We need this Woman!

Other feast days celebrate Mary in the liturgical year, but today we begin our year by venerating her as Mother of God.  Her Motherhood is the heart and reason for all our attention to and claims on Mary through the centuries.  

We need this woman throughout the year!   Just think of all the honor and prayers offered to Mary through the two millennia of Christian faith, the images, the titles, the pious practices, the special doctrinal pronouncements in the last two centuries in Roman Catholicism that she is the Immaculate Conception and was Assumed into Heaven.  Sinless (but otherwise entirely human like us) and Queen of Heaven, she hears our prayers; though she does not judge or save or heal herself, she prays for us.  She is Advocate, Mediator, Guide, Role Model, Comforter, and always a real Woman, and even Sister and Friend to us, throughout our lives, and—as the “Hail Mary” says—“at the hour of our death.”

  

We need this woman!  A few weeks ago, in conversation about TIME’s selection of Pope Francis as “Person of the Year,” a young woman of feminist leanings remarked, “We should have a WOMAN as head of the church ABOVE the Pope.”  We have her!  Mary, the Mother of God is above the Pope in the Church!   Further, our human nature needs a womanly figure to honor and pray to.  I heard Timothy Cardinal Dolan of New York say that the first place Pope Francis visited after his election was to a shrine of our Blessed Mother, as have the previous 3 popes, to ask for her help and guidance in their pontificates.

 

As Mary’s child is obviously different from any other hero in history and literature, so she transcends as well as fulfills our need for Mother, Mediator, or Queen – and also for a real woman who is personal, intimate Mother, guide, model, and friend.  Now celebrating the Mother of the Word, I notice the words of our readings for today, and particularly that “Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.”   I want to follow her example, reflecting on the Gospel narrative, St. Paul’s teaching, the blessing that the Lord taught Moses, and the prayer sung in the Psalm.  (Numbers 6: 22-27,  Psalm 67: 2-3, 5, 6, 8, Galatians 4: 4-7 & Luke 2: 16-21)

And I notice, as if new in this New Year, the exact words of the most obvious “Hail Mary” prayer.  I’m noticing that first we “hail” her then we praise her, stating the obvious: that she is “blessed” and so is her child.   Then we ask her to pray for us sinners – and not only in this moment of reciting the prayer, but at the time of our death.   Death -- the usually not noticed part of life!   We need this woman now, each day, and to the certain end of “now.”

“Holy Mary, Mother of God, Pray for us sinners, NOW” – in all of 2014 – “and at the hour of our death.”

Happy New Year!

Looking back, moving forward

At the closing of the year it's a good thing to look back, even as we continue to move forward.  It’s good to look in our rear-view mirror to see our experiences of God in our lives during the year we are closing and to reflect on them. Yes, even as we keep on driving and looking to the road ahead.

I look to 3 very specific experiences this past year for which I am extremely grateful to God; Tim (and Dottie’s) successful back surgeries and recoveries and (in my opinion) the “wedding of the year”.  Congratulations again, Sarah and Tony!

I think it’s interesting that at the end of the year the gospel reading (John 1:1-18) brings us back to the absolute beginning: In the beginning... As the year’s end invites us to look back on the completed year with gratitude, the prologue of John’s gospel invites us to look back as far as “back” goes: In the beginning... (the beginning of creation of course, since God and the Word have no beginning).  And, looking at the beginning, the reading gives us a capsule summary of the mystery of Christ, the Word.

The Word was in the beginning, but the Word did not stay there statically. The Word is now. The Word, who became flesh and (literally) pitched His tent among us, as we have just celebrated at Christmas, remains with us: I will be with you to the end of time [Mt. 28:20]

We glance at the past year in our rear-view mirror, but keeping our sight on the present, as we keep moving into our future to be made of an uninterrupted sequence of presents.  It’s a moment of both gratitude and hope.  Gratitude even as we recognize experiences we regret and hope even as we  perhaps fear possible experiences that could hurt us, knowing all along that we are never alone, because the Word became flesh and pitched His tent among us, the Word who gave us His word that “I will be with you to the end of time.”

My first "Best Of"

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

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

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

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

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

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

Romans 12: 5 - 16

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

The excitement of children

For the past week, since her 5^th birthday, Lily has been counting the number of “sleeps” until Christmas.   Last year she knew about Christmas, but not about the excitement of Christmas.  It’s been really amusing, and an opportunity for me to reflect.  As I watched Lily’s excitement grow each day, I realized it was because she would be getting presents more than the excitement that we should all feel at the impending birth of a Savior.   I am attributing this attitude to her maturity.  I am sure that from this year on, she will grow in knowledge and understanding of Christ.

