I have been remiss the last couple of days (has it been almost a week?) in writing in this blog. Mainly, it's because I haven't had any good ideas. It's also because I simply haven't felt like writing. After listening to the news on the radio and the internet about a lot of anti-Catholic bashing today, I felt I just had to respond the only way I know how--by saying the rosary for the conversion of the hearts and minds of all mankind to Jesus.
The rosary is best said "when two or more are gathered in His name" (Matthew 18: 19,20), but spending as much time as I do in hotel rooms, this is not always possible. So I look for "interactive" rosaries on my laptop that I can say and share with other like-minded people. There must be over a hundred of them out there, but this one I found today is a good one. It's not a "scriptural" rosary--it's more the type of rosary most of us say while meditating on the Sacred Mysteries in our own way. It also has a "counter" that lets you know how many others are on-line in real-time praying with you. According to the introduction at the beginning of the prayer, the church that sponsors the site says a perpetual rosary, so you can join one in progress or you can choose to start a "fresh" individual rosary. I am very impressed with it. I have put it on my "favorites" bar!
Give it a try! What can it hurt?
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Thursday, October 21, 2010
A very good resource
I rarely watch television with any kind of interest unless it is college football (PAC 10) or EWTN programming. So I am frequently searching the web for something new to give me ideas for my blog entries. Tonight, after watching a really interesting lecture/sermon by Father Robert Barron on EWTN, I logged onto his website, wordonfire.org , and heard a marvelous lecture on Why Prayer Matters .
The lecture runs about 47 minutes, so be prepared to listen that long. It was so interesting though that I was surprised the time had passed so quickly. Father Barron has dozens of these lectures, sermons, and short essays on his website. They are really easy to access and theologically sound. Have a listen!
The lecture runs about 47 minutes, so be prepared to listen that long. It was so interesting though that I was surprised the time had passed so quickly. Father Barron has dozens of these lectures, sermons, and short essays on his website. They are really easy to access and theologically sound. Have a listen!
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
This is cool!
I just have to say how excited I am to have so many visitors from all over the US and the world (!) I had no idea when I began this blog that I would ever get this many "hits"! Thank you all!
To whom much is given......
As I’ve said before in this blog, I have been blessed, or entrusted, with much. As I reflected on this again today, I reminded myself that I am entrusted with a loving wife, children and grandchild. I am blessed with still having my mother around to give me that special “nudge” or advice that no one else can provide and to pray for me. I am entrusted with some tangible things such as our home, and a comfortable life-style. I am entrusted with my work and the services I provide to my customers and employees. I am certainly entrusted with my faith, my parish (or in my case, parishes), my responsibility as a Eucharistic minister, and even in writing this meditation. I have been entrusted with much.
And with this comes a set of obligations that I am required to do. I am required to love and care for my wife for as long as we live. I am required to care for my children, grandchildren, customers, employees and those I serve in the Church. Much has been given. Therefore, much is required.
It is said that God will never give us more than we can handle. I must say that God thinks a lot more of my abilities than I do—there are a lot of days that I am so overwhelmed I don’t know which way to go next. But I think what keeps me going and gives me motivation to keep moving forward is to remind myself that I have been given much and to ask, “Am I doing all I must to meet the requirements for all I have been given, as my Lord God says I must do in today's gospel?”
And with this comes a set of obligations that I am required to do. I am required to love and care for my wife for as long as we live. I am required to care for my children, grandchildren, customers, employees and those I serve in the Church. Much has been given. Therefore, much is required.
It is said that God will never give us more than we can handle. I must say that God thinks a lot more of my abilities than I do—there are a lot of days that I am so overwhelmed I don’t know which way to go next. But I think what keeps me going and gives me motivation to keep moving forward is to remind myself that I have been given much and to ask, “Am I doing all I must to meet the requirements for all I have been given, as my Lord God says I must do in today's gospel?”
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Eight birthdays of note
Mom reminded me today of my sister's birthday which also happens to be my grandmother's birthday. So, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!, Grandma and Dorothy! I love you both!
