One Pilgrim

The Rise of the Sodomists

2011-06-25T16:49:00.002-04:00

Last night, under the cover of darkness, the legislature of the State of New York burned the midnight oil. What was the call for such dedication? Were they balancing the budget? Were they coming up with more practical means of administering health care? Were they cleaning up crime? Were they helping the poor? The answer to all of these questions is a resounding "NO". The priority that kept congress in session was to vote for the legalization of open sodomy.

Perhaps it seems cruel, or "hateful", to put it in such terms, but that is what we are doing. The term "homosexuality" is merely a euphemism for what was once clearly recognized as a perversion. It was, and is, akin to polygamy, pedophilia, incest, or bestiality. One fears that we may one day be enduring the legalization of all of these under the misguided notion of "sexual preference".

How did we get here? How is it that society has gone mad and all rational and logical thought has been tossed out of the window? How have so many been made captive to the philosophical agenda of the few elites?

It began with what we call the sexual revolution. This ideological revolt begins and ends with the notion that sex is a plaything. It is the right of every adult to use this plaything in any and every way that one sees fit. This fundamental right must not be inhibited by anyone else, especially the religious and conservative bigots who would keep us in the dark ages. However, that fundamental premise is fatally flawed and, with it, every conclusion that stems from that premise.

Sex is not a plaything. Rather, it is a power. It has, or should have, mystery and awe that surround it. This power is divine. It was given to us by God. It is the one way in which we are given the privilege to do something divine- we create human beings. This divine power was intended to take place in the context of a completely self-giving love. This is what marriage truly is. Cohabitation is not completely self-giving because each person has the option of stepping out of the relationship at any time. Sodomist relationships cannot begin to be compared with this as there is no natural means of creating anything. Only marriage the way God intended- between one man and one woman- can provide this context.

Sexual relations are intended to be pleasurable, but pleasure is not the intent. It is comparable to other natural functions such as eating or sleeping. Both are pleasurable but that is not their purpose. We eat for nourishment and we sleep to be refreshed. When we engage in these for their rightful purpose we benefit. But if we do so out of the sole motivation of seeking their pleasure we become gluttons and sluggards. In the same way, the purpose for sexual relations is procreation. God has created that process to be pleasurable. But if we seek it merely for its pleasures sake we have warped what God made holy.

We will show love to those who have embraced Sodomy, not by sharing in their lie that this is normal and acceptable, but rather by sharing with them the truth that they have become enslaved by this lie and that Christ can set them free from such bondage. Many have already walked this hard road of the cross and found the liberty, peace, and true happiness for which they always longed. My purpose in saying things here as I am is not to be divisive or "hateful", but rather to clearly speak the truth so that others may be free.

I confess, I am angry- not because my ideas or opinions are ignored, but because God is so openly and arrogantly mocked. I believe my anger to be righteous in this sense and I am unapologetic for the rhetoric I choose to highlight the grave sin of our nation. I am confident the Sodomist agenda will use the victory in New York to push their agenda even more aggressively. Before long I fear we will live in a Sodomist nation and that the refusal to capitulate to Sodomist demands will be the single biggest reason for the renewed persecution of Christians.

May God have mercy on New York! May God have mercy on the United States! And may God have mercy on a world gone mad!

The Downfall of Civilized Society

2011-01-09T14:56:00.003-05:00

Along with many others, I was shocked and saddened to hear of the recent mass shooting in Arizona. How has something so horrendous become so much more commonplace in our society?

Today, while at Mass, something the priest was saying in his homily put it together for me.

For the last several years we have become an increasingly secular society. This is by design. We have worked hard to maintain an ever increasing separation between Church and State. Let God be in the churches, the synagogues, the mosques, the temples, etc, but not in the public arena. In our efforts to extricate ourselves from any notion of, or corresponding responsibility to, God, we have eliminated the only source of morality from our society. To replace it we have adopted the notion of moral relativism, which states that there is no absolute truth, no right and wrong, but only that which is perceived to be right or wrong according to the individual and circumstances.

Without a moral compass, our foundation has been knocked out from underneath us. Let me illustrate.

Suppose someone were to ask why stealing is wrong. Why is it wrong? It is because God has definitively stated, "You shall not steal." The foundation for the morality of not taking what does not belong to us is grounded in our faith in God and that God has said this is wrong. But if we remove God from the picture, there is no absolute reason to believe that stealing is wrong other than the fact that most people don't like having something taken from them. But even that is not compelling as various circumstances may justify theft over the comfort or preference of one who is victimized. Perhaps someone feels they have a right to someone else's things. Without an absolute moral foundation, there is no way to defintively state, "You shall not steal."

This brings me back to my opening thought. Why do people increasingly feel justified in murdering other people? Because we, as a society, have worked so hard to remove the moral foundation. Therefore, we can no longer state definitively, "You shall not kill." Relative morality will find a way to justify killing. People are doing it more and more. That is what we saw in Arizona. That is what we have seen in similar incidents in recent years. It's what we can expect to continually see as long as we are all going to go along with this notion that God must not be in the public arena.

Taken to its logical conclusion, we are witnessing the beginning of the end of civilized society. Because there is no foundation for society to stand upon other than moral absolutes. And there are no moral absolutes apart from God.

My plea is for the return of sanity and the rejection of this twisted experiment to redefine morality and to to remove God. Please, if you don't like reading these stories in the news, then become part of the solution by bringing God, and our responsibility to Him, back into the public arena.

Reality Check

2010-01-09T09:12:00.003-05:00

I obviously have no time to keep a blog. Still, there are times like today when it's nice to have the outlet of writing something down.

Recently, my wife and I watched a movie entitled A Man Called Peter. It is the story of Peter Marshall who became chaplain of the U.S. Senate in the late '40's. Peter Marshall was an exceptional preacher and there are some great excerpts from his sermons in the movie.

We've seen this movie many times before. But this time I was struck by how real Peter Marshall made Christ to the people. It is a characteristic I want to adopt. But going on from there I began to realize that what makes this work is being real.

I would like to think of myself as being more pious than I really am. But I want to be honest with myself, and others, about who and what I really am. I think I can make better progress by honestly admitting my failings rather than pretending they don't exist. My hope, is that I will find that, by God's grace, I am indeed progressing to the person I hope to become- a thoroughly real Christian.

The Day Approaches

2009-11-17T08:46:00.002-05:00

It is now the hour for you to wake from sleep. The night is far spent; the day draws near. Let us cast off deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
Romans 13:11,12

This passage is taken from the Morning Office of prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours. It speaks of new beginnings. Now that we are in Christ, it is time to put away the sinful works of darkness and embrace the ways of Christ who is our Light.

Today's Gospel Reading for the Mass is taken from St. Luke's account of Zacchaeus. He was a tax collector, a very sinful man, who wanted to see Jesus. Jesus went to his house for dinner and forgave the man. His gratitude was evident in his resolve to live very differently from what he had before. This is true conversion; the reception of divine love and grace, and the corresponding transformation that follows.

Every moment of our lives provides us with such an opportunity. Whether we have been very religious, or not religious at all, God's grace abounds to the sinner in every place. No matter what you have done, this opportunity is available.

The night draws to a close. The day of our Lord's appearing is at hand. It is time to put away the works of darkness. Don't wallow in the failings of yesterday. Look forward to the life of Grace being offered to you in this moment. Let it be the moment of conversion. Let the day dawn and the Morning Star rise in your heart. Receive the warmth of the new day in Christ and go and sin no more!

All Saints Day

2009-11-01T17:30:00.002-05:00

Today is the Feast of All Saints. It is the time we remember all those who have died and are now in the Presence of the Lord. It is a very special feast in the Catholic Church.

Why do we venerate saints?

We do so to honor those who have lived holy lives. We want to hold them up as examples to be followed.

We also do so to glorify God. We realize that saints have attained such holiness only by the grace of God as given to us through our Lord Jesus Christ. To honor them is to glorify the One who has changed them.

Saints were every day people like us. They shared our circumstances and struggles. However, they chose to walk in the way of the cross and pursue holiness rather than give in to their own desires or the pressures of the surrounding society.

On this Feast of All Saints, I yearn ever more to truly be holy. I am so far from such a thing. But I trust in the Lord who has promised His power to all who call on Him in faith. By His grace I believe that I will indeed be holy and that I will be granted the gift of seeing Him face to face, if I endure to the end.

May the Lord grant us all such grace and may the prayers of all the saints aid us in our endeavor. Amen!

Not Just For Them

2009-10-19T08:08:00.002-04:00

But it was not for him alone that it was written...
Romans 4:23

It's been virtually forever since I have posted. Most of that is due to changing schedules and online courses.

To get back to it...

Today we read of Abraham's faith. We are told by Paul that Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness (v. 3). But in this verse he points out that it was not written for Abraham's benefit alone. It was written for all who would read and believe. In other words, it was written with us in mind.

I wonder if we typically approach the Scripture with that kind of anticipation. Do we see the Bible as something written a long time ago to ancient peoples that we can learn something from? Or, do we understand that the Scriptures were written just as much to us as to the original audience? Is the Bible a book of history, stories, and poetry, or is it God's word to us today?

The answers are telling. If we look at it as something written to others, we come to it as something merely beneficial and inspirational. It's like reading greeting cards or Chicken Soup for the Soul, or something. But if it's God's word to us today, then we approach it with the expectation that we will hear something fresh, something new and relevant for our lives today.

Over the last couple of weeks I have had more than a few encounters with those who believe that much of the Bible is not to be taken literally, but rather that we are to glean the primary lesson from the passage and apply it to our lives. It seems to me that they are essentially in the first category. This may not be intentional and they may even deny it, but I cannot imagine that the impact of the Scriptures can be as great when you are telling yourself things like "this didn't really happen." On the other hand, when we come to the Scriptures with the simplicity of a child (Mt. 18:3), and take God at His word, and expect that He will speak to us through it as surely as He spoke to those of whom we read, then we will, indeed, hear the Spirit speaking and be able to follow what He is saying.

Abraham believed God, hoping against hope, and was rewarded for his faith. He did not earn anything from God, but he believed God, and, therefore, obeyed. There's a lot to learn from that. But there's even more to be applied as we hear God calling us to faith and obedience.

The Family of Christ

2009-09-22T06:32:00.003-04:00

"My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it."
Luke 8:21

It would seem that if anyone had an inside track to eternal life it was the members of Jesus' own family. Yet, in this passage we see that this was not the case. They had to come like everyone else. In fact, maybe being related to Jesus was actually a hindrance. They watched Him grow up. They knew Him in ways that others didn't. To them, He was no one special. For this very reason their eyes were often blind to the revelation of who He truly is.

But the bigger issue, for us, is where do we find ourselves? We are not related to Jesus. Yet, can we find a place in His family? The answer is yes. When we listen to His word and obey it, we are His relatives. But pay careful attention to what is being said. It is not enough to hear the word of God, or know the word of God. We must be doing the word of God. We must obey! And we must obey daily, not just sporadically. If this was the case for Jesus' own mother and brothers, then how much more must it be the case for us. There are no exceptions; obedience equals relationship.

Isn't that rather legalistic? No, it's not. We all operate the same way. The only real relationships we have are those in which we love the other person enough to be committed to them no matter what. This is really what Jesus is saying. We can't have a relationship with Him if we will only be committed to Him when we want something from Him. That's not a relationship, it's prostitution.

Now this also raises an issue about the place of Mary, our Lord' s mother. Doesn't this passage show that she really didn't get it and couldn't possibly be all the things Catholics say she is? No, not really. Mary didn't understand everything that was going on. Episodes like this one in which she was concerned for the welfare of our Lord indicate that she simply didn't have some of the insight that she gained after hearing His words. But this doesn't mean she was sinning. In fact, we may look at this passage and understand that in the eternal perspective, Mary does not receive all the attention she gets merely because she gave birth to our Lord, but also because she truly was an exemplary disciple. She obeyed the word of God from the heart every time she was given the opportunity to do so. Would that we could say the same!

To live as one of Jesus' own we must continually be humbly seeking Him in prayer and in the Word. As we meditate on the Word, we must be sure that we are looking for the ways this is practically lived out in our lives. As we do, we show that we really are members of Christ's family. What a great privilege! What a tremendous joy!

The Pilgrim Journey

2009-09-03T07:55:00.002-04:00

Walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, so as to be fully pleasing, in every good work bearing fruit and growing in the knowledge of God.
Colossians 1:10

I love the phraseology of Paul. He paints such great pictures with his words. Today we hear him tell us to walk. Walking has the idea that we are in continuous motion. We are on pilgrimage. We have a destination and we are traveling there. It refers to our continuous lifestyle. Our faith is about how we live day be day. It is not a conglomeration of "experiences". We may feel things in a dramatic fashion from time to time. But these are not really the defining moments of our lives. It is how we live in the press of day to day living that truly determines who we are.

We are told not only to walk, but to walk in manner worthy of the Lord. Christ came to live the perfect life as well as die the redeeming death. As His disciples, we are to embrace His example as much as His teaching. It is the life of Christ that is to be lived out through us. Therefore, if we are to walk in a manner worthy of our Lord we must imitate His example. In this way we will be fully pleasing to Him.

Our lives are called to bear fruit; not necessarily the fruit of conversions, but rather the fruit of good works. These good works serve to glorify God. They demonstrate His presence in our lives and testify to the world around us of the life that we are called to live.

We are called to grow in the knowledge of our Lord. Our God yearns to be known. He is not hidden, as He seems. Rather, He is constantly revealing Himself to those who have eyes of faith and ears to hear what the Spirit is saying. We who know Him are not to content ourselves with that fact, but rather we are to hunger to know Him more. For He hungers to know us more. It is not that He doesn't already know everything about us. He does. But that is trivial. He wants to know us in the depths of our hearts. This requires that we open our hearts to Him. Then He will come to know us and we will come to know Him.

This phrase is part of a longer one in which St. Paul informs the Colossian Church of his continuous prayers on their behalf. What a wonderful thing to pray: that they will continue to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and grow in the knowledge of Him. May we follow his example in living this life and praying for others to join us.

Be Alert!

2009-09-01T06:43:00.002-04:00

We are not of the night or of darkness. So let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.
1 Thessalonians 5:5,6

St. Paul writes to the Thessalonians about being ready for the return of our Lord in power and glory to judge the living and the dead. He warns that this day will come suddenly, like a thief in the night. It will take many by surprise. But not us.

How can we have an inside tip on when the Lord will return? As our Lord Himself said, no one knows the day or the hour. It isn't that we will have the inside scoop. Rather, since we will live our lives ready for the return of the Lord, it won't matter when He comes. We'll be ready.

Paul describes this as keeping awake and sober. Both describe a lifestyle of being constantly on the alert. What are we watching for? The coming of the Lord, of course. But how does that play out for us?

It means we are guarding our hearts against sin. We are on the watch for the enemy of temptation from whichever quarter it may come. We are alert to his sneak attacks. We maintain such diligence so that we will not be overcome by sin and chance that Christ will return while we are astray from Him.

We are also awake to the fact that we have a job to do. We have been called to bring His Gospel to the world. When the Master of the House returns, will He find us about our duty? Will He find us faithful? It has been said that idleness is the devil's workshop. It is true. When we leave our duties and resort to amusing ourselves, we often find ourselves in the midst of sin. God has not called us to a playground, but a battleground. Our lives here are to be dedicated to His service. Our rewards await us. This does not mean, of course, that we cannot enjoy this life. But it does mean that happiness and pleasure are not the goals.

To be awake and sober is to keep an eye on eternity. We are not guaranteed another minute, much less another day. How will we use the time given to us?

How do we make an impact in our generation? By giving up our lives completely to our Lord Jesus. It is only then that our lives can be used in ways that will truly make an impact. The thing to remember is that it is His choice how He will use us, not ours. When we make loving and serving Him the goal, everything else we could ever really desire will be ours as well.

Be awake and sober, my friends, and watch to see the great things God will do!

The Heart of the Matter

2009-08-30T11:46:00.003-04:00

"This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me."
Mark 7:6

In today's Gospel we have another classic confrontation between Jesus and the Pharisees. The Pharisees are upset because Jesus' disciples don't keep their tradition. Jesus is upset because the Pharisees have replaced God's Word with their tradition.

Tradition is big in Catholic circles; bigger than in most non-Catholic ones. But to us, there is a big difference between the Apostolic Tradition (spelled with an upper case T) and various traditions (spelled with the lower case t). It is the latter that are our focus today.

Sometimes we allow our various customs to become our doctrines. We have canonized things like styles of music, dress codes, where we sit in church, and what the church should look like. Any number of these things may be good, but they are simply our traditions, not necessarily God's. They can be changed. In some cases they should be changed. If we're not careful our religion devolves into who agrees with us on these issues. This was what happened to the Pharisees and its how we become Pharisees in our modern context.

This raises a question: just what is it that is at the heart of our religion anyway? Why do we do what we do? To borrow a line from Matt Redman: "It's all about You (Jesus)". We are called Christians because we follow Christ. We seek to imitate Him. We have come to know Him, and so we have a relationship with Him. It's really all about this. The other stuff has varying degrees of importance, but this is at the heart of the issue. Before we can deal with the rest, we need to know that our heart is right with our Lord.

Too many of us make it all about the rules. It's not. It's about the relationship. The Gospel is the divine love story. It is that God created us for Himself, but we were lost to Him through sin. Because of His great love He has redeemed us. We are a mess when He finds us, but He loves us so much that He was truly willing to die rather than live without us. When we begin to grasp some of this love and respond in kind, then we are beginning the road to eternal life. There's more, of course, but it starts here.

The tendency can easily be that the longer we go on, we drift from this core. Now we're caught up in rules and traditions and before we know it, the life has been sucked out of us and we're asking, "What's it all about?" This is why so many have been burned by religion. They either never understood this concept, or they forgot it.

Today, hear Jesus' words afresh. What traditions are keeping us from realizing the intimacy He longs to bring us? Leave the traditions of men, even if they're your own. Renew the first love you had for Him. Then let Him lead you the rest of the way!

The Power of a Praying Mother

2009-08-27T07:01:00.003-04:00

As he drew near to the gate of the city, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow.
Luke 7:12

Today is the Memorial for St. Monica, who was the mother of St. Augustine. She is best known for her persevering prayer for his conversion. She is known as the patron saint of all mothers.

In his early days, St. Augustine was a very sinful man. It grieved the heart of his devout mother and she stormed heaven with her prayers continually. After many years her prayers were answered. Augustine finally repented of his evil ways and submitted to baptism. St. Monica died content that her son was in the hands of God.

In today's Gospel a widow receives her son back to life. It is a literal rendering of what St. Monica experienced in the spiritual. Her son who was dead was now alive. How can we who have children gone astray experience the same?

First of all, we must acknowledge that each person has his/her own free will. God will not force Himself on anyone regardless of how hard we plead. But He does continue to pour out His Spirit upon these wayward souls, urging them to come to Him. There really is something to be said for such prayer. St. John tells us if any one sees his brother committing what is not a deadly sin, he will ask, and God will give him life for those whose sin is not deadly, (1 Jn. 5:16). St. James tells us the prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects, (Jms. 5:16). Our Lord promised us that if we continue to ask, seek, and knock, we will receive the thing we are asking for.

If you've been praying for a son or daughter who has been straying from the Lord, don't give up. With St. Monica as your example, continue to pray. You may even ask St. Monica to intercede on your behalf since we know she has such power in prayer. As we continue in prayer, let us trust that we, too, will see the glory of God!

From The Inside Out

2009-08-26T06:30:00.002-04:00

Walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into his Kingdom and glory.
1 Thessalonians 2:12

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of filth.
Even so, on the outside you appear righteous, but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and evildoing.
Matthew 23:27,28

St. Paul tells us in our first reading that we are called to walk worthy of our God. The distinctive mark of a Christian is our lifestyle. We are to imitate Jesus. We are to reflect His love. Our faith is not merely theoretical, but practical. We practice what we preach. But lest someone think it's all about how we appear, we also have our Lord's exhortation in Matthew's Gospel. It's not sufficient to look good on the outside. Our inside must look just as good to God. The two are related.

We are inwardly pure when we maintain a constant vigilance over our own hearts. We guard ourselves against sin. We fill our hearts and minds with praise and thanksgiving to God. We are continually in prayer. We meditate on God's Word and we receive of the Sacraments. In this way we are made into the image of Christ. We truly have fellowship with God. This inward purity then spills over into a life of outward purity as well. If we are truly pure in heart, then it will inevitably show to others around us. However, the reverse is not necessarily true. People can look good on the outside but be a mess inside. This was the situation our Lord was addressing.

The problem is that if we look good on the outside it is easy to be deceived. We have others fooled and we may even be fooling ourselves. Outward obedience alone is never sufficient. It must be the overflow of a vibrant relationship with God. Only then does it carry the power necessary to be life-changing for us and others around us.

Where do we stand today? Are we even maintaining an outward appearance of holiness? If so, is that the result of inward holiness? The readings call us to carefully examine our state, inside and out. Let us be diligent to do so. Let us be pure in heart and walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls us!

Hard Sayings

2009-08-23T11:01:00.002-04:00

“This saying is hard; who can accept it?”
John 6:60

This is the response of many who have listened to Jesus as He explained that He Himself is the bread of life and that if we would have life we must eat His flesh and drink His blood. They didn't understand what He was saying. It wasn't time for Him to reveal all that He meant by it. He expected them to trust Him and to continue to follow Him. Many did not. But when asked if they also would leave, Peter, speaking for the twelve said, "Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God" (vv. 68, 69).

We don't always understand what Jesus is teaching. It's not always clear what it is He is trying to accomplish in our lives. But we need to continue with Him in faith. Because there really is nowhere else to go.

Why does Jesus give us hard sayings? As the priest who said Mass in our parish this morning said in his homily, it is for our good. All of us, as a result of our baptism, are called to be saints. This is a process. Our Lord's hard sayings are opportunities for us to be challenged and to grow. That growth is intended to make us more holy- more like our Lord.

So what was Jesus saying? It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life, (v. 63). Jesus did not intend His words to be understood in a natural way; that is, as cannibalism. Rather, they were to be understood in a spiritual way. However, this is not to say that He meant them merely in a symbolic way. Spiritual is still real. In fact, spiritual reality may be said to be even more real than the physical reality we see around us. These words would not be fully understood until our Lord revealed to His disciples the full teaching about the Eucharist.

We have come to believe that this passage, written near the close of the first century, was intended to teach the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Jesus is truly and fully present in the Eucharistic elements of bread and wine. This is a precious gift. We are richly blessed through receiving Him in this way. This is a mystery. We cannot fully grasp its meaning. Yet, there is something deep and beyond us here.

Hard sayings are not reasons to turn away from God, or refuse to learn what it is He is saying. They are times to draw near to God. Let us then draw near to hear our Lord's hard sayings and commit to following Him because He alone is the way to eternal life. He will show us what we need to know in time or eternity. We can trust Him. And we must!

The Priority of Practice

2009-08-22T06:53:00.002-04:00

"They preach but they do not practice."
Matthew 23:3

We are fond of using the word, "hypocrite," about others. We are not so fond of using it for ourselves.

In today's Gospel our Lord confronts the Pharisees over a number of their hypocritical practices. Hypocrisy is like cancer. It spreads throughout the whole body if not checked. Hypocrisy is the arrogant choice to teach one thing, but then to do something different. It is not the same thing as making this mistake in ignorance. It is a chosen path. It is born out of pride. It's continued practice hardens the heart against God. In the end it breeds hatred and death. The uncomfortable truth is that all of us, at one time or another, have been hypocrites. Some of us still are.

The essence of hypocrisy is captured in our Lord's words in our text. Hypocrites preach but they do not practice. As I said, this is a chosen behavior. Yet, many of us in our ignorance behave like hypocrites. The heart is not the same, but the results often are. People still come to either believe that they don't have to practice what they preach, or they are so offended at it all that they leave it altogether. I guess this is what people mean when they say they don't go to church because it's full of hypocrites. They're sick of it all. But they really need to take a sober look at the fingers pointing back at them and not just the one they're pointing at others. We all have a lot of work to do in this area.

Most of us know more than we practice. We know we're supposed to share with the less fortunate. We don't always do it. We know we're supposed to turn the other cheek and love our enemies. We don't always do it. We know we must be self-controlled in our eating and pleasures. We don't always practice that. Whether intentional or not, this gives a hypocritical example. What should we do?

We need to begin with a humble confession to God. This should be followed by an equally humble confession to anyone we have hurt or offended. Then we should prayerfully begin to review the teaching of our Lord and ask ourselves, point by point, are we practicing these things? If not, stop and begin to take steps to put this aspect of the Faith into practice.

We cannot help that we have been hypocrites in the past. But we can change how we behave in the future. To choose to abandon hypocrisy and truly practice what we preach is to choose the road of humility. It is to live a life that is truly righteous. By the grace of God, let us not be afraid to journey on this road!

The Pledge

2009-08-21T06:29:00.003-04:00

"Wherever you go I will go, wherever you lodge I will lodge, your people shall be my people, and your God my God."
Ruth 1:16

This text sounds like something for a wedding. In many ways it is. Ruth is promising to leave her own people in Moab to follow her mother in law, Naomi, after the death of Ruth's husband. She has no promise of any kind of a life in Judah. Ruth was a Gentile, an outcast, beyond the pale of the covenant of God. At least that's how she would be viewed in Judah. Yet, in spite of all of this, she vows to follow Naomi and begin life amidst her people in Judah.

This story is about conversion. It is a wedding, but it is that wedding between God and His people; between Christ and His Church. It is a woman responding to the wooing of her Lord and consenting to a marriage covenant with Him. God calls to us in a similar manner and yearns that we will respond to His invitation.

"Wherever you go I will go." This is the first act of discipleship; to abandon our past, leave our homeland, and follow Jesus. We may not do this physically, but we must do it spiritually. Only when we have let go of our old sinful ways can we embrace our Lord and His ways of the kingdom.

"Wherever you lodge I will lodge." We find ourselves now in the house of God. Again, this is not just physical, but spiritual. It does not refer to a life devoted to a particular church building. It means that, having become part of God's family, we now reside in His House, the Church. The customs are different here. The surroundings are different. But this is our new family. This is where we will live. This will now be our home.

"Your people shall be my people." The people of God can be a little difficult to deal with sometimes. Sure, it shouldn't be that way. But it is! Just like any new family, there will be some people we won't quite feel at home with. Nevertheless, we are all family now. We must learn to love one another and live together in unity. It's a tough call, but God's grace gives us the ability to live it out.

