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Give Me An Understanding Heart

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Give me understanding, and I will observe your law and obey it with all my heart. Psalm 119:34

In the winter of 2014, on a cold, icy Friday morning, my family and I stood at Calvary to say our final goodbyes to my mom. Our lives would be forever changed. I held onto my family as we tried to make sense of our broken hearts.

My grief turned days into weeks into months; then someone recommended a book for me to read, “33 Days to Morning Glory,” by Fr. Michael Gaitley, M.I.C. I thought it was about mourning, but it was really about consecrating my heart to Mary.  It was a journey that I had taken several times over the years, always seeking the wisdom of Mary.  Jesus gave me to her on the cross when he said, “Behold, your Mother!”  This was my way of saying yes to Mary as I consecrated my heart to her.

What does consecrating your heart mean? Consecration means setting yourself aside for service to God. The Church has always advocated consecrating yourself to Jesus Christ through the Blessed Virgin Mary, the perfect model of discipleship.1

As I prayed daily to become what God has intended for me, I could feel his presence deep in my soul, knowing he is giving me a heart like his. In the first reading this past Sunday, we heard in 1 Kings 3:8  Solomon ask God for an understanding heart to judge his people and distinguish right from wrong.  Solomon was seeking God’s wisdom in his role as King.

Today I seek an understanding heart in my roles as a mom, wife, teacher, friend, and child of God. He is calling me to a special vocation in prayer and witness. I say, “Yes!”

Show me the way, O’ Lord! Through your Most Sacred Heart, help me to take your Holy Presence out into the world and inspire others to seek an understanding heart. Amen.

  1. MINational@MissionImmaculata.com ↩︎
Faith Blog

Will You Let Me Love You?

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God asks us, “Will you let me love you?”

It sounds so simple, and yet, we go about our days, thinking we are in charge and don’t need His love. Until that moment, you have no choice but to cry out to God in desperate need of help. It could be a diagnosis, a scare, a death in the family, a job loss, or any number of situations that leave us unprepared. And suddenly, we are on our knees crying out in prayer wondering where the God of the universe is.

He is where He has always been. He’s just waiting patiently for you to let Him love you. His heart rejoices in His desire to be there for you.

My child, give me your heart and let your eyes observe my ways. (Proverbs 23;26) In other words, “My child, let me love you and follow me in every moment of your life. Give me your heart today and always.”

Our response should be, “Yes, Lord, as in the prayer below of Saint Augustine.

Let me remember You,

let me understand You,

let me love You.

Increase these things in me

until You refashion me entirely.

Augustine of Hippo, The Trinity, The Works of Saint Augustine, Ed. John Rotelle (Brooklyn, NY: New City Press, 1991), 436. (XV.28.51)

Yes, Lord, I will give you my heart!

Faith Blog

Do Not Be Afraid!

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Originally posted on December 3, 2018.

In 2018, I had been was recently diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that led to chronic hives and nearly a year of prednisone. This would last nearly three years. In 2020, the world changed overnight while I battled inflammation, depression , hives and weight gain leading to pneumonia and a hospital stay just before Christmas. All of this caused to a major job change, which led to a period of doubt and despair. My heart and my body were broken.

“Let your Faith be bigger than your Fears!”

Most of my fears are worry driven and yet my fear was real.  It was scary and it brought me to my knees. And I heard his voice so clearly in the words I wrote.

DO NOT BE AFRAID

Lisa Marie Taylor, 2018

IN THE DARKEST OF THE NIGHT.  DO NOT BE AFRAID! I AWAKE, I CAN’T BREATHE, I PANIC.  SIRENS, LIGHTS, OXYGEN, BLOOD PRESSURE TOO HIGH.  TESTS, SCANS, HOSPITAL STAY.  DO NOT BE AFRAID! IN THE DARKEST OF THE NIGHT.  DO NOT BE AFRAID!
IN THE SILENCE OF MY HOSPITAL ROOM.  DO NOT BE AFRAID! MY FEAR RISES, MY WORRY INCREASES.   I PRAY.  SHALLOW BREATHING, I CLOSE MY EYES.  WITHOUT WORDS, I PRAY.    DO NOT BE AFRAID! IN THE SILENCE OF MY HOSPITAL ROOM, DO NOT BE AFRAID!
IN THE DEPTHS OF MY HEART, DO NOT BE AFRAID! GOD’S LOVE SURROUNDS ME. HE KNOWS. I PRAY.  HE HEARS MY CRIES. HE KNOWS ME FROM THE BEGINNING BEFORE I WAS BORN.   HE LISTENS. IN THE DEPTHS OF MY HEART, DO NOT BE AFRAID!
IN THE DARKEST OF THE NIGHT, I REST PEACEFULLY.    I KNOW NOT DO BE AFRAID!

Faith Blog

“Were Not Our Heart Burning?”

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Originally posted in a different blog on 

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As they sat down to eat, Jesus took the bread and blessed it. Then he broke it and gave it to them. Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And at that moment Jesus disappeared!

They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?”      Luke 24:30-32 

The words of this Gospel are the answers to the problems our church faces today, which leads to the question. Why ….with all the challenges we as Catholics are facing, many are willing to give it all up because of the imperfect nature of people,  while putting aside the traditions and doctrine of a 2000+ year old church?

I, too, have struggled.

I am continuing to reflect, meditate and discern the answer.  It is one of the many reasons that I begin a journey seven years ago in formation that led me to Saint Meinrad in pursuit of a Masters in Theology.  It was a desire to deepened my faith in hopes of sharing it with others.  It was a desire to find answers through study of church history, doctrine, apologetics, catechesis, pastoral ministry, spirituality, scripture, the sacraments, the saints and the church fathers, daughters and brothers.

