How I Fell in Love with the Sacred Heart of Jesus

There is a beautiful new blog, O Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, which will be offering a First Friday link-up to honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  I am thrilled to the bottom of my very own heart about this blog and the opportunity to give honor and praise to my beloved Sacred Heart of Jesus!  The suggested topic for this month's post is "How did you first learn about the Sacred Heart."  I choose to go beyond that topic and share not only how I learned about the Sacred Heart, but also, how I fell in love with the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

As a child, my family and I were members of Sacred Heart Parish in Manitowoc, Wisconsin.  My parents were deeply devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and we were sure to attend First Friday Mass and devotions each month without fail.  An image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was displayed prominently in our home with the words, "I will bless every house where an image of My Heart will be exposed and honored."

So the Sacred Heart of Jesus was a big part of my life for as long as I can remember, but I can't say that I had a deep devotion until I met Fr. Jim Kubicki, SJ, who is the National Director of the Apostleship of Prayer.  One of the goals of the Apostleship of Prayer is to promote devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and I would say that Fr. Jim excels in this task.  It was Fr. Jim who inspired me to read as many books as I could get my hands on about the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and St. Margaret Mary Alocoque and St. Claude de la Columbierre, the saints who are best known for spreading this devotion.  And it was Fr. Jim who gave me a precious relic of St. Margaret Mary, and who came to my house to assist my family in enthroning the Sacred Heart of Jesus in our home.  And, as if that weren't enough, Fr. Jim also wrote a fabulous book, A Heart on Fire:  Rediscovering Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  So, Fr. Jim gets the credit for fanning the flames of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus within my own heart, preparing me to fall in love with the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  And here's where the love story really begins...

Heart of Glass

It was three years ago when I was praying the novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in preparation for the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  I am blessed to live near Lake Michigan, and I love to spend time walking the shore, searching for sea glass.  Sea glass are little pieces of broken glass that have been discarded in the water, and over time are tumbled smooth by the rocks, waves and sand.  It had only been the second day of the novena, and I was feeling a bit down, when I went to the shore to search for the treasured bits of shards.  There I discovered a beautiful red piece of sea glass lying all by itself just on the edge of the shore.  Red sea glass is extremely rare.  As I inspected it more closely, I noticed that not only was it heart shaped, but it also had a gash in one side and scratch marks that made me think of the crown of thorns!  I took this to be a sign of love from Jesus, a gift from His Heart to mine,  and I knew that whether or not my novena intention was answered favorably, the love of my Sacred Heart of Jesus would remain with me forever.  I made my sea glass Sacred Heart into a necklace and I wear it every single day as a reminder of His love for me.  Safely hanging about my neck, I can frequently reach for it during the day whenever I am in need of a reminder of his love, and He never fails me.

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, be King of my heart!

For more stories about devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, be sure to visit O Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, and while you're there, share your own story of devotion to His Heart as well!

Wooed by His Sacred Heart

You woo me...

with birdsong in the morning
daffodils in the garden
gentle waves on the shore
gifts of glass from the sea
a warm breeze in the evening
a playful, loving family
friends who listen and share
the kiss of Eucharist on my tongue
daily, intimate, hour-long conversations in a silent church

drawing me ever more deeply into the fire burning
within Your Sacred Heart, allowing me to feel the pain of sin
that consumes you, letting me experience
Your intense suffering for love of me and all of Your children,
sharing Your sorrow
with the one You love,
this little nobody
that You woo
so expertly,
so divinely,
so sweetly

I can't resist Your desire for me

I am wooed into Your eternal embrace
so tender and loving....

Never let go
I am Yours forever...

Sea Glass Life

I woke to a Sunday morning surprise-my husband suggested a walk on the beach following Mass and breakfast, a rarity.  Scanning the shoreline for fragments of color in softened shards of varied hues revealed a surprise-a clear heart with the word "life" in the middle. "Probably from a bottle of Miller High Life Beer," states the ever-practical Paul.  But me, I prefer to ponder upon it romantically, after all, the word "life" was perfectly centered within a heart.

On April 27th, Paul and I will celebrate our 22nd wedding anniversary.  Those twenty-two years have held lots of shards; pieces of broken dreams, broken hearts and shattered emotions, mixed in with colorful memories of joy, tranquility and contentment.  As we ride the waves of the years together, all of those fragments formed, like sea glass polished by the rocks, sand and waves, a strong and unbreakable bond.  Our marriage is solid like a strong piece of sea glass.  The edges of past moments of difficulty, trials, burdens and pain have become smooth to the touch and have created beautiful memories of constancy and dependability and forever love.

