If only we could see things as Christ does!

Christ entered His hometown and a paralytic was brought to Him. Christ's first concern was for the condition of the man's soul, and He forgave his sins. This infuriated the people and they questioned His ability to do so. (Matthew 9:1-8)

Throughout most of the Old Testament, time after time the people of Israel are shown great mercy after great disobedience to God. They never seem to learn! But God’s patience with us and mercy toward us is always greater than our disobedience to His will. He eventually sends His beloved Son to die for us and show us that death is just the beginning!

Eternity has already begun for each of us. The moment we were conceived in our mother's womb, our eternity began! That we will always be -- is an awesome thought! This gospel helps us keep our focus on what is really important. Our lives are often fast-paced and we can easily allow the concerns of life to overwhelm us. The reality is that each decision and action we make has an impact on our future. Often it takes some tragedy in our personal or family life to readjust those priorities. We have to remember that no matter what “life” or other people hands us, Jesus is there to help us through our difficulties. Many want to turn from Him when things are going badly—they may even blame Him for the difficulties. That’s ludicrous—Jesus can’t be blamed for His creations’ poor decisions and disobedience of His commandments or even for natural disasters. We have to further remember that God can and does allow bad things to happen so that a greater good can come from it—our challenge is recognize the good, even while lamenting the bad.

One way to help us keep on track with our spiritual goals and priorities is to take time early each day and map out our priorities. A prayer to the Holy Spirit to show us the way through the day is also important. Then at the end of each day a brief re-examination of the day will help us to realize how we are doing.

We will not be perfect, but at least God knows that we are striving to be as perfect as we can be. God knows that we are human and He still finds delight in each of us!

Death Stars

http://www.splendoroftruth.com/curtjester/2010/06/death-stars/

Thanks to the Curt Jester for today's entry!

I am not worthy to receive you....

"O Lord, I am not worthy to receive you." The translators of the liturgy probably used this phrasing because it nicely combines the sense of reception as of a host to a guest and reception as of receiving the Eucharist. But it is from this scripture passage that they derive the prayer that is so central to our liturgy and to our lives.

We are not worthy of ourselves. But the interesting fact of Catholic Doctrine is that we are made worthy not of ourselves, but by God's love for us. The compassionate love of a father makes what is dirt and clay, what came from nothing, worthy to receive God in His fullness when we partake of Holy Communion.

Lord, I am not worthy to receive you -- but only say the word and I shall be healed! Healed of what? Healed, in part, of my unworthiness. We have a saying in America -- You are what you eat. I read that and with respect to Holy Communion, I pray, "May it be so!" Because in receiving Holy Communion, we receive God Himself. And we receive God, "under our roof," the roof to this body that serves to keep us in, and so many things -- including God, if we should choose -- out.

St. Thomas Aquinas reminds us that the only thing we can do on our own is reject God; even accepting God requires God's grace. So it is well to remember and to pray with this centurion -- "Lord I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed."

May it be so for all of us who love Him.

What, then will this child be?

When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her.

When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child, they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother said in reply, “No. He will be called John.”

But they answered her, “There is no one among your relatives who has this name.” So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called. He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,” and all were amazed. Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God.

Then fear came upon all their neighbors, and all these matters were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea. All who heard these things took them to heart, saying, “What, then, will this child be?”

For surely the hand of the Lord was with him. The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the desert until the day of his manifestation to Israel.

As I meditated on this reading today, three themes kept running through my mind:

“Fear came upon all their neighbors”. We don’t like to think about it, but we are all sinners. We tend to put our sins on the “back burners” of our minds until we are reminded by some event (great or small) that God is truly among us and knows our thoughts and actions. Then we become “fearful” that He will punish us. Our emphasis should be more on sorrow that we’ve offended him, and making a firm purpose of amendment to avoid sin, rather than fear of eternal punishment.

“All these matters were discussed”. I imagine most of the discussion was in the form of gossip. I can hear it now; “Did you hear about Zechariah and Elizabeth?” “They called their son ‘John’! There has never been a ‘John’ in the house of Zechariah! Who do they think they are?” As Dennis Miller says, “I don’t want to go on a rant here, but…..” Gossip is the main thoroughfare of scandal. We would do well not to participate. ‘Nuff said.

“What, then will this child be?” Of course we know the story of John. What I got to thinking about this part of the reading though, is the universality of the question. Every parent has the same question when a child is born. We all want the best for our children, and we truly believe they can be anything they want to be. The trouble comes when we don’t support them by giving them the proper tools and education so they can become “strong in spirit”. Every child—no, every human being—has a purpose: to love and serve God with all our heart mind and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves. It is the degree to which we fulfill that purpose that is important and essential to our eternal happiness with Jesus in Heaven.

Happy Father's Day!

A Father's Prayers of Petition

As the guardian of my family, that I constantly instill Catholic values, I pray to the Lord.

When I am discouraged and weary, give me the grace to be strong, I pray to the Lord.

To be a source of patience, understanding and love to my family, I pray to the Lord.

To teach my children always to do Your will, using the Blessed Mother and Saint Joseph as examples, I pray to the Lord.

Help me willingly and joyfully to accept the sacrifices I must make for the common good of my family, I pray to the Lord.

Help me to instill in my children a love for Jesus and His Church so that they will be witness to others, I pray to the Lord.

In gratitude for my Father

Dear God, the Father of us all, Father of Life, I thank you for my father. Along with my mother, through the marvel of your creation, my father gave me the gift of life itself. He was such a blessing to me while he was still with us. I still miss him so much. He was such a good teacher and mentor, such a wonderful example of how to live a life of faith. I thank you for what he left me as gifts of love and faith. I pray that he has enjoyed your embrace and that the relationship he and I had might someday be renewed with you in heaven. Until then, I entrust him to your love and ask you to let him look out for me and to assist me to stay on the path to you. Please take care of him now and be generous with him as you prepare him for the rewards of eternal life you have prepared for him.

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“Dadisms” are a dad's favorite way to teach his kids the basics of life.
Here are a few “dadisms” I can remember hearing when growing up, and that I have probably said to my kids, despite my best efforts at avoiding using some of them:

•Don't ask me, ask your mother.
•You snooze, you lose.
•A little dirt never hurt anyone--just wipe it off..
•I'm not just talking to hear my own voice!
•Stop crying or I'll give you a reason to cry.
•You're gonna like it, whether you like it or not!
•If your friend jumped off a bridge would you?
•Don't look at me in that tone of voice!
•What do you think this is, your birthday?
•What part of NO don't you understand?
•I don't care what other people are doing! I'm not everybody else's father!
•Didn't your teacher learn you anything?!
•Two wrongs do not make a right.
•Don't use that tone with me!
•Am I talking to a brick wall?
•Enough is enough!
•Don't make me stop the car!
•What did I just get finished telling you?
•Act your age.
•Is that a threat, or a promise? (Likewise)
•We’ll get there when we get there!
•Go tell your mother she wants you.
•Who said life was supposed to be fair?
•Life is a journey and you've just reached one of many speed bumps to come.
•As long as you tried your hardest, that's all that matters.
•If ifs and buts were candy and nuts then we'd all have a merry Christmas.
•Don't believe anything you hear and only half of what you see.
•If you're gonna be dumb, you've gotta be tough.
•Worrying about things you can't change is like a rocking chair... it gives you something to do, but it doesn't get you anywhere.
•It's hard to be good, and easy to be bad.
•What do you think I am, a bank?
•You didn't beat me. I let you win.
•This will hurt me a lot more than it hurts you.
•We're not lost. I'm just not sure where we are.
•If you can’t be good, be careful.
•I'll tell you why. Because I said so. That's why.
•Do what I say, not what I do.
•I'm not sleeping, I'm resting my eyes.
•That's not a tear, I have something in my eye.

Learn to focus on things that matter

When I first read the passages from Chronicles and from Matthew presented on Saturday they did not seem to belong together. Chronicles relates a wrathful Lord, one Who is intent on providing the Jewish people with the lesson of the day – transgress the Lord’s commands and find themselves smashed by invading Arameans. Jesus, on the other hand, provides a most spiritual message – detach yourselves from material goods and wants, and be more trusting, as are the birds and the wildflowers.

But when I reflected on these passages later, it seemed to me that they are related after all. The princes of Judah engaged in conduct that demonstrated they had lost their focus, had taken an easier way, had mistaken the value of their gift from God and thus placed short-term expediency over long-term growth. They ceased to be other-directed and focused on the Lord, and were more self-directed and focused on self. I can only think of our country today. We’ve taken prayer out of the picture altogether it seems, and built a culture of self-reliance that will only lead us further away from God unless we regain our senses and remember Who gave us our “self” in the first place. Self-reliance is not necessarily a bad thing, as long it is used for the greater glory of God and directed toward loving our families, friends, and yes, even enemies as we love ourselves.

Jesus tells His listeners that they should focus on things that matter and not those that are distractions. Jesus challenges His listeners to live more simply, less acquisitively, more spiritually. Jesus encourages us to be more faith-filled and less troubled by the things we are powerless to change. We are all guilty of this. I frequently have trouble concentrating on the Mysteries when I’m saying the rosary. Instead, I wonder how my day is going to go tomorrow, or even worse sometimes I even lament on how my day today has gone! What’s the sense in that? What’s done is done! It can’t be redone! I have to refocus on Christ and the Gospel (the Good News!) that he proclaims. That gives me hope for the things I have to do tomorrow and provides me with the direction I need to focus on Jesus as He presents Himself to me through those whom I interact with throughout the day.

Three recent incidents have occurred that made me feel (and forgive me, Lord, if this sounds egotistic or prideful) that I’m getting closer to being on the right track spiritually and evangelically, even if not consistently.

Yesterday, Mom and I were talking to a woman who said she “used to go to the Catholic church, and would like to go again, but I can’t.” I should have asked her right then what she meant, then reassured her that it’s never too late to come home and ask for forgiveness. But I wasn’t thinking evangelically then, and the moment passed and didn’t re-present itself. What strikes me now as I think of it again is that I felt a real sorrow that she was allowing anything to keep her from the Body of Christ. It was like an ache in my own heart.

Today, my boss said something very mildly crass as a joke and immediately apologized to me for allowing me to hear it. I mean it was VERY mild, and the fact that he thought it might have offended me actually made me feel good for HIS sake! I didn’t feel offended, but I took his apology as an apology to the Body of Christ and in my mind’s eye, I could see Jesus smile!

Then I had someone else today ask me if I thought there would be any changes to the Church under Benedict XVI’s papacy vs. Pope JPII. I said I don’t think there will be any changes in regards to faith and morals between the two because they were both chosen by the Holy Spirit to lead the Church in the direction Jesus intends it to go. He said he didn’t think it was important WHAT church someone went to, as long as he believed in God and Jesus Christ. I told him that while that IS the bottom line, I feel that it’s also important to be a member of the Church that Christ Himself founded upon the “rock” that is Peter. All I feel qualified to do at this stage of my spiritual development is to plant seeds and trust that Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, will cultivate the soil, water the seeds and reap the harvest.

Science continues to search for the obvious

This story appeared on the internet today and reminded me of a joke that pretty much sums up what any true believer in God’s existence and power believes:

One day a group of scientists got together and decided that man had come a long way and no longer needed God. So they picked one scientist to go and tell Him that they were done with Him. The scientist walked up to God and said, "God, we've decided that we no longer need you. We're to the point that we can clone people and do many miraculous things, so why don't you just go on and get lost."

God listened very patiently to the man. After the scientist was done talking, God said, "Very well, how about this? Let's say we have a man-making contest." To which the scientist replied, "Okay, great!" But God added, "Now, we're going to do this just like I did back in the old days with Adam." The scientist said, "Sure, no problem" and bent down and grabbed himself a handful of dirt. God looked at him and said, "No, no -- you go get your own dirt."

It really amazes me how many scientists can’t seem to “see the forest through all of the trees in their way”! It seems like a pretty simple equation to me. All of the THINGS they are discovering had to be created at some point in time out of NOTHING. Just Who do they think created all of the circumstances that led to the “big bang” in the first place?

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Well, the wedding has come and gone! It was beautiful and spirit-filled. For those of you who couldn’t attend, look on Lily’s blog at the left for some preliminary pictures. More will be available in about a week. First we have to get them from the photographer, then we’ll have to figure an easier way to get them all in a format that is easy to load and view. I’ll keep you posted. Thanks to all of you who sent well-wishes and gifts to the newlyweds. Please keep them in your prayers of thanksgiving this week.

On the eve of the eve of my daughter's wedding

When Alicia was in 2nd or 3rd grade she came to me and asked me something I will never forget—“Daddy, how come you and Mom don’t argue and fight like a lot of the other kids’ parents?” I told her it was because we love each other very much and didn’t have much to argue about. That settled it. I didn’t ever have to answer the question again.

Now that she’s getting married, I want her (and the world) to know what I think has made my love for her Mom better and greater every day since we got married in the hopes that her marriage to Lorenzo becomes as strong and loving as ours is. Alicia’s wedding this Saturday has had me prayerfully considering my love for Marilyn (and thanking God for her!) in the past few weeks and why I think our marriage has been a happy one. I think it’s because we never approached it simply as just something a man and woman do when they “have feelings” for one another. Rather, we take our vows and the promises we made to each other and to God very seriously, even on those rare occasions when we do have disagreements or get mildly angry at one another.

The way I see it, the three virtues of faith, hope and charity are the cornerstone of any marriage in the Persons of the Trinity. Marilyn and I, either consciously or unconsciously (and “prodded” by the Holy Spirit), have used this foundation since day one.

In the Scriptures the relationship between God and God's people is often described in terms of a marriage. The early Christians, reflecting on Christ's love for us, also used this image. Christ and the Church embrace in mutual love and self-giving, even as do husband and wife (see, for example, Ephesians 5:21-33). "'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.' This is a great mystery, and I am applying it to Christ and the church" (Ephesians 5:31-32).

Faith is where it begins. Not only a faith in God, but in one another. We will each make mistakes—it’s what makes us human. The challenge in a marriage is to remember to give our partner the benefit of any doubts and believe that he is not acting out of selfishness but out of a concern for what is right for the union. The word “fidelity” is derived from “faith”. We sometimes forget that it takes three persons to make a marriage; a man, a woman, and God. That’s why Jesus elevated marriage to a Sacrament—bringing the Eternal Father into the relationship provides us (through prayer) with an arbiter to help us see more clearly the path back to agape love. That’s why including Him in the marriage is very important.

Hope is important to keep the flames of love alive. We each have to share our hopes and dreams often by speaking “with” one another instead of “at” one another. Obviously we already agreed a lot of these hopes and dreams during our courtship, or we wouldn’t have agreed to get married. I always try to use the word “trust” along with hope because hope without trust is just an empty dream and that can kill love faster than anything. We have to trust that we will realize our dreams as a couple “someday”—even if “someday” never comes! That is what keeps the marriage and the love alive through the blessings of the Holy Spirit.

Charity is probably the hardest virtue to accomplish in a marriage, because it always—ALWAYS—requires sacrifice. Sometimes, in fact most of the time, the sacrifices are small, but occasionally larger sacrifices have to be made for the good of the marriage. Remembering the sacrifice that Jesus made for all of us on the Cross can help encourage us in this regard. Charity can show itself in many ways, like preparing a special meal for our husband or wife even if we’ve had a hard day. Simply remembering to say, “I love you”, even when we’re not in the proper mood or disposition. The hardest part of the sacrifice is making it joyfully and without malice to our spouse.

There is no “Handbook of Marriage”. Every relationship is different but I guarantee that every relationship will grow stronger if we remember to keep faith (the Father), charity (the Son), and hope (the Holy Spirit) alive for as long as we live.

By the way, the date that Alicia and Lorenzo chose for their 1st day of a new life together happens to be the Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Who better to have as a reminder of unconditional love than the Immaculate Heart of the Mother of God? I hope (trust) that Our Blessed Mother will be a constant source of help and guidance to both of them (and Lily), and that she will continue to lead them to her Son. Amen.

The privilege of being a Christian

It is a privilege, as well as a big responsibility, to call ourselves Christians. The day of our Baptism changed our very identity. It is up to us with our gift of free will to form and inform ourselves on an ongoing basis as that person. Every encounter with another person is important.

Anger is a normal emotional reaction, but it is how we handle that emotion that is significant. This is a challenge for most people. Christ taught us that we are to love everyone. We have proof of that love through His death on the cross. To falter in quenching anger is tricky, and we may fail at times, but we are to separate the actions of another from their person, and continue to love them. This is especially important when we are caring for children, the helpless and the elderly. They always need to be assured of our love even though their actions might make us angry. For example, how many parents have had to contend with powder being sprinkled all over a room? Or crayon marks on the wall? Or had to repeat, “NO, NO, NO!” at least 10 times before the child obeys? Oh, the joys of parenthood!

In the gospel, Christ said, "I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment." (see Matthew 5:22)

And a little child shall lead them.....

My granddaughter Lily is a great teacher, but she doesn’t know it! Lately I have been struggling to make sense of the world’s seeming lack of morals and decency, and I must admit that it sometimes scares me that Lily will be growing up in an age that will test the resolve of even the most faithful follower of Jesus Christ.

Lily has taught me that it is TRUST in Our Lord’s love for us that will get us through. Of course, she didn’t tell me this in so many words, but by her example. Let me explain. As she is learning to walk (she’s really good at it now, by the way) she is becoming more and more independent of the grownups around her. But every once in a while, she stumbles or comes to an obstacle that she feels is a little too large to navigate alone.

This has happened several times while I was watching her, and she didn’t whimper or whine or get upset. She merely looked me in the eye and, without saying a word, she held out one hand for me to hold on to and help her get up by herself or to get around that obstacle. The absolute trust she has in my love for her that she shows by this action sends me to the brink of tears every time she holds out her hands like that.

It also reminds me that as long as we trust in God’s love for us, we know we’ll be alright.

Blessed are they.......

The first reading and the psalm on Monday this week say that God will take care of His faithful, and in Jesus’ time it certainly did not seem true. People were often persecuted for their religion. They still are. So how can these two seemingly different things both be true? The Lord told Elijah that he should go east and he would be taken care of, and he was. In the psalm we are told, “Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. The Lord will guard you from all evil; he will guard your life. The Lord will guard your coming and your going, both now and forever.” But that doesn’t always seem true.

I was watching a movie about Pope Paul VI on EWTN the other night. In one scene, he is praying in his chapel and he asks Jesus, “Why? Why is there still war? Why is there still pain and agony and suffering?” The Holy Father falls into a dream and finds himself in Jerusalem being led by a simple shepherd on a cobbled street up to the top of a hill. When they reach the top, the shepherd says nothing, but points towards the horizon, where the Cross of Christ is lit up. It was very powerful.

There are many good and devout people who have a very tough time. Why is God not taking care of them? And why are so many bad people not just getting by, but really flourishing?

