Bearing His Torch

He has placed His light inside ALL of us and gifted us with the task of bearing His torch – We are His Torch Bearers. Unlike the olympians of today who carry the olympic flame over great distances through a short period time leading up to the games, we must carry His flames over a much greater distance and through the great expanse of time, passing His flame from generation to generation.

We shouldn’t overcomplicate our task, He asks us to bear this torch, the light of His love, as we walk through our life.  During our walk He wants us to shine the light of His flame into the dark places, share His flame with those who have lost it, and carry His flame high for all to see. It really is all about LOVE!

Precious Holy Spirit, I praise You and thank You for the faithful households in this world who still carry a torch that burns brightly with the original flames of Pentecost.  Without Your light in them many of us would be lost.  I pray for You to keep their flames strong and continue to spread the fire of Your love by reigniting many torches that have grown cold.

Acts 2:3-4
They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.  All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

Matthew 5:14-16
You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Ezekiel 1:12-14
Each one went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they went.
The appearance of the living creatures was like burning coals of fire or like torches. Fire moved back and forth among the creatures; it was bright, and lightning flashed out of it. The creatures sped back and forth like flashes of lightning.

When I close my eyes…

Here in this place a veil is drawn, there is so much we don’t see when our eyes are open, but what about when they are closed?

Oh my Lord, I pray that when I close my eyes the darkness surrounding me is the protective darkness of the hem of our Blessed Mother’s mantle.

For here, hidden in the hem of her mantle, Mary’s feet will crush the head of any serpent that ensnares me, Mary’s words and teachings will soak into my ears, my heart, my soul, and knowing that Mary remains lovingly and faithfully near her Son always, I too will be near her sweet and precious Son, our Savior – Jesus Christ!

Close your eyes and let us crawl to the feet of our Blessed Mother and hide in the protective darkness of her mantle!

Luke 1:45
Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!

Something beautiful is being lost…

Something beautiful is being lost.  It has been gradually slipping away for a long time, without anyone noticing.  Now as the effects of this great loss are beginning to come into the light, the belly of the beast is being exposed. We are frantically grasping for answers, looking for solutions and applying bandages without really understanding what is being lost.

Look around you, look at the world we have created and are still creating – it seems to be a world of my will, your will, their will being done.

Let us return to the ancient paths and His word…

Jeremiah 6:16
Thus says the Lord:  Stand at the crossroads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way lies; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.

Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy Name;
Thy kingdom come, Thy Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.

AMEN

Sometimes we have to crawl under…

I have been thinking a lot about the walls we all build around ourselves and our hearts.  We build walls for all kinds of reasons, for protection, to hide, to exclude others, but I think most of these reasons boil down to fear – we build walls because we are afraid.

It is interesting when you come up against someones wall, it usually appears to be quite strong, tall and unable to be breached, but I think most of these walls are not set on firm foundations. They are built quickly out of fear and as times passes openings appear at the bottom.  These openings are small and initially hidden, but are easily spotted by those near the ground. They are the perfect size for a sly serpent to crawl under and continue feeding the fears, or for a humble heart to crawl under and dispel the fears with the light of truth that shines forth from humble heart.

This is not new information, but oh how important it is – we should revisit it often and remember to humble ourselves.

Philippians 2:3-4
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others.

Self Reflection

As we walk along the path of our life journey I think the surest way to know that we are headed in the right direction is to practice self reflection.   This is a practice of humility – when we are willing to see ourselves in His light of truth, the light continues to grow and extends beyond the boundaries of ourselves shining it’s light on our path ahead.

John 3:21
But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

Laying low

In today’s modern world their are very few times if any during our lives when we are physically laying low on the ground.  I think skipping this chance to humble ourselves and physically lay prostrate on the ground deprives us of His Mercy and the many Graces that still pour forth with great fervor from the wounds of our Lord, Jesus Christ.  If the spring of Mercy and Grace is truly still flowing, wouldn’t the world be slowly filling up with Mercy and Grace from the ground up.

Let us lay low in the Mercy and Grace that continues to cover the ground at the feet of our Mother Mary hidden in the dark folds of her mantle letting her words permeate our souls and knowing that she remains always at the foot of her Son’s Cross, the source of the spring of His Mercy and Grace.

Psalm 119:25
I am laid low in the dust; preserve my life according to Your Word.

Footprints

As I walk along a beach covered in the visible footprints of today, and in the hidden footprints of many yesterdays and tomorrows  – I praise and thank You, O Lord, for directing my steps into the footprints of those who walk in Your ways, and I praise and thank You, O Lord, for leading in Your ways those whose footprints I walk in. Amen.

Psalm 25:4
Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths.

Psalm 86:11
Teach me your way, O LORD, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name.

Pray Outside the Dimension of Time

My friends, I think we need to remove ourselves from the DIMENSION of TIME when we pray.  This is where our sweet and holy Lord resides and longs for us to join Him in prayer.  Removing TIME from our prayers removes one more constraint that He placed on Himself, with the knowledge that we would set Him free.

Rise above our vast timeline, rolling it up in your mind into a ball and praying over all generations, past, present and future, trusting that He knew that YOU would sit by His side, and pray a blessing over all of His children from generation to generation.

Hope is NEVER lost, for to Him every moment is NOW.  He set us free and He patiently waits for all of us to join Him in prayer and set Him FREE!

Romans 8:2
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.

Encircled

I saw an interesting rainbow yesterday.  It actually looked like it was inverted – instead of arching down towards the earth, encircling the earth, the ends appeared to go up as if encircling something in the sky.

From what I found online, the physical explanation is that I must have seen a higher order bow, the 3rd or 4th reflections of the light within the water droplets sending the light forward and creating a bow that encircles the sun.

Keep watch my friends, for we know neither the day nor the hour.

Revelation 4:3
And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne.

 

PRAYER

In the Dialogue of St. Catherine of Siena, St. Catherine asked our Lord what fruit souls receive?

His response to her was “The fruit which I destine for them, constrained by the prayers of My servants…”
Treatise on Divine Providence, page 11

Our Infinite, Mighty and Sweet Lord allows Himself and His Gifts to be CONSTRAINED by our prayers for each other.

His Infinite, Mighty and Sweet Gifts, Graces and Fruits flow freely to those for whom we pray – start at home, pray for your spouse, your children, your family, your neighbors and watch as our Lord fills them with His Good and Holy Graces, and also changes and expands your heart as He greatly desires for us to pray for everyone and at all times.

Pray, pray, and pray more my friends – for with deep, humble and heartfelt prayer for others and the world, we set free our Infinite, Mighty and Sweet Lord from the constraints He has given Himself and open the door for His Infinite Ocean of Grace and Mercy to pour down on the whole world!

Ephesians 6:18
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.