Spiritual Gardening

Prayer for the Day

“Jesus, I am so grateful for your love and mercy. Help me to remain in you, Lord, so that I can become more and more pure and fruitful!”  Amen.

Reflection

In the days after Easter we have been hearing about the early Church.

Little by little, the apostles and disciples branched out and spread the faith throughout the known world. During His earthly life, Christ had prepared His followers to do so, even telling them what they should wear.

 In John 15:5 we hear Christ telling His followers that "He is the vine, and they are the branches."  One thing we know about vines and branches is their dependence on one another. Without the vine, the branch will die, and yet without the branch the vine will not grow.

Christ lives forever, but without the mission work of those who came before us, we would not have our faith today.  It is up to us to continue passing on the Good News, beginning with good Christian example in all that we do.  If we can achieve that, questions about the faith will follow.

“He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit.” (John 15:2) 

On Saturday (it may have been Sunday—all of last week is a blur to me now), Marilyn decided that it was time we pruned the bushes in our front yard that separate our yard from the neighbor’s driveway (and boat).  We have been debating the issue on and off for quite some time now, because a lot of the shrub was dead, but the healthy parts were really healthy but out of control.  I wanted to get rid of them altogether, and plant something more pleasant, less itchy and easier to maintain.  Marilyn is still thinking about this solution but in the meantime we decided some major pruning was in order.  After we got rid of the dead growth, the plant actually looked like it was thriving. 

Always on the lookout for ideas for my daily blog, I couldn’t help but equate the dead branches with sin and how they had been holding back the true beauty of the shrub.  It’s still itchy and irritable and a little out of control, but with a little more pruning and cultivation I think we can probably save the shrub and even enhance it with other features planted or placed around it.  All it took was getting rid of the ‘sin’ and allowing the plant room to grow properly in the way we intended in the first place.

In the same way, clearing away the sin from our souls by a good confession and penance allows us to grow closer to God.  While we too may remain a little ‘itchy and irritable’ and ‘out of control,’  a soul that is less cluttered with dead growth enables the Holy Spirit to take over and ‘enhance’ us with graces that will make us more fruitful in our devotion to Christ.  And of course a little ‘watering’ by Our Blessed Mother through the daily recitation of her Rosary doesn’t hurt, either. With this TLC, we should be able to once again bear good fruit through our witness to others and be found a little more worthy of the salvation gained for us by Jesus on His Cross.

Washing dishes

Prayer for the Day

Dear Loving Father,

You are the perfect example of fatherhood, and Jesus is the perfect example of what a Son should be.  I ask for the ability to keep in mind what my true mission as a father and a son is really about, the willingness to endure the path on which this mission calls me and for the strength to be proactive in times of challenge and hardship.  Amen.

 Reflection

I  took a week off from work to spend some time with Mom and help her get to LA for a visit with my brother and sisters-in-law.  Because of several obstacles that seemed Providential, we didn’t get to go.  It was nobody’s fault, just bad timing.  But Mom kept apologizing for “ruining” my vacation and “keeping me from my family”.  I had to remind her that I took the vacation to focus on her needs, and that Marilyn and the girls understood.

I wanted to find the right words that would explain why it didn’t bother any of us that I took a vacation to be there for her and it took Father John’s sermon this morning to explain it simply:  “I want to wash the dishes.” 

Father said he saw a movie a few years back that was about a couple who were always bickering about everything.  He said it was painful to watch, because the outcome seemed inevitable and was a reflection of a lot of relationships these days.  He couldn’t remember the movie’s title.  With the help of the internet, I found the title and in the process discovered why I hadn’t seen the movie—when I saw the ‘trailers’ for the movie, I thought it was condoning a lot of values I don’t agree or identify with.  I digress. 

The title of the film is, “Break Up”.  In a scene from Break Up, the nervous Vince Vaughn angrily reproaches Jennifer Anniston: ‘You wanted me to wash the dishes, and I’ll wash the dishes – what’s the problem?’ She replies: ‘I don’t want you to wash the dishes – I want you to want to wash the dishes!’

What a way to assure Mom that I am in no way upset about the way this week turned out, nor do I ever feel “obligated” to attend to her needs!  I do it out of love.  I don’t visit every week because I feel I have to.  I come over out of love and gratitude for who she is and what she has done for me.  I WANT and look forward to the visits.

We can extend that same feeling to Mass attendance.  We shouldn’t go because we know Jesus wants us to, or that it is a precept of the Church.   We should go because our love for Him creates a desire in our soul to show that love and thank Him for His gift of salvation.   

A great entry, and a profound response

Sister Mary Martha has the best take on the non-event of last weekend that I've found yet.  For Catholics, all of this 'rapture' nonsense should at least get us motivated to examine our consciences daily (a good time for me is right after my evening rosary and before I go to bed) and go to confession as often as necessary (which for me is as often as POSSIBLE). 

