I learn about Christ by understanding that we, gathered, are the Body of Christ.

I learn about Christ by understanding that it is not just about the fact that Jesus came and that he will come again, but that Jesus is alive and present in our lives now. I understand this through not only the Catholic Church's seven sacraments, but through the millions of sacramental moments in my life. I know what sacramental moments are because my religion, and the people who profess it, have taught me how to pray. I know about Christ because of the legacy St. Igantius left this world in his gift of the Spiritual Exercises.

So, while yes, I love Jesus, I do love my Catholic faith also!

Very interested to hear your response to the video!

Prayer Resources in Print

2012-01-20T08:10:00.000-05:00

To conclude our week of resources for our spiritual development, I wanted to share some books for those of us who do not want to look online for our prayer resources. Here are a few print resources that I recommend for daily prayer. At some point in my faith journey, I have used these in my daily prayer. Right now, I am thoroughly enjoying the new Give Us This Day series, which includes daily scripture readings as well as a reflection from saints.

What else would you include in your resources for daily prayer?

Spiritual Direction

2012-01-19T08:10:00.028-05:00

I have worked with a spiritual director for eleven years. My directors have included two religious sisters, two lay men, and currently, a lay woman. One of the greatest gifts on my spiritual journey has been having a "holy listener" in my life who helps me to fully understand and see God at work in my life. These men and women help me to hear and discern what God is asking of me and to be aware of what God is asking me to pay attention to in my life. I know that I am where I am today in my faith life because of their companionship and encouragement to continue to listen for and to look for God at work in my life. Their gift of journeying with me helped me deepen my awareness of God who is everywhere.

Now, I am on the other side, meeting with my own directees as part of my Certificate in Spiritual Direction program. As I sit on the side of being the "holy listener", I am even more in awe at the gift my spiritual directors have been to me. What a challenge to sit and listen to another in a way that does not interfere with another's on faith life! At the same time, it is a gift to sit across from some one and listen to the sacred story of their lives.

If you have never met with a spiritual director, I encourage you to consider it. Often priests and religious brothers and sisters offer spiritual direction. Many lay men and woman, too, are trained as spiritual directors through programs at retreat houses and universities as well. A few tips on finding a spiritual director:

Ask around and let people know you are looking for one.
Look for religious orders in your area. Often, they have people assigned to the ministry of spiritual direction.
Finally, check out Spiritual Director's International Seek and Find Guide. Here, you can search online for your city, state, spiritual affiliation, etc.

As always, if you have questions about finding a spiritual director, ask away!

Online prayer resources

2012-01-18T08:10:00.006-05:00

I often get emails asking for suggestions for prayer. I want to offer you a few of my favorite online resources that support my prayer life:

What else do you use online for a prayer resource?

Nooma Video: Today

2012-01-17T08:10:00.013-05:00

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Today, I am giving two talks at St. Joseph's Academy's Junior Retreat: How are we called to live? and Who are we called to be?. I am very excited to be back at my alma mater and to participate in this retreat. I have fond memories of the retreats I attended as a student at SJA, and they were very impactful on my faith journey.

The retreat will open with a prayer service including this video by Nooma. The words in this video are quite powerful as it encourages us to focus on the present moment and how Jesus is asking us to take part today. It also challenges us to let go of anything that is keeping us stuck and incapable of living our fullest life.

Please the SJA girls in your prayers today as they make their retreat!

Retreat Centers

2012-01-16T08:10:00.001-05:00

This week, I wanted to offer a few resources to help us reach our goals for our spiritual life in the new year. New York Times had this article by Susan Gregory Thomas on the benefit of a silent retreat. Here is an excerpt from her experience at Wernersville Retreat Center.

I sat on one of these at the top of a hill, closed my eyes and sat. I don’t know how long I was there, not meditating “on the breath” or deliberately clearing my mind, but simply internally rolling over the words of my custom-tailored Matthew 3:17. Slowly, though, I grew to feel still and happy.

Later that night, I peeked into the center’s adytum, a dark and lovely stone chapel whose altar glowed with candlelight. I approached a pew and knelt. I thought about my closest family and friends and how Matthew 3:17 might be custom-fit for them, too. Again, time evaporated. That night, I slept 12 hours straight. I hadn’t slept half that much in more than a decade. To read the rest....

As our first resource for developing our spiritual life for the new year, I encourage you to attend a silent retreat. There are silent retreats offered all over the country in retreat houses. Many offer weekend version as well as 5-8 day silent retreats. If you are interested to find out more about silent retreat locations, here are a few places to look (I have attended retreats led by these religious orders in Louisiana and Georgia);

Other options to help your search:

If you have questions about what a silent retreat is, let me know!

A little Humor: Self-Help Advice from a 2 year old

2012-01-13T08:10:00.003-05:00

IThanks to my friend and colleague, Lauren, for sharing this one with me. We both currently have two year olds, and I burst out laughing while reading this post on Self-Help Advice for a 2 year old by Jason Good. As Abby is in the middle of potty-training, this may have been my favorite one:

Pee on the floor and stomp in it like a puddle. You’ll be shocked how much better you feel.

So, if you are in need of a little humor in your life, I highly recommend you check out Jason Good's full post on 2 year old advice. There are many I can relate to as a mom!

Brady's Prayer

2012-01-12T08:10:00.000-05:00

Continuing with the theme of families, faith, and children, I wanted to re-post one of Brady's favorite prayers that he learned from his three year old class last year.

Children can teach us so many things about faith. Two nights ago, as Brady and I were saying our prayers, I experienced yet another moment of Brady being my teacher. After saying what we were thankful for that day, he said, "Mom, I have a new prayer I want to say that one of my teachers taught me." His prayer was:

Father, we thank you,

For this day,

I am your Child,

Please Show me the Way.

Amen.

Those simple words come out of my son's mouth were a moment of grace for me--what a lesson and prayer of gratitude and surrender in 17 words.

What if our daily prayer consisted of those two simple things: thankfulness and a turn to God?

What are we doing this Lent to make a "return to God" or to deepen our relationship with Him?

Examen for Families

2012-01-11T08:10:00.000-05:00

Without realizing it, it seems the theme of this week is about families, faith, and children. I was directed to this older post on dotMagis titled, "The Examen for Families". As a huge fan of the Examen myself, I am interested in trying this version as a family and with my kids.

1. For what time or event today are you most grateful (thankful/happy)?

2. For which moment are you least grateful?

3. How did you show love today?

4. What was one time your actions or behavior were negative or you withheld showing kindness?

5. Briefly give thanks for this time of reflection and sharing and for God teaching each of you to be more loving.

For the rest of Cynthia Kirk's comments and suggestions on how to do this with young children ....

Parents, We are the Primary Educators of Our Children

2012-01-10T08:10:00.001-05:00

One of the blogs that I read is the Catholic Youth Ministry Blog by Scott Miller. This blog often shares bits of wisdom that leave me thinking about my own children and also about the group that I primarily minister to and with, those in their 20s and 30s. The culture of our teens impacts the work I do with Young Adult Ministry.

This video is a challenge for me as a parent. No matter where my kids go to school or attend religious education it is our job, first and foremost, to pass on the faith.

What does that call each of us to as parents?

Passing On Our Faith

2012-01-09T08:10:00.008-05:00

Here is my post from Friday on Ignatian Spirituality's dotMagis:

Monday night, the LSU Tigers play in the National Championship Game. Those who know me know that I am an avid LSU fan. Those who do not know me, trust me when I tell you, “I bleed purple and gold.” There was no doubt that when Chris and I became parents that we would pass our love for the LSU Tigers onto our children. As infants, they were given gifts by our family and friends, also strong members of the LSU community, such as LSU sippy cups, pacifiers, blankets, and clothes. Chris and I have taught them our cheers, our pre-game rituals, and our traditions. Our children understand what purple and gold stands for. They see a tiger, and they say, “Geaux Tigers,” before even thinking of saying “roar.” They have experienced the community of Louisiana State University fans that occurs instantly when two LSU fans see each other. In essence, my children have been fully immersed in this way of being.

As parents, it is our responsibility to be the primary educators of our children’s faith also. This means that Chris and I are charged, as parents, to share our faith with our kids with the same passion that we share our love for LSU. Why does it feel easier sometimes to share our love of a team rather than to share our love of our faith? We, too, as Catholics have rituals and traditions. We, too, have a Catholic community that extends far beyond where we live and creates camaraderie between people instantly.

To read the rest....

Geaux Tigers!!!!!

Blessing of Home for Epiphany

2012-01-06T08:10:00.001-05:00

Lord God of heaven and earth,

you revealed your only-begotten Son to every nation

by the guidance of a star.

Bless this house

and all who inhabit it.

Fill us with the light of Christ,

that our concern for others may reflect your love.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen

Taken from Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers

Happy Epiphany!

Prayer for Professionals

2012-01-05T08:10:00.002-05:00

Prayer for Professionals

I want what You want, O Lord.
By asking You for guidance with complete confidence and faith that You are helping me,
nothing that I am called upon to do becomes “too much” or “too bothersome.”
Nor is there any room for worry.

I will find it easy to ask You each day to be a partner in my work…to help me get things done…to weigh my actions and decisions in the light of “is this right?” “is this just?” “is this doing Your will?”

With Your help I will make decisions better and faster, knowing that You will not lead me astray.
I will have confidence that, by wanting what You want, I need not worry about the outcome.
So I will live my life, knowing that it is Your will that I accomplish.

Hope is Experiencing the Transforming Power of God

2012-01-04T08:10:00.000-05:00

I am overwhelmed at the responses I have received answering, "Hope is...". As we enter into this new year, I have a few more thoughts on hope I would like to share this week.

Hope is experiencing the transforming power of God:

In an unforseen moment
With the unexpected ability to do something you never thought you could
Through being loved by others and loving others so much that it wells up deeply within you and you experience profound gratitude for life.
Through receiving whatever grace you need in the moment you need it-- to say the right words, to listen with an open heart, to have the courage to do the impossible.

Hope is in our world, and we can choose to believe in it or not.

What advice do you have for young adult Catholics?

2012-01-03T08:10:00.002-05:00

In the November 7th issue of America there was an interview with Robert P. George, a law professor at Princeton University. In the interview, Fr. Kevin Spinale, SJ asked him, "What advice do you have for young adult Catholics maturing spiritually and intellectually?" His answer is worth sharing:

Attend to your spiritual life. Develop a strong interior life, especially when we are making educational choices and anticipating career choices. We have to discipline ourselves to maintain regular prayer....

Perhaps the most important thing for young people to be thinking about is what is God's plan for their lives; what is God calling them to do? Discerning that vocation is in a certain sense one's primary job; and if you do not have a strong interior life, you lack the foundation for discernment. Strengthen your spiritual life so you can properly discern God's will for you in all the dimensions of your life.

