Today's gospel ends with the words
blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.
I suspect for most of us our minds jump to the commands, and and we think in particular of the thinks we are not suppose to do, the sins. We think of observing the word of god as keeping the commandments.
But let's not forget that there is much more in the word of God, and in particular the gospel. To hear the word of God and observe it also means believing in the promises.
Mt.-the promise to be with us always until the end of the world
Rm- all things work together for good for those who love God and have been called according to his purpose.
Jn- the light shines in the darkness,and the darkness has not overcome it.
1Cor-he has made us temples of the Holy Spirit
How many times have we all heard these words and yet do we believe them in the very depths of our being. One can memorize the entire Bible but if you do not trust it, you have only heard the word.
Are there times when it is hard to believe? Yes.
Are there times when it looks like the darkness is winning? Yes
But that is a lie. In Jesus we have eternal life, a share in the very divinity of God. Nothing can overcome that.
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Thursday, October 10, 2013
The short view
Why most of us I suspect are looking at Washington and feeling frustrated with all sides for their short-sighted ness, it seems to me we need to be careful.
In today's fist reading the prophet addresses all of us when describes the frustration that I suspect every religious person has felt at one time or another the feeling that those without a moral center seem to be those who get ahead, and the good suffer.
He uses a common word but one about which we don't often reflect, impunity-freedom from the injurious consequences of ones actions. Come on, let's be honest, don't we all want that. Don't we all want the ability to simply say I'm sorry and move on.
Those who scoff at the notions of purgatory or indulgences, act as if Christianity teaches that all you have to do is confess sin, ask forgiveness and it's all over and done with. We want to forget that there is for all humanity temporal punishment due to sin. Even after sin is forgiven, because God is just there are the consequences. If a kid throws a baseball through my window, and ask forgiveness, he still owes me for the repair of the window. If I came I late, and apologized my mother scepter the apology, and still grounded me.
Truth is when we see someone acting in what appears to be impunity part of our anger is really jealousy. How come they get away with it?
The truth is we are all short-sighted. Our god is both a God of mercy and a God of justice. In the end we are all, every single human being is going to be judged for the choices they have made. No one has impunity. Rather than spending our time focused on someone else, including "those people in Washington", we would all do well today to stay focused on our own choices. And if you have forgotten what an indulgence is? Here's the link.
In today's fist reading the prophet addresses all of us when describes the frustration that I suspect every religious person has felt at one time or another the feeling that those without a moral center seem to be those who get ahead, and the good suffer.
He uses a common word but one about which we don't often reflect, impunity-freedom from the injurious consequences of ones actions. Come on, let's be honest, don't we all want that. Don't we all want the ability to simply say I'm sorry and move on.
Those who scoff at the notions of purgatory or indulgences, act as if Christianity teaches that all you have to do is confess sin, ask forgiveness and it's all over and done with. We want to forget that there is for all humanity temporal punishment due to sin. Even after sin is forgiven, because God is just there are the consequences. If a kid throws a baseball through my window, and ask forgiveness, he still owes me for the repair of the window. If I came I late, and apologized my mother scepter the apology, and still grounded me.
Truth is when we see someone acting in what appears to be impunity part of our anger is really jealousy. How come they get away with it?
The truth is we are all short-sighted. Our god is both a God of mercy and a God of justice. In the end we are all, every single human being is going to be judged for the choices they have made. No one has impunity. Rather than spending our time focused on someone else, including "those people in Washington", we would all do well today to stay focused on our own choices. And if you have forgotten what an indulgence is? Here's the link.
Monday, October 7, 2013
Need for Reminders
Today we celebrate Our Lady of the Rosary. It used to be that praying the rosary was a Catholic identifier. Even growing up as a baptist, when I had never seen a rosary except in movies, I knew Catholics prayed the rosary.
Now I am afraid that the place I most see rosaries is in movies and on television. What happened? It would be easy to oversimplify history, and look for someone to blame. But what is served. The story of Lot's wife reminds us that looking backward is not the answer. We need to look forward, and help each other rediscover the place of this prayer in the daily life of the Catholic.