I love the sea glass life that God has created for Paul and I.  My prayer is that as we tumble through anniversary after anniversary into old age together, we will embrace whatever God sends our way, whether it be an abundance of clear and peaceful waters, or some stormy seas that cause us to crash about in disorientation, because all of those moments make this sea glass life of ours so gloriously rich and colorful!  

Sea Glass Retreat

 "But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray."  ~Luke 5:16

It's been an awfully long winter, hasn't it?  I've been so desperate to get back to my favorite sea glass beach on Lake Michigan for a little solitude and prayer, so after the days work and errands were completed, my husband and I gathered some of our children and made a trek down to the beach for a sea glass search.  Soon we had each scattered in separate directions all the while keeping our eyes peeled for the colorful gems.  I always think of a sea glass search as a form of prayer because with the exception of holy hours in church, scouring the shoreline for baubles from the lake is the only time I have any significant time to silently ponder the Lord and His wonders in my heart.  With the backdrop of an overcast sky, gentle waves brushing up against the shore and the distant squawk of sea gulls, I repeatedly bent over in a posture of awe and gratitude as I gathered the coveted pieces of softened glass that bring me a bit of material joy.  And soon my bag was filled with the vivid specks of discarded bottles and my heart was filled with thankfulness to God for the much needed retreat.  O spring, how welcome you are and how I thank God for the changing of seasons and His beauteous gifts of family and nature!

Debris Turned Devotional

I bent and lifted
glass of red
and hung it near my heart

it lingers still and
like a fire
Love's warmth it does impart

a secret gift of
devotion
disguised as work of art

O Sacred Heart of
Jesus, from
Thee I'll never part

The Lady of Shallot

"There she weaves by night and day
A magic web with colours gay.
She has heard a whisper say,
A curse is on her if she stay
To look down to Camelot.
She knows not what the curse may be,
And so she weaveth steadily,
And little other care hath she,
The Lady of Shalott."
~Tennyson













My all-time favorite book and movie is Anne of Green Gables. I love the personality of the main character, Anne,who is always so dramatic and very much inspired by poetry, especially that which makes people cry. I feel that I not only share her name but many traits of her personality as well. The movie begins with Anne wandering through the woods lost in the beauty of nature as she reads Tennyson's The Lady of Shallot. But she is quickly brought back to the reality of life by the shrieking screams of the woman who had taken her in as a boarder and nanny to her children.

Later in the movie Anne and her friends decide to re-enact the Lady of Shallot as a play with Anne as the lead character floating down the river in a boat as she recites Tennyson's famous poem. Her plan is thwarted as the boat springs a leak and she must cling to the post of a bridge until help arrives in the form of her friend, Gilbert. Her friends are greatly distressed as they fear that Anne really did drown in the river.

The Band Perry has put out a video to their song, If I Die Young, that sweetly recalls that romantic scene from Anne of Green Gables. My daughter Mary and I recently spent a peaceful afternoon searching the lakeshore for sea glass and Mary was singing this song, one of her favorites. It put a smile on my face and now I just have to share this endearing video, I'm sure my kindred spirits will enjoy it!



"Heard a carol, mournful, holy,
Chanted loudly, chanted lowly,
Till her blood was frozen slowly,
And her eyes were darkened wholly,
Turn'd to tower'd Camelot.
For ere she reach'd upon the tide
The first house by the water-side,
Singing in her song she died,
The Lady of Shalott...

Who is this? And what is here?
And in the lighted palace near
Died the sound of royal cheer;
And they crossed themselves for fear,
All the Knights at Camelot;
But Lancelot mused a little space
He said, "She has a lovely face;
God in his mercy lend her grace,
The Lady of Shalott."

Gifts That Last

Over the course of my two-year blogging history, I have often taken part in "link-fests" such as Jennifer Fulwiler's Seven Quick Takes and Ann Voskamp's Mindful Mondays. I often struggle to find just the right words to say at just the right time so as to join in with the necessary number of quick takes or words of gratitude on the required days, so this post is a combination of grateful quick takes on my own terms...

A few days ago I had a surprise visit from my sweet friend Susi with a very special gift-a bottle of Sea Glass Wine! I had no idea that such a wonderful treat existed! And how lovely to receive a combination of three of my favorite things-wine, sea glass and friendship! Cheers, Susi! Naturally, the wine was delicious, but now it's gone. How grateful I am that friendship and sea glass are gifts that endure.

