Mondays About Me - Finding Peace in the Sacred Heart of Jesus

On our living room wall, right in the middle of our family photos, is a print of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I have had this print since I was a little girl and as a child, I always kept it on the mirror of my dresser.

One day, several years ago, I came across it, stored with other photos & prints. I decided to frame it & place it among our family photos -- after all, isn't Christ to be the center of our families? The print itself is about 5x7 with a gold border around it. I used scrapbooking tape to adhere it to a sheet of dark green cardstock and placed it in an antique 8x10 gold frame. I chose green because it matches our living room, but also because of the contrast to the light and gold of Christ's image.

This print of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is one of the more popular images. I am no where near being an art scholar, but the lighting painted into this print is just beautiful. In the morning, I sit in a chair across the room to read & pray, the only light being the one next to me. Occasionally, I'll glance up at Jesus -- to pray, to gaze upon Him, or to just try to listen to Him. The light in the print radiates from His head, around His eyes, & all around His Heart. The more I look, the more real He becomes. It's almost like a photograph of Jesus, rather than a print. His eyes are so soft & gentle, gazing upon me as I gaze upon Him. His eyes follow wherever I go in the room. What comfort I find when I sit in the silent darkness of the morning, along with my Lord.

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, I Place My Trust in Thee

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place my trust in Thee,
Whatever may befall me, Lord, though dark the hour may be;
In all my woes, in all my joys, though nought but grief I see,
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place my trust in Thee.

When those I loved have passed away, and I am sore distressed,
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, I fly to Thee for rest.
In all my trials, great or small, my confidence shall be
Unshaken as I cry, dear Lord, I place my trust in Thee.

This is my one sweet prayer, dear Lord, my faith, my trust, my love,
But most of all in that last hour, when death points up above,
O sweet Savior, may Thy face smile on my soul all free.
Oh may I cry with rapturous love, I've placed my trust in Thee.

(I found this prayer at 2 Hearts Network, Inc.)

Catholic Company Book Review - "A Heart Like His"

The images of the Sacred Heart of Jesus & the Immaculate Heart of Mary have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. In my parents' home, they have two oval shaped portraits at the top of their stairs & they've been there since I was a child. Every time I walked up to my room, those portraits were there to greet me. I also had a 5x7 prayer card with the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus that I kept on my dresser mirror. I have since framed the card in an antique metal frame and it sits among our family photos on our living room shelf. Last year, when I submitted a request for a "Patron Saint of the Year" for our family, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque (from whom the Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus started) chose us.

So, when I saw A Heart Like His by Fr. Thomas D. Williams in the list of items available from The Catholic Company, I had no hesitation in making it my next review book.

SUMMARY:
A Heart Like His is a daily devotional laid out to be used during the month of June (the month of The Sacred Heart of Jesus)...although you can use the book at any time during the year if you'd like. There are 32 devotionals, one for each day of the month and one each for the Feasts of The Sacred Heart of Jesus and The Immaculate Heart of Mary. These short devotionals (about six pages) cover the many parts of Jesus' heart - His Merciful Heart, His Patient Heart, His Radical Heart, etc. Throughout each devotion are 2-3 reflection questions that help you compare your heart and life to Jesus. Each day ends with a prayer, asking Jesus to help you make your heart more like His.

There are three appendices at the back that include a brief history of the Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Promises of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, & a brief description of the Enthronement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

MY THOUGHTS:
I am so pleased with my selection of this book. The devotions are written in an easily understandable manner, yet are complex enough to give me much to ponder in my own heart. In reading about the many facets of Jesus' heart, I've come to know Him better. By knowing Him better and following His example, I can become a person with A Heart Like His, setting my sights on the peace and joy He wants to share with me in Heaven. This is definitely a book I intend to return to each year.

(This review was done as part of The Catholic Company's reviewer program.)

A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings - Holy Week Edition

Judy over at A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings, hosts this meme every Wednesday. Simply list five things (or a prayer or any thoughts) for which you are truly thankful this week. Voicing my thanks helps put my life in perspective & realize that, no matter how bad things might be, there is still MUCH good surrounding me.

During this most Holy of weeks, I am most thankful for the huge sacrifice Jesus made for me...a sinner. At any time, He easily could have asked God to relieve Him & take the burden away. During the Agony in the Garden, He prayed, "Father, if You are willing, take this cup away from me; still, not My will but Yours be done." But, He knew the tremendous effect His sacrifice would have on the whole world. He knew that by dying on the cross, He was saving all of us from our sins.

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for opening the gates of Heaven for me. May I always remember this sacrifice of Yours.

The Gospel Spoke to Me (Part One)

Did you ever have moments when a Gospel reading grabs hold of you & won't let go? That's what happened to me w/ Luke 5:1-11 last weekend. Saturday at work, I was reading the chapter on St. Peter in My Life with the Saints by James Martin, SJ. He was reflecting on how his study of St. Peter helped shape his spiritual life & included the Gospel passage when Peter was called to be a disciple of Jesus.

Later, I was studying the readings for the next day's Mass. Lo & behold...it was that same Gospel. Wow! What a coincidence...or not!?! I'm thinking it was more of a God-incidence! (I'm not sure where I heard that term, but I REALLY like it!)

Obviously I heard the Gospel during Mass Sunday, so now I'm at three times in one weekend. Our deacon gave a very touching homily. He was talking about all of us being called by God in some way...mothers, priests, doctors, etc. He shared his many year-long call to the diaconate. I was almost in tears as I listened to his account of missing something for so many years when on the outside his life looked perfect.

