Carrying the cross?

As I was walking back from the bus stop this morning, instead of praying the office of readings I decided I would do the Rosary.  This mornings mysteries were the Sorrowful Mysteries.  I began to walk along watching the squirrels running around preparing for winter, watching the parents running to school, the workers to work, the buses to their stops.  I watched as the geese flew over honking and as the leaves fell from the trees.

I began to meditate on the Carrying of the Cross.   Such a long walk it must have been to carry that cross.  As I began the mystery I did as always and said a prayer, one for the particular intent of my heart but in some way related to the mystery itself.  Then I began to pray.  As I did I began to think about the different ways we carry our crosses. But there was this notion that struck me, the cross wasn't carried in private.. it was a very public event.  So public indeed that even Simon of Cyrene was compelled into helping Jesus carry the cross.

All too often we tell people who have serious sins in their lives, oh that's your cross to bear.  We treat it as if those sins, performed in the dark away from us are not our concern, but something that they must learn to live with.  Yet, sin is not a private affair.  If you're hiding a sin from others, then it compounds the problem.  When you commit those sins in private willingly, you aren't carrying your cross.. no.. you're laying it down and walking away from it.


I'm not suggesting that every person out there should come out and begin to say to every person they meet "this is my sin."   I am suggesting though that we as Christians need other men (or women) to talk to. We need a support group to hold us accountable, and with that group we need to be 100% honest.  We need to let someone, a trusted friend, who isn't just going to be complacent and say "that's ok," know what we are struggling with.   We need to carry our cross together, and even at other times to get someone to help us bear that load, because sometimes we can't do it on our own. (I firmly believe that is the true power of the Cursillo movement, in the grouping.)

The Sacred Scriptures tell us that we are one body.  Now a body could function decently without one kidney.. but it isn't working at 100%.  Even more so, if it loses both one might still live, but how difficult does life become?  When one organ has cancer, it often doesn't stay just there.. no it spreads. We are less without you.  Period.  When you are sick? Infected with sin as it were... it makes the rest of the body suffer.  Together though, we can heal.

Those Guys Over There!

On the sabbath they entered the synagogue and took their seats.
Many Jews and worshipers who were converts to Judaism
followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke to them and urged them to remain faithful to the grace of God. 

On the following sabbath almost the whole city gathered 
to hear the word of the Lord. 
When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy 
and with violent abuse contradicted what Paul said. 

Today our priest, Father Don, gave a long talk about this very passage. I want to try and capture what I took away from that homily. The lesson there is one I hadn't really thought about, but as a person who does a lot of apologetics and witnessing on the internet, I find it's one that is so very pertinent to us on Facebook, Twitter, etc.


Notice that when Paul and Barnabas came to the town, they received them well. They were in their comfort zone. Paul and Barnabas were both Jews and they were bringing a message of hope about the Messiah! They accepted the message with open arms. They followed and worshiped with Paul and Barnabas and treated them with respect.


It was only on the next weekend, when they gathered to talk and the entire town gathered, that the Jews became jealous. Notice that the following verses (I've included the entire section below) indicate that it was because of the Gentiles that they were jealous. Not because the message was one they didn't appreciate, but because of inclusion. They were mad because not only was the message for the Jews, but for them! For those other ones over there, the unclean, the sinners, the ones who aren't part of the chosen ones.


How often do we fall into that very trap ourselves? Growing up I was not Catholic, but a baptist. Many of the churches I went to talked very uncharitably about the Catholic church, and well frankly, about any church that wasn't their church. Don't date that girl, her dad is one of those Jehovah's witnesses. Don't go to the boy scouts, they meet in the basement of the Methodist church! Oh you don't want to go to that church, they speak in tongues and fall out in the aisles! Or, don't go over to that church they don't speak in tongues or don't fall out the aisles (both from different people in the same non-denominational church.)  Jesus is white! No Jesus is black! No Jesus is a Jew! He loves everyone, no he hates everyone except this group! It's enough to make your head spin!

It's so easy to say, God's message is for me, for this type of person, for the ones I am comfortable around. But God's message is for everyone! Now will everyone get to heaven? No, I don't think they will, scripture is pretty clear on that. However, Christ owns the Catholic church, the Catholic church does not own Christ. Jesus decides who goes where and who is included, not us. We spend too much time judging and not enough time spreading light. As St. Theresa said, At the end of life we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things we have done. We will be judged by 'I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless, and you took me in.' Hungry not only for bread - but hungry for love. Naked not only for clothing - but naked of human dignity and respect. Homeless not only for want of a home of bricks - but homeless because of rejection.



