Well, if anyone is still reading out there, I appreciate it. Sorry its been so long, Ive just been so busy with many different things, as Im sure you have as well.
Life really takes turns, changes, spins, and cartwheels. Its an interesting thing.
The older I get the less I care about things I thought I thought I should care about. The older I get the more I care about the things I cared about as a child, or should have cared about as a child. Its an interesting thing.
I look at the things other people care about, or the things the world tells us to care about. What do they have to offer me. The offer me status, pride, one-upsmanship-ability, and the desire for more. Its an interesting thing.
I think the sign of an immature person is the wanting to be mature, while the sign of maturity is the wanting, not to be immature, but to be childlike. Its an interesting thing.
You say, what the heck are you talking about. I say, think about it. What do I have that you dont, many things perhaps, and vice-versa. What is the only thing you cant have if its not given to you - me. We dont need to do fancy things, go fancy places, have fancy things, we need each other. Thats all we needed when we were kids, family and friends. Yea toys were cool, but no toy ever brought us the peace that a loved one did. So why do we search for those "things" as adults. When we realize that we are a gift to one another and give that gift, we will find peace. Its an interesting thing.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
St. Maria Goretti - Saints & Angels - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online
St. Maria Goretti - Saints & Angels - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online
Sorry its been a while folks. Happy feast day to Maria Goretti. Ill be posting soon.
Until then. Keep it real.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
"Its been a while"
Sorry folks, its been a while. Ive been very busy with a number of different things but I expect to slow down soon and have some more time for this. I hope you are still tuning in every now and again. Readership has dropped off, probably because of no new posts, but I hope for the few out there that these posts are interesting and/or enjoyable to you.
Today is Father's Day. It can be a great day for some and a miserable one for others, depending on your upbringing. It is thought by some that the relationship you have with your father mimics or mirrors that relationship you have with the Heavenly Father. Yes, we often communicate well with Jesus, but what about the Father. Do we really have a good relationship with him, do we have a good relationship with our own father.
Piety is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. What piety actually refers to is right relationship with the Father. Its a gift not often prayed for and overlooked. We would do well to ask the Holy Spirit to increase this gift in us.
Why do we call God father. There are many misconceptions and thoughts when this question is asked. Many think that God is a man. Well that is partially true in the personhood of Jesus Christ but not of God the father. Some think God the father is some old dude with a sweet white beard, WRONG. God the father is neither male nor female, He is pure spirit having masculine traits are ascribed to Him. Therefore, we call Him Him and not Her.
Its really unfathomable who God is, but I actually know this. It would take too long to write in this blog so....I wont. Only kidding, I only know that God is looking out for me (us) and calling me (us) to Himself through His son and by the Holy Spirit.
On this day we should not only thank our earthly fathers but also our Heavenly One. If our earthly father has passed, or we wish he would (kidding), we need to get past that and focus on the Fatherly relationship that can mend any other relationship by the nature of its goodness.
HAPPY FATHERS DAY
Today is Father's Day. It can be a great day for some and a miserable one for others, depending on your upbringing. It is thought by some that the relationship you have with your father mimics or mirrors that relationship you have with the Heavenly Father. Yes, we often communicate well with Jesus, but what about the Father. Do we really have a good relationship with him, do we have a good relationship with our own father.
Piety is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. What piety actually refers to is right relationship with the Father. Its a gift not often prayed for and overlooked. We would do well to ask the Holy Spirit to increase this gift in us.
Why do we call God father. There are many misconceptions and thoughts when this question is asked. Many think that God is a man. Well that is partially true in the personhood of Jesus Christ but not of God the father. Some think God the father is some old dude with a sweet white beard, WRONG. God the father is neither male nor female, He is pure spirit having masculine traits are ascribed to Him. Therefore, we call Him Him and not Her.
Its really unfathomable who God is, but I actually know this. It would take too long to write in this blog so....I wont. Only kidding, I only know that God is looking out for me (us) and calling me (us) to Himself through His son and by the Holy Spirit.
On this day we should not only thank our earthly fathers but also our Heavenly One. If our earthly father has passed, or we wish he would (kidding), we need to get past that and focus on the Fatherly relationship that can mend any other relationship by the nature of its goodness.
HAPPY FATHERS DAY
Friday, June 4, 2010
You're the best.....around!
Remember that line from the best movie of all time, The Karate Kid. You really are the best, you are the best you. Nobody can be a better you and you cant be a better somebody else. You are who you are and thats the reality of it.
So often we get caught up in tying to be better than one another, being someone were not, thinking about a different lifestyle, and the big one, thinking everyone should think like you do. Im not pointing the finger at you, yes you, sitting on that couch, in that chair. Im talking about the human condition, which includes all of us. I think one of the most interesting things about people is that we see ourselves in each other. The things that drive us nuts about other people are things we dont like about ourselves. Maybe this doesnt make sense at first, but as a good friend once said to me, "take a step back and look at yourself." I find myself, many times over, complaining about one thing or another or being bothered by something someone is doing. Its not 5 minutes later that I notice myself doing the same exact thing. You get a good idea of who a person is by what bothers them, its true.
This is the great thing about being a people of communion and community. We exist for each other, we are all part of the whole. It is us who makes one another better, stronger, and more virtuous. What a great gift this is to one another from the One. The hard part is being able to love one another, not only to tolerate, but to correct one another out of love for the other and not to make them like us. Everyone can take criticism, albeit some better than others, but its hard to dole it out lovingly.
The more crap we root out of our lives the less we will be burdened and the less we will burden others. It is only in the communal interaction with each other and in the light of faith that these issues can be wholly destroyed and be made in to pillars of our lives.
You're the best......around. Nothing's ever gonna keep your down. You're the best!!!
So often we get caught up in tying to be better than one another, being someone were not, thinking about a different lifestyle, and the big one, thinking everyone should think like you do. Im not pointing the finger at you, yes you, sitting on that couch, in that chair. Im talking about the human condition, which includes all of us. I think one of the most interesting things about people is that we see ourselves in each other. The things that drive us nuts about other people are things we dont like about ourselves. Maybe this doesnt make sense at first, but as a good friend once said to me, "take a step back and look at yourself." I find myself, many times over, complaining about one thing or another or being bothered by something someone is doing. Its not 5 minutes later that I notice myself doing the same exact thing. You get a good idea of who a person is by what bothers them, its true.
This is the great thing about being a people of communion and community. We exist for each other, we are all part of the whole. It is us who makes one another better, stronger, and more virtuous. What a great gift this is to one another from the One. The hard part is being able to love one another, not only to tolerate, but to correct one another out of love for the other and not to make them like us. Everyone can take criticism, albeit some better than others, but its hard to dole it out lovingly.
The more crap we root out of our lives the less we will be burdened and the less we will burden others. It is only in the communal interaction with each other and in the light of faith that these issues can be wholly destroyed and be made in to pillars of our lives.
You're the best......around. Nothing's ever gonna keep your down. You're the best!!!
Monday, May 31, 2010
Memorial Life
Today we celebrate memorial day. We honor and remember all those who served and lost their life for our wonderful country. We may not know any of these people but chances our they were friends, family, brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters. We thank them by celebrating how ever we choose because we have the freedom to do so, thanks to them. Pope John Paul II had this to say about freedom, "Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought." We should be grateful each day and honor these men and women with our lives just as they have given their lives for us. It is very Christian-like to give of yourself in order to achieve a greater good, just take a peak at a crucifix.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Happy Birthday 2
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful and kindle in them the fire of love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created and You shall renew the face of the Earth. O God, by the light of the Holy Spirit, didst though instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, through Christ our Lord, Amen.
Today is Pentecost, the birthday of the Church, 50 days after the resurrection of Jesus. The Lord said that he would send someone after Him, after he left. And that He did, he sent us the Ruah, the Paraclete, the Oil of Joy, the Counselor, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has been with us ever since: guiding, strengthening, informing, loving, imparting, and creating anew.
We often look to Jesus and sometimes to the Father but how often do we look toward the one that lives along side and more importantly, within us. The Holy Spirit is our guide, we are given 7 gifts that we as Christians are fortified with upon receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation. The seven are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord.
Veni Sancte Spiritus - Come Holy Spirit. Let us pray that in times of need, the Lord understands latin better!
This is one of my favorite hymns!
Today is Pentecost, the birthday of the Church, 50 days after the resurrection of Jesus. The Lord said that he would send someone after Him, after he left. And that He did, he sent us the Ruah, the Paraclete, the Oil of Joy, the Counselor, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has been with us ever since: guiding, strengthening, informing, loving, imparting, and creating anew.
We often look to Jesus and sometimes to the Father but how often do we look toward the one that lives along side and more importantly, within us. The Holy Spirit is our guide, we are given 7 gifts that we as Christians are fortified with upon receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation. The seven are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord.
- The gift of wisdom corresponds to the virtue of charity.
- The gift of understanding corresponds to the virtue of faith.
- The gift of counsel (right judgment) corresponds to the virtue of prudence.
- The gift of fortitude corresponds to the virtue of courage.
- The gift of knowledge corresponds to the virtue of faith.
- The gift of piety corresponds to the virtue of justice.
- The gift of fear of the Lord corresponds to the virtue of hope.
Veni Sancte Spiritus - Come Holy Spirit. Let us pray that in times of need, the Lord understands latin better!
This is one of my favorite hymns!
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Wide Receivers
Congratulations to all the men who received the sacrament of Holy Orders this past weekend. I was able to share in one of these beautiful masses as a gent from Allentown was ordained to the transitional deaconate. These men celebrate 6-10 long, hard years of seminary formation and now go off to be formed spiritually and socially by the people of God.
One of the greatest bits of wisdom Ive learned in my formation is to always receive and never to take. This may sound strange and could be quite a challenging way to approach life. However difficult, it is a way to live in the divine providence of God. There certainly are things we should still take regardless of our state in life, which include, but are not limited to taking: baths, showers, and me out to the ball game!
Think about all the items, questions, choices we come across each day. We can always take but what do we actually receive. Even if we need to take sometimes the question alone will help us sort out what we've actually received. Whatever we receive can only be viewed as a gift, who these gifts come from is another question to ponder.
If you are reading this you have received another gift, the gift of another day from our heavenly Father. And what a gift it is. What else have you received today? What have you taken today? Often when we take something it is necessary but perhaps its a selfishness that causes us to take. Can we not have faith in God that he will provide for us, we most certainly can, hasnt He always come through in the past.
