love – Page 169 – hugsnblessings

the Whole Wide World!

Published on September 26, 2015September 26, 2015 by Dawn Marie8 Comments

I’ve known about the World Meeting of Families for months. I’ve prepared to go for the past couple of weeks. But it wasn’t until today that it hit me…the Whole Wide World had been invited!!

Not just our bus of pilgrims, not just our diocese, not just Pennsylvanian’s but they really meant…the Whole Wide World was invited!

AND THEY CAME!

Not just me, not just our bus, not just the faithful in Pennsylvania but literally tens of thousands of others from…the Whole Wide World! (And they are predicting the city of Philadelphia will have approximately 1.5 million people on its streets beginning tomorrow.)

This great epiphany came as I stood amongst a sea of other Catholics during the final Mass this morning for the World Meeting of Families held in the Grand Hall of the Philadelphia Convention Center. Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, President of the Pontifical Council for the Family, presided; as well as, being joined on the altar by a plethara of other fellow Bishops and priests. It was magical and breathtaking and you could feel the commitment of faith from those around you!

Then at the moment Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia said,

“At the Savior’s command and formed by divine teaching, we dare to say…”

It hit me! That’s when I looked to my left to grab the hand of a Vietnamese woman and then to my right to have my hand held firmly by a Mexican man. Here I was in the middle of two different Countries and the three of us were reciting Our Father’s Prayer, as a part of…the Whole Wide World.

The tears that fell from that holy moment only helped to brighten my view now on all the others who were in the room. A cuban couple in front of me. Koreans behind & to the left. Nigerians to my far right. And fellow Americans directly behind. I believe we all felt this immense connection of being a part of something much bigger than us all. We were family, familia, One Catholic and Apolstolic faith! We were but a small part of a faith that is entrenched in…the Whole Wide World.

How fitting it was that this clarity came under the recitation of Our Father’s Prayer. The Lord’s Prayer is the prayer the entire Church says every single day at every Mass and it is part of the Communion Rite. Jesus taught The Lord’s Prayer to his disciples when they asked how to pray (cf. Mt 6:9-13, Lk 11:2-4) and it signifies our communion with God and the fellowship we share with one another. In this prayer, the people join their voices to pray for the coming of God’s kingdom and to ask God to provide for our needs, forgive our sins, and bring us to the joy of heaven.

And peope in the Whole Wide World are invited to profess this!

Won’t you join us too?

these hugs n’ blessings are sent to the far corners of the world today!

ps- Papa Francis arrives tomorrow in Philadelphia and…the Whole Wide World can hardly wait!

“Let them come to me…”

Published on September 23, 2015September 23, 2015 by Dawn Marie12 Comments

Held every three years and sponsored by the Holy See’s Pontifical Council for the Family, the World Meeting of Families is the world’s largest Catholic gathering of families. Each World Meeting of Families has a theme that energizes and enlivens the event while adding great depth of meaning to our understanding of families. The theme of the World Meeting of Families – Philadelphia 2015 is “Love Is Our Mission: The Family Fully Alive,” emphasizing the impact of the love and life of families on our society. Since its inception by Saint John Paul II in 1994, the World Meeting of Families has strengthened the sacred bonds of families across the globe.

On June 30th, 2015, the Vatican released the comprehensive itinerary for Pope Francis’ journey to the United States, including his schedule for Philadelphia on September 26-27, which will close the 6-day Apostolic Journey. And ever-since that day I, (along with millions of others) have anticipated his arrival. I am still pinchity-pinching myself that I will be there!

Call me a fanatic, Jesus-freak, (did you know this is described in the urban dictionary???) Pope-stalker, or the likes; but really…it’s not that dramatic nor romantic! I’m just in awe of my God. I’m in awe of His love for me. His love for others. And the deep-desire He has to reign down his grace and His mercy upon us. God can never be outdone in His generosity & as I have opened my heart to Him more & more I have seen this great love FOR US…Every. Single. Day.

My enthusiasm for Our Holy Father is rooted in his “YES” to God to lead us in this endeavor. Pope Francis’ trust in God, strengthens my trust in him and in my Church. He leads me, guides me, & reminds me what the Gospels teach. I am grateful for the courage he embraces to be challenged, mocked, judged, and ridiculed for this trust in a God he knows intimately. And I am inspired that Pope Francis encourages, invites, and WELCOMES everyone to partake in this same unconditional love our Heavenly Father offers, as we place our trust in Him. The Pope reminds each of us: we are ALL sinners, himself included, BUT that Jesus stands AT the door of our hearts & knocks. However, WE must open the door!! The door-handle is ours to hold, to turn, to open. And I pray, if it hasn’t already been done, countless people, through the blessings of the Holy Father’s visit, find themselves pulling open the door which separates them from receiving God’s great love for them. This is what Christs’ vicar is showing us how to do in his papacy and I am so grateful…I cannot wait to be in Philly so I may tell him so!