In Christ,

Brian



Acts 13:14, 43-52


Paul and Barnabas continued on from Perga
and reached Antioch in Pisidia.
On the sabbath they entered the synagogue and took their seats.
Many Jews and worshipers who were converts to Judaism
followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke to them
and urged them to remain faithful to the grace of God.

On the following sabbath almost the whole city gathered
to hear the word of the Lord.
When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy
and with violent abuse contradicted what Paul said.
Both Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said,
“It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first,
but since you reject it
and condemn yourselves as unworthy of eternal life,
we now turn to the Gentiles.
For so the Lord has commanded us,
I have made you a light to the Gentiles,
that you may be an instrument of salvation
to the ends of the earth.”

The Gentiles were delighted when they heard this
and glorified the word of the Lord.
All who were destined for eternal life came to believe,
and the word of the Lord continued to spread
through the whole region.
The Jews, however, incited the women of prominence who were worshipers
and the leading men of the city,
stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas,
and expelled them from their territory.
So they shook the dust from their feet in protest against them,
and went to Iconium.
The disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.

Grant me your peace

Lord make me an instrument of your peace. I say this prayer almost every morning as I awake, trusting God to transform me because I know I cannot make it through the day on my own volition. I am human. Just like the next person. I make mistakes. Almost all men and women of faith pray for God's peace, God's will.  We pray: Our Father, who art in heaven. They will be done. We pray:  Lord grant me the serenity We consistently pray for peace and joy.

Yet, there is also a disturbing trend to Christianity. We tend to be Christians+. On the surface that seems like a good thing, and sometimes it is; as long as it doesn't interfere with the Gospel. The problem is we tend to add something to our Catholicism, or religion, our Christianity. We take something we believe in, and we tack it on to the Gospel. Christianity + Democrats. Christianity + democracy. Christianity + republican. Christianity + the tea party. Christianity + a belief. Christianity + Occupy Wall Street.

It's ok to be a Catholic and a democrat. It's ok to be a Catholic and a republican. It's ok to be a Catholic and a member of the tea party. We must remember though, that we are Catholic first. We are Christian first. Our first and most important allegiance is to God. If there is a democratic belief that is contrary to the Gospel, then we cannot live by it.. follow it.. nor expect others to do so. The same with our republican beliefs.

We also have a tendency to say things like, real Christians must be members of this as well! If they really followed the gospel, then they'd be a democrat too! If they were really following Christ they'd be protesting on wall street with the Occupy Movement, etc. God has clearly laid out what we are to do. I agree there are causes we should join. There are indeed parts of certain movements I agree with, but the only movement a person needs to join to be a member of the body of Christ.. is the church. It's really that simple. If we examine every single movement out there, we are going to find there are parts of that movement which do not agree with our faith.

I agree with movements that want to help the poor. I don't agree with abortion. I agree with free market, I don't agree with removing the environmental protection agency in order to make business explode, at the expense of destroying God's creation. I am a vegan, but I understand that God has given permission (not requirements) to eat meat. I am Catholic. Not Catholic+, not Catholic-, but Catholic.

Let us all learn to follow God's peace, not our own. God's will, not our own. Let's learn to discern what God wants from us, what God calls us to do in the gospel.  Let us pray with all earnestly, God's will be done here on earth, as it is in Heaven.. and mean it.. live by it.. live it here, as we believe it will be lived there. The story of our lives is a many volume book filled with paragraphs of information, going on and on, filling shelf upon shelf. This life is but the very first letter... there is so much more to come after... let us start living as if eternity is what matters... because if eternity is what matters.. then love is what we need to be exhibiting here.. in every breath.. every action.. every moment.

His servant, and yours;
Brian

What good is salt?

You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trodden under foot by men.- Matthew 5:13

Jesus talked in parables a great deal of the time. In this particular statement he made some very profound statements if we just take time to really analyze it. I just want to look at three particular thoughts that have been going through my mind the past few days. There are many other lessons that could be taken from here, but these are the ones that really stand out to me. They involve salt itself. These are the three things that I think of most when I talk about salt. So what does salt do?

Salt enhances flavor

When we add salt to our food it has a little flavor on it's own, but the major function of salt in gourmet cooking is to draw out the flavors of the food. It enhances them, makes them more pronounced. Jesus reminds us in this simple statement that we are to enhance the world around us. We are to make it better. To take the good in it, and there is good in the world, and magnify that. We are to edify, build, uplift. To increase the good by drawing attention to it, and avoiding the things that are evil. 

