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Living Stones

“like living stones,  let yourselves be built into a spiritual house.”  1 Peter 2:5

Spiritual houses are strong yet joyous, just take for example the life of Saint Maximilian Kolbe.  At the Auschwitz concentration camp of World War II, Franciszek Gajowniczek was being placed into a starvation bunker.  Gajowniczek began pleading for his life, “My wife! My Children!”, when Kolbe calmly stepped forward and asked to take Gajowniczek’s place.    Maximilian Kolbe joined the other nine men in the bunker facing starvation and the guards were shocked when instead of hearing the expected weeping and crying they heard the group singing songs and reciting prayers being led by Maximilian Kolbe.  Maximilian Kolbe’s body was cremated in the Auschwitz death camp on August 15, 1941, the feast day of the Assumption of Mary.

Let us become living stones, spiritual houses of strength and joy. 

Casa Grande, Big Bend National Park, Texas

 

Trinity

This picture of Turquoise Lake wouldn’t make sense if it had only the land, or only the water or only the sky; however, when you include all three, the picture not only makes sense, but is beautiful.

Jesus reveled to us that the one God that existed before space and time is a Trinity of three persons in one God.  A relationship of love.  Perfect.  Beautiful.

Have you ever noticed that God loves relationships; ant colony’s, flocks of birds, a fawn being fed by its mother….  Perhaps all of these relationships are a very tiny reflection of the perfect loving relationship of God.

The human family, when it is at its best, each person loving and caring for the other, is likely one of the better reflections of God’s love.   As it is written in Genesis 1:27, “God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”

God wants the best for us.  He wants each of us to dwell in his love.  To come into his loving arms.  When we enter into a loving relationship with Him we become the best versions of ourselves, we become the people he intended for us to be.

Let us open our hearts to our loving God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Love.  Pure Love.

Turquoise Lake, Colorado

 

A New Horizon…. Wind, Fire and the Holy Spirit

”And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit”.  Acts 2:4

“it is necessary to open ourselves once again to the horizon of God’s Spirit, without being afraid of what he asks us or of where he leads us.” Pope Francis, General Audience May 22, 2013

Foreground, painting from the St. John the Baptist Cathedral, Savannah, Georgia, Background, Texas Hill Country sunset

 

Happy Mother's Day

Gentle woman, quiet light,
morning star, so strong and bright,
gentle Mother, peaceful dove,
teach us wisdom; teach us love.

Mosaic from Basilica of our Lady of the Rosary, Lourdes, France

Flowers and Light

May we be like flowers radiating His light through works of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

"But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.”  John 3:21

Sunset, Spring Branch, TX

The Two Greatest Commandments

The greatest two commandments; that we love God with all our heart, soul and mind and that that we love our neighbors as ourselves (Mt 22: 36-40), are summarized in the following quote by St. Catherine of Siena.

“Reflect that God requires nothing of us except that we show our neighbors the love we have for God.” St. Catherine of Siena, Letter T89

St Catherine’s life (1347 – 1380 A.D.) personified this quote; as her love for God grew this love poured forth from her onto the people that she met.  St. Catherine of Siena’s feast day was April 29th.

Spanish Peaks near Walsenburg, Colorado

Running the Race

“let us… persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith.”  Hebrews 12: 1, 2

Antelope running near Clayton, New Mexico

Mercy

“mercy… this word changes everything.  This is the best thing we can feel: it changes the world.  A little mercy makes the world less cold and more just.  We need to understand properly this mercy of God, this merciful Father who is so patient… Let us remember the prophet Isaiah who says that even if our sins were scarlet, God’s love would make them white as snow.  This mercy is beautiful.” Pope Francis, Angelus, March 17, 2013

Isaiah 1:18 “Come now let us set things right, says the Lord:  Though your sins be like scarlet, they may become as white as snow” 

Snow covered mountain near Cripple Creek, Colorado

 

Oaks, Flowers and Creation

“In the Judaeo-Christian tradition, the word “creation” has a broader meaning than “nature”, for it has to do with God’s loving plan in which every creature has its own value and significance.”  “Even the fleeting life of the least of beings is the object of his love, and in its few seconds of existence, God enfolds it with his affection.”  Paragraph 76, 77 Laudato Si’ Pope Francis - On Care for our Common Home

Blue Bonnets and Oaks, Spring Branch, TX

 

The Builder

For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.  Hebrews 3:4

Great Egret, High Island, Texas

 

He has Risen

They said to them, “Why do you seek the living one among the dead?  He is not here, but he has been raised.  Luke 25:5-6

Roxborough State Park, Colorado, U.S.A.

 

A Mother’s Sorrow

“and you yourself a sword will pierce so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”  Luke 2:35

Mary and Jesus - Basilique Saint-Nazaire, Carcassonne, France

 

 

What God did for the Love of Man

“Who would believe what we have heard?
To whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
He grew up like a sapling before him,
like a shoot from the parched earth;” Isaiah 53: 1,2

Indian Paintbrush – Spring Branch, Texas

 

On this Mountain

On this mountain the LORD of hosts
will provide for all peoples
A feast of rich food and choice wines,
juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines.
On this mountain he will destroy
the veil that veils all peoples,
The web that is woven over all nations;
he will destroy death forever.
The Lord GOD will wipe away
the tears from all faces;
The reproach of his people he will remove
from the whole earth; for the LORD has spoken.

On that day it will be said:
“Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us!
This is the LORD for whom we looked;
let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!”
For the hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain.

Isaiah 25:6-10

Enchanted Rock State Park, Texas

 

Keeping our eyes on the Lord

As we enter into Holy Week let us keep our eyes on our Lord.

He humbled himself,
becoming obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross.  Philippians 2:8

Golden-fronted Woodpecker - keeping watch on the rising sun – Big Bend National Park

 

Spring colors – like a prayer of Thanksgiving

“For me prayer means launching out from the heart toward God; a cry of grateful love from the crest of joy or the trough of despair; it is a vast supernatural force that opens out my heart and binds me close to Jesus.”  St. Thesese of Lisieux

Texas Redbud – Spring Branch, TX

 

God's Mercy

“LORD, your mercy reaches to heaven” Psalm 36:6

“Let us not forget that God forgives and God forgives always.” “Let us never tire of asking for forgiveness.” -  Pope Francis

Ocotillo in bloom reaching to heaven – Big Bend National Park, TX, U.S.A. 

Seeing Christ in others

“If now we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten how to see God in one another.” – Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Rock - Arches National Park, Utah, U.S.A.

 

Tree Planted Beside the Waters

Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose hope is the LORD.
He is like a tree planted beside the waters
that stretches out its roots to the stream:
It fears not the heat when it comes,
its leaves stay green;
In the year of drought it shows no distress,
but still bears fruit.

Oak Tree near Guadalupe River, Spring Branch, TX