I actually purchased this book about a year and a half ago
but due to selling one home, putting things in storage for 17 months and then
moving in to a new home, I “lost” it and recently found it and read it. What an interesting book! I am so glad that I finally found it. I believe you will be glad too when you find
one and read it.
THE TABLE is a book that jumps back and forth from biblical times
to modern times. The link is a very
special table that the grandfather of Jesus made as a result of a miracle. It seems that blessings and miracles and
peace seem to follow the table and those who own it. I really don’t want to give you a complete
synopsis of the book because there are a number of surprises in the book that I
don’t want to spoil for you. Suffice it
to say that the table that Jesus’ grandfather made was not only a miracle in
its time, but continued to bring miracles to people who struggled with everyday
life.
I found the book to be difficult to put down. It was intriguing on so many levels. Deacon Lambert is a great writer who knows how
to weave a great story. The characters,
whether they are from the biblical time, or from the modern time, are
interesting, very human, and very likeable.
I especially liked how he portrayed Jesus and His family. Some of the writing made me feel like I was
reading an expanded Gospel that was written to fill in some of the details left
out by the scriptures. He did the same
in writing about the early Church figures.
When reading about the biblical times, you actually felt like you were
there.
The figures in the modern time were wonderful. They were people that you could most definitely
relate to. Their fears and hurts and
successes were ones that we too could have experienced. In the midst of both tragedy and elation, the
characters were so very human and believable.
I found myself rooting for them at the various parts of their life and
tearing up for them at their difficult times.
This book certainly brought out many emotions for me.
This historical fiction provides not only great
entertainment, but also serves as a way to grow spiritually. It is a book for all people, but most
certainly will speak very loudly to Catholics with its description of the mass
and sacraments. You cannot help but to
read this book and see God at work in the lives of the characters and transfer
that in to your own life. God is very
much alive and at work in this book. I
see it as a great gift for those who have fallen away from the faith. They will find the book so interesting that
they can’t put it down, and at the same time have their own spirituality
awakened. I believe that this is the
first published book by Deacon Dennis Lambert.
I am anxiously awaiting another one by him.
From Selling Abortions To Sidewalk Counseling – by Doug
Johnson
For the entire 8 years my wife was involved with Planned
Parenthood, her primary job was to sell an abortion to every pregnant woman who
walked into the clinic. Even as a volunteer, Abby’s job was to make women feel
safe and comfortable as they walked through the doors of Planned Parenthood for
their abortion. No matter what her title was, the push was always for abortion,
because that is where the money is. When she was an escort, get them in the
door. When she was working the front counter, smile, tell them the protesters
are nuts, and get the money. When she was in charge of community outreach, Abby
was passing out condoms to coeds, giving “sex ed” talks that resulted in new
customers, and doing everything she could to normalize abortion. Finally, when
she became the clinic director, here’s your abortion quota, Abby!!!
Abby’s first priority and passion project when she left the
abortion industry was praying outside of clinics and sidewalk counseling. It
wasn’t speaking or writing a book. It wasn’t her movie or starting a ministry
to help other clinic workers leave the abortion industry. All that came later.
What really motivated her was the opportunity to come face to face with women
and sharing the truth about abortion. To tell them what really happens behind
the doors of an abortion clinic. She racked up a lot of hours in that first
year. I’m not sure why, but it was well over a year before I ever even got to
see her live and in action outside of a clinic. The first time I saw Abby get a
save… I was in awe. I was inspired. I couldn’t have prepared for how powerful
that moment would be and the impact it would have on me supporting my wife
moving forward.
It was going to be a normal Saturday with my wife. We were
headed to the Austin area in Texas for some reason or another. Who knows?
Probably to see friends and maybe do some house hunting. Before we could get to
the fun stuff, we needed to stop and drop some materials off with volunteers
outside of the Whole Women’s Health in Austin. There were a couple of familiar
faces outside the clinic praying, and they told Abby that they were performing
abortions that day. Whelp, our leisurely day was going to have to take a pause.
It was go time for Abby.
“Ok. Then we are staying until the last customer
leaves.”
Now, I had zero experience in this department. I could pray,
but I wasn’t about to try my hand at sidewalk counseling. I stood back by the
road and watched Abby go to work. The CONFIDENCE she had to call out to
everyone that walked in? I was blown away. She knew what to say, how to say it,
and how to respond to anything that came her way. I mean, I have always known
Abby is a bad-ass, but this was just a cool moment.
We had only been there for about 30 minutes when a couple
pulled into the lot and parked right behind the fence facing the sidewalk. A
woman stepped out of the passenger side and made a b-line for the building. Her
head down and she was clinching her purse. My wife didn’t have an opportunity
to say anything to her because just as she was scurrying off, her husband was
pointing a finger at us and the first words out of his mouth where…
“You know what? You guys are assholes! You are wasting
you’re time and you can’t change my mind!!”
At first, I took this as a personal affront to my wife. How
dare this dude address my wife and the other women like that?! Fortunately, I
had seen my bride handle confrontation before. Still, I positioned
myself just close enough to hear the conversation, but not close enough to
escalate things. Besides, I could tell that he was only being protective of his
wife. I’m sure he told his wife to hurry in while he distracted us. He didn’t
actually want to get into a fight with anyone. Either way, if he was just
running interference, he chose the wrong gal to wag his finger at, because it
was Abby’s turn to talk.
I don’t remember any exact words. I don’t even remember if
Abby started with her experiences in the abortion industry, or if she asked if
that was his wife, or if she asked him why he automatically assumed that she’s
an “asshole.” She may have started out asking what year his Camero was.
My memory picks up somewhere in the middle. Abby managed to keep him engaged in
idle conversation and it didn’t take long for his aggressive tone to fade. I
remember him saying that the woman was his wife, this wasn’t their first
abortion, and that he was a professional MMA fighter. Then I remember Abby
asking him about the medallions he wore around his neck. They were saints and
they were given to him by his aunt. Abby asked him what his aunt would think
about him being here for an abortion, and he said she would be pretty
disappointed. I’ll never forget the next thing that came out of his mouth…
“I actually DON’T want her to have an abortion,
but it’s up to her, right?”
In my brain, there were thousands of voices yelling, NO!!!
It is not just up to her!!! That is your wife and child in there. That is your
family. If you’re a fighter, then why don’t you go in there and fight for your
family. I bet she is in there waiting for you to man up and lead. Tell her you
want a family. Tell her you’re committed . Just say something. Anything!! Don’t
just leave her alone to figure this out.
Abby handled it much better than I would have. She asked him
if he had told her about his objection to her getting an abortion. He said, no.
Abby told him, “You need to share your feelings with her. She is your WIFE
and this is a conversation you need to have before it’s too late. Go be her
husband. She needs you.”
They didn’t say much more before he went in to talk to his
wife. About an hour later, they walked out holding hands and looking very at
ease. She still didn’t say anything to us, but she smiled at Abby as she got
into the car. He looked like he was going to get into the car without saying
anything, but he paused. He told us that they were going to lunch and they
weren’t coming back. They had decided AGAINST getting an abortion. Abby just
smiled and congratulated them. He nodded at us and got in the car. They drove
away, and we never saw them again.
I was in such awe of what I had just seen. My wife, a woman
that had spent so many years selling abortions had just saved a life. So this
is what conversion and change of heart looks like. So this is what it looks
like when God recruits you and you accept. You get to save lives.
On a side note: I HATE that even in an equal partnership, men feel silenced about abortion. I guess that’s why I remember this story so well. Men should have a say on the issue of abortion. Not just pro-abortion men. Not just anti-abortion men. ALL MEN!!! Maybe if we stepped up our game, women would feel more supported and never even consider abortion if they knew we were committed. I believe women should lead the conversation, but that doesn’t exclude men in their responsibilities regarding families and abortion.
One Beautiful Dream by Jennifer Fulwiler – review by Deacon
Marty McIndoe
When I heard that Jennifer Fulwiler had published a new
book, I knew I had to have it and read it as soon as I could. A few years ago, I read her book,” Something
Other Than God”, and absolutely loved it.
