Look to the Cross

Look to the Cross 
Written by: Michael Pavano

Everyone knows that ever since I was young, all I've ever wanted was to bring the love of God to others, to be helpful is some way, just to make this world a little brighter for someone who needed to see the light. I would try to smile when I didn't feel very happy, lift a helping hand when my hands grew weary, or give of myself when I had nothing left to give. There were many moments in which I failed to act for others, but in those moments when I did, I would always give the same response to their appreciation. As those I helped in some way would offer me thanks and praise, I would point to the cross hanging around my neck and say, look to the cross.

I know deep in my heart that the only reason that I can do good deeds for others is because I was first called by the Father, taught by Son, and strengthened by the Holy Spirit. God is goodness incarnate, therefore, all the goodness in the world comes from Him. It's vital to recognize that without God we can do nothing. Even someone who doesn't believe in Him could be doing great acts of kindness as a result of the grace of God. 

When someone receives our Lord's grace and puts that grace into action through a work of love, it becomes something that attracts others causing them to do the same. I have two examples I would like to share that I thought were fitting to this message. 

My brother and his girlfriend at the time (We'll call her Ashley) were planning a surprise birthday present for me several years ago. They said that it was something special that they had worked hard on. I asked them to please not do anything extravagant but they insisted that they would continue working on this special gift. The day of my birthday had arrived and they handed me this huge box. I again insisted that it wasn't necessary. I reluctantly opened the box and found a bunch of items that made absolutely no sense to me, pieces of paper, cards, pencils, money, a box of chocolates, and other random items. I gave both of them a look of pure confusion and asked, "Thank you so much... What?" They responded that they thought that from what they knew about me that I would like nothing more than to take my birthday to go out and serve others. They gave me a list of activities that we would be following that day and encouraged me to join them on this journey. And so had begun our day performing several random acts of kindness all across Southington, New Britain, and Berlin. 

Every one of those activities has left a special impact on my heart. There are a few, however, that I would like to include in this post. The first act of kindness we performed was to ask a random stranger if they needed a hug... scary right. Ashley took this one. She went up to a gentleman that was walking by the road and asked him if he wanted a hug. He said yes and hugged her. Before they parted ways, he said tearfully, "You have no idea how much I need that." We were all shocked but realized that we were about to make a difference that day. 

The second act occurred outside of Goodwill. We were giving away cards to random people we encountered. They didn't have much in them, just a note of love that we all wrote up and a few dollars. One lady who received the card looked so happy to receive it. She said, "Thank you so much... you know this is the only card I will receive this year. (It was around Christmas time)" 

The third act also occurred outside of the Goodwill. One of our assigned tasks was to give that box of chocolates to someone who needed it. There was a police officer parked near the side of the building. I went up to his window and handed him the chocolate. He looked so startled at first and didn't know what to make of my gesture. I said, "This is for you. You can share it with your fellow officers at the precinct. Thank you for all that you do." He smiled warmly and thanked me for my kind deed. 

It's so important to mention that if I didn't give off that vibe that other people are more important than I am, all of those amazing things that happened that day would never have occurred. The reason I included this story will make more sense in my sharing of my second story which actually occurred a couple of years later which is more significant and more telling about myself. 

When I worked for CW Resources as a job coach, I would spend many days delivering Meals on Wheels to home bound citizens. On this particular day, I was finished with my route and was returning to our main office in my truck. I was stopped at a green traffic light behind a vehicle that was refusing to move. I went around this vehicle and noticed an elderly woman inside of it and asked if she needed help. She nodded and I parked my truck in a safe place beside her. I got out and spoke to the woman. She spoke primarily Polish and was therefore unable to tell me what was wrong with the vehicle in English. I, myself, knowing absolutely nothing about cars couldn't have helped her even if she spoke fluent English but stopping made a difference regardless as a soon found out. While I was standing on the side of the road with her waiting for the police to arrive, a car stopped and I saw a familiar face getting out. It was one of the volunteers from the Berlin Meals on Wheels that I knew very well.

She was there with her fiance, both of whom spoke fluent Polish. They were able to get her vehicle to the side of the road safely and were able to help her start up her car in record time. It was wonderful, but I felt so bad because I was unable to help her. The volunteer I knew look to me and said, "Michael, to be honest, if I hadn't seen that it was you, I wouldn't have stopped. She would have still been standing there." It wasn't me... look to the cross. 

The scriptures say that they will know that we are Christians by our love. Love is not a feeling in the Bible. Love is an action. Love is a core value system. Love is God Himself, and what is the greatest act of love? Look no further than the cross. There, Christ, God made flesh bore the wait of our sins, our sins, and the sins of the very people that were killing him upon his weakening shoulders and died, so that those very sins may be forgiven. That, again, is the greatest act of love we could ever imagine...

"This is my Commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I commanded you..." John 15:13-14

By acting in such love, we are giving the world an example to follow just as our Christ did when He walked this Earth. We may never know the full implications of our actions, but trust me, others our watching. We need to be examples of the love of Christ because through that we may bring to others the greatest gift that we can possible give... The greatest act of love ever performed... Love that died on a cross for us so that we may live... Christ Himself... Look to the Cross. 

