A MOMENT OF PEACE

I got my Bible and reflected on the day’s Scriptures…Then, I went to our little garden, sat in our little bench…I listened prayerfully to some prayers on celphone...Then, to some church and worship songs…then, to the Gregorian chants I put there…

There was a moment I opened my eyes. Suddenly, I was so overwhelmed by God’s Presence…When the plants caught my sight, I so sensed God is present in each of them, even in the air and space, that I don’t want to close my eyes and miss the moment…Our little garden welled up with God’s love…Suddenly, the world was shut out, it’s just God and me…It was such a joy…

This was just this morning. I got a very busy day today, I set the alarm by 3:00 a.m. to start early, but I woke up 2:00 a.m and couldn't sleep anymore, so I started my day…It’s 4:57 a.m. when I composed this. By this time I was still in our garden…

Busy day??? Ah, the more I need these special moments with God…Oh, by the way, this is not supposed to be my sharing today, but I couldn’t help sharing with you the gift of God’s Presence…

Above everything else, it’s a must to put God first…             

Have Moments of Peace!

-luisadelacruz

THE PRESENCE WITHIN....

“The whole outside world…seemed to me to love and thank God: people, trees, plants and animals. I saw them all as my kinsfolk; I found on all of them the magic of the Name of Jesus. When I prayed, everything around me seemed delightful and marvelous. The trees, the grass, the birds, the earth, the air, the light…all things prayed to God and sang His praise.”

– THE RUSSIAN PILGRIM

The earth, the physical cosmos, is part of the body of God, shot through and through with divine Presence and hence worthy of our praise, our wonderment and our care. To honor and love God’s creation is to honor and love God.

When a person clings to the Lord and the Lord has pity and loves him, coming and clinging to Him, and he has the intention thereafter to remain constantly in the grace of the Lord, they become one spirit and one temperament and one mind – the person and the Lord.

- KERRY WALTERS

AN INTIMATE PRAYER:       Dearest Jesus, please always fire up my desire to continuously cling to You and be aware of Your Loving Presence…as if I will die, if it stops…

 - luisadelacruz

LET'S HIBERNATE...

Hibernation is a protective mechanism whereby certain animals reduce their bodies’ activity and sleep through winter. They prepare by storing extra fat several weeks before the onset of hibernation. When temperatures drop, the animals’ pulse rate and breathing drop to a minimum…To hibernate is to pass the winter in a resting state…(Webster’s Dictionary) 

Do these animals stop growing?

No!...In fact, when they wake up they are bigger and more mature than before…

Jesus, after being presented in the temple, went back to His hometown, grew and became strong, full of wisdom (Luke 2:22-40). No account of His activities until He was all grown and started His public ministry. Look at what He did…

Like the animals, most especially like Jesus, we also need to hibernate from time to time…not to inactively rest, but to grow in wisdom and maturity while listening to God and resting in His arms…       

Have a Teachable Heart!

- luisadelacruz

A MOMENT OF PAUSE

Ever dearest Father,

by Your grace I am alive

but if right at this moment

You stop breathing Your breath in me,

I humbly ask,

please send Jesus to fetch me…

Ever dearest Jesus,

my Beloved,

before I close my eyes

and leave my body behind,

please help me forgive those I cannot,

and forgive me, too, for all my sins.

Wash away in me with Your Most Precious Blood

what is in me that is not pleasing to the Father…

Ever dearest Spirit of Love,

please pour Your joy and peace

upon my love ones.

May love heal their pain

that they mourn

in just a little while in my absence,

but more so rejoice

that I will be with You in eternal life…

Ever dearest God,

if I only make it in purgatory,

please inspire my love ones

to pray for me that I may soon

be with You in heaven.

Death may bring me pain

but if it is the only doorway for me

to finally see You face to face

and spend eternal life with You,

then I shall welcome it,

 for what I desire most in my heart

is to eternally rest in Your bosom…

 Dearest Mama Mary,

please pray for me

at the brink of the moment of my life

as I stop breathing…

Amen.

- luisadelacruz

WHERE TO SEARCH FOR GOD....

We search....and search....and search for God because we have this deep desire to be united  with Him….We travel far and near, high and low just to find Him….

But there is one place we forget to search Him…our heart…

Ironic, isn’t it? Yes, like the people in His hometown who rejected Jesus (Mark 6:1-6), we, too, reject Him by not being aware of His Presence in the very core of our self….

Let’s journey into our very own heart where Jesus awaits us….

