Archive for the 'Catholic Joy' Category

St. Paul to the Americans

theophilus June 12th, 2009

As we come to the end of the Year of St. Paul, I’ve been wondering what St. Paul would write to us if he was sending an epistle to the Church in America.

While I think this question can be redundant because St. Paul’s epistles are timeless for every Catholic in every time, today’s Mass reading from 2 Corinthians 4 is especially instructive for us today.

Let’s face it, we’re going through some uncertain times; times that would have seen familiar to the people of Corinth.

Do you feel “afflicted” – from today’s reading, we learn that so did the Corinthians; so St. Paul assured them that they would not be “constrained.”

Do you feel “perplexed” – so did the Corinthians; so St. Paul assured them they should “not be driven to despair.”

Do you feel “persecuted” – so did the Corinthians; so St. Paul assured them that they would not be “abandoned.”

Do you feel “struck down” – so did the Corinthians; so St. Paul assured them that would not be “destroyed.”

While some may feel afflicted, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down, all must know that we are not constrained in our afflictions, must not be driven to despair in our perplexity, are not abandoned in our persecution, and cannot be destroyed when facing supposed defeat.

As long as we keep Christ as the center of our lives and serve him as he deserves, we will overcome anything that is thrown at us.  We must have faith, hope and love, while yearning for the peace and joy that is Christ’s grace to us when we truly believe in him and serve him.

I think St. Paul would tell us to stop feeling sorry for ourselves or fearful or uncertain, and to get on with the business of serving Christ in whatever way he calls us to do so.  While not touchy-feely, I think his would be good advice and exactly what we need to hear.

Wow, Now That’s Amore!

theophilus May 28th, 2009

Sometimes when St. John starts talking about “love” in his gospel, my eyes glaze over and I don’t even try to figure out what he means.  Yea, I know it’s something important and profound, but I tend to take all of this talk about divine love with the same attitude that I watch a Nicholas Sparks’ chick-flick with my wife – with unenthusiastic indifference.

So, it was to my surprise that this morning I really decided to dive into the gospel reading for today’s Mass (from John 17) and found some absolutely incredible passages from Jesus’ prayer to God as to what he wanted and desired -

“that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you”

“that they may also be in us”

“that the world may believe that you sent me”

“I have given them the glory you gave me”

“that they may be brought to perfection as one”

“that the world may know that you sent me”

“that you loved them even as you loved me”

“they are your gift to me”

“I wish that where I am they also may be with me”

“that they may see my glory that you gave me”

“I will make it known, that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them.”

All of these things are what Christ wants for us – for you, for me.  He loves us so much, he wants us to have unity with him and our God; he wants us to have faith; he wants us to have eternal, divine love; he wants us to JOIN him in eternity; he wants us to see his divine glory.  The most astounding passage of all is where he acknowledges to God that WE are God’s gift to him – think about it, he considers you and me to be a divine gift to HIM.

How can we walk away from such love?  How can we not soak in this love each and every day?  How can we not seek to do our best to return this love in every thing we do and every word we say?  How can we continue to commit the same sin over and over again, knowing we are weak but refusing his loving mercy and forgiveness which is there for our asking?

Christ gave us himself on the Cross; he gave us himself through the Holy Spirit; he gives of himself in the Blessed Sacrament.  He shows his love in the sacraments and the events of our daily lives.  He loves us.  He means those things in his prayer to God; they aren’t just empty words mouthed to hear himself talk.  They are pure, unadulterated, incredible love for all of his flock.

His love has been accepted and returned by Mary and the saints.  We should emulate them on a daily basis by offering our love to him.  What will you do today to show your love for him?  Think about it as you work, study, think, pray, play, interact with others; think about it as you contemplate giving into the temptation in front of you, or skipping out on a chance to spend some time with him.

Christ loves you; do you love him?  Do you show you love him?  Do you experience joy and peace from his love?  Do you show his love to others?

Soak in this amore; it won’t take long until you are doing things for Christ; living your life for Christ; doing so because you love him; showing his love to everyone around you.

Remember, Christ considers you to be a gift from God to him; so make sure you are proved worthy to be such an esteemed and divine gift.

“In Your Will Is Our Peace”

theophilus January 23rd, 2009

It’s been quite a week for us Americans.  MLK Day, Inauguration Day, Respect Life Day.  Conflicting, historical, ironic, uplifting, depressing, hopeful, disillusioning – all in one week.

