Healing On The Sabbath

Luke 13:10-17 - Jesus was teaching in a synagogue on the Sabbath. And a woman was there who for eighteen years had been crippled by a spirit; she was bent over, completely incapable of standing erect. When Jesus saw her, he called to her and said, “Woman you are set free of you infirmity.” He laid his hands on her, and she at once stood up straight and glorified God. But the leader of the synagogue, indignant that Jesus had cured on the Sabbath, said to the crowd in reply, “There are six days when work should be done. Come on those days to be cured, not on the Sabbath day.” The Lord said to him in reply, “Hypocrites! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his ass from the manger and lead it out for watering? This daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound for eighteen years now, ought she not have been set free on the Sabbath day from this bondage?” When he said this, all his adversaries were humiliated; and the whole crowd rejoiced at all the splendid deeds done by him.

Thoughts: Why did Jesus just heal her? With others He healed at their request. But with this woman, He called her out. I would imagine that during the time, while He was teaching, the woman surely did not escape his notice. How often to do we not notice people who are hurting all around us because they have been so for a long time and we are blinded to their condition? The woman in the story had debilitating issues to the point she was incapable of helping herself. Jesus is all-knowing and often knows our problems better than we do.

I was living with afflictions that I just assumed were a part of me. I had areas of sin in my life that I had been dealing with for so long, I just accepted it. When we have a spirit within us that is not of God, it can consume who we are like a cancer. I think the fact that the woman was in the synagogue shows that she was seeking a cure even if she did not know completely what was wrong with her. Also, the fact that she had been like this for eighteen years shows her commitment and hope in something greater.

As He did with me, Jesus chose this particular day to reach out and free her from her bondage and rid her of infirmity. Her response was immediate and purposeful. She glorified God with all of her being. She glorified Him without fear. When this saving power of God is experienced, we are immediately filled with the Holy Spirit and cannot help but glorify God. Just like the early disciples let us make haste to rejoice with all who are healed and brought to relationship with Jesus Christ.

Let us never cease to offer prayers for all who are suffering, including the many who do not appear to be suffering on the outside but on the inside are tormented by something they can’t quite put their hands on. Something that eludes there consciousness. They seek happiness but are unable to see the true joy that comes from Christ. Instead, they chase the road to happiness that is presented to them by the world. I pray that people would have the courage to seek the joy of the Lord and abandon the empty happiness that ultimately leads to destruction.

Evangelista

Acts 4:19-20 - Peter and John answered, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight  for us to obey you rather than God. Surely we cannot help speaking of what we have heard and seen."

Thoughts:  Today I read in the gospel of John about Peter and John (the disciple whom Jesus loved) going to the tomb to see what Mary had told them about the tomb being empty. These two had walked with Jesus on a daily basis, literally. They had seen the many miracles performed by Him, literally. 

Oh to have had that type of closeness to the Lord. This closeness they had is what drove them to proclaim what they had heard boldly and against opposition. But what was the purpose behind them sharing with others? I believe it was the command from Jesus to go and make disciples of all nations. It was the desire of the God made man to have all come to the Father through Him. 

While we will probably never walk with Jesus in physical form like the apostles did, we do have the opportunity to be with Him physically in the Eucharist. What a fabulous gift he left us at the last supper. We hear His words recounted to us through the Bible. We receive revelation and consolation through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit promised us by Jesus at Pentecost. 

It is through the gift of the Holy Spirit that I have been strengthened by the Lord. Armed with this gift I am called and feel privileged to share the same gospel message shared by the apostles long ago. Along with recounting all of the marvelous deeds done by Christ so long ago, I must also share what the Lord has done for me. For the gospel is not just something that happened thousands of years ago. It is the living gospel of life for Christ was risen from the dead. If Jesus had died of the cross and not risen then the gospel might have ceased at that moment. But this is not the case.

Our Lord rose from the dead, ascended into heaven and sent his Holy Spirit down to us to be our guide forever. It is because of this that the gospel lives on today through our daily lives. We only need to stop and look at our lives to see Jesus at work in and around us. So, let's go out there and share the gospel message from two thousand years ago and even more importantly to share the living gospel from today.  

Surely we cannot help speaking of what we have heard and seen.

