Dear Diary,
This morning, Sister Mary Claire and I read a beautiful meditation about St. John the Evangelist before Holy Mass. As we walked home, she helped me understand it even more. She said St. John, the beloved disciple, rested his head against Jesus’ chest at the Last Supper, so close that he could hear the very heartbeat of Our Lord. She told me that his purity of heart allowed him to be so near to Jesus, and that we can strive for the same kind of closeness by loving Him with all our hearts.
I kept thinking about St. John hearing the Sacred Heart of Jesus. What must that have sounded like? Sister Mary Claire said that love for God transforms even our imagination, making it a way to draw closer to Him. So tonight, I will lie on my left side because sometimes when I do I can hear and feel my own heartbeat, If I do I’ll imagine that it’s Jesus’ heartbeat I’m hearing and feeling, as if I were as close to Him as St. John was. It’s a small thing, but maybe it will help me love Him more.
When we got home, there was a funny surprise—a pile of sticks right in front of our door! Shaggycoat must have left them there. I wondered if he is planning to move in with us or if he thinks we need more firewood, anyway it made me laugh. Mini sniffed at the pile like she was trying to figure it all out too.
As the evening gets quieter, I find myself practicing my imagination, just like Father LeRoy said to do. I can picture my brown hen now, cozy in her little nest in the hen house. She’s such a faithful hen, always laying an egg a day, and I’m thankful for her. In my mind, I can see her tucking her feathers around herself, safe and warm, and it makes me smile to think that even a little hen brings glory to God just by being who she is.
Evening Prayer:
Dear Jesus, thank You for teaching me, through St. John, how to rest close to You. Help me to imagine Your heartbeat tonight and to feel Your love more deeply. Bless Sister Mary Claire for her care, Mini for her cheerful ways, Shaggycoat for his thoughtful surprises, and my brown hen, safe in her nest. May all the small things in my life remind me of You, and may my heart grow more pure and loving every day. Amen.
Goodnight, Diary.
Love,
Kathy
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