One Bite

First Sunday of Lent

~~~ Genesis 2:7-9; 3:1-7 ~~~ Psalm 51 ~~~ 

~~~ Romans 5:12, 17-19 ~~~ Matthew 4:1-11

One does not live on bread alone,

but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.

One bite from the fruit of the tree

 of good and evil

cast us all into the darkness

 of temptation and sin.

One bite of sweetness made us 

feel ashamed of our own beauty.

One juicy bite caused us 

to run and hide from the voice of God. 

One bite...

Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

Cleanse me Lord.

Before you alone I confess my guilt.

Before you I acknowledge my offenses.

Cast me not from your holy presence.

Give me back a willing spirit to remain steadfast

in loving you with all my heart and soul.

Cleanse my heart with a contrite spirit.

Give me back the joy of knowing you will always love me.

Teach me to embrace the power of your words.

Your words are more than bread alone.

Your words bring healing and forgiveness.

Your words have the power to cleanse

 and heal the broken-hearted.

Your words are more nourishing than one bite 

of the fruit of the tree of good and evil.

I invite you to let this be a Lent

sustained by the reassuring words of the Lord.

For He will send the angels to sustain you.

One bite is nothing compared

 to the living words of God.

Blessings along the journey.

~~~Peace~~~

Fasting with Purpose

~~~ Isaiah 58:1-9A ~~~ Psalm 51 ~~~ Matthew 9:14-15 ~~~ 

Would that today you might fast

so as to make your voice heard on high!

During Lent we choose fasting as one way to a keep this time 

set apart from our usual spiritual practices.

Fasting by itself can inspire us to focus on things 

our soul longs for

as our body reacts to less food.

Fasting is not a reason to be nasty to others 

just because you are hungry.

If fasting does not lead you to experience 

the depravity of others

it is practiced in vain.

God would never ask us to fast for the sake of fasting.

Fasting is to put us into solidarity with those who are suffering.

Now is the acceptable time...

The acceptable time to make your voice heard on high.

Make your voice heard not because you are fasting, 

but because you are...

releasing those bound unjustly,

untying the thongs of the yoke;

Setting free the oppressed,

breaking every yoke;

Sharing your bread with the hungry,

sheltering the oppressed and the homeless;

Clothing the naked when you see them,

and not turning your back on your own.

Now is the time to fast from all selfishness.

Now is the time to give something to the DSF fund.

Now is the time to give to your faith community.

Now is the time to be an active part of the living Body of Christ.

Fasting is personal there is no need to advertise you're starving.

But there is reason to distribute food to the poor.

There is reason to donate your extra clothes...to clothe the naked.

There is reason to support your local Habitat for Humanity.

Jesus went into the desert to fast for forty days

 in preparation for his active ministry to the poor.

Jesus ministered to the poor everywhere he walked...

Some were physically poor, 

some were mentally poor, many were spiritually poor.

His fasting prepared him for the mission of saving us.

Before Jesus died on the cross for us we were all spiritually poor.

Our souls may never have found the way back to the goodness of God.

This Lent remember that whatever you do for the least

you also do for Jesus.

If this does not change your attitude 

probably nothing will.

Let your fasting lead you to the Spiritual 

and Corporal Works of Mercy

...so as to make your voice heard on high!

Fasting with a Purpose.

Blessings when you are hungry.

~~~Peace~~~

Hold on Tight

~~~ Ezekiel 18:21-28 ~~~ Psalm 130 ~~~ Matthew 5:20-26 ~~~

If anyone repents from their sin God promises to save them.

...he shall surely live, he shall not die. 

This is really good news for the majority of we humans.

But there is a flip side to this promise from God.

If you are doing well...

keeping the commandments...loving God etc.

and 'fall off the wagon'; into sin, things will not go well for you.

If the virtuous man falls into the same sin as the one 

who turns away from his sin...

None of his virtuous deeds shall be remembered,

because he has broken faith and committed sin;

because of this, he shall die. 

