Archive for the 'God's Call' Category

“Hearing God’s Voice”

theophilus November 18th, 2009

fr. mark's book

Fr. Mark Burger is the pastor of St. John the Evangelist parish in West Chester, Ohio.  He is also a renowned speaker and retreat leader.  He appears annually at the Cincinnati Men’s Conference and always leaves us pondering whether we are truly listening to the voice of God that is always in our heads, even if we have hit the cerebral mute button.

Fr. Mark decided to publish a book, “Hearing God’s Voice.”  We received advance notice of the book at this past Men’s Conference in March so I was looking forward to its release.  He decided to self-publish it, which means some unfortunate publishing house missed out on the chance to sell people something that is going to actually enrich their souls and lead them closer to our heavenly Father.

The book is laid out as a daily meditation.  Each day of the year carries a different sermon.  Some are of the slap-you-across-the-face variety, while others reveal themselves to you slowly and profoundly as you mull the message over during the course of a day.

The important part of Fr. Mark’s insights is that he always tells a story.  It’s not lecturing or postering-it’s just spinning a tale and then hitting home the point.  It’s also ecumenical in scope.  For me, it’s a great way to spend the five minutes before I walk out the door in the morning.  I find myself reflecting on the story during my ride into work.

A good example is today’s reflection for November 18th.  Fr. Mark tells the story of a friend who gave him a prayer to bring someone peace in troubled times.  After relaying the prayer, Fr. Mark concludes by sharing with us that -

“Jesus promised to give us a gift that no one else can, the gift of peace. His peace comes when no other sentiment, feeling or emotion will satisfy. Only His peace has the power to keep our eyes focused on heaven.”

We do live in unsatisfying times that are calling out for the best in all of us.  Fr. Mark’s book may be one tool that God is putting into your hands to help you answer this call.

You can order the book through this link – Hearing God’s Voice.  You just need to fork over $13.95 (and I’m assuming S&H and applicable taxes-you also have to register with lulu.com).

Advent is around the corner.  These meditations may be just what you need to start off the new liturgical year right.

Required Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from a friend who worked on the book with Fr. Mark.  I provided free and rather poor guidance to Fr. Mark on how to set up a blog to publish his daily meditations.  I have not received and will not receive anything of value in connection with this book.  I just think it’s a cool worship tool worthy of your time and money.

Abortion-Some Choice

theophilus October 29th, 2009

The 40 Days for Life Fall Campaign is coming to an end on Sunday.  The organizers keep a “babies saved” account which counts the number of babies saved (at least for the moment) by their prayer vigils.  This number represents the number of women who come to the abortion clinic with the intention of killing their child and leave with their baby still kicking and breathing.

For this campaign, the count stands at 460.  They also just passed a milestone of 2,000 since these vigils began.

These babies represent the miracle of divine intervention brought about by the prayers of the courageous and faithful opening up the hearts of pregnant mothers with a “choice” to make.

But in all truthfulness, what is this choice?

I was born to a single mother.  It was pre-Roe v. Wade, but I know full well that my mother had a “choice” to make.  Thankfully for me and my family, she listened to God and placed herself and me in the hands of Christ and his Blessed Mother.

I was thinking about this “choice” the other day when I read the Daily Devotional that the 40 Days campaign puts out every day during the campaign.  This particular devotion was written by Fr. Frank Pavone, head of Priests for Life and National Pro-Life Religious Council.  His reflection on this day centered around the nature of this “choice”-

Norma McCorvey (the former Jane Roe of Roe v. Wade) used to work at an abortion mill named “A Choice for Women.” She now realizes what a cruel irony that title was. She saw first hand, just as pregnancy resource center counselors see, that women don’t get abortions because of freedom of choice, but rather because they feel they have no freedom and no choice. They feel trapped, abandoned, desperate and afraid, and have been led to believe that abortion is their only option.

As Frederica Mathewes-Green has written, no want wants an abortion like she wants a Porsche or an ice cream; rather, she wants it like an animal caught in a trap wants to gnaw off its own leg.

“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” That doesn’t mean that the Spirit allows us to do whatever we want or to decide for ourselves what’s right and wrong.

