Easter Light

~~~ Easter Sunday~~~

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 10:34A, 37-43 ~~~ Psalm 118 ~~~

~~~ Colossians 3:1-4 ~~~ John 20:1-9 ~~~

This is the day the Lord has made; 

let us rejoice and be glad.

The Light we seek is the 

Light of the Glory of the Resurrection.

We long for this light...we desire its illumination...

we hope to claim it for our eternity.

The Risen Jesus is the blinding glory

of the salvation promise.

Allow all the Glory of the Resurrection

envelope you...allow it to cleanse you.

Bask in this Glory of the Resurrection

for this is our hope.

We hope to one day to be joined 

with Jesus in all of his Light.

The tomb is empty.

The Light of the Resurrection fills all.

The tomb simply appears to be empty. 

The physical body of Jesus is no longer needed.

Jesus is now present to us in the Eucharist

each time we come to His table.

We approach to receive a sliver of His Resurrected entity.

A sliver, a fracture is all it takes to share

 in the experience of His Resurrection.

Allow the Easter Light 

of His Resurrection be enough to heal

your heart, body, and soul.

God is enough...

He always was...always is...always will be.

Easter is all the evidence I need

to believe in life everlasting.

This is the day the Lord has made; 

let us rejoice and be glad.

Roll back the stone from your heart.

Shed the ritual burial garments.

Soak in the light of the presence of the glory 

of the Resurrection.

Sing 

Alleluia, Alleluia!

Light has overcome the darkness.

There is no greater gift...

Love does indeed conquer all.

~~~Easter Blessings~~~

PEACE

The Fairy Tale World

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 20:17-27 ~~~ Psalm 68 ~~~  John 17:1-11A ~~~

Now this is eternal life,
that they should know you, the only true God...

Jesus goes on with his prayer to the Father...
I glorified you on earth
by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do.

The message here is for us to also glorify God
 in the work that we do while on earth.

We too have a role given to us by God for our time here.
There may be more than one path to glorify God,
but each must be for this same purpose.
If what you are doing with your life
does not glorify God do something different.

All that we do must be for the glory of God.

Imagine for a minute what a different world this would be
 if each person acted in a manner to glorify the Lord.
Of course this is a fairy tale world from a Disney movie.
But you can join others who have made the choice
to make their life about glorifying God.

I do not pray for the world but for the ones you have given me,
because they are yours, and everything of mine is yours
and everything of yours is mine,
and I have been glorified in them.

Jesus singles us out of the world in his prayers.
While we pray for the world Jesus is praying for us.
This is how we can believe that it is possible
 to glorify God while we are here on earth.

We do not have to wait until we get to heaven to give God glory.
It must be with every beat of our heart the God is glorified.

Jesus taught us how to glorify the Father...
he gave us all that the Father had given to him.
We have within all that we need;
if only more people would bump
 it to the top of their consciousness.

Glorify God with your whole being
and you will be abundantly blessed.

It is His peace we seek.
Let us give glory to God on the highest.

Freed From Darkness

~~~ Isaiah 7:10-14 ~~~ Psalm 24 ~~~ Luke 1:26-38 ~~~ 

O Key of David,
opening the gates of God's eternal Kingdom:
come and free the prisoners of darkness!

The light of Christ is emanating from the heavens.
The light of Christ is his radiant glory.
God put the stars in the sky to shine in the dark sky.

Mary was filled with grace.
She was filled with the light of the Lord.
She began to radiate the light with her song of joy...
the magnificat.

 “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”

Jesus, come free us from the darkness.
Give us your light to shine in our hearts.
Give us your light to illuminate the goodness in our life.
Give us your light so that we may be a light
 to at least one other person.

You only need to share your light with one other person
 to make this world a better place.

Jesus came as the Light of the World.
Jesus brought the light into our lives so that
we could see his truth clearly.

 Let the Lord enter; he is the king of glory.

The Lord is coming to you.
Are you willing to let him enter into your heart?
The king of glory frees us from the chains of darkness.

Let you light shine for all to see.
Blessed with the his pure light all the days of our life.

Come, Jesus, Come
fill us with your light and peace!

