What is an Angel? Angels are one of those things that Theologians can debate with the average, good hearted, un-churched Christian. There are those who believe in Angels, but not really in God. From the Catholic perspective, an Angel is kind of an abstract thing. They are created beings, yet not Divine. They are that “unseen” part of the Creed that Christians recite very Sunday. They are our helpers along the way, that guide us, and protect us. Today is the Feast of the Archangels, Gabriel, Michael, and Raphael. Saturday marks the feast of the Guardian Angels. it’s a very…angelic week. What do Angels have to do with our daily lives?
They are invisible creatures who concern themselves with out safety, and have served as God’s messengers throughout history. The ancient Roman poet, Lucretius, once said of Angels; “We are each of us Angels with only one wing, and we can only fly by embracing one another.” He may be onto something.
This is a view of religion that many people have. I know folks who would never worship in a Church of any kind, but would fight til the death about the existence of Angels. I am ok with that. I am MORE then ok with that. For me, I have found my Spiritual home in a situation that is structured, with Liturgy, etc. However there are some people where that’s not their thing, and it never has been, but they would defend an Angel, and in fact even the existence of God. Beyond that, the way they live their lives could PROVE the existence of God to any Saint or Theologian.
I know a woman who from a very young age, always maintained a solid belief in Angels. An ardent belief! I never heard her talk about Church, aside from Christmas and Easter, but she was adamant about Angels. This same woman was always an Angel in my life, according to Lucretius’ definition. She was always there ready to put her arm around someone, and help them fly. She pulled me out of many dark moments in my youth, and I am sure will always do so for many people throughout their lives.
You see, we believe that God is Hope, Love, Life, and Truth. These are all qualities the Angels defended. So although there is no Theological backing to Lucretius’ quote, there is some real life backing, a lot of it in fact. How many times in our lives, do people lift us up out of darkness, and although the person themselves in tangible, the lifting they do is not tangibly visible.
Sometimes we are lifted up by the kind words of others. In my own life I think back to the nights I spent on a persons couch when there was no other option, or in their guest room. I think of the nights a kind person took me to dinner, knowing that I couldn’t afford to take myself. I think of the look in my ex’s eyes when they told me they loved me before I went to sleep at night, and how that look deleted any pain that was in my heart and gave me a good night’s rest. I think of those times when I was in a bad place, and just being in the company of someone I loved, who I knew loved me, changed everything. You see sometimes that’s all it takes, is the knowledge that we are loved, it doesn’t even require a hug, or a touch, or a spoken word.
Let’s all try to be the second wing to a potential angel. Lets recognize when someone else is our second wing. Another wonderful quote about Angels reads; “When angels visit us, we do not hear the rustle of wings, nor feel the feathery touch of the breast of a dove; but we know their presence by the love they create in our hearts.” God Bless all the Angels in my life =)
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
The Sitcom of Life
It’s not often that I update my blog at this hour of the night, but I’ve been thinking a lot today. You see the last couple of weeks I’ve been under a lot of stress, and when I’m stressed the most helpful thing I find is spending time watching old Episodes of sappy TV shows, like teen soaps (particularly, 90210). The theme all these shows have in common is the concept of “life is good”. We watch these characters go through these horrible experiences, and yet everything turns out ok in the end.
We all know that’s not life…but sometimes, maybe it is. Tonight after a dreadfully dead night at work, I left feeling very stressed. When it comes to stress, one thing will kick it off, and then everything else just follows, and by the end of it all I feel like is a looser who has nothing going for him. I think it’s the Portuguese in me. I went out after work for one drink with the boss. During which time I saw some amazing things.
I saw an old friend, who has moved away and came home for a week to visit, and we shared in a few old memories, which yielded laughter, a lot of laughter. I re-connected, though briefly, with a friend who hasn’t moved but I haven’t seen in a while. And I saw two people who I know who used to be quite close, who were re-connecting for the first time in a long while. In addition to all these wonderful things, I managed to have a Priestly experience, yes even at 12:30 in the morning, while I was minding my own business heading home.
You see the bottom line sometimes in life is that when we are in the pits, we have to open our eyes to the world around us. Sometimes it’s hard to see life outside of the bubble we live in, until we peer into someone else’s bubble. Maybe that’s why teen soaps are such a success…because we get to peer into other people’s lives, who we have come to know quite well, and see how their drama ends in happiness. We know that’s not the hand of cards that life deals us, but it gives us a glisten of hope while we are watching them.
If we judge our lives on the day to day experiences that we go through, we are doomed to end our days in darkness. If we only evaluate our successes and failures in light of the situation we currently find ourselves in, we will inevitably find ourselves depressed, and alone. If however, we look at our lives in light of the bigger picture, the successes and failures of years before, and really step out of our bubble, and look at the full picture, we may realize that life isn’t all that bad.