She is a gifted writer and her second book continues to show how gifted
she is. I found it hard to put down,
funny and thought provoking. Her
subtitle to this new book is The Rollicking Tale of Personal Passions, Family
Chaos, and Saying Yes to Them Both. The
subtitle is a great description of her book.
It tells the story of her raising six children while trying to write a
book.
For those of you who do not know Jennifer’s story, she is a
former atheist whom God touched and led in to the Catholic Church. You should read her first book “Something
Other Than God” to find out this great story.
Jennifer is also a daily radio host on Sirius XM channel 129 as well as
a noted speaker and columnist. She also
describes herself as “Mother of six with zero of the skills needed to manage a
home”. I would add that she is a gifted
writer with an ability to describe life situations in ways that can only make
you laugh, and sometimes cause you to shed a tear.
The beauty of her new book is that not only is it funny and
interesting and hard to put down; it shows us all how it is possible to
accomplish a sense of personal accomplishment in the midst of being a good,
albeit struggling, parent. I love what
the book does for both men and women who find it hard to balance family life
and work life. It shows how you can
incorporate both into personal satisfaction.
This book will definitely challenge any man or woman who puts work ahead
of family. However, it does show that a
true balance can be made that will be very satisfying.
To be perfectly truthful, when I first started reading this
book I thought it was mainly a book for women.
I even said that to my wife and told her that I knew she would enjoy
it. However, after reading the book for
a while, I saw that it is for men and women.
Jennifer describes how her lifelong desire to write a book seemed to
interfere with her sense that God was calling her to have a large family. On many occasions her husband Joe was the
needed instrument to help her learn to be able to do both. At the same time Joe had to learn how to
balance his work (and advancements) to fit in to their family life. Personally I see Joe as a real hero in this
story. There is no doubt that Jennifer
is the one who had to struggle and work so hard, but it was with Joe at her
side and often encouraging her. This book
does so much to show what marriage and family life is supposed to be, even the
messy parts of it.
The book also shows how Jennifer discovers that family is
not just her and Joe and their six children, but extends to grandparents, great
grandparents and friends and neighbors
and even to young girls ringing the door bell and running away (usually at the
most inopportune times). Jennifer learns
that she can’t do everything by herself and it is then that family life begins
to grow. She learns how to involve her
children in her writing career. She also
learns how to involve other family and friends in what she does. In doing this she discovers that having a
large family is a lot more than giving birth to many children.
I love how Jennifer is able to make us all laugh at some of the disheveled things that life throws at us. I also like the way her faith comes forth without being preachy. She shows herself in her weaknesses and in her strengths and we can’t help but to love her in both. In an age where many couples have no children, or only one or two, this books delights us with the interactions of six children and the fulfillment they bring to their parents. Jennifer is often confronted by friends and strangers for having such a large family. I find this so sad. Large families are a real gift that society doesn’t seem to appreciate any more. Jennifer and Joe wanted a large family and God gave them one. Jennifer and Joe use Natural Family Planning and Jennifer does a great job sharing how NFP has been a positive influence on their marriage. This book certainly shows us how two people, working together in the gift of marriage, can find both personal fulfillment and family fulfillment. There is no doubt that this is a book that I would highly recommend reading. It is printed by Zondervan. I bought my copy on Amazon Prime.
Our Lord knew that life could be difficult at times, as well
as joyful. We were created not to be a
person just to ourselves, but rather a person who reacts with other
people. This way we have someone to
share the joyful moments with as well as someone to help us in the difficult
moments. In our relationships with
others we often form communities. These
communities can be a source of sharing great joy as well as a support for times
when life is difficult. Communities can
take on different forms. I recently was
contemplating the gift of community at a time when very good friends (and
members of one of our communities) lost their daughter. It was most difficult for our friends, but
the gift of community really came forth.
I would like to share with you some of the ways that I have experienced this
community in action. My hope is this
will help you to better appreciate the gift of community in your own life. The old adage; “it takes a village to raise a
child” is an old African proverb but certainly relates to all of us today. I would change that a little to say, “it
takes a community to raise and support a Christian”.
My first experience of Christian Community happened in
1972. My wife and I started going to a
Catholic Charismatic prayer meeting.
That experience brought me to know Jesus and His Church and the gift of
community. The prayer group was one
where I experienced joy, teachings and support.
We met every week and I looked forward to going every time. We prayed together in the church and often had
a teaching there; afterwards many of us would go over to the diner across the
street just to socialize. Because of my
relationship with that prayer group, and with Jesus, my marriage became what it
really needed to be. My wife and I grew
in our relationship as we grew in our relationship in the prayer group and our
relationship to Jesus and His Church. My
wife and I had difficulties having children and this weighed heavily upon our
relationship. The prayer group was a
great support to us and I believe it was through the prayers there that we
received the miracle of our daughter.
The prayer group always shared with us our pains as well as our
joys. It was quite a gift.
We continued in weekly prayer groups until the early 1980’s
when we were invited to join a prayer community called “My people”. This continued in the same way as the prayer
meeting, but with closer ties of friendship.
We prayed together and we did things to have fun together. The friends that I mentioned earlier are part
of that community. All of us watched our
children grow in to adults and then watched as our children had children. It was a source of great joy. At the same time there were many
difficulties, from run-away teenagers to car accidents to deaths of spouses to
all sorts of things that happened.
However, we were able to experience it all together. We were able to lend support to each
other. Over and over again, God used
this community to bring His loving support to us.
Over the 40 years that this community has existed, some
members retired and moved away (down south).
Every year we have a community retreat and most of those who moved away
come up for that retreat here on Long Island.
In some ways it was as if they never left. We were, and are, all one community. Those of us who still live on Long Island
still meet regularly for our community prayer meeting. We also maintain other social ties to one
another. Last month, when we heard about
the sudden death of one couple’s 45 year old daughter, we were devastated. However, the community pulled together to
support them in so many ways. Even those
who moved away came up from the south to be there for the funeral. We stayed with the family at the funeral home
the whole time they were there. We were,
literally, “there for them”. I could
tell how much it was a support to them.
I also noticed at the funeral another example of
community. Our friend’s daughter was an
EMT for a local ambulance company. They
too came out in great numbers each day of the funeral. They also provided a funeral dinner for
everyone after the last service. Their
support was encouraging to all of us and especially to the parents. We saw that many parishioners from our
friend’s parish came too. The funeral
mass was quite full. After the mass, the
hearse drove past the hospital where our friend’s daughter worked in the
Emergency Room. It seemed that every
worker in the hospital came outside to give her their last goodbye. It was amazing to see how such a tragic loss
of a young woman could also show so much good from the people around her. Community is quite a gift that God uses to
support us.
We can find community in our families, in our local parish,
in our work, in our neighborhood, in our volunteer agencies…….in so many
different places. Sometimes we need to
work on building these communities into something that God can use to help us
all experience life with its joys and with its sorrows. Anything that is good, takes a little work.
I would ask you to look around at the communities that you
are part of and give thanks to God for them.
Perhaps you can find ways to grow closer to each other in these
communities. Perhaps you can see in your
family and in your co-workers ways to grow in community. Church groups can be a fantastic way to
experience community. My wife and I,
besides belonging to the “My People” charismatic community also belong to the
Teams of Our Lady group in our parish.
We cherish those monthly meetings with them and the gift of community
there. I cannot picture life without these
communities. Proverbs 27:17 tells us, “As
iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another”. We
really need community to bring out the best in us. Hebrews 10;25-25 tells us, “ And let us
consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in
the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the
Day approaching. “
When we are in community we can experience better what it
means to be “the people of God”. 1
Peter 2:9-19 tells us, “But you are
a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession,
that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his
wonderful light. Once you were not a
people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but
now you have received mercy”. Community
is also where we all can experience being the “body of Christ”. Matthew 18:20 tells us that, “For
where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” I Corinthians 12:12-13 says, “Just as a body,
though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with
Christ. For we were all baptized by one
Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we
were all given the one Spirit to drink”.