In today’s Morning Prayer (LOTH), the refrain for the intercessions was “In your will is our peace, Lord.”

I found myself praying this refrain over and over again throughout the day.

- My kids have been sick and my 5-year old is going through some tests. In your will is my peace.

- One of my friends just went through a divorce and is out of a job.  In your will is my peace.

- I’m fearful that our political system and culture are forever broken.  In your will is my peace.

- I have friends who were working for a company solely because of its stock price and the size of their 401-K, but the stock has tanked (and I do mean tanked).  In your will is my peace.

- The wife of one of my friends has a tumor and they don’t yet whether it is benign or malignant.  In your will is my peace.

I have had to remind myself over the past year that God is always in control.  So for me to truly bear fruit for him in all circumstances, I must acknowledge that he is always in control and truly believe that in his will is my peace.

God is in control, which means all things happen according to his will, which means I must be at peace with what he wants.  And being at peace means doing what he asks me to do so that I carry out his will in all circumstances.

I don’t believe his will occurs in a vacuum.  I believe his will is often a call to action for us; to look inside of ourselves; to help others; to focus on what he wants us to do with our lives.

If we do his will; if we are at peace; we will build his kingdom here on earth; and the world will be worthy of our faith.  But, first we must be at peace with his will in all things.

In your will is our peace, Lord.

“What Then Will This Child Be?”

theophilus December 23rd, 2008

It is the night of December 23rd; and my kids are bouncing off the walls already.

We have deliberately built the tension this Christmas.  Day by day on their Advent calendars; candle by candle on our Advent wreath.  We even kept Jesus out of the family creche; and our kids have noticed.

They can almost feel the toys; guessing which treasures “Santa” is going to bring.  But, they also are well aware that this time of year is about Jesus and his birth.  They know that Santa delivers gifts to little boys and girls because of his love for Jesus.  They know that their family and friends give each other gifts because they love Jesus and each other.

We have tried hard to reinforce these tenets throughout this season.  We have been very blessed by God.  My children get to live a life of which I knew nothing of when I was their age.

I worry constantly that my kids are going to get caught up in the trappings of the temporal world.  It’s a paradox for me.  God has set a plan for me and I’ve worked hard to achieve it.  I know I have not reached as far as he has wanted for me, but I have come a long way; and God has greatly blessed me and my family, both spiritually and materially.

But I’ve known want and need.  I remember Christmases of long ago when I just wanted a family.  The bike that my foster family got me was nice; but I just wanted a place to call home; I wanted a mom & dad.

And, I watch my kids and am so glad that they do not face the loneliness; the spiritual and physical hunger; the pain; the want and need.  I am thankful to God every day that he has blessed me in so many ways and has blessed my children.  But, I don’t want them to feel spiritually self-sufficient; I don’t want them to feel entitled.  I also don’t want them to experience deprivation.

I take comfort in knowing God has his plan for them; the same way he has a plan for me.  So, I take special note of scripture such as today’s Gospel taken from the end of Luke 1, when Zechariah and Elizabeth are naming their son, John the Baptist (although, I think he was just called “John” at the time).

The neighbors just assumed that they would name their baby after his father (”Junior” and “Trey” were common nicknames back then).  So, they were surprised when Elizabeth emphatically stated that his name would be “John” as instructed by St. Gabriel when he broke the news to Zechariah nine months before.

The neighbors then looked to Zechariah for affirmation; but quickly remembered that he had been mute ever since he got back from the temple about the time his wife had gotten miraculously pregnant.  In any case, Zechariah wrote on a tablet that his son’s name would be “John” and, on cue, he began to speak.

The neighbors were astonished and news quickly spread; prompting someone to say and St. Luke to comment, “‘[w]hat, then, will this child be?’  For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.”

And, that’s how I feel about my kids.  What, then, will [these] child[ren] be?  For surely the hand of the Lord [is] with [them].

This Christmas, let us remember that the Lord is with our kids.  He is in their hearts, minds, and souls.  It is evident in their joy, smiles, and squeals.  They know there is something incredible in all of this hoopla.  They can just feel it, sense it, embrace it.  And we must do the same; through them and within ourselves.

God wants us to experience the pure joy of his son’s birth each and every year.  He infects our kids with that joy so that we can be reminded of it and indulge in it.

