If you believe in God then you will have a better understanding of this story. Several months ago I was diagnosed with tremors. Because this disorder I experience facial movements that I’m unaware of and have no control over. My family and friends were concerned about me. Usually after I post this weekly Blog, I make a cooking video. After reviewing some of these videos I realized that my tremors were getting more noticeable and I needed medical attention.

The Neurologist

Since our daughter Sonja switched careers and is now in the medical field, she was able to schedule an appointment with one of the best doctors in this field. The doctor gave me a battery of simple hand movement tests, and made me get up and walk up and down a long hallway. He announced that it was not Parkinson’s, so both Mike and I were relieved with the great news. He ordered an MRI and though it took several weeks to get the results, it showed no indication that my brain was compromised. When we had our last virtual meeting he gave me several options to reduce the tremors. The first option was to make two small incisions on the top of my head connected with two tiny wires that would feed into a battery that would be placed on the  right side of my upper breast. Option two was botox, but this type of botox would make half of my face droopy.

My Body, My Brain

I’m already taking medication to help with the tremors. This same  doctor prescribed half a pill to be taken in the evening. The half a pill was working out well for me because I suffer from pharmacopoeia. If I dislike taking medicine, I certainly would not want any type of surgery, especially making holes in my head and dropping a pea-sized battery down my chest. So the first option was, “No thank you!” The second option was botox, which sounded great until the doctor went into detail about the procedure.  I would never place myself in that category of women who after having had much work done on their faces they start to resemble lions. So the only other option was to raise the medication to a full pill daily.

How We Are Wired

Mike graciously  informs me when I get triggered. It’s usually when I’m upset or in deep concentration. Though I can’t control the tremors, I can when it is brought to my attention. I can redirect my thoughts and stop them. God has been in the midst of all of this ordeal. I know that when I pray or go into deep mystical prayer my mind is at ease. I feel the peace of God that is inexpressible. I believe that our brains and hearts work together to bring us to a level of spirituality that draws us so close to God that all else becomes secondary.

Through his extensive studies Dr. Andrew Newberg, a leading neuroscientist, has discovered that engaging in 12 minutes of prayer and personal reflection daily have a profound impact on our brains. They strengthen the neural circuit that enhances our social awareness and empathy; it helps us to love our neighbors by developing a sense of compassion and repressing negative emotions. We know what anger does; it isolates us and distorts how we receive others. According to Newberg, anger releases neurochemicals that destroy that part of the brain that controls our emotional reactions.

Our brain was made to last a lifetime; if you have been blessed with brain health you will notice that it keeps giving. I am 70 years old, but my brain is still retaining new information. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve walked into a room and completely forgotten why I went there in the first place. I started to speak out loud the purpose of my intention. For instance, we keep paper towels, canned foods, etc. in the garage. Before I go into the garage I announce out loud, “I’m going to the garage for paper towels.” This action is helping my brain to retain what I was thinking.

According to Dr. Newberg our brain is constantly changing, so we need to develop good behaviors. Our behavior, good or bad, will shape our destiny. Dr. Newberg also said that it is important to listen to 12 minutes of relaxing music every day. Recently, on our drive home from Santa Barbara, we were listening to Bohemian Rhapsody. For almost an entire week I could not get that song out of my head. I’d start to pray the Rosary and that song would taunt me in the back of my head. I had to pray this mindless song out of my brain!

Our brains were created by God; therefore there is a special part of our brain that is used to edify God. Neuroscientists and neurotheologists are working together to discover if there is a “God Spot.” They have concluded that prayer and meditation stimulate multiple parts of the brain. News Flash! I’m not a neuroscientist, but I could have offered that information freely.

The study of near-death experiences is still a beautiful mystery that continues to baffle the minds of neuroscientists. My sister Jo experienced this when she went into labor with her third son Torie. After arriving at the hospital and being examined by a nurse, she was told to go home because she was not in labor. She almost died on the way home, so by the time she returned to the hospital she had lost five pints of blood. Both Jo and her baby were in dire straits. While lying in the hospital bed, Jo experienced something supernatural. A blinding white light appeared over her head. She explained that a-force like tunnel took her up. She spoke to God and said, “Lord, I know I’m going to die, please take care of my boys.” She clearly heard a man’s voice say, “It’s not your time.” People who have experienced near-death experiences have been transformed for the better.

My Prayer

Dear Lord, I thank You for a sound mind. I pray for all those who suffer from memory loss. Lord, help them through this battlefield, and equip their caregivers with supernatural patience and love. Lord, I continue to pray for all those You have placed in my heart. Amen.

Friday I received my EWTN calendar. This beautiful calendar is filled with reminders of the feast days of the saints and holy days that we Catholics celebrate. On October 4th we celebrate the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi.

If St. Francis were alive today, he would definitely be an ecologist  but his views of the nature were more spiritual than scientific. He viewed everything in creation as a gift from God.

St. Francis was born to a well-to-do family; his father was a cloth merchant who provided the means for Francis to live a carefree life.  As a young man Francis’ heart’s desire was to become a great chivalrous knight, but God had other plans. On his way to battle to join the papal troops he stopped and lodged in the village of  Spoleto. It was there that Francis heard the voice of Christ. The voice questioned him: “Who is more important, the servant or the Master (Christ)?” Francis answered, “the Master.” this encounter changed his life forever. The voice of God instructed him to go back to Assisi. He abandoned his life as a knight, his friends and his family. The major turning point in his life was when he visited the abandoned church of San Damiano in Assisi. As he knelt before the image of Christ crucified, Christ’s lips moved and spoke: “Francis, repair My house which, as you see, is completely in ruins.” Francis did not see the big picture at first. He thought that God wanted him to repair the abandoned church of San Damiano. God wanted him to repair the Catholic Church!

Praying and Fasting

Pam, a good friend of  ours, recently sold her townhouse. Pam was in a quandary about making a decision about whether to move forward to purchase a new home. When these difficult situations surface in my life, I aways pray and go into the Word of God. I usually open the Bible and something pops out at me. To get confirmation, I repeat the same thing going to different parts of the Bible. I told her to pray and go into the Word. I was not surprised when God spoke to her from His Word. The reading  that she received from the Lord was Jeremiah 29:5. God knows the desires of our hearts. He knew Pam wanted a home with a backyard because she wanted to plant a garden. Our friend, filled with joy, signed the papers for her new home the following day.

 “Then one morning about the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, whilst he was passing on the mountainside, Francis saw a Seraph with six fiery wings coming down from the highest point in the heavens. The vision descended swiftly and came to rest in the air near him. Then he saw the image of a Man crucified in the midst of the wings, with His Hands and Feet stretched out and nailed to a cross. Two of the wings were raised above His Head and two were stretched out in flight, whilst the remaining two shielded His Body.”

After this vision St. Francis received the full stigmata, the five wounds of Christ. This ecstasy brought St. Francis deeper into his spiritual calling.  A seraph is a heavenly, human-like creature with wings. According to St. Thomas Aquinas, the seraphim holds the highest order in the celestial hierarchy. They are before the throne of God, forever praising Him. The only Bible reference to the seraphim is in Isaiah 6:1-7.

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts!
    All the earth is filled with his glory!”

⁴ At the sound of that cry, the frame of the door shook and the house was filled with smoke.

⁵ Then I said, “Woe is me, I am doomed! For I am a man of unclean lips, living among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” ⁶ Then one of the seraphim flew to me, holding an ember which he had taken with tongs from the altar.

⁷ He touched my mouth with it. “See,” he said, “now that this has touched your lips, your wickedness is removed, your sin purged.”

 

Be Transformed

To be filled with this much holiness is beyond my imagination. St. Francis was transformed into the character of Jesus. His passion and love for the human Christ led him to discover giftings that radically changed his life. He loved with the Passion of Christ. He would never take on the role as a radical environmentalist, but spent his time saving souls. He was the saint who introduced us to the first Nativity by bringing animals to watch over the Christ Child. While his village was being ravaged by wolves eating their chickens and goats, St. Francis spoke to the wolves and cut a deal with them. “The villagers will feed you if you leave their farm animals alone.” This is one of the reasons St. Francis is the patron saint of animals.

I always get confirmation from the Holy Spirit when choosing a story for this Blog. My friend Fr. Leonard Mary (EWTN) shared a story about St. Francis in his homily this Sunday. St. Francis was doing his gardening when a passerby asked him, “What would you do if Christ returned today?” St. Francis’ reply was simply, “I would continue to do my gardening.” He had a profound appreciation for nature, and this was one of the many ways he communicated with God. St. Francis was filled with the Passion of Christ, and he was given the special gift of love – the same type of love that Jesus has for us.

