theophilus October 21st, 2007
Someone told me a long time ago that the key to success was persistence. I could accomplish anything I wanted to do as long as I worked hard enough and long enough. And, I’ve learned that the advice is by and large true. Persistence covers over many flaws and overcomes many obstacles.
In today’s gospel (Luke 18), we hear Christ telling the parable of the widow who receives unfair treatment from a corrupt judge, yet remains persistent enough with that judge that she eventually receives a favorable ruling.
Today’s 2nd Reading (2 Timothy 3) has St. Paul exhorting St. Timothy to “be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient.”
Today’s 1st Reading (Exodus 17) tells the story of how Moses sends Joshua and the Israelites into battle. As long as Moses arms were raised, the Israelites carried the fight; if his arms went down, the Israelites got their butts kicked. Moses was persistent in keeping his arms raised and the Israelites ultimately won the battle.
Persistence – it’s what we need most in our lives, our faith, our relationships, our work, everything that we do. I earned the love of my wife through my persistence. I’ve been hired by more than one employer because of my persistence. I am a good father through my persistence.
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theophilus October 20th, 2007
How many times have we been in a situation where we needed to say something, anything, but we didn’t quite know what to say? So, we just started talking, words came out, and actually began to make sense.
Or, how about public speaking? I love that my heart can be racing just before I’m supposed to go on and, as soon as I hit the podium, I’m calm and ready to go.
It especially happens to me when I lector at Sunday Mass. I’ll do my preparation, but during the Opening Prayer and Gloria, you can hear my heart beating through my chest. But, as I say a quick prayer, look up at the stained glass window of Mary, and as I bow before the altar and approach the ordo, an incredible peace comes over me. I settle myself, make eye contact with the congregration, and begin to speak with confidence and strength. What’s amazing is how often I end up phrasing a passage differently than how I did it in my preparation – and it ends up sounding a great deal better.
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theophilus October 19th, 2007
When a close friend or relative dies, we often hear the consoling words, “he/she will be watching over us now from heaven” or “now we have a special angel in heaven looking out for us.”
When I was young, I loved hearing these words because they always helped me deal with death and the loss of someone I loved. But now, these words almost scare me.
Why?
Because I really don’t like the idea that my dear grandparents, aunts, and uncles and my wife’s grandparents, aunts and uncles know my every thought, see my every action. I don’t like the idea that they know my every flaw. How do they feel about witnessing every failing of their beloved grandson and nephew? Worse yet, how does my wife’s heavenly relatives feel about the guy to whom they entrusted their dear girl?
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theophilus October 18th, 2007
What a great week for saints!!
On Monday, we had St. Teresa of Avila, Tuesday was St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, yesterday brought St. Ignatius of Antioch and today is St. Luke, the author of the gospel and the Acts of the Apostles.
In one week, we have celebrated the life of a great spiritualist/reformer, a holy woman who started a great devotion, a courageous pastor and martyr, and now a man who is one of the most widely read (if not the most widely read) author of all time.
It’s probably not a coincidence that the Church picks today’s gospel reading from the Gospel According to Luke. Nevertheless, today’s passage from Luke 10 is one of my favorites . . . “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”
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theophilus October 17th, 2007
There are times when we have to cut through all of the stuff clogging up our lives and just do our job.
St. Paul gives us guidance on this point in today’s first reading (Romans 2) - “God . . . will repay everyone according to his works, eternal life to those who seek glory, honor, and immortality through perseverance in good works, but wrath and fury to those who selfishly disobey the truth and obey wickedness.”
He then expounds further, “Yes, affliction and distress will come upon everyone who does evil, . . .. But there will be glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does good, . . ..There is no partiality with God.”
Note the emphasis on “good works” and “perseverance” – that’s the definition of doing something worthwhile and doing it despite any obstacles in our way. We aren’t going to get anywhere with Christ if we allow obstacles to lead us to either do evil or to give up altogether.
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theophilus October 16th, 2007
Imagine a time when the Church is shaken by doubt, scandal and rebellion; and subject to a lack of trust in thought and a lack of knowledge of the foundations of the faith. It’s a time when Catholicism is severely questioned in the public arena and undermined by cultural movements. It’s a time when church leaders are questioned at every turn, Church heroes and traditions are knocked down, and anti-Catholicism is gaining strength.
To many of us, it may sound a lot like (but not exactly like) our modern times. But, it is also similar to more than a few eras that make up the 2,000 years of the Church.
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theophilus October 15th, 2007
Can we achieve perfection? Should we even try? Or is the effort itself enough?
Today, the Church celebrates the life of St. Teresa of Avila, who lived in the 16th Century. She wrote prodigiously on church doctrine, reformed the Carmelite Order, and was named the first female Doctor of the Church (i.e. 33 learned men and women known for their genius and exceptional spiritual writings).
One of her best known treatises is The Way to Perfection, a guide she wrote for her nuns so they could walk down the path that leads to spiritual perfection through prayer, love and living life in accordance with Christ. I don’t think she ever expected herself or anyone else to reach that perfection, but she provided some incredible guidance on how to lead our lives better.
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theophilus October 14th, 2007
How many times do we have a prayer answered, good fortune bestowed on us, or a stroke of luck come our way . . . and we forget to say “thanks” to God? It could be a loved one getting well, a closed deal at work, or winning the church raffle . . . and some how, we forget who gave this gift to us – our Lord.
Yet, we give something to our kids, and we expect an immediate thank you. How many times have we said to them, “now what do you say?”. So, why don’t we immediately show gratitude to the one who gives us all things?
Today’s readings are on point concerning the need to say “thanks” to God. In the first reading (2 Kings 5), the prophet Elisha cures Naaman, an army officer from a foreign land who also happens to be a leper. He comes to Elisha to be cured and after being cured, immediately converts and acknowledges God as the one true God – a complete sign of gratitude. In the gospel (Luke 17), Jesus cures ten lepers, but only one, again a foreigner, returns to say “thanks”. For his gratitude, Jesus offers a special blessing to this foreigner – “your faith has saved you.”
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theophilus October 13th, 2007
Did St. Joseph understand Mary? Did he really know what made her tick? Or did he always find himself throwing his hands up in frustration wondering what he did wrong?
My wife and I . . . we’re united into one . . . one marriage, one family, one life. She is my best friend, my most trusted advisor . . . beautiful, intelligent, humorous . . . the woman I believe God has intended for me to be with since the beginning of time.
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theophilus October 12th, 2007
We’ve done it . . . we kicked that bad habit or that addiction . . . we’ve cast off that sin that has weighed us down. We are new men.
But how do we keep it that way?
Today’s gospel from Luke 10 gives us a warning . . .
“When an unclean spirit goes out of someone,
it roams through arid regions searching for rest
but, finding none, it says,
‘I shall return to my home from which I came.’
But upon returning, it finds it swept clean and put in order.
Then it goes and brings back seven other spirits
more wicked than itself who move in and dwell there,
and the last condition of that man is worse than the first.”
We must find a way to keep clean of that sin, that addiction or that bad habit. But, how do we do it?
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