From Daily Scripture Thoughts:
“But now is Christ risen from the dead and become the first fruits of them that
slept….So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is
raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is
sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is
raised a spiritual body.” 1 Corinthians 15: 20, 42-44a
Jesus' Resurrection isn't just about God's Son returning to Heaven. He has raised us up with him. His sacrifice has made our hearts worthy to be changed by his Love.
We have trekked through Lent. We have suffered and struggled and grown. And we are raised up in his Glory now. Not because we are worthy, but because he has made us worthy.
Sown in weakness, raised in power.
Yesterday we exclaimed, "Christ is Risen!"
Today is no different. Christ is still risen. So keep celebrating. We are loved, adored, and saved.
Monday, April 1, 2013
Saturday, March 30, 2013
40 Thoughts: Day 40
Wait. That's what today feels like, doesn't it?
Jesus has been crucified and we have mourned him. And we already know tomorrow is Easter and that he will rise. We don't have to mourn him like the disciples and Mary did. We know the end of the story already and we don't have to be so sad or afraid. All we have to do is wait.
But today is more than just waiting. Jesus isn't just laying in the tomb, pretending to be dead, waiting for tomorrow so he can be taken away. He died. He descended into Hell. He felt the fire. He saw where we would all be headed without him. He is more and more glad that he has saved us. He is falling even more in love with us.
Today is our last day of waiting. It's the last day of our mourning and fasting and sacrifice.
But, just like every other day, it's another day to fall even more in love with him as he falls even more in love with us.
Prepare your hearts. Easter is so close.
Jesus has been crucified and we have mourned him. And we already know tomorrow is Easter and that he will rise. We don't have to mourn him like the disciples and Mary did. We know the end of the story already and we don't have to be so sad or afraid. All we have to do is wait.
But today is more than just waiting. Jesus isn't just laying in the tomb, pretending to be dead, waiting for tomorrow so he can be taken away. He died. He descended into Hell. He felt the fire. He saw where we would all be headed without him. He is more and more glad that he has saved us. He is falling even more in love with us.
Today is our last day of waiting. It's the last day of our mourning and fasting and sacrifice.
But, just like every other day, it's another day to fall even more in love with him as he falls even more in love with us.
Prepare your hearts. Easter is so close.
Friday, March 29, 2013
40 Thoughts: Day 39
Today, is Good Friday.
We know what happened today. Jesus was crucified for us today.
And we know what it means. It means that our sins are forgiven because of his ultimate sacrifice.
In the Eleventh Station, Jesus is nailed to the Cross. He is beaten and wearing a crown of thorns and then his hands and feet are nailed through and to the Cross. Close your eyes and imagine nails going through your palms.
Then in the Twelfth Station, Jesus dies. He gives his spirit to the father and dies. After all his pain and suffering, after the jeering of the people before him and the cries of his mother, not wanting to put us through the pain of losing him, he dies.
It's this simple yet incredible act that makes today so important.
But it's more than that. This is our faith. Our entire faith is based on this one moment; when Jesus died for our sins. When he died for you and you only. That's what you say you believe in when you call yourself Christian or Catholic or Protestant or Baptist or whatever you say that you are.
Yes, we believe in the Resurrection as well of course and that is huge in our faith as well. But nothing of anything else could have ever happened if Jesus did not die first.
So the mission of today is simple. Don't let today pass by you. Think on this today. Pray with this today. Thank Jesus for dying for you. It only takes a second. Maybe take a few seconds during the day and thank him a whole bunch of times. We could never thank him enough. Close your eyes and think about your own sins and shortcomings and thank God for wiping them clean for you on the Cross. Thank him for his patience. Thank him for giving us nothing less than his own Son. Today may be a busy or slow or mediocre day for you, but don't let it pass by without stopping for at least a moment and realizing what today means to us.
Because somewhere out there on this day in history and today and forever there is a man on a cross crying out your name and in his humility and humanity and divinity he is in love with you.
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
We know what happened today. Jesus was crucified for us today.
And we know what it means. It means that our sins are forgiven because of his ultimate sacrifice.
In the Eleventh Station, Jesus is nailed to the Cross. He is beaten and wearing a crown of thorns and then his hands and feet are nailed through and to the Cross. Close your eyes and imagine nails going through your palms.
Then in the Twelfth Station, Jesus dies. He gives his spirit to the father and dies. After all his pain and suffering, after the jeering of the people before him and the cries of his mother, not wanting to put us through the pain of losing him, he dies.
It's this simple yet incredible act that makes today so important.
But it's more than that. This is our faith. Our entire faith is based on this one moment; when Jesus died for our sins. When he died for you and you only. That's what you say you believe in when you call yourself Christian or Catholic or Protestant or Baptist or whatever you say that you are.
Yes, we believe in the Resurrection as well of course and that is huge in our faith as well. But nothing of anything else could have ever happened if Jesus did not die first.
So the mission of today is simple. Don't let today pass by you. Think on this today. Pray with this today. Thank Jesus for dying for you. It only takes a second. Maybe take a few seconds during the day and thank him a whole bunch of times. We could never thank him enough. Close your eyes and think about your own sins and shortcomings and thank God for wiping them clean for you on the Cross. Thank him for his patience. Thank him for giving us nothing less than his own Son. Today may be a busy or slow or mediocre day for you, but don't let it pass by without stopping for at least a moment and realizing what today means to us.
Because somewhere out there on this day in history and today and forever there is a man on a cross crying out your name and in his humility and humanity and divinity he is in love with you.
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Thursday, March 28, 2013
40 Thoughts: Day 38
Holy Thursday
John 13:1-15
Tonight we celebrate Jesus' last supper. Specifically, when he washed his disciples' feet.
"Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew his hour had come"
At the beginning of our Gospel this evening, we are told that when Jesus realized he was about to be crucified, he brought his disciples together for one last supper. And he washed their feet. He did so to prepare them for the last supper. But washing the feet of the people at the table was a servant's duty in homes back in Jesus' time. This is the last image he left with them: that he is their servant. That he, the Son of God came to be a servant. He gave us that example to follow.
The practice of washing feet during Mass will occur all over the world tonight as communities celebrate this Last Supper. Pope Francis has plans to bring Mass and feet-washing to a juvenile detention center tonight in Rome.
At Sacred Heart, we all wash each other's feet. If you choose to wash another's foot, you also have your foot washed. It's important to go through both experiences because for some it is harder to have your foot washed than to wash another's foot. For some, the exact opposite.
Sometimes, though, this ritual is confused. For some it seems it is a payback. "If you wash my feet, I'll clean up yours." But it's not.
This isn't a bargaining ship. Jesus didn't die because we promised we'd do better. He didn't even ask. He didn't want any promises. He just wanted to save us.
Realize in these all important last three days of Lent that you are loved. Seriously, deeply, undeniably, unconditionally loved. Loved.
Whether you have failed or succeeded in your Lenten promise, you are loved. Whether you have grown closer to Jesus during this time or not, you are loved.
Tonight, let's let Jesus wash our feet, because it's his greatest desire. And the next time we find ourselves in front of another well-loved human, let's wash their feet too. Not because they'll wash our feet later, but because Jesus has already cleansed and prepared us for God's Will. Your feet are clean.
Your feet are clean
John 13:1-15
Tonight we celebrate Jesus' last supper. Specifically, when he washed his disciples' feet.
"Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew his hour had come"
At the beginning of our Gospel this evening, we are told that when Jesus realized he was about to be crucified, he brought his disciples together for one last supper. And he washed their feet. He did so to prepare them for the last supper. But washing the feet of the people at the table was a servant's duty in homes back in Jesus' time. This is the last image he left with them: that he is their servant. That he, the Son of God came to be a servant. He gave us that example to follow.
The practice of washing feet during Mass will occur all over the world tonight as communities celebrate this Last Supper. Pope Francis has plans to bring Mass and feet-washing to a juvenile detention center tonight in Rome.
At Sacred Heart, we all wash each other's feet. If you choose to wash another's foot, you also have your foot washed. It's important to go through both experiences because for some it is harder to have your foot washed than to wash another's foot. For some, the exact opposite.
Sometimes, though, this ritual is confused. For some it seems it is a payback. "If you wash my feet, I'll clean up yours." But it's not.
This isn't a bargaining ship. Jesus didn't die because we promised we'd do better. He didn't even ask. He didn't want any promises. He just wanted to save us.
Realize in these all important last three days of Lent that you are loved. Seriously, deeply, undeniably, unconditionally loved. Loved.
Whether you have failed or succeeded in your Lenten promise, you are loved. Whether you have grown closer to Jesus during this time or not, you are loved.
Tonight, let's let Jesus wash our feet, because it's his greatest desire. And the next time we find ourselves in front of another well-loved human, let's wash their feet too. Not because they'll wash our feet later, but because Jesus has already cleansed and prepared us for God's Will. Your feet are clean.
Your feet are clean
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
40 Thoughts: Day 37
This is Holy Wednesday. And the last day before four of the most important days in our faith begin.
But before we begin them, let's look at a few more Stations of the Cross.
Jesus has just fallen a second time and risen again on his walk to Calvary.
The Eighth Station is when the women of Jerusalem and their children come to Jesus to bless and thank him. Amidst all the chaos of this journey, they recognize his glory and want to thank him for being there with them, for healing the sick, for opening their heart. And what does Jesus feel? He feels sorry for leaving them. He knows his death will bring sadness and suffering, and even as he dies for us, he doesn't want to leave us.
The Ninth Station is when Jesus falls a third time. Here Jesus doesn't have the strength to move on. His killers help him back to his feet after this final fall and God's strength alone gets him to Calvary. God's strength, having to bring his own Son to death. Jesus is already humiliated and beaten down. He's pathetic for having fallen. He's a joke. They mock him with a "King of the Jews" sign. And then they strip him.
The Tenth Station is when Jesus is stripped. As if being whipped, spat on, jeered at, mocked, and laughed at wasn't enough, they make him even less dignified by stripping him before nailing him to the cross. Yet his eyes turn to Heaven.
But why? This man is on the brink of a painful, humiliating death for what? He has been disgraced enough, hasn't he? They never even brought any real charges against him. They never found anything in his past actions worthy of crucifixion. Yet he is crucified. Why?
Because crucixion was God's plan for our salvation. Jesus knew you already even though you weren't yet born. He knew you and was and is in love with you. And when they strip him, after all of this torture that he's already endured, he thinks of you. He turns to Heaven. And he believes that this will be worth it, for you. Not for all of mankind, although his sacrifice did save all of mankind. He didn't do it for the betterment of mankind. He did this; the journey, the torture,the crucifxion, the death, the Resurrection, for you.
Just you.
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
But before we begin them, let's look at a few more Stations of the Cross.
Jesus has just fallen a second time and risen again on his walk to Calvary.
The Eighth Station is when the women of Jerusalem and their children come to Jesus to bless and thank him. Amidst all the chaos of this journey, they recognize his glory and want to thank him for being there with them, for healing the sick, for opening their heart. And what does Jesus feel? He feels sorry for leaving them. He knows his death will bring sadness and suffering, and even as he dies for us, he doesn't want to leave us.
The Ninth Station is when Jesus falls a third time. Here Jesus doesn't have the strength to move on. His killers help him back to his feet after this final fall and God's strength alone gets him to Calvary. God's strength, having to bring his own Son to death. Jesus is already humiliated and beaten down. He's pathetic for having fallen. He's a joke. They mock him with a "King of the Jews" sign. And then they strip him.
The Tenth Station is when Jesus is stripped. As if being whipped, spat on, jeered at, mocked, and laughed at wasn't enough, they make him even less dignified by stripping him before nailing him to the cross. Yet his eyes turn to Heaven.
But why? This man is on the brink of a painful, humiliating death for what? He has been disgraced enough, hasn't he? They never even brought any real charges against him. They never found anything in his past actions worthy of crucifixion. Yet he is crucified. Why?
Because crucixion was God's plan for our salvation. Jesus knew you already even though you weren't yet born. He knew you and was and is in love with you. And when they strip him, after all of this torture that he's already endured, he thinks of you. He turns to Heaven. And he believes that this will be worth it, for you. Not for all of mankind, although his sacrifice did save all of mankind. He didn't do it for the betterment of mankind. He did this; the journey, the torture,the crucifxion, the death, the Resurrection, for you.
Just you.
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
40 Thoughts: Day 36
Holy Tuesday!
As we get closer to Jesus' Crucifixion, let's continue on our walk.
At the Fourth Station of the Cross, Jesus meets his mother. Mary is a beacon of hope, of peace, and of a great big "yes" to God's Will. Jesus meets his mother again on this path after he has already fallen and in her he finds that trust and hope that we so fervently search for. Even in the horror of this moment, Jesus and Mary know God's peace because they've followed God's Will.
At the Fifth Station, Simon is asked to help Jesus to carry his Cross. Jesus is weak and frail at this point and he needs help to carry this burden. How many times have we fallen beneath the weight of a heavy load? We all need help sometimes, and Jesus was no different. In his prefect humility, he accepted help from Simon, knowing he would need it to carry out God's Will.
At the Sixth Station, Veronica wipes the face of Jesus. Here Jesus is, carrying this heavy load with Simon's help, splattered with blood and spit, mocked, humiliated, beaten down, rejected, hated by the people who he is about to save. And she takes pity on him. As a true disciple, she wipes the blood, sweat, and spit from his face. In this moment, she and all others can truly see him. Even in this mockery and pain, Jesus is still the Son of God and in his humility he stays true to his place as a servant and obedient to God's Will.
At the Seventh Station, Jesus falls again. This second time, even with Simon's help, Jesus is even more exhausted and weak. He is on his way physically to death not just by the path he's taking, but by how he's taking the path. His is not a peaceful death, not a gradual aging, but a horrible agony. But he is helped up and he walks on after this second fall, because it's God's Will.
God's Will is the only thing that Jesus followed through the Stations of the Cross. He didn't follow human rules or expectations or abstract theological laws. He knew that God wanted this suffering from him, and he willingly suffered.
Why?
Jesus met with his mother along his walk so they could share their last moment before he gave her to us as a mother.
Jesus humbled himself in receiving help to carry his cross because he sought to experience our needs and struggles so that he could love and carry us ever more faithfully.
Jesus accepted blood, sweat, and spit to be the ultimate sacrifice for us. He became so lowly and then let himself be wiped clean, giving his humility and love to Veronica, allowing her to help him just as he allowed Simon to. Because he desires to be one with us and in accepting these people along his most painful journey.
Jesus fell even after being helped. He is torn apart, exhausted, whipped, and beaten. He is humiliated and mocked. And he gets up again to finish the journey. Not because it's good for his health. Not because he had something to prove to the onlookers. But because his greatest desire was to save you, and he knew the only way to do so would be to follow God's Will wherever it leads.
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
As we get closer to Jesus' Crucifixion, let's continue on our walk.
At the Fourth Station of the Cross, Jesus meets his mother. Mary is a beacon of hope, of peace, and of a great big "yes" to God's Will. Jesus meets his mother again on this path after he has already fallen and in her he finds that trust and hope that we so fervently search for. Even in the horror of this moment, Jesus and Mary know God's peace because they've followed God's Will.
At the Fifth Station, Simon is asked to help Jesus to carry his Cross. Jesus is weak and frail at this point and he needs help to carry this burden. How many times have we fallen beneath the weight of a heavy load? We all need help sometimes, and Jesus was no different. In his prefect humility, he accepted help from Simon, knowing he would need it to carry out God's Will.
At the Sixth Station, Veronica wipes the face of Jesus. Here Jesus is, carrying this heavy load with Simon's help, splattered with blood and spit, mocked, humiliated, beaten down, rejected, hated by the people who he is about to save. And she takes pity on him. As a true disciple, she wipes the blood, sweat, and spit from his face. In this moment, she and all others can truly see him. Even in this mockery and pain, Jesus is still the Son of God and in his humility he stays true to his place as a servant and obedient to God's Will.
At the Seventh Station, Jesus falls again. This second time, even with Simon's help, Jesus is even more exhausted and weak. He is on his way physically to death not just by the path he's taking, but by how he's taking the path. His is not a peaceful death, not a gradual aging, but a horrible agony. But he is helped up and he walks on after this second fall, because it's God's Will.
God's Will is the only thing that Jesus followed through the Stations of the Cross. He didn't follow human rules or expectations or abstract theological laws. He knew that God wanted this suffering from him, and he willingly suffered.
Why?
Jesus met with his mother along his walk so they could share their last moment before he gave her to us as a mother.
Jesus humbled himself in receiving help to carry his cross because he sought to experience our needs and struggles so that he could love and carry us ever more faithfully.
Jesus accepted blood, sweat, and spit to be the ultimate sacrifice for us. He became so lowly and then let himself be wiped clean, giving his humility and love to Veronica, allowing her to help him just as he allowed Simon to. Because he desires to be one with us and in accepting these people along his most painful journey.
Jesus fell even after being helped. He is torn apart, exhausted, whipped, and beaten. He is humiliated and mocked. And he gets up again to finish the journey. Not because it's good for his health. Not because he had something to prove to the onlookers. But because his greatest desire was to save you, and he knew the only way to do so would be to follow God's Will wherever it leads.
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Monday, March 25, 2013
40 Thoughts: Day 35
Welcome to Holy Week!
For the next six days, we'll be focusing in on Jesus' walk to the Cross; the Stations of the Cross.
First, Jesus is condemned to die. God had planned for him to be crucified, but Jesus had to say yes. He chose to walk to his crucifixion.
Second, Jesus begins to carry his own Cross. He is given this heavy, wooden Cross which he will be nailed to and eventually die on. Then he is made to carry it a long way, crowds jeering and screaming, cheering and bellowing at him the whole way.
Third, Jesus falls for the first time. He falls under the weight of the Cross as he carries it, for it is extremely heavy. Here the savior of the world is terribly weak in everyone's eyes.
These are the first three Stations of the Cross. They sound just like stories, different plot points in a movie script. But they're not. They are our salvation saving our souls.
First, Jesus chooses to die for us. He decides that we are worthy of the ultimate sacrifice, even after our sinful ways.
Second, Jesus carries the weight of the Cross. It is the Cross we built for him, full of our sins and shortcomings. He picks it up and carries it.
Third, Jesus falls. He falls beneath the weight of our sins because they are heavy. He is overburdened. But he gets up, and he walks on it. Because you alone are worth it.
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
For the next six days, we'll be focusing in on Jesus' walk to the Cross; the Stations of the Cross.
First, Jesus is condemned to die. God had planned for him to be crucified, but Jesus had to say yes. He chose to walk to his crucifixion.
Second, Jesus begins to carry his own Cross. He is given this heavy, wooden Cross which he will be nailed to and eventually die on. Then he is made to carry it a long way, crowds jeering and screaming, cheering and bellowing at him the whole way.
Third, Jesus falls for the first time. He falls under the weight of the Cross as he carries it, for it is extremely heavy. Here the savior of the world is terribly weak in everyone's eyes.
These are the first three Stations of the Cross. They sound just like stories, different plot points in a movie script. But they're not. They are our salvation saving our souls.
First, Jesus chooses to die for us. He decides that we are worthy of the ultimate sacrifice, even after our sinful ways.
Second, Jesus carries the weight of the Cross. It is the Cross we built for him, full of our sins and shortcomings. He picks it up and carries it.
Third, Jesus falls. He falls beneath the weight of our sins because they are heavy. He is overburdened. But he gets up, and he walks on it. Because you alone are worth it.
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Palm Sunday
Today in Mass we read from the Lord's Passion.
As a congregation, we asked for Jesus to be crucified today during our reading. Jesus may have died 2000 years ago, but it was our voices calling out for him to be crucified. The sins he died for are our
sins. The souls he died to save are our souls.
We only have one week left of Lent, and it has been designated by the Church as Holy Week. In his homily today, Father Paul left us with one very important thought: Jesus would have gone through his Passion and Crucifixion for you if you were the only human being on Earth.
He would've gone through all of it just for you. He loves you that much.
So as we look forward to this all-important week in our Liturgical year, let's follow Father's Paul's advice and make Jesus' Crucifixion personal. Because it is.
Our daily lives get muddled and muddied and confusing, so it's understandable that we lose sight of some things during our day. But it's doesn't have to be that way. Jesus Christ died for you. It didn't matter to him how much you would sin or how many times you messed up or how often you forget about him or deny him or ignore him. He loves you exactly how you are. He died for you already knowing you and what you would and wouldn't do throughout the course of your life.
Knowing this spectacular truth is crucial to our peace and happiness. So now for Holy Week try to take some time out of every day and remember that Jesus finds you worth dying for. Once you can understand everything that means and you can believe it to be true, then you can start living like it.
Start living like someone died for you. Because Jesus did.
Have a Holy day
As a congregation, we asked for Jesus to be crucified today during our reading. Jesus may have died 2000 years ago, but it was our voices calling out for him to be crucified. The sins he died for are our
sins. The souls he died to save are our souls.
We only have one week left of Lent, and it has been designated by the Church as Holy Week. In his homily today, Father Paul left us with one very important thought: Jesus would have gone through his Passion and Crucifixion for you if you were the only human being on Earth.
He would've gone through all of it just for you. He loves you that much.
So as we look forward to this all-important week in our Liturgical year, let's follow Father's Paul's advice and make Jesus' Crucifixion personal. Because it is.
Our daily lives get muddled and muddied and confusing, so it's understandable that we lose sight of some things during our day. But it's doesn't have to be that way. Jesus Christ died for you. It didn't matter to him how much you would sin or how many times you messed up or how often you forget about him or deny him or ignore him. He loves you exactly how you are. He died for you already knowing you and what you would and wouldn't do throughout the course of your life.
Knowing this spectacular truth is crucial to our peace and happiness. So now for Holy Week try to take some time out of every day and remember that Jesus finds you worth dying for. Once you can understand everything that means and you can believe it to be true, then you can start living like it.
Start living like someone died for you. Because Jesus did.
Have a Holy day
Saturday, March 23, 2013
40 Thoughts: Day 34
This is it. Today is the last day before the beginning of Holy Week. Tomorrow Jesus enters into Jerusalem for the last time on a donkey.
King of Heaven, Son of Man, All Mighty God, Holy Savior. On a donkey.
Jesus was about to be betrayed, handed over, scourged, spat at, stripped, humiliated, and crucified. He knew the pain his mother would go through watching him. He knew he would die an incredibly painful death. And he entered into it willingly on a donkey.
Do you know anyone like that? Do you know anyone who would walk willingly into a city and die for the people who torture and crucify him? Would your brother or sister, mom or dad, best friend, boyfriend, English professor, next door neighbor, grandmother or grandfather do that? Would you?
Even if you'd like to think so, probably not.
That's why Jesus is our Savior and we don't save ourselves. We'd just mess it up. He didn't. He rode humbly into Jerusalem after three years of preaching to the people, trying to lead them to the Father, trying to teach them about Love and Grace and Faith. And after three years, they're still shouting for him to be killed.
So naturally, Jesus got angry and upset and screamed back at them that he had given them everything and they were being stupid. He told them he was so frustrated with them because they never listened. Eventually, he just decided to give up on them and told them point blank that they were not worth it.
Actually, Jesus didn't do anything like that.
He died for us.
Today ask the Lord for patience, peace, and understanding. When you're able to understand the gravity of His Sacrifice, that's when your Lent is over. And we're almost there.
Have a patient, humble day
King of Heaven, Son of Man, All Mighty God, Holy Savior. On a donkey.
Jesus was about to be betrayed, handed over, scourged, spat at, stripped, humiliated, and crucified. He knew the pain his mother would go through watching him. He knew he would die an incredibly painful death. And he entered into it willingly on a donkey.
Do you know anyone like that? Do you know anyone who would walk willingly into a city and die for the people who torture and crucify him? Would your brother or sister, mom or dad, best friend, boyfriend, English professor, next door neighbor, grandmother or grandfather do that? Would you?
Even if you'd like to think so, probably not.
That's why Jesus is our Savior and we don't save ourselves. We'd just mess it up. He didn't. He rode humbly into Jerusalem after three years of preaching to the people, trying to lead them to the Father, trying to teach them about Love and Grace and Faith. And after three years, they're still shouting for him to be killed.
So naturally, Jesus got angry and upset and screamed back at them that he had given them everything and they were being stupid. He told them he was so frustrated with them because they never listened. Eventually, he just decided to give up on them and told them point blank that they were not worth it.
Actually, Jesus didn't do anything like that.
He died for us.
Today ask the Lord for patience, peace, and understanding. When you're able to understand the gravity of His Sacrifice, that's when your Lent is over. And we're almost there.
Have a patient, humble day
Friday, March 22, 2013
40 Thoughts: Day 33
So you've been thinking about Confession.
There are two things that might keep you from Confession (and maybe there are more). One is the fear of Confessing. Because no one wants to admit their shortcomings. It's hard to admit them to yourself, let alone to someone else.
But even if you get over that hurdle, there's something else to stop you. When you go to Confession and confess your sins, you are expected to say the Act of Contrition.
O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended you, and I detest
all my sins, because of Your just
punishments, but most of all because
they offend You, my God, who are
all-good and deserving of all my love.
I firmly resolve, with the help of
Your grace, to sin no more and to
avoid the near occasion of sin.
"I firmly resolve, with the help of Your grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sin."
Yes, Confession sets you free from sin. But the expectation, your own prayer, is that you will change who you are and battle off sin like a ninja. But can you really do that?
And if you can't, should you even go to Confession? Wouldn't your contrition be a lie? If you go to Confession and confess the same sins every time, what's the point?
The beauty of God's forgiveness is that he loves you enough to always give you another chance. When you are absolved of your sins during the Sacrament, no matter how many times you are absolved of the same sin, God forgets them. He wipes them completely off of you. And you are blameless.
But there is a catch here. If you do go to Confession and every time confess the same sins, you're not taking your prayer seriously. The truth is, you can change. Maybe it will be really difficult. Maybe your friends will be confused. You could even lose a friend. But you can do it. And if you really are sorry for your sins, you really can change. It takes a lot of Grace. It won't happen overnight. It won't be about you. But it will come from your relationship with God. You're human. You can't go to Confession and then live the rest of your life void of sin. But you can accept God's Grace and help in avoiding sin.
Of course, you have to trust him to help you and change you. But he can. And if you're willing, you can too. So don't avoid Confession because you're afraid of messing up again. God already knows you will. And he wants to forgive you anyways. And he'll want to forgive you again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again.
Why? Because he wants you. Desperately. Take him seriously.
Have a change-ful day
*From the mouth of a recovering drug addict, one of God's wonderful sons:
There are two things that might keep you from Confession (and maybe there are more). One is the fear of Confessing. Because no one wants to admit their shortcomings. It's hard to admit them to yourself, let alone to someone else.
But even if you get over that hurdle, there's something else to stop you. When you go to Confession and confess your sins, you are expected to say the Act of Contrition.
O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended you, and I detest
all my sins, because of Your just
punishments, but most of all because
they offend You, my God, who are
all-good and deserving of all my love.
I firmly resolve, with the help of
Your grace, to sin no more and to
avoid the near occasion of sin.
"I firmly resolve, with the help of Your grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sin."
Yes, Confession sets you free from sin. But the expectation, your own prayer, is that you will change who you are and battle off sin like a ninja. But can you really do that?
And if you can't, should you even go to Confession? Wouldn't your contrition be a lie? If you go to Confession and confess the same sins every time, what's the point?
The beauty of God's forgiveness is that he loves you enough to always give you another chance. When you are absolved of your sins during the Sacrament, no matter how many times you are absolved of the same sin, God forgets them. He wipes them completely off of you. And you are blameless.
But there is a catch here. If you do go to Confession and every time confess the same sins, you're not taking your prayer seriously. The truth is, you can change. Maybe it will be really difficult. Maybe your friends will be confused. You could even lose a friend. But you can do it. And if you really are sorry for your sins, you really can change. It takes a lot of Grace. It won't happen overnight. It won't be about you. But it will come from your relationship with God. You're human. You can't go to Confession and then live the rest of your life void of sin. But you can accept God's Grace and help in avoiding sin.
Of course, you have to trust him to help you and change you. But he can. And if you're willing, you can too. So don't avoid Confession because you're afraid of messing up again. God already knows you will. And he wants to forgive you anyways. And he'll want to forgive you again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again.
Why? Because he wants you. Desperately. Take him seriously.
Have a change-ful day
*From the mouth of a recovering drug addict, one of God's wonderful sons:
Thursday, March 21, 2013
40 Thoughts: Day 32
We've now spent 31 (and 1/2) days in the Lenten spirit. We've reflected on sacrifice and love. And we've reflected on our sins and how we are enslaved by sin.
But while that might be the point of Lent, it is not the point of Easter. The reason for Easter is the end to sin and the end to slavery. So while it is important to know our own sins in order to free ourselves from them, we don't have to wallow in them. In fact, wallowing in our sin would be turning our back on the greatest gift Jesus has ever given us and denying his unending love for us.
G.K. Chesterton once wrote:
"When a Catholic comes from confession, he does truly, by definition, step out into that dawn of his own beginning... in that brief ritual God has really remade him in His own image. He may be grey and gouty, but he is only five minutes old."
Through Confession, we are remade. It is not just that our souls are wiped clean, but in the wiping we are recreated as the spirit-filled and blameless disciples that we were made to be. We once again resemble God. That's more than a second chance. That's recreation. And we can do it every day. So why don't we?
Confession is scary. Are you terrified of Confession? Does your heart quicken when you get in line to the Confessional? A lot of people are afraid. Admitting your sin to a priest you don't know, or to a priest you do know, is terrifying. We keep secrets secret so we don't have to share them and so no one finds out what we've done. Admitting them in Confession is not a fun experience. And you know that priest is going to be judging you. And you can't for the life of you ever remember the Act of Contrition.