Reflect His Glory

~~~ Isaiah 49:1-6 ~~~ Psalm 71 ~~~ John 13:21-33, 36-38 ~~~

I will make you a light to the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.

God is commissioning us to go beyond our local church community...
beyond our circle of friends.
We are called to shine our light to the ends of the earth.
Our light, which comes from the Lord,
is a reflection of his glory.
We are light because he is our source.
Without his light we would have no light of our own.

He shares his light with us through the grace of our salvation.
It is his grace that continues to keep our light burning brightly.
We must share what God has done for us.
We are called to tirelessly speak of his wondrous love.

The LORD called me from birth,
from my mother’s womb he gave me my name.
We have each been chosen by God.
He not only knows our name he has counted every hair on our head.
There is no one who could love you more.
We must let the sparkle of God's love radiate out to others.

Jesus indicates to the apostles that the one to whom
 he gives the morsel of bread will betray him.

Jesus names Judas without actually speaking his name.

After Judas took the morsel, Satan entered him.

Did Judas give his soul to Satan?
Did Satan seize upon the opportunity to take control of him?

Apparently not even the presence of Jesus is protection enough from evil.
Judas took the morsel from the hand of Jesus and Satan entered him.
This whole string of events is a little troubling.

Did Jesus know that Judas had already entered into sin in his heart?
When we have already become weakened by our own sinfulness,
 what happens next is crucial.

Jesus had to be betrayed in order for his subsequent arrest could take place.
Jesus had to be betrayed in order for us to be redeemed.

It makes me more determined to be vigilant of the state of my soul.
To be more aware of what I allow to curl up in my heart.

The evil in the heart of Judas was like a snake
waiting to strike its victim.

Jesus had the Father by his side to give him strength.
Jesus knew he would be raised from the dead by the Father.

Hold on to Jesus.
He is our strength. He is our hope.
He is our Savior.
He has made us a light to shine before others.

Blessed to be a tiny reflection of the glory of God
in a world filled with so much darkness.

Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him...

Let us glory in the cross today.
Peace.

The Kingdom is Near

 ~~~ Daniel 7:2-14 ~~~ (Psalm) Daniel 3:75 ~~~ Luke 21:29-33

 

 Daniel has a vision in reference to the four major empires...
Babylonian, Median, Persian, and Greek.
The kingdom of God by contrast, is not depicted as a grotesque beast,
but by a human person.

Just as nature has a life cycle so too is it with God.
He will return; no one can say exactly when.
There is a natural circle of life.
New life springs from the apparent ruins of death.

...the Kingdom of God is near.

 

 

 When he reached the Ancient One
and was presented before him,
He received dominion, glory, and kingship;
nations and peoples of every language serve him.

 

 When all is said and done here on earth, greater things will happen in heaven.
Everything, all of creation will pay homage to Jesus.
We will be given the vision of what our heart longs for today.
Everything will bend down to give honor and glory to the Son.

We have been promised life everlasting.
On the last day his words will come to full fruition.
The Kingdom of Heaven will be revealed like never before.

...bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever.
 

 Blessings as we try to praise him more perfectly.
Holy is his name and worthy of our complete praise.

Covered in Glory

~~~Memorial of Saint Mary Magdalene~~~

 

~~~ Exodus 14:5-18 ~~~ Exodus 15:1bc-2, 3-4, 5-6 ~~~ John 20:1-2, 11-18 ~~~

 

Mary does not want to let go of Jesus.

The greater your sense of gratitude the more difficult it is to let go.

 

Mary could not bare the thought of not having the human person of Jesus with her.

She was experiencing the grief of a broken heart.

She wanted to be near where she had last seen his body laid to rest.

After having witnessed his death and crucifixion

she would not have been surprised had the authorities removed his body.

Did they desire to further desecrate his remains?

She was suspicious.

 

“Sir, if you carried him away,
tell me where you laid him,
and I will take him.”

 

Wrapped tightly in her sorrow she is startled

when the risen Jesus speaks to her.

She wants to cling to him...not trusting what her eyes were seeing.

Jesus speaks to her with one last request...

...go to my brothers and tell them,
‘I am going to my Father and your Father,
to my God and your God.’”

 

He gave her purpose. He sent her on a mission.

He gave her something to do...to occupy her mind and body.

 

 

 “Woman, why are you weeping?”

 

Suddenly her tears no longer seemed important.

