Hope in a sea of hopelessness

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

The Sorrowful Mysteries

Isaiah 11:1-10

Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17

Luke 10:21-24

Have you been in a conversation lately about health care reform? …ending the wars in Afghanistan or Iraq? …the state of the economy? … world hunger? Or any major social issue? Was there someone that was the voice of hope? Someone that painted a picture of how the future could be? Someone who spoke in a way that made you feel it might be possible? If so, there was probably also a naysayer who spoke up – “That will never happen”; “Not possible.” The cloud of cynicism rises up and smothers hopefulness.

I get so frustrated in those conversations…I want to say to the cynic, “Quiet! Let’s hear the hopeful vision… I want to see and hear and feel and taste what that might be like … just for a minute…just for 30 seconds! To not have men and women going off to war every day and hearing a “salute to the troops” every morning. (Not because they don’t deserve every minute of this, but because the wars would be over in this scenario.) To know that we have made it possible for everyone to have access to basic health care. Or to know that no one has to go to bed hungry tonight, not having eaten for days. I just want to imagine, for a few moments, what that world might look like and sound like and feel like!”

The first reading is just that… the lone, hopeful, visionary voice of the prophet Isaiah. We read it knowing that Isaiah was anticipating the savior, “forth-telling” the future, trying to instill hope, painting a vision of an ideal world that awaited the Israelites. I’m sure he had his critics… “he’s nuts…. A wolf the guest of the lamb?? Wild animals led by a child?? Never happen.”

The naysayers, then and now, miss the point! Unless we first see the vision, hear the hope, and taste our desires for peace and our longing for love, strategies and “realistic plans” are just pushing pieces around on the game board. Every person that can see and articulate a hopeful vision is a gift to us… they help us see a better world… our hope is stirred…our desires are again deeply felt. They shake us out of our complacency and remind us that the One we call “God” is beyond anything we can imagine, and, even now is “ising” everywhere! We need these folks to set fire to our desires, to rattle our hearts and habits, so we can see clearly. And then we may know the next right thing to do. It might be to call our senators, protest or pray, but it also might be to just do what’s in front of us… like take out the trash and walk the dog.

How did ladybugs get their name?

When I got home from work this evening, Alicia asked me if I knew the "Legend of the Lady Bug". I had to admit I didn't. I was surprised to hear of the connection between ladybugs and Our Blessed Mother!


Legends vary about how the Ladybug came to be named, but the most common (and enduring) is this: In Europe, during the Middle Ages, swarms of insects were destroying the crops. The farmers prayed to the Virgin Mary for help. Soon thereafter the Ladybugs came, devouring the plant-destroying pests and saving the crops! The farmers called these beautiful insects "The Beetles of Our Lady", and - over time - they eventually became popularly known as "Lady Beetles". The red wings were said to represent the Virgin's cloak and the black spots were symbolic of both her joys and her sorrows.

Speaking of "Lilybugs", here's a couple of pictures of OUR Lily "helping" to put up the Christmas tree this year!

Taking Requests!

As you probably noticed, I've been working a lot on this blog since I've been confined to rest for the last week at doctor's orders!

I've been trying to include a mix of personal, spiritual, and generally fun stuff instead of just "sermonizing" every day. It's tough to keep my mind on just the serious stuff all the time, you know?

I am really happy with the additions. I've added some cool rosary stuff, some fun facts, a new counter that will show me not only who is reading my blog but where they are from, and new pictures that should at least get my readers thinking about what Catholicism means to them.

I've got a very, very nifty Advent wreath that will have the appropriate number of candles lit each week until Christmas, along with a link to a site with prayers that can be said each day of Advent. I will change the link each week to reflect the appropriate week.

Take a couple of minutes to "browse and click" your way through all the nifty stuff.

There are also more links to other blogs that will make you think and maybe grow in faith.

There is one change that I want to make that I haven't found a "toolbar" for--and that's the purpose of this post. I want to be able to post prayer requests for anyone and everyone who has a special intention. So how I will handle it is this: Leave me a comment with your intention, and I will include it with mine when I say my rosaries every day. I will also post them on the side bar when I get them to remind other readers of my blog to include them in their prayers. Eventually, I hope to figure out how to get a link that is interactive and will post to my blog automatically.

Please leave me a comment about the new look of my blog! I think you'll find it comparable to most of the blogs out there now, and I will keep trying to improve it.



Love to all of you through Jesus Christ! Amen.

Let's get in the spirit early!

Fishers of men

Monday, November 30, 2009

The Joyful Mysteries
Romans 10:9-18
Psalm 19:8, 9, 10, 11
Matthew 4:18-22

“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

These are very encouraging words from St. Paul. They say that if we confess with our mouths and believe in our hearts, the core truths about Jesus, we will be saved. The core truths are that Jesus is Lord and that God raised Him from the dead. These are not difficult to understand for those who call themselves Christian. Why then, does it seem that evidence of Christian behavior and its influence on the mores of our culture is so insipid? For it is only for someone that you love, that you will share stories about him and want others to meet him and get to know him. This is all that our Lord is asking of us—faithfulness through love, and for that love to be shared throughout the world.

But how are we to confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord? Perhaps it is because the twofold requirements laid out for us are missing. It’s not either/or, as our Protestant brothers sometimes forget—it is both/and. We can't just believe with our hearts or speak with our lips, those things that are Christ-centered; we must do both!

The disciples didn’t know this either but they had faith in our Lord and followed Him without questioning Christ’s words. “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men. At once they left their nets and followed him.” (Matthew 4:19-20) As they followed Christ they learned how to love others and sacrifice their lives so that when it came time for them to go and proclaim that Jesus is Lord to the four corners of the world, they were able to do so without questioning and with confidence that Jesus would be with them always. They proclaimed Jesus’ good news by word and action. In some cases they even gave the ultimate sacrifice, their lives.

We too are called to do as the disciples, to give our lives for Christ—at home, in the work place, at school, in the streets. On this Feast of St. Andrew the Apostle, let us remember and imitate him. So that all, whom we meet, may see, hear and believe that Jesus is our Lord and Savior! Upon learning of Jesus, Andrew became convinced (in his heart) that Jesus was the Messiah. Unable to contain such a great truth, he sought out his brother Peter and confessed (with his mouth), saying: "Come see, we have found the Lord." (John 1:41).

They're back! And they've got leftovers!

So there I was, thinking I would have one more day to recuperate from this bronchial infection (again), when the door opens and here comes Lily and the rest of the family. I didn't really need another day, and I get to spend this evening with the family AND this year they have LEFTOVERS! And for us, that mean turkey tetrazzini! YUMMMMMM!

Here's the "before" and "after" picture of our Thankgiving Dinner.

We had quite a crowd. Almost like to the old days!

After dinner, the "girls" took a walk! I never realized how outnumbered Lorenzo and I are, until I saw this picture!

Of course, what Thanksgiving Day would be complete without a nap? Here's Sarah and Lily complying with the unwritten rule.Lily, meet Santa Claus. Santa Claus, meet Lily.

Bohemian Rhapsody

Here's some holiday fun...

Praise the Lord for His creation

I just found this picture of Lily while looking through the batch that Alicia took on the hike the "girls" took a couple of weeks ago. What strikes me is the wonder and joy that shows in Lily's eyes as she takes in God's creation.

