Phinding Phreedom

Sorry folks

2010-09-09T22:32:00.000-04:00

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.

St. Maria Goretti - Saints & Angels - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online

2010-07-06T23:38:00.000-04:00

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.

"Its been a while"

2010-06-20T22:55:00.000-04:00

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

You're the best.....around!

2010-06-04T21:43:00.000-04:00

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!!!

Memorial Life

2010-05-31T22:58:00.000-04:00

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.

Happy Birthday 2

2010-05-23T22:24:00.000-04:00

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.

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.

These gifts are foreshadowed in Isaiah 11. The spirit always existed, it had to. It is part of the triune God. We can easily relate to Jesus and to the Father because we have a refrence but the Spirit is something different. It is said to be the infinite love that is exchanged eternally between the Father and the Son. The love is so strong it created a new being, hmph, sounds like a family. How great is it that we can participate by being containers of the Holy Spirit and participate in the trinity. It is certainly a true statement to say that God is Love.

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!

Wide Receivers

2010-05-16T22:35:00.000-04:00

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.

What a woman

2010-05-09T23:04:00.000-04:00

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!

Happy Birthday

2010-05-05T22:57:00.000-04:00

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.

Heros

2010-05-02T22:30:00.000-04:00

"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.

Runnin on empty

2010-04-28T21:54:00.000-04:00

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 ;)

Work, Who needs it?

2010-04-25T22:47:00.001-04:00

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.

Tick-Tock

2010-04-21T22:40:00.000-04:00

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.

Gettn Stoned

2010-04-18T23:16:00.001-04:00

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).

America's Past Time

2010-04-14T23:06:00.002-04:00

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!

Music to my ears

2010-04-11T22:16:00.000-04:00

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.........

Happy Easter

2010-04-04T22:23:00.000-04:00

"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...

The End

2010-03-31T19:49:00.000-04:00

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.”

Phinding Phriends

2010-03-28T14:43:00.000-04:00

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.

Success at last (quotes galore)

2010-03-24T22:08:00.003-04:00

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.

That is how the dictionary defines success, how do you?

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”

March Madness

2010-03-21T22:53:00.000-04:00

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."

Just another day for drinkin

2010-03-17T23:01:00.000-04:00

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.

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.

The In-laws

2010-03-14T22:36:00.002-04:00

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!

AAAAA CHOOOOOOOO!

2010-03-10T22:17:00.000-05:00

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!!

The divine 2 by 4

2010-03-07T23:04:00.001-05:00

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.

Shorty numero deuce (yea, Im tri-lingual)

2010-03-03T23:11:00.001-05:00

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.

A shorty

2010-02-28T23:04:00.001-05:00

Sorry folks it has probably been one of the most busy weeks of my life this past week, so Ive only got a little to share tonight. Ill return to form this week some time after I recover, Im sure you have all been there.

Now even though Ill keep this short its going to be packed with some amazing stuff. Click the hyperlinks to read more about God reveals Himself through His people, us, in some incredible ways.

I had the great fortune to learn about an incredible soul named Audrey Santo this weekend. Please check out the link which contains more info about her life and amazing miracles that had happened around her.

http://littleaudreysanto.org/story.htm

Im not one to rely on the perceptable signs from God or miraculous happenings, but its great to kick back and say dang God, you can do some pretty sweet stuff!!! It makes you take a step back and think about the one who you follow and Im so thankful that Im following Him. Again, not because of the miracles but because of the love. God is not going to show you a miracle to make you a believer, there is no free choice in that, He wants your fiat, no not your car, your yes! He will show the believers the miracles, not to increase their love for Him, but to bolster their faith, kinda like a tetanus titer but your arm isnt sore when its over ;)

Here are some other links to miraculous happenings.

Bodies that havent decayed

http://www.catholicapologetics.info/library/gallery/incorrupt/incorrupt.htm

St. Clare of Montefalco is a must read, thanks for the tip, tipster!

Every time a priest celebrates mass a miracle occurs when he consecrates the bread wine and they become the real body and blood of Jesus Christ. But in His infinite wisdom and grace, God has given us many Eucharistic miracles where the hosts actually bleed or scab over or become bits of flesh. You can research these as there are some quite famous ones.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqsRDD6kXWY&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDp3nPQqL_o

http://www.therealpresence.org/eucharst/mir/engl_mir.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6SH93arrIE

This is a video of a modern day saint, St. Padre Pio. He was an incredible human being who had the stigmata or the wounds of Christ, notice the gloves. He could bilocate, he was often found in his room shivering. Soldiers during WWII were said to have seen him on the wintery fields ministering to people all the while he was in Italy. His confession lines were blocks long as he would help the faithful confess all their sins. While participating in the sacrament of confession, he would withhold absolution because he was able to read the souls of the penitent and knew when and what they were holding back and could tell them when, how, and who they were with when committing the sin.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqLxUExgZVQ&feature=fvw

Take them for what they are worth and pray about this. The Lord is not trying to convince us of anything we already know. He only wants us to see His great love for us. Everything in the Catholic Church flows to and from the Eucharist because it truly is Jesus Christ. Our daily bread takes on a whole new meaning.....

Why are we here?

2010-02-24T21:29:00.001-05:00

Thats the million dollar question. If you are like me and like everyone else in the world you have probably asked yourself that same question, multiple times, and its probably one of the best questions to ask. Depending on your philosophy or your beliefs you may say that we aren't even here or that we don't exist or that we are someones dream. Well, if you are one of those people thanks for reading my blog because I don't prescribe to any of that nonsense but it does make you think. In, then, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Pope Benedict's book "Introduction to Christianity," he begins by talking about doubt and disagreement. In this uncertainty is where believers, non believers, and people of other faiths meet. Without this doubt there would be no meeting point or intersection for people to come together and have a real discussion about God or any dichotomous viewpoints for that matter.

The point that we as believers must all agree upon is that we do exist, we are here, and we aren't someones dream. So now that you know you know that you know you are here we can begin thinking about what the H-E -double hockey sticks you and I are here for.

The Baltimore Catechism, which holds the basic tenets of the Catholic faith and was used by all Catholic schools in the late 1800's to mid 1900's, addresses this issue as the very beginning of the book. We are here to love and to serve God, to show his goodness and to enjoy everlasting life with him. Pretty simple, well......did you start, why are you still reading......go on, get goin...........are you still here. I thought I told you why you are here, so get to it.

Sounds simple, and at its core it is, but there is a deeper meaning behind it. God has created us because he loves us and he wants a relationship with us just as we want a relationship with our families, friends, and hopefully we discover it.with God. We all exist in relationship and we know that relationships take work, God is no different. Our relationship with him takes time, work, effort, flowers, and chocolate (well maybe not flowers). The same things that keep us from relationship with our neighbor, our least liked neighbor, are the same things that keep us from the deepest relationship with God. He loves the person that we like least just as much as He loves us, he made us to love like Him. Again, it takes a herculean effort, but we are given the grace to be herculean (Jesuslean doesnt sound as good). Just think how amazing the world would be if we all loved that way, it would be heavenly. Now Im not saying I love like this but Id like to say I try, when I want to.

This is such a huge topic and Id like to address it more in later posts, but I think the thing to take away from this is that we exist because of love, because of Love, and because we need to love Love the way Love loves us so that we can love to be in love with Love because Love loves to be in love with us and Love would love for us to love like Love loves.

It makes sense, I promise, youll figure it out. love ya

The hOLYMPICS

2010-02-21T22:09:00.000-05:00

What is with all this Olympic stuff that is all over the news lately. Do you care about them, are they interesting, why do you like them or dislike them? After all, its just sports, and sports dont matter right.
This is the argument of some people and perhaps its easy to see why some are so turned off by sports. High salaries, games are played for a living, and lack of character are all reasons why some blacklist professional sports but I see it differently.

