The Feast of the Holy Innocents

Today is celebrated as the Feast of the Holy Innocents in the Catholic Church.  What does that mean to me?

In Ancient Egypt, Pharaoh feared the Israelites were becoming to numerous and he might lose his control over them.  He ordered that all male Hebrews be killed as babies by being thrown into the Nile.  Many children must have died.  Moses was spared by his mother and the charity of Pharaoh's daughter.  He would eventually lead the Israelites from Egypt.  

Years later King Herod heard of the birth of the King of the Jews in Bethlehem.  Fearing he might lose his control, King Herod ordered the massacre of all boys in the area under the age of 2.  Many innocent children must have died.  They are considered the first Christian Martyrs.  Jesus escaped with his parents to Egypt and stayed there until it was safe to return.  Jesus would eventually lead the Jews and become the Savior of the World.

Today our society fears losing control in their own life.  We allow the killing of many innocent children on the womb.  Who knows how many of those children could have led us to making the world a better place by advancing medicine or technology.  I hope we haven't murdered our times Moses before we even get a chance to spare him or her.

I pray for all the innocent children who have perished at the hands of those who fear they will lose control.  I hope they reside in Heaven with Jesus.

That's What Christmas is All About, Charlie Brown

 In 1965, Charlie Brown asked what Christmas was all about.  Linus quoted the Bible to explain what Christmas really meant.

That scene is my favorite of all the Peanuts holiday specials.

It makes me sad that not only have we as a society forgotten what Christmas was all about-focusing on trees and presents and vacations-but this special would never be made today.  Quoting the Bible would be difficult to get any producer of mainstream media to allow.  It would be looked at as not inclusive enough.

We, as a world, seem to have forgotten today is the day that:

"God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life."

Maybe through all the hustle and bustle of Christmas we can take a moment to remember that. 

My Relationship with the Eucharist

I'm not sure if this is actually true, but I remember receiving my first Communion on Christmas Eve.  So today is the the anniversary of the day I started my relationship with the Eucharist.

Since then, every time I need to be reminded about my faith it is through my Communion with Jesus in the Eucharist.

1978?-Received my first Communion.

1988?-During my preparation for Confirmation learned about the miracle of transubstantiation, where the bread and wine truly become the body and blood of Jesus.

1996-Became an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist in the Navy.  When we were deployed and at sea there was no Priest on board.  I was allowed to possess the consecrated hosts and held communion services at sea.

2004-After my Navy time was over I returned back to the Church where I first received Communion and became an Eucharistic Minister.  Over the years I must have given communion to thousands of the faithful.  I continue to do this, and look at it as one of the most important things I do.

Now, I look forward to the moment every week when I am reminded that God gave his begotten Son for us so we can live on in eternal life.  It is through the Eucharist that I become closer to Jesus.

Why I Feel So Close to Mary

I think I might have already talked about the reverence that The Catholic Church has for Mary the Mother of God is one of the things that separates us from other Christian religions. 

My personal admiration towards Mary is rooted in the fact that she has the closest human relationship to God.  When she was chosen to become the mother of God, Jesus grew in her womb.  Her flesh and blood supported the Baby Jesus.  Eventually, Jesus was born from and of her flesh.

So when we celebrate the Eucharist at Mass and partake in the union of the body and blood of Christ, we are in some way celebrating the woman who agreed to let Jesus grow in her body and become man.

If not for her giving her body to do God's will, we would have no Christ to give his life for our redemption.  Mary is not God, but definitely is someone God favored, so why shouldn't we also honor her? 

When John the Baptist Met Jesus

 

In today's Gospel we hear the story of the Visitation, where Mary came to visit Elizabeth before the birth of their children.  The center of this story is where Elizabeth proclaims "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb."  This eventually became part of the Hail Mary prayer which is recited countless times every day since it is the root of the Rosary.

But the Visitation is also  the first time John the Baptist met his cousin, Jesus.  Still in the womb, John leaps for joy at the presence of the Savior.

We should all have that same joy that John had when we meet Jesus in mass, especially in the moment of the Eucharist, where we are allowed to become one with him.

Is It Right to Call Jesus My Friend?

I look at the title of this blog and I think to myself is it ok to call Jesus my friend?  Afterall Jesus is my Lord.  He is not my buddy.

I came up with the name of the blog one night after church.  I do not like singing at church, but I try to participate.  One of the songs I do enjoy is called "Because the Lord is My Shephard."  The chorus of the song says:

"Lord, You are my shepherd,

You are my friend.

I want to follow You always

Just to follow, my friend."

Jesus was friends to his Apostles. I want to be his friend as well.

Sometimes when I pray to him I talk to him like I would talk to a friend.  Sometimes I might get a little sarcastic, or even crack a little joke.  I think he knows when I do this it is not out of a lack of respect or worship.  Afterall, he knows everything about me.  It is because I long to be closer to him, to be his friend.

I hope He and I can walk together, both as my savior and my friend.

Morning Prayer

I believe it is the best habit to form to start every day with a morning prayer to God.  It is a good opportunity to thank him for all He has dome and to ask him for guidance for the day to come. 

Personally, I listen to the Gospel for the day and a reflection on how to apply its message to my day.  If I have time I might also pray The Rosary if I have time.

Today I was watching one of my Catholic resources on YouTube, The Religious Hippie, and she had a video on her daily prayer routine.  I absolutely love a couple of the options she uses for her morning prayers and am trying to incorporate them into my daily wake-up regimen.  Here are my favorites:

“O my Jesus, I offer this day, with all of its joys and sufferings, for the holy souls in purgatory. I ask that You grant them the relief they need and hasten their entry into Heaven. May this offering bring them comfort and bring glory to God.  Amen.”