"Your God will by my God." This is the crux of the matter. It's about worshiping God. We all have gods. We may not recognize them all. We may worship money, fame, possessions, people, or even ourselves. We leave these gods behind as we embrace the one true God. From now on, we will only worship Him.

It's important, from time to time, to re-evaluate our lives to be sure we are continuing in the right direction. Today, this simple pledge from a young pagan woman determined to begin again is a compass for us. May we find ourselves following through on our committment to follow faithfully, dwell in the Lord's House, and worship Him fervently always!

Surrender

2009-08-20T07:20:00.002-04:00

“Father, you have made a vow to the LORD. Do with me as you have vowed, because the LORD has wrought vengeance for you on your enemies the Ammonites.”
Judges 11:36

The Old Testament has a lot of strange stories in it. This is one of them.

Jephthah has been chosen by God to be a judge of Israel and a deliverer for them from their enemies, the Ammonites. He is seen as a man with a zeal for God, but tainted with the pagan practice of human sacrifice. He foolishly offers God "whoever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites," (v. 31).

He wins, of course, and who is the first to greet him on his return but his only child, his daughter. Her name is not even given to us in this passage, but she exemplifies the spirit of the saints in her demeanor. Her response is the text above.

It sounds familiar. It is the language of humble surrender. It was the spirit of our Blessed Mother when she offered herself to become the mother of our Lord: "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word," (Lu. 1:38).

We are called to offer ourselves as living sacrifices to God. The invitation to discipleship is a call to surrender. This is something we must continually choose. Yesterday's vow will not do. We must embrace it today and hold on to it perpetually.

Surrender is not easy. That is a great understatement. It is close to impossible. It goes against everything that is naturally in us. But it must be so. We must completely die in order for the life of Christ to live in us and through us. As our Lord offered Himself as a sacrifice for our sins and rose again, so we must die to all that is sinful and allow the Lord to raise us up in His image.

What is God calling for today? What are we holding onto so tightly? May we abandon all and surrender ourselves completely to Him. Like Jephthah's daughter, the world may not know our names, but it will benefit from the life of Christ lived through us as we offer ourselves to Him in complete surrender.

The Search of The Last Hour

2009-08-19T08:29:00.003-04:00

Going out about five o’clock, he found others standing around, and said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ They answered, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard.’
Matthew 20:6,7

Many will recognize today's Gospel as being the story of the Workers in the Vineyard. The point of the story is that God offers His grace to all people, even to the last second of their lives. Those who come in later will not receive less than those who labored all the day (their whole lives). It is a wonderful testament of God's truly amazing grace. But this phrase in our text captures my attention.

The Lord of the land continued to go out all day long to look for more laborers. Using the elements of the parable as Jesus does, the vineyard is the kingdom of heaven (v. 1). The landowner is, of course, the Lord. The workers are those who have been rescued from sin and brought into the vineyard. They will not starve or go without on this day because they have found a place to work. It is a picture of salvation. But notice, the landowner goes out, even at the last hour of the day. Why? Because he is concerned for the souls of those who will not have anything because they found no place to work.

Look at the text again. When he went out at 5:00 he found them standing around. They were idle. We may even say they were lazy. The case could easily be made that they didn't deserve to be offered a job. But the landowner isn't concerned about that. He is only concerned for the welfare of these men. He offers and they accept.

This is the heart of the landowner which reflects the heart of God. He loves us. He longs for the very last soul to be saved. As Scripture says, The Lord does not delay his promise, as some regard "delay," but he is patient with you, not wishing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance, (2 Pet. 3:9). If this is the heart of our Lord then it must become our heart as well. We are His body. We must think as the head thinks. We must do as the head directs. The Lord is looking for more to come into His harvest field. Are we going out to find them, or are we expecting them to come in to find us? Do we think that they are too lazy and deserve whatever they get? May it not be so!

This idea that the landowner goes out at the last hour is compelling. It's been a long day. Everyone's tired. Who wouldn't want to just finish up and go home? Not the landowner. Not our God. His heart beats for every last soul. There are still men idle in the marketplace. Maybe they can be saved, even from themselves. Do we share the same heart? Are we diligent after lost souls? Are we willing to go look for them even in the last hour; even when we are spent and tired? Will we try to find just one more? It is the heart of our King? Do we share it?

I hope this story grips you like it does me. I hope that if you are finding yourself lost you will come in. I hope that if you are a Christian that you will be compelled to go after lost souls today. Compel them to come in, as our Lord says. They may be lazy and unfriendly, but our Lord loves them. We must go to get them.

Don't let the lesson of the parable fade from memory. Maybe we need to read it every day. Make it your priority now and always. So when the Master calls it "a day" on that last Day there will be many more souls lining up for their wages because we were diligent to go out at the last hour.

Doing The Impossible

2009-08-18T07:34:00.002-04:00

When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and said, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “For men this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.”
Matthew 19:25, 26

For those who are willing to honestly confront the demands of the Gospel it soon becomes evident that it is hard to live the way Jesus teaches. In fact, it is impossible. Who can forsake everything, turn the other cheek, go the extra mile, love their enemies, deny themselves, and give to anyone who asks? Nobody! It is impossible. It is completely contrary to everything in our human nature. Then why does our Lord demand such a standard?

The answer lies in our text. With men it is impossible for anyone to be saved. But for God anything is possible. It requires grace from God and faith from us. He has made known the fact that He is willing to offer His grace. But will we believe?

The disciples have just watched a prime prospect for the kingdom walk away because Jesus was too demanding. He insisted that this rich man sell his possessions, give the proceeds to the poor, and then come and follow Him. The man went away sad because he was very rich and loved his money more than righteousness. This elicited the comment from our Lord that it is nearly impossible for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. In the disciples' minds this meant that if the best of society couldn't do it then what hope was there for them? Then who can be saved?

The only ones who can be saved are those who will recognize that salvation does not come from us but from God. We recognize that riches, intellect, or even our own virtue cannot save us. We are still sinners separated from God. As St. Paul wrote, "There is no one just, not one," (Ro. 3:10). Only God can save us. He offers us His grace through the saving work of our Lord in His death, resurrection, and ascension. We must respond, not by thinking about what we have to offer to God, but by humbly acknowledging that we have nothing to offer to God and we are beggars in need of His grace. As our Lord said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven," (Mt. 5:3).

All of this being true, it is also true that God will not save us apart from our free will. We must choose Him. He offers His free gift of eternal life. We must choose to receive it. We do so by faith. We recognize that He alone can save us and we call out to Him for His help.

Many of us know this. It is the most fundamental of truths in our faith. Yet, it seems that we often are in need of being reminded. For the same way we began is how we are to continue. We must walk by faith. If we are to become more like God, it will continue to be through His grace. He is continually offering this grace. We must keep on believing in order to receive it.

Let us today, once again, abandon ourselves and all the things we think we have to offer to God. May we remember that we are beggars, but that He is most willing to richly supply all the grace necessary to bring us safely home!

The Process of Perfection

2009-08-17T06:31:00.002-04:00

"If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
Matthew 19:21

A rich man came to Jesus and asked Him what must be done to inherit eternal life. Jesus answered him by telling him to keep the commandments. The man pressed him with which commandments he should keep at which our Lord gave him a summary of the Law. Then the man said he had kept all of these commandments since he was young. In response, our Lord gives him the directive that is our text today. He did so to highlight the man's self-righteousness. No one keeps the Law. We are all sinners. We violate the Law continually. This man was deceived. He thought he was completely righteous when he was really lost in his sins.

There are a lot of things about this story that we can draw from for our own lives. The first is what we might think of as an examination of conscience. Using the Law as our guide, are we really living for the Lord as we think we are? The test is to look at some of our most prized possessions. Or, perhaps, to put it another way, it is to look at the thing that is closest to our hearts. If we must forsake that, does it bring grief to our hearts? Are we willing to walk away from Jesus over this one thing? As our Lord says elsewhere, "What will you give in exchange for your soul?"

Jesus gives this man the way of perfection: truly abandon everything and follow Him. This is scary for us to read. We want to pass by it. We hope the Lord will not exact such a commitment from us.

Our Lord calls us all to perfection. He calls us away from the things of this world in order to follow Him. But the thing that we often fail to recognize is that we must get there by degrees. St. Paul wrote that even if he gave everything away and his own body to be burned, but he did not have love it would be worthless (see 1 Co. 13). So we see that the perfection that our Lord calls for is not merely the abandonment of all worldly goods. Rather, He wants our hearts. "Where your treasure is, that is where your heart is also," (Mt. 6:21). The giving away of our things, the helping of the poor, the detachment from things of this world are not ends in themselves, but have their end in a deeper love for God. But again, we must get there by degrees.

First, we must ask ourselves if we keep the Law. In other words, are we living by God's word? Are we striving to become more like Him? We start here. We see that we have failed to keep God's commandments and we are sinners. We humble ourselves and ask for His forgiveness. We obey Him by coming to the Church to be nourished by Word and Sacrament. We develop a life of prayer. We learn to become a servant and give to those in need. All of these things are steps in the journey to becoming like Christ. We can't get there over night. We must take it one step at a time. No one is ready to go and give away everything without going through this process first. Only after we have come to a certain place will we find ourselves in this place of perfection. Most of us will never get there in this life, but it doesn't mean we shouldn't still have it before us as our goal.

Where are you in this journey? Maybe you haven't even begun yet. It's not too late. Today is the day to start. Begin where you are and allow Jesus to take you further. To follow Him in faith is the way that leads to eternal life. God does want us to strive for perfection. But we must take it one step at a time.

All Will Call Her Blessed

2009-08-15T11:13:00.002-04:00

From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me and holy is his Name.
Luke 1:48,49

Why do we call Mary blessed? Because, in her own words, "the Almighty has done great things for me." Mary is not bragging. She is praising God for blessing her to be chosen as the mother of our Lord.

From its earliest days the Church has held Mary in very high esteem. It began to develop a theology around her based on the theology of our Lord. Some people believe this is getting away from the truth. But it is actually the development of that truth. The Church had to establish its theology of Christ first. Then it could approach other matters. It took almost 400 years to fully develop the doctrine of Christ. Marian theology was well underway by this time.

If Jesus is God then Mary is the Mother of God. If God could not dwell in an unclean vessel then Mary must have been preserved from sin. The Church calls this the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception. If she is free from sin by a specific act of God's grace then death would have no claim on her as it does on the rest of us. This leads to the doctrine of the Assumption which we are celebrating today.

The Assumption is the teaching that Mary "fell asleep" and was assumed into heaven body and soul. It is a precursor to the general resurrection at the end of the age. Other saints have been assumed into heaven. The Scripture tells us that Enoch and Elijah had this experience. So it is not out of line to believe that Mary could experience it as well. The Scripture tells us that those who inherit eternal life will reign as kings with our Lord. Therefore, it should not be strange to believe that Mary, because of her unique role, now reigns as the queen of heaven.

The Assumption of the Blessed Mary into heaven serves as a sign of hope for us all. We take courage to know that she is our Mother in the Faith and, as such, offers us her intercessions. We also think of our own reward if we will remain faithful to God to the end. The two are connected as we believe that through our Blessed Mother's prayers we will be made fit for heaven.

If you've never given much thought to the role of our Blessed Mother in our lives and in our salvation, I invite you to prayerfully explore this wonderful truth. Mary is a true Mother to us. We love her, honor her, and with countless generations, pronounce her to be Blessed to the glory of God.

May We Divorce?

2009-08-14T07:21:00.002-04:00

"Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause whatever?"
Matthew 19:3

Divorce has been a problem for an awfully long time. In today's Gospel we see that it was prevalent in Jesus' day just as it is in ours. From the outset let it be understood that everyone acknowledges that not all marriages were made in heaven. But here's the part that we often fail to recognize- marriage itself was made in heaven.

This is key because we often treat marriage as if it is a human institution and, therefore, subject to change as we see fit. But marriage is divine in its origins. Our Lord tells us that here: "Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female' and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, no human being must separate," (vv. 4-6). If it is from God then only God can define the rules or make any changes.

We live in a time when we are quick to abandon our commitments for the sake of our convenience. We do this with marriage, children, clubs, communities, church, and even God. No relationship, or commitment, is safe from this tendency. We find ourselves asking the question of our text: can we divorce for any reason? The answer from our Lord is no. Man cannot separate what God has joined together. We may call it divorce. We may define that as free to remarry. But God says He hates divorce (Mal. 2:16). Furthermore, our Lord is telling us here, as is mentioned elsewhere in Scripture, that to remarry after divorce is not to contract a new marriage, but to live in adultery against the former marriage (see v. 9).

So what are we to do? We are to be reconciled to our spouses rather than divorce them. If this becomes impossible we may need to separate. While that may lead to a legal divorce, we must remember that in God's eyes we are still married. Therefore, we must remain single and celibate or be reconciled to our spouse (see 1 Co. 7:10,11). This sounds hard. But God promises to give us the necessary grace to do it. We just need to commit ourselves to the keeping of God's word.

This all may sound very harsh to those us us drenched in a modern divorce culture. But it really isn't. In fact, it's redemptive- to marriage, and all individuals involved.

God understands, and wants us to understand, that divorce is very painful. We must be very compassionate towards those undergoing it. In many ways it results in some becoming practical widows or orphans. We are to sensitively respond to this situation.

For the many who find themselves divorced, especially to those who did not want it to be so, take courage in God's abundant love and mercy. His prohibitions are meant for your protection, not for your punishment. He is a good Father who is always watching out for our best. Faith is required to obey. But blessings follow when we do. If reconciliation with your spouse is a possibility then pursue it. If not, then pray for them and ask God for His strength to walk the road before you. May you experience His abundant and never-ending grace as you do!

The Noble Faith

2009-08-13T06:42:00.002-04:00

Beloved, do not be surprised that a trial by fire is occurring among you as if something strange were happening to you. But rejoice to the extent that you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that when his glory is revealed you may also rejoice exultantly.
1 Peter 4:12,13

Today is the Memorial for St. Pontian and St. Hippolytus, both martyred in the early 3rd century. The following excerpt from a letter by St. Cyprian captures the noble faith of these early days. I have decided to produce the entire excerpt here to show how different Christianity was practiced in those days with a view to inspiring us to imitate the same. Read on and be blessed.

With what praises can I extol you, most valiant brothers? What words can I find to proclaim and celebrate your brave hearts and your persevering faith? Examined under the fiercest torture, you held out until your ordeal was consummated in glory; it was not you who yielded to the torments but rather the torments that yielded to you. No respite from pain was allowed by the instruments of your torture, but your very crowning signaled the end of pain. The cruel butchery was permitted to last the longer, not so that it might overthrow the faith that stood so firm, but rather that it might dispatch you, men of God, more speedily to the Lord.

The crowd in wonder watched God's heavenly contest, this spiritual battle that was Christ's. They saw his servants standing firm, free in speech, undefiled in heart, endowed with supernatural courage, naked and bereft of the weapons of this world, but as believers equipped with the arms of faith. Tortured men stood there stronger than their torturers; battered and lacerated limbs triumphed over clubs and claws that tore them.

Savage and prolonged beating could not overcome such invincible faith, even when the bodies of God's servants were so mangled that no whole members were left to suffer punishment, but only wounds remained. Enough blood flowed to quench the fire of persecution, a glorious river to cool even the burning heat of hell. What a divine display it was, how sublime and magnificent. How pleasing did the sworn allegiance and loyalty of his soldiers render the dead in God's sight! In the psalms, where the Holy Spirit speaks to us and counsels us, it is written: Precious in the sight of God is the death of his saints. Rightly is their death called "precious," for at the price of blood it purchased immortality and won God's crown through the ultimate act of courage.

How happy was Christ to be there, how gladly he fought and conquered in such servants! He protects their faith and gives strength to believers in proportion to the trust that each man who receives that strength is willing to place in him. Christ was there to wage his own battle; he aroused the soldiers who fought for his name; he made them spirited and strong. And he who once for all has conquered death for us, now continually conquers in us.

How blessed is this Church of ours, so honored and illuminated by God and ennobled in these our days by the glorious blood of martyrs! In earlier times it shone white with the good deeds of our brothers, and now it is adorned with the red blood of martyrs. It counts both lilies and roses among its garlands. Let each of us, then, strive for the highest degree of glory, whichever be the honor for which he is destined; may all Christians be found worthy of either the pure white crown of a holy life or the royal red crown of martyrdom.

Tell It To The Church

2009-08-12T06:37:00.002-04:00

"If he refuses to listen to them, tell the Church."
Matthew 18:17

I have heard this passage often. It is our Lord's directives regarding how to handle disputes, or more specifically, how to deal with serious sin within the Church. There is a process, which if it does not result in repentance on the part of the individual, can lead to excommunication. The purpose is to be one of redemption; of reconciliation. Some people abuse this process. Others ignore it altogether. Still some others take exception with various aspects of it. But, as with everything else, we are really called to a simple, faithful, obedience. But the thing that has my attention today is the last part: "Tell it to the Church." What is meant by "the Church"?

Is the Church the local assembly one attends? Is it a broader Church? Is it even a visible Church? Let's take it back to its original context and the context of Matthew's original audience. Our Lord gave this directive before He had actually constituted a Church. There were allusions to such an entity as, for instance, when He told St. Peter that He would build His Church and the gates of hell would not prevail against it. For Matthew's original audience, they lived in the context of one Church on various levels. There was the universal Church, and there was the local Church. The local Church probably was even broken down into smaller units which we might today call parishes, cells, assemblies, or even house churches. But even though there were various levels of the Church, there was still only one Church.

For our Lord to say that the Church was the final court of appeal presupposes that the Church is a visible entity. It means that if such a problem arose, everyone knew where they were to go to have it resolved. This was not like our current context where we have literally thousands of organizations claiming to be the Church of Jesus Christ. In their view, the Church, as it is alluded to here, is the composite of all of these entities combined. It is an "invisible church" if you will. However, the great problem with this is that if one church enacts such a level of discipline then the person simply goes down the street, or to the next town, and is usually welcomed with open arms into that church. This is so because these various churches are not in union with one another and there is no clear authority.

The Church that our Lord founded is a visible entity. It subsists most fully in the Catholic Church (see the Catechism and Vatican II). Today, as in times past, if someone has a case to take to the Church, they know where to find it. Because it is unified, a decision made in one part of the Church will be held in any part of the Church.

This Church that our Lord founded is called the "pillar and ground of truth", (1 Tim. 3:15). Our Lord has given the Holy Spirit to Her to guide Her into all truth (see Jn. 16:13). She is our Mother (Gal. 4:26). All of this means that we can trust the Church to guide and direct us. We need not be afraid She will err and lead us astray. God works and speaks through Her. To trust Her is an act of obedience to our Lord.

It is true that there are now, and have been in the past, those within the Church, even among Her leadership, who go astray and lead others astray with them. But when one knows what the Church truly teaches, they are safe. The truth of the Church is unchangeable. It remains the same as it always has been.

I say all of this to encourage each of us to come to the Church without fear. And as we do so, to learn of Her teaching and obey it. We will find, as we do, that we are being led nearer to our Lord and made ready for heaven.

It has been a little over two years since I was received into full communion in this Church. I am continually amazed at the great riches that are found here. There are prayers, devotions, customs, and practices that are deep, mysterious, and spiritual. I once feared this Church, but now no longer. Now I love Her and I yearn for others to discover the hidden treasures to be found here.

Today let us heed the voice of our Lord as He directs us to take the hardest cases to the Church. Let us come to her with our questions and misgivings as well. Whatever is on our hearts, tell it to the Church. May we not be surprised when we hear clearly the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking through Her.

Becoming Like Children

2009-08-11T06:47:00.002-04:00

"Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven."
Matthew 18:3

Today is the Memorial for St. Clare of Assisi. She is not as well known as her contemporary, and spiritual father, St. Francis of Assisi. But she lived a life exemplifying the text above.

From her childhood, St. Clare longed to devote herself completely to Jesus. She was a beautiful noblewoman and had many suitors. But the only one she wanted was her Lord. She eventually stole away secretly one night to give herself to God. She founded an order of women known then as the Poor Sisters, but who have since become known as the Poor Clares. They devoted themselves to poverty and to prayer. They spread quickly throughout the world. Today, nearly 800 years later, the Poor Clares continue to live a life of poverty and prayer.

Not all of us are called to live out our vocation in Christ in such a radical fashion. But as we look at the text today, we see that we are called to embrace this fundamental principle: childlike faith in God. We are called to a simple obedience. Rather than question and reason, we are called to merely believe. In this, we show ourselves to be the children of God; children of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

As adults, there are a lot of things that we allow to get in the way of such childlike simplicity. We think we are too sophisticated. We have outgrown such childish fantasies. We live in the real world. We have have grown-up responsibilities. It goes on and on. But in the face of all of this, and knowing full well what He was saying, our Lord still calls us to take the position of a child in relation to our heavenly Father. Jesus teaches us to trust Him completely.

A sure sign that we fail in this calling is the never-ending propensity for worry and anxiety. Stop for a moment and think of young children at play. Are they distracted by thinking about how they will pay for college, manage their stocks, or plan for retirement? Of course not! The idea is laughable. Yet, God calls us to live as children and we worry about those things and a host of others besides. It shows that we are thinking more like the world around us than the children of God whom we are called to be.

The place of a child calls for humility as well. The old adage that children should be seen and not heard has a long history. It indicated that the place of a child was the lowest rung of society. Our Lord is calling us to such humility; to take the lowest place, be self-effacing, and hidden.

Such are the aspects of the child that we are called to imitate. Jesus tells us that this disposition is essential if we are to inherit eternal life. Such a demeanor comes only through a life given to prayer. In prayer, we see ourselves through God's eyes. We are humbled. We see our own wickedness and know instinctively that we do not deserve God's grace. Yet, we find, as the Scripture says, that His mercy endures forever, and that His love is without end. We are free to become like children because we find that we truly have a Father who loves and cares for us.

St. Clare demonstrated these principles in her day. God calls us to demonstrate them in ours. May His grace give us such faith to completely become as children before Him today!

The Fruit of Death

2009-08-10T06:43:00.003-04:00

"Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit."
John 12:24

Today is the Feast of St. Lawrence. St. Lawrence lived, and died, in the mid 3rd century. He was a deacon of the church in Rome. He was faithful to the end and willingly gave his life as a martyr. He was literally slow roasted to death. But to his last breath he continued to pray and give a faithful witness. Some of those who watched his execution were converted and provided a proper burial for him.

The Gospel for today's feast reminds us of the fruit that is born through martyrdom. In the text, our Lord is referring to Himself as the grain of wheat that must die in order to bear fruit. But since we have been called to follow in His steps, we may apply the statement equally to martyrdom of any believer.

I have heard that God gives special grace in the hour of martyrdom so that we may bear it heroically as so many have done in the past, and continue to do today. I'm sure there's some truth to that. But it's also true that many who were called to a martyr's crown denied the Lord and forfeited their true treasure. I believe this shows that we can only truly lay down our lives if we have already done so in our hearts.

As disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are called to lay down our lives. We are instructed to die daily; to carry our cross. This is a very real death. It means the abandoning of everything. We learn this death moment by moment in the tedious affairs of life. We must endure suffering, unfair treatment, grief, and even tragedy. In all of these things we have the choice to become angry and bitter, or we can lay aside our "rights" to these things and choose humility and patience. As we do, we are dying to ourselves. In these "little" deaths we are being prepared for the grace of martyrdom should we be called upon to experience it.

But let's return to the little deaths. Because these are mini martrydoms if done with a pure heart for the glory of God. These, too, are fruitful. As long as we live our lives for ourselves we are like the grain of wheat that stands alone. But when we choose to die, we offer God an opportunity to produce much fruit by us. Then there are opportunities to reach out to lost and hurting souls around us. Then there will be those moved by our example of patience. Then there will be those benefited by our prayers. The list goes on and on. The possibilites are truly endless. Our great God who is eternal in His wisdom and might can do more than we could ever imagine through such things.

Today is Monday, and most of us dread Mondays. But what opportunities lie before us to lay down our lives that God may use it to produce much fruit? We will not likely see the fruit right away, or in some cases, we will not see it at all until we are in glory. Nevertheless, God is working through us if we will humbly and patiently lay down our lives for our Lord and His people.

Today is the day of martyrdom. We are called to die; perhaps not in body, but certainly in spirit. Be faithful true Christian, for an unspeakable crown of glory awaits those who triumph in death.

Feeding On Jesus

2009-08-09T07:05:00.002-04:00

"I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world."
John 6:51

How do we "eat" Jesus? Here our Lord compares Himself to bread which we are instructed to eat. Furthermore, He clarifies that He is not only bread, but the living bread. This is distinctive. It is in contrast with natural bread which, after one eats, is no longer able to sustain him. But this bread is eternal. It lasts forever and brings eternal life to whoever eats. Jesus is the living bread. He is distinctive. One cannot find this bread anywhere else, or in anyone else.

Most people in reading this passage assume Jesus is using bread as a metaphor to show that faith in Him sustains us spiritually as surely as eating sustains us physically. This is, indeed, a part of what is being said. But there is more.

John is using this incident to teach the early believers to whom he is writing about the core teaching of the Church of the Real Presence of our Lord in the Eucharist. Jesus is showing us that He is truly present in the bread. It really is Him. It is not merely a symbol of Him, or something like Him. It's Him. For those who dispute this, they need only look on further in the chapter where our Lord makes it even more explicit that this is what He is teaching. When the people are offended by this, He could easily have told them He was only speaking figuratively. But He doesn't do that because He wasn't speaking figuratively. On the night of the Last Supper when our Lord took bread and pronounced, "This is My Body," we can be sure the apostles knew in that moment what He meant when He gave this teaching recorded for us in John's Gospel.

Why is this so important? Because it is in coming to the Eucharist that we are replenished with Grace. Sins are forgiven and strength is provided to live out this calling to a holy life. Without the food of the Eucharist we are spiritually malnourished. In such a weakened condition, we are easy prey for the enemies of our souls.

There is more. By giving us the precious gift of the Eucharist, Jesus has made Himself manifest to all believers. We can come, draw near, and worship. We can see Him and touch Him. He takes on, once again, physical proximity. He does this to comfort and encourage us; to aid us in our faith as we continue our pilgrimage through this life.

By giving us His flesh in this manner, we become unique partakers with Christ in the atonement He offered at the cross for our sins. We are one with Him. Through Him, in Him, and with Him, we are offered to God as a living sacrifice.

The people of Jesus' day didn't understand this. It offended them. They were trying to grasp these sacred mysteries by their own understanding. It doesn't work. As our Lord explained later, they are spiritually discerned. It must come by revelation.

