Not enough just to hear the word of the Lord

It is not enough to hear the word of the Lord. Don't be mistaken - hearing the word is a good start. But Jesus is very clear in Matthew 7:21-29 , "Everyone who listens . . . and acts. . . ." We hear, we listen, we pray, and then from that fullness of the word, we act.

Elsewhere in the gospels we learn that what comes out of the mouth of a person shows what His heart is full of. We speak from our hearts, even our idle and simple words. If our hearts are filled with love, then every word brings love to the hearers. If our hearts are filled with venom, then even the most loving words are poisoned by it.

So too, are our actions, which are working words. If our hearts are filled with the word of the Lord and with love for Him, then our actions bloom in that love and make it present to the world around it. But, if our hearts are filled with ourselves, then no matter how many words we hear, we will not act on them because they are not at our center.

Listen to what God speaks to you today in the gospel, at Mass, in prayer. Listen to His words, and then act on them.

Finding our courage in the Holy Spirit

Mom sent me an e-mail the other day asking me to pick up a new scapular for her before I see her again on Sunday.  So I went shopping at the religious goods store here in Fresno this afternoon and bought several for her to choose from.  I also picked up a couple of DVDs to watch, since I don’t have cable.  One of the DVDs I bought and watched tonight was “Acts of the Apostles”.  I really enjoyed it.  It is a dramatization of the Acts of the Apostles using the actual Scriptures…word for word!  Nothing was added.  It starred Dean Jones (yes, THAT Dean Jones) as Luke, who reads his account to fellow travelers as they sail toward an unnamed destination. 

As I was watching, I was struck by the courage of Peter, Paul, St. Stephen (of course), and all of the other early Christians as they boldly continued to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ even through persecution and martyrdom.  So tonight I think about the same courage many Christians and martyrs for the faith are enduring even today, in our age.  I think of and pray for those in other countries who are persecuted far worse than we in the US are.   At least we don’t have tanks on our doorsteps or fighter jets in the sky shooting missiles at us to persuade us to give up our faith.

But we are in the “infancy” of a real battle for our rights to practice our faith in good conscience.  We need to join in our bishops’ plea for a “Fortnight for Freedom.” 

Please take a few moments every night for the next two weeks (up to and including INDEPENDENCE DAY) to say the prayer below.  We must not allow our government to force anyone or any institution to violate their conscience!

Prayer for the Protection of Religious Liberty

O God our Creator,

Through the power and working of your Holy Spirit,

you call us to live out our faith in the midst of the world,

bringing the light and the saving truth of the Gospel

to every corner of society.

We ask you to bless us

in our vigilance for the gift of religious liberty.

Give us the strength of mind and heart

to readily defend our freedoms when they are threatened;

give us courage in making our voices heard

on behalf of the rights of your Church

and the freedom of conscience of all people of faith.

Grant, we pray, O heavenly Father,

a clear and united voice to all your sons and daughters

gathered in your Church

in this decisive hour in the history of our nation,

so that, with every trial withstood

and every danger overcome—

for the sake of our children, our grandchildren,

and all who come after us—

this great land will always be "one nation, under God,

indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

What a (great) day I had!

Yesterday was Father’s Day.  It was really more than I expected.  When I was a young boy and I would ask my mom or dad what they wanted for their birthday or “special” day, their response would sometimes be, “Nothing.  I have everything I want, especially you kids.”  I would think “Why would anyone turn down a present?” 

As I get older (and older and older) I really understand what they meant.  It’s nice to get presents but it’s nicer just to have the family’s presence around me, and to know that I make a real difference in their lives.  The cards I received from Marilyn, Alicia and Lily, Sarah, and Mom had sentiments I needed to hear. 

I was able to spend a quality day with Mom on Saturday, and go to Mass. (Where the most magnificent Presence surrounds me every week!).

On Sunday Marilyn, Alicia, and Lily took me to see a movie—Madagascar3.  I didn’t see, nor did I even know about Madagascar 1 or 2, but it was pretty funny.  Then we went up to Sacramento to meet with (as Lily says) SarahandTony (one word) to have dinner at a very nice restaurant. 

It was a perfectly relaxing day.  I’d like to have more of those. Well, there's always NEXT Father's Day! 

A potpourri post

I started several entries over the last few days, but time constraints (and my own lack of will-power) made it difficult to complete them.  Here's a sampling of what could have been great posts (IMHO):



I almost gave in today.  I did not want to abstain from meat.  I craved (of all things) a bologna sandwich for lunch!  On my way to Subway, I was actually dreading the fact that I would once again order either a tuna fish sandwich or a vegetarian sandwich.  “After all”, I said to myself, “it’s not a sin to eat meat on Fridays anymore.”  That led me to thinking about why I made the decision years ago to keep the Catholic tradition of meatless Fridays in the first place.  It’s not about me.  It’s about remembrance of the sacrifice Christ made for me on the Cross on that Friday 2 millennia ago.  So, tuna fish it was—“light on the tuna.” The bologna can wait until tomorrow.

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It often isn’t easy to speak to friends or family about our faith, but it is necessary.  Saint Paul tells us, “From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but to all who have longed for his appearance” (2 Tim 4:8). I need to remember this the next time I'm a little uncomfortable talking to someone about my faith- in the end, it is all worth it.

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Having many things makes it difficult to depend upon God alone.  Being poor, and placing our lives in God's hands, allows us to keep everything in perspective and to give generously, "and not to count the cost.”

Lord Jesus, teach me to be generous;

teach me to serve you as you deserve,

to give and not to count the cost,

to fight and not to heed the wounds,

to toil and not to seek for rest,

to labor and not to seek reward,

except that of knowing that I do your will.

Amen.

-- St. Ignatius Loyola

We CAN handle the truth! (With Jesus' help!)

St. Paul tells each of us to "bear your share of hardship for the Gospel with the strength that comes from God."(2 Timothy 1: 1-3, 6-12) Every word in that directive is packed with meaning! Let's take a closer look at each word:

First, to "bear": This means to shoulder a specific burden, or to hold its weight.  Of course, this requires effort. Don't run away from carrying the inevitable burden that God requires of you as a Christian! Be a man of God - or a woman of God - and bear it!

What are you bearing?  Only "your share."  God wisely metes out only a share to you . . . not the whole thing.  And that portion is suited perfectly to you, even though you may not realize it. You may prefer something else - or something more - than Jesus intends for you to bear.  He gives you a particular "share" of hardship that is exactly the right type and size for you.  Sometimes a trusted friend or a good spiritual director can help you discern what "your share" actually is.

Next, the word "hardship. " Accepting Jesus and living by His commands - sooner or later - is always hard. It always requires sacrifice of some kind, big or small. You may want to do big things for God, but sometimes He asks for small sacrifices, the little things you think don't count. But remember: any difficulty, any sacrifice, always counts to God when we lovingly offer it to Jesus for the sake of His Kingdom. He will use it all, every tiny bit.

"The Gospel" is what it's all about. It is the ultimate Good News - intended to be lived, and shared with others.  It's for the sake of the Gospel that we bear hardship - and it's all worth it.

And finally, how can we possibly do all this? The answer, Paul says, is "with the strength that comes from God." Not our own puny human strength, thank goodness! Human strength is good, but it's not enough. You do it with the strength that God gives you - and that is always enough. You can count on it.