Today was also the "birth"day of six new saints!
Today was also the "birth"day of six new saints!
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Innocent love of God is the greatest prayer
I came across the following story written by Kelly Adams while I was reading some other meditations on Friday's readings. I think the story speaks for itself.
============================================
My brother Kevin thinks God lives under his bed. At least that's what I heard him say one night.
He was praying out loud in his dark bedroom, and I stopped outside his closed door to listen. "Are you there, God?" he said. "Where are you? Oh, I see. Under the bed." I giggled softly and tiptoed off to my own room.
Kevin's unique perspectives are often a source of amusement. But that night something else lingered long after the humor. I realized for the first time the very different world Kevin lives in.
He was born 30 years ago, mentally disabled as a result of difficulties during labor. Apart from his size (he's 6-foot-2), there are few ways in which he is an adult. He reasons and communicates with the capabilities of a 7-year-old, and he always will. He will probably always believe that God lives under his bed, that Santa Claus is the one who fills the space under our tree every Christmas, and that airplanes stay up in the sky because angels carry them.
I remember wondering if Kevin realizes he is different. Is he ever dissatisfied with his monotonous life? Up before dawn each day, off to work at a workshop for the disabled, home to walk our cocker spaniel, return to eat his favorite macaroni-and-cheese for dinner, and later to bed.
The only variation in the entire scheme is laundry, when he hovers excitedly over our washing machine like a mother with her newborn child. He does not seem dissatisfied. He lopes out to the bus every morning at 7:05, eager for a day of simple work. He wrings his hands excitedly while the water boils on the stove before dinner, and he
stays up late twice a week to gather our dirty laundry for his next day's laundry chores.
And Saturdays -- oh, the bliss of Saturdays! That's the day my Dad takes Kevin to the airport to have a soft drink, watch the planes land, and speculate loudly on the destination of each passenger inside. "That one's going' to Chi-car-go!" Kevin shouts as he claps his hands.
His anticipation is so great he can hardly sleep on Friday nights. And so goes his world of daily rituals and weekend field trips. He doesn't know what it means to be discontent.
His life is simple. He will never know the entanglements of wealth or power, and he does not care what brand of clothing he wears or what kind of food he eats.
His needs have always been met, and he never worries that one day they may not be.
His hands are diligent. Kevin is never so happy as when he is working. When he unloads the dishwasher or vacuums the carpet, his heart is completely in it. He does not shrink from a job when it is begun, and he does not leave a job until it is finished. But when his tasks are done, Kevin knows how to relax. He is not obsessed with his work or the work of others.
His heart is pure. He still believes everyone tells the truth, promises must be kept, and when you are wrong, you apologize instead of argue. Free from pride and unconcerned with appearances, Kevin is not afraid to cry when he is hurt, angry or sorry. He is always transparent, always sincere. And he trusts God.
Not confined by intellectual reasoning, when he comes to Christ, he comes as a child. Kevin seems to know God -- to really be friends with Him in a way that is difficult for an "educated" person to grasp. God seems like his closest companion.
In my moments of doubt and frustrations with my Christianity, I envy the security Kevin has in his simple faith. It is then that I am most willing to admit that he has some divine knowledge that rises above my mortal questions. It is then I realize that perhaps he is not the one with the handicap -- I am.
My obligations, my fear, my pride, my circumstances -- they all become disabilities when I do not trust them to God's care.
Who knows if Kevin comprehends things I can never learn?
After all, he has spent his whole life in that kind of innocence, praying after dark and soaking up the goodness and love of God. And one day, when the mysteries of heaven are opened, and we are all amazed at how close God really is to our hearts, I'll realize that God heard the simple prayers of a boy who believed that God lived under his bed. Kevin won't be surprised at all!
============================================
My brother Kevin thinks God lives under his bed. At least that's what I heard him say one night.
He was praying out loud in his dark bedroom, and I stopped outside his closed door to listen. "Are you there, God?" he said. "Where are you? Oh, I see. Under the bed." I giggled softly and tiptoed off to my own room.