I thought one of the comments (by 'womanNshadows') to Sister Mary Martha's blog was quite profound:

"so many lost people in this world clinging to anything they hear, putting their faith in words that are not His words, the words of Jesus. if only they could put their faith in Him and not someone standing directly in front of them, someone who is actually blocking their path to the light."

Crybaby

After Lily was put to bed tonight, I turned the TV as usual to EWTN to watch the Mass.  Tonight’s Mass also included the ordination of two of the Brothers to the permanent diaconate.  Things were going along swimmingly until I watched the bishop as he laid his hands on the young men.  It sounds crazy, but it was as though I saw the Holy Spirit descend upon them!  Then I lost it.  I don’t know what came over me.  I cried with the same tears I cried when I got married and when my children were born.  They were the same tears I cried when my children and Godchildren were baptized.  The same tears of pride as when I witnessed the accomplishments of my children.  Why?  I don’t know these men!  I don’t know anything about them, other than that they have been under the direction of the priests at EWTN, and that they have committed their lives to the service of others for the glory of God!

Prayer for the day

“Thank you, Father, for letting me see and hear what many prophets and saints longed for. Thank you, Jesus, for revealing God’s face of love. Come, Holy Spirit, and bring me to a deeper and deeper knowledge of you.”

Reflection

As Scripture says, "To those who love God, all things work together for good."  In Acts 6:1-7, we are told about an incident that could have been a serious division in the early Christian community but actually did become the cause for an important development in its growth.

There were two languages spoken by the new followers of Christ. Those called Hebrews by St. Luke spoke Hebrew and Aramaic, while those called Hellenists in this passage spoke Greek and often followed Greek cultural practices. Tensions were bound to arise since each group had different ways of thinking and acting.
All this came to the boiling point when the Hellenists felt discriminated against in the care given their widows. Very wisely, the Twelve decided to formally establish a new ministry of "table servers" (later known as deacons), so that they could devote themselves entirely to prayer and preaching. They imposed hands on seven men of outstanding reputation (Recall that Stephen, the patron saint of this blog, was one of those chosen). Actually, when the Holy Spirit came upon them, they did much more than wait on tables. In this way, God used a crisis in charity to further the effectiveness of the Church in spreading the word.

"What goes around comes around!"  This crisis in the early Church is similar to the crisis facing the Church of our day. Because of the shortage of priests, the role of deacons and commissioned lay ministers is emerging as an ever more integral part of the Church of the 21st century.  It is why I take my role as a Eucharistic Minister to the hospitalized and home-bound so seriously. 

 The Holy Spirit is urgently calling more and more faithful Catholics to assume a new level of leadership in the life of their local parishes. In conjunction with the beatification of Pope John Paul II, there are signs of a "second spring," a new flowering of faith and works within a restructuring of both liturgical and community life under the authority of the "Rock of Peter”.   Praise God!

The first Letter of St. Peter (1 Peter 2:4-9) uses the image of "stone" or "rock."  Peter, referring to Isaiah's prophecy, tells us that God the Father long ago had established His son, Jesus, as the "cornerstone, chosen and precious."

 Peter, with warm and welcoming tone, urges us to come with hope and trust to the living stone of salvation, and there to become ourselves a holy temple. Of course, there's a price to pay. Through our own sufferings, we offer sacrifice and praise to the Father along with the Son. We do this through our baptism and the power of the Holy Spirit.

Just as many have rejected this rock of salvation to their own condemnation, so too, if we attempt to bypass Christ, we will ourselves stumble and fall. Peter quotes Isaiah as his authority for referring to Christ as a stumbling block to those who reject Him.  All this will become clear on the (real) Day of Judgment.

The Gospel of John (John 14:1-12) contains the farewell address of Jesus to His apostles at the Last Supper. Here, He tells them not to be afraid, for after much trial, the kingdom with its many dwelling places will be theirs.  A good teacher loves students who ask a lot of questions.  We're forever indebted to Thomas who complains to Jesus that he doesn't know the way to the kingdom. In answer, Jesus gives us one of His most quotable quotes: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me."

We could spend a lifetime exhausting the meaning of that sentence.  It's "Christology" in a nutshell.  It means that we'll never walk alone, that God will guide and protect us against evil on the journey, that we'll always be able to know the difference between good and evil, right and wrong, and that, best of all, if we are faithful to the end, we will live life to the fullest.

Sharing can be hard

Prayer for the Day

Help me, Jesus, never to be discouraged but to be strong in faith and in love. I trust that you have overcome the world and that I can overcome in you. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for the power of your love!

 Reflection

 It can be difficult to share the Word of God with strangers. People can be reluctant to accepting a foreign faith or belief. Sometimes they are down right hostile towards anyone trying to alter their reality. It may be because a person's faith life is so essential to who they are as an individual, but whatever the reasoning Paul and Barnabas weren’t afraid to share God’s love. (Acts 13:44-52)

They were great missionaries for the early church and won far more souls than I could ever hope to. The funny thing is that the hostility they met didn’t come from the Gentiles, but the Jews. Paul and Barnabas were preaching for the salvation of all, not just the Jews, who believed they were the chosen people of God. The Jews who heard the words of these great disciples of Christ grew jealous, as if there wasn’t enough salvation to go around. But Paul and Barnabas did as Jesus had commanded them, shaking the dust from their feet in protest and moving on.

The jealousy of the Jews in this story is horrible, but I’m sure we’ve all seen a hint of the same selfish thoughts in ourselves. I know I have struggled with this in my heart. I begin to get prideful and arrogant in my faith, thinking God is going to bless me more for my righteous deeds and service to Him. I begin to look more like the Pharisees of Jesus’ time than his faithful disciple. This is something I have to be very vigilant in guarding against, as Christ has called me—actually, all of us—to move away from our self-centeredness to become others-centered. We can also learn something from how Paul and Barnabas react in this situation. Rather than getting disgruntled and condemning these people, they simple walk away. We have all met hostility for our faith and beliefs at one time or another. In those instances of evangelism where we find hardness in others' hearts, it sometimes is enough to just walk the other way. Knowing that you have planted seeds of faith in them, no matter how rocky the soil, your persecution and suffering can be united with Christ's on the cross.

Jesus speaks of His perfect unity with God the Father in John 14:7-14.  The communion within the Holy Trinity is so great that those blessed to see Jesus in the flesh are truly seeing God the Father. This is a hard reality to grasp, a great mystery of our faith. The amazing part is that we are offered the same encounter Jesus’ disciples experienced every single day. It is overwhelming to think of the countless blessings each of us experience in our daily lives. However, one of the greatest blessings given to each and every one of us is the true presence of our Lord in the Eucharist. In gazing upon the precious Body and Blood of Christ in Mass we are in communion with Jesus and God the Father in the same way His disciples were thousands of years ago. And our good Lord does not stop there; He allows us to receive Him that our stony, jealous hearts can be made more like His perfect heart. By this heavenly food our souls are nourished so that we may become more like our Creator and Savior. Jesus encourages us, promising that we will do great things with our faith; all we need to do is believe in Him.
What is our calling as disciples of Jesus Christ? Do we sometimes forget? Are we navel-gazing as the world continues in darkness? When we bring the light of Christ to the nations, we fulfill our calling. When we point people to Jesus, we point people to God. Blessed John Paul II said it well in words meant for us but that surely also apply to our mission to our neighbor: “Do not be afraid. Open wide the doors for Christ.”

Humbling

Just finished reading through Mom's blog again.  She hasn't posted anything in over a year!  I know she has plenty to say, but she just can't seem to get in the "blogging mood".

Yet I am humbled to see that, despite my pretty regular postings, Mom has had over 40,600 "hits" on her blog!  I have only about 2600 (of course, I changed my 'counter' a couple of times and had to start over--but the numbers were only double-digit when I changed them) and I started my blog way before she did! 

See Mom?  People are interested in what you have to say! 

Lucky me

Several times in the last few weeks I’ve been told how “lucky” I am that I have a job.  One guy said I was “lucky” to have such a loving family.  Another told me I was “lucky” because I got Sundays off.  To each and every one of these assertions I’ve responded, “I’m not lucky—I’m blessed!”  And “I don’t believe in luck.  I believe in Providence.”  If I had the time—I should make the time (I should probably confess this weakness, too)—I would have explained why I believe Providence, not luck, is why I have the job, the family, the time off to worship God. 

Luck is defined as “good fortune”, or success that seems to happen by chance.

Chance is the arbitrary distribution of events or outcomes. 

So “luck” is something that seems to happen by chance rather than as a logical consequence of a prior act or occurrence.

One guy went so far as to tell me I should “thank my lucky stars” after I told him I felt blessed, because not everyone is blessed.  It seems odd that I should thank one of God’s creations rather than the Creator Himself, don’t you think? 

And while I don’t put myself anywhere near the stature or holiness of St. Paul, where would he have been if he were not blessed?

If there were such a thing as “luck”, St. Paul would have to have one of the luckiest men in the history of mankind.  He was “lucky” he got knocked on his rear by a “random” flash of light.  He was “lucky” he regained his sight.  He was “lucky” to avoid death by beatings, shipwrecks, lynch mobs, and imprisonments.

Prayer for the Day

O glorious St. Paul, after persecuting the Church you became by God's grace its most zealous Apostle. To carry the knowledge of Jesus, our Divine Savior, to the uttermost parts of the earth

You joyfully endured prison, scourgings, stonings, and shipwreck, as well as all manner of persecutions culminating in the shedding of the last drop of your blood for our Lord Jesus Christ.

Obtain for us the grace to labor strenuously to bring the faith to others and to accept any trials and tribulations that may come our way. Help us to be inspired by your Epistles and to partake of your indomitable love for Jesus, so that after we have finished our course we may join you in praising Him in heaven for all eternity.

Amen.

Reflection

The story of Saul’s conversion (Acts 9:1-20) on the road to Damascus is a constant reminder of the choice we make when we accept Jesus as our Savior.  Saul was on his way to destroy and kill Christians, claiming “murderous threats” to the brothers and sisters of Christ. But while he was on his own mission, set by his own expectations and goals, Christ revealed a key revelation: Saul’s path was not up to Saul to determine, but to God alone. Many times during our days we often become so wrapped up in our own life, dilemmas, crises or even pride that we forget our true calling of life. It is not that we be glorified through our works, but for us to be transparent for God to shine through us. Just as Saul was physically blinded by the bright light of Christ, ironically he then saw his purpose: to proclaim the Word of God and that only God can provide us with unconditional love, grace and salvation.

But how do we remove the pride and ego that blinds us from God’s grace? Well, it comes from accepting that Jesus is the only way to live, and that without Him we will die of hunger and thirst (John 6:52-59).  Just as our physical body requires nourishments to survive, our spiritual body requires the same satiation needed to nurture our faith. To fully accept Christ’s Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Eucharist is to know and ultimately believe that we are weak and defenseless by ourselves. Men alone cannot save themselves, but only through the love of God. When we can come to terms with our imperfections and tell God in regular confessions that, “I am nowhere near perfect, but that’s okay because You love me no matter what,” then we can truly begin to live for the perfect and wonderful purpose that is Christ. Praise to the Lord, not because we are filled with flaws and weaknesses, but because we are the only beings created in the pure image of God. No matter if you are in the depressions or the “highs” of your lives, know that you will always be taken care of. God may use the mysterious and the unknown to make wonders out of your life. All you have to do is to open your eyes and look within your heart.

A model of worthiness

Prayer for the Day


You became not only the Mother of the Redeemer, but the Mother of the redeemed as well. We come to you today as your loving children. Watch over us and take care of us. As you held the child Jesus in your loving arms, so take us in your arms. Be a Mother ready at every moment to help us. For God who is mighty has done great things for you, and His mercy is from age to age on those who love Him. Our greatest fear is that in time of temptation, we may fail to call out to you, and become lost children.  Intercede for us, dear Mother, in obtaining pardon for our sins, love for Jesus, final perseverance, and the grace always to call upon you, Mother of Perpetual Help.
Amen.

Meditation

Mom and I were looking through some of her CDs and other things stored in an ottoman in her living room. One of the items I found was a notebook that had belonged to my brother Tom. All of his papers have long since been removed, but I found about 10 pages of a journal that Mom had started about her life’s story. She has told some of it on her own blog, but there is some new stuff that the family might find interesting, so I have volunteered to “type it up” (does anyone “type” anymore? I’m dating myself!), then get it out to the family. One of the tidbits that she wrote caught my eye—primarily since it was written in the margin—was one she told me about before, but I had forgotten: “At my Baptism, I was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, and until I was two years old, I wore only blue and white!”



I thought that would be a good topic for a blog entry on its own. Then, when playing with Lily tonight, she was putting my shoes on her feet and I would grab at them and remove them, saying, “THOSE ARE MY SHOES!” and she and I would laugh and do it all over again. When we put her to bed, I started reading the bible passages for tomorrow and when I read Acts 13:25 (see also Mark 1:7) it made me ponder;

Is anyone worthy to unfasten the sandals of Christ?

This question brought to mind a story I heard somewhere about the image of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. She is pictured holding the baby Jesus in her arms. One of His tiny feet is bare, while the other has a dangling sandal that has been unfastened but not quite removed from His little foot. If anyone is worthy to unfasten the sandals of the feet of the Son of God, it is Mary, his mother.


She was specially prepared by God, through her immaculate conception, to be sinless, and therefore worthy to bear God's Son. Although she was without sin, at the same time, Mary was completely human. So, like any human mother, she cared for her little baby.


Just think! Mary put on and took off Jesus' little sandals. She probably unfastened them every day. God had prepared her to be worthy of that little task, and so many others. She did all the things a mother does for her baby. Except this baby was God—The Son of God, as well as her own human son.


Meditating on Jesus' tiny sandal pictured with Our Lady of Perpetual Help may be an appropriate digression from Paul’s discourse in Acts that I read tonight, since this is the month of May, traditionally devoted to honoring and understanding Mary. And understanding Mary is well worth doing. Because when Mary's role is clear, Christ's role is clear also. Mary always points us to her Son.

