Turning yellow and pruning out cowardice...

Note: Today is Friday, May14th, and I am re-reading this and seeing how opaque my language is...in plain language: what I mean is that it takes courage to frequent the Sacrament of Penance. I have been very regular with Confession for the past 4 years, and I still find it hard to go and allow our Savior to prune me. Our Lord Jesus Christ gave us the Sacraments so that we would flower abundantly during our earthly pilgrimmage and merit, only through His graces, Heaven.

My son and I spent hours digging and planting yesterday. The fresh air and sunshine did us both good. This year, I have not been getting enough physical exercise and recreation. A balance of prayer, rest and work is so necessary to keep one's prayer life from withering. Like the yellow leaves on sickly plants, there are yellow leaves on the flower of my soul that need a good pruning. This is an ongoing process. The first "cut," by the grace of God, has come from this blessed time of physical recreation in the garden. The next cut must come from the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

For a long time now, I remind myself that celebrating Confession just before Mass is like giving the devil the "one-two punch". I have high hopes of this coming Sunday's Eucharist. I cannot give what I do not have. It is so easy for me to succumb to sloth, both physically and spiritually.

We Christians are called to be salt and light. All fertilizers that help our plants grow are basically salts. Over and over, since I entered the Catholic Church at the vigil Mass of the first Sunday of Easter 2000, I have experienced a withering of my prayer life when I wait too long to go to Confession. Confession is God's will and His merciful Heart. We cannot give the mercy that we do not receive.

All praise and glory be to God, I see, in myself and others, the desire to be salt and light. This desire will not bear fruit without the courageous Love that comes from careful celebration of God's Sacraments.

Hail Mary, full of grace, blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus...