Remember to Share - Not Just for Kindergarten

Galatians 6:6 - One who is being instructed in the word should share all good things with his instructor. 

This is something that has really spoken to me recently. However, I only read this verse today. It solidifies my thoughts and desires on the subject. It is important that we share the good things that are happening in our walk with Christ, especially with our instructors that they might be built up also and persevere in their teaching ministry. 

We, as the community of believers, have a duty to share the good news with each other. Personally, I am built up when people tell me what God is doing in their lives. I receive the confidence and boldness to proclaim the gospel to those who are hurting and lost. One person sharing the good news may seem like a drop in the bucket or like a small candle lighting up a dark night. But when we join our ‘light’ with the ‘light’ of others we are a great shining light for all to see. 

When I meet someone and they ask how I am doing, I tell them I am ‘fantastic’. It is amazing how many people ask me, why. Then I tell them. I proclaim the healing power of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit at work in the hearts of believers. I start each day now with eager anticipation of who God might put in my path. Does it happen every day? No, but you would be surprised on just how often it does. 

So, go out there and let your light shine.

Whirled Peas

World peace would be nice but I would settle for a little peace in my house, myself!

I woke up this morning and quickly moved into panic mode. You see the last few days I have been running late getting to work. Not real late, but being even a few seconds late really gnaws at me. My list of, to-do's, was long. Longer than I could keep track of. Of course writing them down would probably help, but that is for another article.

Praise God that I have a lovely wife who prayed for me to have some peace and relief from my stress. Then I sat down to read the Gospel from today's readings.

John 14:27 - Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.

Jesus promised us His peace. A peace that is so complete that it surpasses all that we have ever known. He gives it without strings or conditions. We don't have to earn it and He will never take it back. So, what happens then?

We give it back!

We give all of our troubles and anxieties to God and he gives us peace. Then we look over at them laying at the foot of his cross and we take them back. Kind of like taking that favorite t-shirt out of the recycle while your wife is not watching. Or when my son sneaks his favorite shirt out of the dirt clothes to wear again for the 4th day in a row. 

We know it is time to give these things away for good. It is time to have our souls washed clean in the blood of the lamb.

Now is the time. Accept the peace offered to you by Jesus.

Spiritual Diet

So, I am on a diet. According the BMI charts, I need to take off about 30 pounds. I am looking for a happy medium.

For this week, I have started tracking everything I eat. My calorie count has been good but I noticed that my sugar intake is off the wall. Then I realized that I had been real grumpy that day and a bit anxious. I made the connection between the amount of sugar and my mood.

This got me to thinking about how important it is to watch what I am putting into my body as it has great consequences. I may be losing weight but the side affects are not desirable. So, now this got me to thinking about my spiritual diet. Sometimes, I notice that my prayer is great but my scripture study is non-existent. Not a recipe for a healthy spiritual life.

At different times, you may crave different things. That's OK. Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and where he may be guiding your spiritual life.

When we eat too much, we feel lethargic. The same thing can happen in our spiritual life. When we have too many devotions, we can become lethargic in our spiritual life. The very things that we want to feed our spiritual life are what is dragging us down.

What are the spiritual sugars that I am putting into myself? Are these affecting me in a good or bad way? Do I have a healthy, balanced spiritual diet? Am I covering all of the food groups; prayer, sacraments, service,  and scripture?

Bottom line, we need to keep our spiritual life balanced and our physical life. Let's pay attention to our diets, physical and spiritual.

Dead, Gone, and Buried

It really hit me this year. Jesus was dead, gone and buried. He was in the tomb. His friends were mourning. 

As Christians, we often seem to overlook that point. I know it has gone mostly unnoticed over the years. We have the benefit of hindsight. We already know how the story is going to end. But I think we need the mourning times in our lives. It is those times of mourning that give us time to slow down and to look at our lives. 

I went to pray a rosary yesterday and I started the Joyful mysteries. but it didn't feel right, I was mourning. So, I start where the Spirit led:

First mystery:
Mary went to the tomb and the angel announces that Jesus is alive and she sees him. 

Second mystery:
Mary bring some of the disciples to visit Jesus in the tomb.

Third mystery:
Jesus appears to the apostles in the upper room.

Fourth mystery:
The Holy Spirit descends and the apostles are baptized in the Holy Spirit.

Fifth mystery:
The disciples are sent out to make disciples of all nations.

It was very cool since we were meeting last night in the Upper Room at our church to pray for the Holy Spirit to come more fully into our lives.

God is good!

Sprit Led

I have just started reading a book my Pope Benedict XVI. It was published early in his papacy. The title is, "New Outpourings of the Spirit". While I have just started the book it has gotten me pretty excited and I wanted to write about it here before my thoughts get blurry. 

As far back as 1997, then Cardinal Ratzinger, started researching the many new spiritual movements in the church. He concluded that these movements are good and would help revitalize the church. He cautions pastors to not extinguish but rather to help nurture these movements. The Holy Spirit, present in these movements will help bring many to the a greater faith in the church. He also cautions the laity involved with these movements to not stray from the church but rather to work in partnership with them to build up the church. Personally, I am involved with the charismatic movement. Through the charismatic renewal I have found a very deep spirituality that always brings us back to Jesus and the sacraments.

In the book, Pope Benedict also talks about the importance of the church guarding against become too institutionalized. It is important that the ordained leadership (priests, bishops and deacons) are just that ordained. They are in a sacramental relationship with the church not an assigned role but rather something confirmed through the church and the Holy Spirit. From 2 Cor. 3:5, "Not that of ourselves we are qualified to take credit for anything as coming from us; rather, our qualification comes from God."

As the church continues to grow it must embrace these outpourings of the Holy Spirit, we must follow the leading of the Spirit being cautious to not throw aside the core beauty and beliefs of the church. Again, in 2 Cor. 3:16-18, "but whenever a person turns to the Lord the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. All of us, gazing with unveiled face on the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, as from the Lord who is the Spirit." The Spirit gives us freedom. But not freedom in the secular sense, rather freedom in the true sense. The freedom that can only come from God.

For me, this outpouring of the Spirit in my life has given me freedom to live in the love of Christ. I also understand, as I await entry into the diaconate, that the call comes firstly from the church through the Holy Spirit. I also see in this the importance of Pope Benedict's call to new evangalization. It is awe inspiring to see so many people blogging and twittering about their faith in God and the Catholic church.