The old saying really is true, “If you spend your whole life with one foot in the past, and one foot in the future, you are shi**ing on the present.” Truer words were never spoken. Let’s not waste the present. Let’s step out of our private bubbles, where we have found such comfort in being miserable and depressed, and look at the bigger picture. Let’s watch the whole Season, before we judge one character on the “Sitcom of Life”, because life really is a Sitcom, or a Soap Opera. Characters come and go, old friends make guest appearances in key episodes, and sometimes, in those Series Finales, all the pieces fall into place, and sometimes the way those pieces fit together, remains a mystery. . . That’s what happens when God is the Screen-writer.
We all know that’s not life…but sometimes, maybe it is. Tonight after a dreadfully dead night at work, I left feeling very stressed. When it comes to stress, one thing will kick it off, and then everything else just follows, and by the end of it all I feel like is a looser who has nothing going for him. I think it’s the Portuguese in me. I went out after work for one drink with the boss. During which time I saw some amazing things.
I saw an old friend, who has moved away and came home for a week to visit, and we shared in a few old memories, which yielded laughter, a lot of laughter. I re-connected, though briefly, with a friend who hasn’t moved but I haven’t seen in a while. And I saw two people who I know who used to be quite close, who were re-connecting for the first time in a long while. In addition to all these wonderful things, I managed to have a Priestly experience, yes even at 12:30 in the morning, while I was minding my own business heading home.
You see the bottom line sometimes in life is that when we are in the pits, we have to open our eyes to the world around us. Sometimes it’s hard to see life outside of the bubble we live in, until we peer into someone else’s bubble. Maybe that’s why teen soaps are such a success…because we get to peer into other people’s lives, who we have come to know quite well, and see how their drama ends in happiness. We know that’s not the hand of cards that life deals us, but it gives us a glisten of hope while we are watching them.
If we judge our lives on the day to day experiences that we go through, we are doomed to end our days in darkness. If we only evaluate our successes and failures in light of the situation we currently find ourselves in, we will inevitably find ourselves depressed, and alone. If however, we look at our lives in light of the bigger picture, the successes and failures of years before, and really step out of our bubble, and look at the full picture, we may realize that life isn’t all that bad.
The old saying really is true, “If you spend your whole life with one foot in the past, and one foot in the future, you are shi**ing on the present.” Truer words were never spoken. Let’s not waste the present. Let’s step out of our private bubbles, where we have found such comfort in being miserable and depressed, and look at the bigger picture. Let’s watch the whole Season, before we judge one character on the “Sitcom of Life”, because life really is a Sitcom, or a Soap Opera. Characters come and go, old friends make guest appearances in key episodes, and sometimes, in those Series Finales, all the pieces fall into place, and sometimes the way those pieces fit together, remains a mystery. . . That’s what happens when God is the Screen-writer.
There Is A Season, Turn, Turn, Turn
It’s so hard to believe that September is already almost over, and October is right around the corner. I love the Autumn, the promise of change, the crisp New England air, and I am looking forward to the opening of the new Parish, Saint Therese. While we work out a few different options for our location, I am optimistic that we will begin in just a few short weeks.
If you think about it, the Autumn really summarizes life in general, because its so filled with uncertainty. The season expresses the same uncertainty, one day it rains, the next day its cold, the next day its warm, and one morning we are driving down 95 and realize that the leaves had managed to changed while we were pre-occupied with the rest of life.
So much change so quickly is frustrating, also just like life. The Restaurant business in Rhode Island is coming out of its slow season. The students are all coming back, everyone has finished their summer plans, and people are socializing in the city again. Bartenders and Servers who staff the establishments downtown, are looking back on a summer of wonderful memories, and a mountain of unpaid and past due bills. We look forward to the promise of a busy fall, try to save money for Christmas, and before we know the summer is back once again. Every step is dependent on something else.
That’s what life is like for everyone if you really think about it. We have all these plans, and those plans coming to fruition are dependent on something beyond our control. That new car is dependent on that raise they we are “supposed to get”. That Romantic ski weekend we are trying to book for February is dependent on still being with that person when the time comes. We put our faith in something uncertain, but if those things fall through, we have to turn to plan B.
In the First Reading at Mass today we hear the cries of Job. Job was a good and upright man, who had a life filled with many blessings. One by one those blessings are taken away, Job remains faithful however to His Lord, seeing it all as a test of faith. With each loss he would say, “Well, I may have lost ‘this‘, but at least I still have ‘that‘.” Then he would loose “that” too. His friends and those around him mock him for that faith. Finally, in today’s readings he shouts “Curse the day on which I was born!” He reaches the point where he has absolutely nothing left, and finally breaks his silence in a moment of frustration. Job’s faith is rewarded, and all his previous blessings, including his health are multiplied.
You see through all the changes and the frustrations of this life, eventually things will fall into place. . . The place God wants them. Eventually that promotion will come, if it’s His will. Eventually all our dating attempts will pay off and we will meet the person God has in mind for us. Eventually that job will come through, that opportunity will arise, eventually that seemingly endless period of waiting that we are in will come to an end.
In the meanwhile, let’s be more like Job, and when we experience one negative change, let’s remember the blessings we still do have. As the season changes, let’s take note of the leaves changing, rather then noticing it after the fact. Let’s enjoy the crisp air of the new season. Let’s be patient with life’s constant shifts and changes. Dealing with the challenges we can’t handle is tough enough, let’s avoid creating situations that we can avoid.
