Journaling Archives - Page 64 of 68

He sat down opposite the treasury and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents. Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them, “Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood.” (Mark 12:21-44 New American Bible translation)

I read this scripture passage in preparation for mass today. As I contemplated its meaning, I realized it was not simply about tithing or giving of our money. It was more than that – it was about giving of ourselves for the greater glory of God! Wow! As I continued to give it more thought, I was reminded of the words T.V. evangelist, Joel Osteen, uses as he ends his sermons. He says: “Keep God first place, and He will take you places you’ve never dreamed of.” How true that is in my own life. When we put God first in our lives, with intentions that are pure, He rewards us in ways you wouldn’t believe. If you have a hard time believing it, think of how you feel when your own children follow your rules and instructions. Do you not want to show them how much you appreciate their obedience – by taking them to their favorite place, buying them something they’ve wanted for a long time, basically just giving them whatever their little hearts desire? Then how much more will God do for you in appreciation of your obedience – He’s creator of the universe for goodness sake!

How do I relate? Eleven years ago I moved to a new neighborhood and became a member of the parish there. For the first year or so, I was what I considered an “observer.” I showed up on Sunday and THAT’S IT! I was working full time and convinced myself that I didn’t have much “extra-time.” For some reason, the more I went to church, the more I was prompted to get involved – soooo…make a long story short, I volunteered for one ministry and that snow balled into my eventually volunteering for 8 different ministries – 1 of which I spear-headed.

Continue reading “What’s your contribution?”

Today I felt compelled to share the reflection I mentioned in my Power of Yes blog. Just a little bit of background: several years ago I was asked to give a reflection to my parish congregation. The topic was Belonging More Deeply. Here’s what I shared:

As I thought about the topic of belonging more deeply and how we could do that, three words came to mind: prayer, surrender and gratitude.

As Christians, we know how important prayer is in our relationship with God, who is with us at all times. I grew up knowing the importance of prayer. However, never was it more evident to me than on September 11, 2001. I remember the day vividly. My husband and I had just purchased our first home and adopted our late dog, Leo. I was a practicing attorney in Manhattan, working in the Woolworth Building, just 2 blocks from the WTC. My husband was a union electrician working inside the WTC.

The day started as any other day. Actually, it was better than any other day. I was exceptionally happy with life. I remember walking the dog and holding my head up high as I thought: Thank you God! As I approached my front door, my neighbor popped his head out to tell me that a plane had just hit the WTC. My husband was there. The only thing I knew would comfort me and help me believe that he would get out alive was prayer. I learned very early in my life about the power of prayer from my mother. So I decided to call the rest of our family. I thought “the more prayer the better the chance of his survival.”

It was 9:30 before I was finally able to hear his voice. He was ok and trying to make his way home. Several days after the ordeal, my husband shared his version of the events. He was on the 91st floor of tower 1, just two floors below where the first plane hit. After exiting the building and realizing that the subway system had been shut down, he had no idea where to go from there. As he wandered the streets of lower Manhattan, he ran into a childhood friend he hadn’t seen in many years and who happened to be a NYC police officer. The officer filled him in on the facts and pointed him in the direction of the Brooklyn Bridge. My husband made his way to the bridge and then the first tower fell.

As the puff of smoke from the fallen building was about the engulf my husband, he turned to see a van trying to get past the sea of people attempting to cross the Brooklyn Bridge and noticed the driver was alone. He knocked on the window and asked the man to let him in and he did, before the smoke reached them. My husband was simply looking to make it across the bridge, but the man lived in our area and drove him straight to our front door. The man’s name was Manuel – short for Emmanuel – God is with us. Looking back on that day, it is obvious that God was with my husband.

Continue reading “Belonging more deeply”