These are very harsh words to hear...almost scary.

The moral of the story is 

continue to be a virtuous person...

this is your warning.

Falling off can be fatal to your eternity.

God is always there for us

 to return to him...to repent...

This is THE message of lent.

If you are on the 'virtuous' wagon

 it is in your best interest to hold on tight.

There may be rough times ahead, hold on

 you will survive them.

There may be times when you are tempted to get off

to pick the forbidden flowers.

Stay on the wagon.

Invite others to come on the wagon with you.

Share with them the benefits of remaining 

on this wagon of virtue.

 ...be reconciled with your brother,

and then come and offer your gift.

This is the wagon of faith, love, forgiveness.

This wagon is covered with the mercy of God.

This wagon is headed to the Kingdom of God.

All occupants on this wagon know the time

 for repentance is now.

Make room on this wagon of virtue;

others are sure to come aboard very soon.

On this wagon there is abundant grace

 and daily Blessings for the journey.

Are you on board?

~~Peace~~~

Slippers

~~~ Isaiah 1:10, 16-20 ~~~Psalm 50 ~~~ Matthew 23:1-12 ~~~

The greatest among you must be your servant.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled;
but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

If we humble ourselves before the Lord 

admitting our sinfulness he will 

make all things white as snow...white as the lamb's wool.

If we swallow our pride and obey his commandments;

we shall eat the good things of the land.

Conversely, if we resist and fight against the Lord

his mighty sword will slay you.

I recently heard that it is better to put on your slippers 

than to try to carpet the whole world.

I think this has a connection to the message for today.

To humble oneself is to put on your slippers 

realizing that you can only change yourself.

If you want the world to be a better place 

then you must begin with yourself.

It is only in pride that we believe

 we can or should make everyone else change.

Our responsibility is to make ourselves the best person we can be;

this is how to generate a greater change.

It is true that one person can change the world;

but only if that person changes first.

Jesus led us by example in so many ways 

throughout his public ministry.

We must live the words of the Gospel message 

before we can look at how others are living.

The Holy Father, Pope Francis, understands this very well.

His words and his actions are beautifully aligned.

His actions reflect his words...

his words are reflected in his actions.

What we say and do should compliment each other.

There should be no tension between our actions and our words.

Jesus is not fooled by the scribes and the Pharisees.

...they preach but they do not practice.

If we all look intently at ourselves during this Lent 

then we will all have on our slippers 

and there will no longer be the need to carpet the whole world.

Whatever you think needs to be changed in the world

begins with how you make the change yourself.

We are Blessed to be able to change.

Lent is a time for changing...

yourself.

Peace.

Fasting...a Choice

~~~ Jonah 3:1-10 ~~~ Psalm 51 ~~~ Luke 11:29-32 ~~~

...they proclaimed a fast
and all of them, great and small, put on sackcloth.

The story of Jonah is very well known.

During every Lenten time we are reminded of how Jonah resisted God.

How he came close to defying God and how that worked out for him.

Well I am sure it is not necessary to recap the whole story for you.

Today I want to draw our attention to the fasting...

especially the great and small.

The words great and small were 

not referring to those who were short or to little children.

Instead these words were meant to include

 those who were powerful and wealthy 

as well as those who were the common people.

No one is to be exempt from repenting in the town of Nineveh.

This is true for us today...

we all must repent...no one is excluded.

We have all sinned against our God.

We have all fallen short of our quest for holiness.

There was a reason for their fast...

they had a certain amount of expectancy.

There is usually a reason for one to enter 

into a voluntary fast, joined with intentional prayer.

Because fasting is not easy it helps to begin with the purpose in mind.

Fasting to save your town was a great incentive for the people of Nineveh;

but what about for us here and now.

We must listen for God to tell why he is calling us to fast.

For clarity, I am speaking of fasting from solid food.

We can also fast from other things, like the internet or television etc.

To be most effective fasting should be combined with a time set aside for prayer.

There will be many temptations to break the fast.

Fasting like silence allows us to listen more intently to God.

