Archive for December, 2007

Missing the Signs

theophilus December 9th, 2007

You get fired or laid off unexpectedly – and you realize that you missed the signs that would have told you that unemployment was coming.

Your girlfriend tells you that she is breaking up with you when you think everything was bliss – and you realize that you missed the signs that she was sliding away.

Your kids do something destructive (drugs, sex, crime) when you thought they were fine and upstanding – and you realize that you missed the signs that they were on the wrong path.

All missed signs – all instances when we could have seen a major trauma coming in our life.

Which is why I both question and understand the folks in the time of Christ.  They had hundreds of years worth of prophets to tell them that Christ was coming.  Isaiah couldn’t have been more clear in his prophecies – he even got the life of John the Baptist right (”a voice crying in the wilderness”). 

So, Christ comes – John the Baptist tells all who will listen that the long, sought-after Messiah is in their presence.  Disciples start to believe and follow.  Miracles and great signs become the norm.  Wisdom and good works are overflowing.

Yet, many do not believe.  They question, reject, despise, ridicule.  They just plain miss the signs and get it tragically wrong.

Two-thousand years later we can sit here and question them.  Why were they so dense?  Why wouldn’t they listen?  Why wouldn’t they believe?

Yet, so many of us miss the signs in our own time and in our own life that Christ is present.  We have the same benefit of inspiring writers and teachers, great signs, and good works - in the world and in our lives.  But, we choose to ignore them.

So, let’s use this second week of Advent to think about the signs of our time and in our lives.  Let’s heed these signs so we can walk the path set out for us by Christ.  And, let’s remember that Christ will come again.  There may be signs to tell us his coming is near.  Let’s listen to those signs and not be surprised if he shows up one day.

Or, maybe we just need to remember that Christ is present with us every moment of every day.  It might save us from missing the signs and making some tragic mistakes.

The Patroness of the USA

theophilus December 8th, 2007

Murillo - Immaculata

How many of us know that Mary, as Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, is the patroness of the United States?

In 1959, American bishops consecrated America to Our Patroness, the Immaculate Conception, during the dedication of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.  Our nation was reconsecrated to her last year with a special mention of her Immaculate Heart.

Why consecration?  

Nations are consecrated to the Virgin Mother out of a realization by the religious leaders of that nation that the nation cannot succeed on its own – that we need divine help and assistance.  By asking for Mary’s special patronage, we recognize that we need her protection, care, and mediation.  We need her to help us in facing the threats to our nation – both external and internal.  We live in at time of terrorism and a dysfunctional culture.  We need her now more than ever.  We have to turn to to her. 

Does consecration work?  You tell me.

In 1984, Pope John Paul II consecrated Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.  At the time, the Soviet Union was THE threat to world peace and the Russian people were solidly in the grips of the evils of communism.  Within five short years of the consecration, communism would be no more.  – During WWI, England was consecrated to the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary.  WWI ended soon thereafter.  – Prior to the outbreak of WWII, Portugal was consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.  Portugal was one of the only European nations to escape the ravages of WWII.

On this solemnity, let’s renew our own personal devotion to our Mother.  Let’s ask for her prayers and protection for our great nation.  She has always looked out for us.  She will continue to be with us – but we have to show that we want her help.  We have to show her that we love her by the way we live our lives and serve our nation and Church.

The following is the Prayer of Consecration used in 1959.  We should pray it and do our own personal consecration of our beloved nation -

“Most Holy Trinity: Our Father in heaven, Who chose Mary as the fairest of Your daughters; Holy Spirit, Who chose Mary as Your spouse; God the Son, Who chose Mary as Your mother; in union with Mary, we adore Your majesty and acknowledge Your supreme eternal dominion and authority.

Most Holy Trinity, we put the United States of America into the hands of Mary Immaculate in order that she may present the country to You. Through her we wish to thank You for the great resources of this land and for the freedom which has been its heritage. Through the intercession of Mary, have mercy on the Catholic Church in America. Grant us peace. Have mercy on our President and all the officers of our government. Grant us a fruitful economy born of justice and charity. Have mercy on capital and industry and labor. Protect the family life of the nation. Guard the innocence of our children. Grant the precious gift of many religious vocations. Through the intercession of our Mother Mary, have mercy on the sick, the poor, the tempted, sinners–on all who are in need.

Mary, Immaculate Virgin, Our Mother, Patroness of our land, we praise you and honor you and give ourselves to you. Protect us from every harm. Pray for us, that acting always according to you will and the Will of your Divine Son, Jesus, we may live and die pleasing to God. Amen.”

