View of Sangre de Cristo Mountains from Bosque del Oso State Wildlife area, Colorado
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Posts
Stand Together
Bull Elk, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
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The Bridge between Heaven and Earth
Frisco, Colorado
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Freedom
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher perched on barbed-wire fence, Bulverde, TX
What takes away your freedom? Ask God for the grace to understand what enslaves you and to seek his assistance to become truly free.
God give me the grace to be truly free,
to see and know the Truth,
to see myself, the world and others in light of the Truth,
to allow you to change me in accordance with the Truth.
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life.
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Bless the Lord, my Soul!
Sunset, Wet Mountains, Pueblo West, Colorado
3000 years ago a young boy looked out at the night sky as he kept his father’s sheep,
he looked at the mountains and the deserts and the valleys,
he saw rain and draught,
he saw lion and hare,
and in all things he saw the Lord God.
Psalm 104 is a great meditation for all who love God and this beautiful world He created.
http://www.usccb.org/bible/psalms/104
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Very Small but So Very Important
Great Egret chick emerging from egg with parent watching, High Island, TX
What a beautiful mystery, that the One that created matter, space, energy and time would adopt us as His children so that we could cry out to Him, “Abba, Father”. (see Romans 8:15)
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In the Presence of Your Love
Axis deer surround by wild flowers, Spring Branch, TX
Happy New Year! As we reflect on the year behind and look forward to the year ahead, let us examine the times when we walked closely with our God and the times when we may have walked away from his presence. Let us resolve to walk closer with our Lord Jesus Christ in the year to come.
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Merry Christmas
Sunrise Galveston, TX with background mosaic from Basilica of our Lady of the Rosary, Lourdes, France
God grant us the grace…
to hear the cooing of the baby in the manger,
to see Mary softly kiss his cheeks,
to see the joy on Joseph’s face,
to understand that God became man to show us “The Way”,
to live as Christians according to “The Way”.
Merry Christmas everyone, the Lord has come.
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Search and Examine
Green-winged teal, Galveston, TX
A self-examination of conscious is a long held Christian tradition for growth in the spiritual life. You see it in the bible many times. St. Paul, in particular; recommends an examination of conscious (see 1 Cor 11:28, 2 Cor 13:5, 1 Cor 11:31, Gal 6:4). My favorite examination of conscious in the bible; however, is the one told by Jesus in the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15 11-32). The Prodigal Son is cleaning the stalls of pigs. For a first century Jew, who by law avoided all pork, this must have been a rock bottom point in his life. At this point the son examines his life, understands his errors and returns to his father to be embraced and loved. As we prepare ourselves for Christmas let us examine our conscious and run to the embrace of our Heavenly Father.
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Feathers and Wings
Painted Bunting, Pedernales Falls State Park, Texas
St. Francis was said to have talked to animals, but wasn’t this mystic and saint really talking to us? If birds have an obligation to praise the Creator, how much more should we? As we prepare for Christmas let us praise the Creator that has made us in his image and has revealed to us, through the life of his son, our true vocation, to seek and love what is true and good (see CCC 1701-1715).
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I try to make each photo new and fresh in my blog, but when I read this quote of St. Francis I could not help but use this photo of a Painted Bunting that is quite similar to a photo I put in an earlier post. I figure no one can ever get enough of a Painted Bunting.
Prepare our Hearts
Cow Moose, Rocky Mountain National Park
As we begin this Advent Season let us ask the Holy Spirit to prepare our hearts for the birth of Jesus, the only begotten son of God. Come Holy Spirit, Come.
Heavenly Home
McClure Pass, Colorado
These words of St. Augustine, which have been echoed by the saints throughout the ages, seem foreign to us. It seems as if these saints do not enjoy life. On the contrary, they love life. This love for life can be seen by the love they show the poor, the vulnerable and all mankind. The saints’ love of the created world can be seen in their prose and songs of flowers and animals and sun and moon and stars.