Psalm 148

Hallelujah! Praise the LORD from the heavens; give praise in the heights.

Praise him, all you angels; give praise, all you hosts.

Praise him, sun and moon; give praise, all shining stars.

Praise him, highest heavens, you waters above the heavens.

Let them all praise the LORD'S name; for the LORD commanded and they were created,

Assigned them duties forever, gave them tasks that will never change.

Praise the LORD from the earth, you sea monsters and all deep waters;

You lightning and hail, snow and clouds, storm winds that fulfill his command;

You mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars;

You animals wild and tame, you creatures that crawl and fly;

You kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all who govern on earth;

Young men and women too, old and young alike.

Let them all praise the LORD'S name, for his name alone is exalted, majestic above earth and heaven.

The LORD has lifted high the horn of his people; to the glory of all the faithful, of Israel, the people near to their God. Hallelujah!

Ready or not, here He comes!

Sunday, November 29, 2009
The Glorious Mysteries
Jeremiah 33:14-16
Psalm 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14
1 Thessalonians 3:12-4:2
Luke 21:25-28, 34-36

Hide and Go-Seek. It’s a game that was probably played by children even before Christ, and everyone knows how to play it. I was reminded of the game when I read the gospel for the First Sunday of Advent. You know the game—one kid starts counting to 100 (usually by “twos” lol) while the other kids find a place to hide. When the counting is over, the first kid yells “Ready or not, here I come!” Sounds kind of like, “Be vigilant at all times!” doesn’t it?

And who doesn’t know what a “do over” is? If I was playing a game, and the result wasn’t what I wanted, I would shout “Do over!” Of course, the winner never agreed, but everybody else was game.

How about when we used to be called into the living room for the rosary every night? I remember several occasions when, if Mom didn’t think we were saying it with enough reverence, or she thought we were just speeding through the prayers, she would say, “OK, we’ll just start over!” You can bet the second time around, was the last time around that night. And another good lesson in life.

Advent is a time for all of us to "start over." We may have missed many opportunities to grow closer to the Lord during the Church Year, which has just ended. As we went through the various events in the life of Christ, we had the chance to grow in appreciation for Jesus leaving the glory of heaven to come in poverty and cold to a stable in Bethlehem.

As the year progressed, did we appreciate enough how much He suffered, enduring the discomforts of life as an itinerant preacher, often ridiculed and misunderstood? How well did we ourselves get the message that, if we were to follow Him, we would be called to imitate His life of prayer, His life of love and service? Maybe we "nodded off" along the way, and missed opportunities to grow closer to the Lord. This First Sunday of Advent is a "wake-up call" to start all over.

All the prophecies of the Old Testament point in some way or another to Jesus in the New Testament. The first reading from Jeremiah tells us that, a long time ago, God had promised Israel that a "just shoot" would come from the line of King David to bring security and justice to the people. We today are the heirs of that promise.

In the second reading, St. Paul reminds the Thessalonians that our lives are all about waiting. And how do we wait? By being careful to love one another, to live lives "blameless in holiness" at the final coming of the Lord.

In the Gospel, it's the Lord Himself who warns us against careless carousing and drowsy hearts. He tells us not to let the distractions and anxieties of daily living catch us off guard. The punch line is "Be vigilant at all times!"

Aren't you glad that we have a chance to "start over" this Advent?

Abortion - Pro Life - Prayer Campaign

Priests for Life has a new campaign that starts tomorrow. Click on the link below and get the details and a commitment form. May God bless all who work and pray on behalf of the unborn.


Abortion - Pro Life - Prayer Campaign

Posted using ShareThis

Here's a heart-warmer!

When Carolyn Isbister put her 20oz baby on her chest for a cuddle, she thought that it would be the only chance she would ever have to hold her.

Doctors had told the parents that baby Rachel only had only minutes to live because her heart was beating once every ten seconds and she was not breathing.

Isbister remembers:

"I didn’t want her to die being cold. So I lifted her out of her blanket and put her against my skin to warm her up. Her feet were so cold. It was the only cuddle I was going to have with her, so I wanted to remember the moment.”

Then something remarkable happened. The warmth of her mother’s skin kick started Rachael’s heart into beating properly, which allowed her to take little breaths of her own.

We couldn’t believe it – and neither could the doctors. She let out a tiny cry.

The doctors came in and said there was still no hope – but I wasn’t letting go of her. We had her blessed by the hospital chaplain, and waited for her to slip away. But she still hung on.

And then amazingly the pink color began to return to her cheeks. She literally was turning from gray to pink before our eyes, and she began to warm up too.

"The sad part is that when the baby was born, doctors took one look at her and said ‘no’.They didn’t even try to help her with her breathing as they said it would just prolong her dying. Everyone just gave up on her,” her mom remembered.

At 24 weeks a womb infection had led to her premature labor and birth and Isbister (who also has two children Samuel, 10, and Kirsten, 8 ) said, “We were terrified we were going to lose her. I had suffered three miscarriages before, so we didn’t think there was much hope.” When Rachael was born she was grey and lifeless.

Ian Laing, a consultant neonatologist at the hospital, said: “All the signs were that the little one was not going to make it and we took the decision to let mum have a cuddle as it was all we could do.

Two hours later the wee thing was crying. This is indeed a miracle baby and I have seen nothing like it in my 27 years of practice. I have not the slightest doubt that mother’s love saved her daughter.”

Rachael was moved onto a ventilator where she continued to make steady progress and was tube and syringe fed her mother’s pumped breastmilk.

Isbister said, “The doctors said that she had proved she was a fighter and that she now deserved some intensive care as there was some hope. She had done it all on her own – without any medical intervention or drugs. She had clung on to life – and it was all because of that cuddle. It had warmed up her body and regulated her heart and breathing enough for her to start fighting.

At 5 weeks she was taken off the ventilator and began breastfeeding on her own. At four months Rachel went home with her parents, weighing 8lbs – the same as any other healthy newborn. Because Rachel had suffered from a lack of oxygen doctors said there was a high risk of damage to her brain. But a scan showed no evidence of any problems and today Rachel is on par with her peers.

Rachel’s mom tells us, “She is doing so well. When we brought her home, the doctors told us that she was a remarkable little girl. And most of all, she just loves her cuddles. She will sleep for hours, just curled into my chest. It was that first cuddle which saved her life – and I’m just so glad I trusted my instinct and picked her up when I did. Otherwise she wouldn’t be here today.”

A call to action

God created us in His own image and likeness, to be happy with Him for ever and ever. But He also gave us the greatest gift of all: a free will. God gave us this gift so that we could freely choose to honor, worship and love Him from now until death. The choice is ours--right now--and at every moment while we live. Tomorrow's Gospel is an awesome call to personal action--take a look!
Luke 21:34-36

This is for Mom! I think this is a good show. I sometimes watch it when I'm in Fresno. Funny, nostalgic, sometimes poingnant, but mostly fun. Enjoy

What am I experiencing in my life, as Advent begins?