“O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer you my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day for all the intentions of your Sacred Heart, in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world, for the salvation of souls, the reparation of sins, the reunion of all Christians, and in particular for the intentions of the Holy Father. Amen.”

 “Dear Lord, I give You my heart this morning. I dedicate all that I am and all that I do to You today. May my thoughts be focused on Your goodness, my words speak Your truth, and my actions be a reflection of Your love. Help me to carry Your presence throughout the day and to be a witness to Your grace.  Amen.”

I am not comfortable enough to write my own prayers, but there are parts of all 3 that I would like to incorporate into something for me.  Maybe that's a preview of an upcoming post where I write my own prayers.

Have I Completed My Mission on Earth?

This is a question we all ask ourselves when we know our time on Earth is coming to a close.  I heard this quote the other day and it sums up the way we should feel about our reason for living and the solace we can take when we are finally called to our heavenly home.

“God has created me to do Him some definite service. He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my mission. I may never know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next. I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons.

He has not created me for naught. I shall do good; I shall do His work. I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth in my own place, while not intending it if I do but keep His commandments.

Therefore, I will trust Him, whatever I am, I can never be thrown away. If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him, in perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him. If I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him. He does nothing in vain. He knows what He is about. He may take away my friends. He may throw me among strangers. He may make me feel desolate, make my spirits sink, hide my future from me. Still, He knows what He is about.”   

-St. John Henry Newman

The Faith of Joseph

Today's Gospel contains the Nativity Story as told by Matthew.  This story is pretty short but it is one of the few places I am aware of where the Bible specifically talks about Joseph, the Earthly Father of Jesus.

The story of the Annunciation where the Angel Gabriel comes to Mary is well known.  But we sometimes forget Joseph's role in the birth of Jesus.  He was also visited by and Angel of the Lord and told that he should still take Mary to be his wife even with child, because she is with child through the Holy Spirit.  He, like Mary, showed faith, and gave the rest of his life to the young Jesus.

We know very little from the Bible about Jesus's youth, therefore we know very little about Joseph either. But even though Jesus was and is the Son of God, I'd assume there were lessons that, as a father, Joseph passed on to the young Jesus.  Earthly lessons might have been Joseph's job.  But it must have been hard knowing that he, a man, was teaching the Messiah.

By the time of Jesus's mission when the Gospels really start, Joseph is no longer mentioned at all.  Still, I believe, that he was an instrumental part of getting Jesus to the point where he start his preaching.  Thank God for Joseph-the head of the Holy Family. 

The Book of Job

Until relatively recently the only thing I knew about the book of Job was it was how Tom Cruise communicated with the terrorists in the first Mission Impossible movie.  Then, a couple of years ago, I did a "Bible in a Year" challenge and was finally exposed to the actual Book of Job in the Bible.

Job was a righteous and prosperous man, who was tested by Satan by losing his sheep, servants and children, then being afflicted by painful sores.  He was encouraged to renounce his faith.  He spends most of the story complaining about the trials his life.  It's a lot of him saying "Woe is me." 

I really didn't like this book of The Bible.  I dreaded the daily toil of reading about Job's life.

Eventually I got to the end of the Book of Job and realized what it was really about.  It wasn't about Job and his horrible life.  Job never gave up on God no matter how bad things seemed to get.  Eventually met God and was restored to health and even more prosperity than he had before.

We should learn from Job.  No matter how many trials and tribulations we face in life we should never lose hope and faith in God.  We will be rewarded in this life or the next.

Modern Depictions of The Bible

Over the years there have been many movies and shows that have told a part of the story of salvation.  While the main source for many of these is the Bible, in order to tell a complete story the creators have had to take some liberties with their depictions.  In same cases they might find another source that may or may not be accepted by people or faith groups.  In other cases the creators might just make the missing parts of the story themselves.

This leads to the question:  Is it ok to watch these projects, even if they don't follow the accepted stories by The Church?

I know there has been a number stage shows and films in history that have told biblical stories, but my first exposure to Hollywood Bible Version was the "Passion of the Christ."  As I understand, this film is accepted mostly by the Catholic Church as accurate.

The next thing that comes to mind is the series "The Chosen."  The Catholic Church is pretty silent on this one.  I get the impression that they are not thrilled with some of the choices that the creators made to tell a complete story, but the Church does like the presentation overall along with the attention it has given.

That leads me to the present where Netflix has just released the story of Mary, the Mother of Jesus.  They didn't have much to go by in the Bible, but they used other sources.  In this case from what I've heard the Church is not happy with some of the choices they made for the parts of Mary's life.

So that's the spectrum.  Sometimes the church likes the depiction sometimes not.  God gave us free will to decide what we should do.  So here's how I feel about Hollywood Bible.  If I see something that looks good I will watch it.  I try to separate the Biblical facts from the part that is not faithful to the Bible.  I can accept it for what it is.

What we should be thankful for is the attention that those projects give to the Salvation story.  Those stories can expose people to the Bible.  Maybe some of those people will want to investigate the life of Jesus more.  And maybe it will lead to them returning to the Christian life or starting the journey to become Christians.  More people following Christ can never be a bad thing.

Gaudete Sunday! or Why is my Priest Dressed like a Barbie?

Today is Gaudete Sunday.  It's the Sunday the Priest wears his pink rose vestments.  It is the reminder to rejoice, because we are almost to the birth of our Savior.

It is also a reminder that we are almost done with Advent.  And if you need to do anything to get ready for Christmas this is last chance.

So if you haven't it's time to get to confession.

