Category: Uncategorized (Page 5 of 10)

The thought of creating a habit of daily prayer can feel overwhelming. So many things compete for our time and attention. How can we find time to get alone with God in the silence?

It can be particularly tough to pray when we are in the midst of a problem. And yet it’s when we feel at our lowest that we need prayer the most!  

There are times when we don’t even know how to ask God to help us.

This is when we should sit before Him, in the silence. St. Paul tells us that in these moments, the Holy Spirit intervenes for us, helping to make our needs known to the Father:

“The Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words. And He who searches the hearts of men knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” Romans 8: 26-27.

I love that last phrase about the “Spirit interceding for the saints.”

We are all made in the image of God. (Genesis 1: 26) By design, we are all created to be holy men and women, and to become saints. Do we understand this?

It is so beautiful to observe holiness in each other:

“He appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth forever.” 2 Chronicles 20: 21

That phrase – “the beauty of holiness” – can be easy to miss! What does it mean?

“Holiness” translates the typical Hebrew word used for “holy.” As such, it conveys the concept of being “set apart.”

The Hebrew word for “beauty” carries an idea of intrinsic beauty or worth that is not shallow. Said another way, this kind of beauty does not pass away.

Therefore, “the beauty of holiness” describes the intrinsic attractiveness of “set-apart-ness.”

God wants us to recognize the beauty of holiness that exists in each of us.

Daily prayer helps us to know and share that beauty with the world.

When we are silent before the Lord, the most amazing things are revealed to us.

“Prayer is not asking. Prayer is putting oneself in the hands of God, at His disposition, and listening to His voice in the depth of our hearts.” – Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta

From early childhood, St. John Paul II understood the necessity of a life of deep personal prayer. He understood that while prayer was good in and of itself, it was also the essential foundation for meaningful and happy lives.

St. John Paul II prayed constantly throughout the day. He also worked extremely hard and accomplished seemingly impossible things as a young priest and ultimately, as the 263^rd successor of Peter, as Bishop of Rome and head of the Roman Catholic Church. 

Prayer offers us a direct line to God. As we begin each day, we have no idea what we will encounter. Some days are easy for us; other days are incredibly difficult.

Prayer is a decision to stop and listen for the Voice of Jesus. Very often, prayer involves placing our worries and cares before the Lord. God is always there waiting for us, with tenderness and restfulness:

Jesus said, “’Come to Me, all who labor and are weary, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me; for I am gentle in lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.’” Matthew 11: 28-30

Sometimes, prayer involves simply calling for Jesus, and then waiting silently for Him. Prayer creates space to hear what Jesus wants to share about our current circumstances. Jesus knows exactly what we need and what we can accomplish, if we work with Him:

“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want; He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters; He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His Name’s sake.” Psalm 23: 1-3

Prayer can also be an expression of gratitude or worship of the Lord.

One of my favorite prayers is “The Angelus,” a short practice of Catholic devotion to help us reflect on the mystery of God taking human form through Jesus and to celebrate Mary’s role in the history of salvation. The prayer – which is meant to be said three times a day, usually  at 6 a.m., Noon, and 6 p.m. – is a simple way to practice pausing throughout the day, to draw nearer to God.

There is so much that God wants to show and tell us.

The Angelus

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary: And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done to me according to Your word.

Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

And the Word was made flesh: and dwelt among us.

Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Pray for us, O holy Mother of God. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:

Pour forth, we beseech You, O Lord, Your grace into our hearts that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Your Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His passion and cross be brought to the glory of His resurrection, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Note: French artist Jean-Francois Millett completed the oil painting featured above and titled “The Angelus” between 1857 and 1859. The painting hangs in the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, France.

I was sitting in the medical center waiting room with my father. We had arrived early for his treatment, so I was checking emails and trying to edit a document, using my phone. This was not going smoothly!

