Swaddled & Slain

Today, on the Feast of the Nativity of Blessed Virgin Mary, I want to share a few thoughts... first, lover of poetry that I am, I want to share a meditation that was published in the Magnificat for today's feast; a poem by Rita A. Simmonds:

The Infant Mary

"After centuries of weight, the waters break and flow.

The desert leaps with fruit. How can this be so? -

A temple made of flesh without the strain of Eve, 

a full and promised moon, a servant and a queen.

A womb within a womb, cocooned in swaddled silk 

or morning glory blue, the scent of myrrh and milk.

The prophet would foretell the piercing of her soul

that Eden's flaming sword had wounded long ago

when bitterness was named for a sweetness made to last

though newborn memory is a star too far to grasp.

The spread of sea is calm. The infant Mary sleeps.

The firmament reflects its sparkling, faultless queen."

What a beautiful reflection we have in Simmonds' poetic genius! There so much we can take away from this reflection... but what stands out to me most is in being reminded that Mary, swaddled in perfection, infant queen, with a pure and sinless soul, will later have in her heart a wound from a sword; 'when bitterness was named for a sweetness made to last'. Out of Mary's pure yes, deep grief, and triumphant virtue, comes pure freedom, deep peace, and triumph over death through her Son, Jesus Christ. Out of the greatest bitterness of this life comes the greatest sweetness that could possibly be had. It is a good reminder for us, that whatever bitterness we experience in our own lives, God will bring greater sweetness out of it. It is also a good reminder for us that Mary understands our bitterness and pain when our lives seem to dish out more than we can bear. We are not alone, she is with us and consoling us, and will help us in our suffering while helping us keep our hope in Jesus.

Today as we celebrate the birthday of Mary, we celebrate the coming into the world of the woman who not only gave us her Son, but also gave us herself. We celebrate the birthday of the Mother of our Savior, who as she gave up Jesus, Jesus gave her us. And how lovingly she cherishes us! Place yourself in the company of the angels and saints today in a moment of silence and reflection. Surround yourself with the angels and the saints who over 2000 years ago rejoiced in Heaven on this day. Reflect on the beauty, the holiness, the reverence, awe, and silent wonder at the hope granted on this day - the beginning of the age of salvation. 

*Photo Source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/490822059363370930/

Treading Underfoot

There are many ways that guilt can infiltrate our lives. Many times, because of circumstances in our lives beyond our control, we've been made to feel guilty for things we never should have felt guilty for in the first place! For things that weren't our fault, for being judged a certain way, criticized unjustly, etc.We all carry some form of guilt for things that we have done wrong, all of which can be forgiven and purified! But I think for most of us, the guilt and shame we carry that we have no business carrying can be the hardest to eradicate, the hardest to trust God with, the hardest to believe he actually wants to and will free us of; we struggle to really believe in his love for us and that no shadow of guilt or shame can be cast further than the light of his grace.

Whether you're carrying guilt from past sins and failings, or guilt that is completely undeserved but that you can't seem to let go of, or a combination of the two, this post is a poetic reflection on today's (Tuesday, July 24th) first reading from Micah. First, the reading:

Micah 7:14-15, 18-20

Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your inheritance, that dwells apart in a woodland, in the midst of Carmel. Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old; As in the days when you came from the land of Egypt, show us wonderful signs.

Who is there like you, the God who removes guilt and pardons sin for the remnant of his inheritance; Who does not persist in anger forever, but delights rather in clemency, And will again have compassion on us, treading underfoot our guilt? You will cast into the depths of the sea all our sins; You will show your faithfulness to Jacob, and grace to Abraham, As you have sworn to our fathers from days of old.

The Word of the Lord



Poetic Reflection on this Reading from Micah

What Does God Do With Our Guilt?


I come to you God,
over and over again,
Unsure of who I am,
ashamed of who I've been.
The guilt, the shame, the tears I bring,
You say they have no place;
You tell me that you take them,
make them new, replace with grace.
Yet still I doubt your goodness,
and try to hide from you my face.

Why don't I believe you God,
and all you say is true?
Why is it easier to believe the lies
than cling to the words of you?
You remove our guilt
and pardon our sin,
yet we stay in that space,
letting guilt and shame win.