Salt preserves

It preserves food from corruption. It keeps the world away from what it is protecting. It cures it, and keeps it from rotting. We as the salt are to avoid corruption, and to preserve ourselves and our families from being corrupted. We try to spread the word to others, preserved in it's truth, not altered.  It is our job, our duty to preserve the world as much as we can from corruption. By spreading the truth, the gospel, in every action and aspect of our lives. We vote our faith, we walk our faith, we work our faith.

Salt makes one thirsty

Every action we do should help draw others towards God. They should be looking at us and saying, "I want what he/she has!" Our lives should make others thirsty for God, for love, for hope, for justice. Not just others, but ourselves! We should be thirsting for a closer relationship with God and with our brothers and sisters in Christ! Salt by it's very nature causes one to thirst even more.

So those are some simple aspects of being the salt of the earth. Are you being salt? Do you enhance the flavor of the world? Does your presence make others want you around or do they see you coming and go, "Oh great, here he/she comes again!" Do you preserve yourself and others, as much as you can, form corruption? Or do you live your life in a way that 'rots' your immortal soul and potential leads others to do so? Do you make others thirst for God, do you yourself thirst for Him?

Be the salt of the earth.

His servant, and yours;

Brian 

The Prodigal Son

Most of the time when we hear this story, we focus on the foreground.. the son who has returned, we often miss the son in the background, toiling away in the field. 

Just about every Christian out there has heard the story of the prodigal son. We talk about it quite a bit, about how God's love is so powerful that he meets us where we are. That he runs out to us with open arms, and then pulls us back into his heart, his life, his home. Yet, most of the time we don't talk about the other son.

The other son is standing out in the field. He's upset. His father is having a party for the child who was wayward, but he's been here all along. He refuses to come to the party because all this time his father didn't even slaughter a goat for him and his friends! The father looks at him with love, and says "Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours." Everything... everything he has is yours. That's a powerful thing to think about.

Many of us think about God like he's an ATM. We decide what we need to be happy, ah if I only had a new car, if I only had a few more dollars, if only I could do more at school, etc.  We go to God in prayer and we consider faith our pin number, we pray "God give me that raise, cause that's what I need." What we need is God! God has already given us everything! All we have to do is receive it! Are we receiving it? It's not a bad thing to pray. It's a beautiful thing. Prayer, though, is a way of changing us to make us more like God. It's a moment in which we can indeed ask, but we can also praise, we can say "God, I thank you for all that you have given me for you have blessed me abundantly, way beyond anything I deserve. I don't know what you have in store for me in the future, but I know it is for my best. Help me to see your hand in every day, and to always give thanks for every blessing!"

Are you receiving all that God has offered? Or are you toiling away trying to earn them? We don't earn them. They are free. They are ours by grace! We should be in the field working through love, receiving God's abundant grace daily in the sacraments when we can, for they are offered every single moment of our lives! All His grace has been given to you already, all you need to do is receive it!  You see the one Son learned his lesson, he realized in the end that God loves him despite his shortcomings, that God's love is free and given when we come home in repentance, while the other still toils away thinking he must earn His love.. even though he already has it.

His servant, and yours;
Brian

Luke 15:11-32

And he said, "There was a man who had two sons; and the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of property that falls to me.' And he divided his living between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took his journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in loose living. And when he had spent everything, a great famine arose in that country, and he began to be in want. So he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have fed on * the pods that the swine ate; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired servants."' And he arose and came to his father. But while he was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said to his servants, 'Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry; for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.' And they began to make merry. "Now his elder son was in the field; and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what this meant. And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has received him safe and sound.' But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, 'Lo, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command; yet you never gave me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your living with harlots, you killed for him the fatted calf!' And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to make merry and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.'"

One of those moments

As our pastor, Father Tim, gave another of his rousing homilies this morning what he was saying really struck with my heart. As Catholics we believe that it is a blessing, a beautiful thing when we share in the suffering of Christ. The bible tells us to rejoice! So we go through our lives trying to offer up whatever pain, sorrow, or agony we receive to God, or even for others.

