Over the last couple of years, I have come to really appreciate what a powerful prayer the Holy Rosary can be. Growing up Catholic, I’ve always had Rosaries, and I know that I learned the basics of praying it over the years from my parents and in my religious education classes. But praying the Rosary wasn’t ever really a part of my prayer life until a couple of years ago.
Each year, at my parish, we have a weekend long retreat for our students who are preparing for Confirmation, and two years ago I suggested that we make rope knotted Rosaries to give to the Confirmation students at the retreat, without realizing just how much work I was suggesting. That year we had around 85 kids making their Confirmation, so that was a lot of knots to tie! I spent several months working on the Rosaries with the help of some of the other students and adults, but I probably ended up making over half of them myself. Talk about a new appreciation for the Rosary!
Around this same time, I began carrying a rope Rosary in my pocket at all times. My brother made me this particular Rosary, and for some reason I just decided to start carrying it around with me. Since I have started carrying this Rosary around with me, I can’t even describe what a benefit it has been to my life. It serves as a constant reminder of Christ’s presence in my life, and of the great example of discipleship that Mary is for us. Being able to slip my hand into my pocket throughout the day, feel those beads, and pray a quick Hail Mary or Our Father has helped me through many difficult days, and helped me immensely to grow in my spiritual life.
Some people might not be sure what the Rosary is all about – why do we repeat the Hail Mary 53 times, and the Our Father and Glory Be 6 times each? What benefit can this seemingly mindless repetition have?
I think that, at some level, I once shared these reservations about praying the Rosary. But I have come to understand that the Rosary is a profoundly Christ-centered prayer, and is so, so much more that just repeating these well-known prayers. Praying the Rosary is to deeply contemplate the message of the Gospels, and, therefore, Christ.
“The Rosary, though clearly Marian in character, is at heart a Christocentric prayer. In the sobriety of its elements, it has all the depth of the Gospel message in its entirety, of which it can be said to be a compendium. It is an echo of the prayer of Mary, her perennial Magnificat for the work of the redemptive Incarnation which began in her virginal womb. With the Rosary, the Christian people sits at the school of Mary and is led to contemplate the beauty on the face of Christ and to experience the depths of his love. Through the Rosary the faithful receive abundant grace, as though from the very hands of the Mother of the Redeemer.” ROSARIUM VIRGINIS MARIAE, Apostolic Letter, Pope John Paul II, ¶1 (2002).
[You can see the full text of the Apostolic Letter here - I strongly encourage you to read this in its entirety, as Pope John Paul II lays out very clearly why the Rosary is so important. I want to specifically point you to ¶33 if you have ever had any uneasiness regarding praying the Hail Mary.]
The four sets of Mysteries – Joyful, Sorrowful, Luminous and Glorious – provide us with what is key to praying the Rosary, that is our contemplation of these mysteries during each decade of the Rosary. If you think that praying the Rosary is merely reciting a bunch of prayers, you’re missing the point. Pope John Paul II speaks to this point in his Apostolic Letter:
“Without this contemplative dimension, it would lose its meaning, as Pope Paul VI clearly pointed out: ‘Without contemplation, the Rosary is a body without a soul, and its recitation runs the risk of becoming a mechanical repetition of formulas, in violation of the admonition of Christ: 'In praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think they will be heard for their many words' (Mt 6:7). By its nature the recitation of the Rosary calls for a quiet rhythm and a lingering pace, helping the individual to meditate on the mysteries of the Lord's life as seen through the eyes of her who was closest to the Lord. In this way the unfathomable riches of these mysteries are disclosed’.” ROSARIUM VIRGINIS MARIAE, Apostolic Letter, Pope John Paul II, ¶18 (2002).
If you have never prayed the Rosary, or perhaps never truly prayed it as it is intended to be prayed, I invite you to give it a fair chance. (For an easy to follow "How to Pray the Rosary", click here). I am completely confident that you, like I did, will discover what a truly powerful prayer the Rosary can be in your life, and how it will continually draw you closer to Christ.
Let us follow closely the words of Blessed Pope John Paul II: “I look to all of you, brothers and sisters of every state of life, to you, Christian families, to you, the sick and elderly, and to you, young people: confidently take up the Rosary once again. Rediscover the Rosary in the light of Scripture, in harmony with the Liturgy, and in the context of your daily lives.” ROSARIUM VIRGINIS MARIAE, Apostolic Letter, Pope John Paul II, ¶43 (2002).
Monday, July 18, 2011
Monday, July 11, 2011
Be Steadfast in Faith and Resist Your Opponent
“Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for [someone] to devour. Resist him, steadfast in faith, knowing that your fellow believers throughout the world undergo the same sufferings.” 1 Peter 5:8-9
We face many temptations in our daily lives, serious temptations. Satan is real, he is not just a figment of our imagination, or a story invented to scare us into acting correctly. Satan tempts us all, hoping that we will follow his lies, instead of the Truth offered to us by God.
The Church teaches that Satan was at first a good angel, made by God: ‘The devil and the other demons were indeed created naturally good by God, but they became evil by their own doing.’ Scripture speaks of a sin of these angels. This ‘fall’ consists in the free choice of these created spirits, who radically and irrevocably rejected God and his reign. We find a reflection of that rebellion in the tempter's words to our first parents: ‘You will be like God.’ The devil ‘has sinned from the beginning’; he is ‘liar and the father of lies.’” (CCC 391-392).
