Anticipation is keeping me waiting

Advent is a beautiful season that leads us to the feast of Christmas.  A key word for this season might be “anticipation.”  Strangely, when I think of “anticipation” a classic ad for Heinz ketchup comes to mind!  You may remember it; a hungry person watches as the rich red sauce comes slowly out of the bottle and on to a waiting hamburger, while in the background a Carly Simon song is playing: “Anticipation.”  The obvious message is that we wait for good things with longing.

Advent is a time when the Church asks us to be mindful of various levels of anticipation.  For sure we look forward to Christmas and the celebration of the birth of Jesus (some of that anticipation admittedly is tinged with a bit of anxiety due to the Christmas rush).  Belief in the Incarnation—the astounding marvel of the Word of God taking flesh and becoming human—is at the very heart of our Christian faith.

But Advent turns our attention to another focus of our anticipation.  Our Christian faith imbues us with a belief that we have a destiny with God.  We are not on an endless treadmill, with history turning in an eternal circle without purpose.  No, we believe that God is leading us to the complete fulfillment of our human story; a story for us that both individually and corporately ends in the loving embrace of God and the unending experience of beauty and love for which we humans long.

Advent prompts us to anticipate that unimaginable yet real endpoint.  The Scriptures for this Sunday, for example, use a variety of images to portray that endpoint of human history.  In the first reading, the prophet Isaiah imagines the end time as a moment of world peace.  The prophet foresees the nations coming to Israel not as a threat, which was usually the case, but in a majestic procession, all of them eager to worship God so “that he may instruct us in his ways and we may walk in his paths.”  Isaiah anticipates that the peoples of the world will “beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; one nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again.” Instead, people will “walk in the light of the lord.” (Isaiah 2:1-5)

The second reading from Paul’s Letter to the Romans uses another biblical image to anticipate human destiny.  Paul reminds his Christians that “the day is at hand.”  While others may wander in darkness—their lives smothered in promiscuity and tense with strife and jealously—this is not how the followers of Jesus should view the world and its future. “Let us throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day.”  Instead of searching for some means to protect us from strife, Paul encourages us “to put on the Lord Jesus Christ.”  Clothed like this, we can face the future without fear.  (Romans 13:11-14)

And in the gospel, we have yet another metaphor for anticipating the future; the end may come unexpectedly, “like a thief in the night.”  Jesus reminds his disciples that, like their ancestors at the time of Noah, people can live engulfed in everyday concerns but without awareness of what God is asking of them. The disciple of Jesus is to be “awake”; alert for the moments of grace that can break into our lives unexpectedly. (Matthew 24:37-44)

May this Advent be a time of spiritual alertness for us; and anticipation.

Yes, YOU!

“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

These are very encouraging words from St. Paul.  He is saying that if we confess with our mouths and believe in our hearts the core truths about Jesus, we will be saved.  The core truths are that Jesus is Lord and that God raised Him from the dead.  These are not difficult to understand for those who call themselves Christian.  Why then, does it seem that evidence of Christian behavior and its influence on the mores of our culture is so insipid?  Because it’s only for someone that you love, that you will share stories about him and want others to meet him and get to know him.  This is all that our Lord is asking of us; faithfulness through love, and for that love to be shared throughout the world.

But in what manner are we to confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord?  Perhaps it’s because the twofold requirements laid out for us are missing.  It’s not either/or, it’s both/and.  We can't just believe with our hearts or speak with our lips those things that are Christ-centered; we must do both!

The Apostles didn’t know this either when they were first called, but they had faith in our Lord and followed Him without questioning Christ’s words.  “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men. At once they left their nets and followed him.” (Matthew 4:19-20)  As they followed Christ they learned how to love others and sacrifice their lives so that when it came time for them to go and proclaim that Jesus is Lord to the four corners of the world, they were able to do so without questioning and with confidence that Jesus would be with them always.  They proclaimed Jesus’ good news by word and action.  Most of them even gave the ultimate sacrifice, their lives.

We too are called to do as the first disciples, to give our lives for Christ—at home, in the workplace, at school, in the streets.  On this Feast of St. Andrew the Apostle, let us remember and imitate him.  So that all whom we meet may see, hear and believe that Jesus is our Lord and Savior!  Upon learning of Jesus, Andrew became convinced (in his heart) that Jesus was the Messiah.  Unable to contain such a great truth, he sought out his brother Peter and confessed (with his mouth), saying: "Come see, we have found the Lord." (John 1:41).

His words will not pass away....

When a priest offers Mass, it is really Jesus who offers the sacrifice and Jesus who says, “This is my body; this is my blood” in the person of the priest.  Jesus multiplies Himself through the Sacrament of Holy Orders in every ordained priest during the Consecration of the Host.  The bread and wine become the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ, Himself! 

This action occurs during the Eucharistic Prayer.  There are generally 4 Eucharistic Prayers the priest uses, each with a slightly different emphasis.

