Lost and Found

Every year, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph on the Sunday within the Octave of Christmas.

So, we call Jesus and Mary and Joseph the Holy Family; paintings always place a halo over their heads. In order for us to see how this family encountered problems just like other families, the Gospel chosen for this Sunday is about Jesus' boyhood years. Joseph is by now a carpenter in Nazareth, and Mary is a busy housewife and mother of a teenager! As parents, Mary and Joseph are well aware of their responsibilities. Being God's divine Son does not prevent Jesus, however, from acting with all the inexperience and spontaneous behavior of any normal twelve-year-old. What an exciting experience for a boy from a small town to travel to Jerusalem for the Feast!

Fascinated with the learned teachers He found in the Temple, He loses track of time and, like most teenagers, doesn't think about the terror that a missing child can cause for parents. After three frantic days of searching, they find Him, only to hear Jesus rather naively ask, "Didn't you realize I had to be in my Father's house?" No, they don't understand, but they tucked it away in their hearts, along with a lot of other unanswered questions.

Mary and Joseph, like millions of other parents, were acting as good, responsible caregivers who were having difficulty understanding their son. So what else is new? Teenagers don't understand themselves either. Was Jesus just carried away with impatience to start His ministry? For Joseph and Mary, the fact that Jesus was divine made His actions all the more mystifying to them.

What Jesus did after that is really the great lesson for all families -- He humbly bowed to their authority. When He saw how upset they were, He promptly left the Temple, and went back obediently to Nazareth where He "advanced in age and grace and wisdom."

As I write this, I am not so sure Jesus’ question “Didn't you realize I had to be in my Father's house?" was so much naïve as it was profound.  After all, if you think about it He wasn’t lost—He knew exactly where He was.  I would never disparage Mary or Joseph, but the fact of the matter is they lost sight of their son.  So Jesus’ response to His mother for me is more of a gentle reminder that when we lose sight of Jesus, it’s not through His fault, but our own and we will always know where to find Him—at work doing the Will of God and inviting us to follow.   

What makes a family "holy"? Is it all so simple? Just to love, communicate with, and forgive one another, and keep the commandments! Of course, simple answers like that are the hardest to accept! John says we must believe in the Son and keep His commandments. Joseph was totally committed to heading this "holy family" because the Angel told him to do it. Mary, at the risk of her reputation, gave birth to Jesus, and was a faithful, protective mother because God wanted it. And Jesus was a faithful son, subservient to human parents because His heavenly Father willed it so!

Our families would find their disagreements, stressful relationships, and resentments that spoil the joy of family harmony so much easier to solve by imitating the faith and loving trust of the Holy Family.

Today marks the end of 2012 and tomorrow the dawn of 2013. What a powerful gospel reading the Church has chosen for the occasion! It serves as a statement of who we are as Christians, the gifts we have been given and where we are headed, to our promised destiny.

St. John reminds us that in the beginning was the Word. He speaks of creation, our salvation, the role of St. John the Baptist and our gift as Christians. What more could we be given than that which is described by St. John:

But to those who did accept Him He gave power to become children of God. (John 1:12a)

Yes, we can choose to join the millions who make trivial New Year's resolutions which fade away in days or weeks. But how much more beneficial to embrace again today, the gifts God has already given us? Let us resolve to remain open to the graces of God in 2013 and respond even more generously to His endless Love.

Hold on tight!

If we keep our heads about us and don’t let the frenzy of the season intrude too deeply, the anticipation of Advent followed by the blessings of Christmas fill us with joy.  It’s a time of family and remembrances and thankfulness for all that we have been given, with the ultimate gift being the birth of Jesus.  Our thoughts of that first Christmas are filled with the sweetness of the child in the manger and of Mary as the perfect embodiment of motherhood. 

Perhaps because this experience of happiness is so fresh in our hearts, thinking about today’s Gospel (Matthew 2:13-18) is so beyond understanding.   Sometime within two years after Jesus’s birth, Joseph and Mary, still not fully comprehending the miracle that they have been given, are warned that Herod wants to murder their child.  In a state of panic and fear, they leave Bethlehem for Egypt giving up all that they know and all whom they love so that they might save their child.  Then, while they find safety, Herod is so infuriated that he calls for the murder of all the young boys in Bethlehem. 