My friends, let us all drink of the one Spirit and use all the gifts that God gives to us, especially the gift of community.
Today (originally published Jan 4th) is the memorial of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first Native born American saint of the Catholic Church. She was born in New York in the year 1774 to a wealthy and prosperous Episcopalian family. In 1794, she married a young successful man by the name of William Magee Seton. They would have 5 children together. Due to unforeseen circumstances, he lost his fortune and eventually his health. They traveled to Italy to find a cure for his physical ailments, but in the end, he died while living in Italy.
During her time in Italy, she became familiar with
Catholicism through some friends and eventually made a Profession of Faith in
the Catholic Church on March 14, 1805. Her family and friends back home were
completely opposed to her becoming Catholic, but she persevered through it all.
After returning home, she found herself in financial ruin because her family
and friends shunned her decision to become Catholic.
After receiving an invitation from a priest, she established
the first Catholic school in Baltimore in 1808. In 1809, she created a small
community of religious sisters in Emmitsburg, Maryland. At first, they were
known as the Sisters of St. Joseph, but eventually changed their name to the
Daughters of Charity. From the moment, she became known as Mother Seton. Her
small religious community grew exceptionally in 100 years going from Baltimore
to New York, then to Cincinnati, Halifax, New Jersey, Greensburg, and St.
Louis. From there, the community continued to spread West. They have been in my
diocese, Phoenix, since 1933.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton died on January 21, 1821 in
Emmitsburg, Maryland. She was beatified in 1963 by Pope St. John XXIII.
On September 14, 1975, she was canonized by Pope St. Paul VI.
Below are 10 Quotes from the great American Catholic Saint
known as Mother Seton –
1. Devotional Reading: “Give some time, if it is
only half an hour in every day, to devotional reading, which is as necessary to
the well ordering of the mind as the hand of the gardener is to prevent weeds
destroying your favorite flowers.”
2. Faith, Hope, and Love: “Faith lifts the
staggering soul on one side, Hope supports it on the other. Experience says it
must be, and Love says let it be.”
3. Going to the Catholic Church: “I will go
peaceably and firmly to the Catholic Church: for if Faith is so important to
our salvation, I will seek it where true Faith first began, seek it among those
who received it from God Himself.”
4. Heaven: “The gate of heaven is very low; only
the humble can enter it.”
5. God’s will before our will: “’Thy will be
done’ – What a comfort and support those four little words are to my soul. I
have repeated them until they are softened to the sweetest harmony.”
6. Parental Advice: “If I had to advise parents,
I should tell them to take great care about the people with whom their children
associate…Much harm can result from bad company, and we are inclined by nature
to follow what is worse than what is better.”
7. Penance: “Penance is the purifier of the
soul.”
8. Suffering: “This is not a country for
solitude and silence, but for warfare and crucifixion. You are not to stay in
his silent agonies of the Garden at night, but go from post to pillar, to the
very fastening of the Cross. If you suffer so much the better for our high
journey above.”
9. Illness/Suffering: “I never experienced so
keenly the presence of this beloved Lord as I have since I have been ill. It is
as if I were seeing the good Jesus, Him, and His holy Mother, here, continually
seated at my side, under a visible form, to console me, cheer me, and to
encourage me throughout all the hours of my long and painful suffering.”
10. Serving God: “This union of my soul with God
is my wealth in poverty and joy in deepest afflictions.
First of all I must apologize to my readers. I haven’t written or added to my blog in quite a while. This is because I had a bad cold, closed on a new house and moved in to the new house in the midst of celebrating Christmas.
We start off our New Year with a Holy Day celebrating the Blessed Virgin Mary as the mother of Jesus (God). It is such a great way to start. The readings of this mass are filled with blessings. The first reading gives the Blessing of Aaron found in Numbers 6: 22-27. In this we hear, “The LORD bless you and keep you! The LORD let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! The LORD look upon you kindly and give you peace!” What a beautiful blessing for the New Year. In the responsorial psalm we hear, “May the Lord bless you in His mercy”. Again, such a wonderful blessing. In the second reading St. Paul tells us that Jesus came to us, born of a woman, to ransom us so that we might receive adoption as sons of the Father. We can now call our God, Abba, Father. What a blessing it is to know that we are God’s children. In the Gospel we hear of the shepherds rejoicing at the site of the new born King. We also hear a phrase that is almost identical to one we heard last Sunday (finding of the 12 year old Jesus in the temple) about Mary where it tells us that Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. We also hear of the naming of Jesus.
Personally, I cannot think of a better way to start the New Year than to hear these readings and receive the presence of the Lord in the Eucharist. God richly blesses us, over and over again. He has blessed us so much in sharing His mother with us. The love that Mary has for us is amazing. She cares so much for us and wants us to grow closer to her son. She wants to bring us His healing love and forgiveness. Starting the New Year knowing that God calls us His children and blesses us and gives us His own mother is the most important way to start anything. This year I pray that we all grow in our knowledge of God. I pray that we all grow in our knowledge of how God continues to work through the Blessed Virgin Mary, His mother. I pray that we all grow in the knowledge of our call to be children of God, for so indeed we are. I pray that we can be like Mary and ponder all of the wonderful gifts, and even the difficulties, that God has chosen to give us. May this be a New Year that we all grow closer to God.
So many of our Saints have had a close devotion to Mary. One of the most loving is Saint Louis de Montfort. I would like to end with a prayer that he gave us:
My powerful Queen,
you are all mine through your mercy,
and I am all yours.
Take away from me all that may displease God
and cultivate in me all that is pleasing to him.
May the light of your faith
dispel the darkness of my mind,
your deep humility
take the place of my pride,
your continual sight of God
fill my memory with his presence.
May the first of the love of your heart
inflame the lukewarmness of my own heart.
May your virtues take the place of my sins.
May your merits be my enrichment
and make up for all
that is wanting in me before God.
My beloved Mother,
grant that I may have no other spirit but your spirit, to know Jesus Christ and His divine will and to praise and glorify the Lord, that I may love God with burning love like yours.
Amen. St. Louis de Montfort
Many American’s are tired of the banter (and worse) between the two major political parties. Worse yet, there is a sense that many of our youth really do not care. I normally stay away from political writings but this one gives me hope from today’s youth. It is written by a seventeen year old (who happens to be my grandson) but I think that it fits in so well with what we as Catholics believe about being good citizens and standing up for goodness and being against violence. Check it out by clicking here which will lead you right to my grandson’s High School newspaper article: The Great Chasm
We are at the end of the Church liturgical year. This Sunday, December 2nd, is the First Sunday of Advent. Advent is a very important, but very short, liturgical season. It is there to prepare us for the even shorter season of the twelve days of Christmas. Unfortunately and at the same time, our society also places demands upon us for celebrating Christmas, or as society says, “The Holidays”. These demands of society often keep us from the real preparation for Christmas that Advent calls us to. I really do believe that some of the demands of society such as Christmas decorating, parties and gift giving are important and do help us rejoice in the birth of our Savior, Jesus. But I also believe that we too often are more concentrated on these then on the spiritual preparation of the Advent season. This is something that we must work on.
I believe that at the heart of the Advent season we must recognize a yearning. This is a yearning that we have to be close to God and a yearning that He has to be close to us. The Advent readings reflect that two fold yearning. Advent is a time of yearning and a time of preparation to meet and be with the God who yearns to be with us even more than we yearn to be with him. It is a time when we celebrate the way that God comes to us. Christmas is the time we celebrate that the 2nd person of the Holy Trinity, the WORD, became flesh so that we could be with God and He could be with us. Advent helps us to celebrate better that special gift of the Incarnation. We can experience the yearning that the Jewish people had for the Messiah to come to them. The Old Testament (or Hebrew) readings help us experience that. They waited so long for His coming.
