Totus Tuus

Christmas moves us to the understanding that we are on a journey to Calvary.  We are not meant to stay as a child in the manger, but actively participate in the world.

Mary was not the redeemer, but she had to say, "Yes" to cooperate in redemption and so must we.  We must say, "Yes"  and move out from the birth place and go as Jesus leads us.

The world we are currently living in has a difficult time surrendering without knowing.  There is a need to know the outcome or at least predict with accuracy the end.

Then why such a tough time following our Lord's will?  We know the ending.  It may be  because it's not glorious.  Following Christ is painful and selfless.

I pray that this year we may make our New Year's resolution to live our entire life in service of others and join Mary as our model of Hope for a better world.

Say, "Yes" and watch the change.

Happy New Year 2015

"My Peace I Give You"

There is a special relationship that ties in the life we have on earth and the season of Advent.  The season of Advent is a time of waiting and preparing for the Joy of the Christ entering time.  Heaven meets earth, and eternity becomes a moment to experience.

Throughout the bible stories the motif of "a Savior" coming and leading humanity from the pains and captivity of the world is ever present.

This motif goes beyond the infant, indeed it is the life of Christ in the fullness of time that requires us to empty ourselves and to submit to the will of the Father.

We are presently aware of current events that are specific to the protests throughout the United States in regard to violence that is hard to understand.  We can look at any of the news sources and see the headlines that are pointing to human right violations and for many of us it is difficult to grasp. 

These are no new occurrences in the world.  Look throughout the history of humanity and we will hear the cry of the oppressed.  The plea for God to hear our voice and come to our aid is ever present.  

In many ways the world is a better place with the advances in medicine and technology, but there still remains the human condition that rears its ugly head and reminds us that personal sin explodes resulting in the violence and sins against humanity.

Waiting presupposes we anticipate an outcome.  Waiting requires patience and a peaceful mind that allows us to see through the storm, to see through the present and peer into the future.  

The ancient prophets talked and wrote about the Messiah that was coming to deliver us from the pains and oppression holding the people captive.

The stories of the Martyrs and Saints of the Church are filled with people, like you and me, enduring trials and lives of misery and violence, and in some cases death, to gain the victory.

These people we read about are no different that we are in that we have the same ability to overcome the same life problems.

This doesn't have to be an event that results in public protest, though it may be, it can be a simple martyrdom such as enduring an illness, living from paycheck to paycheck, or perhaps, or maybe a life that has been filled with disappointment and loss.

It's often a mistake of pastors and speakers to assume that the beauty of a loving mother or a supportive family is across the board in regard to the listeners.  It may not be.

Try telling someone who had a negligent and abusive parent that Jesus, or Mary is the loving Mother or Father that protects them and has their best interest in hand.  I can assure you that it is seldom received well.

The entire history of humanity shares in suffering, we all suffer, it is where we are connected.  We can understand, sympathize and empathize with suffering. 

That is why there are riots and protests that are organized in response to a suffering.  The whole of humanity understands, on some level, whether through the loss of a job that resulted in economic hardships, the senseless death of innocent people at the hands of another, or human rights that are not honored and respected, humanity understands suffering.

Advent is not just the joy of baby Jesus in a manger, Advent is the understanding of the cross and emptying ourselves, shedding the ego, and allowing Peace to carry us to the Easter we await in joyful hope.

Take the whole journey of Mary and Joseph from the moment the angel Gabriel announced that Mary was with child, the sojourn to safe lands to escape an egotistical emperor murder plot on the Holy Innocents, to the numerous "no vacancy signs" when the time came to give birth.

Spend time with Matthew 1:18-25; Matthew 2:1-12 Luke 1:26-38; Luke 2:1-20 and just be present in those moments. The world hasn't changed much except Mary didn't have a YouTube video of the murdering emperor or Travelocity to book a room and get GPS coordinates to Bethlehem. 

When faced with sufferings and the human right violations act with Peace.  The Apostle John tells us "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give unto you.  Let not your heart be troubled neither let it be fearful." John 14:27

Flowers at a Funeral

The Catholic Church has called a synod of it's Bishops, a meeting in laymen's terms.  One topic being discussed is receiving Holy Communion when you are not in a state of grace with the Church.

What is Grace you may ask?  Well, Grace is a "nudge" to a holy state of life.  Sanctifying Grace is a state when the soul is holy and supernaturally alive.