And for those who are interested, the same prayer was said at last year’s reconsecration, except the last paragraph was changed to -

“Mary, immaculate virgin, our mother, patroness of our land, we praise you and honor you and give our country and ourselves to your sorrowful and immaculate heart. O’ sorrowful and immaculate heart of Mary pierced by the sword of sorrow prophesized by Simeon save us from degeneration, disaster and war. Protect us from all harm. O’ sorrowful and immaculate heart of Mary, you who bore the sufferings of your son in the depths of your heart be our advocate. Pray for us, that acting always according to your will and the will of your divine son, we may live and die pleasing to God. Amen.”

Our nation cannot get by on our own – no matter how much financial, military, creative and intellectual might we think we may have.  We need our heavenly Mother - we best never forget that we do.

Painting: “Maria Immaculata” – Bartolome Esteban Murillo (1618-1682)

Where is the St. Ambrose of Our Time?

theophilus December 7th, 2007

St. Ambrose Mosaic

Until today, I really didn’t know much of anything about St. Ambrose, whose life the church commemorates today.  But, now he may be one of my favorite saints.

He was a Roman official, sent to Milan to help them decide on a new archbishop.  He ended up getting chosen by the people as the new archbishop – even though he wasn’t a priest.  This little oversight didn’t get in his way.  In short order, he intently studied his theology and was ordained.

And what a pastor he made.  He was known for his sermons, music and writings.  He stared down the bad teachers and misguided doctrine of the day and defended the faith so well that the Church considers him one of the 33 doctors of the Church – 33 of the most learned men and women of our faith.

He also went after the public officials of his day – calling them to a better life and getting them to convert from committing great sin while in office.  He convinced them to use the grace of their faith to better serve the public entrusted to them.

As if these accomplishments weren’t enough, he converted St. Augustine – turning him from a wasted life to a life numbered one of the greatest in history.

We need people like St. Ambrose today – as shepherds, office holders, leaders.  We need to be like St. Ambrose – strong, courageous, smart, without apology in defense of our faith, without regret in how we live our life, ready for anything God wills us to do.

St. Ambrose never seemed to be afraid because he knew God was directing his life – we should look to him as a role model.  We should remove any hint of fear from our life – as long as our life is being directed by our Father in heaven.

Painting: St. Ambrose – Mosaic in St. Ambrogio Church (Milan, Italy)

The House of Rock

theophilus December 6th, 2007

NASA - Mars Rover

Today’s gospel (Matthew 7) is one of the easiest to understand.  It’s Christ’s analogy about building your house on rock versus building your house on sand.

Why is the gospel one of the easiest to understand?  I can just imagine this conversation with a builder or a realtor – “Wow, I really love this house – it’s built on sand – I’ll take it!” 

No, we all want houses built on rock – with strength and a solid foundation.

So, why don’t build our lives the same way?  Too often, we make choices that end up in us building our lives as if we were building on sand.

Making bad choices concerning marriage, children, finances, work, community, church, faith, friends, sports teams, fun – will lead us to build our lives on sand.  To the contrary, making the right choices will lead us to build our lives on rock – the rock of Christ. 

Do we want stability, strength, growth, peace, joy, hope, faith, love?  Then, let’s build our lives on the rock that God gives each of us as a building site (so to speak).  Let’s avoid looking for the site in the sand – even it looks more inviting and more fun.

Because the rains will fall, the floods will come, and the winds will buffet – it’s up to us to determine whether our lives will collapse or remain steady when they do. 

Photo: NASA – Mars Exploration Rover Spirit (April 13, 2006)

It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way!

theophilus December 5th, 2007

Wow, I love nights like I had last night!  When God slaps me across the face and says, “Son, you got it good!  Be grateful.  Make the most of my blessings to you.”

I was in Columbus (Ohio’s state capitol) all day.  I was returning home around dinner time.  As it’s a two hour drive home, I started to think about the pit gnawing in my gut.  As the miles rolled on, the pit got bigger and my stomach demanded that I feed it.

I remembered that my wife was up at church and had the kids.  I didn’t think she was expecting me to pick them up.  So, I stopped off at a sports bar/restaurant (or is it a sports restaurant/bar).  In any case, I climbed up on a bar stool and sat next to this guy at least 10 years older than I am.

By the time I ordered my burger, I found out he was divorcing wife #2, learning that both #1 and #2 had cheated on him.  He was unhappy with his job.  Couldn’t stand sports (remember this is a sports bar) but he found himself in the sports business.  And he wasn’t all that excited about his 21-year old son’s choice of majors.

Anyway, we’re talking back and forth – in between his attempts to pick up the 20-something bar waitress (who admitted at some point to having just gotten a DUI).

At about the point that my incredibly delicious burger was placed in front of me, this 20-something woman walks in looking for an empty seat.  In mid-sentence, this guy next to me catches sight of her, stops talking to me, pulls his stuff out of her way, pulls out the empty bar stool on other side of him, and beckons her to join him.  She does.

