Seeking Divine Love

Posted on December 10, 2012 by Martha
Resurrection Tapestry, Vatican Museum, taken by Martha Wiggins 2012

Resurrection Tapestry, Vatican Museum, taken by Martha Wiggins 2012

“Love … bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”  1 Corinthians 13:4, 7     

     We all feel unwanted, unappreciated, unloved at different times in our lives and by different people in our lives.  It may be a boss who doesn’t treat us with respect, a spouse who ignores or treats us with indifference, or friends who let us down by their actions or in-actions.  Some of us live in abuse, despair, or sickness, and wonder where Divine Love is in the midst of our suffering and pain.  Under these circumstances it does not take long for our spirit to close.

     With a closed spirit we shut out everyone and everything.  We go through the motions of living, but we are not alive.  We look for God, for Divine Love, all around us but can’t seem to find it.  We see others that seem to have it, but for us it is elusive.  Just as an old song says, we are looking for love in all the wrong places.  We look for it outside ourselves, when truly, we must look within.  Divine Love is deep within our own hearts.  We are created by God in love, of love, and for love.  We are love. 

     We must look deep within to discover just how wonderfully and intricately we are formed.  In doing so, we will discover or rediscover His love.  We will find the Divine Love that is at our very core.  As we feel, or at least start to acknowledge, His Love for us we will begin to see ourselves and treat ourselves more lovingly.  Realizing that no outside force or human being can alter the Divine Love within us, we will radiate that same love to others, we will share that same love with others. 

     Spend some time during this Advent season looking within to discover or rediscover why He loves you.  As we grow in love for ourselves, we grow in love for God, our Creator.  As we grow in love for Him, we grow in Divine Love … we are Divine Love.

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Lord, You Are The Breath Of Life

Posted on December 7, 2012 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 the Breath of Life.

Forgive me, Lord, when I forget before whom I am; when I take for granted each and every breath I take.

Thank you, Lord, for your desire to create and cherish all life.  Thank you for your breath of life flowing throughout me, that  in me there is life to feed my soul’s longing and hunger for all that is You.

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Release, Then Prepare

Posted on December 5, 2012 by Martha
Statuary on the facade of the Duomo, The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence, Italy, 2012, taken by Martha M Wiggins

Statuary on the facade of the Duomo, The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence, Italy, 2012, taken by Martha M Wiggins

     I have written before about a beautiful prayer I pray daily.  Entitled simply, “An Act of Consecration,” it is written on the back side of a holy card.  On the front side is an image of Jesus that I have always found to be very moving, very humbling.  He stands, Sacred Heart exposed, wounded hands open palmed extended outward toward me, the viewer.  Beneath His image are the words, “Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place my trust in You.”

     Previously I have written about His Hands.  What strikes me today is this line within the prayer: “I place within Your hands all my care and anxieties.  I promise to love You and to honor You till the last moment of my life, and to spread, as much as I can, devotion to Your most Sacred Heart.”

     As we enter into this season of Advent, we are called to prepare ourselves, to prepare our hearts to receive Him.  When our lives our filled with ‘cares and anxieties’, it is often hard to focus on anything but them.  The line from the prayer above (and below in its entirety) gives us the tools to change that.  It reminds us we are to release all of our cares and anxieties to Him, to release them at the foot of His Cross, then to bar them from our mind by doing acts that honor Him, that show our love for Him.  In doing so, we will find the waiting to be less burdensome.  We are reminded it is in giving that we receive.

       Release your cares and anxieties to Him, the only one who knows what it means to suffer, to hurt, to long, to doubt, to worry, to cry.  Then fill your time and your mind with acts of selfless love, with compassion, with service to others in need.  Consecrate yourself to all that is Him.  You will not be found empty handed when He comes.  You will be prepared to receive Him.

     Prayer:  An Act of Consecration

Lord Jesus Christ, I consecrate myself today anew and without reserve to Your divine Heart.  I consecrate to You my body with all its senses, my soul with all its faculties, my entire being.  I consecrate to You all my thoughts, words and deeds, all my sufferings and labors, all my hopes, consolations and joys.  In particular I consecrate to You this poor heart of mine so that it may love only You and may be consumed as a victim in the fire of Your love.

I place my trust in You without reserve and I hope for the remission of my sins through Your infinite mercy.  I place within Your hands all my cares and anxieties.  I promise to love You and to honor You till the last moment of my life, and to spread as much as I can, devotion to Your most Sacred Heart.

Do with me what you will, my Jesus.  I deserve no other reward except Your greater glory and Your holy love.

Take this offering of myself and give me a place within Your divine Heart forever.

Amen.     

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Soul Giving

Posted on December 4, 2012 by Martha
Basilica Santa Maria sopra Minerva, Rome, Italy, (Basilica of St. Mary over Minerva) taken by Martha Wiggins, 2011

Basilica Santa Maria sopra Minerva, Rome, Italy, (Basilica of St. Mary over Minerva) taken by Martha Wiggins, 2011

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”  Galatians 5:22

     Christmas is a season of giving.  When we give, we often find that we have actually received more than we have given.  And, a gift need not always be of the material, or physical realm.  Sometimes the best, most appreciated, most needed gift, is the gift of self.  Self, freely given, whether it is our time, our voice, our concern, our empathy, or our prayers, is always received as heartfelt generosity.  It is recognized by the recipient as genuine love.

     This type of giving I call soul giving.  Soul giving is when part of who we are becomes invested in someone else.  We give something that cannot be snatched back by us and cannot be exchanged or returned by the recipient.  In fact, there are times in soul giving when the recipient knows nothing of the gift.  In particular, silent soul giving is very pleasing to Our Lord, and gains great reward for us.

     Advent is a wonderful time to reflect on the greatest example of soul giving.  It began with God The Creator, who lovingly placed a part of His soul in each of us, when He created us in is own image and likeness.  Then, God The Father lovingly manifested His own soul in His Son, Jesus, whom He sent to us as a soul gift to become the Light of the world.  In Jesus’ life, death, and Resurrection we find the greatest soul gift, with the ultimate soul gift given in the Eucharist.  It is in the Eucharist, through His Most Holy Spirit, we find not only the physical body and blood of Jesus, but the soul of God embedded within His Son, allowing us to become one with our God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, of you and me.

     In this beautiful Christmas season of giving, let us reflect on God’s ultimate soul gift to us and find ways to do a little soul giving ourselves by giving our time, our voice, our concern, our empathy, and most of all our prayers.  More than likely, we will receive more than we give.

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Monday, Monday

Posted on December 3, 2012 by Martha

Saint Paul Outside the Walls, Italy, 2011

     Mondays are often stressful for many people.  Lots of us are returning to work after being off for the weekend.  As we go about getting into the swing of the new work week, we may not remember to keep our main focus on Jesus.  Here is a beautiful little prayer to help us.  It is one I keep before me at my writing computer.  I can often get lost in my writing, or begin to put too much emphasis on myself.  It is a great little reminder for me.

     “O Lord, You know how busy I must be this day:  If I forget You, do not You forget me.”  (Prayer of Sir Jacob Astley before the battle of Edgehill.)

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The Discontentment Of Distance

Posted on November 30, 2012 by Martha

     Distance, dryness, discontentment, expectations, can all be brick walls when it comes to spirituality and our relationship with Jesus.  If you are like me, and like most, there are times when you experience these things.  Our faith journeys are not always smooth sailing, especially when we feel like we are alone in the boat.  Today I am sharing a Stillness entry from the past.  At that time I had already been entering The Stillness for a year and a half.  One would think I had it down pat by then, but as you will see, I felt a distance from it all.

Storm Clouds, Banff National Park, Canada,2010, taken by Martha Wiggins

Storm Clouds, Banff National Park, Canada,2010, taken by Martha Wiggins

  No matter how I felt, though, I continued to make the effort, and His words of wisdom greatly helped me to understand, accept, and persevere.  It is okay to voice your discontentment to Him.  He will lead you home. 

June 23, 2011 – I enter today feeling somewhat distant and I voice my discontent at being so.  He says, “Child, some of what you go through, what I put you through, is often to serve as witness to others going through the same things.  All are distant due to sinfulness.  Some, like you, have periods of distant dryness, or feeling unmoved, even though they want to be, need to be, and are trying to be close.  Others are distant by choice.  They choose to not set aside time for prayer; they choose to look the other way even when they clearly feel my presence.  When you feel lacking spiritually even when you are seeking Me, it is often because you are expecting a certain feeling or experience rather than just being present for whatever I bring.  Time spent with Me is never for naught.  It is never wasted, even if I am silent.  There is much to be gained from just being in my presence.  Remember this always, child, and do not expect.  Just accept.”  (Journey Through The Stillness by Martha McDuff Wiggins)

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You Are Lord, Adonai

Posted on November 29, 2012 by Martha
Dome of St. Peter's Basilica, Rome, 2012, taken by Martha Wiggins

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

You are Lord, Adonai.

Forgive me, Lord, when I call you Lord, yet do not live as though you are.  Forgive me when I ignore your very clear and distinct commands; when I fail to humble myself before you, and when I seek to control my own path.

Thank you, Lord, that patience, kindness, and mercy, shall forever abound in your character alongside those of strength, determination and wisdom.  Let my soul ever cry out, “Lord, Lord, Adonai.”

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Lord, You Are Sight

Posted on November 26, 2012 by Martha
Ephesus, Turkey taken by Martha Wiggins, 2011

Ephesus, Turkey taken by Martha Wiggins, 2011

Lord, You are Sight.

Forgive me, Lord, when I dwell in darkness or walk with blinders on failing to notice or speak out against all that is evil in your sight.

Thank you, Lord, for sight to see and recognize evil, for a heart of compassion and a desire to be an impetus for change.  Help me to be your instrument of goodwill and your sword against evil in a secular driven society, and morally challenged world.

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Thanksgiving

Posted on November 20, 2012 by Martha

A HAPPY AND BLESSED THANKSGIVING TO ALL!  I will be taking a break for the Thanksgiving Holiday to be with family and celebrate all my blessings from the LORD.  The next post here will be on Monday, NOVERMBER 26th.  Meanwhile, here is a beautiful Psalm of thanksgiving:

Psalm 100

A psalm. For giving grateful praise.

 1 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
 2 Worship the LORD with gladness;
   come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the LORD is God.
   It is he who made us, and we are his;
   we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
   and his courts with praise;
   give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
   his faithfulness continues through all generations.

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+100&version=NIV

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Lord, You Are Harmony

Posted on November 16, 2012 by Martha
Lake Louise, Banff National Park, Canada, 2010 taken by Martha Wiggins

Lake Louise, Banff National Park, Canada, 2010 taken by Martha Wiggins

Lord, You are Harmony.

Forgive me, Lord, when I allow discordance or disharmony to rule in my life.  Forgive me when I fail to see the peaceful harmony you offer in its place.

Thank you, Lord, for the constant tug at my soul that causes me to yearn for that state of harmony which only you can provide.  Thank you for ever pulling me toward all that is You.

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