Many of us are in an ideal place to begin Advent, but we don’t know it. It can be tempting to think that, because we are struggling these days, we can’t enter into Advent without a big change in our mood or without distancing ourselves from our real experience. Nothing could be further from the truth. Advent is about letting God come to us. We do the letting and God does the coming. And, the whole mystery of our faith is that God is not reluctant to come into an unusual relationship (like Mary and Joseph’s) or to be born in the poverty of a makeshift stable. We are tempted to prepare for Advent by cleaning everything up first – by, in effect, saving ourselves first. Our opening to Advent is to realize we need saving and to accept the saving love of our God.

So, what are we experiencing? That is the first Advent question. If we chew that question, then the Isaiah reading will sound so good to our ears. Are we the people “who walk in darkness” or have “thick clouds” over us? Is the way before us full of valleys and hills? Does it seem like we are in a desert? Are there wild beasts out there who are ready to devour us? Have we been guilty of some things we aren’t proud of? Have we lost touch with who we really want to be? Has our fidelity become a bit shabby? Then, Isaiah proclaims that our God is ready to come and save us. And, none of the things that I see as barriers even matter to God.

Is Advent a passive season? No, we have work to do, but it is different from what we first think it is. It starts with understanding what our preparation is. If we haven’t prepared our hearts to be open to asking for salvation, we’ll never shout, beg, plead, “Come, Lord, Jesus!” Our work is to become who we are. Advent is a humble season, a season of self-awareness. To say it another way, before we decorate our homes for Christmas, we have to clear away some of the false masks we might wear. These made up identities help us be more “presentable” to others, and at times they even fool us. When I look in the mirror, which “me” do I see? There is nothing wrong with putting our best foot forward in public, and it is quite understandable when we want others to see our best selves. But, before our own consciences and before God, we want to be transparent and real. We want to have no illusion. If there is struggle in my life – and there has to be some struggle in all our lives – then we want to acknowledge that before our God and to let that struggle be the door into Advent’s graces.

How can we have hope and expect God will come to us? The readings of Advent open up a whole series of promises, full of powerful images, that keep reminding us that our God will come to save us. They free our imaginations to see and experience that coming with drama and joy – a banquet with “choice wines and rich, juicy food.” They invite us to imagine when “a time will come for singing.” They give us the opportunity to hope beyond our wildest hopes in the past – “the lion will lie down with the lamb” and “they will prepare for war no more.” They open our hearts to imagine the love of our God embracing us in the coming of one like us, who knows our life and its struggles and offers us the hope of the Spirits presence with us every day, in every moment.

What are the key first steps to enter into Advent? We can all slow down. We can all breathe more deeply. We can all begin to trust that this will be a blessed time. Then, when we let ourselves be who we are, and hear the Scriptures, we can begin to quietly pray, “Come, Lord, Jesus.” We might expand that prayer, in quiet moments of our days ahead, “Come into my life. I trust you don’t mind if it is still messy. I believe you love me, because I need your love. I don’t fear you can’t find the way to my heart. Come and fill me with peace and the love only you can give.” Some of us will want to open our hands on our laps or hold up our arms in the privacy of our rooms and say out loud, “Come, Lord, Jesus, come into this house, into my family, into our struggles. Come and heal us, and give us join again. Come and unite us and let us experience, each in our own way, a bit of the joy you are offering me now.”

And, before a single decoration goes up, we have prepared for Christmas’ message with the foundation of faith, with the mystery of Advent’s gift. God wants to be with us. Advent is letting God’s will be done in our hearts and in our everyday lives.

All that is necessary is that we open our hearts and minds

Friday, November 27, 2009
The Sorrowful Mysteries
Daniel 7:2-14
Daniel 3:75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81
Luke 21:29-33

The individual prayers of the Mass are beautiful.

One in particular that is both challenging and reassuring is "May He make us an everlasting gift to You."

Most cultures use words as a primary tool for information. We follow up words with action, but it is the word that is significant. If then we are to be formed as an everlasting gift for God, what better method than turning to scripture as a primary guide.

In the gospel Christ points out, "the heavens and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." (see Luke 21:33)

Advent is almost upon us, when we will celebrate the coming of the Word as flesh and blood. Let us enter the season with the realization that the Word can inform our "flesh and blood" if we but open our hearts and minds.

A blind turkey farmer

I couldn't pass this one up, either!

Want to try something new for this Thanksgiving?

Here is a turkey recipe that also includes the use of popcorn as a stuffing — imagine that. When I found this recipe, I thought it was perfect for people like me, who just are not sure how to tell when poultry is thoroughly cooked, but not dried out. Give this a try.

8 – 15 lb. turkey
1 cup melted butter
1 cup stuffing (Pepperidge Farm is Good.)
1 cup uncooked popcorn (ORVILLE REDENBACHER’S LOW FAT)
Salt/pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush turkey well with melted butter, salt and pepper. Fill cavity with stuffing and popcorn. Place in baking pan with the neck end toward the back of the oven.

Listen for the popping sounds. When the turkey’s ass blows the oven door open and the bird flies across the room, it’s done.

Giving thanks for the seen and unseen

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

I've been battling this cold for over a week now and today, I finally decided to have the doctor prescribe something. Thank You, God, for providing me with a doctor. Thank You for giving Your children intellects to devise medications that help people get over all sorts of ailments. I trust in You that I will get better faster now.

I got home from Bakersfield this afternoon and had to be picked up by Alicia and Lily. Thank You, God, for blessing me with a beautiful daughter who has become quite the homemaker and mother herself. You outdid Yourself with Lily! No matter how poorly I feel, she can bring a smile to my face and my heart. And as a "bonus", You blessed us with Lorenzo as well! He tries so hard to support his family and has a heart of gold.

Marilyn picked up my prescriptions and just brought them in. Thank You, God, for putting Marilyn in my life. Only You know how much she means to me. I don't have a sufficient vocabulary to express how much.

Sarah just called. She is coming down tonight so she can drive up to the cabin with Marilyn, Alicia et al tomorrow for our Thanksgiving Day meal. Thank You, God. Sarah is a blessing to so many of Your children who have nowhere else to turn.

I will be picking Mom up in the morning and driving her to the cabin. But first, we'll take Rose to Mass at 9:00 and get our bread blessed while we're there. Thank You, God, for rewarding Your good and faithful servant with a long life filled with Your Grace. And for blessing me with a mother who has been able to keep my eyes on You through good times and bad. Let's not forget Rose, who You sent to Mom to help her when I couldn't be there. Thank You, God!

I have so many things to be thankful for--as our Profession of Faith exclaims, "..all that is seen and unseen." It's easy to be thankful for the blessings we see and hear, and touch. But do we really take the time to thank God for those things that occur that bless our lives in unknown ways that we won't even know about until we are face to face with our Creator? Spiritual warfare is going on all around us with forces we cannot see, hear or touch. How many times have we been saved from the devil through the Providence of God? Thank You, God.

Put your time on Earth to good use

Hardly a day goes by when each of us are asked in at least one, if not many ways, to 'speak' about our beliefs. We speak of our beliefs not just by our words, but also by our actions, our decisions, our choices of clothing, what we read, our choice of friends and how we live. In these ways we are reflecting who we really are. For the Christian, our role model is Christ. We base our speech and action on the example of Christ. The only way to know what Christ would want us to do is to study Christ, through prayer at which time we talk and listen to Christ, and to read and study scripture. It is also a help to read and study the lives of the saints to see how they modeled Christ.

