It's time for the impossible to happen

(please, refer to the meditation from the Journal section of heavenwards.org)

The readings of this week are really helping me to visualize what the effects of the doing the will of God are: by saying "Yes," I can enter into His wonderful Vision and let God realize the impossible through the work of my hands. It's amazing how but God loves and trusts us: He allows us to become part of His creation. It's certainly risky on His part but I appreciate the Love.

How can I live this reality? How can I say a deeper yes and understand that this is the time when the impossible can happen.

Advent: The Journey begins

Where are we going this Advent?

I am feeling challenged to move towards a Christmas life, a life lived with Emmanuel, God-with-us. In order to reach this goal, I have to prepare myself to this encounter which will transform all of me. Part of this transformation is to change my own "sword" - that is, everything that is aggressive and based on Pride - into "ploughshare" (something that is a blessing for others.

the Sound of Silence

I haven't been updating the blog page in a long time. Sorry.
It seems that time is slipping through my fingers....
I am thinking about changing the whole system and combing everything into one place.
What do you think?

Zaccheus

(please, first read the entry in My Journal section at heavenwards.org)

If the story of Zaccheus could be used as a way to see our spiritual life, where are we? in the crowd? looking for a tree? hidden in the tree? at home, having a party with Jesus?

or are we still wondering what is this fuss about Jesus is all about?

facing challenges

After reading the Gospel passage of this week, are you more like the widow or the judge? why?

A life of Thanks

What can we be thankful for? suggestions?

The Spark

Faith is a great gift; Jesus reminds us that it's not about the size of the gift but it's about using it, and stirring up the flame so that we can experience God's love in our lives.

How can we stir up the flame? What can we do, personally and as a community?

in pursuit of what?

Please, read the entry at www.heavenwards.org in the My Journal section. Thank you.

We make so many excuses as we continue to justify our unwillingness to share. I found this little "litany" and I wanted to share it with you. let me know what you think? is it right? should we take some out or add some new ones?

"I WAS HUNGRY and you circled the moon.
I WAS HUNGRY and you told me to wait.
I WAS HUNGRY and you set up a commission.
I WAS HUNGRY and you talked about bootstraps.
I WAS HUNGRY and you told me I shouldn't be.
I WAS HUNGRY and you had napalm bills to pay.
I WAS HUNGRY and you said, "Machines do that kind of work now."
I WAS HUNGRY and you said, "The poor are always with us."
I WAS HUNGRY and you said, "Law and order comes first."
I WAS HUNGRY and you blamed it on the Communists.
I WAS HUNGRY and you said, "So were my ancestors."
I WAS HUNGRY and you said, "We don't hire over 35."
I WAS HUNGRY and you said, "God helps those who help themselves."
I WAS HUNGRY and you said, "Sorry, try again tomorrow."

-- T. T. Crabtree, 1985 Pastor's Manual, (Zondervan, 1985), p. 91.

Introducing Chiara Luce Badano

On September 25th, the pope will make Chiara "Luce" Badano a blessed. She is one step closer to be a Saint. 

I never met Chiara Luce but after reading her biography I feel very close to her. She met Jesus Crucified and Forsaken first hand when she was told she had cancer. Her answer to this encounter has become my own prayer: "Jesus, if you want it, I want it, too." 

From this encounter, a new life. From her life, a whole new generation of people can learn to say Yes to the will of God and find behind everything the hand of a Father who loves us so much. 

Yes! there is still hope in the world and God's love shines brighter than ever in the life of so many young men and women who have said yes to God. 


Get To know Chiara Luce Badano:

• Chiara Luce website
• Focolare Movement Webiste
• Ordinary, extraordinary life 
• Generation X gets a saint
•  Italian teen one step closer to sainthood
• Focolare to have 1st beatified
• Blessed Chiara Luce Badano, pray for us
• Chiara Luce a luminous masterpiece
• Chiara Luce: 18-yo Focolare teen beatified (with a video)
• Video: Chiara Luce Badano (english)
• Video: Song written by a youth group about Chiara Luce

You can watch the Celebration on Sept 25 live from here:

• Live Streaming from Rome, Italy 

Life in the Father's House - The Tranquil Life

Does it make any difference that we are "found" by the Father? or, do we live our life as though we are still lost?

In other words, what does it REALLY mean to live a Christian life? Why does Paul say that we should live a "quiet and tranquil life?" Is it possible today?

Like Mary, Mother of Sorrows

A meditation by Chiara Lubich (May 1987)

There are a great many ways of honouring Mary.
But there is one which is the best of all: imitating her, act as she would on earth, as if her other self. I believe it would be the way to please her most, because it enables her, in a certain way, to return to the earth.

