“Today, as God’s Majesty swept over me, my soul understood that the Lord, so very great though He is, delights in humble souls.” — Diary, 1092
Indeed, the Lord delights in humble souls. Saint Faustina wrote in her Diary: “The more a soul humbles itself, the greater the kindness with which the Lord approaches it. Uniting himself closely with it, He raises it to His very throne. Happy is the soul whom the Lord himself defends. I have come to know that only love is of any value; love is greatness; nothing, no works, can compare with a single act of pure love of God” (Diary, 1092). This week’s spiritual exercise is all about humility. Let’s take a look at this virtue, which is absolutely necessary for salvation, and let’s see how it grew in Sr. Faustina’s heart.
Jesus taught in the Beatitudes: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 5:3). It was C.S. Lewis who said, “As long as you are proud you cannot know God.” We must strive to be humble souls. Even so, humility is said to be one of the most difficult virtues to acquire. Yet we must be humble in order to pray properly. For instance, contemplative prayer, which St. Teresa of Avila has said is simply a “close sharing between friends,” is a loving conversation between ourselves and God, a conversation that requires of us humble hearts (see Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2709). As the Catechism states, contemplative prayer is “the simplest expression of the mystery of prayer. It is a gift, a grace; it can be accepted only in humility and poverty” (2713). The Catechism also teaches that contemplative prayer “is a gaze of faith, fixed on Jesus” (2715, emphasis in original). We must humble our hearts and seek God in all of our prayers. In humility, we must take time to adore God, praise Him, and love Him.
Saint James taught, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (Jas 4:6). Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori reiterated that fact. He said, “Prayer must be humble: God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble … The prayer of the man that humbleth himself shall pierce the clouds … and he will not depart till the Most High behold. The prayer of a humble soul at once penetrates the heavens and presents itself before the throne of God, and will not depart thence till God regards it and listens to it. However sinful such a soul may be, God can never despise a heart that repents of its sins, and humbles itself: A contrite and humbled heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise.”
Humility is a precious virtue in the spiritual life. The devil absolutely hates humility. He flees from it. He can’t get his way with a humble soul. Saint Vincent de Paul said, “The most powerful weapon to conquer the devil is humility. For, as he does not know at all how to employ it, neither does he know how to defend himself from it.”
The Lord Delights in Humble Souls
One time St. Faustina told her Lord Jesus that she wished to be hidden from everyone but Him: “I want to be a tiny violet, hidden in the grass, unknown in a magnificent enclosed garden in which beautiful lilies and roses grow.” She explained that the “beautiful rose and the lovely lily can be seen from afar, but in order to see the little violet, one has to bend low; only its scent gives it away” (Diary, 591). Saint Faustina wanted her soul to be firmly rooted in God.
Her confessor Fr. Sopoćko told her, “Without humility, we cannot be pleasing to God” (Diary, 270). Sister Faustina came to realize the secret in learning true humility. She wrote, “He who wants to learn true humility should reflect upon the Passion of Jesus. When I meditate upon the Passion of Jesus, I get a clear understanding of many things I could not comprehend before.” Sister Faustina understood that she should strive to imitate and even resemble Jesus. She continued in her Diary, “I want to resemble You, O Jesus, — You crucified, tortured and humiliated. Jesus, imprint upon my heart and soul Your own humility. I love You Jesus … “ (267).
Recently, I gave a Saturday morning talk and did a book signing at a parish. Beforehand, I took a few moments alone with Jesus to prepare my heart and to ask HIM to work through me that morning and that day. As always, I wanted to be open to His amazing graces and prayed to be able to impart His love, mercy, and teachings to those who would be gathering soon.
I spoke about the Blessed Mother and the Rosary. I am thankful that it was received well. After my talk and book signing, as well as chatting with many who had attended, a woman (I’ll call her Ella) wanted to linger after the others had left so that she could talk with me privately about matters of the heart.
We prayed in the church for awhile before Jesus the Blessed Sacrament and then decided to go out for a bite to eat. I had only had a meager early breakfast and it was now many hours past. So, instead of heading for home as originally planned, I suggested that we go out and get a late lunch together.
We set out for the center of town, deciding upon a family diner where we could sit down and chat. Over salad and soup, we discussed a number of the issues that were pressing on Ella’s mind and heart. During sips of hot Earl Gray tea, I observed that she seemed to be feeling a healthy sense of relief in sharing it all with someone she could trust. She had to get it off her chest. I was more than happy to listen and offer words of encouragement.