Last week there was panic and mayhem in the blogosphere when Blogger went down for nearly 24 hours and posts and comments disappeared. It made me appreciate what a gift it is to be able to write my thoughts, prayers, and dreams in this little space called Imprisoned in my Bones and know that anyone in the world can be blessed by them. Please, God, let others be blessed by them and never hurt by my words. The blogging fiasco intensified my gratitude to be able to read and pray over so many other words burning within the hearts of my fellow Christians and tapped out on the silence of a keyboard for the benefit of many. How wonderful it is that the internet can be a blessing to our souls, bringing about deep and meaningful friendships in this often cold and impersonal world.

One such friendship that quickly comes to mind is that of Mary at The Beautiful Gate. For the past two years Mary has been faithfully reading my words and commenting on them as well as faithfully writing her own words of faith and love on her blog, and it is Mary who is the recipient of my recent book give-away, The Invisible World by Anthony Destefano, as well as a small collection of sea glass. Thanks for everything Mary!

One of my favorite uncles has passed away a few days ago. God blessed Izzy (Isadore) with 90 years on this earth, and my uncle used those years to spread love and joy using his gift of humor. I am particularly blessed because my employer allows paid time off to attend the funeral of aunts and uncles. So, my son Justin, who will be taking his driver's exam this Wednesday, will be attending the funeral with me, and will drive the 80 miles to and from our destination. Please keep us in your prayers for a safe journey and please pray for Justin to pass his exam successfully! But most of all, please pray for the soul of my beloved Uncle Izzy.

I found these words on the quote board at the YMCA earlier this week and they have been moving my heart ever since..."Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it." ~Mark Twain~
Don't they move your heart as well?

On this Good Shepherd Sunday and World Day of Prayer for Vocations, my heart is rejoicing over the upcoming ordination to the priesthood of five men for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee this coming Saturday, May 21st. So many hopes and prayers lie in the hands of these men, the hands that will be embedded with fragrant Chrism, the hands that will heal and soothe the souls of many, the hands that will hold the very Body of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and feed him to a Church starving for His love, the hands that will now be holy hands. Please keep these brave and wonderful men in your prayers and click on their names to read their feature story in the Milwaukee Catholic Herald:

Christopher Klusman
Kevin McManaman
Kevin Barnekow
Javier Guativa
Hugo Londono

Sea Glass in Winter

Finding myself with the gift of several solitary and unscheduled hours on a warm winter morning that felt delightfully like spring, I knew that I had better not waste it!

With the sun in my eyes, I drove to my favorite place-the lake. Trudging through the knee deep snow, I was delighted to find patches of sand and rock exposed, the product of winter's melting. I was standing in the purity of white snow, looking out upon the peace of blue water, and was drawn to the muck of rocks and sand. Beauty all around, easy to delight in, yet I look for the beauty that can only be found in the dirt, for that's where the real treasure is. How often our Lord himself used the dirt, sand and rocks to teach us lessons about faith!

"But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground." John 8:6-8

Writing on the ground to prevent the throwing of stones, how strange...and how strange it is to be here on the beach in winter! The downtown buildings that seem to be rising in the morning mist are contrasted against ducks flying close to the water, wings vibrating as they skim the surface. Waves searching for shore beneath the ice and snow produce a thumping sound as they retreat to their original location in the deep. I am completely and utterly alone. It's just me and God at the lake.

I think of the blind man who could see after Jesus applied mud made with saliva, as my eyes are now focused on the pockets of sand and rock beneath my feet, searching for the glittering jewels that I covet. Like a child playing a game of I Spy or Where's Waldo, I am determined to find and pick out the colorful sea glass hidden among the dirt.

And I walk on water! How is it that just two months ago the very place I stand would have had me waist deep in the lake? But now, I am on top of those waves looking at the earth that has surfaced through force of wind and water, looking for God and finding Him here. I crouch low to gather my rewards.

Hidden beneath the snow, down low amid the muck of winter sand, sea glass waits patiently for the taking. I fill my pockets with bits of color to be placed into clear jar containers, and each time I look at the jars of sea glass on the window sill, my heart thrills a bit.

And I know that as I travel through this life filled with the work of money to be earned, groceries to be bought, meals to be cooked, house to be cleaned, children to be nurtured, I will continue to search for God...and find him in the most unexpected places-places of beauty, yes, but also places of grime and dirt. For God is everywhere, just waiting for me to find Him.