Rather, it means that the Spirit gives us the freedom to do what is right, the power to choose what is good, when we see it before us and yet feel pulled in the opposite direction. Liberty means that we no longer have to feel doomed to do what we know is wrong.

We are the people of the Spirit of the Lord, and when we take action on behalf of life, especially by being present at abortion mills, we are acting on behalf of true freedom, and imparting to those who are in bondage the power to do what is right.

As a kid, I always wondered why God allowed evil to exist.  It’s only really recently that I’ve realized that it’s not necessarily that God permits evil to exist, but that he so loves man that he gives us our freedom.  It’s this freedom that either leads us to embrace the goodness and love of our Father and his Son and his Spirit, or leads us to turn our back on God and allow evil to occur.  It’s not God that permits evil to occur; it’s man.  We have a choice to make; it’s up to us to make the right one.

For the past 40 days, the choice for many throughout the nation has been to exercise their freedom to pray outside the abortion mills.  At times, they were even able to get information in the hands of the mothers entering these abortion mills so that these women would know exactly what choice they were making.  It’s the fact that this information isn’t given to the mother by right that makes the “choice” so ironic.  What kind of choice is it if mothers can’t even see an ultrasound of their baby before they give a nod to the doctor to proceed?  Who truly loves these women and who is trying to hide the truth?

This campaign is the first one that I followed and I wish I could have done more.  The problem is that I’m too chicken to go down there alone.  But I have been to two vigils and I’ve prayed the devotionals everyday.  I’ve been with them in spirit.

But I know that’s not enough.  The Holy Spirit is kicking into gear.  It’s up to all of us who believe in the sanctity of all life and the dignity of all men to step forward to ensure mothers make the right “choice” – just like my mother did oh so long ago.  We have to get off of the sidelines and do something.  Christ is calling us to follow him.  Our Blessed Mother is imploring us to get moving.

BTW, the next campaign starts on Ash Wednesday.  Details to come.

Three Movies to See

theophilus September 21st, 2009

I had an incredibly grace filled weekend of movies.

Last Sunday, our homily was on William Wilberforce, a British legislator, who combatted the slave trade at the turn of the 19th Century.  I had read Amazing Grace, a book about his life and efforts, but I had never seen the movie.  So, I stopped into Blockbuster on Tuesday and found it.  While I walked out, I noticed the recent movie about Pope John Paul II, starring Jon Voight and Cary Elwes, so I picked that one up as well.  While watching Amazing Grace on Friday night, we saw a preview for The Ultimate Gift, which looked promising.  So on Saturday, I picked this movie up.  We watched The Ultimate Gift on Saturday night; and I finished up my movie weekend by watching Pope John Paul II on Sunday.

So, in one weekend, I saw a movie (Amazing Grace) about a man who started an effort almost single-handedly that ended up transforming the world.  It took him 20 years to do it but he succeeded in ending the slave trade and ultimately slavery in the British Empire – without a shot being fired.

Then I watched a surprisingly humorous movie (The Ultimate Gift) highlighting the gifts we are all given, most important of which may be forgiveness, redemption, and mercy.  But we all know that the Ultimate Gift is love and this movie reminds us how multi-layered this gift is in our lives and how often we reject it.  Watch the movie and find out for yourself.

Finally, I ended the weekend watching a movie (Pope John Paul II) about a man who recognized God’s hand in his life at every step and followed his will.   He was courageous and steadfast; approachable and full of Christ’s light which he shown to the world.  He was always one of the brightest minds in the room, but could reach everyone with Christ’s message.  And all the while, he underwent immense suffering, both physical and emotional.  The totality of his life is epic.

I am inspired and ready to go kick some serious butt for the Lord this week.  Get these movies and I guarantee you will feel the same.

Fantasy Football & Building Christ’s Kingdom

theophilus August 26th, 2009

I have my fantasy football draft coming up.  I’ve got my depth charts, ranking lists, latest news ready to go.  I’ve figured out my keepers and the rookie running backs I want to target.  I’ve renewed my vow to stay away from any Bengals, Raiders & Chiefs.

And I’ve realized that I really can’t put as much focus and attention into my fantasy football league as I used to do in the past.  It’s fun and I enjoy the league.  It’s a way to stay connected with some of my close friends.  But, I tend to spend so much time on it so I can win, yet I’ve never had a winning season to show for it.  And maybe that’s by God’s design.

I’m constantly amazed how much time I waste during the course of a day.  Fantasy football ranks right up there in things that tend to take my time and attention away from the things God wants me to be doing.  Not that fantasy football isn’t a good diversion for me, it is.  But it needs to be put in its proper place in my life.

I make a morning offering every morning to Christ.  I offer him “all my prayers, works, joys and sufferings of this day.”  I also say a traditional prayer that I found in a prayer book – “Direct, we beseech you oh Lord, our actions by your inspirations and further them by your assistance, so that every word and work of ours may begin from you and by you be likewise ended.”

The morning offering refers to “all” and the prayer refers to “every.”  Not “some,” but “all” and “every.”  In other words, everything that we do should be for Christ.  We are allowed to have fun and enjoy hobbies and pursuits, but even these must be for Christ.  If we spend too much time on our hobbies, pursuits, and diversions at the expense of work that makes an impact on our families, jobs and communities, then we are not doing everything for Christ.

I turned another year older this month.  My kids are starting another year of school.  Sooner rather than later, another year is going to be in the books.  And when I’m rocking away at the retirement home, it’s really not going to matter who I picked as my 3rd running back or my 4th wide receiver in this year’s league.

I’m keeping my fantasy football in perspective this year.  I’m going to have some fun, but I’m going to focus on what God wants me to be doing.   I’m going to keep in mind that while my backup kicker may be a really great guy, I really don’t think he’s going to help me build Christ’s kingdom.

And that goes for all of our hobbies, pursuits and diversions.  Take a look at how you spend your day and figure out whether every moment is spent the way God intended for you, especially in this day and age of technology when a quick five minutes checking sports scores turns into an hour or so of surfing.  Or a quick game on our kids’ game systems turns into an hour trying to get to the next level.

Christ needs all of what we have to offer.  We need to offer him all we do, including all that we do for fun.

Saintly Rulers

theophilus July 13th, 2009

Today is the feast day of St. Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor at the turn of the first millenium.  He was a ruler who lived and ruled according to the will of God, realizing that the true ruler of his realm was Christ the King.

This morning I read part of a biography of St. Henry (from the Office of Readings) and was struck by a couple of passages.  In St. Henry’s remarks upon the establishment of the Archdiocese of Bamburg (kings got to set up dioceses, with the consent of Rome, back then), he said some things that apply to all of us, regardless of whether we rule a nation, our company or our cubicle.

“We are taught and advised to abandon temporal riches, to lay aside earthly goods, and to strive to reach the eternal and everlasting dwelling-place in heaven.”

“For present glory is fleeting and meaningless, while it is possessed, unless in it we can glimpse something of heaven’s eternity.”

“But God’s mercy toward the human race provided a useful remedy when he made the reward for earthly existence a share in our heavenly existence.”

“Not unmindful of this clemency and aware that by the gratuitous consideration of divine mercy we were raised up to a position of regal dignity . . . not turning a deaf ear to the Lord’s commandments and obediently following divine urgings, we desire to take the treasures of divine generosity bestowed on us by his bounty and store them in heaven, where thieves cannot dig them up or steal them and rust or moth may not destroy them.”

“When we reflect upon all that we have now stored up, our heart will be often drawn with longing and love.”

From these passages, we know that St. Henry got it – he realized that he did not get to be king all by himself and he wasn’t king by happenstance.  He also realized that his successes were not his alone.  And most importantly, he realized that the worth of his life wasn’t dependent upon his successes as king, but what he did to get to heaven.

It doesn’t matter what you do for a living, you need to do what God has called you to do, and you must do it knowing that God put you in this place in this time to do it.  And your successes?  They belong to God and they should be getting you closer to heaven.

Our lives need to be lived for Christ; they need to be lived so as to serve Christ.  Even in this time of economic distress, God is in control and we must live and work in a way that is consistent with God’s will for us.  We must live and work as if our eternal lives depend upon it.