To sit and wait for Christ to make a miracle for us when we are put to the test is a bit presumptuous. Being a Christian involves time and effort on our part. But when we are put to the test we will know how to respond, because when you really know someone you know how they would respond. This is where the perseverance comes in. We need to set aside time in every day to get to know Christ. What better way is there to use the time we have!

Giving Thanks, Part 1

Tuesday, November 24, 2009
The Sorrowful Mysteries
Memorial of Saint Andrew Dung-Lac and his companions, martyrs
Daniel 2:31-45
Daniel 3:57, 58, 59, 60, 61
Luke 21:5-11

Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord, praise and exalt him above all forever.(Daniel 3:57)

Not everyone in the US will be sitting down to a homespun Thanksgiving feast this week, but we all have reasons to be thankful. In these exhausting economic times, if you're finding yourself stretched for one, try to look at the most astonishing of our blessings, which we share with each other purely because we enjoy the same awe-inspiring Creator:

"May you be praised, O Lord, in all your creatures, especially brother sun, by whom you give us light for the day; he is beautiful, radiating great splendor, and offering us a symbol of you, the Most High. . . . May you be praised, my Lord, for sister water, who is very useful and humble, precious and chaste. . . . May you be praised, my Lord, for sister earth, our mother, who bears and feeds us, and produces the variety of fruits and dappled flowers and grasses. . . . Praise and bless my Lord, give thanks and serve Him in all humility." – St. Francis of Assisi, Canticle of the Creatures, Catechism, Para. 344

Each of us is directed to give our Lord praise and thanksgiving, today and every day that His Love commits us here.

Mass: We Pray - The Video Game

Let's hope it doesn't get to this! Pretty funny spoof, but scary at the same time!

Mass: We Pray - The Video Game: "A family shouldn't have to wait until Sunday to worship the Lord. Now you can go to church every day without leaving your home. Participate in more than 24 unique and exhilarating Ceremonies. Be sure to try them all. The more you play, the more Grace points you collect. Then trade in your Grace points to unlock the Holy Mysteries. Only from Prayer Works Interactive. Help bring your family closer. To Heaven. Learn more at MassWePray.com"

Special love and concern for the poor

Monday, November 23, 2009
The Joyful Mysteries
Blessed Miguel Agustín Pro
Daniel 1:1-6, 8-20
Daniel 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56
Luke 21:1-4

Jesus has commanded all Christians – everyone who professes to worship in His name – to have a special love and concern for the poor.

How do we know this? Just look at the Gospel reading: “. . . this poor widow put in more than all the rest.” Clearly, Jesus lauds the efforts of the poor to embrace their poverty and still extend a hand to help others, as this poor widow did.

The Gospel is brimming with accounts of Jesus holding up the poor in spirit AND materially poor as a model for what He calls us to be. We are called to be like the widow.

If you are like me, you probably worry that embracing your own poverty – accepting it – basking in it, even, will make you less able to be responsive to the needs of others (financially and physically).

The young men in the first reading (maybe the first young people in history to choose vegetarianism as a lifestyle) chose to live simply and courageously as inspired by the Law, and were certainly none the worse for it. God took care of them.

Oh, NOW I get it . . . I think . . . I hope . . . I pray.

A change in my perception of the Bishop

When I took Mom to Mass this morning, I thought it was unusual to see the Sisters from the Cathedral in attendance and then even more surprising to see Bishop Blaire coming down the aisle as the Celebrant!

The occasion was a blessing of a memorial garden that was built at the school in honor of Monsignor Thomas Hayes, the former pastor of St. Anne's who passed away last August.

Based on experiences with Bishop Blaire at some daily Masses I've attended, I thought we were in for a pretty boring homily. What a surprise! He does show excitement and emotion and can actually be pretty long winded! But it took a lot of self-control on my part not to shout "Hallelujah!" when he was finished.
We had a good laugh about it when Mom and I spoke with him after the blessing and dedication of the garden. I told him I had listened to many of his homilies at daily Masses and never heard him speak with such "fire, brimstone and emotion" as I did today. He laughed and said, "That wasn't fire and brimstone!" I told him that based on my experiences, it was. I had never heard the Bishop belly laugh before. I guess there's a first time for everything. Who knew?
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We finally had a meeting tonight with all of the Eucharistic Ministers who provide pastoral care to the hospitals. The purpose of the meeting was to introduce ourselves to one another and to come up with a workable schedule and to talk through some of the issues we may face when bringing our Lord to the sick at the hospital. And we found out the new procedures for getting the Hosts, as well as information about a special "commissioning" Mass where we get a blessing and a "commission" from the parish to go out into the community and provide this pastoral service. The Mass will be one of the Sundays in January. I'm glad we were able to have this meeting. I hate "flying blind." We also got some nifty cards to carry with us (see below) and a crucifix to wear that identifies us as a Eucharistic Minister.

RI bishop asked Kennedy in 2007 to avoid Communion

RI bishop asked Kennedy in 2007 to avoid Communion
We elect politicians to represent us. I get that. But at what point do they decide to put their very souls in jeopardy for the sake of an office? What gets me about this article is that everyone (except the Bishops named) seem to think this a punitive action, instead of a preventive action to save their souls. The Bishops are only trying to remind, or teach this for the first time to, these politicians that they must not recieve our Lord unworthily, as St. Paul admonishes in 1Cor 11:27-32;

Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord.
A person should examine himself, and so eat the bread and drink the cup.

For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself.

That is why many among you are ill and infirm, and a considerable number are dying.

If we discerned ourselves, we would not be under judgment; but since we are judged by (the) Lord, we are being disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.

I think that if I were faced with the prospect of being a successful politician, or "servant of the people" against being a worthy SERVANT of the Lord, I would choose the Lord. Maybe that explains why I would never be elected in the first place.

So, then, you are a king?

Sunday, November 22, 2009

The Glorious Mysteries

The Solemnity of Christ the King

Daniel 7:13-14

Psalm 93:1, 1-2, 5

Revelations 1:5-8

John 18:33b-37

The Holy Spirit must have been sending me a message earlier today when I made my previous entry. I had not yet read the gospel for tomorrow, but it ties into exactly what I was saying!

The devil would like to attract us away from any attention we can give to Jesus. He would even like us to completely forget why we exist. Remember the Baltimore Catechism's definition: 'We were made...to know, to love, to serve God in this world and to be happy with Him forever in heaven?' Is that the way of the world? Noooo Way!

Jesus was questioned by Pilate: 'So, then, you are a king?'

Jesus answered: It is you who say I am a king. The reason I was born, the reason why I came into the world, is to testify to the truth. Anyone committed to the truth hears my voice.

The Book of Revelation tells us on Sunday that the Lord will come amid the clouds and that 'every eye shall see him.'

O Lord, I pray that you will come to us soon and manifest your goodness, mercy, justice and power to this ungrateful world. Father, may your Holy Spirit come upon us in these last days to enlighten us and show us the error of our ways. May we repent of our sins, amend our ways and give glory to You in prayer and in deed all the days of our lives.

The devil's favorite color

Being off work, sick and bored, I've got the chance to "blog blog blog until my daddy takes my keyboard away!" Apologies to the Beach Boys!

Anyway, here's one topic that drives me crazy. As Father Corapi says, "The truth is black and white. The devil's favorite color is gray".