What if you receive a nasty comment, or a freshly smashed egg on your car? Is that a gift from God? Why not, its indirect but its an opportunity to stretch your virtue muscles and love in the face of anger. This is a great gift from the Lord.
There is a group of religious sisters that live in northeastern PA who live a Franciscan spirituality (owning nothing) and rely solely on the divine providence of God working through His people. They rely on us for food, shelter, and all the necessities, while they spend their entire day in prayer of thanks to God and on our behalf. How simply they live, how joyful they are.
We should thank all those who give us gifts tomorrow and someday return that favor.
One of the greatest bits of wisdom Ive learned in my formation is to always receive and never to take. This may sound strange and could be quite a challenging way to approach life. However difficult, it is a way to live in the divine providence of God. There certainly are things we should still take regardless of our state in life, which include, but are not limited to taking: baths, showers, and me out to the ball game!
Think about all the items, questions, choices we come across each day. We can always take but what do we actually receive. Even if we need to take sometimes the question alone will help us sort out what we've actually received. Whatever we receive can only be viewed as a gift, who these gifts come from is another question to ponder.
If you are reading this you have received another gift, the gift of another day from our heavenly Father. And what a gift it is. What else have you received today? What have you taken today? Often when we take something it is necessary but perhaps its a selfishness that causes us to take. Can we not have faith in God that he will provide for us, we most certainly can, hasnt He always come through in the past.
What if you receive a nasty comment, or a freshly smashed egg on your car? Is that a gift from God? Why not, its indirect but its an opportunity to stretch your virtue muscles and love in the face of anger. This is a great gift from the Lord.
There is a group of religious sisters that live in northeastern PA who live a Franciscan spirituality (owning nothing) and rely solely on the divine providence of God working through His people. They rely on us for food, shelter, and all the necessities, while they spend their entire day in prayer of thanks to God and on our behalf. How simply they live, how joyful they are.
We should thank all those who give us gifts tomorrow and someday return that favor.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
What a woman
Happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there.
Every person on Earth came from a their mothers womb, remember your time there, wasn't it grand! How fitting is it that even our Lord, Jesus Christ, also came from a woman. Who on Earth would have known Jesus any better? No matter how strong our relationship with the Lord is, it will never be like the relationship he had with his ma-ma. She had a special relationship with Him, different than ours. She was able to ask Him to do things, just like any mother would ask of a child, and as a good son, a perfect son, Jesus listened. Take for instance John chapter 2 at the wedding feast at Cana. The wedding runs dry of wine and Mary initiates Jesus first public miracle as she prompts Jesus to make more wine.
While Jesus was on the cross he told the beloved one, John, while he was at the foot of the cross with Mary, "son behold your mother" and "mother behold your son." There are books and books on these 8 words but however its interperated, one thing is clear, Jesus asks to look at Mary as not only His mother but our mother as well. Just as in a traditional and the heavenly families, the father is concerned with the direction and "grand scheme" of the family while the mother is there day to day in the trenches helping her children (thanks moms). Mothers have a special role that no man or men can ever fulfill and the Christian faith helps women live out their qualities to the fullest.
We as Catholics do not worship Mary as a god but we hold her very dear to our hearts, as we should. Many great miracles have come because of her intercession. I think there is a reason Catholics are viewed as Mary worshipers, she is highly venerated and very visible in homes, churches, and pictures. If here intercession wasnt so great, we wouldnt see such an abundance of Marian images. She works, she works for us, she works for her son. Again, we can go straight to the Father through the Son but we also have a great help in our mother who can ask Jesus to do things, he'll listen, he did at the wedding.
Imagine asking Barrack Obama to do something for you (I cant imagine what that would be but humor me on this one), he hears you but hes got some bigger fish to fry. But if you are friends with his buddy or even better, his mom, you will then get his attention alot quicker. God always hears us but he loves to use us, he loves to use his mother, he wants all of us to share in the plight of redemption, what better gift than that.
This is one of my favorite images.
Ave Maria!
Every person on Earth came from a their mothers womb, remember your time there, wasn't it grand! How fitting is it that even our Lord, Jesus Christ, also came from a woman. Who on Earth would have known Jesus any better? No matter how strong our relationship with the Lord is, it will never be like the relationship he had with his ma-ma. She had a special relationship with Him, different than ours. She was able to ask Him to do things, just like any mother would ask of a child, and as a good son, a perfect son, Jesus listened. Take for instance John chapter 2 at the wedding feast at Cana. The wedding runs dry of wine and Mary initiates Jesus first public miracle as she prompts Jesus to make more wine.
While Jesus was on the cross he told the beloved one, John, while he was at the foot of the cross with Mary, "son behold your mother" and "mother behold your son." There are books and books on these 8 words but however its interperated, one thing is clear, Jesus asks to look at Mary as not only His mother but our mother as well. Just as in a traditional and the heavenly families, the father is concerned with the direction and "grand scheme" of the family while the mother is there day to day in the trenches helping her children (thanks moms). Mothers have a special role that no man or men can ever fulfill and the Christian faith helps women live out their qualities to the fullest.
We as Catholics do not worship Mary as a god but we hold her very dear to our hearts, as we should. Many great miracles have come because of her intercession. I think there is a reason Catholics are viewed as Mary worshipers, she is highly venerated and very visible in homes, churches, and pictures. If here intercession wasnt so great, we wouldnt see such an abundance of Marian images. She works, she works for us, she works for her son. Again, we can go straight to the Father through the Son but we also have a great help in our mother who can ask Jesus to do things, he'll listen, he did at the wedding.
Imagine asking Barrack Obama to do something for you (I cant imagine what that would be but humor me on this one), he hears you but hes got some bigger fish to fry. But if you are friends with his buddy or even better, his mom, you will then get his attention alot quicker. God always hears us but he loves to use us, he loves to use his mother, he wants all of us to share in the plight of redemption, what better gift than that.
This is one of my favorite images.
Ave Maria!
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Happy Birthday
Its cinco de Mayo which just happens to be my birthday. Did you know that some Asian countries start counting your age as soon as you are born, a baby starts at 1 rather than waiting a year. Not that this is important but it is an interesting fact none-the-less.
So what's in a birthday, who is it really about. Birthdays are nice because its the one day a year that people take the time to focus on you. It makes you feel part of a bigger picture, but is it the right picture. Is the day really about us, well yes, maybe.
Our birth and our life was a gift to our parents and a gift to us. Our birthdays should really be celebrations of where we came from and how we got here. Our parents should be celebrated and most especially our God. Life is not always what you expect and it is rarely easy, but it is a gift and an incredible one at that! What we do what that gift determines how and who celebrate the day with us. Each year we make new friends, lose old ones, and kindle lost ones. Our birthdays are signposts of what our lives are about, we can look back, and judging from how we spent our birthdays and who the cards were from, we can get a good picture of where our lives have been.
Funerals are also celebrations of life, in their own way. I had a great aunt who died recently at the age of 94. She outlived most of her friends and family. We all fantasize about who will be at our funeral, Im sure she would have never guessed living so long and having such few remaining friends left. We celebrate her life and pray that she is at peace in the next.
Saints feast days usually take place on the day they died or were martyred. This, I think, has 2 fold reasoning. One, to commemorate their life and to commemorate their birth, their new birth in Heaven. Death can be such a rich symbol of life.
Take for instance the sacrifice of the Holy Eucharist at mass. Christs suffering and death are re-presented to us in an unbloody way. We relive his death at Calvary at each mass. It is a difficult concept to grasp but God is full of mystery but we assent out of love for Him. In the same way we celebrate our lives each year on our birthday, while being present in time. Someday we will exist in eternity and hopefully our reflection on our own lives each year will lead us to a heavenly eternity.
So what's in a birthday, who is it really about. Birthdays are nice because its the one day a year that people take the time to focus on you. It makes you feel part of a bigger picture, but is it the right picture. Is the day really about us, well yes, maybe.
Our birth and our life was a gift to our parents and a gift to us. Our birthdays should really be celebrations of where we came from and how we got here. Our parents should be celebrated and most especially our God. Life is not always what you expect and it is rarely easy, but it is a gift and an incredible one at that! What we do what that gift determines how and who celebrate the day with us. Each year we make new friends, lose old ones, and kindle lost ones. Our birthdays are signposts of what our lives are about, we can look back, and judging from how we spent our birthdays and who the cards were from, we can get a good picture of where our lives have been.
Funerals are also celebrations of life, in their own way. I had a great aunt who died recently at the age of 94. She outlived most of her friends and family. We all fantasize about who will be at our funeral, Im sure she would have never guessed living so long and having such few remaining friends left. We celebrate her life and pray that she is at peace in the next.
Saints feast days usually take place on the day they died or were martyred. This, I think, has 2 fold reasoning. One, to commemorate their life and to commemorate their birth, their new birth in Heaven. Death can be such a rich symbol of life.
Take for instance the sacrifice of the Holy Eucharist at mass. Christs suffering and death are re-presented to us in an unbloody way. We relive his death at Calvary at each mass. It is a difficult concept to grasp but God is full of mystery but we assent out of love for Him. In the same way we celebrate our lives each year on our birthday, while being present in time. Someday we will exist in eternity and hopefully our reflection on our own lives each year will lead us to a heavenly eternity.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Heros
"Heros are those who kindle a great light in the world, who set up blazing torches in the dark streets of life for people to see by. Saints are those who walk through the dark paths of the world, themselves a light." - Felix Adler
Who are some of our modern day heros? Are you a hero, am I a hero? How can we become heros, do we even want to be come heros?
Who are some of our modern day saints? Are you a saint, am I a saint? How can we become saints, do we even want to be come saints?
These are interesting questions to ask ourselves. Life is short and time passes quickly, how we spend that time and live our lives will determine the answers to the above questions. What can you do today to become a hero, what can you do today to become a saint? Id say that there is a dramatic difference between the two. Anyone can be a hero on any given day. Being a hero is a one time event which remains in memory. When you wake up tomorrow you may not be a hero, but then you rescue someone trapped in a house (or a web of sin), alakazam .....you are now a hero. I think it was Robert Frost who said "Save a life and you save the world." Its so true, one persons life is their whole world and you can save it for someone.
Conversely, being a saint is not a one time event, its a daily grind. Its a daily grind lived in love. Love is lasting, not fleeting, it is the saints m.o. When I look to the lives of the saints and the life of Christ, I see similar trials to that which we all face. We all get through the trials and one day we will have the ultimate trial of death to face. We may face our trials heroically and even happily but what is different about Christ's and the saints' lives is that there challenges were handled in complete and lasting love. Anyone can find ways to cope with challenging situations but the saints find a way to love in their trials.
Its easy to feel good and do good things and do good things and feel good. Its hard to do good things that dont bring that same good feeling. I dont think being nailed to a cross would feel good, but having perfect love while going through it, thats Godly. Loving is not always accompanied by a good feeling, but what better way to prove your love then to do something that doesnt bring you peace, but brings peace to someone else. Love is not focused on self but on others, sin is focused on self.
Tomorrow we can put ourselves aside and be heros. But only when "tomorrow" becomes "everyday" will we become saints.
Who are some of our modern day heros? Are you a hero, am I a hero? How can we become heros, do we even want to be come heros?
Who are some of our modern day saints? Are you a saint, am I a saint? How can we become saints, do we even want to be come saints?
These are interesting questions to ask ourselves. Life is short and time passes quickly, how we spend that time and live our lives will determine the answers to the above questions. What can you do today to become a hero, what can you do today to become a saint? Id say that there is a dramatic difference between the two. Anyone can be a hero on any given day. Being a hero is a one time event which remains in memory. When you wake up tomorrow you may not be a hero, but then you rescue someone trapped in a house (or a web of sin), alakazam .....you are now a hero. I think it was Robert Frost who said "Save a life and you save the world." Its so true, one persons life is their whole world and you can save it for someone.
Conversely, being a saint is not a one time event, its a daily grind. Its a daily grind lived in love. Love is lasting, not fleeting, it is the saints m.o. When I look to the lives of the saints and the life of Christ, I see similar trials to that which we all face. We all get through the trials and one day we will have the ultimate trial of death to face. We may face our trials heroically and even happily but what is different about Christ's and the saints' lives is that there challenges were handled in complete and lasting love. Anyone can find ways to cope with challenging situations but the saints find a way to love in their trials.
Its easy to feel good and do good things and do good things and feel good. Its hard to do good things that dont bring that same good feeling. I dont think being nailed to a cross would feel good, but having perfect love while going through it, thats Godly. Loving is not always accompanied by a good feeling, but what better way to prove your love then to do something that doesnt bring you peace, but brings peace to someone else. Love is not focused on self but on others, sin is focused on self.
Tomorrow we can put ourselves aside and be heros. But only when "tomorrow" becomes "everyday" will we become saints.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Runnin on empty
Ive been training for long distance running for the last month or so, its an interesting challenge. My hope is to run the Philadelphia half marathon in November so I figured Id give myself enough time to train. St. Paul tells us to run to win the race, Im going to run so I dont die in the race. I dont know how marathon runners do it. The most recent Boston Marathon winner ran it in just over 2 hours, I don think I can even drive 26.2 miles in Boston in 2 hours.
Follow the link (The Running Habit) for an interesting article about a nun who has been running in her habit, or religious clothing, for many years and for many miles.
Ive never been a runner, as a matter of fact, Ive always hated running. However, Ive found running, like blogging, to be a great stress reliever and I look forward to doing both. It amazes me the ages and sizes of people I see running at far faster paces than what I am doing. I would think as father time creeps up that running would be difficult for most but it seems the exact opposite. A number of folks have told me that many ailments that they had have disappeared and they have felt the best they have in years when they run regularly. It rather interesting, I encourage anyone reading this blog to walk or run, its hard at first but there are great benefits.
I say a prayer first, and while Im doing it just so my heart doesnt explode. If it does hopefully the Lord will take me ;)
Follow the link (The Running Habit) for an interesting article about a nun who has been running in her habit, or religious clothing, for many years and for many miles.
Ive never been a runner, as a matter of fact, Ive always hated running. However, Ive found running, like blogging, to be a great stress reliever and I look forward to doing both. It amazes me the ages and sizes of people I see running at far faster paces than what I am doing. I would think as father time creeps up that running would be difficult for most but it seems the exact opposite. A number of folks have told me that many ailments that they had have disappeared and they have felt the best they have in years when they run regularly. It rather interesting, I encourage anyone reading this blog to walk or run, its hard at first but there are great benefits.
I say a prayer first, and while Im doing it just so my heart doesnt explode. If it does hopefully the Lord will take me ;)
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Work, Who needs it?
Many people struggle with work for a variety of reasons. That person may be in a dead end job, they may have difficult relationships with co-workers, they may be over-worked, over-looked, under-appreciated, or they may just not like what they are doing.
They bible says that man must toil each day for their bread. Work isnt play, thats why its called work, sorry to state the obvious. We all toil in one way or another, it may not feel good, but at its core it is a great good.
The goal of the Christian life is to attain the beatific vision, or see God in the face, which would place you right smack in Heaven. So how can our Christian faith help us at our work and how can our work help us to live our Christian faith better.
These tasks are especially challenging if you find struggle at work, which is most likely a high probability. But without out this struggle how can one continue to grow, it helps us to gauge the strength of our character. I was given a great tip at one point time, which I didn't understand immediately. This person said to "make YOU the object of your work." Its certainly an interesting concept.
What making YOU the object of your work means is taking the focus off of what you are doing and put the focus on you and how you are doing it. If you try to live virtuously and work virtuously you will be successful. Doing your best will never leave you wanting more. Whey YOU are the object of your work, you will flourish because you are trying to be your best. If your focus is solely on your work you will do what you need to do to get the job done, which is fine, and will pay the bills, but what is it doing for your soul. Whatever you are working on tomorrow, think about how you could become a better person by doing it, can you not take as many breaks, not chat so much, write slower and clearer, give an encouraging word, or put yourself in another's shoes to try and understand why they may be so upset today. Regardless of the task, its you who is being worked on.
Work can bring you sanctity, it can make you holy. This is actually the goal of the Catholic religious order Opus Dei, or Work for God. This group may sound familiar because of Dan Brown's sensationalization of this group in his books The Davinci Code and Angels and Demons. This group challenges its members, mostly lay men and women (not priests or nuns), to live heroic lives of virtue.
We can all make the world a better place through making our place of work a better place and focusing on virtue in a vice filled world.
They bible says that man must toil each day for their bread. Work isnt play, thats why its called work, sorry to state the obvious. We all toil in one way or another, it may not feel good, but at its core it is a great good.
The goal of the Christian life is to attain the beatific vision, or see God in the face, which would place you right smack in Heaven. So how can our Christian faith help us at our work and how can our work help us to live our Christian faith better.
These tasks are especially challenging if you find struggle at work, which is most likely a high probability. But without out this struggle how can one continue to grow, it helps us to gauge the strength of our character. I was given a great tip at one point time, which I didn't understand immediately. This person said to "make YOU the object of your work." Its certainly an interesting concept.
What making YOU the object of your work means is taking the focus off of what you are doing and put the focus on you and how you are doing it. If you try to live virtuously and work virtuously you will be successful. Doing your best will never leave you wanting more. Whey YOU are the object of your work, you will flourish because you are trying to be your best. If your focus is solely on your work you will do what you need to do to get the job done, which is fine, and will pay the bills, but what is it doing for your soul. Whatever you are working on tomorrow, think about how you could become a better person by doing it, can you not take as many breaks, not chat so much, write slower and clearer, give an encouraging word, or put yourself in another's shoes to try and understand why they may be so upset today. Regardless of the task, its you who is being worked on.
Work can bring you sanctity, it can make you holy. This is actually the goal of the Catholic religious order Opus Dei, or Work for God. This group may sound familiar because of Dan Brown's sensationalization of this group in his books The Davinci Code and Angels and Demons. This group challenges its members, mostly lay men and women (not priests or nuns), to live heroic lives of virtue.
We can all make the world a better place through making our place of work a better place and focusing on virtue in a vice filled world.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Tick-Tock
What is it that makes a person tick? What makes you tick? What the heck does ticking mean, am I doing it right now? I guess watches tick and move, so someone along the line must have questioned "what makes people tick."
Well the biologist would say the heart, the philosopher would say the essence, the psychologist would say the mind, the theologian would say God. I would say......
What would you say, we all tick in different ways. For some, the pursuit of something of value makes them tick. Others, the pursuit of making others happy. And yet others still, living a stress free life. I think its the beauty of life that allows us to have all of these differing views. After all, if everyone did the same thing life would be boring, right. Right?
Imagine, a lush land full of "milk and honey" where everyone loved one another and sought only to care for their fellow man. This doesnt sound like a bad place at all, it actually sounds like Heaven to me. A land where we look past our own needs for the needs of others. If this were the case we wouldnt need to worry about ourselves because everyone would be worrying about us, for us. What a novel idea, what a great idea.
Think of the opposite............what are you thinking of?. Does it resemble the world we live in? For me, it does. And Im not bashing this place, Ive got my owns failings and selfish tendencies.
Dont the greatest moments, feelings, experiences come when shared with another or when you give of yourself to another? Often, I find myself reflecting on this life and wondering why its so tough. Only in the light of faith has it made sense to me. We are not made for this world, we were made for the next. Sometimes I think I just want to get there but in God's great wisdom, He allows us to share in bits and pieces of the next life here and now, which provide for us sustenance and peace.
Little bits of Heaven, they come in many shapes and sizes, times and places, people, but no better, NO BETTER, then that of holy communion. Isn't it interesting that its called communion. Communion is an interaction, a sharing in one, a giving of oneself, a mystical connection of all and of one, the comparisons are endless. This, I feel, is the battery that God has given us to keep ticking.
Our Father who art in Heaven, give us this day our daily bread.
Well the biologist would say the heart, the philosopher would say the essence, the psychologist would say the mind, the theologian would say God. I would say......
What would you say, we all tick in different ways. For some, the pursuit of something of value makes them tick. Others, the pursuit of making others happy. And yet others still, living a stress free life. I think its the beauty of life that allows us to have all of these differing views. After all, if everyone did the same thing life would be boring, right. Right?
Imagine, a lush land full of "milk and honey" where everyone loved one another and sought only to care for their fellow man. This doesnt sound like a bad place at all, it actually sounds like Heaven to me. A land where we look past our own needs for the needs of others. If this were the case we wouldnt need to worry about ourselves because everyone would be worrying about us, for us. What a novel idea, what a great idea.
Think of the opposite............what are you thinking of?. Does it resemble the world we live in? For me, it does. And Im not bashing this place, Ive got my owns failings and selfish tendencies.
Dont the greatest moments, feelings, experiences come when shared with another or when you give of yourself to another? Often, I find myself reflecting on this life and wondering why its so tough. Only in the light of faith has it made sense to me. We are not made for this world, we were made for the next. Sometimes I think I just want to get there but in God's great wisdom, He allows us to share in bits and pieces of the next life here and now, which provide for us sustenance and peace.
Little bits of Heaven, they come in many shapes and sizes, times and places, people, but no better, NO BETTER, then that of holy communion. Isn't it interesting that its called communion. Communion is an interaction, a sharing in one, a giving of oneself, a mystical connection of all and of one, the comparisons are endless. This, I feel, is the battery that God has given us to keep ticking.
Our Father who art in Heaven, give us this day our daily bread.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Gettn Stoned
I guess that title will help you to understand how your mind is oriented.
I watched a movie this weekend called "The Stoning of Soraya M." check the trailer below.
Its a harrowing tale of a young Muslim woman wrongfully accused of adultery. It stars Jim Caviezal who play Jesus in The Passion of the Christ and is also under the same direction. It doesnt portray Islam in a negative light because the protagonists are corrupt men who happen to be Muslim. It brings to light the modern day brutality that still exists in the middle east as stonings and other means of execution still occur on a regular basis. I dont think this is the point of the movie.
This movie has so many parallels with Christ's passion and death. Someone wrongfully accused and made to suffer to be an example. Religion is used as a cover to mans brutality and sinfullness. Religion should cause the exact opposite in us, it should bring grace which sustains our peace and allows us to overcome sin. Knowing this, its no small wonder that Jim C and the director are also part of this movie.
I highly recommend this movie but you may want to close your eyes when the stoning occurs as it shows it in very graphic detail. This gives it the R rating. (Phillips and Ebert give it two thumbs up).
I watched a movie this weekend called "The Stoning of Soraya M." check the trailer below.
Its a harrowing tale of a young Muslim woman wrongfully accused of adultery. It stars Jim Caviezal who play Jesus in The Passion of the Christ and is also under the same direction. It doesnt portray Islam in a negative light because the protagonists are corrupt men who happen to be Muslim. It brings to light the modern day brutality that still exists in the middle east as stonings and other means of execution still occur on a regular basis. I dont think this is the point of the movie.
This movie has so many parallels with Christ's passion and death. Someone wrongfully accused and made to suffer to be an example. Religion is used as a cover to mans brutality and sinfullness. Religion should cause the exact opposite in us, it should bring grace which sustains our peace and allows us to overcome sin. Knowing this, its no small wonder that Jim C and the director are also part of this movie.
I highly recommend this movie but you may want to close your eyes when the stoning occurs as it shows it in very graphic detail. This gives it the R rating. (Phillips and Ebert give it two thumbs up).
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
America's Past Time
Well folks baseball is in full swing again and for you Philly fans, half swing (hehehe). Only kidding, they look like they've got another good team this year.
Ive got a friend who is from India and he visited with me a while back and what he said to me stuck like glue. We Americans know about the big four: baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, and Chevrolet. I think thats actually a song, and why not, its a microcosm of what our American heritage is. They represent the simple, down home, American life and in its most cheerful season, summer. These are our "past times."
Im renting a home that is completely furnished with a nice TV, video games, wireless internet, DVDs, a slipn'slide, and a fork (sorry for the dry humor, I crack myself up). This brings me back to my friend who visited. When he entered the home he said "wow, look at all the time passes." "Time passes" I thought to myself, these worlds still wring in my ears. A time pass, a waste of time. What is it that we are passing time for and what is it that we are passing time until.
His words made me think about how these new "time passes" have become our new past times! Yes we still have baseball (steroid ridden, marketing juggernaut you cant afford to take a family too), apple pie (with ice cream please), hot dogs (could do without these), and Chevrolet (Government Motors). Its no wonder we are trying to pass time, our time is fraught with struggle and strife, we have lost our simpleness and perhaps our innocence.
Scripture asks that we approach our faith as children do their parents. We need to get our innocence back and our simpleness will follow. My life is so full of distractions from my loved ones and my faith. Its so easy to be pulled away, especially with all the technology we have in this day and age. We need to relearn our past times and live in the moment so that they dont simply become time passes. Every moment should be spent in relationship, relationship with others, our God, or ourselves, we need time for each. We need to recreate to heal but not to the point that recreation becomes frivolous or wasteful.
My man St Francis Desales had a good point, "We must occasionally relax the mind, and the body requires some recreation also. Cassian relates how St. John the Evangelist was found by a certain hunter amusing himself by caressing a partridge, which sat upon his wrist. The hunter asked how a man of his mental powers could find time for so trifling an occupation. In reply, St. John asked why he did not always carry his bow strung? The man answered, Because, if always bent, the bow would lose its spring when really wanted. “Do not marvel then,” the Apostle replied, “if I slacken my mental efforts from time to time, and recreate myself, in order to return more vigorously to contemplation.” It is a great mistake to be so strict as to grudge any recreation either to others or one’s self."
I think a modern adaptation would have St. John swinging a Wii remote!! (please dont try to caress a partridge) Have a great week!
Ive got a friend who is from India and he visited with me a while back and what he said to me stuck like glue. We Americans know about the big four: baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, and Chevrolet. I think thats actually a song, and why not, its a microcosm of what our American heritage is. They represent the simple, down home, American life and in its most cheerful season, summer. These are our "past times."
Im renting a home that is completely furnished with a nice TV, video games, wireless internet, DVDs, a slipn'slide, and a fork (sorry for the dry humor, I crack myself up). This brings me back to my friend who visited. When he entered the home he said "wow, look at all the time passes." "Time passes" I thought to myself, these worlds still wring in my ears. A time pass, a waste of time. What is it that we are passing time for and what is it that we are passing time until.
His words made me think about how these new "time passes" have become our new past times! Yes we still have baseball (steroid ridden, marketing juggernaut you cant afford to take a family too), apple pie (with ice cream please), hot dogs (could do without these), and Chevrolet (Government Motors). Its no wonder we are trying to pass time, our time is fraught with struggle and strife, we have lost our simpleness and perhaps our innocence.
Scripture asks that we approach our faith as children do their parents. We need to get our innocence back and our simpleness will follow. My life is so full of distractions from my loved ones and my faith. Its so easy to be pulled away, especially with all the technology we have in this day and age. We need to relearn our past times and live in the moment so that they dont simply become time passes. Every moment should be spent in relationship, relationship with others, our God, or ourselves, we need time for each. We need to recreate to heal but not to the point that recreation becomes frivolous or wasteful.
My man St Francis Desales had a good point, "We must occasionally relax the mind, and the body requires some recreation also. Cassian relates how St. John the Evangelist was found by a certain hunter amusing himself by caressing a partridge, which sat upon his wrist. The hunter asked how a man of his mental powers could find time for so trifling an occupation. In reply, St. John asked why he did not always carry his bow strung? The man answered, Because, if always bent, the bow would lose its spring when really wanted. “Do not marvel then,” the Apostle replied, “if I slacken my mental efforts from time to time, and recreate myself, in order to return more vigorously to contemplation.” It is a great mistake to be so strict as to grudge any recreation either to others or one’s self."
I think a modern adaptation would have St. John swinging a Wii remote!! (please dont try to caress a partridge) Have a great week!
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Music to my ears
Hey folks, sorry its been a while since my last original post. Life has been pretty hectic these last couple of weeks, I hope you all had a blessed Holy Week and Easter Sunday. The celebration has continued this week with Divine Mercy Sunday (click for more info). Now is a time, the time, for celebration. And what do people do when the get together to celebrate.............they drink?!, well they do that too but thats not what I mean. They get together and cheer. If you're from Pennsylvania or are one of the 19.7 trillion people who have gone to Penn State University chances are you have heard this cheer.
Its an intense and intimidating experience to have 110,00 people chanting in unicen and it sure is powerful. This is another example of how sport can bring people from all walks of life to celebrate and focus on a common reality.
How much greater is it when we can come together and cheer about the savior of the world, Jesus Christ. Take a look at this cheer from a Russian Soccer game. They are cheering the ancient Easter greeting. When one Christian greets another they say "the Lord is risen" and the fellow Christian responds "He is risen indeed" or "He is truly risen."
We all have ways to show the teams we cheer for, whether its a shirt, a hat, a spray-painted goat, or a monogrammed pen. But our lives are representations of what we believe in and who we are. Faith alone will not suffice, "For just as a body without a spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead." (James 2:26, NAB). Lets go show them who WE ARE.........
Its an intense and intimidating experience to have 110,00 people chanting in unicen and it sure is powerful. This is another example of how sport can bring people from all walks of life to celebrate and focus on a common reality.
How much greater is it when we can come together and cheer about the savior of the world, Jesus Christ. Take a look at this cheer from a Russian Soccer game. They are cheering the ancient Easter greeting. When one Christian greets another they say "the Lord is risen" and the fellow Christian responds "He is risen indeed" or "He is truly risen."
We all have ways to show the teams we cheer for, whether its a shirt, a hat, a spray-painted goat, or a monogrammed pen. But our lives are representations of what we believe in and who we are. Faith alone will not suffice, "For just as a body without a spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead." (James 2:26, NAB). Lets go show them who WE ARE.........
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Happy Easter
"Dear Brothers and Sisters, An ancient Jewish legend from the apocryphal book “The life of Adam and Eve” recounts that, in his final illness, Adam sent his son Seth together with Eve into the region of Paradise to fetch the oil of mercy, so that he could be anointed with it and healed. The two of them went in search of the tree of life, and after much praying and weeping on their part, the Archangel Michael appeared to them, and told them they would not obtain the oil of the tree of mercy and that Adam would have to die. Subsequently, Christian readers added a word of consolation to the Archangel’s message, to the effect that after 5,500 years the loving King, Christ, would come, the Son of God who would anoint all those who believe in him with the oil of his mercy. “The oil of mercy from eternity to eternity will be given to those who are reborn of water and the Holy Spirit. Then the Son of God, Christ, abounding in love, will descend into the depths of the earth and will lead your father into Paradise, to the tree of mercy.” This legend lays bare the whole of humanity’s anguish at the destiny of illness, pain and death that has been imposed upon us. Man’s resistance to death becomes evident: somewhere – people have constantly thought – there must be some cure for death. Sooner or later it should be possible to find the remedy not only for this or that illness, but for our ultimate destiny – for death itself. Surely the medicine of immortality must exist. Today too, the search for a source of healing continues. Modern medical science strives, if not exactly to exclude death, at least to eliminate as many as possible of its causes, to postpone it further and further, to prolong life more and more. But let us reflect for a moment: what would it really be like if we were to succeed, perhaps not in excluding death totally, but in postponing it indefinitely, in reaching an age of several hundred years? Would that be a good thing? Humanity would become extraordinarily old, there would be no more room for youth. Capacity for innovation would die, and endless life would be no paradise, if anything a condemnation. The true cure for death must be different. It cannot lead simply to an indefinite prolongation of this current life. It would have to transform our lives from within. It would need to create a new life within us, truly fit for eternity: it would need to transform us in such a way as not to come to an end with death, but only then to begin in fullness. What is new and exciting in the Christian message, in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, was and is that we are told: yes indeed, this cure for death, this true medicine of immortality, does exist. It has been found. It is within our reach. In baptism, this medicine is given to us. A new life begins in us, a life that matures in faith and is not extinguished by the death of the old life, but is only then fully revealed.