Satan, like all of God’s creation was created good, but angels, like men, were given free will by God. Satan and the other demons who joined him chose their path freely, and their choice, as we see, was irrevocable, permanent. It was an irrevocable choice because that is how it was made by Satan and his companions, not because of any lack of forgiveness from God. St. John Damascene teaches us that "There is no repentance for the angels after their fall, just as there is no repentance for men after death." (CCC 393).
We Christians should have no great difficulty in recognizing that the temptations of Satan are very real in our lives and the lives of our fellow believers, as is pointed out in 1 Peter. Every time we pray the words that Christ taught us, the Our Father, we petition, ask, God to “deliver us from evil”.
The Catechism tells us that “In this petition, evil is not an abstraction, but refers to a person, Satan, the Evil One, the angel who opposes God. The devil (dia-bolos) is the one who "throws himself across" God's plan and his work of salvation accomplished in Christ.” (CCC 2851).
How often does the devil throw himself across God’s plan in our own lives? How often do we know exactly what we should be doing in order to say “yes” to God, but then we are distracted from that path, and choose to walk away from God toward sin?
“When we ask to be delivered from the Evil One, we pray as well to be freed from all evils, present, past, and future, of which he is the author or instigator. In this final petition, the Church brings before the Father all the distress of the world. Along with deliverance from the evils that overwhelm humanity, she implores the precious gift of peace and the grace of perseverance in expectation of Christ's return.” (CCC 2854).
While the lines from 1 Peter may at first dishearten us, I believe that it is not just an omen of impending doom. These verses are here to encourage and strengthen us as Christians, to know that the Evil One is seeking to devour all Christians, but that we can resist his temptations by remaining steadfast in our faithfulness. God gives us every grace that we need to hold true to this challenge, we must only choose to accept and embrace the graces that are poured out upon us.
We must take it as encouragement that Satan seeks to throw us off our path to God, for that means that we must actually be walking upon the path to God. If we were not seeking the Truth and Freedom that exist only in God, then Satan wouldn’t have to bother with tempting us.
Some people might say that we shouldn’t think about Satan, that by thinking about him we might be more likely to let him influence our choices. However, we encounter the temptations of Satan in so many ways throughout each day, that I believe it is critical that we remember the words in 1 Peter – so that we can always be steadfast in recognizing the Evil One in our lives, and that so we may choose to reject the glamour of evil as he seeks to distract us from the Truth and Love of God.
We face many temptations in our daily lives, serious temptations. Satan is real, he is not just a figment of our imagination, or a story invented to scare us into acting correctly. Satan tempts us all, hoping that we will follow his lies, instead of the Truth offered to us by God.
The Church teaches that Satan was at first a good angel, made by God: ‘The devil and the other demons were indeed created naturally good by God, but they became evil by their own doing.’ Scripture speaks of a sin of these angels. This ‘fall’ consists in the free choice of these created spirits, who radically and irrevocably rejected God and his reign. We find a reflection of that rebellion in the tempter's words to our first parents: ‘You will be like God.’ The devil ‘has sinned from the beginning’; he is ‘liar and the father of lies.’” (CCC 391-392).
Satan, like all of God’s creation was created good, but angels, like men, were given free will by God. Satan and the other demons who joined him chose their path freely, and their choice, as we see, was irrevocable, permanent. It was an irrevocable choice because that is how it was made by Satan and his companions, not because of any lack of forgiveness from God. St. John Damascene teaches us that "There is no repentance for the angels after their fall, just as there is no repentance for men after death." (CCC 393).
We Christians should have no great difficulty in recognizing that the temptations of Satan are very real in our lives and the lives of our fellow believers, as is pointed out in 1 Peter. Every time we pray the words that Christ taught us, the Our Father, we petition, ask, God to “deliver us from evil”.
The Catechism tells us that “In this petition, evil is not an abstraction, but refers to a person, Satan, the Evil One, the angel who opposes God. The devil (dia-bolos) is the one who "throws himself across" God's plan and his work of salvation accomplished in Christ.” (CCC 2851).
How often does the devil throw himself across God’s plan in our own lives? How often do we know exactly what we should be doing in order to say “yes” to God, but then we are distracted from that path, and choose to walk away from God toward sin?
“When we ask to be delivered from the Evil One, we pray as well to be freed from all evils, present, past, and future, of which he is the author or instigator. In this final petition, the Church brings before the Father all the distress of the world. Along with deliverance from the evils that overwhelm humanity, she implores the precious gift of peace and the grace of perseverance in expectation of Christ's return.” (CCC 2854).
While the lines from 1 Peter may at first dishearten us, I believe that it is not just an omen of impending doom. These verses are here to encourage and strengthen us as Christians, to know that the Evil One is seeking to devour all Christians, but that we can resist his temptations by remaining steadfast in our faithfulness. God gives us every grace that we need to hold true to this challenge, we must only choose to accept and embrace the graces that are poured out upon us.
We must take it as encouragement that Satan seeks to throw us off our path to God, for that means that we must actually be walking upon the path to God. If we were not seeking the Truth and Freedom that exist only in God, then Satan wouldn’t have to bother with tempting us.
Some people might say that we shouldn’t think about Satan, that by thinking about him we might be more likely to let him influence our choices. However, we encounter the temptations of Satan in so many ways throughout each day, that I believe it is critical that we remember the words in 1 Peter – so that we can always be steadfast in recognizing the Evil One in our lives, and that so we may choose to reject the glamour of evil as he seeks to distract us from the Truth and Love of God.
Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
There is no true freedom except in the service of what is good and just
I love celebrating America’s Independence Day each year on July 4 – spending time with friends and family, eating lots of good food, going to our local parade, and watching the fireworks from the best vantage point ever. I am so thankful to live in a country that is as free as the United States of America. I see in the news the challenges faced by people in many countries around the world, and I don’t know if I would be able to persevere in the face of those difficulties. I don’t know if I would have had the courage to sail off across an ocean to find a place where I could practice my religion free from persecution – to have to flee everything I knew to try to find some measure of personal freedom.
We Americans have a very strong notion of what freedom is – it’s what the our founding fathers fought for and ensured through our Constitution, it’s what thousands of great men and women since have died to protect, it’s what most Americans hold very dear – but this freedom is only a shadow of what true freedom is.
What is freedom, really? True freedom is so much more than our typical notions of freedom, and perhaps much more difficult to obtain. True freedom is saying “yes” to God – not just when it is convenient or easy, but always.
“Freedom is the power, rooted in reason and will, to act or not to act, to do this or that, and so to perform deliberate actions on one's own responsibility. By free will one shapes one's own life. Human freedom is a force for growth and maturity in truth and goodness; it attains its perfection when directed toward God, our beatitude.” (CCC 1731)
Our God loves us enough to give us free choice, to let us choose. We face many choices between the good of God and evil. We choose, no one makes us do good and no one makes us sin. Our choices are not accidents, not mistakes, not dumb luck, but deliberate actions. We have the power to act or not to act, just as the Catechism tells us.
How do we choose to act in our lives on a daily basis? How free are we? How free do we really want to be?
“The more one does what is good, the freer one becomes. There is no true freedom except in the service of what is good and just. The choice to disobey and do evil is an abuse of freedom and leads to ‘the slavery of sin.’” (CCC 1733)
Think about the times in your life when your actions have been sinful, when they have gone away from God? How free did you feel at that moment? Now think about the times when your actions have been truly good and in accordance with God’s will? I think that if we are honest with ourselves, the answer is clear – we know deep down inside that we are the most free, are most at peace with ourselves when we choose what is good and just.
Jesus told those who believed in him, “If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32). Truth is real, truth became man, suffered, died, and rose again, so that we might have life. Truth created the universe, created man, and gave us the freedom to choose for ourselves.
True freedom is not just doing whatever we want to make ourselves feel good at the moment. That is just a shallow figment of the true freedom that awaits us. Our human freedom allows us the ability to become who God created us to be – to be sons and daughters of God the Father – and to therefore be able to one day share in eternal union with Him. This can only happen if we deliberately exercise our freedom to choose what is good and just. Our morality as Christians and God’s laws are in place for our happiness, to guide us and show us what we need to do, how we need to act, in order to reach that true freedom we all seek.
One of the most cited quotes comes from St. Augustine, a man who knew all too well where choosing to sin, choosing a life of earthly pleasure would lead, as he experienced it for many years. He said that “Our hearts are restless, oh Lord, until they rest in you.” If we search within our own heart, we know that this is true. Only the choice of God, and everything that that choice entails will truly make us happy and set us free.
Today, the day after the celebration of our nation’s independence, let us truly ask our God for the grace necessary to overcome our sinful choices, and to only choose what is good and just, to always say “yes” to Him, so that we may be truly free.
We Americans have a very strong notion of what freedom is – it’s what the our founding fathers fought for and ensured through our Constitution, it’s what thousands of great men and women since have died to protect, it’s what most Americans hold very dear – but this freedom is only a shadow of what true freedom is.
What is freedom, really? True freedom is so much more than our typical notions of freedom, and perhaps much more difficult to obtain. True freedom is saying “yes” to God – not just when it is convenient or easy, but always.
“Freedom is the power, rooted in reason and will, to act or not to act, to do this or that, and so to perform deliberate actions on one's own responsibility. By free will one shapes one's own life. Human freedom is a force for growth and maturity in truth and goodness; it attains its perfection when directed toward God, our beatitude.” (CCC 1731)
Our God loves us enough to give us free choice, to let us choose. We face many choices between the good of God and evil. We choose, no one makes us do good and no one makes us sin. Our choices are not accidents, not mistakes, not dumb luck, but deliberate actions. We have the power to act or not to act, just as the Catechism tells us.
How do we choose to act in our lives on a daily basis? How free are we? How free do we really want to be?
“The more one does what is good, the freer one becomes. There is no true freedom except in the service of what is good and just. The choice to disobey and do evil is an abuse of freedom and leads to ‘the slavery of sin.’” (CCC 1733)
Think about the times in your life when your actions have been sinful, when they have gone away from God? How free did you feel at that moment? Now think about the times when your actions have been truly good and in accordance with God’s will? I think that if we are honest with ourselves, the answer is clear – we know deep down inside that we are the most free, are most at peace with ourselves when we choose what is good and just.
Jesus told those who believed in him, “If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32). Truth is real, truth became man, suffered, died, and rose again, so that we might have life. Truth created the universe, created man, and gave us the freedom to choose for ourselves.
True freedom is not just doing whatever we want to make ourselves feel good at the moment. That is just a shallow figment of the true freedom that awaits us. Our human freedom allows us the ability to become who God created us to be – to be sons and daughters of God the Father – and to therefore be able to one day share in eternal union with Him. This can only happen if we deliberately exercise our freedom to choose what is good and just. Our morality as Christians and God’s laws are in place for our happiness, to guide us and show us what we need to do, how we need to act, in order to reach that true freedom we all seek.
