Over the last several years, it has fallen to me to lead the Grace before meals. There is always the good old standby "Bless us O Lord, and these Thy gifts....", but I like to say special prayers on special occasions. Not that Our Lord really prefers this type of extemporaneous prayer over the tried and true, but hey! He's worth it!
I sometimes spend days thinking of just the right words. I even surf the internet looking for ideas, but most of the time, I end up just with a simple prayer of thanks, petition, and praise.
Anyway, here is what I came up with for this Thanksgiving Day. I think it pretty much covers everything. Of course, if I did miss anything, I know He knows what is in our hearts and minds. I hope He's pleased with what I came up with. Please feel free to use it or adapt it to your own special needs if you want to.
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for this special day, a day to remember Your goodness to us.
Thank you for giving us roofs over our heads, and more than enough food to eat.
Thank you for the family You have given to us, who have gathered together to eat this Thanksgiving Day meal.
Thank you for the family and friends who are not able to be with us today.
We remember those who are not so fortunate as us. Please bless them and keep them warm and safe as we begin this season of Advent, when we prepare for the birth of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
Faith is the greater part of belief
I had to drive to Fresno today for a meeting tomorrow. It gave me time to pray, reflect, and pray some more. I had forgotten how much more "quiet time" I get when I have to drive. I can turn the cell phone off (or, as I like to say "let the battery die") and just think. Obviously, I keep my attention on the road as well, but I must admit there have been times when I have no idea how I got where I was. I guess if you're in conversation with God, he protects you until you're finished.
Anyway, I was thinking today about the words "belief" and "faith" and what the difference might be. A lot of people seem to confuse the two when they are speaking of their relationship with Jesus Christ. I think I have it nailed, though. I am quite sure that most people "believe" that Jesus Christ is their "personal Lord and Savior." And that's another thing! What is this "personal" business? Christ died 'once for all'. And He rose 'once for all.' That means each and every one of us. I digress.
The difference between belief and faith, in my opinion, is that faith is the confidence we have in our beliefs and the feeling of assurance that Christ IS King! When you believe, you hope your prayers will be heard. With faith, you know that your prayers will be heard and answered, according to God's will. Does that make sense? It does to me, but I'm really tired right now and it doesn't read the way I'm trying to write it.
Anyway, I was thinking today about the words "belief" and "faith" and what the difference might be. A lot of people seem to confuse the two when they are speaking of their relationship with Jesus Christ. I think I have it nailed, though. I am quite sure that most people "believe" that Jesus Christ is their "personal Lord and Savior." And that's another thing! What is this "personal" business? Christ died 'once for all'. And He rose 'once for all.' That means each and every one of us. I digress.
The difference between belief and faith, in my opinion, is that faith is the confidence we have in our beliefs and the feeling of assurance that Christ IS King! When you believe, you hope your prayers will be heard. With faith, you know that your prayers will be heard and answered, according to God's will. Does that make sense? It does to me, but I'm really tired right now and it doesn't read the way I'm trying to write it.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
This 'n that
Yesterday was my birthday. We celebrated it today because my youngest, Sarah, had meetings yesterday and couldn't be home for dinner until tonight. It's strange. Up until this year, I made requests for what I would like as birthday gifts. This year, I really didn't want anything other than to have my family around me. Maybe the older I get the less materialistic I become. I hope so. There is so much more important than "things". Of course, I thank the family for the nice gifts they got me anyway. And especially thanks to Mom, I now have a complete set of the Liturgy of the Hours.
God, I am so excited about the impending birth of my granddaughter, Lilliana Noelle! She is due on December 15. I pray that she is healthy and that Alicia and Lorenzo continue their journey back to the catholic church. We sent for Lorenzo's baptismal certificate today so he can enroll in RCIA (at his request). He and Alicia have been attending mass every Sunday. We attended together this morning and I am impressed with his apparent devotion. He is a nice young man and it is evident that he loves Alicia very much. I could do a lot worse.
I was watching a couple of football games yesterday and today. Was I thinking about the games? No. All I can seem to think of and marvel at is how many people were in the stadiums. The marvel of it, if you think about it, is that a stadium holds 70,000 to 80,000 people. I heard somewhere that this is the estimated number of people that Jesus preached to over the 3 years from the proclamation of His Kingdom to His death on the cross. Can you imagine seeing and hearing Our Lord face to face? Even then, only a fraction of those who heard Him believed him to be the Son of God. From that small number of believers who believed because they had seen, there are now billions of Christians who believe on faith! This staggers my mind and shows the love and hope that the Word of God brought forth those many years ago are the same Word that continues to bring those gifts today.
