Lord, You Are Life

Posted on February 18, 2014 by Martha

690px-Noah's_Ark_003Lord, You are Life.

Forgive me, Lord, wherever I have failed to make You fully known in the lives of my husband, children, all of my loved ones, family and friends alike.  Forgive me wherever I have failed to set a good example of what it means to be your follower, or have failed to share the witness of my own personal faith.

Thank you, Lord, for the many blessings of family and friends to share my life, love, and faith with.  Help me to never lead anyone astray, and to ever point the way to You.

Amen.

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Tongue-tied?

Posted on February 17, 2014 by Martha
Bernini's Holy Spirit at Saint Peter's Basilica

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

“And when they bring you before the synagogues, and the rulers, and the authorities, be not anxious how or what ye shall answer, or what ye shall say:  for the Holy Spirit shall teach you in that very hour what ye ought to say.”  (Luke 12:11-12)

      I always hate it when I get tongue-tied, or can’t quite put my thoughts into words.  True communication relies on the communicator’s words, whether oral or written, coming across to another individual exactly as intended with no nuance of meaning.  To be understood as intended a message must be simply and intelligently communicated.  It must be discernable, believable and delivered in authenticity and with authority.  I often find myself laboring over just the right way to phrase something so as not to be misunderstood.  Even though I have a dictionary and a thesaurus at my disposal, there are times I can’t find the right words to convey what I want to say.

     Jesus asks each of us to be His witness in the world.  He asks us to share Him and His message with all.  The message of mercy, forgiveness, hope, and love is universal.  It is for each and every one of us.  He wants us to deliver His message without hesitation and without fear.  There are many of us who find it somewhat daunting, or embarassing  when we try to do so.  Some of us even feel unworthy to carry His message.  I know that I found it very disconcerting in the beginning, and continually doubted my knowledge and ability to share Him properly.  It took time and effort to ease my discomfort, but throught the help and comfort of His Holy Spirit, I am now able to share even my most personal faith journey with many.

     Yes, Jesus asks us to spread His message, but He does not leave us without the necessary assistance to accomplish our mission.  Whenever we are speaking on His behalf, at that very moment when we need Him most, when we are tongue-tied, or without words, we are not alone.  He sends His Holy Spirit to communicate through us.

     Go forth, without fear or doubt.  Speak His message without hesitation.  Invoke His Holy Spirit to help you.  Infused with His Spirit and a desire to share, you cannot fail.

     Let this beautiful prayer help you:  “Come, O Spirit of Wisdom, and reveal to my soul the mysteries of heavenly things, their exceeding greatness, and power, and beauty.  Teach me to love them above and beyond all the passing joys and satisfactions of earth.  Show me the way by which I may be able to attain to them, and possess them, and hold them hereafter, my own forever.”  (From a Novena For Pentecost)       

 

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Lord You Are Showered Blessings

Posted on February 14, 2014 by Martha
St Peter's Basilica Statuary, taken by Martha Wiggins, 2011

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

Lord, You are Showered Blessings.

Forgive me, Lord, when I get stuck in negativity, or in what isn’t, rather than see the hope for the future in all that is.

Thank you, Lord, for the multitude of blessings showered down upon me each day, each moment.  Open my eyes and all my senses, Lord, that I might see and recognize Your Hand at work in all things.

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How Excellent Is Thy Name!

Posted on February 13, 2014 by Martha
St Mark's Cathedral

Saint Mark’s Cathedral, Venice, Italy, 2012

O Jehovah, our Lord, How excellent is thy name in all the earth, Who hast set thy glory upon the heavens!

Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou established strength, Because of thine adversaries, That thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.

When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, The moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;

What is man, that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest him?

For thou hast made him but little lower than God, And crownest him with glory and honor.

Thou makest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet:

All sheep and oxen, Yea, and the beasts of the field,

The birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, Whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.

O Jehovah, our Lord, How excellent is thy name in all the earth!