If you think about it, the Autumn really summarizes life in general, because its so filled with uncertainty. The season expresses the same uncertainty, one day it rains, the next day its cold, the next day its warm, and one morning we are driving down 95 and realize that the leaves had managed to changed while we were pre-occupied with the rest of life.
So much change so quickly is frustrating, also just like life. The Restaurant business in Rhode Island is coming out of its slow season. The students are all coming back, everyone has finished their summer plans, and people are socializing in the city again. Bartenders and Servers who staff the establishments downtown, are looking back on a summer of wonderful memories, and a mountain of unpaid and past due bills. We look forward to the promise of a busy fall, try to save money for Christmas, and before we know the summer is back once again. Every step is dependent on something else.
That’s what life is like for everyone if you really think about it. We have all these plans, and those plans coming to fruition are dependent on something beyond our control. That new car is dependent on that raise they we are “supposed to get”. That Romantic ski weekend we are trying to book for February is dependent on still being with that person when the time comes. We put our faith in something uncertain, but if those things fall through, we have to turn to plan B.
In the First Reading at Mass today we hear the cries of Job. Job was a good and upright man, who had a life filled with many blessings. One by one those blessings are taken away, Job remains faithful however to His Lord, seeing it all as a test of faith. With each loss he would say, “Well, I may have lost ‘this‘, but at least I still have ‘that‘.” Then he would loose “that” too. His friends and those around him mock him for that faith. Finally, in today’s readings he shouts “Curse the day on which I was born!” He reaches the point where he has absolutely nothing left, and finally breaks his silence in a moment of frustration. Job’s faith is rewarded, and all his previous blessings, including his health are multiplied.
You see through all the changes and the frustrations of this life, eventually things will fall into place. . . The place God wants them. Eventually that promotion will come, if it’s His will. Eventually all our dating attempts will pay off and we will meet the person God has in mind for us. Eventually that job will come through, that opportunity will arise, eventually that seemingly endless period of waiting that we are in will come to an end.
In the meanwhile, let’s be more like Job, and when we experience one negative change, let’s remember the blessings we still do have. As the season changes, let’s take note of the leaves changing, rather then noticing it after the fact. Let’s enjoy the crisp air of the new season. Let’s be patient with life’s constant shifts and changes. Dealing with the challenges we can’t handle is tough enough, let’s avoid creating situations that we can avoid.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Erections Under Our Gowns?
Well it has certainly been a while since an update to this Blog. Things have been very hectic in life lately, forming a new Parish, as the Independent Catholic Movement continues to grow in Rhode Island, I am blessed to be a part of it. That growth yields much work. Today, in a particular way I am especially grateful to be a part of the Independent Catholic Movement in light of the CNN program slated to come on Sunday regarding what Cardinal Ratzinger, now Benedict XVI, knew during the clergy sex scandal in the Roman Catholic Church.
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2010/09/24/sex-abuse-victim-learns-of-pope’s-role/
The article speaks of a man, Matt McCormick, who was in the seventh grade when it all began. He speaks of how it started with his Parish Priest, Fr. Campbell, made his first move on Matt when he put his hand on his thigh in the car on the way home from a baseball game, and just “left it there”. This incident was only the beginning, and what followed was years of increased sexual assault on this young man. McCormick was an Altar Boy, and the interview reads as follows:
“Before performing his duties as an altar server, McCormick and other boys were fondled by Campbell in a room just steps away from the altar.
“He thought it would be funny if we went out with erections under our gowns,” McCormick said.”
Campbell (who I refuse to call ‘Father’) thought that it would be ‘funny’, to molest a pre-pubescent boy, and then with those same hands, confect the Eucharist. The lips that committed the most grievous sin imaginable, would then kiss the Altar, and speak the words of consecration, and confect the Eucharist, the living and total true presence of Christ. Cardinal Ratzinger refused to have the Priest defrocked.
Thanks be to God for the Independent Catholic Movement. I think that it is a hilarity, that this same man, speaks out against Gay Marriage, that for a man to marry another man, or a woman to marry another woman, destroys the sanctity of the institution of marriage. Does the molestation of boys not destroy the sanctity of the Eucharist? As a Priest, this touches the very depths of my heart, as it should any Priest. The celebration of the Eucharist, which we participate in every Sunday, or everyday, unworthily, is so tarnished by such activity
The reality of it is, we are the Church. And the Church currently stands in a negative light, so what are we going to do about it? The North American Old Catholic Church made it’s choice quite clear. We have an institution that protects the safety of children. We have an institution that values the love that is shared between two people of the same gender. We acknowledge that sometimes love deserves a second chance, and a second try at Marriage is not sinful, but rather an expression of love, and a chance to heal. I find it the epitome of hierocracy for the Roman Church to identify so many forms of love as sinful, while the sexual act is being used as such a disastrous weapon.