Advent is also a time for us to recognize the yearning for Jesus to come to us here and now. Life often has so many difficulties such as disappointments, illnesses and death of loved ones. We need help to live through these difficulties and we yearn for Jesus to be there with us. When we open our hearts, we can see that He is. Life also has so many great experiences and joys and it seems that we yearn to have God experience them with us, especially when we are filled with gratitude and praise. In our everyday life, in all that we do, God yearns to be present to us. If we really look within ourselves we also yearn for him to be there.
Advent also reminds us that just as Jesus came to His people on that very first Christmas, and just as Jesus joins us in our everyday lives, especially in the Eucharist, we still await another coming of Jesus. This second coming of Jesus will bring with it the fullness of His Kingdom. This too all creation yearns for (Romans 8: 19). Whether we will be alive when He comes again or not, we do know that we all will meet him when our body finally fails. Most people in ordinary life do not yearn for death, and thus this coming, but I have been with so many older and sickly people who do. They literally are yearning for their death so they can meet their Savior.
We really do not know when the Lord will come again and we do not know when our own time to meet him will come, so we must learn to be prepared.
Advent, when celebrated well, can help us do this. So how do we celebrate Advent well? First and foremost, we should try to attend mass as often as possible. If possible, every day is best. When we attend we should listen closely to the scriptures and the homily. God’s Word helps form us and readies us. Receiving Him in the Eucharist is so very important. He literally comes to us there. At home we should try to use a daily Advent devotional. There are many available at religious goods stores and online. Many Catholic organizations offer free emails every day to you. They are sent out daily at no cost. I especially like Dynamic Catholic which includes a link each day to a short video to watch. It is called “A Best Advent Ever” and can be found at BEST ADVENT .
An advent wreath is a great devotional to have in a home. It consists of an evergreen wreath and four upright candles. Four of the candles are purple (the liturgical color of advent) and one is pink or rose (the liturgical color of Gaudate Sunday the 3rd Sunday of Advent). One candle is lit for each of the four Sundays of Advent. There are prayer books to accompany the wreath (check online). This gives a great experience of waiting.
A Jesse Tree is also a great devotional for advent. We used to make one every year. All you need to do is to find a fallen branch with several branches on it and no leaves. You put it in a pot of dirt to hold it upright. You can Google “Jesse tree cutouts” and get free cutouts that you can print and cut out and color and hang on the tree. The idea is that you learn about the ancestors in the line of Jesus. This is a great way for children to learn about some of the famous Old Testament characters.
Last but not least, you need to try to find time within the busyness of the Season for some quiet. This is an especially great time of year for Penance and Reconciliation. Go to Confession. Take some extra time alone to pray. God comes to us when we find a place of stillness. He comes to us when we seek Him and YEARN for Him. Maranatha, Come Lord Jesus.
We’ve all been on the receiving end of a gift we don’t want. If you can’t stand country music, ripping off the Christmas wrap and finding a CD entitled Country’s Greatest Hits isn’t going to go over very well. Nor is a DVD of a movie you can’t stand, nor a food that contains an ingredient you’re allergic to.
In my life I’ve gotten some pretty bad gifts (see ” Weird Gifts “)
So, when I get a gift like that, I figure there are four options:
1. Trash
2. Donation to charity
3. Sell on eBay
4. Re-gift to someone who will like it
As long as I’m sure the giver won’t find out about it, any of the above can be done without hurting that person’s feelings. So imagine my surprise to discover a different kind of option:
5. Give it back to the person who gave it to you—and tell her to give it to someone else.
Well, that happened to me during Eucharistic Adoration. One of the women of my parish brought back two gifts I had bestowed on her. Now, these weren’t just a couple of things I had picked up at a store. They were items I had created myself.
She’d had them for over a year, but I guess she didn’t want them anymore. I could, she said, give them to someone else.
Uh . . . that’s going to be a bit difficult when one of them—at the woman’s request—was personalized with her first and last names.
Oh, believe me, this wasn’t a case of forgetting who had given them to her. She included a thank-you note addressed to me. I’m not going to say what the gifts were, but I had put hours upon hours of care (and—metaphorically speaking—blood, sweat, and tears) into them. It had been like giving away a bit of my very being.
Sitting there, holding them in my hands, I felt like she had spat in my face. Or, worse, slapped my face.
Okay, I get that not everything I give someone is going to be that person’s cup of tea. But why not go with options 1-4 instead? Why bring these back to the one who gave them to her? Just how did she expect me to react to the message that she was rejecting my gifts? Was this supposed to make me happy?
Anyway, I sat there at Eucharistic Adoration, mostly gazing up at Christ in the Host or at the large crucifix behind the altar. It occurred to me that this must be something Jesus goes through every day—giving the immeasurably greater gift of salvation that He put His time, blood, sweat, and tears into—only to have it thrown back in His face.
I admit I wasn’t looking for an opportunity to be more Christ-like that day, but I guess I got one anyway. Lord, please help me to be more like You in every way.
Even when it hurts.
Especially when it hurts.
When you read the Bible, you can sometimes see a hierarchy in the way things are listed. For example, each list of the twelve apostles shows Peter first and Judas last.
There’s another hierarchy you can find in the Old Testament: the Ten Commandments. The initial three, often depicted by themselves on one stone tablet, deal with our relationship with God. And the very first one is the most important: “I am the Lord thy God; Thou shalt not have other gods before me.”
Further down the list, we see the hierarchy still in play. “Thou shalt not kill” is obviously more important than the prohibition against adultery, which is greater than the one against stealing, which in turn is more important than not lying. And you can see how those are of more concern than coveting, whether of your neighbor’s spouse or goods.
But then there’s this one Commandment that seems—at least by today’s standards–to throw a monkey wrench into the whole idea of such a hierarchy.
“Honor thy father and thy mother.”
It’s the fourth Commandment, right after keeping the Lord’s day holy and right above “Thou shalt not kill.”
Really? Honoring one’s parents is more important than not committing murder?
Yet that’s where God chose to place that Commandment. And God doesn’t make mistakes.
You’d never know, by watching any current television program, that God gives it such weight. When, for example, is the last time you saw a TV show in which a child honored his parents?
Instead, parents, it seems, are supposed to honor their kids, bending over backwards to win their children’s affection. Nowadays parents—especially conservative ones—are portrayed as idiots who need to learn how to love. A parent is supposed to not only accept but honor his child’s life choices, even if he is constantly breaking the sixth Commandment by having sex without the benefit of marriage. Anybody who doesn’t is portrayed as a cruel, doddering old fool standing in the way of true love.
Of course we should all show respect for each other, but I honestly don’t think parents honoring their kids’ sinfulness is what God had in mind when He wrote that Commandment, and especially when he chose to place it where He did.
But I digress. What I should really be looking at is how well I myself have kept that Commandment.
I have to admit I went through those ridiculous teenage years in which I thought my parents weren’t terribly bright–as if my life experience was so much greater that I knew better than they did. Mom and Dad, whom, when I was little, I had accepted as almost God-like, suddenly didn’t know their right from their left. How lucky for them that they had a teenage daughter who could set them straight.
Of course, as I got older, I realized I was the one who hadn’t been so bright.
As Mark Twain once put it, “When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.”
Both of my parents are gone now. Dad died in 2001, and Mom followed him five years later. Sometimes I wish I could go back and show them the honor and respect I should have.
After all, God seems to think such honor is very important indeed.
Consuming God’s Word – by Deacon Marty McIndoe
When I was growing up my father was very concerned about healthy eating. He had read several books about nutrition from Adele Davis and used the mantra “You are what you eat”. Adele Davis, and many nutritionists of the 1950’s and 60’s, used this phrase taken from Victor Lindlahr’s 1942 book of the same name. I heard that phrase over and over again. Dad grew almost all of our own food in his garden and went to local farmers to get eggs and chickens. Mom bought very little from the grocery store. The whole idea was that processed food and non-organic food was bad for you. Only wholesome, organic food should be ingested. It was a lot of work, caring for the garden and canning and freezing foods for the winters. I do think it was worth it. I am a pretty healthy person. We all know that the more we eat healthy food, the healthier we will be.
