Jan. 31, 2011 Monday: Homily given at Peace Mass

The following is the homily on Our Lady of Guadalupe and Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul that was given at Peace Mass on Jan. 25, 2011 at Our Lady of Mercy

Click to hear audio homily

During this mass, I will speak briefly about Our Lady of Guadalupe, and then after mass and Benediction, I will speak about the significance of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Just a few weeks ago, 17 pilgrims and I returned from a pilgrimage to Mexico City to meet Our Lady of Guadalupe. Our tour guide mentioned to us that the week between Dec. 9 (feast day of St. Juan Diego) and Dec. 12 (feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe) there were an estimated 7 million pilgrims who went through the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Just to give you a comparison, there are 770,000 people living in the Greater Baton Rouge area. We know how impressive it is for the LSU Tiger Stadium to be filled with people. But just imagine, an endless stream of 7 million people for a whole week, not for a football team, but to honor Heavenly Mother and, more importantly to worship Our Lord. After Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to Juan Diego in 1531 and gave the Tilma, during the next seven years (1531-1538) an estimated 8 million natives of Mexico converted to Catholicism.

These are big numbers, but significant to us today is the conversion of a single person--St. Paul. His conversion story is so pivotal for our Church that we designated it as a feast day. If I were to ask you, “Do you remember the day you had your own St. Paul’s conversion experience,” can you remember it? Where did it happen? How did it happen? For Protestants, that would be akin to asking, “When were you saved?” And many remember the precise date and circumstances that led them to acknowledging Jesus as their Lord and Savior. My initial conversion happened at a protestant prayer meeting held near the campus of University of Texas at Austin.  I still remember the four college guys who approached me and asked me whether I was saved.

I think what is interesting in St. Paul’s conversion story is the involvement of Ananias who initially resisted Jesus’ request to go see St. Paul who was blinded. Let’s listen to the story again from St. Paul’s perspective:
“A certain Ananias, a devout observer of the law, and highly spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, came to me and stood there and said,
‘Saul, my brother, regain your sight.’ And at that very moment I regained my sight and saw him. Then he said, ‘The God of our ancestors designated you to know his will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear the sound of his voice; for you will be his witness before all to what you have seen and heard. Now, why delay? Get up and have yourself baptized and your sins washed away, calling upon his name.’”

It took great trust and humility on the part of Ananias to overcome his own fears about St. Paul. How can we be an instrument of Jesus to assist in conversions of others? Yesterday, we celebrated the feast day of St. Francis de Sales who was instrumental in converting many Calvinists in Geneva, Switzerland through his gentleness and kindness. Most of us know his axiom, “A spoonful of honey attracts more flies than a barrelful of vinegar.” How many of us have family, friends, co-workers, and neighbors who could use conversion of heart? Jesus reminds us throughout scriptures, it will not be done by the way of Pharisees. Pharisees were looking to condemn. In contrast, Jesus looked to save. He looked for evidence of hope and potential, not by searching for evidence of unholiness of others. Pharisees had a problem of trying to fuel their superiority and obtaining value for themselves in an unhealthy way.

Perhaps we should look at how Our Lady of Guadalupe converted millions. A parishioner after mass told me, “Father, I was a Baptist and I was on vacation with my mom in Mexico City. We stopped  by the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe as tourist, and there before the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, both my mom and I felt this strange love. I knew then that I had to become a Catholic.” Loving gaze of a mother has a tremendous power to move souls. Juan Diego heard these loving words from Blessed Mother on her third apparition, “My little son. Do not be distressed and afraid. Am I not here who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection?  Am I not the fountain of your joy? Are you not in the fold of my mantle, in the cradle of my arms?” How can a heart not be moved by such tenderness, such love? Juan Diego's heart was moved. Our Lord and Blessed Mother are asking us to imitate their love and tenderness. Our patience, kindness, gentleness, compassion, and understanding will also move hearts.

Jan. 30, 2011: 4th Sunday Ordinary (A)

Click to hear audio homily

At an altar server training several months ago, I was telling the kids that something very special happens at the altar at Mass. I told them that angels and saints are all around at Mass. I explained that where Jesus is, all of Heaven has to be present. I used examples of little children of 3 or 4 whose parents tell me that their child sees and interacts with angels and saints. Sometimes, literally, I have angels with me as I say Mass. One of the angels is named Heidi who is a much, much older altar server. She always has a beautiful smile for me as she brings up the Sacramentary book. As she opens up the book for me, I think to myself, 'Here before me is an angel, because she has the innocence and purity of heart.' After mass, Heidi always comes and gives me the warmest hug. And I think to myself, 'I have been hugged by an angel.'

Now that I'm a priest, I spend a lot of time in the church and at the altar. As I enter different Catholic churches, I first try to find out where the Tabernacle is so that I can genuflect toward Jesus. Then I try to find out where the Crucifix, Blessed Mother's statue, and St. Joseph's statue are so that I can go venerate them. But you know there was a time in my life when I could have cared less about the Tabernacle, the Crucifix, Blessed Mother's statue, or St. Joseph's statue. That was the time when I saw them simply as decorations in a church and not God's literal presence. I remember almost 20-years ago when my family traveled to Rome. We went as tourists. At that moment in my life, God was non-existent in my mind and heart. Each Catholic church we visited, I saw all the beautiful things inside the church, but they meant nothing to me. I didn't genuflect toward the Tabernacle, I didn't bow toward the Crucifix, nor did I stop at statues of saints to offer a quick prayer. My knees were stiff with pride and very little humility. In my mind, God was a man-made concept, made up by weak individuals who needed something to cling onto. So for me, the churches were less interesting than the Leaning Tower of Pisa or the Roman Colosseum. I was a tourist, looking for the next famous monument. I was not a pilgrim, looking for what I could receive.

I was thinking about that part of my life when I was reflecting on the readings for this Sunday. In the First Reading, we hear the exhortation, "Seek the LORD, all you humble of the earth, who have observed his law; seek justice, seek humility." And the Responsorial Psalm has us reply, "Blessed the poor in spirit; the kingdom of heaven is theirs!" For the longest time I did not understand what humility meant and why we needed humility. As I grew in faith, I began to realize why I needed to let go of pride and ask for the grace of humility. When my knees refused to bend toward Jesus, I was filled with pride, and I was thinking and living as though I was an equal or greater to God. It was no different than the Pharisees who could not recognize God right in front of them and who refused to listen to Him because of their pride. Once we open ourselves to God's gift of humility, we receive the ability to see God, as Jesus told us in the Gospel, "Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God." Sometimes, our children shake us out of our pride by their innocence and humility. Our little children sometime see through their purity of heart, something that we grownups cannot see. I witnessed this in one of the churches I visited when I was on a pilgrimage.