In the third Eucharistic Prayer, which is most often said at Sunday Mass, emphasis is placed on our worshiping God by the sacrifice of Jesus, and we allow Jesus, through the priest, to offer us to the Father as part of the sacrifice.  One of my favorite lines in the prayer is “May he make us an everlasting gift to you.”

Most cultures use words as a primary tool for information.  We follow up words with action, but it is the word that is significant.  If then we are to be formed as an everlasting gift for God, what better method than turning to scripture as a primary guide.

In the gospel Christ points out, "the heavens and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." (Luke 21:33)

Advent is almost upon us, when we will celebrate the coming of the Word as flesh and blood.  Let’s enter the season with the realization that the Word can inform our "flesh and blood" if we but open our hearts and minds.

Thankful for "all things visible and invisible"

I have so many things to be thankful for; as our Catholic Profession of Faith exclaims, "..all things visible and invisible.”  It's easy to be thankful for the blessings we see and hear, and touch.  But do we really take the time to thank God for those things that occur that bless our lives in unknown ways that we won't even know about until we are face to face with our Creator?  Spiritual warfare is going on all around us with forces we cannot see, hear or touch.  How many times have we been saved from the devil through the Providence of God?

As Thanksgiving Day approaches, it’s good to remember that the talents or abilities that we possess are given to us by God.  He doesn’t want us to have a false humility about what He has given us and not develop and use them.  We are expected to acknowledge these gifts and work to develop them to the fullest.

God doesn’t give us our talents and abilities just for our own purposes of accumulating personal wealth or gaining admiration for our talent.  God gives us these gifts to be developed and utilized for the good of His kingdom here on earth.  We all can do this in our interactions with others that recognize the other as a unique person made in God’s image.  We can do this by sharing of our monetary wealth with those in need.  We can do it by sharing our knowledge through teaching or writing.  We can do it by creating and sharing pieces of art, dance or song.  We can do it by caring for the ill or conducting business in a fair and ethical manner.  We can do it by caring for the physical resources of this earth entrusted to us.

This was the finished 'project'.  I was so proud of myself!

And so was Mom!  But I was more thankful to God for allowing

me to learn a new talent and use it to serve Mom.                      

I am reminded today of the last Thanksgiving Day I spent with my mom.  She was preparing to move to Southern California to live with my sister-in-law Marilyn. 

My wife and I decided that she and our daughters and Lily would carry on tradition by celebrating the day at the family cabin in the mountains with her mother and siblings, while I would spend the day with my mom reflecting on the gifts and blessings God has bestowed on me. 

My plan was to order one of those ‘prepared Thanksgiving dinners’ that grocery stores and delis sell to people like me who are, shall we say, less than adept in the culinary arts.  

But Marilyn (my wife) and Alicia (my daughter) had more confidence in my abilities than I did, because when I told them of my plan they went to the grocery store and got me the ‘fixins’ for a real Thanksgiving Day meal that even I should be able to prepare.  There was a pre-seasoned turkey drumstick and breast that I only need to pop into the oven for about an hour and twenty minutes.   They also got me some stove-top stuffing mix, peas with pearl onions and some yams.  I boiled some potatoes that Mom had and mashed those, and I made some biscuits (OK, I used one of those ‘poppin fresh’ doohickeys and the microwave—but the thought was there!).   A little packaged gravy mix and we had Thanksgiving dinner for two! 

As I think back on the day, it was fun to accomplish this feat with just Mom to witness and share in my success at using the talents and resources that God had given me. 

As I said, we are expected to acknowledge the gifts and talents we have been given by God and work to develop them to the fullest.  I learned to embrace the opportunity to learn a new talent (how to cook) and used it to be of service to Mom on the day that we set aside specifically to give thanks to God for everything we have and everything we are.

So long as it’s done for the good of God’s kingdom, the rightful use of our talents and resources will be pleasing to God and our reward will be great.  We will be like the elders of John’s dream in Revelations, saying: "Worthy are you, Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things; because of your will they came to be and were created." (Revelation 4:11)

A Thanksgiving Day prayer before the big meal

Heavenly Father, we thank You for this special day, a day to remember Your goodness to us.  Thank you for giving us roofs over our heads, and more than enough food to eat.  Thank you for the family You have given to us, those who are here at this table to eat this Thanksgiving Day meal, and those family and friends who are not able to be with us today.

We remember those who are not so fortunate as us.  Please bless them and keep them warm and safe as we begin this season of Advent, when we prepare for the birth of Your Son, Jesus Christ.  Amen

Don't know what to say???

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

No defense, no argument, no thoughtful discourse 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 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.

Don't wait for the Second Coming--Prepare for it!

Jesus has already told us -- dozens will claim to be Him, may even perform magnificent feats to prove their claims. But we are not to listen (Luke 21:5-11).  We are living in such a false-messianic age.  There are messiahs by the dozen: people who will save us from global warming and people who will save us from oppressive thoughts; people who will save us from our debts, and people who will save us from our possessions; people who will save us from our government and people who will save us from those people.  Everywhere you look there is a new messiah! 

