It's impossible!

 

Every now and then, when reflecting on the Gospels, I try to put myself in the scene.  I like to think that I’m a pretty faithful person who believes in his heart, mind, and soul that Jesus is God. Even though I hear the story every year at this time, I still find myself not that much different from the “OG” followers.  I know intellectually and historically about the Resurrection, but there’s something that still surprises me.

On that “first day of the week” two thousand years ago, there was a lot of scurrying around and excitement and hearing reports of some amazing news that no one yet understood.  Even though Jesus had given them advance notice that He would rise again after being put to death, God’s plans took them by surprise.  They didn’t expect a resurrection. They didn’t understand that it was a necessary part of the Messiah’s mission. (John 20:1-9)

God’s plans often take us by surprise.  In so many situations of our lives, we don’t understand that hard times are going to produce wonderful victories.  We fail to realize that the empty tombs in our lives (the losses that we grieve) are beginnings of important new growth.  We can’t imagine how Jesus is going to redeem bad times into great blessings.

We suffer through the hardships, just trying to cope, waiting for an opportunity to finally walk away from our crosses.  Meanwhile, Jesus wants to give us an Easter morning because of the crosses.

Talk about rough!  How can we recognize the glory of God when we’re depressed?  How can we realize our own resurrections when we’re cursing our crosses?  It’s impossible!

To be the Easter people that we’re supposed to be, we have to learn how to see the hope of resurrection in the pain of the cross.  We have to trust that Jesus is always there, working a plan to redeem bad into good.  We have to allow ourselves to be surprised by God.

Christ is Risen!  He is risen, indeed!

Happy Easter!

Mary found favor with God...

 

There are several resources available online that inform us of the “Saint of the Day”.  These are short biographies of canonized (“sainted”) and beatified (“blessed”) men and women who are recognized by the Church to have lived their lives in ‘heroic virtue’, and whose lives we would do well to imitate.  These are called ‘Feast Days’.  Often when I feel down or caught in discouragement, I like to read the lives of the saints, because every one of them can be considered “God’s messengers.”

Sometimes the Feast days honor significant events in the life of Christ, His mother, or the Church.  For instance, today, March 25, is the Feast of the Annunciation, when the Archangel Gabriel announces to Mary, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.”  (Luke 1:26-38)  As I prayed with this gospel account today, I reflected on what it means to ‘find favor with God’.

The favor of God can be described as “tangible evidence that a person has the approval of the Lord.”  When we favor someone, we want to be with him or her.  We delight in him.  We connect with her in a way we don’t connect with everyone.  We usually favor people who also favor us.  In the same way, God shows favor to the ones who delight in, connect with, and give honor to Him.  Isaiah 66:2 says, “These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word.”  Second Chronicles 16:9 says, “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong on behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.”  To be “perfect” toward Him means we seek His favor more than we seek the favor of anyone else, even ourselves.

Favor is closely related to grace in the Bible.  Those who have received Jesus as their Savior are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8–9).  They know the favor of God.  Without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6), but those who have saving faith in God’s Son are declared righteous (Romans 4:5; Philippians 3:9) and live in God’s favor.  The most basic answer to “how can I get God’s favor” is “believe in the Lord Jesus.”

God seeks out those who love Him and love His commands so that He can bless, guide, and protect them (Psalm 37:23; Proverbs 3:5–6). This doesn’t mean that everyone who is prosperous or healthy has found favor with God (Jeremiah 12:1; Psalm 37:7; 73:16). Nor does it mean that those whom the Lord favors will never suffer difficulties. Many people in the Bible had the Lord’s favor but also suffered hardship (2 Corinthians 6:4; Acts 14:22; 20:23; 1 Peter 2:19).

Abel found favor with God, and his brother killed him (Genesis 4:9).

Abraham found favor with God, and was told by God to sacrifice his son (Genesis 22:2).

Hebrew children found favor with God, and wandered for 40 years in loneliness and thirst (Numbers 21:5).

Moses found favor with God, listened to the daily complaints of his people, and never saw the promised land  (Numbers 20:12).

David found favor with God, and suffered bitterly the death of his son (2 Samuel 19:1).

Job found favor with God, and lost fortune, family, wealth & health  (Job 1:13).

Elijah found favor with God, and waited under a juniper tree, pondering suicide (1 Kings:19).

Joseph found favor with God, and he was sold by his bothers into slavery  (Genesis 37:36).

Daniel found favor with God, and ended up in a lion’s den  (Daniel 6:10).

Jeremiah found favor with God, and felt the quiver of God’s arrows in his flesh (Jeremiah 5:16).

John the Baptist found favor with God, and he was violently decapitated  (Matthew 14:10).

Stephen found favor with God, and he was stoned (Acts 7:59).

Paul found favor with God, and was shipwrecked, starved and in prison (Acts).

Jesus found favor with God, and was beaten, spat upon, crucified.

Noah found favor with God, and was subjected to a great flood (Genesis 6:8).

Those who are favored of God know that God is with them and that nothing can happen to them apart from His good purpose (Romans 8:28).  They have His ear as they walk through dark valleys (Psalm 34:15) and know that their struggle to remain true to Him won’t go unrewarded (Matthew 10:42; Revelation 2:10).  In addition to outward evidence, God’s favor can be felt in the spirit.  When we have the favor of the Lord, we rest in quiet confidence that our sins are forgiven (Romans 4:7), we are within the plan of God (Psalm 86:11), and that He’s there for us at all times (Isaiah 41:10; Matthew 28:20).  We walk with God as with our closest friend.  We begin to see and appreciate the little blessings that God provides for our enjoyment—blessings that we once took for granted.

