Immersed 2: Bathing in חֶסֶד (hesed)

February 24,2013 Updates

I was reflecting on the Sunday Homily given by Fr. James Farfaglia at Catholic Online and I'd like to share what he wrote on Jesus' Transfiguration (2nd week of Lent). Thank you for deepening this Gospel reading.

"There is only one way to carry your cross. Carry your cross with generosity. Carry your cross with patience, love and joy. See in your cross your sanctifications, your eternal salvation. Understand that with your cross, united to the cross of Jesus, you have a continual opportunity to save souls and make reparation from many sins."

~Sunday Homily: The Happy Priest-The Meaning of Suffering



Lately, I noticed that I've scarcely visited any of my social media sites to connect with friends... I was so engrossed in enhancing our website, taking care of kids and just living in the real world that I've missed out on a lot of things...

A change in my schedules filling in my weekends and my time after work has taken its toll on my health... I've encountered a lot of disappointments in between, desiring so much to reach the heights... My brother shared some really remarkable apps that I could focus my energies on while working on several issues... "These things (success or failure) are not up to you," he lovingly assured me..."and stop being weird ," he added (referring to my GI bleeding).

I visited the hospital a week ago and while waiting for the doctor, a man in his seventies engaged me in a conversation. We talked about a lot of things ~ from Obama Care to our present government, our country's economy to his illness and healthcare benefits. My attention shifted on him, a very wise old man, and I found joy in doing so... 

"Contemplation is not necessarily a matter of thinking of God... 
it is a matter of immersing ourselves in the heart of reality... 
it is an attitude of mind which does not need either a monastery or a desert to be practised in... 
it is the capacity to live out the present fully..." 

~ Fr. Henri Boulad, Ch. 2: The Depth of the Present, All is Grace: God and the Mystery of Time,(NY: Crossroad Publishing, 1981), 25.






I thanked God for that moment of encounter. 

I reflected that most of the time I felt like I was alone. My sadness, my fears, my sickness, gaffe -these are mine. I thought, how could I share any of these when people have their own lives to live? own sufferings to look at? own crosses to bear?









We all have our crosses to bear...




But once bread is broken and yoke is shared ~ the burdens... our crosses become light because I/we become one with Jesus ... I/become one with the others...



"At times we have to be able to set everything aside and forget it: all our duties and tasks, all our own plans, in order to be able to go to God completely naked, simply to receive..."

~ Fr. Henri Boulad, Ch. 7: All is Grace, All is Grace, God and the Mystery of Time,(NY: Crossroad Publishing, 1981), 124.
These days, I'm immersing in God's חֶסֶד...



me on the keyboards
Source: Song "Pananatili" by Hangad

from the Book of Ruth

device: opendrive.com


... I am experiencing true love in His faithfulness...


Have you experienced such love?


Comments

  1. Martha Jane OrlandoFebruary 17, 2013 at 7:53 PM

    Dear Melissa, I am so sorry to hear you have been struggling with illness and swamped with work. Know you have been so missed in the blogging sphere and how much you are loved! Hope to see more of you soon, and will keep you in my prayers.
    Love and blessings, my friend!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Melissa TandocFebruary 24, 2013 at 6:19 AM

      Thanks so much Martha. As I've shared earlier, we're working hard for our journal to be indexed soon. I really pray for this ~ so we're putting all our efforts on this...

      I guess that's also a reason for my sickness ~ it's a recurring lung infection and the other one I told you...After letting some really good friends know, I erased it here.

      Love you so much...will write you soon. God bless!

      Delete
  2. Jessica MFebruary 18, 2013 at 11:14 AM

    Hey Sis, I am really sorry to hear you haven't been feeling well. You are in my thoughts and prayers. Hope you feel a lot better soon. <3

    Loved that quote by Fr. Henri Boulad. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Melissa TandocFebruary 24, 2013 at 6:22 AM

      Thanks a lot sis. I miss you so much too. Today, I feel better~ I was trying to put that in mind since Friday lol...

      Lots of love!

      Delete
  3. JANUFebruary 18, 2013 at 12:03 PM

    Hope you get better and well soon. You are much stronger than your illness. Love.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Melissa TandocFebruary 24, 2013 at 6:24 AM

      Sometimes getting sick is also surrendering oneself to the Divine...and trusting He'll do the impossible for us.

      Thanks so much Janu and lots of love!

      Delete
  4. Corinne RodriguesFebruary 18, 2013 at 1:32 PM

    Dear Melissa, sorry to hear that you are still struggling with health issues. Do take care, sweetie. ♥

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Melissa TandocFebruary 24, 2013 at 6:25 AM

      Now that you have mentioned that BS, I was reminded that last January, I pledged to "Love myself more." I just kept missing the most important part ~ sleeping on time. I guess my body also adjusted on my new diet...

      Lots of love!

      Delete
  5. IreneFebruary 20, 2013 at 2:49 AM

    I am hoping that as I am typing this comment, you are feeling better than when you published this post... My dad has cough and my mom has colds. Must be the weather? Plus stress?

    You did not really miss out a lot after taking time away from social media, because you were busy "living" life, like having that meaningful conversation with the wise man...

    Take care, Melissa! I wish you good health! God bless ♡ ♡ ♡

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Melissa TandocFebruary 24, 2013 at 6:29 AM

      One of the reasons I created an FB account was to connect with my siblings... but now that I see more of them, I told myself that I'll just check with online friends once in a while... Sometimes, it gets into me to read the status of everything that a person does lol...everything becomes so trivial...

      I feel better...should be, it has been two weeks already lol!

      Lots of love always!

      Delete
  6. Farfalla Dreams ~ Lisa Marie FarfallaMarch 2, 2013 at 7:07 AM

    Awe, bella, you are truly BEAUTIFUL. I pray for HEALING of all illness and weakness in your body, in JESUS NAME, AMEN. He is Jehova-Rapha... YOUR healer! Lots of love to you! xo

    ReplyDelete

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