It removes one major distraction...food.

Is your desire to eat greater 

than your desire to have a closer relationship with God?

We are so used to getting satisfaction from what we eat.

If we compare the satisfaction from eating to that of praying

eating will usually take the lead.

Whenever I consider fasting I think of the millions of people

 worldwide who, by no choice of their own, are forced into fasting.

If there is not enough food available then fasting 

becomes the norm rather than the exception.

Fasting is not the norm for most of us.

We must willingly want to enter into a fast.

It is easier to fast when you are away from your normal routine...

like on retreat, isolated from readily available food.

If you choose to fast at home there is the added temptation

 to just go into the kitchen and find something to eat.

If you turn on the television you will bombarded with adds about food.

If your intention for fasting is in response to repentance then

ask God to help you persevere in your fast.

Consider fasting with a group or at least one other person.

Be prepared for the mental, emotional, and physical effects of fasting.

The hunger pains you will experience

 pale in comparison to what Jesus suffered for our sins.

Remember to drink plenty of fluids and or juices.

Fasting allowed the people of Nineveh 

a heightened awareness of the presence of God 

and it can do the same for us today.

I invite you to seriously consider fasting during this Lent.

You determine to what extent you can fast;

it might just be omitting one meal a day.

Start small and gradually increase your fast.

Fasting shifts our focus to be more mindful

 of what we are doing with our life.

Fasting is one of the many tools 

available to us as we strive to a closer relationship with God.

During this Lenten time take the invitation to fasting

 more seriously than you have in the past...

actually take charge of it.

We are blessed to live in a country where food is plentiful.

We are further blessed to freely give up this food. 

There may be wisdom in fasting;

it just might be good for your overall health.

What if fasting actually extended your life?

Would you be more inclined to skip a few more meals?

My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit...

Peace as we proceed deeper into this Lent.

Make good use of these 40 days.

His Radiant Face

 

~~~Second Sunday of Lent~~~

~~~ Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18~~~Psalm 27~~~Philippians 3:17—4:1~~~Luke 9:28b-36~~~

 

The Transfiguration is how Jesus revealed to his closest companions his true self.

They were given a glimpse of his glory.

They were given the privilege of hearing the voice of the Father

speaking of his beloved Son.

 

The readings today contrast to me darkness and light.

God led Abram away and darkness fell over him,

but from the darkness a light of fire erupted.

God did not leave him in the terrifying darkness.

 

Abram put his faith in the LORD,

As the sun was about to set, a trance fell upon Abram,
and a deep, terrifying darkness enveloped him.

 

God will not lead us into darkness just to abandon us there.

Most of us do not like to be in the dark. We feel more vulnerable.

We feel uneasy, unsure of our surrounding.

 

God promises to be our light.

He is the light of the world.

He dispels the darkness...literally and figuratively.

 

The Lord is my light and my salvation.

 

Lent is a somber season for Christians,

 yet we are given this glorious vision of what we too have been promised.

When we will be joined with God in heaven our body will also be changed.

We will be taken in to the glorious light of the Trinity.

 

'...we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
He will change our lowly body
to conform with his glorified body...'

 

 

 Our face will become radiant with his glory.

We will hear the sound of the voice of the Father

claiming us as his own beloved son or daughter.

 

Peter, James, and John saw Jesus transform before their eyes.

They  understandably were awe struck beyond words.

 

While he was praying his face changed in appearance
and his clothing became dazzling white.

becoming fully awake,
they saw his glory

 

By this time they had become comfortable keeping company with Jesus.

All that he had attempted to tell them was now revealed to them.

He truly was the Son of God

they saw his glory.

Then from the cloud came a voice that said,
“This is my chosen Son; listen to him.”

 

They heard the words that we all long within our hearts to hear.

We want God to be proud of how we have lived this life

he so graciously gave to us.

We want to know we have pleased him.

 

Lent is a time for conversion and today if there was any doubt about why...

we have been given the answer...

