A few years ago I had a "brain fart" after reading todays Gospel. (Ok, had to use one of the best lines from the movie GI Jane!) I struggled with its meaning and relating it to my life. Here it is from John 12:24-26:
Jesus said to his disciples: "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be.The Father will honor whoever serves me."
The part where my brain malfunctioned is bolded above. I didn't want to waste time deciphering what this meant and decided to email my priest. Right after I hit the send button, I reread the sentence again. Then it dawned on me. And, I emailed him again with this:
"So, if we love living here on earth too much, we fear dying and don't look forward to heaven. But if we focus on heaven, and anticipate the day we get there, we will have eternal life. Did I get it right?"
His response:
"Indeed!"
Now as I type this blog post and read that sentence again, it's perfectly clear. It's about climbing the mountain of holiness, with eyes looking toward heaven and not the world. It's about sacrifice, loneliness, being wronged and all other degrees of humility we endure on earth. But it's doing it and suffering through it knowing our reward when we die will be paradise . . . heaven. Our time on earth is so limited, I have a lot of catching up to do!
In Anne a lay apostle's book Climbing the Mountain, she describes unity to Christ in heaven and on earth:
“Truly, the Kingdom of God is within us because Jesus IS the Kingdom of God. I state clearly that in heaven, nobody reacts when Jesus enters an area. Some souls smiled at me or acknowledged me in welcome, but they did not acknowledge Jesus. I found this odd until I understood that Jesus never leaves any of these souls. The same way I experienced Him, they experienced Him. This is the sublime truth that can create peace in every soul. There is no restlessness, no hungering, no longing, no fear, no anxiety, and no disturbance possible when you are united to Jesus. And He is with you. On earth, we must believe this in faith. This is the treasure without price. Many souls on earth search frantically, looking for this state of mystical paradise. But, like Dorothy wearing the red shoes in the Wizard of Oz, this mystical state is with them all along and their search is doomed at its inception unless the soul looks within. If we begin our climb up the mountain of holiness each day, we will be accepting that Christ is within us. At the top of this mountain is unity with Jesus, yes, and that unity is a guaranteed thing if we desire it. The higher we climb, the more we labor for holiness and for the Kingdom on the path that He has marked out for us, and the more we honor Jesus within our souls.”
Lay apostles, don't waste another day wishing life was easier, we were richer, or others understood us better. Embrace the challenges we are presented with in life as just that . . . a challenge which will bring us closer to unity with Christ. Don't wait until diaster strikes to start praying. Start praying despite disaster striking. And, don't ever stop.
Thank you, Lord, for teaching me to walk with You through stormy weather despite the thunder claps and lightening bolts all around me. And, for the common sense not to hold an umbrella overhead where the strike could electrocute me!
God bless,
Bonnie
Jesus said to his disciples: "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be.The Father will honor whoever serves me."
The part where my brain malfunctioned is bolded above. I didn't want to waste time deciphering what this meant and decided to email my priest. Right after I hit the send button, I reread the sentence again. Then it dawned on me. And, I emailed him again with this:
"So, if we love living here on earth too much, we fear dying and don't look forward to heaven. But if we focus on heaven, and anticipate the day we get there, we will have eternal life. Did I get it right?"
His response:
"Indeed!"
Now as I type this blog post and read that sentence again, it's perfectly clear. It's about climbing the mountain of holiness, with eyes looking toward heaven and not the world. It's about sacrifice, loneliness, being wronged and all other degrees of humility we endure on earth. But it's doing it and suffering through it knowing our reward when we die will be paradise . . . heaven. Our time on earth is so limited, I have a lot of catching up to do!
In Anne a lay apostle's book Climbing the Mountain, she describes unity to Christ in heaven and on earth:
“Truly, the Kingdom of God is within us because Jesus IS the Kingdom of God. I state clearly that in heaven, nobody reacts when Jesus enters an area. Some souls smiled at me or acknowledged me in welcome, but they did not acknowledge Jesus. I found this odd until I understood that Jesus never leaves any of these souls. The same way I experienced Him, they experienced Him. This is the sublime truth that can create peace in every soul. There is no restlessness, no hungering, no longing, no fear, no anxiety, and no disturbance possible when you are united to Jesus. And He is with you. On earth, we must believe this in faith. This is the treasure without price. Many souls on earth search frantically, looking for this state of mystical paradise. But, like Dorothy wearing the red shoes in the Wizard of Oz, this mystical state is with them all along and their search is doomed at its inception unless the soul looks within. If we begin our climb up the mountain of holiness each day, we will be accepting that Christ is within us. At the top of this mountain is unity with Jesus, yes, and that unity is a guaranteed thing if we desire it. The higher we climb, the more we labor for holiness and for the Kingdom on the path that He has marked out for us, and the more we honor Jesus within our souls.”
Lay apostles, don't waste another day wishing life was easier, we were richer, or others understood us better. Embrace the challenges we are presented with in life as just that . . . a challenge which will bring us closer to unity with Christ. Don't wait until diaster strikes to start praying. Start praying despite disaster striking. And, don't ever stop.
Thank you, Lord, for teaching me to walk with You through stormy weather despite the thunder claps and lightening bolts all around me. And, for the common sense not to hold an umbrella overhead where the strike could electrocute me!
God bless,
Bonnie
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