Sister Noreen had once said that she was a bride, married to Amazement. She hoped that her life would not be just visiting the world but making an impact through her service. She had a strong calling to serve those who were suffering and in need. Her profession of nursing provided her with wonderful opportunities to follow her heart's desire of service.
We went to the Mass of Christian Burial for Sister Noreen Linane, CSJP, yesterday. She was one of the witnesses of the miracle that Sister Matthew wrote about in her book, "Angels and the Power of Prayer". They were at the Seattle Arena and watched a small child climb to the top of the arena and go toward the edge. The child's mother was busy and did not notice that her youngest had ventured away. As the child neared the edge, the Sisters began praying for the Angels to protect the child. Then the child fell, but just before it hit the cement, it turned in mid air and gently landed on his feet. The mother rushed toward him, and he toward his mother, unhurt. Sister Mary Frances was also one of the witnesses to this story.
Sister Noreen had once said that she was a bride, married to Amazement. She hoped that her life would not be just visiting the world but making an impact through her service. She had a strong calling to serve those who were suffering and in need. Her profession of nursing provided her with wonderful opportunities to follow her heart's desire of service. This is the time for ourselves to become united to God. We prayed with numerous people this past week. One was having terrible vivid dreams. One dream had everyone jumping into a pit. At the bottom was horrible muddy water with black chunks floating in it, but everyone was jumping into it. Mothers were even allowing their children to jump in, and sometimes the mothers as well jumped in. She looked at that pit and she said, "I'm not jumping it that". But she was encouraged, in her dream, to jump in as everyone was doing it. She said in her dream, "We all have choices, and I chose not to jump in the pit, even if I am the only one standing outside of it." This is the time for ourselves to become united to God.
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Pray Every Day
The apostles gathered together with Jesus and reported all they had done and taught. He said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while." Mark 6:30-31 After a very hectic, busy day, whether meeting deadlines at work or caring for children or others, Jesus says to you, "Come away to a deserted place and rest a while". Accept that welcome invitation. This invitation is offered every day. This is the time to turn to the Lord for prayer. It is a time of resting in God and this time will refresh you and draw you closer to Him like nothing else. Our prayer meeting at our parish is every Monday night. Sometimes we are so tired and it is dark and since it is Washington, it is rainy and often Sister and I do not want to go. But we go and the same loyal people are there every Monday evening. Our prayer group is called "Joy in the Lord" and we sing praises to God, share a reading from scripture and share our experiences, answered prayer that had occurred during the week. And we come home, so refreshed! Our parish also has Perpetual Adoration, where someone is always before the exposed Blessed Sacrament - the Consecrated host that is truly the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord, Jesus Christ. Another time that is special with you and God that refreshes your soul, your being. Take 20 minutes a day to be with Jesus. You don't have to talk the entire time. Prayer is not just talking with God, it is having a conversation. It is about listening as well. It may be a simple "Our Father" while sitting in the back yard, or reading a part of the Bible. Listen to His whisper in your mind or heart. He speaks to us through the Word of the Bible - a passage means something special to us. He speaks to our mind - and we just know that thought is from Him. This time will soon become the most cherished time of the day. Ask God to Guide You.
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." Matthew 7:7 All through the Bible God repeatedly seeks after us after we have turned away from Him. I remember hearing that statement at a Conference. All we have to do is say the name, "Jesus" and He is right there, waiting on our next word. We pray with a lot of people for various needs. God always answers sincere prayer. God answers with an immediate "yes", as the time Sister was driving down the road and there was a log lying across it. Her quick prayer of "Lord, Help!" was immediately answered and the angels moved the log to the side of the road. Sometimes, God answers "wait", and Sister gives as an example the healing of her own back. Her back was injured when she was six years old and as she grew her back became an "s" with two disks down to nothing. She wore a back brace and one leg became shorter than the other. On the 25th anniversary of her being a nun, she went on a retreat in Minnesota and the prayer group prayed over her for the healing of her back. During the night she kept waking her roommate, Sister Marie Exner, "Something is happening to my back!" Sister Marie told me. In the morning when Sister Matthew got up, there was no more pain, her back was perfectly straight and both legs were of the same length. Sometimes God says '"no", but when He says no, He always has something better. When Sister was in Alaska a woman brought her to her house to pray for her dying father. The next day she came to Sister and reported that her father had died during the night, a very peaceful death. Interiorly Sister said, "Lord, we prayed that he would live." And the Lord spoke to her heart, "I wanted to heal him in Heaven." We pray with a lot of people, as I said. We don't do anything but lift their requests to the Lord - "Where two or more are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them" Matthew 18:20. We can't do anything - but we know the divine Healer who can. We know the prayer that is gladly answered is a prayer asking for a deeper faith and love. It may not come immediately, and you might not even notice at first that it has been answered. God's ways are not ours. Faith does not usually spring full blown into existence, although St. Paul's story of his conversion is one showing that it can happen. But growing in faith and love is a lifelong process that requires patience and perseverance. Our faith is not just a series of teachings, a code of morality, wise sayings, or a tradition. It is a true encounter with Jesus Christ. This meeting begins with the Scripture, especially one of the four Gospels, which shows us that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament. In Luke's account, Jesus bids farewell to his disciples by saying, "These are the words which I spoke to you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the psalms must be fulfilled."
An experience with Jesus changes a person - it certainly did me. It changed me, it changed my world, it changed my personal story. I wrote about my experiences in my book, "Song of Hope." If you are interested in obtaining a copy, contact me. Sister wrote about her experiences of angels and answered prayer in her book, "Angels and the Power of Prayer." I had to ask Jesus into my life. It was a prayer like, "Lord, help me!" But it wasn't fleeting. I cried all night long - didn't know a person had that much tears within them. And I prayed all night long. Shortly after that I received an invitation from someone - "come and see." - The invitation to a healing Mass - I had the strange idea that it was God inviting me - and I went - and I felt the touch of God's love, and I had an image of Jesus taking my wounded heart and holding it next to His Humongous Heart and healing it. Jesus is a gentleman. He waits for your invitation. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill your heart. It will help put a light on your desire for a deepening of your spiritual life. A wonderful prayer to say is "Come Holy Spirit" which invites God into our heart to instruct us and to renew us:
"Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth. O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, Through Christ Our Lord, Amen." Have you made your new year's resolutions? Did it include growing in your
spiritual life? It's not too late to add that. What better time to start than right now. "How many paths lead to God?" was a question posed to Pope Benedict XVI. He answered, "There are as many ways to God as there were people; since ultimately, each person has his own path." God will lead us on our journey, but there are tried and true steps that we can take. The first step is to invite God into our hearts. Praying is talking to God, so just say / pray right now, "Lord, come into my heart. Lead me. Guide me. I want a closer walk with you." |
KathyInvite God into your heart to renew it and to instruct you. Archives
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