Perhaps its time as Catholics, that we take a good long look at what we profess. Perhaps its time that we evaluate what is going on behind the closed Sacristy doors, and worse yet, what is going on at the desks of Bishops and Cardinals across this planet, who have turned the other way when this information reaches them.
There are countless good and holy men who serve the Church as Priests, and whose work is not advertised on the Six O’Clock news, or celebrated with CNN Special Reports. However that does not change the fact that it is the Institution that has caused such deep damage. It is the institution that moves these men from Parish to Parish. It is the institution that for so many years refused to acknowledge the pain and suffering of so many young people. It is that same institution that has the nerve to stand there and say that the love between two men or two women is sinful.
I pray that one day the one Church of Jesus Christ can stand united. I fear that will not happen until we are all rejoicing in His presence in Heaven, however in the meanwhile it is incumbent upon all Clergy, of every denomination, to think twice before you talk. It is our responsibility to safeguard our children, because they are the future. It is also upon us to pray for these men; the monsters who did this, and the monsters who covered it up. I have been blessed to be friends with many good, and holy priests, whose example is one I can only feebly attempt to live up to. Unfortunately, it only takes one apple to spoil to bunch. It only takes one hand to destroy a young child’s identity, and it only takes one hand to sign on the dotted line, and ignore the problem. That same hand is raised to give a blessing, confect the Eucharist, anoint the sick, to Baptize, and absolve sins.
As members of the Baptized, we share in the Priesthood of Jesus Christ. The Chrism which we were anointed on that day as babies makes us responsible. It requires us as members of the Body of Christ to act. So the question on the table is, what will you do?
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2010/09/24/sex-abuse-victim-learns-of-pope’s-role/
The article speaks of a man, Matt McCormick, who was in the seventh grade when it all began. He speaks of how it started with his Parish Priest, Fr. Campbell, made his first move on Matt when he put his hand on his thigh in the car on the way home from a baseball game, and just “left it there”. This incident was only the beginning, and what followed was years of increased sexual assault on this young man. McCormick was an Altar Boy, and the interview reads as follows:
“Before performing his duties as an altar server, McCormick and other boys were fondled by Campbell in a room just steps away from the altar.
“He thought it would be funny if we went out with erections under our gowns,” McCormick said.”
Campbell (who I refuse to call ‘Father’) thought that it would be ‘funny’, to molest a pre-pubescent boy, and then with those same hands, confect the Eucharist. The lips that committed the most grievous sin imaginable, would then kiss the Altar, and speak the words of consecration, and confect the Eucharist, the living and total true presence of Christ. Cardinal Ratzinger refused to have the Priest defrocked.
Thanks be to God for the Independent Catholic Movement. I think that it is a hilarity, that this same man, speaks out against Gay Marriage, that for a man to marry another man, or a woman to marry another woman, destroys the sanctity of the institution of marriage. Does the molestation of boys not destroy the sanctity of the Eucharist? As a Priest, this touches the very depths of my heart, as it should any Priest. The celebration of the Eucharist, which we participate in every Sunday, or everyday, unworthily, is so tarnished by such activity
The reality of it is, we are the Church. And the Church currently stands in a negative light, so what are we going to do about it? The North American Old Catholic Church made it’s choice quite clear. We have an institution that protects the safety of children. We have an institution that values the love that is shared between two people of the same gender. We acknowledge that sometimes love deserves a second chance, and a second try at Marriage is not sinful, but rather an expression of love, and a chance to heal. I find it the epitome of hierocracy for the Roman Church to identify so many forms of love as sinful, while the sexual act is being used as such a disastrous weapon.
Perhaps its time as Catholics, that we take a good long look at what we profess. Perhaps its time that we evaluate what is going on behind the closed Sacristy doors, and worse yet, what is going on at the desks of Bishops and Cardinals across this planet, who have turned the other way when this information reaches them.
There are countless good and holy men who serve the Church as Priests, and whose work is not advertised on the Six O’Clock news, or celebrated with CNN Special Reports. However that does not change the fact that it is the Institution that has caused such deep damage. It is the institution that moves these men from Parish to Parish. It is the institution that for so many years refused to acknowledge the pain and suffering of so many young people. It is that same institution that has the nerve to stand there and say that the love between two men or two women is sinful.
I pray that one day the one Church of Jesus Christ can stand united. I fear that will not happen until we are all rejoicing in His presence in Heaven, however in the meanwhile it is incumbent upon all Clergy, of every denomination, to think twice before you talk. It is our responsibility to safeguard our children, because they are the future. It is also upon us to pray for these men; the monsters who did this, and the monsters who covered it up. I have been blessed to be friends with many good, and holy priests, whose example is one I can only feebly attempt to live up to. Unfortunately, it only takes one apple to spoil to bunch. It only takes one hand to destroy a young child’s identity, and it only takes one hand to sign on the dotted line, and ignore the problem. That same hand is raised to give a blessing, confect the Eucharist, anoint the sick, to Baptize, and absolve sins.
As members of the Baptized, we share in the Priesthood of Jesus Christ. The Chrism which we were anointed on that day as babies makes us responsible. It requires us as members of the Body of Christ to act. So the question on the table is, what will you do?
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Who do you know?
In the Restaurant, or Service Industry, it is very common for the “regulars” of an establishment to pride themselves as regulars of that place. At Downcity very often people are in fact almost offended if I cant remember what they drink. Everybody wants to know somebody, or at least come across to others as if they do. When I worked at Lattitude in Cranston, one evening the owner who’s name was Dean, was sitting at the bar. I was working and in walked a man who I had never seen before, and he sat down in the seat next to Dean, they smiled politely at each other, and as the man’s visit continued, there were a few snags, and as he paid his tab he proudly proclaimed, “Dean is a good friend of mine you know, next time I see him I’ll be telling him about this meal.” Dean, who was still seated right next to the man said, “You know him too huh?” The man replied, “oh yes, I’ve known him for years”, and he proudly left the restaurant.
Today’s Gospel is similar. There are many who will try to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, through that narrow gate, saying that they know the Lord, but indeed He does not know them. Indeed it is not simply a matter of knowing, it’s a matter of that intimate relationship that we have cultivated during our days here on Earth. What do we have to do so that the Lord will know us at the narrow gate? Saint Paul tells us the answer in a very clear statement, he says, “for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines; he scourges every son he acknowledges”. So if we want him to acknowledge us, we have to be scourged. Why should any one of us be preserved?
Paul tells us that the Lord is going to “discipline” us along the way, like any good father. It is in this discipline, we will come to know him better, and will be further strengthened when the time comes to pass through that narrow gate. You see, the Kingdom of Heaven is not going to be simply handed to us. It’s true that Jesus Christ was made flesh and walked this Earth and died for our salvation, but that cannot be where it ends. Just as when a couple gets married, that is not the extent of it. They don’t just wed and that’s that, they engage one another. They interact, they talk, they cry together, they rejoice together, and they learn the difficult lessons of life together. The same is true of our friendships. We don’t simply proclaim, “You and I are friends”, and that’s the end of it. There is action involved. These are the things that make a relationship. As Saint Paul told us tonight, our Lord sends us challenges, we struggle, we struggle to control our vices, we struggle to not let our actions hurt others. We struggle to make ends meet, to make our relationships work, and the list goes on. These challenges, these sufferings, are only going to make us stronger, and if they are challenges that we share with Christ, when we get through them, it will strengthen our relationship with Him.
It’s possible. It’s possible with God’s gift of grace. He’s set us up for success. He saved us from our sins in His suffering, and now we return the love with our suffering, but he gave us the upper hand, in the gift of the Sacraments of the Church. In every single Sacrament we receive grace, and that grace strengthen us in our resolve to fight the good fight, they give us the home field advantage in this game of life. Going to Mass and receiving the Eucharist is about receiving grace. The Sacrament of Reconciliation isn’t about spilling our guts to a human being, it’s about receiving grace to not commit those sins again. The Anointing of the Sick isn’t to cure us of our illness, it’s to give us the grace to endure the suffering, and bring it to Christ on the cross. The Sacrament of Matrimony is not about the Church putting her stamp of approval on the couple, its about receiving the grace to endure the difficult times, and to remember that Marriage takes three, and the third is Christ. In a few short weeks, we will witness the Sacrament of Confirmation, when the Holy Spirit descends upon the recipients, and gives them the grace to strengthen them in living the Christian life.
So maybe this is a good direction for all of us to look, as we approach the final weeks of our ‘Year of New Beginnings“ which we have been celebrating since last November.. We should rejoice that Jesus has saved us all, but not get self-satisfied in our daily lives. We need to discipline ourselves, and use the things that happen to us to help us grow, rather than get us down. We need to remember that the tested people, the people with the most problems, the last people, may be the ones who get in the Narrow Gate first. Those are the people that will easily slip through the narrow door. Tonight let’s pray for ourselves and one another, that we will make good use of the grace we receive, so that we may one day pass through that gate, and hear the words of our Savior “Come blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of time.”
God Bless You
Today’s Gospel is similar. There are many who will try to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, through that narrow gate, saying that they know the Lord, but indeed He does not know them. Indeed it is not simply a matter of knowing, it’s a matter of that intimate relationship that we have cultivated during our days here on Earth. What do we have to do so that the Lord will know us at the narrow gate? Saint Paul tells us the answer in a very clear statement, he says, “for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines; he scourges every son he acknowledges”. So if we want him to acknowledge us, we have to be scourged. Why should any one of us be preserved?
Paul tells us that the Lord is going to “discipline” us along the way, like any good father. It is in this discipline, we will come to know him better, and will be further strengthened when the time comes to pass through that narrow gate. You see, the Kingdom of Heaven is not going to be simply handed to us. It’s true that Jesus Christ was made flesh and walked this Earth and died for our salvation, but that cannot be where it ends. Just as when a couple gets married, that is not the extent of it. They don’t just wed and that’s that, they engage one another. They interact, they talk, they cry together, they rejoice together, and they learn the difficult lessons of life together. The same is true of our friendships. We don’t simply proclaim, “You and I are friends”, and that’s the end of it. There is action involved. These are the things that make a relationship. As Saint Paul told us tonight, our Lord sends us challenges, we struggle, we struggle to control our vices, we struggle to not let our actions hurt others. We struggle to make ends meet, to make our relationships work, and the list goes on. These challenges, these sufferings, are only going to make us stronger, and if they are challenges that we share with Christ, when we get through them, it will strengthen our relationship with Him.