A first step is the simple carrying of the rosary. Just the presence of the rosary in our pocket can be that constant reminder that our faith must guide every decision we make in our lives. And we all need reminders. Every knight of Columbus is supposed to be carrying his rosary at all times.
The prayer is simple. In its most basic form: three prayers, the Our Father, the Hail Mary, and the Glory Be. The traditional rosary consisted of 150 Hail Mary's, mirroring the 150 psalms which had been prayed for centuries by monks. A Catholic would usually pray one third of the rosary each day, five decades of the rosary. Each decade begins with the Our Father and conclude with the Glory be, with ten Hail Mary's in between.
From the 16th century until 2002 the rosary remained unchanged until Bl. Pope John Paul II, added the luminous mysteries, which fill in the story of Jesus's ministry.
The beauty of the rosary is its flexibility. While there are varieties of suggested schedules for which mysteries to pray on which days. Some add in the Fatima prayer. There is no one fixed way that is the right way.
Here are the instructions on how to pray the rosary.
Today find your rosary. And most of all pray.
Now I am afraid that the place I most see rosaries is in movies and on television. What happened? It would be easy to oversimplify history, and look for someone to blame. But what is served. The story of Lot's wife reminds us that looking backward is not the answer. We need to look forward, and help each other rediscover the place of this prayer in the daily life of the Catholic.
A first step is the simple carrying of the rosary. Just the presence of the rosary in our pocket can be that constant reminder that our faith must guide every decision we make in our lives. And we all need reminders. Every knight of Columbus is supposed to be carrying his rosary at all times.
The prayer is simple. In its most basic form: three prayers, the Our Father, the Hail Mary, and the Glory Be. The traditional rosary consisted of 150 Hail Mary's, mirroring the 150 psalms which had been prayed for centuries by monks. A Catholic would usually pray one third of the rosary each day, five decades of the rosary. Each decade begins with the Our Father and conclude with the Glory be, with ten Hail Mary's in between.
From the 16th century until 2002 the rosary remained unchanged until Bl. Pope John Paul II, added the luminous mysteries, which fill in the story of Jesus's ministry.
The beauty of the rosary is its flexibility. While there are varieties of suggested schedules for which mysteries to pray on which days. Some add in the Fatima prayer. There is no one fixed way that is the right way.
Here are the instructions on how to pray the rosary.
Today find your rosary. And most of all pray.
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Power and seduction
Today's gospel reports 72 disciples coming back thrilled because they have discovered that there is power to be had in being a disciple of Jesus. While acknowledging the power, Jesus gives them a simple warning.
do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven
Jesus knows human nature. He knows how dangerous seeking power, even if we intend to use it for good can be. The more power we have (or think we have), the more we want. It gives a sense of control which in turn gives us sense of safety.
The down side is that it grounds us. You may ask, isn't it good to be ground? Not if you are intended to fly. The search power keeps us planted on earth. It anchors us to the temporary.
Jesus reminds the disciples and us that we are intended for something beyond our imagining, eternal life. Perhaps that is the problem. It is truly beyond our imagining. We cannot comprehend the grandeur of what God has in store for us, and so we reach for what we can see.
Jesus tells us, his disciples, to rejoice because our names are written in heaven. We are call to not just reach for the stars, but even beyond the stars, to reach for a joy, a peace, a perfection, and a life that I cannot even begin to imagine.
do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven
Jesus knows human nature. He knows how dangerous seeking power, even if we intend to use it for good can be. The more power we have (or think we have), the more we want. It gives a sense of control which in turn gives us sense of safety.
The down side is that it grounds us. You may ask, isn't it good to be ground? Not if you are intended to fly. The search power keeps us planted on earth. It anchors us to the temporary.
Jesus reminds the disciples and us that we are intended for something beyond our imagining, eternal life. Perhaps that is the problem. It is truly beyond our imagining. We cannot comprehend the grandeur of what God has in store for us, and so we reach for what we can see.