So that we can share in the light of the glory of God for all eternity in heaven.

 

May the presence of God give you strength and perseverance

during these forty days of Lent.

Fix your eyes on the glorified face of Jesus.

Today we are given the reason for our faith in the love of God.

Change...Come Back...Today

Genesis 17: 3-9 ~~~ Psalm 105 ~~~ John 8: 51-59



Again today we are given readings about God's incredible covenant with his people. A covenant that will sustain us a people for all eternity. I have previously written about covenants on this blog; check out the titles and will find those posts.

If anyone has an encounter with the Lord you always come away a changed person. Abraham, Paul, and Peter had their name changed as a result of their God encounters. Having you name changed by God is special no doubt, but you can be changed in so many other ways.

In many if not all of the miracles Jesus performed  people and things were changed. Changed from what they were into something different; something even more pleasing to God. His changes result in the exemplification of his goodness.

Every year during Lent we are called once again to change. To change our hardened hearts, to turn away from sin, to come back to him, to change our path of destruction. Lent is all about change.

When we return to the Lord and seek forgiveness we are seeking change for our soul. If we only confess our sins and never have the sincere intention to change who are we really fooling? I know that we are weak and we often fall again into the same pattern of sin. It is the intention of the mind, body, and soul that truly makes the difference. 

During Holy Week I urge you to make some kind of promise with yourself. Promise to be more aware of whatever your most difficult sin is; decide to be vigilant with keeping it out of your life. Maybe you need some outside help...recruit a friend or a spouse if you can. Maybe seeing a spiritual director would be of help.

Whatever it takes only you can make the decision to change. If God were to come before you what one thing would you request of him to change in your life.

If you could only change one thing what would that be? Sometimes it only takes changing one small thing to make a huge impact on the rest of your life.

What will it take for you to make the necessary change in your life?

If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.