To believe in Christ is a good start. But we are called to feed on Him continually. We do this in many ways, but the primary one is to receive Him in the Eucharist. Let us draw near, then, with hearts full of faith and feed on our Lord Jesus Christ who has so lovingly given Himself for us all.

Nothing Is Impossible

2009-08-08T07:15:00.002-04:00

"Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of a a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
Matthew 17:20

Most us have a pretty limited faith. We can trust God for a lot of things, but they are usually small enough not to stretch us. From time to time God will bring things into our lives designed to more or less force us to take a greater step of faith. So we can all relate to the apostles in this passage.

Peter, James, and John have been with Jesus on the mountain where He was transfigured (see Thursday's post). As they come down, they meet a crowd. A man has brought his son who is a "lunatic" to the other apostles. But they could not cure him. Then Jesus does. Afterward the disciples come to Him and ask Him why they could not cure the boy. Our Lord tells them it is because of their unbelief and then gives them the exhortation of our text.

We all face "lunatics" in our lives and I don't mean some of the people we work with, or are related to. I mean the impossible situations that God brings into our lives. How do we face them? Most of the time we begin by panicking. Then we begin to plan. Eventually we reach frustration, anger, and even despair. Then, sometimes, we might pray. But, even then, it's not because we've suddenly been filled with faith, it's because we've tried everything else and we're desperate. Our prayers lack faith. They sound more like whining than praying. Why do we follow this track? Because of our unbelief.

If we stop for a moment and meditate on the text this morning, we find that our Lord intends for this process to be quite different. When faced with an impossible situation, the first thing we should do is pray. In the beginning, a lot of this prayer will be focused on telling God how much we are struggling and that we need faith to believe. It will sound like the man's prayer as recorded in Mark's Gospel: "Lord I believe. Help my unbelief." But eventually, if we are faithful in continuous prayer, our prayer will already be filled with faith and we will turn to God in the quiet confidence that, though we have no idea what to do, He does. As we wait on Him in prayer, He will often give us a direction. We are to follow, even with the smallest faith (a mustard seed). Then we will be able to speak to the mountain in our lives and command it to move out of the way.

The key to all of this is that last line: "Nothing will be impossible for you." Most of us can accept the idea that nothing is impossible with God. But to say that nothing is impossible for us seems to be a fantasy. It isn't. If we will trust in God we become one with Him. We don't strike out on our own and expect God to back us up. Rather, we wait on God and follow His direction. Then we may have the confidence that nothing will be impossible for us because nothing is impossible with God.

Does this mean we will always get what we want? No. That's the point. It's about trust in God. It's about submission to Him. It is not about telling God what He should be doing. That is the very opposite of faith. Sometimes we will still lose the job, the marriage will break up, the sickness will not go away, and people we love will die. The difference is that if we approach all of this in faith, the situation will bear the fruit of the grace of God in our lives and in the lives of others around us. Otherwise, there will be no fruit, but anger and despair.

Whatever we are facing today, God is calling us to faith. He is leading us to go beyond our understanding or comfort zone to find that He moves mountains and delivers lunatics. Nothing is impossible to God. And if we believe, even with the smallest faith, nothing will be impossible to us either.

The Choice

2009-08-07T07:09:00.002-04:00

"What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?"
Matthew 16:26

In today's Gospel we hear our Lord confronting us with the basic truth that the kingdom of heaven and the kingdoms of this world are on opposite planes and operate by vastly different rules. In the kingdom of heaven it is the poor who are rich, the foolish who are wise, the weak who are strong, the last who are first, and those who willingly choose to die who inherit eternal life.

He begins this exhortation with the call for each one to "deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me," (v. 24). This is a picture of a trial, conviction, and condemnation. The accused is denied his rights to life and liberty because he is found guilty of a capital crime. He is then led out for public execution. The disciples understood very well that to see a man carrying a cross meant he had no future plans or ambitions of his own. He was to die shortly. Jesus uses this illustration to show us graphically what it means to be a disciple. Before we can embrace the life that Jesus offers, we must first find our old life of sin guilty of treason against the King of heaven, and, therefore, led out for public execution. We are to be the executioner. That is, we are to put our old life of sin to death. Only in doing so can we hope to gain the eternal life that Christ offers.

However, the unfortunate truth of our present time is that we think that we can live very comfortably in both kingdoms. We expect to enjoy all that this world has to offer and still inherit eternal life as well. Look back at our Lord's teaching. This is not what He is saying. Furthermore all of the Gospels, the teaching of the Church, it's history, and the lives of the saints show us exactly the opposite. We are called to make a choice. We will either have our pleasure here or hereafter, but not both.

This cannot be merely theoretical. So many would easily say that they are obeying Jesus. But their lives demonstrate something completely different. Our time, our plans, our ambition, and, yes, our money are all offered to God to be placed at His disposal if we are truly living out this teaching of our Lord.

The question must be asked then: how much does it cost to gain eternal life? Some would say nothing; Christ paid it all. Others would say a great deal. But our Lord is telling us it will cost us everything. Does the price seem too high? Then He asks us the question, what will you give in exchange for your life? What is worth so much to you that you would keep it and forfeit your own life? When measured against eternity, the things of this world do begin to look pretty paltry.

What difference would it make if we gain the whole world, but lose our own soul in the end? What is worth the price that Christ requires? Do we hang on to our profits, pleasures, possessions, positions, prestige, or popularity? Are these worth more than our own souls? Do we really think our Lord asks for too much?

Today we deal with the uncomfortable truth that the kingdom of heaven and the kingdoms of this world are at war. As surely as someone could not be a loyal citizen of two nations at war with each other, so we cannot live comfortably in both kingdoms. We must make a choice. What will we choose?

"It Is Good To Be Here"

2009-08-06T07:17:00.002-04:00

"Rabbi, it is good that we are here!"
Mark 9:5

Today is the Feast of the Transfiguration; the time when we reflect on this momentous occasion when our Lord chose to reveal Himself in His glory to His chosen apostles. For a moment, heaven came down to earth. In the words of St. Peter, "We had been eyewitnesses of his majesty," (2 Pet. 1:16). On that occasion, Peter uttered the words of the text cited above. How good it was to be in the presence of the glorified Christ. Many of us, as we take a few moments to meditate on these words, and this incident, echo that sentiment. How awesome it would have been to see our Lord in His glory!

Yet, numerous opportunities are afforded us of just such an experience. What are we doing with them? I am referring to the many instances in which we can experience the Lord in prayer or at Mass. But someone will say, "Oh, God doesn't do that anymore. We can't experience something that good." Is this so? All we need do is look at the saints for a refutation to this statement. Many of the saints had very powerful experiences of God's presence. Why can't we?

The difference is that they were men and women of devout prayer. They lived in the presence of God. Their hearts yearned for Him continually. So God rewarded such fervor with extraordinary revelations of Himself. If we would have a similar devotion we too could have such experiences.

However, we will not get there in a moment, or even in a day. For some it may take the better part of a lifetime. The point is not really the experience. The point is that as we draw near to God, He will draw near to us and fill us with Himself. This is the whole purpose of our lives. It is to know God; to love and serve Him. We were made for Him. He longs for us. There is an intimacy which is intended. It fills the untold number of gaps we currently experience.

Today, determine that you will lay aside whatever keeps you from quiet moments alone with God. Go to Him in prayer. Seek Him diligently. Take time with it. Don't rush. Allow yourself to wait upon Him. Bask in His presence. Give yourself completely to Him. See what will happen, and don't be too surprised if He chooses to bless you with a revelation of Himself allowing you to see Him in His glory. Then you too will utter the words of St. Peter: "Rabbi, it is good to be here."

The Last Straw

2009-08-05T06:37:00.002-04:00

The LORD said to Moses and Aaron: “How long will this wicked assembly grumble against me? I have heard the grumblings of the children of Israel against me. Tell them: By my life, says the LORD, I will do to you just what I have heard you say. Here in the desert shall your dead bodies fall.
Numbers 14:28,29

Beware of grumbling and complaining. Beware of doubt and unbelief. These were the things that brought God's judgment on Israel.

We hear often that such things can be healthy. They actually help us grow in our faith. They allow us to explore aspects of our faith that we don't understand. They give us an opportunity to vent. These all have meaning in a modern psychologized society. But they do not have meaning with God.

God wants to be trusted more than anything. We can only demonstrate a true love for God if we are willing to trust Him. Grumbling and complaining show that we do not trust Him. We think we know better, or worse, we simply are unsatisfied with what He is giving.

God put up with Israel through many complaints, but this was the last straw. Why? Was it because they were now at the border of the Promised Land only to turn away out of fear and unbelief? Perhaps. God treats this episode as a complete rejection of Him. But then, there were many such incidents. I think God responds to them as He does because He has promised them this land since they came out of Egypt. This is what it was all about. Now they wanted to run. They were rejecting God's plan for something else of their own making.

It's true that we encounter doubts along the way. If we do not allow them to overwhelm us they can turn into an opportunity to strengthen our faith. Sometimes we have a bad day and grumble and complain. God knows that we are weak and far from perfect. However, when these things become a habit they are awfully hard to break. The more we yield to them, the further we fall from God. If we do not turn back, we will find ourselves utter skeptics and rejecting the Faith altogether. It has happened so many times in the past. We must not think it couldn't happen to us.

We may not understand various aspects of our faith and we may not understand what God is accomplishing in us through our present circumstances. That's all right. God doesn't call us to understand. He calls us to believe. He calls us to believe in Him. It's all about Him. It's about our relationship with Him. He doesn't care if we are theologians, but He does want us to be lovers. Lovers trust each other. God wants us to trust Him as a sign of our supreme love for Him.

If we are making our home in this world and rejecting the one God is preparing for us, it's a pretty safe bet that we will find ourselves left outside of it in the end. This is the judgment He pronounced on Israel. He will do the same to us if we follow in their footsteps. Let us renew our pledge of faith this day. Let us trust Him to aid us even in overcoming our doubts and fears. Let us now turn back when faced with the giants of our promised land. Let us go forward in faith!

On Being Watchmen

2009-08-04T08:37:00.002-04:00

"I have appointed you a watchman"
Ezekiel 3:17

Today is the Memorial for St. John Vianney. St. John Vianney was a simple man who struggled with his studies to become a priest. When he was finally ordained, he was assigned the pastorate of a small village parish called Ars in France. When he arrived in Ars, he did not find the people fervent in their faith. In fact, he found that such fervency was terribly lacking on account of numerous sinful practices of the people. He labored incessantly for their conversion, but it only brought more grief as the people began to resent him. But St. John Vianney was a man of prayer. He prayed for hours and fasted so regularly that it became his regular diet to eat very little. Slowly the situation in Ars began to change. Many began to seek the saint out to hear their confessions. His reputation as a confessor grew to such an extent that people from all over the world would come to make their confessions. At one point, he was hearing confessions for about 16 hours a day. St. John Vianney died in 1859. He is the patron saint of priests. On the occasion of the 150th anniversary of his death, the Holy Father has declared this year to be the year of the priest. We are especially reminded to pray for our priests.

St. John Vianney embodied the exhortation to be a watchman found in today's first reading for the saint's Memorial. He could have easily settled for a life of ease in a little village parish, being well liked and well thought of by all the people. Instead, he endured the difficulties and obstacles with an eye towards the salvation of the souls under his charge. His sermons were filled with powerful rebukes against very many sins prevalent among the people of Ars. Contrary to popular perception, such is the true heart of a priest who loves his people because such is the heart of God. It was prayer and the faithful preaching of the Word that brought Ars to a true conversion. It is ever the same in every place today.

These exhortations are not for priests alone. For all believers in Jesus Christ have inherited a share in His priesthood. It is our responsibility to proclaim His Word to every creature and to pray fervently for an outpouring in our nation such as was seen in Ars. But who will pay the price? Who will endure the ridicule? Who will risk the loss of friends or popularity? Who will undergo such fasts and commit hours to prayer rather than the televesion or a host of other inane distractions competing for our attention? Who? Will it be you? Will it be me?

As long as we are content to leave such stories on the page and bask in the warm afterglow of their thoughts, nothing will change. When we take them as our own and recognize that the God of Ezekiel, and the God of St. John Vianney is our God today. He has not changed. If we will be so committed to the care of souls around us, we may count on His power to fall once more.

God grant that we will be watchmen and grant an outpouring of Your grace upon us! Amen!

A Bad Day

2009-08-03T07:10:00.002-04:00

“Why do you treat your servant so badly?”
Numbers 11:11

In today's first reading Moses is having a bad day. That's to put it mildly. By the time we get to the end of the reading, he is pleading with God to strike him dead. Why is he so upset?

The Israelites are complaining again. They don't like eating manna all the time. They opine about the wonderful fare they had in Egypt when they were slaves. Only it appears they have forgotten the part about the slavery. Now, any complaint against God is a complaint against Moses. They cannot see God, but they can see Moses. If this were an isolated occurrence, I am sure Moses could have dealt with it. But it's not. The Israelites spend their time in little else but complaining. Moses has had all he can take.

To me, this is the perfect reading for a Monday. Many of us are fed up with a number of things in our lives. Monday just brings out the worst. We return to work, we begin another week, etc. There are issues on the job, at home, and various other places. The combined pressure can get to us at times and cause us, like Moses, to ask God, "Why are you treating me so badly?" In these times, we may feel that we would rather God just strike us dead. Obviously, we need to step back and gain a little bit of perspective.

The fact is that this life is hard and there are numerous trials that we must face. The good news is that God is faithful to work through all of these circumstances to perfect us and prepare us for heaven. When we answered our Lord's invitation to discipleship, we were called to carry a cross. This means suffering, and more, it means patiently enduring such suffering. This suffering comes in a variety of ways. It may be dealing with our co-workers, neighbors, or family members. It may be physical illness. It may be tragedy. It may be persecution for righteousness' sake. Whatever it may be, God is well aware of it and He is allowing it in our lives, as I said, for our perfection. It may not be what we want, but it's what we need.

Though these trials may seem like they will last forever, they are actually very temporary, especially when seen against the backdrop of eternity. When the pressure begins to build and you feel yourself beginning to think like Moses, it's time to find a quiet place to get away. Our Lord illustrates this in today's Gospel.

He has just been brought the news that Herod has executed John the Baptist. He is grieving. He goes away by Himself. But the crowds see Him and follow. Rather than tell them He's taking some time off, He is moved with compassion and heals their sick. Then He feeds them all. How does He find such resource to continue to minister to others when He is hurting Himself? Well, He's God of course. But more than that, I think He was able to have enough time to commune with God. Perhaps a better answer is that He was so in the habit of continual communion with the Father that when the crisis came He had more than enough resource to deal with it.

Today, regardless of what we are facing, or will be facing, let us remember the difference between Moses' reaction to crisis and our Lord's. Though we will be tempted to side with Moses, let us, rather, find ourselves on the side of our Lord. Let us choose to think more of the others around us in need than our own need. Let us draw near to God continually so that we will have all the resource necessary to face the trials of today, and every day.

More Than A Free Lunch

2009-08-02T13:35:00.002-04:00

Jesus answered them and said, "Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.
John 6:26,27

I find some of the passages of Scripture rather humorous. This is one of them.

Jesus has just accomplished the miraculous feeding of the 5,000. Now the people keep following Him, not because the miracle has brought them to faith, but because they like the idea of hanging around with someone who is able to give them a free lunch. The following dialogue is pretty funny because it is clearly seen that the people are trying to manipulate Jesus into giving them another free lunch, while our Lord is trying to get them to look beyond their bellies to the spiritual hunger that He longs to quell.

This isn't so far removed from our own experience. Don't we like Jesus, at least in part, because He's handy for getting us out of jams? How many times have we made bargains with God that essentially boiled down to that we would really serve Him if He gets us out of our present pickle? We know better, but we still often behave as if we can manipulate the Lord. It can't be done.

One of the things I continually am growing to appreciate about our God is that He doesn't always give us what we want, but rather He gives us what is truly best for us. Jesus didn't mind feeding the crowds because He had compassion on them. But the miracle was intended to point to more. Jesus concludes this passage by saying, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst,” (v. 35). If Jesus provides a meal it meets the need of the moment, but if we come to faith in Him, it meets every need for all time. This is what He means when he says that we will never hunger or thirst again.

We are born with an innate hunger to know God. This can only be satisfied by welcoming Him into our lives. Unfortunately, we try to fill that void with many other things. Some of us even have the nerve to ask God to help us in this pursuit of something other than Himself. He refuses, of course, because He knows what we truly need and He is waiting for us to ask for that.

What are you substituting for God? Are you trying to use Him for what He can do for you rather than surrender to Him to be at His disposal? The thing you are truly hungering for is the bread that endures for eternal life. Jesus is that bread Himself. Today, come to Him without any attempts at leverage, but rather just to feed on Him and be completely satisfied.

Directed By The Spirit

2009-08-01T06:55:00.002-04:00

(we) live not according to the flesh but according to the spirit.
Romans 8:4

Today is the Memorial of St. Alphonsus Liguori. St. Alphonsus lived in the 18th century. He was a brilliant man and received his Doctor of Laws degree when he was only 16 years old. However, God had other plans for him. He eventually answered God's call to the priesthood. He had a long and profitable ministry in which he preached the word and wrote many books.

The life of St. Alphonsus illustrates the fundamental principle that we see in the verse above. He chose to live according to the Spirit, rather than according to the flesh. Most people in the position of St. Alphonsus would have chosen the prestige and prosperity of a lawyer. Instead, he laid it all aside in order to follow the Spirit's direction. This is what it means to live according to the Spirit and not the flesh.

The call to follow Jesus as a disciple is a radical one. It calls for death to our old way of living and a clean break from the principles of this world. A disciple lives with other values in view. He does not labor for money or fame. He labors to bless others and glorify God. He does not seek to accumulate wealth and possessions, he looks for opportunities to give them away. He does not turn a blind eye to the plight of the poor, or the oppressed. He labors to provide for them the things they need. He does not give in to the current wave of immorality, he stands for virtue and chastity. These are just some of the ways in which one finds himself living according to the Spirit and not the flesh.

To do this is not easy. In fact, it is impossible- on our own. So God has provided His Spirit to live within us and guide our steps. He is the one who gives us the strength to live holy. To live according to the Spirit is to develop the ability to hear the Spirit's voice, and to follow His directions.

How can we do such a thing? It requires one thing- prayer. In prayer we encounter God. When we do, we see how contrary we have been living to His ways. We begin the process of reconciliation and the changes that become necessary if we are to continue to follow the Lord. More and more, we begin to learn to wait, to listen, and to commune with God. In this, we are being trained by the Spirit. As we respond, we will be walking in the Spirit. And so we will find ourselves living according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh.

Others around us will think that we are strange. They will say that we have lost our minds. They will call us fanatics, or worse. But this is just the point; we do not strive to win the applause of the world. We are working, rather, to have the approval of God.

Today, take some time to get alone with God. Allow Him to do a spiritual inventory on your life. See what things need to be dealt with. Do not be afraid of this experience. Then spend some time in silence and begin to learn what it is like when the Spirit speaks. And when He does, obey Him, no matter what. Then you will be living according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh.

Imitation of Christ

2009-07-31T06:30:00.002-04:00

Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.
1 Corinthians 11:1

Today is the Memorial for St. Ignatius of Loyola. He is best know for founding the Society of Jesus, or, better known to some, the Jesuits. St. Ignatius and his fellow companions had in mind a passion to bring the Gospel of Christ to all peoples. Within the next century of its founding, the Society would reach as far east as Japan, and as far west as the Americas. In fact, the Jesuits were largely responsible for bringing the Gospel to this continent. Much of South America, the northeast United States, and southeast Canada were settled and evangelized by the Jesuits.

Today's epistle is from St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians. Here, he concludes a paragraph of offering himself as an example to his fellow believers by telling them that they are to imitate him as he imitates Jesus. This can be seen in three degrees.

First, we must imitate Jesus. This is, of course, the fundamental call to discipleship. We become the followers of Jesus. As children, we seek to imitate everything we can about Jesus.

Second, we must imitate other followers of Jesus. This is one of the primary reasons why the Church proclaims various men and women to be saints. They have lived a life of what we call "heroic holiness". Therefore, the Church deems them to be worthy of imitation as we seek to follow Christ. We follow the saints as we follow Christ. We imitate the saints so that we may attain a closer imitation of Jesus.

Finally, we are called to be worthy of such imitation. We are to live in such a way that others may imitate us as we follow Jesus. This is very intimidating. But it is part of the equation. It calls for us to live very close to the Lord, which is what we are to be doing anyway.

Today, we look to St. Ignatius of Loyola to imitate him as he imitated Christ. St. Ignatius was a Spanish soldier of the sixteenth century. He wanted to be well known for his exploits as a soldier. However, he was wounded in battle and required a lengthy convalescence. During this time, he wanted to read about war heroes. Instead, all he had available to him was a Life of Christ and a book on the lives of the saints. He began reading and slowly was transformed. Now he yearned to live the life of a saint rather than that of a soldier. He began to study, was ordained a priest, and founded the Society of Jesus as a missionary organization.

The imitation of our Lord Jesus is the work of a lifetime. It is not some secret revelation suddenly discovered. It is not about a crisis emotional experience. It is about living in, with, and for the Lord moment by moment every day. In this ongoing relationship, we continue to discover more and more of what it means to imitate our Lord. Today, as we ponder the life of St. Ignatius, we are led to imitate a love and devotion to our Lord made manifest in a corresponding love and devotion to the reaching of souls without Christ. We do not need to travel to distant locations. Such people are all around us.

Today, let us think about our own imitation of Christ. Let us continue to draw near to Him. Think about imitating the lives of the saints in those ways that they reveal more of Christ to us. Let us also determine that, by God's grace, we will live lives worthy of imitation so that others who come after us may learn to imitate Christ in their lives as well.

The Dwelling

2009-07-30T06:28:00.002-04:00

Moses did exactly as the LORD had commanded him. On the first day of the first month of the second year the Dwelling was erected.
Exodus 40:16,17

The Dwelling, or the Tabernacle as it is also known, was designed by God. Moses was given careful instruction in the making of the Dwelling so it would be exactly as God intended. Those particulars comprise a large portion of the book of Exodus. Why was God so meticulous? It is because our God does not just communicate to us through words, but also through pictures. He uses symbolism to draw our attention to deeper truths about Him and our faith.

The Dwelling itself is one such example. God intended for it to be a sign of what heavenly worship looks like. He was also setting the stage for the coming of Christ, and showing us a spiritual picture of the Church. Israel's calendar is now shaped by the finishing of the Dwelling. It will inform much of their concept of God and worship.

In Catholic theology, we also see another meaning. The Ark of the Covenant is at the center of the Dwelling. That is because it houses the Ten Commandments, or put another way, the Word of God. Israel does not worship the Ark. They worship God who has shown Himself through the Ark. Catholics relate this to the role of the Blessed Virgin Mary in our faith.

We refer to her by many names, one of which is the Ark. It is because our Lord Jesus, who is the Word of God, was housed (tabernacled) in her womb. Therefore, we ask for her prayers. We do not worship her, but rather we worship the One who dwelt within her. However, this still puts her at the center of so much that we do. It is in this sense that the Catechism states that such devotion to Mary is intrinsic to Christian worship. Just as the Ark which held the Word of God in the Dwelling was so central to Israel's worship, so Mary, who held the Word of God in her, is so central to our worship.

Why are so many so afraid of Mary? That is, why do these teachings seem so foreign and even evil to some? The truth is that the Church from its earliest days held such teaching to be a vital part of the Faith. Marian devotion begins early and becomes prevalent much before the Middle Ages. It is because the early Church in Jerusalem began at Pentecost with the coming of the Holy Spirit. Mary was there on that occasion. The Church prayed in her midst. They prayed with her. In the succeeding centuries we hear the Fathers of the Church making numerous pronouncements about her place in the Church. We also hear their prayers as they seek her intercession. It was only after the philosophy of rationalism had permeated the Church did so many draw back from these teachings about Mary.

I must confess that this has been an area of my faith that has been the hardest to deal with. My years of formation as a Protestant severely prejudiced me against her. But I have found in the short time since becoming Catholic that those I know with the strongest devotion to Mary are among the best examples of Christians that I have seen anywhere. It is not that they are perfect, or even theologically brilliant. It is that they lead quiet lives of humble peace and joy. In that, they are a shining example of the light of Christ in their lives. To them, there is no contradiction between a strong devotion to Mary and a vibrant adoration for our Lord.

For my Catholic readers I urge you to a recovery of this aspect of our faith. To those who are not Catholic, I urge you to a prayerful consideration of the teachings of the early Church regarding Mary. You will find in her a true and gentle mother whose only concern is to direct you to Jesus her Son, the Word of God. She is the Dwelling, but we seek the One who dwells within.

Do You Believe?

2009-07-29T06:37:00.002-04:00

"I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"
John 11:25,26

Today is the memorial for St. Martha. Martha was the sister of Lazarus and Mary of Bethany. Today's Gospel is taken from the well known incident in which our Lord raised Lazarus from the dead. Mary is often thought of as the more loving, or worshipful of the sisters. Martha is known for being busy with work. But today we see Martha's faith.

When she heard that Jesus was coming she went out to meet Him (v. 20). While she lamented that if Jesus had come sooner He could have saved her brother, yet she adds, "even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you," (v. 22). She struggles to believe even in the midst of her deep grief. Our Lord's response to her is the verse above. He is not promising a resurrection, but rather asserting that He Himself is the resurrection. He is asking Martha if she truly believes He is the Messiah. Martha gives as good a profession of faith as Peter did in Matthew's Gospel: She said to him, "Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world," (v. 27). We know the rest of the story. Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead. But what has transpired in this conversation? Jesus reveals Himself uniquely to Martha and she responds in faith.

It's important for us to grasp the meaning of this conversation. We often ask God to help us with the various issues we face in life. We are looking for answers. However, Jesus is telling us that He did not come to provide the answers, but that He Himself is the answer. His statement about being the resurrection and the life has specific meaning to our salvation. But for us that statement could just as easily look something like this: "I am your finances; I am your job, I am your health care; I am the solution to your marriage problems", etc. Instead of looking for solutions, the Lord wants us to look to Him. In that we will find all the answers we need.

When Jesus had finished this statement, then He asks Martha, "Do you believe this?" It's the same question He's asking us. He wants to know if we think He is all sufficient for every need. Because when we say, "yes", we are showing that we truly believe in Him. This was Martha's response. Is it ours?

