Entrustment to Mary = Seeing God’s Bestowals in the Ordinary Events of Life

First off, Happy Easter! I love that Easter is a 50 day party! In addition, today is my “entrustment day”. Each month on the date that I was first consecrated to Mary, WE (Blessed Mother and I) celebrate the occasion somehow, some way. I never really know what the grace will look like, but it is always endearing and helps me to have a keener awareness of how much I am God’s beloved daughter.  Today was FULL of grace:

•           I was woken up by the Little One between 2-3 a.m., which made it really hard to get out of bed this morning. So, I just stayed put and was able to pray first thing instead of rushing around.
•          Thanks to my new smart phone, I was distracted during my prayer time in bed and read an article about Blessed John Paul II. In reading about his extraordinary ways, I was reminded that yes, he is a saint, and no, I am not…and THIS is why I was entrusted to Blessed Mother in the first place!
•          My hair didn’t turn out okay, and the shirt I put on for church was wrinkled with no time to change – gifts because I’ve been so vain over the last week that it has been quite the distraction.
•         I made it to Holy Mass…late. (I am and always will be the limping last sheep¹ and this is why I am entrusted to Mary!)
•         The Little One didn’t complain about going to church today!
•         After lunch, I experienced an exhaustion that was so draining, that I had to lay down. The Little One allowed me to read a book while she read her books next to me.
•         My begging prayers to Blessed Mom to help me out of my low were answered by a delicious homemade cold mocha drink. The graces attached to the caffeine got me to the library where the Little One was so excited to get new books and her very own library card, followed by a grocery store trip with no melt downs and actually not forgetting anything needed for dinner.
•         While out driving, for a brief moment, Blessed Mother shared with me HER hunger to love…HER hunger for my surrender…it didn’t last long, but I experienced it. It was obvious to me that on my own such a task would be impossible, but with HER…it will happen, some day!
•         The Little One wanted to help me with dinner and it was a help!
•         Dinner actually turned out tasty, not just to me either!!
•         My husband didn’t come home for dinner, but all the kids were in good moods and we actually hung out at the table chatting for an hour.
•         My husband surprised me by doing a needed car repair before coming home!
•         I got laundry done today.
•         It was my husband’s night (not mine) to put the Little One to bed!
•         I was left with the dishes…and had energy left to do them from my afternoon coffee drink (remember – grace was attached)!
•         I had time to make breakfast for tomorrow for my teens who have sports after school – such an unusually motherly thing for me to do – must have been “WE!”
•         I remembered to write this blog.

 Thank you, Mary, for carrying me so gently and so lovingly today, and every day!

"In St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus’ life, one may say that she had a certain passion for tracking down God’s gifts. She desired to thank God for everything. For her, everything was grace. She saw the love of Jesus progress to the point of folly.^* Her binoculars were constantly directed at Jesus with such passion that it was as if nothing else existed for her. She seemed to be possessed by God. Even more, her sister by birth called her the one who was possessed by God." (S.C. Biela, The Two Pillars, [Ft.Collins, CO: IAMF, 2006], 91.) *Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, 3rd ed., trans. John Clarke (Washington, DC: ICS, 1996), 200. Translation of Histoire d’une âme: manuscrits autobiographiques (Editions du Cerf and Desclée de Brouer, 1972) Citation is from Manuscript B, 5vº, Letter to Sister Marie of the Sacred Heart. – Ed.

"The expression that ‘God loves’ means that He bestows. If God is love, then this means that He lives in order to give. This gift is unceasingly poured out upon us, regardless of the circumstances. It calls forth gratitude.

People, things, and events take on the proper meaning in the light of faith. They stand before me not only as part of the world to which they belong, but also as God’s messengers, as manifestations of God’s Loving presence, and as letters that speak to me about the grace that He, the Lord, unceasingly pours out on me. The things surrounding us and the situations in which we find ourselves also speak to us about our need for deeper contrition and gratitude – the two intertwined pillars of interior life." (The Two Pillars., 8.)

1 “The helpless sheep wants to follow Jesus, even though nothing works out well for it and the efforts that it makes do not have results. It believes that the Good Shepherd sees its desire to follow Him, and its effort to advance at least by a few steps. It believes that in the eyes of the Good Shepherd it is not important how much distance it has successfully taken but only the extent and greatness of its desire and effort to be obedient to Him.”  (S.C. Biela, In The Arms of Mary, 2nd. ed,rev. [Ft.Collins, CO: IAMF, 2005], 74.)