God, I am so excited about the impending birth of my granddaughter, Lilliana Noelle! She is due on December 15. I pray that she is healthy and that Alicia and Lorenzo continue their journey back to the catholic church. We sent for Lorenzo's baptismal certificate today so he can enroll in RCIA (at his request). He and Alicia have been attending mass every Sunday. We attended together this morning and I am impressed with his apparent devotion. He is a nice young man and it is evident that he loves Alicia very much. I could do a lot worse.
I was watching a couple of football games yesterday and today. Was I thinking about the games? No. All I can seem to think of and marvel at is how many people were in the stadiums. The marvel of it, if you think about it, is that a stadium holds 70,000 to 80,000 people. I heard somewhere that this is the estimated number of people that Jesus preached to over the 3 years from the proclamation of His Kingdom to His death on the cross. Can you imagine seeing and hearing Our Lord face to face? Even then, only a fraction of those who heard Him believed him to be the Son of God. From that small number of believers who believed because they had seen, there are now billions of Christians who believe on faith! This staggers my mind and shows the love and hope that the Word of God brought forth those many years ago are the same Word that continues to bring those gifts today.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Proposition 4--Just another example of irresponsibility by a self-centered culture
Self-described Catholics, Christians, married couples and parents approved of Proposition 4 – the family notification before a minor’s abortion initiative – by wide margins on Nov. 4, but their support was not enough to pass the measure. The Secretary of State reports that Proposition 4 failed by a margin of 52.1% no to 47.9% yes.
Details on the breakdown of how Californians voted were published in an Election Day exit poll commissioned by the Sacramento Bee and conducted by the polling firm Edison/Mitofsky, which interviewed 2098 voters.
According to the Sacramento Bee exit poll, 60% of voters who identified themselves as Catholic voted in favor of the family notification initiative, while 59% of those who described themselves as “Protestant/Christian” voted yes. Respondents who said they belonged to no religion voted 84%-16% against Proposition 4.
Among voters who said they attend church weekly, the margin was 76% yes to 24% no, while those who said they attend church “occasionally” voted 56% to 44% against the initiative. Those who said they never attend church voted 78% to 22% against Proposition 4.
Married voters, according to the exit poll, favored the measure 59% to 41%, with unmarried voters opposing it 66% to 34%. Parents approved of Proposition 4 by a 10% margin – 55% yes to 45% no.
The poll also identified respondents by race, finding that whites voted 54% to 46% against the initiative(?); African-Americans favored the measure 54% to 46%; Hispanics voted 55% to 45% in favor; and Asians voted 58% yes to 42% no. Proposition 4 lost among Democrats and independents, the Bee reported, with Democrats voting 63% no to 37% yes, and independents rejecting the measure 54% to 46%. Republicans overwhelmingly favored the initiative, 70% yes to 30% no, the poll found.
Where has common sense gone? Abortion is a SURGICAL PROCEDURE! That, in itself should have been enough to persuade an overwhelming majority to vote for Prop 4. I'd be willing to bet that if the word "abortion" were taken out of the proposition, and replaced with "molar extraction" it would have passed! It occurs to me that abortion has been politicized to the point of an "issue", rather than the EVIL it actually is. I think the above figures bear this out. Another thing that gets me is that those who have no responsibility to others--whether it is God, another adult, or their children decided that they would continue in their irresponsibility.
One might ask, "What makes you think I should be responsible for another's actions or decisions?" I would answer with Mt 22:36 ,“[Jesus], which is the great commandment in the law?” And he said to him, ’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets.”
Loving my neighbor means wanting the best for him or her. The best is wanting to see my neighbor in Heaven. We will not get to Heaven unless we become imitators of Christ. Does anyone truly believe that Christ approves of the inherent evil of abortion? Loving my neighbor means taking responsibility for his or her soul by informing him that he is in danger. If he then makes the wrong decision, my responsibility for his soul is over. Children are placed in the care of adults by divine providence. When adults abrogate their responsibility to their children, the sin is theirs. Please, God, what is it going to take to make your children realize this?
Details on the breakdown of how Californians voted were published in an Election Day exit poll commissioned by the Sacramento Bee and conducted by the polling firm Edison/Mitofsky, which interviewed 2098 voters.
According to the Sacramento Bee exit poll, 60% of voters who identified themselves as Catholic voted in favor of the family notification initiative, while 59% of those who described themselves as “Protestant/Christian” voted yes. Respondents who said they belonged to no religion voted 84%-16% against Proposition 4.
