Jesus has come to rescue us!

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Sorrowful Mysteries

V.  The Crucifixion and death of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Brief meditation:

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

Scriptural meditations:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have I truly turned myself over to God?

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

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

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

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

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

The Sorrowful mysteries

IV.  The Carrying of the Cross

Brief meditation:

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

Scriptural meditations:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

To love your neighbor, love yourself first

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Sorrowful mysteries:

III.  The crowning of thorns

Brief meditation:

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

Scriptural meditations:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Praying for unity in the world

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

II.  The Scourging at the pillar

Brief meditation:

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

Scriptural meditation:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Go beyond just obeying the laws

 

It has often been said in the U.S. that we’re a nation of laws.  It seems we have a rule or law for just about everything, from mundane traffic violations to the more serious high crimes and misdemeanors.  Some are easy to follow, and some prove difficult to follow.  Some laws seem grounded in common sense and some laws seem incomprehensible.  Some lead us to say, “This law needs to be repealed,” and sometimes we moan the lack thereof and lament, “there needs to be a law for this.”

Well before our nation was formed, God too saw the importance of laws and since the days of Moses we’ve had the Ten Commandments to follow and to guide our actions.  But we’re called to do more than just obey the laws.  God urges us to teach the law to our children and our children’s children and to instill in them the importance of following His law.  (Deuteronomy 4:1-9, Psalm 147:12-20, Matthew 5:17-19)

The command “to teach” may have a hidden meaning.  Think about it.  Have you ever been asked to give a speech about a technical subject?  Were you fearful that someone would ask a question you might not know the answer to so you began learning your subject inside and out?  No doubt this extra time spent studying the subject matter enhanced your understanding and knowledge of the subject.  While this intensive studying has its benefits, is this the type of learning and teaching that God really intended or is there possibly a better way to learn and to teach the importance of following God’s commandments?  I think there is.  I believe in the axiom that actions speak louder than words.  I believe that our children and, for that matter, all around us, will learn more by watching and interacting with us as we live our faith, rather than for us to just talk about the importance of the following the commandments.

Lent is a time for discernment, a time for reflection and a time for meditation.  So, during this Lenten season find some quiet time each day and ask yourself how God is calling out to you about how you living a life that follows the commandments and how are your actions demonstrating to those around you the importance and meaning these ten laws have on your life.  Ask yourself what you have done and what you’re doing, in your thoughts, words and deeds, to live your life always in alignment with the commandments.  Living our faith is so much more difficult than simply professing it.  The personal rewards are so much greater for us.  The positive impact it has on those we interact with speaks volumes about the importance of our faith and our relationship with God.  I believe this may be the type of “teaching” that God would want us to do.

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Picking up where I left off last week on my Lenten project of presenting meditations on the Highs and Lows and Ups and Downs of the Most Holy Rosary, I’ll reflect on the Sorrowful mysteries this week.  The Sorrowful mysteries follow Jesus’ Passion from His agony in the garden of Gethsemane on Thursday night to His death and crucifixion on Friday afternoon. 

I.  The agony in the garden

Brief meditation:

In this mystery, we contemplate Our Lord Jesus Christ kneeling down praying to God saying; “Father, not my will but they will be done.”   We ask the Blessed Virgin Mary to inspire us with this scene that we may always search for God’s will at every moment of our lives, especially on the special moments, and, once we find it, that we may always obey it even above our own will.

Scriptural meditation:

1.  Then going out [Jesus] went up, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. (Luke 22:39)-Hail Mary…

2.  When he arrived at the place he said to them, "Pray that you may not undergo the test." (Luke 22:40)- Hail Mary…

3.  After withdrawing about a stone's throw from them and kneeling, he prayed, saying, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, not my will but yours be done." (Luke 22:41-42)- Hail Mary ...

4.  And to strengthen him an angel from heaven appeared to him. (Luke 22:43)- Hail Mary ...

5.  He was in such agony and he prayed so fervently that his sweat became like drops of blood falling on the ground. (Luke 22:44)- Hail Mary ...

6.  The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. (Matthew 26:41)- Hail Mary ...

7.  I cry aloud to God, cry to God to hear me. (Psalm 77:2)- Hail Mary ...

8.  On the day of my distress I seek the Lord; by night my hands are raised unceasingly; I refuse to be consoled. (Psalm 77:3)- Hail Mary ...

9.  My eyes cannot close in sleep; I am troubled and cannot speak. (Psalm 77:5)- Hail Mary ...

10.  In the night I meditate in my heart; I ponder and my spirit broods. (Psalm 77:7)- Hail Mary ...

It's not easy, but it is our faith!

 

During Lent, the matter of sin – our own as well as the sins of others -- seems nearer to us than in other seasons of the Church year.  Our self-examination finds us wanting and in need of forgiveness.  In the process of discovering our own sin, we may also find ourselves smarting from wounds over the past year – perhaps longer – which come from the wrongs of others.  Being disrespected or devalued is part of the journey, yet it is an experience we never get used to.   

A few years ago, a friend came to me to apologize for something he had done that had caused me no small measure of distress.   As a ‘born-again’ serious Christian, he was following his faith-formed conscience in this matter.  It wasn’t an easy thing for him, and frankly it wasn’t easy for me, either.   But we both knew that a conversation needed to happen, as neither of us wanted to rupture our relationship.

Within this process, my friend told me that he was sorry about the harm he had caused, and he was also sorry that he put me in the difficult position of granting forgiveness.  Even to this day, I’m still affected by this insight.  Unforgiveness is a vexing fault that can be so difficult to overcome.  Our pride gets in the way of releasing others.  Perhaps we like to use their wrongs to restock our supply of self-righteousness.  By using scales stacked in our favor, we come out looking pretty good to ourselves!  But we also know from experience that this is a false reassurance that doesn’t really heal our wounds or free us in any lasting way.  Despite our knowledge, it can still be hard to give up that wrong.

We often don’t deserve wrongs or injustices that come our way.  But when they do come, harboring unforgiveness can become a serious barrier to receiving the good in our lives.  Surely Matthew’s Gospel shows us this point (Matthew 18:21-35).  When we focus too much on the wrongs of others, we can lose sight of the good that we have received, just like the debtor in the story.  Conversely, when we do wrong to another, the wound we have caused may be greater than we realize.  Will those we have harmed be able to muster forgiveness?   

In this Lenten season, as we seek to understand our own faults, it’s good also to seek to know and experience the depth and power of God’s love and forgiveness, so that we won’t be bound by our wrongs or the wrongs of others.  

This is not an easy thing.  But it is our faith.

We find our miracles when we expect the unexpected

 

My soul thirsts for God, the living God. (Psalm 42:3)

We get thirsty when we haven’t had enough to drink.  In this life on earth, we’ll never fully quench our thirst for God, because it’s only after death that we come face to face with God, and it’s only after being completely purged of everything that’s not of God that we’re able to enter into the fullness of His goodness and love.

However, we can relieve some of our thirst here and now.  In fact, we’re probably much thirstier than we need to be.

An unquenched thirst for God usually manifests itself in loneliness, despair, frustration, self-indulgence — or any other feeling or behavior that’s triggered by lacking what we need.  And yet, as Christians who spend time every day with God, we should feel like we have everything we need.  Why don’t we?

Observe the behavior of the leper Naaman in the Old Testament (2 Kings 5:1-15).  God gave him the healing that he asked for, but at first Naaman didn’t believe it because it was offered in an unexpected way.

Usually, when we think that God has abandoned us, what’s really happened is that He’s not giving us what we want the way we want it!

To see what God is doing and to receive everything that He wants to give us, we have to first get rid of our expectations.  When dealing with God, we should expect the unexpected.

The people in the synagogue at Nazareth in Luke’s gospel (Luke 4:24-30) had been waiting a very long time for the Messiah.  They had been praying for His arrival for many generations.  But they, too, didn’t recognize the answer to their prayers because of unmet expectations.  The Messiah landed on their doorstep in quite an unexpected way.

How often do we get angry, like those people did, because God’s love and His answers to our prayers aren’t what we want the way we want it?

Like those people, we reject Jesus even while trying to find Him.  We assume “no, this can’t be right” to what He’s placing in front of us.  By turning away and staying focused on whatever we’re expecting, we say “no” to His gifts and blessings.

This is why our souls are parched.  We need to spend time this Lent identifying and repenting of all the ways we say “no God, this can’t be right” — whether it’s “no” to a Church teaching because we don’t like it or “no” to a bad situation that doesn’t end no matter how hard we pray.

We find our miracles when we expect the unexpected.

