Gethsemane of the Soul

Last night after communion instead of closing the mass, we had a ceremony that brought us back to the garden of Gethsemane with Jesus. Father Tim walked slowly in procession with the altar servers through the aisles of the sanctuary to the altar of repose. As he walked, incense lifted in the air and the room became alive with tension and anticipation. The church was filled with flowers, lilies, and variegated leaves. The golden ciborium glistened in the candle light as the smoke of our prayers surrounded and flowed towards heaven.

As the lights were turned out and the adoration began there was a hushed silent for a few moments as people settled into prayer. After around 5 minutes, the exodus began. People began to rise from their pews and walk out the door. My heart cried out, "Couldn't you watch with me even one hour?" I began to mourn as more and more left the room. I wanted more people to stay with Jesus in the garden, to stay alert and watch with him.

As the numbers continued to dwindle my mind was more and more occupied with how many where there. Then suddenly there where but three of us. I was startled into alertness as to what I had been doing. Instead of worshiping in truth and spirit, I had been worried about what others were doing. I was one of the three in the garden with Jesus, and I had been asleep. It was as if Jesus looked me in the eyes and said, "Could YOU not watch with me even one hour?"   As I buried my head in shame, I thanked God for what he had shown me and began to marvel at the forgiveness of our heavenly Father.

The garden became more real to me last night than ever before. All of those years that I have sat there in that ceremony, I had been preoccupied  with others things.. when Jesus just wanted me to be occupied with him. Lord may I never forget this lesson, and may I always come before you in Spirit and Truth.

The Washing of Feet

I've always wondered what it would be like to be the one who had their feet washed. My mind can easily wrap around how humbling and moving it could be the be the one doing the washing. To emulate our Lord in each  movement, doing exactly what he commanded us to do. I never really thought about the person sitting there having their feet washed by someone who loves them, someone who cared enough to do something so menial, so base, to serve our very needs.

Last night as Father Tim moved from person to person, my mind was transported through time. As he bent over before each candidate, sponsor, and young child... my heart and soul began to cry out with Peter, Lord what are are you doing? Why are you washing my feet? Is it not I who should be serving you? I am not worthy of this. No Lord, you shall never wash my feet! I never really understood those lines from John 13 until last night as I was put in that very place. Like Peter, I realized that the man washing my feet was a much better man than myself.

As Father Tim gently pulled my foot over the polished basin to wash it, I was reminded of Jesus other words in that situation, "If I do not wash you, you have no part in me."  Oh how my heart was rent, my soul cried out with Peter "Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!" I finally understood Peter, realizing he must submit to this action in order to follow the will of God! I too wanted to shout out with joy, with exultation! Then Father lifted his eyes to mine as he was drying my unworthy feet, the very feet that had carried me through this life, the feet that were soiled with the 'dirt' of this world, the very feet that had walked me into sin many times... and I saw in his eyes something that went straight to my core.

I know Jesus is alive in each of us. I know that he lives very specially in all of our hearts. But there in those eyes, last night, without a shadow of a doubt, I saw a man filled with the Holy Spirit. I was once again transported through time. As my priest sat in persona Christi, washing my feet.. I knew that Jesus had once again washed the feet of his disciples.. and was challenging me personally:

"Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.For I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them."

Just a little bad?

Dying flies spoil the sweetness of the ointment. Wisdom and glory is more precious than a small and shortlived folly. - Ecclesiastes 10:1

We as Christians often encourage our children to do the right thing. That's part of our vocation as parents. We are supposed to be teaching them right from wrong, and how to make the right choice. Yet, today's society seems to be teaching anything in moderation is OK. Is that really true?

When we teach our children about stealing, we tell them it's wrong. Should we tell them, but hey if you're going to steal.. make sure to do it with a mask on, and only steal things worth less than a certain amount so it's not a felony? Of course not that's absurd. We believe stealing is wrong, so we tell them not to steal at all.

When we teach our children about drugs, we tell them it's wrong. Should we then tell them, but if you're going to do drugs, make sure to use a clean syringe, or stick to safe things like Marijuana? Of course not. We tell them drugs are bad, and they should avoid them always.

When we teach our children about sex outside of marriage.. why then do we tell them, if you're going to do it, use a condom? We should be teaching them to not do it at all!  Why is it clear to us that telling them that when they do it, to take precautions not to do it too much? Isn't that in fact telling them that we expect them to do it anyway?

If we truly believe it's wrong to have sex outside of marriage, then we should be teaching abstinence, not 'birth control.'

One pink balloon

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ - Matthew 25:40


We decided to go to the store and get some lettuce for a salad for dinner tonight. While we were checking out an elderly gentleman walked up to the other counter, and the lady told him she'd be with him in a second. He said no problem and waited patiently. Another cashier came in and took over for her and she went over to help him. After he left and we finished checking out, the lady walked back up to us and said "The elderly gentleman over there left a quarter with me and asked if I thought you guys would mind if he bought a balloon for your little girl, she is behaving so well." We didn't mind at all. In fact, it reminded me how far a little gesture goes to share love in this world. One little pink balloon (only a quarter!) and my little girls face is lit up. She's running around the house playing with it now, and just having that joy of a child.


How often we think making a difference requires so much work and difficulty. Yet, this Holy Week we can make small differences. One quarter here, a yard mowed there, simply smiling and checking on your neighbor. What are some ways you can make a difference? Remember, it only takes a pebble to start an avalanche.

Putting it all in the right perspective

The First Commandment: (Exodus 20:2-6)

I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. "You shall have no other gods before me. "You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

It's interesting sometimes how that you learn things about God and our lives from places you expect to be learning about something else. While I was completely aware that taking a seminar on finances at a church would indeed be based on biblical principles of stewardship, I did not quite expect to be thinking so much about our relationship with God in such detail while contemplating our financial situation. One of the questions evoked a response from my heart: We must structure our lives around God, not try to structure God around our lives. 

I've been contemplating that line since the class on Sunday afternoon and it struck me how in our present society our lives are structured around so many things. We take a day off work to go fishing. We take some time off work to go visit family. Or even, I'm going to take this Friday off just because I don't feel like going to work. It's so common that we will take time out of our life to spend with others, or to do something we enjoy, even to go see a 'Super Bowl' or Hockey game.. then we Christians say something like, Oh I'd go to church.. but I have to work this Sunday. I would help at the soup kitchen, but I just can't seem to find the time.

At some point we have to think that our day of Worship should be more important than those other things! Shouldn't we consider taking a day of vacation to go to church? Or to take some time off to go to a spiritual retreat? Or to put aside some of that vacation money that we normally save up to get away, to instead spend time growing in our faith? What are some ways that you can restructure your life around God? 

The Domestic Church (cont...)

You and I are the domestic church. I just want to further talk about what I envision this as. First and foremost, it's important to realize that while we have people in authority, we are also a nation of priests. We spiritually have a responsibility to take that seriously. That means that in our homes, we too are first and foremost the priests in our home. The first responsibility of the domestic church, is to lead their flock. That means that we have a huge responsibility to know our faith. We need to be able to explain who we are, what we believe, and to teach our children and families what our faith is about and why we believe as we do. That is part of our vocation as the family, as the domestic part of the church.

That is a huge undertaking, being responsible not just for your faith, but in helping with the formation and understanding of the faith of the entire home. Many people leave the domestic church here, this is all they envision it doing. Yet, we know that a church has more than just a priest. The priest is indeed very important, and the church could not serve it's purpose without his guidance and more especially his service at the mass. But there are other people who help make the church run smoothly.

One of the most important ministries of the church is the greeter. They stand by the door before and after mass, welcoming people with polite conversation, a hand shake, and sometimes a hug (all based on the personality of that greeter.) Their purpose is to make the church a welcoming place, to invite people in warmly and help people out of town find their way into this parish for a visit. The greeter is the face of the church so to speak, because they are the first person seen. The first impression is often the most important, because it 'colors' the rest of your perception.

We as the domestic church are also greeters! We ourselves are the face that people see in the world. We ARE the ones they remember, the people who 'color' a persons experience with our church. Think about that responsibility for a minute! Ghandi once said, "I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ. The materialism of affluent Christian countries appears to contradict the claims of Jesus Christ that says it's not possible to worship both Mammon and God at the same time."

If we the domestic church had been doing our job... Ghandi would have been welcomed. Our Christians would be much more like our Christ. So I challenge that each of us, the domestic church, must indeed become greeters! We must welcome people into our homes, our lives, etc. Some ways we can do this is simply being kind to our neighbors.  Simple actions speak volumes. Not running the lawn mower when they are having a get together in their yard, or asking if they need help carrying something that looks heavy. Even simply taking their trash cans up for them at the end of the day, when you do your own.

