Seeds of Promise - My Prayer Groups:
Seeds of Promise and Shepherds of Christ; we pray for priests.
My Shepherds of Christ chapter on one of our field trips to Kentucky. The Ohio River is behind us.
Mary, Tilde, Ruthie, Yvette, Jim and Roy
A STUDY OF THE SEEDS
Matthew 13:31-32 The kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed...the smallest of seeds, yet when full grown, it is…a large bush, and the birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.
This illustrates the contrast of small beginnings of the kingdom and its marvelous expansion. Also found in Mark 5:30-34, Luke 13:18. (Ezekiel 17:23 mentions a planting in which birds of every kind shall dwell. I see the seed growing into the bush as the church/kingdom, and the birds as the people of all the earth who have come to it. See also Daniel 4:7-9.)
Mark 4:1-9 This parable was told also in Matthew 13 and Luke 8. A sower...sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where there was little soil...it sprang up at once...when the sun rose, it was scorched...for lack of roots. Some seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked it, and it produced no grain. And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit. It came up and grew and yeilded thirty, sixty and a hundredfold.
The sowing of the seed represents the breakthrough of the kingdom of God into the world. The various types of soil represents the diversity of response to the Word of God.
THE LOST SHEEP
Luke 15:1-7 What man among you having a hundred sheep, and losing one of them, would not leave the ninety-nine...and go after the lost one?
See alsoMatthew 18:12-14. Not only must we not cause a fellow disciple to sin, we must seek out our fellow disciples who have gone astray, and if possible bring them back to the flock/community.
THE GOOD SHEPHERD
John 10:1-18 ...I am the good shepherd...
Although Jesus used a figure of speech, He had to tell this one twice because it was not understood by even the Pharisees. Christ's shepherds today are the priests who look after His flock, that is His church/community.
I Brought a Message From Medjugorje
By Yvette L. Maurey
Published in the Catholic Times May 25, 1990
Generations, Stories of faith by diocesan people – edited by Mary J. Barrett
When I decided to make the pilgrimage to Medjugorje, I knew my heart would have to be open to the will of God. I have difficulty, as do many Christians, resigning my will to God’s. But, to go, was to make a commitment, which meant sacrifice.
The travel money was my savings for a trip to England to visit friends. The spending money came from other sacrifices; denials of things such as eating out as often as I like. The trip was grueling: 36 hours of travel, including airport layovers of two, six and eight hours. Those of us who took our children had the added obligation of trying to comfort them.
Physical needs called for sacrifices. On Krezevak (Cross Mountain) the Stations of the Cross were at strategic intervals. Not only did that afford us prayer, but also times of rest. To avoid dehydration, we carried water everywhere we went. On my way down Krezevak, I encountered two women sitting alongside the path, fanning themselves. One asked me if I had water. When she finished drinking, I offered my jug to the second woman. The first woman remarked how God’s plans mesh (in our lives): I came down the mountain with a water jug, to meet people in need of a drink!
The food served in the guest home was delicious and plentiful. Nourishment was a necessity for all the walking we did. I thought about Our Lady’s call to fasting. I talked with some who did fast while there, and I admired them for it. But I felt that Our Lord would not want me to jeopardize my trip for lack of nourishment.
The spiritual aspects of the trip were what I most looked forward to experiencing. Mass and Holy Communion were available several times a day. I attended Mass on a mountain, in the parish church and in a woods. The one day when I did not attend Mass, I was lucky enough to be in the church plaza when Communion was being distributed. Confessions were being heard all day, every day. There were always lines. On my last day there, as my daughter and I were passing through the churchyard, I noticed two English-speaking priests hearing confession – and not lines! A small miracle indeed!
After confession, we took a walk down the path behind the church to the cemetery, where 24-hour adoration of the Blessed Sacrament was available. That was our second such visit. Each of those special times will be food for reflection.
Most visitors I encountered in Medjugorje were searching for something. Some sought healing, whether spiritual of physical. Some sought conversion or forgiveness. The Holy Spirit was sought after by many. If personal relationships with Jesus and Mary had already been established, many were hoping to deepen them. For some, it was a constant quest for miracles or outward signs. I did unexpectedly see the sun dance! For others, the search was an endless souvenir hunt; for the perfect gift for a favorite relative, or just a great bargain.