It's okay to be afraid to confess. It's human. Just don't let that keep you from Confession. Don't worry about the priest judging you for your sins. They've heard worse, that's a guarantee. And there are at least three different versions of the Act of Contrition. Keeping one of them straight is not a requirement. In fact, it may be better for you to read the Act of Contrition off of a card and really think about the Contrition that you admit through that prayer, rather than spew it off from your 5th grade memory without thinking about it all.
But what if you haven't been to Confession in a while? How long has it been? Maybe 6 months. A year. 5 years. Ten years. Twenty years?
The beauty of His Grace is that it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter how much shame or sin or blame or sickness you bring to the Cross, the Cross rids you of it. Jesus' Sacrifice unburdens you from every part of all your sins and in that unburdening you get to be a brand new person; holy and perfect and blameless in God's eyes.
We don't get too many chances to be that in his presence. Why not take advantage of the opportunity you have during Lent?
Have a confessing day
(...by coming to the Reconciliation Service and receiving the Sacrament of Confession at 7 pm tonight at Sacred Heart!)
But while that might be the point of Lent, it is not the point of Easter. The reason for Easter is the end to sin and the end to slavery. So while it is important to know our own sins in order to free ourselves from them, we don't have to wallow in them. In fact, wallowing in our sin would be turning our back on the greatest gift Jesus has ever given us and denying his unending love for us.
G.K. Chesterton once wrote:
"When a Catholic comes from confession, he does truly, by definition, step out into that dawn of his own beginning... in that brief ritual God has really remade him in His own image. He may be grey and gouty, but he is only five minutes old."
Through Confession, we are remade. It is not just that our souls are wiped clean, but in the wiping we are recreated as the spirit-filled and blameless disciples that we were made to be. We once again resemble God. That's more than a second chance. That's recreation. And we can do it every day. So why don't we?
Confession is scary. Are you terrified of Confession? Does your heart quicken when you get in line to the Confessional? A lot of people are afraid. Admitting your sin to a priest you don't know, or to a priest you do know, is terrifying. We keep secrets secret so we don't have to share them and so no one finds out what we've done. Admitting them in Confession is not a fun experience. And you know that priest is going to be judging you. And you can't for the life of you ever remember the Act of Contrition.
It's okay to be afraid to confess. It's human. Just don't let that keep you from Confession. Don't worry about the priest judging you for your sins. They've heard worse, that's a guarantee. And there are at least three different versions of the Act of Contrition. Keeping one of them straight is not a requirement. In fact, it may be better for you to read the Act of Contrition off of a card and really think about the Contrition that you admit through that prayer, rather than spew it off from your 5th grade memory without thinking about it all.
But what if you haven't been to Confession in a while? How long has it been? Maybe 6 months. A year. 5 years. Ten years. Twenty years?
The beauty of His Grace is that it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter how much shame or sin or blame or sickness you bring to the Cross, the Cross rids you of it. Jesus' Sacrifice unburdens you from every part of all your sins and in that unburdening you get to be a brand new person; holy and perfect and blameless in God's eyes.
We don't get too many chances to be that in his presence. Why not take advantage of the opportunity you have during Lent?
Have a confessing day
(...by coming to the Reconciliation Service and receiving the Sacrament of Confession at 7 pm tonight at Sacred Heart!)
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
40 Thoughts: Day 31
And the truth will set you free.
In John 8:34-36, Jesus said "“Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."
This Easter we will celebrate the moment in which the Son set us free.
The disciples questioned Jesus at the Mount of Olives when he spoke these words. They were descendants of Abraham, they weren't slaves. And there were plenty of slaves back then. But they weren't an enslaved people, so what was he talking about slaves?
But Jesus knew that when they sinned, they were choosing to give something else, something worldly, higher value than God the Father and his will. Thus they were enslaved by the sin they committed because through sinning they worshiped worldly things like money, prosperity, popularity, greed, appearance, etc. etc.
Lent is the perfect time to reflect on your own sin and figure out what you're worshipping. What are you enslaved by because of the sins you commit? Could be something big, could be a bunch of little things.
Reflection on those sins is good. But don't let that reflection turn into self pity. Sure, you may not like admitting to yourself the sinful things that have enslaved you. No one likes that. But as you reflect, remember that you don't have to be a slave to those sins anymore. Your chains have been broken. By Jesus' sacrifice, you have been set free.
So choose to accept Jesus' sacrifice and to live like you believe it's true. Choose to avoid the slavery of sin and continue to seek God's forgiveness through Confession. And you will be free indeed.
Have a free day
In John 8:34-36, Jesus said "“Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."
This Easter we will celebrate the moment in which the Son set us free.
The disciples questioned Jesus at the Mount of Olives when he spoke these words. They were descendants of Abraham, they weren't slaves. And there were plenty of slaves back then. But they weren't an enslaved people, so what was he talking about slaves?
But Jesus knew that when they sinned, they were choosing to give something else, something worldly, higher value than God the Father and his will. Thus they were enslaved by the sin they committed because through sinning they worshiped worldly things like money, prosperity, popularity, greed, appearance, etc. etc.
Lent is the perfect time to reflect on your own sin and figure out what you're worshipping. What are you enslaved by because of the sins you commit? Could be something big, could be a bunch of little things.
Reflection on those sins is good. But don't let that reflection turn into self pity. Sure, you may not like admitting to yourself the sinful things that have enslaved you. No one likes that. But as you reflect, remember that you don't have to be a slave to those sins anymore. Your chains have been broken. By Jesus' sacrifice, you have been set free.
So choose to accept Jesus' sacrifice and to live like you believe it's true. Choose to avoid the slavery of sin and continue to seek God's forgiveness through Confession. And you will be free indeed.
Have a free day
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
40 Thoughts: Day 30
Happy Feast Day of St. Joseph!
Today we celebrate the man that God chose to be the leader of the Son's household while on Earth. He's kind of a big deal.
As we know, Joseph was betrothed to Mary when the Angel Gabriel asked her if she would birth the Son of Man. And thankfully, Mary said yes, allowing humanity to have a true Savior in Jesus Christ. That's awesome and that's what makes Mary so special and worthy to be our Holy Mother.
But something we often miss in the history of Christmas is the fact that Joseph said yes too. Sure, he didn't have to carry Jesus in his own body or go through the pains of childbirth and no he wasn't still around at the time of Crucifixion. And yes, when Jesus can have a Father in God the Father, why would he appoint St. Joseph as our Father, like he appointed Mary our Mother? That's just unnecessary.
But that doesn't meant that St. Joseph doesn't matter. When Mary told him that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit, Joseph probably panicked. But, thinking of Mary's well-being and trying to shame her as little as possible, he was set to divorce the young girl and not cause her any more trouble.
Let's focus on this moment for a second. Mary, a very young bride as was the tradition, comes up to Joseph who she's supposed to Mary, and tells him she's pregnant. This isn't the age of Brad and Angelina and Teen Mom. In the BC Era, they weren't keen on pre-marital pregnancy. Really, really not keen. So sure, Joseph probably panicked. He probably wanted to know how and why and when and who the father was. He was probably angry that the woman he was betrothed to had defiled herself and become pregnant as a result. You might not agree with this reaction, but in those times, it would've only been natural.
Of course, Mary told him that the Holy Spirit had caused her to be pregnant and God had called her to give birth to Jesus as a virgin. Would you have believed her?
Joseph did. He got over his anger and confusion and panic. He probably barely knew Mary at the time, yet he trusted her. He accepted her story, having heard the same from God in his own dreams. And he decided that despite the possibility for the ridicule, humiliation, and maybe even denouncement and excommunication from their families because of this pre-marital child, he would marry Mary and become Jesus' human dad. He said yes.
You may be wondering why we're talking about Christmas in the middle of Lent. The truth is, St. Joseph had a lot of scary, hurtful times ahead of him because of Mary's pregnancy. He probably went through quite a few in his head before choosing whether or not to follow God's will. But at the end of that process, he decided to just trust God and say yes.
We have ten more days of Lenten sacrifice and love, prayer and meditation, reflection and penance. Our choices from here on out may not be whether or not to be the human dad to Jesus. They're probably not that serious. But no matter the gravity, our decisions can make big differences in our lives. Sometimes they'll be easy, they'll be black and white, right and wrong. Sometimes they'll bring us worlds of happiness and lives of peace.
But not all the time. Sometimes deciding to follow God's will lead us down treacherous, difficult paths to a great good and a truer happiness and a more fulfilling peace than we can even imagine. Kind of like Lent. We've chosen a path of sacrifice, knowing it will come to an end at Easter when we celebrate Jesus' Resurrection and our Salvation. But we won't always be able to see the end at the beginning of those treacherous and difficult paths. Sometimes we have to walk blind into the fire and trust God to lead us through it. And to get through it, we're going to have to pray and meditate and sacrifice and reflect and confess and be forgiven and then do it all over again. The good news is, we've got ten more Christ-given days to practice. So let's use them to keep saying yes.
Have a yes-full day
Today we celebrate the man that God chose to be the leader of the Son's household while on Earth. He's kind of a big deal.
As we know, Joseph was betrothed to Mary when the Angel Gabriel asked her if she would birth the Son of Man. And thankfully, Mary said yes, allowing humanity to have a true Savior in Jesus Christ. That's awesome and that's what makes Mary so special and worthy to be our Holy Mother.
But something we often miss in the history of Christmas is the fact that Joseph said yes too. Sure, he didn't have to carry Jesus in his own body or go through the pains of childbirth and no he wasn't still around at the time of Crucifixion. And yes, when Jesus can have a Father in God the Father, why would he appoint St. Joseph as our Father, like he appointed Mary our Mother? That's just unnecessary.
But that doesn't meant that St. Joseph doesn't matter. When Mary told him that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit, Joseph probably panicked. But, thinking of Mary's well-being and trying to shame her as little as possible, he was set to divorce the young girl and not cause her any more trouble.
Let's focus on this moment for a second. Mary, a very young bride as was the tradition, comes up to Joseph who she's supposed to Mary, and tells him she's pregnant. This isn't the age of Brad and Angelina and Teen Mom. In the BC Era, they weren't keen on pre-marital pregnancy. Really, really not keen. So sure, Joseph probably panicked. He probably wanted to know how and why and when and who the father was. He was probably angry that the woman he was betrothed to had defiled herself and become pregnant as a result. You might not agree with this reaction, but in those times, it would've only been natural.
Of course, Mary told him that the Holy Spirit had caused her to be pregnant and God had called her to give birth to Jesus as a virgin. Would you have believed her?
Joseph did. He got over his anger and confusion and panic. He probably barely knew Mary at the time, yet he trusted her. He accepted her story, having heard the same from God in his own dreams. And he decided that despite the possibility for the ridicule, humiliation, and maybe even denouncement and excommunication from their families because of this pre-marital child, he would marry Mary and become Jesus' human dad. He said yes.
You may be wondering why we're talking about Christmas in the middle of Lent. The truth is, St. Joseph had a lot of scary, hurtful times ahead of him because of Mary's pregnancy. He probably went through quite a few in his head before choosing whether or not to follow God's will. But at the end of that process, he decided to just trust God and say yes.
We have ten more days of Lenten sacrifice and love, prayer and meditation, reflection and penance. Our choices from here on out may not be whether or not to be the human dad to Jesus. They're probably not that serious. But no matter the gravity, our decisions can make big differences in our lives. Sometimes they'll be easy, they'll be black and white, right and wrong. Sometimes they'll bring us worlds of happiness and lives of peace.
But not all the time. Sometimes deciding to follow God's will lead us down treacherous, difficult paths to a great good and a truer happiness and a more fulfilling peace than we can even imagine. Kind of like Lent. We've chosen a path of sacrifice, knowing it will come to an end at Easter when we celebrate Jesus' Resurrection and our Salvation. But we won't always be able to see the end at the beginning of those treacherous and difficult paths. Sometimes we have to walk blind into the fire and trust God to lead us through it. And to get through it, we're going to have to pray and meditate and sacrifice and reflect and confess and be forgiven and then do it all over again. The good news is, we've got ten more Christ-given days to practice. So let's use them to keep saying yes.
Have a yes-full day
Monday, March 18, 2013
40 Thoughts: Day 29
" When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” "
John 11:4
In this Sunday's Gospel (from the Scrutinies), we heard the story of Lazarus' death and how Jesus raised him from the dead. The story goes that Jesus was given word that Lazarus was very ill and close to death. His heart went out to Lazarus and his sisters Mary and Martha. He decided to travel to see these three, but he moved rather slowly and when he arrived, Lazarus had already died.
Hold on. Jesus says in John 11:4 that the sickness will not end in death. Jesus must be a liar. But we already know he's not.
Jesus knew that Lazarus would die and that he would raise him from death. But he allowed enough time for Lazarus to die and for the family and friends to mourn.
Why? Why would he let Lazarus die, knowing that he would live again shortly? Why would he allow Mary and Martha and all of Lazarus' family and friends to suffer when he was fully capable of curing Lazarus' illness? Certainly it was God's will that Lazarus didn't end up dead, so why let him die at all?
God's Glory.
Yes, it was God's will that Lazarus eventually lived. The key word here being eventually. It would have been a miracle had Jesus arrived in time and cured Lazarus of his illness. That would have been awesome. There would have been so much rejoicing. So why not? If he loved Mary and Martha and Lazarus so much that he himself wept over Lazarus' death, why couldn't he have spared them all this temporary grief?
Well Jesus already had a pretty great track record. He'd healed paralyzed people, blind men, sick children, sick servants. He'd done marvelous deeds, taught incredible lessons. He'd shaken the world with his goodness. And yet so few really believed in him. Nobody was getting it.
Mary and Martha didn't get it. His own disciples were afraid of going back to Judea. They didn't even get it. Even these, his closest companions, weren't entirely sold on the idea of him being the actual living breathing Son of God.
They were all still blind to God's glory. So God's will was that his glory could be revealed. So yes, God's will was that Lazarus would eventually live, but only after he had died. He allowed his children whom he loved to go through this temporary grief in order for them to understand the power and glory of God when he relieved them of their grief.
So try to be patient as we tread our way through the last two weeks of Lent. Remember that God's got it under control, even when we can't understand what's going on. Even when it seems God's let us down and shown up too late, he's got a better plan in mind. So hold tight when you're going through it and remember that this is only temporary and ever-lasting relief is on the way.
Have a trusting day
John 11:4
In this Sunday's Gospel (from the Scrutinies), we heard the story of Lazarus' death and how Jesus raised him from the dead. The story goes that Jesus was given word that Lazarus was very ill and close to death. His heart went out to Lazarus and his sisters Mary and Martha. He decided to travel to see these three, but he moved rather slowly and when he arrived, Lazarus had already died.
Hold on. Jesus says in John 11:4 that the sickness will not end in death. Jesus must be a liar. But we already know he's not.
Jesus knew that Lazarus would die and that he would raise him from death. But he allowed enough time for Lazarus to die and for the family and friends to mourn.
Why? Why would he let Lazarus die, knowing that he would live again shortly? Why would he allow Mary and Martha and all of Lazarus' family and friends to suffer when he was fully capable of curing Lazarus' illness? Certainly it was God's will that Lazarus didn't end up dead, so why let him die at all?
God's Glory.
Yes, it was God's will that Lazarus eventually lived. The key word here being eventually. It would have been a miracle had Jesus arrived in time and cured Lazarus of his illness. That would have been awesome. There would have been so much rejoicing. So why not? If he loved Mary and Martha and Lazarus so much that he himself wept over Lazarus' death, why couldn't he have spared them all this temporary grief?
Well Jesus already had a pretty great track record. He'd healed paralyzed people, blind men, sick children, sick servants. He'd done marvelous deeds, taught incredible lessons. He'd shaken the world with his goodness. And yet so few really believed in him. Nobody was getting it.
Mary and Martha didn't get it. His own disciples were afraid of going back to Judea. They didn't even get it. Even these, his closest companions, weren't entirely sold on the idea of him being the actual living breathing Son of God.
They were all still blind to God's glory. So God's will was that his glory could be revealed. So yes, God's will was that Lazarus would eventually live, but only after he had died. He allowed his children whom he loved to go through this temporary grief in order for them to understand the power and glory of God when he relieved them of their grief.
So try to be patient as we tread our way through the last two weeks of Lent. Remember that God's got it under control, even when we can't understand what's going on. Even when it seems God's let us down and shown up too late, he's got a better plan in mind. So hold tight when you're going through it and remember that this is only temporary and ever-lasting relief is on the way.
Have a trusting day
Sunday, March 17, 2013
5th Sunday of Lent: Lazarus
Today's Gospel included the shortest verse in the Bible:
"Jesus wept."
John 11:35
Lazarus had just died and Mary and Martha, his sisters, were deeply troubled by his death. And so was Jesus.
Imagine: the Son of Man. He knew that he was about to raise this man back to life, who knew his own death was coming, who knew the resurrection was on the horizon, that he and Mary and Martha would see Lazarus in Heaven for eternity sometime soon.
And he wept. But why?
Father Paul expressed something very simple about this verse today. He simply said that it touched him.
Because God is compassionate. He's in love with us. He's in love with you. He's so love in with you that when you are hurting, as Mary and Martha was, or when he loses you, as Jesus did Lazarus, he weeps.
Now Jesus didn't have to do anything that he did. He didn't have to come to Earth and be born a servant. He didn't have to work as a carpenter for nearly 30 years. He didn't have to cure people and heal people and share parables and have patience with us as we chose not to believe him. He didn't have to be tempted in the desert or bring Lazarus back to life. He didn't have to be whipped and stripped and spat on and laughed at and mocked and humiliated. He didn't have to die for us.
But he did. Why? Because we needed him to. Because he wants us to reside with him in Heaven forever. That's why.
So when you feel like you're a failure, like you're not living up to his expectations, like you'll never be good enough, stop worrying so much about it. You don't have to prove anything to God, he wants you. He wants you badly enough that he'd give up anything for you. His own son, even.
He's on your side, so keep fighting your flesh and don't give up. And most of all, keep in mind that he's in love with you and he's constantly busy helping you through this treacherous life.
When everything is rotten and life doesn't seem like it's every going to turn around, think back to Lazarus and Mary and Martha. Remember that you're God is the same God that he has always been. And back when these three were hurting so badly and felt so alone, Jesus wept.
Have a trusting day
"Jesus wept."
John 11:35
Lazarus had just died and Mary and Martha, his sisters, were deeply troubled by his death. And so was Jesus.
Imagine: the Son of Man. He knew that he was about to raise this man back to life, who knew his own death was coming, who knew the resurrection was on the horizon, that he and Mary and Martha would see Lazarus in Heaven for eternity sometime soon.
And he wept. But why?
Father Paul expressed something very simple about this verse today. He simply said that it touched him.
Because God is compassionate. He's in love with us. He's in love with you. He's so love in with you that when you are hurting, as Mary and Martha was, or when he loses you, as Jesus did Lazarus, he weeps.
Now Jesus didn't have to do anything that he did. He didn't have to come to Earth and be born a servant. He didn't have to work as a carpenter for nearly 30 years. He didn't have to cure people and heal people and share parables and have patience with us as we chose not to believe him. He didn't have to be tempted in the desert or bring Lazarus back to life. He didn't have to be whipped and stripped and spat on and laughed at and mocked and humiliated. He didn't have to die for us.
But he did. Why? Because we needed him to. Because he wants us to reside with him in Heaven forever. That's why.
So when you feel like you're a failure, like you're not living up to his expectations, like you'll never be good enough, stop worrying so much about it. You don't have to prove anything to God, he wants you. He wants you badly enough that he'd give up anything for you. His own son, even.
He's on your side, so keep fighting your flesh and don't give up. And most of all, keep in mind that he's in love with you and he's constantly busy helping you through this treacherous life.
When everything is rotten and life doesn't seem like it's every going to turn around, think back to Lazarus and Mary and Martha. Remember that you're God is the same God that he has always been. And back when these three were hurting so badly and felt so alone, Jesus wept.
Have a trusting day
40 Thoughts: Day 28
So let's say for the sake of argument that we will spend the 12 last days of Lent learning to love Jesus by knowing him.
How in the world are we supposed to know him? He's the king of the universe, he's all mighty, he's infinite and incomprehensible. He's too much for us to understand.
He's God! He's all mighty. He's Wonderful Counselor. He's the Prince of Peace! He's too much.
If that's what you're thinking, you're right. So he became human for us. He went through our struggles so we could learn to know him and to know his love and compassion for us by understanding his human life on earth.
But if he is so wonderful and infinite and mighty and powerful and we don't know him, how do we begin? Do we start by studying his life story or his miracles? Do we memorize his parables? Do we learn to quote Revelations backwards and forwards at the drop of a hat?
That just sounds like homework though. That sounds like something you do and forget a week later. Studies have shown that we don't learn things by memorizing them, we learn by reminding ourselves of them, making them a habit.
So we have to remind ourselves of the parables and the Gospel and the miracles and the New Testament and all of that will teach us about who God is.
And how do we do that?
Yes, read the Bible. But it's more than that. Knowing the story of the blind man is just telling a story. Understanding it and how it affects us is more important. Ask yourself not what happened in the story, but what it means and what it teaches you about Jesus.
Now ask yourself what Jesus' actions in your own life teach you about Jesus. Think about Jesus' actions. Have questions? Ask him your questions. Confused? Ask him for clarity. We're not dealing with a dead guy or a god of iron or gold here. We're dealing with the very much alive Jesus and Father and Holy Spirit.
So now you're sitting around thinking about Jesus, asking God questions, and wondering how much further you can go with this whole "getting to know God" scheme.
You're meditating. You're praying. Maybe you're fasting. Maybe you're thinking about giving up some TV time or Facebook time to get to know Jesus a little better. Maybe you're thinking about reading some of the Good News to get to know Jesus better. Maybe you're falling in love with him.
Welcome to Lent
How in the world are we supposed to know him? He's the king of the universe, he's all mighty, he's infinite and incomprehensible. He's too much for us to understand.
He's God! He's all mighty. He's Wonderful Counselor. He's the Prince of Peace! He's too much.
If that's what you're thinking, you're right. So he became human for us. He went through our struggles so we could learn to know him and to know his love and compassion for us by understanding his human life on earth.
But if he is so wonderful and infinite and mighty and powerful and we don't know him, how do we begin? Do we start by studying his life story or his miracles? Do we memorize his parables? Do we learn to quote Revelations backwards and forwards at the drop of a hat?
That just sounds like homework though. That sounds like something you do and forget a week later. Studies have shown that we don't learn things by memorizing them, we learn by reminding ourselves of them, making them a habit.
So we have to remind ourselves of the parables and the Gospel and the miracles and the New Testament and all of that will teach us about who God is.
And how do we do that?
Yes, read the Bible. But it's more than that. Knowing the story of the blind man is just telling a story. Understanding it and how it affects us is more important. Ask yourself not what happened in the story, but what it means and what it teaches you about Jesus.
Now ask yourself what Jesus' actions in your own life teach you about Jesus. Think about Jesus' actions. Have questions? Ask him your questions. Confused? Ask him for clarity. We're not dealing with a dead guy or a god of iron or gold here. We're dealing with the very much alive Jesus and Father and Holy Spirit.
So now you're sitting around thinking about Jesus, asking God questions, and wondering how much further you can go with this whole "getting to know God" scheme.
You're meditating. You're praying. Maybe you're fasting. Maybe you're thinking about giving up some TV time or Facebook time to get to know Jesus a little better. Maybe you're thinking about reading some of the Good News to get to know Jesus better. Maybe you're falling in love with him.
Welcome to Lent
Saturday, March 16, 2013
40 Thoughts: Day 27
From a man you may have heard of once before:
“Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind,
And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.”
-William Shakespeare
We've all heard the old saying that love is blind. Usually it means that those in love can't see the other's flaws. Many have extended this saying to testify that God's love must be blind for him to love us fools. That may very well be.
But Shakespeare brings up another interesting point about love being blind. Blindness allows us to feel and hear things that we wouldn't have noticed with sight. Shakespeare seems to think that loving without eyes allows us to love with the mind instead.
What a concept. Our society tries to teach us through pointed Disney media that looks don't matter, and truthfully they shouldn't. But most media, even many of Disney's stories, make looks important, perhaps most important, in our silly human lives.
The heartbreaking truth is, we may never be able to force people into seeing more than our looks. But we can start a "blind revolution" by looking at others without our eyes. So far this Lenten Season we've talked about the Prodigal Son, the Woman at the Well, the blind man, the Pharisees, Sacrifice, and Love.
There are many things that bring all of these together. Blindness is one of them. The father of the Prodigal Son chose to be blind to his son's previous faults. Jesus chose to be blind to the woman's social standing and past sins. The blind man chose to be blind to the Pharisees doubt and believed in Jesus anyways. Unfortunately, the Pharisees were full of wrong sight and chose to be blind to all the wrong things, Jesus included. And sacrifice and love happen when we choose to be blind to our own Earthly desires and wants and when we choose instead to focus on our other senses. That includes love, which brings us to and through sacrifice.
In just a couple of weeks, we're going to celebrate Jesus' death and resurrection. It happened many, many moons ago. So why should we care?
The only reason for you to care about Jesus' death and resurrection is that you really love him. So love him. Love him for dying for us, saving us. Love him for walking on the Earth and giving us an example to follow.
But whatever you do, love him with your mind, not with your eyes. Be grateful for the miracles he's performed in your life. Thank him for keeping you safe when falling from the tree branch out front when you were seven. Thank him for sparing the life of your aunt. Thank him for staying with you through your hardest nights. Thank him for every blessing, and every hardship that taught or changed you.
But don't love him for that. Don't love him for who he's appeared to be in your life. Don't love him for the face value of everything he's done for you.
Instead, use the rest of this Lenten Season, and the rest of your life, to get better acquainted with God. Then you can tell everyone that you know him, that you are not blind to anything he is, that you choose to be blind to the world's construction of who they think he should be, and most of all, that you love him. It's all really wants.
Have a knowing, loving, blind day
“Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind,
And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.”
-William Shakespeare
We've all heard the old saying that love is blind. Usually it means that those in love can't see the other's flaws. Many have extended this saying to testify that God's love must be blind for him to love us fools. That may very well be.
But Shakespeare brings up another interesting point about love being blind. Blindness allows us to feel and hear things that we wouldn't have noticed with sight. Shakespeare seems to think that loving without eyes allows us to love with the mind instead.
What a concept. Our society tries to teach us through pointed Disney media that looks don't matter, and truthfully they shouldn't. But most media, even many of Disney's stories, make looks important, perhaps most important, in our silly human lives.
The heartbreaking truth is, we may never be able to force people into seeing more than our looks. But we can start a "blind revolution" by looking at others without our eyes. So far this Lenten Season we've talked about the Prodigal Son, the Woman at the Well, the blind man, the Pharisees, Sacrifice, and Love.
There are many things that bring all of these together. Blindness is one of them. The father of the Prodigal Son chose to be blind to his son's previous faults. Jesus chose to be blind to the woman's social standing and past sins. The blind man chose to be blind to the Pharisees doubt and believed in Jesus anyways. Unfortunately, the Pharisees were full of wrong sight and chose to be blind to all the wrong things, Jesus included. And sacrifice and love happen when we choose to be blind to our own Earthly desires and wants and when we choose instead to focus on our other senses. That includes love, which brings us to and through sacrifice.
In just a couple of weeks, we're going to celebrate Jesus' death and resurrection. It happened many, many moons ago. So why should we care?
The only reason for you to care about Jesus' death and resurrection is that you really love him. So love him. Love him for dying for us, saving us. Love him for walking on the Earth and giving us an example to follow.
But whatever you do, love him with your mind, not with your eyes. Be grateful for the miracles he's performed in your life. Thank him for keeping you safe when falling from the tree branch out front when you were seven. Thank him for sparing the life of your aunt. Thank him for staying with you through your hardest nights. Thank him for every blessing, and every hardship that taught or changed you.
But don't love him for that. Don't love him for who he's appeared to be in your life. Don't love him for the face value of everything he's done for you.
Instead, use the rest of this Lenten Season, and the rest of your life, to get better acquainted with God. Then you can tell everyone that you know him, that you are not blind to anything he is, that you choose to be blind to the world's construction of who they think he should be, and most of all, that you love him. It's all really wants.
Have a knowing, loving, blind day
Friday, March 15, 2013
40 Thoughts: Day 26
Another question about blindness:
What would it be like to be blind? Actually blind? Many people say that when you are blind, your other senses are heightened.
So stop for a second and try to walk around your house with your eyes closed. What do you hear? What do you feel? What do you smell? You feel more with your hands, and you hear your own breath a lot more. You hear more creaks, more of the wind outside, more of the soft closing and opening of doors. Why? Because you have to. Your body, void of one sense, gets its bearings by focusing on the other senses.
Then if we look back at the thoughts from yesterday, what would it really mean to be blind to the theology of the Pharisees for a little bit. What would we notice instead?
If we denied ourselves the rituals and the theology, what would our spiritual sense focus on?
Of course, if you're able to see, you should your eyes. That is to say, the rituals and the theology carried out within our Church communities and families and within our Church worldwide are not harmful to us. They are important and helpful. They are not without purpose, much like sight.
But there is nothing wrong with refocusing. So walk around one of these upcoming days blind to theology and ritual. Go to Mass and listen to the prayers as if you've never heard them. Kneel and stand and sit only to follow others. What does your worship look like without ritual? How do your prayers sound? Where do your hands rest? What does your heart feel like?
Have a blind day
What would it be like to be blind? Actually blind? Many people say that when you are blind, your other senses are heightened.
So stop for a second and try to walk around your house with your eyes closed. What do you hear? What do you feel? What do you smell? You feel more with your hands, and you hear your own breath a lot more. You hear more creaks, more of the wind outside, more of the soft closing and opening of doors. Why? Because you have to. Your body, void of one sense, gets its bearings by focusing on the other senses.
Then if we look back at the thoughts from yesterday, what would it really mean to be blind to the theology of the Pharisees for a little bit. What would we notice instead?
If we denied ourselves the rituals and the theology, what would our spiritual sense focus on?
Of course, if you're able to see, you should your eyes. That is to say, the rituals and the theology carried out within our Church communities and families and within our Church worldwide are not harmful to us. They are important and helpful. They are not without purpose, much like sight.
But there is nothing wrong with refocusing. So walk around one of these upcoming days blind to theology and ritual. Go to Mass and listen to the prayers as if you've never heard them. Kneel and stand and sit only to follow others. What does your worship look like without ritual? How do your prayers sound? Where do your hands rest? What does your heart feel like?
Have a blind day
Thursday, March 14, 2013
40 Thoughts: Day 25
Becoming blind.
"When we journey without the cross, when we build without the cross and when we confess a Christ without the cross, we are not disciples of the Lord: we are worldly, we are bishops, priests, cardinals, popes, but not disciples of the Lord." - Pope Francis
In case you hadn't heard, we have a new Pope! Francis I is from Argentina and used to be the archbishop of Buenos Aires. I hope you all can find some time to pray for our new Pope and the Church as we move forward with his and the Holy'Spirit's guidance.
I don't know if Pope Francis meant to, but his words here provide the perfect description of the Pharisees' blind attitudes from last Sunday's Gospel.
The Church offers us countless actions, routines, prayers, to do and recite. We have countless options to go through the motions in Mass and outside the Church. We can wear crucifixes around our necks and sing contemporary Christian music, and rush through a prayer before meals. But when we do and say all these things, do we do them with or without the Cross?
Are we, like the pharisees, completely in tune with the motions but entirely blind to the reason?
For the rest of Lent, let's focus on the cross, even if we have to be blind to the motions for a while because at the end of the day and at the end of our lives, what will matter most is our relationship with the Cross and the man who gave us life through it.
We are called to be disciples of the Lord, and the only way to do that for real is to stand at the foot of the Cross and once again fall in love with our Lord.
Have a blind day
"When we journey without the cross, when we build without the cross and when we confess a Christ without the cross, we are not disciples of the Lord: we are worldly, we are bishops, priests, cardinals, popes, but not disciples of the Lord." - Pope Francis
In case you hadn't heard, we have a new Pope! Francis I is from Argentina and used to be the archbishop of Buenos Aires. I hope you all can find some time to pray for our new Pope and the Church as we move forward with his and the Holy'Spirit's guidance.
I don't know if Pope Francis meant to, but his words here provide the perfect description of the Pharisees' blind attitudes from last Sunday's Gospel.
The Church offers us countless actions, routines, prayers, to do and recite. We have countless options to go through the motions in Mass and outside the Church. We can wear crucifixes around our necks and sing contemporary Christian music, and rush through a prayer before meals. But when we do and say all these things, do we do them with or without the Cross?
Are we, like the pharisees, completely in tune with the motions but entirely blind to the reason?
For the rest of Lent, let's focus on the cross, even if we have to be blind to the motions for a while because at the end of the day and at the end of our lives, what will matter most is our relationship with the Cross and the man who gave us life through it.
We are called to be disciples of the Lord, and the only way to do that for real is to stand at the foot of the Cross and once again fall in love with our Lord.
Have a blind day
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
40 Thoughts: Day 24
Today let's focus not on the blind man but on the Pharisees.
So what if you were a Pharisee? What if you were a devout religious leader that everyone looked up to? What if you followed the law of Moses without exception? What if you followed all the rules and all the theology and all the guidelines you'd always been taught?
And here's this man saying God's prophet gave him sight? And on the Sabbath?
Wouldn't you be upset too?
But the Pharisees had it wrong here. Sure it was good for them to follow the laws that God had handed down through Moses. Those Ten Commandments are important for expressing God's love around and through us. But they let those rules and theologies blind them to the miracle of God's life in their hearts.
God doesn't always take the expected path. In fact, he rarely does. And there the Pharisees were, worrying about the rules so much that they missed the unexpected grace of Jesus in their midst.
Are you too lost in the rules of Lent? Are you lost in getting everything right because people are watching? Because the Scripture says? Because your Priest says? Because your parents say? Because you think that's what God wants?
Your choice to sacrifice or do extra during Lent is not in the wrong. But be careful not to get lost in the rules and miss the miracle of Jesus in your life. He's going to come unexpectedly so you can't really be ready. But you can be open to his grace and mercy and love. So spend some time this Lent opening your eyes to the miracles that Jesus is performing in your life. When the healed man in your life comes up to you, in the form of a happy friend, a finished paper, a cancelled class, a good night's rest, or a healing from sickness, learn to recognize it as Jesus' gift, even if it comes unconventionally.
What matters most, during Lent and always, is your relationship with Jesus. So it's important to use the Church to help bring the two of you closer. But don't let the rules keep you apart. It's a careful balance and sometimes the only way to figure it out is to make lots of mistakes in your faith. Go for it. Dive in. Don't be afraid, because even when the Pharisees fell, Jesus loved and ached for them to follow him. He'll never stop wanting and loving you.
Have a miraculous day
So what if you were a Pharisee? What if you were a devout religious leader that everyone looked up to? What if you followed the law of Moses without exception? What if you followed all the rules and all the theology and all the guidelines you'd always been taught?
And here's this man saying God's prophet gave him sight? And on the Sabbath?
Wouldn't you be upset too?
But the Pharisees had it wrong here. Sure it was good for them to follow the laws that God had handed down through Moses. Those Ten Commandments are important for expressing God's love around and through us. But they let those rules and theologies blind them to the miracle of God's life in their hearts.
God doesn't always take the expected path. In fact, he rarely does. And there the Pharisees were, worrying about the rules so much that they missed the unexpected grace of Jesus in their midst.
Are you too lost in the rules of Lent? Are you lost in getting everything right because people are watching? Because the Scripture says? Because your Priest says? Because your parents say? Because you think that's what God wants?
Your choice to sacrifice or do extra during Lent is not in the wrong. But be careful not to get lost in the rules and miss the miracle of Jesus in your life. He's going to come unexpectedly so you can't really be ready. But you can be open to his grace and mercy and love. So spend some time this Lent opening your eyes to the miracles that Jesus is performing in your life. When the healed man in your life comes up to you, in the form of a happy friend, a finished paper, a cancelled class, a good night's rest, or a healing from sickness, learn to recognize it as Jesus' gift, even if it comes unconventionally.
What matters most, during Lent and always, is your relationship with Jesus. So it's important to use the Church to help bring the two of you closer. But don't let the rules keep you apart. It's a careful balance and sometimes the only way to figure it out is to make lots of mistakes in your faith. Go for it. Dive in. Don't be afraid, because even when the Pharisees fell, Jesus loved and ached for them to follow him. He'll never stop wanting and loving you.
Have a miraculous day
Monday, March 11, 2013
40 Thoughts: Day 23
Imagine being blind. Imagine being born blind.
What would you see?
The blind man in the Gospel in this Sunday's Scrutinies saw a lot of poverty. He went hungry, shivered in the cold, suffered alone. He was homeless, unclean, wretched.
And when Jesus rubbed mud on his eyes and told him to wash in the Siloam. Then what did he see?
Jesus.
He told everyone about how this man had given him sight, how he must be a prophet of sorts.
We're not all really blind, as this man was. But we are all blind to something. Some of us are blind to our own worth, to others' worth, to God's compassion, to others' needs, and the list goes on and on. But Jesus saw the man's blindness and healed him. He sees our blindness too and wishes to heal us in the same way. We have a lot of things that we could be seeing and if we simply accept Jesus' healing, we'll see them all.
But that's not always easy. Seeing our own worth or seeing others' needs comes with the responsibility to start acting like we see those things. And that is difficult.
But what if this blind man had been given sight and then acted as though nothing were different? How could he?
So as you continue to journey through these last seventeen days of Lent, ask God to see yourself, see his people, see his grace, mercy, and love, more and more. And when you see them, make like the blind man and tell the world. Because when you've been blind and can now see, and truly see... how can you be the same after that?
Have a sightful day
What would you see?
The blind man in the Gospel in this Sunday's Scrutinies saw a lot of poverty. He went hungry, shivered in the cold, suffered alone. He was homeless, unclean, wretched.
And when Jesus rubbed mud on his eyes and told him to wash in the Siloam. Then what did he see?
Jesus.
He told everyone about how this man had given him sight, how he must be a prophet of sorts.
We're not all really blind, as this man was. But we are all blind to something. Some of us are blind to our own worth, to others' worth, to God's compassion, to others' needs, and the list goes on and on. But Jesus saw the man's blindness and healed him. He sees our blindness too and wishes to heal us in the same way. We have a lot of things that we could be seeing and if we simply accept Jesus' healing, we'll see them all.
But that's not always easy. Seeing our own worth or seeing others' needs comes with the responsibility to start acting like we see those things. And that is difficult.
But what if this blind man had been given sight and then acted as though nothing were different? How could he?
So as you continue to journey through these last seventeen days of Lent, ask God to see yourself, see his people, see his grace, mercy, and love, more and more. And when you see them, make like the blind man and tell the world. Because when you've been blind and can now see, and truly see... how can you be the same after that?
Have a sightful day
4th Sunday of Lent: The Prodigal Son
“Rejoice, Jerusalem, and all who love
her. Be joyful, all who were in mourning; exult and be satisfied at
her consoling breast.”—Isaiah 66:10-11
Happy Laetare Sunday! We’re almost
there, folks—Easter is drawing very near! For our final reflection
on the Prodigal Son, I’d like to take up the question of why it is
so hard to forgive those who have hurt us and why it is sometimes
difficult to seek the forgiveness of others.
Think about a story you’ve heard in
the news where someone’s sins were publicly exposed. We’ve all
heard these stories of people who have done gravely scandalous things
that have brought shame upon themselves, their families, their
workplaces, and everyone around them, and the media unfailingly
informs us of their sins in graphic detail. How does society usually
react? That’s right—swift and uncompromising judgment
of the one who sinned. Perhaps you’ve heard commentators on the
news saying grossly uncharitable things or have read comments on news
stories suggesting that the offender should burn in Hell. Now
imagine that the sinner is someone you know well.
Perhaps this person who is so vilified in the press is a close
friend, someone you’ve known for many years whom you respect or
even hold in high esteem. How would you feel?
This exact scenario has happened to me
twice in the last year, and I can tell you from experience that it is
not a pleasant thing to bear. Perhaps some of you have also found
yourself suddenly bearing this cross. I think, though, that the
father and his two sons point us toward the way of healing, and
through this Parable, Jesus calls us beyond the knee-jerk reaction of
the world to public sin to a deeper experience of the healing love
and mercy our Father offers us through His life, death, and
resurrection.
Yesterday, we talked about how our
Father desires restoration for all of us. We know from
the teaching of Jesus and the command of the Lord’s Prayer that we
must forgive those who have sinned against us; this reminder is
frequently given to us in the Scriptures, especially the ones we read
throughout the season of Lent. A priest preached in a recent homily
that I heard that the Father does not ask us to do anything He has
not already done. But why is it so difficult for us to forgive those
who have hurt us?
Here I think is where we ought to
consider how Satan moves in our lives and the purposes he is trying
to accomplish. We know that Satan was one of God’s angels, he
decided not to obey God, he was kicked out of Heaven along with many
other angels who had allied themselves with him, and he is now the
father of lies, the enemy, and the tempter. I submit that Satan is
pretty ticked off that he’s now eternally separated from the
Father, and it drives him nuts to see us in union with the Father.
Whereas God desires restoration, Satan desires separation. It is
Satan’s temptation that fuels the younger son’s desire to go off
on his own and his fear of facing his father after this adventurous
life didn’t work out well. Satan’s temptation and lies fuel the
older brother’s pain and his reluctance to turn to his father or
forgive his brother. And it is Satan’s temptation and lies that
fuel the anger, bitterness, and resentment inside of us when people
hurt us. “Did you see what that person did? How could such a
person do that? That person is a monster! Why should I care about
that person? That person is a priest/deacon/church member/teacher?
What a hypocrite!” Again, how would you feel if the sinner was
your friend? Your family member? What would you do?
Thanks be to God that Satan does not
have to have the final word! If we recognize his efforts to destroy
our relationships and keep us separated from our Father and from one
another, we can choose the way that Jesus offers us in the parable of
the Prodigal Son and in His suffering on the cross. During his
Passion, Jesus certainly felt all of the human emotions we experience
when people sin against us. He physically suffered as a result of
the sins of His friends, His executioners, and the religious leaders
who colluded to put Him on the cross in the first place. But how did
Jesus deal with these sufferings? He brought them to His Father,
first
in the garden just before his betrayal and then again
on the Cross when He begged His Father to forgive
the sins of those who crucified Him. He turned all of
His pain toward the Father, who poured His mercy into His body on the
cross. This mercy flowed through Christ's crucified body upon the
soldiers, the disciples, and then most perfectly upon the Apostles
after His resurrection. Christ is healed perfectly in His Risen
Body; thus when He appears to the Apostles in the Upper Room and
while they are fishing, He is able to forgive
Peter for denying him, Thomas
for doubting His resurrection, and all of them for
abandoning Him during His Passion. He heals them so that they and
their successors are able to forgive our sins in His name.
For the Apostles and for us, healing
does not happen overnight. We can't just bring pain, fear, and
uncertainty to the Father once and be done with it because Satan will
continue to pick at these wounds and attempt to separate us from the
Father’s love and mercy. We must frequently bring these things to
Him and allow Him to heal us in time. The length of time depends on
the depth of the pain we bear in various situations. Some things can
be quickly healed, while other things won't be fully healed on this
side of the grave. But through the healing process, we draw closer
and closer to the Father and gradually become more whole (and more
holy!)
During these final days of Lent, I
would encourage you to seek the Lord’s healing in His presence in
the Eucharist and in the Sacrament of Penance. If you are on Spring
Break this week, try to go to Daily Mass or Eucharistic Adoration to
spend some time with Jesus. I have adopted St Michael as one of my
patrons, and I also offer you the
St Michael prayer asking for his protection. Thank
you for traveling with me through these extremely long reflections!
I wish you all a blessed Lent and a glorious celebration of God’s
love, mercy, and providence this Easter. Please know of my prayers
for you and for the Catholic community at WAC!
In Christ,
Gillian
*Note: If you attended Sacred Heart this Sunday, or another parish which took its readings from the Scrutinies, this Sunday's Gospel was not about the Prodigal Son, but about Jesus healing the blind man. Check back for the next few days to hear about the blind man, Jesus, and the Pharisees.
Saturday, March 9, 2013
40 Thoughts: Day 22
Yesterday, we looked at the Prodigal
Son. But he’s not the only son in the story. I don’t know about
you, but I’ve always struggled with the older son. He seems to
have it together: he was obedient to his father, worked hard, and did
his best to do everything he was supposed to do when he was supposed
to do it. Who among us can’t identify with him and with his anger
and frustration when he sees the “reward” that his plucky younger
brother has received for his disobedience? The traditional
understanding of the older son is that he represents the Pharisees,
the ones who obeyed the Law, somewhat strove for holiness, and
vehemently condemned the less privileged in their society who were
“sinners.” Others have suggested that the older brother was just
as separated from the father as his younger brother. While the older
brother remained in his father’s home and did his work, he was
emotionally and spiritually separated because he served out of duty,
not out of love. As a result, he was just as unrighteous as his
brother.
I wrote yesterday that sin separates us
from God and others, and I submit that in the older brother’s
experiences, we see clearly how sin damages our relationship with
other people. The father was hurt when his younger son left home.
What father wouldn’t be? But the younger brother’s sin also
deeply hurt his older brother. The older brother experienced the
same sadness, anxiety, and grief at the younger brother’s departure
as the father did, and who could blame him? The problem, however, is
how the older brother processed his hurt. He separated himself from
his father’s love and tried to bear his pain on his own. When the
younger brother returned, the older brother’s seemingly
uncharitable reaction to the feast is an expression of his deep hurt.
Again, we return to the father and his relationship with his sons.
The father loves both of his sons deeply and desires
more than anything else that both of his sons be
restored. Realizing that his older son is absent from the party, he
goes looking for him, and upon finding him, calls him to rejoice at
his brother’s restoration. The older brother can’t at this
point, though, because he is still hurt. Joy must come from within
and cannot be forced or commanded, and there cannot be joy in the
older son until he is healed. The Psalmist speaks of this in Psalm
51; after begging the Lord for forgiveness of his sins
(verse 3) and for restoration and cleansing (verses 9 and 12), he
then prays that the Lord would “Restore to me the gladness of your
salvation” (verse 14). Forgiveness leads to restoration, and then
joy and gladness follow, not the other way around. Had the older
brother brought his pain and sadness to his father in the first
place, he would have been better able to rejoice with his father once
his younger brother returned home.
Jesus ends the story of the Prodigal
Son before we learn whether the older son ultimately opened himself
to the father’s healing or remained engulfed by his hurt, but there
is hope nonetheless. From the older son, we learn of our Father’s
deep desire to pour out His love and mercy on all of his children,
those who have sinned and those who have been hurt by sin. When we
find ourselves in the older son’s place, we cannot let our hurt
keep us away from the Father. Repressing the pain and saying we are
okay or that our relationships with those who have hurt us are okay
when we or they are not doesn’t help us move forward. Rather this
façade and this false forgiveness actually further separate us from
the Father (and from the ones who have hurt us). We must acknowledge
our pain before our Father in prayer and allow His love and mercy to
heal us and fill us with the joy of salvation. Only then can we
forgive others for hurting us.
Here are some questions to ask yourself
during your prayer/reflection time:
--How have I been hurt by others’
sin?
--Have I been open with my Father about
the hurt I feel? Have I allowed the Lord’s love and mercy to heal
me? Or have I sugarcoated my pain and kept it within me?
--(If you have the courage--) When and
how have I hurt others by my own sin?
In Christ,
Gillian
40 Thoughts: Day 21
Greetings, all!
I’m thankful for the
opportunity to guest blog and share some thoughts on this Sunday’s
gospel reading: the story of the Prodigal Son. (Note: if the parish
where you worship this weekend is using the Year A readings for the
Scrutinies, you’ll hear John’s account of Jesus healing the man
born blind. I would encourage you to spend some time meditating on
the Prodigal Son anyway!) We all know the story, which is found in
Chapter
15 of Luke’s Gospel. A wealthy man has two sons,
one leaves with his inheritance, spends everything, is forced to work
as a laborer for basically nothing, returns home to beg forgiveness,
and becomes the guest of honor at a feast because his father is so
overjoyed that he has come home. Over the next couple of days, I’d
like to offer some reflections on this story and what it reveals to
us about our Father’s deep love and mercy and our relationship with
Him.
Today, we’ll look at the Prodigal Son
himself. Many preachers have picked up the theme that this story is
not about either son but about the Father, yet I suggest that in
looking at each son and his relationship with their father, we can
see more clearly our Father’s love and the way He seeks to work in
our lives. The Prodigal Son is clearly a sinner. Some have argued
that the son’s actions (taking his inheritance and hitting the
road) are a blatant statement that he wishes that his father were
dead. There is obvious disrespect and disobedience here. But does
this make the son a bad person? Should we write him off? Sin, by
definition, damages our relationship with God and with other people.
It is so easy for us to separate ourselves from the Father’s love,
which makes us misguided, not unredeemable. The son does not realize
any of this until he has hit rock bottom. He doesn’t understand
that he built a wall between himself and his father until he
recognizes that his choices were the reasons for his poverty and
unhappiness. But there is hope. Through his trials, the son
develops the virtues of humility and courage. Ultimately, he humbles
himself and realizes that he has constructed a solid brick wall
between himself and the Father and he has the courage to begin the
journey home and seek reconciliation with his Father. Neither of
these things is easy to do, but virtue can only be cultivated through
difficulty, and the son grows in virtue in the process of repentance.
St Peter experienced something similar.
He denied his Best Friend three times in his Friend’s hour of
need. As the Gospels tell us, he wept bitterly when he realized the
depth of his sin. Have you ever experienced this? I know I have.
Peter and the Prodigal Son show us that we do not need to be afraid
when we find ourselves in these places because the Father wants all
of us to be with Him, even if we have separated ourselves from His
great love through our sinfulness. Through the death of Christ and
the sacraments of the Church, we can be restored, just as the
Prodigal Son was restored when he returned home. In these moments,
let us ask the Holy Spirit to increase humility and courage in us so
that we will be open to the Father’s love, mercy, and healing.
Have a humble and courageous day!
In Christ,
Gillian Bourassa, Class of 2009
40 Thoughts: Day 20
Think on the questions from the past two days and see this version. Ask yourself again and don't be afriad to give yourself the answers.
Have a questioning day
Have a questioning day
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
40 Thoughts: Day 19
Did you watch the woman at the well? What did you think?
Are you the woman? We've all sinned and that sin makes us feel wretched sometimes. Maybe a lot of times. And, like this woman, we're sure no drink from us could be refreshing. Have you ever felt ashamed walking to the foot of Jesus in Mass or approaching him in prayer?
Jesus is begging you to come anyway. He still wants a drink from you, not because he wants a drink, but because he wants you.
Or are you more like Jesus? Are you on your journey, trying to do right, sure you're on the right path, ready to minister to people who are ready to receive you. And then this woman. How do you treat people who don't fit into your day's plans? How do you treat people who don't look, act, talk, move, walk, sing, learn, eat, run, grow, or love like you do? Do you treat them like Jesus would?
He is begging for everyone. And we claim to be on his path, helping his cause, being fishers of men. Lent is a time to learn what that really means. We're spending sacrifice, time, and energy trying to grow our relationship with him so we're better equipped to carry out his purpose. And his purpose is begging for the Father's people to come back to the family. He is begging for everyone. Are you?
Have an open day
Are you the woman? We've all sinned and that sin makes us feel wretched sometimes. Maybe a lot of times. And, like this woman, we're sure no drink from us could be refreshing. Have you ever felt ashamed walking to the foot of Jesus in Mass or approaching him in prayer?
Jesus is begging you to come anyway. He still wants a drink from you, not because he wants a drink, but because he wants you.
Or are you more like Jesus? Are you on your journey, trying to do right, sure you're on the right path, ready to minister to people who are ready to receive you. And then this woman. How do you treat people who don't fit into your day's plans? How do you treat people who don't look, act, talk, move, walk, sing, learn, eat, run, grow, or love like you do? Do you treat them like Jesus would?
He is begging for everyone. And we claim to be on his path, helping his cause, being fishers of men. Lent is a time to learn what that really means. We're spending sacrifice, time, and energy trying to grow our relationship with him so we're better equipped to carry out his purpose. And his purpose is begging for the Father's people to come back to the family. He is begging for everyone. Are you?
Have an open day
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
40 Thoughts: Day 18
No writing today, but watch this video and think about these questions
Sometimes we're the Jesus in the story, sometimes we're the woman at the well. Sometimes we're both. But regardless of the role we play in this story, let's think about what is to be known this Lent. Who do we take the time to know? Friends? Family members? Jesus? The woman at the well?
Who do we take the time to love?
Sometimes we're the Jesus in the story, sometimes we're the woman at the well. Sometimes we're both. But regardless of the role we play in this story, let's think about what is to be known this Lent. Who do we take the time to know? Friends? Family members? Jesus? The woman at the well?
Who do we take the time to love?
Monday, March 4, 2013
40 Thoughts: Day 17
Let's talk some more about kind eyes.
When Jesus met the woman at the well, he had been through it. He'd had a long journey. He was tired and hot. He didn't even go into town with his disciples to get food. He sent them and sat at the well because he was so tired, and thirsty.
So he asked a woman for a drink.
But she wasn't just any woman. This woman had been broken. She'd had five husbands and now was with another man. She couldn't draw water with the other women from town. She was an outcast in every facet of the word. She was a freak. And she kind of laughed at Jesus when he asked her for a drink, because who would ask her?
Jesus knew all this inside of her. He knew her pain and her trials and her sorrow.
But he, like us, had been through his own trials. He'd danced his way backwards in high heels. He was tired. And thirsty.
What mattered to him most? Her.
Today's question is the same. What matters most to you? We all have our own struggles, within and without Lent. During Lent we have additional struggles, in the form of fasting. Is that all we're focusing on? Are our struggles keeping us from loving our neighbors? Because it's meant to be the other way around. Don't be afraid to cut out the worldly supplies in your life. What matters are the heavenly gifts. Like the souls and bodies around us.
So are you focusing on getting some water from this well? Or the woman sitting next to you?
Have a focused day
When Jesus met the woman at the well, he had been through it. He'd had a long journey. He was tired and hot. He didn't even go into town with his disciples to get food. He sent them and sat at the well because he was so tired, and thirsty.
So he asked a woman for a drink.
But she wasn't just any woman. This woman had been broken. She'd had five husbands and now was with another man. She couldn't draw water with the other women from town. She was an outcast in every facet of the word. She was a freak. And she kind of laughed at Jesus when he asked her for a drink, because who would ask her?
Jesus knew all this inside of her. He knew her pain and her trials and her sorrow.
But he, like us, had been through his own trials. He'd danced his way backwards in high heels. He was tired. And thirsty.
What mattered to him most? Her.
Today's question is the same. What matters most to you? We all have our own struggles, within and without Lent. During Lent we have additional struggles, in the form of fasting. Is that all we're focusing on? Are our struggles keeping us from loving our neighbors? Because it's meant to be the other way around. Don't be afraid to cut out the worldly supplies in your life. What matters are the heavenly gifts. Like the souls and bodies around us.
So are you focusing on getting some water from this well? Or the woman sitting next to you?
Have a focused day
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Third Sunday of Lent: The Woman at the Well
John 4:5-42
This morning we read the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults readings which were the Scrutinies for those whom we will welcome into the Church in Easter.
Which brings us to the woman at the well. And her story of salvation.
We all know the story. A Samaritan woman is drawing water at noon because she was too socially abused to draw water at dawn with the rest of the women. Jesus comes up and asks for water and she scoffs at him because he's a Jewish man and should not be talking to her. When he starts talking about living water, she gets confused, kind of laughs at him, and asks him where he's going to get water without a bucket. But eventually, she understands and realizes that she's met the Messiah and runs back to the town to tell everyone. And she became a Jesus-lover.
Father Paul pointed out a few things about this story today. First, Jesus in this scene, on his way through Samaria with his disciples, is described as follows: "tired by the trip." So he sat down. Jesus, Son of God, human, exhausted, sits down by the well at noon and asks this woman for some water.
Do you ever feel like that? Tired by your journey, just wanting to sit and grab a drink and relax for a second? And this woman starts blathering about how you're not supposed to be talking to her. How would you have responded?
Jesus responded with kindness in his eyes. He told her about the living water. He opened his heart and welcomed her into the Kingdom.
Jesus never got water from this woman. Later, he never received food from the Disciples. This encounter satisfied him. It was food enough. He had suffered in the desert and now across Samaria. He would suffer so much more in a short time. And his response to this outcast?
Love. And kind eyes.
Try pulling your kind eyes out of your back pocket today and put your angry eyes away. Forever.
Have a kind day
This morning we read the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults readings which were the Scrutinies for those whom we will welcome into the Church in Easter.
Which brings us to the woman at the well. And her story of salvation.
We all know the story. A Samaritan woman is drawing water at noon because she was too socially abused to draw water at dawn with the rest of the women. Jesus comes up and asks for water and she scoffs at him because he's a Jewish man and should not be talking to her. When he starts talking about living water, she gets confused, kind of laughs at him, and asks him where he's going to get water without a bucket. But eventually, she understands and realizes that she's met the Messiah and runs back to the town to tell everyone. And she became a Jesus-lover.
Father Paul pointed out a few things about this story today. First, Jesus in this scene, on his way through Samaria with his disciples, is described as follows: "tired by the trip." So he sat down. Jesus, Son of God, human, exhausted, sits down by the well at noon and asks this woman for some water.
Do you ever feel like that? Tired by your journey, just wanting to sit and grab a drink and relax for a second? And this woman starts blathering about how you're not supposed to be talking to her. How would you have responded?
Jesus responded with kindness in his eyes. He told her about the living water. He opened his heart and welcomed her into the Kingdom.
Jesus never got water from this woman. Later, he never received food from the Disciples. This encounter satisfied him. It was food enough. He had suffered in the desert and now across Samaria. He would suffer so much more in a short time. And his response to this outcast?
Love. And kind eyes.
Try pulling your kind eyes out of your back pocket today and put your angry eyes away. Forever.
Have a kind day
40 Thoughts: Day 16
Acts 15:9
"He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith."
The first thing to take note of here is the phrase "purified their hearts." Jesus made them perfect. But he didn't just touch their clothes or wave a wand or say a prayer and poof! They're perfect! No. They, like the rest of, have been through the trials. Those trials have purified their hearts. So try to welcome the trials in your own life, for they're only purifying you.
And why? Why would Jesus go through all this trouble just to purify us and make our tattered and damaged hearts his?
Faith. In Acts,the people's faith saved them. Just their simple declaration that Jesus is Lord.
These trials are made to purify us so we can come to know Jesus better and better. And he sends us these trials because he loves us. He loves us.
Have a trial-filled day
"He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith."
The first thing to take note of here is the phrase "purified their hearts." Jesus made them perfect. But he didn't just touch their clothes or wave a wand or say a prayer and poof! They're perfect! No. They, like the rest of, have been through the trials. Those trials have purified their hearts. So try to welcome the trials in your own life, for they're only purifying you.
And why? Why would Jesus go through all this trouble just to purify us and make our tattered and damaged hearts his?
Faith. In Acts,the people's faith saved them. Just their simple declaration that Jesus is Lord.
