The Family Within.....

I got a new set of lenses for my old glasses, this week. Why? Because I just wanted to spend some money? No. I went for an eye checkup, the first one in three years. [I found out I need to have an exam every two years.] That would explain why I was having trouble with seeing, and as you may have observed, reading as well
Over the last few months I was struggling to see clearly. There was some unexplained gook in my eyes. It was time to get some answers. The answers were, my eyes, especially the left one, had gotten weaker. I was also told I have a condition called macula pucker. Not anything to worry about, for now, but a condition to be checked, in six months. If it worsens, then I am a candidate for surgery . How exciting.!!!

As you know by now, that whatever is our reality and we gaze at it long enough, there is a sermon in it. In this case, there is a blog. Whatever is real in our lives, because it is real, has within it a spiritual reality. It is up to us to develop the lenses, so we can see, that which is hidden. This process gives the so called “ordinary events” in our lives, a dimension which otherwise we would have missed. We discover the life that lies beyond the life we are living. I think I should have said, the “extraordinary life” that lies beyond . That is more in keeping with which is our total reality. We spend our whole life long journey on that journey, of discovery. It is a very wonderful, yet troublesome one. As we make our journey, we are in constant need, just like me right now, of asking and receiving new glasses. The older we get, the more powerful the lens required. Some say, we are in the constant need of the xray eye of faith. I conquer. The longer we are on the spiritual life, the more sensitive we must become to the hidden workings of THE FAMILY, we call GOD. This family we call God, we also call The Holy Trinity. God lives His life in the community of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Their secret, mysterious life is also being lived within you and I. The opening prayer of the weekend's mass has these very mysterious words,

“God, we praise you:
Father, all powerful, Christ Lord and Savior, Spirit of love.
You reveal yourself in the depths of our being, drawing us to share in your life ann your love.
Be near to the people formed in your image."

The prayer has been answered. Our Triune God, has not only drawn near to us, He has gone way beyond what we ask, beyond our petition. He has chosen freely, to make His family's place, within our deepest depths. So, as we journey into the depths, we are on our journey to where the Trinity dwells. That is a journey into the darkness of who we are as human beings. Because of this journey, we will be led to discover whatever we shall need lies deep within. The only trouble with that is, as we make the journey into our depths, we will discover every sin another person can commit. From this journey into honesty we will cry out from the dark depths for the aid of our God.

Sometimes we will have the need of our God to give new life, where we have encountered death. We will face the fact that we cannot, so we will be in the need of a Savior God. A Power that can do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. To accept that powerlessness, is to accept THE CROSS. That powerlessness is personal to each one of us. No two of us will have the same pain, our pain is unique. We can never say to another, "I know your pain". That is to minimize that person's experience. All we can do, and that takes great courage, great courage, is share our story. Tell the raw naked truth of our journey in unvarnished honesty. We must also share the new life, and the hope that is now ours because of the journey. In this way, the new Spirit you have been given, to live the new life you now have, will reach out to bring hope and strength to out who needs it. You are the bearer of The Good News. Then we will realize there is a Spirit whose job is to reveal the ongoing work of grace, the work of sanctification. We will come accept, be consoled, and strengthened with the knowledge, whatever we need IS already present within.
So to sum up, the Father is the creator God, the son is the Savior God, the Holy Spirit is the Loving Power of our God which sanctifies us. All this, and infinitely more, is being lived out within you and I. It is being lived out whether we realize it or not. We do not have to know, all that matters is God knows. I will end with an ancient Gaelic prayer.

I arise today through a mighty strength,
The invocation of the Trinity......
through belief in the threeness....
through confession of the oneness..
Of The Creator of Creation.

What a Wonder-full, Awe-full mystery it is, that has chosen you, yes you, to be His dwelling place. Reverence yourself and ALL that you are, all that is authentically you, and the mystery of God will take on a new, and dynamic meaning.