Only Jesus- By Casting Crowns

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXIBP2BdYR8

The Power of Prayer: Personal Testimony

The Power of Prayer

Personal Testimony

Written by Michael Pavano

Everyone is at least somewhat familiar with prayer, the idea of connecting with God through conversation. It could be a recited prayer, a prayer of petition, or just a little "Howdy God" in the middle of the day. Whatever prayer looks like to you, developing a strong prayer life is one of the most important things you will do in your spiritual life. Developing my prayer life is always on my mind, and though it is a work in progress, God is leading me in the right direction. In this way, I will develop a stronger relationship with Him. This is the primary purpose of prayer. You can't have a relationship without good communication. This will be a central topic in a future post on prayer, but for today, I would like to share just some of those times in my life when I have seen the power of prayer, in particular prayer for petitions, work in my life and in the lives of those around me.

Perseverance in Prayer

Before I begin, I think it's important to share a story of two Saints that always comes to my mind when I think of this person. Saints Monica and her son Saint Augustine are prime examples of the power of prayer. I will give a shortened version of the story but I encourage you to read the full details when you have the chance. Saint Monica was a devout Christian in the early 300's married to a non-Christian who mocked her Faith. Her son, now Saint Augustine, was also a non-Christian who was very lost and in need of God. Saint Monica prayed for them and prayed and prayed. Her husband converted a year before his death and Saint Augustine converted at the age of 31. Saint Monica was persistent in her prayer and was reminded many times that all things come in God's timing. 

It is no secret that I  am so grateful to have had the opportunity to attend St. Paul's Elementary School through grade 8. I was able to receive an amazing education all while laying a strong foundation for my spiritual life. Every morning, all of us students from the smallest preschoolers to the biggest eighth graders would gather in the gymnasium for morning announcements and prayer. The school principal would call upon each grade and would ask if anyone had a special intention that they would like the school to pray for. I knew just who I wanted to pray for and every staff and student in that school for almost 6 years prayed for this person. 

Lucy (For the purpose of protecting this person's identity/privacy, I am using a different name), a family member, struggled with drug and alcohol addictions, self-esteem issues, and so much more for far too long. She seemed already lost and would eventually either end up in prison forever or be killed. After a terrible accident, Lucy's life was forever changed. She had a child and acquired a very well paying job. She became free of the trappings of addiction and now lives a healthy productive life. All of those persistent prayers from the hearts of children helped in God leading her back towards the right path. 

Healing through Tragedy

A few years ago, my uncle passed away. It was unexpected and tragic. Unsurprisingly, my grandmother was hit the hardest by his death. She was also greatly struggling with back pain that was unbearable for her. She and I began talking regularly after his passing as I tried to help her through it. She mostly just wanted someone to listen to her. We prayed for her as often as we could, and I felt God leading me toward something that would help her. Catholic Underground in Cromwell just happened to be only a few miles from my grandmother's house, so I invited her to attend with me. She agreed and attended. 

As worship came to an end, I noticed my grandmother was still in prayer and was staring at an image. I approached her and she began to cry as she said something was in that image looking at her. I told her that I would pray with her. She continued to cry as the priest walked by and noticed her. He asked what was wrong and she shared her story. She said that she felt that God had abandoned her and she didn't think she could deal with the pain anymore. He got down on his knees and told her that he thinks that she had been choosing to deal with this pain alone. She had not been asking God to help her carry this burden. She needed to put the pain in His loving hands. She admitted that he was right and that she was choosing to face this without Him. A look of relief came upon her face and she thanked him for his advice and kind words. 

The next day, my grandmother called me and sounded much more cheerful than she had the day before. She said that the pain in her back was gone suddenly. God worked through our prayers and through the priest to heal my grandmother in a way only God can. 

The Works of the Great Physician

Last but not least. I would like to tell of our story. For those who have not heard or read about our son Daniel, he was born with the conditions called Esophageal Atresia and Tracheaomalacia. Basically, his esophagus was not connected at birth and was attached to his trachea requiring surgery to correct it. Brandy and I did not know before Daniel was born that he had these conditions, so of course, we were quite shocked when he was choking as he tried to eat for the first time outside the womb. Immediately we called for reinforcements. Daniel was baptized on the same day he was born by our priest, and he was prayed for by thousands of wonderful people from all different churches. These were answered prayers, each and every one. 

We stayed in the hospital for another 5 weeks as Daniel recovered from the surgery and learned to drink from a bottle. We learned that his condition could have been far worse. He could have been in the hospital for many more weeks. This happens to many of the children born with this condition. They have to wait for the esophagus to grow before having the surgery. Daniel was also born exactly on his due date which is another miracle, most are born premature. These are just some of the miracles. 

Daniel was first treated by Connecticut Children's Medical Center but is now being treated by Boston Children's Hospital for some additional symptoms of his condition. Both teams have been amazing gifts to us as God used them to heal our son. Though his journey is not over, he has come so very far and so have we. 

The true miracle of prayer, I believe, is that it gives us yet another opportunity to connect with and receive graces from our Beloved God. God strengthened Brandy and I even as we grew tired and frustrated with the bumps along the way. God helped us cling to each other, to our loved ones, and to Him instead of pushing everyone away. That support is God's beautiful grace here among us. It's His power on the Earth. 

There is true power in prayer, and though we may not always understand or sometimes even accept what God does with our prayers, He is hearing them; He is listening. May we never cease to pray for God's grace to come into all areas of our lives, and the lives of those around us. God bless you always. Lord we love You! Amen!