            PRAYER ON SILENCE

            (From The Complete Book on Prayer)

In silence

To be there before You Lord, that’s all.

To shut the eyes of my body,

To shut the eyes of my soul,

And to be still and silent,

To expose myself to You

Who are there, exposed to me.

To be there before You, the Eternal Presence.

I am willing to feel nothing, Lord,

To see nothing,

To hear nothing,

Empty of all ideas,

Of all images,

In the darkness.

Here I am, simply

To meet You without obstacles,

In the silence of faith,

Before You, Lord.

A Dazzling Heart for you!

- luisadelacruz

THEY SILENTLY TELL ME...

The plants and animals tell me how God provides food…

The flowers tell me how beautiful the handwork of God is…

The pets, how God cheers me up…

The parents, how God loves me…

A baby, how He takes me as His own…

The wind, how He breathes His breath to give me life…

The people, how merciful He is…

Simply looking at them, they silently tell so much about God and they encourage me to live for Him and be aware of His Presence…

The Gospel of Mark (Mark 16:15-18) says to us, “Preach the Gospel.” 

It is not necessary for us to stand on stage and proclaim God’s Word...We can silently tell it to others just by living it and proclaiming it on the stage of our every day lives…

Go and preach the Gospel in the way you live… 

Keep Your Life Burning!

- luisadelacruz

A QUIET MOMENT...

Inspiration:   Psalm 42:1-2

Dear God, You designed my mind to seek You.

You designed my heart to love You.

That is why there is a deep longing within my being

For my Divine Source and Destination.

I am restless until I rest in You.

I am discontented until I find satisfaction in You.

I am lonely until I find joy in You.

I hunger and thirst for You,

The One where the roots of my being came from.

Why desire those that this world offer,

When all I have to desire is You alone.

When I come naked face to face to nothingness,

I find that there is no such thing,

For in nothingness I find everything

Because I find my dearest God,

And You are everything my whole being needs.

From my creation to my death, I belong to You.

I am Yours.

Though You are hidden from my sight,

Let not this world blind me to this truth…

As a deer longs for the cool water

So my soul longs after You, oh my God…

My soul thirsts and You alone can satisfy this thirst…

You are my joy-Giver,

The Apple of my eyes,

My Beloved…

To You alone will my Spirit

Bow down and yield…

My Lord, My God…

-luisadelacruz

THE PEACE THAT CRADLES

Oh, Peace of God

How joyful I am

That you are in my heart….

You make me feel

Like a baby being cradled

In a mother’s arms….

You put a smile

On my lips and my eyes.

You make me strong

When worries come….

Oh, Peace of God

You are an epitome

Of God’s Presence

That I am drawn

To journey to my heart

Where you can engulf me

With God’s very Being….

Aaahhh….you are a soft pillow,

A dew in the morning,

The chirping of the birds,

The panoramic view of nature….

Oh, how I thank your Source,

The Father I so adore….

Oh, Peace of God

I rest in you….

-luisadelacruz 042811  7:22:18 am

INTO THE FATHER'S ARMS

INTO THE FATHER'S ARMS

Inspiration: Luke 15:1-32

From His arms, I came . . . . In this world, I grew.

As a little child, my innocence kept me close to Him.

He is Papa God to me.

Gradually, I got busy with my toys . . . .

With Growing up . . . .

Later, I got drowned with this world

As I work and got exposed to worldly things . . . .

Sigh, Papa God became a distant Being . . . .

One day, I felt a longing in my heart . . . .

An emptiness . . . .

I searched and searched 'til I ended up

Face to face with Him . . . .

I am ashamed to get near

But His arms are open wide, inviting me to come.

Finally, I run to Him,

His arms wrapped tightly around me . . . .

Tears fell from my eyes.

I smiled.

I am at peace.

I am home . . . .

In the arms of my Father God . . . .

luisadelacruz

MY HOME . . . .

MY HOME . . . .

It is where I can rest

Feeling safe and nothing to worry about . . . .

It is where I just relax and enjoy

The simplicity of life . . . .

My home is where I can pause

And pace slowly to refresh my spirit . . . .

It is where I can be my simple self

and be childlike and simply play . . . .

It is where I am most loved

And embraced with gentleness and tenderness . . . .

It is where I am safe and confident

I can not be harmed . . . .

Ahhh, my Home,

Where the gentle Wind brings me assurance -

I am Home . . . .

My Home is You,

My Dearest Father,

My Yahweh,

My Abba, father,

My Home . . . .

- luisadelacruz