So the Catholic Church teaches that we need to be "Clean" to receive communion.  The Sacrament of confession or reconciliation was established at the Council of Trent in 1551.

What was that time period like?  What were the norms of the time? Compare it to the early church, or the Church in the first century where we have clear leaders in the church who were women, yet today women are excluded from many duties of the church.

Jesus came at a time in human history when men were in charge and women were almost a second class citizen.  If you are still in that line of thought we probably can predict your position on any forward equality movement.

If we can look at the history of the bible and watch it's growth we will see clearly that man has a better understanding of what God wants from his people.  No sacrifice of animals needed, no incense before statues, no rolling around in the dirt and wearing a hair coat.

Can you imagine how many of our friends and relatives would be dead if we still stoned people for adultery??

I can speak on this religious topic because I have a degree in Theology, or better yet I have a spiritual relationship with Christ.  People want a degree to prove authority, which was the issue when Jesus spoke with the Scribes and Pharisees, they wanted to know what authority He had.

Jesus had the authority of the Love which flowed from him know as the Holy Spirit.

Jesus called all to the table, in fact he stated in a parable, that you should go out and invite the lowest and most outcasted to your table to eat.  His table is much better than mine because I have soup and sandwiches most days.

If you believe that Jesus is present in the Eucharist and can heal the wounds of the soul, why do we want to refrain those that don't have that "degree" to prove they are living a life of love and christian ideals.

The answer is: because man has said so.

Here is a personal experience that I had which really opened my eyes to the hindrance of closed minded religious views.

I was on vacation in Harrisburg, Pa visiting my parents.  The summer was a hot one and my stay was planned for two days.  I had not been to a Latin Rite Mass for many years and wanted to revisit this form of worship.

I spent the morning in the sunshine walking along City Island praying the rosary and preparing for Mass.

I went to the doors of the church and was met by a priest  I extended my hand and began to say good morning father when I was met with "What are you doing here?"   I was taken back and replied "I've come to pray at Mass, father."  as I withdrew my unwanted hand from the priest he responded; "Not here you're not."  I asked; "Why not father?  I have come a long way to celebrate here."

The priest who refused to shake my hand said; "You may not wear shorts to Mass, but since you have traveled so far you may come in, but you must sit in the back and you may not receive the Eucharist."

Great compromise father!! I thought for a moment and replied; "Father, you are too kind, but I can see your law has interfered with the Life of Christ.  Be sure I will not enter this den and also be sure you will be hard pressed to enter the Kingdom."

Do you see how we can violate Love by abiding by the Law?

It's like the issue of cohabitation.  If two people are in love and are committed to each other then by the very act on their part they are "married" joined together in a holy Love.  God blesses us with love, man blesses us with the degree to prove we are married.

If you believe God is Love, and you believe God's ways are unknowable, than to understand God's Love is unknowable.  As we grow as a human family over the course of time we will be able to more easily understand what is Love for humanity but not the entirety of God's Love.

When I die I don't want one dollar wasted on flowers.  Why? because the flowers are for you not me.  I will be in Paradise where there are no Roman collars and no ball and chains.

Spending the Day at "The Wrong Place"

Any one who knows me knows that I have this weakness, which is assuming the first step is commonly understood.

I see a cup and assume you already know its a cup.  You go to a fast food business and I assume you already know you're going to feel unpleasant later.  If you give me a task to do I assume that you have supplied me with ALL the details.

Well, I am a communication major and work in the field of communication.  I am slow to grasp the details until I see the big picture and how it works.

This may be useless jibber-jabber, but I hope that it gives an insight to me and my feeble state in processing information, until it's there and then I'm like an elephant.

I was at a location for the local radio station that I work for, a 10 mile run/strength/fitness course to help a local institute that works with various physically and mentally challenged citizens of life, when I realized that all the other stations where at various locations on the main course.

I was at the half-way point for the participants in the challenge, but on the modified course.  I didn't realize I was at the wrong place until pictures from our other stations began to appear on FaceBook.

As a professional I have an obligation to fulfill the duties that I am assigned. There was an issue I needed to reconcile.

Now in the beginning I revealed how I can't see the details until I see the work of the big picture, the big picture about my entire view is the Divine and the working of relationships and encounters within the Divine plan.