Gain God's assistance in living a life that makes sense--integrated and devoted to things that matter.

To read the full interview....

I pose the same question to you...What advice do you have for young adult Catholics?

Hope is...All we've got

2012-01-02T08:10:00.000-05:00

From one of my life-long friends (since we were 8), Stacy:

"Hope is all I’ve got.

I wake up each hoping to be productive and helpful at my job. I hope to be able to figure out challenging situations that arise in my interactions with people. I have hope that eating vegetables will make me healthy. I hope to have patience with those I usually don’t. I hope an elf will sneak into my kitchen and make me coffee before I get up. I hope that I’ll understand this world doesn’t revolve around me. I hope to be able to fulfill whatever God has in store for me that day, even if it means doing laundry!

This is it. This is life. It is going to be good and it’s going to be bad. My faith provides me with a hope that during any tough situation it will someday be better because I know God is taking care of this. I choose and practice this mentality, I make Hope a priority in my life because at the end of the day, it’s one of the few things that I have."

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T08:10:00.003-05:00

I adapted one of my favorite prayers by St. Theresa’s for a new year blessing for all of us:

May this year we have peace within.

May we trust God that we are exactly where we are meant to be and exactly where we are supposed to be heading.

May we not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.

May we use those gifts that we have received, and pass on the love that

has been given to us .

May we be content knowing we are a child of God.

Let this presence settle into our bones, and allow our soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.

It is there for each and every one of us.

I wish each of you a Happy New Year, and I hope that 2012 brings you peace, kindness, joy, and the deep understanding of God's infinite love for you!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T00:01:00.003-05:00

Merry 

I share with you one of my favorite Christmas Songs "Night of Silence/ Silent Night". Every year growing up, my family attended a Methodist Christmas Eve Candlelight Service with my dad's family. The power of light of Christ' birth piercing the darkness as we sang this song reminds me always of why we have reason to hope in the first place.

Merry Christmas! May today be full of joy, of love, and of hope as we celebrate the coming of Christ into our world.

(I will be taking a brief blogging break until the New year to fully embrace time with my family!)

A Season of Hopeful Waiting

2011-12-24T08:10:00.003-05:00

My friend, Marcie Buckle, shared this reflection on Advent composed of verses she has found comfort in this year. Marce, thanks for sharing and for your friendship!

"Advent, A Season of Hopeful Waiting":

Trust in the LORD with A ll your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

For I know well the plans I have for you, D eclares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope. Jeremiah 29:11

Love does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, belieVes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 1 Corinthians 13:6-7

Then the pEace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7

My soul, be at rest in God aloNe, from whom comes my hope. God alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not fall. Psalm 62:6-7

Show me your ways, O LORD, Teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. Psalm 25:4-5

I hope this Advent season was one of hope, and I hope that the Christmas Season, which starts tonight deepens joy, hope, and love in your life!

What do you choose?

2011-12-23T08:10:00.004-05:00

I thoroughly enjoy the world of technology. It provides avenues to meet amazing people that would typically never cross your path. Recently, I met a woman named Melissa, who is doing a year of service in Chicago and who writes on a blog: Like Sunlight Burning at Midnight. She shared the reflection she wrote for the Amate House's Advent Reflection Series on "Waiting in Hope". POWERFUL!

Who could fathom the Christmas story? We’re talking about the God of the Universe here. We don’t expect a God who is born in a stable in the backwaters of Galilee. We don’t expect a God who takes on all humility and vulnerability as an infant, lying in a manger.

This unexpectedness teaches me something about God and about hope. Maybe what I define as “reality,” the picture of life that would lend me to despair, is not the end of the story, and even moreso, it’s not the entirety of the present story. Sometimes we miss the “God’s with us in this moment side of the story. The hope that comes from knowing that Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us. God is the God of the unexpected. And so, I dare to listen to the Advent call and wait in joyful hope.

And that dare is a choice, a fight, to wait in joyful hope. We all have the things in our lives that try to steal our hope. To read the rest of this beautiful reflection on hope...

Thank you, Melissa, for your reminder that, "yes, life is a mess, but God’s in the middle of it"

Mary Receiving Jesus in Her Arms

2011-12-22T11:34:00.001-05:00

My new post is up at dotMagis, Mary Receiving Jesus in Her Arms.

The moment my son, Brady, was first placed into my arms everything changed. As I gazed into his tiny eyes, stroked his peach fuzz hair, and snuggled new life, I knew my life would never be the same. I knew my life would be consumed with loving him, and I knew, as I held him, that I would experience love in a way I had never experienced before. The very act of receiving my son into my arms for the first time changed my life.

Advent prepares us for the birth of Jesus. On Christmas, we celebrate the act of Mary receiving Jesus into her arms for the first time—a moment that exemplifies “the Word became flesh and lived among us” (John 1:14). Can we imagine the gaze between mother and child that day? Mary gazing into Jesus’ tiny eyes, stroking his hair, and snuggling the new life in her arms. Mary feeling the same profound love, tremendous responsibility, and fear that all parents experience. Jesus looking up at her. Jesus crying and needing to be soothed by his mother, the same way all newborns need to be soothed.

To read the rest...

Hope is...A few more insights

2011-12-21T08:10:00.004-05:00

Hope is...

"Life sustaining" ~Amanda Robert Kirby

"Walking by faith and not by sight!"~Barbara Persac

"It is believing that even though things are hard and life may crumble about you, that you will move on, you will be carried through the storm and stand up on top." ~Sara Henderson

In case you missed the other reflections on hope:

Hope is

Hope is knowing God hears us

Hope is inner peace

Hope is...what drives us to action

2011-12-20T08:10:00.002-05:00

From my brother, Connor, (sharing words of wisdom from my dad):

"We constantly live between fear and hope. As we approach a new situation, we have fear of what lies ahead but, we hope that the situation will produce our desired outcome.

Hope is the basis of what drives us to do things that might be seemingly irrational. It would be simple to avoid facing the fear, from doing the hard work, but hope gives us the strength to accomplish our tasks. Hope is the basis of faith. For, if we have hope that we get past our fears and accomplish what we are meant to do, we have faith that we will be rewarded for doing so."

What is hope to you?

How to Help Your Hope

2011-12-19T08:10:00.000-05:00

As we continue to delve into the meaning of hope, I came across this post on Days of Deepening Friendship blog about how to hold onto hope and develop it.

"Hope is a gift from God, but it’s also a habit we cultivate—or forget to cultivate. How can we help our hope?

Keep a gratitude journal. I’ve heard this advice from several sources lately. The idea is that gratitude is a habit we build. And if we get used to noticing what’s worthy of thanks, then it’s a logical progression to become more hopeful about what the future holds.
Remember some key Jesus phrases: “Do not worry” and “Be not afraid.” Whenever you’re feeling un-hopeful, just imagine Jesus standing there next to you, saying one or both of these statements. Do you really want to argue with Jesus?
Collect some stories of hope—the aunt who beat cancer, or the friend who finally found employment. We tend to remember only what’s going wrong.
Imagine a diagram of your life journey. Celebrate what’s gone well. Envision how you will have grown in the next five years. Imagine the joyful events that might occur during that time. We’re very good at imagining what might go wrong—why not turn that habit on its head?

What are ways you hold onto hope?

Hope is....A thing with Feathers

2011-12-16T08:10:00.001-05:00

Thanks to Amy McEntee for sharing Emily Dickinson's poem via facebook:

Hope is a thing with feathers that perches in the soul,

and sings the tune without the words

and never stops at all,

and sweetest in the gale is heard

and sore must be the storm

that could abash the little bird

that kept so many warm.

I've heard it in the chillest land

and on the strangest sea;

yet, never, in extremity, it asked a crumb of me.

Hope is Patient and Trustful Willingness

2011-12-15T08:10:00.002-05:00

"Hope is the patient and trustful willingness to live without closure, without resolution... and still be content and even happy because our Satisfaction is now at another level, and our Source is beyond ourselves."

By Richrad Rohr...shared by Melissa Carnell via twitter

How would you define hope?

Hope is....Inner Peace

2011-12-14T08:10:00.003-05:00

I asked via facebook for people to fill in the sentence "Hope is..." Over the next couple of weeks I will be sharing people's responses. Here is the first one from my friend, Katie, in Baton Rouge.

"Those moments of inner peace that you feel even admist the difficulty of a challenge, or transition. "

~From Katie Tasman

Other thoughts on hope:

-Hope is

-Hope is ...Knowing God Hears Us

How would you feel in the sentence Hope is....?

Radical Change

2011-12-13T08:10:00.002-05:00

For the dotMagis blog, I continue the series on young adults and St. Ignatius...

One of my favorite stories to share, because of the response young adults have to it, is the story of Ignatius on the donkey and the Moor, who “bad-mouthed” the Virgin Mary. It is in this story that we understand the depth of Ignatius’s pride and at times, what seems now, an almost foolish trust in God. Who would really allow a donkey to decide if a person should live or die?

While we may laugh at parts of Ignatius’s conversion story, there is much within his story to teach us about following Christ.

To read the rest....

What, then, is prayer?

2011-12-12T08:10:00.001-05:00

Pope Benedict XVI delivered this address on Saturday evening (November 26, 2011) in Benin when he visited St. Rita's Parish, and spoke to the children there. He has captured not only the essence of prayer "a cray of love directed to God" but also the many fruits of prayer.

"What, then, is prayer? It is a cry of love directed to God our Father, with the will to
imitate Jesus our brother.

Jesus often went off by himself to pray. Like Jesus, I too can find a calm place to pray where I can quietly stand before a Cross or a holy picture in order to speak to Jesus and to listen to him.

I can also use the Gospels. That way, I keep within my heart a passage which has touched me and which will guide me throughout the day.

To stay with Jesus like this for a little while lets him fill me with his love, light and

life!

This love, which I receive in prayer, calls me in turn to give it to my parents, to my
friends, to everyone with whom I live, even with those who do not like me, and those
whom I do not appreciate enough."

Litany of Gratitude #5: Catholic Center College Students

2011-12-09T08:10:00.000-05:00

When I ask myself, "Who in my present life am I thankful for?", the names of the men and women in this photograph, who are college students at the University of Georgia, pop into my head. I have had the privilege of working with most of them while planning and facilitating Charis Retreats at the Catholic Center.

I am thankful for their joy, for their love of life, and for their enthusiasm. I am thankful for their hysterical sense of humor and their laughter. It is contagious!

They have deep faith lives and live lives of faith. They understand their baptismal call to holiness. This picture captures men and women in early adulthood who are already involved in our Church as catechists in religious education, JustFaith participants, Confirmation leaders, youth ministry leaders, retreat leaders, and social justice activities. They are discerning religious vocations, married life, and their professional calls. They are asking deep questions of faith and life. They have so many Sacred Stories, and they are willing to share them with their peers on retreats and with the youth. They fill me with hope, and our church needs to celebrate them!

