Today is the Feast Day of St. Augustine of Hippo. A friend posted a wonderful quote from him:
“Hope has two beautiful daughters; their names are anger and courage. Anger at the way things are, and courage to see that they do not remain as they are.”
I Found God today in a thoughtful quote.
My mom and I watched Mass today from the parish we used to attend 30-40 years ago. My mom was the organist there. At that time, the pastor met a young priest from Ukraine and they formed a close relationship. The two parishes also formed a relationship supporting one another. The young priest became a bishop in an area of Ukraine. Unfortunately, the pastor of our parish died recently, but together they put a support system in place. The bishop from the Ukraine was here on a visit, along with a priest from Poland just across the border. They and the bishop from our Diocese celebrated the Mass that we watched. It was beautiful, yet somber. The priest from Ukraine acknowledged that God had arranged years ago for such times as these. After the Mass, they showed a short video that was a snippet of a documentary that was produced by EWTN. It was heart wrenching to hear of how the lives of the Ukraine people were changed forever in moments. One woman said that things were normal, children played, parents got old, and people went about their lives. Now, every day people wonder if they will live to the end of the day. Their faces bore the stress of a war torn life. But, they also said they have hope. If they refuse to give into the fear, they stand by one another, help one another, pray together, and work towards peaceful unity. The priests talked about the safe places they have created to harbor and help people. The support they have received from our Diocese, their love for God and one another helped them to remain hopeful. While the Mass and video were heartbreaking, they were also inspiring.
I Found God today inspired by the commitment and perseverance of priests and residents of Ukraine.
Tomorrow is my daughter in law’s birthday, so we had a celebration at our house today. She is such a blessing and certainly deserves to be celebrated. We have many kinds of decorations. She chose the unicorn theme and we all had fun with it. She also chose an ice cream cake from Cold Stone Creamery which was amazing. My brother and sisters helped in the kitchen and with my mom. I spent some time playing pretend with my granddaughter and teddy bears. It was just plain fun. My mom had a great morning and stellar piano practice session. Her energy lasted for quite a while into the party until she had to rest. After the party was the Family Fantasy Football draft, so we all got online to prepare for the upcoming season. At the end of the day, I am feeling pretty grateful and blessed for the close relationship with my family and that we all enjoy celebrating together so much.
I Found God today in my family.
Today I received some mail from a far away friend. She and her granddaughter made some super cute hearts from fancy paper. They sent one for me, my mom, and my sister. It was so thoughtful and encouraging. We all felt pretty special and loved.
I Found God today in thoughtful mail.
I was so blessed to go out and enjoy nature for a second day in a row. Yesterday mom was having a good day, so I took her to her favorite park. We were lucky to see the elusive big horn sheep on our way in. Today I was able to go for a hike in the canyon. I took the trail that climbs to the top of a waterfall and overlooks the city. I’m somewhat out of shape, so I just took my time and stopped every now and again to take in the sights and sounds of the water. I decided to take some videos so that when I’m feeling stressed, I can watch them and experience serenity.
I Found God today in the serenity of nature and waterfalls.
I listened to a powerful reflection of today’s Gospel by Bible scholar Jeff Cavins on the Hallow app. In this scripture, the people who worked for a land owner all got paid the same daily wage, regardless of how long they worked. Those who worked all day long were upset about that, even though the amount they received was fair and was agreed upon. They felt like they should have received more as they compared themselves to those who worked less. In the reflection, Jeff Cavins talked about where we find our worth in today’s society. In our adolescence, we compared ourselves to others all the time as we tried to figure out who we were and where we fit in. However, as we grow older, we need to let go of those childish ways and stand on who we are as adults. Social media makes it all too easy to compare ourselves to everyone, which can leave us depressed and not seeing the truth for what it is. When we get caught up in the comparison trap, we never get on with our own lives. We loose out on the amazing gifts we have, our contribution to society, creative genius, and distinct way of contributing to the Kingdom of God. He gave steps to help get out of this vicious cycle: 1. Take time to list 10 things in your life that you wouldn’t give up for the world. 2. Thank God for the gifts you have. 3. In the areas that you feel inadequate, give them to God and proclaim that He is your adequacy. Ask Him for help instead of feeling depressed. 4. Cut your social media time in half and use that time to read scripture, pray, or serve others. 5. When you feel down by seeing what others are doing or receiving, pull out your list of 10 things you wouldn’t trade for the world and thank God. It was a thoughtful, true, hopeful reflection that stuck with me.
I Found God today reminded that my worth comes from Him.
Today I had an appointment at the eye doctor. I hadn’t been there for a couple years, so it was time for a checkup. The tech who did all the prep and paperwork said I was doing a good job taking care of myself. I told him I cared for my parents and was doing the best I could. He said he found that “the universe”, aka God, takes care of those who are caring for others. After the doctor completed the examination, he said my eyes are very healthy and to keep on taking good care of them. It was a wonderful affirmation that I’m doing well.
I Found God today in affirmation of well being.
I came across a story that further explains the “Refiner’s Fire” that I have been thinking about:
There was once a group of women studying the book of Malachi in the Old Testament. As they were studying chapter three, they came across verse three, which says: “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.”
That week this woman called up a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn’t mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver. As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.
The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot – then she thought again about the verse, that he sits as a refiner and purifier of silver. She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined.
The man answered “Yes”, and explained that he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left even a moment too long in the flames, it would be damaged.
The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, “How do you know when the silver is fully refined?”
He smiled at her and answered, “Oh, that’s easy. When I see my image in it.”
If today you are feeling the heat of this world’s fire, just remember that God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ are refining you. “You are predestined to be conformed to the image of Christ.”Amen.
I Found God today in a reminder that He wants us to be a reflection of Him.
I was pleasantly surprised that my mom wanted to go to church this morning. We were both happy that she finally got to see the new priest. He’s young and chanted several parts of the Mass. My mom said his voice was very soothing. I was glad she was able to enjoy and hear much of what was said. He referred to the Gospel and talked about how important and powerful it is for parents/relatives to continually intercede on behalf of their children or loved ones. In another reflection I listened to, the person said act like you’re in a battle – because you are are. We are in a battle for the everlasting souls of our loved ones. And the good news it that Jesus hears us and will answer us.
I Found God today in the new priest.
Today was my granddaughter’s birthday party. She had a friend over and her little sister. As girls do, they started giggling and being silly. I loved watching them playing and laughing. They didn’t have any inhibitions or bad behavior – just sheer enthusiasm and joy. It was so uplifting.
I Found God today in children’s joy.
Still Finding God 