One of the most cited quotes comes from St. Augustine, a man who knew all too well where choosing to sin, choosing a life of earthly pleasure would lead, as he experienced it for many years. He said that “Our hearts are restless, oh Lord, until they rest in you.” If we search within our own heart, we know that this is true. Only the choice of God, and everything that that choice entails will truly make us happy and set us free.
Today, the day after the celebration of our nation’s independence, let us truly ask our God for the grace necessary to overcome our sinful choices, and to only choose what is good and just, to always say “yes” to Him, so that we may be truly free.
Almighty and merciful God,
In your goodness take away from us all that is harmful,
So that, made ready both in mind and body,
We may freely accomplish your will.
(CCC 1742)
Monday, June 27, 2011
I desire the bread of God, which is the flesh of Jesus Christ
These last couple of weeks, I have been doing a lot of reflecting on the Eucharist, and specifically the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Exposition and Adoration of the Eucharist was one of the biggest parts of the youth conference I attended as a chaperone two weekends ago, the Eucharist was a topic of discussion during the religious education certification classes I took last week, and this past Sunday was the Solemnity of Corpus Christi (The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ). That the bread and wine are truly transubstantiated into the body and blood of Christ during the Mass is something that I have never doubted or questioned, but it is something that I have found myself taking for granted from time to time.
In the Eucharist, Christ is truly and substantially present under the appearance of ordinary bread and wine. Think about that for a minute, what does it mean to you that the Savior of the Universe makes Himself present on every altar and in every tabernacle throughout the world?
It isn’t easy for us to truly believe this, just as it wasn’t easy for the followers of Christ to comprehend when Jesus told them about it. How often are we like the former disciples of Christ that we hear about in John 6:66, those who departed and returned to their former way of life because they could not accept that Jesus was the Bread of Life, that his flesh was true food and his blood was true drink? These disciples could not accept this central teaching of Christ and so they departed. We don’t see Jesus running after them, saying “Just kidding, I was only talking symbolically; I didn’t actually mean that I would give my flesh and blood for you to drink.” No, Christ instead turns to the Apostles and asks them if they want to leave as well. Peter, though, answers for them, saying “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” John 6:68
How many times do we kneel at Mass and not really accept what Christ so clearly taught to his followers? How many times do we genuflect before a tabernacle and think that maybe there isn’t really anything there?
We must answer these times of insecurity and doubt just as Peter did. We must declare that we believe and are convinced that Jesus Christ is the Holy One of God, that he gives his true flesh and true blood to be our food and drink, not just as a symbol of His love for us – but actually, in real and substantial witness to His love for us.
The real presence of Christ in the Eucharist has always been a doctrine of the Church. It has been the belief of Catholics from Apostolic times to the present and will be until Christ comes again. The sixth chapter of John’s Gospel and each of the institution narratives in the other Gospels are such rich illustrations of what Christ gives to us in the Eucharist.
The early Church Fathers had plenty to say on the subject, from Paul’s letters:
I know that this is one Catholic belief that many of our separated brothers struggle with. How could that little wafer actually be the Body of Christ? The simple answer is that it is because Christ loves us so much that He humbles Himself to be truly present for us, just as He was truly present when he walked the Earth before and after His death.
We Catholics believe that the Eucharist is “the source and summit of the Christian life.” (CCC 1324). I want to challenge myself and each one of you to carefully read and reflect on what Sacred Scripture, the Church Fathers, and the Catechism tells us about the Eucharist and to truly make the Eucharist the source and summit of our lives, today and until the end of time.
In the Eucharist, Christ is truly and substantially present under the appearance of ordinary bread and wine. Think about that for a minute, what does it mean to you that the Savior of the Universe makes Himself present on every altar and in every tabernacle throughout the world?
It isn’t easy for us to truly believe this, just as it wasn’t easy for the followers of Christ to comprehend when Jesus told them about it. How often are we like the former disciples of Christ that we hear about in John 6:66, those who departed and returned to their former way of life because they could not accept that Jesus was the Bread of Life, that his flesh was true food and his blood was true drink? These disciples could not accept this central teaching of Christ and so they departed. We don’t see Jesus running after them, saying “Just kidding, I was only talking symbolically; I didn’t actually mean that I would give my flesh and blood for you to drink.” No, Christ instead turns to the Apostles and asks them if they want to leave as well. Peter, though, answers for them, saying “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” John 6:68
How many times do we kneel at Mass and not really accept what Christ so clearly taught to his followers? How many times do we genuflect before a tabernacle and think that maybe there isn’t really anything there?
We must answer these times of insecurity and doubt just as Peter did. We must declare that we believe and are convinced that Jesus Christ is the Holy One of God, that he gives his true flesh and true blood to be our food and drink, not just as a symbol of His love for us – but actually, in real and substantial witness to His love for us.
The real presence of Christ in the Eucharist has always been a doctrine of the Church. It has been the belief of Catholics from Apostolic times to the present and will be until Christ comes again. The sixth chapter of John’s Gospel and each of the institution narratives in the other Gospels are such rich illustrations of what Christ gives to us in the Eucharist.
The early Church Fathers had plenty to say on the subject, from Paul’s letters:
- "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?" (1 Cor. 10:16).
- "Therefore whoever eats the bread and drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord. . . . For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself" (1 Cor. 11:27, 29).
To Ignatius of Antioch around 110 A.D.:
- "I have no taste for corruptible food nor for the pleasures of this life. I desire the bread of God, which is the flesh of Jesus Christ, who was of the seed of David; and for drink I desire his blood, which is love incorruptible" (Letter to the Romans 7:3 [A.D. 110]
- "Take note of those who hold heterodox opinions on the grace of Jesus Christ which has come to us, and see how contrary their opinions are to the mind of God. . . . They abstain from the Eucharist and from prayer because they do not confess that the Eucharist is the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ, flesh which suffered for our sins and which that Father, in his goodness, raised up again. They who deny the gift of God are perishing in their disputes" (Letter to the Smyrnaeans 6:2–7:1 [A.D. 110]).
To Justin Martyr in 155:
- "We call this food Eucharist, and no one else is permitted to partake of it, except one who believes our teaching to be true and who has been washed in the washing which is for the remission of sins and for regeneration [i.e., has received baptism] and is thereby living as Christ enjoined. For not as common bread nor common drink do we receive these; but since Jesus Christ our Savior was made incarnate by the word of God and had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so too, as we have been taught, the food which has been made into the Eucharist by the Eucharistic prayer set down by him, and by the change of which our blood and flesh is nurtured, is both the flesh and the blood of that incarnated Jesus" (First Apology 66 [A.D. 151]).
I know that this is one Catholic belief that many of our separated brothers struggle with. How could that little wafer actually be the Body of Christ? The simple answer is that it is because Christ loves us so much that He humbles Himself to be truly present for us, just as He was truly present when he walked the Earth before and after His death.
We Catholics believe that the Eucharist is “the source and summit of the Christian life.” (CCC 1324). I want to challenge myself and each one of you to carefully read and reflect on what Sacred Scripture, the Church Fathers, and the Catechism tells us about the Eucharist and to truly make the Eucharist the source and summit of our lives, today and until the end of time.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Be firmly set upon the Rock to avoid the lava waste
This past weekend, I spent the weekend at a youth conference as one of the chaperones for the youth group of another parish in my Diocese. I have known the youth minister at this parish for several years, and when they were in need of another male chaperone, I agreed. I went into the weekend not knowing a single one of the 29 kids who were going on the trip, which was a very different experience than volunteering with the youth group at my own parish.
Throughout the weekend, we heard from several different speakers, all coming from very different backgrounds and life experiences. The theme of the weekend was being “rooted in Christ”. Of all of talks we heard, two Scripture passages really stuck out for me, one from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament. Over the weekend, the kids, other chaperones and I reflected on this theme, and I think it is so important in each of our daily lives.
“Thus says the LORD: Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings, who seeks his strength in flesh, whose heart turns away from the LORD. He is like a barren bush in the desert that enjoys no change of season, but stands in a lava waste, a salt and empty earth. Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose hope is the LORD. He is like a tree planted beside the waters that stretches out its roots to the stream: It fears not the heat when it comes, its leaves stay green; in the year of drought it shows no distress, but still bears fruit.” Jeremiah 17:5-8
For me, the greatest part in going on a weekend retreat is being refreshed and encouraged in my faith. We all know that it is hard to live the life we are called by God to live, especially with all of the distractions our society throws in front of us. So often, we put our trust only in ourselves and the things of the world. We are built up by society to believe that we have all power within us to do anything we want, and that we should do whatever we want to be happy and enjoy our lives. And that way usually works for a while. We are blessed to live in a great country, to have so much readily at our fingertips.
But, eventually the heat and the drought comes – we lose our job, suffer an illness or injury, lose a loved one – and our entire world crumbles around us. We wither in the face of these hardships, and we don’t have any way to deal with them. But our God tells us exactly what we need to do to avoid going down this path. If we live our life like the tree Jeremiah is talking about, then we will be able to handle the suffering that comes our way. Because the tree stayed close to its source of life, the stream, even when the weather around it turned nasty, it was able to survive because it was tapped into the source of water that would never dry up.
Sure, we are always going to face suffering, Christ never promised that we wouldn’t. But, like Jeremiah’s tree, we have a great source of water that we can continually tap into. Through the power of the Most Holy Trinity, Christ is our source of Living Water. If we dig deep and plant ourselves with Him, then we will never wither and die in the face of heat and drought – those things can never conquer us if we are firmly rooted in Christ and live our lives the way He has showed us.
Christ tells us these things Himself, in a different way, when He was teaching the crowds during the Sermon on the Mount:
"Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined." Matthew 7:24-27
Think about the difference between rock and sand for a minute. I love going to the beach and laying on the sand, soaking up the sun. It’s comfortable. Laying on a rock, on the other hand, is hard and sometimes uncomfortable. When we reach down, we can pick up a handful of warm sand, but then it slips right through our fingertips – just like all of the illusory promises the world offers. But when we reach down and find rock, it is solid, immovable, and impenetrable.
It is certainly not always comfortable to live as a faithful Christian – the world looks at that and laughs – telling us over and over that we shouldn’t limit ourselves and that we should frolic on the beach with everyone else. But when the floods and winds come trying to drown us out and blow us over, the rock will remain secure, and if we build our live upon the Rock of Christ and His Church then we will remain secure also.
Pray that I and you and all of the kids I spent the weekend with remain firmly set upon the rock and rooted in Christ, and that none of us ever find ourselves stranded in the lava waste.
Throughout the weekend, we heard from several different speakers, all coming from very different backgrounds and life experiences. The theme of the weekend was being “rooted in Christ”. Of all of talks we heard, two Scripture passages really stuck out for me, one from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament. Over the weekend, the kids, other chaperones and I reflected on this theme, and I think it is so important in each of our daily lives.