I have learned so much, but in the end, it’s really about my relationship with God and most importantly, his relationship with me.  My heart is still burning to love, know and serve Him every day of my life.

Faith Blog

Are We Becoming Numb to this World?

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We live in a world where we are constantly asking “What is wrong with people?”

In fact, several recent stories have had me saying it nearly daily.   This brings on so many feelings of  outrage,  sorrow, sadness, worry, and brokenness.

These feelings can be good in a world that seems to lack both  empathy and compassion.  Why? Because without empathy and compassion, we are in danger of becoming numb and apathetic.

Reflecting on this, I did some research on what the Church says and I found these words from Pope Francis from a homily for the Canonization of Blessed Junípero Serra, at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, D.C. on September, 23 2015.   These are the key points:

Rejoice in the Lord always!  Paul tells us to rejoice; he practically orders us to rejoice.  It is as if Paul could hear what each one of us is thinking in his or her heart and to voice what we are feeling, what we are experiencing. Something deep within us invites us to rejoice and tells us not to settle for placebos which simply keep us comfortable.

At the same time, though, we all know the struggles of everyday life. So much seems to stand in the way of this invitation to rejoice. Our daily routine can often lead us to a kind of glum apathy which gradually becomes a habit, with a fatal consequence: our hearts grow numb.

We don’t want apathy to guide our lives… or do we?

We don’t want the force of habit to rule our life… or do we?

So we ought to ask ourselves: What can we do to keep our heart from growing numb, becoming anesthetized? How do we make the joy of the Gospel increase and take deeper root in our lives?

Jesus gives the answer.  He said to his disciples then and he says it to us now: Go forth! Proclaim! The joy of the Gospel is something to be experienced, something to be known and lived only through giving it away, through giving ourselves away.

The spirit of the world tells us to be like everyone else, to settle for what comes easy.

 Faced with this human way of thinking, “we must regain the conviction that we need one another, that we have a shared responsibility for others and for the world” (Laudato Si’, 229).

For the source of our joy is “an endless desire to show mercy, the fruit of our own experience of the power of the Father’s infinite mercy” (Evangelii Gaudium, 24).

And I pray…for feelings of mercy, forgiveness, joy, empathy, love, peace in a broken world.    Amen.                                                  Lisa Marie Taylor

Faith Blog

Giving Time to God

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As this school year comes to an end, I am sharing this poem I wrote in 2005. It was my small gift to friends that Christmas attached to a pocket calendar. I thought it was fitting to share with you today as our schedules change to the freedom of summer days. ENJOY!

Giving Time to God

Lisa Marie Taylor

Help me, Lord, this day…to find Your incredible loving grace.

Help me, Lord, this day…to be a positive part of this human race.

Help me, Lord, this week…to learn the power of Your love.

Help me, Lord, this week…to learn from the heavens above.

Help me, Lord, this month…to show kindness to family and friends.

Help me, Lord, this month…to seek ways to show amends.

Help me, Lord, this year…to focus on the better part.

Help me, Lord, this year…to embrace Your loving heart!

May you find God in all your days, weeks, months and years!

Faith Blog

Knocking at My Door

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Jesus came knocking at my door today.  I was caught unprepared.  He wanted to spend time with me and yet I wasn’t ready.  My house was messy, dishes in the sink, laundry unfolded in a pile on the couch, and papers to grade on my desk.  

I was heading out the door to pick Jessi and drop off  Maria when I heard the knock.

“Now what?” I thought as I ran to the door with entourage of children at my heels.

As I opened the door, a wave of peacefulness greeted us like a gentle wind.  There he stood.   We froze until Kenna broke the silence with a whisper, “It’s Jesus!”

I ushered him in with an apology for the mess.  He smiled with eyes of compassion.  He followed me to the living room where usually we find two barking dogs.  Today they were unusually quiet as they ran up to greet him.

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Moving the laundry off the couch, I offered him a seat.  He picked up Charlie and sat down next to Maddi Grace, who had already found her place next to him. The air in the room was different with Jesus there.  A sense of peace covered the room and all those in it.   Joy and happiness filled our hearts. 

I sat down across from him looking around at all the messiness and felt sorrow.  Jesus reached out for my hand and I looked into his eyes.  The guilt was gone.  I only saw mercy.

“I am not perfect!” I whispered as my eyes closed.  He replied, “You don’t have to be.”

“I’m not enough to get it all done,”

Our eyes met and I heard these words, “Alone you are not enough, but with me you are all that you can be. I am here for you.”

With tears, I fell into his arms and wept.  I felt a hand on my shoulder as my son, Joey said, “Mommy, Jesus doesn’t want you to be sad.”

Jesus wiped away my tears, “He is right!”

Lord, I didn’t have time today to prepare a place for you in my home, but you weren’t looking there. You were looking in my heart.  It was there you found me prepared and ready.   Thank you, Lord, for giving me a moment to rest in your arms and show my children your peacefulness and grace. Amen.

By Lisa Marie Taylor – 2019

Faith Blog

Together We Grow

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We were traveling home from a beach vacation flying over the clouds. This picture was taken from the window on the plane. It reminds me of God’s limitless power to reveal himself to us.   

April, 2018

God speaks to us through the ordinary. Since I was little, I knew that God was just around the corner. He was always close by. As I grew, I felt his presence in my life. As a teacher, I gained faith in God as I taught my students. As a mom, I cried out for help. As a woman, I sought understanding as I worked towards a master degree in Theology at Saint Meinrad. Today, I am teaching students at Marian University Preparatory School. Everyday I pray, I read, I study, I listen, and I learn. This has given me the desire to share what I learn with others, so that we can grow together.

Faith seeks understanding. I do not seek to understand that I may believe, but I believe in order to understand.

St. Anselm of Canterbury