It’s possible. It’s possible with God’s gift of grace. He’s set us up for success. He saved us from our sins in His suffering, and now we return the love with our suffering, but he gave us the upper hand, in the gift of the Sacraments of the Church. In every single Sacrament we receive grace, and that grace strengthen us in our resolve to fight the good fight, they give us the home field advantage in this game of life. Going to Mass and receiving the Eucharist is about receiving grace. The Sacrament of Reconciliation isn’t about spilling our guts to a human being, it’s about receiving grace to not commit those sins again. The Anointing of the Sick isn’t to cure us of our illness, it’s to give us the grace to endure the suffering, and bring it to Christ on the cross. The Sacrament of Matrimony is not about the Church putting her stamp of approval on the couple, its about receiving the grace to endure the difficult times, and to remember that Marriage takes three, and the third is Christ. In a few short weeks, we will witness the Sacrament of Confirmation, when the Holy Spirit descends upon the recipients, and gives them the grace to strengthen them in living the Christian life.
So maybe this is a good direction for all of us to look, as we approach the final weeks of our ‘Year of New Beginnings“ which we have been celebrating since last November.. We should rejoice that Jesus has saved us all, but not get self-satisfied in our daily lives. We need to discipline ourselves, and use the things that happen to us to help us grow, rather than get us down. We need to remember that the tested people, the people with the most problems, the last people, may be the ones who get in the Narrow Gate first. Those are the people that will easily slip through the narrow door. Tonight let’s pray for ourselves and one another, that we will make good use of the grace we receive, so that we may one day pass through that gate, and hear the words of our Savior “Come blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of time.”
God Bless You
Monday, August 16, 2010
We Live In Difficult Times
Wow, well its certainly been a while since my last update hasn’t it? I promise to try to be more faithful. I hope I didn’t loose all my followers. It’s been a very busy . The reality of it is, its been life changing. Since my last post in March of 2010 a lot has happened. I have been Ordained an Old Catholic Priest. My roommate has moved out. (Nothing dramatic, it was just time for the next step), and I find myself on the cusp of getting a car, as being a Priest who relies on the RIPTA system doesn’t work so well. My days are spent trying to find a balance in the many aspects of my life, and adjusting to life as a Priest.
My inspiration to share my thoughts comes once again from Bishop Tobin’s weekly writing. Sometimes we agree, and sometimes we don’t, this most current post of his however I didn’t give much thought to beyond the beginning lines which I will quote;
“I saw a “Peanuts” cartoon recently that seemed especially timely. The kids are playing baseball and little Linus, in full catcher’s gear walks out to the pitcher’s mound and announces to Charlie Brown, “The bases are loaded again, and there’s still nobody out.” “So what do you think?” asks Charlie Brown.
After a pause for reflection, Linus declares simply, “We live in difficult times,” as he turns around and heads back to home plate.”
The Bishop goes on to speak about the world around us, and how it is seemingly falling apart, war, unemployment, etc etc. What struck a chord with me is how significant this is in our own lives. We don’t need to turn to the news to find stress or consternation. We don’t need to look to Afghanistan to find strife. We don’t need to look to the National Banking situation to find financial disorder. . . All we have to do is go on Facebook, or check our Emails, or take a good look at our own lives.
Between my own life, and my experiences thus far as a Priest, I have noticed that life is full of all these things without having to look very far at all. Relationships that we fight to keep alive, bills we struggle to pay, Rent that feels like its due every day instead of every month, checkbooks that don’t line up at all with the bills, sickness, death, and the list goes on.
It’s so easy to only see the tough stuff. Sometimes though we have to look at the bright side, it sounds cheesy but it’s so true. For the Christian we can look to the love of Christ, for the non believer, and even often for the Christian, we must look at the good things in our earthly lives. Last night I had the pleasure of after Mass spending time with friends who shared in common a club in Providence that is closing temporarily to re-locate. What began with exchanging quips, ended with sharing memories of the good times, the lessons learned from one another, and the hope of sharing in what is to come in one another’s lives.
Lately it seems like there is so much change going on in everyone’s life. I get a certain heaviness lately like everyone feels like Linus, “we live in difficult times”. We live in a time when change happens everyday. Some change is good, and change for which we have been working for a long time, and some change was not requested, but was cast upon us anyway. Then there’s that change that we asked for, and worked for, and regretted later.
The reality of it all is, those silver lining moments in life, those moments when we go to bed after an evening with friends, and we feel refreshed, and we feel renewed, those are the moments we have to LIVE from, because those are the moments that God sends to remind us of His goodness. Those are the moments when God reveals Himself to us, because if God is Love, then anytime we feel love, we feel God.
