God whispers

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As I’ve been praying the rosary in recent years, I’ve consistently worried about my lack of focus. Sure, if I’m saying it as part of a group before Mass, it’s pretty easy to get caught up in the prayers.

By myself? I get distracted. All the time.

But I came to a powerful realization this morning: The ideas and worries that I wake up with are God speaking to me.

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Presentation of the Lord

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Today is such a powerful celebration. Really, the final event in the story of Christmas. Infants were to be consecrated to God forty days after their birth, so here we are. 40 days, February 2nd.

One of the most beautiful parts of today’s readings are what we call the Canticle of Simeon:

Lord, now you let your servant go in peace; your word has been fulfilled: my own eyes have seen the salvation which you have prepared in the sight of every people: a light to reveal you to the nations and the glory of your people Israel.

Luke 2:29-32
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Pray for us

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“I’ll pray for you.” “Please pray for us.”

I find this a little curious, because we do this all the time. We’re not saying exactly what we’re praying for, or even what we’re praying about. So it’s easy to say, but perhaps not as focusing as we’d like to think.

That’s why I like to pray for something more specific.

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The wedding feast

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We’ve heard the story so many times that it ceases to amaze us. Yeah, water into wine. Nice trick.

It was Jesus’ first miracle that we know of. But this amazing event had so many other powerful connections for me!

Our own wedding 40 years ago was such a powerful sacrament. I wasn’t Catholic at the time, but it really drew us closer to God and His Church.

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The Baptism of the Lord

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We just jumped ahead thirty years in a single week. We’re now celebrating Jesus’ baptism, which happened at the beginning of His ministry.

After all the people had been baptized
and Jesus also had been baptized and was praying,
heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him
in bodily form like a dove.
And a voice came from heaven,
“You are my beloved Son;
with you I am well pleased.”

Luke 3: 21-22
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Glory and praise

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The kings of the earth shall bow before Him. All the nations shall sing His praises.

I’m not sure I see that happening. But I imagine that it’s because I don’t see things in God’s timeline or through His eyes.

All I can do is to get the ball rolling on my end. By praising Him every day of my life.

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Mother of God

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Today is a new year, and the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. What a perfect way to start afresh!

This very phrase is something to ponder deeply. We don’t believe that Mary existed before God the Father and somehow gave birth to Him. That might be similar to Rhea being the mother of Zeus.

No, we believe that Jesus is God and is with God the Father. Which means that Mary, the mother of Jesus, is mother of God as incarnated in our world.

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