I was in the Basilica of St. Padre Pio in Italy, marveling at the beautiful structure of the church when I heard a commotion near the altar. I heard, "Marco! Marco!" And when I turned, I saw a man passing around the rope that kept pilgrims from approaching the altar. I realized that standing behind the rope were Marco's parents who were trying to call back their son from approaching the altar. Marco looked like he was in his 40's. What caught my attention was that Marco went straight to the Crucifix and stayed before the Crucifix with his head bowed down for a good minute or two. There before the Crucifix, I saw someone who was conversing with Jesus who was hanging from the Cross. Marco was not seeing a plaster statue of Jesus; he was truly seeing Jesus who loved Marco--Jesus who was suffering for Marco. I imagined that Marco was thanking Jesus for what He was doing on the Cross. Marco then made the sign of the Cross and went back to his parents who were very upset. For me, pure souls like Marco and Heidi (our altar server) made today's Second Reading come alive.

Consider your own calling, brothers and sisters. Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. Rather, God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong, and God chose the lowly and despised of the world, those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who are something, so that no human being might boast before God... “Whoever boasts, should boast in the Lord.” (1 Cor 1:26-31)

Let's ask from Jesus for that gift of humility, to be able to see Him and to realize how much He suffers for us because He loves us. When we begin to see Jesus and converse with Him daily as Marco did, we will know we are never alone and that Jesus personally guides us. 

Jan. 28, 2011 Friday: Our Struggles

The following is an excerpt from the book Lessons in Love: Moving Toward Divine Intimacy by Anne, a lay apostle

Our Struggles

When we pass from humanity into eternity, the struggle ceases. While we remain in our humanity, the struggle continues. So, we die and go to heaven and never struggle again. The time for struggle ends. This time on earth, my friends, is a time of the greatest opportunity. We should let nothing stand in the way of holiness but should make holiness and spiritual growth our greatest priority. 

When we die, we will never regret a decision we made for God or for the welfare of others. We will regret the decisions we made against God and against the welfare of others.

When we die, we will never regret suffering. We will regret violent or rebellious responses to suffering.

When we die, we will never regret a decision to be tolerant of those around us. We will regret decisions to be outraged and intolerant. 

I would like to say that we have certain standards we adopt as Christians. We aspire to rise to these standards ourselves and we rejoice when others rise to these standards. Humanity being what it is, and life being what it is, we must be flexible, though. We must not allow a Pharisee-like rigidity to poison what is good. This is to say that we reject rigidity and any judgmental attitude. 

The Pharisees used the law to condemn others rather than to increase their own holiness. Any goodness in Christ was irrelevant to them. We do not want to be caught in the same way with Pharisees, using our standards as a means to hold ourselves above our brothers and sisters or to try to catch them out. We must not let the enemy point to a superior and inconsistent attitude in us as reason why our brothers and sisters should reject God. 

Any apostle could name another who behaves like a Pharisee but that will not be helpful, beyond advancing our understanding of the phenomenon. Jesus would be happier if every apostle scrutinized himself and worked with Him on eradicating any judgmental attitude in the apostle's own soul. 

We see that the Pharisees were looking to condemn. Remember that this is opposite of what Jesus did. Jesus looked to save. We must look for evidence of hope and potential in those around us. Some search constantly for evidence of unholiness in others. 

Jan. 27, 2011 Thursday: We are chosen

The following is an excerpt from the book Lessons in Love: Moving Toward Divine Intimacy by Anne, a lay apostle

We are chosen

Apostles [all of us] serving in each day must begin to accept that they are chosen. Which apostle is chosen more than another? None. God's choice of each individual apostle is equally complete, equally compelling. Never look at another and think, clearly he is chosen. My call is not like that. It is not as important that I serve in completeness. 

There may be times when we feel that our vocation is a prison. We sometimes rail against the place of the divine will, viewing our time there as incarceration. This creates a mystical storm of temptation that is distressing while it lasts. Apostles experiencing this mystical storm must not panic, though. The fact that a storm is raging simply indicates that the struggle is ongoing. Periodic mystical storms show that we are holding our swords and doing battle. If we had departed this place, there would be no struggle. 

Jesus chooses to work with our humanity. Jesus loves us in our humanity. Truly, the Lord takes delight in His people so our struggles give Jesus joy as long as we continue to serve despite them. 

Jan. 26, 2011 Wednesday: The Sacred Heart of Jesus (continued)

The following is an excerpt from the book Lessons in Love: Moving Toward Divine Intimacy by Anne, a lay apostle

The Sacred Heart of Jesus (continued...)

Jesus does not condemn us. This does not come from our beloved Lord. Self-condemnation is planted by our Lord's enemy, who does not want us to accept the Lord's love and heal and then grow in love, taking our intended role in the family of God. 

Jesus extends His mercy with the hope that we will understand that in all truth the Lord takes delight in His people.

Because Jesus has been with us through each experience, He knows why we behave badly, if in fact we behaved badly. Our past sins are not viewed as isolated acts but as sins which are often understandable when connected to our pain. Jesus is not harsh. Jesus sees a bad phase for what it is and urges us out of these troubled times. Jesus forgets the past in the interest of the present and the future. We must give Jesus our past and let Him erase our mistakes so that we can rejoice in the present, where Jesus loves us completely. 

Jan. 25, 2011 Tuesday: The Sacred Heart of Jesus

The following is an excerpt from the book Lessons in Love: Moving Toward Divine Intimacy by Anne, a lay apostle

The Sacred Heart of Jesus

"For the Lord takes delight in His people" (Psalms 149-4)

Jesus experiences each of us as His closest family member. Jesus experiences us as lovable and filled with promise. The experience of Jesus has of us is constant and consistent in that He does not check in with us once a week or once a day or once an hour. The Lord has been with us in a continual and uninterrupted fashion. Jesus never takes His gaze off of us.

Jesus knows exactly where we struggle. The Lord understands what we find confusing and where we need greater clarity. Because His consideration of us has always been, Jesus understand any wounds we carry from our past and how we are living our life because of these wounds. If we are having difficulty as a reaction to woundedness, our Lord is compassionate and seeks to heal us. 

