By Kate Anderson
And He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and He continued to be subject to them;
and His mother treasured all these things in her heart. ~Luke 2:40-52
“As well as can be expected, given present circumstances,” was the most exuberant answer my old high school beau could rouse up when asked how he was doing (blessed fellow). I have to say; the phrase has crossed my mind and lips fairly often of late.
My 24th birthday was ripe with promise. Weeks later—the trajectory of my life changed in unthinkable ways. Chaos and indescribable uncertainty ran deep. But the Lord ran deeper.
True to His name, God prevailed. My namesake, Catherine of Siena, couldn’t have said it any better, “He will provide the way and the means, such as you could never have imagined. Leave it all to Him, let go of yourself, lose yourself on the Cross, and you will find yourself entirely.”
Indeed. God’s way and means have looked quite ordinary: Prayer. Family Life. Work. But the beautiful moments of this “Hidden Life” have been my saving grace.
Frosty apartment windows on winter morns. Sheet pan veggies roasting in the oven. Sticky counters wiped for the 1,437th time. Feast days to celebrate. Anne of Green Gables read-alouds at night. Casseroles delivered to dear friends welcoming their first little one into the world. Morning Offerings and noontime Angeluses. Fishing with Dad. Summertime thunderstorms. Slumber parties with the siblings. High Masses and Low Masses. Candles burning bright. A thousand stolen moments with the Lord.
And always love. Love to be given. To be shared. Love without end.
These—to me—are the perfection of a Hidden Life. Not without its sufferings. But embracing the joys, glories, and sorrows of this abundance.
None of this—as well as can be expected—business. There’s enough abundance for our hearts to sing, “It is well,” no matter our present circumstances.
Prayer
Dear Jesus, please help me to embrace the abundance of my holy and hidden life!
Call to Action
Take a hard fast from complaining. Speak only what is good, true, and beautiful. Pray for the grace to see what mercies the Lord can bring even from challenges. All things are working for His good and glory!
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Your voice was so needed today!
Thank you,
Nancy
Blessed be God forever. Thank you for your kind words, dear Nancy. God bless you!
This is exactly the message I needed to hear today. Thank you! ~Pam
Blessed be God forever. Thank you for your kind words, dear Pam. God bless you!
BEAUTIFUL, as YOU are beautiful! Thanking Jesus for your reflection this morning. ♥️
Sweet Carol, thank you so much for your kind words. God bless you abundantly!
It seems what you have said is exactly what so many of us needed today – thank you! And – thank you to the Holy Spirit!
Blessed be God forever! Thank you so much, dearest Alyssa. God bless you!
I think that is an awesome resolution!
God bless you, dear Regina 🙂
Beautiful reflection–I love the image of the hidden life and our abundance of joy
Thank you so much, dear Mary. God bless you and your hidden life abundantly 🙂
Thank you for your wonderful reflections, Kate. I promise to fast from complaining this week and hopefully that “habit” will stick for the long-term. Love you! Love, Mama Sue
Sweet Mama Sue, you are most kind. God bless you abundantly, dear friend!
I always love your words, Miss Kate, but when they’re just what a soul is searching for in a particular moment, it feels like grace. Thank you. ❤️
Sweet Molly, thank you so much for your kind words. God bless you abundantly!