My patience was wearing thin as I listened to a news story blaring through someone’s phone. “How rude,” I thought, as I looked up and scanned the waiting room to see where the sound was coming from. The area was filling up. Everyone seemed to be arriving in pairs. It was a cancer treatment day at the medical center, and I could see the strain on people’s faces.

Suddenly, I spotted the person with the loud phone. He was an old man, and when our eyes met, we held each other’s gazes for a long moment. Before I turned away, I gave him a look intended to express my disdain over the news story he was blasting across the waiting room.

I went back to editing my document. No one else really even seemed aware of the old man. Why was I feeling so annoyed?

As I fired off my last email, I realized the sound from the old man’s phone was getting louder. I looked again in his direction and our eyes locked. He clearly had been watching me and seemed to have turned up the volume on his phone. What was his problem? Why was he trying to get my attention? What did he want?

My father and I looked at each other and shrugged.

“Let’s move, Dad. Let’s get away from this ridiculous noise.”

I shot one last annoyed glance at the old man, as my father and I walked to a far corner of the waiting room, away from the noise.

About a week later I woke up in the middle of the night, thinking about that old man. I could see the waiting room clearly in my mind and I realized that the old man was alone. Everyone was in pairs, but not this old man. Was he frightened, being there alone? Were his treatments working? How was he feeling that day?

Why hadn’t I noticed that the old man was alone? Would it have changed how I engaged with him? Why was I so perturbed by the sounds of his phone?

As I thought about the old man in the early morning light, I thought about St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

St. Mother Teresa showed us that we are not here on earth to rush through our days, and to leave others behind.

We are here to love and to be kind to one another, because in doing so, we enable God to enter into that moment.

As she observed, the world’s people need more love. We are all hungry for God:

“Are we willing to share people’s sufferings, not only in poor countries but all over the world? It seems to me that this great poverty of suffering in the West is much harder to solve. When I pick up a starving person off the street and offer him a bowl of rice or a piece of bread, I can satisfy his hunger. But a person that has been beaten or feels unwanted or unloved or fearful or rejected by society experiences a kind of poverty that is much more painful and deep. The cure is much more difficult to find. People are hungry for God. People are hungry for love. Are we aware of that? Do we know that? Do we see that? Do we have eyes to see? Quite often we look but we don’t see. We are all just passing through this world. We need to open our eyes and see.”¹

Early today, I prayed for that old man, and asked Jesus that this man experience love deeply in his life.  

I also asked Jesus to help me to slow down – way down – so that I may see the people in my path that He is asking me to care for and love.

The people that God places in our paths are there for a reason. St. Francis of Assisi aptly observed that when we give of our ourselves to others, we receive so much more than we give. In giving, we receive the lasting gifts of more faith and hope and love, and a deeper awareness of why we are all here, together.

Jesus loves us so much. His kind of love can change us, if we allow His love to flow through us and on to others.

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us.” Ephesians 4: 32, 5: 1-2

¹Mother Teresa, No Greater Love (California: New World Library, 2001), pages 55-56.

When someone asks you to describe who Jesus is, what do you say?

Words that come quickly include brave and holy and pure and immortal. We also describe Jesus as a prophet, a teacher, the Messiah and Son of God – and Savior. Perhaps, on some level, it is easier to describe Jesus in ways that reinforce His Divinity.

But Jesus also desires that we know and recognize Him as a friend. Why? Because it is our awareness of Jesus’ friendship and humanity that changes everything.

I love this image of Jesus from The Shack, a fictional story about a grieving father, Mack, who finds God in the midst of a devastating tragedy. In Chapter 7, Mack and Jesus go out to the dock to look at the stars. Here is an excerpt from the chapter:

“They made their way three-quarters up the dock and lay down on their backs, looking up. The elevation of this place seemed to magnify the heavens, and Mack reveled in seeing stars in such numbers and clarity. Jesus suggested that they close their eyes for a few minutes, allowing the lasting effects of dusk to disappear for the night. Mack complied, and when he finally opened his eyes, the sight was so powerful that he experienced vertigo for a few seconds. It almost felt like he was falling up into space, the stars racing toward him as if to embrace him. He lifted his hands, imagining that he could reach out and pluck the diamonds, one by one, off a velvet-black sky.