Be the face of Christ in the world.. greet people warmly and serve them so that we the domestic church, will lead them to the Church itself, the Body of Christ, the living word of God!

It's in the Details

While meditating on the 'Stations of the Cross' on my commute yesterday to pick the girls up from play practice, a detail emerged for me that I had never noticed before. While we talk about how Jesus didn't speak up at times, or how that others accused him falsely, (and you may have already noticed this detail, but for me it is one I'd never spent time thinking about) did you ever notice that no one stepped forth to defend Jesus? There were many who lied about him, spit in his face, beat him, condemned him... but this man who had just spent three years traveling the country side healing the sick, feeding the poor, loving the broken, forgiving sins, and raising the dead... had no one step forward and declare his innocence. Granted they might have lost their life for doing so... granted that it was a different time, a different stage... but it still brings a potent thought into our present time.

Are you willing to stand up for Jesus? Do you stand idly by while others make false accusations about him? When others deny his deity, or claim he is just a man, do you step forward with confidence ready to drink the cup with him? 

The Domestic Church

We, the families and members of the church are the domestic church. The domestic church lives in our homes, and is part of the witness of Christ. It's also an important part of evangelization. What exactly does that mean to the family? To the husband and wife? To the children?

To answer that it's helpful to think about what we expect in a church. We expect it to be welcoming first off. That's a big part of why people leave many churches, they don't feel they belong or that people are friendly enough. As followers of Christ, we are supposed to be known by our love for one another. Sometimes when we go into a church we don't find that welcoming spirit, we instead see people glancing over at one another, or someone angry about where you are sitting (it might be their usual spot). Sometimes we truly aren't feeling welcome, at other times it's our own insecurities or perceptions making us feel out of place. Either way, our homes as part of the domestic church should be welcoming!

Think about that for a minute. Do people feel welcome in your home? Do they feel comfortable? Do they feel loved? Do we take time to make sure our home is ready for unexpected guests? I know I fall short in that aspect, often FAR short of it. Our family and friends should feel they can drop in at anytime and be greeted with love and open arms. That's something I personally need to work on. I'm one of those people who if the house isn't clean (which it often is not), I don't want guests.

That brings me to another thing that I fall short on. We expect our churches to be organized, and clean. How many of us would complain if the church had clothes all over the hallway leading to the sanctuary? Or had dust on the shelves all around? Our homes don't belong to us, they belong to God. They are simply gifts he has given us. That's a hard thing to think about, for we often treat them however we want and leave them in disrepair, and put off cleaning till later. I am the worlds worst offender of this, and as a stay at home father I should be cleaning daily.

What other ways can we make our home into part of the domestic church? How can we witness our faith through our very lives? How can we the mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers be a living example of Christ in the world?

Stewardship of our food?

Stewardship. Stewardship and discipleship are one and the same. When we become a disciple, we also become a steward. I was reading just the other day about diet and nutrition, one of my hobbies. As I was reading, I came across the comment that a pound of fat is roughly equal to 3500-4000 calories. What does that have to do with stewardship? Everything in a way.

When my wife and I got married, I was roughly 380 pounds. I was a big fella. That's at least 180 pounds more than I should have been.  Even more so if some of those charts are right, and one of my doctors who indicates I should weigh about 180 pounds. That means that I alone had at one point in time enough fat on my body to have fed someone for an entire year. That really blows me away. That doesn't count all the times that I've lost weight, and then put it back on... every one of those pounds counts too.

As a steward of God's world, I believe we are responsible for every material possession that we get. We are supposed to use them for His glory, for His kingdom, for his children. Can I honestly say I am doing that if I consume enough of the food he gives me to gain hundreds of pounds, instead of using it to feed others? I know God still loves me. I know that he forgives me for my 'gluttony.' But I also know he wants me to do better.

What are some ways that we can take small steps to do better? What are some things we can do during Lent, to help us grow closer to God, and at the same time get our minds in the right place for the rest of our lives to give God glory?

The deserted places

Lv 13:1-2, 44-46

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron,
"If someone has on his skin a scab or pustule or blotch
which appears to be the sore of leprosy,
he shall be brought to Aaron, the priest,
or to one of the priests among his descendants.
If the man is leprous and unclean,
the priest shall declare him unclean
by reason of the sore on his head.


