What are your thorns?

Today during prayer time, I was focusing on the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  My gaze moved from His heart to His hands.  For some reason, I kept coming back to that crown of thorns around His heart.  My mind's eye saw the crown squeezing this Heart that beats for us.  He took our ills upon Himself. 

Usually, I identify with Mary at the foot of the cross.  How she must have wanted to take the pain.  The love of a parent enduring the pain of a child is a cross in itself.  But this time I couldn't dwell on that thought.  The thorns on His head, the nails in His flesh and His pierced side presented a physical pain He chose to bear...not to mention the wounds we never see in art.  But this is when I realized Jesus bore the same pain Mary bore at the foot of the cross.  He had to experience her cross too so He could help her carry it.  He took all of us unto Himself.  How our betrayals, denying, doubts and more gripped His heart.  However, that very heart loved us to His death.   That very heart still beats with love for us each day.  What are your thorns? What makes up your cross?  Have you betrayed or been betrayed?  Have you harmed another or been harmed?  Have you neglected or been neglected?  These questions can go on and on.  When we hurt others we are hurting Christ.  He did not know sin but took ours upon Himself.  When others hurt us, He understands.  He was innocent of all the charges, but He still received punishment. 

This is why a cross with Christ is too much to bear.  He has shown us that, with Him, we can get up again and again.  He has shown us when the cross comes to us, we can go through it.  This is how He has loved us to death.  The difference is when He took the cross darkness was all that greeted Him.  For us, he went forward alone so we wouldn't have to ever be alone.  He is the light in our darkness.   He has loves us to death by bringing us to life.

Lord, may we carry our cross with you, and when we see others struggling with their cross, help us to be the "Simon" in their life. 

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, may the whole world burn with love for you! Amen

Lessons learned when facebook turns ugly

Recently a friend of mine posted a photo she saw on her home health route. She is a therapist, working in a rural area. She often does this, and the last photo she posted, before the one that cause a stir on facebook, was a calf being born. The photo in dispute was a clothesline filled with several bras, ladies’ panties and two nightgowns. She wrote something like, “the things you see in home health.” Most people remarked about frozen underwear (it has been cold here) or said she was at their house, etc… No person, with the exception of one, pointed to the fact that the owner of the underwear could be poor with no other option. The fact he pointed this out was not a problem, but how he chose to point it out didn’t set well with others. He attacked my friend, saying she was OUT OF TOUCH among other things. He used a lot of caps, indicating screaming. Feeling the need to defend my friend, I responded that she was not OUT OF TOUCH and unknown to most, often provided material needs for her patients because they could not afford such items. This included not only medical equipment but food too. I used the phrase, “…she often eases their poverty.” I also stated many women hang their unmentionables to dry because the dryer takes a toll on the life and use of the elastic and delicate material. Keep in mind only delicate items were hanging on the line. The guy then turned on me saying I was probably wrong, and I should be ashamed of using the phrase “…eases their poverty.” He added …not to talk to him about poverty unless I had the basis to do so. I asked my friend if this guy grew up poor or was impoverished, and she said as far as she knew, quite the opposite. Because I’ve had a rough patch in my life I responded, “Family and friends helped me years ago when I needed it. They EASED my life in many ways. They have nothing to be ashamed of….so I don’t understand what you are saying.” After that I wrote to my friend, I knew she didn’t mean harm and others knew it too. I further stated the problem with the written word is, sometimes people interpret it with different meanings. My friend posted the people had a nice house and car.  She said, for all she knew they were better off than she is herself.


Long story short…he “unfriended” her, but still sent some strong emails her way. Needless to say, I was pretty put out, because I’ve known my friend for over 30 years. I felt he was unfair in judging her. It took some prayer to get me back on track. So today, after mulling it over, I realize this ended up being a positive. It reminded me of that time in my life when things weren’t so great. I wasn’t going to go hungry, because my family wouldn’t let that happen, but I wasn’t a stranger to creditors calling requesting their money. It took awhile to dig out of that hole, but along the way people helped ease my burden. Some made sure my children made it safely to school, because I had to be at work early in the morning. My parents bought me a washer and dryer, plus put a new roof on my house. That’s just the tip of the iceberg for all they’ve done. Guys I worked with, moved sand to my yard to help the grass grow, plus one repaired all the wood trim outside my house. They came when I locked my keys in my car and looked at any problems I had with it too. My neighbor and his son fixed my broken down lawn mower.  His wife took care of my children when I couldn't be home, because an emergency occurred. The list goes on and on. So today I’ve found myself reflecting on those who have helped me along the way. I can never express how thankful I am for their love and friendship or how much they mean to me. I do pray that God will bless them richly and keep them safe.

Furthermore, "poverty" is not a word to associate with shame. It is often defined as “a lack of need.” This can be material or spiritual. At times in life when I am spiritually impoverished, family and friends step forward to lift me up. Complete strangers have done the same. Mother Teresa often remarked that the wealthiest people may actually be the poorest. There is so much truth in this, because those who lack the material see what is really important. It is not the number of shoes I have in my closet, but it is how I relate to those in my life and those I meet along the way.

So from this unpleasant encounter, thanksgiving and beauty has thrived. What shame is there in easing someone’s poverty? After all of these years, I recognize those who helped me, simply reflected the light of Christ. May I learn from their example, as they have learned from His.

Washing Away Guilt

Our Responsorial Psalm today was from Psalm 51.

Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.

I was reading this again this evening, and that part of ... Thoroughly wash me from my guilt...struck me. Often after we are cleansed of our sins, we still carry the guilt. Don't we carry guilt over things that aren't even caused by our sins? An example would be as a parent, I experience guilt over something concerning my child. I feel guilty, like maybe I am not a good parent, and I have failed in this aspect. I found it interesting the next part was ...and of my sin cleanse me. Sometimes the sin is not believing God truly forgives us, so we hold on to the guilt. The guilt of the sin itself and the guilt of how it affected others. Am I rambling here? :)

I've always believed that even a sin done in the dark is like a rock thrown into water. The ripple effect spreads out and affects the Universe in ways we cannot imagine. The Body of Christ is wounded by sin. So my prayer is this ~ Dearest Lord, my sins wound your Body. Help me to see that when I seek forgiveness for my sins, I am helping not only myself to heal but also contributing to the healing of the Body of Christ. Amen

Corpus Christi - The Body of Christ

The Body of Christ!

I just want to take a moment to relay something I read years ago. It was a book written by a medical doctor. I wish I remembered the title! Anyway he related the Body of Christ to the human body. We individuals tend to value people by the career they've chosen, their education, social standing, and wealth. We look at someone who picks up our trash and think it's okay for them, but I don't want to do that. We look at a surgeon and think what a smart, valuable individual.

The truth is, we'd be just as lost without the trash collector as with the surgeon. Can you imagine what would happen? Trash would pile up, it would stink. We would have to haul it off or burn it. We would have to HOPE our neighbor would do the same. What illnesses could occur from the filth?

Now as for as the human body there are cells flowing through it carrying the necessary life force in our blood. But there are also cells carrying away trash. If these cells didn't do the job can you again imagine what would happen? I think we'd become really ill and eventually die. Every part of our human body has a job to do. That job may belong to the eye, the heart, the arm or the brain. That job may belong to the intestine, the liver and yes to cells carrying trash.

The point is every member of the Body of Christ is valuable. We simply don't always realize that value.

When we come to the altar to receive Our Lord and Savior in the true presence of the Eucharist, let us come in thanksgiving for the whole Body of Christ!