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal which comes upon you to prove you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice in so far as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. (1 Peter 4:12-13)

Today he was talking about how that sometimes we are scared to give. That we often seem scared to give because we might have to do without. That we might have to share in the suffering of that individual a little by sacrificing some of our own comfort. It's true. We often talk about how we could give if we had more money, but we can't give now because we just don't have it. Yet, we have internet access. We have air conditioning and heat. We have a home, often bigger than we truly need. We have all the clothes we could want, a bed for each of us, and indoor plumbing. All of these we talk about how we can't live without them, and sometimes this world seems to make us think we can't survive without a cell phone, a GPS, and high speed cable!

Father has reminded us many times of a very simple fact, one that reflects the truth of the Gospel of Matthew chapter 25. Whatever you do for the least of these, you do for Jesus Christ! When you give up something for one of your poor brothers and sisters, you are sharing in their suffering. When you give up some of your food that they can eat, you share in their hunger. When you turn your AC off for a month and use that extra money you save to help someone else.. the suffering of living without that comfort is sharing in theirs! You alleviate some of their pain, their hunger, their discomfort, by living it for them...  Christ is present in them.. and you are sharing in their suffering.. you are sharing in Christ's suffering THROUGH them.

That's an astounding thought isn't it? How many times do we turn down an offer because we want more soda, or to eat out with our families, or even to have a better car? Having nice things is not a sin in and of itself, and God wants to give us comfort.. he wants us to receive everything he has to offer... but not at the expense of others.

His servant and yours;
Brian

Make crooked things straight

Life always seems so hectic. So confusing. So difficult. With every moment of our day we are flooded with information. From the radio, to the television, to the mobile devices, to the internet. We are encouraged to make rapid and fast paced decisions. People want it now, and not later. Choose. Choose. Choose.

So we go through the day quickly deciding what to wear, what to eat, who to see and who not to, where to go and when, and how long to stay. We run this race of life often twisting back and forth on the path, as we try to fit in as much as we can get, because tomorrow is not certain. Yet, in the grand scheme of things... this life is not the important part, but the one after.

We all seem so consumed as a nation with personal pleasure. Videos, music, movies, and even billboards are designed to tantalize the senses and arouse the body. Moments of silence are discouraged by most, likely because of a fear of having to face their own inner self. A great deal of us profess to be religious of some sort, which means that we believe in an after life.. but very few of us seem to be living with that in mind. Almost every major faith system, though, teaches that how we live this life determines where and how we will spend eternity.

That should make the path a lot less 'crooked', and a lot more straight. The path should have much fewer choices, and a great deal more time into every decision. Eternity should be a major consideration, and Love should be a driving factor. It brings a whole new meaning to the words of Jesus when he said for narrow the gate and straitened the way that leads to life, and they are few who find it.  As I was reading my morning prayers I was reminded of that simple fact, as I have been discerning a call to a vocation, that all I really need to be doing is trusting in God.

Tobit 4:15-16, 18-19

Do to no one what you yourself dislike. Give to the hungry some of your bread, and to the naked some of your clothing. Seek counsel from every wise man. At all times bless the Lord God, and ask him to make all your paths straight and to grant success to all your endeavors and plans.

All we really need to do at every single decision of the day, is ask God to make all our paths straight and grant success to all of our endeavors and plans.  That really is a simple truth that should make the day a lot less hectic. A day in which the rat race is not to find as much pleasure as we can, but to serve. A day in which we seek to share love, hope, and life with every person we meet. I do feel the call to serve. I feel it in my heart every day. God willing, that is where I shall always remain.

Do you know where God wants you? Are you choosing for yourself or allowing others to tell you where to be? Some will say don't go here to this place, or listen to this person, but go here to this place, and listen to that one. I say listen to God. If you truly follow Him in Spirit and Truth, he will never guide you wrong. He will make your paths straight, He will lead you Home.

His servant and yours;
Brian

How human we all are

It seems the closer I grow to God, the more I am reminded of just how frail and weak this human flesh really is. With Saint Paul I cry out, I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. So then it is no longer I that do it, but sin which dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. (Romans 7:15-19).  While my mind knows exactly what God requires of me and my heart knows what is right and good, getting the flesh to listen to my 'will' doesn't seem to always line up.

A few weeks ago we were attending an event which had a great deal of people in it. As people were walking in, we watched from the very top of the stands. At some point one of the kids went out and bought water bottles for all of us, and we sat talking, laughing, and sipping our drinks. The stands began to fill up and before long a group of individuals walked up and sat directly in front of us.