To this some, perhaps many, will respond: I certainly hear the message, but I lack faith. And even those who want to believe will ask: but is it really so? How are we to picture it to ourselves? How does this transformation of the old life come about, so as to give birth to the new life that knows no death? Once again, an ancient Jewish text can help us form an idea of the mysterious process that begins in us at baptism. There it is recounted how the patriarch Enoch was taken up to the throne of God. But he was filled with fear in the presence of the glorious angelic powers, and in his human weakness he could not contemplate the face of God. “Then God said to Michael,” to quote from the book of Enoch, “‘Take Enoch and remove his earthly clothing. Anoint him with sweet oil and vest him in the robes of glory!’ And Michael took off my garments, anointed me with sweet oil, and this oil was more than a radiant light … its splendour was like the rays of the sun. When I looked at myself, I saw that I was like one of the glorious beings” (Ph. Rech, Inbild des Kosmos, II 524).
Precisely this – being reclothed in the new garment of God – is what happens in baptism, so the Christian faith tells us. To be sure, this changing of garments is something that continues for the whole of life. What happens in baptism is the beginning of a process that embraces the whole of our life – it makes us fit for eternity, in such a way that, robed in the garment of light of Jesus Christ, we can appear before the face of God and live with him for ever.
In the rite of baptism there are two elements in which this event is expressed and made visible in a way that demands commitment for the rest of our lives. There is first of all the rite of renunciation and the promises. In the early Church, the one to be baptized turned towards the west, the symbol of darkness, sunset, death and hence the dominion of sin. The one to be baptized turned in that direction and pronounced a threefold “no”: to the devil, to his pomp and to sin. The strange word “pomp”, that is to say the devil’s glamour, referred to the splendour of the ancient cult of the gods and of the ancient theatre, in which it was considered entertaining to watch people being torn limb from limb by wild beasts. What was being renounced was a type of culture that ensnared man in the adoration of power, in the world of greed, in lies, in cruelty. It was an act of liberation from the imposition of a form of life that was presented as pleasure and yet hastened the destruction of all that was best in man. This renunciation – albeit in less dramatic form – remains an essential part of baptism today. We remove the “old garments”, which we cannot wear in God’s presence. Or better put: we begin to remove them. This renunciation is actually a promise in which we hold out our hand to Christ, so that he may guide us and reclothe us. What these “garments” are that we take off, what the promise is that we make, becomes clear when we see in the fifth chapter of the Letter to the Galatians what Paul calls “works of the flesh” – a term that refers precisely to the old garments that we remove. Paul designates them thus: “fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, party spirit, envy, drunkenness, carousing and the like” (Gal 5:19ff.). These are the garments that we remove: the garments of death.
Then, in the practice of the early Church, the one to be baptized turned towards the east – the symbol of light, the symbol of the newly rising sun of history, the symbol of Christ. The candidate for baptism determines the new direction of his life: faith in the Trinitarian God to whom he entrusts himself. Thus it is God who clothes us in the garment of light, the garment of life. Paul calls these new “garments” “fruits of the spirit”, and he describes them as follows: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Gal 5:22).
In the early Church, the candidate for baptism was then truly stripped of his garments. He descended into the baptismal font and was immersed three times – a symbol of death that expresses all the radicality of this removal and change of garments. His former death-bound life the candidate consigns to death with Christ, and he lets himself be drawn up by and with Christ into the new life that transforms him for eternity. Then, emerging from the waters of baptism the neophytes were clothed in the white garment, the garment of God’s light, and they received the lighted candle as a sign of the new life in the light that God himself had lit within them. They knew that they had received the medicine of immortality, which was fully realized at the moment of receiving holy communion. In this sacrament we receive the body of the risen Lord and we ourselves are drawn into this body, firmly held by the One who has conquered death and who carries us through death.
In the course of the centuries, the symbols were simplified, but the essential content of baptism has remained the same. It is no mere cleansing, still less is it a somewhat complicated initiation into a new association. It is death and resurrection, rebirth to new life.
Indeed, the cure for death does exist. Christ is the tree of life, once more within our reach. If we remain close to him, then we have life. Hence, during this night of resurrection, with all our hearts we shall sing the alleluia, the song of joy that has no need of words. Hence, Paul can say to the Philippians: “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say, rejoice!” (Phil 4:4). Joy cannot be commanded. It can only be given. The risen Lord gives us joy: true life. We are already held for ever in the love of the One to whom all power in heaven and on earth has been given (cf. Mt 28:18). In this way, confident of being heard, we make our own the Church’s Prayer over the Gifts from the liturgy of this night: Accept the prayers and offerings of your people. With your help may this Easter mystery of our redemption bring to perfection the saving work you have begun in us. Amen."
Pope Benedict XVI - Homily at the Easter Vigil Mass (not me)
Happy Easter to all...He is risen...
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
The End
No, not the end of my postings, you're not that lucky, its the end of the liturgical season of lent. We are currently right smack in the middle of Holy Week, the "week that changed the world." Each of the daily gospel passages in church have to do with a someone's personal interaction with Christ. The people that have encounters are Cleopas, Martha, Judas, "a certain man," John, Simon of Cyrene, Mary, and Simon Peter. The readings really help us to meditate on how we interact with Jesus and how we treat others, which should be like we treat Jesus.
If you notice to the right of the blog there is a link to daily readings and reflections (I hope you are diggn' the new layout).
Today, Wednesday, is sometimes called Spy Wednesday, not a day to spy on neighbors, thats Tuesdays. Spy Wednesday has this name due to Judas, the betrayer of Jesus, spied for the perfect time to turn on Jesus. In the Orthadox tradition they fast not only on Fridays but also on Wednesdays throughout the year for this reason.
Tomorrow begins the holiest 3 days of the year called the Sacred Triduum. There are alot of beautiful liturgical happenings during different masses such as the priest washing the feet of parishioners, a procession of the Eucharist, veneration of the cross, blessing of fire, and new members are received into the Christian faith.
Just as with any end a new beginning follows. Lent is 40 days long but Easter is celebrated for 50 days. The rejoicing always takes precedent over the suffering. Life naturally ebbs and flows as we have all experienced with life's many ups and downs. Lent is a very good time to take a look at the downs, the valleys, or the ebbs of life and turn them into new creations or new life. All things are an act of love from God whether we can understand it or not. How often do we look back and see blessings in past troubles or how well something turned out amidst turmoil. The hard part is when we look ahead and see clouds or more valleys. Faith is walking in the direction knowing its going to be challenging but also knowing that on the other side is rejoicing and joy.
“Search for the seed of good in every adversity. Master that principle and you will own a precious shield that will guard you well through all the darkest valleys you must traverse. Stars may be seen from the bottom of a deep well, when they cannot be discerned from the mountaintop. So will you learn things in adversity that you would never have discovered without trouble. There is always a seed of good. Find it and prosper.”
If you notice to the right of the blog there is a link to daily readings and reflections (I hope you are diggn' the new layout).
Today, Wednesday, is sometimes called Spy Wednesday, not a day to spy on neighbors, thats Tuesdays. Spy Wednesday has this name due to Judas, the betrayer of Jesus, spied for the perfect time to turn on Jesus. In the Orthadox tradition they fast not only on Fridays but also on Wednesdays throughout the year for this reason.
Tomorrow begins the holiest 3 days of the year called the Sacred Triduum. There are alot of beautiful liturgical happenings during different masses such as the priest washing the feet of parishioners, a procession of the Eucharist, veneration of the cross, blessing of fire, and new members are received into the Christian faith.
Just as with any end a new beginning follows. Lent is 40 days long but Easter is celebrated for 50 days. The rejoicing always takes precedent over the suffering. Life naturally ebbs and flows as we have all experienced with life's many ups and downs. Lent is a very good time to take a look at the downs, the valleys, or the ebbs of life and turn them into new creations or new life. All things are an act of love from God whether we can understand it or not. How often do we look back and see blessings in past troubles or how well something turned out amidst turmoil. The hard part is when we look ahead and see clouds or more valleys. Faith is walking in the direction knowing its going to be challenging but also knowing that on the other side is rejoicing and joy.
“Search for the seed of good in every adversity. Master that principle and you will own a precious shield that will guard you well through all the darkest valleys you must traverse. Stars may be seen from the bottom of a deep well, when they cannot be discerned from the mountaintop. So will you learn things in adversity that you would never have discovered without trouble. There is always a seed of good. Find it and prosper.”
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Phinding Phriends
The world would be a lonely place without friends. But what really is a friend. Looking back on my time here on terra firma I can say that I have had many acquaintances or people whom I know and who know me. But friendship, thats something deeper. If we take a look at what friendship really is, we begin to see something else.
Ive got about 250 "friends" on facebook which I would say is about average. I wonder how many of those people really care about me, its probably less than 5%, and thats ok. Building friendship takes a lot of work and time, and to share that with 250 people would be more than a full time job. They say (not sure who "they" are but "they" are always saying stuff) that someone with 2 real friends is better off than most, I would consider myself better off than most.
Ive had so many people in my life come and go, stay and leave, spend some time and then depart. We all serve some purpose in this world and people come in and out at different times of our lives but there have been some that have stayed a long time. We've gone different routes and sometimes have dramatic differences but we are still friends, good friends.