Jesus wants to heal us. Our healing is a process which Jesus undertakes personally. Our emotional and spiritual healing is a deeply personal goal for Jesus.

Jan. 24, 2011 Monday: The Narrow Door

The following is an excerpt from the book Lessons in Love: Moving Toward Divine Intimacy by Anne, a lay apostle

The Narrow Door
He said to them, "Try your best to enter by the narrow door, because, I tell you, many will try to enter and will not succeed" (Luke 13:24)

What is this narrow door? Why will many be unable to enter?
I think the narrow door must be the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ, the doorway that leads each of us to the divine will in our lives. In order to truly enter into the heart of Jesus, we must serve Him in the way He needs us to serve. This is another way of saying that we must reduce our commitment to self-will and replace it with commitment to divine will,.

I believe that things like attachment to the opinions of others, addictions, materialism, pride, greed, anger, holding on to hurts...carrying things like these add weight and girth to us. Lord encourage us to make every effort. This tells us that Jesus expects us to cooperate with this process of holiness by relinquishing the things that weigh us down and recommitting daily to the duties of our vocations. We must ask the Lord to help us on each day to let go of our fears and attachments so that we can slip through this door and move into the light of the divine will.

Jan. 23, 2011: 3rd Sunday Ordinary (A)

Click to hear audio homily

It is a great mystery why God called me all the way from South Korea to serve in Denham Springs, Louisiana. My parents have often asked me to come back to Texas where they live so that I can be closer to them. Yet, I have told them, “Mom and dad, I think God has plans for me here in Baton Rouge Diocese, and right now, here in Denham Springs.” Immediately following my priestly ordination in 2008, I left for South Korea to visit my relatives and to offer Mass of thanksgiving. Newly ordained priests spend their first month or so offering Mass of thanksgiving at places or with communities that have nurtured his vocation. One of the places I went to in Korea was a shrine dedicated to Blessed Mother called, Our Lady of Maegae or Rosary. It has quite a fantastic story to it.

In the sanctuary of the church of Our Lady of Maegae is a 5 ft. high, hollow, plaster statue of Our Lady of Lourdes. It was brought to that church by a French missionary priest, Father Camillus Bouillon in 1896. During the Korean War in 1950s, North Korean soldiers occupied that church as their command center. The soldiers didn’t like the Blessed Mother’s statue, so they aimed their machine gun and fired at it. Seven bullets went through, and it should have instantly shattered that thin, hollow plaster statue. It didn’t. The bullets went in, but they never came out of the back, as if some invisible hands prevented them from destroying the statue. Frightened from that experience, the North Korean soldiers abandoned the church and fled the place. That statue was still there when I celebrated the Mass of thanksgiving, still with its seven large bullet holes.

At that Mass, I realized that it is God Himself who establishes, protects, and sustains each church. He calls each one of us to in some way assist Him to build up and sustain this church. The mystery is that God could have built it all by Himself, yet He invited everyone of us in someway to have the ownership of every brick, every pew, and every light bulb in this church.  Back in 1900, this beautiful church (Immaculate Conception) did not stand here. At that time, diocesan priests from Baton Rouge would travel, once a month, by railroad chapel car, to minister to some twelve Catholic families in this area. (Isn’t it amazing, we are now more than 3,000 Catholic families strong.)  It was one of these priests, who in 1916 initiated the construction of the first Catholic Church in Denham Springs.  In 1920, the Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) were given the care of the whole of Livingston Parish. This present church building was dedicated on 1976, and this parish continues to be the light for the Livingston Parish since its humble beginning of 12 families, more than 100 years ago.

We know that the Church is not a physical building but as St. Paul said, a Mystical Body. All of us here, are in some mystical way connected to our parents and our grand parents as the Mystical Body of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. Yet, the Body cannot survive without the Head. It is Our Lord Jesus, the Head, who chose to build up His Body in Livingston Parish. And He has been a constant, daily presence at Mass and in the Tabernacle of our church. He has never left us, and He has not abandoned us. And we cannot leave out the neck of this Body. St. Bernard of Clairvaux said if Jesus is the Head, and we are the Mystical Body, then Blessed Mother is the neck that carries and connects all the graces from her Son the Head, to us, the Mystical Body. If we want a tangible sign that Jesus and Blessed Mother are building up and sustaining our parish every day, we don’t have to look any further than the flickering candle light above the Tabernacle. That vessel holds Jesus’ love for His children; it holds all the suffering that He endured as sacrifice to bring Heavenly Father’s children of this area back to the Father. Yet this Tabernacle is not as large as Jesus’ love, the Father’s love, and Blessed Mother’s love for all who reside in Livingston Parish. What is behind those doors of the Tabernacle will change every man and woman, if they but allow Him to do so.

When the North Korean soldiers felt uncomfortable around that statue of Blessed Mother in that Marian shrine, they did not realize that right below her was the Tabernacle that contained Jesus’ love for them. Those atheistic communist soldiers did not realize that God was reaching out to them with love through those doors of the Tabernacle. If they but allowed their hearts to change, they would have become fellow partners with God in building that parish.

Jan 22, 2011 Saturday: Mother Teresa on Words Spoken

Excerpt from
Where There Is Love, There Is God: A Path to Closer Union with God and Greater Love for Others by Mother Teresa


Words Once Spoken
Right here in Rome, St. Philip Neri was the spiritual father of a lady who had a terrible tongue. He always told her that she must control it. One day, to try to get this into her head, he took her to St. Peter's, to the top, and he told her to open the pillow she had brought there. It was a pillow full of feathers. She opened it and all the feathers went everywhere. Then he said to her, "Now take the empty pillow and gather all the feathers." She couldn't gather more than ten. He said, "These are the words that you speak with your tongue." So, it is the same for us, once words are spoken they can never be taken back. Never repeat; never say things you cannot repeat to Jesus before the Blessed Sacrament. Silence cannot be corrected. 

Jan 21, 2011 Friday: Mother Teresa on Temper

Excerpt from
Where There Is Love, There Is God: A Path to Closer Union with God and Greater Love for Others by Mother Teresa


Our Temper
Our lives must be connected with the living Christ in us. If we do not live in the presence of God, we cannot go on. One thing more is lacking--silence. When there are two together, they start talking. Then, without silence, there will be no good prayers. We must also control our temper. Temper means pride. We must control our temper for the love of God. In a good, ordinary family, it does not happen that we are losing our temper and answering back. It should not happen here, either.  

