Bl. Mother Teresa calls me out

Usually when I come home for extended periods of time I feel really un-peaceful. Now, don't get me wrong, I love being at home. I love my family so much and I miss them like crazy when I'm away at school. But once I've been at home for a few days (or sometimes hours) I become acutely aware of the lack of peace here at home. It may seem ridiculous to expect peace from the home of 2 parents, 9 children, and 1 dog, and I know better than to expect everyone to be quiet and calm all the time, but the lack of peace still makes me sad. I often get frustrated with it and even find myself getting angry with my family for their bad attitudes and bickering.

I read this quote from Bl.Mother Teresa today and it just hit me hard: "“What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family.”

Wow.

Of course I want world peace, who doesn't? But how do I expect to go out and love the world and promote world peace if I can't even love my own family? Mother Teresa's words really called me out. They made me think, "Is selflessly loving my family the foremost concern on my mind when I come home? Maybe if it were I could really start to make a difference at home." I've always kind of resented being the oldest, but this is my chance to put it to use, to set a good example for the other kids of love, in the hopes that little by little, together, we can restore peace.

Write Your Love on My Heart

This verse keeps popping up again and again in my mind and on my heart:

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!"
1 John 3:1

I think the language really makes it stick for me-
lavished- what a beautiful word! (lavish: to expend or give in great amounts or without limit)The Father has not just given us this great love, He has lavished it on us; He has poured His love on us without limit. How incredible is that!?

And that is what we are- John leaves no room for interpretation here. We aren't "like" children of God; we don't appear to be children of God; we ARE children of God. Plain and simple. John's words are plain and simple, but to be able to wrap your mind around the truth he is expressing isn't so simple.

It makes me wonder, do I live every moment of every single day in the truth that I am a child of God? Do I understand what that means? Have I accepted the truth that God has lavished His great love on me, even when I don't necessarily feel it? How should this truth affect the way I live? How should it affect the way I treat others? Do I recognize that every person I encounter is just as much a child of God as I am? If God has lavished each and every person with this great love, who am I to give anything less than all the love I have to each of my brothers and sisters?

St.Therese gives me hope

"...I know that Jesus cannot desire useless sufferings for us, and that he would not inspire the longings I feel unless he wanted to grant them. Oh! How sweet is the way of Love! How I want to apply myself to doing the will of God always with the greatest self-surrender! God cannot inspire unrealizable desires. I can, then in spite of my littleness, aspire to holiness. It is impossible for me to grow up, and so I must bear with myself such as I am with all my imperfections...The Lord has always given me what I desire or rather He has made me desire what He wants to give me..."

St. Therese of Lisieux

I really like this post on marriage and soul mates, it gives some much needed perspective.

"Lord, make us crazy with a contagious craziness that will draw many to your apostolate." ~St. Josemaria Escriva, "The Way"