Apr 23, 2010

Jesus is the Son of God




It really hit home!
Saul, who was a devout defender of the Jewish determination to
exterminate the new little Jesus sect,
returned after his encounter on the road to Damascus and his baptism,
to the Temple,
and said,
Jesus is the Son of God.

That was what the Jews crucified him for,
for saying that he is the Son of God.

Saul/Paul, stout heart!
We would know nothing about Jesus
if you had not heard and obeyed.

How, Lord, do I serve this family?!!

I knelt and prayed before Mother today, prayed for Her help, Her intercession. To pray to the Father for forgiveness for blundering around my children last night. Oh Lord, if I heard a teacher getting so angry with their class, I would tut-tut.

On the kneeler's arm-rest is a little picture, again of Jesus washing Peter's feet, and this time Peter has his hands held up in protest, caught in the moment of "You should not be washing my feet!"

And Mother smiled. I looked again. My son throws his hands up when I ask for obedience, simple service around the house, "not now", and blatent, "why?", or even "no!", or "the problem is...".

I am serving him by asking for jobs and looking after uniform, and so on...
The rage doesn't work though, does it Mother?

I look again to Jesus. Did he get angry at Peter's response? Did He throw His hands up in anger and despair? Did he echo Peter's loud protest? Did He shut down in resentment?

No, He sank deeper in His Father's Love and served truthfully. Be still and know that I am God.
I am with you always. Continue in My work shaping your children. What you ask for is true, but your methods lack finesse.

So, we arrived home,
and again the protests about clearing gear from the car, changing into playclothes, homework...
Remember Me, before protesting Peter. I could even smile, and stay small...
I nearly threw my hands up myself to withdraw all service, but...
"I send the rain and shine on the undeserving too..."
O Lord!
So dinner was continued, the washing was continued
quiet firmness maintained...

and the children quietened, returned refreshed and apologetic...

Thank you Lord!

Jesus Washing Peter's feet

http://www.painting-palace.com/en/paintings/11926

The quiet intensity on my Lord's face, first of all, so young, so absorbed in His teaching. The eye lingers on the nape of the neck, the muscular arm, past the rolled sleeves and crumpled towel, to the foot in His determined grip. You can almost hear the splash of water echoing and ringing in the copper bowl.

And dear Peter, the look on his face - "What is this young whippersnapper up to now!" makes me smile. As he continues to watch, he is absorbed into the attention that Jesus is giving him, sinking deeper and deeper into the love which pours from the firmness and simplicity of His touch.

Jesus looks like a Son: as he serves Peter, he serves his Father. Young, determined and the ear is open to the reactions around. Unmoved, He continues, until the job is done.

Apr 16, 2010

Louis Armstrong and Roger Whittaker

Two voices from childhood, after a dip in Youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnRqYMTpXHc&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AY-2einPmd4

Reminds me of stormy nights on holiday at Mangawhai Heads, tucked in a wee basic two-room bach, rain lashing at the window, woolen jersey over summer clothes, dim light-bulb and Nana's little angel dangling over the table.

Apr 11, 2010

How can this not be from our Beloved!

(From TLIG.org)

All flesh must come to You

with all its sins;
though our faults overpower us,
You blot them out;

Happy the man You choose, whom You invite
to live in Your Courts.
Fill us with good things of Your house,
of Your Holy Temple. 1

My Vassula, let Me use your ear, so that you hear Me; let Me use your hand so that you write down My sayings; then let Me use your mind to fill it with My Knowledge and fill your whole being with the instructions coming from Wisdom; accept all My offers, My beloved friend, and you will advance in the pace I had foreseen;

I want, My Vassula, for this generation and for the generations to come, to leave an everlasting memory of My Mercy; none of all these Riches that are coming from the treasury of My Heart would be attributed to you, since you knew nothing at all in the beginning at the time when you were called by the Lover of mankind, since your whole body laid then in darkness; but since I am the Lord of the saints, I am no less Lord than of the wretched; I looked at you and loved you .... I am renowned for My Mercy and for the tenderness of My Heart; I am renowned for the weakness I have for children;

rejoice then, daughter, that your King stooped from His Throne to give you thrice the kisses of resurrection on your soul; inebriated by the sweetness of My kisses, your soul now sings praises to Me, glorifying your Lover; I knew then that by throwing just one of My glances on you I would soften instantly the hardness of your self-will and shatter the crust surrounding your heart; and so I did .... oh, what would I not do for such a frail soul to bring it to a complete spiritual union with My Deity and make it one spirit with Me!

