Archive for September, 2008

777

theophilus September 29th, 2008

A missed opportunity!

I’ve been trying to get a fallen-away Catholic I care about back to the Church.  I took a look at the Dow Jones from today and saw that it fell 777 points.  I made crack to him that if it had fallen 666 points, then we would have seen the churches packed this evening.  He replied back that he would have to be one of those rushing to have a visit.  I guess the DJ may have fallen 111 points too far!

In all seriousness, I have been rather despondent recently.  There is so much broken right now – things over which the common folk, like you and I, have so little control.  These times call for so many great leaders, yet they seem to be in such short supply.  The yearning for power and greed have replaced the requisite servant’s heart that have always been at the core of our nation’s great leaders.

So, as I look at the carnage from today, both in Washington and on Wall Street, I know who is at fault.  But does it matter?  Me sharing my thoughts on the rights and wrongs of this mess isn’t going to change the course of action that so many seem hell-bent to undertake.

But sharing my interior life may help others deal with the gross uncertainty of this current crisis.

I decided to go to confession today.  I haven’t been since early Summer and I figured it was a good time to get some stuff off of my chest.  I confessed about my lack of joy and peace, the gross anxieties permeating my soul.  I confessed about my lack of productivity and certainty in God’s plan for me.  I confessed that I was not ok with God deciding to make an example of us as he did with Israel and Judah of old, and how I believe he allows us to screw everything up from time to time if we have turned our back to his will.  I have not been a very good Christian recently.  I have not exhibited the faith and hope that should consume us despite any difficulty or burden.  St. Paul would be telling me to grow a pair.

And the priest instantly understood.  He remarked that his confessional has seen a continual stream of like-minded sentiments.  In fact, he said that he couldn’t wait for election day.

I really don’t know why, but I walked out feeling a millions time better.  I got back to the office to the news that the bailout vote had failed.  And for some reason, I felt a sense of relief; and again, I really don’t know why.  I’ve been in a mood this afternoon that is a 180 degrees different than this weekend, even though the news is worse.

Part of it is that God has blessed me with a very level-headed wife, and I’ve started to listen to her.  She is always thinking about the worst thing that can really happen to us and her “worst thing” is always a lot less worse than mine.  This evening, she walked me through her “worst things”, and her “worst things” are true to form when compared to mine.

Another part of it is that today is the Feast of the Archangels – Michael, Gabriel, Raphael.  They are with us always, helping us fight our battles and serving as messengers from God.  They have our backs on this one.  We just need to trust in them and trust in the Lord that sends them to fight by our side.

I don’t know what’s coming down the road.  But I do know that God is with us; he defends us; he wants the best for us.  We just need to believe in him and follow his beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Wedding Rings

theophilus September 25th, 2008

I’ve just read my evening political and religious blogs; most full of pessimism and doom; some with a bright ray of hope.

And as I read, I’m looking upon my wife’s rings – her engagement and wedding bands.  She ocassionally takes them off when she’s working on the computer.  As I gaze upon these symbols of my covenants of love for her and my commitment to God to be her life partner, I can’t help but remember the man I was when I gave her those rings.

I was a man of ideals; of lofty political ambition.  I was going to be a great statesman; a transforming figure for my generation.

And now?  Well now, I am a good husband, a good father, providing for my family, contributing to my community.  I sit on local nonprofit boards, coach little league, help out where I can.  I like being home at night, teaching my kids, enjoying my wife’s interests.  At some point in time, I realized that I could either be a good public official, or a good father and husband, but not both; so I chose the latter.

But as I look at my wife’s rings, I remember a time when I served on Capitol Hill and would spend countless evenings staring at the Capitol during a long night’s work, wondering about all of the great, important things in my future that God had in store for me under that Dome, and gazing all around me at those globally important buildings dotting the National Mall (especially the one at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue).

So now, I’m on the plus side of a decade on that period of my life.  Whereas I was on top of national events, now I’m just along for the ride.  But, I want to be involved; I want to be engaged.

These are historic times; this is an historic election.  The War on Terror, the fight for energy independence, the financial markets meltdown; they will all define our generation. 

But, I know why I’m not in D.C., serving in this most historic of times.  I’m not there because God wants me where I’m at, doing what I’m doing.  And I’m perfectly OK with that.

We all serve a role in life.  Our life experiences are all geared toward a goal divined by God. 

But, at this juncture of our nation’s life, we must pray every day that we have the folks in place who are willing and called to lead; who step forward like King David and are leaders of integrity, steadfastness and action.  We must have leaders with a servant’s heart, who lead from the front and not from the rear.  We must have leaders who place America (and us) first, and their personal, political ambitions second.

We have those leaders ready to go; the question is whether we will see through the BS and allow them to lead us forward.

Judah and Israel were stuck with bad kings.  We do not, and cannot, be stuck with bad political leaders who look down upon us and don’t understand us.  We must ensure that our political leaders are truly one of us.  Because if they are one of us, they’ll get us; and if they get us, they’ll govern as a true servant and not as a know-it-all trying to tell us how to live.

This isn’t a time for “it’s not our fault” or “call me, if you need me” or “we had a bipartisan agreement except the other party really hasn’t signed off on the deal.”

This is a time for real leaders.  God always gives us the leaders we need, when we need them.  Let us pray that we listen and follow them.

The “Shining City on the Hill” or Judah/Israel?  This is our choice; right here, right now.

Pep Talk

theophilus September 24th, 2008

I was in a meeting today with one of the most optimistic and positive thinking people I know.  And he was downright pessimistic.  “i’ve been busy watching the economy melt down,” he said to me.  I’ve seen this effect often in the past few weeks (sometimes even when I’m looking in the mirror).

Why the pessimism?  Why the downtrodden and anxiety-ridden faces?  Why the angst?

In today’s Liturgy of the Hours, Morning Prayer gives us Psalm 36 and these verses -

“Your love, Lord, reaches to heaven; your truth to the skies.  Your justice is like God’s mountain, your judgments like the deep.

To both man and beast you give protection.  O Lord, how precious is your love.  My God, the sons of men find refuge in the shelter of your wings.

They feast on the riches of your house; they drink from the stream of your delight.  In you is the source of life and in your light we see light.”

This verse is what I love about King David.  He was attacked by his enemies, mutinied against by his own son, chastised by God for his immoral acts, and faced trials beyond our comprehension – yet he never lost his hope and faith in God.

If you are anxious, if you are pessimistic, if you are unsure about the current state of our world, nation, community, then ponder these words again – “In you is the source of life and in your light we see light.”

The Lord is the source of our life.  In his light, we see light. 

If the Lord truly is the source of our life and if we truly see light in his light, then there is no room for anxiety in our psyche.  There is no room for pessimism in our day. 

We must do what we do best as Christians and as Americans.  We must take hold of the Holy Spirit, stand up straight, buckle tight our chinstraps, and figure out what WE are going to do to change events around.  This is no time to be beaten down.  There is no room in our lives to be anything less than what God expects us to be.

Our future depends on us.  It depends on you, me, our next door neighbors, the folks in the next pew over at Mass.  Our future depends on us trusting God and sanctifying our lives each and every day so that we execute God’s will here on earth.

Our future depends on our willingness to live every moment of our day in union with Christ, and remembering that Christ was a man of action.

Air Force Marathon

theophilus September 22nd, 2008

This past Saturday, at about 8:30am, presented a beautiful and perfect morning; and I found myself 90 seconds from the start of the Air Force Half-Marathon. 

It was my second half-marathon; the first was in January down at Disney World.  This race was different because I did my first half-marathon with about half the training that I was supposed to do and I didn’t know what to expect during the race.  I had decided to do a run/walk in that one (I ran for 4 minutes and walked for one).  The goal was for me to finish and I was satisfied that I came in two minutes ahead of my goal time.

But for this half-marathon, I decided to do all of the training I was supposed to do.  I set an achievable but still aggressive time goal.  And I decided that I was going to run the entire 13.1 miles.

So, on Saturday morning, 90 seconds before the gun, I looked at the F-22 Raptor flying overhead (this was the Air Force) and I decided to give myself over to the Holy Spirit.  And wow, did the Holy Spirit ever deliver.

I had a pace chart on my wrist to help me keep the pace I needed to finish under my goal time.  After Mile 1, I was 10 seconds ahead; at mile 3, the spread was 3 minutes; at mile 8, the spread had grown to 6 minutes; and it was about at this point that I realized that not only was I going to finish this race without having to walk, but that I was going to shatter my goal time.  The pace chart became useless even when I slowed a bit between miles 9 & 10.  And then at mile 11, I kicked it into a different gear and started running with perfect form, perfect pace, every part of my body working in a divinely inspired rhythm.