"The one who bears the sore of leprosy
shall keep his garments rent and his head bare,
and shall muffle his beard;
he shall cry out, 'Unclean, unclean!'
As long as the sore is on him he shall declare himself unclean,
since he is in fact unclean.
He shall dwell apart, making his abode outside the camp."

Mk 1:40-45

A leper came to Jesus and kneeling down begged him and said,
"If you wish, you can make me clean."
Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, 
touched him, and said to him, 
"I do will it. Be made clean."
The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean.
Then, warning the him sternly, he dismissed him at once. 


He said to him, "See that you tell no one anything,
but go, show yourself to the priest 
and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed;
that will be proof for them."


The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter.
He spread the report abroad
so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly.
He remained outside in deserted places,
and people kept coming to him from everywhere.

These were two of the scripture readings from today's mass. They tie together in some obvious ways. The main obvious one is that they both deal with leprosy. But today it struck me that there is something hidden there, a jewel. A shadow of the cross. As our Priest read the Gospel reading today.. I was struck by how wonderful Jesus is.

You see in the first reading we see that the Jewish people didn't have a full understanding of Leprosy. They believed it was sin that caused it. That the person wasn't just unclean and diseased, but he reason they had leprosy in the first place was some sin in their life. They didn't know about bacteria and viruses, but God in his infinite wisdom taught them to help keep from spreading it as best as they could. So what happens in ancient Jewish culture when someone gets leprosy? They are ostracized. They are sent to live by themselves or in a colony of other lepers, until they get better.. if they get better.

Then flash forward to the year 30 or so AD and here we have Jesus Christ, the Messiah. Someone with leprosy, someone who would have been considered a sinner, came to Jesus to be healed. You see first off that Jesus sees the mans faith. After all the man says "If you wish, you can make me clean."  This man didn't ask for healing, he stated a fact. He knew that if it was God's will, it would be done! He knew who Jesus was. And Jesus did it! This was two fold... the person was not only healed, but if sin caused the leprosy.. then his sin was forgiven! Jesus forgave this mans sin, and told him to go to the priest to be declared clean, giving up his thanks to God in a sacrifice.

But the part that caught me today.. was that Jesus was then forced to goutside of town. He was forced into the deserted places. Jesus who had done no wrong, because of his glory and majesty, was instead put in the sinners place. The leper was the one who should have been in the deserted places, unable to come into town.. but Jesus.. the healer.. the King of Kings... shows us in a shadow of things to come, a shadow of his work on the cross.. that Jesus forgives our sins.. and takes our punishment... Just wow! How glorious is our God? Have you praised him today for taking your punishment?

In Christ,
Brian

Repost: Husbands and Wives

 Ephesians 5 22-24 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

This is a very unpopular verse. Mostly because it has been used in the past to make women subservient to their husband, with only he allowed to make decisions. That was not the intent of this passage at all. I will get to that later. First I want to talk bout how the husband is supposed to act.

Ephesians 25-32 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— for we are members of his body. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.
Take a moment and let that sink in. There are a few characteristics that we can look at immediately about how we are to treat our wives. Mainly, we can look at how Christ lived his life for the church. Christ came into this world with one goal, to redeem his people to God. To bring his church into himself. We are after all the body of Christ. Christ LIVED literally for the church. He gave his life, his precious blood, for us. He suffered and died, just for the church. 

Well husbands, we've got some serious shoes to fill, don't we. We are to love our wife, even when she doesn't deserve it! Not just when she loves us back, but period! Christ didn't come down for the saints, he came for the sinners! The people who turned their back on him! We have to love our wives, even when we don't particularly like her! I believe every couple has that moment as well. The moment when they are definitely not happy with their spouse. Be it when someone spent a great deal of money, without even consulting the other. Or someone hid something from the other. That doesn't excuse us! We still have to love her! 

So what does the first verse tell us then? The one about wives submitting to their husbands? Well it doesn't seem to make sense if you think of marriage as a union, in which you just dissolve it when you don't agree anymore. It's not! Marriage is not something that we just leave when we have a disagreement. Someone has to have the deciding vote. Many people will tell you it's just the man, but it's not. It's God! The man should be approaching God with the problem and saying Father, help me to solve this in your will! Then he should be going to his wife, and saying “You mean more than my own life, what is your opinion in this matter?” Then out of love and trust in the Lord, he should decide. Even if the two members do not agree, they should abide by that decision. Because it was approached with ultimate love for one another, and love for God. 