 

What I really reflected on though was the actual excitement of a 5 year old child.  When Jesus was 5 years old, did He feel this child-like excitement about His role as our Savior?  Was He as excited about being born among His creation as we are excited about it?  I’m talking about His human nature here, not His divine nature.  Obviously, His love for us can’t be matched, but I often like to think about what Jesus might have felt and thought as He “grew in wisdom and stature”.  (Luke 2:52)

One thing I appreciate during the Christmas Season is the traditions that we keep.  One in particular that we’ve kept since our girls were small (which is close to 30 years now!) is attending the children’s Mass at St. Luke’s parish.  The children present the same production of the Nativity story every year.  One year, Alicia played the part of Mary and was able to hold the “newborn Jesus” while the Gospel of Luke was read.  Another year, Sarah played the part of the angel who appeared to the shepherds in the field and told them of the Good News of Jesus’ birth.  The Infant Jesus is always “played” by a real newborn of the parish and his presentation to “Mary” by an “angel” always elicits an “OOOOOOhhhhh” from some in the congregation.

 But for me, this simple re-enactment brings tears to my eyes because the presence of that little baby really brings home the grace of God becoming man. Despite the hardship and the pain, there is such joy at any birth. The act of God becoming man in a humble, all-too-human way can give us all hope in the rebirth of goodwill and peace. We are people who have walked in darkness and now have seen a great light. We can sing a new song, be glad and rejoice. The grace of God is here to help us learn to live temperately, justly and devoutly in this age. We should take this story and the good news of great joy into our hearts and let the joy and peace flourish. We should be thankful for this great light. We should keep the light burning brightly in our hearts and in our lives.  We should hold this simple story in our hearts throughout the year.

Making room for our Father's Will

In lieu of my own meditation today, I read a homily by Father Jim Chern that I thought was touching enough and provocative enough to share.  You can find the homily here.  I was almost brought to tears by the sermon.  How often are we asked to change our own plans and bend to the will of the Father, but not willing to because we are comfortable where we are in our lives, or simply afraid of change? 

I know God exists because of the prayers of my mother

December 20, 2013===




I couldn't let the day end (well technically I did—since the clock just struck 12 midnight) without giving a shout out to my mom and dad. Today (yesterday) was Dad's 106^th birthday. I hope I turned out the way he would want me to.




It was also Mom and Dad's Anniversary. They were married on December 20, 1941 after a whirlwind courtship and doted on one another until Dad passed away in 1970. Mom sent out an email to all of her children today assuring us that she still thinks of Dad every day and prays for him as well. She included a short prayer for him that I repeated several times during my own rosary this evening.




I thought I would take the occasion to thank Mom and Dad for my faith. Let me clarify that—God blesses us with Faith. But He most often offers it to us then nurtures it through our parents. Think about that. I did today. I was having trouble finding the words to describe how I arrived at my faith, when the Holy Spirit sent me the words and the inspiration for this blog entry through the words of a radio personality (who just happens to be Catholic) I was listening to today.




He said “I know God exists because of Mom's unwavering faith and prayers.” I thought “That's exactly the way I feel!” Mom's example of uncompromising faith and prayers are the “insulin shot” I need when my faith grows “diabetic”.




So as a (late) Birthday present to Dad and Anniversary present to both Mom and Dad I offer the following prayer:




Heavenly Father, I thank You for my parents. I am confident that You chose my parents for me knowing that they would introduce me to You through their example of love and devotion to one another. Their example is the cornerstone upon which I have tried to lead my own family to You. I trust that through Your Son's mercy I will be able to spend eternity with my parents and the rest of my family in praising You. I present this prayer to You through Your son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

An example of joy

In his latest Exhortation, “The Joy of the Gospel,” Pope Francis writes about a “practical relativism” in which we act, in our day to day life, like God doesn’t really exist.

He said that this can result in – in a heart that believes all the doctrine and teachings – “a lifestyle which leads to an attachment to financial security or to a desire for power or human glory at all cost.”  Francis calls us to “say no to selfishness and spiritual sloth.”  He talks about the dangers of “acedia,” which is an emptiness or listlessness that results in not really caring about anything.  He warns of a “gray pragmatism,” transforming us into “mummies.” “Disillusioned with reality, with the Church and with themselves, they experience a constant temptation to cling to a faint melancholy, lacking in hope which seizes the heart.”  He asks us to “say no to a sterile pessimism.”  He said, “Our faith is challenged to discern how wine can come from water and how wheat can grow in the midst of weeds.”  He writes about a “defeatism” which can turn us into “disillusioned pessimists, ‘sourpusses.’”  He warns that we can, in discouragement, be tempted to “build without God.”  He urges us to “say yes to a new relationship with Jesus.”

This is what Advent is for.  It’s an opportunity to open our hearts to Jesus’ coming today, in the midst of our darkness.  This is not something abstract or intellectual.  It’s personal.  If I let Him love me, forgive me, tell me I’m precious, that I’m not alone, then I can face any challenge with hope.  This is what real joy is all about.  And, even when our union with Jesus leads us to the Cross, we are with Him on the path to eternal life.

Let us all pray, “Come, Lord Jesus,” with deeper, more personal meaning today, and each day in the days ahead.  And, let us let him come into those places of our lives where he so wants to come with tenderness, comfort, healing and life.

Happy 77th Birthday, Holy Father!

Recognizing the signs

What an amazing and vibrant image we have of Elijah!  (Sirach 48:1-4, 9-11) His words are on fire! He actually brought down fire from the heavens by the power of God.  His zeal was inspiring.  He was destined to put an end to wrath and enmity so people could accept Jesus when He came.  He was a harbinger of the Lord and a necessary step in the coming.  Elijah was taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire.  How could anyone fail to recognize his importance, especially with all that fire surrounding him?

But later, in the gospel (Matthew 17:9a, 10-13), we find out that people did not recognize him.  Despite all the fire, the people did not recognize him or his importance.  When the disciples say it is written that Elijah must come first, Jesus says Elijah has already come, but was not recognized.  Elijah was destined to restore all things in preparation for Jesus, and came in all his fire and glory, but was not recognized as the harbinger he was.  John the Baptist came to prepare the way, but the people didn’t recognize his importance or heed his words.  And when Jesus did come, the harbingers were not recognized and not heeded, and Jesus Himself was not recognized, despite His glory.  And He will suffer at the hands of men who did not recognize the signs, did not heed the harbingers, and do not recognize the Lord in their midst.

Psalm 80 begs, “Lord, let us see your face and we shall be saved”.   But when we saw Elijah, we didn’t recognize him. When we saw John the Baptist, we didn’t recognize him. When we saw Jesus, we didn’t recognize Him.  Jesus says that Elijah has come in John the Baptist, and was not recognized, and the importance of his words was not heeded, so the men will not recognize Jesus or realize His importance.

We’re in Advent now, preparing for the arrival of the Lord.  And what will happen when He comes again? Is Elijah already here, speaking fire, preparing the way, but unheeded and unrecognized? Will we recognize the signs? Will we recognize Jesus when he comes?  If we’re looking with the eyes of our confident faith, the answer is YES.

While I’m on the subject of recognizing people important to our salvation, Mark Hart (“the Bible Geek) reminded us via Twitter the other day:  God wore diapers….and Mary changed them.  Don’t tell me she isn’t important!

Am I a member of the "Do Nothing" Party?

No matter what we do or say, we can’t make everyone happy.  One look at politics in America is enough to demonstrate this.  It seems that no matter what one political party does, it’s never enough (or it’s too much!) for the liking of the other party.  Jesus really drives this point home when He says that John was called possessed by a demon for his meager diet and hermit ways, while Jesus Himself is called a drunkard and glutton because He eats and drinks at the table of sinners.

Sometimes I have to remind myself of this reality. Even Jesus, Son of God and Lord of the universe did not make everyone happy all the time.  In fact, some of the things He did made a lot of people really upset most of the time! As Christians, we’re called to serve our brothers and sisters and to strive to lead all souls to heaven, but sometimes there are those people in our lives that we can’t seem to make happy, no matter what we do. How do we deal with these frustrating moments where we are called to love, but to what seems to be no effect?

We get our answer in Isaiah. “I, the LORD, your God, teach you what is for your good, and lead you on the way you should go” (Is. 48:17). Jesus teaches us how to live rightly, even when that right living upsets and even angers those around us. There are some things we do and believe as Christians that unfortunately will always make certain people upset.  Jesus knew this, and rather than trying to bend away from what was right, He preached and lived the Father’s will, and through His infinite love, converted sinners to His heart. It can be the same for us today. When we see people that are seemingly never satisfied with Christianity, do we sacrifice our Christian life for their “happiness”? Or, do we instead love them all the more and try to bring them to Jesus?

Courage grows when we remember to keep our faith in Jesus

In this Second Week of Advent, we continue to hear the promise. It’s a promise of the coming of one who will rescue the Israel of Isaiah’s day from the terrible troubles they‘re in. But, in the context of our Advent journey, it’s a comforting message for us as well: "Fear not, I will help you.”

If only we could hear and receive that comfort today! Fear takes so much away from us. It isolates us. What we see and experience gets distorted. It is so very debilitating. When we are afraid, we are often in a defensive mode. Too often our fear is real.  We've been hurt. We have reason to fear being hurt again. We might be on the edge of losing our job, our livelihood, our security. Someone we love may be very sick or dying. The outcome isn't clear. We may have had a health scare ourselves. Members of our family might not be getting along or may not be making wise choices. Maybe some of our children or grandchildren have lost their zeal for Christ.  Maybe a marriage may have come to a very difficult and terribly frustrating or painful time.

