Mercy

 Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska:

"301. Proclaim that mercy is the greatest attribute of God. All the works of My hands are crowned with mercy."

Reflection: With these words, Jesus presents himself as a merciful God. And it's true, all of his creation is a work of mercy, including us. God, omniscient, who knows everything, decided to create us, even knowing that at some point in our lives we would fail him, yet he still let us live. And not only that, he created such a beautiful universe for us to enjoy, even though we didn't deserve it. All because he had mercy on his creation. Sometimes I'm naive, but if you think about it, God is present in nature, and everything that amazes us at any given moment, he created for that individual moment and, of course, also so that others could enjoy this wonder. The breeze brushing your cheeks, the wind moving your hair, the starlight, the people you love. God is present in everything because he loved you before you existed and wanted you to be happy and had mercy on you. Smile! The fact that you are alive is proof of his love and mercy toward you.

Mercy

Lord, you have asked us to be merciful

Just like you are merciful to us

Help us to find the ways

To do acts of mercy.

Thank you lord for your mercy

That encompass all human beings

Thank you for the Sacrament of Reconciliation

That brings us back to your redemptive grace.

Thank you for all you've done for us

This wonderful world,

The roof over our heads

The meals on our tables.

The love of our loved ones.

You have given us senses

To enjoy this life

We hear, we see, we touch, we smell, we taste.

Help us Lord

To be thankful for all you have given us

And entrust to us in this life,

That we may ever be merciful

To those less fortunate.

Take care of our loved ones

And lead them to Jesus

Our Lord and Savior.

And when our earthly life comes to an end

Remember Your promises

And help us repent, to be in grace with You

So that we may enter into Eternity

Facing You, oh Lord. 

Return

 Lent has arrived

And you smear our foreheads with ashes

To remind us that our body is finite

And that we will one day return to dust.

But our soul is eternal

And when we take our last breath

We will stand before You and in our judgment

So we shouldn't waste our days.

It is Lent,

You ask us to return to the Father

Let us observe our soul, 

Actions, thoughts, and words.

And if there is something 

that is driving away from  following your steps

If we have taken a path 

where your footprints are not seen

Then it's better

To go look for you and as you say

Cutting off the hand if it's a cause of sin.

Or gouge out our eye if he does the same.

And no, you're not asking us to be mutilated.

You ask us to repent and walk away

Of those occasions that lead to sin.

And yet You love us,

And You hope we return to Your arms,

And you go find us

To bring us back to the flock.

I once wrote in my bedroom:

"I've been found"...

And You returned me to Your flock,

To follow in Your footsteps,

To sleep in your lap. 

Repent and believe in the Gospel (March 12, 2014)

 "Repent and believe in the Gospel," were the words spoken by the Eucharistic minister, who then placed a cross of ashes on my forehead. I listened and lowered my head. I smiled. Why? I realized I was being given an opportunity to return to the Eternal Father, and if my steps had strayed, to get back on the path with Jesus. The good thing about not being perfect is that there's always room for improvement. As the visiting priest said this Sunday, we are like plants that need pruning so they can grow and bear fruit again. Until recently, or almost always, I viewed Lent with a bit of fear, because it invites me to look at myself in the mirror, to see that image in a clean mirror, to clean the mirror and rid myself of my ego, to acknowledge my failings, to practice humility. And although it can be painful if we see that we have strayed from the path of Jesus, Jesus himself comes to meet us and reminds us that he loves us, that if we accept the grace of his cross, those small or large flaws are erased before his loving heart. Of course, we must prune, rid ourselves of all that burden that distances us from the Father, let the Holy Spirit act, and consciously live Lent with Jesus. If, due to lack of time or health problems, we cannot offer a sacrifice of fasting to accompany Jesus, we can always make small sacrifices in our lives, such as practicing patience, smiling at someone who is sad, doing that chore or task we don't like and offering it all to God. Give love, joy, support, and if we are the ones who are sad, offer that sadness to the Lord. This Lenten season is also ideal for drawing closer to God through prayer, praying the rosary, for example. And to add our personal prayers, to establish communication with God, and above all, to build a relationship with our Heavenly Father, with Jesus, and with the Holy Spirit. I once read that we can even argue with Him, show Him our reasons, our feelings, but above all, listen, let Him speak to our hearts, and if we feel like crying, cry, for He will take care of drying our tears. And trust, always trust that despite our sins, His mercy and forgiveness are always waiting for our repentance. The passion of our Lord Jesus Christ is precisely that: a demonstration of the love He passionately suffered for us, so that our sins would not hold us captive in guilt and we might become truly free through faith in His loving sacrifice.