Women love your husbands! Respect them! Help edify them, lord knows we men need our wives support. Men love your wives, more than yourself. No man who loves his wife more than his own life will hold it over her head that he is put in charge of the final vote. He would instead cast that final vote in love for her! Or even step aside and say I love you so much, that we are going to do what you want to to do, even if it's not what I want to do, as long as it's God's will. 

Remember Christ came as a servant, he served the church even though he was it's King. You are to be your wives servant, even if you are the head. That's what it means to be spiritually the head, that you have went above your own wants and needs and are looking for hers. Because she is being obedient to God by submitting to you, you must be obedient to God and submit to her! 

Ephesians 5:21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

In Christ, 
Brian

Epiphany

Today at our church we celebrated Epiphany. I remember hearing that word the first time when I was in the 12th grade. It had no religious connotations to me at all, it simply meant something to the effect of 'a eureka moment.' That moment when you went 'Ah hah!' because you had figured out something you had long been contemplating. It was the name of a poetry magazine/booklet that many of us were very happy to have our words printed in. I don't even remember what I wrote about, just that the word Epiphany was etched on the front.

As a protestant growing up we didn't celebrate these seasons. We only celebrated Christmas and Easter. Christmas was a day, Easter was a day. After the 25th the tree came down, thoughts returned to every day life. It was over till Easter. The Catholic faith has a much different view of life. Christmas is a season! We celebrate not just his birth and death, but his baptism, the assumption, the annunciation of his birth, etc. We celebrate everything about Christ, even when we are in ordinary time.  We attempt to make our lives about Christ and reflecting Christ.

So today we discussed Epiphany. Epiphany is the celebration of the wise men journeying/arriving to see the young Jesus. We are reminded that they saw a star in the Heaven's, a mysterious light that led them to the King of the Jews. They came to give him gifts and pay him homage. We don't think about the word homage much. It means something to the effect a public declaration of their allegiance, to show him respect. Isn't it interesting that three magi, three gentiles were one of the first people to come and declare their allegiance to Christ? To bring him gifts?

Epiphany has many deep theological levels, but the one that sticks out the most is that they saw his light, or something that pointed to him, and they kept searching till they found him. Today on this epiphany I am reminded of something my priest said one day, about how that Jesus Christ is inside each of person, even if they aren't aware of it yet. You see we are made in the image of God, and if we look hard enough, we will see his reflection hidden somewhere deep under someones flesh. Jesus reminds us of that when he tells us everything you do for the least of these, you have done for me; and likewise everything you do not do for the least of these, you have not done for me.

Epiphany reminds me to look for that light. That even in the face of someone I cannot stand, I should be looking for their light. That even my enemy deserves the basic dignity of human life, because he is made in the image of my creator. That Jesus is in the world in very special ways, and I should be looking for him. Searching for him every single day. Until I arrive at his feet, bringing what meager gifts I can muster up, to pay him homage.

Help me Lord to find you both in prayer, in my heart, and in the faces of the broken and bruised of this world. Help me to see your face and to remember that I when I am looking into the eyes of a brokenhearted, angry, or sad individual that I am looking not only at them, but through them to the reflection of you inside. Help me to go out of my way to help them find that image in them, that they too will be led to go out searching for you. Until searching for you becomes our very existence. I pray for a world where everyone searches for you so fully, that to find you in our world we only have to turn and look to the very  next person we see.

In Christ,
Brian

Faith is a Verb

Faith. The word is often used by us Christians to be synonymous with 'belief'. But it's much more than that. It does indeed mean belief, but it also means action. Faith is a gift from God. He has given us both the ability to have a supernatural belief, one in something we cannot see, and to have knowledge of the way to express that faith. You see, faith doesn't just speak of you believing in God, it speaks of you expressing that through your actions.

Everything you do during the day should express faith. Do you live your faith? Do you show others by your very actions that you believe the basic creeds? Do you live your life in a way that shows that you believe this life is just the start of an eternity? Or do you live your life like death is the end? Do you live your life in a way that shows that you truly believe you are forgiven for your sins? Or do you live your life in a way that makes others doubt God's forgiveness? Does your very attitude toward God show an appreciation for what he did on the cross? Or does it make grace out to be something cheap, and disposable?

The Nicene Creed is a basic list of the things we believe, do you think about this during the day? About what we truly do believe?

I believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the Only Begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages.
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
he suffered death and was buried,
and rose again on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead
and his kingdom will have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.
I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins
and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to come. Amen.

In Christ,
Brian