Assisi

I love Assisi! You can’t go to Italy without visiting this medieval village. To walk in the holy steps of St. Francis is an experience of a lifetime! It’s been a long time since visiting Assisi, but I plan to be there soon!

My Prayer:

Dear Lord, I pray that You would give us the charisms of St. Francis. May we learn to love as he did. Teach us to appreciate and protect our earth. May we respect all living and breathing beings as St. Francis did. Lord, my prayers remain steadfast; I pray for the healing of Carla, Allie, Ana, Kathy and Mario. Amen!

I believe the main problem with our society is the lack of virtue. There is so much anger, disrespect and lawlessness that people can’t seem to comprehend and choose to do what is right. I was not surprised with the news our Pilates instructor shared with us. She said that while she was sitting in her car finishing a telephone conversation, she witnessed several masked young girls running out of  TJ Maxx. The girls arms were loaded with handbags. She watched as they got into the getaway car and fled the scene. Will they get caught? Will they be punished for the crime? Probably not! Our society has become complacent to these heinous acts. We all need a refresher course on the seven virtues.

Prudence — The ability to find the good in every situation and to choose the right means of achieving it.

Can we find it in our hearts to find the good in every situation? I struggle with this a little because I’m not at the level of faith that I should be. I watch the news with disappointment because journalism has become a business that destroys the characters of others. Even the conservative news is out for the almighty dollar. Is it necessary to put others down to get your point across? There is one thing I hold on to, and that is the Word of God.

Justice — The constant and firm desire to give what is due to God and neighbor.*

We all want justice; we want those girls to be caught and punished for their crime. There is nothing more displeasing to God than sin. These young girls were trained to do evil. Their arrogant disregard for the law and rights of others will give them the audacity to do this again. When you don’t get caught, you believe that you have gotten away with it. God created these girls and He knows their hearts. These foolish and brazen acts will only get worse. There were several girls, maybe seven. They will get caught in their own tangled web because they are immature and will brag about their crime to others.

Fortitude — The demonstration of strength in difficulties and temptations; the ability to overcome fear and other obstacles in one’s moral life.*

We know what to do when we hear someone boasting about their crime. Some brave soul will have the fortitude to come forward and say something to the authorities. When we know that it is morally wrong we need to expose the truth. Fear is always what keeps us from telling the truth. We fear for the person or persons, we fear backlash or retaliation. Once the truth is spoken, we are set free. The beautiful thing about truth is that it never changes. Lies, on the other hand, take many turns.

Temperance — Balance in the use of created goods, using pleasure in moderation, and seeking that which is good.*

We should all seek what is good. Self-control is arduous for all of us who have been holding back our words when we are offended. We live in a country where the lines of division have clearly been drawn. If you cross over to the other side, you are fair game. So the best advice is to keep your thoughts to yourself or speak to a friend who shares your beliefs. This problem in our country is not going away any time soon. I pray everyday for our country to reach a consensus of faith and to get us out of this dilemma.

Faith — The virtue by which one believes in God and believes that all He has said and revealed is true.*

Though faith is not tangible, we still press on to find God’s beauty in all of this immoral chaos. God restores us with His love, and by placing our trust in Him we can seek shelter from all that is thrown our way. We know to prepare for storms because of the forecast. Our spiritual storms hit us  hard but we get up again. We know Who’s keeping us going. We know because our faith is a witness to all of our victories. It’s in the midst of the storm that we cannot see Him, but we trust that God is with us. When we remain faithful, we can endure any storm. Remember God only gives us what we can handle.

Charity — Love for God above all else for His own sake and love for one’s neighbor as oneself for the love of God.*

We cannot exist without love. Love comes from our Maker, He created us to love. Every person on earth has the desire to be loved. Love keeps us whole and without it we are lost. Many of the homeless people whom I have encountered did not feel loved. I always reminded them that God is their loving Father and that He has a plan for their lives. We serve a wonderful God who instills in all of us His Holy Spirit. I welcome Him in my heart because when I am downcast, He lifts me up. I feel His Holy Presence each moment of my life.

My Prayer

Dear Lord, thank You for all these beautiful virtues. I pray that we all draw closer to You in understanding Your great love for us. Lord, I pray for all those who are involved in the smash and grab, along with all other crimes. Lord, convict them of their sin and may justice be served.

I continue to pray for Carla, Anna, Allie, Mario and Kathy. Heal them, Lord. Amen.

*gotquestions.org