If we continue to rely on Jesus and our various strategies, then we do not truly believe. We are, in effect, saying that our Lord is not sufficient. We are really trusting in our own strength and ingenuity. God does need any such props. If we will abandon it all and trust Him fully, then we will see the miracles of "resurrection" in our lives as well.

The question, again, remains: "Do you believe this?" May our Lord find us all answering with a hearty, "Yes, Lord, I believe."

The "Whole" God

2009-07-28T06:35:00.002-04:00

“The LORD, the LORD, a merciful and gracious God,slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity,continuing his kindness for a thousand generations,and forgiving wickedness and crime and sin;yet not declaring the guilty guiltless,but punishing children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generation for their fathers’ wickedness!”
Exodus 34:6,7

Here is a great contrast! God reveals Himself to Moses, and to us by extension, as being simultaneously merciful and just. This usually presents an incongruity in our minds. We tend to gravitate to one or the other side of this equation. God is either merciful, or He is just. Since our view of God shapes our view of ourselves and of the reality surrounding us, we find ourselves responding in the same way as we view God. If we see Him as merciful, then we tend to be more easy-going, forgiving, and merciful. If we see Him as just, then we usually want justice both for ourselves and others around us.

Yet, here we find that God is both of these things at the same time. There is no contradiction. He is not a compromise of these things. That is, He is not partly merciful and partly just. He is completely merciful and completely just. How is He both at the same time?

While God has revealed Himself to us in many powerful ways, there are still a multitude of things that we cannot possibly comprehend about Him. He is beyond us because He is God and we are finite human beings. We only have the capacity to understand a very small part of who God is. We need only ponder for a moment the mysteries of the Trinity, or the Incarnation, to see that there are many mysteries of God far beyond our grasp.

But we do have a small piece of the puzzle in this passage. God responds to us according to our response to Him. If we seek Him, believe in Him, and work to obey Him, He is merciful. As the Psalmist says, "As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on the faithful. For he knows how we are formed, remembers that we are dust," (Ps. 103:13,14). However, if we reject Him and choose our own sinful ways, then He will be just and bring the just punishment upon us.

Can we live with a God like this? Absolutely! Who would have it any other way? We innately know there must be a just rendering sometime. It wouldn't be fair to see the wicked prosper and never pay any price for their wickedness. We all have an innate sense of justice that tells us there must be justice in the end. However, we know that we all want mercy, because we do not always get it right and we hope that God will forgive. So we find that this is, indeed, exactly how God treats us.

To believe in God requires a proper perspective of God. We must believe in Him as He is, not as we think He is, or hope He may be. We can only truly know Him if we will accept this fact. God is indeed fearful to those who choose to live in sin. But to us who believe, He is merciful far beyond our understanding. Let us then draw near to come to know this great and awesome God we serve. Let us be content to live with the mystery and choose to believe to the salvation of our souls.

The Work of God

2009-07-27T07:08:00.002-04:00

"You have committed a grave sin. I will go up to the LORD, then; perhaps I may be able to make atonement for your sin."
Exodus 32:30

Someone once said about the Christian life that we should work as if everything depends on us and pray as if everything depends on God. I think most of us understand the first part. I'm not as certain we are truly grasping the second.

In today's first reading we hear the story of how Moses received the Law from God. As he came down from the mountain, he found the Israelites were engaged in an idolatrous party with the golden calf. It is this incident which leads to the verse above. Moses realizes that the people will die if he does not plead for God's mercy. So he goes to pray.

A portion of this conversation is preserved for us. Moses asks to bear the punishment of the people. God tells Moses that each person must answer for himself (v. 33).

Still, let us look back at what Moses says to God: "Ah, this people has indeed committed a grave sin in making a god of gold for themselves! If you would only forgive their sin! If you will not, then strike me out of the book that you have written," (vv. 31,32). I don't honestly think I would have prayed a prayer like that. But it's actually in keeping with what we find elsewhere.

Our Lord prayed that his persecutors and executioners would be forgiven. Stephen, the first martyr of the Church, did the same. St. Paul echoed the same sentiment when he wrote, "I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brethren," (Ro. 9:3). The heart of the true intercessor is the heart of God. It is the willingness to give up one's own life in order to save the guilty party. Such prayer requires one to live close to God, share His heart, and have a deep and lasting compassion for sinners.

We have all sinned. We are all in the same boat. This alone should keep us on our knees pleading for those we know and love who yet remain in danger of the judgment. Yet, as I mentioned, we often find ourselves doing just about everything else. We think that through conversation or work they will be saved. There is some truth to that. As I mentioned, we also need to work. But the greater work is on God's part. We cannot do this. We must have His grace and it is imparted through such intercessory prayer.

Who's on your prayer list? How often are you mentioning them before the Lord? How fervently do you pray for them? Do you believe God will indeed answer? Let us heed the Scripture which says, "The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects," (Jms. 5:16). Then let us turn to continuous, fervent, faith-filled prayer. God has promised to listen and He will do the work.

Super-Abundant Love

2009-07-26T11:03:00.002-04:00

When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples, "Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted."
John 6:12

Beginning today and running for the next several weeks, the Church reflects on the sixth chapter of John's Gospel in the Sunday Mass readings. This chapter is so critical to us because it is so full of the doctrine of the real presence of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. We begin the passage with the story of our Lord miraculously feeding the 5,000 with the five loaves of bread and two fish.

This story is recorded in all four Gospels. It highlights its significance. Very few stories outside of the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord are recorded in all four Gospels.

Here we find the crowds following Jesus. He has them sit down. Then He uses some bread and fish brought by one of the boys there. He blesses them and they feed the whole crowd. That's where the story ends for most of us. It is indeed a miracle. But what's interesting is what is said at the end of the story: Jesus directs the disciples to gather up all the fragments so that nothing is lost. When it is done, they have 12 baskets left over. It would be enough of a miracle to feed the 5,000. But Jesus goes beyond that to give them more than enough. Why?

I borrow from the priest who said Mass this morning at our parish. He noted that it is indicative of the fact that God always gives more than enough. He is showing us that His love for us is not only enough, it's more than enough. He invites us to come and sit at His feet, listen to His teaching, and receive of Himself. He will always give us more than we can ever comprehend.

Our problem is that we often don't believe this. Our Lord reaches out to us with this super-abundant love, but we are usually refusing it to seek love elsewhere. This is the essence of sin. We try to find what is legitimately offered to us in a way that is outside the bounds of what God has provided.

Today, I am trying to allow this super-abundant love to find a home in my heart. I am guilty of turning the Lord away in unbelief. I am caught in the snare of the enemy who is always trying to convince me that he has something better. But the Lord is still on the hill offering me more than enough bread. I will go and receive what He offers, and there will be plenty left over.

St. James

2009-07-25T07:04:00.002-04:00

We hold this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us.
2 Corinthians 4:7

Today the Church celebrates the Feast of St. James. St. James was the elder son of Zebedee. He and his brother, John, were among the first disciples of our Lord. St. James was the first apostle to be martyred.

The verse above is from the first reading of today's Mass. It tells us that we hold within us the wonderful treasure of God Himself. God has chosen to work this way to bless us, restore us to His friendship, and show His immeasurable glory and power to a world still in doubt of Him, but desperately in need of Him. St. James was a man who was a great example of the truth of this verse.

He and his brother, along with their father, were fishermen. These were not educated or eloquent men. They are not what we would think of as being ideally suited for the job ahead. We would look for seminary trained men, men of high education, men of charismatic personality, and skilled in logic and rhetoric. We have no indication that James was any of these things. In addition, James and his brother were known as the Sons of Thunder. This presumably indicates that he was a man of deep passion and a quick temper. This does not sound like a good candidate for beginning the kingdom of God. But Jesus thought otherwise.

Our Lord saw in James a true diamond in the rough. He called both sons to follow him and they did. They literally left everything to become the disciples of Jesus. They spent 3 years with Him learning of His teaching, observing His example, and training to take over upon His ascension. We see a number of times when they failed. Once they asked for the most prominent positions in the kingdom. On another occasion they, along with the other disciples, contended as to who would be the greatest. James is not at the cross when our Lord dies. He is among the others who fled. Yet, there came a point when James finally became the man our Lord knew he could be. He was filled with the Spirit along with the others on the day of Pentecost. He obeyed the commission of our Lord by joining with the other apostles to preach the Gospel of our Lord. Finally, there came a day when he needed to lay down his life for what he believed. The Scripture tells us very little about this. We read only that Herod killed James the brother of John with the sword, (Acts 12:2). What the Scripture has summarized, tradition has filled in. We have recorded for us the following story from Eusebius, an early Church historian. He cites Clement of Alexandria, a second century catechetical teacher as his source.

The man who brought him (James) to trial, on seeing him bear his testimony, was moved, and confessed that he was now a Christian himself. Accordingly, he says, they were both led away together. On the way, the other man asked James to forgive him. And after brief consideration, James said, "Peace be to you," and kissed him. And so both were beheaded together.

Though he did not possess the essential qualities for such a task in himself, once our Lord was living in him, he was transformed. This does not mean that he was perfected, but it does show the surpassing power of God.

It is the same for us. God will inevitably call us to do things we are not naturally qualified to do. But as we rely on Him, He will show His surpassing power through us so that the glory may be to Him and not to us.

The Third Day

2009-07-23T08:42:00.003-04:00

"Be ready for the third day.."
Exodus 19:11

God is coming to meet with Israel. He calls them to sanctify themselves; that is, to prepare themselves inside and out to meet with God. He gives them two days to do this for He will meet with them on the third day.

The third day is very significant in Scripture. We see its use in a few places, most prominently in the resurrection of our Lord after His crucifixion. The third day represents the fulfillment of God's plan. On this occasion it will be the first time that God will come down to speak to His people since their deliverance from Egypt.

What does the third day mean for us? It may mean a lot of things. It may represent a special time of devotion to God. It may also reflect the ways in which we prepare ourselves daily to meet with God.

I know there are many advocates for the idea of making prayer the first thing we do when we wake up. While I may like to greet the Lord upon rising, I find that I am much more attentive if I clean myself up first.

Then there is Mass. I remember not too long ago dressing up to meet with someone of importance. I thought to myself, if I do this for people, why don't I do the same for God? I was used to wearing a polo and slacks to Mass. Now there's really nothing wrong with that. It's acceptable attire. But I wanted to look my best because I would be meeting with Jesus in the Eucharist. So I started wearing a coat and tie. I want to look my best for the Lord. I know the Lord looks on the heart and all of that. But I also know that our outside appearance often reflects the inside state of the heart. When a person dresses up, not to show off for others, but to honor the Lord, hopefully it also reflects a corresponding attention to the inner appearance as well.

This idea of the third day also brings to mind the idea of waiting. We hate to wait, but God is very fond of it. He is not in a hurry. He uses waiting to teach us many things: patience, faith, peace, and more. He does this because He loves us. He is busy making us holy, which is to say, He is fashioning us after Himself.

Perhaps you find yourself in the midst of a first or second day, awaiting the third. Use the time to sanctify yourself in preparation. Allow God to train you in the time of waiting. Be confident that the third day will come- and it will indeed be worth it all.

Devotion To Jesus

2009-07-22T08:37:00.003-04:00

On the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark John 20:1

Today is the Memorial of St. Mary Magdalene. Often when we think of her, we think of what she was. But the Church has proclaimed her a saint because of what she became.

This passage from the Gospel shows the intense devotion St. Mary Magdalene had for our Lord. It is indicative of her life after the Lord delivered her from demons and forgave her sins.

We read here that St. Mary Magdalene came to the tomb very early, while it was still dark. She could hardly wait to get there. The Jewish Law required that she wait out the full time of the Sabbath. But as soon as that was fulfilled, she went out to the tomb. Though she believed Him to still be dead, she wanted to be close to our Lord. When she found the tomb empty, she ran to tell the apostles. Peter and John ran to the tomb to see the things she had said. When they saw the tomb was indeed empty, they left. But she remained. She stayed even though there was nothing to stay for. She still wanted to be close to the last place she could associate with our Lord.

The Gospel story continues by telling us that St. Mary Magdalene went into the tomb and saw two angels (v.12). For most of us, this would have changed everything. But not for her. She is so grief stricken that even the sight of angels has no effect on her. She is looking only for our Lord. Only when He is finally revealed to her does her sorrow turn to joy. She is so elated at seeing Him that she won't let Him go (v. 17).

St. Mary Magdalene was the first to see our Lord raised from the dead and to proclaim that resurrection to the others. She is the first evangelist. She is blessed with such a privilege because of her great devotion.

I long to have that same level of devotion. Why don't I? Is it because, as our Lord said on another occasion, "Whoever is forgiven much loves much," (Luke 7:47), and I have yet to grasp the depth of sin from which I was delivered? Is it because I am too distracted by the cares and things of this world? Is it because I place more stock in what I can see and understand than in what I cannot see or understand? Is it all of this and more? Yes, I believe it is.

God, grant me such love and devotion. Grant such loyalty and steadfast faith! May we indeed have the love and devotion we see exemplified for us her!

St. Mary Magdalene, pray for us!

The Family of Jesus

2009-07-21T07:12:00.002-04:00

"Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?"
Matthew 12:48

This has become a popular proof text among those who wish to disprove the perpetual virginity of Mary; that is, those who do not believe that Mary remained a virgin for all of her life. It's a passing point and not really the point of this passage. The Church has taught from earliest times that Mary was always a virgin. There was no dispute about it until after the Protestant Reformation 1500 years later. The Church explained the presence of brothers as being more distant relatives, as anyone of kin was referred to as "brother" in New Testament times. But the point of the passage is something else.

Jesus is telling us here that there are no "perks" positions. Even His own mother and brothers did not have a free pass to heaven. If they did not obey the will of God, they would be lost like any other. Jesus is telling us that we have no reason to rely on anything else but the grace of God. It doesn't matter if we have family connections, or we are associated with a prominent church or clergyman. We all stand on equal footing before God.

The question Jesus raises in today's Gospel is very appropriate for our own times. Who are the mother, and brothers of Jesus? Our Lord answers His own question: "For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother," (v. 50). So the question for each one of us is, do I really do the will of God?

We are not talking here, of course, about discerning one's vocation, or various things we are praying to understand. Rather, we are referring to the issue of obedience to what we know is the will of God. Do we obey the Word and the teaching of the Church? If we do, then our Lord is telling us we are truly a member of His family.

This flies in the face of the modern notion that we are all God's children. It is true that we are all created by God and, therefore, rightfully belong to Him. But we become His children by birth- rebirth. When we are born of water and the Spirit, we become a child of God (Jn. 3:5). There are a few elements that go into such a birth. First, there is faith. Secondly, there must be a clear resolve to forsake sin and strive after holiness. Third, there is baptism. Finally, there is a willing submission to the Church, who guides and teaches us to live for God.

"Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?" It is a question worth pondering each day. Jesus continues to issue it in the hopes that many more will respond. Hopefully, each of us can answer with sincerity, "Here I am Lord. I will obey the Father. I will be a member of Your family."

The Search For A Sign

2009-07-20T08:44:00.002-04:00

"An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign,"
Matthew 12:39

We all do this in one way or another. We want a sign from God. We want to know if He will indeed come through as He said He would. Such signs are born out of unbelief. But wait a minute, someone may say, what about Gideon? Gideon is a great example of such unbelief. God granted his sign, not to endorse the method, but in spite of it.

But there's more going on here. Jesus had already performed many miracles. What more do they need? The fact is that their demand for a sign is to put Jesus on trial and them in the judgment seat; the exact opposite of the ways things truly are. To ask God for a sign is to place ourselves at the center and God on the periphery. It is to see ourselves as being in control and God as serving us. In other words, the whole notion is born out of a topsy-turvy view of reality.
The request for signs reveals unbelief, pride, and a deficient sense of who God is. I hope it is very obvious, then, why our Lord ascribes such an action to an evil and unfaithful generation.

As I said, we do this in a variety of ways. We try to bargain with God, we think God needs to prove Himself to us, etc. It is all entirely out of line. God will not respond to it. The person who functions like this can expect to hear one thing from God- silence.

God will not be pushed around, manipulated, or set up for some kind of deal. God will be loved, trusted, and obeyed. This may sound very harsh. But the truth is that when we choose to respond to God in this way, we find that things turn out a whole lot better anyway. That's because God is much smarter and wiser than we are. He also has our best interests at heart which, ironically, we do not always have. We must have things in the right order. God must be in control and we are to serve Him.

Today and always, may we come to the end of such seeking after signs, and place ourselves without compromise into the faithful and loving hands of God.

Regarding Shepherds

2009-07-19T07:39:00.002-04:00

Woe to the shepherds who mislead and scatter the flock...
Jeremiah 23:1

His heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd
Mark 6:34

Today's readings focus on the role and ministry of the shepherd. Jeremiah prophesied against those who did not shepherd well. I have known some people who seem to share the same sentiment. I am sorry to say I have been among them at times. They blame things on others in their lives. Typically it is our fathers who come in for the worst of it. We say it is because of things he did that we are like we are. Then there are the vast numbers of people who have left the Church because they didn't like things their pastors said or did. And, of course, we are always fond of heaping numerous reproaches upon those in our government.

These all reflect various levels of authority, or shepherds. It is true that there are some who are worthy of the rebuke of Jeremiah's prophecy. Certainly the shepherds of his day were, and some of our own are as well. But I believe there are many more who are sincerely trying to do the best they can, but fail simply because they are human and not divine.

Today's passages are not intended to cause us to see people as good guys or bad guys. It is not to provide an opportunity to point the finger and say how bad someone is doing as a shepherd. Rather, we are to see that the best of us will fail and so we need a shepherd that is better than all of us. We need Jesus.

The Psalmist says, "The Lord is my shepherd." Our Lord Jesus Christ announced to us, "I am the good shepherd." In our Gospel reading we are told that on this occasion our Lord saw the crowds and was moved with deep compassion because they were like sheep scattered without a shepherd. Our Lord is a good shepherd and He is continually seeking the lost sheep. He longs to be the shepherd of us all.

Only Christ does it perfectly. The rest of us fail. We fail as parents, teachers, leaders, pastors, and government officials. We all fail. There are no exceptions to that statement. We need to be a bit more patient with those who lead us. We need to pray for them. We need to think what it would be like to be in their shoes. While it may be tempting to think we would do a better job, we should rather soberly reflect on the weight of their responsibility and try to help in any way we can.

I know I have failed many times. I think there are a fair amount of people out there who think I am a jerk and Jeremiah's prophecy applies to me. If any of those people are reading this, I am truly very sorry for my mistakes. With that in mind, I am asking God to help me be fair to the shepherds in my life and pray for them continually. Then I am also asking to be reminded that Jesus is my true Shepherd, and He will never fail. So I should go to Him continually.

Today, if you are a shepherd who has wronged your sheep, don't waste a moment to go and ask their forgiveness. And if you are a sheep who has been bitterly holding on to your grudge against your shepherd, then give it up. Be reconciled to them, commit to pray for them, and surrender all to the true shepherd of our souls.

May our Lord, the Good Shepherd, guide us all safely home through the various pitfalls of this life as we daily turn to follow the sound of His voice!

Many and All

2009-07-18T08:12:00.005-04:00

Many people followed him, and he cured them all.
Matthew 12:15

Note the words "many" and "all". They are not interchangeable. The text does not read that "all" followed Him and He cured "many". This almost seems to be the way people see it. That is, there seems to be the fear that if we follow Jesus, perhaps we will be the exception to the rule that He is able to cure "all". Maybe He won't be able to help us. Is this why so many stay away? Better to not try than to be disappointed? Perhaps. There is, unfortunately, a lot of disappointment in the world.

The text indicates that Jesus healed people of various diseases. In our experience, we do not see everyone healed who prays to Jesus. Is there a contradiction? Not at all! Rather, healing is now expanded to cover a great many more areas. Sometimes that is physical. There are numerous stories of people healed from various ailments. But often that is not the case. Instead, Jesus cures us from things that are much deeper.

Jesus came to save us from our sins. We could say He came to deliver us, heal us, or make us whole. It's all the same. Salvation is complete- wholistic, if you will. It is not just our bodies that are saved, but our souls as well.

So can Jesus really help us in our modern age? Can He cure anxiety, depression, addictions, and a host of other maladies plaguing our society? Yes, He can. And, yes, He will- if we will come to Him and follow Him.

Oh that the passage did read that "all" followed Him! But it doesn't. Instead, we have to settle for "many" who followed Him. And of the many, our Lord's own words elsewhere tell us that only few will finally choose the narrow way of eternal life. I wish it were not so. I know of so many who need the cures of Jesus, but for varying reasons do not come to Him. If only we would come, we would be healed.

I must confess that I am guilty of repeatedly keeping Jesus at arms length. I am usually afraid that He will take something from me. But I have found that each time I truly surrender to Him and follow Him rather than hold out, I am cured. I have found no exception to this. I am not always cured the way I wanted to be. But, nevertheless, I am always cured.

May this day find each of us not holding ourselves away from Jesus anymore, but rather that we would choose to become one of the many who follow Him and one of the all who find ourselves cured.

Flesh and Blood

2009-07-17T07:24:00.002-04:00

They shall eat its roasted flesh... But the blood will mark the houses where you are. Seeing the blood, I will pass over you.
Exodus 12:8, 13

Flesh and Blood. These were the means by which the Israelites were finally delivered from Egypt. It is one of the most potent pictures in the Old Testament of the salvation won for us by our Lord Jesus Christ at the cross. "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." Our Lord was our sacrifice. Through His broken body and poured out blood we were delivered from the slavery of sin and given free passage to the Promised Land of eternal life.

On the night before our Lord was betrayed, He established a permanent means by which the sacrifice of the cross would be clearly seen. He established the Eucharist. Since that time, Christians have made it a central part of their worship to partake of His Body and His Blood.

As Catholics, we believe that the Eucharist is truly the Body and Blood of Christ. We do not take these merely as symbols. Though there is obviously symbolic meaning, it is more than that. It is truly Jesus. This is a mystery, but we are firmly convinced this is what He has given us. "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed," (Jn. 6:53-55).

Today is Friday. It is the day when we specifically focus on His death in the same way that we focus on His resurrection each Sunday. This is why Catholics traditionally fast, at least from meat, on Fridays. It is to remember in a specific way the sacrifice our Lord made for us. This sacrifice, though offered once for all time, is perpetual in its efficacy. In good old fashioned holiness/Pentecostal language, the Blood still flows from Calvary. It means that the one sacrifice of Christ is still setting people free from sin today.

I happen to be part of a parish that offers daily Mass. This is an increasingly rare privilege in an age of decreasing vocations to the priesthood and a corresponding decrease in the piety of many of the people. Yet, I am thankful for this opportunity. In receiving the Body and Blood of our Lord each day I am forgiven of my sins, and strengthened to live out His call to a holy life. With Christ in me, I am sent forth to serve others in His name. Today, especially, I think on these things as I remember His passion- the great love He had in giving His life to redeem ours. By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren, (1 Jn. 3:16). By the grace of God may I be faithful this day and every day to bring Christ to the people! God grant that other souls will find the deliverance from sin today for which our Lord gave His life. Amen!

Come To Jesus

2009-07-16T07:34:00.002-04:00

"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."
Matthew 11:28-30

In yesterday's Gospel we heard, "No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him," (Mt. 11:27). Some people see in that verse the idea that Jesus has only selected a few to come to know God. But as He continues in today's Gospel, we hear Him issue the call to "all". It isn't that Jesus is selective, it's just that there are unfortunately many who will refuse to hear His call.

The Gospel is seen so clearly here. God comes to us incarnated in His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. He issues His invitation to everyone with the promise that whoever comes to Him will truly find rest.

We all labor and are heavy burdened. We labor to free ourselves from our burdens. But they can really only be relieved by "the yoke" of our Lord. A yoke sounds heavy, but Jesus says His is light. That's because He's really the one carrying all the weight. But the key to all of this is to truly come to Jesus.

Many times we think we come to Him, but we are really still keeping Him at arm's length. The truth is that we are still laboring all the while using language that makes it sound as if we are resting in Christ. To come to Jesus requires the full abandonment of self. We can't hold anything back. He is asking for it all, and until He has it, we are left to labor on our own.

Jesus tells us that we must learn of Him. To be a Christian is not just to know about Jesus, but to know Him. It is to receive Him and to learn to allow Him to reproduce Himself in us. This is why He tells us He is meek and humble. It is to encourage us to come to Him, but it is also to show us the traits that we are to be imitating.

I hear Jesus call and I long to respond from the very depths of my being. But my old habits are so ingrained. I have labored for so long that I cannot grasp this idea of rest. I have spent a lifetime developing attitudes that are virtually the opposite of meekness and humility. Still, our Lord issues His call. If I will but listen and respond, then I will truly find rest; and so will all who take Him at His word, abandon themselves, and come to Jesus.

It's All About God

2009-07-15T08:43:00.002-04:00

Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and lead the children of Israel out of Egypt?" He answered, "I will be with you."
Exodus 3:11,12

Moses has come a long way since he tried to bring deliverance by his own hand in Egypt. He thought killing the Egyptian would signal to the Israelites that he was to be their deliverer (see Acts 7:25). Now, after having spent 40 years in the desert, he is on the other side of things. Rather than being confident of his own abilities, he has no confidence in them. But the principle is the same- he is still thinking only in terms of his own strength. He is not considering God's.

Faith is about abandoning ourselves to God. When God calls, we answer and obey. God always calls us to do things that we cannot possibly accomplish in our own strength. That way we must rely on Him, and when it is accomplished, it will be clearly seen that it was done by the power of God and not by our own understanding or strength.

The real difficulty is getting ourselves into this place where we can truly let God be everything. The Scripture says that man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart, (1 Sam. 16:7). So when God uses someone, we have a tendency to think it is the person doing it. Consequently, we also have a tendency to think that if God is calling us to do something then we will have to do it on our own. But that's not true. In fact, it's just about the opposite of the truth. The truth is that we must learn to get out of the way so God can truly use us. It is all of God when His work is accomplished.

Getting back to Moses, he thought he could deliver Israel in his own strength. It took 40 years in the desert to re-train his thinking. What was he doing all that time? We don't know. But from the little that we do know, it doesn't seem like it was anything grand or glorious. It was just normal living. He got married, had a son, and tended sheep for his father in law. Normal living has a way of training us in humility and faith- if we will let it. It's learning to pray and trust God in the menial things of life that we are trained for greater things. We must be faithful with a little before He gives us more.

