What God is Telling You – Pain and Suffering – Guided by the Holy Spirit – Mending a Broken Heart

Vincentian Day of Fast and Prayer – Tuesday, June 14, 2016

What God is Telling You – What has He been saying to you?  Sometimes we think we hear the message, but are we really hearing what He is saying.  My Granny used to teach me so much even though in our house we were not allowed to mention God.  She would use other symbols and things in our midst.  She referred to most things as Angels speaking and would share with us what they were saying and 9 times out of 10 it was Scripture which I did not know until I was a little older and took Bible classes.  There truly is a good deal of mystery in the Bible especially when you have no one to interpret it.  My Granny was the best at teaching.  It was always fun and a challenge. Sometimes I got it wrong and she would tell me to listen to the breeze and asked what God was saying to me.  I always got something.  She would also tell me to view the sunrise or sunset and listen to the angels speak.  These were the words of God.  Sometimes God’s messages were strange and difficult tasks.  I would usually say, “Are you serious, God?”  I would tell Him what I thought should be done and of course He always won.  Listen closely to what He is saying.  He wants you to succeed in bringing Mercy to those in need.  He needs you to be the hands and feet and to serve with love and joy.  God is love – listen to what He has to say.

Pain and Suffering – Pain is temporary, but victory is forever. Suffering lasts a short time, but the joy of Christ is eternal. Don’t believe me? Just ask a mother moments after giving birth. Suffering brings life to life in a newer, more profound way. Like life, suffering is a mystery, designed to point us back to our Creator. Suffering is not a waste of time; it is a moment in time. Suffering does not sever your relationship with God but more deeply unites you to Him. Our suffering thrusts us deep into the heart of the Trinity, the most complete and true form of love that exists. The love between God the Father and God the Son is a love so selfless and so real that it has to be expressed in its own complete person, the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit.  Many of our refugees are suffering as are those we serve.  We see their pain, but we do not understand it.  This is why we recommend you pray before the visit asking the Holy Spirit to guide you.  We really do not know what we face when we go through the door.  Find guidance on dealing with the pain of others.  Try to pass any pain you have to the Lord so it is not carried with you when you serve others.  Also remember to pray after the visit.  If you have given some suggestions to help the family, pray they come to fruition.  We need to be present to the needs and prayer is a big need.  With God all is possible.

Guided by the Holy Spirit – “Allow the Holy Spirit to speak to our hearts and He will tell us this:  God is Mercy – God is Love.” (Pope Francis).  Have you noticed a Spiritual change happening?  You can see it in many situations.  Of course people cling to God on their death bed, but I notice it in young people praying for change and peace. Hope is not wishful thinking. It is the awareness of God’s goodness.  Our God in three persons has life to give you.  It is a good life, guided by the Spirit and served to you with Love and Mercy.  We celebrated the feast of the Sacred Heart and I came from Mass filled with joy and love.  How could that be?  It is for all of us to have, let your heart be guided by the Spirit.  It is a good thing, in all of your life and also in your Vincentian Service to give with love, justice, joy and hope.  Show them your love.  Give them a reason to be lifted out of their poverty and know the Holy Spirit is with you and when you are in greater need the Trinity is there.  You are doing God’s will.  It is for Him not for you.  Give all praise and thanks to God.  He has called you to serve Him in the poor and He has given you the gift of guidance by the Holy Spirit.  Know you are a good servant in His care.

Mending a Broken Heart – A broken heart is never fully mended by those who broke it; it can only be healed by Jesus. So many people we serve have a broken heart. We bring them food, pay their rent and utilities much like Frederic Ozanam did.  He listened to their story.  Do we?  We know we cannot mend the broken hearts, but we can listen and comfort.  Currently I am helping a family with broken hearts.  They came to Canada 12 years ago for a fresh start.  The husband had a great job with good pay, but they had many expenses and lived in a small house.  They loved Canada.  The woman became pregnant with her 3^rd child which turned into triplets.  I and many in our conference became involved.  She delivered 3 beautiful boys and we put out a call to women in the parish and we were able to cover every hour of the day with 2 women help with the triplets.  In comes the broken heart.  They bought a beautiful home for their family of 7 and things are going well.  I still kept in touch with them.  So when the husband lost his job again Tony and I were on the spot.  We passed his resume around, but nothing happened.  The broken heart is the wife and mother.  She wants to go to work to help with the income, but is unable to do so due to poor health and a language barrier.  I sat with her.  She cried and I hugged her; all the time praying for God to heal her broken heart.  She is afraid of losing her home.  She has had to say “no” to the things the children want.  Her heart breaks again.  She had to deny her daughter of going to a school outing with all her friends because she didn’t have the money.  Once again she sobbed into my arms.  I prayed silently and we prayed together.  She smiled and by the time I left she was actually laughing.  Her heart was mended and it may break again, but she knows, God will heal her.

Blessings,

Lynn