Dear Sisters,
I have a confession to make. Your sister in Christ is a bit of a coward! It is true my friends, I get tongue tied and stay silent sometimes when I know I should speak. I neglect to engage someone, when they say something outrageous about the church, faith, priests or Christians. I worry about how I will be perceived. Then, I become ashamed of myself for not having the courage to speak.
For a long time now, I have been praying for courage. It seems that in this day and age that we are living, Christians need to gird their loins and start wading in to encounter the culture. But just one small problem; it takes courage. Only 1 Holy Spirit has mentioned that we are living at a time where Christians and in particular Catholic Christians will no longer have the luxury of sitting on the fence. Each of us is being asked to make a choice; Are you for God, or are you against Him. Jesus says,"for whoever is not against us is for us." Mark 9:40
An interesting thing has happened as I've read The Four Loves as well as various volumes written about or by saints. I have come to understand that what I lack is not courage, but love. Love is the grace that I need to pray for, because from Love of God will come the courage I have so desperately wished for.
Why can a petite woman lift a car that her child is under...Love.
Why can a terminally ill man hang on beyond all hope and understanding until his grown son comes to his bedside...Love.
Why could the saints face the lions, beheadings, fire, flayling, etc., ...Love
How could our Lady stand at the foot of the cross as her son lay dying...LOVE!
Love is the ingredient that has been missing in this formula. So instead of courage, I am asking for the courage to Love God as He deserves. This can only be done if He gives me the grace to love in this way. When I finally love as LOVE demands, I will no longer stay silent, but in a loving manner propose my point of view, my christian, my CATHOLIC point of view. Then I will proceed to back up the views I express not just with what I 'feel' is right, but with the facts that support that world view.
What we believe is based on truth. AND this truth is the greatest love story of all...that God loved us first, so that we may return that love.
Holy Spirit,
I humbly beg for the grace to LOVE without worrying about the cost,
To trust that your LOVE will never take me, where your grace will not sustain me.
Own my heart lord,
Teach me to love.
Ever your little broken pencil...
For decades I've been aware of my lack of courage; I have come to the same conclusion, that to have that courage I long for, I must love God, the Church, my family etc. more than I love comfort, absence of strife. To love and not count the cost! Holy Mary, Mother of God and my Mother help me.
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