You gotta have faith

Faith based on signs and wonders is human nature: It’s easier to put faith in what we can humanly see, touch, and hear than to believe in a God who is invisible and who usually sounds very silent. There is nothing supernatural about this kind of faith, but God is very supernatural.

What happens to our faith when we pray and pray and pray for God’s intervention and there are no signs indicating that we’ll get what we want?  Our reaction to unanswered prayers is an indicator of how natural or supernatural our spiritual life really is.

Jesus knew that His physical presence was the greatest sign of all, but it would soon be taken away (John 13:31-35).  Don’t we sometimes wish that Jesus would appear in front of us and make Himself audible to our human ears?  We think it would make our faith stronger.

Earlier today, I was watching a scene from the television show, “Young Sheldon”, about a genius pre-teen who, as it turns out, is an avowed atheist.  Sheldon becomes an unlikely ally when a tragedy in the community shakes his mother’s usually strong faith.  Sheldon helps his mother believe there is a creator when he explains how gravity is precisely as strong as it needs to be.  He says one has to wonder what the odds are of that.  She is surprised that he is trying to make her believe in God again, but she still seems abandoned.  Then he says, “there are 5 billion people on this planet and you’re the perfect mom for me”.

Typically, we base our faith on many signs: prayers being answered, love being evidenced, peace and happiness filling our hearts, etc.  But what happens to our faith when we enter the dark night of trials and difficulties?  Do we continue to trust God when we can no longer see or feel signs that He cares?

The kind of faith we need when faith matters most comes from a relationship of trust.  Real trust.  We choose to trust God for who He really is and how much He really cares, rather than on what the evidence seems to say.

To succeed in this, we need supernatural faith.  When we’re united to the divinity of Christ, we join ourselves to His faith.  We then trust Him so much that we don’t need signs.

Remember this the next time you receive Jesus in the Eucharist.  Not only are you consuming His body, but you’re also uniting yourself to His divinity.   And He is uniting Himself to you!  If you truly believe this, of course there will be miracles, but that’s not the greatest gift that He’s sharing with you.

What He wants to give you most of all is HIS ALL.

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No meditations on the rosary tonight—I’m trying to stretch the Lenten project through to Holy Thursday, but I’m way ahead of schedule.  I’ll pick it up again with the Sorrowful mysteries beginning on Monday, March 4. 

I can identify!

 

Jesus told many stories (parables) to explain the loving mercy of God, one of them being the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15).  The Parable of the Prodigal Son is one of the most compelling parables in the Gospels, because we can relate to the characters in this family story:

–The prodigal son who left his family, taking his inheritance, and squandering it on “wine, women and song”,

–The merciful father who hoped and prayed and watched on the road for his son to return.

–The dutiful son who stayed and worked the land with his father, and who resented the lavish celebration that his father made when his brother returned.

How could we see ourselves in these people?

Of course, perhaps we all can identify with the younger brother who is forgiven his many sins.  But I wonder what gave him the nerve or perhaps courage to ask his father for half the inheritance destined for him before his father died?  Was there something about his father that indicated a request like that wouldn’t be met with punishment or derision?  We are all heirs of God (Romans 8:16-17).  Do I dare to ask God for my inheritance?  And what IS my inheritance, anyway?  Grace.  Love.  Peace.  His Son, the Christ.  The sacraments making real for me all those gifts.  The list is long.

Another aspect of the parable struck me as I read it again today…the image of the father seeing from afar his wayward son returning.  I can picture the father eagerly sighting him who he had waited for perhaps for years.  He runs to embrace his son…..he is all love, all forgiveness, all joy that his son has returned.  I hope that everyone may have experienced something like this from a parent.  Surely we can all hope to experience this from our loving Lord.

Have you ever identified with the older son?  The one who always did his father’s will and never asked for a thing?  Who resented the love heaped on his younger brother?  His concern for himself and what he didn’t receive blinded him to what he had been receiving all along.  The father reassures him that “everything I have is yours.”  Everything, not just half!  Maybe if he had only asked…….

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

Speaking of our “inheritance” of Grace, Love, Peace, Jesus Christ—all made real through the Sacraments, there is one sacrament in particular which is the “Source and Summit” of our Catholic faith, and it’s beginning is the subject of the last Luminous mystery.

V.  The Institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper

Brief meditation:

The final Luminous Mystery takes us to Jesus’ last supper, where He shares His very Self with His disciples in the form of bread and wine.  This holy meal unites us in love with God and with one another so that we become the one body of Christ.  Jesus’ essential gesture at the Eucharist is His handing over His body and blood to the community gathered around Him.  After Jesus does this, He says, “Do this in memory of me.”  He’s not saying simply that we should repeat this liturgical ritual. He also wants us to repeat what He has done for the community during His life here on earth.  He has, literally, handed Himself over to them.  We’re being asked in our own day to hand over our bodies as well—in loving service to the Christian community.

Scriptural meditation:

1.  Jesus said, “I am the bread of life”. (John 6:35)-Hail Mary…

2.  “He who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.”  (John 6:35)-Hail Mary…

3.  “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has life everlasting and I shall raise him up on the last day.” (John 6:54)-Hail Mary…

4.  “For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed” (John 6:56)-Hail Mary…

5.  And while they were at supper, Jesus took bread and blessed and broke it, and gave it to his disciples and said (Matthew 26:26)-Hail Mary…

6.  “This is my body which is being given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” (Luke 22:19)-Hail Mary…

7.  And taking a cup, he gave thanks and gave it to them, saying (Matthew 26:27)-Hail Mary…

8.  “This is my blood of the new covenant which shall be shed for many.”  (Mark 14:24)-Hail Mary…

9.  “Do this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” (1 Corinthians 11:25)-Hail Mary…

10.  For as often as you shall eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord, until he comes. (1 Corinthians 11:26)-Hail Mary…

Sent....

 

As each Catholic Mass comes to a close, the priest gives a blessing to all the faithful gathered to celebrate the Eucharist.  A blessing is a solemn act that calls upon and invokes the aid of God upon the person, asking that God grant him/her divine favor and sanctification.  In the case of Mass, the blessing is called down upon the people for sanctification that they may go forth from the Mass renewed in zeal for their mission and strengthened to resist evil and grow in the spiritual life.

Then comes the final dismissal, when the priest (or deacon, if he is present) says “the Mass is ended.”  In Latin, the phrase is “Ite Missa est”.  It means so much more, though. The Catechism of the Catholic Church gives the most succinct explanation of this phrase, explaining that, “the liturgy in which the mystery of salvation is accomplished concludes with the sending forth (mission) of the faithful, so that they may fulfill God’s will in their daily lives” (CCC 1332).  The holy sacrifice of the Mass not only renders worship to God and offers the most effective prayer to God for our salvation, but the Mass, by its very nature, enlightens our Christian vocation to share in the mission of Christ by bringing forth His message to the world.  This doesn’t need to be in extraordinary ways.  Rather, this mission is more properly concerned with an authentic life lived in accord with the Gospel, striving for holiness and spiritual growth in prayer.  This focus allows us to carry the Gospel message to our families, neighbors and world so that we, too, have an important role in the task of evangelization by the faithful witness of our lives.  All of this is reflected in some of the options added to the Roman Missal for the Dismissal: “Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord”; “Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life”; or simply, “Go in peace.”  Truly, at the end of the Mass, our Lord, through the priest, gives us this mission that demands a true witness of the Gospel.

We are all being missioned into the world, and we’re asked to take nothing with us except our faith and trust in God – this will be our walking stick – and courage – our sandals.  We’re to journey as we are and not cloaked with a second tunic of self-doubt and fear.   We’re to travel light as we go forward in service. (Mark 6:7-13)

Quite often when we’re about to travel for any reason, we usually have a written or mental checklist of things we need to remember to do, or things we need to remember to take along; the right clothes, the documents, money, and so on.  In a way, even when we pack the bare minimum, and decide on only the essentials, we’re still weighed down with the baggage of worry, fears, and our need to control every moment.  We still take too much upon ourselves and lose sight of the graces we receive along the way, the opportunities to experience God’s love, and the opportunities to experience fully all the gifts God has bestowed on us.  We are each a child of God, and when we walk into a room, our grace can bring a smile to the face of a hurting soul.  Our goodness can bring peace to a home filled with negativity.  Our light can drive out the darkness.  These are not just gifts for the twelve apostles; this is our gift as well; we’re being missioned out into the world to do good work – to serve for the greater glory of God – and we won’t be alone.  Just as the disciples were sent out two by two, we are sent to serve together.  Being successful in ministry is kind of a team effort.  We now live in a world that glorifies the idea of working on our own, or doing things our own way, or being independent.  These are not bad ideas in and of themselves, but we are somewhat created to work together, not alone.  We are members of the body of Christ, we function better together.  When you feel disconnected, remember, you’re not traveling through this life alone.  Yes, travel light, but let’s travel together.

What are those things that weigh us down as we journey through life?  What are those things that get in our way of doing God’s work?  Do we have the courage to go where we’re sent, to move on when it’s time, to take rejection, to lead and to serve when it’s difficult and inconvenient, to do work for the greater glory of God?  Do we have the courage?  I am still afraid to answer these questions for myself, but one thing I do know is that it seems our options open up when we travel light through life; leaving our baggage – physical or emotional – behind as we respond to the missioning into the world.  So, brothers and sisters, let’s pick up our walking sticks, put on our sandals, and do ministry together.

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The Highs and Lows and Ups and Downs of the Most Holy Rosary meditations on the luminous mysteries continues:

IV.  The Transfiguration of Jesus

Brief meditation:

To set the scene for this mystery, we see Jesus inviting Peter, James, and John to withdraw with Him from the busy plane of everyday life and come to a high mountaintop.  Pope John Paul II called the Transfiguration, “the mystery of light par excellence,” presumably because, during this exalted event, the glory of Jesus’ divine nature shown brilliantly through his humanity, totally transfiguring Jesus.  As the Gospel of Matthew put it, [Jesus’] “face shown like the sun, and his clothes became white as light” (17:2). The event reminds us that Jesus is truly divine as well as truly human.

Scriptural meditation:

1.  Jesus took Peter, James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain by themselves and was transfigured before them (Matthew 17:1)-Hail Mary…

2.  And his face shone as the sun and his garments became white as snow. (Matthew 17:2)-Hail Mary…

3.  And behold there appeared to them Moses and Elijah talking together with him. (Matthew 17:3)-Hail Mary…

4.  Now Peter and his companions were heavy with sleep.  But when they were fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men who were standing with him. (Luke 9:32)-Hail Mary…

5.  Then Peter addressed Jesus saying “Lord it is good for us to be here.  Let us set up three tents here, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah” (Matthew 17:4)-Hail Mary…

6.  As he was still speaking, behold a bright cloud overshadowed them. (Matthew 17:5)-Hail Mary…

7.  And behold a voice out of the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear him.” (Matthew 17:5)-Hail Mary…

8.  And on hearing it the disciples fell on their faces and were exceedingly afraid. (Matthew 17:6)-Hail Mary…

9.  And Jesus came near and touched them and said to them, “Arise, and do not be afraid.” (Matthew 17:7)-Hail Mary…

10.  And suddenly looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but only Jesus. (Mark 9:8)-Hail Mary…

Called out...

 

For my gospel reflection today, I have two different personal stories, which point out my own struggles with what Jesus taught His disciples by telling the familiar parable of the unnamed rich man and the poor man Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31).  In it, Jesus highlights how “things” can blind us and hinder our need to reach out to those closest to us who are in need — the poor.

I went to the service station one morning to gas up my Pathfinder, which uses only premium fuel.   As I was pulling up, I noticed a man doubled over in pain, and obviously drunk.  My heart was torn, because although I wanted to walk up and talk to him to ask him how he was and if he needed any help, I didn’t.  When I went inside to pay for the gas, the kid behind the counter was LAUGHING about the man’s discomfort.  He said he had called the POLICE, when what the man needed was obviously an ambulance.  Not very Christ-like on either of our parts.  I was ashamed for both of us.

How could a man who has (relatively) everything allow another man, whose only possessions were apparently the clothes on his back, to suffer right before his eyes?  How could a man who fills his SUV with costly premium fuel not budge to share even a few dollars from his wallet, much less a kind word, with the troubled neighbor just trying to get by?

It seems absolutely unthinkable—and irreparably scandalous—but we know it happens all the time, like it apparently happened on my ‘watch’.   Like the rich man in the gospel story, we can use wealth and luxury to insulate us from the intolerable sufferings of others.  We can become so accustomed to making self-satisfying pleasures the driving desire of our lives that we become comfortably oblivious to the afflicted and destitute among us, the many who, like Lazarus, are so grievously deprived of what any human being needs to survive that they die a little more each day.