These men and women come into our home as babysitters and as friends to plan, to eat together, to celebrate success at ministry event, and to share holiday meals. They are an important part of our lives here, and people I want my children to know. They are role models for them.

I am thankful for these amazing men and women I have the opportunity to minister to and with!

Who inspires you? Who makes you hopeful?

Feast of the Immaculate Concecption

2011-12-08T08:10:00.006-05:00

Today is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, where we celebrate that Mary was born without original sin.

"We declare, pronounce and define that the doctrine which holds that the Blessed Virgin Mary, at the first instant of her conception, by a singular privilege and grace of the Omnipotent God, in virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of mankind, was preserved immaculate from all stain of original sin, has been revealed by God, and therefore should firmly and constantly be believed by all the faithful."—Pope Pius IX, Ineffabilis Deus, December 8, 1854

Once again, BustedHalo uses video, humor, and a bit of teaching to capture what today's feast is all about.

Moments of Return for Young Adults in the Catholic Church

2011-12-07T08:10:00.002-05:00

One of the other new places I am writing for is Loyola Press' DRE Connect, a site that connects ministers in faith formation across the country. The first article they invited me to write was on "Moments of Return for Young Adults in the Catholic Church".

Talking with other faith formation ministers about young adults (defined by the bishops as ages 18–39), I often hear these comments: They are just not at our parish. I never see young adults. They never show up. As both a young adult myself and as a person who ministers to and with young adults, I could not disagree more with these comments. I know young adults are showing up in our parishes. The question is: Are we aware of the moments of return for young adults in the Catholic Church?

What do I mean by a “moment of return?” This is a moment when we, as faith formation leaders, are given a golden opportunity to be not only in front of young adults, but also to acknowledge their presence within our parishes, to listen to their stories, to invite them to participate, and to share information with them.

To read the rest....

If you are in ministry, I invite you to connect with other men and women in faith formation at DREConnect. To all of us, I invite us to embrace and celebrate the moments of return for young adults!

Hope is....Knowing God Hears Us

2011-12-06T08:10:00.006-05:00

William Barry in his book,Letting God Come Close, says:

We can be made to feel guilty and ungrateful for desiring what we want, but if we do suppress our desires without being satisfied that God has heard us, then, in effect, we pull back from honesty with God…We need to keep letting God know our real desires until we are satisfied or have heard or felt some response.

Hope is trusting and knowing God hears us as we express our real desires. Hope is knowing that we can express ourselves completely to God, and God not only hears us, but cares deeply to listen.

Advent is a season that invites us remember an incredible reason to be hopeful...God hears us.

What do you think hope is?

Other thoughts on hope

Prepare the Way

2011-12-05T08:10:00.003-05:00

Yesterday's Gospel reminded us of "The Voice of one crying out in the desert" (Mk 1:1-8).

John prepared the way for Jesus. He helped open people's minds and hearts to hear Jesus' message and to accept who Jesus was.

We all have "John's" in our life, who have helped prepare the way for us and who have opened our minds and hearts. Yesterday during mass, I was thinking of all of the people who have helped prepare my way. I am reminded of how often I have been invited to participate and to be exposed to something new by others. These small, simple invitations often offer me a new way of thinking and living. They invite me to a deeper relationship with God.

Who are the "John's" in your life?
Are you possibly being a "John" for someone? If so, who?

May You Always

2011-12-02T08:10:00.002-05:00

"May you always have enough happiness to keep you sweet,

Enough trials to keep you strong,

Enough success to keep you eager,

Enough faith to give you courage, and

Enough determination to make each day a good day. "

My sister-in-law, Ashley, saw this blessing recently on a plaque and shared it with me to post! She is someone who relentlessly reminds me of "hope" in this world!

Hope is....

2011-12-01T08:10:00.002-05:00

I find myself thinking about "Hope" frequently, and I have come to a few conclusions about "hope":

1. There is not enough "hope" in our world. We, too often, are inundated with negative images and messages, which makes it hard sometimes to believe in the goodness in our world.

2. We need to remind ourselves and each other that hope does exist in our world.

3. It is hard to share what "hope" means with another person, especially when that person is in the middle of an extremely difficult time.

Over the next four weeks, I want to offer both an invitation and a challenge. The invitation is to help us put words and flesh to what "hope" means to us in our daily lives. The challenge is two-fold: To both pay attention to where you find hope in your life AND to share it with someone else in your life. I invite you to share what hope means to you via comments on the blog, on facebook, or on twitter or even via a poem, a picture or a song.

To begin with, I want to offer one of my thoughts on what hope means to me:

Hope does not mean there is no darkness in our lives. Darkness, difficulties, challenges, and hurts are part of our lives. However, hope is the belief that there is always light in the darkness, too, that is intertwined, woven around, and piercing every hard, difficult, challenging situation. Hope often shows itself it the smallest of ways, and when the crack of light comes through the darkness it empowers us to believe in something beyond ourselves.

How would you fill in this sentence...Hope is _____?
WHere do you see and experience hope in our lives?
Who, in your life, needs to be reminded that there is reason to remain hopeful?

Litany of Gratitude #4: Margaret Silf

2011-11-30T08:10:00.010-05:00

As Thanksgiving approached, I saw a question via someone's Facebook list of gratitude questions that I really liked, "What author had a huge impact on your life?" It did not take me long to think of an author that I hope to meet in person one day and an author that continually inspires me-- Margaret Silf, a lay woman, mother, retreat facilitator, spiritual director, and Ignatian Spirituality writer extraordinaire (in my opinion).

It was almost 10 years ago someone put Silf's book, Inner Compass: An Invitation to Ignatian Spirituality, in my hands. At the time, the book spoke to me primarily as a thought-provoking guide during a time of self-evaluation. Today, I return to this book often for prayer ideas, retreat ideas, and reminders about the many gifts of Ignatian Spirituality in my life.

What do I admire most about Margaret Silf? Her writing is real, authentic, and resonates strongly with our lived experience as humans. Margaret Silf's writing is a source of encouragement for me as a lay woman, a mother, a spiritual director in training, and a person who is passionate about retreat ministry. When I read her writing and her life stories, I know that I can follow my deep desires of inviting people to connect faith and everyday life.

So, Margaret Silf is on my litany of gratitude. Her writing has been part of my spiritual journey for a decade, and on days I doubt my ability to live my "Both/and" call of mom and lay minister, I remind myself that there is another lay woman out there that had the courage to gift others with her understanding of Ignatian Spirituality.

One day, I hope to tell her this in person!

What author inspires you? Who are you thankful for?

A few of Margaret Silf's books:

-The Other Side of Chaos: Breaking Through When Life Is Breaking Down
-Compass Points: Meeting God Every Day at Every Turn
-Companions of Christ: Ignatian Spirituality for Everyday Living
-Wayfaring: A Gospel Journey in Everday Life

What is Advent?

2011-11-29T08:10:00.011-05:00

BustedHalo has a gift for producing short, insightful, engaging videos on various topics in our Catholic faith. This is their video for Advent. I share it with Thank you, BustedHalo, for another incredible resource.

Advent, A Season of Hope

2011-11-28T08:10:00.012-05:00

Advent is hands-down my favorite season of the liturgical year, mainly because it is a season of hope, of joy, and of prayerful waiting. Over the next few weeks, my hope is that we can delve deeper into what "hope" means in our daily lives, as we prepare for the celebration of Christ's birth.

As we heard yesterday from Mark's Gospel, we are invited to "Be watchful! Be alert!". While Jesus spoke these words to his disciples, these words are just as relevant to us today as they were then. We are invited daily to marvel at the many gifts God gives us that are right in front of us.

What can you "marvel" at today in your own life?

Thanksgiving Prayer #3: Prayer of an Unknown Confederate Soldier

2011-11-26T08:10:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Shannon for sharing this prayer of gratitude!

I asked God for strength that I might achieve.
I was made weak that I might learn humbly to obey.
I asked for health that I might do greater things.
I was given infirmity that I might do better things.
I asked for riches that I might be happy.
I was given poverty that I might be wise.
I asked for power that I might have the praise of men.
I was given weakness that I might feel the need of God.
I asked for all things that I might enjoy life.
I was given life that I might enjoy all things.
I got nothing that I asked for, but everything I hoped for.
Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered.
I am, among all men, most richly blessed.

Thanksgiving Prayer #2

2011-11-25T11:25:00.000-05:00

I asked on facebook for people to share some of their favorite Thanksgiving Prayers. Here is one from Amy:

"Father we thank you for the light and for the pleasant morning light,

for rest and food and loving care,

and all that makes the world so fair.

Help us to do the things we should

and be to others kind and good;

may all we do in work or play,

be done with love and strength each day."

Thank you, Amy!

May today be full of gratitude and peace. Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgving Prayer #1 -Catholic Book of Blessings

2011-11-24T08:10:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving Day Prayer

Lord, we thank you
for the goodness of our people
and for the spirit of justice
that fills this nation.
We thank you for the beauty and fullness of the
land and the challenge of the cities.

We thank you for our work and our rest,
for one another, and for our homes.
We thank you, Lord:
accept our thanksgiving on this day.
We pray and give thanks through Jesus Christ our Lord. R: Amen.

—from Catholic Household Blessings & Prayers .

Thanks to NCCL for sharing this one!

My first post on dotMagis: Young Adult and Layman

2011-11-23T09:02:00.000-05:00

I am excited to announce that I will be a contributing writer on Ignatianspirituality.com's blog: dotMagis. dotMagis is one of the blogs on my daily reading list, and it is one of the few that I read every single word to every day. I am both excited and nervous about being on the team of contributors at dotMagis. Thank you to, Loyola Press, for your invitation to be part of something that already impacts my life daily. Today, my first post is up. Here is a piece of it:

I am always amazed at how much his story speaks to the young adults and how much they find encouragement and inspiration in Ignatius’s story. To begin with, Ignatius’s conversion happened when he was a young adult and a layman. Instantly, this opens up the reality that we are invited, as Ignatius was, into a relationship with God right now as we are in our 20s and 30s. His conversion story did not happen after years of theological training or years of religious education; rather, it happened in the prime of his military career. What does that say to young adults? To read the rest....

Do All The Good You Can- John Wesley

2011-11-22T14:24:00.000-05:00

I saw this sign today at my kids' preschool, and I could not resist taking a picture of it. What an incredible motto to live by! The teachers at the Methodist preschool my children go to live this out in their day to day interactions with the children.