In a walk from the kitchen to the garden we can name a dozen famous figures who will save our minds, our morality, our dinners, our houses, our portfolios; you name it, there's someone to save it, someone to turn to.  Our politicians promise us salvation from greenhouse gases, social unrest, war, poverty, and hunger.  And never once have any of these messiahs brought us one step closer to peace of mind or heart.  And so long as there are people, there will be false messiahs; some taking on the mantle themselves, others having it given to them by star-struck crowds.

There is one faith, one Lord, one baptism (Ephesians 4:5).  There is one God and Father of all.  There is one Messiah, one great King and Brother whose sacrifice brought us all into the courts of His Father.  There is NO ONE else, there can’t be because the Son of God is singular; there is but one of Him.  He is Lord and Master, King and Messiah, Brother, Friend, and Helper in all of our needs.  With Him we have need of no other messiah.  Christ Our King is King indeed, Lord of all.  Don’t wait for His second coming to be with Him; be with Him now; Friend in times of trial, and sole source of comfort in our afflictions.

We should be more interested in what we can do for Christ in the present than in what he can do for us in the future.

Rather than telling others they will be punished in the impending doom, we should be spreading Christ's love so much here and now that we lay strong foundations for a better future.

Giving thanks this week is not about being grateful that everything has worked out so beautifully in life.  It is a time of thanksgiving because the journey has not been perfect and yet we’ve made it through.  Amid the struggles, the loss, the disappointments…the messiness…we still say “thanks.”  It’s important to recognize that life is complicated, but that God’s love is far greater and is what draws us together and binds us together.  We can all say “Amen” to that.

Bloom where you are planted

In the Book of Daniel (Daniel 1:1-6, 8-20), we are told of Daniel and his companions, Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael.  They are young men who have been brought to Babylon after the Babylonians conquered Israel to be of service to the Babylonian king.

Daniel and his companions show themselves to be exceptional young men.  Here they are, in exile from their native land, and they still “bloom where they are planted.”  (We should pray that refugees from war-torn lands or who are seeking asylum from violence in their own countries will also be able to ‘bloom where they land’).  They refuse the food given to them, most likely because it is unclean according to the Mosaic Law, but they flourish on vegetables.  They remain true to who they are and Whose they are.  God did not abandon them when they were taken from Israel.

Daniel and his companions show us that no matter where we are, God is with us, and that we can still grow in love and service, even though we may be far from what is familiar and comfortable.

I am reminded, as I write this, of one of my favorite passages from Jeremiah (Jeremiah 17: 7-8):

“Blessed are those who trust in the LORD; the LORD will be their trust.  They are like a tree planted beside the waters that stretches out its roots to the stream: It does not fear heat when it comes, its leaves stay green; In the year of drought it shows no distress, but still produces fruit.”

In Luke, Jesus observes a poor widow putting a few cents into the Temple treasury, and remarks, “I tell you truly, this poor widow put in more than all the rest; for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood.”(Luke 21:1-4)  What the widow teaches us is that we are called to give, not out of what’s extra, but of ourselves.  And even though we may look at ourselves as poor, in terms of what we can offer, we are still called to give.  God can use our “poverty” to connect with those who are feeling poor themselves.

As disciples of Christ, we are called to serve, wherever we are, in whatever circumstances we may find ourselves.  We do so, knowing that God is with us always, giving us what we need to do His will for us.

Viva Cristo Rey!

Jesus is not just a king; Jesus is the King! What do Catholics mean by this statement?  First, He is our Shepherd.  As our Shepherd He desires to lead us personally as a loving father would.  He wants to enter our lives personally, intimately and carefully, never imposing Himself but always offering Himself as our guide.  The difficulty with this is that it’s very easy for us to reject this kind of kingship.  As King, Jesus desires to lead every aspect of our lives and lead us in all things.  He desires to become the absolute ruler and monarch of our souls.  He wants us to come to Him for everything and to become dependent upon Him always.  But He will not impose this sort of kingship upon us.  We must accept it freely and without reservation.  Jesus will only govern our lives if we freely surrender ourselves over.  When that happens, though, His Kingdom begins to become established within us!  And through us in the world.

Additionally, Jesus does wish for His Kingdom to begin to be established in our world.  First and foremost this takes place when we become His sheep and thus become His instruments to help convert the world.  However, as King, He also calls us to establish His Kingdom by seeing to it that His truth and law is respected within civil society.  It’s Christ’s authority as King that gives us the authority and duty as Christians to do all we can to fight civil injustices and bring about a respect for every human person.  All civil law ultimately gains its authority from Christ alone since He is the one and only Universal King.

But many don’t recognize Him as King, so what about them?  Should we “impose” God’s law upon those who do not believe?  The answer is both yes and no.  First, there are some things we cannot impose.  For example, we cannot force people to go to Mass each Sunday.  This would hinder one’s freedom to enter into this precious gift.  We know Jesus requires it of us for the good of our souls, but it must still be embraced freely.  However, there are some things that we must “impose” upon others.  The protection of the unborn, poor and vulnerable must be “imposed.”  The freedom of conscience must be written into our laws.  The freedom to practice our faith openly (religious liberty) within any institution must be “imposed” also.  And there are many other things I could list here.  What’s important to point out is that, at the end of all time, Jesus will be returning to Earth in all His glory and He will then establish His permanent and unending Kingdom.  At that time, all people will see God as He is.  And His law will become one with “civil” law.  Every knee will bend before the great King and all will know the truth.  At that time, true justice will reign, and every evil will be corrected.  What a glorious day that will be!

Looking forward

“…he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive”. (Luke 20: 38)

I too often live my daily life not thinking about the afterlife much.  The temptation is to live for today.  The battles, struggles, dreams and rewards can keep me pretty occupied.  I’m leery using the term ‘afterlife’.  To some, that seems to imply that life ends, when in fact the life we are living now is merely the beginning of life.  I’m partial to the terms ‘final reward’, or ‘better place’ (hopefully).

I’ve been to quite a few funerals.  There is often a wake service the night before a funeral during which family members give testimonials about the one who died.  The language of many of those talks sometimes reveals little evidence in a belief in an afterlife.  At times, a poem that is read or a song text used on the program may speak about the consolation we have that our loved one “remains with us in our memories,” or “they survive in the good deeds they have done.”  Only rarely, is there mention of the person being “in a better place.”

But Jesus told us the afterlife would be like a wedding banquet – a great celebration (Matthew 22: 1-14).  He said he went ahead of us to prepare a place for us (John 14: 1-3).  Paul encourages us to live in this world with our hearts set on the world to come (Colossians 3:1-4).

I’m not suggesting we don’t live in this life or enjoy it.    I’m just reminded by this gospel (Luke 20: 27-40) not to forget that we await new life, everlasting life.  The victory over sin and death has been won.  This world and its anxieties, struggles, and deaths isn’t all there is.  There is a merciful God who is also just.  That is such good news for those who will never have justice in this world.  It can be bad news for those who live this life in total disregard for the poor and marginalized (Luke 16:19-31).  For us who might be dealing with the limits of this life – in real poverty, with diminishment, with sickness, with the critical or chronic illness of a loved one, even grieving death itself – we have real good news to look forward to.  We can imagine it however we like.  It’s going to be so much better than we can imagine.  That thought is quite a grace to lift my spirits today.

Hearing the Voice of God

While the scribes and Pharisees sought to kill Jesus, they could find no means because the people all around were rapt.  They “were caught up in his words and his teaching” (Luke 19:45-48).

So why, ultimately were they able to get Him?  It was probably because most people tired of a new thing.  For a while this Rabbi offered something new and different, but then, as the seed landed on rocky ground, interest dried up and blew away (Matthew 13:20-21).

In the first fervor of our faith, we often take up many devotions and practices.  We travel the road of them thoroughly, keeping them faithfully.  Over time our ardor may die.  The words that once held us close no longer have any interest because of all the other things we crowded into our lives.  In today’s world especially, new products and new ideas are constantly bombarding us, luring our attention to worldly things.

Ask yourself truthfully, "Do I hang on His words?  Is every word out of Jesus' mouth my sole thought for the day?  Is God's revelation of love the ground of my being?  Do I listen to scripture and think about scripture as regularly as I do the lyrics of a song I like?"

I suspect the answer for most of us is "No."  We've heard those words ten-thousand times before, the wine has been pressed out of the grapes and all that is left are the smashed-out skin of the grapes.  Or so it seems.  But such a thought is an illusion, a snare.  The word of God—and the Word of God (Jesus)—is “ever-living”.  Each time we consider it anew we are made whole.  Each time we examine it we are transformed. 

Take some time out today and spend it "caught up in His words and His teaching."  Go to a weekday mass and listen prayerfully to the priest’s homily.  Take the time to do a "scriptural Rosary."  In today’s world of computers, smartphones, and specialized apps, it’s no trouble to find and pray a scriptural rosary online.  Listen to what is said in the scriptures that introduce and accompany each mystery.  Read a short passage of scripture; perhaps the readings for next Sunday's Mass, or reread the readings for today.

Hang on His words and you will be hearing hope.  You will be listening to the sounds of eternity.  You will be hearing the voice of God Himself.  You will be stunned when you hear Him say, "You are the apple of my eye. You are my chosen, my beloved, and I have loved you since before you were."

"If only I had known...."

I know a few good people who call themselves atheists. The most common question I get from them is, “How do you know there is a God? You can’t see him. There is no physical evidence He ever existed, just the writings of some old men who needed to 'control the masses?' How can you believe in someone just on faith?”

Without realizing it, our daily lives are governed by blind faith.  Eating canned soup, riding a bus or using an elevator demand faith in unseen people, just as imperfect as we are; factory workers, mechanics, and drivers.  Yet there are many who refuse to put their faith in our perfect God, who is not totally invisible as some say.  We can infer Him from what we perceive, a highly diverse, orderly nature shaped in beauty and a humanity gifted with intelligence and creativity supplied with all the raw materials needed for its survival and comfort.

