Thursday, April 30, 2009

THE RIGHT TO BE DARING

Most of us are content to be ordinary and to live a 'peace-undisturbed' life. This is good when it is directed by our hearts; when we responding to God's love for us / when we are responding to Love from, and to others.
Yet there are times when we might need to 'pull the rug' from under our feet and be daring in our endeavours, whatever the challenge.

This struck me yesterday while I attended the Launch of the Arts Festival here in Wicklow. It was held in Tinakealy House, a beautiful venue. The usual niceties happened as communication took place between all present.

Then the music started, followed by a little 'foot-tapping' here and there. Who would be the one to be daring and get out and dance! Not me, so I murmured to myself. And so the daring few stepped out and moved to the music and added life to the celebration.

Was it the glass of wine, or the lovely rythmn of the music? Perhaps more, the encouragement of friends, that got me out there, moving to the music too.

It was a wonderful and enjoyable experience. This is what life is all about, the risk-taking of making a fool of oneself.

And how foolish it would be, not to dare! Let's avail of all these opportunities that come our way and the right we have to be daring!!!

Sunday, April 26, 2009

JOURNEY'S END

When we return from a Journey, there are often things we would have liked to do / wanted to do/ hated to do etc, and find ourselves thinking about them instead of focusing on the enjoyable times we had.

So, so important to highlight all the wonderful, new experiences we have enjoyed. For myself, on my trip to Spain with my sister, we even managed to enjoy walking in the rain! We marvelled at how similar the weather was, to the weather we have in Ireland. Therefore we had no reason to miss home, apart from absence from friends.

Then, when the sun finally decided to shine, we were 'over the moon' with happiness. Such a treat to go out for the day, just wearing shorts and light top and sunglasses! Our enjoyment spilled out on all we did / who we met / what we ate. There was pleasure to be found in all places we went and things we did.

This made me realise that God is so good to each one of us. He desires for us to be happy and to enjoy our lives. When we do not, the fault lies with us, not with God. It pains Him to see us suffer. God will prompt us to do what makes us happy. The rest is up to us, to listen to the Whisper of God's Voice and follow His directions in life so we can come to our journey's end, safe and happy and ready to jump into the arms of God!

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

GOING ON A JOURNEY

For the first time in over thirty years I am going on 'holiday, with the purpose of relaxation and enjoyment. The destination is Costa del Sol in Spain.
This will be a change from Ireland with its windy, wet weather and yet its beautiful green hills and valleys.

I do love Ireland which is a big plus for me as this is my permanent home on earth. A trip to Glendalough on a sunny day is like stepping into a mystical land, once inhabited by saints and scholars of old. The atmosphere is alive with earthy prayerfulness. Even in winter this green valley of two lakes and ancient tower is invaded by bus loads of visitors, many of whom come for the right reason, to soak in the spiritual ambiance of St. Kevin's monastery.

Yet, here I am, excited at my trip to come. With diligence I'm preparing myself and insuring that I have a passport and flight ticket.

This made me reflect and realise that we are all on a journey. We are created by God and invited by Him to spend our eternity in His Place / Heaven.

So, do I have my 'passport'? Is my 'flight ticket' in order? Am I equipped with the right 'luggage'?

The above questions are pertinent in relation to my eternal future. Who can guide me / help me? The answer is clear; those who have already made the journey. All the saints in Heaven can guide me and help me when I read their lives and discover their secrets to holiness.

And, of course, there is our blessed mother, Mary. She is my special guide and help whenever I take a journey in this life. Therefore, she will be my 'special' guide on the journey to Heaven.


Monday, April 13, 2009

A NEW DAY

Today is a new day. Whatever we have done or experienced yesterday is gone. Our past no longer exists, except in our memories. So, what will make today special?
What will make today special for me will depend on how much love I put into what I do / think / say/ feel.
Golden opportunities come to all of us each day to experience love and to love.

The celebration of Easter shows how much God loves us. So, no matter who we are or where we are, we are loved.

How much we can grasp this love that God has for us depends on how close we become to He who is Love itself.

This is a great strength to have, and to remember. There may be times when we feel a certain emptiness and may think that life has no meaning... well, scrap that thought. Focus on love and all will be well.

All is well. All is Love!

Saturday, April 11, 2009

EASTER JOY

Easter is such a special time for all of us who believe in the Resurrection of Christ. We step onto the waters of faith and allow our belief in the life of Christ to guide us.