I find myself today still in the place of discerning exactly what God is saying to me. In the meantime, He is being very faithful to train me in normal living. I am beginning to see how very much I still need to learn. Going back to yesterday's thought, it's not so much about information, but transformation. I know a lot of things, but I really need to learn how they're to be lived out. I hope it won't take 40 years. But if it does, then I hope and pray I will be ready for God's mission when I encounter him in the fire and hear Him call me to the impossible.

Knowing and Living

2009-07-14T07:15:00.003-04:00

As for you, Capernaum... it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you."
Matthew 11:23,24

This passage reflects two essential truths: 1) there will be a judgment, and 2) it will be largely based on what we have had the opportunity to know about God. Every week we proclaim in the Creed our faith in Jesus Christ who "will come in glory to judge the living and the dead." We know judgment is a reality, but we often do our best to try to ignore it. But it is better to reflect often on this coming Day so that we will be ready when it comes.

Here in America we have been abundantly blessed with a wealth of knowledge about our Lord and His Gospel. I am very thankful for that. But with such knowledge comes the responsibility to live by it. The more we know, the more we are accountable for. "To whom much is given, much is required."

The uncomfortable truth is that most of us know much more than we live out. And here's the subtle deception: many of us think that if we know a truth it is the same as living it. But it's not. How many of us know that we are not only to love our neighbor, but our enemy as well? Does that get lived out at the office, or even driving to the office? We know that we are called to love people and use things, but it often gets reversed. We continue to buy things we really don't need and neglect the poor who really do need. Remember that in one of the key passages where we are actually given a criteria for the day of judgment we find that it is based on how we treated the poor- the least of our Lord's brothers (see Mt. 25).

The Lord is willing to bear with our weaknesses. That is, He sees our efforts at living out the Faith and, even though we often fail, He extends His everlasting mercy and grace. But what we must also remember is that when we choose to ignore parts of the Faith and intentionally indulge our sins, that is a different story. The person who lives in such a way is sinning the great sin of presumption and should not count on mercy, but judgment in the last day. Thus, our Lord continually calls out to us in love to repent.

I know much more than I am living out. Today, I want to search for one thing that has been a blind spot and ask God's help to begin living that part of the faith out in accordance with what I know. I can't allow for any excuses. It must be God's way. Because when it's all said and done, I don't want to finish worse than Sodom.

Death By Degrees

2009-07-13T07:27:00.003-04:00

Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
Matthew 10:39

We find or lose our lives by degrees. It typically happens in installments.

We find our lives by daily choosing our own will over that of God. It is important to realize that it is indeed an either/or decision. It cannot be both. Sin has turned our heart away from God. We do not naturally desire the things He commands. Without a conscious effort to choose His will, we can be pretty sure we are pursuing our own- contrary to His. This is what our Lord means when He refers to finding our life.

To lose our life means just the opposite. We choose to follow God's will contrary to our own. Again, this takes place by degrees. It comes in installments. We do not choose once to follow the Lord and that settles it for a lifetime. Rather, we must choose daily, even moment by moment, that we will obey God. As we do, we are losing our life. Incidentally, we may be persuaded to see in this verse the call to martyrdom. We may think that Jesus is telling us that if it comes down to it, and we must give our lives for our faith, then we must be willing to do so. Certainly, that is a part of it. But we will never choose martyrdom if we have not chosen the smaller "deaths" on a daily basis. This call of our Lord is something that must be lived out every day.

So how will I live this out? Well, it's Monday, and Mondays are crazy, as they are for many of us. There will be many demands made on my time. Numerous people will be asking for my help. It can all get pretty crazy sometimes. Thanks be to God! For He has provided the perfect setting for me to learn to die daily. I will have multiple opportunities today to choose the cross rather than my own comfort. I pray I will be up to the challenge, and, if I fail, that by God's grace I will keep trying.

What about the smaller "deaths"? There are so many. Will I choose the cross in my meals? In slight conveniences? In comfort? With my leisure time? In my family? The list goes on and on. The truth is that we are faced with this decision countless times throughout a day.

Must we fulfill this command perfectly or risk damnation? I doubt it. One would have to be perfected. Yet, there is no mistaking that this is the road the Lord calls us to travel. By His grace we will succeed.

Faith Or Finances?

2009-07-12T11:15:00.003-04:00

He instructed them to take nothing for the journey
Mark 6:8

This verse shows a contradiction to an idea very prevalent in the Church- that God's work requires money. Don't take this the wrong way; I am not trying to discourage giving. Neither am I denying the practical realities of ministry in a modern context. But in the final analysis ministry can be done without a dime. This is so because ministry is based on God's power and not our resources.

In today's Gospel we read of our Lord sending out the Twelve on their first evangelistic campaign. They were given authority to cast out demons and sent to preach repentance. Word and power combined in that the disciples did indeed call people to repent as well as cast out demons and heal the sick. They did all of this without an ounce of material resource at their disposal. Jesus specifically forbids them to take bread, bag, or money. Rather, they were to rely on the hospitality of those they would encounter. In truth, they were to rely on God alone.

It is not completely true that faith and finances are polar opposites. One may have a great amount of faith and resources as well. But often it is the case that the more material things we have, the less we tend to rely on God. We begin to think that we can handle it on our own.

At the risk of appearing to indict the Church, I wonder how closely we're listening to this message. The spate of fund-raising plaguing the Church right now is in direct proportion to a lack of faith- lack of faith on the part of the Church as a whole, many individuals notwithstanding. If we prayed like we only had God and nothing else, I believe we would see more of the power that is referenced in this passage. I believe the Church would be much more effective in Her mission to bring the Gospel to the nations.

Here in America we have plenty of money. That may sound ridiculous given the current economic climate. But by the world's standards, we still have a lot of money. We tend to see the biggest issues as financial ones. We also tend to think that the answer to most problems is to raise more money. However, the truth is that the biggest issues are spiritual, and that the answer to them is faith-filled prayer. A praying Church will accomplish so much more than one that is highly organized and financed.

Again, I am not trying to say that money has no place. A person's checkbook is a great indicator of his spiritual condition. The more one loves and worships God, the more he will find himself giving. Nevertheless, we have to free ourselves from our relying on money- our faith in it, if you will. Our ultimate trust can only be in one place. As long as it is our money, it cannot possibly be in God.

I invite all who read this to join with me in committing ourselves to prayer. In this let us petition our Lord for a renewed outpouring of the Holy Spirit that those oppressed by unclean spirits will be delivered, the sick will be healed, and those lost in sin may find their eternal salvation through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us pray that our nation will be consumed by a spirit of repentance so that the healing power of God may flow through our land.

Living Above My Station

2009-07-11T16:33:00.003-04:00

"No disciple is above his teacher,"
Matthew 10:24

When our Lord said this He was referring to the fact that we as His disciples must expect persecution of one sort or another. But I see in that simple statement a challenge to just about everything in my life.

For instance, if our Lord was born in poverty, how is it that we as His disciples seem to assume we should live in prosperity? He embraced simplicity, we clamor for more and more. There are more examples. But the point here is to allow the statement to be the criteria for evaluating numerous things in our lives.

I am on the poorer side of the scale by modern American standards. Still, I live at a much more affluent level than our Lord, or virtually anyone else living in His time. How can I simplify my life? How do I learn to be content with much less? How do I truly imitate my Lord?

Another example would be how easy or hard life is. Our Lord lived a typical life as far as we know. That would mean long hours of manual labor with necessary food (but not much more than that) and none of the conveniences that we take for granted (like indoor plumbing for example). In light of this, why do I complain about my job in my air-conditioned (or heated in the winter) office with my computer, microwave, email, telephone, etc.? I think you get the point.

I am asking myself today how I can come closer to imitating my Lord in His life. How do I live simpler? How do I become more content? How can I patiently endure adversity? How do I carry a cross?

No one is greater than his master. Certainly I am not greater than my Lord. God grant me the forgiveness for arrogantly living above my station and the grace to embrace the standard He has set before me!

Led By The Lord

2009-07-10T08:35:00.002-04:00

"I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt,
Genesis 46:3

Egypt stands in as a symbol of the world. It represents our former lives of sin. It is what God delivers us from. So why is it that God is leading Jacob to go there?

This story occurs after Jacob has found out that Joseph is alive and a leader in Egypt. Going there will mean blessing for him and his family. It will mean the preservation of God's chosen people of Israel. But Egypt is big and scary. It is an idolatrous place. It is full of sin. Why would anyone go there who intends to follow the Lord? Very simply- because God said to do it.

God doesn't call us to understand the big picture. He doesn't need our approval of His plan. He calls us to walk by faith. It means there will be times- many times- when we won't know where we're going or anything else about it. But we must go. We must obey. This is faith.

The other thing that comes out of this story is that God's plans are bigger than we are. Jacob doesn't know or understand all the things that God will do as a result of his going to Egypt. He just obeys. But God's plan is bigger than Jacob, his family, or his immediate situation. God will allow Israel to be enslaved by the Egyptians for 400 years. Then He will deliver them by His power. It becomes such a key picture to foreshadow our Lord's work to deliver us from our sins.

Today I do not hear God telling me to go anywhere or do anything. I am tempted to think that perhaps I am missing Him and that I need to do something. But that misses the point of the story. The key is obedience whether that means I am on the move or staying put.

Regardless of what it means, I pray that I will be faithful to follow God's direction- always!

God is Good

2009-07-09T19:28:00.003-04:00

I've spent the last week in Kansas visiting with family from my wife's side. We really had a great time.

I discovered that driving continuously for a number of hours can be really good for one's perspective. I had lots of time to think. What I discovered is that I really spend too much time being too uptight about too many things that really don't matter in the long run. There's a wonderful peace that comes with letting go of all the issues and just placing one's mind and heart in God. It's not an irresponsible, escapist attitude. From the way I read Scripture, it's faith.

Blogs tend to have the inherent weakness of making one feel that he either does have all the answers, or ought to. We are deceived into thinking we're an authority about something, even if it's just our own lives. But it's not really true in many cases, and especially not in mine. I am not an authority. I am a learner. In fact, I am only beginning to learn how much I have to learn.

So with this new found joy and peace, I am completely enjoying this day, which has actually been very hectic, but also loaded with many grace-filled moments.

Thanks be to God for His indescribable Gift!

The Vision of Vatican II

2009-06-27T16:37:00.003-04:00

By now it must be obvious that I don't have much time to blog. I wish I had more. There's a discipline to blogging regularly and I think that the public aspect of that allows for an interchange of ideas that can be healthy.

It's been almost two months since my last post. At the time I wrote it, I was pretty bent with various elements that I find within the Church that I mistakenly ascribed to Vatican II. I am beginning to discover that Vatican II was largely hijacked in its implementation, especially here in the United States. So what I am fighting is not Vatican II, but the common misunderstandings of it. And worse, the perverse (read that, skewed, or crooked) implementations of it.

I alluded to the Council's document on the Liturgy in my last post: Sacrosanctum Concilium. It really doesn't take very long to read and I encourage anyone reading this to do so. You may be surprised at what it says as opposed to what you may have been told it said.

Vatican II did not change everything. Rather it clarified a number of things in order to allow the Church to face many of the challenges of our modern era. so this raises the question in my mind: how many parishes are truly working to implement the vision of Vatican II according to this document?

As I alluded to in my last post, the document still holds that Latin be the primary language of the Mass. It also states that Gregorian Chant has pride of place as far as music goes, but it allows for other forms, most prominently hymns accompanied by organ.

I have actually been in a number of parishes in my short time in the Catholic Church. The only time I have heard any Latin is in my own home parish. And we only do it rarely. I have seen a lot of use of the organ, but I have never heard Gregorian Chant. Actually, a priest who has been saying Mass at our parish chants the "Lord Have Mercy" with us. But outside of that, I have never experienced chant during Mass.

What I have encountered are a lot of muscial variations. I have especially been exposed to hymns composed over the last 20 or 30 years that downplay the distinctives of our faith and emphasize feeling good about our relationship with God. I have also encountered a fair amount of "creative license" on the part of priests who think that the written texts of the Eucharistic Prayers need improvement to make it more meaningful to the people.

By the way, has anyone noticed that the modern version of the Confiteor (I confess to Almighty God and to you my brothers and sisters...") is a tremendously dumbed-down version of the original? Whereas we used to acknowledge our sins and unworthiness (if that's a word) before God, the angels, and the saints, and we asked for their prayers, now we throw our "brothers and sisters" into that mix as well. It's as if all the people attending Mass with us are just as worthy as the saints and angels to hear our confession and pray for us to be holy.

All of this to say that things are not generally being done according to the vision of Vatican II. But there is hope. Our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI is continally working to bring us back to that proper balance that is the vision of Vatican II. There are many parishes that are working to bring us back to the same. It is my hope that the process will continue and that many more will join in.

The Pilgrimage Continues

2009-05-02T10:31:00.005-04:00

For those who have managed to stick with my intermittent posts you know that I was raised as a Pentecostal, became a pastor, was briefly a priest in the Charismatic Episcopal Church, and then joined the Catholic Church 2 years ago. What has driven this pilgrimage to this point is the firm conviction that the Church that our Lord Jesus Christ founded is invincible and, therefore, still fully intact 2,000 years later. It is intact in its fullness, and therefore cannot be divided into thousands of denominations.

I firmly believe this Church to be the Catholic Church. However, there is a problem. I am discovering, to my chagrin, that there are a number of Catholics who do not agree with me. Rather, in the bland, vague language of Vatican II, they believe this Church that our Lord founded to "subsist in" the Catholic Church. What that phrase means has been a source of fierce debate since it was coined. In my mind it shows why so much of what happened with Vatican II and since has been more a source of confusion, rather than clarification.

To me, that phrase is an attempt to placate all parties. For traditionalists and conservatives it can mean what the Church has always proclaimed: outside of the (Catholic) Church there is no salvation. For moderates, progressives, and liberals, it can mean that truth is found in some manner in every denomination of Christianity, or even outside of Christianity altogether.

There is a popular notion among modern Catholics that Vatican II changed everything. That's not exactly true. One need only read the documents themselves to see that. The vision of Vatican II was that the Mass would continue to be done primarily in Latin with some opportunity for the vernacular language. Music would still be primarily (and ideally) Gregorian Chant with the possibility of sacred hymns accompanied by organ. This is a far cry from what one will find as the norm for Mass in most Catholic Churches in America today.

But it's not just arguing over the Mass. In fact, today, most Catholics don't even attend Mass on anything close to a regular basis. But beyond the Mass, there also used to be a sense of living a holy life that meant that we were not ashamed to stand out amidst our neighbors. If others looked at us strangely because we didn't eat meat on Friday, we dressed modestly, and we did not indulge in worldly entertainment, that was fine. We were, after all, Catholic- and that meant something.

The Lord's Day is another example of how things have changed. It used to be that even people who never went to church understood that stores would be closed on Sunday. Now, even good Catholics think nothing of doing their shopping, or any other activity, on the Lord's Day.

I didn't give up everything I hold dear, move my family from place to place, and risk the alienation of other family and friends to find, more or less, what I already had- a religion largely of my own making. This is unfortunately the case too often for most Catholics today. Rather, the Catholic Faith is intended to be a seamless garment, like the robe of our Lord. To be Catholic is to receive all that the Church teaches- and has ever taught. It is to live like a Catholic, and not just be known by the name. It is to be different. It is to be holy. It is to be like Jesus. it is to live out the Faith as it has been lived out since its inception.

So my pilgrimage continues- not in the sense that I believe there is some other church or denomination to move to. I don't. As I said, I firmly believe this Church to be the Church that Christ founded. But I do see that I must continue to be on the move in my heart. What is popularly purported to be the Catholic Faith is not always. I want the real thing. And I will stop at nothing less than that.

Alleluia! Christ is Risen!

2009-04-12T12:23:00.002-04:00

For most of Lent I have not taken the time to blog. That has more to do with my schedule than anything intentional. Yet it was a good Lent. There were many things that the Lord was showing me. Probably the most crucial was the necessity to live life by embracing the cross.

What I mean by that is this. We typically try to avoid suffering or any unpleasant circumstances. Instead, to embrace the cross means to welcome such trials as an opportunity to be purged of our fleshly tendencies and to be drawn closer to Christ. We learn to embrace even minor irritations (sufferings). We turn them into opportunities of prayer. We learn patience. All of this is what is entailed in embracing the cross.

I have met with a small degree of success in this endeavor. I have had more occasions for failure. But through it all I have had the blessing of experiencing more of the grace of God.

But today is Easter. Today we celebrate the risen Christ. The thing the Lord brings to my mind today is that in the same way that I sought to be conformed to Christ's death during Lent, I must now seek to be so conformed to His resurrection during this holy season of Easter. How can I do that?

First of all, the resurrection life of Christ lives within us. This is a source of great joy. To embrace the resurrection is to live in this joy regardless of any other circumstances I may find myself in. To live in joyful love is to live the life of Christ. It is to bring the light of Christ into the darkness of our world. To do so consistently will result in the light of Christ dispelling the darkness.

Secondly, to embrace the resurrection is to remember that this world is not our final destination. We are destined for heaven. We are called to eternal glory. St. Paul wrote that as we have borne the image of the earthly, so we must bear the image of the heavenly. Christ, the eternal God, truly became man and died. Just as surely, we will be raised, as He was, and become one with Him in heaven.

Embracing the resurrection keeps my focus on heaven. It reminds me to look beyond the petty circumstances of this temporary life. "If, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your mind on things above where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God." (Col. 3:1)

It is my prayer that as the Lord has graciously granted me a taste of what it is to embrace the cross, so He will also grant me such grace to consistently embrace the resurrection. May He do the same for you, my readers.

Alleluia! Christ is risen! The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!

St. Patrick

2009-03-17T16:45:00.002-04:00

Today is St. Patrick's Day. For many people of Irish heritage this is a day of celebration of all things Irish. It typically involves parades, parties, and green beer (ugh!). Along with all the fun float around images of leprechauns, shamrocks and images of St. Patrick driving the snakes out of Ireland. But who is the real St. Patrick and what did he do?

Patrick was actually a native to Britain. He was captured by Irish slave traders when he was 16 years old. The son of a deacon, he was raised in the Church, but was far from a true, personal faith. He spent 6 years as a slave in Ireland, living out in the fields as a shepherd. During this time he devoted himself to prayer. Finally, one night, God gave him a vision of a ship which would take him away from Ireland. He stole away one night, finding the ship and gaining safe passage to his home.

After some time, Patrick had another dream. This time he saw a man from Ireland calling him to come back to Ireland to preach the gospel to them. With this in mind, Patrick was convinced God was calling him to be a missionary. He sought ordination and was eventually made a bishop. He returned to Ireland. For 30 years he preached the gospel. Virtually all of Ireland was converted during this time. It is for this reason that St. Patrick has come to be known as the patron saint of Ireland.

I am not Irish. Many of the modern traditions are lost on me. But I do greatly admire St. Patrick. He could have grown angry and bitter about his circumstances when he was kidnapped. But instead, he turned to prayer. He forgave those who wronged him, and even allowed such love to grow in his heart as to return to them so that they might be saved. He risked his life continually for these foreigners. But it was his passion.

I want to be like Patrick. I want to live a life of prayer. I want to walk close with God. I want to learn to be a forgiving and loving person. I want to spend my life in preaching the gospel to whoever will listen.

To do these things is not hard- not for God anyway. If I will submit to Him, I too can do these things. We all can.

This year, instead of dwelling on the parties and parades, let us devote some time to prayer so that perhaps we can be like Patrick and preach the gospel, even to those who hate and mistreat us.

Our Mother

2009-02-12T12:31:00.003-05:00

The Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother, Galatians 4:26

The passage above occurs in the context of Paul making the case of the Church being superior to Judaism, most specifically in the way of faith's superiority to the Law of Moses. The Jerusalem above is contrasted with "the present Jerusalem" (v. 25). But what do we learn from Paul's use of the term, "mother" in this context?

The early Church appropriated many of the terms used in the writings of the Old Testament. Jerusalem stands in for the Church, as we read in another context, I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband, (Rev. 21:2). By referring to the Church as our mother, Paul is directing our attention to the place of the Church in our lives.

The Church nourishes us and guides us in the teaching of the Word and the giving of the Sacraments. She is truly our Mother in that she cares for us. The Church is fleshed out for us in the bishops. They are the ones entrusted with the teaching office of the Church. All of the bishops together in union with the Pope constitute for us what is known as the Magisterium. They are the ones we look to for definitive statements regarding faith and morals. For any question, we go to our Mother.

Paul states elsewhere that the Church is the pillar and bulwark of the truth, (1 Tim. 3:15). This means that the Church is infallible. She is looked to for truth. So she must be visible. People need to know where they can go to find the truth. They find it in the Church. For the Church teaches only what was given to her by Christ, who is Himself, the way, and the truth, and the life, (Jn. 14:6).

Unfortunately, too many people believe otherwise. Instead of listening to the sure guide of the Scriptures, they choose to listen to their favorite Bible teachers interpret the Scriptures. They forsake the Church and then invent something new to take its place. They refer to their own churches, but what authority do they have? What credibility do they have? They all teach different from what was believed from the beginning.

Only the Catholic Church teaches in fullness what was given from the beginning. That is why we can confidently look to her as our Mother. She can be trusted. She can be followed. She will guide us safely home to eternal life.

Clothed With Christ

2009-02-11T08:31:00.003-05:00

For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ, Galatians 3:26,27

Could it be any clearer that baptism is necessary to regeneration? Paul links faith and baptism here. It is similar to what our Lord said in the Gospel, "He who believes and is baptized will be saved," (Mk. 16:16). Faith is not merely an intellectual assent to truth. Nor is it a decision made once in the mind, but never, or rarely, acted upon in the life. Faith requires action. Faith apart from works is dead, (Jas. 2:26). That initial action is baptism.

Paul tells us here that when we are baptized, we put on Christ. The picture is of one who removes his former filthy, worn out garment, and dresses himself in a brand new clean one. This is what has happened to us in baptism. The filth and stain of sin was removed. Then we were given the spotless garment of Christ Himself to cover us.

Baptism is not merely a symbol of this action, it is the action. God chooses to work His grace through this sacrament. It is hard for some people to believe this. They think it smacks of magic, or superstition. But that is not true. God can do anything. He has chosen to use blessed water to be the means by which one is born again into His Family, the Church.

So, one may ask, how does this apply to infants who have not yet believed. The children of believing parents are members of the covenant made with God in Christ along with us. Thus we read of entire households that received baptism (Acts 16:15, 33; 18:8). On the day of Pentecost, St. Peter made it clear that baptism and all its benefits, including the gift of the Holy Spirit, was to be given, not only to us, but to our children (Acts 2:38, 39). This works much the same way as it did in the Old Covenant when the children of the Israelites received circumcision, the sign of the covenant made with Abraham in faith, at 8 days old. The children were henceforth considered to be part of the covenant people along with their parents.

Faith and baptism are intended to be linked together in such a way as not to be separated. But they have been separated. What is the result? There are many who have not received the grace of baptism that think of themselves as believers. There are also those who minimalize the importance of baptism and either refuse it, or think nothing of it when they do receive it. Baptism appears as an empty ritual to them, void of meaning.

As we see again the words of St. Paul above, we should be convinced that baptism is much more than empty ritual. It is the means by which we are clothed with Christ. It is that moment when we are initiated into the Faith of Christ.

Confronting Peter

2009-02-10T16:13:00.002-05:00

But when Cephas came to Antioch I opposed him to his face, Galatians 2:11

Yesterday I wrote about visiting Peter, that is, his successor, the Pope. I wrote of the need for our submission to his authority; that authority which was given to him by our Lord. Yet, today we find Paul opposing Peter. How do these two go together?

The Church believes in papal infallibility. But only under some very restricted circumstances. When the Pope makes a definitive statement regarding faith or morality, we believe the Holy Spirit guards his decisions from error (see Jn. 16:13). But this does not make the Pope himself infallible. He is still a man subject to the same failings as any man. Our text illustrates this frailty in the very first Pope, St. Peter himself.

Over the years there have been good Popes and bad ones. Fortunately, the good ones far outweigh the bad ones. But from time to time it has become necessary to oppose Peter. Like the situation in our text, the Pope's actions can sometimes bring grave scandal. In those times, he must be opposed. This does not strike against our belief in papal infallibility, but rather preserves it. That is to say, that we demand the Pope act like the Pope.

Having said that, I do not believe we are anywhere close to that with the present Pope. His actions back up his words. He demonstrates humility, but it is clear that he is well qualified to teach and to lead the Church. We are blessed to have him at this time in history, and I urge all to pray for him daily.

Paul opposed Peter because it was absolutely necessary. It was not intended to set a precedent or a rule of practice. In fact, it is notable because it was such a rare exception to the rule. As long as Peter is teaching and leading in the same Faith entrusted to him by our Lord, we have an obligation, as I wrote yesterday, to submit to him.

Again, today, I find myself in need of the reminder that I must visit Peter, and visit often. I pray the day does not come when he must be opposed. And for those who have separated themselves because they feel this is still necessary, I urge you to re-examine the situation. The unity of the Church is safeguarded by our submission to Peter. Let the divisions cease, and let us go together in humble submission to visit Peter.

Visiting Peter

2009-02-09T12:51:00.003-05:00

Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas, Gal. 1:18

Paul states here that the purpose for his visit on this occasion was to visit Peter. It was not just to go to the Mother Church of Jerusalem. It was not to see the apostles all together. It was specifically to see Peter.

This is one of many references that show that the infant Church recognized Peter uniquely as the leader. This principle has come to underlie the Catholic teaching of the papacy. We believe that Peter was essentially the first Pope. That is, he was chosen by our Lord to be the rock on which He would build His Church. Our Lord granted him unique authority when He first made him personally the one granted to bind or loose (see Matthew 16:18,19).

Paul's desire to see Peter is to be in communion with the vicar of Christ. It is to be one with the chief of the apostles to whom alone was given the keys of the kingdom of heaven. It would appear that Paul's Judaizing opponents were using Peter to support their cause. Paul's appeal here is to show that there is no division between himself and Peter. Rather, Paul has submitted to Peter's authority in presenting that message which was given to him by direct revelation of our Lord. The conclusion was that Peter would go to the Jews, and Paul would go to the Gentiles.

This whole episode causes me to ask, however, exactly to what extent am I willing to visit Peter? I am Catholic. But is that all that is required to be in communion with the See of Peter? I don't think so. Our Lord has entrusted Peter, and his successors, with the task of feeding the sheep. He is a teacher. What is he saying?

This role of teacher and shepherd does not only apply to the current Pope, but the Popes throughout history. What have they been saying? What word of the Lord has proceeded from the chair of St. Peter?

The Pope is continually teaching, guiding, and leading. But I don't often know what it is he's saying. I need to know. Not only that, but I also need to obey. This is the hard part. I don't want to have to do that. I still want to retain the right to chart my own course and determine truth for myself. That was fine enough when I was a Protestant, but not now that I am a Catholic.

To be Catholic is to submit to the Church. To submit to the Church is to submit to the Pope. The reason there are so many other denominations is right here. We do not want to submit. We want autonomy. But St. Paul is our example. Few of us have as good a reason to separate from St. Peter as he did. Yet, he submitted himself to Peter. He looked for unity. So he came to Jerusalem to visit Peter.

As Galatians continues, we see that there was a time when a dispute arose between Peter and Paul. But I will save that for a future reflection. For the time, the lesson for me is that I need to visit Peter (the Pope)- through his writings- and submit to what he teaches.

History and Destiny

2009-01-20T20:09:00.003-05:00

I write on a very historical day for our nation. Today we watched as, for the first time, a black man was sworn in as President. I rejoice in this day for that reason. I am well aware of the fact that racisim is still rife in this country. But, as a people, we have progressed from a place of restricting blacks from using the same bathrooms as whites to electing a black man to inhabit the White House and lead all Americans regardless of race or any other factor. It truly is a day worth celebrating from that standpoint.

However, this same man is arguably the most pro-abortion, anti-life, anit-family man to ever inhabit the White House. In a mere two days we will go from the euphoria of this day to the most grievous remembrance of the 36th anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision to allow abortion on demand throughout this nation. In that time period an estimated 1.4 million children have lost their lives to "choice" each year for the last 36 years. That's over 50 million people eliminated from our society.

President Obama steps into one of the bleakest economic situations to face an incoming President. What you will never hear reported or read in the papers is that a critical reason for this situation is abortion. Social Security has become the great leaking point in the nation's budget. The reason is that when the program was instituted in the late 40's there were numerous working people to support one retired person. Now the ratio is about 1:1. The reason is the 50 million people I mentioned above. Without them in the workforce, there can be no Social Security. Meanwhile the Baby Boomers are retiring and we are having an increasingly difficult time keeping the budget together.

In the face of this, what does our new President intend to do? Will he pave the way for even more abortions? Will he begin to implement even more radical pro-death policies to eliminate the many retired people "burdening" our economy? Or will he be one of the first liberal politicians to realize that one can embrace the poor, fix health care, and accomplish many other liberal social issues while simultaneously caring for the unborn and life at every level?

His decision on this issue will determine whether he is a man of history or destiny. Today he is a man of history. He always will be. But if he will work to preserve life, he will be known as a man of destiny as he guides our nation back to so many of the principles that made us a great nation. The first unalienable right outlined in our Declaration of Independence is the right to life. A consistent preservation of life from conception to natural death is in keeping with that principle. President Obama cannot speak of equality of all people without addressing the needs of these people.

So today, Mr. President, we salute you. We honor you. We pledge to pray for you. And we hope that this momentous historical day will be merely the first in your date with destiny. Please, Mr. President, don't let us down.

God and the Weather?

2009-01-17T10:40:00.003-05:00

Ever since the creation of the world his invisible nature, namely, his eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
Romans 1:20

God speaks to us continually. He speaks through His Word. He speaks through people. He speaks to us in prayer. But God also speaks to us through His creation.

The Sacred Scriptures open by telling us that In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, (Gen. 1:1). God is the beginning, and history as we know it begins with Him creating. He creates through His Word, that is, through our Lord Jesus Christ. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made, (Jn. 1:1-3).

St. Paul tells us in the text quoted above that even those who have never heard the Gospel are without excuse because God speaks to us through His creation. They cannot plead ignorance to the moral law written in their conscience because they cannot ignore the natural revelation of God all around them. While that may make for some interesting theological and missiological debate, something else caught my attention as I was reading it lately.

If God is continually speaking through His creation, then what is He saying to us? Just because we have the fullness of His revelation in Christ and through His Church, does this mean that He no longer communicates to us through creation? I don't think so. The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork, (Ps. 19:1). So even while we have the fullness of revelation, yet God continues to speak through creation. So what is He saying?

I think each one of us needs to take some time every day to ask this question. God is speaking in so many ways at so many times. We miss most of what He is saying. Part of our own ongoing conversion is the ability to pick up on more of these messages from the Lord.

Where I live we are in the midst of record cold temperatures as we are in the thick of winter. Yet, there have been times of sun. I have mixed feelings about snow. I hate shoveling it. I don't like driving in it. But it is beautiful to look at and fun to play in. So what is God saying to me through creation today. He is reminding me that the dark and cold of winter reflect a world that is in the grip of sin. Before the Fall of man into sin, there was perpetual summer (or warm spring, if you like). Everything was alive and fruitful. All was together in harmony.

Autumn represents dying and winter represents death. There are still beautiful parts about it, but that is what they represent. So on this cold winter day I hear God reminding me that even in the midst of a fallen world, He is still present with us. For I see the sun and there is beauty even in fallen creation.

What is God saying to us every day through nature, the animals, the climate, or the weather? Listen closely to these often unheard and unheeded messages. God is continually speaking to us. He is speaking to us right now in this moment. Look outside and listen. What is He saying to you now?

A Life Worthy of the Lord

2008-12-29T16:23:00.003-05:00

"Lead a life worthy of the Lord," Colossians 1:10

This phrase actually occurs in the midst of Paul listing some of the things he is praying for the Colossian Church. But it catches my attention. How do we live a life worthy of the Lord? Paul goes on: fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. We live worthy of the Lord when we are bearing the fruit of good works and increasing in the knowledge of God. What does that look like practically?

Good works are primarily concerned with how we help the poor, the oppressed, the stranger, etc. Too many Christians do not give much, if any, of their attention to these things the Church has come to call the corporal works of mercy. Jesus outlines them for us in Matthew 25: "I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me." Then the righteous will answer him, "Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink? And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee? And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?" And the King will answer them, "Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me," (Mt. 25:35-40).

Now I must confess that I am weak in this area. I've done these things before, but not with a regularity with which I want to face the judgment. The fact is that there have been too many times when I've turned away from such needs for all kinds of reasons intended to disguise my selfishness and apathy. God have mercy on me! I hope, then, that in the future I will be more quick to respond in the way our Lord calls us.

It's so easy to become jaded and think it's someone else's problem. But God has called us to represent Him. We live a life worthy of Him when we do the kinds of things He would do. And this is no mystery. He has told us what to do so we know what kinds of things He would do.

Our true spiritual condition is measured by the way we treat the person(s) we like the least. If the poor, the sick, or foreigners make us feel uncomfortable, then these are the people God will bring our way to test our true love and devotion to Him. We cannot love God whom we don't see when we are not loving the brother or sister whom we can see.

Secondly, we are living a life worthy of the Lord when we are increasing in the knowledge of God. This refers to prayer, meditation, study, and practice. First we must pray. We must sincerely ask God to help us get to know Him better. Then we must spend some time with Sacred Scripture. This is, after all, His word. He reveals Himself to us through holy writ. What is He saying? This is what we must explore. We must read it and meditate upon it. We must let it sink down deep into our souls. Then, once we have spiritually digested it, we must live it out.

In addition, we must go to Mass. All Catholics are required to attend Mass at least every Lord's Day and Holy Day of Obligation. But a lover of God- someone who is consumed with increasing in the knowledge of God, will go as often as possible, striving for daily attendance. Circumstances prevent that sometimes, but, again, the issue is as much as possilble. Furthermore, we can spend time in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. Here we are given the privilege of beholding Jesus face to face in the Holy Eucharist. How many things will He reveal to us about Himself?

In short, what we have before us in this brief verse is a challenge to build up both the outer life and the inner life of our spirituality in Christ. As we are strengthened through an increase in the knowledge of God, we are equipped for bearing fruit in every good work. As we pursue good works, we find we are also increasing in the knowledge of God. Both go together. One without the other will eventually leave us dry and burned out.

Too often I hear people complain that religion does nothing for them. Perhaps it is more true that they have left true religion largely untried. St. Paul speaks to us today to leave our excuses behind and begin today to live a life worthy of our Lord!

Light and Darkness

2008-12-27T16:31:00.003-05:00

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him is no darkness at all.
1 John 1:5

Today is the third day of Christmas and also the feast day for St. John the Evangelist. The line above from St. John's first epistle catches my attention. John summarized the message of Christ by referring to Him as the light. In fact, He is light in so much as there is no darkness in Him at all.

We are not so. Before Christ enters our lives we are darkness and there is no light at all. But what happens when Christ comes in? "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it," (Jn. 1:5). Light drives out darkness. Does this mean that in a moment we are completely like Christ- with all light and no darkness? Not exactly.

The fact is that darkness still finds little nooks and crannies in our hearts in which to hide. We determine how much light permeates our lives. John continues in his first epistle to tell us something about the true state of our lives. "If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not live according to the truth; but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin," (1 Jn. 1:6,7).

We think we are all right as long as we give God His due. That means that we go to church occasionally, pray once in a while, and generally try to live good lives. But that's not really how it works. While we continue to live for our pleasures and pride, ignoring the plight of the poor, and wasting our time and money on that which does not profit, we do not really know God. We still walk in darkness. It is only when we walk in the light as He is in the light that we are truly transformed and set free.

Does this mean we must be perfect to be Christians? No. But it does mean that we are honestly and earnestly striving for that. It means we are following Jesus to the best of our ability today and that we are trusting Him to enable us to do better tomorrow. It means that we will not tolerate for another minute our forays into darkness. We declare war on sin, and we strive to live virtuously through the strength provided by our Lord Jesus Christ.

This is the part that trips up many. They want Christ for the majority of their lives; for the parts that people see; for the parts that will make their lives feel better. But in the inner recesses of their hearts they do not always want to surrender all. They like the light, but they still want to cling to a little of their darkness. It' s familiar. It's comfortable. It's even desirable. But it's still darkness and they are allowing it to shut out the light.

John is much more concrete. He does not allow himself, or his readers, to live with the ambiguities so familiar to most of us. We either walk in the light, or we walk in the dark. There is nothing in the middle. According to John, it's all or nothing. We either surrender all to Christ, or we do not surrender at all. Our Lord is not content with half-hearted obedience. He will not condescend to the numerous concessions we are demanding. He withheld nothing from us when He gave Himself for our sins, and He will not be content with any less of a commitment on our part.

The moment we recognize a bit of darkness in our lives, He is calling us to follow Him into the light. As we yield to Him, however imperfectly, He leads us in the path of discipleship; the path of eternal life. But if we choose to cling to our darkness while mocking Him with partial worship, we have stepped over into the road of darkness which leads to death.

Please do not be deceived. Things really are that concrete. It is we who make up all the variables along the way to justify our sin. Christ will have none of it.

St. John died in old age a very broken man in body, but very rich and strong in the Spirit. He was known as the beloved disciple. He was closer to Jesus than any other man on earth. He knows whereof he speaks and we would do well to heed his words to us today. I close with this, again from St. John:

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness,
(1 Jn. 1:8,9).

St. Stephen and Ecumenism

2008-12-26T14:04:00.003-05:00

"You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit."
Acts 7:51

Today is the second day of Christmas. It is also the feast day for St. Stephen. St. Stephen was the first martyr. He was killed for his bold and uncompromising testimony before the Jews to the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. The quote above was part of his concluding statement. It's no wonder they stoned him. One wonders if St. Stephen would have survived this incident if he had been schooled in the modern ecumenical language.

Obviously to say something so inflammatory is going to result in a very negative response. How could he have hoped for something productive with language like that? Surely we have an example here of someone filled with zeal, but lacking in knowledge; or so the modern ecumenists would have us believe. Perhaps we should re-examine the issue. This is Scripture after all. What can we learn here?

Stephen was one of the first deacons selected to meet the growing issue of ministry to the poor. He is first presented to us as "a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit," (Acts 6:5). He is further described as "full of grace and power," (Acts 6:8), and it was said of his opponents that "they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke," (Acts 6:10). As he began this speech Luke tells us: "And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel," (Acts 6:15). As they were about to stone him, Luke says, "But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God," (Acts 7:55). Stephen died praying for his persecutors.

All of this is reminiscent of what Jesus said when He taught His disciples, "You will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear testimony before them and the Gentiles. When they deliver you up, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you," (Mt. 10:18-20). Luke is telling us that Stephen's testimony before the Jewish leaders was being directed by the Holy Spirit. If that's true, then what should we think of our modern ecumenical approach to religious dialog?

I will readily admit that this does not need to necessarily be an either/or choice. The Spirit may well lead in different ways in different circumstances. We have a number of instances in Scripture where the Spirit directed in entirely opposite directions based on the particular circumstances of the moment. Think about how the Israelites were instructed to utterly wipe out every man, woman, and child of their enemies, but how we were instructed to bear patiently and peacefully with the enemies of the Church. God is not restricted. He is not in a box. In His wisdom, He directs as He knows best.

Having said that, however, one wonders if we are seeing the whole picture, or hearing the Spirit as clearly as we say. It is one thing to seek areas of agreement and begin conversation based on our common ground. It is another thing to either implicitly, or explicitly, state that all religions are on an equal footing before God.

There are differences between Christians and Jews, or Christians and Muslims, or Christians and anyone else. Jesus is unique. He alone is the Son of God, and He alone is the way of salvation (Jn. 14:6; Acts 4:12). Denying or downplaying that fact is not an act of love. It is an act of cowardice, and it's result is the potential damnation of those who will never come to the full knowledge of truth because we have hidden it from them.

I am not advocating for the Church to forsake many of its ecumenical breakthroughs. I would not see us go backward in our efforts to reach our neighbors. But I am concerned that many who think they are advancing are actually becoming sidetracked into no longer representing the Gospel with which we were entrusted. Instead, let us take a look at St. Stephen.

St. Stephen was very clear in his proclamation of the Gospel. His opponents understood him well. His death was the seed of the growth of the Church. For we are told that in the crowd that day was a young rising star of Judaism by the name of Saul of Tarsus. This man would eventually have his own encounter with Christ and be forever after known as St. Paul.

With St. Stephen's example in mind, I would like to urge all those involved in inter-religious efforts to think first in terms of truth, the Gospel, and the leading of the Holy Spirit. Let us not fear to anger or aggravate those who refuse our teachings. Only let us be clear as to what our teachings are. Through prayer and the Holy Spirit, I believe we will be much more effective than we are when we rely on our own wisdom and understanding.

I don't believe St. Stephen's death was a foolish, vain effort. Therefore I believe he has much to teach us about obedience to God and effective evangelism. A clear, conviction-filled message will go so much further than years of ecumenical efforts have. Let us return to the biblical model and trust the same Spirit who energised St. Stephen to do even greater things through His Church today.

Sanctified Extravagance

2008-12-25T14:15:00.002-05:00

For our nearly 13 years of parenthood, my wife and I have rarely splurged on something for either of our kids. This has largely been due to the fact that we simply couldn't afford it. But it's also because we sincerely seek to live a simple lifestyle. We don't want our life to be made up of things for a man's life does not consist of his possessions (Lu. 12:15). In addition, we want our children to learn the virtue of contentment and not get caught up in the covetous culture that abounds in our society. All of this made it quite a departure from our normal practice when we made the decision to get our children a big ticket item this Christmas.

I can't say exactly why I wanted to do it. I just did. My wife did too. We were both thinking the same thing when we finally talked about it. Finding the gift was a problem because they are in great demand and hard to find. But we finally did find one. Was it providence, the grace of God?

The surprise and joy of our kids upon opening this gift made it all worth it. And that is why we did it. We don't spoil our kids. I hope I'm right in saying that they understand the difference between receiving nice things as an act of love and expecting nice things because that's what will keep them happy. We did the former, not the latter.

Love doesn't need a reason to give. True love looks for opportunities to give, and to give extravagantly. Love gives even when it can't afford to; even when it "hurts". One can give without loving, but one cannot love without giving.

I began to realize that some of my efforts at frugality were really selfishness in disguise. Love could never stand to hoard mere money at the expense of the opportunity to tangibly express itself to the beloved. This is not to say we should be irresponsible spendthrifts, or to defend the repugnant materialism of our society. It is simply to say that love gives whenever it has opportunity.

I realize in all of this that it is exactly what we celebrate on this Day. Christmas is about sanctified extravagance. Because God loves us so much, He gave extravagantly. He gave all He could. He gave well beyond what He could afford. He was not cautious in His gift. He was extravagant. He gave it all. The gift of His Son tells us continually of the immensity of His love.

Christmas foreshadows Good Friday. Our Lord loved us so much that He gave all He had. He gave His own life so we could have life. There was no limit to His extravagance. Love cannot be contained.

Again, I am not promoting materialism. There are a lot of ways to give. Some of them involve money. To have the means of blessing those we love and to refuse to do so is simply to turn our backs on love. The real issue is that we love our money more than the people in our lives. When we don't have the means, we demonstrate extravagant love in other ways; by using our time and our talents to bless those whom we love. Either way, love continues to find its rightful expression in the extravagant giving.

This Christmas I am brought to see the great love of our God by re-discovering the natural expression of love in my own life. I have chosen to be extravagant in a particular manner to bless my children. The gift is not the blessing. The message of love it conveys is. However, as I look at God's gift, both gift and giver are the blessing.

I serve a God of sanctified extravagance and I want to imitate this action. May God bless us all with such sanctified extravagance this Christmas and always.

Holy Advent

2008-12-22T16:09:00.002-05:00

I haven't posted since Advent began. That has more to do with less access to a computer than anything else.

Not too long ago my wife and I decided that we really didn't need internet access in our home. We both are able to get on the internet from work. Furthermore, we have a public library where can go to surf the web. So why pay for it? More importantly, why spend the extra time? This has been one of the ways we are trying to simplify our lives. Another is that we got rid of our cable television. Now we still have videos and DVD's that we watch. But we don't have to put up with the undesirable elements of television, we don't have the incessant noise, and we don't have to pay for it.

This is part of what Advent is all about. It's about re-evaluating the things that are cluttering up our lives. It's a time to re-think what's really important. We are, after all, to be preparing for the coming of the Lord.

One word that has stood out to me this Advent season is the word "holy". To be holy is to be the person God created us to be. It is to be most fully human. It is to be like Jesus. Towards this end, I have been reading a book called "Rediscovering Catholicism" by Matthew Kelly. In the book, he refers to the idea of becoming the best version of yourself. That's holiness. He takes some time to talk about some of the saints who have left us great examples. How did they attain such holiness? Two things, as noted by Kelly. First, they had a clearly defined goal they wanted to attain. Second, they established good habits for accomplishing the goal.

So I want to be holy. How will I attain it? It's a process, but I think I am making some progress. At least I hope so. I am in the midst of re-evaluating what I do every day. What things am I doing that will help me attain this goal? What things are keeping me from it? What will help? What will hinder? With these questions in mind, I am able to develop better habits. With better habits, I hope to become more holy; more in keeping with what God has designed for me.

We are now on the precipice of Christmas. Excitement and anticipation fill the air. While I look forward to a lot of the things that most people do, I am also looking forward to the day when our Lord returns. Advent is a time to prepare for the coming of the Lord. We do this liturgically to prepare to celebrate Christmas. We do this practically to prepare for the coming of the Lord.

Come, Lord Jesus! Come!

Advent Reflections

2008-11-30T09:44:00.003-05:00

I have enjoyed Advent for many years now. Even before I was Catholic, I realized that Advent presented the primary opportunity to prepare for Christmas and counter all the merchandising hoopla so prevalent during this time of the year.

Advent prepares us for the coming of the Lord. We prepare to remember His first coming at Christmas. We also prepare for His second coming in power and glory. We do not know when He will return. But Advent reminds us that we must always be ready. We must always be prepared.

I love Advent for this reason. It calls me from the hustle and bustle of modern life to remember that I am living for something much more. My home is in heaven. The love of my life is my Lord. Yet I can get so caught up in the distractions of this life. Advent calls me back. It helps me re-adjust my perspective.

There are two words that have my attention this Advent: focus, and holiness. The two naturally go together, for we are called to focus on living holy lives.

I am easily distracted. Any number of skirmishes are vying for my attention. There's anxiety over the economy and the future. There are any number of concerns about the children. There is an endless array of issues at work. I can get caught up in any number of them, or all of them together. Or, I can lay them all aside, seeing them for what they are: distractions. Then I must regain my focus. These other things are important, but not nearly as much as the focus I must have on our Lord Jesus Christ.

Then there's holiness. What do I mean by that? I mean an ongoing conversion to become more like my Lord, Jesus Christ. How do I attain it? Through prayer and the Sacraments. Both of these need to be much more than mere ceremonies. When I begin to just go through the motions, I lose the focus necessary to derive the grace provided through these means. I need to wait in God's presence and breathe in the air of heaven. I need to let Him fill me. Prayer needs to become something I do as natural as breathing.

The Sacraments offer unique encounters with Christ. He is fully present in the Eucharist. As I receive Him, I am truly transformed. In Reconciliation I am reminded again that He has not come to condemn me. He has come to forgive. He has come to show mercy, and love. I must then do likewise.

These are some of my thoughts as I embark on yet another journey into Advent. And this brings me to one last word: longing. I find that the more I draw near to Him, the more I am longing for the day of His return to deliver me from this earthly pilgrimage; this temporary exile from my true homeland.

May the Lord grant us all time to rest, reflect, and recall the reason for our being. In these times let us find Him close at hand. May all of you have a wonderfully holy Advent season!

Communion of the Saints For Protestants

2008-11-22T16:25:00.002-05:00

I am reading a book right now called "True Devotion to Mary" by St. Louis De Montfort. This is a far cry from anything I would have read in my Protestant days. If Catholics are known for devotion to Mary, this book takes it to all new levels. In fact, among Catholics, this is known as the text for true Marian devotion. But I must confess that my Protestant upbringing still keeps me questioning it all.

When I was a Protestant, I had my favorite preachers. Leonard Ravenhill had more effect on me than anyone else through his books. Reading them at about 16 years of age revolutionized my life. He introduced me to many other great preachers through the ages. Among my favorites were Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, and John Wesley, to name a few. I would read about their lives, do all I could to imitate their devotional practices, and strive to be a man of God like they were. If I could have asked them for help, advice, or their prayers, I would have. If I had the opportunity to sit at their feet and drink deeply from their teaching, I would have. And what do I recognize that as today? The Communion of the Saints.

The only essential difference between what I experienced with those men as a Protestant and what I now believe as a Catholic is that I now believe that death does not separate us from our communion with one another. As today's Gospel points out: God is God of the living, not the dead (Mt. 22:32). So those who die, continue to live in the presence of God. Those who have attained heaven are even more alive than we are here on earth. They hear our prayers and intercede on our behalf so we may eventually join them.

But there's more. Communion with the Saints is more than sentimental expression, or even an imitation of their virtues. It is what the name implies: communion- fellowship. We have the opportunity to get to know these Saints, just like knowing fellow believers here on earth. And what I am beginning to realize is that God has so constituted the Church that there can be no true devotion to God without having a devotion to others as well. This is what is behind the injunction to not forsake the assembling of yourselves together (Heb. 10:25). It is only as we are in communion with the Church that we can truly know God.

God has provided us with many examples in our lives who are worthy of imitation. He expects us to seek out mentors in our spiritual lives so that we can truly make progress. Otherwise, we devolve into our own religion. We worship a god of our own making and observe a spirituality larrgely of our own creation. It is only as we are in communion with others that we are protected from such. We follow them as they follow Christ. Catholics would refer to this as devotion. Protestants observe the principles but refer to it by other names.

With all of this in mind, Marian devotion is making a lot more sense to me. She alone is immaculate among all of God's creation. She is the perfect disciple of our Lord. Her words ring true through the ages- "Whatever He tells you, do it," (Jn. 2:5). Her purpose is not to draw attention to herself, but to our Lord. It is to direct us to the most complete union with Him. We follow her as she follows Christ. We devote ourselves to her because it really is one and the same as devoting ourselves to Him.

Now some may object saying we can go straight to God. We do not need any intermediaries. Strictly speaking, that is true. But practically speaking, it is not. For we all follow someone other than God, even if it's just ourselves. By subscribing to a devotion to a Saint, we find ourselves being mentored and brought beyond ourselves. We find ourselves drawn to God and we discover that there are many ways in which He is wholly unlike anything we would have imagined on our own.

So I see that devotion to the Saints, and especially devotion to the Blessed Mother, pleases God, and that is as it should be. I find myself more drawn to them because I am discovering there is no difference between that and devotion to our Lord.

I once longed to meet the great preachers of Protestantism. My longing was so intense, it truly was devotion to those individuals. And they led me to God. But now I continue my journey looking to the Saints of the Church, and most prominently to the Blessed Mother. And really, I am simply continuing in a path that I have been walking for many years.

"Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us that we may become worthy of the promises of Christ!"

Amen!

Some Advice For the Republicans

2008-11-15T12:33:00.003-05:00

In these days after the election, the Republicans are still licking their collective wounds and the Democrats are still in the euphoria of their honeymoon. The question that the Republicans are asking, and many along with them, is what went wrong? What could have been done differently.

While there can be no doubt that the economy figured big in the election, as it always does, I think there are other issues needing examination as well. Foremost among those issues would be the attempt to move the Republican Party to the left, especially on moral issues such as abortion and gay rights.

George W. Bush won both his terms largely due to the support of socially conservative voters. They voted for him because they believed he would do something to stem the tide of abortion and gay rights. Bush presented himself to his constituency as a stongly pro-life, pro-family candidate.

However, the Republicans did very little to deliver on what they promised. After the mid-term elections of 2002, the Republicans gained a majority in both houses of congress. In addition, Bush appointed two members to the Supreme Court in John Roberts and Samuel Alito, both known as conservative judges. Yet, with all this in their favor, the Republicans did nothing to advance legislation aimed at curbing abortion, or even outright overturning the reprehensible decision of Roe vs. Wade. Democrats with that kind of an opportunity would not have thought twice about it. Why did our Republican representatives drop the ball?

After the recent election it would appear that the Republicans are embarrased about holding to a position that has won them elections in the past. They would rather try to become more moderate. Post election pundits are strongly suggesting that the Republicans abandon their stands on these things and focus more on the economy. What they seem to be missing is that these stands were the reasons they won before. Without them, they will fare even more poorly than they did in this election.