Pope Benedict XVI said, in regards to the Olympics, they are "a valued building block of peace and friendship between peoples and nations." Granted, we are not talking about the pro sports like the NFL, NBA, and MLB but you get the point. Where else can nations come together putting differences, beliefs, and even wars aside to cheer on their fellow Earth-mates as they perform super human feats.

Just think, these winter Olympians have trained every day for years to do what they do and what they do is so simple, they move on frozen water. Simple but they do it in so many different ways, on skates, on skis, snowboards, bobsleds, with sticks, with rocks, and all with near flawless grace and beauty. This is why we watch, perfection. Perfection is beautiful. We love to succeed, we love watching others succeed, we love watching perfection, we love to gaze upon beauty, we want to be perfect, we want to be beautiful. To accomplish this takes an incredible amount of work and it shows in the efforts of these men and women. Imagine training day in and day out to slide a rock down a large sheet of ice, that would be torture but we'll watch it for a couple days because we want to see perfection and beauty. Doing anything perfect looks beautiful and its most clear in the physical abilities of the human person.

The Olympics date back to the ancient Greeks who were leaders and trail blazers in education, philosophy and loved perfection and beauty. Philosophy means "the love of wisdom," so it is no small wonder that the high minded Greeks came up with such a spectacle as the Olympics.

We can also participate in the perfection and make our own lives a thing of beauty. St. Francis DeSales said "Do not wish to be anything but what you are, and try to be that perfectly." Each day we can strive for this as we participate in the (insert your name here) Olympics. Sounds pretty cheesy doesnt it? There is no gold medal after 4 years but there is a great reward after a lifetime of practicing to be your most perfect self.
We are told in scripture to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect. The "perfect" scripture speaks of is not being a perfectionist or doing things better than everyone else. The real perfection is perfect love for one another and for God. As each day passes and we strive for this perfection people around us will recognize that beauty in us, the beauty that comes from God. Love in itself is perfection and we know God is love. This makes the living out of our faith naturally beautiful. Blessed Mother Theresa, the (pardon the description) wrinkly little old woman that everyone knows about, why? She was just a poor little woman who worked with the people who no one else would even look at. Maybe everyone knows about her for the same reason we tune in to the Olympics, we recognize beauty and we want our lives to be beautiful too. The funny thing is they already are......we just need a little practice.

Nice Ash

2010-02-17T22:44:00.000-05:00

Try saying that five times, fast. Anyway, happy?! Ash Wednesday to you. Today is the day that lent begins for most Christians (the eastern Orthodox have already begun, that filioque will get you everytime). Lent is a time to "turn back" or repoint and refocus ourselves on why we are here and where we are going.

Ashes are placed in the shape of a cross on the believers forehead to signify and help us remember that we have all come from dust and we will all return to dust one day, so I guess "happy" isnt a really good descriptor of the day. The placement of ashes really has its roots in the old testament and in Jewish culture. Ash is taken on during a time of mourning or repentance, again lets nix the ~~"happy".~~ Even though this isnt a happy time its not a sad time either. At its core, lent is about what really matters, LOVE.

Lent is about taking time to refocus on God's ubiquitous and incomprehensible love for us and return it through alms giving (being charitable), fasting (being penitent), and praying (praying). Quite often people give something up for lent in a spirit of penance. At a young age I heard a homily which has changed the way I have lived lent over the past 15 years. The priest proffered the idea to give up something that we could never get back, something that is so precious, so valuable, and so worthy. Right now you might be thinking just as I did about what is so important and right now thoughts of money, food, pant-suits, or handy-snacks - red plastic cheese spatula and all are floating through your head. Well my friend those are all good, but what's most precious is TIME.

We can give our time to so many things like work, which is good, school, which is good, TV, not so much, or the needy, lonely, and poor. We can give our time, which we will never get back, through extra prayer, volunteering, or possibly spending more time around those whom we love.

We are reminded that we exist in time through the ashes on our foreheads because it is a representation of where we came from and where we are going. Love is here with us in time but once we return to dust, we move to eternity where there is no time. The question this lent is how will we spend our time now so that we can ensure how we will spend our eternity.

