Wednesday, February 22, 2012

God's voice

I am fortunate enough to believe in God.  I have been guided by many of His angels on earth.  My own life is one of transformation from hopeless darkness, to believing in someone else's faith in God, to knowing the love of God is mine, no matter what. 

What has inspired this writing today is a Catholic Monsignor named Don Fischer (Msgr. Don) and his weekly radio show. I have heard his voice for going on 30 years, beginning when Denise would drag me to church with her at the University of Dallas in Irving.  I am sure I listened but I did not hear. I remembered the sound of his voice and that it was without judgement.

Years later, I came to my breaking point.  I wanted to stop my destructive behavoir.  I stopped drinking with a lot of help and self-searching. It wasn't easy.  I felt I wasn't worth God's love because of who I had become and what I had done. I was given a belief that God doesn't judge, people have a monopoly on that. This faith absolutely works for me.  And it is freeing.

So, my first roommate, Jeannette, re-introduced me to, then, Father Fischer and his weekly program Sundays on 101.1 at 10:30 a.m.  I listened religously (pun intended) for years even taping the episodes for future times. Yesterday, the link "appeared" on my browser bar and I opened it.  I didn't have time to listen to it yesterday, but I did today.

The message was of forgiving.  Allowing yourself to forgive instead of resenting (re-living the hurt) as you are the benefactor of the act.  You are free of the poison you took hoping the other person would die.  It was perfect for today. Perfection. God is always on time.

I am still warmed by the words he chooses and how he interprets the gospel into real, today language.  It is always in the language of God's love for us. I am astonished at the gentle power of Msgr. Don's message.  I don't practice a religion, his program is the closest thing to it for me. I can believe in the God he represents when often I am mentally arguing with other's representation.

This is the description on Msgr. Don's program on the website http://www.pastoralreflectionsinstitute.com/ . 

For more than twenty-five years, a spirit-led message has flowed through Pastoral Reflections, a weekly radio program reflecting on the Liturgy of the Word for each Sunday. Listeners awaken to a Heart-Presence as they identify with Monsignor Don's journey of self discovery. A message rooted in the recognition that as believers we are called to accept our human condition and its perfect compliment, the indwelling presence of a loving God. As one who longs 'to see', Msgr. Don has always looked for the story within the story, the hidden teaching of Christ, which rather than telling us what to do or what to believe, heals and transforms us. As one of his listeners wrote,"He speaks not about the truth, rather his words resonate with the Truth". Many who listen are moved to bring this healing resonance of God’s love into the world and to live an authentic life of service in Christ.

I am hooked, again.  And, you can listen from anywhere in the world.

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