My first "Best Of"

Whenever radio personalities go on vacation, they often leave their listeners with "Best Of" broadcasts.  That's what I'm going to do today.  Sarah and Tony have spent a few days with us.  Sarah was looking for some nostalgic newspaper articles and such and I found an old journal (not a "diary"--because I'M A MAN! lol)entry written on the same date (12/28/07.  I hope you enjoy.

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In the priestly prayer of Christ in St. John's Gospel, Christ says, "Father, may they be one in us as you are in me and I am in you; With me in them and you in me, may they be so completely one..." (Jn. 17:21-23).

I am not a great scholar, or even a great thinker.  But I am doing a lot more soul searching these days and trying to get closer to God by really looking for Him through prayer in my everyday life.  It’s amazing to me how many times every single day that I find proof of His existence and confirm, as St. Paul says, that we are all part of the Mystical Body of Christ, whether we want to acknowledge it or not. 

While meditating on the Feast of the Holy Innocents (December 28), I began to cry for the poor children who were slaughtered by Herod simply because he wanted to hold on to his throne and was jealous of anyone holding more power than he had.  I wonder why I cried.  It happened over 2000 years ago, and I didn’t know any of those children personally!  But I felt true, deep sorrow over the loss of innocent life.  I think it is the same sorrow that I feel for the slaughtered unborn (aborted) children of today.  And for those killed in unnecessary wars (aren’t they all?).  It was and is such a waste of potential souls who can join with mine in glorifying God.  But why do I cry real tears?    

Then my thoughts turned to something completely inane—the television show “Extreme Makeover—Home Edition.”  I cry every week while watching this show.  I cry at the tragic events that befall these families.  It is a deep, profound sorrow that reaches down to the depths of my heart.  I feel as though their troubles are my own.  I don’t know these people personally, but my grief for them is as sincere as if they were my own family.  And at the end of each show, I cry with tears of real joy as they (almost always) praise God for the intervention of the designers and builders.  Another thing that impresses me about the show is the compassion of the families’ friends and neighbors in helping get the homes built in 7 days.  This show is a testament to faith and works in action.  But, why do I cry?   And why is my grief so severe? And why are my tears of joy so overwhelming, almost to the point of embarrassment?

Could it be that we truly are the Body of Christ?  That we are all somehow joined mystically to one another through Jesus Christ by our baptism?  It seems so simple to me sometimes, but I know that it is much more complex than this.  I think the key to understanding some of these principles is using the free will and the gifts of intelligence and reasoning that God gave us to recognize when the Holy Spirit is speaking to us and listening prayerfully to His advice.

Romans 12: 5 - 16

so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.  Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; he who teaches, in his teaching; he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who contributes, in liberality; he who gives aid, with zeal; he who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.  Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good;  love one another with brotherly affection; outdo one another in showing honor.  Never flag in zeal, be aglow with the Spirit, serve the Lord.  Rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.  Contribute to the needs of the saints, practice hospitality.  Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.  Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.  Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; never be conceited.