Ella and I left the diner because it was about to close up, and we both thought that stretching our legs around the town green seemed to be in order. As we headed down the sidewalk and after about twenty steps, I asked Ella if she would mind if I went back to my car to get my Rosary. So, we turned back to retrieve my red wooden beads from Poland (complete with a St. Faustina relic). I don’t like to be without my Rosary.
The clock strikes three
Just then, I happened to look up at the church on the green. The hands displayed on the clock face let me know that the huge town clock was just about to strike three in the afternoon. A good reminder that the day was flying by.
But, not only that–more importantly, it was almost the Hour of Great Mercy! I asked Ella if she’d like to pray the Divine mercy Chaplet together as we walked. She and I pulled out our Rosary beads and began to pray. Thinking back now, I wish I had snapped a picture of that clock. It seemed absolutely perfectly stunning set against an Autumn sky. Despite that, how wonderful it was to have that opportunity to pray the Chaplet with Ella–right at three o’clock!
So, around the town green we went, praying the powerful prayer that Our Lord had asked of St. Faustina and all of the rest of us as well. We got to a certain area where we could cross the street. I asked Ella if she wanted to cross or continue straight. I could see that there was something going on straight ahead and down the sidewalk a ways. From where we were, it seemed like it was a couple of homeless men with some belongings. Ella was indecisive, so I suggested that we continue ahead. If it was indeed a couple of homeless men, I wanted to at least say, “hello” to them.
We continued our Chaplet, “For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world…”
As we got closer, I could see a police officer who seemed to be standing over a man who was kneeling on the ground. But before we reached them, the man suddenly exited left somehow and I could no longer see him. He disappeared!
I said “hello” to the officer and remarked about the old and abandoned house which had been overgrown with foliage for some years. I thought maybe they were cleaning it out since some things were there on the sidewalk and there was some activity. The policeman said that the new owner would be cleaning the house up in a week or so. He did not let on about what was transpiring.
What is going on?
I spotted an old collapsed pup tent on the sidewalk amid a few odds and ends. It only took about another thirty seconds for me to realize what was actually happening. A homeless man was being evicted from his hidden shelter on the other side of the bushes. Apparently, he had set down some “roots” out of sight and had been camping out on the abandoned property.
Ella and I continued on our way. I felt there was not much I could do since the situation was being handled by the policeman. We crossed the street and headed towards our cars. I was wondering if I could help in any way. Then, I noticed that the police man left the scene.
What we observed next was incredible! We watched from across the street as the man quickly disappeared behind the tall hedges. He actually–just–walked–right through them! Or, so it seemed. It was like he was going into a secret garden!
We stood there on the other side of the green watching for him to emerge again. I told Ella, “I wish I had something to give him.”
In a flash, I remembered something.
“Oh! The cake that you packaged up for me to give to my husband! I’ll get a piece of that and bring it to him.”
And, Ella retrieved a new bottle of water from her vehicle and we made our way back to the other side of the green.
“Jesus in the distressing disguise”
The newly “evicted” man suddenly emerged from the bushes. He had a beard and was wearing scruffy clothes and a knitted cap. Mother Teresa would call him, “Jesus, in the distressing disguise of the poorest of the poor.” He seemed to be getting all of his belongings out and on to the sidewalk. While Ella looked on, I went over to him and said that I was sorry that he had been thrown out of his “home.” He nodded and quietly looked down. I asked him what he was going to do now.
“I don’t know.”
“Where will you go?” I ventured to ask the stranger.
“I don’t know.”
I felt at such a loss as to what I could do or even say that would help.
“I wish there was something I could do to help,” I told him. “But, here, would you like this piece of cake?”
“No,” he simply replied.
“How about a bottle of water?”
“No, thank you.”
I knew he must have been upset to be thrown out of the place he had called, “home.” Plus, he didn’t know us and why should he trust us? Still, I felt the need to stay with him and prayed silently. I wanted to help somehow. I asked him his name and he told us that it was, “Chris.” I eventually ventured to ask him another question.
“Do you ever pray, Chris?”
“Sometimes.”
“Do you want to pray now?”