I have bidden you, My beloved, to build a holy temple within you, an altar in the city where We2 would pitch Our tent, a copy of that sacred tabernacle which We had prepared from the beginning, and so you have, faithful little friend; this is why Wisdom was able to help you and through you thousands of other souls; Wisdom educated you and many others through this Divine Work, leading everyone into a marvellous road; this Work is the proof of My overflowing Love;

O blessed and overflowing with graces
Heart of Jesus, Divine Goodness,
You who with one of Your glances
overthrow kings and kingdoms,
intoxicating cities and towns,
inebriating to folly hearts
and holding them captives of love
and for ever enamoured of Your Divinity,

Your Eyes, my Lord,
are a Garden of Eden, exquisitely beautiful;
Your Heart is like an infinite universe of grace in Grace,
Your whole being, like an ivory tower
with glittering precious stones encrusted on its walls;

Eternal Light,
Your two Natures are the movement of our heart;

O God! I find that I do not suffice to form one intelligible word
that might come close enough
to describe such Sovereignty and Splendour
as this of my Lord's.

ah Vassula, My comfort! I was determined to take you to share My Kingdom! this Love I have, this thirst I have for souls, burns in My Heart; it is love that led Me to the Cross, unmindful of its shamefulness; it is My Love that leads Me now to you, generation, calling one of the most inadequate creatures amongst you, the one who lacked the knowledge not only of Scriptures but also the knowledge of My Will; at that time, a scandal in the eyes of My saints and angels; to call such a wretched soul from her death and raise her to My Divine Heart, bringing her up in My royal courts, is a sign you should not ignore, it is a sign for the rest of you to grow in your confidence and learn that I call every soul, to abandon its evil conduct of today and turn to Me wholeheartedly so that she may share too My Glory;

come, My beloved one; I, Jesus, love you;


1 Ps. 65:2-4.
2 The Holy Trinity.
(From www.tlig.org 19 Dec 1997)

Apr 10, 2010

Ann a Lay Apostle (direction of our times)

She receives a monthly message from our Lord (Vatican approved)
This month's message, it fits....

On the first of every month, Our Lord gives Anne a new message about His call to service.

"April 1, 2010

Jesus

My dear apostles, I am with you. I am present in every challenge you experience. I see your struggle and I provide everything you need to serve Me in each day. If you have given Me your day, then the day belongs to Me. Your self-will has been offered to heaven and heaven exchanges it for My will. How do you experience this? On most days your experience of serving Me is a mystery to you. How could it be otherwise when you are seeing with eyes that have not yet been exposed to the divine vision? Day after day, you offer your will to Me and day after day, I use your offering to gently push Myself through you to others.

Do you feel successful? Or do you feel, at times, that you are unsuccessful? Poor little apostles, I understand your questions and I understand your doubts. I assure you, in My human experience, I did not feel successful at every moment. My experience was often much to the contrary. I often experienced the temptation to believe that I was failing the Father. I sometimes, in moments of human temptation, wondered if, in fact, love was enough. Could love succeed in turning hearts to goodness? Could love succeed in persuading God’s children to accept the Father’s beautiful plan for humanity?

Yes, please believe that I suffered temptation. And now, you suffer temptation. Together, our temptations suffered for the Father, bring soothing graces to others.

You, My beautiful apostle, serve despite temptations to abandon Me. Where others leave, you endure. You endure for Me, as I endured for you.

From My perspective, all is well, despite your suffering. My plan is perfect and if you are serving Me, listening to My voice, there are no problems. If you are not serving Me and you are not listening to My voice, then there are many problems for you and there will continue to be many problems for you.

‘Ah’, you say, ‘Jesus, I am listening to you and still I have these problems’. We must differentiate small problems from big problems. Small problems are the sufferings you bear for the sake of the divine will. Big problems are the problems you face when you abandon My will and insert your own will. Are you praying? Are you in steady communication with Me? Do you ask Me what I want you to do in situations where you are unsure? Do you spend time in silence, considering heaven and heaven’s plan for you in the day? Answer yes to these questions and I assure you, your problems will be manageable.