I went through challenging times those first Christmases without a family.  But God was with me still; I know so because somehow I always had a Christmas.  There was always someone to take me in, and there were always some presents under the family tree for me.

The hand of the Lord was with me; is with me; as surely as it is with my kids.  The hand of the Lord is with you; as surely as it is with your kids.  It is just up to us to make sure that they realize this basic truth; and that we realize it ourselves.

The hand of the Lord is with our kids; the hand of the Lord is with us.  We just need to open ourselves to this divine joy that is God’s Christmas gift to us, each and every year.

Windshield Wipers

theophilus December 10th, 2008

My car is going on five years old.  And I finally broke down and bought a new pair of windshield wipers.  I was still on my first set.

I tend to put things off.  I waited until my windshield was totally obstructed during a rainstorm before I broke down and bought the new wipers.

I had a meeting Downtown today and had to drive home during rush hour.  It’s a dark and rainy night, and I was beginning to let the gloom of the weather and traffic send me over the edge.

And then it dawned on me as I peered through my car window.  I could see!

The car in front of me was clear as day.  No blurs, no streaks, no guessing.  I could see!

I didn’t realize how bad my wipers had gotten until I saw the world through new ones.

There is a lesson here for Advent.  With all of the hoopla surrounding gift buying, company parties, kids events, and classic TV shows, Advent is a time for us to clear away the blurs and streaks in our lives and start seeing the light of Christ.

Light is a major symbol during this time.  it’s the light of the Advent Wreath, the Christmas Tree, the lights in the neighborhood, the glow of the moon off of the newly fallen snow.  It’s the light given off by our children’s eyes, laughter and smiles.  It’s the light of the special cheer shown by even the most ill-tempered of folk.

Advent is like a new pair of wiper blades on a dark, stormy night.  Advent allows us to see clearly.  To see our Eternal Father, Christ, Mary, St. Joseph, and the angels so clearly that we can reach out and touch them.  To see the peace and joy in others.  To feel the peace and joy in ourselves.

And if we are not seeing clearly, then maybe it’s time for a new pair of wiper blades.   Say a prayer, ask for perspective, allow yourself to enjoy this most blessed of seasons.  Decide that you are going to allow yourself to see clearly.  Accept the grace of this gift that God gives us each December.  The gift of the birth of his son, our savior; the gift of the renewal of the hope that is our birthright as His children. 

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.

Giving Thanks

theophilus June 12th, 2008

Prayer can too often take the form of complaining and whining.  I know that I spend a good deal of time telling God about all of the things I think are wrong in my life or things I think need to be changed.  While I know he wants to hear about my fears, anxieties, needs, and wants, I know he also wants me to tell him about all of the good things in my life; the things he has given me to bless me and make my journey worthwhile.

I guess I was thinking about my gratitude, or lack thereof, this morning when I came across this passage from Isaiah 12 -

“Give thanks to the Lord, acclaim his name; among the nations make known his deeds, proclaim how exalted is his name.  Sing praise to the Lord for his glorious achievement; let this be known throughout all the earth.  Shout with exultation, O city of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel!”

And as I read this passage, I recalled that just in the past twenty-four hours, a great deal of good has happened to me; all small things, but all good. 

I was re-elected as an officer for my local Knights of Columbus council last night; I came home and heard my son reading a book for the first time; my daughter is asking for workbooks so she can continue learning in the summer; I didn’t take advantage of the free Reds ticket I had for last night’s game (a 10-0 loss to the Cardinals); the weather the past two days has been picture perfect; I had a great run this morning; a potentially troublesome project wrapped up at work without incident; the list could go on.

Again, all small things, but all good.  And I’ve said a prayer of thanks to God for these small blessings.  In fact, I think I’ll declare today to be a no-whine day.

I’m just going to make today a day to ”sing praise to the Lord for his glorious achievement.” 

What Do We Do in the Storms?

theophilus June 1st, 2008

Our pastor had an interesting homily this morning.  He talked about relying on Christ and prayer when we are in the midst of the storms of our life. 

And it got me thinking.  I tend to do a good job of turning to prayer and giving my cares over to Christ in times of turmoil, but there are times when I get into a funk, either because of anger or me feeling sorry for myself, and I do everything but pray.  The result isn’t pretty.

