Gary Jansen - Life Everlasting: Catholic Devotions and Mysteries for the Everyday Seeker

He said to his disciples, Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? If then you are not able to do so small a thing as that, why do you worry about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe youyou of little faith! And do not keep striving for what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not keep worrying. For it is the nations of the world that strive after all these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, strive for his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

LUKE 12:2231

For the mystery of life can only be known by being lived.

THOMAS MERTON, THE LIVING BREAD

Dont fear failure, man. Fear mediocrity.

SOMEBODY WHO LOOKED LIKE JESUS ON THE SUBWAY

I see something of God each hour of the twenty-four, and each moment then,

In the faces of men and women I see God, and in my own face in the glass;

I find letters from God dropped in the street, and every one is signed by Gods name,

And I leave them where they are, for I know that wheresoeer I go,

Others will punctually come forever and ever.

WALT WHITMAN

Your life depends upon this book.

The pages that follow are a spiritual first aid kit for those moments in our lives when we scrape our souls against the jagged surfaces of everyday life. Feeling unfulfilled in your job? Confused in a relationship? Short on money? Suffering from an illness? Trying to sell your house quickly? Or do you just feel lost in your own thoughts and emotions and as though you have tried everything possible to break free from being overwhelmed? If youve answered yes to any of these, well, theres just one thing to do: Drop to your knees and pray. But dont do it alone. Ask Jesus, the Virgin Mary, the saints, and the angels to be by your side.

This book is about Catholic devotionsprayers, meditations, and small actions you can take right now that will assist you in directing your life toward the greater good, helping you to find solace, healing, and direction when all seems lost. Think of them as a form of crisis intervention or spiritual 911methods of communication that not only bring us closer to God but also offer reassurances that we are never, ever alone.

Though there are many ways of praying, devotions often involve some form of intercessory prayer, or praying on behalf of another. When we pray to saints, angels, or the Virgin Mary, we are asking them for helpassurance that were not alone and assistance in helping us to know God better. Moreover, we are asking them to pray for us, just the way you may ask me to pray for you during a difficult time. Not many people would object to a prayer on their behalf, would they? But there is a big difference between me praying for you, and our friends in heaven praying for you. As much as I want to be super close to God, the saints, angels, and Mary are in union with him. So they have more knowledge, compassion, and influence in the heavenly realm than you and I. We reach out to these heavenly helpers not as if they were gods, but as if they were friends with solid advice or experts who can shed light on a problem.

This may all sound like some obscure practice, but consider this: A seventeenth-century cartographer gave Cupertino, California, the home of Apple, its name after his prayers and devotions to the levitating mystic St. Joseph Cupertino helped him find his way through the wild country of what is now the Santa Cruz mountain range. Musician Jack Whites mother named him after St. John the Baptist. Pope John Paul II had a lifelong dedication to the Virgin Mary and cites her intercession as what saved his life during an assassination attempt in 1981 (is it a coincidence that the attempt took place on the feast day of the apparition of the Virgin Mary known as Our Lady of Fatima?). Actor Danny Thomass devotion to St. Jude led to the founding of the St. Judes Childrens Research Hospital, an organization that provides free medical care to children with cancer. Acclaimed author Paulo Coelho, the international bestselling author of The Alchemist, eventually developed an affection for the Immaculate Conception (another name for Jesuss mother) when he returned to his Catholic faith after spending a number of his early years dabbling with drugs and black magic. Martin Sheen prays the Rosary. Comedian Jim Gaffigan and entertainer and actor Harry Connick Jr. both have a special devotion to the Divine Mercy of Jesus. Late-night TV host Stephen Colberts favorite saint is Peter, Jesuss flawed friend who, regardless of all his thickheadedness, became the first pope. Actor and activist Gary Sinise finds comfort and meaning in Father Mychal Judges Lord, take me where you want me to go prayer. Many call Father Judge, a chaplain for the New York City Fire Department, the Saint of 9/11; he died of blunt-force trauma to the head while serving the dead and injured in the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Hollywood producer Roma Downey upholds a devotion to the holy angels. Novelist Nicholas Sparks looks to St. Anthony to help him when hes absentminded. This is not to mention the millions of people around the world who turn to prayer and devotions when they are looking for miracles in their lives. And if you think nothing miraculous happens in our day and age, well, you might just be surprised...