Emmanuel - God with us

So, I was thinking today about the immaculate conception. And conception in general. Why do people or children have to be conceived at all? I mean, God made Adam and Eve out of nothing or dirt. So why not keep it that way forever? I think maybe to give us a better appreciation for life, he gave a stake or partnership in the process of creating new persons.

I recently was told about a study that shows how stem cells are transferred to a baby in the womb. It was also noted that stem cell from the baby are transferred back to the mother. One of the benefits of this transfer is better health for the mother. Now, let's think about that. If my children can give better health to my wife then just imagine Jesus giving some of his cells back to Mary. Talk about a concept hard to fathom.

Mary had part of Jesus left in her body to strengthen her for the agony she must have felt watching her son die on the cross. As Catholics, we believe in the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist. This means that every time we attend mass and receive the Eucharist we have a piece of Christ present inside us. There is incredible grace and healing power made available to us every singe time week we attend mass. There should be lines down the aisle and out the door waiting for this precious gift. 

I'll be going to mass as soon as I can. I'll save a place in line for you. Hope to see you there.

Living in God’s love we have freedom

John 14:23 - Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and He will come to him and make Our abode with him.

Thoughts: When we have a love for Jesus and strive to keep His commands, we will experience true freedom. God sets up boundaries for us not to enslave us but to set us free. He knows what is best for us and when we submit ourselves to Him, we will experience a true freedom like we have never experienced before. God wants nothing more than to love us. So sit down in the loving arms of Jesus and just let Him love you. You don’t have to earn or deserve it. When we allow Him to love us we will be truly free to worship Him without reservation.

When I think of the word abode, I think home. It symbolizes a place of comfort, a place where I can truly be myself. Talk about the world's best roommate. Home is the place where you can always go to feel safe and wanted. Now, I know all homes are not like this but here we are talking about God's home. Put away everything you know about home. This is a whole new ball of wax.

Because we have our abode with God, we don't always have to be praying we can just be with Him. We can just sit in His presence. I am currently reading a book about Brother Lawrence, a Carmelite from France, who wrote many letters about just being in the presence of God. His idea was that every moment of our lives should be present to God and that prayer time and any other time need not be different. I would think this is probably a glimpse of what heaven will be like. Always in the presence of God. The book is title, "The Practice of the Presence of God".

If you need me for anything, I will be here hanging out with God.

Lepers

As I waited for Saturday morning to come, I was experiencing some anxiety. You see, I was about to head off to my first class on my road to the diaconate. I was nervous like a 5 year old on the first day of kindergarten.

I wouldn't know anyone else in the class. What if they made fun of me? What if no one liked me? What if they said I wasn't good enough? My lovely wife would try to reassure me that it would be OK. I wasn't ready to really believe it. Part of me did not feel worthy to be there. I mean, I had only recently reignited my life in Christ. 

So, Saturday morning comes. I get up early to make sure I got down there in time. I prayed a rosary on the way. I get there early. I walk in nervously. The instructor is nice. She tells me to take a seat at one of the big tables. I do so and wait nervously for the other 'kids' to show up. 

One by one they come in and sit down. At other tables. I am all alone. Finally, one guy comes and sits at my table. After about thirty seconds he gets up and leaves. Shrugging his shoulders as he leaves. 

My worst fears have been realized, I AM A LEPER. I sat there and prayed like never before asking God, "Why is this happening to me?". I look up and the gentleman that had come and gone was motioning for me to come join his table. Happily, I got up and went to join them. 

The rest of the day was wonderful and I think I am going to have some new friends for my journey. I pray for them as often as I can and they pledged to pray for me also. So, this is how my day went: anxiety to fear to horror to relief to joy. 

God taught me a great lesson that day. And the class was good too.

Patience, Young One

James 5:7-11 Be patient, my brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer awaits the precious yield of the soil. He looks forward to it patiently while the soil receives the winter and spring rains. You, too, must be patient. Steady your hearts, because the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, my brothers, lest you be condemned. See! The judge stands at the gate. As your models in suffering hardships and in patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Those who have endured we call blessed. you have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and have seen what the Lord, who is compassionate and merciful did in the end.

Thoughts:  I have been struggling to be a good disciple of the Lord. It is not always easy. Two separate thoughts come to mind here. 