Jan 20, 2011 Thursday: Message from Jesus

January 2011 Message from Jesus through Anne a Lay Apostle

My friends, do you hear My voice? Can you feel My presence? I want to assure you that I am present. I desire to assure you of this so that you can be confident about the plan I have chosen for your life. I know that you feel temptations against the plan I have arranged for you. Perhaps not today, but on other days, or perhaps you experience this temptation every day. Perhaps you are suffering and you wonder why I allow this for you given that you feel you would be more productive without the crosses in your life. Consider for a moment what would have happened if I had rejected the cross and went on to preach. What would have remained after My life? Consider the absence of the Passion in the faith life that exists today. How can we preach the Gospel if we are unwilling to accept the crosses which inevitably accompany it? No, dearest friends. In order to accurately represent the Kingdom of God to others, we have to be willing to sacrifice, even to death in some cases. The glory of your work is seen in the souls of those whom you have touched directly or those who have been touched by others because you have agreed to My plan. My plan for you will bring the greatest benefit to those suffering loneliness and separation from joy. Such sadness! If you are serving Me, I thank you. If you are considering service to Me, I need you. If you are suffering great crosses because of your commitment to heaven, I rejoice in you. In all cases, I am with you. I urge you to believe this and live this truth. When you are finished with your time on earth you will gaze at My kingdom and view the benefits that you brought to it through your service. Life is not easy for any person and temptations come to all. Be assured that you can use My strength when you feel weak. You will not always feel conviction but you must live conviction. I will ignite fires of love through you if you do this for Me. Do not be afraid of your human struggle because it is through this struggle that others see the force of the One who works through you.

Jan 20, 2011 Thursday: Mother Teresa on Prejudice

Excerpt from
Where There Is Love, There Is God: A Path to Closer Union with God and Greater Love for Others by Mother Teresa


Prejudice
Refrain from prejudice, which means to set your mind against somebody or someone, and that may happen to be my superior. It is very sad when it becomes a part of my life. For us religious, a prejudiced attitude is most unworthy. Murmuring, always dissatisfied--what an evil it is! If you don't watch yourselves, you will fall a prey to murmuring, as it is a most infectious disease. 

Jan 19, 2011 Wednesday: Mother Teresa on Grumbling

Excerpt from
Where There Is Love, There Is God: A Path to Closer Union with God and Greater Love for Others by Mother Teresa


Grumbling
A grumbling sister can't pray. And, you can see on their faces--there is something there worrying them. When I have tried to find out, it is always because of grumbling, misunderstandings, carrying tales. If this happens when you are four or when you are six, community life will become so difficult; all right when you are a big community. Just as the Americans go for a [medical] check-up, "Have I got cancer," we need to check and see that. Grumbling and criticism are always the fruit of jealousy. Jealousy, again, is nothing but hidden pride.

Jan. 18, 2011 Tuesday: Finding Solitude

Click to hear audio homily

Finding Solitude

All human beings are alone. No other person will completely feel like we do, think like we do, act like we do. Each of us is unique, and our aloneness is the other side of our uniqueness. The question is whether we let our aloneness become loneliness or whether we allow it to lead us into solitude. Loneliness is painful; solitude is peaceful. Loneliness makes us cling to others in desperation; solitude allows us to respect others in their uniqueness and create community.

Letting our aloneness grow into solitude and not into loneliness is a lifelong struggle. It requires conscious choices about whom to be with, what to study, how to pray, and when to ask for counsel. But wise choices will help us to find the solitude where our hearts can grow in love.

These reflections are taken from Henri J.M. Nouwen's Bread for the Journey.

Jan 18, 2011 Tuesday: Mother Teresa on Complaining

Excerpt from
Where There Is Love, There Is God: A Path to Closer Union with God and Greater Love for Others by Mother Teresa


Easy to Complain
Refuse nothing, ask for nothing, and like that you will never complain. To complain is easy, but to be happy to be anybody's walking stick is very difficult. What a lot we lose when we grumble; what a waste of energy. How foolish we are. We must all watch out because we are all inclined to it--let not our likes and dislikes be the measure of our actions. Remember, we have come to do the will of Him who called us. Watch yourselves, Sisters. Nobody can do this work for you--you must train yourselves to be happy by always saying "yes" to God. Try to give a hearty "yes" to God in your life and you will find yourself coming closer and closer to God. 

Jan 17, 2011 Monday: Mother Teresa on Criticism

Excerpt from
Where There Is Love, There Is God: A Path to Closer Union with God and Greater Love for Others by Mother Teresa


One Bad Apple
A soul that is humble and sincere...will never stoop to criticism, which in spiritual life is called "cancer of the heart." It eats up all the love of God, all the energy that we have for God's interests. It is also most infectious. Let one sister start criticizing and in short time we shall have two, four, eight, ten, following. When we were little children my mother wanted to teach us what bad company does, so she brought a basket of apples, amongst which she intentionally put a bad apple. After few days, she called us around the basket and we saw [that] all the apples, which had been beautiful a few days before, had gone bad. She then explained how one bad apple contaminated all the others. In the same way, bad companions can harm others. Now criticism has that effect on souls. A truly generous soul must never stoop to criticism. As a rule, people that criticize never do it openly, but go about doing it in a whisper. That is a sin. Today when you go before the Blessed Sacrament, ask Jesus to preserve you from the cancer of criticism. Criticism is not a failure, not a human weakness--it is something that touches the heart. Should we have given way to it at times, let us resolve to avoid it and beg of Christ to preserve us. To keep free of criticism, we must be humble. 

Jan. 16, 2011: 2nd Sunday Ordinary (A)

Excerpt from
Where There Is Love, There Is God: A Path to Closer Union with God and Greater Love for Others by Mother Teresa


Jesus
Mother Teresa was once asked to comment on the fact that many people today find it difficult to fully accept the presence of Christ. Her response to the interviewer was simple and frank: "It's because you don't know Him." This was definitely not the case with her.

Jesus was undeniably the center of her life, as anyone who knew her well can testify. The Incarnate Son of God was not a concept or a remote Being or an image on the wall, but a living reality, a Person she knew and with whom she had a deep and intimate friendship. She loved Jesus with "all the powers of a woman's heart," so much so that she desired to "love Him as He has never been loved before." The intimacy and the totality of this relationship is best described in her own words: "To me, Jesus is my God. Jesus is my Spouse. Jesus is my Life. Jesus is my only Love. Jesus is my All in All. Jesus is my Everything." He had primacy of place in her life and "nothing and nobody" could separate her from Him.