“Thus says the LORD: Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings, who seeks his strength in flesh, whose heart turns away from the LORD. He is like a barren bush in the desert that enjoys no change of season, but stands in a lava waste, a salt and empty earth. Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose hope is the LORD. He is like a tree planted beside the waters that stretches out its roots to the stream: It fears not the heat when it comes, its leaves stay green; in the year of drought it shows no distress, but still bears fruit.” Jeremiah 17:5-8
For me, the greatest part in going on a weekend retreat is being refreshed and encouraged in my faith. We all know that it is hard to live the life we are called by God to live, especially with all of the distractions our society throws in front of us. So often, we put our trust only in ourselves and the things of the world. We are built up by society to believe that we have all power within us to do anything we want, and that we should do whatever we want to be happy and enjoy our lives. And that way usually works for a while. We are blessed to live in a great country, to have so much readily at our fingertips.
But, eventually the heat and the drought comes – we lose our job, suffer an illness or injury, lose a loved one – and our entire world crumbles around us. We wither in the face of these hardships, and we don’t have any way to deal with them. But our God tells us exactly what we need to do to avoid going down this path. If we live our life like the tree Jeremiah is talking about, then we will be able to handle the suffering that comes our way. Because the tree stayed close to its source of life, the stream, even when the weather around it turned nasty, it was able to survive because it was tapped into the source of water that would never dry up.
Sure, we are always going to face suffering, Christ never promised that we wouldn’t. But, like Jeremiah’s tree, we have a great source of water that we can continually tap into. Through the power of the Most Holy Trinity, Christ is our source of Living Water. If we dig deep and plant ourselves with Him, then we will never wither and die in the face of heat and drought – those things can never conquer us if we are firmly rooted in Christ and live our lives the way He has showed us.
Christ tells us these things Himself, in a different way, when He was teaching the crowds during the Sermon on the Mount:
"Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined." Matthew 7:24-27
Think about the difference between rock and sand for a minute. I love going to the beach and laying on the sand, soaking up the sun. It’s comfortable. Laying on a rock, on the other hand, is hard and sometimes uncomfortable. When we reach down, we can pick up a handful of warm sand, but then it slips right through our fingertips – just like all of the illusory promises the world offers. But when we reach down and find rock, it is solid, immovable, and impenetrable.
It is certainly not always comfortable to live as a faithful Christian – the world looks at that and laughs – telling us over and over that we shouldn’t limit ourselves and that we should frolic on the beach with everyone else. But when the floods and winds come trying to drown us out and blow us over, the rock will remain secure, and if we build our live upon the Rock of Christ and His Church then we will remain secure also.
Pray that I and you and all of the kids I spent the weekend with remain firmly set upon the rock and rooted in Christ, and that none of us ever find ourselves stranded in the lava waste.
Monday, June 13, 2011
I am with you always, until the end of the age
I have always loved celebrating birthdays. My own, my family members’, and friends’ birthdays have always seemed to be worthy of great celebration – how lucky are we to have been born, especially in a post-Roe v. Wade society. My birthday is January 1st, which means that I always get to have a party – I’m always off work that day, and people are always willing to celebrate the countdown, shoot off poppers, and drink champagne with me.
Yesterday, the Church celebrated Pentecost Sunday – the day that the Church as we know it was born – when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles and they went out to fulfill the mission that Christ had left them. How did you celebrate the birthday of the Church? Did you grumble because there was an extra song before the Gospel – or did you truly celebrate all that we have been given by God?
The first reading yesterday from the Acts of the Apostles is one of my favorite accounts in all of Scripture:
“When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim. Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem. At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd, but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. They were astounded, and in amazement they asked, ‘Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans? Then how does each of us hear them in his native language? We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene, as well as travelers from Rome, both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs, yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God.’” Acts 2:1-11
Truly, I cannot imagine what it must have been like for the Apostles and for the crowd that they spoke to that day. During the fifty days between the Resurrection and Pentecost, the Apostles were undoubtedly unsure of what they were supposed to do, now that Christ was no longer going to be physically present with them. I’m sure they were still trying to fully sort out all of the events leading up to the Passion and death of Christ, then finding the tomb empty, and having the Risen Lord appear before them in the upper room. I imagine them feeling, all of a sudden, that their time with Jesus had been much to short, that he had not had time to teach them and show them all that they needed to learn in order to successfully do as Christ had commanded when he told them: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” Matthew 28:19-20
But, Jesus just didn’t give them a command – He also made a promise to them that day when He said “And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20. On that day of Pentecost, the Apostles learned exactly what Jesus had meant by this statement – He would not be with them physically, but would not just be a memory either – He would be with them, infused with them, as God the Holy Spirit.
“‘When the work which the Father gave the Son to do on earth was accomplished, the Holy Spirit was sent on the day of Pentecost in order that he might continually sanctify the Church.’ Then ‘the Church was openly displayed to the crowds and the spread of the Gospel among the nations, through preaching, was begun.’” (CCC 767)
When the Holy Spirit descended upon them, they were sealed with the gifts that were necessary to their ministry – to building up the Church established by Jesus Christ. The Church that Christ chose to build upon the rock of Peter, the Church that He entrusted to those men from Galilee, surged forward that day when the Apostles stepped forth and proclaimed the Word to all of those who would listen. That Church to which I know that I am so privileged to be a part of today, 2000 years later, led by the successor of Peter and the other Apostles, was fully established that day when the Holy Trinity was fully revealed.