KnotsIMG_5240 — Mary, Undoer of Knots Grotto Philadelphia, Pa

knots1 — Mary, Undoer of Knots Grotto Philadelphia, Pa

Exactly how will I tell him??? (I promise not to break any security-breeches in my endeavor.) Through my prayers, of course! My participation in this pilgrimage will be encased in prayers. All forms of prayer! Prayers of sacrifice & fasting. Prayers of gratitude, intentions & petitions. (To discover the difference between the two click on the link.) And I am collecting all forms from anyone who desires me to include theirs with mine. I will offer them at the final Papal Mass or if I am lucky enough to have the opportunity to visit the Mary, Undoer of Knots Grotto in Philly I promise to “tie” your prayers to this special location.

My first prayer, after delivering all the others brought from each of you, will be as I said earlier, my gratitude. However, my biggest prayer is inspired by the tender-little-one shown below. Her message tugs at my heart for personal reasons. And her message is so very poignant to what the theme for The World Meetings of Families is all about…LOVE IS OUR MISSION. May it remain a theme in our lives forever…for the sake of our families…for the sake of one another.

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:14

hugs n’ blessings to all the little-ones who: “try to do my best in my heart.”

So that everyone can smile…

Do you remember?

Published on September 22, 2015September 22, 2015 by Dawn Marie2 Comments

A wise Irish Man once asked us: “Do you remember, the 21st of September?”

“Yes, we do!”

And there have been indelible marks left behind as the clock changes to 22 September.

Like wine stains on your favorite table-covering that can never be removed, some memories remain forever.

There will be several 21st(s) of September I will always remember.

I will definately add this years’ to the list (along with the others!)

Yesterday Pope Francis delivered one such indelible moment as I listened to the live coverage of his homily message to the thousands gathered in Revolutionary Plaza in Cuba.

I pray a word or two leave an indelible mark on your heart as well.

Pope Francis told the crowds on 21 September 15:

“On a day like any other, as Matthew, the tax collector, was seated at his table, Jesus passed by, saw him, came up to him and said: “Follow me”. Matthew got up and followed him.

Jesus looked at him. How strong was the love in that look of Jesus, which moved Matthew to do what he did! What power must have been in his eyes to make Matthew get up from his table! We know that Matthew was a publican: he collected taxes from the Jews to give to the Romans. Publicans were looked down upon and considered sinners; as such, they lived apart and were despised by others. One could hardly eat, speak or pray with the likes of these. For the people, they were traitors: they extorted from their own to give to others. Publicans belonged to this social class.

Jesus, on the other hand, stopped; he did not quickly take his distance. He looked at Matthew calmly, peacefully. He looked at him with eyes of mercy; he looked at him as no one had ever looked at him before. And this look unlocked Matthew’s heart; it set him free, it healed him, it gave him hope, a new life, as it did to Zacchaeus, to Bartimaeus, to Mary Magdalene, to Peter, and to each of us. Even if we do not dare raise our eyes to the Lord, he looks at us first. This is our story, and it is like that of so many others. Each of us can say: “I, too, am a sinner, whom Jesus has looked upon”. I ask you, in your homes or in the Church, to be still for a moment and to recall with gratitude and happiness those situations, that moment, when the merciful gaze of God was felt in our lives.

Jesus’ love goes before us, his look anticipates our needs. He can see beyond appearances, beyond sin, beyond failures and unworthiness. He sees beyond our rank in society. He sees beyond this, to our dignity as sons and daughters, a dignity at times sullied by sin, but one which endures in the depth of our soul. He came precisely to seek out all those who feel unworthy of God, unworthy of others. Let us allow Jesus to look at us. Let us allow his gaze to run over our streets. Let us allow that look to become our joy, our hope.

After the Lord looked upon him with mercy, he said to Matthew: “Follow me.” Matthew got up and followed him. After the look, a word. After love, the mission. Matthew is no longer the same; he is changed inside. The encounter with Jesus and his loving mercy has transformed him. He leaves behind his table, his money, his exclusion. Before, he had sat waiting to collect his taxes, to take from others; now, with Jesus he must get up and give, give himself to others. Jesus looks at him and Matthew encounters the joy of service. For Matthew and for all who have felt the gaze of Jesus, other people are no longer to be “lived off”, used and abused. The gaze of Jesus gives rise to missionary activity, service, self-giving. Jesus’ love heals our short-sightedness and pushes us to look beyond, not to be satisfied with appearances or with what is politically correct.”

Jesus looks at Matthew with Love and Mercy. Everyone wants to be noticed. Children are forever saying to their parents ‘Look at me, Look at me.” One of the most painful crosses are those who feel invisible. No one seems to notice or look at them.

Jesus looks at us. Jesus looks into our eyes. In the Gospel today, Jesus stops and looks at a man who everyone considered an outcast. Jesus simply looks at him with Love, and Matthew followed him.

Jesus is looking at you today with eyes full of love and mercy.“

And so I ask: “Will you remember?”