We can look at two Scripture passages to show us the necessity of faith to human survival, both physical and spiritual.

In Maccabees (1 Maccabees 2:15-29) we meet a man who refused to compromise his faith, who practiced righteousness, kept the Law of the Covenant.  His faithfulness and that of his followers cost them dearly; they escaped a tyrant to live in a wilderness rather than submit to a heathen ruler who killed people who followed God's Law.  They assumed hardships and risked death, trusting that a loving faith in God would ultimately give them the victory.

In contrast, Jesus weeps over Jerusalem's faithlessness leading to its imminent destruction by the Roman armies (Luke 19:41-44).  Its religious leaders had not only misinterpreted God's Law, thus failing to adhere to its truths and its spirit of love, but they also remained blind to Christ's many signs and wonders as proof that God was indeed "visiting" them in the Person of Christ.  Having failed to recognize and accept Him as God, they'll pay a great price.  God's protection rests on those who in loving faith keep God's law.  Sadly, sin is never a private matter; it inevitably injures the innocent along with the guilty.  If only they had known.

Why can't we profit from the mistakes of others and avoid the inevitable sadness that comes from making bad choices?  Must we always be doomed to keep making the same mistakes, to have history, so to speak, repeat itself?

The answer to the latter question is “no, certainly not!”

As we have the power to choose, so too, do we have the power to choose either wisely, as God would have us do, or otherwise, according to our own faulty ways.  If we accept God's Word as law, and live in obedience to Christ, we will not have to suffer the remorse of having to say over and over, "If only I had known."

Welcome to CGTTT--"Christians Got Talents, Time and Treasures"

Ancient and sacred Christian tradition recalls that the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary dedicated her to the service of God when she was three years old. (In the Catholic Church, and specifically at Lily’s school we will celebrate this on November 21st, the Memorial of the Presentation of Mary.)  In the temple, she joined other girls in prayer, reading the scriptures, and assisting the temple priests.  Because Mary's holiness was very evident and her desire to serve so pure, the priest in charge of her believed that God had great plans for her.

God has great plans for all of us!  Because Jesus ascended into heaven and sent the Holy Spirit to earth, God now chooses to minister to the world through all followers of Christ, first in our homes, then extending His love into our parishes and workplaces and play-places.

Today's Gospel reading (Luke 19:11-28) reminds us how very important it is to use, to the best of our ability for the benefit of His kingdom, every gift that God has given to us, every talent He created us to have, every bit of time we've got and every breath that we breathe, our financial resources, and every unique facet of our personalities.  Are we truly offering all of our selves to Christ for the glory of God? What we don't use for God's purposes, we eventually lose; maybe in the near future, but definitely when we die.

Ministry is nothing more and nothing less than putting to good use whatever we have gained from experiences, training, hardships, and blessings of the Lord.  This means that we're doing ministry whenever we benefit others in any way.

We should never separate the activities of daily life from ministry.  Even scrubbing the kitchen floor when offered to God as a gift for those who will walk on that floor, is a ministry.  Except when it's an excuse to avoid a more important mission.  When we do "good" while hiding other talents that could be used for a greater good, we're no better than the wicked servant who stored the gold coin in a handkerchief.

God has invested in us. Now it's our turn. We have to invest what He's given to us, not with mediocrity but with full effort in a spirit of success.  Watch how He multiplies the investment into great profit, great goodness, and great healing.
Where we've failed in the past to invest what God's given to us, we should look again at Jesus and see the hand that will gladly share from His abundance.  He will give us another opportunity to use our gifts. And for the good we've already been doing, God is saying: "Well done, good servant! You have been faithful in this small matter, so now I am going to do even more good through you."Christi

Courage!

The Bible is filled with examples of courage in the face of death.  Two of them are Eleazar, a ninety year old man who was put to the test to save his life by breaking his religious law, a man of respect and beyond reproach, a man whose example would lead others to do what he did (2 Maccabees 6:18-31); and Zacchaeus, a thief, a cheat, and a tax collector for the Roman Empire (Luke 19:1-10).  Both were asked to do the most courageous act of their lives, say no to an unjust law for Eleazar and to invite Jesus into his life and home for Zacchaeus.  For Eleazar, that meant certain death.  For Zacchaeus, a whole new way of life.  Both acts of courage led to everlasting life.  We have a lot to learn from their example.

Most of us grew up hoping that we could be courageous when that time came.  Popular books and movies often portray heroes and heroines as their main characters.  Men and women who did courageous acts of bravery in war, or in saving lives, sometimes quite by accident or suffered death while defending just causes are often lifted up for our edification and admiration.  Being recognized as courageous in the midst of a dangerous situation is one of the highest achievements that can be conferred upon someone.  Courageous men and women just make us feel good.  And they inspire us to be courageous when our time comes to act with courage.  

I remember reading books and accounts of the lives of the saints that would highlight the courage of holy men and women as they confronted the evils of this world and even their own communities and religious leaders.  It didn’t take long for me to figure out that there will be times when I will need to be strong and courageous in my convictions and commitments to my faith, my Church and my God. Likewise, there will be times in everyone’s life when we have to decide to act with courage rather than cowardice, integrity rather than duplicity, truthfulness rather than deceitfulness.

To be a faithful follower of Jesus today and a member of the Church that He established, takes an extraordinary amount of courage.  In living our daily life of faith, we quickly learn that the courage we are talking about is not just human courage but Christian Courage, the kind of courage we need to pray for every morning.  Every day, we will be asked to act with courage and integrity, to do the right thing, to be a good person.  Ordinarily, this will cost us nothing.  But there will come a time when it will cost us everything.  We will be asked to choose to do the right thing, to stand with God’s Word, God’s Values and God’s Love while rejecting the false promises of human happiness and success.  There will come a time when Jesus will be passing by and we will have the urge to climb a tree to see Him, and then experience Jesus’ invitation to let Him into our hearts and homes.  Then, we will know what needs to be given away.  We will need the courage to be converted and changed forever.  Then, we will hear Jesus say to us: “Today, salvation has come to this house!”

Perseverence in prayer

In tomorrow’s Gospel (Luke 18:1-8), the widow persists in her pursuit of justice with the crooked judge.  I always think of my mom when this parable comes around.  She definitely knew how to persist in prayer.  This widow, like my mom, is one tough widow and she eventually wears down the worldly judge who renders a just decision.  Luke connects this parable with the theme of perseverance in prayer: “pray always without becoming weary.”  But the parable is also clearly about the pursuit of justice.  We often pray for justice, but how often do we see our pursuit of justice as prayer?

When we’re truly convinced that injustice must be addressed, no matter the odds, then we’ll persist in our pursuit of justice.  And this conviction comes from God.  As Christians, God calls each of us to work for justice, to hear the cry of the poor and to love the most vulnerable in our society.  This may manifest itself differently in each person and we each need to discern how and where God is calling us.  Only then does our work for justice become a prayer as we discover our calling.  God’s calling ignites a fire within our hearts, deepening our calling so we “pray always without becoming weary.”  God gives us the energy to pursue justice with persistence like the widow.

We often misunderstand the purpose of seeking God's help in prayer.  We see prayer primarily as a means of controlling God for material advantages for ourselves or others; we do not see prayer as a way of acknowledging the most fundamental relationship of our life, our relationship as creature to our Creator-Father.  But through persistent prayer we have the occasion to become more aware that as creatures we are not self-sufficient but are dependent beings, like children to loving parents.  And through persistent prayer we slowly come to realize that our Father-Creator does respond to every prayer.  The response is often the best gift God can give—God’s own presence through the Holy Spirit. With this presence we have the guidance and strength to handle life's stress and problems.

It occurs to me while writing this that Christmas is just 40 days away from today.   God used 40-day periods to transform individuals, communities ... and the entire world.  From Noah in the flood (Genesis) to Moses on the mountain (Exodus) to the disciples after Christ's resurrection (Acts), it is clear to me that God sees the transformation of His people when they accept and meet 40-day challenges.

There are plenty of “40-day Challenges” to participate in, if you want to Google them.  Or make up a challenge of your own that involves prayer, fasting, and service to others.  If you start today, you’ll finish on Christmas Day.

Christmas is the day when we celebrate Christ’s “first coming”.  So it’s a great time to reflect on Jesus’ question at the end of the Gospel tomorrow, “But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

Hang on? Or let go? Hard question!

One bitterly cold day Saint Martin of Tours came across a half-naked beggar shivering in the cold.  Many people had passed this man, and seen him shivering, but no one had stopped to help him.  Moved with compassion, Martin used his sword to cut his cloak in two and gave one half to the beggar to keep him warm.  Martin was not owned by his possessions; he was able to leave them behind in order to help a stranger.  And from this he came to know Christ more deeply – that very night he had a dream in which he saw Christ wearing the half of the cloak he gave to the man.

As I compare that to my own experiences, I realize that I fall way short of what is expected of me.  I have given money to people on the street, bought meals for the hungry, and even gave a sweatshirt of mine to a homeless man who told me he was cold.  But I didn’t EMPTY my pockets (after all, I may need something myself later on), I stopped at feeding just one hungry man that day (although I was asked twice), and the sweatshirt was an extra one (in fact, it was an identical sweatshirt to another I had in my car!).  

The book of Wisdom says, “All men were by nature foolish who were in ignorance of God” (Wisdom 13: 1-9).  To have true wisdom, then, you must know God.  But do we really know God?  Or do we let ‘things’ get in the way? 

Wisdom continues, saying, “though they seek God and wish to find Him…[and] they search busily among His works, they are distracted by what they see, because the things seen are fair”.  Do we get distracted by the things of this earth: our belongings, our attitudes, and/or our wealth?  It’s easy to get distracted by the things of this earth, but we are called to be more like St. Martin of Tours.  We need to be willing to leave things behind that may distract us from gaining a life with God - whether it be our material goods, or our ideas and prejudices.  Leaving things behind is hard.  It is difficult to think about parting with the comforts of this life.  But these distractions prevent us from knowing Christ deeply. 