I freakn love lent!!! God bless you all.

What do you make?

2010-02-13T09:28:00.000-05:00

Now this is an easy question to answer. When you have your number, which is a number not many of us forget, go to this website http://www.globalrichlist.com/ and enter the value. It will tell you where and in what percentile you are in compared to the rest of the world.

Quite humbling, isnt it? So why the need for more? Yes, money makes things easier but does it make us happier? Well, thats something I struggle with myself. Im right there at the top with the rest of you, plus or minus a fraction of a percentage. A fraction of a percentage is what separates a couple hundred million people. Those making 40k a year all the way to those making "a milli" plus. We get to a point where we are comfortable but what is it that drives us for more, Im still trying to answer this question. After all there are 5 billion other people out there livn, lovn, smiln, and making a pittance compared to the rest of us. Some sociologists suspect as we make more money the people, and the circles we run in change. This makes us want to get to the next level but when we get there, there is a new circle to run in. Hmmph, runnin in circles, interesting.

Regardless of what we make I think its necessary to have a spirit of thankfulness for whatever it is that we have. There will always be people with more and there will alway be people with less, we can do what we can to help out the less fortunate. But I think the most we can do is be thankful and spread the cheer that what we have, both material and not, has brought us.

All this is not to say that we shouldnt make money or strive to be our best. I only want to try to be more content with what I have and not want more money for the sake of status improvement. Its also understanding that dollar signs dont equal happiness considering all the people that make pennies on our dollar and are full of joy.

Lets take a philosophical look at this. Every person has the unlimited capacity to love and to know. Objects or material possessions provide avenues to express this capacity to know as we learn and enjoy the "thing". It also gives us an opportunity to love it as we learn more about it. As the objects features grow so does the avenue for us to enjoy it. Lets walk down that road first passing a fresh pair of Nikes, pretty sweet but as we walk they start getting dirty. On your left you see a new cell phone, quite nice but then the screen gets scratched and the new version comes out. On your right you see a used but nice car, awesome, many memories in that old hunk of junk. Further down the road there is a BMW with your name on it, man that is sweeeeeeeet, but wait, who is that at the corner? O its the 2 million other BMW owners that have sweet rides too. You know where Im goin with this, and I myself am on this road but Im tryn to take the ally over here if you want to come. That avenue leads to a dead end because the object is finite which means it has limitations and bounds. These objects also distract us from more important things, some people can be married to their computer or video game system. We need to apply our infinite capacity to know and love to things that are also infinite such as PEOPLE. This is where love comes in.

What better time to talk about love then on Valentines weekend. Now I know its NBA all star weekend and everyone is DVRing all the action like me but lets get past Lebron for a night, wink wink. I hope each one of you has someone to love this weekend, whether its a spouse, significant other, parent, child, or even a pet. If you dont, find someone to spend some time with and if you cant, go to hospital and share some time with someone who is longing for a visitor. This will bring joy beyond that million dollar salary and shiny new ride.

Ill leave you with this video, What do you make, its passionate and heart felt. Im not proping up teaching or poking fun at lawyers because I know both good and bad in both professions. I found it quite powerful and I think it can apply to many careers. Take a look then go get yo lovin on this weekend!!!

Who Dat?

2010-02-09T22:40:00.000-05:00

By now we all know the New Orleans Saints won the Super Bowl and that their tag line is who dat. As lent approaches and debauchery descends upon New Orleans during Mardi Gras we should take some time and ask who dat about the real saints.

The Catholic Church honors deceased individuals who have shown heroic virtue throughout their lives. We dont worship them, we dont think they are God, we dont buy them sneakers (wait....., what!?), just kidding, I just wanted your attention. These saints are guys named Drew, Marques, and Pierre. No, not Drew Brees, Marques Colston, and Pierre Thomas but St. Andrew, one of the apostles, St. Mark, one of the Gospel authors, and of little fame, St. Pierre-Francois Neron who was a 19th century French priest who went to Vietnam to preach the faith and was captured, tortured, and beheaded.

Saints are people just like you and I who lived their lives of heroic virtue in service to the faith. Everyone in heaven is considered a saint. However the Church only grants the title St. to those who have been studied and whom multiple miracles have been attributed to and have been proven. (find out about the process here) So what, good for them. Nope, wrong. Good for us. These people not only leave us their example but also their prayers. Since we know they are in heaven we can ask them to pray for us directly to God while we may be off doing something else like shoveling snow, taking a test, participating in a conference call, or eating fruit roll-ups. Seriously, dont we ask one another to pray for us in times of need even though we ask God ourselves. Its always good to have as many prayers as possible in times of need, so why not ask a saint whom we know is chilln with J right now.

Chances are that there is a saint or two who shares your name. Find out about that person and ask them to pray for you. Here is a good link to check this out. Being a saint takes work and hopefully we will all be one one day but until then we need to continue to try to "keep it real" and ask for help to do so

"Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future." - Oscar Wilde

Pure as the driven snow

2010-02-06T11:09:00.000-05:00

Gone away is the blue bird, here to stay is the new bird, he sings a love song, as we go along, walking in a winter wonderland. Strange to hear these kind of songs even though Christmas is over. Winter starts on December 22nd and Christmas is three days later but for the remaining 95% of winter we dont hear the winter songs because they are associated with Christmas. What most people dont know is that Christmas just ended this week on February 2nd, also known as Candlemas which is 40 days after December 25th. Candlemas celebrates the "presentation" which was Mary's presentation of the Christ child in the temple.

In Mosaic law if a woman had a male child she was believed to be unclean until and offering was made in the temple after 40 days. It was an early prefigurement of Christ being offered for all of us because of our unclenliness due to sin.

Can't we all agree that a freshly fallen snow is beautiful. Its always so eerily quiet when snow is falling, wouldn't you agree. The whitest of whites can be seen on everything and anything. The snow blankets the world and makes it look clean and fresh. But after a few days of salt, plows, cars, and warmer temperatures the snow looks dirty and everything starts to look a bit tarnished.

Our souls are like the snow when it has freshly fallen but as time goes on and we sin, we darken our hearts as sin separates us from God. Fortunately our God is a gracious and forgiving God who has mercy beyond comprehension. As this snow melts and gets dirty lets try to stay clean and pure of heart and blanket the world with the brilliance beyond compare.

Ah, that hurts

2010-02-02T22:27:00.000-05:00

Why do we have to suffer and experience pain. We all have experienced pain in one form or another, whether it be while mourning the loss of a loved one or battling a nasty cold. Some people experience chronic pain, both mental and physical, and my hat goes off while my heart goes out to those people. Most of our pains go away in time but chronic pain is something other-worldy which takes an indominable will and the grace of God to overcome. (See my man Tron's blog on suffering which echoes many of the same words I share tonight.)

Why did God allow the people of Haiti so much suffering, why did he allow Katrina, why did he allow 9/11. Was he punishing us? Some would answer with an emphatic yes! I say, on the contrary, He is loving us. After all, He allowed is one and only, most beloved son to suffer a most extreme and horrific death. Did He do that because He was mad at Jesus, insert an emphatic NO here! God allows suffering and pain so that a greater good may come from it.

I have had the unfortunate experience of throwing my back out, again, last night, and man does it hurt. Do I complain, yes, should I, no. Im a baby when it comes to pain and suffering, I cant handle it. Everyone needs to know when Mark isnt feeling good, I cant bear it graciously. Those of you who know me, tell me to zip it next time I complain please. Back to my back, what good can come from this? Well tonight I have some time to post again, I had some time to rest, I had some time to read, and I did my part to help my chiropractor get a little more ching-a-ling in his pocket. Hey, everyones got to make a living. But most of all I can offer it to God and turn it in to a joy-filled blessing. Joyful suffering, oxymoron if I ever heard of one, but hey, God dying on a cross turned the world on its head too.

