Jan 14, 2016

                 Prayer of St. Francis (14)
           Where there is sadness, joy (2)

                               “Rejoice in the Lord always,
                                          again I say Rejoice.
                                          Let your gentleness
                                          Be known to everyone.”
                                                                 Philippians 4:4

This meditation continues to look at the Prayer of St. Francis exhortation to bring joy where there is sadness,

I was walking along the road the other day, looking into the woods, and thanking God for gift of beauty that is handed to me every day. I realized that I have been given these gifts of beauty so that I may be part of the God’s Blessing to the world by sharing that beauty with all I know.

Sadness or Joy is all in the perspective we apply to a situation. If the Joy of God is on our hearts we can always find that joy leaking through the situation to bring a sense of Yes to this event. Jesus, when hanging on the cross dying, understood very well he would be in paradise soon; just as he said the thief next to him “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43). Despite the intense pain, Jesus fully understood he was passing into direct contact with God, and his words of comfort to the dying thief illustrated that in a powerful way, telling that person that he too would see the Face of God and taste the Bliss of God, today, such that we can appreciate it 2000 years later. Jesus did not think of himself during that time; he spoke of his mother assuring her keeping; he forgave his tormentors “For they knew not what they do”, he understood that in some fashion what he started would become a corner stone for a movement to help humanity achieve what they were created to be; and he is encouraging us in this prayer to be his continued presence in our world at this time.

The more we can live in “The Kingdom of God that lives within” the more we can be the Light of the world that Jesus talked about. We are that light; you would not be reading this unless you were called to see and abide in the light that is within you. Nothing occurs by accident; every event, including your reading this post is the will of God, and is a calling for you to be that Light of God in the world you live in: that is YOUR world, and only you have the insight and accessibility at this moment to be that Light to your world.

Being the Joy of God does not require anything special; just being the person you are, knowing that God is present right Now, right Here, is all that it takes. The words of comfort and wellbeing will come if you just let God speak through you. It is not something special, it is just who you are, the Face of God in the here and now. Each of us are brought to this situation, joyful or sad, to be that Face of God to encourage others and one another in our life.

You are the Face of God.

You are the Joy of God.

You are the Love of God.

That is who you are, and that is the purpose of your Life.

Now share this Joy and Love with all around you, and lift the sadness of the world just a bit; for to lift one corner of the world is to lift all the world.

                               “I don’t think of all the misery,
                              but the beauty that still remains.”
                                                                       Anne Frank

Questions to Ponder
Do you see that God has called you to be the presence of God here and now?
Do you accept your purpose in life as being the Face of God right where you are?

Meditation

Lord make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;,

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is dopiest, faith;

 

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

Where there is sadness, joy.

 

O divine Master, grant that I amy not so much seek

To be consoled as to console,

to be understood as to understand,

To be loved as to love;

For it is in giving that we receive;

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

It is in dying to self that we are born to eternal life.

If this meditation post has been helpful, I would appreciate it if you pass it on or share it.