Litany of Gratitude #3: My friend, Charles

2011-11-21T08:10:00.014-05:00

Last week for the Litany of Gratitude, I shared the impact Fr. Carville had on my life because he invited me to attend CLI at Notre Dame. One of the many graces from that trip was meeting a man named Charles Jumonville, who six years later had an enormous impact on my life (more on that in a sec). Throughout college and in my early 20s, I worked with Charles in various roles on Leadership Team for the Diocesan Youth Office and with DYRT (the college retreat team I began). Here is a picture of us from this trip to Notre Dame.


Charles and Becky 1998 (I was a young'un!)

Fast forward six years later....I can remember this day with vivid clarity. Chris and I were sitting at our house on one of the many "hurricane days" you tend to have in Louisiana, and our phone rang. I picked it up and Charles said, "Hey, Bec! I have a proposition for you...I want you to come work at the diocese with me." I remember laughing out loud and saying, "Thanks, but no thanks. I have a job." For some reason, I could not shake Charles' crazy idea, and with Chris' nudging I called Charles back a few days later to say, "Let's talk!". The second I began full-time ministry work at the Diocese of Baton Rouge was the first time I felt at home in my professional life. Charles' invitation helped me to realize my deep calling to ministry, and I have never turned back!

I worked two years full-time with Charles mentoring me, challenging me, and constantly educating me on the ways of ministry within the Catholic Church. I remember during the first 6 months, frequently thinking he was trying to teach me too much and expose me to too much; however, his wisdom to help me understand the many elements of our Catholic faith and the many ministries within our church is education I draw on every day of my life. In addition, a requirement to take the job was to commit to completing my Masters in Pastoral Studies through Loyola University Institute for Ministry. That is a gift I will forever be thankful for as it impacted me profoundly!

I left full-time work at the diocese when Brady was born, and Charles continued to encourage me and support me in completing my degree and in any part-time ministry work, including my passion-- of ministry to and with those in their 20s and 30s. It was with his blessing that Charis Ministries came into the Diocese of Baton Rouge in the first place, and he continued to let me work with Charis, while being a full time stay at home mom. As many of you know, the rest is history...I now work part-time for Charis, and I enjoy my job and the ministry we do to and with those in their 20s and 30s tremendously (I am also blessed to have another director who supports and understand my call to motherhood and allows me to live my "both/and" call to be mom and minister).

Charles and Becky 2009 at Jumonville Advent Party

While I have shared much about the professional impact Charles had on my life, he grew into one of mine and Chris' very dear friends, and he still is today! CPJ, thank you for your constant support and encouragement in my vocation as wife, as mother, as writer, and as lay minister. I will always be thankful that you picked up the phone 7 years ago to ask me your "crazy question"!

Who in your life invited you to participate in something that changed your life?

Videos on Sacraments

2011-11-18T08:10:00.014-05:00

BustedHalo has a video series on the Sacraments. The videos are short, informative and engaging. Great refreshers about the meaning of the Sacraments. Here is the video on Confirmation (Why we are Confirmed). I wish that this video would have been available when I was working with the college retreat team I began, Diocesan Youth Retreat Team in the Diocese of Baton Rouge. This would be a nice addition to the many Confirmation Retreats DYRT led (maybe they can use it now!).

I invite you to check out the series: Sacraments 101 !

Mesa Moment #33: Chatahoochee National Forest

2011-11-17T08:10:00.000-05:00

I am still not used to having a fall. I mean a real fall that begins in September and ends in December with vibrant, bright fall leaves. I am a Louisiana girl, and back home, everything stays green year-round. Some of the trees back home in Louisiana turn colors, but the leaves never change all at once to create the stunning view that I get to see here in North Georgia.

So to be able to see the view we saw two weeks ago on the way to a cabin in the mountains was breath-taking...literally. I captured these as we meandered through the Chattahoochee National Forest, so keep in mind that are taken from our car.

I do not know how long it will take for me to get used to four seasons, but I know that my appreciation for the season of fall is deeper than it has ever been. There is something about it that is good for my soul! Fall invites me to stop, to breathe deep, and to soak in the amazing beauty that surrounds us. It invites me to marvel at the ongoing changing of season that happen in nature and that happen in our lives.

Letting Go

2011-11-16T08:10:00.000-05:00

Vinita Hampton Wright has been on a roll lately on her blog, Days of Deepening Friendship. Every time I check-in, she has captured another reality of a woman's life so well. Here are three of her six suggestions for all of us (not just women) to keep in mind as we are invited to let go..

Let go of perfection. You will make mistakes. Your house won’t always be as clean or organized as you like. You won’t keep up with friends as much as you’d prefer. Your parenting and grandparenting will always leave something to be desired. Your projects will always need a bit of improvement.
Let go of goals. Remember the saying, “If you want to make God laugh, make plans.” It’s fine to set goals, but it’s detrimental to beat yourself up when the goals aren’t met in quite the way or on the timetable you had planned. Often we don’t reach our goals because life’s interruptions prevent us from doing so.
Let go of loved ones. People are entrusted to you—that doesn’t mean they are your possessions. They make their own choices, go their own way, and—yes—they suffer calamity and sadness no matter how much you love them.

To read the rest...

What are you being invited to let go of right now?

For me, number 3, is a challenge as a mom. I have to remember that Brady and Abby are on their own way, and that I cannot prevent everything from hurting them.

Ignatian Wisdom #13: What Ignatius Would say to a lay person

2011-11-15T08:10:00.001-05:00

I came across this in my journal today as I was writing an article about St. Ignatius. Jim Manney posted this piece by Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, SJ on the dotMagis blog in September, and I must have liked it so much, that I copied it into my journal.

"Human life has meaning. We are not aimless beings, without a goal or purpose. We have been created by a God who loves us. We are called to build the Kingdom of God by knowing, loving and serving God and other people and thus entering life everlasting....

God calls each and every one of us to share in a great enterprise. The lay person has a vocation, just as the religious and the priest has. The one thing that matters is to recognize our calling and respond to it faithfully..." To read the rest...

What is your calling?
How are you responding to it?

Litany of Gratitude #2: Fr. Carville

2011-11-14T08:10:00.007-05:00

As we approach Thanksgiving, I invite us to share with each other...who we are thankful for? Last week, I began with my older brother. This week, I would like to share about Fr. Carville, who may not to this day understand the impact he had on my life.

When I was 17 and a senior in high school, I received a letter from Fr. Carville in the mail inviting me to attend the Catholic Leadership Institute (CLI) at Notre Dame University, sponsored by the Diocese of Baton Rouge. The letter included the logistics of the week and then simply said, "Becky, I would like to invite you to apply to attend." So, I did apply, and I several months later went on CLI just a few weeks after my graduation from high school.

As we look backwards on our lives, we can name major events that were turning points in our lives. Events that transformed us in a way that we still understand the impact. CLI was one of these events for me. Fr. Carville's invitation to attend changed my life.

What was so big about CLI for me? During junior and senior year of high school, I began to explore and ask questions about my faith. The catalysts for these explorations were confirmation preparation and my religion classes my junior and senior year (and my teachers). By the time CLI came around, I was ready to own my faith. CLI opened the door for me to understanding a community of faith. It was there on that week at age 17 that I met incredible adult role models, who are now close friends, (you will hear more about them later), and I also witnessed my peers who led authentic lives of faith.

It was on that week at CLI that something deep within me opened up, which I can name now as the awareness of God, fully active in my life.

This all began with a simple invitation. The fruits of Fr. Carville's invitation are still part of my life today. So, Fr. Carville, while I do not get to see you any more since we are in two different cities...thank you for that invitation to participate so many years ago!

Who in your life are you thankful for? Please share with us in the comment section or via facebook!

God Adores Creation

2011-11-11T08:10:00.001-05:00

People for Others' Blog tends to share powerful prayers that I often have not heard before. Here is one they shared from St. Francis Assisi that reminds us God's love for his creation.

How can I have been this blinkered?

I think God might be a little prejudiced.

For once He asked me to join Him on a walk

through this world,

and we gazed into every heart on this earth,

and I noticed He lingered a bit longer

before any face that was

weeping,

and before any eyes that were

laughing.

And sometimes when we passed

a soul in worship

To read the rest....

It matters to God if we are weeping or laughing or somberly waiting.

Mesa Moment # 32: Apple Orchard

2011-11-10T08:10:00.005-05:00

There is nothing better than a icy cold apple hand-picked off the tree in 35 degree weather! It makes my mouth water just thinking about it. We took the kids a week ago to pick apples from Mercier Apple Orchards in Blue Ridge, GA. I am not sure who was more excited about the experience me or the kids! I have never seen so many apple trees and apples in one place.

This orchard had over 100,000 apple trees, and every apple is hand-picked and hand-bagged. Every time I experience a farm, like this one, I am in awe at what it takes to grow the food we eat on a daily basis. Not to mention, it serves as a reminder that as much as we have progressed as a society, there are still some things that good ole nature takes care of for us...sun, rain, seasons.

Sharing this with my kids was no doubt a Mesa Moment for me. We ate and tasted so many apples and different varieties it made our tummies hurt! Abby, my two year old, put down two apples herself! To all the parents and grandparents out there, I highly recommend taking your kids to a U-pick farm. There are just some things you appreciate more after you learn where they come from!

Now on to think of all the yummy ways we can eat apples!

The Psalms of our Lives

2011-11-09T08:10:00.002-05:00

I am not quite sure why, but recently I find myself drawn to the Psalms. There is much wisdom about our lives there because it is easy to find a Psalm that echoes the yearnings of our own heart from joy to sorrow to lamentation. How often do we find ourselves like the Psalmists begging God for help or thanking God for his gifts?

For instance, I spent days with Psalm 1:2-3. Its words brought me strength and hope as Chris and I walk another transition of life together. I know we can still "prosper" and "yield fruit" in this season of change if we remain rooted in faith.

"Rather, the law of the LORD is his joy;

and on his law he meditates day and night

He is like a tree

planted near streams of water,

that yields its fruit in season;

Its leaves never wither;

whatever he does prospers."

A priest once reminded me that there are 150 Psalms in the bible, but we are still writing our own Psalms that speak to our deep longings of God within our hearts and within our lives. I find myself often speaking my own Psalms to God for healing, for help, and for joy.

Where are you writing Psalms in your life?

Do you have a favorite Psalm?

Seeing with the Heart

2011-11-08T08:10:00.002-05:00

I am quite happy to capture a picture with this wise man, who is both a friend, a wise mentor, and the pastor at our church. Fr. Tom is a gentle, soft spoken man, that speaks such incredible words during his homily I often find myself taking out a pen and paper to capture a few of his words. It has been a joy to work with him for the last three years as we mutually learn from each other.

