Be Transformed!

All rights reserved by Stephen B Whatley

Happy Feast Day of St. Clare!

Like many people out there, I love to journal and in fact need to journal as it helps me express my heart to the Lord.  As I reflected on my entries during the past couple of weeks I’ve noticed a couple of interesting things.  The first is that even though the practical yet complicated circumstances surrounding the beginning of my Postulancy (which begins a week today!) have not changed – I can see that something surrounding me and within me has changed and that is a sense of calm, in both body and spirit. Why? 

At first I was feeling guilty for feeling anxious, as I was worried that perhaps my anxiety reflected a distrust in God.  But I knew with my mind and heart that I have and always will trust Him and that He would never ever forsake me… it’s just that my physical body didn’t seem to get it.  A wise priest friend shared with me that he wasn’t surprised, that we are both flesh and spirit. The flesh is weak and is often opposed to the Spirit.  Knowing this, I felt free and surrendered to the Lord knowing He understood I was doing my best to follow. 

I believe the reason that even my body has been calmed is two-fold.  The first is the prayers of those near and far, I know and can feel the power in this intercessory prayer (and I am deeply grateful for your prayers!). The second is even more powerful than that – it is the Eucharist.  The past two weeks I have had the privilege and time to attend daily mass as well as spend a lot more time in Adoration.  Jesus, present in the Eucharist, is the one who has been able to reach deep down within all parts of my being and calm me, mold me and help me feel at peace while worldly temptations and complications are still swirling around me.  This is the second interesting thing I found myself saying in my journal “Lord, I feel like you are changing me”.

I was glancing through a book of mine: Clare of Assisi: A Heart Full of Love by Ilia Delio, O.S.F. and found this quote: “In Clare’s view, daily gazing on the crucified Spouse ultimately leads to imitation, for when we cling to the crucified Spouse with all our heart we become like the Spouse in love, an image of the Crucified in our own lives” (p.70).   For me, spending time in Adoration has really helped me understand what St. Clare is saying as well as what she writes to her sister Agnes about “be(ing) transformed into the one you love”.  Ilia Delio continues “Be changed- not in little ways but in a big way – the way of being a person.  Let the life of God be your life. Let the face of God be your face.  Become a new incarnation of the Word.  Let Jesus Christ live in you.  You will not change the genetic makeup of who you are but when the power of God’s grace is at work in you, when love seizes your heart, you will express yourself in a new way, the way of love” (p.68).  I can see how this can happen as a result of spending more and more time with the Lord.  I can not express how deeply pleased and excited I am to be living in a community that celebrates Mass everyday and has several chapels with the Lord present in the Tabernacle!

Lord may you shower your powerful grace upon all hearts open to you – may we be your hands and feet, your smiling face and comforting, joyful presence in the lives of those we meet. Help us to crave to be with you in any way we can and thank you for making it possible.  Amen! 

St. Clare of Assisi, pray for us!