One of my favorite accounts in the Old Testament is the story of Elijah. In the last part of the passage Elijah is fleeing from the evil queen Jezebel whose pagan efforts he has just thwarted. Elijah is weary, and deciding he has had enough, he sits down and prays for death. God sends an angel who feeds him with bread and water (spiritual food) and tells him to go to Mt. Carmel. Enabled by that food, he walks for 40 days and nights until he gets to the cave where God will meet him. After he arrives, he experiences an earthquake, high winds, and fire, but he knows God is in none of these. Finally, Elijah hears a still, small voice, and he hides his face because he knows he is in the presence of God. (1Kings 19:1-13ff) What stands out in this account is how God came to Elijah in an ‘ordinary,’ simple way rather than in cataclysmic or extraordinary events like earthquakes. This passage offers the insight that the still, small voice can be overlooked if we are not attuned to it as Elijah clearly was. God speaks and is present in many ways, but if we limit our seeking of Him to miraculous events and situations, we will surely miss God’s presence in the simple ways He often comes, such as the still, small voice that is part of ordinary, daily life.

A way to grow in our life of prayer is to observe. In other words, becoming attentive to what is going on around us will create opportunities for reflection and prayer that can deepen our relationship with God. Observation of people (with love, and therefore without judging) is a way to open our hearts both in wonder at the goodness of others and in compassion for those who may be in need. We can also enjoy being out in nature and observing a hummingbird or a butterfly, or even just the way the clouds move, paying attention to the creativity of God. Our interior response to these observations, our reflections, can then become the foundation for prayer. Therefore, we can allow the presence of God into each moment so that what we might usually consider as ordinary is now revealed as something that is actually quite extraordinary. 

Anything can become an opportunity to experience God. While adoration in a chapel or church is a fantastic way to experience God, so is watching a father walking with his two year old daughter, holding her hand, for example. I observed such a man recently. His face was absolutely radiant with joy and love (and perhaps awe) as he walked with his little girl. The little girl seemed to see nothing but her father’s face, as she returned her own gaze of love. In observing something as simple as this, one could consider St. Joseph and Jesus, and then imagine how St. Joseph was moved with wonder and awe, bursting with love as he held the hand of the 2 year old Jesus, who also returned the gaze. From there, we could consider the Father looking at us with the gaze of eternal, unfathomable love as we hold His hand, enjoying His presence and trusting in His care. A simple observation such as this can lead to quite an experience in prayer! All that is necessary is the desire to see God’s presence in ordinary things and the openness to respond, allowing the experience to blossom into a deeper encounter with God.

Our prayer can be so enhanced if we approach it with the simplicity of one like St. Thérèse of Lisieux who espoused her Little Way. Not trained as a theologian, this humble ‘little’ Saint is now considered to be a Doctor of the Church. Why? It is because her Little Way was simple, yet led to deep and profound prayer which in turn led to holiness. She was able to see simple things as beautiful and to allow the ordinary to become extraordinary; she saw and experienced the presence of God all around her, even in the sister who annoyed her the most or in her intense suffering with tuberculosis in her final two years of life. One does not have to be a great mystic to have that sort of intimacy with God, but all mystics begin with this ability to see God in the simplicity of ordinary life. If we are struggling in prayer, simply observe and ask God for your heart to be moved in some way, whether it is compassion or joy, or even sorrow if there is something that needs to be healed. The action of observing is the beginning or prayer; if we cannot see God in the ordinary, ask the Holy Spirit to enable this in order to begin to develop this simple, yet important gift.

Finally, observation is the foundation for discernment. When we can find the presence of God in simplicity and in the ordinary we are actually learning to sort out that which leads to Him, that is, the movement of the Holy Spirit, and similarly we can begin to recognize the attachments and weak points we have that are exploited by the evil one and which lead to self or worldliness, and thus, away from God. By learning to deepen our observation through simple, ordinary experiences we will come to see that the presence of God sanctifies every moment and every ordinary thing. And if we continually stand in His presence, we, too, will become sanctified.

May we ask the Lord to help us to observe His presence in the simple, ordinary events of life! May we be moved to love more deeply and turn away from judgment in our observation of our brothers and sisters! And may we grow in holiness, becoming light for others through our time spent in the presence of God! Let us meet in the Heart of Jesus! Peace!

                                ©Michele L. Catanese

Images:
1. My photo of stained glass; Elijah being taken to Heaven in a whirlwind.
2. My photo; Hummingbird on my hummingbird feeder.
3. Icon; San Jose Sombra del Padre, by Fr. William Hart McNichols. You can obtain a copy of this in one of many mediums at https://fineartamerica.com/featured/san-jose-sombra-del-padre-161-william-hart-mcnichols.html
4. Photo; children playing in the park.
5. Painting; Seascape, by Claude Monet.
​6. My photo; The majesty of creation. Kootenai National Forest, Montana.

Note: In compliance with GDPR rules, I wish to make it clear that I do not gather any information on any of my readers at any time. 

One of my favorite works of art is that of the Annunciation done by Blessed Fra Angelico. Everything about this fresco painting draws me into the sublime beauty he captured. The Virgin Mary is delicate, yet she does not appear as weak, and it is clear she is filled with the grace the angel acknowledges. The archangel Gabriel is magnificent, - (especially in the resplendence of his wings) - though without outshining Mary. As remarkable as all that is, the most moving aspect of this painting is their gaze upon one another. The angel is looking upon her, yet his head and eyes are slightly lowered in deference to who it is he is addressing. Mary meets Gabriel’s gaze with total openness, attentive to him, and yet her demeanor is that of humility and wonder. As with their gaze, their posture is notable: both have their arms gently folded across their chests, conveying the deepest respect, one for the other. During the month in which we celebrate Mary as Our Lady of the Rosary, this image calls to mind not only the first of the many Mysteries upon which we meditate, but it unites us with the angel Gabriel as together we say: “Hail Mary!” As we pray his salutation we connect with Mary and all the angels, who no doubt rejoiced when Gabriel addressed her that day.