“Christian Smith, director of the Center for the Study of Religion and Society at the University of Notre Dame and a principal investigator on the youth and religion study, said that young adults are taught their entire lives to be nonjudgmental, that different points of views are OK and that there is no one truth, he said.” Atheist Student Groups Flower on College Campuses , Associated Press writer Eric Gorski (November 21, 2009)

What are we teaching our children? There is no one truth? Isn’t 2 plus 2 four? Doesn’t the light always come with the sunrise? Aren’t there really only 24 hours in a day? Truth is, by definition, well---truth!

What the author probably meant to say was that when it comes to feelings and emotions and the other non-scientific areas of our lives, that many things are open to different interpretations, but that still does not make every interpretation the right one. There is only ONE truth to everything. Different points of view are OK, but in the final analysis, the conclusions MUST be the same for TRUTH to hold forth. We can have opinions, no argument there—but you know the old saying, “Opinions are like _ _ _ _ oles—Everybody’s got one!

When it comes to matters of faith and morals, however, there is only one Truth—and He spent 3 years at the end of His time on Earth teaching it to us, and then enabling His Church (through the Apostles first, then the Magisterium) to help us discern the Truth in changing times throughout the ages until He comes again.

Sorry for the rant, but when a guy like Christian (an irony?) Smith spews stupid stuff like this he is working for the devil and doesn’t even know it! Please pray for him.

A good priest isn't hard to find!

I was searching You Tube for U-Haul videos (we're getting into that for instructional videos and so on), and I came across this video made by a Roman Catholic priest out of Elk Grove, CA. This one is pretty funny, and poignant. I have seen quite a few of his videos now that I found this one. He has prepared a 4 part series on Advent that I think will probably be interesting. I'll let you know, unless you want to watch them yourselves.

Proclamation on Holy Love Ministries Will Test Hearts and Obedience

Go figure. Mom finally decides to post on her blog again, and I feel like taking the night off due to my cold. I'll be back tomorrow night (I hope). In the meantime, I read this on Catholic Exchange and found it pretty interesting.

Proclamation on Holy Love Ministries Will Test Hearts and Obedience

Posted using ShareThis

"Because all the people were hanging on his words"

Yesterday, I was in a co-worker’s van for a few minutes while we drove to pick up an impounded truck out of a tow company yard. The minute I got in his van, I “felt” like a cold was coming on—even though a few minutes earlier I was feeling great! His van smelled of cough drops and eucalyptus and menthol, and my chest started burning as though I had inhaled some Vick’s Vapo-rub or had a straight shot of rum. I jokingly told him, “If I get a cold tomorrow, your _ _ _ is mine! I’ll find you some kind of unpleasant task to do!” Guess what? I have a full-blown cold today! My throat is sore, I’m coughing, and I have a sinus headache that won’t quit! Phil says that the cold is a “fast runner”, meaning that it comes and goes in just a few days. I hope so, because I remember the last “minor cold” I had resulted in my having to take a vacation to recover from! I also remember that I felt so sick I didn’t have faith strong enough to say the rosary every day or even think about the benefits my suffering could have been if I had offered it up to Christ in reparation for sin. I don’t plan on making that mistake twice.


Friday, November 20, 2009
The Sorrowful Mysteries
1 Maccabees 4:36-37, 52-59
1 Chronicles 29:10bcd, 11abc, 11d-12a, 12bcd
Luke 19:45-48

While they (the scribes and Pharisees) sought to kill Jesus, they could find no means because the people all around were rapt. They were caught up in his words and his teaching.

So why, ultimately were they able to get Him? It was probably because most people tired of a new thing. For a while this Rabbi offered something new and different, but then, as the seed landed on shallow ground, interest dried up and blew away.

In the first fervor of our faith, we often take up many devotions and practices. We travel the road of them thoroughly, keeping them faithfully. Over time our ardor may die. The words that once held us close no longer have any interest because of all the other things we crowded into our lives.

Ask yourself truthfully, "Do I hang on His words? Is every word out of Jesus' mouth my sole thought for the day? Is God's revelation of love the ground of my being? Do I listen to scripture and think about scripture as regularly as I do the lyrics of a song I like?"

I suspect the answer for most of us would be: "No." We've heard those words ten-thousand times before, the wine has been pressed out of the grapes and all that is left are the lees--the smashed out skin of the grapes. Or so it seems. But such a thought is an illusion, a snare. The word of God—and the Word of God—is “ever-living”. Each time we consider it anew we are made whole. Each time we examine it we are transformed.

Take some time out today and spend it "hanging on Jesus' words." Take the time and trouble to do a "scriptural Rosary." That’s a poor choice of words. In today’s world of computers, Ipods and “tweeters”, it’s no trouble to find and pray a scriptural rosary on line. Listen to what is said in the scriptures that introduce and accompany each mystery. Read a short passage of scripture--perhaps the readings for next Sunday's Mass, or reread the readings for today.
Hang on His words and you will be listening to the sounds of eternity. You will be hearing the voice of God Himself. You will be stunned when you hear Him say, "You are the apple of my eye. You are my chosen, my beloved, and I have loved you since before you were."

UN Petitiion for the Unborn Child and the Family

Dear Friend,

You may or may not have signed the UN Petition for the Unborn Child and the Family. I am being a pest and sending this to you again because if you haven’t helped this campaign, I am asking you to do so now. If you have helped this campaign by signing the petition, I am asking you to send an appeal to all your friends and family to help this campaign. If you have already done that, please do it again!

The only way these types of internet campaigns work is by millions of people working together and sending repeated calls for help!

We intend to deliver one million names to the UN in support of the unborn child. I run C-FAM. We have been doing UN pro-life work full time for 12 years. You can check us out at http://www.c-fam.org to see that we are legitimate. We are in a unique position to run this campaign and to deliver one million names to our friends at the UN and to the UN Secretary General.

Read the petition ">HERE http://www.c-fam.org/campaigns/lid.2/default.aspin one of 18 languages and then sign it, if you have not already. And then, I implore you to send a notice about this campaign to all of your friends and family, to your whole address book! We have gathered 611,998 as of 1:32 pm November 15. We have gathered 126,404 new names in the last six weeks. We need to move faster than that!

Please go ">HERE. Read the petition, sign it if you have not already and send the petition with your note to all of your family and friends. Do it now. Do not wait!

Yours sincerely,
Austin Ruse
President, C-FAM

PS: When we reach one million names we will present all the names at a UN press conference and to the Secretary General.

If only I had known..How much "plainer" can it get?

Thursday, November 19. 2009
The Luminous Mysteries
1 Maccabees 2:15-29
Psalm 50:1b-2, 5-6, 14-15
Luke 19:41-44

I know a few good people who call themselves atheists. The most common question I get from them is, “How do you know there is a God? You can’t see him. There is no physical evidence He ever existed, just the writings of some old men who needed to 'control the masses?' How can you believe in someone just on faith?”

Without realizing it, our daily lives are governed by blind faith. Eating canned soup, riding a bus or using an elevator demand faith in unseen people, just as imperfect as we are --factory workers, mechanics, drivers. Yet many refuse to put their faith in our perfect God who is not totally invisible as some say. We can infer Him from what we perceive, a highly diverse, orderly nature shaped in beauty and a humanity gifted with intelligence and creativity supplied with all the raw materials needed for its survival and comfort.