So let’s all think about this concept a bit. Which moments are more powerful? The moments of love, or the moments of stress. I think its safe to say that we live our lives for the most part worrying, stressing, trying to balance the books, dwelling on relationships that aren’t as we wish they were, the computer that won’t work, the cable that’s on the fritz, etc etc. Unfortunately, the “love moments” we often miss. When they DO make an impact it’s so strong that we find ourselves choking back a tear, or feeling profoundly moved. The reason is; we aren’t used to them. The negativity becomes the norm, and we find ourselves often like Linus. Perhaps instead when we hear that voice of Charlie Brown in our head, when we find ourselves wondering “what am I going to do”, put everything down, and look at the blessings in life.
As Debbie said on Queer as Folk, “Mourn the losses, because there are many, but celebrate the victories, because there are so few.” The reality of it is, change, good or bad, isn’t going to stop. We will never make the money we want to, or have the perfect relationship, or have the perfect housing situation, or in general be exactly where we want to be. However, what we will always have, is friends to share it with, memories to lean on, and the excitement and hope of the memories we’ve yet to build.
My inspiration to share my thoughts comes once again from Bishop Tobin’s weekly writing. Sometimes we agree, and sometimes we don’t, this most current post of his however I didn’t give much thought to beyond the beginning lines which I will quote;
“I saw a “Peanuts” cartoon recently that seemed especially timely. The kids are playing baseball and little Linus, in full catcher’s gear walks out to the pitcher’s mound and announces to Charlie Brown, “The bases are loaded again, and there’s still nobody out.” “So what do you think?” asks Charlie Brown.
After a pause for reflection, Linus declares simply, “We live in difficult times,” as he turns around and heads back to home plate.”
The Bishop goes on to speak about the world around us, and how it is seemingly falling apart, war, unemployment, etc etc. What struck a chord with me is how significant this is in our own lives. We don’t need to turn to the news to find stress or consternation. We don’t need to look to Afghanistan to find strife. We don’t need to look to the National Banking situation to find financial disorder. . . All we have to do is go on Facebook, or check our Emails, or take a good look at our own lives.
Between my own life, and my experiences thus far as a Priest, I have noticed that life is full of all these things without having to look very far at all. Relationships that we fight to keep alive, bills we struggle to pay, Rent that feels like its due every day instead of every month, checkbooks that don’t line up at all with the bills, sickness, death, and the list goes on.
It’s so easy to only see the tough stuff. Sometimes though we have to look at the bright side, it sounds cheesy but it’s so true. For the Christian we can look to the love of Christ, for the non believer, and even often for the Christian, we must look at the good things in our earthly lives. Last night I had the pleasure of after Mass spending time with friends who shared in common a club in Providence that is closing temporarily to re-locate. What began with exchanging quips, ended with sharing memories of the good times, the lessons learned from one another, and the hope of sharing in what is to come in one another’s lives.
Lately it seems like there is so much change going on in everyone’s life. I get a certain heaviness lately like everyone feels like Linus, “we live in difficult times”. We live in a time when change happens everyday. Some change is good, and change for which we have been working for a long time, and some change was not requested, but was cast upon us anyway. Then there’s that change that we asked for, and worked for, and regretted later.
The reality of it all is, those silver lining moments in life, those moments when we go to bed after an evening with friends, and we feel refreshed, and we feel renewed, those are the moments we have to LIVE from, because those are the moments that God sends to remind us of His goodness. Those are the moments when God reveals Himself to us, because if God is Love, then anytime we feel love, we feel God.
So let’s all think about this concept a bit. Which moments are more powerful? The moments of love, or the moments of stress. I think its safe to say that we live our lives for the most part worrying, stressing, trying to balance the books, dwelling on relationships that aren’t as we wish they were, the computer that won’t work, the cable that’s on the fritz, etc etc. Unfortunately, the “love moments” we often miss. When they DO make an impact it’s so strong that we find ourselves choking back a tear, or feeling profoundly moved. The reason is; we aren’t used to them. The negativity becomes the norm, and we find ourselves often like Linus. Perhaps instead when we hear that voice of Charlie Brown in our head, when we find ourselves wondering “what am I going to do”, put everything down, and look at the blessings in life.
As Debbie said on Queer as Folk, “Mourn the losses, because there are many, but celebrate the victories, because there are so few.” The reality of it is, change, good or bad, isn’t going to stop. We will never make the money we want to, or have the perfect relationship, or have the perfect housing situation, or in general be exactly where we want to be. However, what we will always have, is friends to share it with, memories to lean on, and the excitement and hope of the memories we’ve yet to build.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Palm Sunday Homily 2010
I’m not exactly sure what I can say in terms of a Homily that can in any way add to the Gospel we just shared. It’s a story that in many ways speaks for itself. It is very similar to a story that I read earlier this week.