Mary and Joseph could not disassociate themselves from the horror they were leaving behind.  Their act of protecting their child’s safety results in tragedy for other mothers and fathers.  We don’t know of a sadder line than that from today’s Gospel, “Rachel would not be consoled since her children were no more.”  As this nation has come to know through the events a couple of weeks ago in Connecticut, we all feel the pain when we learn that someone has lost a child.  There is no grief as deep; there is no touch that can lessen the hurt.  We hold our own children tightly and give thanks for their safety and we pray that nothing will ever harm them.

Of course, we don’t know what Mary thought but it is so difficult to accept that someone could so hate a small child that he would call for the child’s death.  This was no doubt a foretelling to Mary of what she might have to experience in the future, a constant fear that she would come to live with.  And what of her thoughts of her neighbors and friends in Bethlehem who suffered such a great loss?  If she could, how would she reach out to them and what would she say?

I think that she would echo a reading from the first letter of John (1 John 1:5--2:2).  This reading gives me hope for a world that seems surrounded by darkness.  Hope because there is light in the world that brightens the darkness.  For all the evil acts that blacken the world around us there is God’s light shining through people who stand for justice, truth and love.  These are regular people like you and me, coming from all faiths and cultures; people who brighten the dark places of the world.  We brighten the world because we stand up against injustices, pursue God’s truth, and reflect the love that God has for each one of us.  We are not saints, but we are people who care, we have been touched by God’s love and want to share the gift.  By sharing God’s love we are lighting up the world.  As we celebrate the Christmas season and the birth of God among us, we can be confident that the light we bring to the world is making a difference.  Even those small daily acts of love, truth, and justice shared with family, friends, and strangers are sending sparks of light into the world.  We can’t undo the horrors of yesterday, but we can bring light in the world today.  The world needs us to bring God’s love, hope and light into every situation we encounter. 

But our thoughts today go to Rachel and all the other mothers lost in their grief.  How do we reach out to them and what should we say?  We don’t know, so we hold our children tightly.

 

Might as well make it memorable

One way to make a meal more pleasant is to begin it with a special prayer of thanksgiving and praise to God. For a lot of people, family gatherings during holidays are the only time a grace before meals is said.  So you might as well make it memorable!  Maybe not as memorable as this.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

..but memorable, nonetheless.

Many Spirit-filled individuals I’ve known over the years have been able to come up with dinner prayers “off-the-cuff” that are truly outstanding.  I tend to muddle those up, no matter how sincere I am in the attempt.  So I usually resort to researching prayers already written for the occasion and “editing” them to be more personal.  I have posted the top 3 I found over the last week.  I will be using one of them.  I will probably write the blessing that I use on a separate sheet of paper and read it before the meal.  Another great idea I read is to place a small portion of each prayer on a separate card and have a different person at the table each read one.  Whichever way you choose to say your grace, remember that it is the most important part of the meal!

======================================== 

1.  Heavenly Father, we give thanks for the birth of your Son and the celebration of His life. Help us to remember that this festive day is set aside to celebrate all He has done for us. We give thanks for our family and friends and for the blessing that you have given us so we can plan and enjoy a Christmas meal together. We thank you for your provision of a home, a kitchen, for loving hands and for the abundance of food upon this table.  Please help us to remember that there are those who have no families, no place at a table, and no one with whom to share a Christmas dinner.  Help us to listen to your wee small voice and to obey that wee small voice so we can reach out and help their Christmas be a merrier one. We ask that you would bless those around this Christmas table and we ask you to bless our food.  Allow our hearts and attitudes, our actions and our lives to be blessings to you. Through Jesus Christ, Your Son, we pray. Amen

 

2.  Eternal God, this joyful day is radiant with the brilliance of your one true light. May that light illuminate our hearts and shine in our words and deeds. May the hope, the peace, the joy, and the love represented by the birth in Bethlehem fill our lives and become part of all that we say and do.  Allow us to share the divine life of your son Jesus Christ, even as he humbled himself to share our humanity.  Bless us and the feast that You have provided for us, let us be thankful for the true gift of Christmas, your Son Jesus Christ. Amen.

