Continue on the Way

"Yet I must continue on my way today, tomorrow, and the following day."

Luke 13:33

 

On Pray-As-You-Go this morning they ask, what would make Jesus so determined to go to Jerusalem even after the "warning" from the Pharisees? It really got me thinking about the deepest desires God places in our hearts. We may catch glimpses of these all throughout our lives.  Our deepest desires can actually become (if we are listening) our destiny.  Jesus' mission was clear to him.  God placed the mission in Jesus' heart and mind and there was nothing that would interfere...no fears, no distractions--Jesus knew what he had to do and he was determined to do it.  Jesus was so in tune with his Father that there was no human response that would interfere.  The very human Jesus asked if there may be another way as he prayed in Gethsemane, but, ultimately, his will matched the Father's. What about us?  Have we spent time exploring the deepest desires of our hearts?  Are we, thus, familiar with God's will for us in our lives? Are we determined to continue on our way today, tomorrow, and the following day?  It is so worthwhile to sit with Jesus and discover!  Love, heidi

St. Jude, pray for us...

"Saint Jude, glorious apostle, faithful servant and friend of Jesus..."

Novena to St. Jude

 

Today, being the feast of St. Jude, I picked up my novena book and it opened automatically to this novena.  Let me just say that my family has been asking St. Jude for prayers for a hundred years (that's NOT an exaggeration!) My dad credits St. Jude's prayers for many miracles in his life, such as escaping basic training during WWII.  St. Jude has been our Go-to for intercessory prayer as long as I can remember.  So, this little book of novenas...I wrote down in the margins each time I prayed this novena and for what intention.  I can easily see that St. Jude's prayers got my kids through difficult times; finals, board exams, moves, relationships.  St. Jude's prayers helped us sell houses, get summer jobs, obtain internships.  St. Jude is a rock star.  I know the mystery of asking the saints for prayers may seem foreign to some, but it can be so comforting--asking a friend of Jesus to pray with you.  Today, St. Jude, thanks, so much, for your many prayers over the years.  My dad never would have survived boot camp...love, heidi

That was Jesus?

"Dearest Lord, may I see you today and every day in the person of your sick and, while nursing them, minister unto you. Though you hide yourself behind the unattractive disguise of the irritable, the exacting, the unreasonable, may I still recognize you and say, 'Jesus, my patient (client, student, fellow traveler) how sweet it is to serve you.'"

~Blessed Teresa of Calcutta (I added the "client, student, fellow traveler" part)

 

Ok, so yesterday, I got to the office on a Monday morning and there was a scathing message on the message machine.  I mean, it was hard to hear. It was not directed at me, personally, but the person on the other end was obviously "irritable, exacting, and unreasonable."  Just the person Mother Teresa is talking about here.  And that was Jesus?  Wow, that. I sure didn't recognize him!  Let's keep our eyes open today for the most difficult person we encounter and treat that person as Jesus in disguise.  Can we treat them with kindness and compassion? Let's try!  Love, heidi

More to gain

"He (Bartimaeus) threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus."

Mark 10:50

 

One of my favorite parts of the Bartimaeus reading (yesterday's Gospel) is this line.  I think it was Fr. Anthony Gittins, in his book "Encountering Jesus," who pointed out that his cloak was probably the only thing Bartimaeus actually had to his name.  It was likely his bed, as well as his protection against the wind and weather.  It was all his had, and, yet, he throws it aside, jumps to his feet and comes to Jesus.  Bartimaeus does what the Rich Young Man earlier in this chapter (Mark 10:17-22) cannot do.  Remember him?  Jesus suggests to him he sell all he has, give the money to the poor and join Jesus.  He can't do it.  Clearly, the RYM had more to give up, didn't he?  He actually had stuff.  Bartimaeus only had one thing--his cloak. In his mind, the RYM has more to lose and less to gain.  Bartimaeus had nothing to lose, except a tattered old cloak, and everything to gain--his sight.  Lord, please help me to see that giving up everything FOR you means gaining everything WITH you!  Love, heidi