Christ is risen! Hallelujah!
What does this mean to me?
I believe that Christ came on earth to redeem the world. He is our Saviour, and yet do I know Him? Does He live in my heart?

A study of the life of Christ reveals so many guiding messages. There is one in particular that Christ emphasised, "Love one another, just as I have loved you."

This is a tall order, coming from He who laid down His life for me / for you / for all of us.
My love for others can often be tainted by my ignorance of LOVE itself. Therefore, the closer I come to know and love my Saviour / my Christ, the more able I become to care for and love others. I become a pupil and Christ becomes my Teacher.
Prayer opens my mind, and Christ speaks to my heart.
Listen to the whisper of LOVE!

Friday, April 10, 2009

COMPASSIONATE LOVE

At 3pm today, Good Friday, my friends and I watched the Passion of Christ on dvd. It's such a moving experience to watch the suffering of Christ that it brought tears to my eyes. Yet, in my heart I felt a certain numbness.
The reality of how much God loves us, to allow His Son to suffer so terribly for me / for each one of us, is hard to grasp. We can become part of the world we live in that our sense of reality / of what is Truth can be tainted.

Then I pondered on Peter and how he denied knowing Christ, and the awful remorse he suffered afterwards. Perhaps we are more akin to Peter. We want to be strong in our love for God, and to believe that we will live according to the Truth as we know it.

Yet, we are weak, and generally speaking, we deny knowing Christ every day of our lives. Anytime we compromise with our true sense of values, we are denying the Truth / we are denying Christ.

An awareness of how weak we are can help us to have remorse for our failings / our sins. And, it's good to remember that God knows how weak we are, just like a Father knows how weak His children are.

God doesn't love us less for being weak. Perhaps He loves us more. Our weakness affords God the opportunity to show His wonderful compassionate love for each one of us.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

HONESTY

The whole idea of honesty is based on a spiritual awareness of just how weak we can be, or are.

We believe we are made in the image of Christ, and a study of His life shows us His dedication in sacrificing His life for us, and such a cruel death, to be crucified on the cross.

During Holy week we are given an opportunity to study the life of Christ; His compassion for the weak / His love for those who fail, the sinners of this world / and His honesty.

This is our example of what honesty is all about. Christ's love for the TRUTH could not be compromised.

His message to us is, 'I am the Way, the Truth and the Life...'
This is my template for honesty. No compromise / no lies. Simply a love for Truth!
















Monday, April 6, 2009

CHANGE


The ability to change is often dependent on how interested we are in change itself. Perhaps it's a bit like a housewife who becomes tired of the 'look' of her kitchen. She wants change. She believes that by changing the look of her kitchen, she will be happy.

The next step is to know how to bring change about. Will it be a complete make-over, or just a paint-job? The deciding factor may well be found in what budget is available.
This could well apply to ourselves when it comes to changing our life-style / our way of thinking / our way of dealing with life itself.

Again, the answer is often found in what 'budget' we have / just how willing we are to make changes in our lives. Will it involve pain? Definitely, it will involve discipline.
So, our 'budget' is found in the efforts we make to discipline our lives.

A look at the monks of old; how willing they were to discipline themselves in living a prayerful life / dedicating themselves to God through obedience to authority.

This is often a simple and direct way to bring change about, to be willing to do the will of another rather than our own.

God draws us. He never forces us, and yet the very awareness of His love for us will change us and make us a better, more disciplined person.
Be open / be ready to change, and change will happen.




Thursday, April 2, 2009

VALUE of SILENCE

Lately, I find myself in conversation quite a lot. I realise how important this is, to communicate with others; to talk / chat etc. Even little throw-aways can be important in filling the gap between my thoughts and the thoughts of others. I get to know them and they get to know me.

And yet, there is a definite important in the value of silence. Sometimes, the gap between words says more than the words themselves. People communicate also by what they don't say.

The thought occured to me that communication between one person and another can be like a dance. I speak / they speak. I listen / they listen. The movements are created as if two souls are dancing together, and the moments when there is a pause is as significent as when there is movement. When the dance is ended, silence takes over for awhile before a new dance begins.

In the mystical-sense, our souls are communicating with God in each other. Sometimes God is more present in one person and so they 'lead'. Then there is a lull and the other person takes the lead. This is how the language of the soul is developed, often most in the moments of silence.