The Lord invites us to seek His favor (Psalm 119:58, 135; 2 Kings 13:4; Jeremiah 26:19; Zephaniah 2:3).  When we seek His favor, we humble our hearts before Him (2 Kings 22:19); seek Him for Himself, not just for the blessings He gives (Jeremiah 29:13); and arrange our lives around loving Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27).  We seek first His kingdom and righteousness (Matthew 6:33).

One way to obtain favor from the Lord is to seek wisdom.  Proverbs 8:35 says, “For those who find me [wisdom] find life and receive favor from the LORD.”  Psalm 5:12 says, “Surely, LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.”  Finding favor with the Lord keeps our lives and thoughts pure because we desire to please Him more than we desire to please ourselves.  Hebrews 11:25 says of Moses, “He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.”  When the same can be said of us, we’ll know we’ve found favor with God.  His delight in us will be demonstrated.

Two choices: worry or trust God

 

The word righteous today commonly carries with it a negative connotation, because we often tacitly attach the word “self” to it.  The self-righteous person considers himself to be the measure of what is good and holy.  He’s the Pharisee who looks at the penitent tax collector and thinks he is blessed not to be like him.  Jesus tells us that such a man will not be justified. (Luke 18:9-14)

On this beautiful Solemnity of St. Joseph, the Church calls us to ponder the powerful witness of the foster father of Christ and spouse of Mary. He is a man we don’t know by his words but rather by his actions.  However, Scripture does supply us with one word to describe him…righteous.  This is a word that is also used by St. Paul to describe Abraham (Romans 4:13-22).

One who is truly righteous understands that only God can judge a person’s soul, even one’s own soul.  Thus, a righteous heart is also a humble and merciful heart.  Even the complete name of today’s Solemnity underscores this; “The Solemnity of St. Joseph, husband of Mary”.  Joseph appears to get “top billing”, but does he?   When righteous, one also acknowledges the right order of reality where God is the both the source of all things and our ultimate goal.  Jesus has promised that those who hunger and thirst for this understanding will be satisfied. (Matthew 5:6) Abraham’s righteousness was satisfied through many sons.  Joseph’s was satisfied through one, the Son of God.

In a couple of Gospel readings, we see Joseph growing in his ability to trust God. How difficult it must have been to believe Mary’s story!  So, since he didn’t trust her version of the story about her pregnancy, God sent him an angel in a dream (Matthew 1:16-24).

Now, Joseph had to trust that his dream wasn’t a product of his own imagination.  Wouldn’t it have been more convincing if the angel had appeared to him in person, the way Mary had been visited by an angel (Luke 1:26-38)?

And yet, something about the dream triggered Joseph’s faith.  He believed what he heard in his sleep.  I suspect, though, that a new doubt flooded him as soon as he believed the message of the dream.  He might have wondered: “Who am I to raise the Messiah! I can’t do this! I’m not worthy of this responsibility, and I will make mistakes!”

Maybe the questions lingered only a second, or maybe he had to get down on his knees and go deep into prayer before he could feel God’s assurance.  Either way, he chose to trust God, which gave him the freedom to feel assured that God would help him take care of Mary and the child.

Years later, when Jesus was twelve years old, Joseph’s trust was again stretched.  He lost the child for three days!  He had to choose repeatedly, moment by moment, to trust God no matter how long the boy was missing (Luke 2:41-51).  You and I have to trust God the same way.  We can either look at the evidence that says how bad things are — and live in worry — or we can look at God and remember that he cares with infinite love and is worthy of our trust.

David chose to trust that God would protect his throne forever (2 Samuel 7:4-16).  Paul reminds us that Abraham “hoped against hope” (which is the meaning of trust) that although he and his wife were well past their child-bearing years, he would become the father of a great nation as promised.

And Jesus had to trust that His death upon the cross — and all of its excruciating pain and the tortures before it — would lead to the glory of resurrection and the redemption of the world.

To journey through the cross to resurrection, to move from pain to glory, trust is necessary.  In each problem you face today — especially the long-standing ones — stop and think about the choice you have: You can worry and be afraid or you can trust God.  Ask St. Joseph to help you!

Trust God. Your resurrection glory has already been planned.

St. Joseph, pray for us.

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It occurs to me that today is the last of my meditations on The Highs and Lows and Ups and Downs of the Most Holy Rosary.  How fitting that the fifth and final Glorious mystery has us pondering Jesus’ mother, as she is crowned Queen of Heaven and Earth.

The Glorious Mysteries

V.  The Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth

Brief meditation:

The Coronation of Mary as the Queen of All Creation is something to celebrate—a joyous event. Mary shows us that, through the grace of God, all things are possible.  Mary could rest on her accomplishment.  She could rejoice in the presence of God for the rest of eternity.  But she is our mother, and she understands God’s will for us. He doesn’t want any one of us to be left behind.  So, Mary like the perfect mother she is, accepts her position in heaven humbly, but immediately sets out once again to serve God in shepherding us to Him.  Like the Visitation, Mary comes to us to help us; to lead us to God through Christ.  She won’t rest as Queen of Creation until all of God’s children are with Him in heaven.

Scriptural meditations:

1.  Who is this that comes forth like the dawn, as beautiful as the moon, as resplendent as the sun?  (Song of Solomon 6:10)- Hail Mary…

2.  Like the rainbow appearing in the cloudy sky; like the blossoms on the branches in springtime. (Sirach 50:8-9)- Hail Mary…

3.  I am the mother of fair love, and of fear, and of knowledge, and of holy hope. (Sirach 24:24)- Hail Mary…

4.  In me is all grace of the way and of truth, in me is all hope of life and of virtue. (Sirach 24:25)- Hail Mary…

5.  Come to me, all you that yearn for me, and be filled with my fruits.  (Sirach 24:26)- Hail Mary…

6.  You will remember me as sweeter than honey, better to have than the honeycomb. (Sirach 24:27)- Hail Mary…

7.  So now, children, listen to me; instruction and wisdom do not reject!  (Proverbs 8:32-33)- Hail Mary…

8.  Happy are those who keep my ways, watching daily at my gates.  (Proverbs 8:33-34)- Hail Mary…

9.  For he who finds me.....wins favor from the Lord.  (Proverbs 8:35)- Hail Mary…

10.  Hail, O Queen of Mercy, protect us from the enemy, and receive us at the hour of death. (Queenship of the B.V.M., Gradual)- Glory Be…

Their wickedness blinded them

 

The seventh chapter of John’s Gospel (7:1-30) begins by saying that Jesus didn’t travel to Judea because there was a group of people trying to kill Him.  This is one of several instances where the gospels reveal how a group of people are out to get Jesus.  The attitude among Jesus’ enemies suggested that if Jesus could just be bumped off, life could be more predictable, and they could get back to business as usual.  Jesus’ words and teachings highly influenced the common people.  Yet at the same time these same words confronted the dishonesty of the religious leaders, who had grown very comfortable with their untruthfulness.  Impressive to me, as the gospel continues, is Jesus’ testimony to His Father even with the thoughts of death becoming a reality.

On a personal level, I’m left wondering about the times of past attitudes where I pondered fantasies of the grandiose lifestyle I would be living if I didn’t believe in Jesus or didn’t have a desire to follow His teachings.  If Jesus wasn’t part of my life, I know I would be justifying actions to get ahead, to make money, to push the envelope even at the expense of others.  At a simplistic level, if Jesus isn’t in the picture, then why I should return my neighbor’s property I borrowed last fall?

On the level of humanity, I see this attitude flowing into weekly events in the news.  When I hear stories of price gouging or genocide, human experimentation where greed has taken over and the person being interviewed simply says that they, “didn’t do anything illegal.”  While it may not have violated a specific code of law, it was far from a moral code that thinks beyond one’s selfishness.  They may have not done anything illegal, but their actions have rippled waves of destruction even into future generations.   The bottom line is how easy it is to justify our actions and behaviors if we get Jesus out of the picture.

It certainly isn’t a new idea.  The book of Wisdom reminds us that this mode of thinking has been going on for centuries even before Jesus’ birth.  “Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us; he sets himself against our doings.” (Wisdom 2:1-22) If we don’t have to act out of justice, if we govern our lives by the things we personally desire to give us personal fulfillment, temporary happiness, or false security, and we selfishly make these decisions without any consideration of others, then we are probably in pretty sinful place as we justify our behaviors.  When we are in a good place, we know how erroneous this thinking can become.  But when we're in that self-centered place it's truly difficult to see our blindness.  Wisdom concludes, “These were their thoughts, but they erred; for their wickedness blinded them.”

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The Highs and Lows and Ups and Downs of the Most Holy Rosary

The Glorious Mysteries

IV.  The Assumption of Mary into Heaven

Brief meditation:

“But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet…Then they heard a loud voice from Heaven saying to them, ‘Come up hither!’ And in the sight of their foes they went up to Heaven in a cloud.” – Revelation 11:11-12

Our Lady didn’t ascend as Jesus did, because she was never God and could never condescend into her humanity as He did.  Instead, by way of her Immaculate Conception, since she was created guileless, her gift was to be taken up by God to Heaven.

That’s where our hope lies, too – that, in spite of our humanity, we have the potential for perfection by way of holy purification. God’s expansive mercy is limitless in the ways He reaches down from Heaven to uplift us every day, when we’re despondent, when we’re lonely, when we’re addicted, when we’re suffering, when we’re in pain.

The Assumption of Mary serves as a goal or guidepost for us, our hope as we strive to attain heaven or accept it anew as God continues to present it to us as a gratuitous gift.

Scriptural meditations:

1.  Blessed art thou, O daughter, by the Lord the most high God, above all women on earth. (Judith 13:23)- Hail Mary…

2.  For He has so magnified thy name this day, that thy praise shall not depart out of the mouths of men. (Judith 13:25)- Hail Mary…

3.  In every nation which shall hear thy name, the God of Israel shall be magnified on occasion of thee. (Judith 13:31)- Hail Mary…

4.  Thou art the glory of Jerusalem, thou art the joy of Israel, thou art the honor of our people. (Judith 15:10)- Hail Mary…

5.  Hear, O daughter, and see; turn your ear, for the king shall desire your beauty. (Psalms 44:11-12)- Hail Mary…

6.  And the temple of God in heaven was opened, and there came flashes of lightning, and peals of thunder. (Revelation 11:19)- Hail Mary…

7.  And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun. (Revelation 12:1)- Hail Mary…

8.  And the moon was under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars. (Revelation 12:1)- Hail Mary…

9.  All glorious is the king's daughter as she enters; her raiment is threaded with spun gold. (Psalms  44:14)- Hail Mary…

10.  Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done wondrous deeds. (Psalms 97:1)- Hail Mary…

Break down the barriers

 

After reading passages from Exodus and the Gospel of John today, I saw that people were looking for God in the wrong places.  In Exodus, the people turn to their human-made God in the molten calf (Exodus 32:7-14).  In the Gospel, Jesus responds to people who have refused to believe God can show up in the ways He is teaching and, in His actions (John 5:31-47).  It can be easy to dismiss the groups these messages are directed at as just not getting it ― we’re thousands of years removed and therefore have a better grasp and don’t make the same mistakes.  But the reality is that we are still doing the same things.  We too can turn towards false gods and fail to see how God shows up in our daily lives.

We can create false gods out of our money, status, politics, and sometimes even our religious beliefs.  We might put our trust in these items because it helps us feel more in control.  If we get this amount of money or career, everything will be okay.  A politician or leader believes what we believe, therefore, we believe they’re the ones who will improve things.  When we do this, we may miss the invitations from God to grow or to see things in new ways.

Also, like the audience Jesus speaks to, we can fail to see God right in front of us. The situation isn’t ideal or what we would like it to be, therefore, we believe God must be absent.  Or a hard truth is presented to us, and instead of going deeper to see what it has to teach us, we may reject it and perhaps even diminish its source, because we can’t believe God would condone this.

As we near the end of the fourth week of Lent, we’re invited to continue reflecting on those barriers that prevent us from encountering God.  The hard truth is that sometimes, we're the barriers.  It’s our attitudes, our beliefs, and our resistances that can be the primary barriers.  We’re called to be a discerning people who go deep within―sometimes to uncomfortable spaces―to distinguish what comes from our false notions of how things should be and where the invitations to see things anew surface.

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The Highs and Lows and Ups and Downs in the mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary

The Glorious Mysteries

III.  The descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles

Brief meditation:

The disciples were afraid.  Most of us have probably never experienced fear like the fear they were gripped with. They were afraid they would be killed for being Jesus' followers.  But if they weren't killed, what were they to do; now that Jesus was gone?  Then the Holy Spirit descended upon them and transformed them.  Their fear was banished, and they were filled with courage.  This is the greatest before-and-after sequence the world has ever seen.

Scriptural meditations:

1.  When the days of Pentecost were drawing to a close, they were all together in one place. (Acts 2:1)- Hail Mary…

2.  And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a violent wind blowing. (Acts 2:2)- Hail Mary…

3.  And there appeared to them parted tongues as of fire, which settled upon each of them.  (Acts 2:3)- Hail Mary…

4.  And they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak of the wonderful works of God. (Acts 2:4, 11)- Hail Mary…

5.  Now there were staying in Jerusalem devout Jews from every nation under heaven. (Acts 2:5)- Hail Mary…

6.  And Peter, standing up with the Eleven, lifted up his voice and spoke to them.  (Acts 2:14)- Hail Mary…

7.  "Repent and be baptized; and you will receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:38)- Hail Mary…

8.  Now they who received his word were baptized and there were added that day about three thousand souls. (Acts 2:41)- Hail Mary…

9.  Send forth Thy Spirit, and they shall be created; and Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.  (Psalms 103:30)- Hail Mary…

10.  Come, O Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful; and kindle in them the fire of Thy love.  (Pentecost Alleluia)- Hail Mary…

Can you imagine?

 

I would bet good money on the proposition that everyone who believes in God has tried to imagine what He looks like, what He sees when He looks at His creatures, and the depth of His love for all of His creation.  No image of God will ever capture the full complexity of the Ultimate Reality, but some images are better than others.  Some worked better when I was young while others work better now as I age.

I recall a prayer that was shared with me years ago. The prayer goes something like this: The fact that my mom and dad met and loved each other, whatever the circumstances, is just a small part of the miracle of my existence.  Indeed, our parents play an important part in our lives and my scripture reading today gives me opportunity to reflect on them.  For most of us, it’s our biological parents who lead, carry, teach and sustain us from our beginnings.  As we grow, others also assist in this process, but it’s our parents who are there to bring us through these tender stages to the point where we can take care of ourselves—and even take on the process of having and raising our own children.

My own parents made a great home for myself and my siblings, which included being welcomed and reverenced from the beginning of life.  We were nurtured with the food we needed to grow, and with the education we needed to be successful.  We were also raised in the practice of the faith…and taught how to be good people!

I have, of course, become painfully aware that this good upbringing that my siblings and I enjoyed is not always the case.  And so, the metaphors and language of mother and father in my readings today can also cast a shadow of darkness and fear.  Some even seek other metaphors or examples for the care and concern of the Lord.

Isaiah and Jesus provide two different (but are they, really?) images of God.  Isaiah offers the image of a mother who can never forget her child (Isaiah 49:8-15).  And so, we may imagine God looking at us with the tenderness of a nursing mother.  Jesus offers a second image: God the Father (John 5:17-30).  As used by Jesus, this image suggests a deep and intimate relationship.  We may be comfortable with both images.  Or we may prefer one over the other.  Or we may have our own favorite image of God.

The Gospel gives us another way to understand God.  Recall that Jesus is the Word made Flesh, the incarnate God (John 1:1-5).  Jesus tells us that He is uniquely qualified to represent God.  Jesus is doing and saying what God sent Him to do.  We’ll never fully understand the nature of God.  We’ll never fully understand the Trinity.  We’ll never fully understand exactly how Jesus can be both different from and united to God.  This Ultimate Reality will elude our understanding.  Our images of God will always fall short.  But we do have Jesus who is God incarnate.  We are invited to know Jesus more intimately and so, enter into a deeper relationship with Ultimate Reality.