So what really is this friendship, what makes it special? Some would define it as companionship, but I would argue that friendship and companionship are two completely different things. A true friend makes Christ present, whether they are a professed Christian or not. They make sacrifices to be with you, they make sacrifices for your benefit. They share kind words, they share their earnings, they share food, they share smiles, they share their time amongst many other things. Friendship is sharing all that you have and receiving it from someone else in return. Friendship, to me, sounds a lot like love. But I think there are some differences. Love goes beyond friendship. When the reciprocal nature of friendship is lost, a person has a choice to let love take over or let the friendship die. Love does not care about the outcome, it gives all for the benefit of another, it is a Christian example in the purest sense.
A friend of mine explained how its so easy to pick up where you left off with a friend whom you haven't seen in a while. He said your real friends stay on your mind and you often think about them, your friendship lives on in your mind. After not seeing a true friend in some time, you can pick up where you left off because of the place they hold in your heart and mind. This is a good way to know who really cares about you, if the conversation flows and everything comes natural, there is a good chance that that relationship is a keeper.
St. Francis DeSales describes true friendship thusly: "Friendship varies according to these communications, and they vary according to that which people have to communicate. If men share false and vain things, their friendship will be false and vain; if that which is good and true, their friendship will be good and true, and the better that which is the staple of the bond, so much the better will the friendship be. That honey is best which is culled from the choicest flowers, and so friendship built upon the highest and purest intercommunion is the best. And just as a certain kind of honey brought from Pontus is poisonous, being made from aconite, so that those who eat it lose their senses, so the friendship which is based on unreal or evil grounds will itself be hollow and worthless."
Im very grateful for all of my friends, where ever they are. Thanks for making my life what it is.
Ive got about 250 "friends" on facebook which I would say is about average. I wonder how many of those people really care about me, its probably less than 5%, and thats ok. Building friendship takes a lot of work and time, and to share that with 250 people would be more than a full time job. They say (not sure who "they" are but "they" are always saying stuff) that someone with 2 real friends is better off than most, I would consider myself better off than most.
Ive had so many people in my life come and go, stay and leave, spend some time and then depart. We all serve some purpose in this world and people come in and out at different times of our lives but there have been some that have stayed a long time. We've gone different routes and sometimes have dramatic differences but we are still friends, good friends.
So what really is this friendship, what makes it special? Some would define it as companionship, but I would argue that friendship and companionship are two completely different things. A true friend makes Christ present, whether they are a professed Christian or not. They make sacrifices to be with you, they make sacrifices for your benefit. They share kind words, they share their earnings, they share food, they share smiles, they share their time amongst many other things. Friendship is sharing all that you have and receiving it from someone else in return. Friendship, to me, sounds a lot like love. But I think there are some differences. Love goes beyond friendship. When the reciprocal nature of friendship is lost, a person has a choice to let love take over or let the friendship die. Love does not care about the outcome, it gives all for the benefit of another, it is a Christian example in the purest sense.
A friend of mine explained how its so easy to pick up where you left off with a friend whom you haven't seen in a while. He said your real friends stay on your mind and you often think about them, your friendship lives on in your mind. After not seeing a true friend in some time, you can pick up where you left off because of the place they hold in your heart and mind. This is a good way to know who really cares about you, if the conversation flows and everything comes natural, there is a good chance that that relationship is a keeper.
St. Francis DeSales describes true friendship thusly: "Friendship varies according to these communications, and they vary according to that which people have to communicate. If men share false and vain things, their friendship will be false and vain; if that which is good and true, their friendship will be good and true, and the better that which is the staple of the bond, so much the better will the friendship be. That honey is best which is culled from the choicest flowers, and so friendship built upon the highest and purest intercommunion is the best. And just as a certain kind of honey brought from Pontus is poisonous, being made from aconite, so that those who eat it lose their senses, so the friendship which is based on unreal or evil grounds will itself be hollow and worthless."
Im very grateful for all of my friends, where ever they are. Thanks for making my life what it is.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Success at last (quotes galore)
suc·cess
[suh
k-ses] 1. The achievement of something desired, planned, or attempted: attributed their success in business to hard work.
2.
a. The gaining of fame or prosperity: an artist spoiled by success.
b. The extent of such gain.
3. One that is successful: The plan was a success.
4. Obsolete A result or an outcome.
This is one of my all-time favorite quotes: "To be successful in life you need to let others take the credit." - Ronald Reagan
And some others:
"The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good." - Ann Landers
"Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man of value." - Albert Einstien
"My mother said to me, "If you become a soldier, you'll be a general; if you become a monk, you'll end up as the Pope." Instead, I became a painter and wound up as Picasso." - Pablo Picasso
"Shaquille O'neal is rich, but the dude who signs his check..... he's wealthy!" - Chris Rock
Success means different things to different people. I think for most it has something to do with possessions, money, or holding some sort of vaunted position. But if you dont hold any of the aforementioned, are you considered to be unsuccessful or even a failure?
Is success something we just give worth to and then enter the pursuit of attaining it. Its quite a relativistic view but then again most things are in todays world, or so it would seem. I submit to you that success is universal, it is the same for all. "A successful life is one lived in love and begun again in Love." - Mark (me) 'bout 10:04 "What profit is it for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life." - Mark(not me) 8:36 NAB
St. Theresa of Avila, the great carmelite nun says it best in my opinion:
“Let nothing disturb thee; Let nothing dismay thee; All thing pass; God never changes. Patience attains All that it strives for. He who has God Finds he lacks nothing:God alone suffices.”
“It is love alone that gives worth to all things”
Sunday, March 21, 2010
March Madness
This March has been full of madness, and no Im not talking about Northern Iowa beating Kansas in the NCAA tournament. The weather we've had in the northeast has been incredible this past week, its been sunny and nearly 70 degrees for the last 7 days. Today, more madness ensued in our nations capital when certain representatives buckled and voted to pass universal health care with no "real" amendments made to protect the unborn. People are usually passionate about politics and its never a pretty discussion, so I will stay away from it, save for the next sentence. I believe everyone should be afforded healthcare, I think most Christians share this view as it comes from the beatitudes. However, I dont want my money going to pay for the killing of innocent children. Okay, Im done.
So the big matchup, Value vs. Virtue. This is a big competition and it seems to me that value is winning. In todays world everyone wants the easy way out and that "everyone" includes me too.
If we are hungry we want to be satiated instantly, instant food, fast food, like McDonald's, which tastes o so good but is o so bad. We can save some calories but get the taste, go with the XL diet coke. Gettn a little round in the waste, lets take a pill, who needs the exercise? Medication is necessary but Ive read a number of articles that talk about the over-medication of the US (here is a link). Could universal health care solve this, that remains to be seen. And here, people illegal drug use is on the decline, HA!.
What did folks do back in the day do to get by?
The drug problem is a very interesting one. Why is America so in love with both illegal and prescription drugs? We are one of the most free, wealthiest, and beautiful countries in the world, why do we need so many drugs? Latin America is thriving on the manufacturing of illegal drugs because the US cant consume them fast enough.
I believe that this comes down to perception, which has been a theme in a number of my posts. We perceive something to be true, when in fact, its a good looking lie. We are so quick to buy into it. The smiles we see on tv of the men and women sleeping around, making the big bucks, driving nice cars, wearing flashy clothes. We think its real, we go after it, we wont stop until we get it. When we dont get it, where do we turn, well I guess thats how we define ourselves.
Its amazing to me to hear all of the bashing Tiger Woods is taking. I think it helps you understand who people are when they let you know how they feel about others. Tiger Woods is a human being and what he did was awful but lets help him move on. I scratch my head when people say bad things or wish bad things upon him. Why would someone do that? I take it as that person is jealous of the money and women that he had and cant believe that he would throw it all away. Well maybe women, money, and golf isnt what life is all about, now thats a novel idea. Maybe we should feel sorry for him rather then saying "good for him" or wishing the same for someone like Bernie Madoff. People were so bitter about he did, stealing is never ok but lets look at what really matters. Is it that we are just jealous of what they have (had)? Should we not feel bad for these men and pray for them that they find what really matters, finding God.
St. Augustine, great saint, and holy man summed it up when he said "Nos fecisti ad te et inquietum est cor nostrum donec requiescat in te." Which means "You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you."
So the big matchup, Value vs. Virtue. This is a big competition and it seems to me that value is winning. In todays world everyone wants the easy way out and that "everyone" includes me too.
If we are hungry we want to be satiated instantly, instant food, fast food, like McDonald's, which tastes o so good but is o so bad. We can save some calories but get the taste, go with the XL diet coke. Gettn a little round in the waste, lets take a pill, who needs the exercise? Medication is necessary but Ive read a number of articles that talk about the over-medication of the US (here is a link). Could universal health care solve this, that remains to be seen. And here, people illegal drug use is on the decline, HA!.
What did folks do back in the day do to get by?
The drug problem is a very interesting one. Why is America so in love with both illegal and prescription drugs? We are one of the most free, wealthiest, and beautiful countries in the world, why do we need so many drugs? Latin America is thriving on the manufacturing of illegal drugs because the US cant consume them fast enough.
I believe that this comes down to perception, which has been a theme in a number of my posts. We perceive something to be true, when in fact, its a good looking lie. We are so quick to buy into it. The smiles we see on tv of the men and women sleeping around, making the big bucks, driving nice cars, wearing flashy clothes. We think its real, we go after it, we wont stop until we get it. When we dont get it, where do we turn, well I guess thats how we define ourselves.
Its amazing to me to hear all of the bashing Tiger Woods is taking. I think it helps you understand who people are when they let you know how they feel about others. Tiger Woods is a human being and what he did was awful but lets help him move on. I scratch my head when people say bad things or wish bad things upon him. Why would someone do that? I take it as that person is jealous of the money and women that he had and cant believe that he would throw it all away. Well maybe women, money, and golf isnt what life is all about, now thats a novel idea. Maybe we should feel sorry for him rather then saying "good for him" or wishing the same for someone like Bernie Madoff. People were so bitter about he did, stealing is never ok but lets look at what really matters. Is it that we are just jealous of what they have (had)? Should we not feel bad for these men and pray for them that they find what really matters, finding God.
St. Augustine, great saint, and holy man summed it up when he said "Nos fecisti ad te et inquietum est cor nostrum donec requiescat in te." Which means "You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you."
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Just another day for drinkin
Happy St. Patrick's day everyone, oh and if its Thursday, happy St. Alexander's day, oh and if its Friday, happy and blessed solemnity of St. Joseph's (Earthly father of JESUS) day.
