Where is Peace Found?

Matthew 4:1-11 

Keep your eyes on the Heart that refused to turn stones into bread, jump from great heights, and rule with great power. 

Who allows His Heart to be touched by the poor, the maimed, the halt and blind.  A Heart that becomes poor with the poor, rejected with the rejected and abandoned with the abandoned. 

"Where is peace found? - it is there in those places of the heart we feel broken, insecure, in agony, most afraid..   

Why there?  

Because in our weakness our familiar ways of: controlling and manipulating are being stripped away, where we no longer fix, force or find! --  Right there where we are most vulnerable, The Peace That is Not of This World is mysteriously hidden - "Peace that surpasses all understanding will guard your HEARTS and mind through Christ Jesus." - Phil. 4-8. 

You see, I am convinced that everything which happens to us is the instrument by which He Himself draws us into His wounded Heart through our own human condition.  It is He who first suffers the pain we suffer -this is love!  Only in the awesome environment of such Truth can we hear Christ speak to us Heart to heart. 

My Elder, Fr. McNulty, shares a  conversation between himself and Christ - Jesus speaking to him:

"You and I are one. You must not look anywhere else for the meaning of your pain or darkness, no matter what the sin or the consequences of it.  Come into my Heart through yours and I will show you everything.  All I need is a heart pierced by its own human condition just like Mine has been pierced, a heart that has no place else to go but to My Heart. I will do the rest."

Only God can say and do things like that.  This is not psychology, or mere spirituality, but Grace formed by revelation, not meant to be learned theoretically, but personally experienced and assimilated." -Seraphim+ NHA

 

Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness

4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple.6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

There is room

There's an extraordinary place in the center of Taylorsville, Kentucky. 

Within a few steps of entering through the door, your eyes feast 

upon a bountiful collection of memorabilia covering the walls.    

Everywhere you look, 

it is a walk down memory lane 

and if you are too young to recognize 



some of the items on these walls - the visit makes for a good revealing of Kentucky history 

and Outdoor life.  

Its a friendly place, one where you can warm by the stove, chatting with a good friend. 

You'll find Troy there, Troy Baskett with two T's and he'll tell you that "we are a dying breed" and indeed they are.  

Rarely do you run into such a friendly atmosphere and find an honest, caring good soul to tend to your livestock and farm needs.  Troy is a remarkable man and his feed store reflects this. 

Of all the things to see in Mill Street Feed Store,  there is one very special sight that many won't notice for lack of seeing.

In the 18th Chapter of Luke, there is the story of the Blind Man begging for Christ to heal him.  He wants to see: 

"Then it happened, as He was coming near Jericho, that a certain blind man sat by the road begging.  And hearing the multitude passing by, he asked what it meant.  So they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by.  And he cried out, saying, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"  Then those who went before warned him that he should be quiet; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"  (This is the Jesus Prayer, The Prayer of the Second Strand of The Prayer Rope of St. Simeon Skete)  

So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him.  And when he had come near, He asked him, saying, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  He said, "Lord, that I may receive my sight."  Then Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight, your faith has made you well."  And immediately he received his sight, and followed Him, glorifying God.  And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God. "

In this story, Luke emphasizes the beautiful faith relationship between Jesus and the Blindman.  Faith does not necessarily mean or expect that God will intervene for faith is an end in itself.  Faith calls forth in the other and in oneself, what it sees.  It doesn't have to change things because Faith is able to see in all things!

The beggar in this story was waiting in faith.  Faith is the act of holding on when there are good reasons not to. We wait in faith, we wait in prayer.  The faith required is not that your prayers make a difference, but that you are to pray and THAT is the difference.  

You can call forth Life from anything IF you already possess life!  You can call forth Mercy from anything if your already possess mercy.   You can call forth Forgiveness from anything if you already possess forgiveness.  You can call forth Generosity from anything if you already possess generosity.    ...you can call forth seeing if you already possess seeing. 

As you look around Troy's Millstreet Feed Store, if you are not blind, if you possess the sight needed to recognize it, you will find Jesus.   And when you find Jesus you find his Heart, they are one in the same.

A horse collar is a device used to distribute the load the animal is carrying.  Framed in the horse collar on the wall of the Feed Store is the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus reminding us that no matter how crowded lives are, our muchness, or manyness, whatever we are carrying in our life - the good or the bad, in Jesus' heart there is room  (Luke 14:22). 