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The Highs and Lows and Ups and Downs of the Most Holy Rosary

The Glorious Mysteries

II.  Jesus is Ascended into Heaven

Brief meditation:

For forty days Jesus remained among His disciples.  They saw His pierced hands, feet and side, He ate with them and walked with them.  He bestowed on them the power to forgive sins saying, “Receive the Holy Spirit, for those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain, they are retained.” (John 21:22-23)  Jesus’ mission on earth was complete so He took His disciples to the outskirts of Bethany, blessed them and as He did so, He was carried up to Heaven.

Scriptural meditations:

1.  “But now I am going to the one who sent me, and not one of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I told you this, grief has filled your hearts.” (John 16:5-6)- Hail Mary…

2.  “But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go.  For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you.  But if I go, I will send him to you.” (John 16:7)- Hail Mary…

3.  Then he led them out as far as Bethany, raised his hands, and blessed them. (Luke 24:50)- Hail Mary…

4.  When they had gathered together they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6)- Hail Mary…

5.  He answered them, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has established by his own authority.” (Acts 1:7)- Hail Mary…

6.  “But you will receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)- Hail Mary…

7.  When he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight. (Acts 1:9)- Hail Mary…

8.  So then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God. (Mark 16:19)- Hail Mary…

9.  While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going, suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.” (Acts 1:10-11)- Hail Mary…

10.  They did him homage and then returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and they were continually in the temple praising God. (Luke 24:52-53)- Hail Mary…

Just keep on swimming!

 

As I read the scriptures today, I reflected on the life-giving and healing attributes of water as symbols of God’s countless blessings and abundant mercy.

In Ezekiel, the angel shows Ezekiel the river “flowing out from beneath the threshold of the temple”.  Ezekiel first experiences the water as a small stream which is “ankle deep”.  As he moves on further the water becomes a larger stream which is “knee deep”.  Thereafter, it becomes a rivulet which is “waist deep”.  Finally, the water accumulates as a river “through which I could not wade; it had become a river that could not be crossed except by swimming” (Ezekiel 47:1-12).  The life-giving and transformative power of this water sustains every kind of living creature that can multiply, including abundant fish, fruit trees of every kind which will bear fruit every month.  The abundant fruit serves as food and the leaves as medicine.  Keep in mind that this life-giving water is represented as flowing from the holy temple of Jerusalem.

Six centuries after Ezekiel’s encounter with the angel, John’s gospel portrays a purportedly healing pool of water in Jerusalem called Bethesda with five porticoes (roof-covered porches).  Herein lay a large number of ill, blind, lame and crippled, including one man who had been ill for thirty-eight years.  Jesus goes up to Jerusalem on a feast of the Jews where He encounters and heals the man.  When Jesus asks the man “Do you want to be well?”, the man replies “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; while I am on my way, someone else gets down there before me”.  Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your mat and walk.”  The man did so.

Note that Jesus didn’t ask the man to bathe in the pool to be healed as was the tradition at the Pool of Bethesda.  Jesus demonstrated that His healing power surpassed anything that could be expected from the pool, including not only the man’s physical infirmities, but his spiritual ones as well.  Later Jesus finds the same man in the temple area and says to him “Look, you are well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse will happen to you.”  (John 5:1-16) 

So here we are on our own faith journey through the river of life.  We’ve received the healing and forgiving power of God’s water at our baptism where we waded through the stream of God’s love and kindness.  As children, we learned that God’s life-giving and healing powers were more abundant and necessary than we appreciated as children, carrying us along the stream up to our knees.  Then, as young adults, if we remain faithful, we’re waist-deep in God’s countless blessings and abundant mercy.  Finally, as adults, we’ve had to learn to swim to cross the river that we all one day hope to cross.  Of course, our coach is there for each stroke that we take: “Look, you are well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse will happen to you.”  So keep on swimming.  Remember that the surface of the earth is covered by 71% water, so we still have a long way to swim.  Yet all of that water is a “drop in the bucket” compared to God’s countless blessings and abundant mercy which we can count on to finish our journey.

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The Highs and Lows and Ups and Downs of the Most Holy Rosary

The Glorious Mysteries

The Sorrowful Mysteries ended with the Crucifixion on Good Friday; the Glorious Mysteries pick up with Easter Sunday and the Resurrection and cover the establishment of the Church at Pentecost Sunday and the unique respect showed by God to the Mother of His Son at the end of her earthly life.

I.  The Resurrection

Brief meditation:

"Why seek you the living with the dead?  He is not here, but is risen" (Luke 24:5-6). With those words, the angels greeted the women who had come to Christ's tomb with spices and ointments, to care for His body. They had found the stone rolled back, and the tomb empty, and they did not know what to make of it.

But now the angels continue: "Remember how he spoke unto you, when he was in Galilee, Saying: The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again" (Luke 24:6-7). And Saint Luke simply says, "And they remembered his words."

Unless Christ rose from the dead, Saint Paul tells us, our faith is in vain. But He did rise from the dead, and faith—the substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things not seen—is not vain, but a virtue (Hebrews).  We know that Christ's sacrifice on the Cross accomplished our salvation, not because we know that He died, but because we know that He lives.  And in living, He brings new life to all who have faith in Him.