One of the things I feel really bad about when I go to confession is repeat sins.  I hate going to the priest and just asking for forgiveness for the same things as last time.  For me that's profanity.  I spent 10 years in the Navy and still do have times when I "talk like a sailor."

But I am doing better by swearing less and being aware of it when I do.  So I asked the Priest if I get partial credit for improving.  He laughed.  No partial credit but he said "A sinner sins and accepts it.  A Saint sins and realizes it, trying not to let it happen again."  I think it is a take-off of a quote from Oscar Wilde.  And it makes sense.

The journey from sinner to Saint is a long one.  Going to confession helps keep you on the path.  If you can go you should. 

The Evolution of the Church

Over time things evolve.  Change over time is almost inevitable.  But change does not always happen for the better.  So I ask the question-Should the Church change with the times?

Over the last 2000 years I am quite sure much has changed in the way we celebrate Jesus as Catholics. For example, the language, the music and the structure of the mass itself has changed many times I'm sure.  I have never been to a mass that follows the rite as it was done before Vatican 2 in the mid 20th Century, where it was entirely in Latin and the congregation was looked at as observers rather than participants.  I'm not sure how I'd feel about that.

But I am at heart a traditionalist in most things.  So as long as the mass revolves around Jesus and the Sacrifice of the Eucharist I'm mostly ok with changes.

However I was confused by the recent restoration mass at Notre Dame in Paris.  The repairs following the fire were done well or the most part. I heard rumors that th Franch Government wanted a glass roof or a rooftop cafe.  I'm glad the Church was able to block that.  The thing that did bother me was the bright pastel vestments that looked like they were a billboard for a new version of Windows.  In my opinion, they were a distraction from the mass.  I was even more disappointed when I found they were designed by a Non-Catholic.  They couldn't find a practicing Catholic who understood the importance of the mass to design what the clothing for the bishops at the mass?

In all honesty I would prefer the Church concentrate on being the traditional Church first. Changes and updates should be slow and over time.  It is not the job of the Church to conform to the times, socially or politically. It's the job of the people to worship God as he intended.  The mass is not a fashion show or a musical concert.  It's a celebration of The Body and Blood of Christ.

So to answer the original question-No. The Church shouldn't change with the times.  We worship Jesus. We worship God.  They don't worship whatever today's world deems socially acceptable.

Very Superstitious

I am committed to blog daily during Advent. I don't actually like daily blog commitments because sometimes it's hard to find a topic or inspiration.

Today I did struggle. Then I realized my topic was staring back at me whenever I looked at my watch.  It's Friday the 13th.  Is that ok to believe in as a Christian?

I am not claiming to be an expert, but I think this is a definite no.  Believing that something bad is going to happen to you just because of the calendar is believing something over God.  That's directly against the 1st Commandmant.  In fact, believing in any superstition violates the 1st Commandmant.  Superstition is a sin against God.

Can you do things out of habit like putting on you left shoe first. Sure. Can you go to a Friday the 13th Party? Yes. Can I pick up a penny for luck? Yep. As long as you don't believe that the way you put your shoes on, or the calendar or that penny actually will have an impact on what happens to you or anyone else. Only God has that control.

Definitely no to Ouija Boards or Tarot Cards though. Those are both superstition and silly.

Our Lady of Guadalupe

I can understand sometimes when non-Catholics can't understand why we hold Mary in such high regard.  

Today is another day we celebrate Mary, The Feast of Our Lady Guadalupe.  Only 4 days after celebrating her Immaculate Conception, today we  commemorate the day in 1531 where Mary appeared to a peasant boy, Juan Diego.  After going to the Bishop and being turned away multiple times, her image then appeared on on Juan Diego's cloak right before their eyes.  This cloak still exists and is displayed in The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City.

The entire story is pretty amazing. The image has been studied and science has been unable to explain how it was created nor how it has lasted nearly 500 years with little sign of age.  It as been directly attributed to healings and may be the inspiration that lead the Aztecs to turn away from human sacrifice and cannibalism.

Our Lady of Guadalupe is the first Marian apparition in the Western World.  She is called the Patroness on the Americas, which happens to be where I live.  So I chose to honor her, and hopefully you can honor her as well.  She is our Spiritual Mother and by her intercession transmits the grace of God to all who willing to believe in her.

My Yoke is Easy, My Burden Light

Today's Gospel contains one of my favorite lines.

In Matthew 11, Jesus invites us to join him by taking up his yoke.  When I found out I was sick, I felt like my burden was so heavy that I could not bear it.  Then I heard this line.  In sharing my burden for him Jesus would help me.

So what is Jesus asking of me?  I think he is telling me that living by his teachings will not be oppressive, but a path of peace.

And I continue to live day by day remembering that it is thru His Grace that I have life, it is under his authority I continue to live every day.  And for as many days as I continue to live on this Earth, I will proclaim His glory, together with him on the yoke of salvation.   

The Sacrament of Reconciliation Part 1

This week of Advent the readings are devoted to John the Baptist and his call for repentance to make ready for the Lord.  Over the next few days I am going to focus on confession a little.  Admittingly, this is going to apply most directly to Catholics, but everyone sins against their neighbor, so these posts may still be relevant for everyone in sone form.

I went to confession this weekend.  The line was pretty long to see the priest and while we were waiting someone asked one of the people in line, "How often do you go to confession?"

To this there is no right answer.  It's going to be "As often as you need to."  The Church itself says a minimum of once a year.  A lot of people try to go at least twice a year, once during Advent and once during Lent.  I am trying to go once a month now.  St. Mother Theresa went every week (I'm not sure what she had to confess).

What it really comes down to is how often should I go to confession is an individual decision.  If you feel you have committed a mortal sin-go.  If you feel guilt about something you have done or failed to do-go.  If you are not sure if you should go or not-go.  You'll feel better afterwards.

The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception

I'm not afraid to admit that up until the past few years I always thought on December 8th (Note: In 2024 the Holy Day is being observed December 9th) we were celebrating Christ's Conception.  You are never too old to be wrong.  And in this case I was wrong.  We are actually remembering on this date that Mary was also conceived without sin.

Mary is an important figure.  She is even called in the Quran as the greatest woman to have ever lived.

 

I understand one of the things that separates Catholics from other Christians is our level of devotion to Mary.  To some it seems we think of her as almost Godlike. But I always say we worship God alone as the 1st Commandment instructs is to do,  while we honor Mary for her role in the redemption of the human race.

So why did Mary need to be conceived without sin? I think of it this way.

Eve was created without sin, was tempted by a (fallen) angel, Satan, and in doing so doomed the human race with original sin.

Mary is the new Eve. In order for Mary's story to parallel Eve's, Mary was also needed to be conceived without sin, be approached by an Angel, Gabriel, to give give herself for the redemption of the world from original sin.

Today, I believe as Christians, whether or not we think Catholics devote too much to Mary, we should all take a moment to thank her for saying "Yes" to the Angel Gabriel and brought Jesus into the World.

Prepare the Way of the Lord

John the Baptist is a strange figure in the Bible.  We first hear of him while he is still in the belly of his mother, Elizabeth.  He recognizes Jesus, the savior, in Mary's womb and leaps for joy.  We know little about the childhood of John, but as a close cousin of Jesus I'm sure that he and Jesus grew up together almost as brothers.

We next hear about John the Baptist as wearing clothes of camel hair, living on locust and wild honey.  What a sight he must have been.  I bet there were people wondering what that wierdo was doing on the banks of the Jordan eating bugs and proclaiming baptism for the repentance of sin.

Should we imitate John the Baptist?  I don't think wearing itchy camel hair and foraging for grasshoppers is the way any of us are looking to lead our life.  However, John's real purpose on the bank of the Jordan was to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord.  He was baptizing with water, but also proclaims that after him another will come and baptize with the Holy Spirit.  We know that is Jesus.

John was the trumpet that was blowing to announce the coming of the Lord.  He was unafraid to stand on the banks of the river and proclaim Jesus's arrival was near, so people needed to repent and be prepared.  He continued to do this until his death, by beheading, under the order of King Harrod.

We can follow in John the Baptist example and ready the world for the return of our King.  We should look for the opportunity to discuss our faith with friends and family, including the need for repentance.  We need to get the word out to today's society that Jesus is coming and to prepare for his return.

I don't know if you can buy camel hair clothes anywhere, but in this little post I will try to let John the Baptist live through me.  

Let this be your reminder that Jesus will come to be both our savior and judge, so be ready to proclaim his glory!

"The Harvest Is Abundant, But The Laborers Are Few"

"The harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few.  So ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest." (Matthew 9)

After saying this Jesus calls his disciples, gives them the ability to cast our demons and heal sicknesses.  He sends them out to proclaim Jesus's message to the lost sheep of Israel.

Jesus is the master of the harvest.  His disciples are his laborers.  The people are the harvest. 

How does this apply to us today?  I don't know anyone who has the ability to cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers or drive out demons.  I know I can't.

But I think we can still be laborers for Christ's harvest.  We can learn about Jesus's message.  We can follow his teachings.  We should be virtuous in our actions.  We shouldn't be afraid to talk to people about Jesus and invite others into his flock.

It's important to make the proclamation that Jesus told his disciples to pass on the the lost people of Israel:

"The Kingdom of God is at hand."  

That statement is as true today as it was 2000 years ago.

Shopping for Bibles

I am far from an expert on anything to do with The Church or the faith.  In fact, the purpose of this little blog is to document and share my process of learning about my faith and becoming closer to Jesus through that learning.  So don't take anything I say as definitive-I may misstate things or interpret them wrong.

One thing that it seems everyone learning about God is a bible.  They are available for free on line and can be gotten relatively inexpensively if you prefer the feel of an actual book in your hands.  They can also be very expensive.

If you search "Bible" on Amazon you get an overwhelming list of all kinds of different bibles with a number of translations.  Its an alphabet soup of KJV, NIV, ESV, ASV, NAV, etc.  Even if you search for Catholic Bible there are a number of accepted translations.  What one is the best to get?

Most of these are "Protestant" versions.  I don't think that makes them "bad" bibles from the Catholic point of view, but they are different in some sort of way.  Maybe some of the passages are different or the interpretations are presented differently.  But different isn't necessarily bad.

I would recommend doing a little research on the particular translation, as I am sure there are some that may cross the line on interpretation, and I am far from the expert on every bible.

Just to put this out there, for Catholics there are several approved translations, but the main ones are the Revised Standard Edition and the New American Version.  So I guess if you are Catholic you should start with those.

But I contend this-The best Bible is the one you will read.  Maybe you found an old King James Version and like the way it feels, so you read that.  Maybe you have a New American Version and like the way the pages smell so you read that.  Maybe you have a Children's Bible and like the pictures so you read that.  In my uninformed and humble opinion the most important part is the reading of God's Word, not necessarily the translation.  Just opening the book and reading the stories will allow God to inspire you, and that's what's really important.

So open the best selling book of all time, The Bible.  And be inspired.

I thought I should include a list of approved bible translations according to the US Council of Bishops.