October is often referred as a month of Mary, but I must point out that in our liturgical year every month ​except April contains at least one feast or solemnity of Mary.​* In October the feast is Our Lady of the Rosary, (October 7). What is interesting, however, is that just before Our Lady of the Rosary we celebrate angels twice. On September 29 we honor the Archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael and then only three days after the Archangels, we celebrate the Guardian Angels (October 2). How fitting that the angels ‘prepare’ the way for the beautiful celebration of Our Lady and the Rosary she gave to St. Dominic, handed down to us, which begins with the angelic salutation, “Hail Mary!”** The Rosary is an important and powerful prayer meant to help us meditate upon the mysteries of our faith which focus upon God’s immense love offered through Jesus’ life, suffering and death, as well as Mary’s role and willing participation in His plan for our salvation. In addition to bringing us into meditation and prayerful insights into the mysteries of our faith, the Rosary also puts demons to flight, as they are terrified of the purity and authority that is Mary’s.

In regard to the Annunciation St. Thomas Aquinas wrote that in ancient times angels were always revered by men and that it was never the other way around. This is because the angels are “incorruptible and pure spirit” who worship at the throne of God, and therefore are on a higher plane than we who are fallen and sinful. He wrote: “…the angel is elevated above man, by the fullness of the splendor of his divine grace. Angels, in fact, participate with the greatest fullness in the divine light itself. "Can the soldiers of God be numbered?" says Job (25:3), "and is there any upon whom his light does not shine?" This is why angels always appear in the light of God. Men, on the other hand, do share in the light of grace, but sparingly...."” St. Thomas concluded, “It was not fitting, therefore, for the angel to bow to man, until the day a human creature appeared who surpassed the angels in fullness of grace, familiarity with God, and dignity. This human creature was the Blessed Virgin Mary. In recognition of this superiority, the angel showed her his veneration with the words: "Hail Mary!"" ***

With the words of St. Thomas in mind, reflecting on the Annunciation ought to fill us with the greatest awe at the occasion when an angel acknowledged one greater than he from among the ranks of humans. Mary, chosen by God, was made aware of her own dignity which she graciously accepted while never losing humility throughout a life that would be filled with joys, the greatest sufferings, and unfathomable mystery, until her own death. She accepted everything humbly and in the deepest love for God. Since her death Mary has continued to do the will of the Father, leading His people to her Son Jesus and working to keep us close to Him. Something to ponder, however, is that while we do not share in her perfection, there is one significant way in which we are just like Mary; like her we have been gifted with an angel who accompanies us throughout life. Every person is given a Guardian Angel at birth and that angel both guides and prays for us during our entire life, and then accompanying us through death, this angel will remain present even through our eternal life; that beautiful spirit who is our guardian angel is with us for eternity. To be clear, our guardian does not regard their role as a ‘job,’ but rather, as a relationship. They love us and care immensely about who we are and the choices we make. With this in mind, we should adopt the same attitude toward our Guardian Angel, appreciating and loving them, requesting their aid, and being grateful for their presence. We should pray to them daily, especially thanking them for all they lovingly do and of which we are mostly unaware.

May we pray the Rosary daily so that we might grow in spiritual insight, love, and devotion to Mary and Jesus! May we develop our relationship with our Guardian Angel! And may we live in gratitude for the angels who rejoiced at Jesus birth, tended to Him when He was in greatest need, fight battles against evil for us, and who are available whenever we call upon them! Let us meet along with the angels in the mysteries of the Rosary! Peace!

​                      ©Michele L. Catanese

Note: The next entry will be posted one day later than usual, on Tuesday, October 22 rather than on the usual Monday.

* May is the month that we generally call the month of Mary, while October is the month of Our Lady of the Rosary, but since both are focused on Mary it is not incorrect to call both May and October the month of Mary. If you want to see a list of the Memorials, Solemnities, and Feasts of Mary on the liturgical calendar for each month of the year go to https://marian.org/mary/feast-days
** It is not completely accurate to imply that the Rosary did not exist before Mary appeared to St. Dominic and handed him a Rosary, but he is the one to whom she entrusted the promulgation and spread of this beautiful and powerful devotion. St. Dominic did just that!
​*** I found this quote from St. Thomas Aquinas while reading an article on a site called A Moment with Mary. https://uneminuteavecmarie.mariedenazareth.com/en/2024/october/2024-10-02
The citation they gave was that it was an excerpt from: Les plus beaux textes sur les Saints Anges. The website for this is https://www.nd-chretiente.com/la-vierge-marie-et-les-anges  There is a tab to translate into English.

Images:
1. Fresco painting; The Annunciation by Blessed Fra Angelico.
2. My photo; my Rosary with prayer book.
3. Icon; The Archangels Gabriel, Michael and Raphael, cropped to only show St. Gabriel. 
4. My photo; Santa Maria degli Angeli (St. Mary of the Angels) in Assisi, Italy. Within this church, a Papal Basilica, is the Portiuncula, the first 'church' for St. Francis of Assisi, and it is where he founded his religious order. Thus, it is a church within a church. I took this photo with a film camera in 2001 while visiting Assisi. It just needed to be in this entry!
5. Icon; Guardian Angel Guarding Little Elijah Gemmell, by Fr. William Hart McNichols. You can find this at ​fineartamerica.com/featured/guardian-angel-guarding-little-elijah-gemmell-191-william-hart-mcnichols.html

Note: In compliance with GDPR rules, I wish to make it clear that I do not gather any information on any of my readers at any time.