Gaze upon Him,
Consider Him,
Contemplate Him,
Imitate Him . . .
Words of Clare to Agnes of Prague
Feast of St. Clare, August 11
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clare_of_Assisi#:~:text=
Following%20her%20death%2C%20the%20order,day%20is%20on%2011%20August.
Image from site of Franciscans Conventual
Artist Unknown . . .
August 9: Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein), martyr (1891-1942), became a Catholic convert from Judaism after reading the autobiography of Teresa of Avila. She earned a doctorate in philosophy but was unemployable because she was a woman. She taught at a high school for eight years before entering the Carmelites in 1933 where she made final vows in 1938. She moved to Holland to escape persecution by the Nazis, but was arrested when the bishops spoke out against the persecution of the Jews.
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is there in these moments of rest and can give us in a single instant exactly
what we need. Then the rest of the day
can take its course, under the same effort and strain, perhaps, but in peace. And when night comes, and you look back over
the day and see how fragmentary everything has been, and how much you planned
that has gone undone. . . just take everything exactly as it is, put it in
God’s hands and leave it with God. Then you
will be able to rest in God ~ really rest ~ and start the next day as a new
life.
St. Teresa Benedict of the Cross (Edith
Stein)
The God of Calmness:
The Nineteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time 2026
August 9, 2026
www.johnpredmoresj.com | predmore.blogspot.com
1 Kings 19:11-13; Psalm 85; Romans 9:1-5; Matthew 14:22-33
Where do we look for God versus where do we find God? In the story about Elijah, we find the prophet in the cave expecting to see God pass by. It is not in the big, clamorous events. It was not in God speaking clearly and directly. It was not the appearance of a powerfully strong God who acts mightily. God appeared in the stillness that followed the silence. In the Gospel, we also see that the presence of God is one of stillness and silence. It is not in the swirling winds or thunder or lightning. God’s presence in the person of Jesus provides calm.
Why is this important? Many times, a person will speak with me because they are uncertain that God hears them. They have been good, obedient, and respectful to God, but God does not seem to be answering them. There are many possible directions for the person to go, and they want to be kind and dutiful. They say something like, “I wish God would simply tell me plainly and directly what I should do. I want to know God’s will. Why cannot God be clear with me?” Well, my friends, this is not how God works with most of us.
God voice can be heard clearly and distinctly, and it is often found in the quiet silence or the stillness. God may be very active in your consciousness, and perhaps you have to listen in a different manner. Jesus shows us that he offers calm and a steady hand in the midst of severely swirling storms, and he still says, “Come. I want you to be with me. Take my hand. You’ll find what you need with me.” In the storms of our lives, we can be beset by so many competing, discordant voices and we do not know to which voice we should listen, but we can train ourselves to detect the quiet movements of the voice of Jesus.
He often works through gentle invitations given by our friends or associates. It can be a quality of welcome, a tone of voice, an assurance offered by a stranger, but it is unmistakably from Jesus. He is the one who extends the hands of calmness and stillness. So, when we are confused or bombarded by thoughts or in distress, that is not the time to pray. It is the time to sit down and breathe. It is the time to get ourselves centered so we find ourselves at the edge of the cave like Elijah or like Peter clutching the hand of Jesus. We have to center ourselves with the breath before entering prayer. When we are distressed, anxious, or angry, we are not free. We cannot pray. When we settle ourselves and let the breath calm our unruly thoughts, then we touch our freedom and we can pray. We have to get into the practice of breathing daily when we are not in distress so we build a routine of centering ourselves.
We learn to see with our eyes and our other senses, and we begin to detect when and where the Risen Jesus is present to us. This voice becomes clear and distinct and trustworthy, and we can hear it no matter how ferocious those winds are. This voice is always calm, welcoming, and supportive. His voice guides us to make the right choices in confidence. If we breathe, and allow us to be seen by Jesus, we can do anything, and we can find that calmness. He says, “Experience and use your courage. Do not be afraid. I want you to know me. I want you to come. I offer you invitations. Come. I want your partnership and your friendship. I am your God.”
· May God the Father who made us bless us.
May God the Son send his healing among us.
May God the Holy Spirit move within us and give us
eyes to see with,
ears to hear with,
and hands that God’s work might be done.
May we walk with God and preach the Word of God to all.
May the angel of peace watch over us and lead us at
last by God’s grace to the kingdom. Amen.
Dazzling
Another morning and I wake with thirst
for the goodness I do not have. I walk
out to the pond and all the way God has
given us such beautiful lessons.
Oh Lord,
I was never a quick scholar but sulked
and hunched over my books past the hour
and the bell; grant me, in your mercy,
a little more time. Love for the earth
and love for you are having such a long
conversation in my heart.
Who knows what
will finally happen or where I will be sent,
yet already I have given a great many things
away, expecting to be told to pack nothing,
except the prayers which, with this thirst,
I am slowly learning.
What lies behind us
And what
lies before us
Are
small matters
Compared
to what lies
Within us.
(emerson)