This third prayer was written especially to remember the tragedy of the Connecticut school shootings:

3.  Father, we thank you for our family and friends. We are so grateful for each and every person around this table and we thank you for the gifts of compassion, love, strength and encouragement they have been.  Although it's been a painful time in our country recently, and we share in the grief of those parents whose children were taken from them too soon, we know that You are always with us. Your promises are true. You will never leave us nor forsake us. Thank you for the love that holds us together and for always comforting us. Thank you for the gift of your Son, whose very life reminds us that you are a father of compassion and one acquainted with grief in the midst of joy and joy in the midst of suffering. Help us to hold each other close and to treasure each other this day and all the days to come. We present this prayer in Jesus' name, Amen."

Mothers

In these final days of Advent, as we anxiously await the arrival of the Christ child, the gospel reminds us that we are joined in our anticipation by our Blessed Mother. We also rejoice that God, in His love, not only became man but also gave us His mother. Echoing the words of Elizabeth two thousand years ago, what an incredible realization this is, that the mother of my Lord has come to me. What a breathtaking truth this is, that the Mother of God is my mother too.

Writing this reflection, I am being reminded of my own mom.  You will never meet anyone who loves, prays, and cares about her children and grandchildren more than she does.  But I also think her love reflects the love of all mothers, including our Blessed Mother. Our mothers lovingly prepare us for the future and help us grow in many ways. They continuously form us and orient us towards Jesus Christ by both example and word. In the same way, our Heavenly Mother desires to help us grow closer to her Son. Through her love, prayers and care, as well as by simply looking to her example as the perfect Christian, we can prepare ourselves for Christ’s coming.

In these final days of Advent, we echo Mary’s preparation for the coming of her son. Just as Mary journeyed to the hill county of Judah over two thousand years ago, we have traveled through this season of Advent to prepare ourselves for Christ’s coming. Just as the baby joyfully leaped within Elizabeth’s womb at Mary’s arrival, our hearts will be filled with joy as we commemorate Christ’s birth this Christmas. So I challenge you in these last few days of preparation to allow our Blessed Mother to make your heart ready for the arrival of her son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

May God bless you in this season of the Christ child.

Even now, Hope is alive

On this last Saturday of Advent, our anticipation rises to a near crescendo level. Hannah, the mother of Samuel, prefigures Mary (1 Samuel 1:24-28, 1 Samuel 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8abcd) in praising God's goodness and majesty. Now, with infinitely greater import, Mary acknowledges God's overwhelming generosity toward her: she is to become the mother of the Christ, the Anointed One; the Son of God. (Luke 1:46-56)

Such a blessing is not only a "great thing" for Mary, it reflects the transcendent and mysterious essence of God ("holy is His name").

As we are called to model our lives after our Blessed Mother, let us acknowledge just a few of the great things that God has done for us:

-Before the world began, God chose us in Him to be holy and blameless in His sight. (Ephesians 1:4)

-God sent His only begotten Son to save and redeem us. (John 3:16)

-God offers us a share in His divine life for all eternity. (John 17:2)

Even here and now in this life, despite the hardships, we realize upon reflection that we have been given much that calls for heartfelt gratitude.

Indeed, He who is mighty has done great things for us, and holy is His name.

Throughout our lives, we face so many challenges and tough times and occasionally we forget who we are, our strengths, our fortunes, focusing on the negativities in our lives. It is hard to remind ourselves that God is with us when, all around people are struggling, especially in light of the recent massacre of innocent children in Connecticut. Yet He graciously reminds us that no matter where we’ve been or what we’ve done, no man or matter can conquer the love that He is graciously given to us at no charge! We are forever in His kindness and generosity, and there is nothing we can ever do to lose that. We are His and His alone.

So today, do not fear of those challenges and tribulations that lie before you. Instead, hold on to God and let Him clear the path for you. Blessed be your day.

An example of a good Advent

For the 2^nd time in my working career, I am taking a two week vacation leading up to Christmas.  I thought I was going to be able to write quite a few entries here to make up for lost time but here I am a week-and-a-half in, and I haven’t written a single thought.  I’ll try to catch you all up!

 

First, Mom has moved in with my sister-in-law in Southern California.  She realized that she simply can’t live on her own anymore.  Living with Marilyn will still give her some semblance of independence, while providing daily care as well.  It’s like living in an assisted-living facility except that she is going to be assisted by someone she has known and loved for over 50 years, instead of strangers (even if they are nuns!).  We took the past few weekends deciding what she wanted to take with her, what she wanted to store, and what she wanted to donate.

 

Last week, we rented a trailer and took the items she wanted to have with her at her new home as well as the items she wanted to store and got her moved in.  We talked about the move for a long time, and now that it is done, she seems happy.

 

The move gave me many great occasions for meditating on Advent.  Mom has lived in the same apartment for 35 years.  As far as I can piece together the information from the original leases we found while going through her files, she signed the lease for the apartment she just left in 1977.  She was in another apartment in the same complex for about a year or so before that!  That’s a lot of memories.  She has had 2 brothers and two sisters live in the same complex over the years.  Grandma lived with Mom for about 10 or 15 years.  My brother Tom lived with her for about 3 years as well, until his death in 2001.  She has seen many neighbors come and go.  Her best friend Rose is still living there.

 

This move has been described by many of her nieces and nephews as a “new beginning”—an anticipation of better things to come, and a preparation for a new life; in other words, an Advent.  We had a discussion recently about what we can do during Advent to help others see the joyful hope we have as we await the birth of our Savior.  We thought it would be great if we could help just one person see Christ in us by our actions of love toward our neighbor.  Mom went above and beyond that.  Mom took so little with her.  She left behind an entire apartment full of furniture and furnishings that would have to be dealt with.  So a few weeks ago, she invited some of the nieces and friends to come in and take whatever they wanted.  That still left her with an awful lot of “things of the world” that she would have to divest herself of.  She had lots of religious “trinkets”, statues, books and prayer cards that she donated to the woman who brought her Communion every Thursday.  She had a closet full of clothing she felt she would never wear again—she donated those to the homeless shelter.  There was a lot of food left in the refrigerator and in the cupboards that she gave to Rose.  The rest of the “stuff” she donated to a non-profit neighborhood thrift store that is a part of the church attended by another of her neighbors, who is the youth minister there and who has been extraordinarily kind to her including cooking her a Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings last year!   All proceeds from the sales of the thrift store are used to feed and clothe the poor in the area.  The standard response from each and every one of the recipients of Mom’s generosity (after Thank You, of course) was “God Bless Angela”.  I would have to agree.

So I would say that Mom did quite a bit more than her share this Advent season; how did YOU do?

Secondly, I have been battling a cold since the first day of my vacation and—of course—now I’m battling my chronic bronchitis!  You would think after all these years I would know how to prevent it, but I can’t.  It hasn't been all bad though—Lily has also had a cold, and watching her tenacity in playing and smiling through all of her discomfort has been a real example for me to stop feeling sorry for myself.

Speaking of Lily; today is her 4^th birthday!   She is certainly growing up fast.  I love that little bundle of joy!  We've been able to play almost every day I've been home.  For some reason, a child having fun can make anything better!  

A Spiritual Artisan

My cousin Amy is a true spiritual artisan.  She sees beauty and the workings of the Holy Spirit in things that most of us would pass by.  She recently sent Mom a homemade greeting card with a picture of a rock and a very uplifting message that made Mom happy.  When Mom showed it to me, I said (nonchalantly) “Oh yeah, I see a face in that.”  Mom said “Well, if you look at it at that angle, you might see a face.  But Amy sees the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the markings.”  At that, she tilted it slightly to the left and sure enough, I too could see the shape of the Sacred Heart.  It takes a strong dose of the Holy Spirit working within you to recognize those things at first glance.  It took me a couple of trips to the "imagination station” to get it.  Amy has posted (on her Facebook page) dozens of photos and poems and shared many thoughts that attest to her spiritual awareness and her “catholicity”—an awareness that I admit I envy.

So I wasn’t surprised when she posted a picture of the Advent wreath she created this week:

 

What gave me the topic of tonight’s blog however was the only comment to her post—“Are those candles sticking up out of that wreath?!”

Advent is the season so neglected -- or even unknown -- to the secular world. Yet, what a beautiful privilege we have as Catholic Christians to observe this time of spiritual preparation for the celebration of our Savior's birth!

The Church calendar this month is studded with "little feast days," leading up to the big one on December 25. St. Nicholas day is December 6, the Immaculate Conception is Dec. 8, Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12, St. Lucy on December 13, and of course, the four Sundays of Advent. Each day has its own "flavor" and its own customs. Each contributes in its own way to this holy season of preparation for the birth of Jesus.