Seeking natural beauty, for me, is a form of praising God. As an avid birdwatcher, I am always seeking new birds for my life list. I drank in the beauty of the Yugoslavian countryside.
We attended interviews and prayed with two of the visionaries, and also prayed with a third. I was very surprised to find that the celebrity of those young residents to be an obsession of some of the visitors. Such a paradox, that in order to bring others to God, they must sacrifice their private lives.
Mary’s message is PEACE, which we can achieve through prayer. I kept hearing people say they wanted to return to Medjugorje some day. As much as I enjoyed my visit there, I felt more, a desire to return home and spread that message of peace. At this time, I feel no desire to go back. If I must continually return to a faraway place to feel the peace, I must not be searching deep enough within my own heart.
On August 14th, 1989, the eve of the feast of the Assumption, was on Podboro, the Hill of Apparitions. At 10:30 PM, Our Lady appeared to the visionary, Ivan, for eight minutes. This is his account, translated for us before we left the hill:
“Our Lady came tonight with three angels. When she arrived, she said, ‘Praised be Jesus, my dear children.’ After that, she prayed for a long time, with her hands extended over the crowd.
“Ivan recommended all our intensions to Our Lady. Tonight, Our Lady gave a very special blessing, which we can extend to other people. Our Lady’s message: ‘I am very happy tonight, to see you all here in such great numbers. I am happy for what we have done together during this year, the Year of the Youth. We have pushed forward in a very good and strong way. I especially ask the families – the parents – to work together in a special way during this time. I ask you day by day to grow stronger in prayer. Your mother is here to ask you to open yourselves to your dear mother. Your mother is waiting for you.’
“Our Lady added, ‘Let from midnight tonight be a special time of Thanksgiving.’
“Ivan prayed with Our Lady, one Our Father, and one Glory Be… for our intentions. Then Our Lady went back to Heaven in the Sign of the Cross, saying, ‘Go in the peace of God, my dear children.’”
I wish to extend that blessing to all who read this article, and I wish you peace in your search for the will of God.
Yvette Maurey is a member of St. Aloysius Parish.
The following poem was inspired by remarks and conversation at one of my weekly Seeds Of Promise prayer group meetings.
The Things Norm Said Made Us Think
OR
History DOES Repeat Itself
Wake up and see for yourself;
get the history book off the shelf.
Every civilization that ever crumbled
became DEMORALIZED before it tumbled.
Our country is destruction-bound,
our youth desensitized and spellbound
by video games invented in hell.
The history books DO fortell
our future. Don't be foolish.
The world as we know it WILL vanish.
Unless we teach our kids real LOVE,
our fate will be one unthought of.
Wake up and see for yourself--
get the history book off the shelf.
® 7 May 1994
Yvette L Maurey
Here is my testimony speech from a Life In The Spirit seminar put on in the summer of 1998 by our St. Mary's German Village chapter of Shepherds Of Christ.
My Path to Finding New Life in the Spirit
Yvette L Maurey
I am what we like to call a 'cradle Catholic.' My mother is a devout Catholic, raised that way by her mother, and Mom put her life into raising the seven of us to become, and remain good Catholics. I remember knowing as far back my early childhood, when I thought the entire population of the world were Catholic, and when such a phrase as "in the presence of God" conjured up visions such as those we had while reading The Old Testament. I know that at an early age I was aware of God's presence in my mother. I remember kneeling next to her in church, thinking, "Mom has God inside her." I was aware that He was present at times other than in church or right after Holy Communion. It had to do with the books she read and kept; the way she talked, and taught us to pray; the way she taught us to dress and act, so that we would please God, our Creator.
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Mine is not the re-conversion story of one who leaves the Church and returns, nor is it the gradual conversion of one in total obedience. For most of us conversion is gradual. When we are in the presence of the Lord, temptations abound. Though for the most part, I have lived as I was taught, there were times when I fell from God's favor. These times were the times God granted me a chance to come back to Him with a love stronger than before.