A few weeks ago, his homily was on Mt 22:34-40 where Jesus shares what the greatest commandment is, "You shall love your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind" and then he goes on to say, "and you shall love your neighbor as yourself". In his challenging homily, Fr. Tom invited us to "see with our heart" both in our relationship with God and our relationship with others. When we do this, we understand Jesus' commandment deep down inside of us.

We must first love God, and, I would add, be loved by God. Once we understand the depth with which God loves us we are transformed in a way that we can love our neighbors, our family, our friends, and our colleagues, even those that frustrate us, in a way that God invites us to love--with compassion.

Seeing with God's heart invites us and allows us to hold people in a way that we ourselves cannot do alone. It is only with God and through God that we can see and understand in our hearts that God offers his love to all people, not just the ones we like.

How do you feel about the depth of God's love for you?
How have you experienced a transformation due to God's love for you?

Litany of Gratitude #1: My Older Brother

2011-11-07T08:10:00.009-05:00

During the next few months, as we enter two of my favorite holiday seasons, Thanksgiving and Christmas, I would like us to offer a litany of gratitude for all the people in our lives that we are thankful are part of our lives.
I will share people in my life that bring me joy, and I invite you to do the same.

For my first post, I want to share about my older brother, Chip, who I have looked up to since I was little. I am thankful for Chip for so many reasons. Top of my list, though, is his love of life, his love of his job, and his support. He is one of those guys that jumps out of bed ready to face the day. I can remember as kids, he would always concoct some wild and crazy game or adventure for me and my younger brother. Being with Chip meant we were going to have fun, we were going to try something new, and we were going to follow him in whatever he did. Chip still has that same joy and zest for life, and it comes out in his energy for everything he is involved in.

Watching Chip live out his calling to be a pediatric surgeon is one of the most inspiring things to watch. For seven years, I watched him and his wife, Ashley, work so hard and make so many sacrifices for him to finish his five-year residency and his two-year fellowship. All I can say is...when you see one of your doctors, know that they sacrificed a ton to be your doctor in their long years of training. Chip's resiliency throughout the entire process was driven by his passion for what he does. I am in awe of not only his passion for his work, but also, what he does, which I appreciate tremendously as a mom. Just last week, he saved an 8 year old boy who was impaled by a 17 inch tire iron. The Dallas-Ft. Worth news picked up this incredible story...I highly recommend you go watch it! I am so proud of him because I know he helps so many children and their families at scary moments. And I know he is able to do what he does because of Ashley's support!

I am incredibly proud of my brother, and I cannot thank him enough for his support in everything I do. He was the one that gave me the last push I need two years ago to start writing, and he has been one of my biggest supporters throughout this process. These last ten years, especially, Chip has rooted for me to be my authentic self, which is one of the greatest gifts anyone can give me.

I am thankful to share my life with you, Chipper (and of course you too, Musick), and I hope you know how much you mean to me.

Who would be on your litany of gratitude?

Blessing for Presence

2011-11-04T08:10:00.007-04:00

A friend and wise woman shared this blessing with me from John O'Donahue's book To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings. His words are words of encouragement and affirmation for me as I continue to embark on so many new journeys and to discover deep callings of my own. I hope his words provide hope for you on whatever journey you are currently taking!

Awaken to the mystery of being here
and enter the quiet immensity of your own presence.

Have joy and peace in the temple of your senses.

Receive encouragement when new frontiers beckon.

Respond to the call of your gift and the courage to
follow its path.

Let the flame of anger free you of all falsity.

May warmth of heart keep your presence aflame.

May anxiety never linger about you.

May your outer dignity mirror an inner dignity of
soul.

Take time to celebrate the quiet miracles that seek
no attention.

Be consoled in the secret symmetry of your soul.

May you experience each day as a sacred gift woven
around the heart of wonder.

~ John O'Donohue ~

Mesa Moment #32: Sunsets

2011-11-03T08:10:00.002-04:00

Sunset by house

Sunset in Ft. Worth

Sunset in September by Trinity River in TX

My family and I have been blessed with a number of beautiful sunsets in this last month! There is one spot on the way home that during fall and winter gifts us with some of the most amazing colors. Several of these are taken from that spot on a drive home (I take them when Chris is driving!). My kids are often the first to notice it.

He's the "Church Man"

2011-11-02T08:10:00.008-04:00

Lion King tops my list of all-time favorite Disney cartoons. Sharing this movie with Brady (my 4 year old), though, makes it even more special. For starters, Brady belts the songs out at the top of his lungs constantly--while playing, while getting dressed, while riding his bike, etc.    There is no choice, but to jump in and sing along to the newly down-loaded soundtrack, especially while in the car.

Two weeks ago, we were jamming out to the Lion King heading home after school, and the Circle of Life came on. There is a pause in this song, where there are no lyrics, and as this part played, Brady said,

"This is the Church man's part."

   I asked him, "What do you mean, the Church man's part?"

He said, "You know, mom, the part where the monkey lifts Simba up like Fr. Tom and Fr. Dave do at church. It's really special!"

       I asked him, "Do you mean after a baby gets baptized?"

"Yes," he said, "The monkey is the church man because he marks on simba's fore-head like Fr. Tom and Fr. Dave do and he raises Simba up like they do. Then everyone celebrates."

Chris and I turned to each other with our mouths open in shock at the connections Brady made between the ritual of Rafiki's blessing and the Sacrament of Baptism. In that moment, I received all the affirmation I ever needed to know that it is worth bringing my two kiddos to mass (even on days they are rather squirmy). Our Catholic rituals and Sacraments, celebrated within our church community, taught Brady more than we could verbally teach him.

This sacred moment with my son based on a Lion King song opened a door for us to talk about the specialness of Baptism, the symbols of Baptism, and the meaning and importance of Baptism. It was, yet again, a moment that I know he taught me more than I taught him.

Have you had a moment when you are in awe at your own children's wisdom?

P.S. If you do not know the scene I am talking about, watch it here....

Ignatian Wisdom #12: Suspice

2011-11-01T08:10:00.015-04:00

The Suspice or "Take, Lord, and Receive" Prayer is one of the most well known Ignatian prayers. It captures the essence of one of the closing meditations in the Spiritual Exercises called the Contemplation for Learning to Love Like God: Full discipleship with Christ, full understanding that life is gift given to us by God, and full love of God by returning all that we have to God, so we may do what God asks of us.

Thanks to Mike Hayes for sharing this beautiful song and video version of this prayer! I am very proud to call Mike a friend, and I am even more proud of the Sapientia Award he received at Fordham University for his service to the church in the realm of young adult ministry.

Definite Service

2011-10-31T08:10:00.002-04:00

"God has created me to do Him some definite service. He has committed some work to me which he has not committed to another.

I have a mission; I may never know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next. I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons; He has not created me for naught.

I shall do good—I shall do his work. I shall be an angel of peace while not intending it if I do but keep his commandments. Therefore, I will trust him."

--Bl. John Henry Newman

The big question here is: How do I discern what my work is? How do I come to understand what God is asking of me and no one else? The only answer I can come up with....prayer. Through ongoing prayer and silence, I can hear God's voice and deep desires he places on my heart that call me to specific action. Once again, we are reminded of the call to live a life of both prayer and action.

What do you feel your call to definite service is?

P.S. Thanks to my friend, Kathy Powell, for sharing this quote with me!

God Bless the World

2011-10-28T08:10:00.008-04:00

When I look backward over my life, I am continually in awe at the people, the events, and the experiences that have helped me become who I am today. It overwhelms me with gratitude at how much God has done in my life. The gift of awareness is one that I will forever be thankful for. Holding all of the ways God has impacted our lives and how we, too, impact others...I offer this prayer by John J. Morris, SJ...

Mighty God, Father of all,

Compassionate God, Mother of all,

Bless every person I have met,

Every face I have seen,

Every voice I have heard,

Especially those most dear;

Bless every city, town, and

Street that I have known,

Bless every sight I have seen,

Every sound I have heard,

Every object I have touched.

In some mysterious way these

Have all fashioned my life;

All that I am,

I have received.

Great God, bless the world.

Mesa Moment #31:Reflection

2011-10-27T08:10:00.002-04:00

The water in the swamp was so still that the reflection was almost crystal clear. What are you reflecting out into the world today?

P.S. Last Mesa Moment on the Swamp!

Grandeur of God

2011-10-26T08:10:00.002-04:00

Thank you Fr. Paul Brian Campbell for sharing this on your blog, People for Others! As I watch this, I am reminded of where the term "Mesa Moment" all began...my dad standing in similar terrain as is in this video(filmed in Arizona and Utah) but in New Mexico.

What a beautiful world we live in!

Ignatian Wisdom #11: Fixing our Desires

2011-10-25T08:10:00.002-04:00

In Ignatius' First Principle and Foundation he says, "We should not fix our desires on health or sickness,
wealth or poverty, success or failure, a long life or short one. For everything has the potential of calling forth in us a deeper response to our life in God." (Paraphrased by David Flemming, SJ). The concept of this statement is beautiful, but honestly, I find it very challenging.

Truth--I want to be healthy, to make money, to be successful, and to live a long happy life. The problem for me comes in when I fix my desires on these tangible things instead of fixing my desires on God. It is easy to focus our full attention on getting ourselves healthy and staying healthy, on making money, or achieving goals. What happens, though, when something we have fixed our desire on crumbles? Do we crumble also? Do we spin out of control when we get sick or when money stops coming in for some reason or when we are not achieving success in the world's view?

I believe what Ignatius was getting at and what our faith is getting at is rooting our lives in God-- no matter what comes our way. When we hit rough patches, our faith allows us to ask the question of where is God present in this? I can assure you that no matter what, God is walking right along side us even when one of our "desires" crumbles. We have two choices at this point- we either turn to God for help or we turn away from God and continue to re-piece our "desires" back together on our own. Which will we choose?

Where are our desires fixed?

What "desires" get in the way of our relationship with God?

Rapid Re-Birth

2011-10-24T08:10:00.005-04:00

In June, there was a fire in Okefenokee Swamp from a lightening strike. The fire ripped through the area burning everything in its path. When we visited the swamp in September, I was amazed at how quickly there was re-birth. While the trees still appear scorched, new, vibrant, green life is rapidly growing underneath. I was struck by the contrast of destruction and new life.

How is it that new life appeared so quickly after such a traumatic event?

These pictures capture the reality of our lives also. We, too, experience unexpected loss, hurt, and damage. While we are are still busy treating our scars, new life is already emerging, but we so rarely notice it at first. It is only later, when the new, vibrant, green takes over that we really see and understand new life.

The question is...how can we become aware of the new life and growth that is taking place at the same time we are busy licking our wounds? For me, the Examen helps me to understand the presence of God even in the "hard times". I can both name my hurts, my worries, and my fears and at the same time be mindful of God ever present working in my life. Chris and a small group of trusted friends also invite me to see moments of new life and hope, even when times are hard.

