Feel Like Running Away?

 

                                              Photo Credit: Dreamstime

  

What do you have the urge to run away from? 

Is it your job, your marriage, your children? Or maybe you are trying to escape yourself, the things you know about yourself that no one else knows, such as your sins, or your dark thoughts or tendencies.

Thomas Merton wrote about "wrestling" with his own darkness and discovered that he didn't so much need to run away from himself as he needed to turn to the light of God.

He put it this way:

"It is sufficient to turn away from my darkness to His light. I do not have to run away from myself; it is sufficient that I find myself, not as I have made myself, by my own stupidity, but as He has made me in His wisdom and remade me in His infinite mercy." 

The key here, I think, is that we recognize how wonderfully God made each of us and that while through our own sins we taint that beauty . . .

"it is His will . . . that my life should reflect the radiance of His love and my whole being repose in His peace. Then will I truly know Him, since I am in Him and He is truly in me." (Thomas Merton, "Thoughts in Solitude")

In other words, we don't need to wrestle, we don't need to escape, we simply need to turn to God and rediscover his beauty in us. He made us, we didn't make ourselves, and knowing that he can remake us, gives us hope that we can reflect his love.

While at times you might feel the need to run away from your life (or the people in it), look closer for the light of God, his wisdom and mercy. It is there, in his light, that you will find freedom from your own sins and the peace you so much desire.

I hope you are having a fruitful Lent.

Janet Cassidy
Email me at:  jmctm2@gmail.com

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Not so funny in real life

 

 

Photo credit: Dreamstime.com               

As I was watching a behind-the-scenes recap about the television show Seinfeld, I learned that their philosophy was to make sure the characters never grew personally. 

Any story line that included a lesson where one of the characters could develop as an individual would be flatly rejected. 

The characters on the show were intentionally kept stagnant, both personally and professionally.

It made for good comedy, but oh my goodness, what an awful place to be in real life!

Do you know someone who is stuck that way? Maybe they work a dead end job or lack motivation? Maybe they have an inability to set goals or strive to better themselves? 

Admittedly, sometimes life deals us a hand that makes it difficult to rise above our circumstances, but sometimes people are oddly content never maturing.

Working in church ministry for so many years, it was not uncommon to come across people who were "stuck" in their faith life as well. Never moving beyond their childhood catechism education, or maybe their 8th grade Confirmation, they often didn't even realize just how stuck they were.

If that describes you--or someone you know--I hope you realize that it is never to late to evolve. The best thing you can do for yourself is become an adult in your faith.

Investigate what you don't know. Have an open mind. Use good sources, whether that is a trusted individual, a Catechism, bible or other great books.

Even with years of education, I am still excited (and admittedly a bit surprised) when I learn something that it seems like I should already know, but somehow missed.

Whatever you do, commit to not being stuck like one of the characters on Seinfeld. Their philosophy might have worked for a comedy show, but it's not funny if it becomes your real life.

Janet Cassidy
Email me at:  jmctm2@gmail.com

janetcassidy.com
https://www.facebook.com/reflectionsinfaith/
https://www.youtube.com/@janetcassidy 

 

 

How can Mary help you?

 

 

Each mystery of the Rosary is a set of ten Hail Mary's. One of them in particular--the Luminous Mystery--is the Wedding at Cana. This was the first sign of Jesus where he turned water into wine and "revealed his glory."

In this passage in the Gospel of John, Chapter 2, Mary, the Mother of Jesus, turned to him and told him they ran out of wine. This would have been a big deal at this wedding.

Jesus told Mary it wasn't his time yet, but, confidently, she turned to the servers and told them, "Do whatever he tells you."

We know the end of the story. Jesus told them to fill the stone jars with water and take the contents to the headwaiter, who was shocked that  they contained good wine. Jesus had, in fact, turned the water into wine. 

For me, in reflecting on this, I couldn't overlook Mary's role. The consequence of her deep connection with her son, and his love for her, should teach us that Mary can be a great help to us in our own time of need.

Dismissing Mary (as some faith traditions do) is a big mistake. Consider her closeness to Jesus and her motherly love and compassion for each of us.

Mary enlisted the help of her son to provide for the wedding couple. She will (and does) that for us as well. We may not need water turned into wine, but we sure need her help in other ways.

Why wouldn't we turn to the aid of our beautiful Mother in our own time of need?

Through the power of God, ordinary things can be miraculously changed at the mere request of Mary. 

Take a moment to think about that. 

Janet Cassidy
Email me at:  jmctm2@gmail.com

janetcassidy.com
https://www.facebook.com/reflectionsinfaith/
https://www.youtube.com/@janetcassidy