Imagine…

Nothing is ours.  All Belongs to God. 

Think about it.  I mean really and truly think about those two simple sentences.  

If we knew that.  If we truly believed what these two sentences say, the world, WE would be quite different. 

We wouldn’t mind giving and sharing.  There would be no room for selfishness or greed.  There could be no pride or ego.  

Definitely no keeping up with those Gosh-Darned Jones’.  

Yesterday, we were fortunate to attend a Mass in Downtown Buffalo’s Saint Joseph’s Cathedral.  It is BEAUTIFUL!  

The stained glass windows, the altar and the ORGAN!  It was built in 1876 originally for a Centennial Exhibition and it has been playing  in over 55,000 Masses since its installation in 1876.  It was just recently restored in 2001.  How it sounds.  The Beauty, the Solemnity.  

Upon entering through the Cathedral’s doors, that all-too-familiar and spiritually warming incense smell wafts through your nostrils, but is in no way overbearing.  

The sun’s rays on the Marble Floor were beautiful shades of Blue, Purple, Yellow, Crimson… 

My Absolute favorite Image was that of the Holy Trinity but with Our Blessed Mother in the lower left hand Corner, kneeling as she awaits as Christ, Our Lord and The Father place a Crown upon her Head.  This Image, Stained-Glass Image, is in the Chapel, The Our Lady Chapel.  It is Beautiful! 

Sadly, I took no pictures because it is challenging enough to try to sit in Mass, Pay Attention, let the Word of the Lord sink in AND Deal with two little girls, who just would NOT sit still, all at the same time.  So I apologize for the lack of a picture, but…YOU may go and see it for yourself.  😉 

Yesterday was also my now 14 yr. old Handsome Son’s Birthday!  

It is also for that reason that the Homily truly resonated with me.  

Growing up…yes, another Mamá Lola says…my Mamá Lola always told us that we did not belong to our Parents.  That her children did not belong to her.  That when we had our own children, they would not be ours.  That we all belonged to God.  That God entrusted His Children to us.  Therefore, we were responsible for their well being.  Their Physical, Emotional, Intellectual and of course, Spiritual Well-Being.  She would tell us that God could choose at any time to take His Children back.  She also would tell us that when we went before Him on Our Judgment Day, He would ask us how we did.  Nos iba a pedir cuentas.  

 

Now you see, here is where Language is lacking.  And if Memory serves me right, which it usually doesn’t, Michael Chabon speaks about the lacking of language.  How it is limited.  Well, of course we could all go back and say it comes from Derrida.  Either way, language is  lacking.  I am trying to think of an impacting way to translate not just the words, but the meaning and feel of “Nos iba a pedir cuentas,” and it is quite difficult.  The closest I can think of is that when we go before Our Lord, he is going to ask us in detail to recount our actions or lack thereof.  

We will be held accountable for how we raised His Children.  His, not ours.  For you see, Nothing is ours.  The only thing that is Ours, that we are responsible for, are our Actions.  Our Reactions.  Our Lack of either or both.  

The Money we make, we make thanks to Our Lord who gives us Life, Health, a Job, basically, the Money.  Will we be taking that with us?  Nope.  Thus, not ours. 

The House, the Car, the Clothes, the Shoes, are they ours?  Will we be taking them with us? Nope.  Not ours. 

Our Beautiful Children.  Though we call them ours, are they?  Nope.  They are HIS.  Not Ours.  We too are His.  

So what will we take with us?  What is ours?  Our Actions, Reactions or lack thereof.  That is Us.  That is Ours. 

Yesterday, I Asked, I Begged, Our Lord to Guide, Protect, Care For and Enlighten my Handsome 14 yr. Old Baby Boy.  His Son.  His 14 yr Old Baby Boy.  He always has been and will be in His Loving Hands.  

All is His.  Nothing is Ours.  

Imagine if we Truly Lived and Thought that way…