“’Wow!’ he whispered.

“’Incredible!’ whispered Jesus. ‘I never get tired of this.’” – Excerpt from The Shack¹

Through this scene, Young paints an amazing picture of Jesus as our friend.

It is exactly how I imagine Him.

Coming to know Jesus as a friend changes things for us. In Young’s book, Mack’s encounter with Jesus compels him to ultimately make peace with the tragedy that has occurred in his family. Forgiveness is an unthinkable act for Mack, and yet with Jesus’ friendship and love, the unthinkable happens.

Life with Jesus is about learning to trust in Him as our Savior – and it is about deepening our friendship with Him. Jesus desires our trust and friendship so that, ultimately, we might love as He loves.

Remember that Jesus is Love:

“Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is Love. This is how God shows His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is Love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us [first] and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 1 John 4: 7-10

Jesus knows that by loving those who are His own in the world, He is sharing with them the love and mercy of God the Father. So too, when we love, are we sharing the love and mercy of God with the people He has blessed us to know.

Jesus makes the same promise to us today that He made to his disciples and friends centuries ago:

“I am with you always, even until the end of time.” Matthew 28: 20

Jesus will never leave us. Cultivating our friendship with Him expands our lives in ways we cannot even imagine.

The longing that exists deep within your heart, to love and to be loved, is an invitation to know the friendship of Jesus.

“From the very first time I came to know the Lord, the gaze of my soul became drowned in Him for all eternity. Each time the Lord draws close to me and my knowledge of Him grows deeper, a more perfect love grows within my heart.” – Excerpt from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska: Divine Mercy in My Soul²

The love and friendship of Jesus will change your life.

¹ Wm. Paul Young, The Shack (CA: Windblown Media, 2007), 109.

²Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska: Divine Mercy in My Soul (Massachusetts: Marian Press, 2020), Verses 231, page 116.

“Remember that you are never alone, Christ is with you on your journey every day of your lives! He has called you and chosen you to live in the freedom of the children of God. Turn to Him in prayer and in love. Ask Him to grant you the courage and strength to live in this freedom always. Walk with Him who is ‘the Way, the Truth and the Life’!”

Saint John Paul II, from the 12^th World Youth Day Address, August 23, 1997.

Do you ever wonder about what Jesus looked like? In particular, what was the shape of His face? What color were His eyes? Was his hair straight or wavy, dark or lighter in color? What was His smile like?

There is no physical description of Jesus in the Gospels or in any of the New Testament letters. After recording His arrival on earth, New Testament writers jump forward to record His ministry, teachings, death and resurrection. But none of the writers record anything about His physical appearance. Why?

In the Old Testament, there are two references to the appearance of Christ.

In Isaiah’s prophesy about the anointed Servant of the Lord, he describes Christ in this way:

“For He grew up before them like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; He had no form or comeliness that we should look at Him, and no beauty that we should despise Him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.” Isaiah 53: 2-3

Psalm 45 offers perhaps a gentler description of Christ:

“You are the fairest of the sons of men; grace is poured from Your lips; therefore God has blessed You for ever.” Psalm 45: 2

But it is impossible to draw any definitive conclusions about the appearance of Christ from these Old Testament descriptions.

Scholars of the mysterious Shroud of Turin, a length of linen believed to have wrapped the body of Jesus for burial, have tried to draw conclusions about the physical appearance of Christ. But descriptions vary, and arguments arise from time to time about the authenticity of the linen.

Why are there no precise physical descriptions of Jesus?

St. Augustine, in his moving and profound writings about the Trinity, confirms that, in fact, everyone seems to have a different mental — and physical — image of Jesus:

“The physical face of the Lord is pictured with infinite variety by countless imaginations, though whatever it was like He certainly had only one. Nor as regards the faith we have in the Lord Jesus Christ it is in the least relevant to salvation what our imaginations picture Him like … What does matter is that we think of Him as a man¹.”

I treasure these words from St. Augustine. His fifteen books De Trinitate, on which he worked for 15 years, from 400 to 416 AD, reveal a soul intent upon leading others to an encounter with the Trinity – with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.

Yes, the images of the embodied Christ that we carry in our hearts do vary widely – as do the intensely personal faiths that we place in Jesus and carry in our hearts. No doubt this has been God’s plan all along.

As St. Augustine wisely observes, what matters is that we recognize Jesus as a man who walked the very earth that we walk now. What matters is that we take time to form an understanding about the Humanity and the Divinity of Christ.

What matters is that we take time to explore the mystery of our faith.

Jesus asks each one of us to decide who He is as the Divine Son of God, who He was as the very Word made Flesh on earth, and who He is as the Beloved and Risen Son of the Father.

We find our answers in the silence, with Jesus.

“Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, ‘Who do men say that the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jermiah or one of the prophets.’ He [Jesus] said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’” Matthew 16: 13-15

¹St. Augustine of Hippo, On the Trinity 8.7; E. Hill trans., The Works of St. Augustine, The Trinity, Part 1, Volume 5 (Brooklyn, N.Y., City Press, 1991), pgs. 246-247.

In the early morning light, distracted by emails that have arrived overnight, I look out my window and into the city.

As traffic grows in the street surrounding the park and fountain, a priest appears on the sidewalk below, his long cassock blowing in the early breeze. He has been out walking, welcoming the day, and speaking with the Savior. I observe this in the way he moves — still in the world, but lifted above the world’s cares.

As the priest disappears down the walk, I am reminded that you, Jesus, are among us, every moment of every day.

My eyes open wide, as I take in the beauty and mystery of the morning light.

Help us to walk with You, Jesus.

Holy Spirit, remind us to pause throughout the day, to listen for Jesus’ gentle words on our hearts.

More than anything, help us to become channels of Your Love today, Jesus.

“Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.” James 5: 13

When I am struggling to let go and to trust in Jesus, I think of the scene in Matthew’s Gospel that unfolds after Jesus has fed 5,000 people.

It’s evening now, near the Sea of Galilee, and Jesus asks the disciples to get into their boat and to travel before Him, to the other side of the water. Jesus goes off to pray by Himself. Returning to the shore later on, Jesus sees that the boat is now near the middle of the sea, so He begins walking on the water toward the boat.

When the disciples see Jesus, they are terrified. They think they are seeing a ghost! Jesus calls to them, “Take heart, it is I; have no fear.” Matthew 15: 27.

Peter, still skeptical, says to Jesus, “Lord, if it is you, bid me come to you on the water.” (Matthew 15: 28)

Here’s what happens:

“He [Jesus] said, ‘Come.’ So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus; but when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out, ‘Lord, save me.’ Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to Peter, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.” Matthew 14: 29-32

How many times have I done this? Called out to Jesus for help, only to turn away from Jesus later that day, worried that somehow His advice isn’t good enough?

The setting for this scene is intentionally powerful. In the middle of the Sea of Galilee, at night, the disciples are physically vulnerable. Remember at first, they think a ghost is coming toward them. They cannot jump from the boat and run to shore – humans cannot walk on water! Swimming to shore will be slow and difficult as well.

As the disciples realize it is Jesus, fully human, walking on the water, they witness the Power of His Divinity. The Divine Jesus who invites Peter to walk on the water reveals to all of us His desire to strengthen our human capabilities with His Divine Power. When Peter responds to Jesus with a heart full of joy and trust, he too walks on water! Amazing! With Jesus, there is nothing that we cannot do.

But then the wind picks up and Peter becomes afraid. His mind fills with doubt, and Peter begins to sink into the waves. Peter calls for Jesus, and the Savior is right there, extending His hand to pull Peter out of the water to safety.  