Now she could ask herself...why was she weeping?

 

She felt much like the Israelites in the desert when they cried out to Moses.

 

Why did you do this to us?

Why did you bring us out into the desert to die?

We have nothing here in the sand, not even a place to bury the dead.

 

But Moses answered the people,
“Fear not! Stand your ground...

 

Moses had trust in God's protection...

His plan had one slight flaw; they were not to stand still.

Moses was to lead the people forward.

 

Jesus sent Mary forward to bring the news of his resurrection to the guys.

 

God instructed Moses to lift up his arm.

The power of God passed through Moses and the waters parted.

The Israelites passed safely on dry land,

but the Egyptians perished in the returning waters.

 

Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.

This is the same glory that Mary Magdalene witnessed

that morning just outside the tomb.

 

God's glory is present today.

Blessings lie in opening our eyes to see his glory.

 

Choose something that you witness every day,

  let that be your reminder of God's glory.

 

The Israelites had the parting of the sea...

Mary had the meeting in the garden.

Where can you experience this glory of God?

The Assumption Experience

The Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Mother, Mary

~~~ Rv 11: 19a, 12:1-6a, 10 ab ~~~ Psalm 45 ~~~ 1Cor 20-27 ~~~ Luke 1:39-56 ~~~

The Assumption of Mary into heaven is hard to comprehend

because we have no eye witness recordings.

Surely those who remained closest to Mary after the crucifixion were present

for this glorious event.

Many were left behind who loved Mary and helped to care for her.

John, the beloved, entrusted with her care must have had mixed emotions.

She must have longed for the day when she would be reunited with her Son.

In my imagination the closest vision I have of the Assumption is

the Transfiguration of Jesus. I think the glory and the light that

enveloped Mary at the moment she was taken to heaven

must have been breath taking.

Did the angels come down from heaven to escort her as she left this earth?

Was there heavenly music of celestial choirs singing hymns?

Were those present reciting her Magnificat words?

Was Mary asleep or awake?

Had she been ill?

How long had it been since Jesus died?

Mary was clothed in glorious beauty for her willingness

to surrender to the will of God.

Mary is the most wonderful example of humility ever given to us.
She never acted as if she deserved to be chosen by God.
Instead she said,
"...the Almighty has done great things for me
and holy is his Name."

There are times when a frageance is associated with the
presence of the Blessed Mother.
I have not personally had this experience, but I can imagine that
those present for her being assumed into heaven experienced this event
with all of their senses.

Can you imagine the wafting fragrance of roses covering those present?
Often times certain odors can bring about emotions that are uniquely
connected to specific event.
Perhaps this is why we like the smell of roses so much...
and are so disappointed
when we buy roses today that have no fragrance.

Perhaps those present even felt a slight tingling of their skin
as the energy of the Triune God together enveloped Mary.
If you have ever been very close to a lightning strike
you would have experienced this tingling feeling just before the flash.
The tiny hairs on your arms even seem to stand up.

Mary was now sharing in their brilliant glory.
Oh what a day that must have been.

The only one of the five senses left is taste.
Many different things can leave a sense of taste in your mouth.
For a moment, just imagine this glorious event
causing your taste buds to detect sweetness.

The sweetness of the Blessed Mother, Mary.
The sweetness of her love.
The sweetness of her purity.
The sweetness of her devotion.
The sweetness that God chose her to be the mother
of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Mary, chosen to be the Mother of Jesus,
Love us too as our mother.
Until the day we meet you in heaven.

The Revelation of Glory

Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

~~~ Dn 7:9-10,13-14 ~~~ Psalm 97 ~~~ 2Pt 1:16-19 ~~~ Mark 9:2-10 ~~~

The Transfiguration of our Lord is quite special.

This is when Jesus reveals his his true nature to his most intimate friends.

This just occurred to me; not even his own mother was present for this event.

Jesus led them to a deserted place away from others.

He led them to a high mountain.

It was a glorious revelation!

Through this transfiguration Jesus demonstrates his connection with the prophets...Elijah and the Israelites...Moses.

Jesus unites the past and the present.

If James, Peter or John had any doubts about who they were

keeping company with this convinced them.

The sight they were blessed to witness left the three breathless.

They wanted to capture the moment. They wanted to remain there;

Peter even suggests pitching tents.