Among voters who said they attend church weekly, the margin was 76% yes to 24% no, while those who said they attend church “occasionally” voted 56% to 44% against the initiative. Those who said they never attend church voted 78% to 22% against Proposition 4.
Married voters, according to the exit poll, favored the measure 59% to 41%, with unmarried voters opposing it 66% to 34%. Parents approved of Proposition 4 by a 10% margin – 55% yes to 45% no.
The poll also identified respondents by race, finding that whites voted 54% to 46% against the initiative(?); African-Americans favored the measure 54% to 46%; Hispanics voted 55% to 45% in favor; and Asians voted 58% yes to 42% no. Proposition 4 lost among Democrats and independents, the Bee reported, with Democrats voting 63% no to 37% yes, and independents rejecting the measure 54% to 46%. Republicans overwhelmingly favored the initiative, 70% yes to 30% no, the poll found.
Where has common sense gone? Abortion is a SURGICAL PROCEDURE! That, in itself should have been enough to persuade an overwhelming majority to vote for Prop 4. I'd be willing to bet that if the word "abortion" were taken out of the proposition, and replaced with "molar extraction" it would have passed! It occurs to me that abortion has been politicized to the point of an "issue", rather than the EVIL it actually is. I think the above figures bear this out. Another thing that gets me is that those who have no responsibility to others--whether it is God, another adult, or their children decided that they would continue in their irresponsibility.
One might ask, "What makes you think I should be responsible for another's actions or decisions?" I would answer with Mt 22:36 ,“[Jesus], which is the great commandment in the law?” And he said to him, ’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets.”
Loving my neighbor means wanting the best for him or her. The best is wanting to see my neighbor in Heaven. We will not get to Heaven unless we become imitators of Christ. Does anyone truly believe that Christ approves of the inherent evil of abortion? Loving my neighbor means taking responsibility for his or her soul by informing him that he is in danger. If he then makes the wrong decision, my responsibility for his soul is over. Children are placed in the care of adults by divine providence. When adults abrogate their responsibility to their children, the sin is theirs. Please, God, what is it going to take to make your children realize this?
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Heaven's Currency
I’m no St. Joseph. I don’t believe God will speak directly to me through my dreams as He did with the prophets. I usually get my “marching orders” from the daily readings and Gospel when I attend daily mass. But every now and then I begin to wonder about His sense of humor and the ways He gets me to thinking.
Yesterday, I had to be at work by 6AM and I didn’t get off until 8PM. That meant no mass (or Eucharist!) and a late dinner—a sure recipe in my case for heartache (from missing my Lord!) and heartburn (from NOT missing my dinner!). Both made for a listless sleep with a very strange, frustrating, but somehow uplifting dream. The details are really fuzzy, because that’s how dreams are—vivid while you’re having them, but hard to remember when you wake up, unless they are so traumatic or horrible that you can’t forget. I haven’t had any of those in a long time, but I do remember bits and pieces now and again that keep me thinking of my life and God’s plans for me.
In my dream, there were human beings being loaded onto commercial airliners and angels (yes, the child in me still recognized them because they had wings!) were helping them board. No one told me so, but I understood that the destination was Heaven. Some were bound for a stopover in Purgatory, but there was no mistaking that the final destination was Heaven. There were no faces; rather, there were faces, but they were basically the same. But somehow I knew who they were. As I think about it now, I recognized them as the souls of my family and friends past, present, and future.
I asked someone how I would get a ticket, and he told me that he didn’t know, he just knew he had one. I was frustrated and saddened because I felt deep in my soul that I was supposed to be with my family and friends on their way to Heaven, but I had no ticket. I was sad because I was found unworthy to have a ticket.
Finally, (just before I woke up), one of the angels asked me why I was so sad and not on the plane. When I explained that I didn’t have a ticket, he laughed and said, “You don’t need a ticket! You have helped pay for all of the other tickets! You’re flight is free!” I said, “How is it that I paid for the tickets? I haven’t got that much money!” The angel laughed again with a great howl and replied, “In Heaven, faith and prayers are currency! Keeping your faith through good times and bad and the prayers that you have said petitioning Our Lord Jesus Christ for mercy have purchased all the tickets you and everyone you prayed for ever needed to share a life everlasting with Our Father, His Son, and the Holy Spirit in the company of our Queen and the saints! Welcome aboard!”
And you know what? I was upset today because it seems to me that my subconscious, (where dreams come from, and psychologists say reflect your true “id”) is so full of hubris that there’s no room for humility, which is the basis for faith in the first place. I guess I’ll just have to keep working on pushing my pride and self-righteousness out of the way to make room for more humility. Going to daily mass to receive Our Lord and listening to His word have become necessary for me to keep focused on this goal. I hope and pray He’s listening!
