aeternus

I have a friend who is so full of spiritual wisdoms that she never ceases to amaze me. I guess that is because the Father dwells so happily in her soul that the experience of being with her is almost a taste of seeing the Father.

She said a wonderful thing to me the other day which is still resonating within me. Perhaps she understands my natural nature (which have you guessed is quite an active, nea over-active, nea hyper-active) nature. Try and try as I do, I can not seem to change this. I try to remember that a “leopard can not change his spots”, but I really try to change mine. Alas, it is only when I “give up” and “let God” that I seem to settle down a bit. I thank the Lord for His great mercy in seeing me so worthless without Him!

I beg the Lord to know that even when I am not with Him in the moment within my conscious thought, my heart is always lifted to Him in love and adoration. If I find myself in some sort of “cleaning frenzy” or “children squabbling” debacle as soon as I can I turn my thoughts back to Him to center myself and acknowledge how He is with us. This can be QUITE a challenge, but there are methods which you can learn to do this. Here is one…

This little lesson comes from my well-wisdomed-friend. She said that when we are so overwhelmed with our daily endeavors, when we can not break free from the chatter and noise of the day, we should ask the Father “to sleep in His heart”. WOW, just think about that, sleep in HIS heart.

What a tremendous comfort, what an experience. To sleep in this eternal comfort, penetrating our “linear time” or our “present moment” with the reality of an eternal sacred comfort from the heart of our Heavenly Father! If we ask Him for this, would He in His infinite mercy and love not grant it?! Maybe we will not “feel” this comfort with our human feelings, but we can surely “know” this comfort in our soul. And, if we know this than surely we have the strength to carry our cross just a little bit longer…



The photograph above is from my trip to visit the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Doylestown, Pa. The photo shows Our Lady’s Chapel in the downstairs of the giant main shrine of the church. The altar is a duplication from altar at the Jasna Gora Monastery in Czestochowa Poland.

Some months ago (as you know, we also work at night) we went around Calcutta and picked up five or six people who were abandoned in the streets. They were in serious condition. That is why we took them to the Home for the Dying and for the Abandoned.

Among the people we picked up, there was a little old lady who, due to her extreme condition, was near the point of death. I told the Sisters, “Take care of the rest. I will take care of her myself.”

I was getting ready to put her in a bed when she took by hand and a beautiful smile appeared on her face. She only said, “Thank you,” and died.

I assure you, she gave me much more than I had given her. She offered me her grateful love. I looked at her face for a few moments, asking myself, In her situation, what would I have done?

And I answered with honesty, Surely I would have done all I could to draw attention to myself. I would have shouted, “I’m hungry! I’m dying of thirst! I’m dying!” She, on the other hand, was so grateful, so unselfish. She was so generous!

The poor, I do not tire of repeating this, are wonderful…

Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

“Once in a while we should ask ourselves several questions in order to guide our actions. We should ask questions like: Do I know the poor? Do I know, in the first place, the poor in my family, in my home, those who  are closest to me — people who are poor, but non because they lack bread?

There are other types of poverty just as painful because they are more intrinsic.

Perhaps what my husband or wife lacks, what my children lack, what my parents lack, is not clothes or food. Perhaps they lack love, because I do not give it to them!“

Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta.