I dreamed another dream...

A young man was in search for a perfect gift and walked into an antique looking store. There was an old storekeeper behind the counter. The guy walked up and asked the storekeeper to help him find the perfect gift, he had been looking for a long time and was growing weary. The storekeeper looked at the guy for a long time and said “I have just the thing you’ve been looking for, I have been hiding it away, and it is the most precious thing in this store. You may have it – provided you keep it in a place of honor and take good care of it.” The storekeeper turned to the shelves behind him and moved some things away from the front and reached way back to lift out the item. The guy smiled and received the gift and left the store. After some time had passed, the storekeeper went to check on the guy and see if he was true to his word. The storekeeper found that the gift had been cast away to the side so the storekeeper retrieved the gift and scolded the guy for not living up to his end of the bargain. The storekeeper said, “I will take the gift back and put it away for someone who will cherish and realize its value.”

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There is a second part to the dream but I have tried to type it and everytine I do, I feel like I would be spoiling the end of a story and I feel compelled to wait for prompting to tell anyone what happens next. So stay tuned...

The spirit whispered to me at Mass on Saturday, “I am not taking something away from you; I am taking you away from something.” After mass on Sunday it whispered, “Let me deal with it.” “Wait for my signal, I will let you know.”

God’s will is difficult, I am unable to see the big picture. I trust that He does, and knows where to weave my unique color into the tapestry. Whether I belong to the right corner or to the left, remains in God’s artistic hands.

Lord, it's hard to be Catholic

Every day I find myself defending the faith I was born into. Why it is others make fun of what they don’t know? They say love is a battlefield and it is true, my love for the church and my faith is always under fire. Most of the time I know it is meant jokingly, but other times it feels hurtful and no matter what I say, it gets rebuked - it often is futile to even try. Today I found myself set up for admonishment for my preference to date men of the same faith – that is my choice as much as it is my choice to eat chicken instead of fish. I listened to what they said, I was limiting my choices, being close minded – I didn’t say much, which led to further abashment on another trivial unrelated matter. I recalled when Jesus was called before Pilot and was asked if he was the King of the Jews. Jesus remained silent until he offered one reply “It is you who say I am”. Then Jesus was flogged and crucified. The hurt I feel is miniscule to what Jesus went through and I cannot even fathom how he must have felt. I offered it up, dried my eyes and carried on with my tasks, not speaking for the entire day at work. It seems people in other denominations including lapsed Catholics find it hard to understand why we stand by the church even as she undergoes hardships and trial with the clergy abuse scandals, attacks on doctrines and catechisms. I believe they use these as barriers in their own faith journeys…and use them for verbal attacks on the faithful. Or maybe they are just looking for someone who can give them the answers. I can’t give them the answers they look for because I search for them as well but I do it with faith, trust and hope in God.

Sunday's Gospel Message

Yesterday’s gospel message has stayed with me today. If there are aspects of ourselves which get in the way of being the person God’s wants us to be or get in the way of other people’s paths, we ought to rectify that and try to cut the evil parts out of our selves. That’s the purpose of the sacrament of reconciliation.

If our eyes are too distracted by the things the world has to offer – we should close our eyes to the world so that it is only God we see. If our hands are tempted by the material things the world has to offer, we should press them together and pray to God for His blessing. If our hearts are tempted by the vagaries of the world, we should close our hearts to them and focus our longing on God. What you hear is the dark you must speak in the light, you are salt of the earth, and you are light for the world…

The gospel message also had special meaning for me as it reminded me of a song that expresses how I feel about God’s presence in my life.

If I didn’t have you – Amanda Marshall

I don't know what I was thinking 'Til I was thinking of you
I don't remember a thing before I opened my eyes
And you came into view
I don't know what I was doing When there was nothing to do
Must've been waiting for someone ,
Now I can see - I was waiting for you

CHORUS

I'd give up my sight just to see you I'd beg,
I would borrow and steal I'd cut off my hands just to touch you
And tear out my heart so you'd know how I feel
There's nowhere that I wouldn't follow
There's nothing that I wouldn't do
'Cause I wouldn't wanna be me
If I didn't have you

Driving myself to distraction
Until you got in my way
I was just whistling Dixie 'til you struck up the band
And they started to play I don't know how I was living
Until you came in my life
I always knew there was something wrong
Then you came along ,you made it right

CHORUS

I was alone in the silence
'Til I was hearing your voice
I couldn't see my way clear until you parted the clouds
And you gave me a choice
I couldn't pick up the pieces 'Til I was falling apart
I didn't know I was bleeding
'Til your love fixed this hole here in my heart

I'd give up my sight just to see you
I'd beg, I would borrow and steal
I'd cut off my hands just to touch you
And tear out my heart so you'd know how I feel
There's nowhere that I wouldn't follow
There's no place that I'd rather be
Cause life without you would be hollow
This love is a gift, and you gave it to me
All that I am, you have made me
And baby, I know that it's true
I'd give it all up in a heartbeat
Just to spend every moment with you
There's no place that I wouldn't follow
There's nothing that I wouldn't do
'Cause I wouldn't wanna be me
If I didn't have you

I'll Need You

I have been awake trying to figure out how to upload videos here. After a hour of frustation here is the link. You have to watch it - It's Brilliant!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tPuOIItb7o&feature=player_embedded#t=100

Inspirational message from a Friend

On days that seem unbearable, I remember a message a friend wrote me many years ago. I had no idea she had penned this poetic antiphon which I happened to find in my notebook years later. I read it because it moves me and it affirms that indeed there are special people that have been in my life. I thank God for their presence in my life, they have helped shape who I have become.