The next fifteen or so minutes are spent with him trying to buy her a shot of something I have never heard of, inquiring into her marital status and relationship status, and finally finding a rather delicate way of asking whether she was actually of age.

I didn’t hear much from her, except for something about whether she was “scaring” him off.

I finished my beer and burger, watched the last drive of Monday night’s Patriots/Ravens game on ESPN for the upteenth time, paid my bill, and left – without having said another word or received any sort of recognition from this guy since the time the 20-something had walked into the room.

And, all I could think of was – it’s not supposed to be this way, guys!  If we are upstanding men on the right path, we are not going to have two wives cheat on us.  We are not going to find ourself, middle-aged, trying to hook up with a twenty-something in a bar (especially when you consider that this 20-something gal is someone who comes to a sports bar and allows herself to be taken in by some 40 or 50-something like us).

I drove the rest of the 30 miles or so home in silence – just thanking God that I love my wife as much I do - that no matter what we go through, we will be together – eternally committed to each other.

Nights like this one are God telling me to appreciate what I have – what he has given to me.  He gives us all what we are due.  It’s up to us to receive it with the gratitude required of so precious a gift.  My wife and my family are that precious gift.

If you have that gift, hold on to it with every fiber of your being.  If you do not have that gift, go find it – without reservation – without holding back.

Don’t find yourself at a bar – alone – hopelessly trying to make a connection – no matter how weak.

And say a prayer for those who find themselves in such a situation.

Seeing & Hearing What Others Cannot

theophilus December 4th, 2007

I started reading Spe Salvi yesterday.  Great stuff, but it may take me a while to get through it.

In any case, Pope B16’s timing is impeccable – a treatise on hope during the season of hope.

One of the points I’ve picked up already from Spe Salvi is that hope is something that may not be seen or heard – it is just something we believe and hold true because we have faith in Christ and faith in objective truths.

Today’s gospel (Luke 10:21-24) carries this theme forward when Christ declares that “[b]lessed are the eyes that see what you see.  For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.” 

And this declaration is the essence of our faith – we share the same hope because we see what others do not – we hear what others do not – we believe what others do not.

Have you ever knelt before the tabernacle and felt another’s presence within you?  How about just after receiving communion?  How about after receiving reconciliation?  How about just sitting in a park, on a beach or before a river?  This presence is Christ!  We cannot physically see or hear – but we nonetheless do see and hear – spiritually.  And we see and hear – where others cannot – because of our faith and hope.

And if we do not see or hear in this way – well, then we need to look harder and open our ears more – because Christ is trying to reach us.

How anyone can live their life without hope is beyond me.  We have to believe in a better tomorrow, a better world, a better life.  It’s a common trait shared by every great person who has ever walked this earth - an uncompromisable and incorruptible hope.

If we do not have this hope, we better get it – or we are doomed to come up short in the eyes of our Lord and the great men and women upon whose shoulders we stand.

We must see and hear even if others cannot or will not.

What is This Thing Called Hope?

theophilus December 3rd, 2007

Advent is a season of hope – a season to believe in a better life, a better world.  A season to rise above our limited powers of perception and see something extraordinary – the potential of the human condition when directed by the divine will.

We see this hope in the season’s food drives, toy drives, the ring of the Salvation Army, and the various year-end appeals by so many worthy causes.  We see it in the community of Christmas parties, caroling, and neighbors coming to the aid of other neighbors.  We see it in the joy of a child’s laughter and wonder of all the spectacle that embodies the season.

This is the time of year when it is so easy to have so much hope.

And, then there is hope in the heroes of our life.  There is a priest in our community who has ALS and is literally living life by the moment while shepherding his flock.  There is a man I know in his late ’50s who had a brain aneurysm this weekend.  He survived but will have a long road ahead of him.  There is another man in his late twenties with Hodgkins and a woman in her fifties with cancer.  They are both again living life by the moment.  There is another man in his fifties who adopted two children as infants.  His little girl just left home to go to college.  Her older brother has cerebral palsy and will probably never leave the care of his parents.  There is an elderly lady in a nursing home - distinguished, stately - perfect eyesite and a sharp mind – trapped inside a body wrecked by a stroke.

All people in my life – all people who I look to with admiration, awe and respect.

And the questions arise – do they have hope?  And what do they hope for?

I am convinced that God gives us suffering for two reasons.  The first is to strengthen us and purify us so that we build the faith to truly hope – hope in healing - hope in a better place – hope in eternal life – hope in a heavenly reward.  Whether it’s our own suffering or our suffering because someone we know is suffering, we must have faith and hope in order to come through this suffering.  If we do not have hope – we will succumb to an overwhelming force.  Christ gives us what we need to get through anything we face – but we must first turn to him and put our lives in him.  If we do not do so, we will be crushed by the weight of our circumstances.

There is also another reason for this suffering.  It is for each of us to build our faith and our hope to show the love and charity called for when those we know are going through long-term and short-term challenges.  It is an opportunity for us to serve and show our hope for our brothers and sisters.  It’s in showing them that they matter – that they are not going through something alone – that other’s understand and care.  To give them hope by showing that we have hope for them.  

For the heroes in my life, this season can either be one of despair or one of hope.  We all have these heroes in our life.  So, what are we going to do to make it a season of hope for them?

I guess it starts with a prayer – and a call to Christ to see what he wants us to do.  What does he want us to do to make this truly a season of hope for all? 

Season of Waiting

theophilus December 2nd, 2007

“Daddy, I wish today was Christmas . . . when is it going to be here?” 

I got this question from my little boy this morning while getting ready for Mass – and I have a feeling I’m going to get this question a lot during the next 24 days.

Last night, we put up our tree - after much insistence from the kids.  The ornaments are on and the rest of the decorations will go up today.

But, how are we going to ensure that our kids know the real reason for this Advent season - that it’s more than just decorations, lights, shopping, and waiting for presents?  It’s a question that all devout Catholic parents have when it comes to Advent.  How do we bring our children closer to Christ in this special time of year – without taking away all of the fun of watching Santa Claus is Coming to Town and Charlie Brown’s Christmas, signing Christmas caroles, baking and eating cookies, driving around seeing the lights of our neighborhoods, and buying presents?

It’s this delimma that makes good Catholic traditions so important.  We should have an Advent wreath and light it every night as the anticipation grows the closer we get to Christmas.  We should have a nativity scene and make it the focal point of our family room – along with the tree.  We should bless our Christmas tree and make it a religious symbol of life.  We should celebrate St. Nick’s Day and explain why Santa Claus is a Christian role model.  We should involve our children in whatever charitable deeds we do this season – maybe have them pick out a toy and give it to a toy drive.  We should pray with them – there are a lot of great Advent prayers.

These are just a few of the ideas I’ve come across – you probably have some of your own.  In any case, we just need to make sure we are doing everything we can to teach our children that they are waiting for something much more important than presents on Christmas morning – they are waiting for Christ.

And let’s not forget to enjoy them, ourselves and each other during this blessed season.  Let us not be afraid to live this season through our children’s eyes – full of wonder, amazement, excitement, and anticipation.  Despite all of the self-imposed pressure we may put on ourselves during this season (and it is self-imposed)- it still is the funnest time of the year. 

Let’s take it one day at a time and have some fun!

Happy New Year!

theophilus December 1st, 2007

Every New Year’s Eve, we’re supposed to think about the past year and make resolutions for the coming year.  Think about what we did right and wrong, and what we plan to do better. 

Tonight is the end of one Church liturgical year and the beginning of another.  Tonight, is the Church’s New Year’s Day, so to speak.

So, maybe this new year is a good opportunity to reflect on the past year and make resolutions for the coming year.

How’s our prayer life?  How’s our Mass attendance?  Do we know more about our faith today than we did a year ago?  Are we closer to Christ?  Are we better at living our lives and are we walking the path set for us by God?  Are we better to ourselves and each other?  Are we a better husband, father, worker, friend, community member?

And how about for the coming year?  What are our plans to grow closer to Christ?

Today is the day to think about where we are at and where we are going.  If we’re on the right path and doing the right things, then what do we need to do get stronger and better?  If we are not on the right path, then what are we going to do to ensure we are on the right path this time next year?

The start of this new year is also the beginning of the season of Advent.  CatholicCulture.org has a great overview of this time -

“The month of December is filled with expectation and celebration. Preparation is the key word for the first 24 days of December. Everyone is getting ready for Christmas — shopping and decorating, baking and cleaning. Too often, however, we are so busy with the material preparations that we lose sight of the real reason for our activity.

Christmas is a Christian feast — and we must reclaim it as such! In the same way that a family eagerly prepares for a baby, so should we prepare for the coming of the Christ Child. We should keep Advent as a season of waiting and longing, of conversion and of hope and keep our thoughts on the incredible love and humility of our God in taking on the flesh of the Virgin Mary. Let us not forget to prepare a peaceful place in our hearts wherein our Savior may come to dwell.

The best person we can turn to for help during Advent is Mary, Christ’s and our Mother. She awaited the day of His birth with more eagerness than any other human being. Her preparation was complete in every respect. Let’s crown our preparation and borrow something of Mary’s prayerfulness, her purity and whole-hearted submission to God’s will.”

Let us make this our best year yet.  And let us start with a great and blessed Advent season.

Happy New Year!

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