Is there, or has there been, a time in your life when you experienced a loss and it was hard to see new life emerging?
Who or what helped sustain you in hope?

Clenched Fists to Open Hands

2011-10-21T08:10:00.000-04:00

This prayer is by Henri Nouwen and shared on People for Others blog. What a profound prayer of surrender and love!

Dear God,
I am so afraid to open my clenched fists!
Who will I be when I have nothing left to hold on to?
Who will I be when I stand before you with empty hands?

Please help me to gradually open my hands
and to discover that I am not what I own,
but what you want to give me.

And what you want to give me is love,
unconditional, everlasting love.

Amen.

Mesa Moment #30: Okefenokee Swamp

2011-10-20T08:10:00.002-04:00

Okefenokee Swamp reminds me of home, Louisiana. The difference is it is a wild life refuge in Southern Georgia. In Louisiana, we would see an occasional alligator in a bayou or river (one scary memory I have is of swimming and one being in the Tickfaw River with us). However, in the Okefenokee, everything is in multiplied. On our short two mile jaunt through the swamp, we saw over 40 alligators and an abundance of Spanish moss.

A Mesa Moment for sure! Quiet, beautiful land, barely touched by humans. It is here you understand nature's cycles without human interference. It is in a place like this that you can easily see and find God!

The Look of Love

2011-10-19T08:10:00.001-04:00

Margaret Silf wrote this reflection titled the "Look of Love" for America magazine. Her words reach me in ways I cannot even put into words as she describes this powerful scene of prayer with a mother and a child, who are Muslim.

"The serenity I had first noticed in her face—a serenity more powerful than the heat of a toddler’s fury—now spreads across the aisle and enfolds me too.

“When you pray, go to a quiet place and close the door.”

She has “closed her door” and is quite oblivious to those around her, to the cabin crew jostling by with their drinks trolleys and the passengers shuffling up and down the aisle, exercising their extremities, pacing out the impatient hours that still separate us from our destination. She is perfectly still. Her child sleeps. She is with God...."
To read the rest.

Love and silence allow us to hold so much that we cannot hold on our own. How and when have you experienced this in your life?

Ignatian Wisdom #10: Contemplative in Action--Part II

2011-10-18T08:10:00.000-04:00

Last week, I shared Margaret Silf's image of an oil lamp in describing being a contemplative in actionfound in her book Companions of Christ: Ignatian Spirituality for Everyday Living. Silf says, ""One end of the wick needs to be permanantly immersed in the resovoir of oil. The other end needs to be sufficiently extended into the 'world' to be capable of being ignited" (p. 93).Both ends of the wick are important. Last week, we talked about the end immersed in the oil.

The other end of the wick, however, extends out into the world, ready to be lit and ready to share its light with others. This part of the wick speaks to the "action" piece of being a contemplative in action. Our invitation is to extend ourselves out into the real world, where our lives exist, and share our light with others. This is how we are Christ in the world. As Silf says, "Our 'wick' needs to be very much out there and willing to be ignited and burned down over the years" (p. 94). If we want to continue to do this, we must remain rooted in prayer so that the fruits of prayer continue to seep up our core and out into the world.

Discerning what our action is to be is the harder part, and figuring out how exactly we are called to share our light can also be challenging at times. This is when we realize that why we need both ends of the wick-- prayer and action. One cannot continue to exist without the other.

What is your call to be Christ for others? How are you living it out?
What, if anything, do you need to discern in prayer in terms of your call to action?
How have you experienced the power of God sustaining you in your action through your prayer life?

Change of Heart-- Death Penalty

2011-10-17T08:10:00.075-04:00

Living in Georgia, Troy Davis' execution was very real. Watching and reading the news coverage of this man's last moments stirred something deep within me. These last few weeks this post has been building within me, and I share it today, knowing that not everyone will agree with me. I know what I believe, though, and it is because of an incident almost 9 years ago that finalized the shift in my heart...

The priest that married Chris and I was a long time family friend of the Eldredge family. This man journeyed with Chris through his RCIA process. Fr. Charlie had dual jobs in the Diocese of Baton Rouge as both pastor of a parish and also chaplain at Angola State Prison. During our marriage preparation, Chris and I would drive up to have dinner with Fr. Charlie and then go to his rectory for our conversations about marriage and discussions of our Premarital Inventory.

One night, months before our wedding, we sat at Fr. Charlie's dining room table, filled with excitement about our upcoming wedding. We were laughing and joking and sharing stories of our relationship. All of a sudden, around 9pm, there was a knock on Fr. Charlie's door. Fr. Charlie answered it, and two women were standing there. The second I caught there eyes, I could tell that something was wrong. They began to speak with shaky voices as they pleaded for Fr. Charlie's help, weeping the entire time.

One of the women was the mother of a man that sat on death row at Angola, and the other was the sister of the man on death row. The execution of their son and brother was scheduled that night. They begged Fr. Charlie for help.

Fr. Charlie instantly ended our meeting and went to assist them. As Chris and I stood up to leave, our hearts were heavy. It was the first time that I thought about the family behind the person being executed. The pain in that mother's and sister's eyes will never leave me. On a night that we were experiencing joy and hope, another family was experiencing one of the most traumatic things possible-- the death of their son and of their brother.

As we went to get into our car, I knew I was a changed woman.

Growing up, I had never challenged my thinking on the death penalty, until Sister Helen Prejean came one year to speak at our high school (I went to a Sister of St. Joseph High school). I felt the shift begin then, and then Sr. Ily, another Sister of St. Joseph, put Dead Man Walking into my hands. That night at Fr. Charlies', though, helped me understand what our Catholic Social Justice Teachings are all about-- the dignity of life. I know now that all of these moments were moments of grace, where God was speaking very clearly to me.

There is always a person behind a crime. There is always a family behind the person also. There is also always a victim's family involved. As Catholics, we support and believe in the dignity of life from birth to death. And I do not believe that executing anyone, no matter their crime, shows respect and dignity for human life.

Troy Davis' execution has not left me. There is so much hurt there from Officer MacPhail's family's loss to the Davis family's loss. There is much for me to ponder about my call to action here.

What beliefs of yours have been challenged?
Which of our Catholic Social Justice Teachings do you feel challenged to delve deeper into?

Parable of the Sower

2011-10-14T08:10:00.011-04:00

Fr. Ron Rolheiser captures another Parable based on seeds found in his column about the Parable of the Sower. (Yesterday, I posted about how we see in our world a real life example of the Parable of the Wheat).

"We see this in the parable of the Sower. God, the sower, goes out to sow and he scatters his seed generously, almost wastefully, everywhere - on the road, among the rocks, among the thorns, on bad soil, and on rich soil. No farmer would ever do this. Who would waste seed on soil that can never produce a harvest? God, it seems, doesn't ask that question but simply keeps scattering his seed everywhere, over-generously, without calculating whether it is a good investment or not in terms of return. And, it seems, God has an infinite number of seeds to scatter, perpetually, everywhere. God is prodigious beyond imagination." (To read the full article).

How do I feel about God's infinite number of seeds to scatter?
Where have I experienced growth of one of the seeds God has scattered?

Mesa Moment #29: Finches Eating Sunflowers

2011-10-13T08:10:00.003-04:00

The cycle of life and the interdependency of life is something that simply amazes me! This male Gold Finch visited our sunflowers during the month of August feasting on the 100s of seeds available to him. In this Mesa Moment, you can see that he literally made himself a table on the back part of one sunflower so he could easily reach the seeds from another.

Watching him enjoy the "fruit" of the sunflower reminded me of Jn 12:24, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit". The same can be said for a sunflower. After its stunning beauty, it droops its heads towards the ground, exposing the 100s of seeds it holds that are ready to be food for the birds or that are ready to fall to the ground so next year more sunflower can grow.

Where in our lives have we experienced the gift of sharing our "fruits" with others?
Where have we experienced death in order for new life to come?

Energy for journey

2011-10-12T08:10:00.001-04:00

This quote came from a friend of mine, Mike Patin. I thought it fit well with the Ignatian Wisdom piece on being a Contemplative in Action from yesterday.

Reformed Spirituality (by Howard L. Rice:)

"Our prayer becomes the force that empowers us to engage the world. We move back and forth between being renewed in silence and quiet by ourselves, reading the Bible and praying, and then carrying that new energy out into the world with vigor. This back-and-forth pattern is a central way in which the spiritual experience of the individual is related to the activity of the disciple. The movement back and forth may be daily or weekly, or it may follow some other pattern. Some people are so heavily involved with the world that they find it necessary to take a day a month for personal retreat."

How do you experience and live out this back and forth pattern in your life?

Ignatian Wisdom #9: Contemplative in Action --Part I

2011-10-11T08:00:00.002-04:00

This weekend I directed a retreat for college students with Mark Mossa, SJ at Ignatius House in Atlanta. Our closing talk was on Community and Christ in the World. I shared with the retreatants an image that Margaret Silf uses in her book Companions of Christ: Ignatian Spirituality for Everyday Living. The image Silf uses to describe being a Contemplative in Action is one of an oil lamp. Silf says, "One end of the wick needs to be permanantly immersed in the resovoir of oil. The other end needs to be sufficiently extended into the 'world' to be capable of being ignited" (p. 93).

This image captures the essence of what it means to be a contemplative in action. Like the end of the wick immersed in the oil, we immerse ourselves in a life of prayer and in a life of God. As we stay immersed this way, our entire beings soak up the fruits of our prayer, just the way the oil makes its way up to the end of the wick sticking out of the oil. It is only after some "soaking" that our wick is ready to be lit.

The invitation for all of us is to keep our lives "permanently immersed in God.

Who helps you keep one end of your wick immersed in prayer and in God?
What do you do or need to do to keep your wick immersed in God?

A Life Interrupted-Part II

2011-10-10T08:10:00.000-04:00

Vinita Hampton Wright continues her reflection on life's interruptions at Days of Deepening Friendship. Her posts are hitting home with me....life seems full of minor and life-altering interruptions right now!

"Would it help if we could categorize the interruptions?
Minor interruptions: lost keys; meeting or appointment that appears out of nowhere; headache that hampers an afternoon’s work; you end up watching two grandchildren most of the evening.

Changes-the-whole-day interruptions: car breaks down; your significant other ends up in the emergency room; you must sit in the bank and untangle some mess with the checking account; you need to prepare dinner for four extra people.

Life-altering interruptions: major breakdown in a relationship; you or a significant other loses a job or faces relocation; someone in the family is arrested and incarcerated; you or someone you love faces a dire medical situation that will require months of treatment; you lose your home.

When the unexpected happens, we learn quickly what resources we need to find—and also what resources we already have. My suggestion is this: for every interruption, try to look without panic at your situation.