Your Job is That Important!

theophilus July 12th, 2009

How many of us have just gone through life doing our own thing; until, BAM, we get the powerful tugging of our soul that tells us we are supposed to do something else?

Today’s gospel (Mark 6) tells the story of the Apostles being sent out two-by-two to proclaim the Kingdom.  At some point, whether they were fishermen, tax collectors, or hangers-on, they were hit square between the eyes by the calling of Christ and they followed our Lord.

And then today’s first reading (Amos 7) has the prophet Amos telling the priest Amaziah, “I was no prophet, nor have I belonged to a company of prophets; I was a shepherd and a dresser of sycamores.  The LORD took me from following the flock, and said to me, Go, prophesy to my people Israel.”  Amos was a simple shepherd and arborist, yet God called him and he followed.

Like the Apostles and Amos, we are called!

We cannot think that we are just an accountant, machinist, carpenter, lawyer, assistant, sales person, first-responder, soldier, account executive or however we choose to define what we do for a living.  No, we are disciples of Christ, children of God, given life to bear fruit in the building of Christ’s kingdom here on earth.

No part of our lives can be separate from Christ.  Nothing we do, say or think can be considered distinct from our place in Christ’s universal Church.

We don’t have it easy in this regard.  Christ physically called the Apostles, so it would have been pretty hard for them to miss the point of what they were being called to do.  God got pretty personal with Amos, so it was rather hard for him to ignore his calling.   It would be easier if we were so divinely inspired, but most of us are not.  We must rely on our faith and the drive of the Holy Spirit that has led us to whatever it is that we do.  We must then do that job as if God himself gave us that job and Christ himself is our boss.  If you cannot feel that way about your jobs then it is time to look for something else.  And if you are unemployed, then it is time to look deep within your soul and figure out what it is that God expects of you at this moment of time.

God is in control; he has a plan for each of us.  We must listen and figure out what it is that he intends of us.

It may not be going out Noah’s Ark like (i.e. two-by-two) or prophesying to the head of your government, but God does call you to do something.  And that something is instrumental in building Christ’s kingdom.

This week, do your job, treat your family, contribute to your community, and live your life as if Christ’s kingdom hangs in the balance.  The way you live your life is that important.

Teach Me to Labor

theophilus June 29th, 2009

I came across a prayer attributed to St. Ignatius a while back -

“Lord, teach me to be generous.  Teach me to serve you as you deserve.  To give and not count the cost.  To fight and not heed the wounds.  To toil and not seek for rest.  To labor and not ask for reward, save for knowing that I am doing your will.”

I know someone who is trying to live the last phrase of that prayer – “To labor and not ask for reward, save for knowing that I am doing your will.”

He is doing something that will result in others gain, yet he will probably not be rewarded for it.  He is doing something that will benefit many, yet his family questions his career path.  There is always the question left unsaid, but always hanging in the air, as to whether he should be doing something more distinguished or of greater monetary worth.

Yet, he has confided in me that he truly believes that he is doing God’s will.  He is exactly where God needs him.  He is laboring for Christ.

I told him about St. Ignatius’ prayer because I realized he is trying to live it.  He is trying so hard to keep from falling into the chasm of self-pity where he will crave reward for his labor.  He is trying to satisfy himself with the reward of knowing that he is doing God’s will; he is serving Christ.  I can tell that it is not easy.

And I reminded him that it doesn’t matter whether we measure up in someone else’s eyes; whether we are doing what others expect of us.  What matters if whether we are doing what God wants us to do; whether we measure up to what Christ expects of us.

The saints lived the prayer of St. Ignatius; each and every phrase.  We are called to do the same.

We all are called to be generous and serve and give and fight and toil and labor; but not to count the cost or heed the wounds or seek for rest or ask for reward.  We are all called to just serve Christ and do God’s will.  We are all called to be a saint.

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.

Keeping Your Word

theophilus May 26th, 2009

If you are a man of honor and integrity (and most men are), you want to keep your word to others.  You want to have the reputation of getting the job done and being dependable; whether it’s your family, friends, community or job.  You don’t want to let others down.