Mother Teresa endeavored to understand, appreciate, and imitate the different characteristics of Jesus' life on earth. Thus, the hidden and simple life that the Son of God chose for Himself on becoming man never ceased to inspire her. Living in Nazareth, an obscure place, working as a humble carpenter and doing the ordinary things of everyday life for thirty years in obedience to His Father's will and in submission to His own creatures, revealed God's closeness to us and the value of the ordinary. This life of humility and simplicity, of silent and dedicated service in obedience to God's will was what she strove to imitate.

Of all the mysteries of the life of Jesus, though, it was His Passion that most profoundly impressed itself on Mother Teresa's soul. She was awed by the depth and the breadth of God's love shown in Jesus' final hours on earth, from His agony in the garden to the crucifixion. The Cross was the ultimate proof of His love: "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (Jn 15:13). Mother Teresa often pondered the events of Jesus' Passion, spoke about them and, most important, based her response to suffering, an inevitable part of every human life, on Jesus' own example. Desiring to be one with her Beloved who loved to the end, suffering all out of love for us, she embraced her many suffering in union with Him as a means to show "greater love" for God and to obtain grace for souls.

To make her life a true sacrifice of love, she united herself to Jesus' sacrifice in the celebration of the Eucharist, and offered herself with Him to be broken and given to the poorest of the poor. There at Mass, she received the graces necessary to accomplish what God desired of her that day. When opportunities to "make up in her own flesh what was lacking in the sufferings of Christ" presented themselves, she accepted them as a living out of the Mass.

Daily Eucharistic adoration was an added opportunity to sit at the Lord's feet and listen to Him. It was a time to love Him and let herself be loved by Him; to tell Him of her love and of her desire to quench His thirst. She was there to console Him and in turn she was consoled by Him, not in feelings but in the reality of faith. Though silent, His presence filled her with peace, strength, and zeal to radiate His love to others, especially the poorest of the poor whom He called her to serve.

Jan. 14, 2011 Friday: St Faustina on suffering

St Faustina: Suffering is a great grace; through suffering the soul becomes like the Savior; in suffering love becomes crystallized; the greater the suffering, the purer the love (57).

Jesus to St Faustina: You are not living for yourself but for souls, and other souls will profit from your sufferings. Your prolonged suffering will give them the light and strength to accept My will (67).

St Faustina: When I feel that the suffering is more than I can bear, I take refuge in the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, and I speak to Him with profound silence (73).

Jan. 13, 2011 Thursday: St Faustina on Holiness

from the Diary of St. Faustina

O my Jesus, how very easy it is to become holy; all that is needed is a bit of good will. If Jesus sees this little bit of good will in the soul, He hurries to give Himself to the soul, and nothing can stop Him, neither shortcomings nor falls — absolutely nothing. Jesus is anxious to help that soul, and if it is faithful to this grace from God, it can very soon attain the highest holiness possible for a creature here on earth. God is very generous and does not deny His grace to anyone. Indeed He gives more than what we ask of Him. Faithfulness to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit — that is the shortest route (291).

Jan 12, 2010 Wednesday: Take the Chance

from the words of Mother Teresa

Take the Chance
Take the chance to do the humble works. You must long to go to that place...to wash and clean, to show your love for Jesus in a real living action...One Jesuit father asked me what I will do when I am no longer Mother General. I told him that I am first class at cleaning drains and toilets. Before I used to go to Kalighat every Sunday, and my special job there was to clean the toilet rooms. Those of you who have been there know that every morning the whole room is covered with dirt. A man came to me--I thought it was a brother, I didn't look very well--he said he wanted to help me. I said, "Then come with me," and I went to the bathroom. I began to sweep and pour water but the brother didn't seem to know what to do. I told him to pour water for me. He did that well enough. I was thinking, "They are not teaching the brothers what to do" and grumbling inside. Then after finishing he told me, "Thank you, Mother. I don't know how to thank you." No brother ever thanked me like that, and so I looked more closely. I saw that it was not a brother but a very well-dressed gentleman. He told me that he is the general manager of a big company.
-Mother Teresa

Jan. 11, 2011 Tuesday: Prayer as conversation

Jesus to St. Faustina

My daughter, I am told that there is much simplicity in you, so why do you not tell Me about everything that concerns you, even the smallest details? Tell Me about everything, and know that this will give Me great joy.

I answered, "But You know about everything, Lord." And Jesus replied to me,

Yes, I do know; but you should not excuse yourself with the fact that I know, but with childlike simplicity talk to Me about everything, for My ears and Heart are inclined towards you, and your words are dear to Me (921).

Jan. 9, 2011: Baptism of the Lord

Anapra, Mexico (near Juarez)

Click to hear audio homily

Many of you have heard the term, baptism by fire? It means an introductory or initiating experience that is a great challenge or an ordeal. Can you jog your memory now and recall an event or experience that you believe was a baptism by fire? The one that I can remember is when I first thought about becoming a missionary priest. An Irish religious order was inviting those who were interested in priesthood to fly to El Paso to experience a life of a missionary priest. After arriving in El Paso, a missionary priest and I drove into the border crossing across the Rio Grande to Juarez, Mexico. His mission house was in a dusty shanty town called Anapra.

It was a shock to see how the rest of the world lives. Living as an engineer for a few years, I lived a comfortable life. In my world if it was cold, I turned on the heater, and if I wanted a good meal, I simply opened up a well-stocked refrigerator or drove out to a restaurant. All these we consider as bare necessities here in United States. So it was a shock to see how people's homes were made of cinder blocks, wooden pallets, and discarded materials from the area dump. There was no insulation in these makeshift homes, so in summer it was hot, and in the winter it was cold. When I arrived there it was winter, and many homes were heated with a propane cooking stove. The priest took me into one of the homes where a grandmother was looking after a 5 year-old grandson. Her hair was matted from not washing for a long time. The room was filled with a foul odor. The priest offered the grandmother a warm embrace as we left. I, on the other hand, hesitated because of the smell and her matted hair. I finally offered my hand for a handshake. As I was leaving, I thought to myself, where can I go and wash my hands?