First, as disciples we are a bit like farmers, planting seeds. After we plant the seeds we must continue to nourish the soil and wait for the plants to sprout. We must be patient because the strongest of plants may take the longest to sprout. So, I must remind myself to not be discouraged if I don't see results right away. This was a very real lesson to me as I started my work as a disciple. I thought that immediately everyone should be right where I was. How foolish. 

Second, we must always keep the joy of Christ in our hearts. It is our joy and inner peace that will ultimately win people over for Christ. Pointing out others failings will not work. It is through love and compassion that we will win the battles for Jesus. We are not the judge. Only one can judge and we are not Him. God will reward our efforts but it will be in His time not ours. Our reward may not come until we die and can spend our eternity with Him. But when God does give us consolations here on earth we should enjoy the little glimpses of heaven.

Do what you can to soak in the times of consolation to give you strength to endure the times of desolation when God calls you to go deeper in your relationship.

Amen!

Christian Suffering

1 Peter 3:13-16 - Now who is going to harm you if you are enthusiastic for what is good? But even if you should suffer because of righteousness, blessed are you. Do not be afraid or terrified with fear of them, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence, keeping your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who defame your good conduct in Christ may themselves be put to shame.

Thoughts:  We need to share the good news with enthusiasm and without fear.  I have come to this point in my relationship with Jesus. I feel His blessing on a daily basis. Through the grace of God I am now always ready to give explanation or witness to what God has done for me that all may have hope as I have hope in the resurrection and saving power of Christ. We must not let our zeal for the gospel overtake the spirit of gentleness, the gentleness that is of Christ, the healer and redeemer of the world. 

You may be ridiculed or made fun of for your belief in Jesus but those are the people of this world. Be on guard as the attacks on us are often not obvious or overt. The devil will use things that sound good, from a secular standpoint, to tempt us to move away from the gospel. People may not ‘attack’ you directly but all of the talk and actions of those around us who are not walking in the light of Christ will attempt to erode or distinguish our light. Unfortunately, these attacks sometimes come while we are in what we consider a safe environment (church, family, school). We have been called to another existence, one with Christ as our purpose. But while we have a new life in Christ we are still called to be in this world as ambassadors for Jesus Christ.

We are called to be cheerful and enthusiastic for the sake of the Gospel. We will win people over by spreading the message through love and concern for our fellow man. It is through our love and caring that people will hopefully see the God that lives in us. We need to be slow to anger and slow in being offended. When people see that love for Jesus oozing out of us they will be drawn to Christ and hearts will change. If hearts change then actions will change and the face of the earth will never be the same. 

So, let's put on Christ and go out to meet the world this day and every day.

To Boldly Go.....

1 Peter 4:16-17 - But whoever is made to suffer as a Christian should not be ashamed but glorify God because of the name. For it is time for the judgment to begin with the household of God; if it begins with us, how will it end for those who fail to obey the gospel of God?

Thoughts: Pope Benedict in declaring the 'Year of Faith' calls us to boldly evangelize both inside and outside of our church. Thanks to the grace of God I am no longer ashamed or apologetic for being a Christian and a Catholic. Rather, I am ready to endure rejection or ridicule for the sake of the message, ready to offer the reason for my hope. A hope that transcends this world, a hope of eternal salvation living in the presence of God. 

I used to be afraid to state what I believed. Afraid that I might be ridiculed or challenged for my beliefs. I would say things like, “I can’t explain it but good things are happening to me. I am able to sleep now at night and my fears are gone”. I was hesitant to give God the credit and glorify Him for my blessings. No wonder I was ineffective as a disciple. But now the truth rolls out of my mouth easily.  

I can no longer soft sell the message. I must give credit to Jesus who gives all good things. Girded by that truth I can boldly proclaim the gospel as one with authority. A while back I was attending our annual men's retreat. I was asked to give a short 10 minute witness talk with a lead in to adoration. Humbled by the invitation I went to the chapel to sit in front of the blessed sacrament. As I sat in the presence of my Lord and King, I prayed and the Spirit of Truth filled me. I shared my conversion story and was able to proclaim the message of salvation to all who were present.  

After adoration a number of people came up to me and said they were touched by my words and their lives had been changed. One man said he thought it was Pentecost all over again. I sit in awe of God for the lives that were changed by those words. But I know that they were not my words but the words given me by the Holy Spirit. It does take a leap of faith to step out and state what you believe but the rewards are eternal. 

