Spring in the Wilderness

~~~ Genesis 16: 6B-12, 15-16 ~~~ Psalm 106 ~~~ Matthew 7:21-29 ~~~

Abram, Sarai, and the other woman, Hagar.

For ten years Sarai had been unable to conceive 

and bear a son for Abram.

As was the ancient custom Sarai gave her slave

 to her husband to conceive in her place.

Sarai was infertile and frustrated.

This was seen as a disgrace and completely 

the fault of the woman.

Sarai took her maid, Hagar the Egyptian,

and gave her to her husband Abram to be his concubine.

The decision to give her slave to her husband eventually

caused problems between the women.

Hagar knew about Sarai's infertility

 and consequently judged her.

Sarai becomes angry when Hagar 

successfully conceives a child with Abram.

Even though this was Sarai's idea she grew

 increasingly jealous of Hagar.

Abram gave her his consent to discipline 

Hagar...abuse her.

“Your maid is in your power.

Do to her whatever you please.”

Sometimes we make decisions 

that later we wished we had not made.

Sarai had not anticipated her own feelings

 when offering Hagar to her husband.

It was not possible for her to anticipate how she would feel 

if her slave conceived with her husband.

Once Hagar was with child there 

was no turning back for Sarai,

One day when Hagar could take no more she ran away.

The LORD’s messenger found her by a spring in the wilderness...

The messenger from the Lord found Hagar
in the wilderness beside a spring of living water.
Although Hagar was feeling all was lost even though
she was with child
God sent a messenger to her.

This spring of water was in the wilderness.

Even in the wilderness God finds a way to speak to our heart.
The waters of the spring were signs of life and hope.

Hagar returned and gave birth to Abram's son, Ishmael.

God makes all things work toward good.

May you be Blessed with a spring
in the wilderness of your life.
~~~ Peace~~~

Prayer of Joy

~~~ Isaiah 65:17-21  ~~~ Psalm 30 ~~~ John 4:43-54 ~~~

...there shall always be rejoicing and happiness
in what I create;
For I create Jerusalem to be a joy
and its people to be a delight...

All of creation is God's expression of joy;
how is it that we so often miss this evidence?
We take the joy of creation for granted.

God creates all new life and in life there is joy.
New life holds the hopes and dreams of a better future.
All of nature sings for the joy of life.
The trees bud...the birds sing...wild flowers painted the landscape...
the spring rains bring renewal to the lakes and rivers.

It is no accident that we celebrate Easter in the Springtime...
it makes the most sense because all of creation
supports the promise of new life.

“The fever left him yesterday, about one in the afternoon.”
The father realized that just at that time Jesus had said to him,
“Your son will live,”
and he and his whole household came to believe.

Jesus turned the official's mourning into dancing...into joy.
Jesus chose a wedding feast for his first miracle.
A wedding is a time of great joy.
The new wine averted the disappointment
of running out of wine for the guests.

O LORD, my God, forever will I give you thanks.

For all the times, Lord, we have missed your message
of joy let me see it today.
For all the times, Lord, I have not given you
 enough thanks for turning my mourning into joy...
I give you thinks now.

Lord, even when I have failed and disappointed you
you still create joy all around me.

Lord, fill my heart with your joy...
teach me to treasure all the beams of joy
that radiate from your loving heart.

Today let your 'prayer of joy'
fill your soul.

You have been created to be Joy.
His Blessings are true Joy.
Return to him his joy is so worth the effort.
You are more than loved...you are made for joy.
~~~Peace~~~

Lent the Season of Hope

~~~ Jeremiah 17:5-10 ~~~ Psalm 1 ~~~ Luke 16:19-31 ~~~

Today marks the beginning of a new season, Spring.
Lent is about change and change is most evident during the springtime.
You cannot help but notice the difference in all of nature.
Grass grows green again, flowers appear on bare tree branches,
wild colorful flowers cover the roadsides.
A time to appreciate new life.
The animals give birth to new offspring
now that the warmer days have arrived.
It is joyous time of the year.