The worst part of fear is that it can distort us. We’re not our best selves when we’re afraid or defended. Sometimes we live with anger and resentment as well. We’re tired, because it’s like carrying around a huge burden on our backs. What is missing is the ability to see goodness and trust it. It’s often not even in our grasp to enjoy and delight in small things. We can find ourselves no longer open to being touched by what is beautiful or promising or loving. So it’s not easy to hear good news, particularly the good news in the symbols, signs and comfort of Advent.

Sometimes we just hide our fears. “The best defense is a good offense.” Dogs tend to bark when they are afraid. We often do the same. If I’m aggressive enough, people just might not hurt me. It can appear to be a good approach to staying in control of my life.

All these different ways of coping with our challenges can become deep patterns, and, even if I recognize them, they are not easy to change.

This week of Advent is a great time to ask—if  only with a small, timid voice—“Lord, you know how fearful I am. You know my story. You know me. Please let me surrender, at least step out of, my fear for a while today. Let me trust that you will help me, that you want to comfort me. I fear to take the risk, but something is warming my heart to you and your care for me.”

This is a time to let our relationship with Jesus grow – to be attracted to Him, to be drawn to Him, to appreciate Him, to thank Him, and to begin to be caught up in His ways, His courage,His way of loving. His coming into a messy history, into a human journey, into an embarrassing stable, can give us hope. And, Isaiah’s promises can come alive for us, today.

My To Do list rarely contains the words "slow down and listen"

Not to get into details (those have been covered in my Facebook posts), the last 3 days have been very trying for me.  First, the travel fiasco (I prefer to think of it as an “adventure”) of Sunday.  Then two very long work-days.  I still managed to post all but last night because of a screwy internet connection.  Sorry about that.  When I read the readings for tomorrow’s Mass I couldn’t help but meditate on our Lord’s presence in our lives even in adversity.

 My To Do list is filled – always.  I revise it, add to it and proudly cross things off of it.  I have perfected a system that combines my list on my smart phone and allows me to change priorities if I need to.

But it was only recently, as I prayed with my To Do list, that I realized that if the mythical day came when I finally finished every item on my list  … I would think of more things to add.  I work in a whirl and do too many things.  What suffers, in my quest to be ever more productive, is contemplation.  Appreciating.  Gratefulness.

Isaiah’s words call us to pay attention.  We are all busy and our lives are full.  But Isaiah’s beautiful words this Advent remind us that God really does call each one of us by name.  God is there for us in our distress, offering “strength to the fainting” and vigor for the weak.

We are asked to lift up our eyes to pay attention to the world around us – the people around us and the joy of nature.  It is in such moments of quietness that we will be restored with hope.  But hope can’t arrive if we don’t take the time to open our eyes, listen and ask God for the healing and hope that is offered to us with such love.

In the gospel, Jesus invites us to come if we are weary and discouraged.  Come if we think we are too busy to stop; if our To Do list seems endless.  The readings remind us to slow down and hear Jesus offer us “rest. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”

Listening and Choice

As we progress through this Advent season, I am finding it easy to reflect on two issues that are of importance in the next few weeks leading to Christmas.

The first is listening and the second is choice. In Genesis (Genesis 3:9-15, 20), we read about Adam and Eve and their inability to listen to God’s command regarding the eating of the forbidden fruit and the consequences associated with not doing so. In Ephesians (Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12), Paul has listened to God and has become an authority to speak on His behalf; and as such, Paul asks us to listen to his words as he writes about God’s great love for us. In fact, God loves us so much that He adopts us through Jesus Christ. In the Gospel of Luke (Luke 1:26-38), we see that although Mary was initially alarmed and troubled by the appearance of Gabriel, she listened to and was open to his message from God as Gabriel announces Jesus’ upcoming birth.

Then, there is choice. In Genesis, both Adam and Even make the choice not to listen to God and, instead, they act based on love of self versus love of God. In Ephesians, Paul chooses to be God’s messenger and then notes that we are all chosen by God to live holy lives without the blemish of sin. And finally, in Luke we see a Mary who not only listens to God, but chooses to accept His will by being the “handmaid of the Lord.”

With the hustle and bustle of the holiday season upon us, it's far too easy for consumerism, the love of self over others (i.e., “I want… I want…”_), and other stresses that are so common this time of year to distract us from the true meaning of the Christmas season. Maybe it would helpful for all of us to avoid such temptations and, instead, set aside quiet time each day when we can truly listen to the words of God and reflect on the importance of following His words. My hunch is that as we open ourselves to God’s words of grace and love we will not only find in ourselves an inner peace, but a willingness to spread God’s words, much like Paul, through our acts of good will and charity toward others. In doing this, we are truly and genuinely choosing to be “handmaids of the Lord” and “who exist for the praise of His glory.”

 

Waiting, anticipation, and hope

We are in a time of waiting, of anticipation, of hope. And the words of Isaiah (Isaiah 11:1-10) are such vivid representations of that hope: a world where the poor and afflicted are judged with justice. We won’t be judged by our appearances and the world will be infused with a spirit of wisdom and understanding, of counsel and strength. We all want to see a world where the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb and the leopard shall lie down with the kid. These beautiful words instill hope in all of us that the world could be a better place. The images we envision seem beyond our control: How can I help the cow and the bear be neighbors? As these words are a signal to nations, the words are also a signal to my own heart. What can I do to infuse my own corner of the world with a spirit of wisdom and understanding? How can I show a spirit of counsel and strength? In the morning, when I dress, I can make justice a band around my waist and buckle the belt of faithfulness on my hips. I can stop myself from judging by appearances, instead looking beyond what’s on the outside. We all are afflicted and need the grace of God and each other. I can look beyond myself to others.

The Gospel (Matthew 3: 1-12) reminds us that we are all crying out in the desert. We need to prepare the way of the Lord. We are reminded that we can count on God’s forgiveness, but we have to act, we have to “produce good fruit as evidence of our repentance.” This is how we make straight our paths, by asking God for forgiveness and hope. We can buckle that belt of faithfulness on our hips and live out the Gospel. We are waiting for the birth of Jesus, but the birth of what He means in our lives can bloom and flourish every day. It takes work and mindfulness to show that spirit of wisdom and understanding, but the God of endurance and encouragement will work with us. Our time of hope can be a time of making straight the paths to our own hearts.

“Without cost you have received, without cost you are to give.” – Matthew 10:8

During this season of Advent, we find ourselves in the midst of a society consumed by the commercialization of Christmas. Anybody who tries to find parking at a mall this time of year can clearly see that there is an increased sense of giving, but we must all ask ourselves if we are giving in the way Christ calls us to. We live in a culture where people think presents and other forms of giving are a sort of exchange: if I give you something, you'll give me something in return. However, this isn't the example Christ gave us. God did not create us and Christ did not come into this world and die on the cross for us because he expected us to somehow repay him. God gave us these gifts simply because he loves us. True giving stems from love and expects nothing in return. As we move further into Advent and towards Christmas, we should all strive to make our giving about loving others and caring for those in need in a way that glorifies God and prepares our hearts for the coming of Christ.

Here are a couple of ideas for charitable giving that I’m mulling over for this year (keeping in mind that it’s nearly impossible to give to EVERYONE!):

https://support.catholiccharitiesusa.org

http://www.crosscatholic.org/

"It’s a Mystery” (Catholic Code for “Let God be God—and let it go!)

We see for ourselves and know the seasons and what they portend. In the same way, Jesus says, we shall know when the Kingdom of God is at hand. (see Luke 21:31)

This raises a couple of questions: How shall we know, and, what is the Kingdom of God?

First, we shall and can only KNOW according to the mode and manner God wills for us. That is, according to His grace and our acceptance of His grace. It is up to God as to how and what we shall know. It is up to us to prepare to know -- to listen, to pray and to respond.

Secondly, the Kingdom of God is known and yet unknown. It was engraved in the memory of our primordial selves -- in the mind, in the heart of God before all things came to be, and it calls us back -- back to the Kingdom of our origin, back home to God Himself.

So don’t be worried; don’t try to assign words to the unfathomable, to things we can’t explain. What God designed from the beginning will be accomplished whether we can explain it or not, even whether we believe it or not!

Rightful Pride

In case you haven’t noticed, the readings for the First Week of Advent call us to be faithful to the Scripture messages and confident in our trust and hope in God. “A strong city have we; he sets up walls and ramparts to protect us.” We are also reminded to keep our feet firmly planted in our trust and appreciation of how our faith and trust in God can guide us, living our lives appreciating the guidance that the Scripture messages give us.

I am reminded of the notion of “rightful pride” in reading, “He humbles those in high places, and the lofty city he brings down.” A reminder to all of us, that just when you think “you’ve got it all figured out” and “are in charge” our lives may seem, all of a sudden, to be falling apart. We need to be reminded and live our lives remembering that God is our partner in success and in disappointment, in opportunity and in loss. And remain humbled in all that we experience in our lives. “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.” Yes, we need to make decisions, and respond to situations but maybe we need to take a step back and consider how the Scripture messages call us to respond.

Just a bit short-sighted

After reading about the people in the gospel of the loaves and fishes in Matthew (Matt 15:29-37) I’m feeling a bit short-sighted in my own faith.

These people have been following Jesus for three days, and in that span of time have had nothing to eat.  Their desire to be with Jesus has overcome even their basic desire for food.  They follow after Jesus with reckless abandon, at great personal cost to themselves.  These people must be crazy!  Or are they?

Jesus evidently doesn’t think so.  He says “I do not want to send them away hungry for I fear they may collapse on the way.”

Perhaps for us this should be reality check.  How much do we desire to follow Jesus?  Do we desire Him enough to seek Him even when we’re hungry?  Busy?  Tired?  Sick?  What kind of things are we willing to give up in order to follow Jesus?  What kind of things aren’t we willing to give up?

If this story tells us anything, it’s that Jesus will provide for us.  If we’re willing to make sacrifices to go where Jesus may be leading, He won’t forget us, He won’t allow us to perish in pursuit of Him.  Jesus will give us what we need to carry on after Him.  He feeds the crowds out of just seven loaves and two fish.  Imagine what He can do with the very small amount we have to offer.  Our path may not be easy, and will probably be wrought with suffering, but it won’t be in vain.  Jesus will lead us to heaven if we’re willing to follow Him above every other desire.

Simplicity is the Key to Faith

A long time ago, Sister Enza asked me to teach CCD.  I told her I didn’t know anything about teaching, and what I knew about the Catechism of the Catholic Church was limited to what I was getting at Mass. (I have since corrected that oversight!) “Don’t worry,” Sister said, “You’ll be teaching 1^st graders who know less than you do!  And I have a feeling you know more than you think!”

 

I remember the first lesson was the story of creation.  I got to the part about “God created the Heavens and the Earth and saw that it was good” and the questions started.  “Did He make Mommy and Daddy?”  Yes.  (Hey they were first-graders and I was not supposed to be teaching biology!) “Did He make the trees?”  Yes.  “Did He make this desk?”  “Well, sort of.  He created the trees and the men who cut the trees into wood and the men who assembled the desk.”  “Did He make my dolly?”  “Did He make the ocean?”  The questions kept coming in rapid-fire speed.   I went to Sister Enza and told her I didn’t think I was a very good teacher.  She said she thought I would be fine.  I guess I did OK, because several of the parents would tell me later that their children would come home excited to share what they learned from “Mister Steve”.  (I didn’t want to confuse them by making them pronounce my last name).  Little did I know that the experience would teach me a lot more than anything I could ever teach those children.

   

The first and most important thing I got out of it was that in their simplicity of thought, the kids were like sponges.  They soaked up everything I taught them while using the lesson planners provided to me each week by Sister Enza.  I spent the whole year trying to introduce them to God as a loving Creator whose sole purpose in creating us is to spend eternity with Him in Heaven.

When we are full of ourselves there is no room for anything else.  When we claim to know the truths of the faith and the secrets of God, what room is there for God to tell us about Himself?

What God desires is our simplicity -- our childlike wonder and awe at how wonderful things are.  Take a moment -- look at your hand. Think about how it can move. Think about all of the things that make it possible -- the muscles, the bones, the blood vessels, how they are all put together. Something as simple and everyday as your hand is full of wonder if you take a moment to consider it.

Going back to the children, that's what God wants of us, to see Him in all that is, because everything around us is a wonder. Everything! We ourselves are miracles from conception to death. It is this childlike awe that opens us up to see the magnificence that is the Loving Father.

Spend a few minutes and contemplate the beauty of all that is, the wonder of God Himself. And in those moments, let God speak to you. He will. He will use your openness and visit with you and reveal more and more of Himself.

As I tried to teach those first-graders, that’s the way God works.

Simple (?) Faith

Universal health care?  Immigration reform?  Economic recovery and increased employment?   No matter what your political perspective, it's hard to imagine these happening soon.  Anyone that thinks it's possible is crazy. "Too much corruption and dishonesty and greed," "You don't know human nature," or "I'm a realist- it'll never happen".

Sometimes, it’s hard to have faith. We are rational, scientific, and want tangible proof or explanations for everything.  But the centurion in Matthew’s gospel (Matt 8:5-11) was not like this - he had incredible faith in Jesus.  He came to Jesus, humbled, and just stated a fact, “my servant is suffering”.  He didn't ask Jesus to cure him, he just had faith that Jesus would know what needed to be done.  Many of us, myself included, seem to think we know what we need.  Instead of telling Jesus how it is, and trusting that He will provide and care for us, we ask for things.  We ask for that new job, for money, for things that we think will make us happy.  But that’s not what we’re called to do.  We must have faith that Jesus has the right answers and the right timing.  We might not know what we really need, or when something should happen.  As scary as it is, we need to trust that our loving God will take care of us, because He knows what’s best for us.  Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.

