Gospel reading in Today's Catholic Mass all around the world: John 20:1-2, 11-18
"Jesus said to them again, Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." John 20:21
Jesus tells His disciples twice, "Peace be with you", in this reading as He greeted them on that late Sunday evening after His ressurection. This is a reminder that God desires for us to have Peace. Why so many in our world today live such unpeaceful lives? So many mothers are scattered in so many different directions that their children sense the unpeacefulness in their mother's heart and in turn there is not peace in the home. I know this because I have lived it. The times I have had too much on my plate, I became unpeaceful, stressed, and grouchy and the outcome was very unpeaceful children, husband and home. God does not want this for us....especially we mothers who are raising the next generation disciples. Our world is tainted with unpeacefulness through instant messaging....emails, texts, phone. How can a person have peace in their heart when the first thing they do in the morning is check their phone or computer? Or immediately turn on the TV to watch the news? Or even for us mothers who get up in the morning with our children? I don't know about you, but I become a real grouch if the first thing I do in the morning is start with the noise of the day. Too many of us are ignoring the vitality of prayer. This is the ONLY fuel that will help us discern God's will for us that very day and bring us true joy.
Lately, I have had a hard time with these dog days of summer. In central Texas, I don't mean to complain, but it is just plain miserable outside! After coming down off the high from my trip, I am having a hard time embracing the mundane....yearning for something to look forward to. Therefore, I have been calling upon the Holy Spirit to fill my heart with joy and to let God's Will be done this very day. I am reminding myself that nothing is important except this very day in front of me. Nothing else matters than the breaths of my children and being present to them and being joyful when my husband walks in the door. Everything in my midst is a gift from God and I am focusing on being thankful, peaceful and content this very moment, this very day. I think it is so challenging at these mundane moments of our lives with nothing "exciting" goin on. These are the tests of our faith. Are we going to be down in the dumps and mope around or our we going to lift our eyes to Heaven, be thankful and joyful for our families admist the boring (I can stand that word!), uneventful, hot, dreadful days of mid-summer? Finding peace and happiness in the cuddles, the giggles, the whines and cries is what our Lord is calling us mothers to do. To show our children and husband joy from the Lord in the uneventful days of this life. This is why there is no peace in today's society.....people are constantly looking and yearning for the next big "high" of an interesting email, new piece of furniture, juicy post on facebook (can't stand facebook...sorry for my friends who love it!!), new home, new car, spa treatment....and the list goes on. I know all of this because I am guilty of it! This is why mothers yearn to be outside the home and chasing success in a job, fundraisers, you name they want to be a part of because it gets them out of the mundane of motherhood/homemaking. But in the midst of the mundane is where you see Christ and the every day blessings that have been given to you. If we are so busy being busy and unpeaceful all of these little precious moments will never be revealed to us. It is in the mundane, where you can learn the Peace of Christ. I am going to embrace this hot July day with nothing going on with joy. I am going to sing in my heart, "Veni, Sancte Spiritus" (come Holy Spirit in latin) while children are fighting over a toy and I want to run away! Just as Jesus told the disciples, "As my Father has sent me, so I send you." He is sending us mothers into these mundane days of motherhood to be Christ for our children. As we sit at the feet of our children and read books, play trucks or change diapers, we are sitting at the feet of Christ. We are being a "Mary" instead of a "Martha"....finding peace and joy at the feet of Jesus instead of being busy with other things. There will be days ahead that will be more exciting and fun and we can relish in those moments and be thankful. But we are also called to be thankful in the unexciting moments of motherhood as well.
Whoo, I feel better after writing this out because I have been really struggling lately. Yearning for something exciting to happen. Hoping when my sister calls, she has something juicy to tell me or yearning for a change in my life! Guilty, guilty, guilty of this nonsense of humanity.
Peace be with you today. Peace, Peace, Peace. Pray for peace in these dog days of summer and you shall receive. Veni, Sancte Spiritus! The Holy Spirit is all we need to dwell in our hearts.....if we have this, we have everything. When we call upon the Holy Spirit, we are calling on God's will to be done in our lives. I once heard it said, "If you want the most exiciting, unexpected ride of your life, focus on nothing else than God's Will and in return you will have a life you never dreamed of or imagined! Therefore, on this exciting road of God's Will (not yours), there will be the straight road with no scenery at times, but hold on because there are amazing views and fun and exciting twists and turns ahead!
Blessings to you this Thursday.
No comments:
Post a Comment