He agreed, and stood up. Facing him, I just naturally placed my hands on his shoulders like a mother would hold her son and I began to pray.
“Our Father, who art in Heaven…”
He prayed along with me and Ella who was standing behind me. My heart was soaring hearing Chris pray the words of the “Our Father.” I moved into the “Hail Mary” next and he quietly prayed that with us as well.
“Amen! Things are going to turn around, Chris. They will. You have to have hope.”
“I hope so,” he told me.
“It will turn around. Keep praying. Things will get better. Ask God to help you–every day–ask God.”
My heart went out to him
I started praying aloud a prayer to God as if I were Chris, asking God to help. I wanted to give Chris an idea of a simple heartfelt prayer–something he can say anytime.
“Please help me, God. Show me the way…help me to get better…”
My heart went out to him and I asked Chris if I could give him a hug. He said I could. I hugged him tight, patting his back and praying for him. I even, afterwards, made a Sign of the Cross with my thumb on his forehead, blessing him.
Chris started eating little bits of the homemade pound cake that I had given to him (that Ella had baked!). It had been resting on a napkin on one of the two big black garbage bags that contained what would be all of his belongings.
Our new friend went back to stuffing a few belongings into one of his bags. But, he struggled. I asked if I could help.
“Do you want me to roll up your sleeping bag, Chris?”
“Okay, thanks.”
Still dressed in my good clothes that I wore for giving the presentation that morning, and my dress coat, I bent down and stretched the worn dirty sleeping bag out on the sidewalk, all the while reassuring him that I had done this countless times before for my 5 kids. Perhaps, I was making light of his terrible situation, but it was meant to be friendly reassuring chatter. After getting Chris’s “bed” into a tight roll I asked if I should put it into the garbage bag. He said I should.
As I stuffed it into the tattered bag, I could then see clearly that Chris was minus all of his fingers on one of his hands–well, except for one! No wonder he was struggling with the bag.
Chris let me roll up the second sleeping bag too. It sure had seen better days. I did the same with that one, placing it into the garbage bag near the other. Right around that time, some boys walked by. There were five of them. Within minutes, they did an “about face” and came straight towards us. Huge smiles seemed plastered across their faces.
Suddenly, I became concerned as they approached that they were coming back to make fun of the unfortunate man.
The Mama Bear in me stepped out a bit in front of Chris who was back kneeling on the ground rummaging around to put his things in the bags, as well as taking little bites of the pound cake.
I became a human shield.
“Hi boys! What’s up?” I asked them.
The Calvary!
“We are Boy Scouts from Troop XX and we want to offer a free meal ticket to our pasta dinner at the church tonight!” One of the boys exclaimed.
Wow! How Beautiful. These boys are great!
“That is so kind of you boys!”
I believe that they thought of this kind work of mercy all on their own. They beamed with pride–a special sort that sprang straight from the boys’ hearts. They chatted a moment with Christ to tell him where the dinner would be held. Chris acknowledged their instructions and thanked them. And off they went! But, before they did, I asked if I could snap a photo of them.
They were on their way again, but before long they were back to give a meal ticket to Chris. Chris held it in his good hand and stared down at it for a few long seconds. We all chatted for a few minutes and I thanked them so much for being kind to Chris. I also asked them if they pray and if they would for Chris to find a place to live. They agreed!
I have blacked out the information for privacy reasons.
Just then, a slip of paper fell to the ground. I picked it up. It was a hospital bracelet that had fallen out of Chris’s pocket. I asked him if it was his and what had happened. Chris told me that he had gone in to the ER the night before because his legs “weren’t working.” I noticed from the bracelet, (looking at his date of birth) that he was only 39 years old. He was around the same age as one of my own sons. No wonder I felt like a mother to him. I wasn’t sure of his age because he appeared somewhat older, most-likely due to street-living and a rough life. My heart went out to him.
Again, I asked him where he might go. He said for that night he would probably sleep on a park bench. I asked if he had a pillow and enough blankets and he said that he did. I told him that if it was at all possible that if I could, I’d come back to town that night and bring something to him.
That night
It rained that night and unfortunately I was unable to go out. I thought about Chris being out in the cold rain, as well as all unfortunate others. I was up half the night praying–and a lot of it was for him and all those in his situation.
