“I will spend my heaven doing good upon earth.”
St. Therese of Lisieux
For Reflection:
How do these words of St. Therese resonate with me? Am I willing to take them as my own? If so, what implication does this have for my life now and in the future?
Earlier this week I was in Houston visiting my daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren. I attended my third annual Grandparents Day at my granddaughter’s school. It is a lovely affair that begins with a breakfast, followed by entertainment courtesy of the music department, and concluding with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Carmen and I look foward to it every year and it is becoming a sweet tradition we share.
One of the great blessings in my life is being a grandparent. These little ones teach me so much. Take Carmen, for example. She became a big sister on May 1 when her baby brother, Matthew Anthony, was born. I have seen so many beautiful qualities developing in her since that time. Virtues, really.
Carmen treats Matthew with patience, kindness, thoughtfulness. Much to his delight, she gleefully rushes to him when she sees him after school. She plays with him, dotes on him, and tells everyone she meets that he is her baby brother. Plain and simple, she loves him.
Frankly, I wondered how Carmen would handle his arrival. She had been an only child for five years and very accustomed to Mommy’s and Daddy’s full attention. I’ve witnessed other situations where older only children have not been very welcoming to a new sibling. But, Matthew’s birth has enriched her personhood and enhanced her lovely feminine graces.
Change can do that. It holds the possibility for us to expand as persons, grow in virtue, develop as individuals. Change can help us discover character strengths we never knew we had and bring to the surface latent talents and gifts. I suppose it really depends on attitude and openness of heart: an attitude of gratitude for that which God is entrusting to us, and an openness of heart to explore the opportunities the change may hold.
I don’t think Carmen thought about any of these things when she learned she was going to become a big sister. With childlike simplicity, she simply embraced the idea.
This has taught me a lot. And given me pause for reflection. Maybe you, too. To what extent do I embrace change with an attitude of gratitude and with openness of heart? I know one thing — I will be thinking of Carmen the next time a change comes my way.
Thirteen year-old Lucy Hinks was described as a “bright scholar” who excelled at math and had a bright future ahead – until she received the controversial human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine that left her unable to get out of bed or even feed herself.
“In the glory of heaven the blessed continue joyfully to fulfill God’s will in relation to other men and to all creation.”
Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1029
For Reflection:
How does this teaching of the Church correlate to her teaching on the communion of saints? How have I personally experienced the reality and truth of this statement? Do I look forward to being a saint and “reigning with Christ” by being of assistance to other men and all creation?
(See tomorrow’s Grace Line for one saint who planned on it!)
“Those who die in God’s grace and friendship and are perfectly purified live forever with Christ. They are like God for ever, for they “see him as he is,” face to face.”
Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1023
For Reflection:
What do I think it will be like to behold God face-to-face? Do I have an interior hunger to do so?
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A judge in British Columbia is expected to hand down a ruling today regarding whether Canada’s anti-polygamy law violates the country’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms, a decision that will likely fuel the ongoing debate about whether multiple-partner unions should be legalized.
In what should serve as a warning to many who follow after the mostly non-credentialed gurus who populate the New Age self-help industry, the once popular James Arthur Ray, a favorite of Oprah Winfrey, was sentenced to two years in prison for the grisly deaths of three people during a New Age sweat-lodge ceremony near Sedona, Arizona in October, 2009.
Thanks to the ingenuity of doctors, a pregnant woman diagnosed with mouth cancer was able to receive the life-saving chemotherapy and radiation she needed without doing harm to her unborn child.
“We are each our own devils and we make this world our hell.”
Oscar Wilde
For Reflection:
How have I witnessed the truth of this statement? In my life? In the lives of others? Am I living it out right now? How can I surrender to God’s grace to make it now so?
Those of us who are anxious about becoming too addicted to our cell phones have a new worry to add to our collection – texting in our sleep.