Mother of Perpetual Help, you have been blessed and favored by God.

We all need a bit of "Get up and Go!"

Prayer for the Day

Isaiah 6

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?" "Here I am," I said; "send me!"

Isaiah 6:8

Reflection

In Acts 8:26-40, the angel of the Lord speaks to Philip and says, "Get up and head south on the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza, the desert route."

 Now, that's a pretty specific command. Not only to get up and go, but exactly where to go. The angel didn't say why. And Philip didn't question why. (Would you question an angel of the Lord, after all?) The Scripture simply indicates Philip's response: "So he got up and set out."

We don't know what Philip was doing. Was he sleeping?  Having a “bit of the grape” with friends? Or taking care of something he considered important? Whatever it was, he put it aside in order to "get up and go," at the direction of the angel. He didn't lollygag around, waiting and wondering if it was worth taking the time or making the effort. He just obeyed.

The result was a wonderful, but unlikely scene. The Ethiopian eunuch is seated in his chariot while traveling home from Jerusalem. And as he journeys he is reading aloud from the book of the prophet Isaiah. As we subsequently learn, he is reading without understanding the meaning of what he is reading. When I thought about this scene it struck me as strange. Today I can't think of anyone who, while going on a journey, would pass the time on a plane or train by reading a book that they couldn't understand. Obviously the next question is why was the eunuch reading Isaiah of all things?

It seems the Lord had prearranged the whole scenario, almost like a piece of ripe fruit ready to be harvested. All Philip had to do was obey the angel's command to get up and go. The Lord took care of the rest as it unfolded, and as Philip continued to obey Him.

How long had the eunuch been wondering about that Scripture?  St. Luke, who wrote the Acts of the Apostles, tells us that the eunuch had made the trip to Jerusalem to worship. Somehow he had heard about the one true God and that the great temple at Jerusalem was the most sacred place to worship God. Since he was a very important and powerful man in Ethiopia, he was able to arrange to journey to Jerusalem to see the temple and to worship there. He must have been very impressed with the temple and sincerely worshipped there. During his stay at the temple, the eunuch had obtained a copy of the prophecies of Isaiah the prophet. He began to read the prophecies on his homeward journey, but since he was not familiar with the writings and customs of the Jews, he was unable to understand the meaning of the text. But he seems to have had a sincere desire to know and understand the book of Isaiah.

Would he soon have given up trying to understand it, if Philip hadn't come along? Why had the Lord chosen that particular day and time for him to be enlightened? Was it because He knew He could depend on Philip to obey Him?

We don't know the answers to those questions any more than we know the mysteries of how God works. But we do know that the Lord is in control, and that He wants to use us to help Him in His work - if we cooperate and obey Him.

No matter where you are, the Lord has a plan for you to carry out. You may reach someone that the Lord is preparing now for an encounter with Him, using you. Chances are good you won't have to run up next to a moving chariot to do it, but the Lord will let you know what He wants.

Be attentive to His voice, and do your duty of the moment, no matter how mundane, and God will use you. Even taking out the garbage could lead to a chance encounter, or walking the dog, or getting coffee at work.  Anywhere you may be, if you "get up and go" and make an effort, the Lord will use you.

Just be aware that there is more going on with most people than meets the eye. But the Lord knows, and when you "get up and go" as He wishes, you're part of His master plan.

You may not always know when or how God uses you, at least not in this life. But be faithful to your vocation in life, be faithful to your daily duties, or perhaps an unusual circumstance once in a while, and you can be sure God will make good use of you - for His Kingdom.

God has a plan for each of us

Prayer for the Day

Dear Lord,

Help me keep you as the center of my life.  Help me to realize you are the Giver of all blessings; nothing comes to me unless it goes through your hands first. Thank you for all the blessings you have bestowed on my life. Help me use these blessings to bless those around me. Guide me on the path you’ve created for me.  Soften my heart, Lord; forgive my sins and rid me of temptations.  Amen

Reflection

Acts8:1-8

There are some people in the world that most of the rest of us consider to be truly evil.  For example, I think  Osama bin Laden falls in this category. There may even be someone you know personally that you would label this way.  But we should be careful when we think that some individual is nothing but evil, and unworthy of redemption.

Take, for instance, Saul. This man was probably thought of by first century Christians as pure evil. After witnessing the death of Stephen, Saul actively stalked Christians of the infant church, raiding their homes and businesses and casting them into jail. It is probably safe to assume that much of this persecution was done very violently with no respect to the lives or property of the persecuted.

But nothing is impossible for God! This very man, seemingly pure evil, was taken by the Lord and made the greatest of saints. In fact, if it wasn't for the work of Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, many of us might not be Christian today.

If there are people you know who seem to be as evil as they come, pray for them and don't lose hope. God uses those whom He chooses, even the worst of us. How blessed we are to have an all-powerful, all-forgiving God!

Filled with the Holy Spirit

Prayer for the Day

Spirit of wisdom and understanding, enlighten our minds to perceive the mysteries of the universe in relation to eternity. Spirit of right judgment and courage, guide us and make us firm in our baptismal decision to follow Jesus' way of love. Spirit of knowledge and reverence, help us to see the lasting value of justice and mercy in our everyday dealings with one another. May we respect life as we work to solve problems of family and nation, economy and ecology. Spirit of God, spark our faith, hope and love into new action each day. Fill our lives with wonder and awe in your presence which penetrates all creation. Amen.

Reflection

After my blog about my encounter with (now Blessed) Pope John Paul II the other day, Mom told me that what she remembered about that day was that I was "filled with the Holy Spirit".   Now here we are reading about the Apostles and other disciples of Christ who were truly filled with the Spirit in the first days of the early Church.

For obvious reasons, I have a real interest in the account of Stephen in the book of Acts.  I have chosen him to be the Patron Saint of this blog and I have often asked for his intercession when I have felt that my faith needed a “pick-me-up”.   There are so many ways to reflect on his story, as found in Acts 7:51 and following;

"But Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked up intently to heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God."

He was filled with the Holy Spirit.  Can you imagine being so full of the Holy Spirit that there is no more room for fears or doubts or malice or more importantly, temptation and sin?  No wonder he was able to summon the same courage to ask God to forgive his tormentors in an echo of what Jesus did on Good Friday!  (Luke23:34)  “Then he fell to his knees and cried out in a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them’.”

Reading the passage further, and I could be wrong, but it seems in all other references throughout the Bible (and in the Creed), Jesus is "sitting" and not standing at the right hand of the Father.

So why was Jesus standing there when Stephen saw Him? Perhaps Jesus was standing to welcome His first martyr into His glory. Maybe He was standing so as to encourage Stephen in his speech to the unbelievers.  Could it be He was standing to give Stephen strength in the death he was soon to suffer?  Regardless of why the He was standing, we know that He was there waiting for His faithful servant who gave all he had in the service of his Lord.

He's here! Don't be afraid!

Prayer for the Day

Eternal Father,

I offer up to you the burden of my fears for the conversion of sinners, for the forgiveness of sins, in reparation for sins and for the salvation of all souls.  Amen

Reflection

How many things are out there in the darkness in our lives? How many make us afraid?  For me, the list is large; the state of the world in general.  Throw in all the fighting and wars, of course.  I am afraid for the health of several friends with serious illnesses.  Fear for the future of my soul and the souls of my family gives me great pause.  Responsibilities that become overwhelming at times are a source of fear for me. I fear most of the time about my mother’s well-being, as well as my mother-in-law’s.  And I worry about the price of gas lately: (just a little levity while discussing a pretty serious issue).

There in the dark of our lives is that shapeless, formless fear. Our natural tendency is to run from fear.  So, like the disciples of Jesus described in John 6: 16-21, we climb into a boat to escape the fear and row through the dimness, confident that we are fleeing it. Where is Jesus? He said He would be here. We wait for Him but He doesn’t come. And so we row our heavy boat, not realizing that our little craft is weighed down with the baggage of our own fear. We imagine that we’re leaving it behind in the fog and darkness that hangs over the water. If only Jesus would come to us we could feel the peace we long for so much.

From across the water, we see Him. Jesus walks over the waves towards us. Our hearts jump at the audacity of this kind of power and we row harder, fleeing the calm and the love on His face and wanting to escape the miracle we witness with our eyes. He is here and we are terrified.  Why?

What if He tells us to stop rowing?  Won’t the fears catch back up to us?

How would we react if He calmed the seas and lit the skies and we saw that the terrors looming in our lives were simply the stuff of life?  If there was nothing more to dread, where would we focus our lives? What would it cost us to let go of the fears that drive us each day?

“Don't be afraid”, He says. “I'm here with you. I'm always here with you, even when it's dark and you can't see me. “

He stands next to the boat smiling at us and we allow ourselves to put the oars down. We don't have to be afraid. Life is not easy, but He is always next to us, inviting us to rest in the gaze of His eyes, so full of love for us. The terror subsides as we look into His gentle eyes, feel His courage fill us and realize that rather than being lost at sea, our boat is gently bumping the edge of the shoreline.

We love because He loved us first

Happy Birthday, Dick!

I woke up this morning thinking about your birthday tomorrow.  I hope you don't mind, but I'm posting the same picture I did for your birthday last year.  It reminds me of the times you took me fishing as a kid. 

But then again, this picture is more appropriate now:

Prayer for the Day

Who is Jesus to me?

Jesus is the Word made Flesh.
Jesus is the Bread of Life.
Jesus is the Victim offered for our sins on the Cross.
Jesus is the Sacrifice at Holy Mass for the sins of the world and mine.

Jesus is the Word - to be spoken.

Jesus is the Truth - to be told.
Jesus is the Way - to be walked.
Jesus is the Light - to be lit.
Jesus is the Life - to be loved.
Jesus is the Joy - to be shared.
Jesus is the Sacrifice - to be given.
Jesus is the Bread of Life - to be eaten.
Jesus is the Hungry - to be fed.
Jesus is the Thirsty - to be satiated.
Jesus is the Naked - to be clothed.
Jesus is the Homeless - to be taken in.
Jesus is the Sick - to be healed.
Jesus is the Lonely - to be loved.
Jesus is the Unwanted - to be wanted.
Jesus is the Leper - to wash his wounds.
Jesus is the Beggar - to give him a smile.
Jesus is the Drunkard - to listen to him.
Jesus is the Little One - to embrace him.
Jesus is the Dumb - to speak to him.
Jesus is the Crippled - to walk with him.
Jesus is the Drug Addict - to befriend him.
Jesus is the Prostitute - to remove from danger and befriend her.
Jesus is the Prisoner - to be visited.
Jesus is the Old - to be served.

To me Jesus is my God, Jesus is my Spouse, Jesus is my Life, Jesus is my only Love,

Jesus is my All in All, Jesus is my Everything.

Amen.

(By Mother Teresa of Calcutta.)
Blessed Mother Teresa, Pray for us.

Reflection

A little over 2 weeks ago we all shared in God’s love of humanity when Jesus sacrificed Himself for our eternal salvation. This is a love so passionate and powerful that it spread across the globe and through time to Christians the world over. Yet it does not dissipate as the year progresses because God’s love is shared with us each and every day.

How and why do we love? Whom do we love?  John 6:1-15 gives us an answer, “We love because he loved us first.” It’s a love that must be shared between ourselves and those around us and above all else, God. We must celebrate this love everyday by caring for those around us, especially those who God loves preferentially. We must emulate Christ’s ministry of bringing good news to the poor, as we read in Acts 5:34-42.  God so loved the world that He sent His Son to heal the blind, release the captives and “let the oppressed go free.” It is through God’s love for us that we ourselves are able to love. We must in turn share this love with our friends and family as well as the prisoner, the poor, and the blind.

Programming suggestion

If you get a chance, watch  EWTN LIVE with Father Pacwa this week.  His guest is Father Peter John Cameron, and the topic is The Mysteries of the Blessed Virgin Mary--Living Our Lady's Graces.  Lots of good ideas for meditation while saying the Rosary, as well as getting a deeper understanding of the magnificence of Our Lady. If you watch it this week, you will have to watch on "live streaming" or on TV.  If you wait until next Monday, you can watch it on a video at the website.  It's a great show!  Thanks, Father Pacwa!

Recognizing the Spirit within us

In an effort to nurture my own spiritual growth, I’m going to try (notice the emphasis) to add a “Prayer for the Day” to my entries before I present my reflections on the scriptures.  I hope to have the prayer be related in some way to my meditation.
Prayer for the Day

“Holy Spirit, let me recognize You in my everyday life. I am not always aware of the gifts You offer me so easily, and sometimes I don't want to be patient or gentle. I want to be crabby and selfish. Send down the fire of Your love and let me burn with a new desire to be loving and generous. Let me share that fire with those I meet today.”

Reflection

I would like to picture myself as one who exudes a loving peace and calm, leading a constant interior prayer life and always connected in some mystical way the Holy Spirit. ....But, to be honest, I'm not like that—not always.

Instead I am impatient, tapping my feet and drumming my fingers while in lines, waiting in traffic, enduring frustrating situations, and on and on and on. Occasionally, I am flooded with the grace of patience and a peace in the midst of a situation that would normally be stressful. I can recognize it right away and always feel grateful to the Holy Spirit for this new patience and peace that I am certain does not emanate from me.***

In Acts 5:27-33 there is a good example of some of the graces that come with the Holy Spirit. For instance, we see the formerly cowardly Peter now peacefully standing in court calmly saying, “We must obey God rather than men.” After recounting what those court officers had done to Jesus, Peter adds, “We are witnesses of these things, as is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.” He feels the peace and calm of the Holy Spirit and recognizes it, much to the fury of the court officials.

And in John’s Gospel (John 3:31-36) he notes that the gifts of the Spirit are not rationed. Instead those graces are given with a generous and overflowing love. The fruits of the Holy Spirit are clear in our lives when we recognize them. They include peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, charity and joy. He does not ration his gift of the Spirit.

And the opposite of these gifts are also clear. When our days are filled with gossip, criticism and judgments, we have lost touch with the Spirit. If we can easily see how others could improve their lives and we hold tightly to the grudges in our hearts, we have forgotten the generous heart of the Spirit who is constantly pouring down graces on us.