These trials are made to purify us so we can come to know Jesus better and better. And he sends us these trials because he loves us. He loves us.
Have a trial-filled day
Friday, March 1, 2013
40 Thoughts: Day 15
1 Peter 1:3
"Let us give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Because of his great mercy he gave us new life by raising Jesus Christ from death."
In our heads it easy to understand that we are forgiven. It is easy to say that you are made clean again and that your sins are gone.
But knowing God's forgiveness is an entirely different matter. And we cannot know his mercy until we know our own sin. Lenten sacrifice is a perfect tool to help us learn our own sins.
Wait. Learn our own sin? You would think that we already know it. But we have a great defense mechanism called repression and we use it a lot. We accept our own sin and excuse ourselves from it. If you really went through your day and remembered every single time you put something else before God in your thoughts...
This isn't about hating yourself. But in order to know the fullness and greatness of God's mercy, you have to know what it overcomes in you. You have to know what God's forgiven you for. You have to realize how much you fall short and how much God still wants you to be a part of his eternal family.
Take a moment and think about two things. First, think about all the things that you've put ahead of God and accept those moments as sins, big or little or slight or whatever. Then go back through your day and think about all the moments that God touched your life. These are moments of survival, happiness, peace, a lucky break, the sunset, a fat squirrel. Whatever made you stop and smile.
Now compare the two. Maybe one list is longer than the other. It doesn't matter. Just look at the lists and use them to help you realize God's incredible love for you. Knowing him, knowing the weight and necessity of his sacrifice, this is what Lent was made for.
Have Knowing day
"Let us give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Because of his great mercy he gave us new life by raising Jesus Christ from death."
In our heads it easy to understand that we are forgiven. It is easy to say that you are made clean again and that your sins are gone.
But knowing God's forgiveness is an entirely different matter. And we cannot know his mercy until we know our own sin. Lenten sacrifice is a perfect tool to help us learn our own sins.
Wait. Learn our own sin? You would think that we already know it. But we have a great defense mechanism called repression and we use it a lot. We accept our own sin and excuse ourselves from it. If you really went through your day and remembered every single time you put something else before God in your thoughts...
This isn't about hating yourself. But in order to know the fullness and greatness of God's mercy, you have to know what it overcomes in you. You have to know what God's forgiven you for. You have to realize how much you fall short and how much God still wants you to be a part of his eternal family.
Take a moment and think about two things. First, think about all the things that you've put ahead of God and accept those moments as sins, big or little or slight or whatever. Then go back through your day and think about all the moments that God touched your life. These are moments of survival, happiness, peace, a lucky break, the sunset, a fat squirrel. Whatever made you stop and smile.
Now compare the two. Maybe one list is longer than the other. It doesn't matter. Just look at the lists and use them to help you realize God's incredible love for you. Knowing him, knowing the weight and necessity of his sacrifice, this is what Lent was made for.
Have Knowing day
Thursday, February 28, 2013
40 Thoughts: Day 14
1 Peter 5:6-7
"Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that he will lift you up in his own good time. Leave all your worries with him, because he cares for you."
In 1 Peter, the love of Lent seems to go both ways. First, humble yourselves. Humble yourselves because you love him, because God's hand is mighty, because he has a plan for you.
The only way we can embrace humility is loving him. How else are we meant to accept our own ridicule? How are we to stand it if not for loving God? Humiliation isn't fun, we have to have a good reason. Many times, even the love we proclaim to have for God isn't enough for us to openly humble ourselves in this lifetime.
During Lent, that's what we're asked to do. Deny yourself and follow God. That's what's asked of us. Lent is one season in which we are explicitly asked by the Church to humble ourselves, to deny our wants, and turn only to God for our needs. That takes love. If we didn't love God even a little bit, we wouldn't give up our favorite things for something many of the world thinks is stupid and arbitrary. But we humble ourselves anyways, because we love him. Or because we know we should love him. Use this humbling experience today to seek your own love for him. Ask yourself why you gave up what you did. Ask yourself what that means.
Then consider this: "so that he will lift you up in his own good time. Leave all your worries with him, because he cares for you."
Many may believe that Lent can be a test of how far we're willing to go for God. This verse from 1 Peter leaves us with a different message. Instead it says the reason that God asks us to be humbled is so that we'll be prepared for him to lift us up. He has big plans for us, and Lent is just one way in which he prepares us for his plans.
Not only that, but he also promises to provide for us while we humble ourselves. Why? Because he cares for us.
Yes we're going to go through difficult times. Sometimes we'll choose to humble ourselves. Sometimes Jesus will humble us himself. But everything he does is out of love. If we love him back, we also have to trust him and let ourselves be humbled, knowing that great plans lay before us.
Have a humble day
"Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that he will lift you up in his own good time. Leave all your worries with him, because he cares for you."
In 1 Peter, the love of Lent seems to go both ways. First, humble yourselves. Humble yourselves because you love him, because God's hand is mighty, because he has a plan for you.
The only way we can embrace humility is loving him. How else are we meant to accept our own ridicule? How are we to stand it if not for loving God? Humiliation isn't fun, we have to have a good reason. Many times, even the love we proclaim to have for God isn't enough for us to openly humble ourselves in this lifetime.
During Lent, that's what we're asked to do. Deny yourself and follow God. That's what's asked of us. Lent is one season in which we are explicitly asked by the Church to humble ourselves, to deny our wants, and turn only to God for our needs. That takes love. If we didn't love God even a little bit, we wouldn't give up our favorite things for something many of the world thinks is stupid and arbitrary. But we humble ourselves anyways, because we love him. Or because we know we should love him. Use this humbling experience today to seek your own love for him. Ask yourself why you gave up what you did. Ask yourself what that means.
Then consider this: "so that he will lift you up in his own good time. Leave all your worries with him, because he cares for you."
Many may believe that Lent can be a test of how far we're willing to go for God. This verse from 1 Peter leaves us with a different message. Instead it says the reason that God asks us to be humbled is so that we'll be prepared for him to lift us up. He has big plans for us, and Lent is just one way in which he prepares us for his plans.
Not only that, but he also promises to provide for us while we humble ourselves. Why? Because he cares for us.
Yes we're going to go through difficult times. Sometimes we'll choose to humble ourselves. Sometimes Jesus will humble us himself. But everything he does is out of love. If we love him back, we also have to trust him and let ourselves be humbled, knowing that great plans lay before us.
Have a humble day
40 Thoughts: Day 13
So Lent is a time to experience God's love.
But where is God's love in my attempt to refrain from soda for forty days?
Well. Honestly? In the grand scheme of things, you not drinking soda for forty days is not that important. It's probably not going to bring you to some great philosophical conclusion. It's probably not going to reveal some incomprehensible secret about Jesus or about you that you didn't already know.
This is just training. It's a gentle exercise that every year works to prepare us for the trials that lie ahead. That's where God's love can be found. He knows the trials we'll face, and he knows how much those trials will tear us apart. He gives us this Lenten season as a gift. We pick our own sacrifice and learn to turn to him when it becomes too difficult to bear. This is our opportunity to find our need for God even in the small things. That way, when the big things threaten to bury us and the waves are too high and the winds are too strong, we know what to do. We turn to him. And he'll help us walk across the water.
And we get to practice every year.
Have a prayerful day
But where is God's love in my attempt to refrain from soda for forty days?
Well. Honestly? In the grand scheme of things, you not drinking soda for forty days is not that important. It's probably not going to bring you to some great philosophical conclusion. It's probably not going to reveal some incomprehensible secret about Jesus or about you that you didn't already know.
This is just training. It's a gentle exercise that every year works to prepare us for the trials that lie ahead. That's where God's love can be found. He knows the trials we'll face, and he knows how much those trials will tear us apart. He gives us this Lenten season as a gift. We pick our own sacrifice and learn to turn to him when it becomes too difficult to bear. This is our opportunity to find our need for God even in the small things. That way, when the big things threaten to bury us and the waves are too high and the winds are too strong, we know what to do. We turn to him. And he'll help us walk across the water.
And we get to practice every year.
Have a prayerful day
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
40 Thoughts: Day 12
In continuation of yesterday's topic of Jesus' love in this Lenten Season, let's look at our own love for him.
Here is a thought from Peter H. Davids of Houston Baptist University:
"Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” Well, how about, “Love your enemies”? Well, how about, “Sell what you have and give to the poor”? We work hard at explaining why these and many other teachings of Jesus do not apply to us, or are merely personal and internal. We want to experience the love of God, and so we have an exciting worship event with a great band. And such infatuation love wears off quickly; it takes the type of love that the spiritual tradition speaks so much about to last a lifetime. Jesus is committed to our good, and to show it he did not have good feelings, but he had the painful feelings of stretching out his arms upon the cross. This is the type of love that has lasted not only for a lifetime but for millennia."
Keep my commandments. Pretty simple order, right? Just do what I tell you to do. So I haven't killed anyone. Check. So I don't covet my neighbor's wife. Check check. My neighbor doesn't even have a wife. But then the water gets murky.
Do I love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul, and mind?
Do I love my neighbor? Do I love all my neighbors?
Do I love myself?
If I eat meat on Friday by accident, does that mean I don't love God?
If I break down and have a Girl Scout cookie, am I turning my back on my Savior?
If I don't fast or sacrifice or give up or do as much as my friends, is God going to love me?
Sometimes if we're not ignoring God, we're terrified of him. We feel guilty in his presence. We're afraid to face him. We feel like failures. We don't love ourselves. We don't love our neighbors. And we don't love him.
But God isn't some foreign entity who watches what you do through a security camera and assumes that you're guilty of your actions. In fact, he sent his Son to die for us so that we could be forgiven and do better and stop feeling guilty.
He knows you. He knows you better than anyone, better than yourself. And he expects a lot from you. But he knows that it's hard. He knows the pressures you're going through in life and the responsibilities you have and the struggles you can't escape from him. And he doesn't think of you as a failure. He thinks of you as his precious child.
So stop hiding. Use this Lent and use your sacrifices to examine yourself. Get to know yourself like he knows you. Talk to him about it. Tell him you don't know if you can love your neighbor three doors down with the blaring music and yappy dog and crying child. Ask for help.
Tell him that you don't know how to love him with all your heart and mind and soul. Tell him you have no idea what that even means. Tell him you're sorry for the moments you've messed up and ask for forgiveness. Go to confession. More than once.
And when you're struggling, in the trenches, in the middle of the tunnel without a flashlight. When there is no end to the road, and all you want is some vanilla ice cream or 30 minutes in front of the TV, or a quick check of Facebook, or a big steak on Friday, just stop for a second. Ask for the God's strength and patience. And love God back by recognizing the love he has for you. It's not the not eating sweets or pizza or soda or meat. It's not the not watching TV or going on Facebook or Youtube or Twitter. It's not the fasting on Friday's or fasting every day or fasting for two days that matter during Lent. It's those moments of denying yourself and the way in which they force you to call on his love for strength. That's what matters. That's what makes Lent about Love.
So call on him.
Have a God-filled day
*The rest of Peter Davids' blog is here for any of you who want to dive deeper:
http://christianthought.hbu.edu/2013/02/18/love-lent-and-law/
Here is a thought from Peter H. Davids of Houston Baptist University:
"Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” Well, how about, “Love your enemies”? Well, how about, “Sell what you have and give to the poor”? We work hard at explaining why these and many other teachings of Jesus do not apply to us, or are merely personal and internal. We want to experience the love of God, and so we have an exciting worship event with a great band. And such infatuation love wears off quickly; it takes the type of love that the spiritual tradition speaks so much about to last a lifetime. Jesus is committed to our good, and to show it he did not have good feelings, but he had the painful feelings of stretching out his arms upon the cross. This is the type of love that has lasted not only for a lifetime but for millennia."
Keep my commandments. Pretty simple order, right? Just do what I tell you to do. So I haven't killed anyone. Check. So I don't covet my neighbor's wife. Check check. My neighbor doesn't even have a wife. But then the water gets murky.
Do I love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul, and mind?
Do I love my neighbor? Do I love all my neighbors?
Do I love myself?
If I eat meat on Friday by accident, does that mean I don't love God?
If I break down and have a Girl Scout cookie, am I turning my back on my Savior?
If I don't fast or sacrifice or give up or do as much as my friends, is God going to love me?
Sometimes if we're not ignoring God, we're terrified of him. We feel guilty in his presence. We're afraid to face him. We feel like failures. We don't love ourselves. We don't love our neighbors. And we don't love him.
But God isn't some foreign entity who watches what you do through a security camera and assumes that you're guilty of your actions. In fact, he sent his Son to die for us so that we could be forgiven and do better and stop feeling guilty.
He knows you. He knows you better than anyone, better than yourself. And he expects a lot from you. But he knows that it's hard. He knows the pressures you're going through in life and the responsibilities you have and the struggles you can't escape from him. And he doesn't think of you as a failure. He thinks of you as his precious child.
So stop hiding. Use this Lent and use your sacrifices to examine yourself. Get to know yourself like he knows you. Talk to him about it. Tell him you don't know if you can love your neighbor three doors down with the blaring music and yappy dog and crying child. Ask for help.
Tell him that you don't know how to love him with all your heart and mind and soul. Tell him you have no idea what that even means. Tell him you're sorry for the moments you've messed up and ask for forgiveness. Go to confession. More than once.
And when you're struggling, in the trenches, in the middle of the tunnel without a flashlight. When there is no end to the road, and all you want is some vanilla ice cream or 30 minutes in front of the TV, or a quick check of Facebook, or a big steak on Friday, just stop for a second. Ask for the God's strength and patience. And love God back by recognizing the love he has for you. It's not the not eating sweets or pizza or soda or meat. It's not the not watching TV or going on Facebook or Youtube or Twitter. It's not the fasting on Friday's or fasting every day or fasting for two days that matter during Lent. It's those moments of denying yourself and the way in which they force you to call on his love for strength. That's what matters. That's what makes Lent about Love.
So call on him.
Have a God-filled day
*The rest of Peter Davids' blog is here for any of you who want to dive deeper:
http://christianthought.hbu.edu/2013/02/18/love-lent-and-law/
Monday, February 25, 2013
40 Thoughts: Day 11
As we begin our second week of Lent, consider this hymn:
With tender look, and voice of thrilling grace,Are you tired of Lent already? Has it become a hassle? Has it become inconvenient and annoying and dumb to you? Have you forgotten why you started?
The Savior once to His disciples said,
"Come ye apart into a desert place.
And rest awhile the aching heart and head."
He says so still to all who are His own,
To all aweary with the world's sad strife,
"Come, spend with me a little while alone,
Leave the hot fever and the fret of life.
"Come from the world's hard struggle and its din,
Discords that pain the ear and never cease,
Wild stormy passions, tumults of man's sin,
Which put to shame the angel's song of peace.
"Come, when perplexed by doubt or anxious fear,
And I will make dark things all clear and plain,
Will shed the light of hope on dull despair,
And give true peace where now is only pain."