Scriptural meditations:

1.  "Amen, amen, I say to you, that you shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy." (John 16:20)- Hail Mary…

2.  "For I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no one shall take from you."  (John 16:22)- Hail Mary…

3.  At early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared.  (Luke 24:1)- Hail Mary…

4.  And behold, an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, and drawing near rolled back the stone. (Matthew 28:2)- Hail Mary…

5.  "Do not be afraid; for I know that you seek Jesus, who was crucified." (Matthew 28:5)- Hail Mary…

6.  "He is not here, but has risen. Behold the place where they laid Him."  (Luke 24:6; Mark 16:6)- Hail Mary…

7.  "And behold, He goes before you into Galilee; there you shall see Him." (Matthew 28:7)- Hail Mary…

8.  And they departed quickly from the tomb in fear and great joy.  (Matthew 28:8)- Hail Mary…

9.  "I am the Resurrection and the Life; he who believes in Me, even if he die, shall live." (John 11:25)- Hail Mary…

10.  "And whoever believes in Me shall never die." (John 11:26)- Hail Mary…

Jesus has come to rescue us!

 

Why do many of us hide in darkness?  Why do we prefer to conceal our sins rather than face them and go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation and speak about them out loud?

It’s Jesus who meets us in the confessional, appearing to us in the form of a priest who’s sworn to secrecy.  In the John’s Gospel, Jesus assures us that He didn’t come to condemn us.  It’s safe to come into the light where our sins are exposed (John 3:14-21).

However, we don’t like going to Confession when guilt is driving us deeper into the darkness of low self-esteem, the fear of being unlovable, or an inability to forgive ourselves.

Guilt is a good motivator for repentance, and regret motivates us to change, but low self-esteem triggers shame, which says that we’re undeserving of forgiveness.  Shame makes us even more afraid to face the truth about our sins.  Guilt tells us we have done evil, regret motivates us, and shame tells us that we’re evil.

However, God’s image of us is not poor: He sees what is wonderful about us.  He says we do deserve forgiveness.  He wants to replace shame with joy.  What keeps us from repenting?  Perhaps you would benefit from a therapist or spiritual director who helps you heal from low self-esteem. Whatever opportunity will help us get into the confessional; this is where our healing begins.

Jesus completes the healing by curing our spirit with forgiveness, mercy, and unconditional love through the words of absolution that He speaks to us through the priest.

In the Gospel, Jesus points out that whoever lives the truth (whoever is honest about themselves) “comes to the light” to be rescued.  When we admit our sins, speaking it out loud to the ears of one of Christ’s servants, we are rescued by Jesus.  We hear Jesus minister to us through the vocal cords of the priest, and we receive from Jesus the power to resist the same sins in the future.  This power is called “sanctifying grace”.

My mother was a worrier, not just about her own soul, but the souls of her husband and children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  To help her cope with these worries, she tried to avail herself of the Sacrament of Reconciliation as often as possible.  She told me that she went to one of the associate priests once for Confession, and after telling him the length of time since her last confession, the priest said, “You’re over 80 years old!  You don’t need to come so often.  After all, how many mortal sins can you commit at your age?”  It really upset Mom.  So much so that she went to the pastor and relayed the younger priest’s rebuke.  “Hasn’t he ever heard of Sanctifying Grace??”, he asked.  He told her anytime she felt like confessing, she should come to him from then on.

Repentance brings hope to the dry and seemingly barren areas of our life, the ‘desert of our souls’.   We get discouraged and weak by our sins and shortcomings.  When the Lord enters these places, we become strong.  In the desert you feel abandoned and alone with no hope.  But the Lord will come and feed you with His manna, the bread of angels, and make you strong again.  This only comes through humility and prayer.  We make straight His paths by saying “You must increase, I must decrease.” (John 3:30)

Why suffer any longer, hiding in the darkness of fear and a poor self-image?  Jesus has come to rescue you!

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The Highs and Lows and Ups and Downs of the Most Holy Rosary

The Sorrowful Mysteries

V.  The Crucifixion and death of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Brief meditation:

In this mystery, we contemplate Our Lord Jesus Christ dying on the cross after having given everything to God.  He raises His eyes to Heaven and says, “Father, into thy hands, I commend my spirit.,” giving to God the last thing He could.  We ask the Blessed Virgin Mary to inspire us with this scene so that we may be as generous to God, giving to Him everything of ourselves and even at the end of our lives to commend to Him our very souls.

Scriptural meditations:

1.  When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him and the criminals there, one on his right, the other on his left.  (Luke 23:33)- Hail Mary…

2.  Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do."  (Luke 23:34)- Hail Mary…

3.  The ‘good’ thief said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."  (Luke 23:42)- Hail Mary…

4.  And about three o'clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"  (Matthew 27:46)- Hail Mary…

5.  Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit."  (Luke 23:46)- Hail Mary…

6.  And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.  (John 19:30)- Hail Mary…

7.  Do not hide your face from me; do not repel your servant in anger.  You are my help; do not cast me off; do not forsake me, God my savior!  (Psalm 27:9)- Hail Mary…

8.  But I believe I shall enjoy the Lord's goodness in the land of the living. (Psalm 27:13)- Hail Mary…

9.  Wait for the Lord, take courage; be stouthearted, wait for the Lord!  (Psalm 27:14)- Hail Mary…

10.  But the souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them. They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead; and their passing away was thought an affliction.  (Wisdom 3:1-2)- Hail Mary…

Have I truly turned myself over to God?

