Reward Beyond Measure

Dome of St. Peter's Basilica, Rome, 2012, taken by Martha Wiggins

Dome of St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome, 2012, taken by Martha Wiggins

We often hear that we have been called; called to serve, called to witness our faith, and called to be holy.  For many that call goes unheard, unanswered, or even ignored.

God does not call us where we cannot go.  He calls us right where we are, asking us to draw upon our own unique God-given talents.  Look at Peter, James, and John, three of Jesus beloved disciples.  By nature and trade they were fishermen.  They spent many long days and nights casting their nets.  We see in the Gospels that at times their bounty was plentiful and at other times not so much.

We also see in the Gospels that Jesus called them to leave their trade and come follow Him, promising to make them not just mere fishermen but fishers of men.  Peter, James, and John immediately answered His call and through them many were Saved who otherwise would not have been.  The legacy of Peter, James, and John still continues over two-thousand years later.  Because they answered His call and used their talents for only His greater glory, their reward was beyond measure.

Jesus does the same with us today.  He calls us to use the talents we already have.  This does not mean we must leave our trade, our profession, and go to foreign lands.  Not all are called in that way.  It does mean, however, that we have already been given the necessary tools, skills, and traits to take up His call.

There are many paths on which to follow Jesus.  It may actually be through the tools of our trade, or it may be some other talent we have been endowed with.  It may even be an intense urging within that never seems to cease.  What are the things in your life you are really good at?  Seek out ways to use them to follow Jesus and like Peter, James, and John you will find yourself leading others to Him.  You will find yourself helping to save souls.  The rewards are great for those who devote themselves to Jesus and those He longs to save, those He loves.

Using my own story as an example, I write for God.  I feel I have been called to do so.  I believe in my heart and soul that He hired me.  For much of my life I have felt the urge to write.  Over the years I have submitted for publishing some of the things I have written.  I never seemed to hit the right mark at the right time.  While raising my family and working, I found I did not have the time necessary to pursue it, so I eventually set it aside.  One day I began prayer journaling.  It fulfilled my desire to write, and as a result I have many years of volumes of answered prayers.  Then, one day I entered into The Stillness and felt a strong desire to write down everything that happened while I sat before God.  My reward has been beyond measure.  My journey has been one of great learning and fought for humility.  He has filled me to the brim and it has all come spilling out in my prayer journals and my “Journey Through The Stillness”.  Yes, I had always been drawn to writing, but it wasn’t until I took a longing and merged it with a talent given me by Him that I was able to do so.  Until I wrote for Him, I couldn’t make it happen on my own.

Every single one of us has something about us that is uniquely ours.  He calls upon each of us to use our own uniqueness for His greater glory.  When we do so we become exactly who He wants us to be, who He created us to be.  We become a reflection of Him.

Ask Him to show you who you truly are and give in to His call.  Your reward will surely be beyond measure.

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Lord, You Are Wholeness

Saint Paul Outside the Walls, Italy, 2011

Lord, You are Wholeness.

Forgive me, Lord, when I seek completeness from outside sources rather than looking within to You, where true wholeness reigns.

Thank you, Lord, for your incessant knocking at my soul’s door to ever serve as a reminder that You are there, in me.

     This world and the things of this world cannot make one whole.  The soul within you will always be restless, searching, and unfulfilled, until it finds its Savior, until rests in Him.  Jesus abides in each of us and we are to abide in Him.  The knocking you hear comes from within, from inside your soul.  Jesus is there waiting to welcome you into your own home.  Wholeness reigns within.

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Talk Is Cheap

Ephesus, Turkey taken by Martha Wiggins, 2011

Ephesus, Turkey taken by Martha Wiggins, 2011

I recently saw a post on facebook that read, “The way we talk to our children becomes their inner voice.” (attributed to Peggy O’Mara, TheSilverPen.com)  It made me stop and think about my own inner voice.  Talk is cheap, yet powerful.

Do you listen to your own inner voice?  Where does it come from and who has shaped its viewpoint?  Over a lifetime there are many influences that serve to shape our inner voice, such as family, friends, religious leaders, teachers, employers, etc.  Hopefully, most are positive rather than negative influences, but together they become our inner voice.    This means that we are each quite powerful in the lives of others, whether we want to be or not.  With such power, the way we talk not just to our children, but also how we talk to ourselves and others is every bit as important.

The Holy Spirit is one of our inner voices.  It is actually God’s own voice planted within us to help shape and mold us as we each traverse our unique faith journey.  Get to know your inner voice.  Look for and try to understand who has shaped it and recognize both the positive and the negative influences.  It will help you better understand yourself, and the power you have in the lives of others.  Listen for the Holy Spirit to speak through your inner voice and seek to have Him become the loudest and clearest of all.  Then decide that you want to be a positive influence on yourself and others.  Talk is cheap, yet powerful, and with it you can change your environment, you can change your world!