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I was married briefly outside the Church. At the time, I did not think about whether the choice was a proper one. I never stopped going to Sunday Mass, even though I couldn't receive the Sacraments. I made Novenas, praying to change my husband. I found myself changed! I came to realize that I was the only good and positive thing in my husband's life at a time when he really needed someone. I do not believe things happen that are not in God's plan. I was there to be His witness to one of His lost lambs.
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A few years after my divorce, I found myself in another situation that those who knew me would describe as 'out of character.' I became an unwed mother. I knew within two weeks I was pregnant; I could feel the changes. I was visited by Satan for a split second. I heard "Get an abortion and no one ever has to know." But I knew that a child is a gift from God, and if He did not intend for me to bear this child, it would come about only by His provision. I ordered Satan away and promised God that I would bring up the child to love Him as He required of me. I was not a teenager; I was in my mid twenties. I knew that this too figured into God's plan. My daughter, Monica, is now an adult, and is still a practicing Catholic.
She is a testimony that a child of a single parent can have positive results when the foundation is built on Jesus Christ in a loving extended family environment.
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I took Monica with me on a pilgrimage to Medugorje in 1989, and not long after we returned, I had the opportunity to participate in a Life in the Spirit Seminar. I was not concerned with asking for or receiving the Gift of Tongues, although I did receive it. To me, it is a personal gift, and I use it quietly and humbly, usually in prayer for healing and forgiveness. More importantly, though, it was through this Baptism of the Spirit that I became aware of Spiritual Gifts previously received. It was revealed to me that I had indeed received the Holy Spirit when I was confirmed. I remembered back that I was feeling overwhelmed to the point of tears, and not knowing why. I was now aware that Discernment was that gift which had allowed me since childhood to know what was of God, and what was not. It was Discernment which had opened my eyes to God (the Holy Spirit) in my mother, all those years ago. It was Discernment that enabled me to choose which movies to allow my daughter to attend, without knowing anything about
them except a title!
I attended three other Life in the Spirit Seminars since then. The last one, was another spiritual landmark. I asked for proper use of the gift of Counsel. My daughter was a teenager, and though she had not yet given me cause for alarm, I knew I must be prepared to handle any situation that might arise. I had often told Monica ever since she was very small, that if she ever lied to me, I would know it before she would know I knew! I really didn't know if I would, but it seemed like good insurance to tell her so! Only three weeks after I was prayed over at that Life in the Spirit Seminar, the moment of truth arrived. Monica was supposed to have been spending the night with a girlfriend and I received a call that she was elsewhere. I made some calls to check it out. She was not where she was supposed to have been. I prayed to the Holy Spirit for guidance. I asked that I would extend mercy as Jesus had shown His Mercy to me so many times before. The next day as I waited for Monica to come home, I sat down with the Book of Proverbs, and wrote the numbers of the verses pertaining to her offense. After two and a half hours I was still not finished, but Monica had returned. We both spoke at the same time. As I was asking her where she really had been, she was lamenting, "Mom, I didn't mean to lie." She knew I knew! I calmly told her to go put her things away and come to the kitchen when she was ready. I had time to find a few more verses! I had her sit beside me on a small stool. I gave her the Bible, and as I read the verse numbers, she read the verses to me. After the exercise, I asked her what message she got from it. She knew the answer. Then I told her to remember the lesson, and never lie or disobey me again. I realized that that had a familiar ring; Jesus was speaking through me to my daughter. "Go and sin no more." Praise God! I know she was surprised to find that this was the extent of her 'punishment.'
I am still growing spiritually. We can never stop if our goal is heaven. Journaling helps me to search my soul for more growth potential. I witness to friends and customers regularly, if only in subtle ways. I thank God that He has given me the ability to see situations from all sides, and make well-balanced choices, avoiding over-zealousness or apathy. Only in this past year, have I realized how much the way I live my life has had an impact on others. My best friend, who seemed to have no religion at all when I met her, asked me a year and a half ago about about joining an RCIA class. She is now a Catholic.
