We have the POWER to tread upon serpents

Posted on by MSFriend
being faithful makes us powerful
We have the power!

It’s Saturday afternoon and I’ve just woken from a nap.  My intention is to start some spring cleaning and organizing but my heart is overwhelmed.  My heart is overwhelmed with people and situations I have placed there in prayer and it’s busting at the seams. I can feel it.  This is not the same feeling I get when I harden my heart but a pressure from its softening.  The softening of compassion.   It allows me to feel the pain,  anxiety and sadness of all who’ve asked me to pray for them.  I place these people and situations in my heart so that I won’t forget them.  More importantly, I place these people and situations in my heart because my heart is big enough, strong enough and made to withstand the pressure.  My heart is where the Spirit dwells.

What am I overwhelmed with?  I’m overwhelmed with concern for the sick and suffering:  for my brother who’s in the fight of his life; the brother whose closest support is both narcissistic and selfish; for a brother in Christ whom I recently met who’s also in the fight of his life.  There are so many others.   I’m overwhelmed with emotion for those who have lost loved ones:  those whose lack of faith leaves them inconsolable and those whose faith allows them the grace to rejoice.  I am overwhelmed with concern for the mother whose child has been wrongly accused of a serious offense and the consequences that may result from that accusation.

I feel so overwhelmed with concern and sadness.  It makes me wonder how I can maintain my joy?  As I wonder, tears well up in my eyes because I feel like such a hypocrite.  I feel like a hypocrite because I often advise my friends and family to not lose hope when they’re experiencing pain and struggle.  I’m usually the one who says “trust in God”, “pray” and  “all will be well.”

Today, the pressure of the struggle, sadness and evil that surrounds us suddenly became palpable for me.   I find myself asking:  what is going on? how can I possibly keep up?  So I give up cleaning, knowing that what I NEED to do, what really MATTERS at this moment is prayer.  I grab my Bible.   An act of defiance against the tempter.   Against the one who  believes my God-given spirit can be weakened or worse, BROKEN!  Not so, not so!

Before I opened my Bible, I decide to write a bit.  I need to vent, express myself and release some pressure, so I do.  When I open my writing notebook – BAM! God, front and center, never ever ceases to amaze me.

Here’s what I read:  The seventy-two returned rejoicing, and said, “Lord, even  the demons are subject to us because of your name.”  Jesus said “I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky.  Behold, I have given you the power ‘to tread upon serpents’ and scorpions and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you.  Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the Spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”  Luke 10:17-20

We are a powerful people!  Jesus tells us so in this Gospel story.  Shortly after acknowledging the power of the faithful, He reminds us that we should not rejoice over the “power” but over the fact that our names are written in Heaven.  We are children of God.  I am a child of God!

Today, amidst and despite the overwhelming emotion stirring within me, I rejoice over the Spirit also stirring within me.  The Spirit that’s always leading.   Leading me back to the place where God speaks. Back to that place where I hear and believe that ALL WILL BE WELL!  As I write, I switch my focus and I’m reminded of the survivors, of the faithful, of the graceful. Now the tears welling up are not only tears of joy but the tears that come when I am in God’s presence.  He is here with me, consoling me, giving me the eyes to see and the ears to hear! I can feel Him! Never underestimate the power of just being in God’s presence.  Praise God!  Thanks be to God!

Power comes with prayer.  Please pray with me and for me!  Please pray for peace in our world and in our hearts!  God bless you!

 

The three practices of Lent that draw us closer to God

Posted on by MSFriend
Lent
St. Peter Chrysologus

I was praying the Liturgy of the Hours this morning when I came across this sermon I have to share.  I hope you enjoy it and gather some valuable insight into the importance of prayer, fasting and almsgiving – not just during Lent but everyday.

This comes from the second reading of the Office of Readings.  It is from a sermon by Saint Peter Chrysologus, bishop.

There are three things, my brethren, by which faith stands firm, devotion remains constant, and virtue endures.  They are prayer, fasting and mercy.  Prayer knocks at the door, fasting obtains, mercy receives.  Prayer, mercy and fasting:  these three are one, and they give life to each other.

Fasting is the soul of prayer, mercy is the lifeblood of fasting.  Let no one try to separate them; they cannot be separated.  If you have only one of them or not all together, you have nothing.  So if you pray, fast; if you fast, show mercy; if you want your petition to be heard, hear the petition of others.  If you do not close your ear to others you open God’s ear to yourself.

When you fast, see the fasting of others.  If you want God to know that you are hungry, know that another is hungry.  If you hope for mercy, show mercy.  If you look for kindness, show kindness.  If you want to receive, give.  If you ask for yourself what you deny to others,  your asking is a mockery.

Let this be the pattern for all men when they practice mercy:  show mercy to others in the same way, with the same generosity, with the same promptness, as you want others to show mercy to you.

Therefore, let prayer, mercy and fasting be one single plea to God on our behalf, one speech in our defense, a threefold noted prayer in our favor.

Let us use fasting to make up for what we have lost by despising others.  Let us offer our souls in sacrifice by means of fasting.  There is nothing more pleasing that we can offer to God, as the psalmist said in prophecy: A sacrifice to God is a broken spirit; God does not despise a bruised and humbled heart.

Offer your soul to God, make him an oblation of your fasting, so that your soul may be a pure offering, a holy sacrifice, a living victim, remaining your own and at the same time made over to God.  Whoever fails to give this to God will not be excused, for if you are to give him yourself you are never without the means of giving.

To make these acceptable, mercy must be added.  Fasting bears no fruit unless it is watered by mercy.  Fasting dries up when mercy dries up.  Mercy is to fasting as rain is to the earth.  However much you may cultivate your heart, clear the soil of your nature, root out vices, sow virtues, if you do not release the springs of mercy, your fasting will bear no fruit.

When you fast, if your mercy is thin your harvest will be thin; when you fast, what you pour out in mercy overflows into your barn.  Therefore, do not lose by saving, but gather in by scattering.  Give to the poor, and you give to yourself.  You will not be allowed to keep what you have refused to give to others.

Powerful words for Lent, that hopefully flow into our every day!  Certainly not easy to live by but worth a try – for no other reason but to draw CLOSER to God.  God bless you!