“So that she can fulfill her mission, the Holy Spirit ‘bestows upon [the Church] varied hierarchic and charismatic gifts, and in this way directs her.’ ‘Henceforward the Church, endowed with the gifts of her founder and faithfully observing his precepts of charity, humility and self-denial, receives the mission of proclaiming and establishing among all peoples the Kingdom of Christ and of God, and she is on earth the seed and the beginning of that kingdom.’” (CCC 768)
Pentecost is truly a day to celebrate, and not just for its historical significance, but for what it means for us today. The Church, and its members, is continually endowed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which are necessary to carry out the mission Christ entrusted first to Peter and the other Apostles, and then to disciples they won for Christ, all the way down to each of us here today. As members of the Body of Christ, we must continually celebrate what God has given to us, and strive to always use the gifts of the Holy Spirit for the benefit of all God’s people. So, if you didn’t sing Happy Birthday to the Church yesterday, do it today!
Yesterday, the Church celebrated Pentecost Sunday – the day that the Church as we know it was born – when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles and they went out to fulfill the mission that Christ had left them. How did you celebrate the birthday of the Church? Did you grumble because there was an extra song before the Gospel – or did you truly celebrate all that we have been given by God?
The first reading yesterday from the Acts of the Apostles is one of my favorite accounts in all of Scripture:
“When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim. Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem. At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd, but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. They were astounded, and in amazement they asked, ‘Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans? Then how does each of us hear them in his native language? We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene, as well as travelers from Rome, both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs, yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God.’” Acts 2:1-11
Truly, I cannot imagine what it must have been like for the Apostles and for the crowd that they spoke to that day. During the fifty days between the Resurrection and Pentecost, the Apostles were undoubtedly unsure of what they were supposed to do, now that Christ was no longer going to be physically present with them. I’m sure they were still trying to fully sort out all of the events leading up to the Passion and death of Christ, then finding the tomb empty, and having the Risen Lord appear before them in the upper room. I imagine them feeling, all of a sudden, that their time with Jesus had been much to short, that he had not had time to teach them and show them all that they needed to learn in order to successfully do as Christ had commanded when he told them: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” Matthew 28:19-20
But, Jesus just didn’t give them a command – He also made a promise to them that day when He said “And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20. On that day of Pentecost, the Apostles learned exactly what Jesus had meant by this statement – He would not be with them physically, but would not just be a memory either – He would be with them, infused with them, as God the Holy Spirit.
“‘When the work which the Father gave the Son to do on earth was accomplished, the Holy Spirit was sent on the day of Pentecost in order that he might continually sanctify the Church.’ Then ‘the Church was openly displayed to the crowds and the spread of the Gospel among the nations, through preaching, was begun.’” (CCC 767)
When the Holy Spirit descended upon them, they were sealed with the gifts that were necessary to their ministry – to building up the Church established by Jesus Christ. The Church that Christ chose to build upon the rock of Peter, the Church that He entrusted to those men from Galilee, surged forward that day when the Apostles stepped forth and proclaimed the Word to all of those who would listen. That Church to which I know that I am so privileged to be a part of today, 2000 years later, led by the successor of Peter and the other Apostles, was fully established that day when the Holy Trinity was fully revealed.
“So that she can fulfill her mission, the Holy Spirit ‘bestows upon [the Church] varied hierarchic and charismatic gifts, and in this way directs her.’ ‘Henceforward the Church, endowed with the gifts of her founder and faithfully observing his precepts of charity, humility and self-denial, receives the mission of proclaiming and establishing among all peoples the Kingdom of Christ and of God, and she is on earth the seed and the beginning of that kingdom.’” (CCC 768)
Pentecost is truly a day to celebrate, and not just for its historical significance, but for what it means for us today. The Church, and its members, is continually endowed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which are necessary to carry out the mission Christ entrusted first to Peter and the other Apostles, and then to disciples they won for Christ, all the way down to each of us here today. As members of the Body of Christ, we must continually celebrate what God has given to us, and strive to always use the gifts of the Holy Spirit for the benefit of all God’s people. So, if you didn’t sing Happy Birthday to the Church yesterday, do it today!
Monday, June 6, 2011
Whoever Wishes to be Great Among You Shall be Your Servant
Can you believe that the 2012 presidential election is already heating up? New challengers seem to be coming forward every day to throw their hats in the ring for the chance to take on President Obama next fall. You can hardly turn on the evening news or read the headlines without being bombarded by all of these potential candidates. I have always followed politics closely, and even chose Political Science as my second major as an undergrad. I can remember having a mock presidential election when I was in middle school, and politics have always been a topic of conversation in my family and among my friends – and even though we don’t always agree, we are never afraid to discuss the issues.
Fully aware of all of this political interest, and of my more active participation in our Catholic faith over the last four years, my brother e-mailed me the following quote the other week, which he came across in a book he had been reading.
"A Catholic should not enter the public life unless willing to look on such office the way any Catholic should look on any job, as a means of becoming a saint." Fr. George Rutler, Beyond Modernity
For such a short sentence, I think that this statement is really quite profound. Many of our politicians are Catholic, and it seems that most other politicians claim a Christian faith of some variety or another. My Congressman is Catholic, the Speaker of the House of Representatives is Catholic, and so is the former Speaker – it seems clear that Catholics are appearing on both sides of the political aisle. But are any of them actually living out their faith in the way that Fr. Rutler is talking about? Can we name any Catholic political figure who we think might be declared a saint by the Church someday?
