"Fill 'er up!" to stay 'lit' for Jesus"!

To "carry a torch" for a friend means that we have a warm spot in our heart for him or her, and we won't let it dim. We might even say we love that person.  By “human love” we mean an emotion, feeling, attraction, etc.  We can feel this way toward another person, toward some activity or toward many things in life.  We can “love” to play sports, or watch movies, etc.

We all carry torches for someone.  For many of us, that’s a lot of torches; Family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, pets, etc.  That requires a lot of fuel.  That fuel is known as charity.

Charity is more than just simple human love.  Charity means we love with the heart of Christ.  It means that Jesus has placed in our hearts His own merciful heart and we love with His love.  Charity is a gift from God that enables us to reach out to and care for others in ways that are far beyond our own abilities.  Charity is divine action in our lives; and it is necessary if we want to be welcomed to the feast of Heaven.

In Matthew (25:1-13), Jesus warns us not to run out of fuel or we run the risk of our flames extinguishing and our invitation to “attend the wedding feast” of Heaven being rescinded.  So how do we keep our fuel replenished?

Perhaps your torch is lit by your prayer life and you keep it lit by taking time every day to quietly connect with God, asking for spiritual strength. Maybe it’s taking time to seek hope and guidance from Scripture.  Maybe it’s putting in a little extra effort studying the teachings of Christ to receive more wisdom from the Holy Spirit. Or maybe it's the suffering you've endured for the sake of unconditionally loving someone who doesn't love you back equally, and you've offered your heartbreaks to Jesus as a sacrifice that unites you to His cross. Or it's the joy of using your gifts and talents in the Church. 

Whatever it is, don’t be caught without your torch lit when Jesus comes for you!

" "

The expression “to lose one’s head” means to become confused or overly emotional about someone or something.  It’s the expression that came to my mind first today after reading the Scriptures for Mass assigned to the Martyrdom of John the Baptist.

We live in a nasty world today. We are bitterly divided on almost any issue, to such a degree that some “lose their heads” over trivial matters, like wearing a MAGA hat automatically makes one a racist or wanting to treat undocumented immigrants like human beings defines one as a socialist.  Some life is too often seen as less valuable.  It is difficult to imagine that God is happy with how this world has turned out - the tremendous injustices everywhere, and the degradation of our planet in ways that are threatening human life all over the world.

We have been called by God to love, and St. Paul says we must exercise this love to create a climate of peace within our communities and develop a sense of fellowship.  (1 Thessalonians 4:9-11)

To stand in solidarity with those who are the most rejected and marginalized in our culture, to work hard to act against the many ways we are hurting our planet and all those who are the first and worst to suffer, to act publicly and try to witness to a life of mercy and compassion, will put us at odds with very powerful forces. The forces which profit mightily to sustain systemic injustice will not surrender their power easily or kindly. We may not end up being beheaded, like John, but the backlash to living the way of Jesus will be strong and powerful. John's courage and integrity can be a great grace for us, individually, and as a faith community, as we meditate upon the message of his martyrdom today.

Today's Lesson: Cup Washing 101

Cleanse first the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may be clean. (Matthew 23:26)

You reach for a coffee mug. It sure looks clean, but then you discover that it hasn’t been washed properly. There are stains and specks of leftover coffee grounds inside. It’s not the clean mug you thought it was going to be!

There are a few reasons why the cup wasn’t cleaned properly.  There’s a process to cleaning a coffee cup, as any coffee drinker knows. 

The cup must first be empty

As Christians, as human beings, we must empty ourselves. We must empty ourselves of self-absorption, of vanity, of self-serving, of the desire for praise – for recognition. Only when we do this can we orient ourselves to the service and care of others. Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many. (MT 20:28)

The cup should be rinsed

The Pharisees in today’s Gospel passage were like that coffee mug: clean on the outside but in need of a more careful cleansing on the inside. By keeping up with their tithes and the other details of the Law of Moses, they were doing what they thought holy men of God ought to be doing. And yet Jesus said they were neglecting “the weightier things of the law,” such as “mercy and fidelity” (Matthew 23:23).

Some “elbow grease”, soap, and a cloth or sponge need to be used

Sometimes we may need cleaning up on the inside as well. We may exert all our energy in doing godly things, but we do them with the wrong attitude or disposition. For example, you might be serving the poor at a homeless shelter, but you find yourself judging how some of the people there got to such a low point. Or maybe you are attending daily Mass, but instead of listening to the readings, you find yourself criticizing the way the lector speaks. You don’t mean for these thoughts to rise up in you, but they sneak in anyway!

Rinse the cup, and verify that it’s clean before using it again

Of course, Jesus is always pleased when you serve the poor or spend time worshipping Him. He also knows that none of us can control every thought that comes into our minds. But you can do something. Whenever you realize that your attitude has wandered out of line, stop right away and ask the Lord for forgiveness. He knows you well, and He knows that you’re trying to please Him. He will be merciful and help you the next time you are tempted by judgmental, critical, or resentful thoughts. He may even flood your heart at that moment with love for the person you are judging!

You too, can be clean both on the inside and outside. Turn to Jesus and trust that He can—and will—change your heart to become more like His.

I pray today that I may empty myself in such a way that I may be filled with the Spirit of God.

Service without love is merely a duty fulfilled

Service without love is merely a duty fulfilled, the minimum requirement of obedience. Love is what makes any good deed a sacred deed.

What's the real motive behind anything and everything we do? Service that's not motivated by love—love for God and for all whom He loves (which is everyone!)—can do more harm than good.

I am reminded of the time my family and I went to New York for a few days.  As we were walking along 5th Avenue in the morning on the way to Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, we passed by a young man who was obviously cold. I thought, “Dear God, if this guy is still out here when we pass this way again, I’m going to give him my gloves.”  By the time Mass was over, I had already forgotten to look for him on the way back to the hotel. Talk is cheap. Strike one.

Later in the day, we were walking back to the hotel for the evening after a long day of sightseeing, and I saw a woman bundled up against the cold, looking almost dead lying on the sidewalk.  Many people were walking by very quickly, appearing not to notice her. It was like she was just part of the landscape. But did I do anything? For a fleeting moment, I thought I should see if she was all right and maybe buy her a cup of soup or something. But did I? No, I picked up my pace to try to catch up to the girls, who were crossing the street about 50 feet in front of me. Strike two.

For all my noble thoughts of loving my neighbor as myself, I showed a complete disdain for what Christ calls the Greatest Commandment.  I think that both of those unfortunate people were placed in my path for me to recognize as Jesus, and I failed our Lord’s test.

We prove our faith by laboring in love. Anyone can do good works, even atheists. Anyone can claim to be doing good deeds for God, even those who are far from God. Good deeds are sacred—Godly—only   when they are works of love done in cooperation with God's divine plans of love.

Fig Trees

I don’t know how a fig tree came to grow in my back yard, but it did.  It got so large this year that Marilyn and I trimmed it up to provide good shade over the swing set that the grandkids play on.  The tree was so out of control it took 2 weekends to make it manageable, and to fit the trimmings in the yard waste bin!  

The fig tree has rather large, broad leaves and long, droopy branches when left unattended.  The tree would make a good place to hide, if one was so inclined.  I thought about this fact while reading today’s Gospel (John 1: 45-51).

When Philip tells Nathaniel 

"We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law,

and also the prophets, Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth”, 

Nathaniel replies, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?"

To me, it sounds like Nathaniel is a bit skeptical.  He wonders if Philip is just a bit naive.  

Then, Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Here is a true child of Israel. There is no duplicity in him."  Remember, the two men have never met—Philip wants to introduce them to one another. So when Jesus describes Nathanael’s innermost character before even hearing his name, he asks Jesus, "How do you know me?" 

Jesus answered, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree."

At this, Nathanael no longer needs any convincing from Philip!   “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel!”

When Jesus said He saw Nathaniel under the fig tree, He probably did actually see him under a fig tree.  But I think the fig tree could also represent the cloud of doubt and pessimism Nathaniel showed when he dismissed the man from Nazareth so disdainfully.  When Nathaniel realizes he can’t hide his heart or his mind from God, he determines Jesus to be, in fact, the Son of God.

I think there’s a lesson in this Gospel for all of us.  We can try to hide our sins, our doubts, and our fears from God under the fig trees in our hearts and minds, but Jesus still sees us!  And when we trim away all the useless and harmful leaves and branches to realize He only wants us to love Him and one another without fear or shame or boundaries, we will see more beauty and peace than our limited minds can handle in this life.

Up to the task?

I struggle constantly with the fear that I’m not capable of living up to the ideal that Jesus lays out for us in today’s Gospel (Matthew 22: 34-40), especially the “neighbor” part.

God will never ask of us to do something He hasn’t already done.  Jesus loves us with all His heart, all His soul, all His mind. This ideal is meant to melt those most interior places within us where such defeatism lies, where we are leveled by the absolute, complete, selfless, sacrificial love of God that Jesus has demonstrated in His Life, and in His death.  The ideal which we grasp and consume as we take and eat His Body and Blood in the Eucharist.

Like every true love story, we can only respond by somehow, someway reciprocating. To strive to love that same way, as imperfectly as it is.  Jesus sees that imperfect effort and, in His love for us, that is somehow enough to calm my fears of inadequacy.

"Generosity is the Flower of Justice"--Nathaniel Hawthorne

Today’s Gospel parable (Matthew 20: 1-16) causes me angst. I want to say to Jesus “It’s not right nor fair to pay the last workers hired the same as those who slaved all day long in the hot sun!”. 

In America, we insist that justice has to do with equality. Of course, it’s not fair.  Jesus is teaching us that a God who is “just” is inclined to show special generosity to the poor and outcast.  Who spends the whole day waiting to be hired until the end of the day?  In Jesus’ time, this would have been the weak, infirm, disabled and elderly. In today’s world, we can add the immigrant, the drug addict, and anyone else who is maliciously labeled as “worthless”.

Jesus tells us to be careful about taking things for granted; that we watch out and not put too much emphasis on ourselves and miss the most important part of our existence: the graciousness of God. The whole point is God’s generosity and bounteous love that He lavishes on saint and sinner alike.

In other words it's not up to the amount of work that is done or how much "heat of the day" is endured, or even how well the work is done. It all depends on God's call and invitation, and our acceptance of the invitation. Eternal happiness in the presence of our God is the ultimate wage. That's where we need to focus ourselves--not on grumbling against those we think don't deserve the wages for which we contracted.

In God's vineyard, the last is put first, because the one who is last is the one who's not competing with others to earn first position. This is the person who knows that God's love is always available simply because God is love. We don't have to climb any ladder of heavenly success; we're instantly on the top rung the moment we discover that God already loves us fully. The only reason we serve Him and work hard for Him, giving Him our best, unwilling to be mediocre, is simply because we love Him so very much.

What happens next is so awesome; it's saintly. We lose the selfishness that has kept us from putting others first. We find joy in helping our brothers and sisters receive the Father's assistance ahead of us, happily praying for them more than we pray for ourselves. And we get excited when the "lazy bums" in the family, the ones who've been rebelling against God all their lives, finally join the Christian workforce and benefit from God's love as much as we do.

Charcoal Fires--A Reflection on Mercy and Mission

As I sat at the kitchen table staring into the backyard at the extinguished ashes in the grill from a BBQ the other night, I noticed a couple of unburned charcoal briquettes.  Leave it to the Holy Spirit to prod me into a reflection on charcoal!!!

There are two charcoal fires in the Gospel of John. The first is mentioned at John 18:18, the charcoal fire in the high priest’s courtyard around which the slaves and guards warmed themselves when the gatekeeper says to Peter, “You are not one of this man’s disciples are you?” and Peter says, “I am not.” Questioned like that two more times, Peter, now warming himself at the same fire, denies being a disciple of Jesus two more times.

The second charcoal fire is the one on the shore of the Sea of Tiberius*, apparently prepared by the risen Lord Jesus (21:9), where Peter is again questioned three times.  But this time he is questioned by Jesus, “Do you love me?” and the disciple now affirms his allegiance three times.

So in one place a charcoal fire is the setting for a threefold denial of discipleship, and in the other place a charcoal fire is the setting for a threefold affirmation of discipleship. Was this a coincidence?  I think not. The evangelist John uses that detail to help us link those episodes together. And who is to say that the association does not go back to Jesus Himself, helping Peter to realize that the denier is being given a fresh start in his relationship to the Lord.

I can’t help but to put myself in Peter’s shoes.  There have been times (probably more than 3!) when I’ve denied Christ, and just as many times when Christ—through the Sacrament of Reconciliation—has forgiven me. 

And this seaside scenario is not only a matter of astounding forgiveness and mercy; it is also a commissioning: “Feed my lambs; feed my sheep.” The Good Shepherd is enlisting His errant sheep in His own work of shepherding.  Peter is given an opportunity to demonstrate the love he professed by sharing in the mission of the risen Lord.  Ultimately, it’s going to be a matter of being led where he does not want to go. Loving the head shepherd will entail following Him even to a death like His.  But he need not fear. The Lord stands there full of risen life, a life Peter (and we) can also share already in the act of following.

In our own small way, each of us who claims to be a disciple of Jesus is invited into that same act of trust with mercy, as people forgiven and assigned our particular task.

*The Sea of Tiberias went by a few other names in the New Testament, as well: Lake Gennesaret, and the Sea of Galilee.  In the Old Testament, it was called the Sea of Chinneroth.

God Leaves the Color Up To Us

“The tapestry of life”.  “God writes straight with crooked lines”.  “God draws us to salvation”.  These are a few of the phrases that have helped me in my search to understand who I am, why I am here, and where am I destined to be. 

I formed an image of God and His guidance in my life when I was about 8 years old that I find myself going back to more and more in these days as I fret over the future of our children, our country, and our world.  It is an image I shared only once with my Mom when I was going through a particularly tough decision in my life.  I’m not sure she understood my description because she laughed.  

I think she may have thought I saw God as an eternal Bob Ross.  But as we “fleshed out” my image a bit more, she helped me understand what I was really seeing.  In hindsight, my mom was a great catechist and spiritual director for me.  Here is the image I see, and the interpretation Mom and I came up with:

I see God standing in front of His already finished painting of His creation (each and EVERY person) from the beginning of time until the end.  Although the painting is finished (since God is outside of time and space) it is also ever-changing because of Man’s free will.  God already knows what choices we’ll make in life, but He refuses, out of love for us, to interfere with those choices.  Instead, He “edits” the painting each time we make a wrong decision, a wrong decision by another affects us, or a natural disaster hits us, to provide us another chance to be where He wants us to be; with Him forever in Paradise.

These “edits” are the Grace of the Sacraments He gives to us through Jesus Christ and the Gifts of Holy Spirit.  We only need to recognize, accept, and use these graces and gifts to allow the tapestry of God’s creation to include us in the end.

As I said, the image is much easier to see in my mind than it is to describe it in words.  The bottom line is that we are all drawn into temptation, doubt, and despair many times in our lives.  It is up to us to recognize that God’s hand is still in control of the paintbrush that colors our future.  He leaves the color of the paint up to us.

Lighting the Fire of Truth

What does it mean when Jesus says that He came to set the world on fire (Luke 12:49)? Fire is a powerful image.  First, fire consumes.  So it is with Christ.  He came to consume us.  He came to transform our little lives into blazing fires.  This reveals that there is much potential in each one of our lives.  We have potential to become something totally new if we allow the spark of grace to ignite our souls.

Fire also has the potential to make a difference.  Its heat keeps us warm.  Its light allows us to see in darkness and its energy produces power in various ways to help us in our daily lives.  So it is with grace.  God’s grace transforms our cold hearts, leads us through the darkness of life and provides us with all we need to live productive lives.   

In my 45-plus years of management I had to “light a fire” under a lot of my subordinates to get them all working together toward a common goal.  It worked on some, not on others.  Some were receptive to the spark I tried to provide, but others were so dampened by their stubbornness and ego that the kindling of their work ethic wouldn’t catch fire.  That’s when I needed to have what is colloquially known as ‘Come to Jesus Meetings’, and throw some hard truths at them to recognize their weaknesses to the team effort.

Truth is hard – hard on individuals, hard on families, communities, nations and the world.  Truth takes courage – courage to face truth, to speak truth, to live truth.  Truth often means change and we all know that change is never easy, never without challenges, and almost never welcomed.

When families stop pretending that Billy’s drinking is not really a problem and Sally’s perpetual lying is not something she will simply outgrow, there is likely going to be struggle.  When a community acknowledges its ethnic or racial biases, there is going to be defensive kick-back.  When nations begin to address the inequities among peoples, there will be challenges and struggles.  Truth can lead to division and denial.  Truth can result in defensiveness and polarity.

But truth, if embraced, even when difficult and challenging, can also bring about peace – the peace Jesus spoke of – the peace that is the result of being immerged in God’s Word, God’s truth.

"A Child Such as This....."

The Gospel for today (Mt 18: 1-5) brings me joy-filled memories of my Uncle Bob Batty and the example he set for me of who Jesus was speaking of when he said, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.”

Whenever I think of my Uncle Bob, three characteristics come to the fore; the strength (firmness) of his faith, the (child-like) humility that he brings to that faith, and the courage to persevere in his faith, despite this life’s challenges.   He is a great example to all of us. 

Bob was a great help to my mom and a good source of spiritual direction and conversations for me until he moved away into an assisted care facility closer to his daughters.  As I reflect on Bob’s example to me as a Christian, I keep coming back to his devotion to the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  I recall how he led the rosary at my brother Tom’s memorial service.  I was struck by his sincerity as he recited each Hail Mary—he was even crying at times!  They weren’t tears of sadness about Tom’s passing, I remember thinking to myself, but tears of gratitude and certain hope that our Lady would intercede to the Sacred Heart of her Son for us on behalf of Tom and all of our other relatives and friends who have gone before us.

I think St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians (1 Cor 1:3-9) describes Bob’s faith pretty well:  

“I give thanks to my God always on your account for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus, that in him you were enriched in every way, with all discourse and all knowledge, as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you, so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

He will keep you firm to the end, irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

God is faithful, and by him you were called to fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

God bless you, Uncle Bob.  Pray for us. 

Blessed Are You Among Women!

I read this meditation on line several years ago and posted it on my blog.  I have no idea where I found it or the author's name, but what a marvelous meditation on the moments just preceding the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary!   I hope you enjoy it as well!



Mary looked over at John writing at his table and smiled. He had always looked so young and the years had not aged him very much. She could understand why Jesus had such a special place in His heart for John, with his gentle ways and his easy love for people.


She gathered her cloak around her against the cold and closed her eyes as she thought about the many years of her life. So much of it was beyond understanding and yet she believed it and accepted it. She had been given a courage, faith and humility that could only be a gift from God. How else could she have overcome her fears and said "Yes" when Gabriel asked her to be the mother of the Savior? Her son, Jesus, had been a wonder in her life. She had not always understood all of what He did, but she knew He had a special role on earth. Their hearts had been bound together in faith and an unbreakable love. She had watched Him leave home, teach, heal and challenge the authorities. Her heart had been pierced with such sorrow when He was arrested and tortured and finally put to death. Her faith in the Father had carried her through those days, and the incredible joy-filled days that came after.


"Imma?" John, said using the most intimate form of "mother." He laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. "You are so quiet these days." She smiled at him with affection. "Dearest John, my life has been long, and I have so much to be grateful for. These years together have been so full."


It was true. In the weeks after He had risen, Jesus had spoken to them of a new order, a new way of life. She had resisted the urge to cling to Him and not let Him go again. She had to trust. "I will be with you always," He had said. In her heart, she knew it was true and once again opened her life fully to God's will. She watched with joy as He was taken up into the clouds. In the years that had followed, His message and life had given hope and meaning to a growing number of followers. She had spoken to so many of the disciples and followers in those times.


Jesus was in her life, too, in a vivid and very real way. She felt His presence with her as she grew tired. She spoke to Him from her heart constantly, just as she did when He was on earth. She felt a strong connection that was as unexplainable as it was real. She closed her eyes again in thought.


"Imma," came the familiar loving voice. "Blessed are you among women." She knew it was different. She was not in John's house but with Jesus, standing in a place that filled her with a different kind of joy. "My son," she said softly as they embraced. She felt his cheek firmly against hers.


She did not know how or why. There were no questions and no answers for this. He had promised her she would be with Him and the Father. She touched her body in wonder and knew she had been drawn to a different place by power not her own. It was her same body and yet different, more vibrant.


"You said 'Yes' to the Father's request, Imma," Jesus said to her. "Your life was prepared in a special way and you followed it with such faith. You made my work possible."


She knew that—somehow—she was experiencing the resurrection in a way that others would have to wait for. As she had so many times before, she paused and opened her heart in prayer. "The Almighty has done great things for me. Holy is His Name."

Homeless? Or a Saint in Disguise?

I got off my butt this morning and went to Mass. 

Side note:  I really must get back to going to daily mass.  My soul hungers for the Word of God, but especially for the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity that is truly present in the Eucharist.  Since retiring, I have no excuses not to go anymore, other than laziness.  My laziness ranks up there with greats—Homer Simpson, Al Bundy, and these people.  

I have a lot of apps on my phone that help me to read the daily Scripture passages and give me fodder for meditation, but those meditations are usually my own interpretation of what I’ve read or experienced each day.  It’s good to get another perspective now and again.  That’s where a priest’s homily comes in handy.  Especially when he goes “off script”, so to speak.  Take today, for example. 

The readings at Mass were supposed to be for the “Wednesday of the nineteenth week in Ordinary Time”, which was an Old Testament reading from Deuteronomy and the Gospel from Matthew.  But it’s also the Feast Day of Saint Maxamilian Kolbe, a priest who was martyred during WWII.  He was in a concentration camp.  One of the prisoners escaped and as punishment, the Nazis chose 10 men to die to discourage other escape attempts.  Father Kolbe volunteered to be injected with carbolic acid in place of another man who had a wife and family.  You can read his story here.

When it is a Feast Day, the priest has the option to use other readings that were authorized by the Church that help honor the Saint in a special way.  Today was one of those days.  The readings were instead Wisdom 3:1-9 and John 15:12-16.  Both speak of giving up everything for the Kingdom of God, including our very lives.

During his homily, Father asked “Who wants to go to Heaven?”  Of course everyone raised their hands.  Then, he asked “How many of you are willing to sell EVERYTHING you have to follow Christ?”  No one raised their hands. He knew he would get that response.  He related that the last time he asked the question at a Mass, he had a parishioner come to him afterwards and ask, “So Father, do we have to be homeless to follow Christ?”  His answer was thought-provoking to me, although not convicting me enough to do what St. Francis and others did.  He said there are many stories of the lives of the saints who did renounce great wealth and stations in life and spent the rest of their lives living in the streets and begging for food for themselves and others.  But there is one word that was never used to describe them; “homeless”.  I wonder how many “homeless” I see everyday are actually saints in disguise.  I think from now on, I’ll try to give each of them the benefit of the doubt and give them the respect and dignity they deserve.  Won’t you join me?  

Faith is a Choice to Trust in God

As a believer, I feel happy with the sure knowledge of a loving God who cares. “See, the eyes of the Lord are upon those who fear [have a filial respect for] him, upon those who hope for his kindness.” (Psalm 33)

But the description of faith in Hebrews 11: 1-2 makes me meditate on the difference between belief and faith.  “Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.”

Faith implies an element of doubt, just as love does.  You cannot always possess it peacefully.  Like love, faith must be fostered by communication, i.e., prayer! It seems my faith (trust in God) requires constant replenishing.  I worry, will I have enough when I face Jesus at the end of my earthly life?  Yet never have I ever heard God say, ‘I’m only going to give you this much faith, so you’d better hoard it.’  It seems the supply of faith available to us is inexhaustible.  So why do I have the fear?  Faith is definitely a choice.  It is both incredibly powerful, but also fragile.  Worry tends often to squeeze the faith and hope out of my life.  Worry can rob us of our faith.  When we worry, we lose our joy and it affects our ability to serve God.  When we simply trust God and put God first in our lives, then we glorify Him, and our joy can return.

An image that keeps running through my mind as I write this is one of my granddaughter Lily when she was learning to walk.  I’m sure every parent and grandparent has done the same thing.  Mom or Dad will sit on the floor and “aim” the kid toward the other parent.  The kid stumbles across the floor and launches herself into her mom or dad’s arms.  If they were not there to catch her, she would definitely land face first on the floor.  And yet she plays the “game” again and again and every time she will look back at the “launching” parent and grin with such pride and joy at her accomplishment.  There isn’t any thought in her head about, “what if they didn’t catch me?”  She simply trusts completely.

How I wish I had that kind of faith and trust.  It is so easy to fall into the worry trap and lose our joy.

My prayer today is for those of us who stumble with our faith and trust.  Instead of expecting the worst, we should be preparing for the best.

A Pop Quiz

God asks each and every one of us the same exact question He asked His disciples, who arguably knew Him better than anyone else could claim to, “Who do you say that I am?”  Because God works in our lives in very personal ways, we must answer this question very personally and intimately with Him.

Man, I hate pop quizzes!  Jesus’ question forces me to ask some tough questions of my own.  Do I really know Him on a personal level?  How long have I been in my relationship with God?  How well do I know His mind?  Do I know how He works specifically with me in my life?  How does He communicate with me?  What does God’s voice sound like in my life?  We’re able to recognize the speech patterns and inflections of the voices of our loved ones. We’re able to hear their voice and know who they are without seeing their face.  So, can I do this with God?  When He speaks to me, can I recognize the voice of God?  And am I able to point His voice out to others?  Do I point His voice out with humble confidence?  Or is it with timidity and doubt?

Then I think about Peter.  Peter is just sooo human.  Peter boldly proclaims to Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And then when Jesus says He is headed to Jerusalem to be killed, Peter takes Him aside and boldly says, “That’s a horrible plan, I can come up with a better plan than that!”  Imagine, telling God you have a better plan.  Good thing I never do that!

I have family members and friends who have drifted from their faith in Jesus and His Church by the trappings and seductions of the secular world.  Or maybe they never had it.  I have tried logical arguments, and I’ve tried pulling their “guilt strings”.  I try to set an example by my practice of my faith.  But even if my example or guilt trips or arguments seem to show promise, I know that no one has ever been argued into a relationship with God. When someone establishes a walk with Christ, it isn’t my doing, it is the awesome power of God’s grace.  I know that, too.  So, why am I plotting out my arguments, guilt trips and ways to set an example?  

It may come down to control and trust.  I want to be in control and I’m not sure I can trust God.  Which is strange.  I know that I am at my best as Christ’s ambassador when I simply pray and open myself up to the Holy Spirit.  When I submit fully to God’s hand is when things seem to work out best.  So, if that is my experience, why is control and trust such an issue?  Why don’t I fully entrust myself into God’s hands?  Why do I think I have to fix this or that or have to do this or that on my own?  I wish I knew.  I’m an imperfect creation on a walk with my creator.  And I don’t always seem to be able to follow the path He has laid out before me.  It’s a good thing I worship a loving, forgiving God.