As it says in the reading, judgement will begin with the household of God. It will start with the believers and disciples. As for me, I will attempt to obey the gospel of God, spreading the good news to win hearts over to Jesus.

Special Delivery

Our lives are continually changing. With every passing second, cells are dying and being created. We age. We mature, We gain new insights. So you could say that we are always becoming. We are always being renewed or recreated. What we are now is different from what we were 2 days ago. We have had additional experiences that have changed us. Often these changes are small and barely noticeable. Sometimes there are huge and life changing. We tend to remember these big change times in our lives. This is called conversion.

In my life I have had a number of conversion experiences as I have grown in my relationship with God. My first conversion experience was 45 years ago. It was the day of my baptism. In a little Lutheran church in a small town in North Dakota, I was baptized as a small child, about 2 years old. It is this initial conversion that would set the stage for many future conversions. This gift given to me by my parents and grand parents (my grand parents were my god parents) would later blossom and come alive in my life.

My life after baptism was a normal secular life without any influences of God and church in my life. Yet the gift of baptism was still inside me waiting like a patient seed to be watered and have the sun shine on it. I was living the life of a normal, rebellious teenage boy, doing many of the things teenage boys do. On April 29, 1982 my life changed again in the split of a second. My dad, brother and I were out for a drive and there was an accident. My dad and brother had only minor bruises and scrapes. I, however, was left unconscious for 10 days with a brain stem contusion. After 30 days in the hospital, I was released with no real physical issues. But instead of feeling gratitude for God for sparing me I decided to live with reckless abandon.

My recklessness came to a head in 1987, I was at the lowest point in my entire life and I cried out to God that I needed him. My second conversion was at hand. I started attending church (Lutheran) and feeling the love of Jesus. Shortly after this conversion, I met my future wife and then joined the Catholic church. God is very good. He had delivered me from a dark place and time in my life.

Psalm 30:3-4  O Lord, my God, I cried out to you for help and you healed me. lord, you brought my soul up from Sheol; you let me live, from going down to the pit.

Yes, I was healed of a great many things that day. But there was a lot of work left to be done. The next 25 years would be a series of ups and downs, a series of conversions as I was maturing as a christian. On the outside I was a good christian and catholic. I attended mass weekly. I attended numerous men's retreats. I had 6 children which alone out to do it, right? Even though I appeared to be doing it all right but on the inside I was still plagued with sins that I could not overcome. I would go to reconciliation and receive forgiveness but I would still hold onto those sins. It was not Jesus but me that was keeping those sins alive in my heart.

Then came the latest conversion experience. In this conversion, I experienced the real and present God in my life. He came to me to offer the ultimate gift healing. Through the baptism I had received so many years ago, I was being offered forgiveness and washing away of my sins. As my mind was carried through baptismal waters I was cleansed. I cried like I had never cried before. My tears falling at the foot of the cross and Jesus telling me that He loves me. On that day, through the mercy of God, I was completely healed of my sins and my baptism was ignited with a zeal to love and serve Christ.

Psalm 30:12-13  You changed my mourning into dancing; you took off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness. So that my glory may praise you and not be silent. O Lord, my God, forever will I give you thanks.

On that day, I received joy. My mourning had truly been turned into dancing. I was given a boldness to proclaim the gospel and to sing His praises. This is what he wants for all his children for we are all children of God. It is my prayer that everyone will have the courage to cry out to the Lord for healing and forgiveness, so that their mourning will be turned into dancing.

Work In Progress

James 5:7

Be patient therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and late rains.

Thoughts: This world is all about cycles. We have the seasons of year. In order for the plants to thrive, they must go dormant in the winter until it is watered and warmed in the spring. We are very similar in our spiritual life. We go through ups and downs.  Recently, I was on a spiritual high. I was praying a lot. I felt like God was speaking directly to me often throughout each day. His presence was very close and very real to me. It was a very intense time in my walk with the Lord. I was feasting on God. I was being nourished in a very powerful way.

But these times cannot last. And they shouldn't last. A person needs some downtime to contemplate all that has happened and a period of reflection and introspection. This is where I am right now. Unlike past times in this cycle, I seem to be reaching out to Him more and more in this time of germination.

Also, our parish recently held a great mission with a great speaker. Many hearts were turned to Jesus and a great fire and love for the Lord resulted. This led to a large evangalization effort. We programs were started to help bring new disciples to Christ. 

After a couple of months, the spiritual high started to subside. Some people started to think that some of the programs were failures because the results were not what they had envisioned. I was leading a small group. After the first meeting, they didn't all seem to be where I was in my journey. How naive of me to expect everyone to immediately meet me where I was at. Jesus always met people where they were at and brought them to the foot of the cross.

My group turned out to be absolutely wonderful. But I learned that I am only God's instrument. I am called to play the tune he sets before me. I don't have to compose the song. We are not always called to the harvest. More often we are called to plant or water. God is the one who will determine what my role will be.

I pray for the humility and insight accept the role God has for me. And may I always rejoice whatever my role is. Finally, let me thank Him for the times he puts me back in the ground to develop better roots.

Amen!

Constant Prayer

Ephesians 6:18-20

With all prayers and supplications, pray at every opportunity in the Spirit. To that end, be watchful with all perseverance and supplication for all the holy ones and also for me, that speech may be given me to open my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel for which I am an ambassador in chains, so that I may have the courage to speak as I must.

Thoughts: We are asked to pray at all times and in the Spirit. At all times, this means everything we do, every single day should be offered up as a prayer. By the grace of God, I now consider myself first a disciple of Christ. One who's mission is to spread the word of God. I just develop software on the side to feed my family. So, it is my everyday 'being' a disciple that I offer up as prayer to the Lord including my prayer time.

What does it mean to pray in the Spirit? This means prayer from the heart. We must pray with confidence and not give up. The word supplication means to be submissive or to bow in obedience. It also means being willing to be quiet and listen for that still small voice that speaks to us in prayer. We cannot do this if we are surrounded by 'noise'. We need to be willing to turn off the television, radio, iPod, computer, and phone. Just sitting with Jesus is important, to put ourselves in His presence waiting to hear his message for us.

Finally, our prayer must be one that is submissive to God’s will. We must surrender our will to the Father. I pray the prayer of abandonment almost daily. This helps me to daily surrender myself to His will. When remain submissive to God, He will give us a boldness to proclaim His word to the world. It is through this constant prayer that we find courage to speak as we must. 

Prayer of Abandonment

Father,
I abandon myself into your hands; do with me what you will.
Whatever you may do, I thank you:
I am ready for all, I accept all.
Let only your will be done in me, and in all your creatures.
I wish no more than this, O Lord.

Into your hands I commend my soul;
I offer it to you
with all the love of my heart,
for I love you, Lord,
and so need to give myself,
to surrender myself into your hands,
without reserve,
and with boundless confidence,
for you are my Father.

Charles de Foucald

Ambitions and Agendas

Mark 10:35-45 (Ambition of James and John)

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” He replied, “What do you wish me to do for you?” The answered him, “Grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right and other at your left.” Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I drink or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” They said to him, “We can.” Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink, you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”

Thoughts:  How often do we come to Jesus with our plan? James and John thought they had it all figured out they were coming to Jesus with their "business plan" and they thought it was a really good one. When we do that, God may once in a while say, “Hey good plan.” But more often than not God, who knows and wants good things for us, will kind of laugh and say, “Hey, I have a better idea”. So, we must be ready to give up our plans, no matter how good they sound so that we will be able to accept the greatest gift ever given to us, Jesus. I pray that I will continue to surrender myself to God's plans. Lord help me remove my pride and my agenda to fully receive what you have ready for me. Open my ears and a heart to hear your calling and direction for my life. Pope Benedict has declared this the year of faith. Pray that we can remove all of the obstacles and truly open wide the doors of faith and fully receive the good gifts He has in store for us.

Climbing The Social Ladder

Romans 12:13-21

Look on the needs of the saints as your own; be generous in offering hospitality. Bless your persecutors; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Have the same attitude toward all. Put away ambitious thoughts and associate with those who are lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Never repay injury with injury. See that your conduct is honorable in the eyes of all.

If possible, live peaceably with everyone. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves; leave that to God’s wrath, for it is written: ” ‘Vengeance is mine; I will repay,’ says the Lord.” But “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; by doing this you will heap burning coals upon his head.” Do not be conquered by evil but conquer evil with good.