If the Republicans won't support the many Americans who value life and family, then we will go elsewhere to find our representation. That leaves the Republicans without the conservatives they once looked to as their bread and butter and trying to gain people who have been traditionally Democrats. Or, they could wake up to what has brought them this far and they could return to representing the people who have typically supported them.

My feeling is that the Republicans have one more shot to get this right. After that, I'm out, and I'm sure I am not alone!

And Now A Word About Our Next President

2008-11-12T08:36:00.004-05:00

Ah, life is settling down now that the election is over. My phone is somewhat silent as I am not being called by machines to tell me who to vote for, or not vote for, as the case may be. And in the aftermath of it all what do we learn?

First of all, I don't think there are any real surprises. President- Elect Obama won the election because people were more enamored with his view of change than anything that John McCain put forth. The question is, what will Barack Obama's presidency look like?

I must confess that I have mixed feelings as we are about to enter another era in our nation's history. We now have the first African-American President. I have to say I am thrilled about that because it indicates that, as a nation, we have taken some serious steps beyond the racism that has plagued us most of our history. Within 40 years we have seen civil rights move from equal access to public places to the White House. I am thankful to see this progress and pray that it will continue.

However, the man, Barack Obama, leaves me feeling apprehensive, most importantly because of his stand against life and family issues. I dread the passage of the Freedom of Choice Act. It will mean the death of countless more babies. It will mean the violation of countless more young and poor girls who think this is a solution when, indeed, it is really creating more problems. It will mean the further erosion of our sense of morality, decency, or even sanity, as we enact crazier laws to further immorality and injustice.

I hope and pray that in these next several days our President-Elect will think soberly, and even prayerfully, about these issues. If he truly wants to be a man of change, then I hope he will find his way to the moral high ground and do what is right rather than what is expedient, come what may.

Let us all join together in praying for this man, for his family, for their safety, for wisdom, for courage, and for a clear moral direction.

One Issue

2008-10-24T08:40:00.003-04:00

In these days leading up to our Presidential Election, the candidates are fighting furiously to make their last pitches and attempt to woo the voters who have yet to make up their minds. In Christian circles a lot of rhetoric has flown around regarding abortion and other life issues. The bishops of the Catholic Church in the United States have come out boldly to say that there is really one defining issue that overrides all others- life.

If the right to life is not protected at every level from conception to natural death, it becomes foolish to speak of any other rights. The economy, health care, or the war in Iraq dwindle in comparison to whether or not certain people within society should be allowed to even live. Let me illustrate.

Suppose we had someone running for President who had an ingenious program to cure the ills of the economy, health care, and the war, but this person was unashamedly for eliminating approximately 1.4 million African-Americans within the first year of his presidency. Would we think that it's just one issue and we shouldn't be one issue voters? Of course not! There would be outrage- as there should be. We would see it for what it is- bigoted, discriminatory, hateful, and abominable. Substitute any minority or grouping you like and the result is the same. But for some unfathomable reason, when that group is unborn children, it doesn't seem to be so serious. The fact of the matter is that if a candidate for President wanted to eliminate 1.4 million whales or bald eagles the country would be in an uproar.

How did we get to this place where we value everyone and everything more than the most innocent and defenseless among us? Is it because they don't vote? Is it because they don't spend money on campaigns? Just what is it that has reduced us to such an inhuman standard?

While I cannot expect the sinful element of the world to understand these things, it should be obvious to those of us who hold to the Faith of Jesus Christ. So it is to you I plead that you will not see the issue of life as one issue among many, but simply as the one issue. Everything else pales in comparison. I hope and I pray that you will be faithful to the teaching of our Lord who come to save life, not destroy it. In doing so, I hope that you will vote that life may be preserved.

Are we one issue voters? Perhaps. But in thinking about it, is there really any other issue?

Last Things

2008-10-22T08:30:00.004-04:00

I believe in the resurrection of the body and life everlasting

The two last tenets of the Creed deal with the last things. That is, they are about death, judgment, and eternity.

"The resurrection" in this phrase does not deal directly with the resurrection of our Lord. It is about our own resurrection. Our resurrection will occur because Christ has already been raised. As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. We will all die. But we also all be raised. This resurrection will occur when our Lord returns to judge the living and the dead. When we are raised we will be judged. Those who have done good will receive the resurrection to eternal life, but those who have done evil will receive the resurrection to eternal torment (see Jn. 5:28,29).

There is a teaching that those who are Christians will not be judged for their works since they are saved by faith. This is not entirely true. Jesus said we will be judged by our works and so did Paul. In fact, virtually every passage of Scripture dealing with judgment says we will be judged by our works. However, what is necessary to understand is that our works must flow from faith. We are not saved because of what we have done, but because of what Christ has done. If we truly believe that we will do good works in obedience and gratitude to our Lord. As James says, faith without works is dead.

If we remain true to Christ until death we have His promise of eternal life. We believe that we will be with Him forever. This is eternal life, to know God (Jn. 17:3). To be with Him forever is eternal life. This is the goal of our faith. It is the end for which we strive daily in our warfare against sin. It is why we struggle to indeed be holy as our Lord is holy.

No one knows the day or the hour in which our Lord will return. So we must live each day, indeed each moment, as if it is our last. We must always have an eye on eternity and live with kingdom values in view.

This is our Faith. May all who read these posts be brought near to our God to receive His love and mercy in our time of need!

The Forgiveness of Sins

2008-10-18T12:06:00.002-04:00

I believe in the forgiveness of sins

This the core of the Gospel- the good news. God has sent His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, to give His life for us that we could be forgiven and reconciled to Him. This is what makes it good news. It's not that we're sinners deserving God's wrath. It's not that we're going to hell. That's not good news. Rather it is that while those things would have been true were it not for Christ, now we can be forgiven and restored.

In the Nicene Creed this is broadened to be, "I believe in one baptism for the forgiveness of sins." Baptism is important. It is not merely a ceremony or a sentiment. It is a sacrament. That is to say it is something tangible that God uses to communicate His grace to us. Christ has died and risen again. Whoever believes in Him will receive the forgiveness of sins. Baptism is the means God has provided to complete that transaction.

When our Lord Himself received baptism from John, He blessed the water by His presence. Baptism did not affect Jesus, rather He affected baptism. In doing so He provided for water to be the means by which new birth could take place. Thus He says, Unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven (Jn. 3:5).

When we are baptized, we enter into Christ's death and resurrection. It is as if we step out of time for that moment and find ourselves placed into Christ at the moment of His death and resurrection. Do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life (Ro. 6:3,4).

Baptism washes away all sin. We are completely clean, even cleaner than when we were born, for baptism also washes original sin with which we were born. For those who receive baptism later in life, there is the joy of knowing that they are indeed clean. They have been forgiven. What a joy! What peace this brings to our life.

We also believe that infants can receive baptism. That is because our Lord told us to let the little children come to Me and do not forbid them (Mt. 19:14). Baptism of infants is for Christians. It is done with the idea that the parents will raise the child in the Faith so the child will come to personal belief at the appropriate age. In the Scriptures we are told of a number of occasions when entire households were baptized. This would include any children of any age.

But what if we sin after baptism? Is there no hope? There is! Christ has also given us the sacrament of reconciliation. People commonly refer to this as Confession. It is a wonderful time when we go to unburden our souls. The priest serves in the place of Christ who is always ready to grant forgiveness. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins (1 Jn. 1:9).

The Gospel is all about the forgiveness of sins. This is why Christ came. This is what it's all about. Too many people focus on the negative aspects of Christianity. But it's really about something positive. It's about freedom; freedom from sin and freedom to live in holiness as is our call from the creation.

Come to Me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest (Mt. 11:28). Wherever you find yourself today, come to Jesus, confess your sins, receive His forgiveness and be made free.

The Communion of Saints

2008-10-09T08:29:00.002-04:00

I believe... in the communion of saints

The Communion of Saints; what is that? Some would imagine it means that all Christians are one body in Christ. It does mean that, but it also means more. It refers to the idea that all Christians, whether alive on this earth, being purified in purgatory, or alive in the presence of God in heaven, are one body in Christ. It means that we are partakers, or sharers, in Christ, and, by extension, all other Christians. We are one in Christ and one with each other.

Just as a body shares all of its resources with each of its members, so it is with the body of Christ as well. Prayers and merits of the saints benefit those of us still in our earthly pilgrimage, as well as those in purgatory. Our prayers and sacrifices here on earth can be of help to those in purgatory. And even those in purgatory can help those of us here on earth. This is what we mean by the Communion of Saints. It is this ongoing flow of grace between all the members of Christ's body.

The doctrine of the Communion of Saints brings us much comfort. We can still communicate with our loved ones who have died in the Lord. We can pray for them. And they can pray for us. So many things continue unbroken.

This doctrine is also a reminder of our call to live in holiness. It give us pause to ponder our state. Are we in a state of grace? Are we striving to live as saints? Do we take the time to ponder what our sins truly deserve and how we can demonstrate our repentance? Are we living a life of prayer?

The Communion of the Saints also provides inspiration. For we are helped by the prayers of the Saints. Those heroic men and women who died in such sanctity in Christ our at our side helping us in our own spiritual warfare. They are our friends and aides. They are our cheerleaders and benefactors. It is with great thanks that we realize that we do not fight this fight of faith on our own, but we are assisted by numerous saints and angels in the process.

Most prominent among the saints is the Blessed Virgin Mary, the mother of our Lord and our mother in faith. She is ever faithful in her prayers for us and a most effective intercessor as God has granted her the place of Queen of heaven. In addition, we have the help of our guardian angels, patron saints, and all the rest of the heavenly family.

The Communion of Saints reminds us that we have not only been converted to Christ, but we have also been made part of His Church. In Him, we enter into this wonderful Communion. Through Him, and through their prayers, we are made fit for heaven. This world and all that we see and know is only part of the picture. What is not seen is just as real and powerful. We are striving for a kingdom that is unseen. There we will have our eternal reward. Thanks be to God!

The Church

2008-10-06T16:13:00.002-04:00

I believe in one, holy, catholic Church

After we confess faith in the Holy Spirit, we immediately move on to the Church. This is because the two are directly related. The Church has come into being through the Holy Spirit. He breathed it into life at Pentecost, guides it continually into all truth, and empowers it for its mission. He will ensure it is kept faithful until the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Church is described in very precise language. It is one, holy, and catholic. The Nicene Creed adds the word "apostolic" as well. We will consider the meaning attached to those words by the Church itself in their formulation and continued faith.

The Church is one. This does not just refer to a generic unity. It means there is fundamentally one Church, and one Church only. Christ founded one Church, not thousands. He promised this one Church would be preserved by the Holy Spirit from error and would endure forever. The fact that there are other groups calling themselves churches, or claiming to be part of this one Church does not change the reality that there is only one Church. Furthermore, this unity is visible and organizational as well as spiritual and familial. That means that there is a visible organization called the Church. One is either part of it, or not. It is very easy to tell.

This obviously flies in the face of so much that goes under the banner of ecumenism and tolerance. Be that as it may, this truth cannot be ignored or modified. Jesus said He will build His Church, not churches. Jesus founded the Catholic Church. Men founded the rest. It is not to say that they have nothing to offer. There are many wonderful, Christian people affiliated with them. But there is still only one Church.

This Church is holy because the Holy Spirit brought her into existence, dwells within her, and guides her as mentioned above. That is not to say that everyone within her is holy. In fact, most of us aren't. But the Church is. It is by our incorporation into the Church that we are able to become holy. But none of us arrived that way. If such were the criteria for entrance, none of us would be here.

Many people, including many leaders, have done some very unholy things in the name of the holy Church. That is sad and unfortunate. Those who have died unrepentant will certainly answer for their ungodly actions. Having said that, it does not give the rest of us license to rebel against God's Church, or to act contrary to her teachings. As our Lord taught us, we are to do as they say, but not imitate their actions.

The Church is catholic. Notice I use a lower case "c" for that description. The proper name, "Catholic Church", is derived from this adjective. The term catholic means universal, or general. It was coined very early in the Church's history to distinguish the teachings of the true Church from those of heretics. What the true Church teaches is received in every place, time, and language. This is the catholic faith and the catholic Church. Heretics arose in one locality and departed in one or more aspects of doctrine from the teaching of the true Church.

The adjective has become an organizational name: the Catholic Church. Either way, it reflects that all of the Faith, without addition or deletion is held here unchanged from the beginning. For those who want to know what our Lord truly taught, they are able to look to the teaching voice of His Catholic Church.

The Church is apostolic. That is, its teaching and authority flow directly in unbroken succession from the first apostles, most notably from Peter, the chief of the apostles. He established his apostolic see, or authority, in Rome. Ever since, the bishop of Rome, who succeeds from Peter, has been looked to for specific guidance in this Catholic Faith. From about the 6th century to the present, he has been known as the Pope.

Since the Church was completely unified in its earliest days, there was no question about being in communion with the bishop of Rome. But since the days when many have split off from the Church, communion with the Pope has been a key factor in determining if someone is indeed part of the Catholic Church.

The Church that Jesus founded, then, is one, holy, catholic, and apostolic. The Church that can meet all of those criteria is indeed the one true Church of Jesus Christ. All the rest will try to change those words, their meaning, or the need to abide by them. As organizations, they are outside the Church. As individuals it may be that they are part of the Church even though they have chosen to be estranged from her.

St. Cyprian in the mid third century asked, "How can one have God for his Father who does not have the Church for His Mother?" So it is. To have Christ- to know Him deeply, one must be in His Church. So the call is issued as it has been for centuries: "The Spirit and the Bride (the Church) say, 'Come!'"

The Holy Spirit

2008-10-03T15:38:00.002-04:00

I believe in the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Blessed Trinity. We do not believe in 3 gods, but in one God who eternally exists in 3 distinct persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. As the Nicene Creed more fully bears out, "We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son, He is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the prophets." Because He is God, we pray to the Holy Spirit, we worship Him, and we seek to be led by Him in our daily lives.

The Holy Spirit plays a very vital role in our lives. He makes known to us the will of God. He empowers us to overcome sin and live holy. He intercedes before the Father on our behalf. He provides gifts of various kinds to the Church. He does all of this and so much more.

The Holy Spirit has been entrusted with the guiding of the Church. He was promised for this purpose by our Lord before His crucifixion. He descended on the Day of Pentecost and has been faithfully guiding the Church into all truth ever since.

The Holy Spirit is gentle, like a dove. When He comes into our lives, He will gently lead us into paths of righteousness. But if we persist in refusing Him, He will be grieved and will eventually leave us to our own ways. We can repent and ask Him to return and He will. But this is very difficult. Once the Holy Spirit has been grieved away, we typically are not interested in having Him return. For this reason we must be careful to live according to the Spirit's direction and immediately repent when we realize we have sinned against Him.

Through the Holy Spirit, the Father communicates to us Spirit to spirit. This is a very deep communion. It is unlike anything that people can have with one another. Our God loves us so much that He has designed that we would be his own tabernacles- the dwelling place of His Spirit. This is the reason why our Lord Jesus Christ died and rose again; so that we could receive the Holy Spirit, and know God in this way.

This relationship with God is available to all, but not all receive it. The Spirit comes into our lives at baptism. The more we yield to Him and cultivate a relationship with Him, the better and more clear we hear His voice. If you do not yet know the Holy Spirit, you can when you believe in Jesus Christ and receive baptism. If you have already been baptized, you may come to know the Spirit more by praying to Him, reading the Scriptures and obeying His gentle leadings.

So it is that we pray continually, "Come Holy Spirit."

The Judgment

2008-10-01T08:33:00.002-04:00

From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead

The article of the Creed on our Lord Jesus Christ finishes by proclaiming our faith in His return in power and glory to judge the living and the dead. In the Nicene Creed, which is the definitive statement of faith in the Catholic Church, this is expanded to say He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and His kingdom will have no end.

Christians believe that Jesus did not leave us for good. He promised to return for us so that "where I am, there you will be also." This is known to us as our Blessed Hope. When we use the word, "hope", we do not mean it in the sense that it is often used of not being sure that something will happen, but we hope it will. Rather, we use the word to reflect a rock-solid belief that it will happen. So it is that everything we do is staked on this hope.

But along with such a wonderful hope is also the sobering statement that our Lord is specifically coming back for the purpose of judging the living and the dead. For those who live close to Him, this is actually a comforting thought. For though we know of our weaknesses and failings, we are confident that His grace is greater than our sin. In the end we believe we will be saved through Him if we hold fast to the faith that was given to us. But for those who have rejected Him, and wandered far from Him, this is a fearful statement indeed.

We are told in the Sacred Scriptures that we will be judged by our works and our words. "The hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth- those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation," (Jn. 5:28,29). "For every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned," (Mt. 12:36,37).

This makes sense. Our works and our words show what is truly in our hearts. They tell whether faith exists or not. Good works and good words flow from a good heart. Bad works and bad words flow from an evil heart. The tree is known by its fruit. So God will be seen to be fair and righteous and each of us will be given what we truly deserve.

Having said that, the fact of the matter is that every one of us truly deserves God's wrath. We have sinned and should receive the just punishment, which is death. But God, who is rich in love and mercy, has rescued us, as we have discussed in the previous articles, through the death, resurrection, and ascension of our Lord. So that whoever will turn from his sins and believe in Jesus Christ with all his heart will be saved from death and granted freely eternal life.

How do you know if you are ready? There is a simple test. Do you love His appearing? That is, are you looking forward to this Day with anticipation because you trust in the Lord's word and long to see your Beloved face to face? If so, then you have every reason to have a sure and steadfast hope of salvation. But if not- if the thought of this Day fills you with dread, and you long to put it off, or seek to escape, then it is a sure indication that all is not right with you. There is a need for you to find a place alone with God and tell Him of your fears. Allow Him to search your heart. Confess your sins, and put your trust in His saving love and power.

To be honest, I see a mixture of these attitudes in me. When I was younger I wanted to be sure to get married, have a family, and launch a career before Jesus returned. I suppose that's normal. But it indicates that I still had too much of a love for this present world in me. I still wrestle with wanting to accomplish certain things before I see my Lord. But He is faithfully chipping away at those things so that all I have is a yearning for Him and His kingdom. With that in mind, I gain more anticipation for this day, and with the saints of old I find myself calling out, "Come Lord Jesus. Come quickly. Amen."

The Ascension

2008-09-26T16:37:00.002-04:00

He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty

The ascension is the glory of our Lord. He did not rise only to die again. He rose all the way to heaven. When He arrived there, He was seated at the right hand of the Father- the place of all authority and honor.

The ascension is the final step in our salvation. Having conquered death and risen to life, our Lord then ascended to His rightful place. He came from heaven and to heaven He returned. His work is complete. He sits down because, as He said, "It is finished."

There is more. It is through the death, resurrection, and ascension that we find salvation. We are finally and completely reconciled to God.

In the waters of baptism, we are made one with Christ. We are dead and buried with Him and we rise with Him to newness of life. We die to our old way of life and are born again, a brand new creature in Christ. We are meshed together. We are in Christ and He is in us. In His ascension, we are raised with Him to be seated in heavenly places (Eph. 1:3). In Christ we are seated with God, the Father, from whom we had been estranged in sin, but now are brought back again through the work of Christ, our Lord.

If this is true, and it is, then we are able to come before our God and Father and make our requests known in our time of need. We are able to feel the nearness of His presence. We are able, as it were, to look into His face. Of course, these awesome realities will not be completely ours until our own resurrection at the end of the ages (we will discuss this ina later post). But for now, we may indeed experience heaven on earth.

This is particularly important to remember because this life is often filled with tragedy and turmoil. It is our faith that enables us, not only to endure, but to overcome the obstacles we face now. This world is permeated by sin, and therefore, by death. But our Lord has come that we might have life- and that in great abundance (Jn. 10:10). His ascension is the means by which we know this life is available and also the means by which we are able to experience it.

There was a time when Christians had their eyes on heaven and were thought of as too heavenly minded to be any earthly good. Today, too many Christians have become very comfortable in this world and look for their rewards here and now. While some former Christians obviously ignored some of the realities of our duties here, a recovery of the heavenly perspective would be a very good thing. The result will be that the the more heavenly minded we are, the more earthly good we will be.

The Resurrection

2008-09-20T14:42:00.003-04:00

The third day he arose again from the dead.

As soon as we confess our faith in the crucifixion of Jesus, we also speak of His resurrection. The two are intricately linked. Jesus conquered death at the cross. But the proof of that is His resurrection from the dead. Dying He destroyed our death; rising He restored our life. In Christ, we who have been baptized participate in His death and resurrection. With Him we die to our old life. With Him we rise to a new life.

It is through the death and resurrection of Jesus that we are saved from sin, rescued from death, and made fit for eternal life. We could not pay this price ourselves. Our Lord Jesus Christ paid it for us. Now we who live by faith in Him are called to walk in the reality of this new life He has given us.

Christianity is not a religion of the dead, but of the living. That is to say that it is not a matter of dead letters on a page, or laws written in stone. It is the living reality of the risen Christ living His life through His faithful. It is a living relationship with the living God. It is the full restoration of everything that was lost through sin. We were created for life and it is to life we are restored.

Today, many people speak of living life to the fullest. But that is impossible apart from Christ. As the author of life, only He knows how it is to be fully lived. As the restorer to life, He alone is capable of giving it. Living life to the fullest is more than fun or pleasure. It is to know the purpose for which we were made and to know the One for whom we were made. In this alone is fullness of life; and this life lasts, not merely for a lifetime, but forever.

The Cross

2008-09-18T08:07:00.003-04:00

"Jesus... Suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried"

The next line of the Creed affirms the historical truth that Jesus was indeed crucified. He truly died, and He was buried. There are those who theorize otherwise. They would say that Jesus only appeared to die. Some would try to deny the event altogether. But it is historically verifiable. He was crucified. Romans were masters at this cruel means of execution. To propose that on this occasion they botched the job would be miraculous in itself. But, they did not botch the job. Jesus was attested to be dead before He was removed from the cross. Then He was buried. There were a number of eyewitnesses as to where the tomb was. They would return to it on the third day after His crucifixion to find He was gone. But, alas, I'm getting ahead of myself.

What does Jesus' death mean to us? It means we have been set free from sin and death.

Death came into the world because of sin. God warned our first parents in the Garden to refrain from eating of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. "For in the day you eat of it, you will surely die." Death was not a punishment for disobedience, it was the natural consequence of it. It is the same as if we warn our children not to drink poison, play in traffic, or play with fire. The natural consequences are not punishment. They follow as a matter of course. It is the very reason we warn them against it- because we love them. So God loved those whom He had made in His own image and warned them accordingly so they would not die. But they chose sin over God and death over life. Since then, sin, and death, have reigned over all humanity.

But then our Lord Jesus Christ came. He stood strong and stalwart against every kind of temptation that assails all people. He never wavered. He came through completely victorious. The last enemy to be faced was death. But when death seemingly claimed our Lord, He rose victorious again to live forevermore. But again, I'm getting ahead of myself.

At the cross, our Lord took upon Himself the just penalty due to us as sinners. "He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon Him. And by His stripes we are healed." In addition, it was by dying that He destroyed our death. Through death, He conquered death. On the cross, God "made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us so that we might be the righteousness of God in Him." The cross was the great exchange. He took what we deserved and gave us grace and life in return.

The cross is the pivotal moment in the life of Christ and in the history of the world. Now for all who believe there is an escape from sin and death and an entrance into the eternal life of the kingdom of God.

Christ calls all who would be His disciples to "deny yourself, take up a cross, and follow Me." It was the way of the Master, and it is the way of all true disciples. There is no other way. The way of the cross is the way of death, which is the way to eternal life. As His death led to life, so our dying to self and sin leads to eternal life in Christ. To all who read these words, heed the words of our Lord and Savior. Take up a cross and come, follow Jesus!

The Incarnation

2008-09-13T10:27:00.003-04:00

"He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary"

Coming to the article of the Creed dealing with faith in Jesus, we begin to see a more in-depth description. It's because this is the core of our faith. Who and what Jesus is has been the topic of discussion from the inception of the Church. Early on there were those who taught things that departed from the historic faith. Normally their teachings centered on certain aspects of Christ. They typically denied His full deity, or His full humanity. The Church in its wisdom, and guided by the Holy Spirit who was given to lead them into all truth, established the firm teaching that we find contained in the Creed.

"He was conceived by the Holy Spirit". Our Lord's entrance into our world did not come through the normal channels. He had no earthly father. Rather the Holy Spirit came upon the Virgin Mary and conceived our Lord within her womb. This was not sexual. It was supernatural. It was completely other.

It had to be this way. From the fall into sin in the Garden, man has been tainted with sin. As the psalmist says, "In sin was I conceived." For our Lord to remain pure from this taint of sin, He could not have a human father.

But this also means that His mother could not pass on sin to Him either. Surely, we know that He took His humanity, that is, His flesh, from the Virgin Mary. The Church stresses that Mary was always a Virgin. She is designated by that title. It is because in her conception, she became a holy vessel. As the Ark of the Covenant of the Old Testament contained the Word of God, so Mary also contained the Word of God. She could not be "touched" by a husband after this event. As surely as God struck down Uzzah for touching the Ark, He would have likely done the same to anyone who touched the Ark containing His only beloved Son.

In order to preserve our Lord from the taint of sin received from Mary, the Church teaches that her own conception was immaculate, that is to say, without sin. By a special grace of God in lieu of the work that Christ was to accomplish, Mary was saved from the taint of original sin. This is how it is that she refers to God as her Savior. She was saved by His grace from ever experiencing sin, rather than, as it is for all the rest of us, being rescued from the midst of sin.

So how is it that our Lord is truly human when He had these special circumstances preserving Him from sin? Well, believe it or not, sin is not native to being human. Remember that God created the first humans immaculate- without sin. Yet, they fell to temptation and chose sin. So it was with our Lord and our Lady. As the new Adam and Eve, they still could have chosen sin, but they did not. Their victory over sin has become the means of our own. That is, that all who believe in Jesus are baptized and enter into His own death and resurrection. In Him, we are made what people once were, and were created to be- holy. Our Lord's opportunity to do this for us was made possible by Mary's steadfast faithfulness throughout her life and in giving her consent to be the vessel to bring Christ into the world.

What does this mean for us? It means that we do not need to be subject to sin any longer. We can come to Jesus to be healed and restored. We can be delivered from sin. We can return to our original holiness for which we were created. We can do this through our Lord Jesus Christ. He who came to earth under such extraordinary circumstances has made it possible for us all to be made like Him and to live with Him forever.