Are You Lengthing Your Tassels or Humbly Serving?

~~~ Isaiah 1: 10, 16-20 ~~~ Psalm 50 ~~~ Matthew 23: 1-12 ~~~

"Come now, let us set things right, says the Lord..."

During Lent many people do return to God. Many people do repent. Many people take advantage of the sacrament of reconciliation after many years of boycotting it. Local parishes hold missions. They bring in a priest from a different city and state.

"Come now, let us set things right..."

The church tries its best to get the message out through the readings. It is good that every year we have the incentive to get back on the boat with Jesus.

Jesus is poking the scribes and Pharisees again, '...do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice.' Gee I think there is a similar saying 'your actions speak louder than your words.' Just ask any first time parent how important their actions are following their two year old mimicking a gesture they often use.

The Pharisees were also accused of showing off. 'All their works are performed to be seen.' They want to be noticed everywhere they mingle with others. They want to have the recognition and the proper respect they believe they are due. Their clothing and religious artifacts they wear are designed to draw attention. They want all who see them to think highly of their state of holiness.

They 'widen their phylacteries'
the small boxes prominently placed on their foreheads.
You cannot miss seeing these. They set the person apart from the main stream public.

'and lengthen their tassels'
the tassels were to remind them of their relationship with God. The longer and more noticeable they were then, one would presume, the holier the person.

Everything done for show and attention.

 I think this concept has carried over into the military uniforms of some countries. Where the high ranking generals are adorned with tassels and long draping cords. Right away you are alerted to their rank just by how they are dressed.

I also suspect our graduation cap tassel is another tradition connected to this tassel concept. Once you graduate you ceremoniously move your tassel to the other position on the cap. You are visually announcing your accomplishment of acquiring higher degree of knowledge.

So here's a thought:

What if the length of a women's earring determined her spiritually? My family and a few of my friends frequently shop at a local bead shop. The jeweler who works there has made earrings for us. He has a distinct style. When we see each other it is a joke among us now as to where we have been.
I know it sounds a bit ridiculous, but imagine what attention it would draw.

But this is not what Jesus wants us to do. In fact he preaches humility. He assumed the position of servant. He knelt down at the feet of the apostles and washed their feet.
He taught us by his example time after time that the humble roll of servant was to be preferred by those who follow him.

We are called to be humble servants of the Lord.
So I invite you to honestly consider this question:
Are you lengthening your tassels or humbly serving?

May God give me and you a humble and contrite heart.

Questions of Sacrifice

Genesis 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18 ~~ Psalm 116 ~~ Rom. 8:1b-34 ~~ Mark 9: 2-10

Sacrifice

It is good that we are here!

What are you willing to sacrifice? What are you able to sacrifice? Is sacrifice a personal decision? Or is sacrifice a chosen state of mind?

Sometimes we think we are making a sacrifice when in reality we are not.

Is giving up television for lent really a sacrifice?

Maybe not when you think about Abraham willing to sacrifice his son Isaac.In the Old Testament they were required to sacrifice animals as part of their religious practices. Blood shed and terminating a life was common and acceptable then.

 I think of the those who lost their lives during the Holocaust. Did they chose to sacrifice their lives? Is 'paying the price' an essential part of sacrifice?

The price for our salvation was the life of Jesus. Those killed in action in our military sacrificed their lives for our freedom. 'Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his faithful ones'. Was that part of the deal when they signed on the dotted line?

Is giving up television for lent really a sacrifice?
If we practice small sacrifices does that prepare us for greater sacrifices? I think it is the greater deeper love that prepares us for greater sacrifices.

Our religious heritage is rich with the sacrifices made by those holy men and women whom we call martyrs. Some of them took the opportunity to come forward and offer their life in exchange for anothers life.

Paul writes, "If God is for us, who can be against us?"

There is no greater love than to give one's life for another.

The magnificent vision of the Transfiguration was God revealing the Glory of the ultimate sacrifice Jesus, his beloved son, was making for us. Jesus sacrificed his divinity to take on our human flesh. He did in any was lose his divinity through this act. It was just less evident to those who were not ready to see clearly.

We can only bow down in appreciation for this ultimate sacrifice made for us.
The Ultimate Gift!

Prehaps our greatest sacrifice is to step out of the way;
  allowing God to create us for himself.
Are you willing to sacrifice yourself for God?
I will take this question into my prayer time.

Will you join me?

Painted Promise Across the Sky

~~~ Genesis 9: 8-15 ~~~ Psalm 25 ~~~ 1Peter 3:18-22 ~~~ Mark 1: 12-15 ~~~

Covenant...Rainbows...

No matter how old I get I like most people enjoy seeing rainbows. There is something almost magical about the way the colors arch so perfectly across the sky. It is as if God has gotten out his giant water color set to paint in the air. It reminds me that we have the most phonomenal God. It makes me giddy with excitement. The best is when you see the rare double rainbow or twin rainbows side by side. Two for the price of one rain shower. 

I wonder how far a rainbow can be seen?

As we see in today's Genesis reading God had a definite plan in mind when he revealed the first rainbow across the sky for Noah. He told Noah, "This is the sign that I am giving for all ages to come, of the covenant between me and you and every living creature with you..." God promised to never send another devastating flood. This covenant God entered into with Noah was with all people the whole of mankind.

One might ask why would God use a rainbow? Today we understand that a rainbow is created by light from the sun refracting through water, but in Noah's time it was more mysterious. The theme of water runs throughout the Bible. This is just one of the early references that alluded to our cleansing of sin and evil. In a way God was baptizing the whole earth.

We have this reading during Lent because it is a preview of our salvation. It certainly has nothing to do with any weather phenomenon. We need to be remind each year of our salvation story and Lent is the prefect time to get our attention. We need to be reminded because in spite of our Baptism and faithfully following Jesus we still fall into sin.

It seems the power of sin is stronger than our knowledge of God's saving power. No matter who you are or what position you hold in society or the church; we must all be vigilant about sinfulness in our lives. Lent is a time to return to God's way. Lent is a time to remember the message of the rainbow. The message of God's immense love for all of his living creatures.