If I desire to be a person of true humility before God, I can close my eyes and put myself into memories of such grace.  But in trying to describe these moments in words, I fall short, and wonder if trying to speak the humility turns the expression into self-exaltation!  “Look at me – I’ve humbled myself a few times along the way – aren’t I special?”  In Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, He explains: “for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:9-14)

I’m not sure I have the capacity to be a person of humility all the time, or even most of the time.  It’s easy to blame the hubris of being among a more fortunate economic class, or the consumerism or hedonism or any other of the -isms that are too prevalent in our world.  But the truth runs much deeper than those excuses.  So I pray and wonder...  Does trying to be a person of humility count?  Does living out what my grandmother and mother taught me so well count: that I am special in God’s eyes, but no more special than any of my loud, crazy siblings and cousins and certainly no more so than any other child of God?  Am I humble when I serve, or accept the help of others, or break bread with a family of very modest means – so much so that guilt creeps even as I’m humbled by their generosity?  Have I truly turned myself over to God?

Perhaps you, too, have seen the face of God in a chance encounter that called you (us) to nearly drop to your knees in gratitude.  Perhaps you, too, have wondered at the many, many blessings you enjoy, knowing that your (our) sins, if matched line-by-line, would cause the balance sheet to tip toward the measure of ‘unworthy.’  Perhaps you, too, have felt shame for the moments that you (we) exalted, through words or deeds, self above other.  If yes, then we are a pretty huge amalgamation of like-hearted souls.

So during the rest of this Lenten season, I want to endeavor to behave less often like the Pharisee who was self-aggrandizing, and more often like the tax collector, justified and exalted because of his acts of humility at the Temple.  Thanks be to God!

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The Highs and Lows and Ups and Downs of the Most Holy Rosary:

The Sorrowful mysteries

IV.  The Carrying of the Cross

Brief meditation:

In this mystery, we contemplate Our Lord Jesus Christ falling down for the third time under the weight of his own cross but he rises up and continues forward.  We ask the Blessed Virgin Mary to inspire us with this scene so that every time we find ourselves overwhelmed by our own crosses that we may never give up, that we may always rise up, embrace our cross and continue forward with more determination than before.

Scriptural meditations:

1.  As they led [Jesus] away they took hold of a certain Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the country; and after laying the cross on him, they made him carry it behind Jesus. (Luke 23:26)- Hail Mary…

2.  A large crowd of people followed Jesus, including many women who mourned and lamented him. (Luke 23:27)- Hail Mary ...

3.  Jesus turned to them and said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep instead for yourselves and for your children. (Luke 23:28)- Hail Mary ...

4.  "The days are coming when people will say, 'Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed.'" (Luke 23: 29)- Hail Mary ...

5.  "At that time people will say to the mountains, Fall upon us!' and to the hills, Cover us!'" (Luke 23:30)- Hail Mary ...

6.  "For if these things are done when the wood is green what will happen when it is dry?" (Luke 23:31)- Hail Mary ...

7.  [Jesus said,] "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me." (Mark 8:34)- Hail Mary ...

8.  This, rather, is the fasting that I wish: releasing those bound unjustly, untying the thongs of the yoke; Setting free the oppressed, breaking every yoke. (Isaiah 58:6)- Hail Mary ...

9.  Sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless. Clothing the naked when you see them,

and not turning your back on your own. (Isaiah 58:7)- Hail Mary ...

10.  Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your wound shall quickly be healed. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer, you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am! (Isaiah 58:8-9)- Hail Mary ... 

To love your neighbor, love yourself first

 

“Love God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.”  All of Jesus’ teachings can be summed up in this Gospel passage (Mark 12:28-34).

When we love God fully, we can’t help but love everyone else — even the “neighbors” who make our lives difficult.

Think of the person you love the most.  Is it the one who’s the easiest to serve?  Do you enjoy doing good deeds for him or her?  This generous love reflects your love for God.

Now think of the person you love the least.  Is it someone you want to refuse to serve because of how he or she has hurt you?  This is also a reflection of your love — or lack of it — for God.

Jesus never said that we have to enjoy doing good to our enemies.  He certainly didn’t like being whipped and manhandled and jabbed and mocked and crucified, but that didn’t stop Him from offering Himself as a sacrifice for you and for me and for the people we dislike.  Since He did that for us, can we at least do small deeds of goodness that are no fun to do?

Mercy means choosing to do good whether we like it or not.  To love with our whole heart, soul, mind and strength means choosing to let nothing prevent us from doing good, no matter how we might actually feel about it.

Love is not always a nice feeling.  But love is always a choice that brings us into unity with the One Who Is Love.

The book of Hosea tells us that on our journey of holiness we stumble in our treatment of others and sin.  Then, when we ask God to forgive our iniquity, we blossom spiritually like beautiful lilies and we bear good fruit (Hosea 14:2-10).

However, we’re not capable of loving others more than we love ourselves.  Jesus said, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.”  Loving ourselves and doing good for our own selves (to get our needs met) gives us the confidence and freedom that we need in order to do good to others, especially when life is difficult.

Low self-esteem is not God’s plan for us.  Let Him heal your wounded heart.  Let Him correct bad messages that have cut you down.  Let Him point out your goodness and giftedness.  Spend time observing yourself through His eyes.  Pay attention to how much He appreciates you.  He sees your goodness even when you can’t.

God loves you with His whole heart, His whole soul, His whole mind, and His whole strength!