The saints; however, have a keen insight that life in its full will be realized when we sit at the foot of our Heavenly Father and peer into his eyes. St. Augustine, when reflecting on how it will be for us in heaven wrote these words, “Instead of the ray of light which was sent through slanting and winding ways into the heart of your darkness, you will see the light itself in all its purity and brightness.”
Lord, help us to always see and be your rays of light on this earth as we hope to eternally live in the glory of your light in heaven.
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Liberty to Captives
American pronghorn antelope, Pueblo, CO
“For freedom Christ set us free.” (Gal 5:1) Let us seek the true freedom that Christ offers.
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” Matthew 11: 28-30
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The Good Things of the Lord
The Fire of Your Love
Morning Dove, Big Bend National Park, TX
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful.
And kindle in them the fire of your love.
Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created.
And you will renew the face of the earth.
Lord,
by the light of the Holy Spirit
you have taught the hearts of your faithful.
In the same Spirit
help us to relish what is right
and always rejoice in your consolation.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
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Eyes on Jesus
Fall colors, Ten Mile Creek, Frisco, Colorado
St. Ignatius of Antioch was publicly torn to pieces by lions in the Circus Maximus in the year 107 A.D.
A disciple of John and appointed as bishop of Antioch, Syria by St. Peter, St. Ignatius refused to deny his faith in Jesus Christ as the son of God. As a result, he was put in chains and carted to Rome where he was publically executed in the year 107 A.D. While being transported to Rome, St. Ignatius wrote seven letters to the Christians in Asia Minor. In these letters, St. Ignatius discusses his unwavering faith in Jesus and the certainty that he will be joining Jesus in heaven after his death. St. Ignatius always kept his eyes on Jesus no matter the hardship he encountered.
"I know what is to my advantage. At last I am becoming his disciple. May nothing entice me till I happily make my way to Jesus Christ! Fire, cross, struggles with wild beasts, wrenching of bones, mangling of limbs-let them come to me, provided only I make my way to Jesus Christ. I would rather die and come to Jesus Christ than be king over the entire earth. Him I seek who died for us; him I love who rose again because of us." ~ St. Ignatius of Antioch
St. Ignatius in his letters consistently askes the churches in Asia-Minor to have unity and order; in belief, practice and faith.
St. Ignatius, pray for us.
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Behold Your Mother
Black-bellied Whistling Duck and chicks, Galveston, Texas
Why were some of Jesus’s final words on the cross as each breath, each word uttered, became a struggle, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother” (John 19:26-27)?
John’s mother was still living (see Matthew 20), so if Jesus’s sole intent was to make sure Mary was taken care of shouldn’t he have simply said to John “Take care of my mother.” At this last moment was Jesus just trying to be poetic, or was there a deeper meaning in his words?
The early Church fathers saw John as the beloved disciple but they also saw John symbolizing all of the Christian faithful that are on the journey of faith following Jesus to the cross. Pope Francis has said there is a genius in the spirituality of women that is desperately needed by all the faithful. This genius is the radiant beauty of humility, which allows us to see God and serve others. Often, us men in particular, get absorbed in pride and self-accomplishment that takes our eyes off of Jesus and serving others. Perhaps Jesus knew, in his infinite wisdom, that we need a spiritual mother to guide and direct us into his loving arms, the loving arms of Jesus, the son of God. What better spiritual mother than his mother, Mary?
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Holy Mountain
Mt. Daly, Colorado, USA
Sweet as Honey
Honeybee on Cholla Cactus flower, Spring Branch, TX
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Seeing Things New as if for the First Time
Blue-gray Tanager, La Fortuna, Costa Rica
In heaven we will live as God’s children seeing all of God’s creation as if for the first time. St. Paul quoted the Prophet Isiah in describing this newness of heaven:
“What eye has not seen,
and ear has not heard,
and what has not entered the human heart,
what God has prepared for those who love him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9 and Isaiah 64:3)
We don’t have to go to heaven; however, to begin seeing each moment as a child, with new eyes and a fresh perspective. We just need to grow closer in our relationship with God, the creator that makes all things new.