Beautiful Picture

How many times have you looked at a picture and just are in awe at its beauty. Sometimes we look at peoples lives and say the same thing. Everything seems to be in place everything seems to be what you want your life to be like. But what we don't see a lot of the time is what went into making that picture or that life. The background, the foundation, is hidden from clear view by the subject matter.
We were at a meeting the other night were got into a conversation with a man in his 40. He owns his own business and is doing very well with it. He is married and has 4 children of which the oldest is a teenager and the youngest I believe was eight. He is Vietnamese, has a house, car, and is doing well financially. He is active in his parish and is called on by the Priest whenever there is a marriage problem within the Vietnamese community. He goes and talks to the couple which is having problems and tries to help them work out their differences. His own family meets for 2 hours every Friday night around 8pm at the kitchen table for what they call a, "no parents night". Every one sits down, parents included, and tells what they have been doing all week, what was good and what was bad, and what they might need help with. There is more but I think you can image what the picture looks like.
Now for the background. This picture was started when this man came to the United States, maybe around the age of 19. He did not know anyone, he could not speak English, he had no money, or higher education. When asked what he did, he said " he prayed". Every morning when he got up he prayed that he would have a good day and every night he prayed in thanksgiving for all that the day had brought him. He asked Mary to watch over him and to protect him. He learned English from listening, and watching television and from other people around him. He said every day he still prays in the morning for help in the day and every night prays in thanksgiving for all his blessings. When he is asked to go visit a troubled family he said he prays to Mary that she will put the words in his mouth, and use him to help this family in need. Then when he is done visiting with that family he prays in thanksgiving to Mary for helping him and using him to help that family.
As we go through life enjoying God's picture album, I guess we have to remember at one time it was a blank canvas.

Our Lady of the Snow

Here we are, June already. The month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which brings to mind a little story to share.
It was back several years ago a lady had asked me to do a retreat to Our Lady of the Snow down by St. Louis. I told her we would see what the cost would be and talk about it for a future retreat. As it went, a couple years passed, but we finally put together a package and the end of October we gather some 25 people on a bus and headed for Our Lady of the Snow. We could not have picked a more beautiful time to go as the leaves were changing and the Church was full of roses (completely full) in memory of the feast of All Souls. When we arrived we were going to do the Stations of the Cross, but as all good plans go for some reason or another the grounds which were suppose to be lit up were totally dark. We were informed later that they were changing over from their summer schedule to their winter schedule. As the story goes on I did not know much about this place but in an introduction we were told the site were the founder was buried was in the Mary Garden. I went down the road and located it and went in, knelt down by Mary's statue and the tomb of the founder and prayed for all who were on this retreat and that it would be a good retreat. It was pitch dark, because of the previous mentioned light problem, so I got up and carefully walked out of the garden. When I got to the corner I noticed a rose bush and I turned back around and said this prayer: "Dear Jesus I offer you red roses all wet with the dew of your grace, let every word, every thought, every action and my heart I give as their vase. I make this offering through Mary your mother whose heart is so sinlessly white, whiter than the wings of the angels who dwelt and prayed here all night. Dear Jesus I ask you but one favor, that you inflame my poor heart with your love, so while I toil in this valley my spirit may dwell far above". At the very moment that the last word came out of my mouth the lights came on and I found myself amidst a garden full of rose bushes. A powerful prayer, oh yes, but the power was that my prayer was heard and I was not to worry, we got them there and He would take care the rest.
Sometimes the Lord has to give me a pretty strong sign to get me out of the picture so He can do what needs to be done.
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Have Mercy on us and forgive us our sins.