Identify the resources you already possess for dealing with this change of path. Then make a list of resources you don’t have but need to find.
And repeat these statements as the need arises:

God has already provided.
God will continue to provide.
I am able to walk this path.
This is my life. I claim it and will give my best to living it.

How do you deal with the many levels of interruptions in your life?
How do you turn them over to God?

A life Interrupted -Part I

2011-10-07T08:10:00.003-04:00

A new blog has recently fallen into my hands to read, and I really like it! It is called Days of Deepening Friendship, and it is written by Vinita Hampton Wright, author and editor at Loyola Press.

Here is her first post on "a life interrupted":

"I’ve come to believe that one aspect of maturity is the ability to see life’s interruptions not as interruptions but as necessary events and journeys.

If we think of the unexpected as an interruption, then our attitude will be to get rid of it as fast as we can—so that we can get on with our “real” or “ordinary” life. This might work if the unexpected is a dead car battery or a phone call we don’t really have time for. We jump the battery and tell the caller that “now really isn’t a good time.” Interruption handled!

But most interruptions are not so easily dispatched. A friend is in trouble and needs companionship for more than a few minutes. The tests come back from the doctor, and suddenly you or someone you love is on an altogether new and frightening path. A job is lost or changed. A tornado rips off the roof or a room. Or you wake up one day and must face the fatigue that has been dogging you for weeks. You know that it’s time to get off the fast track and be kind to yourself. And that won’t happen in an afternoon or a long weekend.

Interruptions are life. The unexpected is simply the life you have but don’t yet know about.
To read the rest....

How do you handle life's interruptions?

Mesa Moment #28: Flowers in Yard

2011-10-06T08:10:00.005-04:00

This is a picture of my "happy spot" in my yard. For the last five years, whether in a pot or somewhere in one of our flower beds, we plant a a variety of vibrant colored flowers. I peak out at these flowers many times during the day. The flower bed is near our laundry room window also, which gives me something happy to look at while I fold laundry (one of my least favorite things to do).

William Barry, SJ,in his book, A Friendship Like No Other: Experiencing God's Amazing Embrace, talks about knowing where our "thin places" are: those places where we can easily find God. One of mine is in my own back-yard.

What would one of your thin-places be?

My All Time Favorite Bible Verse

2011-10-05T08:10:00.003-04:00

"Brothers and sisters:
Have no anxiety at all, but in everything,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
make your requests known to God.
Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding
will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers and sisters,
whatever is true, whatever is honorable,
whatever is just, whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious,
if there is any excellence
and if there is anything worthy of praise,
think about these things.
Keep on doing what you have learned and received
and heard and seen in me.
Then the God of peace will be with you."

~Phil 4: 6-9

The first time I came across this verse was on senior retreat in high school. It was a beautiful, crisp October day, and both the weather and my retreat experience left me full of gratitude.

I still return to this verse often-- most often when I can easily and readily feel the work of God in my life and when I can easily see the work of God in my life. It is an easy verse to pray with when I am experiencing consolation. It reminds me too of our engagement and marriage, as Chris, knowing this was one of my favorite verses incorporated this throughout the letter he wrote to propose to me. Every three years in October, as I hear this scripture read at mass, I am reminded of how much Chris teaches me about God's love for me.

Other times, though, this verse wells up within me when I am in a moment of desolation-- full of self-doubt, of worry, of fear, and of unrest. In these moments, this scripture challenges me both to trust in God and to also name where I am experiencing God's grace, even though I cannot as easily see God at work. This scripture comes to me in prayer at times when I am struggling with relationships with loved ones also. Prayer at this point often feels hard.

Each time, I came back to this Philippians passage, I learn something new from it, and I am reminded of how God profoundly speaks to each of us, uniquely, through scripture. It is why we call scripture the Living Word of God because God uses it today to reveal something to us about his love for us and his desire to be in relationship with us.

What is your scripture passage that you return to often? What is it about this certain passage that resonates with you?

How have you experienced God speaking to you through scripture?

Ignatian Wisdom #8: Prayer and Love

2011-10-04T08:10:00.011-04:00

Ignatius had a profound encounter with God that began in Pamplona, Spain. He did not let his encounter with God end there, though. Ignatius continued to foster his relationship with God through prayer. Through prayer, Ignatius began to understand what it meant to be loved by God, totally and freely. Through prayer, Ignatius also began to understand what it meant to love like God. He understood that the love of God was foundational for him (First Principle and Foundation), and he understood that God's love transformed him in such a way that it invited action (Contemplation on Divine Love). Ignatius drew people to him because of who he was, a person rooted in Christ.

Much like Jesus, Ignatius remained connected and rooted in God. It was because of this continuing encounter with God that, "When Ignatius spoke about God and the things of God, he not only did so with sincerity and conviction, but it was evident to the people that he himself had experienced God, and the flames that had engulfed his heart also ignited theirs" (A Pilgrim's Journey: The Autobiography of St. Ignatius of Loyola).

I read somewhere once an interpretation of the Contemplation on Divine Love where Ignatius defined love in this way: “Love consists of sharing what one has and what one is with those one loves. Love ought to show itself in deeds more than words.” Ignatius’ most certainly answered the invitation to share who he was and what one has with others.

Ignatius drew people to him because his authenticity founded in Christ. What we see in Ignatius, we are invited to do also: to allow ourselves to be loved by God so we can also participate in God’s work now. John 21: 15-19 captures how Jesus is not just offering us love only for ourselves, but at the same time, calling us to action.

“Peter, do you love me?”

“Yes, Lord, I love you.”

“Feed my lambs.”
___________________________
Do we understand that God is inviting us to be both loved by him and love like him?
How does prayer continue to help our understanding of God's love for us?

New Facebook Page

2011-10-03T13:43:00.001-04:00

Dear readers,

The journey of writing these last two years has been an adventure! Writing continues to stretch me and call me to new places beyond my wildest imagination. In order to share all of my writing and not just my blog, I am moving my Everything is Holy Now Facebook page to a Becky Eldredge, writer, facebook page. I hope you will go find my new page on facebook and share it with others. I look forward to continuing to share with you, to learn from you, and to grow with you. You have taught me that writing is not about me, but about you, my readers.

So I do not lose contact with you via the world of facebook, please go "like" my new facebook page!

Thank you!
Peace,
Becky

A lesson from a snake

2011-10-03T08:10:00.002-04:00

I am not a fan of snakes...never have been...probably never will be. It probably goes back to the baby rattle snake in my boot on the porch at my grandparent's farm that my older brother saved me from or the cotton mouth that snapped at me and my younger brother, also at my grandparent's farm. There is just something about them that makes me nervous.

A few weeks ago, I captured a picture of this non-venomous water snake while at one of my favorite places in Georgia-- Amicalola falls. As I stood staring at the beautiful water fall, I looked down on the rocks below and saw him slithering. My first thought was, "Run!". However, as I watched him, from a safe distance on the bridge, moving gracefully on the rocks he made me stop, pause, and think about life.

The snake's presence, in that moment, perturbed me because he was "ruining" my moment--ruining my good feeling. I did not want to be focusing on him, rather, on the tumbling water above me. I felt he did not belong, but he was there in all of his slithering glory distracting me from what really mattered. How often does this happen to us in life, though? When something that we are afraid of or bothered by no matter how big or small suddenly takes our attention away from our priorities?

The snake reminded me that there will always be something in our lives that slithers into our lives that we may not want to be there-- a sudden change in direction, an unexpected responsibility, a reminder of our hurtful past. When those things come into our lives, though, we have two choices. We can focus only on the negative OR we can keep our eyes on what matters most, acknowledging that things, like a snake, will appear, but need not consume our full attention.

After giving this little guy way more attention than he deserved, I decided that looking up would bring me more life than standing there stressing over which direction he was going to move. His presence was soon forgotten as I absorbed this instead:

When unexpected things come into your life that you do not want there, how do you keep them from consuming your full attention?

The Annunciation by Denise Levertov

2011-09-30T08:10:00.006-04:00

In preparing for my class in Spiritual Direction, I read Fr. William Barry's book, A Friendship Like No Other: Experiencing God's Amazing Embrace. In his book, he cited a poem by Denise Levertov called "The Annunciation", and I keep returning to it over and over again. The line "God waited" continues to resonate strongly with me. I am reminded that, like Mary, God waits for us to answer the gentle offer of invitation in relationship with him.

The Annunciation:
We know the scene: the room, variously furnished,
almost always a lecturn, a book; always
the tall lily.

Arrived on solemn grandeur of great wings,
the angelic ambassador, standing or hovering,
whome she acknowledges, a guest.

But we are told of meek obedience. No one mentions
courage
The engendering Spirit
did not enter her without consent. God waited.

She was free
to accept or refuse, choice
integral to humanness.

Aren't there annunciations
of one sort or another in most lives?
Some unwillingly undertake great destinies,
enact them in sullen pride,
uncomprehending.

More often those moments
when roads of light and storm
open from darkness in a man or woman,
are turned away from
in dread, in a wave of weakness, in despair
and with relief.
Ordinary lives continue.

God does not smite them.
But the gates close, the pathway vanishes..

She had been a child who played, ate, spelt
like any other child - but unlike others,
wept only for pity, laughed
in joy not triumpf.
Compassion and intelligence
fused in her, indivisible.

Called to a destiny more momentous
than any in all of Time,
she did not quail,
only asked

a simple, "How can this be?"
and gravely, courteously,
took to heart the angel's reply,
perceiving instantly
the astounding ministry she was offered:

to bear in her womb
Infinite weight and lightness; to carry
in hidden, finite inwardness,
nine months of Eternity; to contain
in slender vase of being,
the sum of power -
in narrow flesh,
the sum of light.

Then bring to birth,
push out into air, a Man-child
needing, like any other,
milk and love -

but who was God.
~Denise Levertov, The Stream & the Sapphire: Selected Poems on Religious Themes (New Directions Paperbook)

What does Mary teach us about saying "yes" to God?
What is God waiting on us for right now?

Mesa Moment #27: Playing in the Rain

2011-09-29T08:10:00.003-04:00

One of the many reasons I am thankful for my kids-- they make me pause and see beautiful moments in my daily life AND they remind me of how the simplest things can bring so much joy. This Mesa Moment took place a few weeks ago on a rainy afternoon. My kiddos needed to get a bit of energy out so we headed outside with umbrellas and played in the rain. As you can guess, the umbrellas were barely used because it is way too much fun to just get wet some days!

After stomping around in puddles and floating leaves down streams on our driveway, the sun came out and brought with it a scene full of radiant light reflecting off our driveway and street.

A moment with the umbrellas! Note their sopping wet clothes!

Sun reflecting off driveway


Sun reflecting off our street

What simple moment makes you pause and notice the beauty of our world and brings great joy?