These readings show the necessity of faith to human survival, both physical and spiritual. In Maccabees we meet a man who refused to compromise his faith, who practiced righteousness, kept the Law of the Covenant. His faithfulness and that of his followers cost them dearly; they escaped a tyrant to live in a wilderness rather than submit to a heathen ruler who killed people who followed God's Law. They assumed hardships and risked death, trusting that loving faith in God would ultimately give them the victory.

In contrast, Jesus weeps over Jerusalem's faithlessness leading to its imminent destruction by the Roman armies. Its religious leaders had not only misinterpreted God's Law, thus failing to adhere to its truths and its spirit of love, but they also remained blind to Christ's many signs and wonders as proof that God was indeed "visiting" them in the Person of Christ. Having failed to recognize and accept Him as God, they'll pay a great price. God's protection rests on those who in loving faith keep God's law. Sadly, sin is never a private matter; it inevitably injures the innocent along with the guilty. If only they had known.

Why can't we profit from the mistakes of others and avoid the inevitable sadness that comes from making bad choices? Must we always be doomed to keep making the same mistakes, to have history, so to speak, repeat itself?

"Certainly not!"

As we have the power to choose, so too, do we have the power to choose either wisely, as God would have us do, or otherwise, according to our own faulty ways. If we accept God's Word as law, and live in obedience to Christ, we will not have to suffer the remorse of having to say over and over, "If only I had known."

Become an MVP!

Wednesday, November 18, 2009
The Glorious Mysteries
2 Maccabees 7:1, 20-31
Psalm 17:1bcd, 5-6, 8b and 15
Luke 19:11-28

Everything we have, we have as a gift from a generous God. Everything that has come to us has come to us at little cost compared with the cost of our redemption. Nothing belongs to us because we cannot hold onto it forever. If many of us traced our ancestry back, we would find that we are the direct relatives of fabulously wealthy men and women. How many of us have anything to show for it?

Our talents are given us, lent to us for our time on Earth to be used for His glory. They are not ours because they will be translated when we are no longer here. But we are expected to use them and to produce more. We are expected to invest them and return a harvest of souls bound for salvation. One of the great tragedies of humankind would be not to use these wonderful gifts in the proper way.

Gifts that are used increase—they do so naturally, like exercising a muscle, as they increase, our capacity to use them increases. Soon we find ourselves in places we never expected—the Lord keeps giving us more and more, knowing that someday we'll stop relying on ourselves and start relying on Him.

So, as we go about our daily chores and our daily activities, we need to think about how we can use the gift of cooking, or cleaning, or writing, or listening, or whatever we may be blessed by and to consider carefully how we might best offer it back to God through loving our neighbor.

Each of us must become an MVP -- that is a person who Meditates on the Word of God and puts it into action, one who is Vigilant in matters of faith and finally one who Prays without ceasing.

"Today I must stay at your house"

Tuesday, November 17, 2009
The Sorrowful Mysteries
Memorial of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary
2 Maccabees 6:18-31
Psalm 3:2-3, 4-5, 6-7
Luke 19:1-10

During the month of November, the Church draws our attention to the souls in purgatory and we offer many prayers for the "poor souls." Indeed, we want to continue our prayers on their behalf, but in some ways they are better off than some of us might be. They know that they will be in heaven one day. None of us have that guarantee even though we try to live good lives and stay in the state of grace.

The First Reading makes one sit up and take note. Reference is made to a person having performed many good works and yet be in poor favor with God. In fact scripture references that, because of their being lukewarm in their relationship to God, He will spit them out of His mouth. This is pretty strong language and pretty poor pay for all those good works! This brings us back to intentions or attitudes. Who are the good works for? Are we doing them for our own glorification or to build up the kingdom of God? This reminds us to make a 'morning offering' - that is, to start every day with a prayer to offer up all our thoughts, words and actions of the day for the glorification of God. Then we need to continue working at our loving relationship with our Creator.

In the Gospel we hear Christ saying to Zacchaeus "Come down quickly for today I must stay at your house." One day, just as quickly and distinctly He will call our names that we come to His house. Will we be ready or will we be in the middle of one of those good works done for our own credentialing and resume'-building?

"What do you want me to do for you?"

Monday, November 16, 2009
The Joyful Mysteries
St. Margaret of Scotland
St. Gertrude, virgin
1 Maccabees 1:10-15, 41-43, 54-57, 62-63
Psalm 119:53, 61, 134, 155, 158
Luke 18:35-43

With these readings, Holy Mother Church provides us with selections from Holy Scripture that are connected and work together. Like the early Israelites and the beggar, we know we're in need and each of us searches for what will give us peace and happiness.

The question becomes, are we going to be like the people in the times of Maccabees who sought self-gratification for the answer, forgetting altogether the laws and commands of the one true God? Or, are we going to be like the blind beggar who knows enough to call out, "Jesus Son of David, have pity on me ...I want to see!"

When I read this gospel this evening I tried to place myself (and you, reader) into the account. Jesus, His companions, you and I have been walking for some time toward Jericho. It's hot and all of us would very much like to get inside the walls for some shade and a cool drink. Beside the road sits a blind beggar. We can't avoid noticing his poverty, barely clothed in rags with a noticeable odor and filth. Some in our group scold the poor wretch for calling to the Lord. "How dare this lowly, filthy creature call upon the Son of God!" some say.

"What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asks. And without hesitation He gives him his sight. The beggar leaps for joy, praising God. Someone in the back of the group strikes up a rousing song of praise in which we all join as we approach the gates to the city.

Only with our permission can God work in our lives to satisfy us and give us what we really desire. The choice is really quite simple: do we "go it on our own" and suffer the consequences? Or, do we fall at the feet of our loving and merciful God, who you remember, first asked the beggar. "What do you want me to do for you?" And then after receiving an answer from the beggar, He did it!
Jesus tells us that he did not come to be served but to serve. Service with no strings attached. We too are called to be servants, following Christ.

Commit His words to memory: "What do you want me to do for you?" Use them often and follow His example. It will speed your journey toward the gates of His kingdom to the cool water and shade inside.

I am one blessed individual

We celebrated my birthday today, instead of tomorrow, when my free time will be cut short with Mass, a meeting and elections for the pastoral committees after Mass, visiting Mom, and visiting the sick and distributing Holy Communion to them at the hospital.

I’m not complaining. I have written before how much I love going to Mass and doing what small part I can to help bring our Lord to those who are unable to get to mass. And visiting Mom is never a problem—I look forward to seeing her each week.

Sarah came home for the weekend so she could help us celebrate my birthday, and see the last home game at CAL. Although we ultimately won the game, the scoring wasn’t coming fast enough for me and that, coupled with the cold weather and my concern for Lily in the cold, made me decide we would leave the game at half-time. We made plans to have my birthday dinner in Berkeley after the game at an Italian restaurant that we’ve become quite fond of, Vicenza.

Since the game was still going on when we got there, they were able to squeeze us in without a reservation. We had our usual great food, and I got some gifts—a book from Alicia, Lorenzo and Lily titled “Have a Little Faith”, and a new CAL t-shirt (I can never have enough of these) and some CAL socks from Marilyn. Sarah said my gift from her is in the mail on its way to me. It is the burse that I “hinted” through an e-mail to my kids that I wanted to hold my pyx in when distributing the Eucharist.

