Meditations for the New Year

Meditations for the New Year

I chose some of the thoughts expressed by Mother Assumpta Long O.P. at the Prayer Breakfast in Orange County, California on Wed. Sept. 28, 2011.

Each of us is called to accomplish great things. Walk on the water whenever Christ asks you. We need to circle the wagons around all the Catholics in the world. To fight the power of evil in the world:

Recall the Lord and what he has given us: Sacraments – Sacred Scripture – Tradition – Magisterium: We believe in the Community of Saints. We need to remain Church in our covenant today. To change the culture:

We are never alone surrounded with the Saints. Find shelter in the Community of the Saints. Christians live in the prayers of the Saints: The walls between heaven and earth are like glass.

Contemplation and giving the fruit of your contemplation to others: We are called to be contemplative – called to be Saints.

Focus on 3 things: Joy – Today’s Saint and Martyr Wenceslas was a joyful Saint. Joy flows from knowing God and His Love. G.K. Chesterton said, “Man is no more himself than when joy is part of him.”

When we are gifted with so much love and grace, we are bound to share this with others. St. Thomas Aquinas is usually given credit for the following phrase, “To contemplate and give others the fruits of your contemplation.” Our contemplative nuns pray for us.

The power of prayer: God wants to use our prayers to accomplish great needs in the world. St. Thomas Aquinas, “Our privilege is to serve and love God.” More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.

Come to be your true self through prayer. Accomplish his will in us. Sometimes words are inadequate. St. Catherine of Sienna was busiest person in the world. She spent three years of prayer in her own room. The God told her to go into the world. Do God’s will! Note her mom had 24 children.

A third way is to study the faith in order to share it with others. How important it is for each of us to be what God wants us to be. No one else can take your placed and it will not be done. The laity can go into areas which we religious cannot go. This is a call to which only you can respond.

“I will have Thyself.” “Only Thyself.” This was St. Thomas Aquinas’ response to Jesus when offered a reward for having written rightly. We are in union with Christ and support each other and Our Church. Profess together! Reclaim our culture for Christ.

Fraternally yours, George H. Kubeck, Respect Life Chairman, Dec. 19, 2011 for January 2012 Bulletin.