Monday, February 28, 2011

worried much? get hope

Really, who isn't? There are times when the more dire worries recede, and we are thankful for those. My family is presently not in one of those times. I am also aware of many other families that I have promised to keep in prayer for troubles of many stripes.

Thing is, have you ever noticed, (if you don't mind the Andy Rooney lead in)  that during the really turbulent times, God is so kind to us, and allows us to just dump everything in His lap? Who else really wants that? Of course our loved ones pitch in and suffer us when we are crying in our soup, but the Lord, our Blessed Mother, the angels and saints, and anyone else on the heavenly HR team actually ~love~ when we bring them our woes. And when we say, "I give up! I can't do this!"- Watch out!, heavenly par-tay!

Well, if you are anything like me, you will recognize that it is easy to forget God.  During times of trouble, He has my attention much more; and I need to keep talking to Him just to get through the day. (think He has some strategy there?)



Here is what we heard at mass yesterday.
The Greek word for worry or anxiety means "to have a divided mind."  When we are anxious, the hope in God that we store in our mind is shaken and results in divided thinking.
And-the ancient Christian symbol for hope is the anchor. Something that pulls us down to our foundation, to one fixed spot, preventing us from being washed away.

Here are Father's three things with which to fill our minds and anchor us back to Christ;

1. Reflect on Christs past. Meditate on His Passion, and His victory over the greatest suffering.
2. How Christ is present right now, as One who always shows up, and without Whom we can do nothing.
3. Place our hope in Christs promises about our future, knowing He is not out to get us, but wants us to spend eternity with Him.



Wow, God even designs homilies just for me! Well, okay, maybe for everybody else, too.



“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 6:25-34


  I can vouch for that last sentence.

I must say, (Martin Short's weird character from SNL in the 70's) I am greatly looking forward to Lent; a time that is full of palpable Divine Grace!






Saint Raphael, the Archangel, pray for us!




Besides Raphael, Michael and Gabriel are the only Archangels mentioned by name in the bible. Saint Raphael Archangel is one of seven Archangels who stand before the throne of the Lord.
Saint Raphael's name means "God has healed." The name of this archangel does not appear in the Hebrew Scriptures, and in the Septuagint only in the Book of Tobias. This identity came about because of the biblical story which claims that he "healed" the earth when it was defiled by the sins of the fallen angels in the book of Enoch. Tobias said that Saint Raphael Archangel caused him to have his wife and that he gave joy to Sarah's parents for driving out the evil spirit in her. He also gave Saint Raphael Archangel credit for his father's seeing the light of heaven and for receiving all good things through his intercession.





 GLORIOUS Archangel Saint Raphael, 


Great prince
Of the heavenly court,
Illustrious for your gifts
Of wisdom and grace,
Guide of those
Who journey by land or sea,
Consoler of the afflicted,
And refuge of sinners.


I beg you to assist me
In all my needs
And in all the sufferings
Of this life,
As once you helped
The young Tobias
On his travels.


And because you are
The “Medicine of God”,
I humbly pray you
To heal the many infirmities
Of my soul
And all the ills
Which afflict my body,
If it be for my greater good.


I specially ask of you
The favor of


(name it …)


And the grace
Of angelic purity,
Which makes me fit
To be the temple
Of the Holy Spirit.


Amen.

 

7 comments:

  1. Now, how did you know that I've had St. Raphael on my mind? I have just begun leaving my little Tan booklets about St. Raphael in strategic places, the same as I do for Sts. Therese and Michael. The Book of Tobit gives me goosebumps and is probably my favorite book of the OT. Thanks friend :-D

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  2. Bob proposed to me with a prayer from Tobit :) We have it framed on our wall.

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  3. He is a wonderful man and I'm very glad that you are man and wife.

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  4. Oops, somehow what I lostwhat previously wrote. Not sure I can reproduce it, but I'll try. If this is a duplicate, delete one of the two Kelly.

    Great blog. I too was moved by the Gospel reading this week. It really stuck in my head. Actually because of a crazy schedule this week I had to go to a different church than normal and came across a preist i didn't recognize. I never even found out his name. He did a fine job with his homily too. I think he also brought up the notion that "worry" is a divided state of mind. Things that bifurcate us prevent us from coming into union with the wholeness of Christ's body. And that sort of fragmentation (not just from worry but from other things) is the core problem of modern society. I think I picked that up from one of Fr. Barron's video blogs.

    For those who have never heard of Fr. Barron, just google "Word on Fire" and check out some of his videos.

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  5. The book of Tobit is my favorite of all time.

    And who doesn't love Ed Grimley?

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  6. Ed Grimley! doh! That's it! thanks :)

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  7. Manny I just recently heard of Father Barron, I will check those out!
    And Joyce--thanks, from both of us. We're pretty glad, too. :)

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