The First Brothers and the First Murder

I have read the story of Cain and Abel, the first two sons of Eve, before and never really understood it.  For those who may not be familiar with it basically Cain was the keeper of the field and Abel was the keeper of the flock.  Both brought offerings to God.  God favored Abel's offering more.  Cain got jealous and killed his brother.

I never understood why God favored Abel's offering over Cain's when I read the story.  Until today.  I missed the nuance of the phrasing.  Abel's offering was from the best of his flock.  Cain's offering was from the fruit of the ground, basically leftovers.

God favored Abel's offering because it was a more complete sacrifice rather than from giving God something from his excess, like Cain did.  Jesus echoes this sentiment in Mark 12, when he says the poor widow who gave only two coins gave more then the rich men who put large amounts of money in the temple collection.  She offered from what she needed, not from the excess like the rich men did.

Today, we give the sacrifice of our heart in love and faith to God.  Like Abel, we should offer our whole heart to him, not just what is leftover after our love for secular things like football and Taylor Swift.  To not give God our whole heart is the same as giving him the fruit that fell on the ground, like Cain did.  If we put God first in our mind and heart, he will show us favor back, both in our life and when we meet Him at the final judgement.   

Judge Jesus

Jesus was sent to Earth and became man to be our savior.  He gave his life on the cross to save us from original sin.

But he also has another job.  He will come to judge the living and the dead.

We've all seen court shows.  People's Court or Judge Judy.  Or maybe we've seen a courtroom drama on TV or at the movies.  In those cases we see the defendant or their lawyer try to explain the defendants transgressions.  Maybe the person didn't do the crime.  Or maybe they were tricked into a situation or had no choice.  Or maybe the slick lawyer can find some loophole in the law to help his client.

Evidence is introduced.  There might be discussions about the defendants past.  Witnesses might be called to talk about the character of the defendant.

The judge looks at the case and then decides the person's guilt.

When we face final judgement there won't be any need for all those processes and procedures.  Jesus knows all we have done.  Jesus knows why we did it.  And His judgement is final.

It is our job to live righteously. Show hope, faith and charity. Ask for forgiveness when the time arises.

Face Judge Jesus with your best case.  And he will allow you passage to eternal life. 

Even if Our World is Collapsing Around Us, Jesus Never Abandons Us

The world today is far from perfect.  There is war.  There is poverty.  There is hunger.  It may seem as if we are living through the end of the world.  

On a personal level we might be dealing with fear, stress or sadness.  It may seem as if we are heading on a journey to our own personal hell.

But even no matter how bad things may seem, Jesus never abandons us.

The entirety of the Old Testament is littered with stories of disasters and lack of faith in God. Adam and Eve disobeyed God.  Man attempted to build a tower to the sky to show they were equal to God.  After Moses led the Israelites from slavery, they worshiped golden calves instead of God.

And still "God so loved the world he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life." Jn 3:16

No matter how bad things may seem, Jesus is there for us.  On the darkest of days all we need to do is ask for Jesus.  He will always be there for us.  That's what he became man to do-to save us all.  We just need to have faith in Him.

Only Say the Word and My Servant Will Be Healed

One of the things that has increased my faith Christ over the past few years is the series "The Chosen."  It is the story of Jesus and his Apostles from their first moments together to the eventual Crucifixion and Resurrection.

The story is taken from the Gospels, but it is the show's creator's vision and interpretation of the stories.  So I'm not sure its really the accepted account by the Catholic Church, but seeing the stories come to life has brought me to tears on many occasions.

The story in the Gospel today is the culmination of the centuriation's belief in Jesus.  In the show the centuriation is Gaius.  He wishes for Jesus to heal his young servant boy.  Jesus offers to come to his house, Gaius refuses saying he is not worthy to have Jesus enter under his roof.  Jesus is so amazed by the faith of a man who has spent a lifetime worshiping many Roman gods that he heals the young boy.

This story shows that no matter what we have done in the past and whatever we have chosen to praise before today does not matter to Christ.  There is time for all of us to be redeemed in His eyes.  He is accepting of all who believe in him.  If a Roman soldier who persecuted Jesus's peoples can be saved none of us is beyond his forgiveness and redemption.

Pray for me this Advent.  I am praying for all of you.

New Year's Resolution in Faith

Happy (Liturgical) New Year!!  Today starts the season of Advent, the beginning of the Church year and a time when we prepare for the coming of the baby Jesus.  Everyone knows about Lent, the time before Easter, but Advent doesn't seem to get the same attention.  We don't give up something or abstain from meat on Friday or make other sacrifices Advent as we do during Lent.

Today Advent is looked at as a countdown to Christmas.  I know when I was young I used to look at the 4 candles on the Advent wreath as a timer until Christmas morning.  What I am finally learning is that Advent is not about the day at end but the journey to get there.

If we look at Advent as the New Year we can make a "New Year's Resolution in Faith."  We should look at our relationship with God and figure out what we can do over the next 4 weeks to get closer to out Lord.  Pray more, read the scriptures or attend church are some ideas.

Personally, I am going to reflect daily on the Word of God, the Gospel.  There is no better way, in my opinion to get closer to God than by reading his words.

I am also going to follow the story of salvation from creation to Jesus by practicing the "Jesse Tree."  I never heard of it until this year but a Jesse Tree is a series of daily readings tracing the salvation story.  It is usually done by families with young kids as the daily readings end with putting a special ornament on a tree to represent the day's journey.  I'm not a kid, but I still have much to learn about, so taking advantage of the Jesse Tree tradition can only help my relationship with Jesus.

Pray for me, this Advent.  I'm praying for all of you.

The Feast of the Miraculous Medal

November 27th is the day we celebrate the day that Mary appeared to St. Catherine Laboure.  At a small chapel on this day in 1830, Our Lady revealed herself standing on the Earth, crushing a serpent under her feet.  She asked that a medal be struck with this image to receive graces of God through her.

The medal was eventually struck, and wearers of the medal have seen numerous conversions, healings and other intercessions. 

One of the biggest followers of Mary, St. Maximilian Kolbe, described the medal as the silver bullet to bring down the enemy of souls, Satan.

I always wear my Miraculous Medal, and I always feel as if Mary is there with me. She never lets me go through any daily toils alone.  Remember, Jesus first love was his Mother. After giving her to us as Our Mother on the cross when he said, "Woman, behold your son."  Followed by telling John, "Behold, your Mother."  We should love her just as Jesus did.

And what better way to show our love and honor for the Ever Virgin Mother of God than wearing her image around our neck-close to our heart.

"Oh Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!"

Everyone is better than you

 

“Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than more important than yourselves, each looking out for his own interests, but also for those of others."

-Philippians 2

A good resolution would be to practice that. Paul seems pretty smart. He's probably one of the most read authors in history after all.

Far from me to try to translate Paul or try to put his work in context, but I think the best way to look at it always trying to consider the other person to be better than yourself so that the interest of the other first.

Today's society is so self-centric. With the internet and social networking it's all about the ME. Posting about your meals and your drive to work and the like. The common thing is all the posts are about the ME.

Maybe if we realized that in the grand scheme of things none of us is really that important. Maybe if we could post more about the good in others we would be more aware of the needs of not only ourselves but also others.

I don't think the Philippians had Facebook, but I think take Paul's words to them and apply them to our lives today, both on the internet and out there in the real world.

The Monarch of Heaven and Earth

Today is Christ the King Sunday, the final Sunday of the liturgical year.  Next Sunday we start advent and prepare for the birth of Jesus.

In the first reading today David talks about the coming of the Son of Man, coming in glory and kingship.  Pilate than asks Jesus in the Gospel if Jesus is a King?  

Jesus replies: "My Kingdom does not belong to this world. If my Kingdom did belong to this world, ay attendants would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews.  But as it is my kingdom is not here."

I have grown up in the United States where I am conditioned to think that the best form of government is a democracy (although the US does not really have a democracy), and all other forms of government are inferior.  No dictatorships.  No aristocracies.  No monarchies.

But it seems to me that the problem isn't the type of government, but it is the people who run that government.  We could have a kind dictator, who cared about his people just as easy as we could have a bad leader in a democracy.  The only advantage is we can vote out a bad leader in our system.

The short of it is monarchies can be good.  I am a member of God's Kingdom.  It's bigger than everything on this Earth.  Jesus is my King.  And he is a good King.  Good enough to suffer on the cross and give his life for his people. 

St. Francis and the Sultan

I have been trying to learn more about the history the Catholic faith and how to apply the lessons of the forbearers of the church to our life today.  I read a story about St. Francis today and his dealings with a Sultan during the crusades in the 1200's.

The story has different versions as anything passed over 800 years tend to do, but I will try to get the gist of it here.  Basically, St. Francis went to meet the Muslim leader of Sultan Al-Malik al-Kamil.  In short, the Sultan was impressed by the faith of Francis and rather than killing him allowed him to preach.  Francis didn't waste time trying to convert the devout Muslim leader, but concentrated on befriending him.  To this day the results of this pilgrimage can be seen in Assisi, as relics from the Holy Land that the Sultan allowed Francis to visit are there.   

The lesson I got from this is that rather than trying to force faith on strangers we should befriend and listen to them.  Friendship is the bridge to introduce people to the faith.  Maybe rather than being missionaries we should first be friends.  It worked for St. Francis.

Standing Out

"Now a man there named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man, was seeking to see who Jesus was, but he could not see him because of the crowd, for he was short in stature.  So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus who was about to pass that way."         -Luke 19

As I was reading the gospel today.  I felt a connection to Zacchaeus, probably because I, short in stature, would have had to climb a tree in order to see Jesus over the crowd.

But the thought occurred to me, would I have climbed that tree?  Would I be willing to make a spectacle of myself and stand out from the crowd?  Honestly, for most of my life, probably not.  I have always been afraid to put myself out there, and felt more comfortable mixing in with the group.

Not Zacchaeus,  he not only climbed that tree just to see Jesus, but he did it in a place where he was probably not popular.  He was a chief tax collector of Jericho.  He might have swindled some of the people of the town out of their money.  He definitely took their taxes in the name of Rome.  He was living a rich life on the backs of their labor.  I am quite sure the people of the town did not look favorably on him.  But still he went up that tree so everyone can witness his desire to just see Jesus.

Maybe it's time I take Zacchaeus's example.  I'm not going to climb a tree, but I can't be afraid to stand out.  I can't be afraid to put my thoughts and feelings out there for people to see.

I really am starting to believe that this silly little blog might be my calling.  I am a cradle Catholic, and felt that just being part of his flock from birth was good enough.  But its not enough.  I am trying to learn about what it means to be part of God's chosen church.  I am trying to grow in my faith.

I'm not a great writer, but I do believe there are others out there who can benefit from what I am saying here.  Maybe they are on their own spiritual journey, maybe they just want to see what a small (in stature) person wants to say about his worship for The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit-His love for the Virgin Mary-His honor for all the Saints.

I will remember all who read this in my prayers.

Where to Pray?

I am still struggling with prayer over all still.  I am falling into a good prayer schedule, but I still know I can do better.