This all reminds me of a saying that, while profound, is particularly amusing to me, given my career; “You never see a U-Haul behind a hearse”!  In other words, you can’t take your ‘stuff’ with you after you die, so why treat these material goods like they’re incredibly important?  [For the record, the reason I find the old saying amusing is that I have seen a U-Haul behind a hearse.  Because I worked for U-Haul for 25 years before retiring last year, and I may have seen just about everything!  In this case, the hearse’s owner had just bought the car and was taking it to another city.  The trailer was for his few pieces of luggage that wouldn’t fit in the hearse.]

Today we are called to question, what in this life is distracting us from knowing God?  How might giving up these belongings help us strengthen our relationship with Christ?  And how can I incorporate the actions of St. Martin of Tours and many other saints into my own life?

Sometimes it seems that living a life of sin is a lot easier than living a Christ-like one.  But what would happen if the Lord came down from heaven right now and passed judgment on us all?  A pastor once asked his congregation: “Do you want to go to heaven?”   Of course all responded with a resounding “Yes!”  He went on, “Good. Who wants to go to heaven now?”  And there was silence.  As we are told in the Gospel, our Lord's last coming will be something sudden and unexpected; it will catch many people unprepared (Luke 17:26-37).  God isn’t going to warn us.  He’s not going to say, “Hey everyone! I’m coming next week so you should probably all go to confession and stop sinning”.  And since we don’t know when our last day on this earth is, and we don’t know when the Lord will come, shouldn’t we live everyday like it was our last?  Shouldn’t we walk away from our sinful lives?

  The Gospel’s teaching has an urgency about it; Jesus is telling us that we need to examine our actions now so that the Lord can call on us when we least expect it.  The people during Noah’s time were going about their sinful lives until the floods came and they died without repentance.  The same can be said for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah.  God loves us so much that He doesn’t want that to happen to us!  He wants us to change our ways so that when judgment does come, we don’t have to suffer like the people of Sodom and Gomorrah.  The Gospel is calling us to reexamine our lives and our actions. It is calling us to stop leading a sinful life.  And it is calling us to instead be an example of Christ’s steadfast love and kindness.

God is so Good to me!

God is so good to me!  My entire life has been filled with His simple, yet profound encouragements and affirmations given to me when I need them.  And sometimes when I needed them but didn’t know I needed them! 

Take today, for instance.  I made the decision a few days ago that I would start taking a walk every day to try and lose some of my ‘baby fat’ that’s taken me 66 years to put on, and hopefully get to the point where I can join Marilyn and girls on their frequent longer walks and hikes.  I told myself I would start out easy; maybe walk around the block at first, then gradually work my way up to a pace and distance equal to what Marilyn does.

But those goals were still not incentive enough for me.  So I thought it would be a great time to pray the Rosary, as well.  I can get into some pretty intense meditations on the ‘Mysteries’ of the Rosary, and it is a great way to keep my mind off the aches and pains that creep in quickly when I walk too much.

 Getting back to today.  I was meditating on the 3^rd Glorious Mystery; The descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles.  I recalled that the reception of the Holy Spirit was the beginning of their mission of evangelization, which led me to my own mission—my blog.  I have been making two posts every day this month; one meditation on the daily readings at Mass, and the other pertaining to the month that we celebrate the saints and all souls, for that matter. 

My first post was already written and ready for proofreading and pasting onto my page.  But I had no clue what my 2^nd article would be, so I off-handedly said “I could use a little inspiration myself, Lord!” That’s when I got my encouragement and inspiration for this post.

Remember, I was only going to walk around the block today.  I was so deep in thought and contemplation that I ended up walking around the next block as well!  When I made my request to the Holy Spirit for inspiration, I was two blocks from home.  I happened to look down at the sidewalk at that moment and I saw the two names etched in the cement:  Bob and Dick.

For those of you who don’t know, my two older brothers were Bob and Dick.  If the etched names were “Robert” and “Richard”, I don’t think I would have paid as much attention to them.  It was the familial nicknames that caught my attention and gave me pause to thank God for His attention to me.  “A hah!”, I thought, “I’m supposed to remember Bob and Dick in my blog tonight!”

When I sat down to write though, I came to a different conclusion.  I’ve written about Bob and Dick multiple times in this forum, and I pray for them daily—and for all of my departed family, as I ask you to, as well, but  I don’t think that’s what God intended me to do tonight.  I think He is asking me to remind all of you that He is listening, He hears you, and He responds to you—if you’ll just open your ears and heart to His voice.

Focus on the NOW

"No one will announce, 'Look, here it is. . ." (Luke 17:21)

Jesus speaks a hard truth here that's difficult to understand in many ways.  How many voices have we heard who have told us that the end was near, the second coming loomed, the millennium was upon us?  Jesus said that no one would announce His second coming; and that’s true.  Everyone who has done so, or tried, has been wrong.