This is what we need to aim at, without excluding all the other possibilities we have for honoring Mary. Imitating her.

But how? What do we imitate in her?


Let's imitate her in what is essential. She is a mother, Jesus' mother and spiritually our mother. From the cross, Jesus gave her to us as such in the person of John. We have to be like her other self, as a mother. In practice we have to state this intention: during the Marian Year I will behave toward every neighbour I meet, or for whom I shall be working, as though I were their mother. If we do that, we will discover a conversion in ourselves, a revolution, not only because we will find ourselves acting as a mother even to our own mother or father from time to time, but because we will have adopted a particular, specific attitude.

A mother is always welcoming, always helpful, always hopeful, and covers up everything. She forgives everything in her children, even if they are delinquents or terrorists.

The fact is, a mother's love is very similar to the charity of Christ of which Paul speaks about.
If we have the heart of a mother, or to be exact, if we propose to make Mary’s heart our own, who stands out as the most perfect model of motherhood, then we shall be ever ready to love others in all circumstances, so that we keep the Risen One living in us. We will play perfectly the part asked of us to keep Jesus, the Risen One, present in our midst.


If we have the heart of this mother, we will love everybody, not just the members of our own Church,
but those of others too. Not only Christians, but also Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, etc., and all people of goodwill, everyone dwelling on the earth, because the maternity of Mary is as universal as the Redemption.


Even when she is not loved back, she always loves, and loves everyone.So here we have our intention for the next two weeks: to live like Mary, as if we were mothers to
everyone.

Lost? Not anymore!

(please, refer to the journal entries at www.heavenwards.org)

It's beautiful to hear the Father's voice calling us home. It's beautiful to know we are found. Our lives changes the moment we realize that we are not alone anymore.

The Father is looking for His own, calling each one of us back home. How can we answer to this invitation? How would our lives look like as someone who is "lost no more?"

In remembrance

Icon by Lewis Williams, bridgebulding.com

9 Years ago we faced the greatest tragedy of our times. 9 years ago we promised not to forget.
Our lives will never be the same, we have the honor and privilege today to remember and call out the names of those who lost their lives in the events now known simply as "9/11."

We keep them in prayer. We remember. We share our memories, our pains, our hopes for a more united world.

Today I prayed at Gates of Heaven Cemetery. The Mass was celebrated by the Bishop. Once again I promised "never to forget" and decided to go a bit further this upcoming year to build a more united world. 
I really like the icon. What do you think?

How are you remembering? 

Discipleship

Are you a follower of Jesus or a Disciple?

What is the difference? The Cross. It is by picking up the Cross that we become more like Jesus. What does it mean for us, living today to pick up the values of Jesus and make them our own? Are we tempted to transfer our own values onto Him?

(Please, make sure you read the main entry on heavenwards.org).

Appreciating the Gift

Pride and Humility. Do they impact the way we think about the gift of salvation?

Word of Life - September 2010

How can we live these words this month?

“I say to you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” (Mat 18:22)

The Gate

(please, read first the entry in my journal section on the website...)

How do you feel about the gospel passage? what do you feel about the crowd left out?

The Woman and the Dragon

(please, read the post on the website first)
Is there a war going? Who is winning? why did you say that?

Word of Life - August 2010

AUGUST 2010 - “Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment
of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”

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What is the Word of Life?

The Word of Life is a word of scriptures taken from one of the Sunday liturgies of the Month. It's given to us to put it into practice and live it out in our daily life. Check the mail website, www.heavenwards.org, for a brief commentary and suggestions on how to put into practice. Come back here to share your experience, both negative and positive.

Living the Gospel is not easy but we can certainly strive to do that. Eventually, we can get better at it. What matters is to remain focused on God's Word.

Treasure and heart

More about possessions and attachments. Why? Wasn’t the work we did last week enough? Apparently not! And with good reason. Possessions create deep roots in our hearts, and these may shape the form and give direction to our lives.

Of all that I have, what do I consider a treasure? I would like to say that God is my treasure, but I am not there yet. When I say it, I know that I desire that with all my life, but I struggle. Struggling is good, I believe; we struggle for things that we consider important enough to struggle. (This made me think of the lyrics in a song “what’s worth the prize is always worth the fight.”)

God is all that I want. God is all that I seek. And yet, at times I feel as though He escapes me. I cannot box God and place Him into a treasure box.

The continuous struggle towards the Treasure becomes a basic struggle for importance, meaning and relevance in my life. What fills my thoughts? What gives reason to my being?

If God is my Pearl of Great Price, the Treasure hidden in the field, what am I going to do to protect such a gift?