So, why can I turn to Christ in some storms and not others?  The only thing I can figure out is that the storms in which I tend to turn away from Christ and prayer are the ones which require me to let go of anger or self-pity; and I guess sometimes I am just not able to let go until I’m good and ready.  And I can’t think of anything else I do that is so harmful to my relationship with Christ and my relationship with others.

I know Father is right – we have to turn to Christ in every storm in our lives – and we have to be willing to let go of our destructive emotions and get out of our storms as quickly as possible.  We have to forgive, let go, gain confidence, whatever it takes to turn our hearts back to Christ and live with the joy that is Christ’s expectation of us.

Let’s not stay in these storms any longer than we have to.

Playing Like Kids Again

theophilus May 29th, 2008

I’m talking baseball today and it’s all because of Jay Bruce, the newest member of the Cincinnati Reds.

He is the #1 prospect in baseball, the next can’t miss kid.  And the Reds finally called him up on Monday. 

Tuesday night, he was on base all five times he batted; last night, he reached base another three times.  He didn’t make an out until his 7th at-bat.  Start carving his plaque for Cooperstown.

But what’s more exciting about him is that he is playing like a kid, full of enthusiasm and pure joy.  The way we used to play on summer afternoons at the neighborhood field.  He hustles, smiles, and plays the game like our baseball heroes of old.

And his joy is already spreading to the rest of the team.  The Reds have experienced nothing but misery and losing in this millennium.  It’s been trying to all of us fans who came of age when the Reds in the postseason was considered a birthright.

So, it’s great to see a joy in this team the past two days.  The team is suffering through another losing stretch but the last two nights have been electrifying.  In one inning alone last night, Joey Votto (another great rookie) dove to his right to snag a hit away, then Adam Dunn made a sliding catch on a sinking line drive, and then Edwin Encarnacion channeled Brooks Robinson in getting a ball hit behind the bag at third and throwing the guy out from his knees.  Plays that weren’t happening last week.

They are having fun playing; and we are having fun watching them.

So, in watching Jay Bruce and the rest of the Reds the past two nights, a question comes to mind – why can’t we all have this joy and enthusiasm about our own lives?  Why can’t all of us face each day the way we did on Summer afternoons playing ball for hours on end?  No matter what we do, why are too many of us not able to find joy in our career, family, life?

Christ wants us to find joy in our lives.  He wants us to live every day with the peace that comes from being one of God’s chosen people.  We can be facing the most difficult of trials, but he still wants us to put a smile on our face and peace in our hearts because we walk with him, and that should be good enough for us.

I’m actually looking forward to watching the Reds throughout this summer.  I know Bruce’s average is going to settle in around .275, he is only 21-years old.  I know the Reds will probably play .500 ball the rest of the way.  But, I can live with that, because I enjoy watching athletes having fun.  And, the current crop of young players on the Reds gives hope to us because they just seem to have fun playing the game.

And as I’m watching them, I’ll be reminded to find peace and joy in my own life.  After all, peace and joy are emotions that are entirely up to us, no matter our current circumstances in life. 

The Lenten Hangover

theophilus March 24th, 2008

Easter Sunday is past – so is Holy Week – so is Lent.  For some, it seems like months ago that Lent started – for others, it seems like yesterday.

For me – if I did Lent right – Easter Monday feels like a hangover – or maybe more like a letdown.  I guess it’s because the Church affords us so many opportunities to grow closer to Christ and Lent gives us the fortitude (or is it the excuse) to practice self-discipline and change things in our lives that we never had the strength to change – that I just feel – well, I just feel like it’s a letdown when it’s over. 

This letdown raises a big question for us - ”where do we go from here?”  Do we go back to our old spiritual and personal habits, or do we let the things we worked on take hold?  Do we spend more time with Christ, or do we let everything else interfere, again?  Do we spend everyday exhibiting Christian joy and the peace that comes from truly living our Catholic faith, or do we sink again into the anxiety and fear that can creep in when we let the uncertainty of this world overwhelm us? 

Yesterday started the beginning of the Easter season.  Fifty days (seven weeks) to let the changes of Lent take hold – to continue to focus on becoming the person we want to be – the person Christ wants us to be.

Let’s avoid the hangover – let’s avoid the letdown – let’s continue the journey started almost seven weeks ago.  Let us have hope in the better us. 

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