The finish at the Air Force Half/Full Marathon is under the museum planes lined along an old runway at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.  As I turned the corner to go under these old warbirds and head for home, I felt myself getting faster and faster.  I came upon a sprint that I had not felt for twenty years.  I now know how Peter and John must have felt sprinting through the streets of Jerusalem to Christ’s tomb on Easter morning.  My sprint was that Spirit driven.

I handily beat my goal; I shattered my time from Disney.  I had ascended physical heights that I had never before envisioned.

And now, I turn my attention to the Disney FULL Marathon in January.  And for the first time, I truly believe I can do it.

I’m an athlete in my mind only.  I’m a sports nut and have played baseball, softball, soccer, basketball, etc. but it was always for fun; never for serious competition.  For some reason, God has turned me on to running at middle age.  I ran my first mile 20 months ago and now I’m in the top 20% of my age group in a major long-distance race.

For some reason, God has presented this challenge to me and given me the discipline, drive, perseverence and ability to achieve my goals.  I had a ball Saturday.  I felt truly alive.  I felt the Holy Spirit coursing through me.  The entire 13.1 miles was a prayer to God; a prayer of thanksgiving and praise.

26.2 miles?  Bring it on; the Lord will be with me!

Pessimism

theophilus September 21st, 2008

There seems to be a great deal to be pessimistic about these days – an uncertain economy, a generation-defining election; historic turmoil in the financial markets; and Revelations-like global insecurity.  There is much for us to be worried about, especially considering that most of our anxiety is caused by events over which we have very little control.

So, I guess I tend to succumb to this pessimism from time to time.  I believe there is right and wrong; good and not-so-good.  I believe we are a nation blessed by God and, like the ancient kingdoms of Israel and Judah, we tend to take this blessing for granted.  I see the hand of God in our heritage and the many successes that symbolize the American Dream; but I believe that God will withhold his hand from us if we reject or ignore him. 

I wonder at times whether we are in danger of squandering our divine legacy.  God has blessed America; He is in whom we trust;we are one nation under Him.  But mere words will not do in this day and age.  We must believe, truly believe, that we are to be the “shining city on the hill” as spoken by President Reagan. 

Secularism will not do; moral relativism will not fly.

Which leads me to the optimism that I recover whenever I really think about God’s will for each of us.  Today, I was reminded by Francis Fernandez in his reflection on today’s readings from In Conversation with God.  As laborers in Christ’s vineyard, we are called to be optimistic in nature; laboring for the betterment of our fellow man; believing in the sanctity of our work in building Christ’s kingdom.  We do not have time to be pessimistic; it is wasted energy.  We are called to see the best in our fellow man; and to work according to the best we have to offer.

If each of us accomplished each and every day what God expected of each of us, our anxieties would disappear because God’s will would be done and his kingdom come.  Optimism would replace pessimism; certainty would replace anxiety; inner peace would replace turmoil.

After reading today’s news, is it hard to be excited about our future?  Absolutely.  But, when we consider that we are laborers in the Lord’s vineyard and that this vineyard never, and I mean NEVER, produces a bad vintage, unless we do not do the requisite work to produce a good vintage, then our future is bright and divinely intended.  Christ wants the best for us; it is up to us to help him out by wanting the best for ourselves. 

Our Responsibility to Our Daughters

theophilus September 19th, 2008

I ended up lecturing my best friend today.  I didn’t mean to; it just came out that way.

The topic was daughters.

Mine is in first grade and growing up way too fast.  His is about to be born (his first child).

Somehow we had been on the subject of getting teenagers to wait to have sex.  He started talking about “THE TALK” he plans to have with his in utero little girl, twelve or thirteen or fourteen years from now. 

It was at this point that I jumped in.

I told him that his “talk” began as soon as his baby girl leaves the security of his wife’s womb.  His “talk” begins in how he treats his daughter; what kind of bond he builds with her; how he treats his wife; what kind of role model he exhibits.

I am fully aware that my little girl will base every relationship she has with other men/boys on her relationship with me and my relationship with her mother.  I am her role model on how a man treats a woman.