Back to Jesus. How can we make our suffering meaningful and joyful when it makes us feel so crappy. Blessed Mother Theresa called suffering a kiss from Jesus. He allows us to share in His most deepest love while sharing in His suffering. St. Paul tells us in Collosians 1:24 "Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church." What does this mean, how was Christ's suffering lacking. He suffered once and for all on our behalf but we can still participate in His suffering with our own, and we are what its lacking. St. Paul speaks of the body of Christ, which is us, the Church. Our suffering doesnt have to be in vain, even the smallest paper cut can mean something with the right intention. Its only God's great love for us that allows us, even in our pain, to share in His glory and offer something to the people of God in all we do. Quoting a virtuous woman named Nennolina, "Pain is like fabric, the stronger it is the more its worth."

Next time you slam your finger in the door dont say God d*** it, say God thank you!!

One Day

2010-01-31T22:57:00.000-05:00

I hope the music didnt scare you and hopefully your coworkers arent wondering why you are listening to rap music. I heard this song the other day and really liked it, its got a really good message if you could get past the style. The artist is a Hasidic Jew featuring the "gangsta" rapper Akon. I thought if a Hasidic Jew and a rapper can get along, why cant all of us.

We all come from different backgrounds and environments but we all share the same planet. In this day and age it seems like anything and everything ticks someone off and causes a division. Two of the biggest rifts are caused in religion and politics.

This week we saw President Obama give his State of the Union address. Its strange how people can hear two, and possibly more, completely different messages from the same words. We often only hear what we would like to and evaluate based on our own feelings. Christians are familiar with the phrase and scripture, where 2 or more are gathered in my name I am in their midst. That is Jesus speaking about His presence among the gathered faithful. I am fond of another similar saying, where 2 or more are gathered politics is in their midst. I will leave politics to the politicians, what they say is often not what we get, so let them talk.

On the religion front we have much division among Jews/ Christians, Christians/ Muslims, Jews/ Muslims, and more importantly Jews/ Jews, Christians/ Christians, Muslims/ Muslims. People often say that religion is the cause of most wars. I argue that and say that it is used as an excuse for war by those who do not live out the faith they profess. If we all lived the faiths we profess the world would still have issues but it would be a much, much better place. This may not be agreeable to all but hey, its my blog, post a comment;)

I hope everyone has a great week and maybe one day.......

Silence of the lambs

2010-01-25T22:33:00.000-05:00

Bet that title got your attention! Dont worry this post wont be filled with anything of the sort except for an allusion to the character of Hannibal Lector. Let's dig in, shall we.

Mondays are always tough going back to work but this Monday was especially difficult because it was so dark out. We had heavy cloud cover and a consuming wind/rain one-two punch. However, there was a silver lining, it was 60 some degrees here in beautiful PA.

Id like to take some time to reflect on an interesting experience I had a couple months ago at the hospital. I was scheduled to have an MRI done at the request of my doctor. As I sat in the hospital filling out the paperwork I came across a question asking me about being claustrophobic, to which I responded healllll yea;) I initially thought Id be in this open area and go through a magnetic ring once or twice, oh no I was slated to be in that chamber of terror for 45 whole minutes. I quickly became anxious as the nurse assured me it would be ok.

I was placed in that tube of horror, which is about 2.5 feet in diameter and 6 feet long, with a plastic shroud covering my face. Thats where Hannibal Lector comes in, me with this plastic mask of death on. To give you an idea of how claustrophobic I am I would probably chew my arm off if I was trapped in an elevator for more than 28 seconds. Now I was being throttled into this cylinder of torture for the next 45 minutes with only a little plastic ball in my hand to let the nurse know if she needed to come save me from the magnetic monster. However, she said something that helped me through, she said just close your eyes and DONT OPEN THEM.

In the next forty five minutes I did not open my eyes, and to my surprise, I left feeling quite a tangible sense of peace. I reflected on this for days. How did I make it through and why was I at such peace. I was in that machine for 45 minutes with my head encapsulated in a plastic hood and my face was inches from the tube walls, for all intents and purposes and for drama's sake, I was buried alive. The reality existed but closing my eyes shielded me from the anxiety.