I can see His picture clearly, and therefore the details are clear.  I don't believe in happenstance and I rarely alter the situation unless it requires movement from a situation that is "mortal" in nature.

So I stayed the course and spent the day in tears as I watched some of the most courageous people I have ever met struggle to accomplish simple daily tasks that I take for granted.

I watched their care takers share in their joy and encourage the participants as they worked hard to grasp the course requirements.

Some did so easily and others needed physical guidance. There were those who understood immediately the fruit of their labor and others that appeared baffled by our clapping.

As I watched in tears I realized how we are called to meet others where they are in life. There is no need for harsh words, scornful stares, or empty efforts.  The need is to compassionately cooperate in the Divine plan.

I realized that I saw this opportunity to be present in the lives of people I may never meet again and bring a moment of joy and encouragement to their lives.

There were a few girls from a local university and volunteers that truly enjoyed their assignment encouraging the runners as they approached the half-way marker.

I found myself so involved that at one moment, as I was attempting to upload pictures, a runner approached and I actually put my phone away to clap.  To my fault, I need to be more aware of the importance of others in my life.

So, we had about 100 participants on our course, the main course probably had thousands. We had a half dozen or so people to clap for the warriors, the main course had more that that.

The point is that when we see God at work we see the with His eyes.  I cried not in pity, but in pure excitement and joy, as the human family moved  closer to His love.

Maybe next year we will have more volunteers and sponsorship along the course that represents all of our lives in the eyes of God.

Complaints

We all know someone who is a chronic complainer.  There is a negative energy that surrounds them and spills all over to the "Half full" glass people.

The chronic complainer seems to have the worst of every situation possible.  "It's too hot, it's too cold, the copy machine, the computer, the car, my colleague, my wife, my husband, my boss, I hate, I really hate, they are, he is, she is, I don't" . . .  followed by a litany of complaints.

Here is a thought; The more time you give the complaint the more you focus on the negative.  Turn it around and see the good in your brother and sister and focus on learning moment from a negative experience and that will bring about a positive outcome.

Find the good in the storm and be careful not to create a storm out of a refreshing rain.  

Stand Firm

Stand firm in the times of trial.  There have been times in my life when there was a need to remember this, and His Word is true.

How and why people sit and plot a way to undermine and foil the works and life of people who have done no harm is baffling to the pure of heart.  There may be a whole batch of reasons, but our response has to be to wait in joyful hope and the knowledge that our God sees all!  He is not blind, deaf or dumb to our life experiences and injustice and if we wait on Him to lead we shall soon see the Word of God is true!

"And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the canker-worm, and the caterpillar, and the palmer-worm, my great army which I sent among you." Joel 2:25.

Lost in the Echo

Think about how an echo sounds to your ear.  It's not hard to get lost in the echo.  Being distracted is not hard for me and the echo can take away from the original message if I focus on the reverb.  My challenge is to focus on the message, not the distractions that come with it. 

Lord, Lord.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord', will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven."


What does this mean to you and me?  This can be an unnerving passage if we take a close look at it.  
I go through my life proclaiming the Lord as Lord and preaching his word, but, the Lord says not all will make it to heaven.  Why so?
If I proclaim Jesus as Lord and go about my day back biting and being a jerk there is a contradiction in my words and actions.  You praise God and then throw rocks at your neighbors house.
The way to heaven is to Love.  Love the ones who do us wrong.  Love the ones who are the most challenging and difficult.  This doesn't mean that I need to be a punching bag of sorts to those around us, it does mean to Love them.
So, What is the Love that I need to show?  Live the life of the gospel message, take life seriously and move past the restrictions of a law and move into the Love of Christ.
Christ's Love passes all understanding, and this means to surrender to His will and stop preaching love and live it!  
“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock."  Jesus is the Rock.
Love is active, it embraces all.
Be Jesus for everyone!  

Pray and Wait

There is one thing I can find troubling, to be patient with myself and others.  The patience with others can be easier than being patient with myself.  

I pray for patience and then forget the way patience is tested.  Of course my day is chaotic, of course the quick trip to the convenience store was painfully long, of course I get frustrated!  But, I asked for it didn't I?  Oh, I sure did.  

Pray for a virtue and don't forget that the storm is coming! The gold is tested in the fire and praying for patience will ignite the fire.