My prayer today is for all of us who don’t seem to be able to relinquish control and simply trust the God who loves us.

Irony, or Providence?

August 6 is the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. It honors the transfiguration, or metamorphosis, of Christ on Mount Tabor, when he appeared in His divine glory before the Apostles Peter, James, and John.

How ironic that on this feast, celebrating the mystical experience of Peter, James and John with Jesus on a mountain when in deep prayer, that the very first destructive weapon was unleashed.

On this day 74 years ago, the relationship between the earth and humans changed forever. Men and women have lived on our planet for about 200,000 years. While our ancestors have been around for about six million years, the modern form of humans only evolved about 200,000 years ago. (Civilization as we know it is only about 6,000 years old, and industrialization started in the earnest only in the 1800s.) During these 8,000 generations, with the exceptions of the last three, the forces of nature had directed and determined our relationship to our world. With the development and deployment of the atom bomb, everything was irrevocably altered. We showed our full physical power to destroy, permanently, ourselves.

The Transfiguration recognizes the dignity of humans in our relationship with God and the unique role of Christ in this relationship. It was the turning point in Jesus’ life, setting him on the path to Jerusalem where he was to confront the deadly powers of evil. We are called to unity, to love for one another, to build a just world, to confront the powers of evil…all in imitation of Christ.

God is a God of life, not death. As God’s sons and daughters, we are to be God’s presence on earth, fostering life. As I meditate on this Feast Day today, I ask:  Am I life-promoting? A Peacemaker? Merciful?

Taking time to reflect on the dramatic feast of the Transfiguration is more than remembering an event in the lives of the three apostles and Jesus. It is a time to reflect on our God-created dignity and the amazing love of our Creator for each of us. It is an occasion for my own mystical experience of God Almighty.

Chicken of the Sea Striper

How about a little humor to break up the noise of a cruel world for just a few minutes?

My brother Tom and I borrowed a friend’s boat one time to go fishing for striped bass in the river near my home. Never mind that we only had light rods and spinning reels designed for trout fishing, we were going to “catch dinner”!

We left before first light because well, that’s what you do when you’re a serious fisherman. We caught nothing before noon, despite changing bait, lures, and location several times. We decided to stop for lunch and talk about whether we should continue or just call it a day.

After lunch, we were on the water again and determined to catch ANYTHING! After a few more hours, I was bored out of my skull and told Tom we had to leave. He said, “I wondered when you were going to give u....” BAM! The rod bent almost in half, and Tom released the drag. When the shock and celebration wore off, he managed to coax the damned fish into the boat.

It was a big fish! The picture above that I found on the internet shows the size of the fish as I remember it. Plenty big enough to feed Tom, Dottie, Marilyn and me. Trouble was, none of us knew how to cook it. We figured we could just bake it or fry it like any other fish. I let Tom take it home to clean and cook it (I was no dummy!).

Marilyn and I never did have any of it. Tom told me the next day that he thought since it looked like a white meat and “tuna-like”, he had mixed it with a little mayonnaise and tried to make a casserole out of it. When I asked how it tasted, he laughed and said, “Don’t ask!” I never did and I never brought it up again. But it’s a memory that always brings a smile to my face.

Generosity is the Key to Our Immigration "Crisis"

I have heard many people, from family to Facebook ‘friends’ to politicians to social media pundits, say “Those 'illegals'  are just coming here for the benefits and to take advantage of programs that MY taxes pay for!”  First, based on facts presented to me by someone VERY involved in immigration, this is not why most immigrants come to the US.  Most are escaping very grave violence and oppression in their countries of origin, and willing to give up everything they ever had for just a chance to share in the historic generosity of Americans.  Second, my response to the statement above is “SO WHAT?”  Is it hurting you personally?  Don't you also benefit from the programs?  Do you really think you would pay less taxes if “they” weren’t being cared for?   We are called by God to be generous with one another, as He is generous with us.  Being “generous” is synonymous with being “charitable”, or “loving”.

When we understand God's generosity, we realize how wealthy we truly are. Even if we have little money in the bank, our lives are rich in God -- feeling protected and cared for by God, giving us an abundance of peace that gets us through trials and battles with wisdom and endurance.

God's generosity also leads to material goods. Every material blessing we have comes from God. He delivers it to us through the talents and skills that he has given to us. Whatever we earn through our own efforts comes originally from God's efforts. God is the source of everything that's good in our lives.

However, there's always a purpose that's bigger than us. Everything from God is meant to bless others, too. We are channels of God's generosity.