Isnt it interesting how our surroundings can play on our emotions and our feelings just as we experience on these cold dark days of winter. The power of our mind is incredible, we control our thoughts by what we let come in our mind. There is alot of noise in our world and we are constantly sifting through it letting in what we want and filtering out what we dont. Some of what we dont want is good for us, we need to learn to let it in and some of what we are letting in isnt that good. We must train our eyes to see, which takes hard work and good friends to help us when we fall. We have a great example of this today as we in the Catholic church celebrate the feast of the conversion of St. Paul. St. Paul was a persecutor of Christians in his early years but God blinded him and then led him to be one of the most influential people in all of Christianity.

We should strive for constant conversion of heart, mind, and soul. We have many means to accomplish this, but today lets focus on training our eyes to see what we ought and remove the blinders to what has always been right under our noses.

Peace, love, soooooooouuuuuuullllllllllll!!

Fity mil

2010-01-23T10:58:00.000-05:00

O hello, I didnt see you there, you caught me mending my fences!? Thats from a Will Ferrell skit, pretty funny. Hes a funny guy, a bit vulgar at times but funny. I had a friend who met him in NY while Will was filming Elf, when my friend approached him Will said 'hello my name is Fil Werrell."
Enough about that, yesterday was chock full o'stuff in the world. Not in any special order: the March for life in Washington DC - The march is a collection of about 250000 folks supporting pro-life legislation and trying turn the Roe vs Wade legislation that legalized abortion on January 22nd 37 years ago. This is a very contentious point were common folks become enraged at the mention of the issue, and thats on both sides of the coin. One thing, for sure, is that we should all thank our parents for giving us the opportunity to have and share those opinions. One thing is certain, 50 million of our American brothers and sisters are not here because of abortions (hence the title) and thats only the recorded cases in the last 37 years. Worldwide that number is probably approaching a billion with the China and India boosting the numbers. I cant imagine what a woman goes through when having a child but I could imagine the emotions of shear terror as well as utter bliss. Regardless of the emotion or situation we should encourage all women to honor the tremendous gift that is a child. We as men must treat women with the dignity and respect they deserve, they are Gods most beautiful creation and we must not use them for our own desires and pleasures. The man whose female counterpart has an abortion is just as culpable as the woman. We as men need to stand up and protect our women and help them release their true beauty as they help us to realize our own inner strength.
On a lighter note it was also Conan Obrian's last night on the Tonight Show. What a drama there but he had some really great words about life that he gained from his experience at NBC. To quote him "Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you're kind, amazing things will happen." In my first post I linked the 32 Keys to life and today I read about TODAY. Conan's words and Todays are resonating with me today. We often hope for something in the future that is going to make us happy, a better job, a nicer car, nicer home, and so on. Sometimes we think we are owed something or should have this or be doing that and be happy like those people. When this, that, or those never comes self pity and doubt set in and it can ultimately lead to depression and despair. I know I struggle with this and I think it is something many struggle with. Quoting a good friend, "happiness is a choice we have to make every morning when we wake up." If we go on seeking something this day and come to the end of the day and have not found it, we have lost today. We need to mend our fences ;) and start enjoying the day.
And lastly, my girlfriend got me tickets to go see the Knicks and Lakers at Madison Square Garden in NYCizzle. It was a great time, Im so glad I got to share it with her and her family, I will never forget it. A side note: President Clinton spoke about the Haiti relief efforts. He and President Bush are both doing more good now then when they were in office, whose with me on this one ....... have a great today.