After the centurion told Jesus about his ill servant, Jesus said that He would come and cure him.  The centurion was humbled and said, “Lord, I am not worthy…but only say the word and my servant will be healed”.  Catholics say similar words every Sunday before communion, but maybe we need to think about this more often.  It’s so easy to become arrogant and think highly of ourselves, but we need to remember to humble ourselves in recognition of God.  We are all sinners.  We all fall down.  We all struggle. Even Pope Francis recently said he avails himself of the Sacrament of Reconciliation every 2 weeks!   Are we worthy of Someone so loving, so merciful, so awesome?  Jesus thinks so.  Even though we fall, we have a Father who loves us more than we can imagine.  And he is calling us to put faith in Him.  This is what the centurion did.  He trusted that Jesus could heal his servant even though they weren’t even in the same room.  He had faith.  And look what happened: his servant was healed.  So today, we are called to humble ourselves and truly look at the faith we have in Jesus.  We have to trust that He will take care of us, even if at the time it seems like He isn’t answering our prayers.  And we have to be aware of God’s presence in our life.  Look at the events of today, and ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand what they tell you about God’s presence.  Open your heart and look for life’s miracles.

I myself will give you a wisdom in speaking.....(Luke 21:12-19)

No defense, no argument, no thoughtful colloquy that I could ever produce would ever be the equivalent of what Jesus has for us to say. He knows the right words; He knows what must be said to best effect God's ends.

The truth of that for me becomes apparent each time I sit down (which is less often these days!) to write one of these meditations. I read the passage and there are so many different things in each passage of Scripture.  I have no idea what to say. What words can I possibly write that can improve on the Gospel? What can be said that hasn't been said before? If I allowed these things to remain in my mind, not a word would ever get written.

However, when I free myself from myself and I ask Jesus what He wants to be said, when I spend even just a moment in thoughtful prayer—well, sometimes a flood of words comes that is impossible to control. It’s all I can do to type them out quickly enough. I will often finish a meditation and think, "Well, I ought to just throw that one away." It’s on these matters of seemingly little worth that I often learn how much they have helped.

I have shared with you a little of my own experience to make a point. Jesus provides the words. If we don't know what to say, then say nothing until the Holy Spirit empowers us at the right moment.

All that being said, this is the last chance I will have before the Thanksgiving holiday to share the grace I will be saying when I sit down to dinner on Thursday.

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for this Thanksgiving Day.  Thank You for all the many, many blessings You bestow on us each and every day, especially the little things we overlook from day to day.  Lord, we pray that You feed those today that are less fortunate than we are.  Draw up real close to them and let them know how very precious You are and how precious they are to YOU.  Thank you for each one around this table Lord, and thank You Lord for the ones who prepared this meal.  We present this prayer to You through Jesus Christ.  Amen.

It's my birthday!

I’m 60 years old today.  Am I comfortable?   I think so.  Am I happy?  Most days.  What do I need right now?  Not much. What do I need tomorrow?  Probably more wisdom and the courage of the Holy Spirit to go deeper in faith.   I ask these questions today as our world urges me to put my happiness first.  McDonald’s and Snickers candy bar commercials tell us “we deserve a break” and that treating ourselves should be the priority.  Yes, it’s my birthday and I do love the attention I will be getting.  But what about others?  What about dying to my flesh and loving my brothers and sisters?  I have been doing a lot of reflection lately on the words—and more importantly—the actions of Pope Francis.

Love God and love others—that’s the gospel message.  One of the hardest battles we face is looking outside of ourselves for the benefit of others. That is the mission we are all called to. We are not just encouraged to follow it; we are commanded to follow it. We have to understand and accept that loving others is generally inconvenient.  It means we don’t get our way, we don’t get to be comfortable, and we have to fight our natural inclinations to judge people or to “get along” with people who aren’t like us.  This is what Pope Francis is showing us so well in his daily actions.

Today’s gospel message from Luke 17 reminds us “Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses it will save it.”  If we live our lives trying to find happiness by meeting our own needs, we will come up short.  If, however, we follow Jesus’ example and live to meet the needs of others, we will find life.  We will experience true joy and happiness by loving people.

So, even though it’s MY birthday, I’d like to give my readers a present.  It’s the greatest gift I can give to others; LOVE.

 

If anyone wants to honor me with a gift, please don’t—I would rather you donate a little something or (at the very least) pray for the victims of the typhoon in the Philippines.  There are all sorts of websites out there soliciting money.  Just be sure it's a reputable organization. It’s all about Love.

Like a deer

My cousin Amy found an antler today at the bottom of a dry creek bed that inspired her to recite Psalm 42 (or at least parts of it as found in a liturgical songbook): “Like the deer that yearns for running streams, so my soul is yearning for you my God Why are you cast down, my soul, why groan within me? Hope in God; I will praise him still, Persevere, he said yes, you may be broken But you are whole!”

Her inspiration led me to meditate on the Psalm just a bit further. Thanks, Amy! You never know whose life you're going to enrich on any given day, do you?

