What Matters Most

Just like how a mother holds and nurtures her little child until she learns to stand on her own and comes to appreciate the beauty and goodness within her and in others, so does our loving Father faithfully hold us, and patiently wait for us to grow in wisdom about what matters most in life.  He steadfastly waits until we finally learn what St. Therese of the Child Jesus simply knew in her heart:  that richness in life consists in doing everything, including and especially even the littlest and seemingly simplest and most unimportant things, with love for Him. 

 

Just like a mother who feels with her little child even before she or he can form any word, He too knows everything that is contained in our heart, and everything that springs from it. Whatever we do out of love for Him is noticed and infinitely held precious by Him.  

 

Thank you St. Therese for reminding us about what matters most in life and love, through the story of your soul. 

 

Happy Feast Day  J

 

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Ball of Fire

 

Twilight for me is one of the best moments of the day. It is that brief period of time right before the sunset, when outdoors, it is no longer bright, but it is also not yet too dark to see without artificial light. There is a certain softness and gentleness in the air, and a quieting down of the spirit in preparation for rest.  Peace. Tranquility. Quiet. These are what I associate the moment with.
 

It is really such a joy to notice the sky as it begins to glow, slowly turning from blue to yellow, to orange, red, violet and then to a deep blue before darkness.  And to watch as the ball of light very gradually descends into the horizon. The moment is very brief, but the ball of fire never seems  rushed nor harrassed. It just fades out gently, peacefully, quietly.
 

 

My simple camera can not seem to do justice to what our naked eye can see when we look at the sky. The beauty of the moment is so much more than what one can capture and hold.

This reminds me of His love!  The big ball of fire that is His great and deep love.  His love that constantly hovers around us. That is ever present like sunlight, that leaves its mark like sunburn on our skin which we only notice after, that at times seems to withdraw from us or hide itself in darkness.

Twilight allows us to see the sun more clearly. If we extand our hand in its direction, we can even imagine holding it in our palm. Twilight reminds me of  special moments when we are able to see more clearly the constancy of His love, know its beauty, experience its tranquilty.  The sacredness of these brief moments brings a real feeling of security.  His is a fire that  never goes out.  A Love that constantly burns, both in light and in darkness. 

 

 

 

 Thank you my dearest Lord, for Your great big ball of fire, for the fire of your constant love!

 

  

 

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For Your Eyes Only

 

                                                                              photo by j. chow

 

While driving this morning, I turned on the radio and heard Sheena Easton's voice singing the song below. It's  actually from a James Bond movie, but for some reason what entered my consciousness was the gospel scene this morning of Bartimaeus, the blind man who asked to be able to see, and who upon being healed, immediately began following Jesus on his way. I wondered about their encounter, and the level of emotion between them - which was surely far greater than what was described in the gospel. Perhaps Bartimaeus at that moment would have felt more like Sheena Easton, singing with all intensity, "For Your Eyes Only"!   :o)

 

 

For your eyes only, can see me through the night

For your eyes only, I never need to hide

You can see so much in me, so much in me that's new

I never felt until I looked at you

 

For your eyes only, only for you

You'll see what no one else can see, and now I'm breaking free

For your eyes only, only for you

The love I know you need in me, the fantasy you've freed in me

Only for you, only for you

 

For your eyes only, the nights are never cold

You really know me, that's all I need to know

Maybe I'm an open book because I know you're mine

But you won't need to read between the lines

 

For your eyes only, only for you

 

You see what no one else can see, and now I'm breaking free

For your eyes only, only for you

The passions that collide in me, the wild abandoned side of me

Only for you, for your eyes only

 

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Blog Turns Five

 

Ships that pass in the night and speak each other in passing;
Only a signal shown and a distant voice in the darkness;
So on the ocean of life we pass and speak one another,

Only a look and a voice, then darkness again and a silence.

 

Tales of a Wayside Inn

 ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

 

 

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poems are very interesting to read because they leave vivid visual images that linger in the mind long after the poem has been read.  There is a certain quiet noticing, like a pause in between sounds, a stillness in the midst of motion, a space within which to ponder...

 

The view of Manila Bay last night reminded me of the poem above, and of this one below:

   

 

The day is done, and the darkness
Falls from the wings of night,
As a feather is wafted downward
From an eagle in his flight.

 

A feeling of sadness and longing
That is not akin to pain,
And resembles sorrow only
As the mist resembles the rain.

 

And the night shall be filled with music,
And the cares that infest the day
Shall fold their tents like the Arabs,
And as silently steal away.