Jesus tells us, his disciples, to rejoice because our names are written in heaven. We are call to not just reach for the stars, but even beyond the stars, to reach for a joy, a peace, a perfection, and a life that I cannot even begin to imagine.
Friday, October 4, 2013
The juxtaposition
As much a democrats and republicans are try to turn this into a blame game, today's memorial shifts our attention. Today we celebrate St. Francis of Assisi. He reminds us of some useful basic Christian principles.
—the people who are suffering most are the poor.
—we look for the face of Christ in each of our brothers or sisters.
The Vatican website describe it thus:
So greatly loathsome was the sight of lepers to him at one time, he used to say, that, in the days of his vanity, he would look at their houses only from a distance of two miles and he would hold his nostrils with his hands. But now, when by the grace and the power of the Most High he was beginning to think of holy and useful things, while he was still clad in secular garments, he met a leper one day and, made stronger than himself, he kissed him.
I am always shocked when I hear people who call themselves Christian express the same kind of loathing when they speak of people from the opposite political party. Perhaps the first step for Washington is for us the constituents to pray for the intercession of St. Francis, and encourage our leaders, most of whom claim to be Christian to set aside loathing, and see the good in each other.
Multi-party politics always involves disagreement and struggle. But what we see now is void of all Christianity.
—the people who are suffering most are the poor.
—we look for the face of Christ in each of our brothers or sisters.
The Vatican website describe it thus:
So greatly loathsome was the sight of lepers to him at one time, he used to say, that, in the days of his vanity, he would look at their houses only from a distance of two miles and he would hold his nostrils with his hands. But now, when by the grace and the power of the Most High he was beginning to think of holy and useful things, while he was still clad in secular garments, he met a leper one day and, made stronger than himself, he kissed him.
I am always shocked when I hear people who call themselves Christian express the same kind of loathing when they speak of people from the opposite political party. Perhaps the first step for Washington is for us the constituents to pray for the intercession of St. Francis, and encourage our leaders, most of whom claim to be Christian to set aside loathing, and see the good in each other.
Multi-party politics always involves disagreement and struggle. But what we see now is void of all Christianity.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
I do believe
The letter to the Hebrews reminds us regarding angels,
Are they not all ministering spirits sent to serve, for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?j
or even more clearly in. Matthew
See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.
Today we celebrate a great spiritual gift which we can all too easily forget or worse yet, in our arrogance dismiss.
Angels are as real as any other form of life in the universe. And today we are reminded of those angels who are entrusted with watching over and assisting each of us. Do not be afraid to reach out in pray to your guardian angel. It's not just for children.
Are they not all ministering spirits sent to serve, for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?j
or even more clearly in. Matthew
See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.
Today we celebrate a great spiritual gift which we can all too easily forget or worse yet, in our arrogance dismiss.
Angels are as real as any other form of life in the universe. And today we are reminded of those angels who are entrusted with watching over and assisting each of us. Do not be afraid to reach out in pray to your guardian angel. It's not just for children.
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
The little flower
Today we celebrate the person who may well be one of the most controversial of the doctors of the Church. St. Therese of Lisieux. In 1997, when Bl. Pope John Paul II declared her a Doctor of the Church many were to say the least shocked. How could a woman whose writing was so simple be counted among the great theologians of Christianity. Only 35 people hold that title in the history of the church.
Yet Bl. Pope John Paul saw what many could not. That it was precisely her ability to capture the simplicity of the gospel and the path to holiness that made her one of the greatest teachers of the faith.
Today may each of us look for the little flower, tiny acts of love that we can do today, and so imitate St. Therese.
Yet Bl. Pope John Paul saw what many could not. That it was precisely her ability to capture the simplicity of the gospel and the path to holiness that made her one of the greatest teachers of the faith.
Today may each of us look for the little flower, tiny acts of love that we can do today, and so imitate St. Therese.
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