Living in the Presence of Christ

Ask our Blessed Mother to Help

God's ultimate expression of love can truly only be experienced in Heaven. A high level of perfection attained on earth will surely get us admitted into Heaven. Perfection on any level is not possible without a strong devotion to Our Blessed Mother. But it takes effort to live according to the Charter of Happiness, the Sermon on the Mount. With the grace of Christ it is possible but we must seek that grace through Mary.

Mary is a participant in the redemptive effort of Her Son. Jesus died for all of us on the Cross to redeem us and Mary was right there with Him. She suffered there quietly. She suffered very greatly. It's sad enough when a mother loses a son, but can you imagine the pain knowing that your Son was the Son of God? Let us pray to Mary, and through Mary to Jesus, offering up the ultimate expression of our love for them!

The gift that never perishes is the gift of self-giving. A homeless man will always remember that you took him in to have Christmas dinner with you, a shower and a warm bed! The ultimate gift is a selfless gift, one we often do not think about. Jesus gives us a gift of self-giving. Holy Communion is such a gift. Now, in turn, let us give Jesus a selfless and self-giving gift.  Every day let us make Him #1 in our lives. Spend great portions of your day with Him, in a loving relationship that begins with prayer.

If we ask the Gospel what our interior life is, it tells us that the life of grace, given to us in Baptism and nourished by the Eucharist, is the seed or germ of eternal life.

Be comfortable in God's presence. Enjoy being with Him and spend much time with Him. Keep Him in your thoughts no matter what you are doing. Yes, you can think of God while doing something else, even if that something else demands your total concentration. There are work times, family times and leisure times. When we're on the job, whether this job is in an office or in a factory or at home, how many times do you think "God, I wish I knew the answer," or, "God help me?"
 
Family times are often times for reflection about God. If married with children you may often think or wonder of His creation which allowed you to have children. Think of the great miracle of having children in the first place and what a joy this has brought into your life. Yes, I know, kids are often noisy or unruly, and some kids gives rise to all sorts of pressures, but you know you love your children, deep down, because you see them as a gift of God. And they are.

If you don't have children there is your spouse and we hope that you see in him or her a reflection of God's love. If this is not the case pray that God will help you find middle ground. Begin with yourself: What have I contributed to this relationship, and, have I been Christ-like in this union?

For each one of us, married or not, there is a very special possibility of a union, a special relationship with God. It is, for most, a contemplative relationship, and Franciscans who know about solitude and meditation may pray to God for that gift, if they wish to deepen in their Faith and Franciscan spirituality.

The picture at the upper left of this page, strongly reminds us of this special relationship with God, where we are with him as children and there is inner joy and laughter. It is living in the Presence of God.

It may take many years of prayerful living in a peaceful way, loving one's sisters and brothers as we love God and ourselves, seeking some solitude from unnecessary noise (television), the living in God's presence, before the realization comes home that there is a contemplative dimension to our life.

Why would we want to live that way? In today's society, that seems a very radical way of life. Perhaps so... but we need to start thinking about the time to come. Do we want to get into Heaven to be with God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and Mary, St. Francis, and all the other angels and saints? If so, adopting a solid Inner Life of the Soul, another name for that relationship with God we're hoping to have, would be appropriate.

St. Francis of Assisi had a very special relationship to Jesus. Even though from rich and well educated parents, his desire for life of poverty provided the ideal setting for this solitude that can often lead to an inner life of the soul. Solitude is many things to many people. It is a silence of mind and spirit so that you may hear His voice. Read the Imitation of Christ, by Thomas à Kempis elsewhere on this website. This is a text read by millions of people, printed in a great many languages. This is a good beginning to understand what this special relationship is all about.

Finally, I have written a number of articles on this very subject, and if you are interested to pursue this, particularly as a Franciscan, I recommend you start with those articles. Thank You.

Fred Schaeffer, SFO
February 16, 2005