Please pray for me, in case my prayers fall short and I can’t afford my own ticket!
Yesterday, I had to be at work by 6AM and I didn’t get off until 8PM. That meant no mass (or Eucharist!) and a late dinner—a sure recipe in my case for heartache (from missing my Lord!) and heartburn (from NOT missing my dinner!). Both made for a listless sleep with a very strange, frustrating, but somehow uplifting dream. The details are really fuzzy, because that’s how dreams are—vivid while you’re having them, but hard to remember when you wake up, unless they are so traumatic or horrible that you can’t forget. I haven’t had any of those in a long time, but I do remember bits and pieces now and again that keep me thinking of my life and God’s plans for me.
In my dream, there were human beings being loaded onto commercial airliners and angels (yes, the child in me still recognized them because they had wings!) were helping them board. No one told me so, but I understood that the destination was Heaven. Some were bound for a stopover in Purgatory, but there was no mistaking that the final destination was Heaven. There were no faces; rather, there were faces, but they were basically the same. But somehow I knew who they were. As I think about it now, I recognized them as the souls of my family and friends past, present, and future.
I asked someone how I would get a ticket, and he told me that he didn’t know, he just knew he had one. I was frustrated and saddened because I felt deep in my soul that I was supposed to be with my family and friends on their way to Heaven, but I had no ticket. I was sad because I was found unworthy to have a ticket.
Finally, (just before I woke up), one of the angels asked me why I was so sad and not on the plane. When I explained that I didn’t have a ticket, he laughed and said, “You don’t need a ticket! You have helped pay for all of the other tickets! You’re flight is free!” I said, “How is it that I paid for the tickets? I haven’t got that much money!” The angel laughed again with a great howl and replied, “In Heaven, faith and prayers are currency! Keeping your faith through good times and bad and the prayers that you have said petitioning Our Lord Jesus Christ for mercy have purchased all the tickets you and everyone you prayed for ever needed to share a life everlasting with Our Father, His Son, and the Holy Spirit in the company of our Queen and the saints! Welcome aboard!”
And you know what? I was upset today because it seems to me that my subconscious, (where dreams come from, and psychologists say reflect your true “id”) is so full of hubris that there’s no room for humility, which is the basis for faith in the first place. I guess I’ll just have to keep working on pushing my pride and self-righteousness out of the way to make room for more humility. Going to daily mass to receive Our Lord and listening to His word have become necessary for me to keep focused on this goal. I hope and pray He’s listening!
Please pray for me, in case my prayers fall short and I can’t afford my own ticket!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
My version of the "Audacity of Hope"
My brother Bob sent this e-mail to me today:
After being numb last night today I am feeling profound sadness for the direction the people of this country has chosen.
Especially , since according to exit polls the No.1 reason for their vote was the economy.
Sadness for all the Catholics and the Christians who say they are pro-life who voted for Obama.
Sadness and concern that some racist might attempt to take Obama out.
Sadness that all the messages from Heaven that have warned about events if this country does not vote pro life went unheeded.
Sadness that this year despite the fact that more Bishops spoke out about voting pro-life than I can remember they went unheeded.
Sadness wondering if one of the first things Obama will do is what Bill Clinton did and that was enact more pro abortion laws.
Sadness because I think we are more vulnerable now to terrorist act.
Sadness and concern for our children and grandchildren and if they have a future here on earth.
Sadness for all those who are blind and cannot see what this election means.
Thankful for all the powerful prayer warriors that have spent hours and hours in prayer at overnight Adorations, prayer groups, and praying hours and hours day and night for pro-life .
May God have mercy on the United States
I must confess that I had the same sadness. I made time to spend one hour both on Wednesday and Thursday in the presence of Our Lord in Eucharistic Adoration to try and sort out my feelings of sadness and despair. On Wednesday, as I was spending quiet reflection with Jesus, a group of children (about 11 or 12 years old, I'm guessing) from the CCD classes came in with their teacher. She had to instruct them in the proper etiquette when in the presence of Christ, but once they settled down and began to pray quietly by themselves, it struck me that this might be Jesus' way of telling me that all is not lost. These children are possibly our future leaders, and if they are taught at this early age that Our Savior has not abandoned us, but rather with us always if we just look for him, perhaps there is still hope for the world.