Thoughts:  Over the years I have observed and realized that it is in our nature to associate with those at or above our 'social' status. I fully know that I was one of those people. Not even consciously, though, it just kind of happens. But God has been tugging at me for years. Over and over again in scripture, Jesus reaches out the the lowly, the sick, and the poor. He says that those who are not sick have no need for a physician. So, I feel the gentle tug of Jesus to reach out to those who are lowly, hurting, or lost. I have no more important role in my life than to pray for and reach out to anyone who is hurting or in distress. In my humanness, I sometimes fail in my call to action. The Holy Spirit prompts me to action but I don't out of fear. Fear of rejection or ridicule. But my joy greatly increases when I do answer the still, soft voice calling me to action in service of others. The more often I answer the call the more I am strengthened to answer it again. Our willingness to answer the call will help increase our faith and to perhaps hear the call more often.

I have been reminded, though, that I am called only to live in the love of Christ. That I should not worry too much about 'doing'. Live in the love of Jesus and the doing will take care of itself.

My Body, Broken and Given Up For You

Years ago I was on staff at a Christ Renews His Parish(CHRP) retreat. It was a great time as this was an outreach retreat where we were helping start the retreat at another parish. One of the most important aspects of the retreat is that everything is done in prayer and with prayer support. 

I was honored to be asked by a good friend to be his special prayer support. He was to give a talk to the attendees and I would be in the chapel, on my knees, in front of the blessed sacrament praying for him while he was talking. This was to be a very difficult talk for my friend and I knew it. 

You see, about a year earlier, he and his wife were expecting a child. They had learned that the child, although still in the womb, had a heart defect and the child would only live for a few hours after birth. Of course, given the circumstances, the well meaning doctors suggested aborting the pregnancy. My friend and his wife informed the doctors that no they could not abort this child, created by God. The remaining time of the pregnancy and the birth and inevitable death of the child came to pass. 

The time comes for his talk and I proceed to the chapel to start praying for my friend. I enter the chapel, kneel in front of the blessed sacrament in the monstrance, and start praying. As I gazed at the monstrance, I noticed that the host inside was broken. I was outraged. They couldn't at least get an unbroken host for the monstrance. But, God is good and perfect.

I started thinking that a broken host was OK. I mean, Jesus was broken on the cross, wasn't he? Does the fact that Jesus was broken on the cross make him any less God, any less holy? The answer is no. 

And if a broken Jesus, was still holy and perfect, would he love that child any less just because he was broken. Just because of a little heart defect. His life was short but carried a great impact on all who know the story. Jesus especially loved the broken and the sick. We are all broken in some way and Jesus loves us even in our broken state. For that we must always praise God.

I shared this account with my friend afterward and our lives will never be the same. I also know that little Anthony is in heaven now, free from the earthly body that only served him for a few hours after his birth. He looks down on us now in his new state praising God and watching out for his family.

We called to embrace both the broken and resurrected Jesus, going through the broken to get to the resurrected.

Matthew 26:26 - While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body."

Angels Watching Over Me

The Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 336 says:

From its beginning until death, human life is surrounded by their watchful care and intercession. “Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life.” Already here on earth the Christian life shares by faith in the blessed company of angels and men united in God.

Thoughts: Amy Grant had a song years ago called, "Angels Watching Over Me". The refrain went, "Angels watching over me every step I take". Awe inspiring to think that we are constantly surrounded by angels. Angels in their cherubic state watching us from womb to grave leading us to a life in communion with Jesus Christ is a comforting thought. At mass we join our prayers to those of the angels praising God, “Hosanna in the highest”. I fix my eyes on Jesus on the cross while we sing, “Glory to God in the highest” and I feel lifted up, drawn to Him. Perhaps it is my angel gently guiding me. The angels exist not for their own edification but for the glory of God. And so it is to be with us.  

Hold me, Jesus

So, my birthday was 2 days ago. It was a nice day mostly. I was not feeling real well physically and was in kind of a melancholy mood. I was probably having kind of a pity party too and just didn't feel very spiritual or close to God. My next to last phone call last night was from a very dear friend. As we were talking, I mentioned to him that I wasn't feeling very spiritual today so I had been praying all day. Now, isn't that a funny statement. I didn't feel close to God or spiritual but I had been praying all day. 