 

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Thee, Thou, Thy, Thine

I often post prayers here that I hope will help lift one’s heart and soul to God.  Some of these prayers are older prayers and their wording may sometimes seem a little archaic, such as using the words Thee, Thou, Thy, Thine, and other phrases not found in today’s ordinary speech and writings.  I could easily plug in more current, common use language, however, I choose not to.

For me, these less often used words are a catalyst to reverence.  For me, these words elevate certain prayers from ordinary to holy.  They express an extraordinary adoration of the supreme being, the God of the universe, Creator of heaven and earth, the Giver of Life, the Alpha and the Omega.

Thee, Thou, Thy, Thine serve as a trigger in my mind that sets the tone of the prayer.  These words separate me, an earthly being, from the King of Kings, a heavenly being.  You may view this as just a strange quirk.  After all, substituting the word You or Yours, instead, would not change the meaning of a prayer, nor make it any less reverent.  You would be completely correct, and you are welcome to do so.  However, for me, I prefer the use of such archaic language to help lift my own heart and soul to God.

Here is a favorite of mine…

The
Anima
Christi

The Anima Christi is a prayer from around the 14th century. It is still widely used after receiving the body and blood of Our Lord,
Jesus Christ in Holy Communion
.

Soul of Christ, sanctify me
Body of Christ, save me
Blood of Christ, inebriate me
Water from Christ’s side, wash me
Passion of Christ, strengthen me
O good Jesus, hear me
Within Thy wounds hide me
Suffer me not to be separated from Thee
From the malicious enemy defend me
In the hour of my death call me
And bid me come unto Thee
That I may praise Thee with Thy saints

and with Thy angels
Forever and ever
Amen

Read more: http://www.ewtn.com/devotionals/prayers/anima2.htm#ixzz1tIR5B0q7

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A Good Father

St Peter's Basilica Statuary, taken by Martha Wiggins, 2011

St Peter’s Basilica Statuary, taken by Martha Wiggins, 2011

 “He was in the world, and through Him the world was made, yet the world did not know who He was.  To his own He came, yet his own did not accept Him.  Any who did accept Him he empowered to become children of God.”  John 1:10-12

     Sometimes we become soul weary.  Sometimes we have just had enough!  We are finished; we cannot take anymore.  We just want to be left alone by the world, our job, our enemies, our spouse, and even our well-meaning friends.  When we finally run everyone off, when we are finally alone, we find it is not what we want at all.  We really just want someone to understand us.  We want someone to know what we are going through.  We want someone to be there with and for us.  Where do we go at times like these?  To whom do we run?

The answer may seem obvious.  You already know I am going to say we should take it to God, and I am.  However, I am also going to lure you there!  What is in for you?  Why should you take your tiredness, your disgust, your hurt, your doubt, your desire to give up, and lay it at the foot of The Cross?  Yes, He saved you from sin, but why would He care about you outside of sin?

The one answer I love the most, is the fact that He is your Father.  Forget, for a moment, that He created you, in His image and likeness by the way.  Forget that He saved you from your sins, and is waiting to welcome you into Everlasting Life.  Forget, for a moment, that He is a part of you, that He is in you.  Focus only on the fact that He is your Father.

A good Father cares deeply about His child.  He wants to see His child happy and fulfilled.  He wants His child to feel His love.  A good Father will nurture His child with kindness, and protect His child at all costs, even lay down His Life.  A good Father can do these things only when He knows His child intimately, and only when He knows His child’s needs.  A good Father knows every child is unique, and every child’s needs are singular to that child.  A good Father is the one person to whom a child can come to feel unconditionally loved; the one place a child can lay down and rest; can let down its guard, and trust.

So, it is to Our Father in Heaven we need to run to be restored, to find rest for our soul.  We need to lay everything at the foot of The Cross.  We need to spend time in His presence, so He can know our individual needs and nurture us with His love and protection.  In my “Journey Through The Stillness”, July 19, 2010, I hear Him say, “Lean on Me, Martha.  I am your strength.  Strength does not come from you.  You cannot make or will yourself strong.  It comes from this time apart with Me.  Everything that you are comes from being apart with Me.  I grant you the strength you need.  I infuse you with Me, and you become strong; physically, mentally, spiritually.  I am Almighty, All-Powerful.”

When your soul is weary, and much in need of rest, run to Him, not from Him.  You cannot make yourself strong.  Lay down at His feet.  He is your Father, and He is a good Father.  Trust in Him to make you strong again.  Trust in Him to make you whole again.

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Affirmation Vessel Of Love

Colosseum, Rome

Colosseum, Rome, Italy, 2011, taken by Martha Wiggins

“Remove the dross from the silver, and a silversmith can produce a vessel”  Proverbs 25:4

Definition of affirmation from Journey Through The Stillness: “Affirmations are to make one pause and think; to pull one from the clutches of temptation; to bring one into the grace of the moment; to help one to be conscious of failings and to grow in desire to do good.”  (May 8, 2010)

Affirmation from March 24, 2010:  You are to be the Vessel of Love that draws them in, and the Beacon of Light that directs them to Me.

     A vessel is a container.  Imagine being a container brimming with love.  That is what God created us to be, vessels of love.