I will go out again soon and look for Chris. I have a coat and an umbrella already in my car ready to give to him. As well, I’ll bring some hot food. I also have a blessed Miraculous Medal and chain that I will give to him.
I pray that a shelter and help can be found for Chris and others like him.
We must pray for and help the unfortunate. God asks us to do so. He gave us very clear instructions, when He said, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me” (Matthew 25: 31-46). As well, Jesus instructed St. Faustina that He demanded deeds of mercy from us. We should not only trust in God’s great Mercy, we need to impart that Mercy to others.
Years ago when I found out that I had osteoporosis I committed to get out there every day and get some walking in. Walking is supposed to help create bone mass. I think the walking has helped me.
More recently, I have gotten my husband involved in exercise. I have long known that it would be good for him, but he has resisted the idea for some time now. But over the last few weeks I have enjoyed having a hiking buddy. Yes, I talked him into it! So, every morning, we take a hike. I say it’s a hike and not a walk, because it isn’t just a casual stroll on a level track or sidewalk. We live in the woods of rural Connecticut and there are a couple of dirt roads near our home. There are some decent hills along our route, so, whether we just hike a mile or have time to do our two mile hike to the farm and back, we get a pretty good work out (for old people!).
It has been hot an humid lately and in order to get that hike into our day, we have to do it first thing in the morning before it gets worse as the day unfolds, weather permitting, of course. When I say “weather permitting,” I don’t mean that we don’t go if it’s hot and sticky (and who in their right mind would want to go out and hike in those conditions?). We push ourselves and go out. But, if it’s pouring rain or thunder-storming, we skip it that morning. Thankfully, we very rarely need to worry about tornadoes in these parts.
I use an herbal bug repellant since I am still dealing with tick borne diseases and don’t want to get any more. I had four active ones (Lyme, Q Fever, Anaplasma, and Babisia) for quite some time. The doctor and I are hoping that I might have just very recently defeated two of them–finally. We are not totally sure until we get results from another round of blood work. But we are hoping. I have been dealing with Lyme disease for over twenty five years now, with five different documented new cases of Lyme. I guess you can say that I have been a “Tick magnet.” I wish that weren’t so, but alas, it is. So, I deal with it, fight it, and have pretty good stuff to offer up to God.
Adding a Rosary to the mix
So, each morning my husband and I get up and get dressed quickly. After putting organic tick spray on ourselves, we head out the door–me with rosary in hand (my husband follows along with or without his beads). I love to pray the rosary first thing in the morning. Well, my Morning Offering comes first before I leave the house. But, if I don’t get my rosary prayed first thing, I might not get to it. It might be said in bits and pieces–a decade at a time. And, I don’t think that is so bad. Our dear Mother Mary knows that we are busy at the service of others. I often preach to others that even a decade at a time is okay. Many times those kinds of rosaries are prayed on my finger tips as I trudge (or run!) through my day. But, there is nothing worse for me than getting to the end of the day and lamenting that my rosary was not said and I am so exhausted by then to complete the whole rosary. Oy vey!
If I can pray my rosary in the morning before getting into all of the hustle and bustle of the day, I feel much better, knowing thatI have answered the Blessed Mother’s call to us through her messages at Fatima. She called for the rosary to be prayed daily for peace in the world and the conversion of sinners. Every rosary gives us the opportunity to offer all of our family and loved ones to God through those simple yet powerful beads. Mary takes our prayer offerings into her loving Immaculate Heart where they become extraordinarily beautiful, and she then delivers the prayers to heaven–truly amazing!
So, I am delighted that I have gotten my husband out the door and exercising with me every morning, as well as getting a whole rosary in before he leaves for work and before I settle down at my computer to get going on mine. Then, as the day unfolds, I can add to that rosary and pray additional decades.
Crosses in our lives
This morning when out on our rosary hike, I discovered this beautiful cross on the side of the dirt road. It is a perfect cross made out of God’s creation. It was yet another reminder to me about Our Lord’s holy Cross and great love for us.
Earlier this month when I was weeding a little garden out back, I tossed some weeds and old stalks of plants on to the ground nearby. Afterwards when I was cleaning that up, I discovered that two of the pieces of stalks had landed to form a perfect cross. Pretty amazing, I thought. I believe that God is forever speaking to us through His creation. We need to have eyes to see and ears to hear.