The Grace of God is always available for us to draw strength,
all we need do is ask for it.

The next time you see a rainbow remember that it is a sign of God's covenant. a promise of our salvation. It is a sign to give us hope in our eternal reward with
God in heaven.

This image reflects God's covenant of life to me.

The light reflected throughout is the gift of eternal life.

The Gift of Baptism.

Let's Make a Deal

~~~ Dt. 30: 15-20 ~~~ Psalm 1 ~~~ Luke 9: 22-25 ~~~

Have you ever seen the popular television game show Let's Make a Deal? Monty Hall would come out on the stage and the audience would go wild with excitement. Everyone wanted to be chosen to come up on the stage to make the deal of their life.

How the game works: contestants are asked to choose one of three doors. Behind one is a fabulous prize! Behind the others are gag gifts. When you choose a door, the game show host shows you a gag gift behind one of the two doors not chosen. You are given the option of switching to the one remaining door or staying with your original choice. Which is the better strategy: switch or stay?

Moses clutches the Commandment Tablets close to his chest.

"Today I have set before you life and prosperity, death and doom."

He comes down the mountain with a profound message written in stone. How does he get the people to listen? He uses the game show appreoach. He appeals to their desire to live. He says look guys if you follow these 10 rules and walk in his ways you will live...grow numerous...and God will bless you. Moses wanted his people to be on the good side of God,
but he knows they must make the choice.

Which do you choose he asks?

Then Moses reveals what's behind the less desirable door...

If you do not listen to me and 'turn away your hearts' you will not live.

If you 'adore and serve other gods' you will perish.

Moses knew he needed to stop the people from getting impatient and making the wrong choices.
He also knew they were growing weary in the desert.

They were more than ready to choose life or death. They were already anxious from their long journey. Moses himself realized his life would soon come to an end. He felt the urgency to convince the people to choose wisely. His desire for them is the same as God's...he wants them to choose life.

 Moses is saying come on guys take responsibility for your future. I have laid it before you. Do you want to prosper? Do you want to have a full life filled with blessings. Or do you want to go down the path of unfaithfullness cursing all the way?

It is up to you. He pleads for them to make the right decision by choosing life. Choosing life does not mean your days will be easy; but it does mean God will keep his promises. You will be delivered to 'the land that the Lord swore he would give your fathers Abraham, Issac, and Jacob.'

If you choose life, psalm 1 says, you will be like a tree planted near running water. God will provide for your needs. Beside running water life is abundant, plentiful, and fruitful there.

Jesus comes on the scene and adds a new dimension to the meaning of choosing life. He says if you want to save this life you have chosen you must do one more thing. Daily deny yourself; give up your self-centered ways. Take up your cross and follow me. If you do these things you will understand that to live you must die to your old selfish ways.

Go forward from this day choosing life through self denial. Choose to accept all things as blessings in your life. Embrace the cross for it is the only way to have life...that is Life Everlasting.

The way of the cross is the way to Everlasting Life.
During this Lenten season review your choices. Do they reflect you desire to have life in the Lord?

During Lent each photo used will be taken at Prince of Peace of either a crucifix or a cross.

I chose this kaleidoscope image: I see the brown of the cross, the blue of the water, the center flower of life, and the grey edges of the tablets held by Moses.

Choose the 'door' with life and you will have life abundantly.

The 40 Day Marketing Campaign

~~~Joel 2: 12-18 ~~~ Psalm 51 ~~~ 2Cor. 5: 20-6:2 ~~~ Matt. 6: 1-6, 16-18 ~~~

"Between the porch and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep..."

Today begins Christianity's intense marketing campaign held every year at this time. This campaign will only last for 40 days...it is called Lent. In order to let the world know you are participating in and supportive of this annual event we ask that you come forward to be marked with ashes. This marking of the cross with ashes high upon your forehead is visible for all to view. In fact this is a temporary branding signifying that you willingly agree to share.