Wondrous things happen in our lives and the lives of others when we allow Jesus to use us, when we channel Him to others.  It is not always easy to remove self from the equation, to empty ourselves out in order that He can fill us with His Love and Light.  In fact, it takes work!  But as stated in the Proverbs verse above, when the dross or rubbish is removed, a vessel can be formed.

Today, remember how greatly loved you are by Jesus, and then share that love with those around you. They will recognize Him in you, and you will become that beacon of Light pointing the way for others to find Him.  You will find your own vessel filled to the brim, your cup will runneth over!

 

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To See Myself

579719_557530650931687_275824167_n[1]During my morning prayers I was led to write the following…

I need only to look at You on the Cross, Lord, to see myself.  Every bruise, every stripe, every wound, every drop of blood is because of me.  I need only look at you, Lord, on the Cross to see myself, wretched sinner that I am.

I need only to look upon your Risen Glory, Lord, to see myself.  Every ray of light from You shines forth and sheds your forgiving grace upon me.  I need only to look upon your Risen Glory, Lord, to see myself,  joyful redeemed child of God that I am.

I need only to look upon your Holy Face, Lord, to see myself.  Every reflected image in the mirror of your eye is a likeness of me.  I need only to look upon your Holy Face, Lord, to see myself, miracle created in your own image and likeness that I am.

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Living in Constant Prayer

Bernini's Holy Spirit at Saint Peter's Basilica

Bernini’s Holy Spirit at Saint Peter’s Basilica, Rome, Italy, 2011

“Teach me the way I should go,  for to you I lift up my soul.”  Psalm 143:8

Living in constant prayer sounds like a figure of speech, an unattainable goal, a myth, even a luxury.  But, is it?  Spending time in daily prayer and stillness before Our Lord is a must for survival in this world.  It is our link to the other world God has so lovingly prepared for us.  Heaven patiently awaits each and every one of  us.  We live and wait in our orbital path until the day He calls us to Him.  He is at the center of our orbit; He is our goal.

Spending time in prayer with Him is like taking a vacation, a trip to visit where we will someday retire.  In stillness before Him, we listen to His wishes for our journey, we discover our itinerary and learn what He needs us to do before we can actually retire!  Reading in and studying in His word is like reading the road map for our trip; it tells how to get there.  Just like on a real trip, we must stop periodically to consult the road map.  We must make sure we are on the right road.

Most of us don’t have the luxury of spending great amounts of time on our knees in prayer.  We have jobs and family responsibilities that pull us out into this world even though we might wish to remain in the ‘other’ world.  While we may not be to able to remain kneeling in prayer, we can live in prayer.  When we offer up all that we are, think, do and say to Our Lord, our thoughts and actions become linked to Him in a way that is very pleasing to Him.  We remain in constant prayer!  Most of us envision Saints as holy people who lived in prayer.  Yes, they did, but the key word is live.  They went about their daily tasks and lives as they offered all up to God, remaining constantly in His Sight, and thereby His Grace.

Being Holy is something each one of us is called to, and is something each one of us is capable of achieving in our own everyday, normal life routines.  None of us start out as Saints!  We must train our minds to live and work in constant prayer.   It is good to say a prayer at the very start of each day offering up all of the day’s prayers, works, joys, sacrifices and sufferings.  I also include, “Lord, I offer up to you all that I am, and all that I am not, for I know your Holy Spirit will see where I am lacking and make it complete in your Sight.”  Throughout the day, especially when feeling stressed or inadequate, we can call to mind our offering.  We recommit knowing  He will always take our efforts and bless them, making us Holy in His Sight.  May God bless each and every one of us as we strive to be Holy, to live in constant prayer.

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Lord, You Are Most High

Vatican roof tops, taken by Martha McDuff Wiggins, 2012

Vatican roof tops, taken by Martha McDuff Wiggins, 2012

Lord, You are Most High.

Forgive me, Lord, when my ideals are rooted in this world, rooted in fools’ gold rather than crucible gold.

Thank you, Lord, for seeking ever to elevate me to higher ideals, Yours.  Thank you for never leaving me in the crucible one second more than is necessary to remove the dross, or fool’s gold from my character.

Some of us spend so much time chasing after the things this world has to offer, that we fail to see beyond to what is waiting for us in the next.  When you seem to keep repeating the same mistakes and needing to learn the same lesson over and over again, remember, He is preparing us for His world.

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Let Us Pray…

Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden by Peter Wenzel, taken by Martha Wiggins, Vatican Museum, 2012

Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden by Peter Wenzel, taken by Martha Wiggins, Vatican Museum, 2012

Let us pray,

Oh most merciful, loving Savior, by your death and Resurrection we are saved.  By your death and Resurrection we are born into Eternal Life.

Because of the stain of original sin we are not worthy to receive You under our roof.  Help us to bring our sinfulness and lay it at the foot of your Cross.  Make us whole, make us worthy to stand beside all the angels and saints in heaven singing your praises and exulting your most Holy Name.

Bring us home, Oh Lord, we pray, that we might share in the grace of Life Eternal forever and ever.  Amen.

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