Then today, while meditating on the impending state of affairs as I see them coming down, I was comparing the election of Barack Obama to some of the worst disasters the world has seen in recent years like the tsunami, the hurricanes, and the earthquakes. I questioned God (may He forgive me!) asking, "Why would You allow this to happen?" He answered me in a quiet voice "For the same reason I allowed those other catastrophes to happen--it is all to bring about a greater good than you can even imagine!" I can't tell you how comforting that thought is!
But, being the pessimist that I am (or is it realist?), I just have one more thing to say those members of my family and my friends who were fooled by the glitz and glamour and messianic message of Obama; There's an old saying that goes "When something sounds too good to be true, it probably is." Time will bear out God's plan and I trust in His providence that all will be well. Let's try to remember that while we are in this world, we are not of this world--we are God's children and there is a better place waiting for us. Patience, prayer, penance and fasting will get us through. We need to give a reason for the hope we have to the people we meet day by day. That means we have to know our faith, and also be ready to explain it and, if necessary, defend it.
We need to seek creative ways to shine the light of the Gospel into every corner of our society. We can do this most effectively by the witness of a life well lived in our families and in the wider community, and amid the activities of the secular world of work and entertainment. Vatican II spoke of the universal call to holiness, and whatever our role in society or the Church we can make our baptismal commitment real by living day by day with Christian integrity as we go about our tasks in the world. All that we do, we do well, because we do all for the Lord. And wouldn't it be a "feather in our cap" to be the catalyst for the conversion of the Obamas, the Pelosis and the Bidens of the world?
After being numb last night today I am feeling profound sadness for the direction the people of this country has chosen.
Especially , since according to exit polls the No.1 reason for their vote was the economy.
Sadness for all the Catholics and the Christians who say they are pro-life who voted for Obama.
Sadness and concern that some racist might attempt to take Obama out.
Sadness that all the messages from Heaven that have warned about events if this country does not vote pro life went unheeded.
Sadness that this year despite the fact that more Bishops spoke out about voting pro-life than I can remember they went unheeded.
Sadness wondering if one of the first things Obama will do is what Bill Clinton did and that was enact more pro abortion laws.
Sadness because I think we are more vulnerable now to terrorist act.
Sadness and concern for our children and grandchildren and if they have a future here on earth.
Sadness for all those who are blind and cannot see what this election means.
Thankful for all the powerful prayer warriors that have spent hours and hours in prayer at overnight Adorations, prayer groups, and praying hours and hours day and night for pro-life .
May God have mercy on the United States
I must confess that I had the same sadness. I made time to spend one hour both on Wednesday and Thursday in the presence of Our Lord in Eucharistic Adoration to try and sort out my feelings of sadness and despair. On Wednesday, as I was spending quiet reflection with Jesus, a group of children (about 11 or 12 years old, I'm guessing) from the CCD classes came in with their teacher. She had to instruct them in the proper etiquette when in the presence of Christ, but once they settled down and began to pray quietly by themselves, it struck me that this might be Jesus' way of telling me that all is not lost. These children are possibly our future leaders, and if they are taught at this early age that Our Savior has not abandoned us, but rather with us always if we just look for him, perhaps there is still hope for the world.
Then today, while meditating on the impending state of affairs as I see them coming down, I was comparing the election of Barack Obama to some of the worst disasters the world has seen in recent years like the tsunami, the hurricanes, and the earthquakes. I questioned God (may He forgive me!) asking, "Why would You allow this to happen?" He answered me in a quiet voice "For the same reason I allowed those other catastrophes to happen--it is all to bring about a greater good than you can even imagine!" I can't tell you how comforting that thought is!
But, being the pessimist that I am (or is it realist?), I just have one more thing to say those members of my family and my friends who were fooled by the glitz and glamour and messianic message of Obama; There's an old saying that goes "When something sounds too good to be true, it probably is." Time will bear out God's plan and I trust in His providence that all will be well. Let's try to remember that while we are in this world, we are not of this world--we are God's children and there is a better place waiting for us. Patience, prayer, penance and fasting will get us through. We need to give a reason for the hope we have to the people we meet day by day. That means we have to know our faith, and also be ready to explain it and, if necessary, defend it.
We need to seek creative ways to shine the light of the Gospel into every corner of our society. We can do this most effectively by the witness of a life well lived in our families and in the wider community, and amid the activities of the secular world of work and entertainment. Vatican II spoke of the universal call to holiness, and whatever our role in society or the Church we can make our baptismal commitment real by living day by day with Christian integrity as we go about our tasks in the world. All that we do, we do well, because we do all for the Lord. And wouldn't it be a "feather in our cap" to be the catalyst for the conversion of the Obamas, the Pelosis and the Bidens of the world?
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