Aside from feeling shameful that I could not embrace that grandmother, another image burned in my memory: her 5-year old grandson. He was so happy basking in his grandmother's love. Never mind that he lived on a dirt floor with no TV, with toys picked up from a trash heap. From our perspective, this 5-year old was a deprived child, who could use more toys, who could eat better meals than a straight diet of corn tortillas and beans--the cheapest food they could afford. Yet I saw a child who was happy as the beloved of his grandmother. Perhaps this is the lesson that Jesus wanted to teach us when he arrived in a small town of Bethlehem, in a stable where there was no electricity, heat, or food. While deprived materially, he was happy basking in the warmth of the love of his mom and dad. In their arms, Jesus knew and felt that he was the beloved of his parents.

A family living in Juarez, Mexico

As I meet people in counseling and in confessions, I am convinced of Mother Teresa's insight about love in the families. She said the following in her Nobel Prize speech in 1979:

"I never forget an opportunity I had in visiting a home where they had all these old parents of sons and daughters who had just put them in an institution and forgotten maybe. And I went there, and I saw in that home they had everything, beautiful things, but everybody was looking towards the door. And I did not see a single one with their smile on their face. And I turned to the Sister and I asked: How is that? How is it that the people they have everything here, why are they all looking towards the door, why are they not smiling? I am so used to see the smile on our people [in India], even the dying one smile, and she said: This is nearly every day, they are expecting, they are hoping that a son or daughter will come to visit them. They are hurt because they are forgotten, and see- this is where love comes. That poverty comes right there in our own home, even neglect of love. Maybe in our own family we have somebody who is feeling lonely, who is feeling sick, who is feeling worried, and these are difficult days for everybody. Are we there, are we there to receive them, is the mother there to receive the child?"

What Jesus wants us to hear from today's Gospel is the voice of the Father who speaks to each one of us daily, "You are my beloved son [daughter] with whom I am well pleased."No material comfort or material things can substitute what each of our hearts desires--to hear and to know that we are beloved. When we know that we are the beloved of the Father, we can begin to see that others are the beloved of the Father as well. If we realize this, we will realize that the Heavenly Father desires us to be His instruments of love. As I recall the day of my baptism by fire to love that smelly grandmother in a shanty home in Juarez, Mexico, I realize now that God would have given me the courage to embrace that grandmother if I had asked Him. Likewise, Heavenly Father will give all of us the courage to love, if we ask Him. 

Jan. 8, 2011 Saturday

January 2011 Message from Jesus through Anne a Lay Apostle

Jesus:

My friends, do you hear My voice? Can you feel My presence? I want to assure you that I am present. I desire to assure you of this so that you can be confident about the plan I have chosen for your life. I know that you feel temptations against the plan I have arranged for you. Perhaps not today, but on other days, or perhaps you experience this temptation every day. Perhaps you are suffering and you wonder why I allow this for you given that you feel you would be more productive without the crosses in your life. Consider for a moment what would have happened if I had rejected the cross and went on to preach. What would have remained after My life? Consider the absence of the Passion in the faith life that exists today. How can we preach the Gospel if we are unwilling to accept the crosses which inevitably accompany it? No, dearest friends. In order to accurately represent the Kingdom of God to others, we have to be willing to sacrifice, even to death in some cases. The glory of your work is seen in the souls of those whom you have touched directly or those who have been touched by others because you have agreed to My plan. My plan for you will bring the greatest benefit to those suffering loneliness and separation from joy. Such sadness! If you are serving Me, I thank you. If you are considering service to Me, I need you. If you are suffering great crosses because of your commitment to heaven, I rejoice in you. In all cases, I am with you. I urge you to believe this and live this truth. When you are finished with your time on earth you will gaze at My kingdom and view the benefits that you brought to it through your service. Life is not easy for any person and temptations come to all. Be assured that you can use My strength when you feel weak. You will not always feel conviction but you must live conviction. I will ignite fires of love through you if you do this for Me. Do not be afraid of your human struggle because it is through this struggle that others see the force of the One who works through you.

Jan. 7, 2011 Friday: St. Teresa Benedicta (Edith Stein) on Jesus in the Manger

“‘And the Word became flesh.’ That truth became a reality in the manger at Bethlehem. But it was to be fulfilled in yet another form: ‘Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood, has eternal life.’ The Savior, who knows that we are human beings and will remain human beings who have to struggle daily with weaknesses, comes to our assistance in a truly divine manner. Just as the human body is in need of daily bread, so also does the divine life in us require constant nourishment.” “Whoever really takes this as his daily bread, experiences EACH DAY the mystery of Christmas, the Word made flesh” 
(St. Teresa Benedicta, "Edith Stein"). 

Mass celebrated in the Church of Nativity, Bethlehem

Jan. 6, 2010 Thursday: Epiphany (Celebrated elsewhere in the world)

The Three Kings: Los Reyes Magos

The Christmas season continues unabated in Mexico through Epiphany, which is called Día de los Reyes (Three Kings Day). Echoing the arrival in Bethlehem of Wise Men bearing gifts for the baby Jesus, children throughout Mexico anxiously await waking up January 6 to find toys and gifts left by the Reyes Magos (Magi). In some regions it is customary to leave out shoes where treasures may be deposited by the visiting Wise Men.

A special treat served on this day is the Rosca de Reyes -- a crown-shaped sweet bread decorated with jewel-like candied fruits. Tiny figures of babies are hidden in the dough before baking. There is much excitement as each partaker cuts his or her own slice, for whoever gets a piece containing a baby is obliged to host another party on or before Candlemas, February 2, when Mexico's holiday season finally comes to an end.

Jan. 5, 2010 Wednesday: Padre Pio on Jesus in the Manger

“By means of the angels, Jesus calls the poor and simple shepherds, in order to manifest Himself to them. He calls the learned men by means of their science. And all of them, moved by His inner grace, hasten to adore Him. He calls all of us by divine inspiration, and communicates with us by means of His grace. How many times has he invited us, too? And how readily have we responded? My God, I blush and become embarrassed when I have to answer such a question” 


(St. Padre Pio)

Jan. 4, 2010 Tuesday: Mother Teresa on Jesus in the Manger

“The humility of Jesus can be seen in the crib, in the exile to Egypt, in the hidden life, in the inability to make people understand Him, in the desertion of His apostles, in the hatred of His persecutors, in all the terrible suffering and death of His Passion, and now in His permanent state of humility in the tabernacle, where He has reduced Himself to such a small particle of bread that the priest can hold Him with two fingers. The more we empty ourselves, the more room we give God to fill us” 


(Bl. Mother Teresa of Calcutta). 

Jan. 3, 2010 Monday: St. Therese of Lisieux on Jesus in the Manger

  

THE LITTLE DIVINE BEGGAR OF CHRISTMAS.