Moses climbed Mount Sinai to talk to God.  You don't have to climb a mountain to pray.  Prayer can be done anywhere and at any time. But what I am finding out is prayer is easier at certain places and times than others.  

So here is where I currently pray:

• In bed before I get out of bed I always try to do a morning prayer offering my day for Jesus and asking Mary to give me strength to get thru the day.  I also listen to the bible being read and a reflection on it.
• I try to pray one rosary in the morning using the daily mystery.  That might be driving, which is not a great place to pray because concentrating on the road is a built in distraction.
• In the afternoon I try to take some time to listen to a couple of daily reflections from other people on the Gospel, Saints, and the world in general.  Most of these are in front of the TV so I really don't count that as prayer time.
• I finish the night praying in bed.  I do another rosary, and try to reflect on the day, and thank God for all he did for me.

So bed is good, driving not as good, when it comes to where to pray there are other options.

But there are other places that I' like to use.  At church prayer difficult.  Sitting in the pews people are talking around you catching up on the week or whatever and its hard to concentrate on prayer.  If you find a quiet place its church is great.  If I want to pray in church I find kneeling under a statue works.  The best place is the Adoration Chapel.  Whether the Eucharist is exposed or in repose its accepted everyone is quiet in there concentrating on their prayer and their physical closeness to the Body of Christ.

I also find praying outside is good.  Whenever Mary has appeared either Lourdes or Fatima or the like, over the years it seems to be outside.  So maybe Mary like to be outside.  So sometimes I like to go for a walk and pray the rosary.  Or Ask for an intercession.  Or just meditate and try to her God outside. 

I do get a little jealous of people who have a prayer spot in their home.  Like a little chapel in a quiet place, free of distraction to sit (or kneel) and pray.  Just a small table with a crucifix or statue, candles and the bible tells people when you are there it is time for you to be with God.

I guess the lesson learned is Jesus is always listening,  no matter where you are.  Just try to find a place you can devote to prayer.  Realize that some places may lead to distraction, but try to keep in the moment and bring yourself back to prayer when you can,

Doubting Thomas

Traditionally when a Catholic gets confirmed they choose a Saint's name.  When I was confirmed that really wasn't done, but I chose a Saint anyway.  My Saint was Thomas the Apostle.  More commonly known as Doubting Thomas. 

I wish we knew more about the original members of the Church.  That includes Thomas.  We do have one story about Thomas that we pull directly from the Gospels.

Following the resurrection Jesus appeared to the Apostles.  But Thomas wasn't there.  When the others told Thomas about seeing Jesus, Thomas had his doubts.  He said ne needed to see the nail marks and feel the marks and the wound in Jesus's side or he would not believe.

When Jesus returned later, this time in Thomas's presence.  Jesus offed to allow Thomas to feel his wounds, and immediately Thomas believed.  Jesus said:

"Have you come to believe because you have seen me?  Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed"  -John 20

So is it OK to have doubts?  In today's society we are filled with reasons to have doubts.  We have scientists explaining to us why things happen without God.  We have the secular media telling us religion is not necessary in the today's world.  We even have friends and family who are separated from their faith.

It's easy to have doubts.  But I think that's ok.  Jesus realized that its is hard to believe things that are unseen sometimes.  Jesus knows what's in our hearts, so we can take solace in the fact that he can see deep down that we believe.  But its important that we show on the outside by our actions that we believe as well.  We need to pray, go to Church and follow the Commandants.

We all have a little Doubting Thomas in us-but we are also blessed because we believe even if we haven't seen.

Amen!

One of the most important words in our faith is "Amen."  We say it all the time.  Every prayer end with it.  We use it as a response during mass multiple times.

Are way saying it without thinking?  When we say "Amen" what are we actually saying?

Jesus often started his teachings with saying, "Amen, amen, I say to you" to let his Apostles know what he was about to say was important and true.  When we say "Amen" we should be saying it with the same conviction.  We should be affirming that what we are responding to is accurate.

• When we do the Sign of the Cross we say amen to show we believe in the Trinity.
• We say amen after the creed to verify that those are true statements of our faith.
• We say amen after the Our Father to verify those are the actual words and sentiments of Jesus when he taught his Apostles to pray.
• We say amen when we receive communion to show we believe that the Eucharist is the actual Body and Blood of Christ.
• We say amen at the end of mass to verify we understand our duty to spread the gospel.

So don't just say "Amen" without realizing you are expressing your faith in the belief in God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.  Be proud of your belief in the tenants of the Catholic Church when you say "Amen!"

  

How did Jesus Choose Who to Save?

Jesus preformed many miracles that are documented in the bible.  He changed water into wine.  He healed the sick.  He raised the dead.  I'm sure he did more things that were not documented by the writers in the bible.

How did Jesus chose who to carry out his graces on?

At Capernaum, a paraplegic was healed when his friends lowered him down through a hole in the roof.  Jesus raised Jairus daughter, the widow's son at Nain and his friend Lazarus when he saw the faith and sorrow and faith of their relatives.

It seems to me that Jesus values not just the faith of a person but their friends and relatives.  He saved people who had faith, as well as the people close to them.

So it's important to to pray and have faith not just to save ourselves, but to save our friends and family.  Pray for the redemption of not only our soul but for the soul of those close to us and at the final judgement maybe Jesus will save them because our faith.

No Time to Pray

Day to day life is busy.  We have to work, oversee our social network presence, maintain friendships, manage families, watch Yellowstone, eat and sleep-just to name a few.  So God must understand if we can't find time for prayer, right?

Newsflash-He doesn't.