I want to get to a point with her where her self-esteem is sky-high when she is around other boys/men; that she knows enough to respect herself as a daughter of God and her body as a divine gift; that she is mindful enough to respect other boys/men as sons of God, even when they do not share the same respect for themselves; that she knows and has had fully demonstrated to her each and every day that the only true, mature, intimate, divine relationship between a man and a woman takes place within a marriage covenant blessed and called by God.

I have to answer to God at some point in time for my daughter.  If she turns out to be anything less than what God intends, I’m going to have some explaning to do.

I’ve given a lot of thought to my responsibility to my daughter.  I guess I wanted to let my friend in on what he is getting himself into.  He’s a good man; I know he’s going to do a good job.  But a good job isn’t good enough in today’s world.  It takes an effort worthy of the saints.  We are all up to it; but we have to want to do it, each and every day.

Tropical Storm Ike Hits the Queen City

theophilus September 18th, 2008

I don’t know what’s going on but, over the past week, I’ve noticed that I’ve been getting a great number of reads on my July post concerning the Brown Scapular.  Interesting.  I wonder if Mary is doing some calling.

I’m finally back on track after the Great Queen City Blackout of 2008.  Sunday afternoon, Tropical Storm Ike roared through Cincinnati.  Tropical storms are not supposed to hit the Ohio Valley.  Except for a week or so in August, we can never be confused with the tropics. 

In any case, between noon and six o’clock, unprecedented winds blew through and 90% of the region lost power.  Only 50% were back online as of yesterday morning.  The rest should be back on today and tomorrow, unless there is a structural problem with the lines.  We were lucky and had our power back on early Tuesday morning.  For a while, gas stations, stores, restaurants, traffic lights, all were left without power.

And, believe it or not, I feel blessed by the experience.  I lost about 50 shingles, the top of a lamp post, my patio table, and the contents of my refrigerator/freezer - but that is all.  While others were faced with the loss of ancient trees, sections of roofs, and siding, I was only inconvenienced by not having access to all of the things that electrical power miraculously provides to us but that we nevertheless take for granted (most notably, my morning coffee). 

In return, I received some non-TV, non-video game time with my wife and kids.  (We actually played cards and other games).  I got some sleep.  I got to appreciate the quiet.  I took note that God blessed us with a full moon and clear skies this week. 

I was extremely appreciative when I was able to find a working gas station on Monday when I had an empty tank (I was in an honest-to-goodness gas line); when we were able to find an open Meier’s to get dry foods and batteries; and when we were able to find an open U.S. Bank so we could get some cash (both of us were tapped out).  Before we found the bank, we found one of the few McDonald’s open for lunch and I was appreciative when my credit card worked.  We waited in line a half-hour for McDonald’s, which is my least favorite place to eat but it was one of the better burgers I’ve had. 

I laughed on Sunday night when I saw a little Chinese restaurant open with the line out the door.  I laughed at myself when I realize that we tried to get a T-ball game started on Sunday afternoon with the field looking like a dust bowl and the poor kids on my team struggling to stand up against the wind (we quickly gave up).

I was appreciative that our water still worked and that it was hot.  I was appreciative when I looked at the front page of USA Today, saw the devastation in Texas, and realized they faced winds and rain twice the strength of what hit us, and that they would be without power for a month and would have to rebuild, not just repair. 

I was appreciative that I got to teach my kids about the pleasures and privileges they enjoy and how lucky we are.  I was appreciative of the lantern type light that my mother-in-law had just given my son as a toy, which made for a perfect light for our bedroom.  I was appreciative when I found a car power cord for my Blackberry.  I was thankful that the power went out in the middle of another Bengal loss and that I didn’t have internet access during Monday’s financial markets meltdown.

I took note that this experience came during the feasts of the Triumph of the Cross and Our Lady of Sorrows.  I took special note of the meditations I read concerning our attachment to wordly things.

I am appreciative that despite 90% of the community being dark, no one took advantage of others through criminal activity.  I am appreciative that roofers and contractors, who have been hard hit by the housing bust, have some work to do (although there is a great deal of ancedotal evidence of price gouging on projects).