It may be hard to "keep" Advent, but if we make the effort, the Lord will bless us. In the midst of what can be a hectic season, why not set aside a time of quiet just for Jesus and you? It will take some effort, but take whatever time you can manage - even 15 minutes - and it will help you to center your heart on the real "reason for the season." That "reason," of course, is Jesus!

Spend some time with Him! Come to Him in a simple, childlike way, and He will reveal to you the mysteries of heaven. As Jesus prays to His Father in today's gospel, "Although you have hidden these things from the wise and learned you have revealed them to the childlike."

What a great way to celebrate Advent!

This is a great Advent calendar, courtesy the USCCB.  And it's an easy blog entry for me.  Win-win!

Something to ponder as you wander down the department store aisles this weekend

"Gray Thursday".  "Black Friday".  "Small Business Saturday".  "Cyber Monday".  Thank God 'they'--those that seem to control the minds and pocketbooks of weak-willed and mindless shoppers--haven't renamed the "Lord's Day."  Hopefully, 'they' will remember to keep holy the Sabbath as a day of rest and praise to God. 

Don't get me wrong, this is the favorite time of the year for most people.  For the most part,  I love the holidays—the time from just before Thanksgiving to a few days after New Year’s. I love it when family all comes together and the world seems a little bit brighter and more peaceful. Right now, we are one month from Christmas and the “rush” has begun. But a reading from Revelation is a great way to stop and reflect on what this holiday season really means and what a great and glorious God is our God.

In verse 8 it says, “‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘the one who is and who was and who is to come, the almighty.’” God is everything: the beginning and the end, the creator of all the earth. God’s promise that He always “is” is such a powerful thing.  It’s hard for us to comprehend eternity and the fact that God has always been and that He always will be. I am constantly amazed at His love and presence from a God who is so big, to me, a person who often feels so small.

So, today, think of that. Think of God’s constant love and His never-ending strength and power. Think of how blessed you are because of Him and all He has done for you. Spend a few moments ignoring the “rush” and just be silent and enjoy this season. After all, the reason for this whole season is to be thankful and to remember when God, the infinite and powerful Almighty, humbled Himself and became a man to reach out to us. Will you take time out to accept His greeting?    

Developing talents (with the support of a loving family)

As Thanksgiving Day approaches, it’s good to remember that the talents or abilities that we possess are given to us by God. He does not want us to have a false humility about what He has given us and not develop and use them. We are expected to acknowledge these gifts and work to develop them to the fullest.

God does not give us our talents and abilities just for our own purposes of accumulating personal wealth or gaining admiration for our talent. God gives us these gifts to be developed and utilized for the good of His kingdom here on earth. We all can do this in our interactions with others that recognize the other as a unique person made in God’s image. We can do this by sharing of our monetary wealth with those in need. We can do it by sharing our knowledge through teaching or writing. We can do it by creating and sharing pieces of art, dance or song. We can do it by caring for the ill or conducting business in a fair and ethical manner. We can do it by caring for the physical resources of this earth entrusted to us.

Since my mom will be moving South in a few weeks to live with my sister-in-law, this may be the last chance to celebrate the holiday with her.  With Marilyn in agreement, we decided that she and the girls and Lily will carry on tradition by celebrating the day at the family cabin in the mountains with her mother and siblings, while I have elected to spend the day with my mom reflecting on the gifts and blessings God has bestowed on me. 

 My plan was to order one of those ‘prepared Thanksgiving dinners’ that grocery stores and delis sell to people like me who are, shall we say, less than adept in the culinary arts. (By the way, this is not humility—just a fact!) This is indicative of my usual culinary talent:

Evidently, Marilyn and Alicia have more confidence in my abilities than I do, because when I told them of my plan they went to the grocery store and got me the ‘fixins’ for a real Thanksgiving Day meal that even I should be able to prepare. There was a pre-seasoned turkey drumstick and breast that I only need to pop into the oven for about an hour and twenty minutes.   They also got me some stove-top stuffing mix, peas with pearl onions and some yams.  I’ll boil some potatoes that Mom has and mash those, and we’ll make some biscuits (OK, I’ll use one of those ‘poppin fresh’ doohickeys and the microwave—but the thought is there!).  A little packaged gravy mix and we have Thanksgiving dinner for two!  And I figure that if I feel a little overwhelmed while in the kitchen all I have to remember is that I have a world-class cook in the room with me!  In fact, the more I think about it, the more I think it will be fun to attempt this feat with just Mom to witness and share in my success at using the talents and resources that God has given me.  The upside is that if it’s not a success, I think I can trust Mom to tell me it is anyway (lol).

 

As I said, we are expected to acknowledge the gifts and talents we have been given by God and work to develop them to the fullest. I'm going to embrace this opportunity to learn a new talent (how to cook) and use it to be of service to Mom on the day that we set aside specifically to give thanks to God for everything we have and everything we are.

As long as it is done for the good of God’s kingdom, it is the rightful use of our talents and resources and our reward will be great. We will be like the elders of John’s dream in Revelations, saying:

"Worthy are you, Lord our God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things;
because of your will they came to be and were created."

We are not alone

Thursday is my birthday.  I have to work out of town over 150 miles from my family; happy birthday to me.  It’s not all bad, though.  I am extremely grateful to God for the friends He has put in my life that just also happen to be the people I work with.  It may sound trite, but I truly feel like they are my 2^nd family.  And, Marilyn is making reservations for a birthday dinner with the kids on Saturday when I get home—someplace fancy and out of our price range, probably.  Just kidding—I don’t care where we go as long as Marilyn and the girls are there to share it with me and pay for it!  Man!  The quips just keep coming!  Where do they come from?  I’m here all week—try the veal!

You’ve probably guessed by now that I’m in a pretty good mood this evening, despite my minor loneliness on the eve of my birthday.  I got something accomplished today, finished early, and I get to relax and meditate on the Scriptures tonight, in joyful anticipation of going to an early “birthday Mass” tomorrow morning. 

Several people this week—people who usually realize they are blessed with a very good life—have expressed to me feelings of disappointment and despair about their lack of notable achievements or their inability to cope with stressful situations, or just a malaise about the world in general (especially the political realm).  All I could offer “off-the-cuff” as advice was, in retrospect, pretty meager.  I used phrases like, “Join the club”, “Welcome to MY world”, and—in a very lame and not very helpful attempt to cheer them up—“That’s what Rocky Road ice cream is for!”  I’m sorry.  Now that I’ve had time to think about these things (with the help of St. Paul [Philemon 7-20] and the Gospel of Luke [Luke 17:20-25]), here’s my honest answer to all of you: 

All too often, when things seem to be going great, something happens that brings us emotionally and spiritually down to complete emptiness.  At these times we may find ourselves in a place of grave desolation, a place incomparable to anything we have ever experienced before.  We may suffer broken hearts, terrible losses, crushed spirits, or profound loneliness and depression.  We may feel as if our hearts are being ripped apart under the burdens of grief, despair, loss, and regret, and that God has completely abandoned us.  We find ourselves in a downward spiral where everything is working against us and things only seem to be getting worse.  These times we feel as if we may never make it out.

Our prayer life is profoundly affected by this desolation.  We beg God to come into our lives and fix our situation, heal our wounds, give us companionship, bring somebody back, ease the burden of grief and guilt we have to carry, fill the void in our hearts, etc.  For hours on end we may pray like this only to come back to life finding that nothing has changed, that God has done nothing for us, causing us to fall even deeper into despair.  At times like these, we “long to see one of the days of the Son of Man”, for an end to the pain, but there is just no end in sight. 

During these times, though, we must realize that God is more at work in and around us than ever.  As Jesus said in the gospel, “The coming of the kingdom cannot be observed”.  The end of our suffering will come but we may not be able to see it.

Even though we may think we see inaction on God’s part and begin to blame God, we must realize He would never will such a terrible burden of grief on anybody.  Yet we still find ourselves here.  Our temptation is to turn away from God and to abandon our faith just as it seems God has abandoned us.  But we must realize that this desolation we experience is an opportunity to make our faith stronger than ever.  It is so easy to have faith during times we are blessed by God with fortune, but the test of faith comes in times of intense desolation.  If our faith holds strong, even in the wake of debilitating attrition, that desolation will be nothing in comparison to what will await us in eternity.  Through the worst, God often brings the best.  We will find that great joy awaiting us when we keep the faith as Paul does in this letter to Philemon:  “I have experienced much joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the holy ones have been refreshed by you, brother.”

