The Face of Grace Project

Reading Matthew’s gospel chapter 15:21-28, we are given to ponder the mother of the possessed daughter. For this Canaanite woman, according to human reasoning she was destined to a miserable eternity. She was not one of ‘them’, not of Shem’s line, the holy ones. She was the lowest of the low. That, however, was the identity laid upon her from birth by humankind.

What identity has the world laid upon me? Am I ready to permit God to show me my real self?

Thinking about it, we’ve all had one of those moments where the Holy Spirit touched us through words spoken by another person. You are unexpectedly struck with a feeling of confirmation, or conversely feel convicted in your choices. Talking with a Holy monk one day, he said Jesus is the Word become flesh in these moments. When others speak His inspired Word, Jesus is made flesh to me.

How do I react to Jesus made flesh to me?

One night, as I walked through the parking lot to enter the grocery store, I noticed this young man getting his little girl out of the car. She was about 1 year. Rather than walking into the store, he stood and held her.

And I realized that’s what God is trying to give to us every moment of every day.

Like any of our saints, Anne was a real person who now enjoys being in the presence of God in Heaven (Beatific Vision) and whom God has given to us to mentor, guide and protect. But of all the saints, she (and Mary) were likely the only ones to have cleaned Jesus’ nappy, and there’s got to be something special in that.

With all reverence, the account of the Transfiguration is one of those scriptures that leaves me chuckling. “Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep” (Luke 9:32). Those three are always asleep at the most crucial moments! They fall asleep at the Transfiguration; they fall asleep in the Garden of Gethsemane. In Luke 9:12 we hear they were tired, wanting to send everyone home and call it a night. They would have missed the miracle of feeding the 5000!

Is being in the presence of God enough to keep us awake?

There’s that tone of voice that seems void of all affection. And the words seem particularly chosen to imply she thinks she knows what I think or know. As the conversation progresses, it becomes clear she’s been talking to the others (although not acknowledging so). I can remember a time when we were younger, that we could be open with one another. No misperceptions or fears about how the other might interpret what is said. Now the opposite: I can’t say anything without it being misconstrued in a crazy way. Or turned into gossip by her. I want to love her, but I can’t even talk to her without feeling manipulated, mistreated and upset. Plus knowing the deep pain in her heart makes me want to help her all the more.

And we remain in a stalemate.

Turbulent times are unsettling, and we bring this unsettled state into our prayer as well. This is when St. Ignatius of Loyola’s approach to prayer can be very helpful. In the Spiritual Exercises, he recommends placing ourselves into the Gospel scene with the help of our five senses…