C. D. Bell.
"Come ye apart into a desert place. And rest awhile"
We are not led by the Spirit into the desert to inflict pain upon ourselves for forty days just because Jesus went into the desert. Jesus calls you into the desert because he has a will for you there; he wants you to find true peace and happiness in him. He wants you to turn your back on earthly desires and earthly disappointments and come to know him as the enduring hope, love, and joy that he is.
So now, in our second week of Lent, let yourself be called back into the desert and expect peace and happiness to find you on the other side of sacrifice. This Lenten season is more about love than it will ever be about sacrifice.
Have a loving day
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Second Sunday of Lent: Rusted Souls
Luke 9:28b-29
"Jesus took Peter, John, and James and went up the mountain to pray. While he was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white."
As Deacon John pointed out this morning, Luke is the only Gospel in which the word "transfigured" is not used in these verses. Why? Deacon John suggests that it's because Jesus had this dazzling whiteness, this shining purity, to him all along. This process on the mountain with these three disciples was not a change, but a revelation of all that Jesus was and is.
Then he went on to argue that we are the same. He used St. Catherine of Genoa's image of a copper pot as our souls on Earth. At first, they are created perfect, for God creates them in his own image. But sin and selfish desires create rust, corrupting the pots and keeping them from God's perfect love.
Aren't we lucky that the story doesn't end there? Jesus died on the cross so that our souls, ever yearning for the goodness of God's great love, can become pure and rustless again. Deacon John smashed a canister with a hammer today over and over as a visualization of what our sins do to our perfect souls. But Jesus made it so we could be renewed.
How? Confession and contrition. Deacon John ended with this thought; whether your last Confession was yesterday, last week, last month, last year, or a few weeks before your first Communion, it's time to experience God's grace and forgiveness again.
Sacred Heart will be hosting a Reconciliation Service with Reconciliation to follow on Thursday, March 21st at 6 PM. If you'd like to go sooner, don't hesitate to contact Father Paul or anyone under the "Contact Us" list so we can help you experience the grace of Confession.
And if you like what you read here, come hear Father Paul speak a little differently on today's readings at Mass on Campus today at 5:30 PM in Litrenta Lecture Hall.
-Catholic Campus Ministry
More on St. Catherine of Genoa: http://www.americancatholic.org/features/saints/saint.aspx?id=1332
"Jesus took Peter, John, and James and went up the mountain to pray. While he was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white."
As Deacon John pointed out this morning, Luke is the only Gospel in which the word "transfigured" is not used in these verses. Why? Deacon John suggests that it's because Jesus had this dazzling whiteness, this shining purity, to him all along. This process on the mountain with these three disciples was not a change, but a revelation of all that Jesus was and is.
Then he went on to argue that we are the same. He used St. Catherine of Genoa's image of a copper pot as our souls on Earth. At first, they are created perfect, for God creates them in his own image. But sin and selfish desires create rust, corrupting the pots and keeping them from God's perfect love.
Aren't we lucky that the story doesn't end there? Jesus died on the cross so that our souls, ever yearning for the goodness of God's great love, can become pure and rustless again. Deacon John smashed a canister with a hammer today over and over as a visualization of what our sins do to our perfect souls. But Jesus made it so we could be renewed.
How? Confession and contrition. Deacon John ended with this thought; whether your last Confession was yesterday, last week, last month, last year, or a few weeks before your first Communion, it's time to experience God's grace and forgiveness again.
Sacred Heart will be hosting a Reconciliation Service with Reconciliation to follow on Thursday, March 21st at 6 PM. If you'd like to go sooner, don't hesitate to contact Father Paul or anyone under the "Contact Us" list so we can help you experience the grace of Confession.
And if you like what you read here, come hear Father Paul speak a little differently on today's readings at Mass on Campus today at 5:30 PM in Litrenta Lecture Hall.
-Catholic Campus Ministry
More on St. Catherine of Genoa: http://www.americancatholic.org/features/saints/saint.aspx?id=1332
Saturday, February 23, 2013
40 Thoughts: Day 10
Luke 4:1
"Jesus returned from the Jordan full of the Holy Spirit and was led by the Spirit into the desert,"
Before we begin the second week of Lent, let's go back to what started it all.
Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert.
And so are we. Even just ten days in, it feels like a desert some days. We have struggles with our Lenten sacrifice, however minimal-seeming or gigantic. We have struggles in our hearts to stay true to what God made us to be. We have struggles in our hearts to understand our struggles as a strengthening process and to be thankful for them.
We have a lot of struggles.
But we are led by the Spirit. We're not alone here. We're not fighting off all our enemies at once blindfolded with a tree branch in high heels. Even though it may feel that way sometimes...
Our hand is held firmly at all times by Jesus, who knows what we're going through, who loves us through it all, and who can't wait to invite us into his loving arms when we see him again. He's fighting next to, within, above, and beyond us.
We are not blindfolded and shoved into darkness and rough waters without a life raft.
We are led by the Spirit.
Have Spirit-filled day
"Jesus returned from the Jordan full of the Holy Spirit and was led by the Spirit into the desert,"
Before we begin the second week of Lent, let's go back to what started it all.
Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert.
And so are we. Even just ten days in, it feels like a desert some days. We have struggles with our Lenten sacrifice, however minimal-seeming or gigantic. We have struggles in our hearts to stay true to what God made us to be. We have struggles in our hearts to understand our struggles as a strengthening process and to be thankful for them.
We have a lot of struggles.
But we are led by the Spirit. We're not alone here. We're not fighting off all our enemies at once blindfolded with a tree branch in high heels. Even though it may feel that way sometimes...
Our hand is held firmly at all times by Jesus, who knows what we're going through, who loves us through it all, and who can't wait to invite us into his loving arms when we see him again. He's fighting next to, within, above, and beyond us.
We are not blindfolded and shoved into darkness and rough waters without a life raft.
We are led by the Spirit.
Have Spirit-filled day
Friday, February 22, 2013
40 Thoughts: Day 9
Luke 4:1-13
"Jesus returned from the Jordan full of the Holy Spirit and was led by the Spirit into the desert, where he was tempted by the Devil for forty days. In all that time he ate nothing, so that he was hungry when it was over.
The Devil said to him, "If you are God's Son, order this stone to turn into bread."
But Jesus answered, "The scripture says, 'Human beings cannot live on bread alone.' "
Then the Devil took him up and showed him in a second all the kingdoms of the world. "I will give you all this power and all this wealth" the Devil told him. "It has all been handed over to me, and I can give it to anyone I choose. All this will be yours, then, if you worship me."
Jesus answered, "The scriptures says, 'Worship the Lord your God and serve only him.' "
Then the Devil took him to Jerusalem and set him on the highest point of the temple, and said to him, "If you are God's Son, throw yourself down from here. For the scripture says, 'God will order his angels to take good care of you.' It also says, 'They will hold you up with their hands so that not even your feet will be hurt on the stones.' "
But Jesus answered, "The scripture says, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.' "
When the Devil finished tempting Jesus in every way, he left him for a while."
Jesus made it out of the desert. Like us, he was tempted, but he never fell into sin. He was strengthened by this temptation and when he returned, he told his followers about his experience in order to teach them that the temptations of material things, power, and glory, are common but should be resisted so that God can be our full focus, that he can show his power through our humility, and that all the glory the world sees can be given to him.
But what Jesus didn't do is finish. Father Paul dreamed that at the end of these forty days, Jesus would've gotten a diploma. "Congratulations, you made it through temptation school, you're done."
We wish for that sometimes. As if temptations were on a checklist; as soon as we conquer one we check it off and never have to deal with it again. But anyone who's addicted to anything, be it harmless or fatal, will tell you that temptation never ends.
The Devil may have left Jesus, but not for ever, for a time. The Devil will always tempt us, and it will always be difficult to resist. The Good News is, every resisted temptation makes us stronger and God's strength and love for us will carry us through every temptation. And Jesus died so when we slip up, we can be forgiven. We're only 9 days into our own 40 days in the desert. Have you been tempted yet? It will happen. Again and again and again. Sometimes you'll give in, sometimes you won't. But don't give up just yet. Turn to Jesus for he's been through temptation, and he'll make you stronger for it.
Have a Jesus-filled day
"Jesus returned from the Jordan full of the Holy Spirit and was led by the Spirit into the desert, where he was tempted by the Devil for forty days. In all that time he ate nothing, so that he was hungry when it was over.
The Devil said to him, "If you are God's Son, order this stone to turn into bread."
But Jesus answered, "The scripture says, 'Human beings cannot live on bread alone.' "
Then the Devil took him up and showed him in a second all the kingdoms of the world. "I will give you all this power and all this wealth" the Devil told him. "It has all been handed over to me, and I can give it to anyone I choose. All this will be yours, then, if you worship me."
Jesus answered, "The scriptures says, 'Worship the Lord your God and serve only him.' "
Then the Devil took him to Jerusalem and set him on the highest point of the temple, and said to him, "If you are God's Son, throw yourself down from here. For the scripture says, 'God will order his angels to take good care of you.' It also says, 'They will hold you up with their hands so that not even your feet will be hurt on the stones.' "
But Jesus answered, "The scripture says, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.' "
When the Devil finished tempting Jesus in every way, he left him for a while."
Jesus made it out of the desert. Like us, he was tempted, but he never fell into sin. He was strengthened by this temptation and when he returned, he told his followers about his experience in order to teach them that the temptations of material things, power, and glory, are common but should be resisted so that God can be our full focus, that he can show his power through our humility, and that all the glory the world sees can be given to him.
But what Jesus didn't do is finish. Father Paul dreamed that at the end of these forty days, Jesus would've gotten a diploma. "Congratulations, you made it through temptation school, you're done."
We wish for that sometimes. As if temptations were on a checklist; as soon as we conquer one we check it off and never have to deal with it again. But anyone who's addicted to anything, be it harmless or fatal, will tell you that temptation never ends.
The Devil may have left Jesus, but not for ever, for a time. The Devil will always tempt us, and it will always be difficult to resist. The Good News is, every resisted temptation makes us stronger and God's strength and love for us will carry us through every temptation. And Jesus died so when we slip up, we can be forgiven. We're only 9 days into our own 40 days in the desert. Have you been tempted yet? It will happen. Again and again and again. Sometimes you'll give in, sometimes you won't. But don't give up just yet. Turn to Jesus for he's been through temptation, and he'll make you stronger for it.
Have a Jesus-filled day
Thursday, February 21, 2013
40 Thoughts: Day 8
Luke 4:1-12
"Jesus returned from the Jordan full of the Holy Spirit and was led by the Spirit into the desert, where he was tempted by the Devil for forty days. In all that time he ate nothing, so that he was hungry when it was over.
The Devil said to him, "If you are God's son, order this stone to turn into bread."
But Jesus answered, "The scripture says, 'Human beings cannot live on bread alone.' "
Then the Devil took him up and showed him in a second all the kingdoms of the world. "I will give you all this power and all this wealth," the Devil told him. "It has all been handed over to me, and I can give it to anyone I choose. All this will be yours, then, if you worship me."
Jesus answered, "The scripture says, 'Worship the Lord your God and serve only him!' "
Then the Devil took him to Jerusalem and set him on the highest point of the Temple, and said to him, "If you are God's Son, throw yourself down from here. For the scripture says, 'God will order his angels to take good care of you.' It also says, 'They will hold you up with their hands so that not even your feet will be hurt on the stones.' "
But Jesus answered, "The scripture says, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.' "
Phew.
For each temptation, Jesus' responses begin with "the scripture says." In the bold text, verses 9-12, the Devil throws that right back in his face and starts telling Jesus what the scriptures says. He's taunting him.
How many times have we tried to explain something through scripture to someone who just throws it back at us like that? Here Jesus doesn't even acknowledge that the Devil is right, he simply answers as he does every time that the scriptures says not to put the Lord to the test.
Jesus has just made it through 40 days of fasting in the desert. He must have called on some angels to get through that. He knows that God has sent him angels to take care of him and hold him up. He doesn't have to prove that to the world or to the Devil. His answer simply states that God doesn't have to be showy. In fact, he'd rather not be.
On Sunday, Father Paul likened Jesus' response here to the regularity with which he tells people not to tell anyone about the miracles that he performs in their lives. Why would he want to hide that? Why is he trying so hard to hide his miraculous self?
But Father Paul pointed out that he's not hiding, he just doesn't want the people to see him only as some miraculous, other-worldly being and get lost in the magic. He knew the path he laid out for us to follow him would be really difficult and that clinging on to one spectacular miracle of the past wouldn't suffice if we were to follow him to the end.
It's not about the spectacle. Lent isn't about telling everyone about all the sacrifices you're making for Jesus and how great your are for doing that. The scriptures says, "When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do... but when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father." Matthew 6:16-18
Lent isn't a show. It's a journey for your heart. So how's it going?
"Jesus returned from the Jordan full of the Holy Spirit and was led by the Spirit into the desert, where he was tempted by the Devil for forty days. In all that time he ate nothing, so that he was hungry when it was over.
The Devil said to him, "If you are God's son, order this stone to turn into bread."
But Jesus answered, "The scripture says, 'Human beings cannot live on bread alone.' "
Then the Devil took him up and showed him in a second all the kingdoms of the world. "I will give you all this power and all this wealth," the Devil told him. "It has all been handed over to me, and I can give it to anyone I choose. All this will be yours, then, if you worship me."
Jesus answered, "The scripture says, 'Worship the Lord your God and serve only him!' "
Then the Devil took him to Jerusalem and set him on the highest point of the Temple, and said to him, "If you are God's Son, throw yourself down from here. For the scripture says, 'God will order his angels to take good care of you.' It also says, 'They will hold you up with their hands so that not even your feet will be hurt on the stones.' "
But Jesus answered, "The scripture says, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.' "
Phew.
For each temptation, Jesus' responses begin with "the scripture says." In the bold text, verses 9-12, the Devil throws that right back in his face and starts telling Jesus what the scriptures says. He's taunting him.
How many times have we tried to explain something through scripture to someone who just throws it back at us like that? Here Jesus doesn't even acknowledge that the Devil is right, he simply answers as he does every time that the scriptures says not to put the Lord to the test.
Jesus has just made it through 40 days of fasting in the desert. He must have called on some angels to get through that. He knows that God has sent him angels to take care of him and hold him up. He doesn't have to prove that to the world or to the Devil. His answer simply states that God doesn't have to be showy. In fact, he'd rather not be.
On Sunday, Father Paul likened Jesus' response here to the regularity with which he tells people not to tell anyone about the miracles that he performs in their lives. Why would he want to hide that? Why is he trying so hard to hide his miraculous self?
But Father Paul pointed out that he's not hiding, he just doesn't want the people to see him only as some miraculous, other-worldly being and get lost in the magic. He knew the path he laid out for us to follow him would be really difficult and that clinging on to one spectacular miracle of the past wouldn't suffice if we were to follow him to the end.
It's not about the spectacle. Lent isn't about telling everyone about all the sacrifices you're making for Jesus and how great your are for doing that. The scriptures says, "When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do... but when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father." Matthew 6:16-18
Lent isn't a show. It's a journey for your heart. So how's it going?
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