Reflection authored by Jeannie Burlingame, Parishioner

I need to be honest. I thought the title of this chapter was ENTHUSIASM FOR GOD… No doubt a Holy Spirit, God moment. But- in my book, if we have ENTHUSIASM FOR GOD… we will have Enthusiasm for what is good. Am I right?

Going back to 1982- was the first time I experienced the Holy Spirit Tingles “my sign of the Holy Spirit Prompting me” . It is the best feeling in the world and bears much fruit if you listen and put this faith into action.

I was in deep conversation with a friend about God. I was only 21 and she was 40 so she knew a lot more about her faith than I did.  I remember telling her what she said,  sent “tingles down my back.”  She told me,  that’s the Holy Spirit, it’s TRUTH… It was in that year that I began attending daily mass. Fast forward 17 years to 1999 at the OLIH- CHRIST BE OUR LIGHT- CEW  retreat, my Enthusiasm for God, was rekindled, the flames were fanned and I was ON FIRE!

Add then on top of that, being blessed, an anointing in 2005 – I believe it was the gift of evangelization. Since that time, it seems to be impossible for me to have a conversation with anyone, that I don’t bring God into the conversation.

My Enthusiasm and love of my God has spilled over onto my sweet 3 year old granddaughter Nora. She is on fire for the Lord too. She and I have our rituals when she spends the night with me. Starting when Nora was about 18 months old,  I’d take the Hook picture (CEW Jesus picture) off her bedroom wall at bed time and she would kiss him good night and I would tell her about how much he loved her. Now that she is older I have it where she can get to it herself. A few weeks ago, while we were watching Mass virtually, the Spiritual Communion Prayer was on the screen. She saw the stained glass, picture of Jesus, and yelled Jesus and ran and got the Hook picture, she  hugged it and said, “He Loves me so much- cause He is in my heart”. Now that’s ENTHUSIASM for what is good. She loves Ma-Ma Mary and St. Joseph in the same exuberant way!

Last weekend during night time prayer, she recited the Our Father prayer  all by herself (good job Mom & Dad). Remember, she won’t be 3 until the 21st of this month.  But it happened through study and prayer on her part, with the help of your Mom and Dad.

Nothing gets by Nora at church either, she has always been so intrigued and engaged, when they carry in the cross at the start of Mass. She’d announce- “there’s the cross.”

Last week after Father did the opening blessing,  she said “where is the cross ?” I had to admit, I didn’t know. Where do they put it during mass? I really never paid too much attention. I am too focused on Father doing the opening prayer. Even after I scanned the church, I didn’t see it. Believe me when I tell you - I was sure to pay attention during the closing blessing to see where they went to retrieved the cross.

Nora is now saying, “I can do that when I get big” (carry the cross). Because she loves it so much, I gave her a cross, that she now takes to Mass, so she can hold up “her cross”  during the procession in & out of the church.  

At the time of consecration, I focus Nora’s attention on Father (I’ve done this since she was about 2), it started as a way to keep her “entertained”  distracted, but it has developed into so much more….

I ‘d point and say “watch”, “watch” . Now that she is older, I’ve been  saying, “watch, watch” then tell her what he is doing, changing the Bread into Jesus Body, and the wine into His Blood.

We now have taken it a step farther, and we watch the adults receive his body and blood, the kids get their blessing. She already knows when she turns 7, she gets to receive Jesus’s Body and Blood. Once when we were talking about her First Holy Communion, during virtual mass at home, she ever so excitedly announced - when I do “I’ll share it will all you-guys! I’ll never forget her little voice. It warmed  my heart. I thought WOW- out of the mouths of babes, right? But, even more than that, I really felt like it was God talking to us, reminding us what we are called to do.

A couple of weeks ago (Father had already consecrated the bread into the Body) so I was telling her “watch, watch Father is changing the wine into”… she shouted “THE BLOOD”  then pointed at her arm (she gets blood drawn every three months so she really does understands what blood is).

Christ tells us to be foolish, by stepping out of our comfort zone. Well here it is- my little story of me stepping out of my comfort zone.

You might say the way I praise and celebrate God, in Mass now – is me having stepped out of my comfort zone. Do I look foolish? If I do I don’t care!

I gaze up, close  my eyes, sway back and forth and extend my hands up toward Him, did I always do this? No. I really don’t even know when it all started, but I can tell you, it happened over time and it I was put on my heart and because I do, I feel so close to God during Mass. Where the discomfort came in is now that the church is less full, and now that I always sit in the first or second row so can Nora can see the altar, and  because both sides of our church face each other, the whole other side of the church can see, but hopefully they are looking at Father, or have their eyes closed too. My point is, was I going to “sell out for God”?  Was I not going to do what I loved doing for God, because of what people might think? Well, if you‘ve seen me in church lately, you know the answer-NO…

I can’t tell you how or why, other than the Holy Spirit brought the idea to me, to beat my breast, bow my head and thank God for giving us HIS ONLY begotten Son. I thank Jesus, for pouring out his blood to open the gates of heaven to us for all eternity. I thank Mary, Joseph, St. Anne and Joachim for their YES for the consecration of each species. If you have not seen The Veil Removed, look for it on YouTube.  Since attending the event, now during the consecration, I  visualize in my mind, the Jesus crucified on the cross above the altar, the blood dripping from the crucifix into the chalice as shown in the Veil Removed. The Veil removed brought to life for me what we are told, that during this time at  Mass, the Angels and Saints (and out  faithfully departed family and friends) in heaven join us at the Mass. Fr. John Ricardo says, we step into Gods presence for one moment when the priest elevates the host. (it becomes a 2 way mirror). He also reminds us the Mass is heaven here on earth.

Enthusiasm spells the difference between mediocrity and accomplishment. Jesus died for us, he poured out everything he had for us, he was wrung out of every drop of fluid from his body…

Doesn’t God deserve better than mediocrity from us? Are you Enthusiastic in your Love for Christ?

The things that feed my enthusiasm and relationship with God are  book studies, Catholic Radio, U-Tube videos, Pod-Casts, EWTN, and OLIH Faith Formation offerings like this, just to name a few.

God Bless,

Jeannie