 

The Day is Done

~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

 

 

As this blog turns five years old today (yes!),  I too pause in between activity, take quiet notice of the different soul expressions that have flowed out from within my heart and on to postings in this blog the past five years. What a joy it has been to lay pieces of soul here, freely, simply, and with love!

 

No, the 'day is not yet done'. There is still much to sail through in life... many more ships to 'pass and speak each each other in passing'... much in life to still notice, in stillness and in quiet pauses in between activity.

 

"Thank you dearest Lord, for your Spirit flowing through the many pages of entries here. Everything that has been written originates from You and is quietly offered back to You.  One day, when my day is done for good and darkness finally falls for me, from the wings of the night, may your images continue to shed light and convey who You are to the many other 'ships that pass in the night' ".

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God, be my breath...

"God, be my breath, my steps, my first word."

- Gerald May  



It is easier to say this prayer when things are going well. But when I am angry or hurting, it becomes much more difficult to acknowledge Him as still actively present and flowing thru all that I am... until I am able to make an act of faith and pray for a reconnection to "the one true thing that matters."

Dearest Lord,

be my EVERY breath

my EVERY step

my EVERY word

in every moment

 of my life.

-  Prayer on October 1, Feast of St. Therese of Lisieux, 

& the beginning of another spiritual year in the Lord

Heaven on Earth

 

When we allow ourselves to receive God's love in the way that He waits for us to receive it... when because of it, we finally believe how truly loved we are by Him and begin to genuinely love Him back in ways that truly please Him... we actually experience Heaven.  Yes, He already gives us a taste of Heaven here on earth!

 

For what is Heaven  -  but our being in union with Him... trusting in Him... loving Him and all He wills... being one in journey with Him... laboring and resting in Him...

 

All these, inspite of our very limited human nature...

All He asks is that we love Him through our hopes and joys, our fears and struggles, through all that we are... To love Him with the fullness of our very limited human nature :o)

 

 

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Love Beyond Death

1963 – 1972

 Dear Mike,

Today is your 40^th death anniversary!  Years ago, it was impossible to imagine what it would be like 40 years from then, without you. Our days had been filled with so much play together, and then suddenly you were gone. You left us all so sad, so soon.

Imagine, it has been 40 long years that you have been up there!  Hmm, I wonder what you have been up to all this time :o)   Did you ever take a peek at each of us, now living in different parts  of the world?  Have you ever wished you could have joined our children in their play?  I bet you would have had the time of your life getting to know their many stuffed toys, called “best friends”, positioned all over the house. Did you ever talk about us with our beloved God, and noticed any expressions on his face as you spoke with Him? Did He ever allow you to know what is in store for the future?

Mike, it is true that time heals.  The 40 years have enabled us to move out of our sorrow, and to now think of you without the feelings of sadness and loss that once weighed so heavily in our hearts.

How true it is that love lives beyond death. How can it not be so, when 40 years after your death, my heart still warms up with each recall of our day-in and day-out play and chatter. I smiled when together with my children, I recently saw again the drawings, cards and letters to real and imaginary people that we had made more than 40 years ago. I can still recite by heart each and every line of the beautiful prayer and the simple poem composed in your memory decades ago.

Mike, your years with us were short but rich. I still don’t fully appreciate why you had to move on so early, but what I do know now from this experience is that yes, love lives beyond death.  Love for you continues, despite the 40 long years you have been away..

“I love you for always”  my dear brother :o)

St. Michael, 

Prince of Angels and Gods First Knight

Brave and true to your captain, Christ

We give into your strong care

Our Michael young and fair

Called suddenly from our loving home

To stand his watch before God’s throne.

A page of Christ washed and fed

With cleansing waters and holy bread.

And though we miss his voice and smile

Yet we trust that in just a while

We all together again shall be

Forever a part of God’s family.

So St. Michael, until that day

We shall continue to watch and pray

At peace to know that our son and brother

Is safe with Christ and his loving mother. 

-  Fr. J.F. Donelan, SJ

One lonely night as I sat by my window

Memories of a little boy with a lot of pillows

Had just entered into my mind

For there was no one of such a kind. 

I remember how he used to stand

Beside my bed to conduct a band

Of little animal cushions who stared

At the little boy’s face which cared.

And throughout the day I would hear

His sweet voice ring so near.

His smile so touching  would send me dreaming

Of his two eyes so brightly gleaming.

Troubles, we think of him

Cutting our things to trim!

But in truth, it’s such a joy

To be with Michael, that wonderful boy. 

- mc

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