In the Catholic tradition saints are remembered almost every day on the calendar. It reminds of those who have gone before us. Which date corresponds to which saint is based most often on when the person had died. A day on which there is no celebration or remembrance of a saint is called a ferial day. A day on which we celebrate a particular saint is called a feast day. In some religious communities and circles they actually take this serious and actually have a feast or a "party." But I would venture a guess that its not anything like what we see at the local watering hole on March 17th. Now dont get me wrong, I love my saints, but puking in some shrubs doesnt sound like a good way to honor a holy and righteous evangelist like the great bishop St. Patrick. A nice feast may include going to holy mass or enjoying a nice dessert and yes, drinks are suitable for celebration, but in moderation. To keep the record straight, we arent worshiping these folks, just honoring them for how they lived their lives because of Christ.
Click here if youd like more info on the real St. Patrick.
The third type of day is the solemnity, not solemn like boring or quiet, but most joyous and exalted, no expense is to be spared, even the celebration of mass is different. Each Sunday is considered a solemnity because we celebrate, commemorate and worship Christ. There are a few other solemnities scattered through out the year and lo and behold there is one this Friday. It is the solemnity where we celebrate the life of St. Joseph, most chaste spouse of the blessed virgin Mary and the protector of the Church, the protector of Jesus. St. Patrick brought Christianity to Ireland and thats awesome (que the Notre Dame fight song), but St. Joseph, Earthly father of Jesus, thats big time!
This is another great example of lost tradition, St. Patrick's day has turned into a hedonistic ritual, something completely opposite of what he stood for, yet its day is counted down by so many. What people dont realize is that there is a much more significant celebration which takes place 2 days later, and two more days after that.
Now Im not railing against the party goers but it is my hope that people start to understand why they are doing something be it religious or not. We cant fully participate in anything if we dont know why we are there and the reason we are doing what we are doing. There was an experiment done to illustrate similar events:
"Put five monkeys in a cage. Inside that cage, hang one banana on a string and place a ladder under it. Keep a garden hose nearby. Soon one of the monkeys will spot the banana and start to climb the ladder to get it. When he does, spray all of the other monkeys with cold water. Now, replace the banana.
I hope you all have a blessed feast of St Alexander tomorrow and a blessed solemnity of St Joseph on Friday.
In the Catholic tradition saints are remembered almost every day on the calendar. It reminds of those who have gone before us. Which date corresponds to which saint is based most often on when the person had died. A day on which there is no celebration or remembrance of a saint is called a ferial day. A day on which we celebrate a particular saint is called a feast day. In some religious communities and circles they actually take this serious and actually have a feast or a "party." But I would venture a guess that its not anything like what we see at the local watering hole on March 17th. Now dont get me wrong, I love my saints, but puking in some shrubs doesnt sound like a good way to honor a holy and righteous evangelist like the great bishop St. Patrick. A nice feast may include going to holy mass or enjoying a nice dessert and yes, drinks are suitable for celebration, but in moderation. To keep the record straight, we arent worshiping these folks, just honoring them for how they lived their lives because of Christ.
Click here if youd like more info on the real St. Patrick.
The third type of day is the solemnity, not solemn like boring or quiet, but most joyous and exalted, no expense is to be spared, even the celebration of mass is different. Each Sunday is considered a solemnity because we celebrate, commemorate and worship Christ. There are a few other solemnities scattered through out the year and lo and behold there is one this Friday. It is the solemnity where we celebrate the life of St. Joseph, most chaste spouse of the blessed virgin Mary and the protector of the Church, the protector of Jesus. St. Patrick brought Christianity to Ireland and thats awesome (que the Notre Dame fight song), but St. Joseph, Earthly father of Jesus, thats big time!
This is another great example of lost tradition, St. Patrick's day has turned into a hedonistic ritual, something completely opposite of what he stood for, yet its day is counted down by so many. What people dont realize is that there is a much more significant celebration which takes place 2 days later, and two more days after that.
Now Im not railing against the party goers but it is my hope that people start to understand why they are doing something be it religious or not. We cant fully participate in anything if we dont know why we are there and the reason we are doing what we are doing. There was an experiment done to illustrate similar events:
"Put five monkeys in a cage. Inside that cage, hang one banana on a string and place a ladder under it. Keep a garden hose nearby. Soon one of the monkeys will spot the banana and start to climb the ladder to get it. When he does, spray all of the other monkeys with cold water. Now, replace the banana.
After a while another one of the monkeys will probably go for the banana. Again, spray all of the other monkeys with cold water.
Monkeys are relatively smart, so pretty soon, whenever one of the monkeys attempts to climb the ladder, all the other monkeys will try to prevent him from doing it. When that happens, put away the cold water hose. Remove one monkey from the cage and replace it with a new one. Now hang a new banana over the ladder.
The new monkey will spot the banana and head for the ladder. To his surprise, all of the other monkeys will spontaneously attack him. After several more futile attempts, all of which will result in further beatings, the new monkey will no longer try for the banana.
Remove another of the original monkeys and again replace it with a new one. Now replace the banana. Again, the new monkey will make a grab for it. Like his predecessor he will be stunned to discover that all the other monkeys attack him. In fact, the previous newcomer will most likely take a particularly enthusiastic role in his replacement's punishment.
One at a time, gradually replace all of the original monkeys with new ones. Each of the newcomers will go for the banana. Each one will be attacked by the other four. Most of the new monkeys have absolutely no idea why they were not allowed to climb the ladder, or why they are participating in the assault on the newest monkey.
When all of the original monkeys have been replaced, none of the remaining monkeys have ever been sprayed with cold water. Nevertheless, not one of those monkeys ever approaches the ladder, why not? Because as far as they are concerned that's the way it has always been done around here."
I hope you all have a blessed feast of St Alexander tomorrow and a blessed solemnity of St Joseph on Friday.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
The In-laws
There probably is a movie called The In-laws that you could get from netflix or redbox listed in the horror section It seems that in popular culture substandard connotations are often afforded to the in-laws, and thats a shame. The word itself may strike fear into the hearts of men and women alike, in some cases, for good reason. But others say my sister-in-law this or my father-in-law that with positive intimations. We make many generalizations about our in-laws and attach positive or negative feelings towards them depending on the few days a year that we see them. There is a saying: You can pick your friends but you cant pick your family.
In-law is taxonomy for the species of your genus. No, Im not cursing at you, I mean that it helps us describe who is part of our family and how they are related to us. "In-law" sounds kind of harsh, dont you think? Repeat after me: in-law, IN-law, in-LAW, IN-LAW. You are related to someone by law, by rule, by paper. No wonder such poor feelings can be harbored, it sounds horrible right off the bat. Why dont we just say we are related on paper!
In the Christian faith we are all related. We are related through that which is stronger then blood, God Himself. While we are at it, everyone, regardless of belief is related through Him whether they know it, like it, or believe it. In Roman Catholic tradition the community, during mass, stands to profess their faith where they proclaim their beliefs as one unit. The word catholic means universal and it appears in the creed when stating that "We believe in one, holy, catholic (note the small c), and apostolic church (a.k.a. the four marks). We are claiming the universality of we, Christs body. But not only in a Roman Catholic's creed is this professed, but in many other Christian denominations including the Greek Orthodox. Most would shutter at the word while never claiming to be Catholic, but only catholic (kind of like an in-law). This simply means that we believe in one church, one body of Christ, made up of us, and under one head, which is Christ himself.
We are all called to be the body of Christ, He can only have one body, all of Christianity is part of His body, we are one, we are to be fruitful and multiply in many ways. Jesus words "I thirst," while on the crucifix are words of passion for his people, passion for the body, passion for His Church. We are not asked to be in-laws with people, we are asked to be brother and sister. Those words carry huge implications but are spoken to us out of the heart of God through the mouth of Christ. God is our Father, and we have been given the privledge to call Him that. Why must we attach names like in-law or step or ex or best to people around us. Wouldnt it be nice to refer to one another as brother or sister in Christ rather than brother or sister-in-law. After all, Christ calls us brother, sister. Say it with me this time but say brother in Christ, sister in Christ, family in Christ. It seems those negative feelings peel away when we approach the In-laws as In-Christs.
Have a great night bro, peace to you sis, hopefully we'll see each other at the table tomorrow!
In-law is taxonomy for the species of your genus. No, Im not cursing at you, I mean that it helps us describe who is part of our family and how they are related to us. "In-law" sounds kind of harsh, dont you think? Repeat after me: in-law, IN-law, in-LAW, IN-LAW. You are related to someone by law, by rule, by paper. No wonder such poor feelings can be harbored, it sounds horrible right off the bat. Why dont we just say we are related on paper!
In the Christian faith we are all related. We are related through that which is stronger then blood, God Himself. While we are at it, everyone, regardless of belief is related through Him whether they know it, like it, or believe it. In Roman Catholic tradition the community, during mass, stands to profess their faith where they proclaim their beliefs as one unit. The word catholic means universal and it appears in the creed when stating that "We believe in one, holy, catholic (note the small c), and apostolic church (a.k.a. the four marks). We are claiming the universality of we, Christs body. But not only in a Roman Catholic's creed is this professed, but in many other Christian denominations including the Greek Orthodox. Most would shutter at the word while never claiming to be Catholic, but only catholic (kind of like an in-law). This simply means that we believe in one church, one body of Christ, made up of us, and under one head, which is Christ himself.
We are all called to be the body of Christ, He can only have one body, all of Christianity is part of His body, we are one, we are to be fruitful and multiply in many ways. Jesus words "I thirst," while on the crucifix are words of passion for his people, passion for the body, passion for His Church. We are not asked to be in-laws with people, we are asked to be brother and sister. Those words carry huge implications but are spoken to us out of the heart of God through the mouth of Christ. God is our Father, and we have been given the privledge to call Him that. Why must we attach names like in-law or step or ex or best to people around us. Wouldnt it be nice to refer to one another as brother or sister in Christ rather than brother or sister-in-law. After all, Christ calls us brother, sister. Say it with me this time but say brother in Christ, sister in Christ, family in Christ. It seems those negative feelings peel away when we approach the In-laws as In-Christs.
Have a great night bro, peace to you sis, hopefully we'll see each other at the table tomorrow!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
AAAAA CHOOOOOOOO!
So whats the deal with sneezing, youd think that every single person with a pollen allergy would be a saint by now. Ive been really keen to this the past couple of weeks,that is, people saying "God bless you" or "bless you." For crying out loud, children cant say God in the pledge of allegiance in school but this 3 word phrase gets tossed around more than the F word. If you pay attention, youll hear it more and more too.