There are 24 hours in a day; the same 24 hours that our forbearers were able to find enough time to forge relationships with God and become Saints.  If they can do it we can find time to spend with God as well.

So when can we pray?

• When we wake up, before we get out of bed, before we check our phone, we can say a quick morning prayer thanking Jesus for a night's sleep and asking for his guidance for the day.
• Most of us drive alone somewhere on a daily basis.  Why not use that time to pray?  Download a audio rosary and put that on the radio.  Dedicating your drive to a decade or two of the rosary and Mary can help make you arrive safely at your destination.
• Why have we gotten away from thanking God for our meals?  It seems so easy to spend 30 seconds to acknowledge God's role in providing us the food we need to survive.
• When going to sleep we should take a minute reflecting on the day.  We can look at what went well, what went poorly and how we can make tomorrow better.  We should thank god for his role in our day and ask him for a refreshing night of sleep.

If we look for free time and utilize those to spend time with God, I think we would all be surprised how much time we can spend in prayer.  And we might still have time to watch Yellowstone as well.

The Holy Spirit

Whenever we recite the creed at mass or as part of the rosary, we summarize our beliefs as Catholics.  It starts with God, our creator.  The majority of the creed directly addresses Jesus, his role on earth, his resurrection and presence at the final judgement.  Then there's a list of our other beliefs-the Holy Spirit, the church, communion with the saints, forgiveness of sins, resurrection of the body and life everlasting.

Why is the Holy Spirit, a divine part of the Trinity, equal to the God the Father and Jesus his son buried in a list of the "leftover" beliefs?  Shouldn't he have a part of the creed equal to the rest of the Trinity?

I really don't know the answer to this question.  But it seems like we tend to forget about the Holy Spirit sometimes.  We always talk about praying to God or Jesus.  We honor Mary or the Saints.  What role does the Holy Spirit have in our day to day life?

Pope Benedict had similar thoughts.  In 2008 he called the Holy Spirit the "Neglected person of the Blessed Trinity."  In the bible we are taught that the Holy Sprit is a tongue of fire or a dove that just shows up sometimes.

I would argue as a layman in my faith, trying to learn more every day, the Holy Spirit might be more important today for us then even The Father and The Son.  Remember the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son.  It is through their love that the Holy Spirit constantly intercedes in our life and guides us in our decisions to become closer to God.

The Holy Spirit protects the Word of God in both the inspiration for the bible and its interpretation by the clergy.  He puts us in communion with the Church in mass.  He intercedes for our good and it is through him that we receive the sacraments.  He helps grow the Church by inspiring us to be closer to our faith and finding our vocations.

Let's not forget The Holy Spirit in our prayers and recognize his role in our life.  Remember its "The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit," distinct and equal members of the Trinity.

Naughty or Nice

When you have done all that you have been commanded to do say, "We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we are obliged to do." -Luke 17

As we prepare for Christmas we will see many advertisements about being on "Santa's Naughty or Nice List."  

I wonder if God has a similar list.  I pray every day.  I keep The Commandments.  I go to church every week.  I treat my neighbor well.  So I must be on God's good list, right?  And I should get special privileges because of it just like good children get presents at Christmas.  I wonder what God will bring me?

Today's Gospel tells us we are God's servants.  Praying, worshiping, and following the Commandments are what we are supposed to do.  We don't get special benefits just for doing what you are expected to do.  That's not how this works.

Serving the Lord does not entitle us to special rewards.  By realizing that following Jesus we can become more open to His graces and we become more ready to realize how the Lord can work through us to become the person He created us to be.

We shouldn't expect God to look at us any different than any of his other creations, He loves us all.  By realizing we are only doing what He expects of us does not make any of us better than anyone else.  

till, I'd rather be on God's nice list, and not on the naughty one.

Limits on Forgiveness

If your brother sins, rebuke him;  if he repents, forgive him.  If he wrongs you seven times in one day and returns to you seven times saying, "I am sorry," you should forgive him.   -Luke 17:3-4

The last time I was preparing for confession I thought to myself, "All of my sins are repeats.  What is Jesus going to think if I keep having the same sin?"  Jesus forgiveness knows no limits according to this bible passage.  He always forgives my sins.

I wish I was more forgiving.  If someone came to me 7 times saying sorry my likely reply would likely be an annoyed, "Not this time.  If you really want to be forgiven maybe stop doing the same thing over and over again."  As in all things, I need to use Jesus as my example in forgiveness of my neighbor.

And if I can't forgive my neighbor, I shouldn't expect their forgiveness when I say sorry.  Believe me, I need all the forgiveness I can get. 

 

He Puts You to the Test-When He Knows You Are Ready

When you are dealing with a health issue its hard not say "Why me?"  In my case I feel like I'm still relatively young.  I have always made exercise a priority.  Never smoked.  No alcohol.

Compared to other people its hard to not be a little jealous that someone who seems to live a less healthy life still be living into their 80's or more.

But I have realized a few things in reflecting over this situation.

1.  You can't compare your life to anyone else.  Everyone is an individual.  Everyone deals with individual issues that you may or not be aware of.
2. There is no room in life for jealously.  The only judge of a person's situation and worthiness is God.
3. God only puts you to the test when you need it.  You need to trust in God that when you do face a life's test He knows you are ready to deal with it.

Am I facing a life changing situation?  Yes-without a doubt.   But rather than feel sorry for myself or angry that I am facing it rather than someone else, I need to put my confidence in Jesus that he put this on me because I knows I am ready to deal with it.  I just need to put my trust in Jesus to take care of me.  I need to allow Jesus to live through me and let his will be done.  By his will and the Grace of our heavenly mother, Mary, He will take care of me.