The Scriptures have some interesting things to say about eating God’s Word. Jeremiah 15:16 says, “When I found your words, I devoured them; your words were my joy, the happiness of my heart, because I bear your name, LORD, God of hosts”. In Ezekiel 3: 1-3 it says, “He said to me: Son of man, eat what you find here: eat this scroll, then go, speak to the house of Israel. So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat. Son of man, he said to me, feed your stomach and fill your belly with this scroll I am giving you. I ate it, and it was as sweet as honey* in my mouth. Then he said to me, Son of man, go now to the house of Israel, and speak my words to them”. And again in Revelation 10: 10 it says, “I took the small scroll from the angel’s hand and swallowed it. In my mouth it was like sweet honey, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour”. Psalm 119: 103 tells us, “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” Now I really don’t think that we should start tearing pages out of our bibles and eating them, but I do think that we should look in to these words of scripture telling us to consume His Word.
God’s Word that is given to us in the scriptures is a very precious gift. It is not given to us to put on to a shelf and look at only occasionally. It is a gift for us to use and consume every single day. Pope Benedict says to us, “We must rediscover a taste for feeding ourselves on the word of God, faithfully handed down by the Church, and on the bread of life, offered as sustenance for his disciples (cf. Jn 6:51). Indeed, the teaching of Jesus still resounds in our day with the same power: “Do not labour for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life” (Jn 6:27)…Belief in Jesus Christ, then, is the way to arrive definitively at salvation.” How true this is! The mass reflects this perfectly, first we feed on the Liturgy of the Word, and then we feed on the Liturgy of the Eucharist. The two go hand in hand; both the Word and the Eucharist our needed for our spiritual growth. We need both of them. For the Eucharist, we need to go to our church and receive it from our priests but we cannot take it home with us. God’s Word is different. We do receive it in church, but we also can receive it in our home with our own hands. With smart phones we can literally take it with us wherever we go.
Having God’s Word on a book shelf or even on a smart phone isn’t enough. We quite literally have to consume it and consume it often. Pope Francis tells us, “Be constantly nourished by the Word of God.”. He also says, “I would like so much for all Christians to be able to comprehend ‘the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus Christ’ through the diligent reading of the Word of God, for the sacred text is the nourishment of the soul and the pure and perennial source of the spiritual life of all of us.” We all need to be nourished, and to use my dad’s mantra, “You are what you eat” think about what you put in to yourself. Think about what you read and what you watch on TV and what you see in movies. Is this wholesome food, or junk food?
I challenge you to also think about your families. Family life seems to be hit hard by today’s society. In some ways it seems to be disintegrating in to nothingness. Bringing God’s Word in to your family for nourishment is so important. The family consumes so much junk from society; it is time to give it the good wholesome nourishment of God’s Word. Again Pope Francis tells us, “A Bible for every family! …Not to place it on a shelf, but to keep it at hand, to read it often, every day, both individually and together, husband and wife, parents and children, maybe in the evening, especially on Sundays. This way the family grows, walks, with the light and power of the Word of God!”
My friends, we are truly called to consume God’s Word and yet we often ignore it and often consume “junk food”. I believe that we can change the Family, the Church and the World if we consume God’s Word every day. If you are not already doing this, start it as soon as possible. There are many resources out there to help you. As Catholic’s we should make sure that we use Catholic resources to help us. I personally like THE WORD AMONG US and MAGNIFICAT for looking at the scriptures of the day. Don’t be afraid to do some prayerful reading of the Bible on your own. Use a good Catholic bible with footnotes to help you in this. Make sure that you ask the Holy Spirit to lead you and guide you. It is the same Holy Spirit that inspired the Bible. Consuming God’s Word involves both prayer and study. St. Pope John Paul II tells us, “Pray and learn to pray! Deepen your knowledge of the Word of the Living God by reading and meditating on the Scriptures”. It is certainly time for us to grow with good nourishment remembering that “You are what you eat”.
Shaun McAfee has done it again. This is his fourth book and like the others it is easy to read and very informative. It also offers very practical advice based upon the years of experience Shaun has had using Social Media. This is a book that all Christians should read. It clearly presents Social Media as the tool to use to spread the Good News of God’s love. The title should grab most Catholics (Magisterium), but I hope that all Christians read it. Never before has the Church had such a great means to spread the Gospel message as we have today because of the Internet and Social Media. It would be a sin (probably literally) for Christians not to use this.
I have always viewed media as a powerful tool for society. I was co-editor of my High School news and in college I was a radio newsman and radio disc jockey. I was a member of the National Honor Society for Communications and studied communications in college. All of what Shaun says in this book fits in with what I have learned. I was pleasantly surprised that in the beginning of the book he mentions Marshall McLuhan (the intellectual of communications studies), who I studied extensively, but only found out from Shaun that he was a Catholic of extraordinary faith and had a real devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. We never learned that in our studies. Marshall McLuhan really predicted the birth of the Internet 30 years before it began. He called it the “global village” that communications would forge. Today we have that global village and as the scriptures say in Luke 10:2, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest”. You and I need to meet that call.
This book will help you meet that call. Shaun starts out with a history of the many documents issued by the Church on media. He then gives a little background, or as he calls it, “re-introduction in Social Media”. Both of these chapters are great but his third chapter “The Media and the Family” impressed me greatly. All parents and grandparents will find this chapter interesting and judicious for their time spent in the family. There is no doubt that as good as the Internet is; it also has its dark side. Like any tool, it can be used for good or for bad. It can be under-used and over-used. This chapter looks at the use of the Internet and the affect it has upon family life. Don’t miss this chapter. You probably should read it twice. There is a lot of “meat” there.
The fifth chapter is on Ecumenism: Sharing the Idea of Unity. I absolutely loved this chapter. I am a convert to Catholicism and so is Shaun. He presented many ideas that I have thought about over the last 40 years. As a convert I know the great presence of faith within the Protestant tradition, but I also know of the great lack of Unity there. As a Catholic I recognize the truth of our faith and how in our faith we are called to always share the truth but also seek to deal with Protestants as our own brothers and sisters in the faith. Shaun does a great job showing how all of us, with the proper use of Social Media can do both. Social Media is not just for Evangelizing unbelievers, but is also great for helping all of us grow towards obtaining what Jesus prayed for; that all might be one.
The last chapters of the book give great practical advice to bloggers and really to all that use Social Media in any of its forms. This too should be a must read. Shaun has had a great deal of experience in the use of all forms of Social Media and his suggestions are great. He tells us of things to do and things not to do. Both of these are important to know. His suggestions, as practical as they are, also fit in to what the many Church documents call us to do. The sub-title of this book is “A No-Nonsense Guide to the Proper Use of Media”. This book certainly does this. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has used social media in any form or who plans on using it shortly. I think that covers just about everyone.
Note: I can’t help but to mention the cover of this book which is done by the very creative TJ Burdick. It is the very famous “Creation of Adam” by Michelangelo found on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. However, on the cover Adam is holding a cell phone showing its apps and God the Father is pointing towards it apparently ready to touch one of the apps. It is said that Michelangelo has God the Father pointing to Adam’s outstretched finger ready to impart the gift of life to him. Perhaps we can fast forward and say that God the Father has given us the Internet to continue to give life to mankind. I do think it can do that. In the original fresco God the Father is clothed and Adam is in full frontal nudity. However, on this book cover (back) the book bar code covers this up much better than a leaf would. Nice placement, TJ.
Death is something that all of us must face some day. It is not an option. It is something that we all have in common, no matter what our station is in life. In my 38 years of diaconal ministry I have ministered to many who are close to death. Some people are fearful of death and try to avoid it no matter what the cost. Others seem to welcome it and even embrace it. I hope that when my time comes, I too will be able to welcome it and embrace it. It seems that when we have lived a life of faith and especially of trust in Jesus, we naturally can welcome and embrace death for it is our ultimate act of faith and trust.