But do you take the same attitude with Christ?  He has a plan for each of us.  He asks something of each of us every single day.  As a member of his body, we are called upon daily by him to do something, big or small, to help build his kingdom.

Yesterday for Memorial Day Mass, our priest talked about all of us being “Soldiers of Christ.”   He spoke about each of us having a duty to Christ to do his will; to stand up and join the battle.

Ask yourself these questions.  Do you strive to do your duty as a treasured son of God?  Do you strive to do his will?  Do you strive to keep your word to him in living your life?  Do you put your body, heart and soul at his disposition?

Today’s first reading is about a man who answered these questions with a resounding affirmative.  In Acts 20, St. Paul is giving one last sermon to the Ephesians.  He concludes by stating – “Yet I consider life of no importance to me, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to bear witness to the Gospel of God’s grace. . . . And so I solemnly declare to you this day that I am not responsible for the blood of any of you, for I did not shrink from proclaiming to you the entire plan of God.”

There you have it.  St. Paul had no regrets; he knew he had done what he was called by Christ to do.

How about today’s Gospel from John 17.  Here we have Jesus praying to our Father in heaven – “I revealed your name to those whom you gave me out of the world.  They belonged to you, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.”

Talk about a great performance review -  “They have kept your word.”  His apostles and disciples had answered the questions the same as St. Paul.

How about today’s Saint of the Day – St. Philip Neri.  He lived in 16th Century Italy at the height of the Reformation and the start of the Counter-Reformation, when Catholic faith and devotion were rapidly declining and in need of someone to help reverse the plunge into the abyss.  St. Philip responded to Christ’s call as well by doing great things to reinvigorate the faithful throughout Italy, most particularly in Rome.  He enflamed the laity and fostered a great love among all for the Blessed Sacrament.

St. Paul; the Apostles; the first disciples; St. Philip Neri – all became worthy Soliders of Christ.  They kept God’s word and fulfilled their duty to Christ.  They gave their lives to be used according to the Lord’s will and then, more importantly, kept their word to him.

Can the same be said of us?

St. Pius V and Other Heroes for Our Times

theophilus April 30th, 2009

St. Pius V, whose feast day is today, was the lucky pope who had the job of implementing the major reforms of the Council of Trent.

In the 16th Century, Europe was in turmoil; the Church was disintegrating; large segments of laity and clergy were in open rebellion against the Holy See.

By 1545, the Reformation was in full swing; St. Thomas More’s head was off; and the Church was taking its good ole’ time in responding to threats to its very existence.

Finally, Pope Paul III got the long awaited Council of Trent started. Two other popes (Julius III and Pius IV) would preside over the Council before its conclusion in 1563.

The results were as, if not more, transformational than Vatican II. It made major reforms that carved away the abuses in the Church while strengthening the divinely inspired tradition and dogma that were under fierce attack at the time.

To execute the reforms, the Church turned to Pope St. Pius V. He fearlessly implemented these reforms and laid the groundwork for the next four hundred years of the Church.

At a perilous time for the Church and his society, he stepped up and got the job done.

In reading about St. Pius V, I also noticed other names coming up; names well-known to us, who also stepped up during this incredible era in history.  Saints with the names of Ignatius of Loyola, Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, Francis de Sales, Vincent de Paul, Charles Borromeo, Robert Bellarmine, Philip Neri, Peter Alcantara, Francis Xavier. Great saints; great writers; great preachers; great reformers. A collection of larger than life heroes called by God to do great work at this one particular moment.

And I wonder. Did these individuals make their era or did their era make them? If they were collectively born in another quieter and less significant era, would they have been so great? Were they called to greatness because they were needed or could others have done the trick?  Did God place these individuals in the 16th Century precisely because they would be needed?

I believe we live in times that require great people, true heroes who are larger than life. My question is whether God has provided us with this greatness? And have they, will they, step up and answer the call?

I have no doubt that Pope John Paul II did play and Pope Benedict XVI is playing the part of Pius V in our times. But, who are the other saints in our midst?

Is one of these saints, you?

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