 Just for today as we begin this time together we ask you to tell the whole world by this action of being marked with the cross...the time is now.
The permanent branding for a Christian is both the crucifix and the crown of thorns. They are, each one, quickly identified with our salvation.

In order to believe in this salvation the prophet Joel offers us a few guidelines.
"...return to me with your whole heart, with fasting, and weeping, and mourning; Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the Lord, your God."

The anointed ministers are urged to offer additional prayers an our behalf even to the point of weeping. Intervening before God for us, each of us, not only those in most need due to grave sin, but me and you.

The prophet taps into our human emotions of compassion for our sisters and brothers. Weeping implies a deeper emotional content; it is not only reciting prayers.

The salvation marketing campaign continues with Psalm 51.
"...wipe out my offense...wash me from guilt...cleanse me...
A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me."
And finally, "...a willing spirit sustain in me."

A marketing campaign is only successful if people respond. We, the people, have to take some action. That is what a good campaign does, it moves people to take action. Effective marketing campaigns make the listener or observer believe he or she cannot live without the intended product.

With that in mind we are given Paul's second letter to the Corinthians, "We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God." Take action. Do not wait. "...now is a very acceptable time...now is the day of salvation."
Here we are poked with some high pressure sales tactics. You know the drill...this offer is only good until...act before midnight...the price is increasing tomorrow...this offer will never again be made.

The church chose one more person to present the salvation message today and that is with the gospel of Mark. Mark says, 'oh and by the way if you choose to accept this message for your salvation' there is more you need to know. We know that if you accept and agree to take action on your own behalf, it will require time spent in prayer and fasting.

This wonder of salvation comes with a few strings attached...and those would be sacrifices. No one can really make sacrifices in your place. You are the one who must your cross.

Prayer is the most important way to draw strength. Through the power of prayer you are able to make  the necessary sacrifices. Through the power of prayer you can carry your cross.

"But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your father in secret."

While the priests and ministers are on the porch praying and weeping for us we in turn must go to our inner room, behind closed doors to pray. During these next 40 days sequester yourself away for personal prayer and fasting. Do this in secret without boasting about how you have bought in to this life saving marketing campaign. Let your prayers rise like incense to the father in heaven.

This is your life.
This is your salvation.
The time really is now.
The crucifix logo is for you.

Pray to your father in heaven like you have never prayed before; start today. Do not wait!

Let the burned ashes of today create your clean heart of tomorow.

Original photo taken of incense rising at the foot of the cross.

This kaleidoscope image to me reflects leaving the colorful busy outside world;

entering into the inner prayer room.

May this season of Lent bring you ever closer to Our Lord.

May your truly rise like incense upward to the Father.