I am one blessed individual. I don’t know why God is so good to me, but I pray He never stops.
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Sunday, November 15, 2009
The Glorious Mysteries
Daniel 12:1-3
Psalm 16:5, 8, 9-10, 11
Hebrews 10:11-14, 18
Mark 13:24-32

The month of November can be pretty somber when we reflect on the death of so many of our loved ones. Many are facing a change from warm, sunny days to cold dark dreariness. For the aged and infirm it can be a particularly troublesome time. Perhaps that's why scripture so full of hope has been chosen for this particular Sunday.

In the Book of Daniel we hear of the frightening times at the end of the world, but are given the reassurance that those who have tried to lead others to justice will reap their reward. The psalm holds the key on how we are to do this in the phrase that refers to God showing us the path to life. It also mentions that our reward is not some fancy gold-lined street as we so often hear heaven described, but rather that God Himself is our inheritance. We've already begun to reap that reward here on earth, in that as baptized Christians we're the adopted sons and daughters of God.

The second reading reassures us that Christ has made the sacrifice for our sins once and for all. That has been done. We no longer have to worry about that, although obviously we need to strive toward holiness and repent for our sins. The Gospel is like the final climax, depicting Christ coming at the end of the world and the angels being sent out to collect the just for the kingdom of God.

So what does all of this mean for us on a day to day basis? It's quite simple, as following Christ usually is. We are to ask Christ to show us the way every day. We prayerfully discern what He is asking of us and we do it. That's it! And to make things even more reassuring, we're often told in scripture, and in particular today's psalm, that Christ is with us through all of this and therefore we shouldn't be disturbed.

Fervent prayer is our greatest weapon against evil

Saturday, November 14, 2009

The Joyful Mysteries

Memorial of St. Joseph Pignatelli

Wisdom 18:14-16; 19:6-9

Psalm 105:2-3, 36-37, 42-43

Luke 18:1-8

But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth? (Luke 18:8)

Both the passage from the Book of Wisdom and Psalm 105 show that throughout Israel's history, God had remained faithful to His promise to Abraham, to rescue His people from their every calamity. But first they must acknowledge and repent their having brought suffering upon themselves through disobedience or faithlessness; such behavior shuts God and His graces out of their lives. In their helpless state, many were taken to Egypt to serve as slaves until God felt it was time to restore their freedom. Which He does through Moses, as we’re told in the Book of Exodus.

The gospel sheds light on Christ's insistence that His disciples are to pray always and never grow weary of it, because failure to keep in contact with their source of light and strength will leave them ignorant of God and vulnerable to every evil. When all is going well, many tend to forget prayer, but Christ is telling us that living up to our being created in God's image requires us to come to know Him intimately and learn to apply His love and truth in our daily lives in all our relationships.

The parable in which the widow's persistence gains her a proper and fair decision from an unscrupulous judge should give us the assurance that our All Holy and Loving God will surely see that justice and truth will always be given us in the best possible way and time. Christ's question, then, implies that our human skepticism, impatience and unbelief will separate us from the Son of Man, the very One sent by our Father to save us.

Keeping with the theme of the gospel, it occurs to me while writing this that Christmas is just 40 days away from November 15 (my birthday, by the way!). God used 40-day periods to transform individuals, communities ... and the entire world. From Noah in the flood to Moses on the mountain to the disciples after Christ's resurrection, it is clear that God sees the transformation of His people when they accept and meet 40-day challenges.

40 Days for Life is a community-based campaign that draws attention to the evil of abortion through the use of a three-point program:

•Prayer and fasting
•Constant vigil
•Community outreach

40 Days for Life takes a determined, peaceful approach to showing local communities the consequences of abortion in their own neighborhoods, for their own friends and families. It puts into action a desire to cooperate with God in the carrying out of His plan for the end of abortion in America.

40 Days for Life is a focused pro-life campaign with a vision to access God’s power through prayer, fasting, and peaceful vigil to end abortion in America.

The mission of the campaign is to bring together the body of Christ in a spirit of unity during a focused 40 day campaign of prayer, fasting, and peaceful activism, with the purpose of repentance, to seek God’s favor to turn hearts and minds from a culture of death to a culture of life, thus bringing an end to abortion in America.

Because of my work schedule and other commitments I am not able to stand outside of abortion mills yet, so I will use my blog to encourage others to participate in the “community outreach” portion of this program. But I am going to commit to saying a special rosary and the Divine Mercy chaplet each day (in addition to the rosary I already say daily) and I am going to give up my sodas and sweets for this 40 days leading up to Christmas.

Christmas is the day when we celebrate Christ’s “first coming”. So my opening question remains, “But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

The cure for embarrassment and disappointment

Friday, November 13, 2009
The Sorrowful Mysteries
Memorial of Saint Frances Cabrini (in the US)
Wisdom 13:1-9
Psalm 19:2-3, 4-5ab
Luke 17:26-37

I was feeling oh so sorry for myself and my boss after listening to the “higher ups” in the company tear us down and nit-pick us to death during an inspection of our stores until I read this Wisdom passage. It brought to mind my drive home today. I didn’t want to bring my feelings of embarrassment or disappointment home with me, so I took a longer route home through some of the tree-lined residential neighborhoods. The writer of Wisdom wisely tells us how stupid we can be as we go about our day, often oblivious to the wonders and beauties of God’s creation that surround us. How true this is! There is nothing that compares to the fall colors in the leaves of the trees and blue of the sky and even the stars at night! And don’t forget about His greatest creation—us! (EVEN those who embarrass and disappoint us!)

Yes, we can marvel at the beauty all around, but don’t stop there! Marvel at the creator! Spend a few quiet moments breathing in the presence of the One who gave us all this.

Although my job is not in jeopardy in any way, experiences like the last couple of days made me think about the possessions I might lose if I ever lost my job. Luke reminds us that reliance on possessions is useless, just as it is to wonder and worry about when we’ll die and what happens when we do. May our faith strengthen our hope and give us the energy to commit to Jesus and to his call to work for peace and justice in our world.

Look no further than your neighbor for the Kingdom of God

Memorial of St. Josephat
Wisdom 7:22b–8:1
Psalm 119:89, 90, 91, 130, 135, 175
Luke 17:20-25

"No one will announce, 'Look, here it is. . ."

Jesus speaks a hard truth here that's difficult to understand in many ways. How many have we heard who have told us that the end was near, the second coming loomed, the millennium was upon us. Jesus said that no one would announce His second coming; and that is true. Everyone who has done so, has been wrong.

We aren't called to think about the time of His return, and this for very good reason. Were we to focus on his eventual return it would deflect our attention from His presence among us. He is with us now. He is with us when we reflect on Scripture. His Real Presence makes the eucharistic feast a feast indeed! He is present in the poor. He is present in the rich. He is present in every person who loves Him. Why, then, do we look for something else?

We do so because we are a people of immediate gratification. We want what we want, when we want it. We want Jesus to return. Certainly that is a noble sentiment. If we desire it greatly enough, then we should do our part in bringing the kingdom to life. Rather than waiting with bated breath, we should reach out to those around us. When we reach out in His love, we spread the borders of His kingdom.

