Saturday, August 16, 2008

The Still Small Voice...

Sitting in Mass yesterday for the Feast of The Assumption, I was reminded of God's call to our own Blessed Mother.
He did not come in the thunder, the wind, or anything else, but in a still small voice.
Sure He sent an angel, but Mary had to listen to that still small voice within her heart to say her "yes" to our Lord.
I can only imagine her joy when her Blessed Son brought her up body and soul into heaven and made her Queen of Heaven and Earth!

Kneeling in Thanksgiving after Mass, I asked Our Lord and Our Mother to help me to listen more intently to this still small voice and so knelt in silence.

There is nothing more consoling than kneeling before the tabernacle and the crucifix and not praying with words but with the heart. Praying with the heart is more than being silent it is not even saying or thinking of words in your head, but just making yourself available to "be in the True Presence of our Lord" .

The peace and consolation are unspeakable. It is a sort of contradiction in itself, because although He does not take away the crosses which are so vital to our sanctity, one can learn to love their crosses in the slience of His heart, because He gives an understanding or wisdom that makes it easier to accept the crosses and actually learn to embrace them because it is made known to one that it is only HE who knows best and if He knows best what do we have to fear?



Stay with me, Lord
Prayer of St. Pio of Pietrelcina after Holy Communion

Stay with me, Lord, for it is necessary to have
You present so that I do not forget You.
You know how easily I abandon You.
Stay with me, Lord, because I am weak
and I need Your strength,
that I may not fall so often.
Stay with me, Lord, for You are my life,
and without You, I am without fervor.
Stay with me, Lord, for You are my light,
and without You, I am in darkness.
Stay with me, Lord, to show me Your will.
Stay with me, Lord, so that I hear Your voice
and follow You.Stay with me, Lord, for I desire to love You
very much, and always be in Your company.
Stay with me, Lord, if You wish me to be faithful to You.
Stay with me, Lord, for as poor as my soul is,
I want it to be a place of consolation for You, a nest of love.
Stay with me, Jesus, for it is getting late and the day is coming to a close, and life passes; death, judgment, eternity approaches.
It is necessary to renew my strength,
so that I will not stop along the way and for that, I need You.
It is getting late and death approaches,
I fear the darkness, the temptations, the dryness, the cross, the sorrows.
O how I need You, my Jesus, in this night of exile!
Stay with me tonight, Jesus, in life with all it’s dangers. I need You.
Let me recognize You as Your disciples did at the breaking of the bread,
so that the Eucharistic Communion be the Light which disperses the darkness,
the force which sustains me, the unique joy of my heart.
Stay with me, Lord, because at the hour of my death, I want to remain united to You,
if not by communion, at least by grace and love.
Stay with me, Jesus, I do not ask for divine consolation, because I do not merit it,
but the gift of Your Presence, oh yes, I ask this of You!
Stay with me, Lord, for it is You alone I look for, Your Love, Your Grace, Your Will, Your Heart,
Your Spirit, because I love You and ask no other reward but to love You more and more.
With a firm love, I will love You with all my heart while on earth
and continue to love You perfectly during all eternity.
Amen.