Do not believe I ignore your sighs or turn away from your fears. I am with you. I will never abandon you. My plan will be realised through your perseverance and through the perseverance of many apostles like you.

I am so pleased when you pray for each other because this is how you experience, in advance, My gratitude. You see My gratitude in the graces received by others through your intercession.

Rejoice. I am responding to your pain and answering your prayers. Truly, I am with you."

Resentment

Thomas Merton has a couple of words to say on this....

"The most necessary of renunciations: to give up resentment... It is the last-ditch stand of freedom in the midst of confusion. The confusion is in escapable, but at least we can refuse to accept it, we can say "No". We can live in a state of mute protest.
...But if it is a device which enables man to survive, it does not enable him, necessarily, to survive healthily. It is not a real exercise of freedom...
... The problem is to learn how to renounce resentment without selling out ... in a spirit of uplift and willing complicity...
...It is not that someone else is preventing you from living happily; you yourself do not know what you want. (!!???!!! between the eyes, mate!) Rather than admit this, you pretend that someone is keeping you from exercising your liberty. Who is this? It is you yourself... (Oh...)
...Paradoxically, it is the acceptance of God that makes you free and delivers you from human tyranny, for when you serve Him you are no longer permitted to alienate your spirit in human servitude. God did not invite the children of Israel to leave the slavery of Egypt, He commanded them to do so."
(New Seeds of Contemplation, by Thomas Merton, pg 110)

I look to the anger which bursts forth, am surprised to see a seed of resentment hiding, a mute protest as I pick up the next thing off the floor, drive to work again, demand politeness and jobs from my children, put aside my thoughts and desires for others... It is heavy, it creates headaches, joy is stifled, life is a chore, opportunities are missed, and no-one understands... What an absurd way to live!

And behind it, I remember times of serving Thee, in the midst of absurdity, and it works. The politics of work, the sullen looks, the new load of dishes, slide off like water off a ducks back, as I give all to Thee. Thy quiet steadiness prevails, the fresh way opens up, the miracle of daily life surprises again...

Bless. You always give what I need, not necessarily what I want...

And You whisper in my ear how much You love me... delight in all efforts to return to Thee, find anyway possible to remain with Thee, even when it hurts and I stomp my feet in protest. Glory to God in the highest! It is not flattery, but gentle, joyous encouragement. Blessed be God forever!

Henrietta Chook



Our dear priest has given our children back to us, telling us it is our job to lead our children to reconciliation. He helps us to prepare for reconciliation ourselves, but then says, pass it on.
He likens it to a hen with her chickens.
So I bought a wee bantam hen and ten little chickens.
Henrietta Chook. Black, with gold flecks round her neck, a bright red crown and sharp black eyes.
She puffs herself up, and clucks quietly as she steps around the lawn. Her chicks peck at everything, chase flies, hop on her back, tuck away amongst her feathers when tired. She earnestly scratches in the earth, searching, searching, searching. Ah, a tidbit! Excitedly she calls, head bobbing, "dook, dook, dook, dook", tapping the ground with her beak. They drop everything, scamper over, a flurry of wings and peeps, to sample what she shows to be good.

Serenity Prayer

Lord!
Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
the courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference...

Love one another as I have loved you...


Saw this picture on the wall as I left Church today and it stopped me in my tracks. Tears pricked, seduced again by His quiet teaching, His simple intensity to always go for the Truth alone.

The old man has finished protesting, and leans back, surrendering his foot, to watch this young whippersnapper quietly washing it. What is he up to now? he scowls. And as he watches, he is drawn into the quiet, still not convinced, but willing to try.
The creased robes, the towel wrapped round his waist, the sleeve rolled up to the shoulder, the muscular arm, the arch of His neck, the hand cradling the ankle, our Lord at the height of his physical beauty.
There is a firmness within the gentleness, a humility within the leadership. Only the truth will do.
Within the gesture, He teaches how to serve, with full attention.
And I look to all that I am asked to do, and how can I refuse You?