At Mass this morning Fr. Chris Martin spoke of encountering the glory of God and how the weight of His presence makes an impression on all it touches.  He asked us to reflect on who and what has happened to us that makes us who we are today.

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“The fullness of what it means to be alive is to be in conformity to the life of Jesus Christ.”

When Moses saw the burning bush that day, it could have remained a day like any other day. Sometimes bushes catch on fire. What caught Moses’ attention was that the bush on that day was burning but unconsumed.

If we wanted to be like another person, it would cost us something of ourselves. We wouldn’t be able to become like another person without a part of us dying so that we can pretend we are another person. But, when God pours the Holy Spirit into our hearts, we are set on fire but not consumed. All that is good, beautiful, unique, and unrepeatable about you doesn’t disappear. It is amplified by the glory of God.

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And… we’re back for week 2!

We began our weekend the best way Catholics know how: with Mass! Bishop Rice was the celebrant for our volunteer Mass for the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Today is one of many days our Church dedicates to the Blessed Mother. Who better models missionary discipleship? No one.

Mary: a woman pondering and a woman on the go.

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The Gospel of Mark tells the story of a deaf man that couldn’t speak. Jesus took him away from the crowd, put His fingers into his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue. Jesus sighed and said, “be opened,” and the man was healed.

God can heal your wounds too, but it requires us to “be opened.” The Lord sees you, even if other people don’t see you. Jesus wants to step into your life, take you to the side, and be alone with you.

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When Jesus entered the room where His apostles were hiding after His death, He said, “Peace be with You.” In that moment, Jesus met them in the middle of their unrest and offered peace. He does the same thing for us in our lives.

The peace that Jesus offers is not influenced by the changing tides of this world. Without interior peace, we cannot handle the turmoil around us. We don’t have the ability to control the external chaos, but we can control the interior waters of our hearts. An interior calm helps us to weather the storms.

So, how do we do it? How do we cultivate peace within our hearts? Joel gave us some helpful tips to try.

• Embrace silence daily. Our world is full of noise, and noise stirs up chaos. Can you make yourself internally silent even when there is noise around you?
• Take time at the end of every day to reflect.
  • What are you grateful for in the last 24 hours?
  • Where did you see God show up?
• Audit your social media use. What you do online and how much time you spend there affects your interior peace.
  • How much of your time do you give up to social media?
  • How do you feel when you’re done?
  • Choose times where you are NOT going to be on your phone.
  • Are there accounts you follow that make you unhappy, angry, or anxious? Unfollow them!
• Why do you do some of the things you do – specifically the things that make you feel unrest?
  • Is it something that is healthy or unhealthy for you?

Joel reminded us that, “Interior peace is only possible through relationship with Jesus Christ,” so as we do these practices, do them with and in prayer. Lastly, know that peace in your heart is always possible, but it is only possible through God.

What are you afraid to give fully to God?
How can you live this moment of your life well? What about the next one? Remember, you don’t have to have the full timeline figured out now.

You can watch the live stream video of Joel’s talk by clicking on this link. Enjoy!