This parable’s punch shows us that when we fail to help a neighbor in need, intentionally distancing ourselves from them, we likewise distance ourselves from God.  After a while, that distance becomes an abyss.  As the rich man belatedly discovered, this truth may surprise us, but it will also condemn us.

My grandchild and I were at the drive-through at McDonald’s a few years ago, when Lily saw a young man standing and shivering in the pouring rain, holding a sign that said simply, “Need Help”.   When Lily saw him, tears began to form in her eyes, and she asked what we could do for him.  I had an all-weather coat in the back seat, as I was intending to donate it to the local homeless shelter.  I had inherited it from my brother Bob when he passed away.  He had purchased it while on a trip to Alaska.  It was a very heavy, waterproof, lined coat—perfect for that current day’s weather.  We could see that the guy standing out in the cold, driving rain was about the right size, so I had Lily hand it to him.  Both Lily and I noticed the young man’s posture straighten immediately, and a huge smile formed on his face!  As my compassionate granddaughter and I talked about it on our way home, we discussed things like how the guy may have become so needy, why I—and others—didn’t appear to ‘see’ him (in other words, ignored him), and more importantly, why we both seemed to feel the same warmth in our souls that the young man felt physically after donning the coat. 

Jesus has come to free us from our “slavery”.  Freedom is the key to the reality of both poverty and wealth.  If we’re attached to material things, we easily forfeit our freedom…like the rich man in the gospel with his fine clothes and sumptuous meals.  Apparently, he was so wrapped up in his pleasures that he paid little attention to God or his fellow human beings…even poor Lazarus begging at his door!  The rich man sacrificed his freedom because of his attachment to the pleasures of wealth – he had turned inward, selfish.

On the other hand, being poor limits a person’s freedom!  We need a basic share of God’s material gifts to have the leisure of time and thought to worship God and also be concerned about fellow humans.  If a person must spend their every energy trying to secure basic necessities – wondering about their next meal, or health or clothing or lodging – then they can hardly focus on God or others.  That person has lost their freedom because of the destitution which is poverty.

Lent is the time of year that we especially seek renewal in our prayer and our generosity, helping us move beyond selfishness to reaching out to others…be they the poor beggar at our door, on our streets, outside of the drive-through at McDonald’s, or the family member or co-worker or stranger who needs a listening ear and an encouraging word.  Together we can move beyond our petty differences to sharing healing and life.  Jesus and Lazarus call out to us today.

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The parable above is just one of many, many that Jesus used to proclaim the Kingdom of God, which leads me to my Lenten project of presenting meditations on the Highs and Lows and Ups and Downs of the Most Holy Rosary through the mysteries of the prayer.  I continue with the 3^rd Luminous mystery:

III.  The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God

Brief meditation:

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus reveals the Kingdom of God to us in various ways.  But the message is always clear and consistent.  We’re called to God’s Kingdom through Jesus Christ.  He came into our world to show us the way. We are to repent for our sins and trust in God.  For He, in His mercy, will forgive our sins and draw us to Him.

The Kingdom of God is nearer to us than we often think, for it is in God Himself and in all His creation.  It’s not in some far-off place or time.  We’re called each and every day by the voice of God to follow Jesus into God’s Kingdom.  We have but to trust completely in God and follow.  Crossing over into the Kingdom of God is a matter of faith for which we are completely dependent on the mercy and grace of God.

Do I seek the Kingdom of God each day by reconciling myself with God and praying for His mercy? Do I follow the example of Jesus each day by trusting completely in God for all things?

I pray for the grace and mercy of God so that I might empty myself and enter into His Kingdom by turning all things over to Him.

Scriptural meditations:

1.  Jesus came into Galilee preaching the Gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the Gospel.” (Mark 1:14-15)-Hail Mary…

2.  “Unless a man be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5)-Hail Mary…

3.  “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3)-Hail Mary…

4.  “Blessed are they who suffer persecution for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:10)-Hail Mary…

5.  “Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the Scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:20)-Hail Mary…

6.  “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls.  When he finds a single pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.” (Matthew 13:45-46)-Hail Mary…

7.  “Amen I say to you, unless you turn and become like little children you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3)-Hail Mary…

8.  “Children, how hard it is for those that trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!”  (Mark 10:24)-Hail Mary…

9.  “I must proclaim the kingdom of God, for this is why I have been sent” (Luke 4:43)-Hail Mary…

10.  “My kingdom is not of this world.” (John 18:36)-Hail Mary…