Many of us, hide our heart to protect it from hurt or pain, but Jesus' heart is exposed, out front, vulnerable distributing our loads onto Him so that we don't carry them alone.  His heart is open and in His heart there is room. 

So if you are in the city center of Taylorsville, Kentucky-  stop by and say hello to Troy, enjoy his store, look around, buy something and while you are there, be sure to see the Heart of Jesus poster.

Sacred Heart of Jesus Clauses 

of the 

Jesus Life Rosary 

1. Jesus your Life, your heart exposed is living in me
2. Jesus your Life, your heart out front is living in me
3. Jesus your Life, your heart vulnerable is living in me
4. Jesus your Life, your heart pierced is living in me
5. Jesus your Life, your heart open is living in me
6. Jesus your Life, your heart, there's room is living in me
7. Jesus your Life, your heart, my hope is living in me
8. Jesus your Life, your heart, my refuge is living in me
9. Jesus your Life, your heart making mine see is living in me
10. Jesus your Life is living in me that I might be one with Your Heart. 

The Sacred Heart and Empty Cups

Nazareth House Apostolate

The Feast of The Sacred Heart of Jesus

July 1, 2011

Dear Friends,

I have told this story before but it bears repeating.   It should be pondered with an exposed heart much like Jesus, as represented in the “Sacred Heart of Jesus” artwork. 

 

Jesus’ heart is not hidden or protected, its right out front, exposed, vulnerable so that it can absorb our pain, our sorrows.  It is that kind of heart that will hear this story and understand.

Some years back while Fr. Seraphim and I were in Kabala, Sierra Leone we had purchased rice to give each child a cup or so to take home to supplement their families food supply.  The children were lined up to receive their allotment of rice.  A child was given a cup of rice and then moved on as the next one received theirs.  As the line grew and the supply of rice began to shrink, the unthinkable became reality.  We ran out of rice—and there stood 20 or 30 children with empty cups in hand.  These kids were hungry and there is nothing sadder than the faces of hungry and sick children being told there is no more rice.   Standing there we looked on in horror.  We didn’t have the resources to buy more rice, there was nothing we could do.  I began to cry.   I thought, “How could this be?”  and I thought “God never runs out”, and then I thought again, “at a certain level, God does run out when he runs out of: 

• · Our Generosity

• · Our Sacrifice

• · Our Trust and faith

And when this happens, then God becomes the hungry and sick child who runs out of rice.  (Matthew 25:35...) and He is also at the same time, the rescuer in us, because at the moment I was feeling such pain for these hungry children with no rice, something beautiful happened.  Without any adult prompting, the children who had already received their rice turned back and began sharing their rice with the children who had empty cups.  They, without any thought, just instinctively began dividing what they had with those without. 

For sixteen months now we have been attempting to raise the funds to complete the compound and move NHA to Kabala.  The city of Kabala and the surrounding villages are in great need.  There is much to be done to assist the people.  In order to dive into  meeting those needs we must first finish the construction of the NHA Compound.  We still need $12,380 to pay off the contractor.  Then we will never have to pay housing again, nor rent!  Goal accomplished.

I am aware that with such great need, there will never be enough to come to the aid of everyone we meet.  However, I pray that your heart will be opened to generously give so that we are not facing empty cups but instead sharing what we have with those who have not. 

Our plan to accomplish this goal is to enlist 1000 people (family units) giving at least $25 per month.  This would enable us to continue and enlarge our humanitarian aid work, better equip and expand the NHA School as well as feed, clothe and shelter those who have yet to be reached in the villages.  If you are not already part of the monthly donation for Nazareth House, please consider doing so today.  Whatever you decide, whatever the amount - we are in great need of your help today.

If you are already pledging and contributing monthly support, thank you very much. We ask that you see your way clear to give a little extra this month to help complete the NHA Compound while Nazareth House  continues to provide the humanitarian aid, pay teachers salaries, open doors through education and spread a little love to our brothers and sisters in Sierra Leone.  Thank you for your prayers and support.

May God bless you, always.

Being absorbed into His mercy,

Vicki Hicks

 Mail checks to:

Nazareth House Apostolate

185 Captains Cove Drive

Taylorsville, KY 40071 

or

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