It is like a wildfire, as soon as someone breaks the ice with a "GBY" its like the mute can speak, everyone and their mother chimes in with the phrase. Whether you are in a classroom or in a meeting, it seems as if people are racing to get it out quicker and louder. And heaven help us for the habitual sneezer who shoots 'em out rapid fire about 8 times in a row. People will trip over themselves to get 8 "GBY's" out.
Folks, Im perplexed. Saliva and snot is shooting out of a persons mouth and nose at over 100 mph, they should be saying "GBY" to US because they are getting their goods all over us!!
The phrase actually comes from the middle ages when the bubonic plague was spreading, well.....like the plague. People would say "GBY" to the person that sneezed because it was usually a sign of impending death. Wouldn't it be strange if someone say "GBY" to the person who just gave you the middle finger while driving (or the person you flipped the bird to, I know there is no one who reads this blog that does that) or to the person that just called us a nasty name or even to the person who just did something nice for us. Instead, we save the "GBY" for the Mr. or Mrs. Mucous slinger. Lets start a revolution and try to give some meaning back to a phrase that has become trite.
Isnt it strange how things catch on and stick around and we do things when we dont even realize we are doing them. This goes for the many great traditions and Traditions of the Catholic faith. So many people just go through the motions or criticize from the outside because they dont understand the true beauty of what's actually taking place. Im not going to name them all or even a few, there are great books that can help you understand the beautiful intricacies of the mass as well as the other wonderful pius practices that are preformed. I will, however, touch on one of my favorite overlooked traditions. During the mass, right before the consecration (when the bread and wine actually become Jesus's body, blood, soul, and divinity) the community stands to sing "hosana," this is what the Jews sang as Christ rode in on the donkey before he was to be sacrificed. Its such a beautiful mirror and re-presentation of the sacrifice of Christ and we are made present as Christ humbles Himself, not by riding into church on a mule, but by coming to us in the appearance of food, bread and wine.
Next time we have to say those the magical words, lets try to mean what we say, and say what we mean.
God Bless You!!
It is like a wildfire, as soon as someone breaks the ice with a "GBY" its like the mute can speak, everyone and their mother chimes in with the phrase. Whether you are in a classroom or in a meeting, it seems as if people are racing to get it out quicker and louder. And heaven help us for the habitual sneezer who shoots 'em out rapid fire about 8 times in a row. People will trip over themselves to get 8 "GBY's" out.
Folks, Im perplexed. Saliva and snot is shooting out of a persons mouth and nose at over 100 mph, they should be saying "GBY" to US because they are getting their goods all over us!!
The phrase actually comes from the middle ages when the bubonic plague was spreading, well.....like the plague. People would say "GBY" to the person that sneezed because it was usually a sign of impending death. Wouldn't it be strange if someone say "GBY" to the person who just gave you the middle finger while driving (or the person you flipped the bird to, I know there is no one who reads this blog that does that) or to the person that just called us a nasty name or even to the person who just did something nice for us. Instead, we save the "GBY" for the Mr. or Mrs. Mucous slinger. Lets start a revolution and try to give some meaning back to a phrase that has become trite.
Isnt it strange how things catch on and stick around and we do things when we dont even realize we are doing them. This goes for the many great traditions and Traditions of the Catholic faith. So many people just go through the motions or criticize from the outside because they dont understand the true beauty of what's actually taking place. Im not going to name them all or even a few, there are great books that can help you understand the beautiful intricacies of the mass as well as the other wonderful pius practices that are preformed. I will, however, touch on one of my favorite overlooked traditions. During the mass, right before the consecration (when the bread and wine actually become Jesus's body, blood, soul, and divinity) the community stands to sing "hosana," this is what the Jews sang as Christ rode in on the donkey before he was to be sacrificed. Its such a beautiful mirror and re-presentation of the sacrifice of Christ and we are made present as Christ humbles Himself, not by riding into church on a mule, but by coming to us in the appearance of food, bread and wine.
Next time we have to say those the magical words, lets try to mean what we say, and say what we mean.
God Bless You!!
Sunday, March 7, 2010
The divine 2 by 4
Yes, we all have been hit by one in one form or another, whether we realized it was divine or not. Its one of those moments that leaves you scratching your head or trying to stop the bleeding, depending if God was feeling like Babe Ruth that day.
I always thought God was going to tell me what I should be doing or give me some signs, and I think we all ask for these things to happen but God is God. He will do what He wants because He knows whats best for us. First off, we really need to take some quiet time each day to let God speak to us, to rid ourselves from the constant noise we deal with 24/7. God is not going to verbally talk to you (He may, but if thats the case, you probably arent spending your time reading my blog), its more like a quiet pull in some way, a tug on your heart. But, as the title proclaims, if you arent listening, which most people arent, myself included, God breaks out the big stick and gives you a whack.
The whack that we get sometimes is not what we expect or what we even want but it sure does leave a mark. Sometimes, and I would say more often then not, it comes in a way that shocks our system, produces a deep pain, a throbbing contusion. We may not know even know what it is but we know something is up.
It seems that the home run swings come from situations that challenge our very being and strike us at the essence of who we are. In hindsight, they are such beautiful events because we are asked to work on or be virtuous in the thing that is directly opposite to who we are. I always expected that God would go with my flow and make it easy if I followed Him, but from what I found, it has been the exact opposite. You would think that doing the right thing would be easy, at times difficult, but never painful or wrought with struggle. It is so counter intuitive, and so it is with the folly of the cross. To be a Christian is to take up ones cross and follow on the path to our own crucifixion, the crucifixion of our desires, our wants, our needs, our imperfections, our everything. God wants our lives, in no simple terms, He wants everything. Thats a tall order, but the reward, and more importantly the reason for carrying the cross makes taking those lumps feel like the sweetest kisses compared to the crosses our world would like us to bear.
"My yoke is easy and my burden is light" Matthew 11
"My burden is heavy and the yolk is runny" Me- Isnt that how life feels sometimes?
Im so glad that God is smarter than me.
I always thought God was going to tell me what I should be doing or give me some signs, and I think we all ask for these things to happen but God is God. He will do what He wants because He knows whats best for us. First off, we really need to take some quiet time each day to let God speak to us, to rid ourselves from the constant noise we deal with 24/7. God is not going to verbally talk to you (He may, but if thats the case, you probably arent spending your time reading my blog), its more like a quiet pull in some way, a tug on your heart. But, as the title proclaims, if you arent listening, which most people arent, myself included, God breaks out the big stick and gives you a whack.
The whack that we get sometimes is not what we expect or what we even want but it sure does leave a mark. Sometimes, and I would say more often then not, it comes in a way that shocks our system, produces a deep pain, a throbbing contusion. We may not know even know what it is but we know something is up.
It seems that the home run swings come from situations that challenge our very being and strike us at the essence of who we are. In hindsight, they are such beautiful events because we are asked to work on or be virtuous in the thing that is directly opposite to who we are. I always expected that God would go with my flow and make it easy if I followed Him, but from what I found, it has been the exact opposite. You would think that doing the right thing would be easy, at times difficult, but never painful or wrought with struggle. It is so counter intuitive, and so it is with the folly of the cross. To be a Christian is to take up ones cross and follow on the path to our own crucifixion, the crucifixion of our desires, our wants, our needs, our imperfections, our everything. God wants our lives, in no simple terms, He wants everything. Thats a tall order, but the reward, and more importantly the reason for carrying the cross makes taking those lumps feel like the sweetest kisses compared to the crosses our world would like us to bear.
"My yoke is easy and my burden is light" Matthew 11
"My burden is heavy and the yolk is runny" Me- Isnt that how life feels sometimes?
Im so glad that God is smarter than me.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Shorty numero deuce (yea, Im tri-lingual)
Sorry again, its been a busy week but I wanted to post a little here and there until I get some more time to post. Hopefully in between doing brain surgery and tagging great white sharks I can write about what else goes on in my life. For those of you who dont know me please keep thinking Im a brain surgeon and a big game hunter! In reality my life is like the rest of yours, its filled with stuff. How we approach that stuff depends on our perspective. What life is really about is relationship. Relationship with friends, coworkers, loved ones, pets, and God.
In this blog I set out to talk about a Catholic Christian life and the joys to be found living it. Hopefully thus far you ve learned a bit about me and the Catholic culture. Stay tuned for more posts. But until then I leave you with this poem.
Dreamt author unknown
Sing choirs of angels, sing the song of Mercy.
O how I wish my dream was complete,
The dream of men both stubborn and smart.
This fathomless peace to us imparted,
If only we should heed the master.
How great the mercy of the King
To grant us a fire of cleansing heat.
Why is it that the Dove Divine should swoop,
Swoop to a man so wretched as I.
How I’ve chased the Dove away,
Seeking shade under the wings of some foul.
The light here has shown all, the light of Love.
Sing choirs of angels, sing the song of Love.
His peace will soon be mine and mine His.
Here in this land of the forgotten unforgotten,
I love the pain that is endured for His love.
If I only could go back and tell all the world,
Tell of the golden light burning away
The smeared stain of the fall.
This pain wrenches me, my heart spilling with love
Only longs now for the One whom it belongs.
Soon I hope to wake from the slumber,
The slumber that cleanses, Love Divine, it knows not time.
I learn love moment by moment, time does not bind.
The horizon!
Breathtaking!
The Dove is near!
I now sing with you angels, the song of Peace.
In this blog I set out to talk about a Catholic Christian life and the joys to be found living it. Hopefully thus far you ve learned a bit about me and the Catholic culture. Stay tuned for more posts. But until then I leave you with this poem.
Dreamt author unknown
Sing choirs of angels, sing the song of Mercy.
O how I wish my dream was complete,
The dream of men both stubborn and smart.
This fathomless peace to us imparted,
If only we should heed the master.
How great the mercy of the King
To grant us a fire of cleansing heat.
Why is it that the Dove Divine should swoop,
Swoop to a man so wretched as I.
How I’ve chased the Dove away,
Seeking shade under the wings of some foul.
The light here has shown all, the light of Love.
Sing choirs of angels, sing the song of Love.
His peace will soon be mine and mine His.
Here in this land of the forgotten unforgotten,
I love the pain that is endured for His love.
If I only could go back and tell all the world,
Tell of the golden light burning away
The smeared stain of the fall.
This pain wrenches me, my heart spilling with love
Only longs now for the One whom it belongs.
Soon I hope to wake from the slumber,
The slumber that cleanses, Love Divine, it knows not time.
I learn love moment by moment, time does not bind.
The horizon!
Breathtaking!
The Dove is near!
I now sing with you angels, the song of Peace.
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