Unconditional Love - Return of the Prodigal Son

I loved the book by Fr. Henri Nouwen, Return of the Prodigal Son. Yes, this is from the parable of Jesus, but also, his interpretation of the painting by Rembrandt. I have seen a mural of this same painting in a confessional at a Catholic church in the Memphis area. What a wonderful visual to come to understand the Father's (God's) unconditional love for each of us!



I hope that I have moved beyond the time of being the Prodigal Son. The time of running carefree and swandering riches and being consumed by material things. I feel that I am now somewhat like the Elder Son. He felt that he was serving his "father", but couldn't understand why he "suffered" while others (his prodigal brother) received a fatted calf and a ring on his finger when he returned. The elder son is a time of being concerned for others, but often we become jealous of others who receive blessings even though they do not seem worthy.

May the day come soon when I can honestly live with the unconditional love as modeled by Christ. It seems that the Father's unconditional love (that which comes without strings attached or expectations) comes to most when they are older. To emulate Christ is a worthy goal since he told us that he would lead us to the Father.

When you look at Rembrandt's painting, do you pity the prodigal son, do you think that he is undeserving, do you rejoice that he has returned? With God's love, may we remember that His love is beyond measure. Just because my neighbor (whether friend or foe) has received many blessings, does not mean that God will not give me blessings as well. His love is not a competition. As mentioned in another blog, Christ is knocking at the door to my heart to offer me His unconditional love, may I not only open that door and welcome Him in, but also, may I offer others this same love. Peace!

Girl Scout Cookies

It's time to pig out again on Thin Mints, Samoas and Do-Si-Dos! After spending the last month hitting up all our friends and co-workers, the cookies are finally here. Will I be able to resist the urge to scarf down multitudeness cookies? Oh well, they are one of life's true pleasures. It's amazing how some people you talk to complain that they cost $3.50 a box, but then they never seem to avoid buying a few boxes. I, personally, cannot wait to try the new Dulce de Leche cookie. What's your favorite?

Unclean, Unclean! - Spirit Speaking through Scripture

When I arrived for Mass this morning, I was not scheduled to serve as Lector; however, I was asked to read the first reading which came from Leviticus. As I grow closer to Christ, I am amazed at how Scripture writings continue to speak to each of us where we are. As I read over the text for the first and second times before Mass, I gained the first impression of what the scripture said about leprosy in the Old Testament times and the law. Then, while reading the passage from Leviticus 13:1-2,44-46 among the assembly, I felt the words speaking of myself when I read that he shall cry out, "Unclean, unclean". Most comforting was coming to the understanding of how Jesus came not to judge as those of the Law did. What comfort there is in knowing that Jesus Christ gave us His Spirit to recognize our own faults, but not to despair. I must seek forgiveness and come to understand the need to be a forgiver as well. Let us not approach our religion or spirituality in a legalistic way, but in how we can come closer to Christ. I pray that I recognize the times that I am unclean and open the door to my heart to Christ. Amen!

My Internal Clock - Trying to Hit Snooze

Okay, I do appreciate the wonder of the body, but the phenomenon of the internal clock drives me crazy at times. Yes, we develop patterns in all aspects of our lives and I guess it is good to have a mind trained to wake us up at a particular time each morning. BUT, I so want to hit snooze on this internal clock especially on Saturday morning. Waking up at 6 am on Saturday with no real reason other than my internal clock waking me up is a drag. No doubt, I will feel the touch of exhaustion by mid-afternoon. Well, I guess one has to make the best of it and make a cup of coffee and spend a little quiet time and maybe, just maybe, I can fall back asleep for an hour or so. Peace!

Jesus in the Tabernacle

What a wonderful mystery! Our Lord Jesus Christ present with us in the Tabernacle of every Catholic Church. I have come to love spending time with our Lord before the Tabernacle. Sometimes, I get the feeling that we feel that we have to spend hours in front of the Blessed Sacrament to fulfill some type of obligation. My knee bends in awesome wonder each time I open the Tabernacle to retrieve the Blessed Sacrament to take to the homebound. If you ever wonder to yourself about how you feel when you have received communion, I encourage you to spend a few minutes with Jesus in front of His tabernacle. He calls us to be with Him. A loving challenge: After Mass this next week, go to the Blessed Sacrament chapel to spend even a minute or two in Christ's presence. Let Him speak to you. Not sure what to say to Him. How about telling Him that you love Him and ask for His grace to take the food of communion into your daily life? Struggling with prayer? My experience is that when I have approached the Tabernacle, Christ speaks to me and my thoughts (prayer) rests with Him. Peace to you!