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I was recently listening to a few Jan Karon Mitford serries book cd's while running my errands around town and something in her first or second
book really stuck in my mind. Father Tim Kavanagh, the main character in the
novel, was preparing a homily or remembering a homily that he had heard from
another priest or preacher. He said that a person with a glass
container and had 5 large stones and a handful of pebbles along with little
stones. The person wanted to fill the glass with all of the stones.
When he put the small stones and pebbles in first, he found that he could
not fit all of the big stones in with them. However, when he put the big
stones in first, all of the smaller stones and pebbles filled-in all around the
spaces made by the big stones. In the end, the glass was completely full
and it contained all of big stones as well as the little stones and pebbles.
I sometimes notice that that is exactly how my
relationship with Jesus is. My "Large Stones" are:
Daily Mass and Communion
Daily prayer
An awareness and
contrition for my sins and going to confession often
Fasting - small sacrifices from certain foods two days a week
Reading scripture and meditation
Spiritual reading
When all of all of these "Large
Stones" are in place in my life, then all of the details, the pebbles and
little stones of my life, become those of God. God fills Himself into
all the little crevices of my life and being. I am a better person for
it; I begin to do more for others and try to think more of them than I do of
myself.
This is exemplified in John 15:4
"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by
itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
I am the vine, you are the branches." It is only when I am abiding
in Jesus, by living according to His Will, and fulfilling all of the
"Large Stones" outlined above, then I am able to produce fruit for building His Kingdom.
Before we had our first meeting about the mission, I was apprehensive because I wondered what and how much would be expected from all of us. We would be trying to put together a mission that will serve a great number of people and we would be planning it somewhat blind. Other than Father William and Lisa, none of us are familiar with the surroundings, the people, and the available facilities.
At that meeting, Lisa gave each of us a proposed schedule that we would follow for the mission itself. Thursday, late afternoon, we will have registration followed by the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, a short introduction as to what the mission will be about, the first novena prayer and end with Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, the Rosary, and Benediction. Friday and Saturday will begin at 7:30 am and end at 8 or 9 pm. The days are interwoven with much prayer, music, and several talks and workshops. We will pray the Rosary, Divine Mercy Chaplet, the Angelus and Stations of the Cross. Mass is celebrated each day and the Sacrament of Reconciliation will be available on Saturday evening. We will also have Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction each day. On Sunday, we will end the Mission with Mass and then the Bishop will lead us in the Enthronement Ceremony where we will publicly proclaim Jesus as King of the Shrine of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. As Lisa states so beautifully: "The public proclamation brings untold blessings. I have been told that when you take what is already in your heart, which is the love for Jesus and then take it one step further in the faith journey and publicly say: 'Jesus, I make you King and Friend of my family, school, parish, etc., the graces that flow are boundless! God will not be outdone in generosity!'"
After I saw and thought about the proposed schedule and the Enthronement Ceremonly of the Shrine at the conclusion of the Mission, my heart was filled with joy because I knew that all of the Prayer, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, the talks and the Sacrament of Reconciliation will provide the skeleton of the mission; the "Large Stones". What will happen in-between these "Large stones" will be all of God's Work.
The one thing that I do know for certain is that it will be an amazingly grace-filled experience for all present...there and here as we travel together in His Heart spiritually so that we may draw ever closer to Him and each other and bear fruit by spreading the "Good News"!
And so, it is our continued prayer to Let the Work Be All His- both in the "Large Stones" and in the "Small Stones and Pebbles" of this Enthronement Mission.
These are pictures taken of the Enthronement from a previous pilgrimage to Father Williams parish in Nyang'oma-truly a gift from above:
Before we had our first meeting about the mission, I was apprehensive because I wondered what and how much would be expected from all of us. We would be trying to put together a mission that will serve a great number of people and we would be planning it somewhat blind. Other than Father William and Lisa, none of us are familiar with the surroundings, the people, and the available facilities.
At that meeting, Lisa gave each of us a proposed schedule that we would follow for the mission itself. Thursday, late afternoon, we will have registration followed by the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, a short introduction as to what the mission will be about, the first novena prayer and end with Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, the Rosary, and Benediction. Friday and Saturday will begin at 7:30 am and end at 8 or 9 pm. The days are interwoven with much prayer, music, and several talks and workshops. We will pray the Rosary, Divine Mercy Chaplet, the Angelus and Stations of the Cross. Mass is celebrated each day and the Sacrament of Reconciliation will be available on Saturday evening. We will also have Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction each day. On Sunday, we will end the Mission with Mass and then the Bishop will lead us in the Enthronement Ceremony where we will publicly proclaim Jesus as King of the Shrine of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. As Lisa states so beautifully: "The public proclamation brings untold blessings. I have been told that when you take what is already in your heart, which is the love for Jesus and then take it one step further in the faith journey and publicly say: 'Jesus, I make you King and Friend of my family, school, parish, etc., the graces that flow are boundless! God will not be outdone in generosity!'"
After I saw and thought about the proposed schedule and the Enthronement Ceremonly of the Shrine at the conclusion of the Mission, my heart was filled with joy because I knew that all of the Prayer, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, the talks and the Sacrament of Reconciliation will provide the skeleton of the mission; the "Large Stones". What will happen in-between these "Large stones" will be all of God's Work.
The one thing that I do know for certain is that it will be an amazingly grace-filled experience for all present...there and here as we travel together in His Heart spiritually so that we may draw ever closer to Him and each other and bear fruit by spreading the "Good News"!
And so, it is our continued prayer to Let the Work Be All His- both in the "Large Stones" and in the "Small Stones and Pebbles" of this Enthronement Mission.
These are pictures taken of the Enthronement from a previous pilgrimage to Father Williams parish in Nyang'oma-truly a gift from above:
Sacred Heart of Jesus, filled with Infinite Love....Pray for Us
Immaculate Heart of Mary....Pray for Us
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