Where my prayers take me

The whole idea of compassion is based on a keen awareness of the interdependence of all these living beings, which are all part of one another, and all involved in one another. --Thomas Merton

Wisdom

"Love is the gift of self. It means emptying oneself to reach out to others. In a certain sense, it means forgetting oneself for the good of others."--His Holiness Pope John Paul II

Walls

Ever notice how high some walls seem?  Ever notice how helpless you can feel when your attitude towards climbing that wall is so lame?  I ignore the call for patience in many situations. I get frustrated and I see goals which have been set too high. They just seem to be unattainable.

 

Of course, time passes and light shines on that "wall" and you recognize that the ultimate goal (the top of the wall) is for later. Your goal will be achieved but, you must appreciate the wall for what it is.

Like this wall, faith and spirituality are high walls to climb.  They are every shade of gray with lots of jagged edges, cracks to fall into, and no assurance that your attempt will be progressive. In all likelihood you will fall many times trying to get over that wall--maybe even doubting if there is the other side or retreating from the effort altogether.  I guess for me the faith is knowing that there is a top and that I will get to it, and spirituality is knowing I just have to enjoy the experience for the time being.

I love knowing that the top of the wall is there.  I know that I am free to walk away and come back to that wall and climb it as many times as I need. I know that there will be raw fingers at and maybe a few painful scrapes from the times I fall.  But, no matter what that walls is there for me to climb up and conquer, it is not there to keep me down or out.

Strings Attached

Not all things of beauty are without consequence. Sometimes, the web of strings are hard to see.
It is interesting how easily we fall into a trap because of the beauty of the prize.  We think that if something is pretty and attractive and it feels good to look at that it must be good.  In essence it is.  But because we live in the real world we must recognize that even things of beauty and pleasure can be to our own detriment.

While we focus on our spirits during Lent, we often think and identify with the suffering that Jesus felt in the desert.  But, it is nothing like the suffering of not having God in your heart.  Can you imagine not being able to see God because of the web of words woven by people? If you practice contemplative prayer (meditation for non catholics), then focus on sight. The ability to see closely and from afar-is difficult and takes much practice and experience. This week I thank God for the clarity of sight.

Ave Maria

Hail Mary, full of grace,

The Lord is with you,

Blessed are you among women,

And Blessed is the fruit of your womb,

Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

Pray for us, sinners, 

Now and at the hour of our death.

Amen.

Feelin' Crafty?

A while back I gave my rosary away-to someone I love. I loved my rosary but, I knew that he needed it more than I did. So off it went.  I don't know if I will ever see it again, but, it served it's purpose.

Anyway, that left me without one for a few months now. I have just been making tick marks on a piece of paper instead when I need to pray but, really...it is hard to concentrate and stay in contemplation when I have to stop and tick off a prayer. (that reads kind of funny-tick off a prayer LOL!). I went searching on the web to find a new rosary and I came across this awesome guy making rosaries out of twine. 

No, I won't be making one but, I still think this is FABULOUS.
If you are the PDF type:
The Rosary Army Instructions
 
If you are the video tutorial type:
The Rosary Army-Video Tutorial

Some people are so resourceful.  I would never have considered this at all. Never. For reals. I still didn't find a rosary to buy.  That is not completely true.  I found one but, it was $600 on EBAY! Even made me gasp, I just wanted some pretty beads and a crucifix to help me keep track while I was deep in prayer. I guess, I need to check out a local craft fair and see if anyone can supply a more reasonably priced rosary.

God's merciful blessings upon you,
Me

Well Said

If we had been in a courtroom or at least seen courtroom dramas on tv and movies, then we may know what it means to be a witness.

To stand as a witness means that one is most likely to be cross-examined, or grilled, either by the prosecution or by the defense attorneys.

To be a witness, there are two necessary elements: to know the truth, and to speak the truth.

Jesus calls us to be His witnesses.

To be His witnesses, there are two necessary elements: to know Jesus and His teachings, and also to have a deep relationship with Him.

It is from this knowledge and relationship that we witness to Jesus with our words and actions.

We witness to Jesus in a world that may not know who Jesus is, and to a world that thinks it can do without God.

In a world that is filled with hostility and disregard for human dignity, our witnessing to Jesus is vital and necessary.
 --Rev. Fr. Yim -Homily for 5/30/2011