This post reminds me of one I wrote years ago: Proper Alignment of Priorities

Ignatian Wisdom #7: First Week

2011-09-27T08:10:00.002-04:00

In August, I wrote the following reflection for Charis Ministries' quarterly e-newsletter:

What is the First Week about?? The entire first week of the Spiritual Exercises is dedicated to reflecting on sin in our lives and in our world. Ignatius is inviting us to comprehend sin not with our heads, but with our hearts . To see sin as God sees sin.

"Ignatius always looks at sin within the context of God's love." -David Flemming, S.J. (What Is Ignatian Spirituality?)

Through praying with the various scriptures suggested for the first week of the Exercises, we come to understand that even though we are sinful people, God still loves us and offers us forgiveness.

Our understanding of sin in the First Week also parallels a commitment to continue to follow Christ. During the First Week, Ignatius offers us te opportunity for the imaginative prayer of praying with Jesus on the cross. As we reflect on this image, we ask ourselves three very important questions....

To read the rest....

Richard Rohr on Contemplation

2011-09-26T08:10:00.000-04:00

CONTEMPLATION

Could meditation/contemplation be the very thing that has the power to both democratize, reform, and and mature Christianity? It alone does not demand major education, does not need a hierarchy of decision makers, does not need to argue about gender issues in leadership or liturgy, does not need preachers and bishops, and does not need membership requirements that include and exclude. Contemplation’s non-verbal character makes all our arguments about “the right words” and the perfectly correct understanding of those words largely useless. We clergy are almost put out of business.

Deep prayer on the inside heals the outside and the in-between simply by reconnecting everything at its core and at our Center. And let us be honest–Jesus talked a lot more about praying and healing than any of the issues that continue to preoccupy most of our churches.

Adapted from A Lever and A Place to Stand:
The Contemplative Stance, The Active Prayer, pp. 58-59

*** Taken from Richard Rohr's Daily Mediation on September 20, 2011

2011-09-23T08:08:00.001-04:00

Lord Jesus, teach me to be generous;

teach me to serve as you deserve

to give and not to count the cost

to fight and not to heed the wounds

to toil and not to seek for rest

to labor and not to see reward

except that I knowing that I do your will.

Amen

St. Ignatius' Prayer of Generosity

Mesa Moment #26: St. Francis Xavier College Church

2011-09-22T08:12:00.003-04:00

This summer I was honored to not only attend, but present a workshop at the Ignatian Spirituality Conference. I captured this Mesa Moment one night while in St. Louis of St. Francis Xavier College Church. This picture holds memories of being on St. Louis University's campus and being surrounded by the hundreds of men and women who were there that are involved in continuing the legacy of St. Ignatius. An inspiring, grace-filled moment for sure!

Jesus, the Layman

2011-09-21T08:00:00.002-04:00

Another great one from Ignatian Spirituality written by author Tim Muldoon:

In his forthcoming book Catholicism, Fr. Robert Barron makes the passing observation that Jesus was a layman: he was not trained in one of the formal rabbinical schools, or a priest or scribe of the tribe of Levi.

Jesus was not, to use contemporary language, part of the religious “establishment.” Some would make him therefore into a kind of hero of liberation–the gritty iconoclast who critiqued the Powers That Be.

Yet that kind of image speaks more of us than of Him. We love the stories of the pilgrims, the pioneers, the cowboys, the rebels: those who forge their own path, who choose (to use Robert Frost’s image) “the road less traveled by.”

Jesus the layman was not Jesus the rebel. On the contrary, he sought God’s kingdom. He sought to unite Israel and to bring people of other nations together under the kingship of the Father. What he hoped for was the perfection of the establishment that God had already begun in Israel over its history.

In imitating Christ, our aim is not to forge our own way, but to work with vigor toward the establishment of that same kingdom, to build a church of real people and not of vague ideas. Our aim is perfect conformity to God’s will in communion with others.

Whether we are cleric or lay, we are called in service to different roles in the building up of that kingdom. We imitate Jesus the layman who becomes Jesus the new High Priest precisely because his will and the will of the Father are one.

The task of the lay person today is thus in one sense no different from that of the cleric: to embed ourselves in the life of the Church in order that our will might be conformed to that of Christ. His church is one, holy, catholic, and apostolic: established to serve the Father, of one united will to reflect God’s greater glory.

One of the great tasks of the spiritual life is to learn how one’s own will might decrease in order that His might increase. Let us sit at the feet of Christ’s body, the church, and learn how to participate in the building of that kingdom.

Ignatian Wisdom #6: Reading and Ignatius' Conversion

2011-09-20T08:10:00.004-04:00

Re-reading the A Pilgrim's Journey: The Autobiography of St. Ignatius of Loyola is enlightening in many ways. However, I am most struck this time by Ignatius' conversion story, and how it all began with reading. "For it was through that reading that God began to act on his soul and draw him to a conversion of life". Suddenly, Ignatius found himself devoting more and more of his day to God. His focal point was God, and he spent "his entire day in prayer, reading and writing". It was not without struggle, though, as Ignatius continually battled being pulled to his old way of life, his military career, his family's respect, and his inheritance.

As I read the first two chapters, Pedro Arrupe's poem "Falling in Love" kept coming to mind--specifically, the part that says, "what you are in love with...will affect everything." Ignatius experienced the very thing that Arrupe captured in his poem. Ignatius fell in love with God, and it changed everything.

Ignatius' conversion story is like so many of ours-- it began with something small. Reading was Ignatius' invitation into life with Christ.

What was your invitation?

Encountering the Risen Christ

2011-09-19T08:10:00.001-04:00

Fr. John Hurley in a workshop a couple of years ago asked the question, "When did you first encounter the Risen Christ?". His question made me pause. I had to think about when I began to feel the transforming power of Christ. His challenge to reflect on that question was rooted in the idea that we need to draw from those first experiences of Jesus as we live, work, and serve others. We cannot get so caught up in the "head" that we forget what happened to us in the heart when we first encountered Christ.

In the Gospels, we hear stories of Jesus working in people's lives- healing them, transforming their hearts, and challenging them. We see Jesus coming into the disciples' lives and inviting them, changing them, opening their eyes. "Their hearts burned within." We have experienced moments like this in our lives--when our eyes were opened, when our hearts burned within, when we experienced the transforming power of God at work in our lives.

I ask each of us today:
When did we first encounter the Risen Christ?
How did that encounter transform us?

May I Be Worthy of Your Trust

2011-09-16T08:00:00.001-04:00

For some strange reason, Lord, you depend upon me.
What possible need could you have for my shoulder?
Why should you lean on me? Yet you do just that.

I am grateful. It is a challenge and a trust,
an inspiration and a call to character.

If you are willing to depend upon me,
weak and clumsy as I am,
I am eager not to fail you.

Lean on me, dear Lord.
At least pretend to find me a help.
May your sweet pretence
make me worthy of your very real trust.
~Daniel A. Lord, SJ
Prayer found in Hearts On Fire: Praying With Jesuits

Mesa Moment #25: Watermelon From Our Garden

2011-09-15T08:10:00.001-04:00

Tiny watermelon

Growing a bit

Getting much larger- almost ready to eat!


It was beautiful and delicous!

My garden always teaches me about God. I am amazed that something this yummy, large, and tasty all began by planting a tiny seed. Watching this watermelon grow was most certainly a Mesa Moment for me. Every time I went outside to wander around my garden I was filled with awe at what was happening right in front of me.

How is it that so much growth and fruit can come from one tiny seed? Isn't that the same for our spiritual lives? One tiny seed can produce much fruit!

Ignatian Wisdom #5: Participation in God

2011-09-14T08:00:00.002-04:00

At the end of St. Ignatius' spiritual exercises is a reflection on the "Contemplation to attain Divine Love (contemplacio)". In it it states, "All that I am and all I have are a participation in God". The Contemplacio is repeated numerous times in the fourth week of the exercises. Every time I have prayed with the "Contemplacio" I am struck by those words, "All that I am and all I have are a participation in God."

At times those words can overwhelm me. Does that mean all the roles (woman, wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, granddaughter, lay minister) I have in my life are a participation in God? I believe the answer is "yes". Re-framing it in that way, though, calls me to be in relationship with others in a completely different way. I am faced with answering the question of "How do I love the people I come in contact with and share relationships with as God loves them?"

By loving Chris, Brady, and Abby, I am participating in God's love for them. This challenges me especially on those days when my patience is short and my temper flares or on days where I am anything but fully present to the three of them. How is that participating in God's love?

When you read the phrase, "all that I am and all that I have are participation in God," what comes to mind?
What do you feel called to as you pray and reflect on "participating in God's love"?

Transforming Message of the Gospel

2011-09-13T08:20:00.000-04:00

I believe in the transforming power of the Gospel message. I have seen not only in my own life, but in so many others, the power of God at work in lives. I have seen prayers answered. I have seen reconciliations happen and forgiveness take place in places I never dreamed I would witness it occur. I know that God has the power and ability to change hearts, to answer prayers, and to call us to something deeper than ourselves.

I know this, yet at times, I am afraid of the transformation that takes place. Being in relationship with Jesus changes you. It changes your insides and your outsides. It calls you to something more. I wonder though:

"How will I handle the transformation that continues to take place?

How will my life change if I fully live the Gospel message?

Will my relationships change?

Will what I am called to change?"

I know that with transformation of the heart our daily lived experiences will change also. If I trust that God has been present and working in the transformation, why do I fear that God will not be present during the fruits of the transformation?

In Matthew 28: 19-20, we see Jesus given the instructions to go out into the world to witness to the transforming message of the Gospel, AND we see Jesus promise to be with us always.

"Then Jesus approached and said to them, "All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.

And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age."

God transforms. God sustains. God is with us always.

Where have you seen the transforming message of the Gospel in your life?

Where have you experienced God's work in your life that caused a change of heart or transformation?

Do you trust that God will be with you through as the transformation bears fruit?

How can you deepen your trust in God?

God's Energy Rising

2011-09-12T08:15:00.000-04:00

Our journey of faith had a starting point unique to each of us. Some of us will be able to instantly name what that starting point was. Some of us will struggle to articulate when our faith journey began. No matter which group we fall in, our faith journeys' share one thing in common: God has been at work in our lives all along.

I encourage you to stop and reflect back over your faith journey so far in your life. As you do this, take notice of where God's energy or presence was there moving you along. Think of the people who have served as guideposts gently nudging you in a direction towards God. Think of the events that helped move you forward in a way, that at the time, you could not put a name to. It was only later that you could name it, God.

God's presence in us and in our lives slowly rises like energy from the sun emerging and unfolding over time as we become more and more aware of God at work in our lives.

What do we do with the awareness we have of God's continual work in our lives (both past and present)?
What do we do with God's energy and love rising within us?