The best psychologist

2010-01-20T22:08:00.000-05:00

Ive heard it said that a puppy licking your face is the best psychologist. How can you not love that, it cracks the stone of the coldest hearts. Dogs have a way with humans, in a way we are intimate with them. They are the only animal that sleeps in the same bed with a human. Why is that so? They love us regardless of what we do, they forget that we havent been home all day and shake their butt and wag their tail when they see us again. They just want to be loved back and, in a way, thats what we all want.
God loves in the same way, albeit on a different level, he just wants to be loved and he wants to love us. He has given us many great tools to encounter him, these are called sacraments. God calls us to interact in a real way through these gifts.
I have a great joy today because my puppy (really my girlfriend's) lifted his leg to pee today for the first time. Yea this might be silly but the older I get the more I realize it truly is about the little things in life. I typically would have shrugged this off but Im making a big deal out of it because, well, why not. I woke up, said prayers, went to work, ate lunch, went back to work, and went to class. Life is full of obligation and responsibility, why not take some joy in the little things because before you know the little things go by and never come back. So rejoice in the little things tomorrow and have a puppy lick your face, or let em pee on your leg or something and smile about it. Good night and God bless.

Here are the doggy 10 commandments, think about em, they make sense.

1. My life is likely to last 10-15 years. Any separation from you is likely to be painful.
2. Give me time to understand what you want of me
3. Place your trust in me. It is crucial for my well-being.
4. Don't be angry with me for long and don't lock me up as punishment. You have your work, your friends, your entertainment, but I have only you.
5. Talk to me. Even if I don't understand your words, I do understand your voice when speaking to me.
6. Be aware that however you treat me, I will never forget it.
7. Before you hit me, before you strike me, remember that I could hurt you, and yet, I choose not to bite you.
8. Before you scold me for being lazy or uncooperative, ask yourself if something might be bothering me. Perhaps I'm not getting the right food, I have been in the sun too long, or my heart might be getting old or weak.
9. Please take care of me when I grow old. You too, will grow old.
10. On the ultimate difficult journey, go with me please. Never say you can't bear to watch. Don't make me face this alone. Everything is easier for me if you are there, because I love you so.

Welcome everyone

2010-01-19T18:47:00.000-05:00

This is my first post and hopefully not the last, I get lazy ;) My intention is write/comment about what is happening in the world and in my world, and how to embrace or cope with these events. I hope that you find this beneficial and perhaps enjoyable to read so please comment and give me some feedback.
The title of the blog is Phinding Phreedom because life is about living free (and its an alliteration of my last name). Quoting Pope John Paul II, “Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought.” Freedom comes from braking bonds to what is called "sin." A good definition of sin is to miss the mark. God has created all things good but sometimes we twist these things for our own good. Our own good may not be good at all but it may seem so because there is something pleasurable we think we will get from it. This blog is about encountering those things and making the best of situations in the light of faith with a bit of psychology mixed in.
Lets start with today, there is alot going on in the world and at the top of my list is being out sick from work today. The blessing in this is that it has given my time to start this page and that I am grateful for. Making lemons out of lemonade is trite but I have found that thinking positive does make a difference in how we approach things, we can either regret or rejoice.
Another happening in the world today is the Senate election in Mass. where Democrats have held the seat for nearly 40 years. There is a great deal of focus on the election because a Republican may actually win and can swing the process of healthcare reform. I heard a few months back someone call it "health insurance reform," I think this is a better way to view it and discuss it. I guess we will see tomorrow what the future holds, until then, thanks for stopping by.

Here is a link that has alot of good info about life in general
32 keys for life

Phinding Phreedom

Sorry folks

St. Maria Goretti - Saints & Angels - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online

"Its been a while"

You're the best.....around!

Memorial Life

Happy Birthday 2

Wide Receivers

What a woman

Happy Birthday

Heros

Runnin on empty

Work, Who needs it?

Tick-Tock

Gettn Stoned

America's Past Time

Music to my ears

Happy Easter

The End

Phinding Phriends

Success at last (quotes galore)

suc·cess

March Madness

Just another day for drinkin

The In-laws

AAAAA CHOOOOOOOO!

The divine 2 by 4

Shorty numero deuce (yea, Im tri-lingual)

A shorty

Why are we here?

The hOLYMPICS

Nice Ash

What do you make?

Who Dat?

Pure as the driven snow

Ah, that hurts

One Day

Silence of the lambs

Fity mil

The best psychologist

Welcome everyone