Kevin's unique perspectives are often a source of amusement. But that night something else lingered long after the humor. I realized for the first time the very different world Kevin lives in.
He was born 30 years ago, mentally disabled as a result of difficulties during labor. Apart from his size (he's 6-foot-2), there are few ways in which he is an adult. He reasons and communicates with the capabilities of a 7-year-old, and he always will. He will probably always believe that God lives under his bed, that Santa Claus is the one who fills the space under our tree every Christmas, and that airplanes stay up in the sky because angels carry them.
I remember wondering if Kevin realizes he is different. Is he ever dissatisfied with his monotonous life? Up before dawn each day, off to work at a workshop for the disabled, home to walk our cocker spaniel, return to eat his favorite macaroni-and-cheese for dinner, and later to bed.
The only variation in the entire scheme is laundry, when he hovers excitedly over our washing machine like a mother with her newborn child. He does not seem dissatisfied. He lopes out to the bus every morning at 7:05, eager for a day of simple work. He wrings his hands excitedly while the water boils on the stove before dinner, and he
stays up late twice a week to gather our dirty laundry for his next day's laundry chores.
And Saturdays -- oh, the bliss of Saturdays! That's the day my Dad takes Kevin to the airport to have a soft drink, watch the planes land, and speculate loudly on the destination of each passenger inside. "That one's going' to Chi-car-go!" Kevin shouts as he claps his hands.
His anticipation is so great he can hardly sleep on Friday nights. And so goes his world of daily rituals and weekend field trips. He doesn't know what it means to be discontent.
His life is simple. He will never know the entanglements of wealth or power, and he does not care what brand of clothing he wears or what kind of food he eats.
His needs have always been met, and he never worries that one day they may not be.
His hands are diligent. Kevin is never so happy as when he is working. When he unloads the dishwasher or vacuums the carpet, his heart is completely in it. He does not shrink from a job when it is begun, and he does not leave a job until it is finished. But when his tasks are done, Kevin knows how to relax. He is not obsessed with his work or the work of others.
His heart is pure. He still believes everyone tells the truth, promises must be kept, and when you are wrong, you apologize instead of argue. Free from pride and unconcerned with appearances, Kevin is not afraid to cry when he is hurt, angry or sorry. He is always transparent, always sincere. And he trusts God.
Not confined by intellectual reasoning, when he comes to Christ, he comes as a child. Kevin seems to know God -- to really be friends with Him in a way that is difficult for an "educated" person to grasp. God seems like his closest companion.
In my moments of doubt and frustrations with my Christianity, I envy the security Kevin has in his simple faith. It is then that I am most willing to admit that he has some divine knowledge that rises above my mortal questions. It is then I realize that perhaps he is not the one with the handicap -- I am.
My obligations, my fear, my pride, my circumstances -- they all become disabilities when I do not trust them to God's care.
Who knows if Kevin comprehends things I can never learn?
After all, he has spent his whole life in that kind of innocence, praying after dark and soaking up the goodness and love of God. And one day, when the mysteries of heaven are opened, and we are all amazed at how close God really is to our hearts, I'll realize that God heard the simple prayers of a boy who believed that God lived under his bed. Kevin won't be surprised at all!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Monday, October 11, 2010
Indescribable
On Tuesday, October 12, Marilyn and I will “celebrate” our 36th anniversary. Of course, she is at home and I am in a hotel room about 150 miles away. But that doesn’t mean we can’t still celebrate. I am having some flowers delivered to her workplace and I will attend Mass in the morning and offer it up for her. I’ll take her to dinner when I get home on the weekend. Nothing extravagant, but that’s how we are. I know it’s cliché, but I really don’t know what I would do without her. I’ve been thinking all day about her and about what keeps our love for each other so strong. I think it’s because we’ve never had to “work” at our love. It just exists. You hear stories of people who say, “Our love grows every day”, or “We work hard to keep our love this strong.” I guess God has blessed us, because my love for Marilyn is just as strong today as it was when I proposed to her, and it’s never been an effort for me to be in love or to stay in love with her.
