Fruit, Death, and Reason

My little neighbor brought me a bowl of fruit yesterday.

A wonderful thing to receive from a 5-year-old, anytime. Only it was completely her idea and inspired by a dream that she gave me a bowl of fruit.  With lemons.

I can’t help but wonder about the timing of the delivery and the dream that inspired it.

Sometimes, children are placed on hospice.  I’ve known this, but I got to know it in a new way last week.  She was 6-years-old and died on the same day my little neighbor dreamed she brought me a bowl of fruit.

I told my neighbor’s Grammy about my emotional week and how a fruit delivery from a little one couldn’t have come at a better time.

I explained that I couldn’t sleep during the wee hours of the previous morning, so I got up and prayed.  I prayed most especially for our newest and youngest patient and learned later it was at that time when “our” earthly angel became a heavenly one.

She thought that was interesting because my little neighbor had the same trouble sleeping and called for her, at the same time.  Grammy mentioned something about us being “connected”.

Are we connected beyond living next door and having a mutual love for one another?  Are we connected in ways that sometimes wake us up or we can sometimes feel, but never see or comprehend?

During that couple of hours of way-too-early, I was searching for God’s presence.  I needed to know He was aware and at work amidst the upside-downness of a child dying.  I needed to know that I wasn’t showing up without Him.

He is used to hearing from me on my way to situations that are too hard for me.  “If You aren’t coming, I ain’t going!”  He hasn’t let me down, yet.

And this is what He gave me that morning when I was looking for Him...

“Who has ever said that the presence of God - in his actions and his words - has to be felt?  Sometimes God grants that sensation.  At other times, he doesn’t.”

This, from Blessed Conchita.   A wife, mother, and laywoman who just happened to be beatified when we were in Mexico this past May.  We sat in folding chairs outside the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in the blazing sun, and we watched the man who was healed through her intercession, walk into the Mass of her Beatification.

Attending a Beatification Mass because we were “in the area”, two people not sleeping at the same time, a timely quote from the beatified, the death of a child, a child’s dream and conviction to act, and a bowl of fruit, hand-delivered.

Maybe they are only connected because I put them together in the same sentence.  But, maybe not.  

I don’t know what to make of it, but I’m okay with that.  I am enjoying the possibilities. 

“For they reasoned unsoundly, saying to themselves, 

‘Short and sorrowful is our life, and there is no remedy when a man comes to his end...

Because we were born by mere chance, and hereafter we shall be as though we had never been; because the breath in our nostrils is smoke, and reason is a spark kindled by the beating of our hearts...

The Wisdom of Solomon 2:1-2

We Become What We Celebrate

Happy Birthday, Holy Mother Church!  The Church was born over 2000 years ago when the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles and Mary.  The Holy Spirit is just as present now as He was on that day!  If we were in a Gospel church right now, you would hear a resounding "Amen!", here. 

Matthew Kelly (same writer of the children's book I recommended two days ago)writes more beautifully and succinctly about the power of celebrating than anyone else I've ever read.  In Rediscovering Catholicism, he writes:

~ "The essence of Catholicism is transformation.  You cannot become more like Jesus Christ and at the same time stay as you are."

~ "We become what we celebrate."
~ "The best way to defend life is to celebrate life.  The best way to defend our faith is to celebrate our faith."
~ "The best way to speak about God is to thrive in the life He calls us to live."

We can best celebrate life and everything it contains by living well - making choices based on things that are important to us:  God, family, all of the people in our lives, and ourselves.
Jesus tells the disciples it is better for them (and us) to have the Holy Spirit as Advocate than Jesus Himself! In John 16:7-11 He says, "But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go. For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes he will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and condemnation: sin, because they do not believe in me; righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me; condemnation, because the ruler of this world has been condemned."

When I think of the greatest gift the world has ever been given, I think of Jesus Christ.  However, Jesus tells us that the Holy Spirit is the gift that He gives us.  The gift that remains.

In today's second reading from Galatians 5:16-25, Paul writes, "Brothers and sisters, live by the Spirit and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the flesh.  For the flesh has desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you may not do what you want...If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit."

Dear Loving and Righteous Father, Thank you for Jesus Christ and sending the Holy Spirit to remain with us after You called Jesus back to Yourself on the day He ascended into Heaven.  You know we can't find our way to You without help.  Thank you for always giving us what we need, long before we ask or even know we need help.  Please give us the grace to celebrate our faith by living as You would have us live.  Thank you for the Church and her wisdom, as received by the Holy Spirit.  Amen!