Vincentian Day of Prayer and Fast – Tuesday November 17, 2015

Who Has Seen the Wind? –   Going Deeper into Our Lord – Hear God’s Voice – Christ made us Holy

Vincentian Family always pray and visit Famvin for prayer, knowledge and sharing.  Pray always. Beloved Lord: Always remind me of my need for You to let Your grace work in me and to help me to discern what is good and what builds up the big family that is Your Church. Amen. Blessings, Lynn

Who Has Seen the Wind? –  I think I can answer for you.  No one can see the wind.  You can see the work of the wind with falling leaves, dust storms and blowing on your face and messing up your hair, but not the actual wind.  The same is for the Holy Spirit.  You cannot see the Holy Spirit and we do not know what the Holy Spirit looks like, except perhaps our vision of a dove.  The wind comes and goes.  The Holy Spirit is with us always.  I see the Holy Spirit often in the people around me and those I serve.  Whenever I see goodness in others, I know the Holy Spirit is there.  In dealing with hard times and bad health, I see the Holy Spirit in the healing and goodness around me.  Do you know what God looks like?  He is in the face of each person we serve.  He is in the face of each Vincentian you meet and serve with.  He can be seen in good times and bad.  He is always there. Jesus is a little easy as He was one of us.  We have history of Jesus on earth.  We’ve seen pictures.  He is there on the cross. We can look to Him always and ask for help.  He is in the Eucharist which we take into our body and now He is in us.  I see Jesus in everyone who smiles and especially in children.  I always see Jesus in the eyes of those in need.  I know He is in me and I bring Him to the door of the needy and see Him and serve Him.  This is what we are called to be and do.  We are the arms, legs and voice of Jesus, tenderly loving those who may not know Him.  We are servant, as He was servant.  Others should see Jesus in us.  Our actions, our love and our care and love for all.

Going Deeper into Our Lord – Invest in your Faith.  It is the most rewarding thing you will do.  We must commit to serving as Christ has served.  Everyone has a talent.  No one has time, we have to make it.  There are no excuses.  Do something good for others.  Go one step further and really get to know our Lord.  Every time we learn a little more and do a little more we invest in our Faith.  This not short term, but a life commitment which may change direction, but will always be service.  God loves us.  He wants us to know this.  He wants us to share this love with others.  Each one of the beatitudes is moments in our life, moments to live by. Blessed are the humble, they care and will help those in need to inherit the earth. Blessed are those who are persecuted we will fix the brokenness in others.  Blessed are the sorrowful, they can be comfort to others.  Good stuff doesn’t always happen, but it is always a lesson and can be used to help others.  Our best teachable moments are the hard knocks of experience.  Look at others with the love God gave you and serve great helpings of the love given freely.  You are a Vincentian – Servant of God and Servant to all in need and a saint in training.

Hear God’s Voice – God speaks to us in many ways, some conventional and some unconventional. If we are truly seeking His will for our lives, we must make the effort to hear His voice. While it may require turning off the noise that surrounds us, the reward will be great. We will be able to know His will and experience His peace.  Make an effort to love as God does.  We love our spouse completely for the simple reason that it is how God loves that person.  Listen to God’s voice, leading us to love others as He loves.  It is easy to love your spouse and child, but loving your enemy and strangers, takes God’s help.  Hear His voice and love like He loves.  You don’t just hear the words of God, you feel them.  He caresses us with love and heals our sadness and all of our emotions. He will heal the sadness and emotions of others. Often their needs and emotions are greater than ours.  .  Sometimes we serve someone in need that really needs more than we can give.  We must let Jesus see these emotions.  We pray Lord: Open my heart and knock down the walls in it, so I can discover those in need You have placed in my path, to share Your wonderful love. Amen. We find comfort in our prayers and in those who pray with us.  Group prayer and praying before the Body and Blood are the most amazing prayers.  Hear God’s voice in all you do.

Christ made us Holy – We are holy, but it takes effort to be what we are, living out that holiness and growing in holiness.  Although we were made good, in the image of God Himself, the Original Sin of ignoring God’s laws has affected our nature.   We are Holy but we are sinners.  As baptized Christians, we have the Holy Spirit. We are holy, but it takes effort to be what we are, living out that holiness and growing in holiness. If we don’t put forth that effort, we fall back into sin.  Being made in God’s image, we experience the greatest satisfaction, the most joy, the fullest peace when we handle daily situations the way Jesus would.  When we are patient, kind, forgiving, and loving we are happiest and have more good influence. When we are impatient, mean, or angrily holding a grudge, and allowing our mood to control our actions, it is not a pleasant feeling.  We will sin and sin again, but we are so loved and can always be forgiven.  The two most wonderful solutions we have are reconciliation with a little penance and the Eucharist, taking in Christ’s body and blood.  Yes, we are made holy and we can renew the holiness, daily.

Have a great week. Blessings, Lynn

Lynn L’Heureux is Special needs co-coordinator & Advisor of the Society of St Vincent de Paul Calgary Alberta Canada.