God sends us reminders sometimes when he wants to get our attention.  Somehow, I believe this blackout was such a reminder.  In the dark of Sunday and Monday night, I was reminded that there is only one thing that matters – our faith in God.  Everything else can be taken away, but as long as we truly and wholly believe in our Eternal Father, everything is right with our little corner of the world.

Triumph of the Cross

theophilus September 14th, 2008

Today is the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross.  It’s a good day to think about whether we have, at times, taken the Cross for granted.

I see crosses all around; sometimes displayed with devotion, other times not.  The focus of every Catholic Church is on the Crucifix behind the altar.  Catholic churches used to be laid out in the form of a cross.

So, do we look with reverence and devotion upon the Cross and Christ crucified, or has he just kind of blended in with the rest of the church?  Have we allowed the Cross to become just another part of the scenery for us?  It’s our loss if we have done so.

The Crucifix is the essence of our faith; it is the symbol of what binds us together as Catholics.  The cross is the symbol of what binds us together with other Christians.

No matter where we go in the world, we can look upon the Crucifix and the Cross and know we are gazing upon the same Christ, the same source of salvation.  We know that we can lay our cares, our sins, and our lives before the Cross; and Christ will be there to lift us up in the arms of his divine majesty.

And we know that we can look upon others who we encounter who show the cross or who carry the Rosary, and know that by the Cross, we do not walk alone; there are others walking with us.  We can walk into a home with a Crucifix or a cross and know that we share a special bond with those who live there.

Today, let us look with a new devotion upon the Crucifix in our homes, on our Rosaries, behind the altar.  Let us look at Christ crucified and truly contemplate the source of our salvation and the unity that we share.

Christ became triumphant on the Cross; it is up to us to want to share in this triumph.

St. Paul & Marriage

theophilus September 10th, 2008

Sometimes I get a little worried when I read St. Paul.  In today’s first reading (1 Corinthians 7), he is talking about marriage.

So this is what I think best because of the present distress:
that it is a good thing for a person to remain as he is.
Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek a separation.
Are you free of a wife? Then do not look for a wife.
If you marry, however, you do not sin,
nor does an unmarried woman sin if she marries;
but such people will experience affliction in their earthly life,
and I would like to spare you that.

“Such people,” (i.e. married folk) “will experience affliction in their earthly life, and I would like to spare you that.”

I only have one question – which Tarsus beauty broke St. Paul’s heart??

Do us married folk “experience affliction” in our lives?  Heck, yes.  Marriage is hard.  But do single folk experience affliction in their lives?  Heck, yes.  Singledom is hard.

Relationships are hard work.  

Heck, my wife is mad at me right now because I am in the middle of a thought for this post that I don’t want to lose and she wants to tell me about something she just read.  (I’ll make it up to her as soon as I hit “Publish.”)

But, marriage is so worth it.  It’s the part about sharing your life with another; loving another with your whole being; creating and nurturing life; building a foundation for future generations; fostering love and security; emulating Mary & Joseph; doing God’s will in the most intimate of ways; building Christ’s kingdom here on earth.

My wife completes me.  She is God’s divine gift to me.  She is a blessing beyond measure.    With all due respect to St. Paul, she is most certainly not an “affliction.”  Heck, in her beautiful, angelic eyes (and the eyes she has passed onto our children), I get to see Christ’s and Mary’s face each and every day.

Why would St. Paul want to “spare” me of that?

Happy Birthday, Mary!

theophilus September 8th, 2008

It’s Mary’s birthday – have you sent her some flowers today (saying a Rosary will do)?

I am not what you would consider a master of the obvious.  I was thinking this morning why Mary’s birthday is celebrated today.  And then I read something that clued me in that today is nine months to the day of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. 

Now, I get it!

How often do we miss the obvious from God; the things he shows us that shouldn’t be that hard for us to figure out?  His signs are all around us; and too often we miss them.

How many times do we sit in Mass and listen to the readings or the homily and fail to realize that God is talking to us?  How many times do others do something in our lives and we fail to realize they are Christ’s way of showing his face to us?  How often do we ignore that voice in our head that is the Holy Spirit telling us which way to go?  How many times do we feel the presence of Mary and the other saints attempting to guide us, but we shrug them off?

The Holy Trinity is all around us.  Mary and the saints are always with us.  It’s up to us to recognize their presence in our lives. 

It’s up to us to master the obvious.

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