I tried to “google” the word “love” for an inspiring quote about love and there are 330 million entries! I found one particular site that lists over 2000 quotes from some famous (and not so famous) people about what love is. It was evident that many of them never truly experienced love. They all described “feelings” and “emotions” and “romance”. Love certainly contains those things. But true love is indescribable. It goes beyond romance and feelings and emotions. It must be lived. You don’t think about it, you just do it. This indescribable love is the love I have for my wife.
I love you, Marilyn. I have always loved you. I will always love you.
Oh, and I hope you don’t read this until after the flowers arrive. I don’t want to spoil the surprise!
Friday, October 8, 2010
Acting on the Word
Just a little shout out to my brother Bill on his birthday, October 9th.
Bill, we will keep you in our prayers today. Have a blessed and happy birthday--and keep the fire extinguisher handy!
==========================================================
Whether rich or poor, famous or unknown, talented or ordinary, whether popular or not - it doesn't matter what our state in life is - if we choose to listen to the word of God and act upon it, we're blessed. Part of listening is hearing properly - that is, spending enough time with the Word so that we know and understand what He says.
Too, we must take our guidance from teachers within the Church who help us to understand the word of God. Too much has gone wrong when we listen and go off on our own. Any idea that occurs to us in listening to the word of God should be tested by the solid grounding of Church teaching. One only needs to look at the Reformation to see how easy it is to go astray when we reject proper guidance.
Then after listening, we must act upon what we hear. Listening and saying, "Yep, that sounds good," and then turning up the television a little louder, isn't enough. The Gospel feeds action - action helping and loving all of God's children. Communion is the food that supports that action - we are fed by His Body and Blood; we are also fed by His word. But to properly "eat" the word, we must put it into action, otherwise it is the seed that falls on stony ground.
So, if today you hear His voice, harden not your heart - respond, even if only a little. A bud opens a little at a time to become a beautiful flower.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary
Each of us is meant to be contemplative, not just those persons living in a cloister!
In Galatians (3:1), St. Paul vents his frustrations—O stupid Galatians!—because the people do not yet understand this. As he tells the Galatians, a person doesn't build a relationship with Christ by only following the law. Yes, one needs to follow the Church law, but also must nurture their interior life with Christ.
St. Augustine laments this beautifully, "You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you. In my unloveliness I plunged into the lovely things which you created. You were with me but I was not with you." (Book X, Chapter 27, The Confessions of St. Augustine)
Today the Church celebrates the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. What better way to enter into the mysteries of the life of Christ, than to sit at the feet of Mary, Spouse of the Holy Spirit, and let her guide us as we ponder that life as she did?
O Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.
In Galatians (3:1), St. Paul vents his frustrations—O stupid Galatians!—because the people do not yet understand this. As he tells the Galatians, a person doesn't build a relationship with Christ by only following the law. Yes, one needs to follow the Church law, but also must nurture their interior life with Christ.
St. Augustine laments this beautifully, "You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you. In my unloveliness I plunged into the lovely things which you created. You were with me but I was not with you." (Book X, Chapter 27, The Confessions of St. Augustine)
Today the Church celebrates the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. What better way to enter into the mysteries of the life of Christ, than to sit at the feet of Mary, Spouse of the Holy Spirit, and let her guide us as we ponder that life as she did?
O Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Use the tools God gives us to grow close to Him
I look forward each month to receiving Liguorian Magazine. It’s a Redemptorist pastoral publication that rarely has an article I find difficult to read or understand and it is never contrary to Magisterial teaching. What I really like are the short fiction stories with a message, the crossword puzzle, and of course the Bible Quiz. The Bible Quiz is a quiz with short clues on the left of the page, with the correlating answers on the right side in random order. The object is to match the answer with the clue.
The first dozen or so quizzes I took I failed miserably. I got hardly any answers correct. As I have become more familiar with the Bible through daily readings, my scores have increased. I am so excited! Today, I scored 100%! A couple of the questions were tricky, but I worked through them using a process of eliminating the alternate answers with other questions. This is no small feat. Pick up a copy (or better yet, subscribe!) and try the quizzes yourself—but get prepared by reading just a little bit of the Bible each day.