About a year ago, the father of a childhood friend died. I went to the funeral home, and was reunited with my old friend whom I had not seen for over thirty years! She told me she was now a Catholic. She later wrote me a letter and told me that I had led her to the Church. She said she had asked questions about the holy water, crucifixes and rosaries we had in the house. She said I had taught her to pray the Hail Mary, and I that I always seemed so happy! Such a precious gift she gave me in telling me so! She had had an unhappy childhood, and I never knew how unhappy or hungry she was when we were kids. She also told me that through her, her father had converted to Catholicism before he died. He, who had been her terror in childhood was her comfort in his last days. Forgiveness is a wonderful gift; it will set you free!
I am blessed, in that it has never been my nature to hold grudges. The people I see who do, seem a most unhappy lot. Jesus did not hold a grudge. He got angry and got it out of His system. He forgave immediately, no matter what the offense.
Sometimes the Holy Spirit brings us to Jesus. Sometimes Jesus leads us to the Holy Spirit. In the end, we are led to the Father. Find your path. If you find yourself wandering from it, hold out your hand, and He will find you and bring you back. Sometimes He will send someone for you; you are one of the sheep of his flock , and as Jesus tells us, He does not want to lose even one!
Road Signs on my Path of Life and Prayer
Seek the Lord's will in all your undertakings. Jesus taught us in the 'Our Father,' "Thy will be done." (Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4)
Expect the Lord to seek you! Be ready! Remember Samuel's response: " Here I am, Lord!" You may find yourself in an "Abraham Moment:" You may be called, but not required to make the sacrifice. The important thing is that you answer the call!
Forgive! 2 Corinthians 2:5-8 Forgive, encourage, and love each other.
Ask God not for justice, but for mercy. Matthew 7:2 God will judge you by the same measure (in the same way) you use to judge others."
Don't worry! Matthew 6:25-26 If God takes care of the birds, will he not take even better care of you, who have a soul?
Evangelize ever so humbly!1 Cor 9:19-22"Be all things to all men in order to win as many people as possible." Meet people where they are in life. Jesus ate with sinners and taught in the Synagogue. People in all stations in life learned holiness from Him.
Luke 9:5 "wherever you are not welcomed...shake the dust from your feet" and move on.
Contemplate the wounds of Jesus crucified. He suffered for me and I must embrace the reality. Compassion for the bleeding Christ will teach you compassion for fellow humans.
MY SOUL DEFENDER
Psalm 140
Save me, Lord, from all who are evil
From poison words on tongues like snakes.
Protect me, Lord, from all that's wicked.
I do not know how high the stakes.
Hear my prayer, my Sov'reign Lord.
You are my sole defender.
Protect me, Lord, I praise you!
Into your presence I surrender!
March 1996
I titled this BRICK WALL, because sometimes we find ourselves unable to get through to the one(s) to whom we are evangelizing. It is from my journal, dated 13 March 1997.
It was written as part of my meditation on the crucified Christ in the center chapel at The Holy Spirit Center in Cincinnati on one of our Shepherds of Christ field trips.
BRICK WALL
We can surrender ourselves; our lives to God (Jesus), but we can do ONLY that! We cannot give over anyone else's life to Him. Others need to see our good example. In that way, will we bring others to Him. It is all we can do to drag ourselves to the foot of the Cross. Each one of us must draw our own strength to come to Him. We cannot pull anyone there with us against his/her will. We can share our experiences and others will make their own choices. Jesus chose to carry his own Cross. Had He refused, He would have refused the Will of God the Father.
By example of our surrender, we will draw others to give their hearts over to His Will; to the struggle - and that's what it is - toward salvation. Appeal to His Mercy for all who struggle - and all who won't.
Yvette & Mark 12 Nov 1999
Clearing out the old (unwanted), bringing in the new (wanted)
27 December 1999
Mark and I talked just last night about how I made time for him in my
busy life, just a few months ago, when we started seeing each other
again. Also last night, though we did not make the connection of the
two related subjects, we went through some boxes of his stuff, to
decide what to keep and what to get rid of. I had already cleared out
a lot of stuff that had been taking up space in my house. It was stuff
I no longer wanted or needed, but just never found the time to get rid
of it. We were both making space for each other.