Brothers and sisters, there is hope.  Keep faithful and vigilant, even in times of despair, because God loves us infinitely.  We are not alone in our desolation.

 

What are we afraid of?

I am constantly reminded of the awesomeness of our loving Creator as He speaks to us through our Scriptures and traditions.  As I write this entry, we are awaiting the results of our election here in the US.  Regardless of the outcome, Holy Mother Church in her wisdom guided by the Holy Spirit has selected two readings for the day after the elections that have put my mind at rest. 

The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life's refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?

One thing I ask of the LORD;
this I seek:
To dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD
and contemplate his temple.

I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.

--Psalm 27

And;

"be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine like lights in the world, as you hold on to the word of life."

--Phillipians2

It is only in God’s Son, our Lord Jesus that we find true light and real salvation. He is the Word to whom we can turn when we have no words of our own and no light of our own. Jesus is our life when we have no vigor or strength of our own. He alone saves us!

When we feel weak, when we feel lost, we must turn to the Lord Himself. Then, when we are with the Lord, there is nothing to fear.

Let nothing disturb you,
Let nothing frighten you,
All things are passing away:
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things
Whoever has God lacks nothing;
God alone suffices.

– St. Teresa of Avila

The lap of the Lord

St. Therese of Lisieux has written of the deep inner joy that can be experienced even during times of suffering.   

In You, O Lord, I have found my peace. (Response, Psalm 131)

To be truly at peace is all we need. During times of trial and suffering, if, with the grace of God, we can maintain our inner peace, then the battle is won.  Pride, haughtiness, overreaching for things beyond us: these block our peace, our resting in the Lord.

Humility refers to the utter truth of who we are, who God is, and the nature of our relationship with God. Humility brings stillness to the soul, "like a weaned child on its mother's lap." (Psalm 131)

Like a little child, may we turn from "adult" self-centeredness and find our peace and sustenance in the lap of our Lord.

 

Nothing Lost

One of our great human fears is the fear of losing something or someone, or of being lost ourselves. Children fear when their parents seem far away; parents hold on tight to little hands lest they lose their children in a crowd. We check and double check to make sure we know where the house keys or the car keys are. Don’t lose that credit card or you’ll be in trouble! Keep the GPS handy in case you get lost!

How significant that we describe the death of a family member or close friend as “losing” someone. The ever present absence, the sound of the voice remembered but not really heard, the quirks and habits that were so much a part of everyday life, now gone. There is much that is lost.

On All Souls Day, consolation pours into the lost places of our hearts: “The souls of the just are in the hand of God.” (Wisdom 3:1-9) “I fear no evil for you are with me.” (Psalm 23:1-3a,3b-4, 5-6).  And most poignantly, “And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it on the last day.”( John 6:37-40)

In the Lord, nothing, no one is lost. The precious gift of faith, the fruit of Jesus’ sacrificial death and resurrection, assures us that in him, all that is good, precious and treasured remains—for eternity. Even for those whose ending left behind “unfinished business,” our faith knows the love of God which strengthens and purifies the good and burnishes away all that gets in the way of perfect love and communion.

We should pray that this communion may be abundant and that through the gift of faith and in the sacramental life, we may be consoled and strengthened until we are fully reunited with those whom we love.

A timely exhortation from my daughter

My daughter posted the following on Facebook today:

“I frequently wish that we would all just stop, look around, and realize we're all in this together.”

I agree with her to this point, but to make things better, we must go further.

 Here is a little food for thought:

We live in difficult times with many of our brothers and sisters suffering around the world because of unemployment, inability to pay monthly bills, and failure to afford either a decent education for our children or adequate health insurance for our families, to mention just a few of the many issues resulting in despair and hopelessness today. I think my daughter’s statement above was prompted by the Holy Spirit Who dwells within her (as He does in all of us who are baptized in Jesus Christ)simply because of the timing of it.  The first reading at Mass for All Saint’s Day provides encouragement to individuals, families, and whole communities experiencing such difficulties.  John has a vision (Revelations 7:2-4, 9-14) of a multitude of people, impossible to count, “from every nation, race, people, and tongue… These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress.” John’s vision of the salvation of many who experienced difficult, nearly unbearable suffering is also a message for us today. Suffering is not the end: God promises that all suffering will come to an end! His son sacrificed his life so that we may live.