I’ve heard some of my friends say, “I tried reading the Bible, but it’s soooo long!” Or, “I was really getting interested until the Book of Numbers. What’s up with that? That’s boring!” My advice is to read the Good News, or the Gospels, first. Then read the Old Testaments or the Epistles next. I found that even Numbers made sense when read in the context of salvation history.
If you still don’t want to READ the Gospels, PRAY them! You’ll probably find, as I do, that as you meditate on the life of Christ through the mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, you develop a burning desire to “imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise through Christ.”
O Lord, you have probed me and you know me. (Psalm 139:1)
Today's responsorial psalm, reminds me that we have an authentic self and how well God knows us.
We are so clever about defending our intentions and behavior that it is little wonder that we may at times be confused and confusing. God, on the other hand, knows us as we are, for good and for bad.
May we then rely on God to give us information that can really help us, like: "Go to confession," or "Did you really gain anything of importance today by all that time spent surfing on the web?" or "I called you to prayer, but you didn't answer." And most important, "I love you; you are mine."
The first dozen or so quizzes I took I failed miserably. I got hardly any answers correct. As I have become more familiar with the Bible through daily readings, my scores have increased. I am so excited! Today, I scored 100%! A couple of the questions were tricky, but I worked through them using a process of eliminating the alternate answers with other questions. This is no small feat. Pick up a copy (or better yet, subscribe!) and try the quizzes yourself—but get prepared by reading just a little bit of the Bible each day.
I’ve heard some of my friends say, “I tried reading the Bible, but it’s soooo long!” Or, “I was really getting interested until the Book of Numbers. What’s up with that? That’s boring!” My advice is to read the Good News, or the Gospels, first. Then read the Old Testaments or the Epistles next. I found that even Numbers made sense when read in the context of salvation history.
If you still don’t want to READ the Gospels, PRAY them! You’ll probably find, as I do, that as you meditate on the life of Christ through the mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, you develop a burning desire to “imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise through Christ.”
O Lord, you have probed me and you know me. (Psalm 139:1)
Today's responsorial psalm, reminds me that we have an authentic self and how well God knows us.
We are so clever about defending our intentions and behavior that it is little wonder that we may at times be confused and confusing. God, on the other hand, knows us as we are, for good and for bad.
May we then rely on God to give us information that can really help us, like: "Go to confession," or "Did you really gain anything of importance today by all that time spent surfing on the web?" or "I called you to prayer, but you didn't answer." And most important, "I love you; you are mine."
Sunday, October 3, 2010
The so-so Samaritan
In today's gospel, Our Lord accepts the words of the scholar in answer to the question of inheriting eternal life: You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself. 
This gospel is quite appropriate on the Memorial of St. Francis of Assisi. This great saint would, upon entering a village, go straight to the Catholic church and prostrate himself before the doors, extending his arms toward the altar, and he would pray for many minutes in this position, before arising and entering the church. This act indicated his complete belief in the Real Presence of Christ on the altar, reserved in the tabernacle, because this is how Francis would have acted if the "bodily" Christ was seated thereon for him to see with human eyes.We, as mere mortals, are unable to love one another as God loves us without the help of God. But Christ has given us that help - that great grace - by giving Himself to us in the Eucharist, in Holy Communion. This is the greatest miracle on earth!
I have sometimes given money to a person standing outside the door of the church, but not always. I have sometimes looked him in the eye as I gave him my money, and said “God bless you” to him, but sometimes I just have given him the bills and quickly looked away. I have sometimes said “Good morning” to an obviously homeless person on the street, but I haven’t ever asked how they are doing and what I could to do help them. I am conflicted about giving money to beggars, and while I am polite, I have more often rejected than responded positively to the pleas of street people asking me for a few coins.
I haven’t always helped the people on the margins, the poor, the under-employed, the people it is easy to overlook. I get so busy in my own daily life that I forget their daily life is much more challenging, and that their struggles are for survival, while mine are for much less basic needs.