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A Friend’s Friend

Posted on February 12, 2014 by Martha

Taken in Vatican Musem, Rome, 2012, by Martha Wiggins

Taken in Vatican Musem, Rome, 2012, by Martha Wiggins

“When he returned to Capernaum, some time later word went round that he was in the house; and so many people collected that there was no room left, even in front of the door. He was preaching the word to them when some people came bringing him a paralytic carried by four men,”  Mark 2:1-3

      As I visited another parrish once, the priest gave his homily on the above Gospel from Mark.  He touched on the fact that the paralytic was brought to Jesus by four men.  He made the statement that he wondered how many of us actually had four such friends?

He thought it probably safe to assume that those who brought the paralytic to Jesus for healing were either family or very close friends.  Either way, they were people who loved him enough to go through the labor of carrying him on a stretcher to where Jesus was staying and preaching.  They let nothing stop them from their goal for their loved one, even to the point of hauling him up on the roof and lowering him through the ceiling in order to get him before Jesus.

The friends demonstrated great faith, and perseverance.  They demonstrated steadfast love and loyal friendship.  I too wonder how many of us have even one such friend in our lives?  If we do, we are truly blessed by them.  More so, I wonder, are we that type of friend to others?  Are we that friend who will bring our friends to Jesus, even a great cost to ourselves?

At times we must each take a look at our friendships.  Do they lead us closer to Jesus, or farther away?  Is any action required on our part to correct a situation or relationship?  Then, we must take an even closer look at ourself.  Which type of friend are we? Do we point the way to Jesus? If not, let us ask Jesus to show us how to be a friend who does, that we may be counted a blessing too.

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Lord, You Are Guide

Posted on February 11, 2014 by Martha
Taken in the Vatican Museum by Martha McDuff Wiggins, 2012

Taken in the Vatican Museum by Martha McDuff Wiggins, 2012

Lord, You are Guide.

Forgive me, Lord, when I pull in the opposite direction thinking I know the best way to go. Do not let go of me, for I would be lost forever without Your Hand to guide me.

Thank you, Lord, for ever directing my path toward you, for ever lighting my way that I may find Your Way. You lead me on paths of righteousness for your name’s sake.

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Self Aside

Posted on February 10, 2014 by Martha
Achilleion Palace, Corfu, Greece, 2012- former home of Empress Elizabeth of Austria (taken my Martha Wiggins)

Achilleion Palace, Corfu, Greece, 2012- former home of Empress Elizabeth of Austria (taken my Martha Wiggins)

 “Because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its inhabitants, and because you humbled yourself before Me, tore your clothes and wept before Me, I truly have heard you, declares the LORD.”  2 Chronicles 34:27

One of the hardest things to do is to put self aside, and yet we must if we give ourselves totally over to God.  To receive His graces we must empty ourselves and patiently wait to be filled.  When I enter into The Stillness before God, it is often hard to quiet my inner self, and also hard to let go of the world around me.

The following is from Journey Through Stillness, my personal spiritual journal.

“January 7, 2011 – Entering The Stillness seems to be getting back to previous times where I am more IN His presence.  He is close again.  Praise and thanks to you, Oh Lord.  I am realizing again that entering with a remorseful, humble heart is an important key to doing so.  I must put self aside; it is hard to do so.

     Today, He says, “When you come before Me in remorse for your sins and failures which have offended Me; when you feel the pain you have caused Me; and then I see the love you have for all of my creatures; my Heart is softened.  Where I would be angry, I cannot be.  I love you more instead, my child.”

(Personal Thoughts – He sees my sins, my shortcomings, my failures.  I must confess them and learn to set them aside.  I must be remorseful, yet not guilty.  I must not be sentenced to life, but instead, to LIFE.  I must go forward and meet my personal struggles and challenges head on, with a firm purpose of amendment that I may be truly worthy in His sight.)”

    

     It is worth our effort to still ourselves, to put self aside, so that we can be with Him.  It is even more so when we do so with a remorseful and humble heart.  It stills His heart where He would be angry, and instead He loves us more.   Just imagine.

