Meditating With Mary

  

  With your eyes closed, envision the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Your desire to draw nearer grows as you whisper prayers to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Mary quietly enters your thoughts as you pray and says, "Would you like to come closer? I know the way in." You nod. Mary reaches for your hand and gently holds it in hers. She raises her other hand, and suddenly, a door appears. She smiles and says, "Let me show you how to draw nearer to Him." Mary’s love pulls you closer to the love of Jesus.

 Mary tells you, "We can stay here as long as you desire." With Mary by your side, your heart beats in unison with the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and warmth engulfs your heart, almost overwhelming yet exhilarating at the same time. You close your eyes and allow the peace of Christ's love to fill you. Let go of all your stress and worries. Relax and remain silent as He whispers His desires. Listen carefully and allow His Words to realign your heart with His.  Remember, you can stay here as long as you desire.

-Susan

Dedicated to Mary and the Rosary

 

 My daughter needed pictures of her and her siblings as preschoolers for a project she's working on. She asked if I could look through the photo albums and send her a few. I always enjoy walking down memory lane when my children were younger. Revisiting all the happy moments in my life is always fun. I looked at all the first day of school, dance recital, prom, and homecoming pictures, and I smiled. But I smiled for another reason. In the background of many of my photographs was our statue of Mary. Mary is always with us. Thinking of all my moments with Mary brought happy tears to my eyes. 
 Although Mary is in the background of all my pictures, she has always been beside me or in front of me, guiding me through the twists and turns of my life. How grateful I am to have my heavenly mother always ready to help me with both big issues and small daily moments. If Mary had not helped me with the daily challenges, I would probably have fewer happy pictures of my life with my family. 
 October is dedicated to Mary and the Holy Rosary, and I can’t think of anything more powerful than praying a string of prayers with Mary and Jesus to help me get through life. The rosary isn’t just a habit for me; it’s a lifeline. Because of the Rosary, my life has more meaning, understanding, forgiveness, purpose, and love. My life isn’t perfect, and I don’t believe it ever will be, but I’m perfectly happy to spend each day with Jesus and Mary. Like the beads of the Rosary, my life’s path can shift and change, and I’m okay with that because Mary has never left me alone. She has held my hand, wiped my tears, and celebrated my joys, all while helping me focus on the crucifix. Mary helps me to understand that the crucifix is at the beginning and the end of the Rosary and every moment in between. 

-Susan

What Path Are You On?

   

  Many years ago, when Maps was a new app on my phone, my family and I had a funny experience. Our vacation was over, and we were heading to the airport. My son entered the airport information. As we drove down the expressway, I saw signs for the airport. "Should I get off here?" I asked my son.

  "No.  Just keep following maps.  It always finds the quickest route."  

  We drove for several more miles following the directions from "Maps." After taking a few more turns down what looked like a back road, the voice announced, "You have arrived. Your destination is on the left. Be prepared to walk two minutes." Stunned, we all looked to our left. Behind a very tall fence were the airport runways. We were close to the airport, but definitely not in the right place. What were we supposed to do? Abandon the car, climb over the fence, and run across the runways?! We can laugh about it now, but it was incredibly frustrating at the time. Circling back definitely put us on a time crunch.

  I share this story because I want everyone to check their path this week. Today's world offers many popular options.  Some paths will definitely lead you away from God.  Some will get you close.  But are you on the path that will get you inside the gates? Double-check the voice of scripture and listen to His guidance. God has a very beautiful, intentional path designed just for you.  Make sure the voice you are hearing is His. And don't short-change yourself on time; be sure you have plenty of time to correct for mistakes. 

 So let's double-check our position and direct our hearts toward heaven. God wants everyone to make it back home. In fact, He's waiting for us with open arms.

-Susan

Keep Striving

 

  I have a running game with the children I teach at the church. I bring to mind a previous Gospel story we discussed, share four statements about it, and ask them which one is correct. I make the game easy for them, so everyone will win a prize.  Last week, however, I was surprised by how many children answered the question incorrectly.  I thought the answer was very obvious.  While preparing for this week, I decided to quiz one of my sons with my question.  Again, I believed the answer was clear.  He said," Well, I think number two is the correct answer. 'If we want to be followers of Jesus, we need to make God our number one priority',  but I don't think number four is wrong."

  I look at the fourth statement.  It read, "There is nothing hard about being a follower of Jesus.  It's super easy." My eyebrows and voice raised at the same time. "You think being a Christian is easy? Really?  I certainly don't."

  "Yes, it is, " he answered.

  "So you have no problem with the ten commandments, forgiving others,  praying for your enemies, or being kind to those who mistreat you? What about always being honest? How's that going for you? Or proclaiming the Gospel to others?"

  My son started laughing. "Ok, I see your point."

  This week, ask yourself, "Which of Jesus' teachings do you find most difficult?"  Spend some time in prayer with the Holy Spirit discussing it.  For most of us, following Jesus is challenging.  It's challenging but not impossible.  The Holy Spirit will give us the necessary graces, but we must do the work and stay committed.

  Now that I have given this question more thought, I have decided to change the fourth statement.  Now it will read, "Following Jesus is impossible, and no one can do it."  That statement should be clearly wrong to all my students, and with the Holy Spirit's help, I will pray that anyone who has walked away from the faith will realize this as well. There is a prize to be won, and Jesus wants everyone to obtain it.

-Susan

The Bridge

 

-Susan

Happy Birthday Mom!

 

Oh, His Light!

  

 My sister and I went on a girls' trip to Antelope Canyon in Arizona earlier this year. We were lucky enough to take three different tours of the canyons: one by boat and two separate hikes. The canyons were breathtaking and mesmerizing.  Depending on the sunlight filtering through, the canyons looked completely different.  You could stand in one spot and turn 360 degrees, watching the color intensity shift before your eyes. I took picture after picture trying to capture their beauty, but I fell short of doing it justice.

  Faith can be like that, too. Feeling God's love is incredible! Then God reveals a little more, and you are even more amazed. As you turn to focus on His mercy, you can't even fully grasp it! As you try to share this experience and describe God's love to someone else, your words fall short because you can't truly capture how He has touched your life and changed your heart. His beauty can't be contained in just one conversation or thousands of books. His Light transforms everything! God is the adventure of a lifetime, and we are all lucky enough to experience it!

-Susan