MOUSE IN A COOKIE JAR?

Okay, this may not sound religious to anyone but I'll explain.
I have heard it said many times by fellow Carmelites, "We'll go to heaven because we wear the habit of Our Lady." That's very encouraging and even consoling, but it does not satisfy me. Sure, I believe in the promises of Mary and believe very much in the Scapular promise, but faith is not only satisfied with receiving the gift, but prompts one to also give. In other words, a mouse that has fallen into a cookie jar does not make him (or her) a cookie! A Religious, just because she wears a religious habit, does not make her a Religious unless she tries to live according to what she professes. She will continuously fall because of weakness but the Psalmist says, "A just man falls seven times." One thing I admire about St. Teresa (and the Teresian Carmelites) is her great and BOLD determination. "It is no use to say "we are only human" when in fact, by God's grace, we can be Saints!" (Way of Perfection). Are we up to the challenge?  There is a great temptation for "religious people" to be falsely comfortable just because one does the acts of religion.  This is not always good because it gives one a sense of complacency.  Jesus came to bring discomfort to the comfortable.  If this is the case, how does one know if one proceeds from the motive of faith or the motive of false security?  How does one know we are not deceiving ourselves into thinking we got a spiritual life?  I think that is part of the problem!  Life on earth is full of illusions and the devil disguises himself as an angel of light.  Not all that glitters is gold.  Bad things come under the color of good.  We have heard these before, haven't we?  So, how do we proceed?
I think it's good to be uncertain.  It forces one to trust, to abandon oneself to the mercy of God.  It humbles us, it makes us think that truly God does not play favorites, that His favors cannot be bought.  Prayer, an intimate exchange between God and the soul, establishes us in trust.  In prayer we enter into a relationship of love.  Love makes one confident.  It makes one daring and bold.  Perfect love casts away all fears.  When someone loves us, we have a hold on them because love subordinates the lover to the object of his /her love.  God is a tremendous Lover.  But we can only fully appreciate that love if we get to know Him in the silence, solitude and intimacy of prayer.

Love Is The Answer

I was thinking of what I can write about this St. Valentine's Day.  For a Religious like myself, there isn't anyone in particular who would qualify to be called "my Valentine."  I remember that when I was in grammar school we used to have as a project cutting out hearts and cupids and wearing these little cut-up hearts on our chest with the words:"Be my Valentine!"  But that was many moons ago when I was still a child!  Imagine me wearing a heart with the words "be my valentine" around in the convent?? :)

Then my answer came to me after my evening mental prayer in Chapel.  Jesus. He is my Valentine.  Tonight as I knelt before the Blessed Sacrament, I was particularly drawn to the statue of the Sacred Heart just off to the side of the Sanctuary.  It depicts Our Lord with hands extended like the Priest at Mass during the Solemn blessing.  He "spoke" to me.  I felt an interior joy of realizing that He is my Spouse, that I am bonded and consecrated to Him by my religious vows.  I became aware of my early spiritual journeys, of the tortuous path I walked and the hurdles I overcame, to come to this moment of religious consecration.  Fifteen years of being espoused to Him, and what do I have to show for it?  But the inner joy remained.  I thanked Him profusely and felt enormous gratitude for having been brought to the land of Carmel.  It wasn't for any merit of mine, not because I was tremendously good and deserving, but because it was HIS choice.  Oh what joy!  St. Valentine's Day is for lovers and may not be relevant to Religious at first glance.  But tonight, Our Lord proved me wrong. 

Lions In Hallways?

I read in the paper one day that a man from Colorado found a mountain lion in his house. He was able to get out of the house and to call for help. A few moments later they were able to photograph this bold cat jumping out of the window and disappearing into the darkness of the night.

“Do not look for lions in hallways.”

This was a phrase I remember reading in one of St. Jose Maria Escriva’s books. Given the incident I read in the paper, it doesn’t seem to be so impossible to find unwelcomed guests like this in unlikely places these days. It sounded funny to me when I first read this phrase but then I recognized the meaning behind the words.

It was spoken in the context of finding opportunities to offer God service or sacrifices. Sometimes we are so caught up in trying to look for that great moment to give glory to God.
We look for that sacrifice that will really make us feel we are doing something noble and admirable. We search near and far for that perfect chance to unleash every ounce of our charitable energy. We go about the hallways of life looking for these “lions.”

What are the chances that we are going to meet one? Except for some select few, most of us will have to contend with the little creatures of annoyances: buzzing bees of distractions brought about by worldly worries, stinging bites of bodily aches and pains, and the unpalatable company of hard to swallow and challenging personalities. But in God’s mysterious design he either sends or permits them to exercise us in virtue. I read from a spiritual writer that virtue is not really virtue until tested by a temptation against it.

The lessons I learned are these: to be patient with the little trials I encounter each day. To be patient with myself when I don’t rise to the occasion of virtue. To allow myself to be shown my littleness and weakness without being discouraged. To be content with offering God little gifts of love. To be grateful to receive these opportunities of growth believing in faith that they do us good in building character. Leave God to find the sacrifice that pleases Him but to be alert to recognize it when it is being asked of me. In short, let the lions stay where they should: with the lion-keeper.