Whatever we have that we refuse to share becomes the cause of sin. We succumb to selfishness, which is akin to greed. The problem with greed is that it hurts others by denying them what God wants to share with them.

What makes us vulnerable to this sin? Self-reliance. It comes from thinking that we can rely solely on ourselves and on our own resources instead of partnering with God in generosity. Even when we recognize that God has been generous with us, self-reliance says that we are responsible for preventing the poverty of giving it away to others.

When we protect our lives by storing up our goods, others suffer. In this Sunday's Gospel reading, (Luke 12: 13-21) Jesus addresses both greed and self-reliance, because they are completely contrary to the personality of God.

Generosity grows when we understand that God is the provider of everything good and that he will continue to provide for us even when we give away what he gives to us -- especially when we give away what he gives to us. Think about what you have in abundance (be it money, or joy, or wisdom, or lessons learned from experience, or ___ ). Now look around. How might you be the answer to someone else's' prayers?

Whatever we hope to have already belongs to God and is meant to be shared with others. This is the primary economic principle of the kingdom of God. The Body of Christ thrives only when there's a continual exchange of goods. We call this the communion of saints.

Two Kinds of People

"There are two kinds of people: those who say to God, 'Thy will be done,' and those to whom God says, 'All right, then, have it your way.'"—C S Lewis

"There are two kinds of people in the world: those who believe there are two kinds of people and those who don't."—Robert Benchley

"There are two kinds of people, those who do the work and those who take the credit. Try to be in the first group; there is less competition there."—Indira Gandhi



We're really good at putting ourselves and others into categories; black versus white, good versus evil, Republican versus Democrat, Beatles lovers versus Elvis lovers—you get the point. Pitting ourselves against one another will always lead to disastrous results. We all know how "us versus them" thinking based on false assumptions and stereotypes can drive a wedge between people that can lead to anything from ridicule to outright warfare. We humans aren't very good at this kind of categorizing because our knowledge and perception are so limited.

But God has no such limitations, and the story of Scripture is the story about how God is distinct from humans, but also a story about how God makes distinctions between those humans based on their responses to God. God warns us about making judgments about others (Matthew 7:1-5), but it's clear that God judges us based on the criteria of faithfulness to God and God's way in the world. So you could say that from God's perspective, there are two kinds of people in the world: those who have faith, and those who don't.

We're Not "Past" Thoughts and Prayers

I’m still thinking about the two politicians I quoted on Facebook a couple of days ago who said, “No more thoughts and prayers” and, “We’re past thoughts and prayers”.  We're not "past" them.  Our society shows we haven't even embraced them yet! Here’s my meditation on it as I say my Rosary (“Prayers”) this morning and meditate on the Transfiguration of Jesus.

"Jesus took Peter, John, and James and went up a mountain to pray.  While He was praying His face changed in appearance and His clothing became dazzling white." (Luke 9: 28b-36)

I can imagine the dazzling white garment.  I can picture Jesus' face transfigured so brilliantly that only a divine power could transform it.  But these aren’t the point of the gospel.   Jesus didn't go up the mountain to put on a show.   Rather, Jesus "went up a mountain to pray."  And furthermore, this fantastic transformation occurred "While he was praying."  Prayer, then, was the matrix for the Transfiguration.  Prayer was the "takeoff" point of this supernatural event.

Every time Jesus prayed, something "ignited."  Not always so dramatically, but always His communication with His Father was powerful, like touching a lit match to gasoline.

When we pray, we too can "ignite" supernatural communication with God.  It needn't be dramatic.  It may not even be verbal, or visible.  It can be as quiet as a thought, as unnoticeable as the blink of an eye.  But does God see us?  Yes!  Does God hear us?  Definitely!  Does God understand our hearts, as well as our words?  Absolutely!  And is it worth it?  Totally!

I’ll admit there are times in my life when I wonder if prayer really does any good, and I go into a slump.  Thank God it doesn’t happen often anymore and when it does it’s short-lived because I’ve learned that  all I need to do is ask Jesus to help me.  ‘Lord, help me to pray, right now, even if only for a moment.  Lord, You have taught us how to pray in so many ways, with the help of the Holy Spirit, with the words of the "Our Father" with our hearts and our hands, just to name a few.’

We may not "go up a mountain" to pray.  We may not have our clothing turn dazzling white.  We may not even have our facial expressions change.  But prayer always, ALWAYS brings changes.

Prayer changes US.  It changes our hearts.  It can change our circumstances, or the way we look at things. The only thing God asks of us when we pray is sincerity.  “Thoughts and prayers” are not thoughts and prayers unless we actually think and pray with hope and confidence that the prayers will be answered.