Setting Our Hearts Aflame!
How Will You Serve God?
For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a person who looks at his own face in a mirror. He sees himself, then goes off and promptly forgets what he looked like. James 1:23–24
Are you a hearer and not a doer? I asked myself this last spring when the women of WINGS and I explored the book of James in depth. It is so easy to hear the Word of God through the readings at Mass—to sit and nod in agreement as we listen. But how many of us really take in what is said and actually take the Word home with us and then form an action plan to put the Word into action?
I often find myself in this situation. I get many ideas and new thoughts from the daily and Sunday readings and then something from our secular world distracts me and the thought vanishes. We lead such busy lives… we multitask everything… we schedule everything… including time for God! Does your Sunday to do list look like this:
- Breakfast, paper & coffee
- Get self and family ready for Mass
- Attend Mass
- Lunch and Patriots
- Laundry, dishes, trash, homework, housekeeping, home repairs, mow lawn, phone calls, Internet, e-mail, pay bills, supper, ecetera, etcetera, etcetera…
It is no wonder that we have become just hearers and not doers of the Word! Where is prayer, reflection and service? As the summer winds down let us take time to explore how we will become a parish of doers. Get a small notebook and pen and start writing down thoughts and ideas on how to become doers. Right after Mass is a good time (before all the sports!). Consider sharing them with us. We would love to hear how you are serving God and being a doer of the Word. God Bless, Holly Clark
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
Time for God
Setting Our Hearts Aflame!
Time for God
Sometimes, our initial impression is that having to include time for Mass on a Sunday is rather inconvenient. But if you make the effort, you will realize that this is what gives a proper focus to your free time. Do not be deterred from taking part in Sunday Mass, and help others to discover it too. Let us pledge ourselves to do this - it is worth the effort!
Pope Benedict XVI
Last week I attended the New England Convocation for Catechetical Leadership. At this conference we explored how we view preparing for Mass and how we participate in Mass. We were asked: “When does Mass begin?” Most people answered when we see the priest coming down the aisle. Wrong answer! The speaker reminded us that Mass begins at home. We should be preparing ourselves to fully engage and participate in the Mass throughout the week. We can read and reflect upon the readings ahead of time, we can pray, we can set aside some time for God on a daily basis by praying the “three minute prayer.”
The three minute prayer is a little prayer that can be done anywhere and anytime. Get yourself comfy and close your eyes and take one minute each for each person of the Trinity. Say a minute prayer to the Father, another minute to Jesus and another minute to the Holy Spirit. Is three minutes really asking too much? Let us take a moment and think about the ways we can prepare for Mass during the week and weekends. Let us gear up to fully participate in the Mass with all our heart, our mind and voice.
God Bless, Holly Clark
Time for God
Sometimes, our initial impression is that having to include time for Mass on a Sunday is rather inconvenient. But if you make the effort, you will realize that this is what gives a proper focus to your free time. Do not be deterred from taking part in Sunday Mass, and help others to discover it too. Let us pledge ourselves to do this - it is worth the effort!
Pope Benedict XVI
Last week I attended the New England Convocation for Catechetical Leadership. At this conference we explored how we view preparing for Mass and how we participate in Mass. We were asked: “When does Mass begin?” Most people answered when we see the priest coming down the aisle. Wrong answer! The speaker reminded us that Mass begins at home. We should be preparing ourselves to fully engage and participate in the Mass throughout the week. We can read and reflect upon the readings ahead of time, we can pray, we can set aside some time for God on a daily basis by praying the “three minute prayer.”
The three minute prayer is a little prayer that can be done anywhere and anytime. Get yourself comfy and close your eyes and take one minute each for each person of the Trinity. Say a minute prayer to the Father, another minute to Jesus and another minute to the Holy Spirit. Is three minutes really asking too much? Let us take a moment and think about the ways we can prepare for Mass during the week and weekends. Let us gear up to fully participate in the Mass with all our heart, our mind and voice.
God Bless, Holly Clark
Tick-tock, Tick-tock
Setting Our Hearts Aflame!
Tick-tock, Tick-tock…
God speaks to us in many different ways, not always just while we are in prayer. I was exploring Facebook the other day and came upon a little application called “What does God Want You to Know?” For fun, I clicked on it and the message was:
God wants Holly to know... that when you were told time exists, you were lied to. We have invented time to feel secure that we can predict life. That clock is merciless beating out seconds at a constant rate, ignoring the natural changing rhythms of our minds and our bodies. And so we are constantly trying to speed up or slow down. Give yourself a break for a change, - put away that watch for a couple of days and settle into your own natural rhythms.