Ash Wednesday

 

 Yesterday I attended the Liturgy of the Word and the imposition of ashes on the forehead. The celebration continued until the readings and the Gospel. There was a homily, and afterward, the ashes were blessed. In his homily, the Deacon reminded us that the cross imposed with ashes on the forehead is also a reminder of the cross that was placed on our foreheads during our baptism. He asked us to remember our baptismal promises, which I believe is to remain in the Christian faith. He also told us that the words spoken during the imposition of ashes, "Repent and believe in the Gospel," should lead us to a conversion of heart. That is, it should not be merely an external expression. In ancient times, the Israelites smeared ashes on their heads to show their repentance and return to communion with God and his covenant. So let's not just focus on a symbol; let's analyze what is distancing us from God and make a firm resolution and promise to change so we can draw closer to Him. May this Lent help us arrive in a state of grace to celebrate Jesus' resurrection.

Mortality (February 29, 2020)

 Last week I attended Ash Wednesday Mass. I had always received the ashes as a test, with the intention of examining my life and leaving behind bad habits, weaknesses, and sins—a soul-cleaning. And that's fine, because, as the priest said, by receiving the ashes we show that we are there because we want to change. However, this time I remembered something I once heard and that I read in an article that day: "Dust you are, and to dust you shall return." For the first time, and perhaps thanks to the widespread fear of COVID-19, better known as coronavirus, I saw myself in those ashes. I say for the first time because I almost never think about the fact that one day I will have to die. I remember once, during Mass, a priest asked those who knew they would be alive the next day to raise their hands. Yes, I was the only one to raise my hand, and upon realizing my mistake, I slowly lowered it, ashamed. "No one has a guarantee on life," as the saying goes. Although we sometimes live as if that were the case. Hence the importance of remembering our own mortality, repenting, and believing in the Gospel, for one day, when we least expect it, we will stand before God, judged for our good and bad deeds. One day our bodies will cease to exist, and if we wish to be resurrected at the end of time, we must necessarily change for the better now. Now, Isaiah tells us, now is the time of salvation. Let us not procrastinate our conversion. Today, God is waiting for us with open arms. Jesus wants to take us by the hand and walk beside us. The Holy Spirit needs us to allow ourselves to be guided by Him. Let us remember that one day we will be dust, and then it will be too late. Let us use this Lenten season to draw closer to God, as the Church asks of us, through prayer, penance, and works of charity. The priest reminded us that prayer is precisely about drawing closer to God, not only to ask Him for something, but also to get to know Him by reading the Bible or other devotional readings, and by praying the Rosary. Let us approach confession sincerely, let us resolve not to waste the grace we have received, and let us leave our sins in the confessional, in the hands of God's mercy, so that Jesus himself may cleanse our souls and leave them as white as snow. Let us keep them that way. Let us help our neighbors, let us volunteer in our parish, let us visit the sick and the elderly. And if the coronavirus is to frighten us, let it be to straighten our path, to place our trust in the Lord, and thus, when God so wills, we will not die but will reach heaven to enjoy his presence, or purgatory to be purified so that we may enter his holy presence. And let us pray, let us ask for those affected by this disease, that God may heal them, not only in body, but also in spirit.

Quotes from St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta

 The biggest obstacle is fear.

The ugliest feeling is resentment

The biggest mistake is quitting

The most beautiful gift is forgiveness

The greatest strength is faith

The most beautiful thing in the world is love