You God tell us one thing,
yet we believe another,
denying ourselves the freedom
we believe is for some other.
You come in and tell us again
that we deserve your love.
We inherit the Kingdom of your peace
you've already fit it for us like a glove.
You break through the lies
and your anger is abated;
you yearn to bring us rest,
you see our face and are elated.
You delight in us,
you grant us grace,
you delight in gazing
... on our face.

On us you have compassion
over and over again,
treading underfoot our guilt,
as if it had never been.
You cast away our sinfulness
and by this show your faithfulness.
Restore O God, my joyfulness,
That I may walk in blamelessness!

Seeking, Soaking, and Shining

I like to think that I seek Jesus first. The truth is, sometimes I do – and sometimes I don’t. I was inspired by something a priest said during a homily while I was attending a Mass & adoration vigil for the feast days of the Sacred Heart & Immaculate Heart. It was a vigil of reparation to the hearts of Jesus and Mary for all the sins that wound them – including our own and for the ingratitude and lack of love from mankind. The pastor addressed the issue of how many times that we desire other activities or leisure times over spending time with Jesus. He then said something about this in a particular way that stuck with me: about making personal reparation ‘for the times that I’ve preferred the television to the tabernacle.’ (Mic. Drop.) That could have been his whole homily. Case. And. Point.

We live for Jesus, we worship Him, we pray, we go to Mass, we do good for others. But how many times do we not seek Jesus first? Just 10 more minutes on Facebook, just one more episode, just a little more Xbox… how much time do we spend with Jesus versus the time we spend on other things that in the grand scheme of life, merit nothing toward our eternal salvation? And, in fact, can detract from it.

Now, these things aren’t all bad, and God knows and understands that sometimes these are our outlets! I know a little bit of down time, and a movie or a few episodes of a favorite TV series helps me to unwind after a hectic day. But, I can easily do that instead of taking time with Jesus. It’s not that we can’t ever watch TV again, but are we taking 10 or 20 or 30 minutes to pray first? Take those moments and soak up some Son! Read a few verses of Scripture, grab that devotional book and peruse through it, grab a journal and pen and write out your thoughts and prayers to the Lord. Sit and talk to him. Sometimes, I just sit in the middle of my bed, or the middle of the couch, and I just start talking – out loud – as if Jesus were just sitting there in the room with me. And I just talk. And eventually I slow down, and then just pause. And listen. Those are some of my most fruitful times of prayer, some of the times were I really can tune into Jesus’ presence and His attentiveness to me.

Jesus, help me to seek You first – in all the things, in all the chaos, in the joys, in the trials, in the decisions, in the time I have each day. Help the fast-paced, media-driven things of this world lose a bit of their luster, so that I see Your splendor, and spend more time soaking up Your shine. Amen.

Seek, Soak, Shine - repeat! 

10th Sunday in Ordinary Time: How Do We Rise Up?

There are many ways that the devil (Satan) tries to deceive us... he often uses subtle tactics that we can easily excuse or justify. Do we rise up against him? Do we fight the good fight?

"Fight the good fight; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses." 1 Timothy 6:12

As the letter to Timothy reveals to us, by fighting the 'good fight of faith' - i.e., holding onto the truth, resisting evil, clinging to what is good and holy, trusting our Creator, our Father, our Lord of love - we secure our eternal salvation! We begin to take hold of, here on earth, that life which we were created for in eternity! Our destiny as human beings in perfect union with God. We all have this deep longing for fulfillment, which we strive after vehemently in our lives. This fulfillment will only be fully realized when we are united with God in Heaven, for that is what we were created for.

So in today's Gospel, we hear testified that 'if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand.' If we root Satan - and all of his little subtle ways of trying to rule over us - out of us, he cannot stand! He sets himself up for failure by trying to get to us, only to be booted out! And we claim our dignity, our destiny, our identity as God's children and heirs of 'the eternal life to which we were called'! It is Jesus who has the power in us to overcome, to rise up.

Pro-tip for fighting this good fight of faith and rising up against Satan: Spend time with Jesus. Know not just who you are fighting against, but SO much more importantly, who you are fighting for. It is He to whom you are called; rise up and fight for your faith, fight for that union with God, fight for your destiny, your call, your claim on eternal life. Cling to the King, so that whatever comes against you cannot stand. God's hand is reaching down from Heaven, open above your head, conferring grace on you to live loved, to live strong, to live sanctified. Pray. Spend time with the Lord and experience His presence pouring over you.


Photo Credit: Liturgical Publications, Inc. (LPi)