If you reach a point in your life when you decide to share your life
with another, you have to make room for that person. Time is the first
concession you make. Eventually, you find yourself making physical
space for that person. Even if that person spends only a little time
at your place, you make him or her comfortable with a special chair, or
maybe even a special pillow to lean on while watching TV, or keeping a special snack food around. You start by moving, or getting rid of some of your own stuff. When you find yourself getting rid of stuff you've held onto for only God knows how long and why, you know you are really ready to give space to that
person.
When you find yourself doing that, you probably already have found a place in your heart for that special one. You probably have already given up from your heart, a place formerly held by another. When you
ask God to be part of your life, the same thing happens. You move out the old stuff cluttering your heart, and you move in God and new life.
The Power of Intercessory Prayer
By Yvette Maurey Higgins
Published in the Catholic Times Living Faith column, September 23,2007
I had already missed two weeks of my usual Monday morning Mass and Novena to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, by oversleeping. On Monday, March 19th, 2007, I awakened at 7:30, early enough to get ready & get to nearby St. Mary Magdalene church. While waiting for Mass to start, it dawned on me what day it was. It would have been the 119th birthday of my Grandma Scoles' and the feast of the foster father of Jesus, St. Joseph the Worker, for whom Grandma had been named, "Cecelia JOSEPHINE.” I also realized that Grandma had awakened me! She had gone to daily Mass ever since I knew her, until she became bedridden shortly before her death.
I seized my opportunity, and petitioned her AND St. Joseph to help my husband, Mark find work soon. He had been unemployed for three months, and financially, things had already been tough for some time. Family and friends were praying. Mark was applying, but not getting any "bites." He did get on at the auto auction in Obetz, and even though it was only part time work on Tuesdays & Wednesdays, it was something. I diligently continued my Novenas.
It was about a month after Grandma's birthday, that one of several ads struck Mark as the job he really wanted. It didn’t seem odd that I felt the same way about it. Mark and I often have the same thoughts about things without knowing until talking them over. On Monday April 16th, he came away from the interview with a good feeling about how it went. He was downhearted by Friday though, since he had not been called. So the following Monday, he was back out, looking again. I rode along with him to one interview site, and while he was inside, his ads from the week before were lying on the truck seat, but I thought they were the current ads. I laid my hand on the paper and prayed. As I prayed, I realized it was the previous week's paper, and that my fingertips were on that job we both really wanted for him. Soon he came out, and was even more dejected than he had been when he went into that place. Then, the next day, Tuesday, while he was working at the auction, he got a call from THAT job that he wanted so badly. I told the would-be employer that Mark had the opportunity to work "today & tomorrow," but that he was hoping for something better. He replied that he thought he had that "something better."
Mark called him back that afternoon, and was asked to start on Thursday, April 18th. The company name had a familiar ring. My memory went back to Grandma Scoles' basement, complete with the aroma of bleach, and to her dining room, where she ironed clothes. Grandma had made her living doing laundry. I remembered that Grandma had washed and ironed for the family who owned that company. When Mark came home from his first day on that job, he was able to confirm that the company was still owned by the same family. I know that Grandma Scoles had a hand in Mark's getting that job. Intercessory prayer is very powerful, and even more so, when we seek help in the communion of saints.
Yvette Higgins is a parishoner at Columbus St. Aloysius Church
My first Disciples 4 Life Retreat Sept. 28-30, 2007
DISCIPLESHIP
D iscernment
I nfinite Mercy
S acrifice
C atholic
I ~~~~~~~
P enance
L ife
E ucharist
S cripture
H oly Spirit
I ~~~~~~~
P rayer
What I have left open are 2 "i"s... Two EYES, open to see more clearly my path. 9/30/07
I shared this with the D4L Retreat Team, and they are now using it as a bookmark to pass out at subsequent retreats.
My 2nd Disciples 4 Life Retreat March 19-21, 2010
Retreatant’s Lament
I don’t want to cry anymore today.
Tears flow at nearly everything we say.
We’ve shared our inmost joys and woes.
Look how red it’s made my eyes and nose!
We’re not done sharing our life-worn issues
But I don’t want to cry anymore; I’m out of tissues!
Yvette Maurey Higgins
March 20, 2010
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