The point of the story is undeniable — Jesus wants to share His Loving Power and Mercy with all of us.

Jesus calls constantly for us, drawing us to the boundaries that we fear, and asking us to walk with Him to the places where we worry that we are not enough.

Why?

Because it is at the edge of our capacities that we encounter Jesus.

What would happen today if I trusted completely in Jesus?

“Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders, let me walk upon the waters, wherever you would call me. Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander, and my faith will be made stronger, in the presence of my Savior.” Hillsong UNITED, “Oceans (Where Feet May Fail),” 2013.

You come to me in waves, Jesus.

My awareness of You, and all that You are, comes in waves and washes over me. The beauty of all that You are fills me with wonder, as I watch for you by the water.

I look for You in big signs — in the great, strong winds, but You are not there. I look for You in the earthquakes and fires, but You are not there. Instead, I find You in the silence, Your voice so still and small that it draws me to my knees. (1 Kings 19: 11-13)

In the silence, I recall You telling Your disciples that You and the Father are One. (John 10: 30)

Your beloved disciple and friend, John, who knew You so well, tells me that God is Love, and whoever lives in Love lives in God, and God lives in Him. (1 John 4: 16) John also tells me that a Love which is perfect casts out fear. This fear of my sinfulness and imperfection is not from God, for perfect Love washes away all fear. (1 John 4: 18) I bow my head, humbled by Your Love.

In the silence, I recall Your teachings, Jesus – all of them centered on loving one another, as the Father loves us. When I love someone, this is how that person knows that I love You, Jesus. (John 13: 34-35) And you tell me over and again to forgive others, because God forgives me. (Mark 11: 25)

In the silence, I recall your death and resurrection, Your ultimate act of Love and Mercy. (John Chapters 19 and 20). I see and understand that You came so that we all may have life and have it abundantly. (John 10: 10) And because You and the Father are One, I see that from the beginning, this was God’s plan, to love each of us richly and with mercy, for God knows that all of His creation is made in goodness. (Genesis 1: 31)

In the silence, I am reminded of Your final prayers before Your death, for Your disciples and for all of us: 

“Now this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.” (John 17: 3)

In the silence, I realize that eternal life begins here on earth, when I turn to You, Jesus, and ask that You make my life and my plans Your Own. Knowing that I am made in God’s image (Genesis 1: 27), I understand that I was made to share in eternal life with the Father and the Son, even if the world tries to tell me otherwise. I lift my head, filled with the knowledge of this precious gift.

You come to me in waves, Jesus.

In the silence, I call to You. The prophet Isaiah assures me that You are among us, even though there is no beauty or majesty to attract us to You. (Isaiah 53: 2-3) You show up in unexpected ways, Jesus, because You want to know that I sincerely long for You. You desire that I search for You because of how You Love, not because of how You look or because of the Power that You possess.

You come to me in waves, Jesus, when I am ready to move forward with You. In the silence, I know that my life is infinitely better because of You.

Thank you for loving me, Jesus.

Thank you for loving us, Jesus.

Dearest Holy Spirit, please draw all of us nearer to Jesus each day, so that God may draw nearer to us. (James 4:8)

© 2024. Stepping Stones to Grace. All Rights Reserved.

Jesus died around three in the afternoon on Friday and was buried shortly thereafter. His Resurrection occurred by Dawn on Sunday. These verses from the Gospel of John recount the scene at the tomb early Sunday:

“Now on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.

“So she ran, and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple [John], the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.’

“Peter then came out with the other disciple, and they went toward the tomb. They both ran, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first; and stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in.

“Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; he saw the linen cloths lying there, and the napkin, which had been on His head, not lying with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself.

“Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise from the dead. Then the disciples went back to their homes.

“But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb, and she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head, and one at the feet. They said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’

“She said to them, ‘Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.’

“Saying this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? Whom do you seek?’

“Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to him, ‘Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.’

“Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’ She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, ‘Rab-boni!’ (which means  teacher).” John 20: 1-16

He is Risen!