I realize that at times, such a message can be misunderstood as a cheap consolation, giving hope for a joyful afterlife without addressing the current suffering and working towards a just society modeled after Biblical and Christian values. Karl Marx criticized religion for exactly this reason and called religion the opiate of and for the people: religion serves to dull people into acceptance or their fate because of a belief in a perfect afterlife; people need religion to survive extreme suffering and those in power promote religion to prevent the marginalized from rising up against the sources of suffering and those who benefit and profit from such circumstances.  As Christians, we have to admit that our faith communities and their leadership have often been and are even today at times guilty of accepting social conditions that are contradicting Biblical and Christian values. We, as Christians, often failed those who are suffering and ultimately Christ when we are schmoozing with those in power, defending unjust social structures that privilege some and disadvantage others and avoiding translating our faith values into policies.

However, John’s vision clearly states that active involvement here and now is crucial for salvation. One of elders in his vision says that those who survived great distress “have washed their robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb." In other words, they not simply accepted their salvation through “the Blood of the Lamb,” through Christ’s sacrifice. They “washed their robes,” they became actively involved in their salvation. Salvation is not passively accepted. Action and involvement are crucial for salvation. Or, as the second reading for All Saint’s Day says, God’s children are what they are because they made themselves pure. (1 John 3:1-3) The Gospel (Matthew 5: 1-12a) very explicitly states what this means. Christ, in His sermon on the mount, praises the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, those who are the clean of heart, and the peacemakers. The Beatitudes make it clear that we are called to become involved in our communities, in our society, and in the affairs of the global community. This is perhaps best expressed through Christ’s reference to “righteousness,” which in the Sacred Scriptures refers to serving the marginalized, weak, and poor; to speak on behalf of those who have no voice; and to work for a fair and just society modeled after the teaching of Christ. This is what many of the saints, who we remember on Thursday’s Solemnity of All Saints, did through their prayer and action.

Let us pray for ourselves, our faith communities, and our Church that we may not betray those who are in need. I submit that those most in need in these troubled times are the unborn children who are ripped apart in their mothers’ wombs.  How many productive, faith-filled brothers and sisters were lost to that horror!

 

Let us pray that our communities may never be the opiate of and for the people but, inspired by the Holy Spirit, identify ways to transform our society through Christ’s teaching, become engines of promoting fairness and justice in our society and globally. 

Nobody said it would be easy!

Jesus tells us (Luke 13: 22-30) to be different, to not follow what everyone else is doing and go with the flow of society, but rather to stand strong in our faith and strive to be holy servants of God. How do we do this?

Ephesians 6:1-9 states “Honor your Father and Mother,” and “As slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, willingly serving the Lord and not men.” These are two great examples of ways to “strive to enter the narrow gate.”

Be the one who wakes up a few minutes early to begin your day with the Lord, amidst a crowd be courageous, and pray before your meal; take some time during the day to be in silence with the Lord, smile at whomever you meet along your path, pray for someone going through a hard time, spend time talking with a friend, call a family member and remind them how much you love them, thank God for the blessings in your life, do whatever it is God is calling YOU to do that day to serve God, and strive to be holy.

We can bring serving God and doing His will into our workplace. And that way, we can offer whatever we do on a daily basis to God, as our sacrifice to Him. United with the cross of Jesus, our simple, perhaps mundane tasks throughout the day can take on a redemptive value. That means God takes them and uses them for His purposes in a mysterious way throughout His body, the Church. That means your work can really count for something eternally important!

St. Paul bids us to "willingly serve the Lord and not men."  There may come a time when serving the Lord may be in conflict with serving men and this world. When this comes, be not afraid! Remember to Whom your first allegiance is, and do not disappoint our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The Lord will give you the grace you need to discern His will, and then give you the courage to do it.

Jesus gives us a warning in the Gospel (Luke) that we must do this each and every day, because “some who are last who will be first and some who are first will be last.” We can’t be God’s servants on Sunday only and expect to enter through the narrow gate of salvation. We can’t have been God’s servants yesterday and choose not to from then on thinking that one day is good enough. To be a servant of the Lord is a way of life and a purposeful mindset.