“Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not the source of your joy? Are you not in the hollow of my mantle, in the crossing of my arms?” (Our Lady of Guadalupe told Saint Juan Diego).
The other day someone was very ill. Like really really ill… It was a terrible time. And very frightening as well. It is a very scary thing to experience serious illness or injury. You see, illness is usually unplanned.
It is a rare thing to plan when we are going to be sick or unwell. How often do you hear a story about a person who was living their best life and then suddenly discovered that they were terminally ill? How many times do they completely reassess their life in the days and weeks after that discovery and in that time experience a surreal feeling of disassociation from the experience itself? In those cases, people change their lives in various ways. They become more devoted to their families. Or they take time away, creating memories to leave with their loved ones. Some people begin to fundraise for certain diseases to raise awareness for them. And still others, tick off items on their bucket lists…
And I have been thinking about that today. For it seems to me that the unexpected nature of these illnesses and injuries are what make them feel so frightening. After all, we plan so much of our lives. We plan for holidays and work and travel. We plan for retirement and for our old age. We plan for our children and their future. And yet, there is really nothing in our control in these things. All this planning and this sense of control is merely an illusion. Really what we have is a lifetime without plans or certainty. The ONLY thing, in fact, is the certainty that we will one day die.
And I have been thinking about that today. For it seems that the Gifts of the Holy Spirit are just that – GIFTS… And these gifts include the gift of Courage. And COURAGE is what we need to face the uncertainty of the future with a quiet heart and a sound mind.
Everywhere in the Bible we are told, “do not be afraid”. Because God knows that we are afraid and He wants us to take courage. Our Lady of Guadalupe told Saint Juan Diego during her apparitions to his “Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not the source of your joy? Are you not in the hollow of my mantle, in the crossing of my arms?” For she loves God so much that she spends eternity making us feel loved and safe.
And I have been thinking about that today. For I must have courage. For with courage I can face anything.
After all, I have nothing to lose… For am I not alone. And I have no reason to be afraid. For not only is my Beloved looking after me, but He has sent His Mother and for me she has said, “Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not the source of your joy? Are you not in the hollow of my mantle, in the crossing of my arms?”
For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.
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