As they walked up the flesh began to think things that were not nice. I thought things like wow, they are going to be loud. They are going to be saying things my kids don't want to hear. Here I was, a man trying to live for God, and instantly I judged these people on their appearance alone. I didn't know where they were from, who they were, or even consider that I was dressed much like the fellows there and yet, my flesh wanted to judge them. My spirit rebuked me and I sat in silence, wondering if I would ever get such thoughts under control.

As the evening progressed, our youngest dropped her water bottle. She began to cry because it had fallen a long way to the ground and there was no way she could go right now and retrieve it. Without hesitating, the young woman in front of me placed her hand into her purse and pulled out a pack of gum, and handed one to my daughter. The simple act of kindness reminded me just how wrong I was to judge her, for while I was being judgmental out of instinct, she whom I judged turned and showed pure love and affection for those around her.

Ah that one day I can be as filled with love as this woman, and have the pure unconditional love to turn to a complete stranger and comfort them. Lord help me to become more like You, and less like myself.

His servant and yours,
Brian

What's with the Attitude?

The Bible talks many times about the attitude we should have when we approach God in supplication. From the list in Malachi chapter one to the 'Our Father', each of them shows the proper way to come to God in prayer. Although it is addressed so often, many still are praying in a manner that does not reflect their Christian nature. Our attitude towards God should reflect the fact that God is the most important thing in our life, and that we love our neighbor as ourselves. These two statements, directly from Jesus, show us all we really need to know to be Christian.

Mathew 22: 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38T his is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Following these two commands, we find that all of the ten commandments fall into place. One cannot murder another and pretend to have loved them. One cannot be jealous of another's things and pretend to love them. One cannot lie to another, steal, or dishonor his father and mother; all the while pretending it is out of love for them. It, once again, is all about attitude towards God! When God truly comes first in your life you will take your commandments seriously. It is true that Christ died on the cross for us, and that he has washed us clean of sin. It is also true that faith in Christ is enough. Jesus however said, those who love me will keep my commands. (John 14:15) When we come to the cross and give our hearts to Jesus it should be completely! We should do it out of love, out of desperation, out of hope! It should not be a moment where we simply say, 'I believe in Christ' and then forget what he did the moment we go out of the building.

How does this apply to our lives? Our attitudes? You should be reflecting that love in every action, every day. Each time you interact with another person it should be out of love. Think carefully what this means. It means that our needs are not first. It means that we offer ourselves as servants to the world. What? As servants? Jesus, the king of the universe, came down and presented himself not as a king, but as a servant. Is he not our example? Should we not present ourselves as living images of him? When we come to the cross our old selves die. We are no longer a creature of this world, but spiritual beings, Children of God! We should act as such!

It also applies to our prayer life. When we come to God we should praise and worship him! How many times do we begin our prayers with 'Lord why me? What did I do?' Think of the 'Our Father'. This was the example that Jesus gave his disciples in how to pray.

Mathew 6:9 Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, asit isin heaven.

Jesus tells his disciples to start off their prayers with a praising of God. That God's will be done in earth, just as it is in heaven.

Hallow -To make holy; to set apart for holy or religious use; to
consecrate; to treat or keep as sacred; to reverence.

He instructs them to indicate that God's name is special and holy, to be treated with reverence. Many religious Jews will not even say God's name, even to the point of writing the English word as G-d. How much respect should we be showing knowing that God's name is hallowed? When was the last time we prayed and said God, your name alone is special and holy, how much more so are you? We should pray with God's will in mind. First and foremost! What is God's will? Romans 12:2 tells us “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.” God's will is good, pleasing and perfect. His will is that all of his Children will come to Him. His will is that we worship him, and love him, as he first loved us. His will is that we love one another. So when you pray, pray in God's will. We should pray for things that help others, out of love.

God wants us to have everything we need. He doesn't always give us everything we want. Sometimes that is because what we want, will either hurt us or hurt someone else. Yet we spend a great deal of time worrying and being anxious. Jesus told us that we should stop worrying, if God clothes the flowers in the field in more beauty than even a great King, how much more so would he provide us with clothes? If God provides food for the birds in the air, how much more so will he provide food for us? (Mathew 6:25-32) God knows what we need, and he will provide! The world will make it seem to you that you are suffering and that God is not listening, but He is! Not only is he listening he is answering! We need to be still and quiet and listen to God! (Psalm 46:10)

I will close for now with words directly from our savior, words more perfect than anything I could come up with on my own. Mathew 6:33-34 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day [is] the evil thereof.”

In Christ,
Brian

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