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The Highs and Lows and Ups and Downs of the Most Holy Rosary:

The Sorrowful mysteries:

III.  The crowning of thorns

Brief meditation:

In this mystery, we contemplate Our Lord Jesus Christ cruelly crowned with thorns by the guards and then presented in front of the public where he is mocked and humiliated for having preached truth and virtue. We ask the Blessed Virgin Mary to inspire us with this scene so that every time we find ourselves having to defend Catholic faith and morality in public, that we may never cower, that we may always defend them with courage giving more importance to God’s opinion than to public opinion or peer pressure.

Scriptural meditations:

1.  Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus inside the praetorium and gathered the whole cohort around him. (Matthew 27:27)- Hail Mary…

2.  They stripped off his clothes and threw a scarlet military cloak about him. (Matthew 27:28)- Hail Mary…

3.  Weaving a crown out of thorns, they placed it on his head, and a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" (Matthew 27:29)- Hail Mary…

4.  They spat upon him and took the reed and kept striking him on the head. (Matthew 27:30)- Hail Mary…

5.  And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the cloak, dressed him in his own clothes, and led him off to crucify him. (Matthew 27:31)- Hail Mary…

6.  Lord, my God, I call out by day; at night I cry aloud in your presence. (Psalm 88:2)- Hail Mary…

7.  You plunged me into the bottom of the pit, into the darkness of the abyss. (Psalm 88:7)- Hail Mary…

8.  All day I call on you, Lord; I stretch out my hands to you. (Psalm 88:10)- Hail Mary…

9.  Why do you reject me, Lord? Why hide your face from me? (Psalm 88:15)- Hail Mary…

10.  All the day they surge round like a flood; from every side they close in on me. Because of you companions shun me; my only friend is darkness. (Psalm 88:18-19)- Hail Mary…

Praying for unity in the world

 

Progress on the Lenten journey is found in the words of Jesus in Luke’s gospel (Luke11:14-23): “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.”

There’s no neutral ground.  There’s no progress made when one foot is on the path of holiness and the other foot is on the world’s path.  Either we sit on the fence, or we lose our balance.

Whenever we fail to fully cooperate with Jesus, we’re working (to some degree) against His perfect plans, against His strategies for spreading the kingdom of God, and against His attempts to answer other people’s prayers.

If we neglect the needs of others, if we ignore the sufferings of even the least significant people around us, if we refuse to love those whom He loves, we are working against Jesus.

We’ve all seen divisions in our family, our workplace, our parishes, our communities, and our world.  Every division is more than just person against person, faction against faction.  It’s an act against Jesus and it scatters people away from the path that He has paved for them.  Jesus says, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste. Any house torn by dissension falls.”

However, through God’s resurrection power, all divisions can become great opportunities for new and stronger unity — if people on both sides choose to reconcile and to handle the problems God’s way.

What if you’re willing, but others in a divisive situation have hardened their hearts and stiffened their necks (Jeremiah 7:23-28)?  The division might not end in your lifetime, but God will bless you and heal your heart and strengthen your holiness.

To receive this healing, we have to hear God’s voice and harden not our own hearts (Psalms 95:1-9).  Condemnation and vengeful anger work against God’s plans, so instead of adding to the wall of division, we take pity on our enemies and pray for them and stand beside Jesus, ready and eager to be conduits of His merciful love if and when opportunities arise.

Sometimes for the sake of safety or emotional and spiritual health, we have to separate ourselves from others when they refuse to cooperate with reconciliation.  This breakup isn’t a sin, regardless of how long the division continues, that is, if we listen for God’s voice, soften our hearts, and choose to lovingly do good for our enemies.

Loving those from whom we’re divided means that we don’t decide how to treat them based on how they treat us nor on what we think they deserve.  Instead, we give them what they’re ready to receive from Jesus through us.  (Note the word “ready”. If we force it on them before they’re ready and open to it, we cause more division.)  That’s how to have unity even in the midst of divisions!

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The Highs and Lows and Ups and Downs of the Most Holy Rosary

II.  The Scourging at the pillar

Brief meditation:

In this mystery, we contemplate Our Lord Jesus Christ covered with wounds from head to toe from all the scourging, but still He utters not a word of complaint.  We ask the Blessed Virgin Mary to inspire us with this scene so that every time we find our lives covered with suffering, that we may never complain, that we may always offer our sufferings for the conversion of sinners, in reparation to the sins against the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and for the greater glory of God.

Scriptural meditation:

1.  Pilate addressed them a third time, "What evil has this man done? I found him guilty of no capital crime." (Luke 23:22)- Hail Mary….

2.  "Therefore I shall have him flogged and then release him." (Luke 23:22)- Hail Mary…

3.  With loud shouts, however, they persisted in calling for his crucifixion, and their voices prevailed. (Luke 23:23)- Hail Mary…

4.  The verdict of Pilate was that their demand should be granted. (Luke 23:24)- Hail Mary…

5.  Then Pilate took Jesus and had him scourged. (John 19:1)- Hail Mary…

6.  So he released the man who had been imprisoned for rebellion and murder, for whom they asked, and he handed Jesus over to them to deal with as they wished. (Luke 23:25)- Hail Mary…

7.  How lonely she is now, the once crowded city! (Lamentations 1:1a)- Hail Mary…

8.  Widowed is she who was mistress over nations. (Lamentations 1:1b)- Hail Mary…

9.  The princess among the provinces has been made a toiling slave.  (Lamentations 1:1c)- Hail Mary ...

10.  Bitterly she weeps at night, tears upon her cheeks. (Lamentations 1:2)- Hail Mary ...