What do we make of this? What are the responsibilities of a Catholic when it comes to public service? And not just elected politicians, but anyone who works in public service and citizens too – how are we called to serve the public?
The Catechism tells us that “those who exercise authority should do so as a service…No one can command or establish what is contrary to the dignity of persons and the natural law.” (CCC 2235). “Political authorities are obliged to respect the fundamental rights of the human person. They will dispense justice humanely by respecting the rights of everyone, especially of families and the disadvantaged….Political rights are meant to be exercised for the common good of the nation and the human community.” (CCC 2237).
We see this notion of service laid out clearly by Christ in the Gospel of Matthew: “Jesus summoned them and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.’” Matthew 20:25-28
A Catholic, or any Christian for that matter, cannot shy away from service to God just because he engages in public service. It is so critical that these most public and powerful Christians actually act like Christians – defending the dignity of human life, from conception to natural death; defending the rights of the poor and sick; defending all of those who cannot defend themselves; humanely dispensing justice to those who violate the law; and ensuring that the laws of the land fully comport with God’s laws. Imagine, for a second, what good might occur if every Christian public servant remembered that he or she was first and foremost the servant of God.
When considering the subject of political/public service, I cannot help but think of one of the greatest martyrs of the Church, and one of my personal favorite saints, Saint Thomas More. Sir Thomas More was a great attorney in England, and was eventually appointed Lord Chancellor of England by King Henry VIII – yes, that King Henry. Unfortunately, as most of us know, King Henry VIII broke away from Rome and declared himself the supreme head of the church in England. Sir Thomas refused to swear the oath and was eventually found guilty of treason and executed by beheading. Saint Thomas More is reported to have stated, just before his execution, “I die the king’s good servant and God’s first”. I highly recommend you check out the movie A Man for All Seasons about Thomas More’s life – it won six Academy Awards in 1967, including Best Picture and Best Actor.
The point that Sir Thomas More proved, is exactly what the Catechism and the Holy Scriptures tell us – service to God our first responsibility, no matter the consequences – and if we truly are serving God, then we are always serving our fellow man.
Pray with me today for all of our political and public servants the prayer for political authorities of Pope Saint Clement of Rome, from the first century:
Fully aware of all of this political interest, and of my more active participation in our Catholic faith over the last four years, my brother e-mailed me the following quote the other week, which he came across in a book he had been reading.
"A Catholic should not enter the public life unless willing to look on such office the way any Catholic should look on any job, as a means of becoming a saint." Fr. George Rutler, Beyond Modernity
For such a short sentence, I think that this statement is really quite profound. Many of our politicians are Catholic, and it seems that most other politicians claim a Christian faith of some variety or another. My Congressman is Catholic, the Speaker of the House of Representatives is Catholic, and so is the former Speaker – it seems clear that Catholics are appearing on both sides of the political aisle. But are any of them actually living out their faith in the way that Fr. Rutler is talking about? Can we name any Catholic political figure who we think might be declared a saint by the Church someday?
What do we make of this? What are the responsibilities of a Catholic when it comes to public service? And not just elected politicians, but anyone who works in public service and citizens too – how are we called to serve the public?
The Catechism tells us that “those who exercise authority should do so as a service…No one can command or establish what is contrary to the dignity of persons and the natural law.” (CCC 2235). “Political authorities are obliged to respect the fundamental rights of the human person. They will dispense justice humanely by respecting the rights of everyone, especially of families and the disadvantaged….Political rights are meant to be exercised for the common good of the nation and the human community.” (CCC 2237).
We see this notion of service laid out clearly by Christ in the Gospel of Matthew: “Jesus summoned them and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.’” Matthew 20:25-28
A Catholic, or any Christian for that matter, cannot shy away from service to God just because he engages in public service. It is so critical that these most public and powerful Christians actually act like Christians – defending the dignity of human life, from conception to natural death; defending the rights of the poor and sick; defending all of those who cannot defend themselves; humanely dispensing justice to those who violate the law; and ensuring that the laws of the land fully comport with God’s laws. Imagine, for a second, what good might occur if every Christian public servant remembered that he or she was first and foremost the servant of God.
When considering the subject of political/public service, I cannot help but think of one of the greatest martyrs of the Church, and one of my personal favorite saints, Saint Thomas More. Sir Thomas More was a great attorney in England, and was eventually appointed Lord Chancellor of England by King Henry VIII – yes, that King Henry. Unfortunately, as most of us know, King Henry VIII broke away from Rome and declared himself the supreme head of the church in England. Sir Thomas refused to swear the oath and was eventually found guilty of treason and executed by beheading. Saint Thomas More is reported to have stated, just before his execution, “I die the king’s good servant and God’s first”. I highly recommend you check out the movie A Man for All Seasons about Thomas More’s life – it won six Academy Awards in 1967, including Best Picture and Best Actor.
The point that Sir Thomas More proved, is exactly what the Catechism and the Holy Scriptures tell us – service to God our first responsibility, no matter the consequences – and if we truly are serving God, then we are always serving our fellow man.
Pray with me today for all of our political and public servants the prayer for political authorities of Pope Saint Clement of Rome, from the first century:
Grant to them, Lord, health, peace, concord, and stability,
so that they may exercise without offense the sovereignty that you have given them.
Master, heavenly King of the ages, you give glory, honor, and power
over the things of earth to the sons of men.
Direct, Lord, their counsel, following what is pleasing and acceptable in your sight,
so that by exercising with devotion and in peace and gentleness
the power that you have given to them, they may find favor with you. (CCC 1900)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)