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Lord, You Are Truth

Posted on February 7, 2014 by Martha

church-light-color_1606734Lord, You are Truth.

Forgive me, Lord, when I am not truthful with others, or with myself.  Forgive me when I turn away or hide so as not to know the truth because the truth would require action.

Thank you, Lord, for being the Truth to which I am ever drawn.  Thank you for being the Truth that cannot be denied.  Thank you for being my Lord and Savior.

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Let Us Be Perfect

Posted on February 6, 2014 by Martha
Saint Paul Outside the Walls

Saint Paul Outside the Walls, Rome, Italy, 2012

“Let me obey your demands perfectly so I will not be ashamed.  I am weak from waiting for you to save me, but I hope in your word.”  Psalm 119:80-81

Sometimes we can put pressure on ourselves to be perfect.  We believe that God wants perfection and anything less than perfect is unacceptable.  In striving for perfection we think there is only one way to achieve it.  We think we have to pray a certain way, think a certain way, and act a certain way.  We refuse to change anything for fear of being imperfect in His eyes.  We put ourselves under such pressure that we can never live up to our own heavy demands.  We end up giving up and feeling worse about ourselves.

God does want perfection from us, but He he knows our imperfections and loves us anyway.  Each one of us are on a journey to God.  Mistakes will be made, and hopefully learned from.  We must give ourselves space to grow along our journey.  When we do we begin to see that we are on a journey of faith moving ever closer to Him.  As we grow and mature in our faith, our ways of praying, thinking, and acting mature also.  We find that we must make changes in our methods of doing these things that reflect our growth.

When we fully understand our journey, we see that others are on a faith journey of their own and realize they may be at different stages than we are.  We come to know that each person must pray, think, and act as led by God.  When we accept this, we can then share our ways with others, knowing that God will have them use from us what is right for them.  When we accept this, we can then pray for and celebrate growth in others.

One day our different journeys will all come together in Eternal Life.  We will see each other and ourselves perfect in the eyes of God.

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A Pope’s Humility

Posted on February 5, 2014 by Martha
View from the top of the Vatican, taken by Martha McDuff Wiggins, 2012

View from the top of the Vatican, taken by Martha McDuff Wiggins, 2012

“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 the others.”  Philippians 2:3-4

     In 2010 I read a very special and beautiful book entitled, Journal Of A Soul.  It is a book based on the spiritual writings and diaries of Pope John XXIII.  When the Pope gave his spiritual diaries to his secretary, to be published upon his death, he said, “My soul is in these pages.”  His writings began at the age of fourteen and span over sixty seven years, the last being written about six months prior to his death.

I found this book to be thought provoking, spiritually moving, and very humbling.  I had already been writing in my Journey Through The Stillness for some time when I was given Pope John XXIII’s beautiful book by my priest.  I had sought his counsel about what was going on in my time spent in The Stillness and he promptly gave me his personal copy of the book saying I would find it very inspiring.  As much as it was inspiring, I found it to be comforting.  This Pope seemed to speak directly to my heart.  In his writings I found so much that stirred my own soul, most especially on the subjects of vanity and humility.

I particularly like the following quote from a letter he wrote in 1944:  If you hear anything good about me, praise the Lord as I do, for he has done all.  If you hear any criticisms, pray for me, that the Lord may forgive me if the criticism is just and, if it is unjust, forgive whoever utters it.

Another time, the Pope quotes from Book III, chapter XXIII, of The Imitation of Christ about the four things that bring much peace to the soul: 1) Seek, my son, to do another’s will, rather than your own.  2) Choose always to have less rather than more.  3) Always seek the lowest place, and to be inferior to everyone.  4) Always desire and pray that the will of God may be wholly fulfilled in you.  He then adds in his own words, It is heavenly doctrine: who can forget it?

I must not forget to pray daily for forgiveness for every unjust work I utter, and I must pray daily for one tenth the humility of this blessed man.

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