"When you wake up in the morning and the loneliness and emptiness surround you. The light in your heart that used to follow you is diminished and you live your life not to be alone or to have pain. Don't give up or give in cause there will always be another chance. God gave us everything we need. Everyday you see a smile and a great love that you think you will never feel, you are wrong. Try to remember all the strength that was given to you. Don't forget the pain you've been through to get here. You've learned a lesson and the good ones are always the hard ones. You'll learn again and you'll be heart broken more than once ."

Miss you much my Friend

The Mission of Life and finding Light in Dark Corners

While praying this morning I found myself being lead to this train of metaphorical thought.
“I’ve been calling your name over and over, I’m holding the door open but you won’t come in. I know you hear me because you look toward me. You’re too busy out playing spotlight in the dark, come here in the light where you can see”.

I spent a night on the town with a friend of mine a few weeks ago. This friend is the complete polar opposite of me; she does not hold herself accountable and is not a practicing member of her faith. Yet, I see goodness in her…we were on Water Street and we watched a magician perform a few card tricks. I noticed her speaking with another girl in the crowd. I couldn’t hear what they were talking about but I caught the end of the conversation, “My God, ________ you need to get some help and get your life straightened out, I don’t want to hear of anything bad happening to you. Take care of yourself.” My friend told me that she went to school with the girl and that she was living on the street and addicted to cocaine and heroin.

I was moved by that experience and perplexed. My friend who denounces religion showed a merciful act of kindness in her words to that girl on the street. Another example are two friends of mine who are married and have a child but have big issues with organized religion. They never go to church and the guy says he believes in a higher being but will not allow himself to be dictated on what he should or should not believe. Despite all this – they are the most Christian people I know. They live freely without attending church or following church teaching yet they live out fully Christian ideals (maybe subconsciously).

In THEOLOGY: A Very Short Introduction , David ford says, “ So even those who think they have left their family or their faith, usually go on being influenced by it, and generally need something like another family or another faith in order to live a satisfactory life.” I think that over the course of people’s lives that leave their faith, there exist some residual elements of the faith they were raised with. Our lives are affected by everything we read, by everything we learn. My point – there is good in everyone no matter what state they are in.


Luke 4: 14-21
14And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district.
15And He began (teaching in their synagogues and was praised by all.
16And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read.
17And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written,
18"( THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME,
BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR.
HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES,
AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND,
TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED,
19TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD."

20And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him.

21And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."

22And all were speaking well of Him, and wondering at the gracious words which were falling from His lips; and they were saying, " Is this not Joseph's son?"

23And He said to them, "No doubt you will quote this proverb to Me, 'Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we heard was done at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.'"

24And He said, "Truly I say to you, no prophet is welcome in his hometown.

25"But I say to you in truth, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up for three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land;

26and yet Elijah was sent to none of them, but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.

27"And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian."

28And all the people in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things;

29and they got up and drove Him out of the city, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city had been built, in order to throw Him down the cliff.

30But passing through their midst, He went His way.

A Memory of my Grandmother

This morning I began a reading a book of meditations of St. Therese of Lisieux. The focus being on how Therese communicated to God in her "Heart to Hearts". Therese saw God as a loving parent with arms open wide ready to accept and forgive the little child. It is a beautiful image, and the first meditation concluded by asking the reader to reflect upon a childhood memory of experiencing the care and affection of someone. I paused, closed my eyes and unpacked the many memories I have trying to find the perfect one in which I felt completely safe and loved, then I remembered this...

As a young girl I often had terrible dreams. One in particular scared me out of my wits, I recall it having something to do with mirrors and the devil - there were times I wouldn't go to sleep unless all the mirrors were covered. My father's parents lived with us and I often found myself knocking on their door on the nights I couldn't sleep. My Grandmother would ask if I'd had that dream again and escort me back to my room where she would kiss my forehead, snuggle me close and say the Rosary. When she said the Rosary my fears always subsided and I would feel safe and peaceful as if she had invoked my Guardian angel to keep watch over me - but she would stay with me until I fell asleep. My Grandmother was a loving and comforting woman, I only wish that she were still here. I can only hope that one day I will leave such a wonderful memory to my own grandchild.