I Believe In Jesus

2008-09-06T09:12:00.002-04:00

"I believe in Jesus Christ His only Son our Lord"

In the previous article we professed faith in one God. Here we confess Jesus to be Lord. What's the difference between God and Lord? Absolutely none! We believe that God Himself became a man. This man is Jesus.

This introduces us to two central concepts of the Christian Faith: 1) the trinity, and 2) the incarnation. The trinity refers to the teaching that while there is only one God as we have previously stated, He exists in an eternal relationship within Himself of 3 persons in one God. These 3 persons are known as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Virtually everything that Christians believe comes back to this central tenet of our faith.

God is eternal and God is love. Love needs an object to love and desires to be loved in return. From eternity past, before God created anything, this love relationship existed in the Godhead Himself. God's revelation of this truth has been progressive. He first revealed Himself as one God. Then, in the appointed time, He came to us in the person of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. As our Lord was completing His mission on earth, He introduced us to the third person of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit, and promised to send Him to guide the Church into all truth.

The incarnation refers to the belief that God became flesh as mentioned above. Jesus is truly and fully God as is made more evident from the Church's more complete statement of faith: the Nicene Creed. There we are taught that Jesus is "God from God, Light from Light, true God of true God, begotten, not made, of one being with the Father."

In becoming man, Jesus showed us the way back to God, and He Himself was the way back to God. Since we had become separated from God by sin, we were in need of someone capable of reconciling us back to God. Only God Himself could do this as we were lost and bound in sin. Our Lord Jesus Christ, by giving Himself in pure sacrifice became the means of our salvation. Through His death, resurrection, and ascension, He has made a way for us to be forgiven of our sins and restored to right relationship with God.

The key to the transaction is faith. Jesus promised that if we believe in Him we would not die, but have eternal life. However, if we remain in our unbelief, then there is no other hope for us. As Jesus also said, "He who does not believe is condemned already," (Jn. 3:18).

To believe is more than assenting to theological facts. It is to allow Christ to reshape our lives to be fashioned into His image. This is true salvation; to regain the image of God lost through sin. This is to know God and be known by God. This is to love God and be loved by God. This is the answer to the questions that continually plague us. This is the only solution that truly satisfies.

Today there are many who profess to believe in God. There are even many who say they believe in Jesus. But there are fewer who truly allow Jesus to do His transforming work in their lives. To say, "I believe in Jesus," in the Creed is to assent to these truths and commit to these actions.

I Believe in God

2008-09-02T16:23:00.003-04:00

The Creed begins at the beginning- with God. God is beyond our comprehension. He has always existed. He is uncreated. He is immortal, all-wise, all-knowing, and ever-present. He is in complete control of every single thing in all of creation. He brought it into being, He sustains it, and He has determined when and how it will end. There is nothing too grand as to be beyond Him and nothing too small to escape His notice.

Christians have come to know this God as Father. This is not merely a warm, fuzzy title. It reflects our relationship. For at the core, our Faith is about relationship; it is about love. God is Father because He created us. He is Father because He has redeemed us. He is Father because He has adopted us. He is Father in that He knows we are children, utterly helpless without Him, and He provides for us all things necessary for our eternal life.

The story of our Faith is the story of how our Father brought us into being so that He could love us. God is love, and love needs someone to love. So we were created that God might love us, but also so that we might love Him. For love desires reciprocation.

In sinful folly, our first parents cut themselves off from this love. But God could not be outdone by human sinfulness or demonic cunning. Long before there was the need, He had provided a means of salvation. Seen in germ in the Old Testament, it came to fruition through the advent of our Lord Jesus Christ.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Having provided a means of reconciliation, our Father now reaches out to us, beckoning us back home into His loving embrace. He is the creator of everything. No one knows better how it all works. He truly does know what's best for us. He is Almighty. He is stronger than everything and everyone. Nothing can thwart His plans. So nothing can keep us from Him if we really want to know Him.

This is our Faith, and this is our Father.

Today, many wander in endless confusion. How did it all start? Well, God made it. What is the meaning of my life? He wants to love you, and be loved by you. Where will it end? God hopes it ends with your eternal life.

To say one believes in God is to embrace all of these things. Even if you can't understand it all, or it's a struggle to believe, faith is to take God at His word, no matter what.

The first thing the Christian confesses is that God is Father. He says this not as much from intellectual certitude as he does from personal experience. He knows that once God was far away and an enemy of sorts. But now he belongs to God's family. He knows that there is one God who is the Father, the Almighty, the creator of heaven and earth.

I Believe

2008-09-01T09:33:00.002-04:00

"I believe..."

That's how the Creed begins. Our life in Christ begins in faith. This is more than merely acknowledging certain theological truths. It is to surrender one's life to these truths. "Faith without works is dead," (Jms. 2:26). Therefore true faith cannot be merely intellectual. It has to find its way into the heart. It must lead one to a radical break with the old life of sin and a new life in Christ. It must lead to love; love of God, first and foremost, and love of neighbor.

Faith typically comes in stages. It is more often a progression, not an event. This typically begins with inquiry. One begins to sense his need for God. This usually begins with an understanding that something is not right and there needs to be a change. We typically try to make that change in a variety of ways: a change in diet, exercise, routine, or in more extreme cases, a job, or significant relationship. But the true problem lies deep within us. When we finally realize that, we are ready for more.

Our period of inquiry then leads to the seeking of God. At first, this may come in the form of seeking the answers to the deep questions of life: "Who am I?" "How did it all begin?" Why am I here?" What is the meaning of life?" Why is there suffering?" "Where will it end?" "What happens when we die?" As we explore these questions, we are led inevitably to God. This is where the Creed comes in. It tells us who God is and how we are able to get to know Him.

The next step in our progression is repentance. As we come to understand who God is, we see that we fall terribly short of His standard. This shortcoming is called sin. It is innately in us from birth and manifests itself in various ways. Some people do things that are considered very bad such as drink too much, live sexually immoral lives, steal, lie, or even kill. Others live apparently good lives but are consumed with their own pride and self-seeking. Either way, until they come to know God, they are ruled by sin.

Repentance is to turn away from sin and turn towards God. It is to change our mind and to change our lives. It is to think entirely different. Whereas we used to indulge our sins, thinking this would give us true happiness, we now realize that sin is destroying us and any chance we have at true happiness. We see God and His ways as the only way to freedom- and joy. Therefore, we learn to hate the things we once loved (sin), and we now love the One we had been fleeing before (God).

At this point, we have already begun to exercise faith. It's beginnings are subtle, but we can identify it in our actions. When we begin this work of repentance, faith has already gripped us. Otherwise we would not believe there to be a need for change. As we continue in faith, we learn to know God. We come to love Him, and we pursue a life of obedience to Him as a result.

This is what it means to say, "I believe." It means we have personally appropriated the things that come afterward in the Creed. It means that we have come to know God and we continue to allow God to do the ongoing work of transformation necessary to make us holy just like Him.

The Need For The Creed

2008-08-30T13:44:00.004-04:00

Our Lord Jesus Christ founded His Church upon the confession of faith of St. Peter. That confession made him the first rock, the first stone in the building of the Church. Peter attained that place because he was first to confess. "Flesh and blood did not reveal this, but My Father in heaven." God birthed faith in Peter and he confessed. "For man believes with his heart and so is justified, and he confesses with his lips and so is saved," (Ro. 10:10 RSVCE).

Since then, many more have come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and, in confessing, so have been made part of Christ's one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. Over time, it has become necessary to clarify exactly what this saving faith is. Many have come along adding their own perspective and diluting that "one faith once for all delivered to the saints". The clarification that the Church has produced is known as the Creed.

In the very early days of the Church it was loosely known as the Rule of Faith. But by about 200 A.D. it took a form forever after known as the Apostle's Creed. This is still the baptismal Creed of the Church today. It is a succinct rendering of the essentials of the faith. To say that one believes in Jesus is to say he believes in the Creed. This is what Christians for centuries meant when they proclaimed faith in Jesus Christ. This is what was stated when they were baptized.

So what is this Creed? It reads as follows:

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord
He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary
Suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried
He descended into hell
The third day he arose again from the dead
He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty
From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead
I believe in the Holy Spirit
The Holy Catholic Church
The communion of saints
The forgiveness of sins
The resurrection of the body
And life everlasting
Amen.

Now, I am no theologian. But I would like to break this down as best as I understand it. I welcome any input along the way. I will be posting in the next several days on the Creed.

Why the need for the Creed? Because, as it was in centuries past, so it remains today that, we need clarification as to what the Faith truly is. The Church has been the pillar and ground of truth from her inception (1 Tim. 3:15). She remains so to this day and ever shall be. The Creed is her succinct statement of truth. It's truth that we need in our day. We need to hear the concrete word of God spoken through the Church to bring clarity and perspective to the relativism of our modern era. I hope you will join me as we explore together what truth God has revealed through the Creed.

Still Hanging Around

2008-08-25T16:33:00.002-04:00

No, I didn't drop off the face of the earth. Like many of you, life gets busy and blogging is one of the things that needs to be let go. Having said that, I must also say that some of this has been intentional. That is, I am actually trying to limit my computer time to make more time for prayer, family, and silence. Sometimes I find that I suffer from the tyranny of all of the things surrounding us, screaming for our attention. It's nice to get away from it all to listen, think, and marvel. I don't think we as a society do nearly enough of that. I know I don't. But I am really enjoying the time that I am taking for it. So while this post is very short, I hope it gives some food for thought.

I'm still hanging around, and I'm sure I'll have more to say at a later time.

Holy Love

2008-08-07T08:37:00.002-04:00

For years I have had the misguided notion that love and holiness are polar opposites, and that in God both exist, although in a mystery that can't quite be grasped. But it occurs to me that is wholly other. Love and holiness are two sides of the same coin, and one cannot truly exist without the other.

God is love, and God is holy. Therefore they must really be the same. True love and true holiness strive towards the same goal. They look for the perfection of character necessary to experience unlimited communion with God. Because God loves us, He works to make us holy. If we respond in love as He desires, then we will strive to be holy. Because God is holy, we will also want to be holy.

The problem with this concept arises in our own perceptions. We redefine both love and holiness. We think love means to feel nice things, say nice things, or do nice things. We think holiness is a warped adherence to archaic rules which have become irrelevant to modern living. Therefore we find love and holiness to be opposites. The truth is that both love and holiness are first, a desire for communion with God, and secondly, a desire to help our fellow brothers and sisters in attaining that same goal.

This brings us naturally to thinking about how God, in His love and holiness, deals with sin. God hates sin for the same reason that parents hate cancer in their children; because it is killing them. Again, we have a misconception about sin. We think it's about actions. It's not. Sin is about what is inside of us. The actions are merely the symptoms to indicate this dread "disease" is still at work within us. We think, "Why can't God just overlook the sin and go on with life like we do?". It's because it's much deeper than that, and God knows it even though we want to deny it.

Sin must be wholly eradicated. God has done all the work necessary for that through Christ's death, resurrection, and ascension. He further strengthens us through the Sacraments. But that still leaves us needing to apprehend these things in faith and obedience. As we do, the Holy Spirit is continually working to destroy sin and establish holy love within us.

So how is it then that some go to hell? Is God not able to save them? Or is He unwilling to save them? No. He can, and wants to. But in His holy love, He has chosen to allow us to choose whether or not we will serve Him. If we choose sin, He must separate us from the rest of His people or sin will destroy the whole lot. Think of it in the same terms as when doctors must quarantine someone. It is for the good of the whole.

Because God is holy love, He will have a people of holy love. We all have the opportunity to be part of that people. If we will choose holy love over selfish sin will have what everyone truly craves- eternal life, which is to know God and commune with Him intimately now, and forever.

Conversion

2008-08-04T12:38:00.002-04:00

In today's Gospel we hear that Jesus saw the crowds and He was moved with compassion towards them because they were like sheep scattered without a shepherd, (Mt. 9:36). This is what moved God to send His Son in the first place. He looked at a world lost and wandering in the ravages of sin. He could not remain indifferent to the plight of those whom He loved. So He sent us a Savior. In fact, He came Himself to save us.

This is the Gospel: that God was in Christ Jesus not counting our sins against us, but reaching out to us with divine mercy to grant life where there had been death (2 Co. 5:19). It is the greatest love story ever told. So why is it that so many are so adverse to hearing it.

It is because the story does not stop there. It calls for conversion. What is conversion? It is to be transformed by God's Grace from sinners into saints. It is a process, not an event. This process is difficult- very difficult. In fact, apart from God's Grace, it is impossible.

In fairy tales, the hero dashes in to rescue the damsel in distress and win her love. They marry and live happily ever after. This is why they are fairy tales. Real life doesn't work like that. Marriages that last a lifetime require lots of effort. They require the growth and stretching of both husband and wife. No marriage is trouble-free. There are always issues to be faced.

Our relationship with God is no different. Jesus has come and rescued us and seeks to win our love that we would choose to love Him forever. But this requires effort- lots of effort. Along the way we will be tempted to go astray and re-imprison ourselves in the mesh of sin. We will be seduced to seek other lovers. To resist is difficult. To pursue holiness is a hard path.

This is why so many are so adverse to this wonderful message of the Gospel. They don't think it's worth all the "hassle". They couldn't be any more wrong!

Conversion, as I said, is a process. It begins with the Grace of God in our hearts long before we realize God is at work within us. He is wooing us. He is seeking to draw us to Himself. Then we begin to seek Him. We have questions. We investigate. Finally, we make a decision to follow Jesus. But that is really just the beginning.

From there, we are in need of instruction about the Faith. Then we must be baptized. Then we must continue to receive instruction, learning how to develop a life of prayer and good works in Christ. This lasts a lifetime.

It is obvious to see why so many are so adverse to conversion. Instead, they look to take the easy way out. They ignore God, or they remake Him in their image. Or, perhaps they just choose the "easy-believism" of those who preach that to be a Christian is just a matter of faith and a moment of decision to receive Jesus. This is terribly over simplified, and, consequently, it is terribly deceptive. Real conversion, as I have said, requires effort- lots of effort. It requires this effort for a lifetime, and, we believe, requires some sort of effort even after death as one undergoes the final purgation of all effects of sin.

Does this mean that Christ's sacrifice was insufficient, or He is unable to indeed save us to the uttermost? By no means. It is just the reality that to know God- to be saved from sin- is a joint effort between God and man. He has a part, and so do we. His part is to provide salvation through the work of Christ in His death, resurrection, and ascension. Our part is to respond in faith, love, and obedience. We cannot do His part, and He will not do ours. This relationship is what is called conversion. It is something we are all in need of daily.

Worshiping With Those Who Have Lost Everything

2008-07-14T16:44:00.002-04:00

Our family vacation recently took us to Greensburg, Kansas. Greensburg, you may recall, was wiped out by an enormous tornado a little over a year ago. St. Joseph Catholic Church, like all the other churches in town, was completely destroyed. They currently worship in a temporary modular building as they await the completion of their new church building.

As my family and I went in on Sunday morning, we found our way to a folding chair in the back row. Things were so different from what we are used to. There are no pews, no beautiful windows, no Stations. It is stark. Don't get me wrong; the people of St. Joseph have made it as nice as it can be. But it isn't how most of us are used to seeing church. But this is church for them.

I felt privileged to be in their midst. These have truly suffered the loss of all things. I worshiped with people who had lost their homes, businesses, and church. Yet, you wouldn't know it. There was smiles and laughter and hugging and visiting and pleasantries as if life was completely normal.

There is a longstanding tradition within the Church that it is through suffering that we are made holy. We become more like Jesus as we patiently endure suffering. I felt that I was seeing some of that as I worshiped with the people of St. Joseph.

How would I do in their circumstances? I honestly can't imagine I would do as well. I have so much. I have a nice home, church, community, clothes, everything. I have so much. They have so little.

It is more than giving them things or money. They truly do need our prayers. But then, I think we need their's. We, who are so prone to be infatuated with our things, are in greater danger of deifying them. Do we live for this world or the next? The answer cannot be both. It truly is one or the other. Suffering the loss of all things is terribly difficult, but it does help one come to grips with this vital truth of the spiritual life. So who is truly the poorer? I wonder if it isn't all the rest of us who are in need of the prayers of the saints in the making of Greensburg.

Be thankful for all that God has given to you, and then swear off any temptation to cling to it too tightly. Learn to suffer the loss of all things in your heart so that if the day should come that you are called to do it in deed, you will be ready.

May the Lord bless the people of Greensburg and the parish of St. Joseph!

Vacationing

2008-07-03T16:06:00.001-04:00

I will be away from the blogosphere for the next week while I am vacationing. Keep me and my family in your prayers.

Blessings,
Keith

At Home With Demons

2008-07-02T08:45:00.001-04:00

The whole town came out to meet Jesus,
and when they saw him they begged him to leave their district.
Matthew 8:34

Today's Gospel reading is Matthew's account of when our Lord came to a place called Gadara and encountered two men who were demon-possessed. The Scripture says they were so fierce that no one could pass through that way. But Jesus simply commanded them to come out and the men were freed. However, Jesus gave the demons permission to enter some nearby pigs which sent them careening down the hill to be drowned in the sea. The local merchants weren't terribly happy, or impressed. Their response was to implore Jesus to leave their area.

This strikes me as almost humorous, but also as very sad. The people had lived with these demoniacs presumably for quite some time. They had become comfortable living with them; so much so that they actually preferred the chaos of the demoniacs over the peace of Christ. How could this be?

But then I think of how it is in our lives. We too have become comfortable with the demonic. Think I'm crazy? Most of us would prefer two hours in front of the television with perversion, profanity, and violence to fifteen minutes in prayer with Jesus. Isn't that the same as being at home with the demonic and uncomfortable with Jesus?

Take it a bit further. We endure the chaos of our fast-paced life. We think this is normal. Everyone lives this way. We are overstressed (which is not the same thing as overworked as work done for the Lord is very satisfying), worried, anxious, and usually in a hurry to do it all. Yet, we have become comfortable with this way of life.

Jesus offers us peace. He offers us rest. He offers us true joy. But it must come in His way. It's not because He's an egocentric tyrant. It's because He truly does know what is best for us. Because of His great love for us, He yearns that we would have all of these blessings and so much more. But it goes even further than this. The simple fact is that God really loves us and longs to simply be loved in return. It's really all about relationship. We were created for this, but we run from it and try to find that same satisfaction in just about anything else. It can't be done. As St. Augustine said, "You created us for Yourself and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in You."

If you find yourself in the midst of the demonic chaos of life, stop! Listen for the liberating word of Jesus and respond by welcoming Him in to stay, not driving Him away!

In The Footsteps of St. Paul

2008-06-29T21:03:00.003-04:00

Today is the Feast Day of Sts. Peter and Paul. It coincides this year with the jubilee celebration of the 2,000th anniversary of the birth of St. Paul. Thus, Pope Benedict XVI has declared this the year of St. Paul. In contemplating his life, I realize that I share some similarities with him.

St. Paul began as Saul of Tarsus. He was a very zealous man for his faith and made great progress over many of his contemporaries. Saul had a superior theological education and was a prominent pharisee when we meet him in the book of Acts as a witness to the martyrdom of Stephen. But once he met Jesus on the road to Damascus, he had to start all over. The Church did not care how theologically educated he was, or about any of the rest of his accomplishments. They wanted to know if he was truly a Christian. They wanted to see how it changed his life. Needless to say, there was ample evidence of that. Still, it took St. Paul some 10 years to return to a place of public ministry within the early Church.

I find myself in a similar situation. I do not share St. Paul's theological education, nor his accomplishments, but I do share the fact that I find myself starting over now that I have come into the Catholic Church. It is helpful to remember that if someone of the caliber of St. Paul needed time in formation, then it should come as no surprise that I need it as well.

I find another similarity that I wish were not present. The more I ponder the depths of the Gospel, I realize just how much I was a pharisee, just like St. Paul. I was rooted in the letter of the law. Though I did not intend it, I think I often ministered condemnation rather than grace. I find that I now must un-learn many things in order to more fully learn the depths and the truths of my new faith.

It is my prayer, this day and always, that, like St. Paul, I may become an instrument in the hands of God to reach those lost in sin with His most precious Gospel. As I ponder his life in this upcoming year, I hope that I will find many more ways to imitate him... as he imitated Christ.

More Thoughts On The Desert

2008-06-25T16:37:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, I considered the life of St. John the Baptist. It was a life primarily lived in the solitude of the desert. I continue to ponder the fact that it is the normative practice of God to prepare people for a long period of time in order to use them for a relatively short period of time.

Take the life of our Lord for an example. Here is the very Son of God who is perfect and sinless. What does He need to learn? Yet, it is the will of the Father that He be hidden for 30 years and then minister for only 3. We see a similar pattern in St. Paul. He has been highly educated, a philosophical and theological marvel. Yet, God hides him for a period of time before setting him loose to set the world ablaze with the Gospel.

In my own circumstances, I am finding myself in the waiting process. I don't know that I will ever make a grand impact in any capacity. But I know I hope to fulfill what I believe is the call of God in my heart. Yet, I am waiting. I am not in the place or circumstance that I desire. I am not doing the thing that I feel called to do. But this is where God has me now. What will I do with that?

To this point, I have spent a good deal of time grumbling and complaining. The remainder of the time I am dreaming and planning for what might be in the future. But that's really quite foolish. I don't know what God will do with me in the future. But I do know what He wants now. He wants me to learn to patiently and consistently carry a cross. He wants me to be a man of prayer. He wants me to be a husband and a father. He wants me to settle down and fully live in the now rather than be caught up in the dreams of the future.

I hope that as I continue to reflect on John, Paul, and our Lord, that I will be content to let God be God and simply follow in obedience rather than try to coerce God into letting me write the script. I find myself in a desert place right now. And that's a really good place to be!

In The Desert

2008-06-24T20:38:00.002-04:00

"The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness till the day of his manifestation to Israel."
Luke 1:80

Today is the feast day of the birth of St. John the Baptist. This man always amazes me because he had such a short time in the public eye, but made such a deep impact during that time. It's interesting to note the passage above. John grew up in the desert. He was there hidden away for many years before he became a household name. One wonders what those silent years were like. How was he trained and formed for the vital mission planned for him?

I believe John was first and foremost a holy man. This means he was a man of prayer. Time in the desert is time spent in prayer. God prepares many of His great men here. He did it for Moses, for Elijah, and even for our Lord. But John is especially characterized as being a man of the desert. When he begins his ministry, it would appear no one was around. John didn't go into nearby towns to promote his "preaching meetings". He simply appeared as "a voice in the wilderness." One imagines that he was first ignored, then ridiculed, and finally, they listened. This apparant crazy man in the desert was bringing people by the thousands to repentance. The Jordan was filled with the penitents as they sought him for baptism. After a short while his bright flame was extinguished. But the embers last for eternity. Today, we still hear him calling to us, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!"

But the thing that catches my attention most right now is the time he spent in the desert. No one likes the desert. It's dry, hot, uncomfortable. The food is lousy, if there is any. And it's lonely. There's no TV, no internet, no cell phone, or ipod. It's just John and the desert. Oh, and then there's God, of course. And that's the point. It takes cutting ourselves off from all the other distractions to be able to hear the voice of the Lord and develop the firm conviction of preaching His word and no other.

John was a special man appointed for a special purpose- to prepare the way of our Lord Jesus. But we all have a similar purpose. We are here to call the world around us from its frolicking in sin to genuine repentance "for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." To be effective in this endeavor, we, like John, must be trained in the wilderness. We need time alone with God. We must endure our sufferings. We must listen closely to the whisper of God amidst the barren wastes of the desert.

Jesus, the King, lives and reigns in our midst. The kingdom is here because the King is here. But one day soon He will return to judge the living and the dead. There will be no two-minute warning. He will simply appear and time will cease. Then each of us will given an account of our lives before Him. Our words and our actions will all be played out before Him. Then He, the just judge of all, will render a just judgment for all. In light of all this, the words of John echo loud and clear through the portals of time: "Repent!"

Do we hear him? Will we respond?

A Samson Life

2008-06-21T11:49:00.002-04:00

It always saddens me to read the story of Samson in the book of Judges. Here was a man that was chosen by God to do great things even before his birth. He is born to parents who were unable to conceive children up to that point. It hearkens to similar circumstances shared by Abraham and Sarah. It is also the case with the parents of Samuel and John the Baptist. In each case, the giving of a child by God pointed to a special and powerful purpose for his life. It appears the same was the intention for Samuel. But he didn't live up to his calling.

Samson was a Nazarite from birth. Nazarites were essentially precursors to the religious life. They took vows to abstain from wine and anything killed, and could not cut their hair. This pointed to a special consecration to God for His work. Even though Samson was raised this way, he wandered away quickly. He broke his vows. We find him to be a partying, reckless, womanizing man.

In the end, he betrays his last secret to his lover. The secret to his superior strength was in his long hair. Once it was cut, he was like any other man. Of course, hair does not give strength. But God gave him his strength as long as he maintained his vow to not cut his hair. It was a sign of God's faithfulness even in the midst of Samuel's rampant disobedience. But once the hair was cut, that was the point of transgression for which God said, "That's enough! Now you must pay the consequences."

He was captured by the Philistines and blinded. Then they used him for their entertainment. He finishes his days in captivity to the enemy he was called to conquer. Though he has one last moment of glory in literally bringing the house down on his enemies, it is still a far cry from what he was called to do in the beginning.

I think there's a lot we can learn from Samson. God calls each of us for good works in Christ (Eph. 2:10). He sets us apart for His special purposes through the anointing of the Holy Spirit. He has big plans for us to conquer our enemies of sin (see yesterday's post), and to live in the joy and beauty of holiness with Him forever. But many times we sell out to our passions. We choose the immediate gratification of what's near at hand over the eternal reward originally offered to us. Like Samson, we find ourselves captive to our sins.

It doesn't have to end like that, but for too many, it does. They have lived a Samson life. They have betrayed their calling and purpose in life. Now, they have nothing but the ridicule of their enemies and the regret of their own memories.

Judas lived a Samson life. He squandered the unique privilege of being called as one of the twelve. He betrayed the Lord. In the end, he could have found forgiveness. But he didn't. He died in the clutches of sin and despair. He is known forevermore as the betrayer.

I should note that it is generally thought that Samson was repentant in the end as he begged for God's anointing one last time. We believe he found forgiveness in the end. However, how much better it would have been had he lived obedient to God all along!

Today, we have the opportunity to decide how we will live. If we have lived a Samson life to this point, we can turn to God and be changed. It's not too late! Don't wait another minute. The past cannot be changed. But the future lies open before us. God grant us forgiveness and the grace to overcome our enemies at last!