We aren't called to think about the time of His return, for very good reason.  If we focus on his eventual return it could deflect our attention from His presence among us.  He is with us now!  He is with us when we reflect on Scripture.  His Real Presence makes the Eucharistic feast a feast indeed!  He is present in the poor.  He is present in the rich.  He is present in every person who loves Him.  Why, then, do we look for something else?

We do it because we are a people of immediate gratification.  We want what we want, when we want it.  We want Jesus to return.  Certainly that’s a noble sentiment.  If we desire it greatly enough, then we should do our part in bringing the Kingdom to life.  Rather than waiting with bated breath, we should reach out to those around us.  When we reach out in His love, we spread the borders of His kingdom.

We will not know when it is coming (Matthew 24:36).  We won't know because it is already at hand, near enough to touch.  When we realize this, the second coming, whenever it may be, recedes in immediate importance.  It is the event we look forward to in joyful hope even as we live in the Kingdom God has given us.

St. Gertrude, Pray for Us!

November is the month the Church is particularly encouraged to remember and pray for all souls, including those in Purgatory.

Purgatory. Sounds pretty terrible right?

Through private revelations to many of the saints, we know that many of us will have to face purgatory before we would be allowed into heaven.  St. Gertrude’s Prayer helps our loved ones that have passed away to find their way into the eternal paradise promised to us all.

While we all try our best to live by the word and guidance of the Lord Almighty. It’s inevitable that we would step out of His loving light at some point in our lives and commit sin.

Think of your soul as starting out as a bright clean canvas at baptism.  Throughout your life it loses its shine and its white surface becomes soiled with sin.  While confession and repentance can help us to clear our souls of sin, when we die many of us still need to be cleansed of the sin in our soul in order to get into the eternal paradise that is heaven.

Think of Purgatory as a type of detox clinic for sinners, not the sinful that deserve the fires of Hell, but for those that haven’t been able to live a truly clean and pure life to the service of the Heavenly Father and His son Jesus Christ.

Purgatory is where we purge our souls of sin with fire and pain, so that we may be ready to enter heaven.  This is not a pleasant experience with the old adage of “no pain, no gain” being rather suitable for the experience.  How long you linger in purgatory will largely depend on how much sin stains your soul. This is where St. Gertrude the Great comes in.

Gertrude is known as one of the great mystics and theologians of the 13th century.  Through her devotion as a Benedictine Nun, Gertrude was able to develop a deep relationship with the Lord through prayer.  Thanks to St. Gertrude’s commitment and devotion to the Lord, He has blessed us with the means to help our loved ones to be cleansed of their sins and be granted passage into Heaven sooner.

It was through Gertrude’s prayers that the Lord communicated with her.  He promised her that every time her prayer is said devoutly, He would ease the suffering of 1000 souls, and release them from purgatory, welcoming them into heaven.

Though those in purgatory can do nothing for themselves, they can and do pray for those that pray for them.

There are many references in scripture, concerning prayers for the dead.  One of the more well-known references comes from the Old Testament.

“It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins.” (2 Maccabees 12:43-46)

Here is the prayer, if you feel so inclined:

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family.  Amen.

Be the one in ten!

Jesus grants us a great many gifts in the course of a lifetime; family, friends, a home, unique talents, a beautiful world in which to live—all things for which we should be thankful every day.  And many of us are.  But how many occasions do we let slip by where we don’t thank God for the graces and blessings He has bestowed upon us?  How many different ways do we fail to love Him?

Jesus healed ten lepers; only one—a Samaritan—returned to thank Him and glorify God (Lk 17:11-19).   It’s never said that Jesus took back the healing from the nine who did not return.  They were obedient to what Jesus said.  They went to the priests, returned to the community, and very likely began to forget the horror of their disease once it was removed.  Once Jesus was out of sight, He was out of mind.

I think it’s interesting to note that there are two things the Samaritan did once he was healed.  First, he “returned, glorifying God in a loud voice.”  This is a significant description of what happened.  He did not just return to say thank you, rather, his gratitude was expressed in a very passionate way.  Try to imagine this leper shouting and praising God out of a sincere and deep gratitude.

Second, this man “fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked Him.”  Again, this is no small act on the part of this Samaritan.  The act of falling at Jesus’ feet is another sign of his intense gratitude.  It’s not only that he was excited, he was also deeply humbled by this healing.  This is seen in the act of humbly falling down at the feet of Jesus.  It shows that this leper humbly recognized his unworthiness before God for this act of healing.  It’s a beautiful gesture which acknowledges that gratitude is not enough.  Instead, profound gratitude is necessary.  Profound and humble gratitude must always be our response to the goodness of God.

This story should remind us that in this journey we are all on, it is good to return frequently to Him who gives us all good things and profoundly thank and praise Him for His wonderful generosity.  Our faith, a great spiritual gift, not the physical gifts, is what ultimately brings us to the salvation who is Jesus Christ.

Every day, every morning when we wake, we should say a prayer of praise for the very act of waking up. We should thank God for His gift of life, even if we aren't feeling like it's very much of a gift at the moment.  We should thank God both for the trials that strengthen, and the consolations that give hope.