I just kind of sat there dumbfounded for a bit. I thank God for the down times that lead to prayer. It was kind of like the poem/prayer, “Footprints” where the person does not feel that God was near because he only sees one set of footprints. But these are the times that God is carrying us. I imagine Jesus carrying me in much the same way He carried his cross. Jesus in his beaten and broken state still carried the cross. The very thing that was to be the means to his death, he carried and faced for the greatest victory the world has ever known. 

I am humbled and awed that Jesus would do that for me. That he would carry my sinful broken self to the ultimate victory with him. Let’s end with a reading from Romans 8:35, 37 –

Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Trial, or distress, or persecution, or hunger, or nakedness, or danger, or the sword? Yet in all this we are more than conquerors because of him who has loved us.

Justice in the kingdom of God

Romans 14:17-19 The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating or drinking, but of justice, peace, and the joy that is given by the Holy Spirit. Whoever serves Christ in this way pleases God and wins the esteem of men. Let us, then, make it our aim to work for peace and to strengthen one another. 

Thoughts: In this passage I think of eating or drinking as symbolizing the things of this world. While in this world we must eat and drink to nourish our earthly bodies. But the kingdom of God, which we get glimpses of in this life, is about the bread that truly feeds and nourishes us, Jesus. Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus feeds us a peace and joy that is beyond the realities of this world. This peace and joy will lead to a greater sense of justice and call us to action for the sake of Christ. When we truly do things for the sake of Christ, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to do amazing things. As we say during mass, “It is right and just” that we work for peace and strengthen each other through sharing our struggles and our successes. Lending an ear to ‘hear the cry of the poor’ will lead us to action to bring justice to this world. Peace comes from knowing that we are living in the loving care of God our Creator with Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit.

Camping

So, I have a couple of daughters that are American Heritage Girls. And the group decided to hold a Camp-o-ree. Original plan was for mother and daughter to attend camp. Andrew and I had planned to attend the prior week for cub scouts. Ours didn't work out. So, the day before the camp-o-ree we decided that we should all go. (5 of us anyway). So, we loaded up the truck and off we went of a Friday night. Excitement abounded. We quickly chose a campsite and started setting up camp. After putting up the tent, we realized that we had set up on some tree roots. I said no problem as I had an air mattress and it wouldn't matter to me anyway. Life is good. Then we go to bed.

By 10:00 we had no air in the mattress and my son had a real nasty cough. Add to that a pretty nasty rain storm around midnight and sleeping was not going to happen. Being a typical competitive man who does not like defeat, I was determined to not let one bad night beat me. So, while everyone started their activities on Saturday morning, I went off to Academy for supplies.

After collecting 3 new air mattresses and a sleeping bad I headed back to camp via my house where I took a shower. My wife had previously decided to not stay a second night but the kids wanted to stay and I was game. Armed with a new outlook and functioning gear, I proceeded to set up camp again. The 3 new air mattresses fit perfectly across the tent. Our food preparation was stressful that night as it just didn't want to get done.

Finally about 10:00 that night we settled off to sleep. Probably one of the best nights of sleep ever. The next morning after breakfast my 17yr old broke down camp all by herself. I am very proud of her.

I am hoping to continue this with my children as we all learned a lot and came closer as a family.

So, it's been a while

Not quite a year since I last posted. Not too bad. But definitely time to write again. Life has been interesting. I have a daughter graduating from college soon who is also getting married. Read: whole new set of emotions and thought here. I have another daughter in Europe until May. When she comes back she will only be around for a couple of weeks before going off again. These things are kind of hard to get used to but at the same time there is a lot of satisfaction and pride in seeing these 2 fine girls growing up and making there way in this world.

But lets not forget that we still need to focus our attentions on the other 4 children that are still at home with us. I am extremely proud of my 2 high school daughters. Both have had to face different challenges this year and are battling through them. They have both shown fortitude and high moral character. My two little ones (6 and 8) can be a bit demanding with all of the activities that we have going on. But with the great support of my wife we will overcome all of these challenges and be stronger for it.

Currently, I have been looking at all of these challenges as part of my lenten journey. I have had some success and some failure with the lenten resolutions. But, that is part of it. Isn't it? Perhaps the hardest part of my lenten journey has been my pledge to be positive and encouraging in everything I do and with everyone I meet. I don't think the devil likes this one because I have sure been attacked recently. Please pray for me as I will pray for you.