We are a book authored by God

We are born and become a title

We are baptized and become a sentence

We grow in spirituality and become a page

We are aged with humility and grace and become a book

The arrival of a new year is always a source of reflection for me. I carry a pen with me around the house and I tend to write down thoughts as they come to me on whatever is available…grandchildren’s hands, garbage bags, countertops…whatever works.

I wrote this on a pad the other day and had to reflect on its truth. We are a book from God, with pages to be written upon by our choice of actions and the effects of time. Everything we do stems from either a selfish or selfless cause and has an effect far beyond what we can visually see.

For me, this is my book thus far: I have lived a partial circle of life. I was born into a family and received a name. It wasn’t until much later that I was baptized at the age of twelve with a sentence, In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. I sought truth and found my spiritual way to Catholicism. I have seen those I love “pass on.” I have spent the last 44 years blessed with a continuing thirst to draw close to the Creator. Grace came first…humility is finally finding its resting place.

I know each of you can reflect on the above sentences in a particular and profound way. It is so because God created you to be unique among all of His creatures. You were designed by Him and for Him to be without duplication. Your singularity of being should remind you of your importance to God and His plan for you and your place in the world.

The key to this happy life lies in being humble. The more purely we love, the more humble we are. Pure love despoils us of ourselves.

Saint Augustine wrote a beautiful prayer titled “Domine Jesu! Noverim me, Noverim Te,”

Lord Jesus, let me know myself, let me know Thee,

And desire nothing else but Thee.

Let me hate myself and love Thee;

And do all things for the sake of Thee.

Let me humble myself, and exalt Thee.

And think of nothing but only of Thee.

Let me die to myself, and live in Thee.

And take whatever happens as coming from Thee.

And ever desire to follow Thee.

Let me flee from myself, and turn to Thee;

That so I may merit to be defended by Thee.

Let me fear for myself, let me fear Thee;

And be among those who are chosen by Thee.

Let me distrust myself, and trust in Thee,

And ever obey for the love of Thee.

Let me cleave to nothing but only to Thee,

And ever be poor for the sake of Thee.

Look upon me, that I may love Thee;

Call me, that I may see Thee

And forever possess Thee.

Amen.

Every New Year’s arrival is a time we must be sure to clean our spiritual houses of those dusty, past “selfish intentions,” and open the windows to refresh our souls in the “selflessness” of the Holy Spirit. Make it a time to rightly orient your spiritual compasses towards Heaven, to really yield your prayerful hearts to Jesus, asking for His will and guidance thereby uniting yourself more securely to the heart of Jesus…

And make your book an eternal best-seller!

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