Friday, August 19, 2011

Use Me, Lord

Lord Jesus, if ever I can be of use to You, even in the slightest way, then please use me. If my eyes can be of use to see someone who needs help, needs a friend, or just needs a smile, then use my eyes to see that someone. If my ears can be of use to hear the plea of a poor person begging for food, to hear the cry of a lonely elderly person, or to just listen to someone who needs a compassionate ear, then by all means call upon me to use my ears to hear for You. If my hands can hold a love-starved child, or if they can wrap a warm blanket around a shivering homeless person, then direct me to this opportunity, Jesus. If I can but fix a simple meal and serve it in a soup kitchen, or if I can fold my hands in prayer offered for someone struggling with emotional pain, then by all means call me to this, Lord. If my lips can whisper a prayer for someone who so badly needs my intercession, or if they can say comforting, kind words to another one who has only heard harsh criticism and hateful words, then let my mouth proclaim Your love O Lord. Use me, Lord. I desire nothing more than to be Your simple disciple. For You said, "Whatever you do to these least brethren of mine, that you do unto me." I desire to treat each of my human brothers and sisters as I would treat You. I want to love them, Lord. Give me Your complete and holy love for all men. Amen.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Mary's Pain for Jesus Her Son

Recently two of my daughters have suffered tremendous pains in their lives. I do not wish to share what they each went through, but, as a mother, I cried right along with them, and even by myself, spent time in tears, crying because the pain they suffered emotionally, was so great for them to bear. One night last week, my husband and I drove up north on our way to vacation, and spent the night in one of my daughter's apartment. She had recently suffered a very painful situation in her life. My husband slept on the couch and I slept in the bed with my daughter. She came home after we had gone to bed. When she came home it was very late and I pretended to be asleep so she wouldn't feel she had to talk to me that late at night. She cried herself to sleep. I felt her body wracked with emotional pain shake and shudder with crying for a good half hour before she finally fell asleep. I put my arm around her to comfort her and just held her. Tears ran down my cheeks as I silently held my 28-year-old baby and wept for her. She felt so small and helpless in my arms. I knew I could do nothing to ease her pain. It was such a helpless feeling. I could only silently offer prayers to God to ease her pain.

The other daughter is expecting her first baby and found out some unfortunate news about future pregnancies for her husband and her. She called me on the way home from the specialist today. She, too, was in tears. I offered her words of comfort the best I could, but, when I hung up the phone, I also wept for the hurt I felt for my child. Again, I knew I was helpless in this situation and only God can help them.

It gave me the chance to reflect on Mary, only one day after the Feast of her Assumption into Heaven. I thought of how miniscule these hurts of my own children must seem to Mary, who wept at the foot of the cross after witnessing the near-death beating of her only son at the hands of cruel and savage Roman soldiers. I recalled how she had witnessed the hideous crucifixion of her "baby," who was guilty only of proclaiming the truth to the world. I thought of how she must have ached so while watching Him hang on the cross for three grueling hours while people laughed and ridiculed Him. She, too, could do nothing to take away His pain. How helpless she must have felt. She must have felt an ache to her innermost being. How dreadful this must have been.

Mary certainly knows my pain when I hurt for my own children. She is the one true mother of us all. I will offer my prayers for my children to her and ask her to ask Her son to lighten the burden of my children even just a little bit. I know she will answer this prayer because she has the heart of a mother who has suffered for her child. I thank her for being my beautiful and holy mother. And I thank Jesus for giving her to me on the cross.