A couple of weeks ago a close friend of mine called me and told me that one of his very good friends, Peter (not his real name) was near death. My friend told me of how close he was to Peter and how this man had helped him in his faith journey and even in meeting his wife. Now Peter was dying from cancer and had some questions about the death process. My friend asked me to come with him to visit Peter and hopefully answer his questions. I, of course, said yes and went with him that day. When I went to this dying man’s home, I was greeted by his wife and grown children. They were there to support him. As soon as I went in to Peter’s room, I could tell that he was weak and probably would die fairly soon. The cancer had taken all of the strength out of him, but his mind functioned very well. The first thing that we did was to pray for a moment. He then asked me how long this process of dying would take and what to expect. I had the sense that he had hoped the time would be short, but that he was also unsure of the process of dying.
Now I knew from my friend that Peter was a man of faith. He was a good Catholic that had attended things like Christian Awakening weekends and Charismatic prayer meetings. My friend told me that Peter had invited him to a Christian Awakening weekend many years ago and it was at that weekend that my friend met his future wife and also met Jesus in a new and real way. That weekend was instrumental in making my friend in to the good Catholic man that he is today, thanks to the Peter’s invitation. Peter’s faith had carried him through many difficulties in life. Now, his faith and trust in Jesus had to carry him through the death process.
Since Peter’s first question was how long it would take for him to die, I answered him by telling him that none of us can really know. Doctors can give estimates during fatal illnesses, but these are at best only an estimate. I told him that the timing was in God’s hands, BUT, in my many years of ministering to the dying, I found that those who had told their families and had told God that they were ready to die seemed to die quickly. This man seemed very happy to hear that. I then went through with him our Catholic teaching on death and what awaits us (for further information see my previous article by clicking the link below). The dying man seemed to find peace in what I said. I then told him that if he were ready to die, he should first tell his family members who gathered around him and then tell God that he was ready. Peter put a small smile on his face. We then all prayed together around him, including a Hail Mary. I told him that I would stop by again in two days.
The next day my friend called me to tell me that his friend had died, in peace. I truly believe that he had made peace with his family and had told God that he was ready. I know in my heart that this man had accepted, and even embraced and welcomed death. His struggles with cancer were now over and he was in the arms of God’s love and mercy. Death is hard on those who are left behind. My friend is a really great man and strong in his faith but I knew that this death was hard on him. I do see how God helped my friend in this. The day that Peter died, my friend was out on a long bicycle trip with another friend that we have in common. Because both of them have difficult schedules, this day trip was planned about two months before. My friend received the call of Peter’s death in the middle of the bicycle trip. Fortunately our other friend was with him and this helped tremendously. He too is a man of faith and a good Catholic. The beauty of the weather and their journey through a park and along the ocean brought comfort to my friend. Plus he had a good friend, a man of God with him. God put all of this together.
My friend was asked to do the eulogy and was a little nervous about it. He took a day to work on it and the next day I called him and asked him out to breakfast. I knew that his wife was away on retreat that weekend and that he was all alone. We had a great breakfast and talked a lot about the deceased. I then went with him over to his house to listen to the eulogy that he had written. He did a great job on the eulogy and was thankful to me for spending the time with him that day. It helped bring him strength and comfort. My friend knew the power of God working through the friends that he had. It truly helped him with this difficult time and made him strong enough to deliver a great eulogy.
Death is difficult on all who go through it. However faith in our Lord and the ability to trust in him (I love the Divine Mercy picture of Jesus that tell us JESUS, I TRUST IN YOU) can bring us true freedom where we can accept and embrace and welcome death when it is our time. It also gives us the ability to deal with loss when a loved one dies. God is so good. He is the God of LIFE and peace and comfort and strength.
Ecclesiastes 3:8 Tells us that there is “A time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. “ Unfortunately there have been too many times for war and too many lives lost in war. Also, sadly there are too many lives affected by the losses of war. This includes not only parents, wives and children and other family and friends but also numerous innocent refugees. As General William T. Sherman has said, “War is Hell”.
This weekend our country pauses to celebrate Memorial Day. For many people it is a day off from work and a day to get together with family and friends and of course, to have a barbeque. I don’t see these things as wrong as long as we take the time to remember what this National Holiday is all about. Memorial Day is supposed to be a day of solemn remembrance of all of our soldiers who died serving the United States Armed Forces. It originally was celebrated following the Civil War and in 1971 became a National Holiday. Many people visit cemeteries to visit deceased soldiers. Many people also confuse it with Veteran’s Day when we remember all veterans. Memorial Day is to remember only those who died serving our country.
For Catholics, this should be a very special day. We should honor those who gave their life in service to others and remember Jesus’ words in John 15:13, “No one shows greater love than when he lays down his life for his friends.” It is also a day for us to pray for the deceased. We as Catholics know how important this is. There are many deceased soldiers out there that have no one to pray for them. We can step in and do this. It is also a day for us to look at all ways possible to work for peace rather than war. It is better for everyone to have a time of peace and not a time of war. It is also a time for us to help the poor and refugees who so often are adversely affected by war.
We as Catholics should be very concerned in promoting family life and teaching our children good values. Memorial Day (and the whole weekend) is a great time to go, as a family, to a Memorial Day parade and to go, again as a family, to visit a National Cemetery or visit a soldier’s grave in a regular cemetery. There is nothing better than going as a family to visit a deceased soldier father, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle, etc. and talk about him or her to our children. It is also a great time to pray for that deceased relative and talk to our children about praying for the dead.
In summary, no matter what you do this weekend, please do not forget to remember and honor our deceased soldiers. When you have that great family Memorial Day Barbeque, stop and remember and pray. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops shares with us a prayer from “Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers”:
God of power and mercy,
you destroy war and put down earthly pride.
Banish violence from our midst and wipe away our tears,
that we may all deserve to be called your sons
and daughters.
Keep in your mercy those men and women
who have died in the cause of freedom
and bring them safely
into your kingdom of justice and peace.
We ask this though Jesus Christ our Lord.
R/. Amen
I was fortunate to have parents who saw that Scouting could be very beneficial to the formation of a child in to an adult. I was in Scouting from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts to Explorer Scouts (in High School). I learned a lot from them to help build my character. One of the primary things that they taught me was to BE PREPARED. This helped me in school, family and social life, in business, in being an Army soldier and especially in being a good Christian. I would like to look at BEING PREPARED as a Christian.
The question is, what are we supposed to be prepared for? There are several things but I find three that stand out the most. First of all we must be prepared for the LAST DAY. That last day may be when Jesus comes again, or more likely it will be when we die and go to meet him. We have a judgment to experience when we see Him face to face. All that we do as a Christian should lead us to be ready for this judgment. I am so happy that our God is a merciful God, but he is also a JUST God. Everything that we have said and done (and thought) or failed to do, will come before us; and we must answer for that. If we live out the words of Jesus and His Church, we should be prepared. The Church gives us the tools to prepare for this judgment. Those tools are the Sacraments and the Scriptures and prayers and examples of the Saints. We should use them to the fullest.
The second thing that we need to be prepared for is our battle against evil. For those of you who fail to believe in evil and the battle that we fight, you are sadly not prepared. The Church has always, from the very beginning, recognized the power of evil in the world. Our first Pope tells us: “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith.” 1 Pet. 5:8-9. Unfortunately today, too many people dismiss the devil and demons and evil as old fashioned and untrue. The devil and his demons are real, and we need to fight them. The war is already won in Jesus, but Satan still continues to battle and tries to confound us. He attacks us in our weaknesses. We must use the tools that Jesus and the Church gives us to fight him. St. Paul tells us, “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Eph. 6:11-17. These words of St. Paul are so much more than words of wisdom; they are words to lead us in our battle with evil. Do you hear the battle cry?
The third thing that we need to be prepared for is sharing the Good News. This is what we are supposed to be doing as Christians. It should be so much a part of us that it just comes naturally. I will spend more time on this topic on another post, but it is so important that it needs to be placed in context with this post. Probably the best way we share the Good News is by being a good Christian.
Being a good Christian is hard enough on its own, but when you have the legions of evil and darkness trying to keep you from being a good Christian, it becomes even more difficult. However, God knows the battle we fight and if we use the tools He gives us, we overcome easily. I would like to share with you some of the ways that I have found to use these tools. First of all, You MUST make them part of a daily routine. Just as you start out the day by washing and grooming, the tools need to be sharpened and put to use. I find that my morning routine is most important.
Daily I wake up at 6:30 (even though I am retired and could sleep) and I first say a rosary carefully meditating on each mystery. I then go to the local YMCA for my morning workout (the physical body and spiritual self are very connected). I then go to daily mass early enough to sit in front of the Blessed Sacrament for 15 to 20 minutes. I then carefully pay attention and serve at mass asking the Lord to strengthen me to be the person He wants me to be. I see the Eucharist as such a precious gift to strengthen me for the journey and the battle. I then go home to eat breakfast with my wife (she also attends daily mass with me) and then I do my morning prayer (Liturgy of the Hours). The rest of the day I intersperse other prayers. These prayers vary from spontaneous forms of praise to the various hours of the Liturgy of the Hours. Every Tuesday I do Exposition and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. Each evening my wife and I pray together. All of this is a life giving experience for me. I never see it as a burden. I find my strength in this routine.
Throughout the day I love to give thanks and praise to God for the many beautiful things that happen. I love to see Him in the beauty of creation and the gift of other people. I also try to do a lot of spiritual reading such as the Bible as well as books from great Christian authors. In the evenings I “surf” many Christian/Catholic websites. I also try to continue my learning through the New Saint Thomas Aquinas Institute and ClaritasU. As I read this over it sounds like all I do is “religious” things, but that isn’t true. I enjoy many aspects of life and do many activities from going out with the guys to the local pub for beer, to visiting with friends with my wife. However, the “religious things” are what help to make me who I believe God calls me to be.
I know that Jesus wants us to live an abundant life (John 10:10) even though the thief (Satan) would love to snatch it away from us. When I immerse myself in prayer, the sacraments and good study, my life is abundant and Satan doesn’t have a chance to snatch it away from me. I am prepared; are you?
Growing up, I heard a lot of stories about World War II. The most bizarre one I ever heard, however, took place on our own shores.
It involved the man who would one day become my father-in-law. Jake (not his real name), was drafted into the army and sent to fight in Europe. Before he left, he arranged for his salary to be deposited into his brother’s bank account. His brother agreed that when he came back, the cash would be waiting for him. But if he didn’t return, there would be no question where the money was supposed to go, and there wouldn’t be any problems about a will and probate.
When he came back from the war, Jake asked his brother for his money.
And it was gone. His brother had spent every penny.
Maybe the brother was betting that Jake would die in action, so he figured he would get an early start on his inheritance.
Now, I don’t know about you, but if one of my siblings stole just one day’s wages from me, I’d be more than a little miffed.
This guy stole years of salary.
Amazingly, Jake forgave him, even though it meant he came back to the States totally broke.
Wait. It gets worse. You’d think the brother would do whatever he could to make it up to Jake, right? You’d think he’d work out a plan to repay him.
Nope. He never repaid a cent. He didn’t even attempt to repay any of it.
Years later, speaking about this, Jake just shrugged and said, “I guess he really needed the money.”
That’s the kind of man Jake was.
It reminds me of our debt to God. We’re supposed to do penance to make up for our sins. The problem, of course, is that no penance can totally make up to an infinitely good God for even the slightest of our sins. Yet, if we at least do what we can, He’s willing to wipe the slate clean by giving us indulgences.
I shudder to think what would happen if we didn’t at the very least try to do penance.
I was fortunate enough to marry the son of a man who was so Christ-like that he wiped out his brother’s entire debt.
I can always keep before me Jake’s example of love and forgiveness.
I took this picture in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. It is right next to the place of Jesus crucifixion. It shows Mary’s heart pierced with a sword.
On the day after we celebrate the Exaltation of the Cross, we turn to Mary and her Sorrows. The two are inseparable. The cross, the instrument of our salvation is exalted on one day. On the next day we see the sorrows of a mother’s love for her son. Our own lives here in this world are filled with so many times of exaltation and so many times of sorrow. We experience many joys, many triumphs, many difficulties and many sorrows. It is just what human living is all about. It does help us to know that our God, in the form of Jesus, knows through personal experience what rejection, difficulties, pain and even death is. It also helps us to know that we have a mother who can really understand our times of sorrow, because she too has experienced them.
One of the most precious gifts that God has given us is the gift of His mother (John 19:26). Just as she has experienced sorrow in seeing Jesus rejected and tortured and killed, she also experiences sorrow when she sees the difficulties and sorrows that we experience. As a loving mother, she is there with us to help us in our difficulties and sorrows. When we celebrate Our Lady of Sorrows, we celebrate with our mother a love that encompasses all things, especially the difficulties of our lives. She, and her Son, are always there to comfort us and assist us. Her love for us as her children is poured out in all of the good that we experience and in all of the bad. Jesus blessed us so much in sharing His mother with us.
Traditionally there are seven sorrows, or dolors, that are attributed to Mary. These are all based on various scripture accounts. I would like to list out these seven sorrows and give a brief reflection on each one. I would suggest that you read the scripture and then the reflection questions and then pray asking Mary for help and guidance and peace.
1 – The Prophecy of Simeon over the Infant Jesus (Luke 2:34): How often do we receive news that seems to indicate some kind of impending difficulty that we just don’t quite understand? Don’t we usually fret and worry about it? How often do we carry it with us for years just waiting for something bad to happen? Mary must have experienced that with the words of Simeon.
2 – The Flight into Egypt of the Holy Family (Matthew 2:13): How many people in the world have to leave the comfort of their homes heading to some unknown place? The number of refugees in the world due to war and famine and natural disasters is unbelievable. Mary knew what it was like to leave home to escape a tyrants rage. How often do you feel like you just are not at home?
3 – The Loss of the Child Jesus for Three Days (Luke 2:43): When Jesus was missing for three days, how difficult that must have been for Mary? Many people have lost their children due to runaways, drug and alcohol addiction and psychological disorders and often just to a lack of communication.. The pain and sorrow a parent feels due to this is crushing. Ask Mary to help. She understands.
4 – The Meeting of Jesus and Mary along the Way of the Cross (Luke 23:26): Have you ever seen your child in pain? This could be medical, emotional or depressive pain. Have you seen your child mistreated, or bullied or just picked upon? This causes so much sorrow to a parent. Mary knows all about this. Turn to her.
5 – The Crucifixion, where Mary stands at the foot of the cross (John 19:25): Have you had to watch your child slowly die. Unfortunately many parents have. Sometimes it isn’t even physical death. Sometimes it is depression or even a lack of ambition. Mary feels your pain and can help you with it. Turn to her.
6 – The Descent from the Cross, where Mary receives the dead body of Jesus in her arms (Matthew 27:57): So many parents have held their child in their arms when they died. Sometimes this is from a still born birth, or sickness or accident. How many parents have had their child die in a foreign war and wished that they could have held them for one last time? The pain is excruciating. Mary understands.
7 – The Burial of Jesus (John 19:40): Probably the worst thing that a parent can do is to bury their child. To see their child enter the grave and to know that you won’t be able to hug them and laugh with them or talk to them is so painful. Mary knows how this feels. She can bring help when we turn to her.
It is important for us to realize that Mary faced all of these difficulties because of her faith and because she trusted that God could work through all things. Our Lady of Sorrows is also Our Lady of Hope. We too are called to face our difficulties with faith that God works out all things. Even in the midst of our sorrows, we are called to be filled with hope.