The story is about two brothers who live together in a small apartment. The older was a hard working, God fearing man, who lived his faith to the fullest, and prided himself on his hard work, and strong ethics. The younger was very different. He was unemployed, and spent the majority of his money on cocaine and alcohol. He kept late hours, and rarely spent any time at home. When he was caught cheating on his girlfriend, for the third time, the older brother once again warned his younger brother that he had to stop. That someday his careless behavior would catch up with him. One night the younger brother came home very early in the morning from the night before. His shirt was covered in blood, and he held in his hand a smoking gun. His elder brother asked what had happened, and the young man proceeded to start to cry. He was scared, as an incident at last call at a bar had led to a dispute in the streets, and in his drunken high, he shot the other man involved. The young man acknowledged his awful mistake, and was scared for himself. Soon the police were at the door, and the older brother told the younger to remove his clothes. They switched outfits, and the older brother took the gun. When the police came in they arrested the older brother. He was subsequently tried for the murder he did not commit, and was given the death penalty.
The remaining brother subsequently changed his ways, which certainly comes as no surprise. Wouldn’t we be horrified if we knew that this man’s brother had given his own life to save the brother he loved so deeply, and then he hadn’t learned anything from this experience.
Today, my dear friends, we heard the story of how our Brother gave his life for us. Isn’t it then logical for us to do the same as the young man from that story. Isn’t it all together appropriate that we live out our lives in recognition of the sacrifice that was made for us on that Cross. Our brother has been executed for a crime he did not commit, so that we could be free. The question that remains for us, is how do we live that freedom?
While hanging on the cross for our salvation Jesus faces much harassment and torture. The last of which, comes from the two thieves crucified on either side of him. One picks on Him, the other asks that the Lord remember Him when He comes into His kingdom. In his dying moment, the “good thief” realizes the sacrifice that his brother is making. Jesus, in turn assures the man of his place in paradise. Let’s not wait until that last moment. Let’s live our lives as a testimony to the gratitude in our hearts that we hold for what our brother has done for us. We have been given a second chance, we have had our slate wiped clean.
The crowds that day chose to rather have a hardened criminal, Barabbas set free. They chose to risk their very lives, by letting a murderer run free in their community while Jesus takes the punishment of the cross. Each and everyday we are posed with the same question. Who do we want, Jesus or Barabbas? Who do we live for? Who do we choose? The only snag is that in choosing Jesus, we choose the cross, as the two are inseparable. Jesus went to his Cross-without argument, without hesitation, and his final words were those of forgiveness. The question we ask ourselves is, how will we behave when we are hanging from ours.
God Bless You…
The story is about two brothers who live together in a small apartment. The older was a hard working, God fearing man, who lived his faith to the fullest, and prided himself on his hard work, and strong ethics. The younger was very different. He was unemployed, and spent the majority of his money on cocaine and alcohol. He kept late hours, and rarely spent any time at home. When he was caught cheating on his girlfriend, for the third time, the older brother once again warned his younger brother that he had to stop. That someday his careless behavior would catch up with him. One night the younger brother came home very early in the morning from the night before. His shirt was covered in blood, and he held in his hand a smoking gun. His elder brother asked what had happened, and the young man proceeded to start to cry. He was scared, as an incident at last call at a bar had led to a dispute in the streets, and in his drunken high, he shot the other man involved. The young man acknowledged his awful mistake, and was scared for himself. Soon the police were at the door, and the older brother told the younger to remove his clothes. They switched outfits, and the older brother took the gun. When the police came in they arrested the older brother. He was subsequently tried for the murder he did not commit, and was given the death penalty.
The remaining brother subsequently changed his ways, which certainly comes as no surprise. Wouldn’t we be horrified if we knew that this man’s brother had given his own life to save the brother he loved so deeply, and then he hadn’t learned anything from this experience.
Today, my dear friends, we heard the story of how our Brother gave his life for us. Isn’t it then logical for us to do the same as the young man from that story. Isn’t it all together appropriate that we live out our lives in recognition of the sacrifice that was made for us on that Cross. Our brother has been executed for a crime he did not commit, so that we could be free. The question that remains for us, is how do we live that freedom?
While hanging on the cross for our salvation Jesus faces much harassment and torture. The last of which, comes from the two thieves crucified on either side of him. One picks on Him, the other asks that the Lord remember Him when He comes into His kingdom. In his dying moment, the “good thief” realizes the sacrifice that his brother is making. Jesus, in turn assures the man of his place in paradise. Let’s not wait until that last moment. Let’s live our lives as a testimony to the gratitude in our hearts that we hold for what our brother has done for us. We have been given a second chance, we have had our slate wiped clean.
The crowds that day chose to rather have a hardened criminal, Barabbas set free. They chose to risk their very lives, by letting a murderer run free in their community while Jesus takes the punishment of the cross. Each and everyday we are posed with the same question. Who do we want, Jesus or Barabbas? Who do we live for? Who do we choose? The only snag is that in choosing Jesus, we choose the cross, as the two are inseparable. Jesus went to his Cross-without argument, without hesitation, and his final words were those of forgiveness. The question we ask ourselves is, how will we behave when we are hanging from ours.
God Bless You…
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