In the silence God invites without words. My prayers are often noisy affairs filled with faces, memories, love and feelings of sorrow. I am often overwhelmed and moved to tears by the poignancy of a fleeting thought. My heart tells me that what seems insignificant holds a treasure. God’s gifts often come in disguise like the beggar at the door who is Christ. The Spirit says minister here in this place at this time; reach back through the years to move the hand of God by prayer.
I am with God, the Lord of All, including Time. I may have missed or misused moments to do good, but God reigns in Eternity, as present in the Past as He is in my heartbeat. God’s hands are not tied by the flow of Time. He is there and here and Eternal Now. My lowly prayer, clothed in The Name, breaks down the wall that stands between my need or regret, and blessing. Like the little donkey that carried the King of Kings, my humble prayer sets in motion the flow of grace to love, to heal, to mend, to restore and bless anew.
Joann Nelander
Tag Archives: grace
Tears’ Requite
Awash on shores of errant heart,
Crystalline soldiers wend their depart.The battle o’er, the mend begun,
Hovering Spirit break forth thy sun.You tugged as moon on ebbing tide,
To etch and burrow as to chide,But than as swells of billowed lace,
You left a smile of radiant grace.To purge my soul of sorrow’s trough,
You gently rain to Spirit offThe crust and brine of life’s past sin,
and let your troves of laughter in.Providence of wind and wave
Serve but to resurrect and save.by Joann Nelander
Surprise – Sin Abounds!
It should be no surprise; Sin abounds! The human race is awash with, riddles with, mired in and drowning under, Sin. It is our natural state of being without a Savior. From the day we are born, leaving Eden, so to speak, we become the star of our universe, maybe, more like a Black Hole. We can’t help trying to draw all things to ourselves. With myiads of rationalizations and excuses to suit our ages and pretensions, the event horizon is approached and we are doomed. Sin in its rational disguises is irrational and drives us like a madman. It is the Dark, clouding out the true Sun.
The real surprise in life is that where sin abounds grace abounds all the more! It can be stated that God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant. Romans 5:20.
Our Savior comes still today to save us. Being “churched” does not perfect us; God does, in His own time. If we open our hearts in repentance, Jesus gives us His forgiveness and cancels the debt against us. Perfect comes later, sometimes, much later.
The euphemistic blessing, “May you live in interesting times.” is said to be the least severe of three curses, the others being:
- “May you come to the attention of those in authority.”
“May you find what you are looking for.”
Fortunately, for us, the Living, we live in glorious times. Sin abounds and we are saved! God for His part has done the work, we need but claim the Victory. The offer is always at hand in nail-pierced hands. Grace abounds all the more! Alleluia!
Must Read: Why I Remain A Catholic
by Elizabeth Scalia The Anchoress
Loved This!
H/T the Anchoress:
Priest: ‘I think I’ve lost my faith.’ Cardinal Cushing: ‘Don’t flatter yourself; you’re just bored.’ — Sermon
“We are not meant to ’succeed’ at Lent, but to fail and know our dependence upon Grace.”
In the Days Following Ash Wednesday
Catholics, practicing and non-practicing, love Ash Wednesday. People you won’t see again till Midnight Mass show up and happily wear the ashes. Will ashes alone suffice for conversion of heart? When the ashes are washed away, will sin be, too? Hopefully, the graced action of the sacramental ashes will act on the heart as a foot in the door.
Lenten Alert: Don’t waste the moment and movement of grace; open the door of your Catholic heart to God, especially if you have been away.
Choose a hidden place for yourself and delight to retire there alone, where you need not talk with anyone, but instead pour out your heart to god in prayer. In this way you will have a clear conscience and a contrite heart. Look upon the whole world as nothing, preferring to give your time to God before all external things.” Thomas A’Kempis: Imitation of Christ
“Fish” and the Heart of God
H/T Catholic Exchange for “Fish”
Be Holy! 