But as we well know through our own experiences

 you cannot hold on to mountain top experiences.

They are given to us to inspire, fill us with grace,

and keep us longing for more.

Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them;
from the cloud came a voice,
"This is my beloved Son. Listen to him."
Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone
but Jesus alone with them.

When we leave  our every day routine it is more likely

that we too will hear the voice of God.

Like the three, you may be confused following a mountain top experience.

It may take extra time to discern what happened while you were away. 

The voice of God from the cloud

"This is my Son, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased."

An eye witness has much more credibility than someone reporting from hearsay.

Personal testimonies carry with them the emotional energy

from the original experience.

These stored energies give life to each recounting of the experience.

If an experience is retold from a third person

it is missing the original emotional content. 

It may still be worth retelling, but it will always be more powerful

coming from the individual who was there.

The three may not have had a journal to record

what they had experienced.

They were even asked not to speak of it

until after the resurrection of the Lord.

It was not until later that they would experience 

the concept of the resurrection.

I invite you to begin keeping a journal...

record those experiences that touch your soul.

When you are no longer in the presence of the transfigured Lord

you can return to your journal.

What you recorded will help remind you of your special time with the Lord.

A time when you truly felt He was calling you His Beloved.

Homecoming

~~~ Acts 20: 17-27 ~~~ Psalm 68 ~~~ John 17:1-11a ~~~

The Gospel today sounds to me like an excited Son looking forward to being home with his Father. Jesus has been away from his Father and his home for thirty three years and is eager to return.

Unlike the Prodigal Son, Jesus has done all that the Father asked of him. Jesus carried the message of the Father within everywhere he went. It was a huge sacrifice for the Father to send the Son down to earth. As we know the son paid the ultimate price for our salvation...that is he gave his life for us.

I remember when our son was living in Japan for three years it was exciting each time he was able to make the trip home. The anticipation was just as joyful as the time he spent with us. There is something special about being home in your familiar surroundings.

Jesus wants to get back to his familiar surroundings...his heavenly home.

So now the time has come for him to return to the Father; this Beloved Son in whom the Father is well pleased. I am reminded of friends who have loved ones away from home serving our country and how their homecoming brings great joy.

Jesus says, "I glorified you on earth by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do. Now glorify me, Father, with you,

with the glory that I had with you before the world began."

Jesus almost sounds homesick and anxious to return to his state of glory.

He is longing for his return to the glory he had before the world began.

When Jesus took on the human form in order to dwell with us to become one of us he had to keep his innate glory hidden from those around him.

It was a special and rare occasion when he allowed his glory to shine forth.

The Transfiguration was one such occasion...when his glory was revealed for Peter, James and John to witness.

What does 'homecoming' mean to you?

Is there something that would bring joy to your life if you were to return to it?

Is there a family relationship that needs to be reconnected?

Is there a prayer style that you have found

worthwhile in the past that you no longer practice? 

You too can have a 'homecoming'...God is here for you today because you are his.

Yes, Jesus returned to the Father, but the Holy Spirit was sent down to us in his place.

The Holy Spirit, by divine design has no need to hide his glory.

From Death into Life

Acts of the Apostles 10: 34a, 37-43 ~~~ Psalm 118 ~~~ Col. 3:1-4 ~~~ John 20: 1-9

He is Risen!

Let's return to the morning after...I am sure that Mary and those who loved Jesus got very little sleep after witnessing his barbaric death. I know from personal experience if I am upset about something how difficult it is to sleep. Your mind is working over time thinking about possibilities or solutions.

They had no time to properly prepare the body because of the Jewish feast beginning at sundown. They were not allowed to stay at the burial site and keep watch. 
The body of Jesus was laid in the tomb and left alone.

We are never alone when we have Jesus inside our heart.

The tomb was dark, he was wrapped tightly as a baby is swaddled. His arms and legs held close to his body. Swaddling makes a baby feel secure. Jesus was secure in knowing that it was finished, he had completed the will of the Father.

"...while it was still dark..."

Mary and the others returned to the tomb before dawn. The earth lay cloaked in darkness until Jesus was raised and released from the dark tomb. His glory broke forth like the new day's dawn.  The first ray of sunlight pierces the dark sky breaking open the new day.
The resurrection of Jesus dispels all sin and darkness. For he ushers in the eternal light of Salvation. We shall no longer walk in darkness.

