Right to Life II

Niagara Falls, 2003

Day Two
Living life for Eternity

Prayer
Father of life, here and now, reveal the greatness of your love in the inestimable value of each and every human life.

A reading from the second Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians 4:14--5:1
Know that the One who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and place us with you in his presence. Everything indeed is for you, so that the grace bestowed in abundance on more and more people may cause the thanksgiving to overflow for the glory of God. Therefore, we are not discouraged; rather, although our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. , as we look not to what is seen but to what is unseen; for what is seen is transitory; but what is unseen is eternal.

(silent reflection)

Prayer
God of all creation, help us to see our earthly lives as but the beginning of the plans you have in store for us.

A Reflection by Pope Benedict XVI*
I believe. . .that our life tends in the end toward a discovery of love, toward receiving love and giving love. And the crucified Christ, who presents us with love lived out to the end, as he himself says in the Gospel of John, lifts this principle up into the realm of absolute reality. God himself is love. In this sense, love is indeed both the fundamental rule and ultimate aim of life. . . Human love always lays claim to eternity. Love contradicts death. . .This human love is turned from a promise into a fulfillment of reality only when it is wrapped in a love that can truly impart eternity. [Love] is what we are looking for and is the goal toward which our lives are directed. But within its own framework and on its own terms it directs our view toward God and brings us to wait upon God.

Our Father. . .
Hali Mary. . .
Glory Be. . .

*Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, God and the World, p. 185f

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Example of his gracious love...

The Beginning of the Trip

I told you I would tell you about the beginning of the trip and I think this is a perfect time to do that. You see nearly a week ago, I began my journey to my mother's for a visit. I had packed and prepared for days in advance even to double checking the itinerary. Yours truly READ the itinerary incorrectly. I thought I left here at 10:30 a.m. en route to INDY. Well, that was not my departure time. It was my arrival time to INDY. I was to leave here at 8:30 a.m. I discovered this error at 8:10 a.m. My kind and loving husband, my belongings and yours truly left for the airport knowing that I would miss my flight. (The Hand of God: we did this in peace, calm, generosity of spirit and love.) When I arrived at the check-in counter I told the attendant that I had missed my flight and was told I needed to contact the carrier because I had purchased the ticket through Expedia. In the next hour and twenty minutes (Ron hoping that the cell phone battery was fully charged) Felice worked with all the airlines involved, but apparently none of them could resolve my dilemma. She was generous, kind and diligent. AND she was on overtime caring for me. We laughed together and I was lifted up by her understanding. (One could say that is her job. I prefer to see it as The Hand of God.) When all was said and done the only thing for me to do, she said was to present myself to the check-in counter again and ask if they would issue a new itinerary. I fully expected a full day's delay. When I approached the counter I explained to the agent again what I had been told and she started to work on my "project", when a gentleman standing behind her in blue jeans and a sweatshirt, asked her to take care of the man behind me, he would take care of me. ( The Hand of God: in less than ten minutes he had me rerouted from here to Atlanta, to Salt Lake City, to Billings with arrival only three hours later than anticipated.) My flight out was in about 20 minutes. Ron asked him about the penalty fee charged for the change of plans. ( The Hand of God: the gentleman said there is no time). That my dear friends is how my wonderful trip to my mother's started and I have to tell you that I did not experience one moment of anxiety or fear. Calm prevailed. And what of the $100.00? It will donated to the Newburgh Food Pantry in gratitude to The Hand of God.

God bless you all...

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And thanks be to God!