From the Our Lady of Hope Novena:
But above all I pray, O dearest Mother, that through your most powerful intercession my heart may be filled with Holy Hope, so that in life’s darkest hour I may never fail to trust in God my Savior, but by walking in the way of His commandments I may merit to be united with Him, and with you in the eternal joys of Heaven. Amen.
Mary, our Hope, have pity on us.
Hope of the Hopeless, pray for us.
If we asked most Catholics who Mary’s parents were they would probably answer Anna and Joachim. But if we look in the Holy Bible there is no mention of Mary’s birth or the name of her parents. So how do we know their names? The simple answer is through tradition. As Catholics, we believe that God reveals His truths to us through the Holy Bible AND through tradition. Tradition was sacred to the Jews (we all know that great song from Fiddler on the Roof) and is also sacred to us. St. Paul tells us to “stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter” (2 Thess. 2:15).
On September 8th we celebrate the birthday of Mary. This is exactly nine months after we celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8th. This feast was celebrated no later than the 6th century. An eastern Saint, St. Romanos, a deacon who composed numerous liturgical songs, wrote a hymn celebrating the birthday of Mary. The hymn was quite popular and used in liturgies to celebrate the birthday of Mary which helped lead us to the feast day. The Eastern Churches first celebrated it and then within a century the Roman Church celebrated it. St. Romanos relied heavily upon the apocryphal writing, The Protoevangelium of St. James, in composing the lyrics to his hymn on the Nativity of Mary.
As an apocryphal writing, we must realize that the Church decided that this book was not inspired as scripture and it was not placed in the canon of the bible. However, this writing has been seen as a good source of tradition from the earliest times of the Church. Most scholars believe that it was composed around 145 AD. Because of this, and the language structure, we know that St. James did not write it. However it came from an area where St. James had followers and there may be some things passed on from him in the writing. In view of all of this, and with a certain amount of caution, I would like to share some of the points covered in the Protoevangelium concerning Mary and her birth and upbringing.
The Protoevangelium does repeat many items found in the scriptures concerning Mary and the birth of Jesus. But it adds details prior to that not mentioned in the sacred scriptures. It tells us that her parents were named Joachim and Anna and that Joachim and Anna were unable to conceive for many years and that both of them became depressed at not being able to have children. It tells us that Joachim became so depressed that he went out to the desert to live in solitude in a tent where he fasted for 40 days and 40 nights pleading with God. At the same time, Anna grieved not having Joachim with her and not being able to become pregnant. She prayed that God would bless her as He had blessed Sarah with Isaac. The Protoevangelium tells us that an angel appeared to Anna and told her that God had heard her prayer and that “you shall conceive and bring forth; and your seed shall be spoken of in all the world”.
About the same time, an angel appeared to Joachim and told him that God had heard his prayers. He was told to go to Anna and that Anna would conceive a child. Nine months later Anna gave birth to a little girl and they name her Mary. The Protoevangelium tells us that at the birth Anna said, “My soul has been magnified this day.” The writings go on to say that Mary walked at six months old. When she was one year old, Joachim held a great birthday feast for Mary and invited the priests, scribes and elders and all the people of Israel. The priests blessed Mary saying, “O God of our fathers, bless this child and give her an everlasting name to be named in all generations”.
The Protoevangelium tells us that at the age of three Joachim and Anna took Mary to the temple to be raised there hoping that her heart would be captivated by the Temple. When they gave her to the priest he kissed her and blessed her saying, “The Lord has magnified your name in all generations. In you, on the last of the days, the Lord will manifest His redemption to the sons of Israel.” The priest put her down on the third step and the grace of God came upon her and Mary danced with joy and the people loved her.
The Protoevangelium goes on to tell us that Mary stayed in the temple until she was 12 years old. At that time the chief priest received a visit from an angel while in the Holy of Holies telling him to assemble the widowers of the people and that God would give a sign as to which widower He chose for Mary. When all of the widowers assembled the High Priest again prayed to God for a sign to show which widower would receive Mary as his wife. When a dove appeared and landed on Joseph’s head, the high priest declared him to be the one who was chosen. At first Joseph declined saying that he had children and was an old man and it wasn’t good for him to take such a young girl. The chief priest reminded Joseph that it was God’s will and Joseph said to Mary, “Behold I have received you from the temple of the Lord; and now I leave you in my house and go away to build my buildings, and I shall come to you. The Lord will protect you”.
As interesting as all this is, we must remember that the Church refused to recognize the Protoevangelium as sacred scripture. We cannot be sure of any truth found here, but as I said earlier, this is a very early writing that passes on at least some of the tradition handed down about our beloved mother, Mary. It might help us imagine a little better the life of the most significant woman who ever walked the earth (and rule in Heaven). Hail Mary full of grace…….
As Saint Augustine said, “She is the flower of the field from whom bloomed the precious lily of the valley. Through her birth the nature inherited from our first parents is changed.”
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOTHER MARY….WE LOVE YOU
This afternoon I had an absolutely wonderful experience. It all started last week when I was talking to a Eucharistic Minister who brings the Holy Eucharist to some people who are homebound. I asked her about an old friend of mine who used to come to our Charismatic prayer meeting many years ago. She was also always in church and I enjoyed talking to her. Her family has been very active in our church and community and I know so many of them. It has been a while since she has been in church and I missed her. The Eucharistic Minister told me that this woman was doing well and has mentioned to her that she would love to see me. I told the EM that I would love to go with her the next time she went. Today was the day. It was to be a surprise visit.
I don’t want to mention this woman’s name, because I didn’t ask her for permission to use it. But I do want to tell you some interesting things about her and our visit and the presence of Jesus. This friend has been homebound for several years. She has a really good excuse, she is 105 years old. When you see her she certainly doesn’t look her age. When you talk to her she seems so young at heart. Her mind is as sharp as a tack. When we first walked in her daughter (who I also know well), who didn’t know I was coming, greeted us with a huge smile and welcomed us in. We then went in to the room where the 105 year old was sitting at the kitchen table. The smile on her face when we walked in lit up this rainy, dark and dreary day. It was enough to absolutely warm your heart.
We spoke for a while reminiscing about old times in the prayer group and in the parish. I was so surprised at the details that she remembered. She seemed so happy to talk about the old times, but also seemed so happy about talking about her present life. She related how she loved Jesus and Mary and the prayers that she can offer. She was sad only because she couldn’t be a part of the church activities. She also was quite concerned for a dear relative who had fallen and broken some bones. We prayed for that relative.
After talking for a while, we prayed the rosary. She knew every prayer so well. She was so excited to tell me about her rosary. It seems that a friend of a friend had gone to Rome and had an audience with Pope Francis. This friend mentioned that he had a friend who was 105 years old and still prayed the Rosary. The pope then reached in his pocket and pulled out a rosary, blessed it and told the man to give it to the 105 year old. That is the rosary that we used. It is absolutely beautiful and to know that the Pope had sent it to her, was very uplifting.
We then did what this person does every time before receiving the Sacred Host. We prayed an Act of Contrition and then an Our Father. She then received the Host with such a beautiful, warm, glow on her face. It was so moving to watch. We then talked for a while and prayed together. I prayed for her specifically while laying on hands. I also gave her and the EM and her daughter a blessing. Truth be told……I was the one who received the blessings.
So why do I bring this one occasion up? It is because things like this happen continuously in the Church. Bringing Jesus to the homebound (or nursing home etc.) is one of the most satisfying things a Minister of the Eucharist can do, whether they are ordained or an Extra-ordinary Minister. This last Sunday I brought the Eucharist to several people in one nursing home and then on Monday I brought the Eucharist to another nursing home. The experience of doing that is so satisfying.
I really encourage all Eucharistic Ministers to reach out to the homebound and bring them Jesus. So many EM’s help out at mass with the distribution of the Most Blessed Sacrament, and this is great and well needed in most parishes. But an even better way to minister to people is by visiting the homebound. It is a ministry that brings Jesus to others and allows Jesus to come to you in a very special way. God is good.