Not too long ago, I felt inspired one morning to put the message out there to the world about forgiveness, love, and mercy, and the Cross of Jesus. I wrote a short blog post titled “Was it something he said?” In it I asked:
How often do we hold a grudge without even realizing it? A co-worker is in a bad mood and takes something out on you. It seems crazy and totally out of the blue–you were simply an innocent bystander. Someone makes a snide remark in a passive aggressive kind of way. Your husband is short with you. Or, he seems ungrateful for the countless things you do for him. Your mother-in-law just does not understand your mothering style–and she has voiced her opinion about that—on more than one occasion. Sound familiar? And the list goes on and on–little pin pricks actually hurt a lot. Little splinters from the Cross?
Love hurts too. Mother Teresa often said that to love authentically should cost us. Real love hurts, she explained. Is it possible to take the high road when attacked? Let love and prayer deflect that arrow to the heart? Jesus said, “Love your enemies. And pray for those who persecute” (Matthew 5:44)….
You can read the whole thing here. It was the kind of post in which readers did not leave comments because of the nature of the message. But instead, they contacted me privately to tell me how much it touched their heart and that they really needed to see it because they had issues brewing and wanted to be able to forgive.
With her permission I will share one woman’s reaction to the post:
My week got a bit sour on Tuesday when I returned to work! I was feeling down and I just read your blog post ‘Is it something he said?’ It just nailed it and gave me a lot of peace and solace…. I knew I was harboring un-forgiveness and that was the main reason for the dark spot in my heart….. last evening the Holy Spirit really convicted me and I asked God to forgive me and I felt better. Your blog article was like an extra aide to my heart which God has already started mending….After reading it, I went for walk (its lunch time down under!) went to the nearby park….. prayed the Rosary while walking and came back and spoke to the person who hurt me and made me feel small.. Now, my heart is so much lighter. Praise God.
The irritable, the angst-ridden, and the contradictory–those family members and neighbors who challenge us in some way–actually help us on our way to heaven. We need to ask God for grace and an extra dose of faith, hope, and charity to be able to love the very people God wants us to serve. We are actually called to love them to heaven! In the course of even just one day, God gives many opportunities to act on grace, to love our family members and others near us, to set an example by our selfless service to them. It’s not always easy; in fact, most times it is very difficult.
Dear Lord, please open our eyes and our hearts to see you in our family member, our neighbor, co-worker, and everyone you have put in our midst. Please grant us the graces to always act in love to serve them and bring them closer to You. Blessed Mother Mary, please guide and protect us, and help us to be attentive to your graces in our lives. All of the Angels and Saints, please pray for us. Amen.
Today’s Blog Tour Stop is at “Catholic News and Inspiration.” Patti writes:
“Sadness was not what I expected while listening to a popular Catholic speaker. His love of God and family bubbled over as he and his described a beautiful coming-of-age tradition when kids became teenagers in her family. That’s when it hit me. “Wow, our families are so different!”
Their event included relatives who called with affirming messages. I imagined trying to arrange the same thing among my relatives. First would be an awkward pause. Then: “You’re kidding, right?”
That realization hit with a pang of sadness. But quickly, my Catholic mindset shifted into gear. God gave me my family and he knows the challenges. Everyone’s crosses are different but we all have them.
That moment laid on my heart the sensitivity that many parents struggle with family challenges beyond their control. Friends have shared such pain with me after listening to good Catholic speakers then feeling salt was rubbed into their wounds. For example, at a Catholic high school, it’s a great idea to bring in speakers for a parents’ night to impart good family values. But inevitably, some parents will go home feeling sad for what they are lacking.
The Kiss of Jesus
It was that very realization of the pain and struggles in the lives of others that spurred Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle, a popular author, speaker and EWTN TV host, to share her shocking past. I have known Donna-Marie for several years and knew parts of her story, but not all. I often thought, “She is so sweet and graceful, no one would ever suspect what she has been through.”…
Fever, Anaplasma, and Babisia) for quite some time. The doctor and I are hoping that I might have just very recently defeated two of them–finally. We are not totally sure until we get results from another round of blood work. But we are hoping. I have been dealing with Lyme disease for over twenty five years now, with five different documented new cases of Lyme. I guess you can say that I have been a “Tick magnet.” I wish that weren’t so, but alas, it is. So, I deal with it, fight it, and have pretty good stuff to offer up to God.