I was left w/ a lot to ponder & reflect upon, but was God finished trying to get my attention. NOPE! On Monday morning, we started our school day reading our next section of The Life of Our Lord for Children. Can you guess what story of Jesus I read to the munchkins?

So, for the last week I've been trying to figure out what God has been trying to tell me in these four encounters with Luke 5:1-11. I don't have it all figured out (& most likely, never will). What is God calling ME to do? What are the gentle (& not-so-gentle) nudges I'm getting from Him?

God calls each of us according to our abilities & each of us has something different to contribute. If all of us were teachers, who would heal the sick? If all of us were lawyers, who would tend to farms? If all of us were singers, who would play the instruments? As Mother Teresa once said, "You can do something I can't do. I can do something you can't do. Together let us do something beautiful for God."

(to be continued)

Spending Time With My Lord - A Special Meme

Judy has tagged me once again for a meme. I LOVE this one!

If you could witness any moment in Christ's life, what would it be? You get to choose three. This is a wonderful meditative exercise.

Here are the rules for Michael's meme:
* To make this a bit easier, you can choose 3 one-hour time periods. (Your "top 3," if you will)
* To make things harder, you cannot choose His birth or any time period from the Last Supper on.
* If you have a blog, post this question & rules, then answer it there. If you would rather not spend a post quenching my curiosity, or if you do not have a blog, feel free to post your answer in the comments section here.
* Go to REACH PARADISE BLOG and leave Michael a comment with a link to your post.
Tag 3 other people to do the same.

This was tough to do. There are SO many moments in Jesus' lifetime that I would love to visit. These are the three I've narrowed it down to, after MUCH reflection.

1) Presentation in the Temple - This story struck me when I read it in Tuesday's readings. As a new mother, how would I react? A complete stranger comes up to me, takes my son in his arms, prays that he has seen God's salvation, & proceeds to tell me of the sorrows to come. Could I be as mild as Mary or, in this day of many lawsuits, would I be calling a lawyer?

2) Visit with Martha & Mary - I identify with both. I am Mary when I want to spend time with my family & not other with household chores. Martha takes over when we are having guests. I spend so much time trying to make the house presentable, then am too tired to really enjoy their company. I imagine Jesus would tell me to relax, know my duties, but not let them run my life. "I am here to visit with you, not evaluate your housework & cooking (although your food is GREAT :). Take time to listen & just BE!"

3) The Woman at the Well - Because of the choices she made, she expected to be treated with criticism & condemnation, so it was a surprise when Jesus spoke to her. I think she felt forgiven after her encounter w/ Him & no longer afraid of what others thought. I, too, struggle with the opinions of others & comparing myself to them. Meeting Jesus at the well would help me to see myself as He sees me, beyond the offenses I've committed. His opinion of me is the ONLY one that matters.

The last two came from reflections I made on a women's retreat several years ago. The Sister who led us based the sessions on several stories from the book Soul Sisters by Edwina Gateley & Louis S. Glanzman. (I get no credit for mentioning this book...I just really enjoyed how it was used for the retreat!) It is a collection of portraits & reflections on women of the New Testament.

Rather than tag three people for this meme, I'm just going to say that, if the Spirit moves you to participate, just let me know. I'd love to read yours! Thanks, Judy, for inviting me to participate!

Book Review: The Gospel Truth

My most recent book review is The Gospel Truth: A Lectionary-Based Catechism for Adults by Kenneth Ogorek.

Using the Sunday Gospel readings for all three years of the lectionary cycle, Mr. Ogorek has prepared an average of two pages of reading & reflection. "It is meant to help facilitate a basic reflection on the Sunday Gospel readings and various points of Catholic doctrine that they call to mind." (pg. xi)

Following the Gospel reading, there is a "Truths of Our Catholic Faith" section. This is a reflection that ties the Gospel to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, with passages cited. This book conforms to the Catechism & "...was submitted to the USCCB for the conformity review." (pg. xi)

Next is a gray box that has three questions. A Question for Me relates the Gospel to my life, For a Child in My Life helps me to help my children understand the Gospel on their levels, & My Role in the Community gives me ideas on spreading the Gospel beyond our home &/or guiding me through my role in my parish.

Underneath the box is a section to further your study of the Sunday Gospel. It lists the other readings & Psalm for the day, page references for the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults. & a Bible verse for reflection.

I've only used my copy for the past month & have already decided that it is a great reference for our family to have on hand. Taking only 15-20 minutes to study the following Sunday's readings has really helped me to focus more on the Mass each week.

My favorite reflection so far comes from the Year C 4th Sunday of Advent Gospel, Luke 1:39-45, in which Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth. This Gospel is one of the best in regards to Pro-Life messages, linked to the Catechism #2323, & it was reflected in Mr. Ogorek's writing:

"Elizabeth does not say 'the blob of tissue in my womb seemed to leap for joy.' Filled with the Holy Spirit, Elizabeth knows that she carries within her a human person, a divinely-created being with integrity and priceless dignity. And Mary is not referred to as 'the woman who may become the mother of my Lord if and when the bundle of cells in her womb becomes a person at some debatable point.' To Elizabeth, both the mother of her Lord as well as the unborn Lord Himself, have come."

This book retails for $20, a great price since you receive all the Sunday Gospels for three years. This review was done as part of The Catholic Company's reviewer program.

The Saint Recognizes Jesus

The Saint was sitting on my lap during Mass on Sunday & was playing w/my crucifix necklace. I looked down & told him that was Jesus. He looked at it again, then turned & pointed to the crucifixion scene painted on the wall behind the altar. A future priest, perhaps?