In spite of this life giving season we are in Lent.
Lent, a time to take an inventory of how
we might bring the life of Spring into our soul.

If one who stays in the winter darkness of sin we are told today..

He is like a barren bush in the desert
that enjoys no change of season...

How sad it would be to have not experience the seasonal changes.
Even in the most temperate of climates there is some change.
I invite you to look at the season of Spring as the season of hope.

Hope...a feeling of expectation and desire
for a certain thing to happen.

We all hope to see the beauty of Spring.
We all hope in the Lord, because he has promised us salvation.
Our resurrection will be the most glorious springtime ever.

Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose hope is the LORD...

The poor man, Lazarus, lying alone in the gutter of the street covered in sores
cannot appreciate the changing of the seasons.
He does not begin to appreciate the cycle of beauty
which comes with new each season.

He experiences no joy in the natural world.

The rich man passes him by, relishing in the finer things of life.
But he too misses the joy of hope.
He sees no reason to need hope...it does not serve him.
He has no feelings expectation and desire for he
 dresses well and dines sumptuously each day.

It is only in torments of the afterlife does the rich man experience hope.
He longs for just a drop of water from the finger tip of Lazarus.

The great chasm between Lazarus and the rich man
 is the valley without hope...
the space void of Springtime...
the place where life is no longer a possibility.

We can use our time of Lent to turn over the soil of our hearts
 so the hope of Springtime save us from the chasm.
We have been blessed with all we need
to have the experience of Springtime in our hearts.

We have a God who blesses us for having hope in him.
He will meet and surpass all of our expectations.
He is the Hope of the World.

May the Springtime of Hope strengthen your soul.
Peace.

He Makes All Things New

The Easter Vigil liturgy is saturated with his holiness.

Abundant Blessings...new fire...new water...the scriptural history of our salvation...new Catholics...Baptisms...Confirmation...First Eucharist...invocation of the Saints...all supported with beautiful music.

Behold, he makes all things new.

Christ is the Alpha and the Omega.

This solemn night gives birth to the mystery of new hope.

This is a most holy night...a most sacred night when we commemorate Christ fulfilling the promise of eternal life. We remember all that he has done for us and we celebrate because we believe. We believe that we shall see the goodness of the Lord. We believe that we shall walk in the land of the living with the Lord.
We believe that we too shall be made new.

We gather as a community to bear witness, but also to watch and pray together. We gather in solidarity with the newest Catholics. In truth they in turn inspire me to renew my faith.

The Light of Christ triumphantly enters into a darkened worship space. The new paschal candle annonces the saving light that dispels all darkness is here. This very large pillar candle of fire is prominently placed for all to see in the sanctuary.

The church gives us both Old Testament and New Testament readings, nine in all as we trace the history of our creation...the faith of Abraham...the safe passage of the Israelites...reassuring words that God will be there to take us back...the invitation to come to the water...acknowledging the wisdom of God...purified through God proving his holiness...

Romans 6:3-11 ~~~ Psalm 118 ~~~ Mark 16: 1-7
We are baptized into life and death with Christ. We will be joined with Christ in his Ressurection. Death will no longer have power over us...he makes all things new.

Alleluia...Alleluia...Alleluia
We have reason to rejoice the tomb is empty. The stone has been rolled back...Jesus is clothed in his glory. He makes all things new...Mary and the others were amazed at what they did not find. They did not find the body of Jesus they had come to anoint.

The glorious Jesus whom they did not recognize instructed them with a message to deliver to the disciples and Peter.

"He is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him, as he told you."
Mark 16:7

He goes before us making all things new.
Spring is the most appropriate time of the year for us to celebrate the Resurrection. Nature responds every year to his credit and for his glory...
making all things new.

New things are fresh and clean. They smell pure not at all life the decay of death.
We prayed during this Lent for a clean heart and our prayers are answered with much more. We have been given a fresh start. We have been given another opportunity to respond to the question..."Who do you say that I am?"

I say, Lord, you are the one I am forever grateful to for leading me to your side.
I am forever grateful for being given abundant graces.