In this broken world, we can be so shaken by the events, the words, and hurt that we feel every single day. Some of it is directed towards us, some of it is directed from us.

Ever since Adam and Eve took a bite out of the forbidden fruit we, as a human race, have had to live with the fact that we will never be perfect, that we will never live in a perfect world. It's very easy to look at the darkness and see what is lacking, but here's an encouraging thought—God is bigger than all of this, and he NEVER forsakes us!

More importantly, God wants to remind us that it's going to be all right because He is the one who is ultimately in charge. Jesus did not die on the cross for the perfect world; He died for a broken one.

May today be a reminder that no matter what the world dictates, the truth is Christ himself and not even death or the devil can touch you because Jesus paid the ultimate price for you. May you continue to live the truth that God loves you so much.

After I wrote this, I realized that tomorrow, November 1st, is special to me in so many ways:  First of all, it's a Friday.  The day that Christ chose to redeem us.  It's also the first Friday of the month, which is special in itself in Catholic Tradition.  It's All Saints Day, a Holy Day of Obligation for Catholics and the day set aside by the Church to honor and remember those who have attained their Heavenly reward and who set an example for the rest of us.  And it's my brother Bob's birthday, who I pray with confidence is among those saints.

Turning "Pro"

I put the "PRO" in procrastination.  There--I said it.

"I don't want excuses. I want answers!” I really have a hard time differentiating between those choices. What is an “excuse” that is acceptable? I'll throw a couple of excuses out there to explain why I haven't posted in quite a while and let you decide whether to accept the excuse or not.

• I actually did write a couple of entries, but after proof-reading them I determined they weren't what I really wanted to say (at least not on a public website!).
  
  
• I was very sick for about 2 weeks and didn't do a darned thing in all that time.

• I've been extremely busy at work and I was just too tired in the evenings to attempt a meditation, much less a reflection.

• I've had other things on my mind—my brother's passing, my daughter's wedding, and how I was going to juggle my time around running a couple of centers at once. It used to be relatively easy, but as I get older, it's a bit tougher.

On this eve of Sarah's wedding, I was brought to tears listening to Tony speak at the rehearsal dinner. He's a very good man. I can tell he loves Sarah by the way he looks at her and more importantly, the way he treats her with respect.

He stood up and thanked all who were present—some, he said, who were long time friends, and those in the room (here he looked at Marilyn and I and his Mom) who have known them “from the beginning”. He got a good laugh at that one. He went on to say that he appreciated the love and support that we give him and Sarah through the ups and downs that define our lives. I was ready to bawl at that point of the speech, but I held back.

Then he looked a Sarah and she kind of nodded at him. He explained that he was going to attempt to put into words what Sarah had told him about her decision to finally say yes to his proposal. He went on to say that Sarah waited so long to get married because she wanted to find someone who could love her as much as her dad loves her mom. I blew it. No one else in the room saw it, but I was bawling my eyes out. What a terrific thing to say! Makes me think Marilyn and I did something right!

That's how I know this relationship will work. If Tony loves Sarah even half as much as I love my wife, they are in for a wonderful life for a long long time.

After all of the hullaballoo is over tomorrow, I want to get back to a regular posting regimen. I have a few things to talk about while October is still with us.

Hakuna Matata

So often, the cares and problems of daily life can get us down. There is always something to worry about, isn't there?

It may be a worry as mundane as a traffic tie-up to make us late. Or it may be something as serious as major surgery or financial problems that have come to a crisis point.

Whatever our worries may be, we must remember that this world is temporary - and all our worries are temporary too!  All these worries of ours will pass.  

 

After that, what will be constant is our place in eternity.  St. Paul expresses to the community of Christians at Thessalonica, “the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.”  (1 Thessalonians 5:1-6, 9-11)  We definitely don’t know the day or the hour when a person will pass on to the Lord; there’s no predicting that event.  We all know with certainty that we will die; that death is the ultimate act of our lives.  It is certain, but yet it remains an unsolvable mystery: we don’t know the when or the “how” of our death; we only know that it will occur.

How do we deal with that mystery?  One clear way is by living each day fully as a gift of God.  St. Paul reminds his community to live their lives alertly and know that “God did not destine us for wrath,” but for living with one another and for the Lord.  Paul’s words here remind me of St. Irenaeus that the glory of God is the human person fully alive.  The challenge for us is to appreciate that even our ordinary, every-day actions are important in the eyes of God, especially in our interactions with others. 

Lord, help me to prepare for a happy death by focusing on the moments you give to me.  Let me be aware that my actions today are a foretaste of my life fully alive in you.  Keep me close to you and attentive to those you have blessed me with in my life.  Thank you for your constant invitation to grow as a person of faith, hope and love.