The irony of this message was that I had just finished watching a documentary on the physics of time and how we perceive time. We humans are always trying to alter God’s time… we want to speed it up, slow it down… we want to go back and do over or see the future. We are obsessed with time.
As I sat down to journal my thoughts on God and time this quote from Ecclesiastes came to my computer screen:
Better is one handful with tranquility than two with toil and a chase after wind! Ecc 4:6
Now I know God is speaking to me! Telling me to slow down! As the summer winds down let us take some time to relax, and put away that watch, (and cell phone and laptop etc!) and pause to listen to God. Ask yourselves where and how is God speaking to me and what is He saying? Be open to the endless possibilities! - God Bless, Holly Clark
Tick-tock, Tick-tock…
God speaks to us in many different ways, not always just while we are in prayer. I was exploring Facebook the other day and came upon a little application called “What does God Want You to Know?” For fun, I clicked on it and the message was:
God wants Holly to know... that when you were told time exists, you were lied to. We have invented time to feel secure that we can predict life. That clock is merciless beating out seconds at a constant rate, ignoring the natural changing rhythms of our minds and our bodies. And so we are constantly trying to speed up or slow down. Give yourself a break for a change, - put away that watch for a couple of days and settle into your own natural rhythms.
The irony of this message was that I had just finished watching a documentary on the physics of time and how we perceive time. We humans are always trying to alter God’s time… we want to speed it up, slow it down… we want to go back and do over or see the future. We are obsessed with time.
As I sat down to journal my thoughts on God and time this quote from Ecclesiastes came to my computer screen:
Better is one handful with tranquility than two with toil and a chase after wind! Ecc 4:6
Now I know God is speaking to me! Telling me to slow down! As the summer winds down let us take some time to relax, and put away that watch, (and cell phone and laptop etc!) and pause to listen to God. Ask yourselves where and how is God speaking to me and what is He saying? Be open to the endless possibilities! - God Bless, Holly Clark
Put Away the Old Self
Setting Our Hearts Aflame!
Put Away the Old Self
For just about a year now I have been practicing Lectio Devina with the daily readings and journaling my thoughts into a prayer journal/blog online. As I look back I see certain patterns of thought that repeat throughout my life. Today’s second reading contains one of those thoughts:
…you should put away the old self of your former way of life,… and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self… Eph 4:22, 23-24
I have often wrestled with this. I wonder as I enter a new self in Christ how much of my former way of life I should get rid of and what should I keep? It is difficult to look at one’s self in the mirror and try to see what is keeping you back from freely following Jesus and being open to the Spirit. I pondered this for about an hour and came to no real answers. As I closed my journal entry a “random” Bible verse popped up on my computer screen:
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, on your own intelligence rely not. -Proverbs 3:5
I asked myself was this God’s way of telling me to not think so much… don’t sprain my brain pondering the mysteries of my life? Was this God’s way of telling me to lighten up and not be so hard on myself?
As I reflect upon today’s readings I realize that in a way I have been wandering the desert, seeking answers, getting no where, when I should be trusting that the Lord will provide for what I need physically and spiritually. Let us take some time today to examine our lives, to discover what is holding us back from a fuller relationship with God and let us pray for the Lord to guide us through the deserts of our minds.
- God Bless, Holly Clark
Put Away the Old Self
For just about a year now I have been practicing Lectio Devina with the daily readings and journaling my thoughts into a prayer journal/blog online. As I look back I see certain patterns of thought that repeat throughout my life. Today’s second reading contains one of those thoughts:
…you should put away the old self of your former way of life,… and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self… Eph 4:22, 23-24
I have often wrestled with this. I wonder as I enter a new self in Christ how much of my former way of life I should get rid of and what should I keep? It is difficult to look at one’s self in the mirror and try to see what is keeping you back from freely following Jesus and being open to the Spirit. I pondered this for about an hour and came to no real answers. As I closed my journal entry a “random” Bible verse popped up on my computer screen:
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, on your own intelligence rely not. -Proverbs 3:5
I asked myself was this God’s way of telling me to not think so much… don’t sprain my brain pondering the mysteries of my life? Was this God’s way of telling me to lighten up and not be so hard on myself?
As I reflect upon today’s readings I realize that in a way I have been wandering the desert, seeking answers, getting no where, when I should be trusting that the Lord will provide for what I need physically and spiritually. Let us take some time today to examine our lives, to discover what is holding us back from a fuller relationship with God and let us pray for the Lord to guide us through the deserts of our minds.
- God Bless, Holly Clark
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