I haven’t always listened with real interest when a colleague or a family member wants to talk about the problems they are facing. I nod my head, but my mind and feelings sometimes are somewhere else. I am sympathetic to their illnesses, and those of their family members, but I don’t do much to lessen their suffering.
It seems like the more I become aware of what I have to lose, the more afraid I am to help the victims I see. I sometimes put my safety and protecting my possessions ahead of the needs of the hurting people I encounter. I don’t always engage them with the empathy that Jesus asks of me, and I am not always interested in helping them address what hurts them.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Friday, October 1, 2010
Missing Lily--one of the crosses I bear occasionally
I will be so glad when I finally get to go home tomorrow and stay home. Next week I get to work in Stockton instead of Fresno or Bakersfield. I really miss Marilyn, Alicia, Lily and the rest of my family when I’m gone for weeks at a time. Especially Lily. I can’t believe how much I miss her. Even though she’s beginning to “push the envelope” and exercise a bit of independence and throw minor tantrums, she is still delightful to be around. I think what delights me the most about her is the absolute love and trust she places—without even knowing it—in those of us who are entrusted with her care, which reminds me of Matthew 18:5—“Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me. . . .”
The citizens of heaven are like children in all the delightful things of children - in the joy, exuberance, unbounded enthusiasm - in the willingness to make fools of themselves to amuse others and to amuse themselves, in the unbridled love of life that takes hold and whisks the child and the person caring for the child into an entirely new world view.
Whoever consents to receive a child into their hearts in the name of Jesus receives Jesus. When we care for a child who would otherwise have no life, no home, we receive Jesus. When we pray for the unborn that they are brought to life, we receive Jesus. When we encourage desperate single mothers, or lonely young teens who find themselves abandoned by all - we receive Jesus.
That’s why participating in any way you can in 40 Days for Life is important and I daresay obligatory. When Jesus dwells with us, when we receive Him as a child, we cannot help but share Him, generously and completely and from the heart. When we become children for Jesus, we are willing to be seen as fools for love of Him. And if we carry this enthusiasm into the world, if we show the joy of our love and our presence in Christ, we will fill the world with wonders and transform it.
Just as taking the hand of a child and seeing the world from the child's point of view transforms your own world, with the heart of a child, you can transform the world of others as you show them the love that Jesus shows you. Become a child for Christ, serve Him and celebrate Him with all the joy you can find within you, and gather others to you and let them feel that warmth and that joy.
Come to Jesus as a child and you will be more of an adult than you ever have been. You will know greater maturity in faith than you have ever known. And better, you will learn to live again.
The citizens of heaven are like children in all the delightful things of children - in the joy, exuberance, unbounded enthusiasm - in the willingness to make fools of themselves to amuse others and to amuse themselves, in the unbridled love of life that takes hold and whisks the child and the person caring for the child into an entirely new world view.
Whoever consents to receive a child into their hearts in the name of Jesus receives Jesus. When we care for a child who would otherwise have no life, no home, we receive Jesus. When we pray for the unborn that they are brought to life, we receive Jesus. When we encourage desperate single mothers, or lonely young teens who find themselves abandoned by all - we receive Jesus.
That’s why participating in any way you can in 40 Days for Life is important and I daresay obligatory. When Jesus dwells with us, when we receive Him as a child, we cannot help but share Him, generously and completely and from the heart. When we become children for Jesus, we are willing to be seen as fools for love of Him. And if we carry this enthusiasm into the world, if we show the joy of our love and our presence in Christ, we will fill the world with wonders and transform it.
Just as taking the hand of a child and seeing the world from the child's point of view transforms your own world, with the heart of a child, you can transform the world of others as you show them the love that Jesus shows you. Become a child for Christ, serve Him and celebrate Him with all the joy you can find within you, and gather others to you and let them feel that warmth and that joy.
Come to Jesus as a child and you will be more of an adult than you ever have been. You will know greater maturity in faith than you have ever known. And better, you will learn to live again.
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