A Poem by St. Therese of Lisieux

(Pray with this poem before a Nativity Set. It is quite a moving experience.)

An angel appears, bearing the Child Jesus in

his arms; and he sings as follows:

Sisters! I bring to you the Adored,

The Eternal God, so small, so weak;

I plead for the Incarnate Word,

Because as yet He cannot speak.

To Jesus, exiled from His home,

The cruel world no shelter grants;

And so to Carmel's shade I come,

  To find the shelter that He wants.

Ever your praise, your tenderness,

Your welcome sweet, your warm caress,

Be for this Child!

Oh, burn with love, for He loves you,

   This Child, who is your God and Lord.

Pathetic mystery! He who begs, tonight, of you,

Is the Eternal Word!

Come then, my Sisters! without fear,

Each in her turn, to Jesus' feet,

Offering your love to Him most dear,

And you shall know His will so sweet,

Yes, I will tell you the desires

Of Jesus born amid the snow;

For you are pure as angels are,

And you can suffer too, you know!

Ever your cares, your suffering,

And all your joys so light of wing,

Be for this Child!

Oh, burn with love, for He loves you,

This Babe, who is your God and Lord!

Pathetic mystery! He who begs, tonight, of you,

Is the Eternal Word!

The angel, having placed the Child Jesus in the crib, offers to the Mother prioress, and then to all the Carmelites, a basket of little notes or envelopes. Each takes one, haphazard, and without opening it gives it to the angel, who then sings the petition therein contained, the gift which the Divine Child asks from each in turn.

A GOLD THRONE

Jesus, Christ, your only treasure,

Asks one special gift of you.

No gold throne was in the stable,

Yet such treasure is His due.

Sinners' souls are like the stable,

Bare and cold in winter's snow,

Off'ring to Him no soft shelter,

No bright fire's cheerful glow.

Souls of sinners, save them, Sister!

That the throne our Lord desires;

Seeks He, too, the royal welcome

Of your pure heart's holy fires.

SOME MILK

He Who feeds the souls predestined

With His Essence all Divine,

Makes Himself the Infant Jesus

To be your delight, and mine.

Up in heaven His joy is perfect;

  Here below, a beggar He

Quickly fetch some milk, dear Sister;

Baby Jesus thirsts, you see.

Ah! our little Brother Jesus

Smiles on you.  Noel! Noel!

Down from heaven to earth He cometh

In your childlike heart to dwell.

SOME LITTLE BIRDS

You, dearest Sister! long to know

What you can do for Jesus' sake,

So joyfully I haste to tell

  How you His glorious smiles can wake.

Go, catch for Him some charming birds,

And in the stable let them sing,

For they are types of children's souls,

So dear to this Child Christ their King.

Their pretty hymns, their baby prayers,

His sleep like joy bells gently break.

Pray for them then; in heaven one day

Those children's souls your crown will make.

A STAR.

Sometimes, when all the skies are black

With gloomy clouds, and no stars shine,

Our little Jesus grieves alone,

He craves your love, yes, yours and mine.

Then give to Him the light He wants,

Be like a bright and shining star;

And let your virtues, like a lamp,

Shed welcoming radiance near and far.

So may your rays lead souls to heaven,

The sinful souls for whom He died.

This Child Divine, our Morning Star,

Asks you to be His star, His bride.

A LYRE

MY little Sister,' waiting there,

Your gift for Bethlehem's Babe to hear,

Your heart for His melodious lyre

Is what He asks in accents clear.

In heaven's high court swells up alway

The angels' song with incense sweet;

And yet He loves, in Carmel's shade,

To hear your praises at His feet.

So, dearest Sister! 'tis your heart,

Whose melodies our Lord desires.

By night, by day, consume away,

   With songs of love, in love's sweet fires.

SOME ROSES

Your soul, dear, is a lily sweet,

Jesus and Mary love it well.

Hear what the heavenly Bridegroom speaks

Softly, yet clear as altar bell; 

Ah! if I love the lily white,

Symbol of innocence like snow,

Yet for the rose of penitence

I also feel My heart aglow.

Let your warm tears for sinners fall,

What joy your love will give Me then!

So can I gather at My Will

Those roses dear, the hearts of men.

A VALLEY

As by the shining of the sun

  Nature is glorified and gay;

As by its radiance field and vale

Grow fair and strong and green alway;

So doth our Jesus, Son divine,

Approach you with His sweet caress,

Shining at His own matin hour,

Your loving heart to heal and bless.

Lo! He is born on Christmas morn,

Your exiled soul to find and cheer,

To fill your days with His warm rays:

So be His smiling valley, dear!

SOME REAPERS

Lo! here on earth, 'neath other skies,

    In spite of storm and winter's snow

Already our dear Little One

Hath found some harvests here below.

But, ah! to gather them He needs

Reapers on fire with quenchless love,

And glad to suffer or to die

For Him who reigns in Heaven above

Noel Noel to Carmel's shade

I come, because His will is thine.

Sister! form apostolic souls,

To reap the harvest fields divine.

The following was the stanza that was drawn by Sister Teresa of the Infant Jesus herself. Only three months later she heard the first call of the Divine Master invite her to leave earth for heaven.

A BUNCH OF GRAPES

I want some sweet and cooling fruit,

    A bunch of grapes so smooth and fair,

To moisten the small, thirsting lips

Of this dear Babe within my care.

Your lot, my Sister! oh, how blest,

For those choice grapes He asks of you,

Within His vineyard to be prest!

The hearts of all men are His due.

His tiny hand like snow flake white

Upon your throbbing heart shall lie,

And from all touch of earth's delight

Absorb it into His on high.

A LITTLE WHITE HOST

Oh! we how with each morning's light

Jesus, the Child divinely fair,

Into a little snow-white host

    Transforms Himself, that you may share

His life; and yet with greater love,

He longs to change you into Him.

Your heart His precious treasure is,

His happiness, His joy supreme.

Noel! Noel! from heaven He comes,

To fill your soul with glorious light;

The Lamb of God to you descends,

  Now be His pure white host tonight!

A SMILE

Ah! the wicked world despises

Love that Jesus feels for men;

And His heavenly eyes are moistened

With hot bitter tears for them;

And His little arms He stretches,

Dearest Sister, unto you.

Shall I tell you what the comfort

  That I think He seems to sue?

See! His look is asking of you,

And His sweet eyes seem to say:

Smile on all! That smile suffices

To wipe all My tears away.