***Sometimes, I can’t recognize Him speaking to me right away!  What a sense of humor He can have when He is reminding me of this fault!  At Mass tonight, Father was making a joke that the Book of Acts can read like a soap opera, if you’re not careful.  Think about it.  Acts could be retitled, “As the World Turned”—As the world turned toward Christianity, first by a few, then by hundreds, then by entire communities, and eventually, the world. 

Anyway, as Father was speaking, I thought, “I remember that I got so caught up reading Acts one night that I didn’t get much sleep.”  I remember thinking at the time that it was—as Father said tonight—just like a soap opera.

I just found the blog entry that I mentioned the incident.  Look at the date.  It was the same date as today, May 5!   Like I said, a sense of humor.

A brush with Holiness, a breath of fresh air, and an answer

I have been watching all of the programs on EWTN concerning Blessed Pope John Paul II’s beatification yesterday.  There are so many people who were touched by his holiness, including me.  In the very first entry of this blog in April of 2008, I related my own personal brush with him.  It has had a very big impact on my life ever since.
 
In 1987 His Holiness Pope John Paul II visited San Francisco. I really wanted tickets and I was disappointed when I found out they were sold out almost as quickly as they became available. So I resolved to just watch the hoopla on TV and pray for those who, like me, were unable to attend. I was at work the evening before his Candlestick Park appearance when Marilyn called me. She said that some last minute tickets had become available and that our neighbor Darlene had a ticket for me if I would agree to drive her and some of her friends to the Mass at Candlestick. Evidently, one of Darlene’s friends had agreed to drive, but got ill at the last minute and she called me out of desperation. Of course I accepted the offer. I expected, since these were late-release tickets that they would be in the “nose-bleed” section of the stadium. Imagine my surprise when we were directed to the playing field, no more than about 100 feet from the Holy Father! These were prime seats. The first thought I had when I knelt down to thank God for this opportunity was (Matt 20:16) “So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.” I think I cried through most of the Mass, overwhelmed to just be in the presence of a very holy man.  I had a profound sense of his holiness—it was like I was in the presence of St. Peter himself!  It was a very personal encounter for me that I will never forget. “Il Papa” exited the stadium by walking right past me. If I had been about 5 feet closer, I would have been able to actually touch him! I remember saying a prayer right then, “Dear Jesus, thank You for sending your Vicar here, to see me.  Someday, I hope to return the favor and visit You and the Holy Father in Rome!”

I am saddened that the news of Prince William’s and Princess Kate’s wedding and the death of Osama bin Laden so overshadowed JPII’s beatification that it was relegated to a small article in the back of the local newspaper and virtually non-existent on the internet news services.  Of course, I’m not surprised, just saddened.

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I had a very moving experience yesterday when attending a holy hour and Benediction with Mom and her neighbor Rose at St. Anne’s Church.  The holy hour was held a 3:00—THE “Hour of Mercy”.  For those who are not familiar with a holy hour and Benediction service, it begins with the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament while a hymn is sung.  Then the readings—usually the New Testament reading and the Gospel of the day are read.  Yesterday’s Gospel was John 20: 19-31.  Father Joe began reading the Gospel:

"On the evening of that first day of the week,
when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,
for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood in their midst
and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
“Receive the Holy Spirit.”

Right at that moment, I became very aware of a breeze coming through the door and sweeping over me.  I know.   It probably wasn’t the Holy Spirit and I definitely was not being “ordained.”  It was a semi-breezy day and the doors at either end of the church were opened to keep the church cool, but the breeze put me “in the moment” with the Apostles that evening of the first day of the week.  I took a deep breath to “catch” all the graces I could.  It was exhilarating!  I thank God for these “eternal glimpses” of His Love.
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Last night, when the news of the death of Osama bin Laden came over on the news, I was confused.  “How am I, as a Christian, supposed to react to this news?  Osama bin Laden bore the most serious responsibility for spreading divisions and hatred among populations, causing the deaths of innumerable people, and manipulating religions for this purpose. Is it OK to feel a gladness that he is gone?  No, that can’t be right.  I know I should pray for his soul, but am I strong enough to forget the horrors he was responsible for?  I am also ashamed for those who were singing “We Are the World” in front of the White House. What is the answer?”

Jesus answered my questions today through a Facebook post from Sarah.  She wrote: I’m gonna have to agree with the Vatican on this one:  “In the face of a man’s death, a Christian never rejoices, but reflects on the serious responsibilities of each person before God and before men, and hopes and works so that every event may be the occasion for the further growth of peace and not of hatred.”

To which I replied, “Amen.”

What else is there to say today?

I can't think of anything else to say today!  I just want to spend Divine Mercy Sunday thanking Jesus for His infinite mercy and compassion!