Standing at the Threshold

~~~ James 4: 1-10 ~~~~ Psalm 55 ~~~~ Mark 9: 30-37 ~~~

Today we stand at the threshold of Lent.

We encounter thresholds every time we enter through a doorway.  We take them for granted...but should we? Thresholds serve a purpose because they contain weather striping creating a more energy efficient entrance into the structure.

Webster defines threshold: A piece of wood or stone placed beneath a door; a door sill. An entrance or a doorway...A point of entry or beginning of something new...

Limen is Latin for threshold. noun: A threshold of response: point at which a stimulus is of sufficient intensity to generate a response.
I would invite you to use every threshold you cross during Lent this year as a stimulus to generate a response. Each time you cross a threshold make the conscious decision...to

"Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you."

If we stay at the threshold we cannot draw near to God. We must cross the threshold. We must go inside. It takes courage and conviction to cross this threshold. We are uncertain of what really lies on the other side of this threshold. If we do not cross the threshold we will not know God.

This Lent we are called to '..submit yourselves to God'. Cross the threshold into Lent and there God will  '...cleanse your hands... and purify your hearts'. Our invitation is to come away  a little while with the Lord during this Lenten time. Come inside where he is waiting for you. Waiting for you to submit your heart and soul into his hands. He is the potter and we are the clay.

Cross the threshold...come inside and he will make you new again...creating in you a clean heart.
If you make the effort these next forty days to draw nearer to God your heart will be changed. No one can draw near to God without being changed.

Drawing near to God is 'energy efficient' because the closer you are to him the easier it is to communicate with him. When God draws near to us his presence in our life is better than any 'weather striping' we could purchase. When he is near to us we are under his protective care. No harm can come to those who love him.

"Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you."

Let this Lent be the true beginning of something new in your heart.

I took this photo of the threshold into the Mary garden.

If we do not cross the threshold we will never know what wonders lie inside.

I chose this kaleidoscope image because there are tiny subtle pieces of brilliance just waiting to be explored. Come inside a see for yourself what wonders God has in store for you this Lent.

I will join you there.

Who do You See in the Mirror?

James 1: 19-27 ~~~ Mark 8: 22-26

The message from James is direct and to the point. He is not beating around the bush. I think perhaps I should print these verses and post them where I can see them often. Maybe they should even be on the mirror. Here is what he writes:

"...everyone should be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger for anger does not accomplish the righteousness of God."

"...humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save souls."

"Be doers of the word and not hears only, deluding yourselves...if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his own face in the mirror."

"If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, his religion is vain."

With Ash Wednesday only a week a way we have more than enough here to get us on the right track for Lent. Let's begin with the topic of anger. I am guilty, right now I am struggling with anger at the CEO of my husband's company. I am angry that one person can make a decision that turns so many lives upside down. I admit I have been pretty verbal about my feelings of disagreement.

I am trying to dilute this ugly emotion, because I know it will serve no purpose and certainly not accomplish anything good in my heart. What you harbor inside eventually comes out. I do not want anger to seep through my pours and taint other relationships. I do not want to look into the mirror and see the horns of anger growing out the top of my head.

James goes on to remind us of the word planted in the heart. I think he is saying if you truly have the word inside then you will not want to entertain anger because it will not serve you well.
If you hear the word and do not act then what difference does it make that you heard it all? This message is for all those people leaving the church parking lot and cutting people off. This message is for those who hear the words and go out and ignore their neighbor.

When you are looking at yourself in the mirror you see all the tiny scar, blemish, eyes, teeth etc. but when you move from the mirror you forget what you saw. Literally 'out of sight out of mind'. when we are listening to the word we have a tendency to be more reflective and honest about our short comings, but when we leave the church and the word is not before it is easier to ignore what you heard.

If you let the word precipitate your actions, James says, 'one shall be blessed in what he does'. In other words Live like you Believe.

In the gospel Jesus is healing another blind person. We have the beautiful image of Jesus taking 'the blind man by the hand' and leading him outside the village. If we ever wonder how we should treat others we only need notice the care and compassion with which Jesus interacted with others.

When you are blind you do not have the ability to look into a mirror and criticize your appearance. I have witnessed that when you are deprived of one of your senses the others become more acute. If you are blind it could be your sense of hearing or touch that is strengthened. I think this blind man was most sensitive to touch.

Jesus took him by the hand, giving him a sense of security, as he led him away from the other people. The man felt the moisture upon his eyes from the spittle of the divine physician. The man then felt hands laid upon his eyes...the hands of Jesus. Because of this blindness he had no anticipation of what Jesus was about to do. He could only answer the question, "Do you see anything?"

One more brief point...Jesus teaches us through his very actions to persevere. This blind mas was not cured immediately by the touch of Jesus' hands. The man did not say, Oh well I guess I will not be healed today. No, he remained still and waited on the Lord to heal.

I want to be able to look into the mirror and see the face of a woman who hears the word bringing it to life through my 'doing'.

A few years ago I took this picture of the mosaic framed mirror in what once was the Mary courtyard.

I captured this kaleidoscope image because of the defining edge of black...darkness. When I have anger in my heart it creates darkness. This blindness prevents me from seeing the surrounding brilliance of the presence of God in my life.

When you look into the mirror today promise yourself to be faithful doers of the word.

The greatest of these is love.