Pope Benedict XVI in his brilliant book Jesus of Nazareth tells us that God is on the way to you. In this day of false gods and lack of faith, many people have decided that they do not need God or do not believe that God exists. Pope Benedict tells us, "...we have developed a concept of reality that excludes reality's translucence to God. The only thing that counts as real is what can be experimentally proven. God cannot be constrained into experimentation." This set off the brightest light bulb moment for me. I have been struggling with reading the Old Testament. It was my reason self that had taken over as I read. But we understand that there is faith and reason and they are separate. Trying to constrain God in a petri dish would be like trying to grab an alligator by his mouth. You will get a nub back. The same is true about God. You will blind yourself to the reality that God is bigger than that and is incomprehensible to us. His mystery lies in His majesty. So you have to ask yourself, as I have done, is my faith big enough for God? Can I become the person that He wants me to be? Am I able to become child-like in order to deepen my relationship with God? It is certainly about listening to your heart in this case. And perhaps being still enough to hear what God is telling you.
Born during the turbulent era of the French Revolution, Saint Jeanne Jugan rose above hardship and a lack of formal schooling to become a profound vessel of Christ’s mercy. After losing her father at a young age and working through her youth as a kitchen maid and nurse, her life radically changed one freezing night when she encountered a blind, paralyzed elderly woman with nowhere to go. Jeanne carried the woman back to her own home, placed her in her own bed, and began a lifelong mission of radical hospitality. This act of profound love blossomed into the Little Sisters of the Poor , a thriving community dedicated to sheltering and honoring the destitute elderly. Despite later facing heavy trials—including being unjustly sidelined and stripped of her leadership by a controlling chaplain—Jeanne accepted her obscurity and exile with a joyful spirit, resting her complete trust in God's hidden providence until her death in 1879. In our daily lives, Saint Jeanne Jugan invites us to lo...
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