One Sunday morning, mass had commenced as usual, the celebration of the Eucharist began and all was well until the priest's homily was interrupted. A woman stood up and waved at the priest saying, the man next to her had became unconscious. So, the priest called upon the attendees to help, searching for those in the medical profession to aid the gentlemen. They did so accordingly.
As these professionals approached, the priest asked that we continue the mass and keep the man in prayers. This scene unfolding before my eyes, lead me to reflect upon my role in the situation. So, being a part of this setting, I rolled up my sleeves and began to do my work. No, I am not a medical doctor or a nurse. I am not even close to any hospital setting, yet I still rolled up my sleeves and knelt down to begin my work. You guessed it, I prayed! To be exact, I prayed the Divine Mercy Chaplet, A prayer given to ST. Faustina by Jesus Himself, and one of my personal favorite. "For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world". The God of mercy did indeed have mercy and the man was later said to be in good condition. My point is not that I prayed, because there is nothing majestic about that, but rather that we can partake in the suffering of others by prayers. We can help, I couldn't not contribute physically, but I did what I could given the resources that I had. My only resource at that time was a prayer and a stream of tears. I gave my Jesus all that I had. I invite you today to do the same. Maybe, you and I don't have the education to save a life, but we have the God that can save a soul. So the day went on beautifully, and the dawn came rolling back once more bringing with it a new day. A new way to serve. That day I was informed by one of my students that he was molested a while back and wasn't until today that he told someone for the first time about the incident. Shortly after, my other student told me about the problems she was having with her in-laws. To top it all, my coworker's son may have cancer. Within an hour, I found myself with a wealth of information and nothing I can physically do to change the situations at hand. So I rolled up my sleeves and headed to the only place where I can find Jesus physically waiting for me, adoration. As I drove to church the image of the medical professionals rushing to help the man from different parts of the church replayed in my mind over and over again, until I realized we are the medical professionals in the field of Love. Today I was called to the emergency rooms, a nurse seeing the patients and bringing their cases to the One Healer. I rolled up my sleeve, tied my hair back and became ready to watch over their cases as a nurse does with her patients day and night, restless waiting for the doctor to prescribe the needed medication. Today, I am a warrior for Christ, I am ready to defend those I am called to bring to Him. Today, I will pray and on my knees I will stay. Today I fill fast and I will say let the sounds of triumph play. Christ is among us, let us dance and sway.
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In the cemetery of a high school I found decaying souls embodied in breathing corpses.
Few were truly living, but most were as if statues in their courses. It seems that the virus of the media has comfortably settled in. It was no longer a vagabond in a temporary inn. Drugs, sex, and alcohol! Those were chief topics of every study-hall. The hype was on getting high as if you need the substance to get by. They no longer rely on the self for joy. They treat life as if it is a toy. It’s all about #YOLO! It’s all about flying solo! On them I cannot lay the blame, for degrading music has risen to power and fame. women are reduced to body parts and men are shamed for using their smarts. It’s all about how you look, not how you behave. Slavery was abolished, yet almost everyone is a slave. In the land of freedom, I found slavery at its most, when I looked at the wounds and found nothing in which I can boast. They were longing to be free. Wondering who they should be. So they looked on TV, but reality they could not see. Until finally, their real self, was put on the shelf. Hidden for no one to see, because to themselves, they were as imperfect as could be. You wonder why I want to be an educator? There is no greater enemy than a self-hater. I want these kids to know who they are, because they only need to look in the mirror to see a star. Have you ever looked at someone you love, and noticed that their is something that really irks you about that person? But you can't really put you finger on it.
Today, I was thinking of a friend that I admire a lot. He is a very brilliant ambitious man and deeply rooted into faith. Although I love and admire this person a lot there is something about him that irks me at times. I always wondered why? Today I realized that want annoys me, isn't something in him, but something in me. How is that possible? A lot of times I lack the wisdom to look at my own self and see my own faults. Matthew Kelly in his book Resisting Happiness, refers to that as "blind spots". That is a portion of my life that maybe someone needs to point to before I become aware of my faults. Today I realized that what irritates me about my friend is a quality that we share. We are two pride-filled, stubborn people. It is important to note that he may not be like that all, but just as in "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" so too is perspective. At times, from my tainted eyes he appears to be so. Maybe God is allowing for such thoughts though he is not pride-filled at all because He wants to use him to to show me my "blind spots". You see my pride may not be evident, as the world defines this word, but more gravely it may be incognito. My pride is there when I refuse to be humble enough to listen to others speak about Christ. Why? Because I know Him. My pride is hidden behind every time I resisted going to church's of other denominations because they were not like me. Yes, I stand by my Catholic Church, at the heart of the Catholic Church is the Eucharist which is not found anywhere else but the Orthodox Church. Yes, I can't bear the idea of not receiving Jesus daily in the Eucharist, because I have come to know that Jesus is physical and literally present there. But what a troublesome life I lead, I have done exactly what the disciples did: "Teacher," said John, "we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us." Mark 9:38 Jesus forgive me, I have failed to love like you do. Jesus forgive me for refusing to see you in others simply because they do not worship you like I do. Forgive me for failing to see that I must be open to your call in every possible way. Oh Jesus, forgive me! I have not live my Catholicism as I ought to. Almost everyday I visit you in the Eucharist. I adore you at adoration, yet still pride rules in my heart. Hate is present and so is selfishness. What am I preaching? Doctrinal Christianity, or simple humble love-founded Christianity? Oh my vanity. I share, but I refuse to receive. I give what you give me to others, but I shun what they give me through you. I have one desire, change my heart that you reign in it as you do my love in your Kingdom. I do not want anything from this world, but to live and die in your grace. Please do not leave my heart to lust after the world as it is doing. Let me run and not grow weary of pursuing you. You are my Prince Charming and I the clumsy damsel that constantly needs saving. Jesus I love you, be mine!
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AuthorHey! I am Rita A. Saikali. This is my humble experience with my wonderful Jesus. Thank you for reading. Archives
August 2018
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