Word spread as the rays of sun danced across the horizon proclaiming the empty tomb. The stone rolled back, the swaddling cloths neatly left behind. The separate cloth covering his face carefully set aside. Those who came saw and believed though they did not fully understand the scriptures.

Raised from dead; he now sits at the right hand of the Father
where they reign in glory as one.

As we celebrate the Resurrection let us joyfully sing Alleluia,
just as we joyfully sang the Gloria at his birth.

For we cannot have one without the other; life and death are part
of the great Circle of Life.
Today we are given confirmation of life after death in the kingdom of God.

The Glory Within

1 Cor. 10: 31- 11:1

"Brothers and sisters:

Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do,

do everything for the glory of God."

Today's reflection is taken from a prayer service I wrote a few weeks ago for this scripture verse from 1 Corinthians. St. Paul's writings are rich with meaning for us years after they were written. This is proof to me that scripture is the 'Living Word' of God. Living because it is ever changing in it's ability to speak to whom ever is reading...in whatever language...in whatever era.

(Written January 2012)

Paul asks, in his letter to the Corinthians, “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s spirit dwells in you?” 1Cor. 3:16

The Glory of God lives inside of you. At the time of your conception God looked upon you and gave you the precious gift of life. From that day forward the world would be changed. There could be no other life like yours. You would be the one God would use to touch another’s life. If it were not for you then things would not be the same.

At your baptism you were given the light of Christ. You were called then to live in that light. You were brought into the company of Jesus. You were given the light of Christ in preparation for the day when you would be the bearer of this light for all to see.

Along with this gift of light came glory, the Glory of God himself. Even as a baby we reflect God’s glory. I am sure you would agree that a baby gives glory to God, whether he or she is laughing, crying, eating or sleeping. A baby’s smile is truly a reflection of God’s glory. The bright sparkle in their eyes reminds us of God’s glory.

The glory of God was never meant to stay contained within your heart. It was always his plan for you to make visible his glory in all that you do. It was always his plan for you to show this glory to others. He may not call us to be a great leader of the nation. He may not ask us to become the next Mother Teresa. He does ask us to reflect his Glory.

As we grow older this internal glory gets shrouded and covered by life until eventually it is just a tiny glimmer. A glimmer that we cannot believe has ever been brighter. Look deep inside for this glory and start to let it shine forth. Allow it to warm you and fill you...extend it out to others.

God asks us to find his glory within and reflect it back to him. Reflect his glory back in all ways great and small. In fact he invites us in 'whatever we do to do it all for his glory even eating and drinking'. Thus, reflecting back to him; in all the ways that he too reflected the glory of the Father while he walked this earth.

We are so fortunate because Jesus came to show us the way. We do not have to wonder how to give God glory.  If we but pick up the Bible; look closely at any of the stories through the eyes of glory, we will see what it means to do all for the glory of God. Every time Jesus reached out to another person he was reflecting the glory of God the Father. Often just his presence or the sound of his voice was sufficient to glorify God.

I invite you to take a moment and recall your favorite story about Jesus...

Now think about how in this situation Jesus reflected the Father’s glory.

He is always there beside us...literally inside of us. His light given to us at Baptism is all the confirmation we need to believe that we can do all for the glory of God.

Consider how all of creation gives glory to God through sheer existence, they cannot make the choice. But we are blessed because we have the power to make the conscious decision to give God glory throughout our life.

So I invite you to spend some time identifying how you reflect God’s Glory to those around you. This is not a boastful exercise instead it is an exercise in honesty, for only you know when you are truly reflecting the Glory of God.

It is already inside of you, this Glory of God, let it out...let it stream forth like a beacon from your being. You will not only be a better person you will be a more joyful person if you strive to live your life for the glory of God.

Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate, but that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, handsome, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us. It is not just in some; it is in everyone. And, as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

Nelson Mandela

"Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ." 1 Cor 11:1

The original picture is of a woman's hands splashing water. No matter what you are doing allow the glory of God to permeate your world.

This captured kaleidoscope image to me shows the glory of God pouring forth

from the center reaching to the edge.

Your smile alone can reflect God's glory to another person you meet today.