Who are You? – Perfect Love – Living in a Bubble – Jesus is Near

Vincentian Day of Prayer and Fast – December 8, 2015

Dear Vincentian Family:  Today is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception a wonderful Holy Day.  The Feast of the Immaculate Conception centers on the belief that Jesus’ mother, the Virgin Mary, was conceived without sin. Pope Pius IX issued an apostolic constitution, known as the Ineffabilis Deus, on December 8, 1854. Pray Mary helps us through our Advent.  We are now in the Second Week and we light the second candle which is the light of Peace.  We need to always pray for peace for everyone and especially in ourselves and our families.  We pray for all the victims of terrorism.  Pray also for each other in our Vincentian family.  Have a blessed week. Lynn

Who are You? – When our relationship with the Holy Spirit is active, healthy and growing, we share in God’s holiness. We are holy with the Spirit in us.  Meditate and find your holiness.  Be who you really are.  God’s creation!  You can activate the Holy Spirit in you and live in joy.  Reading the Book of Wisdom 7:22 to end of 7, we discover wisdom is the Holy Spirit and, “She (Wisdom) is an aura of the might of God and a pure effusion of the glory of the Almighty;
therefore nought that is sullied enters into her. She is the eternal light; the spotless mirror of the power of God; the image of His goodness.  Knowing and living this calls us to serve and shine this light for all to see.  “Our true worth does not consist in what human beings think of us. What we really are consists in what God knows us to be.” – Saint John Berchmans (1599-1621).  Reflect and pray and you will know who you are – a Vincentian servant!  One who serves Christ and sees Christ always in others.  We need to pray to be alert to the presence of the Trinity and believe in this always.  We are never alone. All of this is in you, it is already there. You just need accept and meditate and activate who you really are.

Perfect Love – “You know that perfect love is acquired when we possess the object of our love. So why do you have so much fruitless anxiety and discouragement? Always long for more love with complete confidence, and do not be afraid.  We must believe firmly in the holy Redeemer, since there is so much glory adorning Him. Let us continue to live for His glory, imitating His example and acting according to His wishes. Otherwise our faith will be of no use if our works do not correspond to our belief.” (Padre Pio’s Spiritual Direction for Every Day).  Know that God is a performing a miracle in your life each day.  No matter how rough our circumstances are right now, or the circumstances of those we are called to serve, God is doing many miracles for us.  When we do a home, or prison visit, or serve a meal, or visit the sick or encounter a stranger we are giving God’s perfect love to others.  The miracle given to you is truly shared with others, even with something as simple as a smile. Believe!  God and His perfect love are always with us.  Take the time to discover it and use it for others.

Living in a Bubble –  “The culture of comfort, which makes us think only of ourselves, makes us insensitive to the cries of other people, makes us live in soap bubbles which, however lovely, are insubstantial; they offer a fleeting and empty illusion which results in indifference to others.”  –Pope Francis  All of us need to make decisions that reflect our God-given dignity, our God-given freedom that needs to respect the freedom of everyone else precisely because they also have been made in God’s image and likeness. We do not make the changes in others.  It is not about us. We are participants, a disciple showing others the good in them.  God has given them this gift, our role is to keep it alive by bursting the bubble which keeps them in poverty and us as in charge. “Let us ponder Jesus’ love for us and His zeal for our well-being, and let us be calm because of that, not doubting that He will help us with more than fatherly protection against all our enemies.” -From Padre Pio’s Spiritual Direction for Every Day.  Make sure we are living in God’s journey with us and we serve with true faith.  If we are in a bubble make sure the Trinity is with us.

Jesus is Near – Jesus is behind the stranger’s door we knock at.  Take the step forward.  Jesus is near to us, not in the flesh but in His Holy Spirit.  He is with us right now and every minute.  He knows every situation.  During Advent we sense His presence more fully, when we take the time to feel His presence.  As we enter Advent most of us are busy with Christmas Hampers, just like shopping and the call of the advertising world, they can be as demanding on us.  Know Jesus is near and we are meant to lovingly pray over each and every minute we put into the hampers.  Don’t let the secular Christmas tempt you.  I love the commercial on in my area currently.  It says Christmas is a four letter word and the word is not “SALE”, but “LOVE”.  Remember to always put your love into everything you are doing this Advent.  Keep the reason for the season near to you.  He is near! Jesus is before you getting ready for your next step.  Each thing we do in His name is leading us to the gate of heaven – the gate of holiness, the gate of love.  Walk with Him to live the fullness of our mission and His plans for us on earth.  This is our goal to eternal life, feel Jesus always – He is near.

Blessings, Lynn

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