CHANGING TIMES

 The last phrase of our Redemptoristine mission statement is: ‘Responding to the call of the gospel in our changing times.’   That is one thing we can all count on – changing times.  How do we live life in our changing times?   The only answer is trust in God.

When Celeste was 17, the Lord said to her, “I wish to be your Guide.  Love me alone. I am totally yours and have chosen you to be my spouse.”  Have you heard Jesus' call?  Young and old, Jesus desires to be our Guide, our confidant, our love alone.  

In her writing, Blessed Celeste she shares these words Jesus spoke to her:  “At the hour of my Incarnation, there burst upon the world the dawn of the Divine Sun upon the earth and the Dew of Grace, the Holy Spirit, upon all my creatures.”  That phrase ‘Dew of Grace’ bespeaks the gentle quality of God’s tender love toward us.  The Dew of Grace is an all-encompassing, eternal outpouring of blessings upon each and every one of us.

How do we live life in our changing times? The present often seems to be a struggle. But because we know in our hearts the gentle tender love of God toward all God’s creatures, we follow Jesus’ example and, in our turn, strive to be gentle and loving towards others AND ourselves during times of tribulation and turmoil.  In the last phrase of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus says, “Remember, I am with you always.” 28:20   That gives us cause to trust in God. 

The past is a jumble of change.   And we’ve lived through it!  Through thick and thin, whether we were aware of it at the time, or not, God is always there with us; loving us in our changing times.  Only by hindsight do we remember the unexpected graces that were given us for which we are now grateful.  

The future is yet to be. We can only imagine what change is next.   Let us walk together remembering the past with Jesus’ tender loving presence among us and move into the future with trust and imagination knowing that God is always with us in our changing times.