Be Still and Know … I Love You.

The second Psalm's quip in this morning's Monday Week I prayer:

The Father's voice proclaimed: "This is my beloved Son" (Matthew 3:17)

How many of us crave those words from our own father? How many of us remain devoid of loving and kind words at all?

Yet, God the Father made it clear that He loves is Son.

So, somehow, it is possible that He loves us too?!?

Be still and know that I am God (Psalm 46:11)

As one who grew up fatherless that empty space _can_ be filled. To some degree perhaps by one who would become a Foster Father as did happen with me.

But, it takes a lot of patient prayer in the Quiet and also healing before we can hear those whispered words:

You are my beloved son …

You are my beloved daughter …

He must love us! He gave up His only Son to break the bonds of sin and death.

Truly, we need to somehow learn to _believe_ those words and actions and _trust_ that we will not be betrayed by Him, His Son, and His Holy Spirit that resides within us.

That somehow is found in the Mass. It is found in learning to live the Lord's Sacrifice on the Altar and receiving His Body and Blood as often as we can.

It is also found in the Sacrament of Reconciliation/Confession. When we open our heart to the Most Precious Blood that pours down upon us in absolution after we confess our sins, we call it "Soul Laundry" in our family, we can be healed and our blinders/blind spots peeled away.

We have the tools. We just need to use them! :)

Pax,

John Everett

As the love grows.

When I first saw Lucille it was at daily Mass in our city's Basilica. At that moment my heart leapt! I saw that she was very beautiful.

I kept an eye out for her every day and eventually worked up the courage to say hello. Once I looked into her eyes I was hooked. Within those eyes I saw an inner beauty that I had never seen before.

Through the gift of the Sacrament that we now share, we become Christ for each other and also discover how the other is Christ for me. As well, God is the source of the love that we share. We recognize this, and try and work hard at deepening our understanding of God's love as well as deepening our love for each other.

A neat thing about our working so hard at building up the love in our relationship is how I see Lucille today after a day of tension between us. We are truly blessed to have the courage and strength to sit down and work things out, even when that can be very difficult. I look at her now, and she is radiant! I am in awe of just how beautiful she is and how blessed I am to have her as my wife.

Love and marriage, even with the various bumps and obstacles on the road, is pretty neat!

Pax vobis,

J.E.