In the Gospel, Jesus explains this disparity. He says that the people who now seem to have it the worst will get their reward in heaven. Those who are insulted and persecuted, but who stay true to their faith, though they suffer now, their reward in heaven will be great. The attributes that God rewards are not necessarily the ones that bring material success here on earth. Those who are humble, poor in spirit, will never have a kingdom on earth, but theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Those who mourn here will have their comforted in the next world. This world is not the end; it’s just the beginning. Even though we have disappointments here and everyone mourns at some point, these things are only Earthly and they do not last. The comfort of heaven is for eternity. Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness don’t always get it here on Earth. There is speculation that nearly 5% of death row inmates are actually innocent. Many of those innocent people will die for crimes they did not commit, which is one more reason why I personally do not believe the death penalty is justified—ever. Justice doesn’t always happen here, but God’s justice is supreme and unerring. People who fight for righteousness here sometimes suffer for their convictions. People often suffer for their religions. People suffer for Jesus’ sake. And that doesn’t always seem right or fair.

But often—not always, but often—the people who are successful in this world do it at the cost of morals and ethics and justice. They do not uphold righteousness, but they have the material and popular success in this world. But that may be the best they will get. They were concerned with the world, and they have the riches of this world. But those who put God first, even though they suffer for it here, will have a greater reward in heaven—where it really counts.

New Poll Shows Public Support for Life Continues to Increase

In a news story on May 14, 2010, the Gallup organization reported-as was true in 2009-that more Americans call themselves "pro-life" than "pro-choice." In a graph embedded in the article, the overall "pro-life" trend is very evident.

In 1996 only 33 percent of Americans called themselves "pro-life" while 56 percent claimed to be "pro-choice." In the May 3-6, 2010 survey, 47 percent report that they are "pro-life" but only 45 percent assert a "pro-choice" stance.

Gallup also reported: "All age groups have become more attached to the pro-life label since 2005, with particularly large increases among young adults and those aged 50 to 64 years in the latest period between 2007/2008 and 2009/2010."

You can review the news story from which this was taken here.

Dualities

We do not choose the world into which we are born. The ways of the world are thrust upon us. The status quo has a power that can be consuming. What matters most--persons, sustaining life, care for the vulnerable--often is swept aside. For thoroughly acculturated people, Scripture reads like notes from outer space. Who speaks such language any more? A mistrusted being, God is less real than the fleeting price of oil.

Paul reminds us that we are not helpless: the practices of faith have the power to move our lives. Scripture opens up a deeper understanding of what is real and what matters. In following Christ, we enter into a totality where self and world reveal the sacred. We learn to think, feel, and act as persons set free. In this freedom, we are not alone before the bonfires. The Word illumines reality and brings hope to the shadows.

Modern thought so often deals in dualities: the self is severed from community, fact from value, suffering from joy, transcendence from immanence, faith from reason. With these splintered forms, much is lost. The practices of faith heal divisions of all kinds; they restore our ability to think and awaken us to the goodness of this world.

Stirring up the flames

When I read the readings for Wednesday today, the Holy Spirit reminded me that what Paul wrote to Timothy in the first reading is an excellent example of how the teachings found in scripture are still applicable today.

Paul wrote:

For this reason, I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control. So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord, nor of me, a prisoner for his sake; but bear your share of hardship for the Gospel with the strength that comes from God.

Paul reminds his brother in Christ that he needs to "stir into flame the gift of God." It seems Timothy had been without Paul for some time and had become lax in his duties as a Christian leader. The fire of his calling had died out. As Paul goes on to explain, Timothy was not to be ashamed of his calling and that his soul contained the power of love and not the spirit of a coward. Finally, he reminds Timothy that his strength is in God.

The same is true for us. We need to constantly stir the flame of our faith and never be ashamed to proclaim Who our Lord and Savior is, and what He has done for us. To do anything less is cowardice and not of the Spirit our Lord gave us through our Baptisms and Confirmation. Our strength and hope is in God and, with God behind us, what else does one need?