We will not know when it is coming. We won't know this because it is already at hand, near enough to touch. When we realize this, the second coming, whenever it may be, recedes in immediate importance. It is the event we look forward to in joyful hope even as we live in the Kingdom God has given us.

Give thanks for One Nation, UNDER GOD

November 11, 2009

Veteran's Day

The Glorious Mysteries

Memorial of St. Martin of Tours

Wisdom 6:1-11

Psalm 82:3-4, 6-7

Luke 17:11-19

Jesus grants us a great many gifts in the course of a lifetime. Family, friends, a home, useful work today, a beautiful world in which to live, all things for which we should be thankful every day. And many of us are. But how many occasions do we let slip by where we don’t thank God for the blessings He has bestowed upon us? How many different ways do we fail to love Him?

Jesus healed the ten lepers. It’s never said that He took back the healing from the nine who did not return. They were obedient to what Jesus said. They went to the Priests, returned to the community, and very likely began to forget the horror of their disease once it was removed. Once Jesus was out of sight, He was out of mind.

This story reminds me that in this journey it is good to return frequently to Him who gives us all good things and thank and praise Him for His wonderful generosity. Our faith, a great spiritual gift, not the physical gifts, is what ultimately brings us to the salvation who is Jesus Christ.

Every day, every morning when we wake, we should say a prayer of praise for the very act of waking up. We should thank God for His gift of life, even if we aren't feeling like it's very much of a gift at the moment. We should thank God both for the trials that strengthen, and the consolations that give hope.

He will not give us more than we can handle---really!

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

The Sorrowful Mysteries

Memorial of St. Leo the Great

Wisdom 2:23–3:9

Psalm 34:2-3, 16-17, 18-19

Luke 17:7-10

When we do the Lord's work, we do it with the Lord's strength. St. Thomas Aquinas pointed out that the only thing a human being can do to separate from God is reject Him. Other than that, all of the works we do are done in tandem. And the One who bears the greater part of the burden of our work is God Himself.

What is there to brag about if we have cleaned our rooms by making the bed, but it is God who picked up the toys, threw away the trash, dusted the furniture, swept the floors, washed and painted the walls and rearranged the furniture? That is what Jesus is telling us. If we do everything that we can, we still have done remarkably little and only what is expected, and so we should not expect that a shower of gold will fall from Heaven as a reward. Jesus tells us to regard ourselves as humble and obedient servants.

But God regards us as children who are demonstrating their love in the small ways that a child can. God sees these actions of the servant and laughs with delight at the child who has learned how to wash his hands without throwing the towel on the floor. God knows our weaknesses and does not ask from us anything that we cannot give. True, we are servants of the Lord, but we are servants who are also well-loved children. While we are not promised and should not expect any extraordinary reward, we nevertheless receive one every time we receive Him in the Eucharist-- a taste of heaven here on Earth, a moment of being amid the waste of the world.

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With apparent strong conviction of the importance of the Bishop of Rome in the Church, and of the Church as the ongoing sign of Christ’s presence in the world, Leo the Great displayed endless dedication as pope. Elected in 440, he worked tirelessly as "Peter’s successor," guiding his fellow bishops as "equals in the episcopacy and infirmities."

Leo is known as one of the best administrative popes of the ancient Church. His work branched into four main areas, indicative of his notion of the pope’s total responsibility for the flock of Christ. He worked at length to control the heresies of Pelagianism, Manichaeism and others, placing demands on their followers so as to secure true Christian beliefs. A second major area of his concern was doctrinal controversy in the Church in the East, to which he responded with a classic letter setting down the Church’s teaching on the two natures of Christ. With strong faith, he also led the defense of Rome against barbarian attack, taking the role of peacemaker.

In these three areas, Leo’s work has been highly regarded. His growth to sainthood has its basis in the spiritual depth with which he approached the pastoral care of his people, which was the fourth focus of his work. He is known for his spiritually profound sermons. An instrument of the call to holiness, well-versed in Scripture and ecclesiastical awareness, Leo had the ability to reach the everyday needs and interests of his people. One of his sermons is used in the Office of Readings on Christmas.

It is said of Leo that his true significance rests in his doctrinal insistence on the mysteries of Christ and the Church and in the supernatural charisms of the spiritual life given to humanity in Christ and in his Body, the Church. Thus Leo held firmly that everything he did and said as pope for the administration of the Church represented Christ, the head of the Mystical Body, and St. Peter, in whose place Leo acted.

The Lateran Basilica

Monday, November 10, 2009

The Joyful Mysteries

Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome

Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12

Psalm 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-91

Corinthians 3:9c-11, 16-17

John 2:13-22

Ezekiel 47:1-9 “…Wherever the river flows, every sort of living creature that can multiply shall live, and there shall be abundant fish, for wherever this water comes the sea shall be made fresh.....”

Psalm 46: 2- 3, 5-6, 8-9 “…Come! Behold the deeds of the LORD, the astounding things he has wrought on earth.”

1 Corinthian 3:9c-11, 16-17 “…I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But each one must be careful how he builds upon it.….”

John 2: 13-22 “…’Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.’…”

Monday is the Feast of the Dedication of Saint John Lateran, the name of the Pope’s cathedral in Rome. It was first called the Most Holy Savior, then 2 centuries later called St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist. It stands as a temple of stones as a symbol of the living Church, the Christian community, of which Christ is the cornerstone.

In each of the readings, some aspect of our place of worship, the building itself is mentioned. Even our Feast is of the dedication of the Pope’s Basilica in Rome. In reflecting on the readings, I realized how often I have taken the building that housed my place of worship for granted.

In the Book of Ezekiel, the prophet describes his vision of a new temple; with symbols of life-giving water flowing from the temple. We begin near the end of the book, reading in the 47th chapter of Ezekiel. Israel has been through much strife, the ups and downs of being human and the choices we make. While he is in exile, Ezekiel responds to the call of the Lord to become His prophet. Dutifully relaying his visions to his people, Ezekiel becomes the Lord’s instrument to call the people back again. Reading earlier on, you see the sacrifice one makes to answer this call. At one point, the Lord asks him to lie on his side one day for every year that the Israelites were disobedient to God, and of course they didn’t always believe him. But, in the reading from Ezekiel, he is reaching the mountaintop of the journey, as we hear about the glory of the rebuilt temple when the Jews will be back in Jerusalem.

In the second reading, from the first letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians, we are told we are God’s building, and that the Holy Spirit dwells in us. Sometimes I think it would have been better to live in a time, without so many distractions. Our world has gotten preposterously busy, how does one remember to be and act as though we are of God today?

In the Gospel from John, we see Jesus in one of His rare moments as He acts out His disgust. Upon arriving at the temple, He drives out the money changers and merchants selling animals for sacrifice, telling them to “stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.” Of course the Jews get upset and ask Jesus for a sign, to show His authority. And Jesus says “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” But, of course they did not understand that response, and neither did His Disciples, until Jesus had resurrected from the dead, 3 days after He was put to death.

So today let’s remember our call to be temples of the Holy Spirit whenever we see our tall Church structures. As both Ezekiel and Jesus suffered for the people, may we look at our own suffering during these low economic times in this light, and offer them up for the good of the whole. Though not an excuse Lord, please forgive us, we have many distractions. Help us to see Your Will for us today, and to heed your call to help each other out during these tough times. Amen.