SOME PLAYTHINGS

Would you like to be the plaything

Of this Child so fair and sweet?

Would you, dear one! like to please Him?

Then lie humbly at His feet.

If He chooses to caress you,

If He lifts you to His breast,

Yes, if He seems tired of you,

Count yourself among the blest.

Be His happy Christmas plaything,

Seeking just to do His will;

And in heaven with countless blessings

He, your happy heart, will fill.

A PILLOW

Oft I see the Baby Jesus

Wakeful in His manger bed.

Would you know the reason? Dear ones,

There's no pillow for His head.

Ah! I know your ardent longing

To console Him night and day.

Give your heart to be His pillow,

That is what He wants alway;

And be ever meek and humble,

Then you will be greatly blest.

You will hear Him softly saying:

In your heart how sweet My rest!

A FLOWER

All the earth with snow is covered,

Everywhere the white frosts reign;

Winter and his gloomy courtiers

Hold their court on earth again.

But for you has bloomed the Flower

0f the fields, Who comes to earth

From the fatherland of heaven,

Where eternal spring has birth.

Near the Rose of Christmas, Sister!

In the lowly grasses hide,

And be like the humble flowerets,

Of heaven's King the lowly bride!

SOME BREAD

Day by day, at morn and even,

Still the holy words are said:

O our Father up in Heaven!

Give to us our daily bread,

Yet your God, become your Brother,

Suffers hunger as you do;

And His childish voice is asking

For a little bread from you.

Ah! my Sister! Jesus wishes

Just your love, how great your bliss!

Let your soul be pure and spotless,

For His daily bread is this.

A MIRROR

Children like to have you place them,

Near a mirror clear and fair;

Then they greet with childish rapture

   The bright face that they see there.

Come, then, to the favored stable,

Let your soul like crystal glow.

Let the Word, become an Infant,

In your heart His likeness know!

Sister, be the living image,

Of your Spouse, His mirror clear;

All the beauty of your Jesus

He would have in you appear.

A PALACE

The great and noble of the earth,

  In palaces they proudly dwell;

The poor and lonely find their home

In hut, in cabin, and in cell.

So in a humble cattle shed

  The Christ Child lies, this Christmas night;

Leaving His palace in the skies,

He veils His glory's dazzling light.

Your heart loves poverty, I know;

You count yourself divinely blest;

So Jesus finds a palace home

Within your humble, happy breast.

A CROWN OF LILIES

Sinners will crown with thorns, one day

The holy, heavenly head of Christ.

What pains and sorrows will be His,

To gain us graces all unpriced.

Now may your virginal sweet soul

   Make Him tonight His woes forget;

And for His royal lily crown

Your Sisters' souls before Him set!

Draw very near to Jesus' throne,

To charm His lovely tear dimmed eyes;

Make of these virgin souls His crown

Of snow white lilies beyond price!

SOME BONBONS

Sister dear, the little ones

Like so much the sweet bonbons!

Bring some then, and quickly fill

Jesus' small white hand tonight!

By His smile He doth invite

You to do His childish will.

This wee King, so frail, so weak,

Carmel's candies He doth seek; 

What they are, you surely guess!

Give Him your austerity

And your holy poverty,

He your gift will quickly bless.

A CARESS

Little Jesus, dear, from you

Nothing more doth softly sue

Than a very sweet caress.

Give Him all your love today,

And your gift He will repay;

With His love your soul will bless.

If a Sister weep tonight,

Sore at heart where all are bright,

Ah! at once, with tenderness,

Beg the little Holy Child

That His small hand undefiled

Dry her tears with its caress.

A CRADLE

Many hearts God's favors want,

Would have Jesus always grant

Gifts and presents without end.

If He seem awhile to sleep,

Few their watch beside Him keep;

Few remain His faithful friend.

Get Him sleep that none may break;

Though we know His Heart doth wake;

Even in dreams our Jesus weeps.

So His cradle, Sister, be!

Guard the sweet Lamb tenderly,

Smiling on Him while He sleeps.

SOME LINENS

See the dear Child's tiny hand

Point to make you understand 

At the rough and rasping straw.

Won't you grant His wish tonight,

And bring linens pure and white,

O'er His manger bed to draw?

Make excuses kind and true,

Whatsoe'er your Sisters do,

Loving all for Christ their King.

Thus your ardent charity,

And your true simplicity,

Are the linens you can bring.

SOME FIRE

Our sweet Jesus, Fire of love,

Light and Warmth of heaven above,

In the stable, cold is He!

Yet, in the far, shining sky,

Angels, living flames on high,

Wait on Him in ecstasy.

Here on earth 'tis you must light

Blazing fires of love tonight,

In your heart, all free from sin;

Little shivering Jesus warm

In the shelter of your arm,

By the souls your prayers shall win!

A CAKE

Well we know that children small

Eagerly for cakes will call!

This dear Child will not disdain

Even such a gift tonight!

Offer it with great delight;

   You His happy smile will gain.

Know you what to this Child King

Real content will surely bring?

   'Tis obedience prompt and true.

As He bowed to Mary's will,

So do you the rule fulfil,

Such the cake He asks of you.

SOME HONEY

In the pretty floweret's cup,

When the morning sun comes up,

You can see the tiny bee,

Flitting fast through summer hours,

Visiting the woodland bowers,

   Gathering honey steadily.

All of love your treasure make;

And, each day, for Christ's dear sake,

To His holy cradle come.

All the honey of your love

Give, sweet bee! to this meek Dove;

Make His Heart your hive and home!

A LAMB

Would you charm the Lamb of God?

In the path that He hath trod

Tread today with willing feet!

Leaving all things here below,

Seek alone His will to know;

Do His will surpassing sweet!

O my Sister! be His own;

Seek for naught but God alone!

  He will give you perfect rest.

Mary, leaning o'er His bed,

Will see another childish head,

Close to His, and oh! how blest.

The Angel, taking again the Child Jesus in his arms, sings what follows:

The dear Child Jesus thanks you all,

For all your gifts, this Christmas night;

And all your names His tiny hand

Within His book of life will write.

Since in this Carmel He hath found

Such joy and peace,

Rewards in heaven He'll store for you,

That shall not cease.

And if you ever faithful are

To all the vows you make tonight,

Then love will give you wings to fly

Unto a far sublimer height.

One day, in heaven's dear fatherland,

Your exile o'er,

Jesus and Mary you shall see

Forevermore!