Thursday, November 27, 2014

Diaconate Ordination Information Update!



Here are the details for my ordination:

On March 27th, 2015 at 6 PM at the St. Raymond Nonnatus, I with 4 other men will be ordained to the transitional (for I will be ordained a priest hopefully on May 21st, 2016) Diaconate.  The Ordination Mass will take about 2 hours and will be followed by a reception at the Cathedral.

St. Raymond Nonnatus Cathedral in Joliet, IL
Address is 604 N Raynor Ave, Joliet, IL 60435.

On Saturday March 28th my family will be hosting family and friends at our house from 1:00-4:30 PM. The address is 2292 Pontiac Circle, Naperville, IL 60565.

I'll be preaching and serving as a Deacon at Palm Sunday Vigil at St. Raphael's Catholic Church in Naperville. Followed by a light reception at the church. The address for the church is 1215 Modaff Road, Naperville 60540.

We may have those who are staying longer return to the house or the hotel where family is staying afterwards. Stay tuned!!!

Please know you have my prayers!
Michael

Sunday, November 16, 2014

A Lonely Heart is Never Again Alone!



It's been a while, I know!  So I thought I would just do a short blog to hopefully do a little kick start and start posting more blogs :).

When I was studying out in Denver at the Augustine Institute, I came across the following quote:

The Sacrifice of Jesus accomplishes the Father's eternal plan to unite humanity with divinity...never again should we be alone, shut out or lost. When we are in shame or despair, and there seems no way out, Christ is waiting for us in silent love! ~ Olivier Clement (Roots of Christian Mysticism)
In my bible study, I always discuss 4 parts to a journey: (1)origin, (2)destination, (3)path, and (4)purpose.  When we lose our origin, we become lost.  When we lose our destination, we wander.  When we lose our path, we get frustrated.  And finally if we lose our purpose, we fall into despair.  This physical truth found in every journey is also true in the spiritual life!  This is why it is so important to know our spiritual foundations of who we are (origin).  It is also important to know where we are called to go, otherwise we wander which a lot of people have been doing in the spiritual life (destination).  Once the origin and destination is figured out, it is important to start the journey (the path).  Finally and most important, the drive to complete the journey in the face of difficulty,  especially the spiritual journey (the purpose).

The quote above from Olivier Clement reaffirms our purpose! We are never again to be alone and despair!  Jesus Christ locked in our destination (I'm going to prepare a place for you), he gave us the path (I am the way, truth and the life), he gave us the purpose - to be united God in Christ, in a particular way to be united to God in the suffering ( Remember "anyone who wants to follow me, pick up his cross and follow me").  

As I get closer to ordination and loneliness strikes, I constantly draw upon this quote.  Christ has not abandoned me.  And though I may feel alone, I'm not quite so lonely.  The Lord awaits in his silent love.  The Lord awaits in his Word, in the Eucharist, in his Body the Church.  We are not alone my friends.  Never again!  The Lord is waiting for you in the silence!  Amen.

Friday, September 12, 2014

The Lesson My 3 Year-Old God Daughter Taught Me!

This past summer between assignments I had a two week window for vacation.  I hit the road in excitement for a cross country adventure from the Midwest to Colorado and back.  The highlight of my trip was the opportunity to spend time with my God children; 3 of which are in the picture (Brendan, Luke and Colleen).  Little did I know, out of all the people I was able to visit, it was the time I spent with my God children that would lead me to my greatest meditation and challenge this year leading up to my Ordination.  

It had been over a year since I had the opportunity to see my God children. I always prepare myself because of my yearly visit, they change so much in a year!!! On this trip, there was another surprise: it was my God daughter, Colleen and how she would capture my heart.   

My trip began meeting the family at the local children's museum.  Brendan and Luke of course carried their similar personalities from my last visit, but Colleen's personality caught me off guard. At the museum, Colleen took on a small ropes course without any reservation that was built for a child twice her size.  Even her brothers, who were adventurous in their own right, were showing some hesitation as they went through the course.  She was fearless!   

This was followed by another adventure; a trip to the local pool.  Luckily we had an adult for each child, which we would rotate around!  The pool was a time of craziness: water-gun fights and attempts to go to the deep end of the pool.  Part of the time I was able to carry Colleen.  This involved taking her from one side of the pool to the other and helping her splash her brothers!  

As much as those events were filled with laughter and some tears from chlorine in our eyes, there was a particular moment that will remain in my mind and heart.  It was the time I was with Colleen by the pool's edge.  I sat her on the concrete edge of the pool and I gave her the encouragement to fall into my arms. You could see on her face that she had some hesitancy with my plan (as if she was saying, you gotta be kidding me? or "what you talking about Willis?").  But after another word of encouragement, she leaned forward and fell into my arms and I caught her!  Right when she came to understand what happened, her smile and laughter could fill anyone's heart.  I put her once again by the pool's side, but this time I had her stand.  She fell into my arms again with even greater excitement and trust.  Before I knew it, she was throwing herself into the water as I stepped further and further away from the pool's edge.  How beautiful was it to see her complete abandonment, and how much joy she had received when she was caught!

As I continue to pray through my discernment toward the Catholic Priesthood, I can't help but see this image reappear in my prayers.  Day in and day out, I see the Lord taking me to the edge, and asking me to jump in trust!  This didn't start with a large jump nor total abandonment, but me first leaning and letting my momentum take me off the edge.  Immediately, (in scriptural terms) the Lord caught me and there was joy in falling into the arms of my Lord. But it didn't end there, the Lord once again placed me on the edge.  This time standing up, the Lord asked me to jump and again the Lord caught me!  I soon began to understand the same joy my God daughter felt in her small acts of abandonment by jumping into the pool.  

Right now, as we speak, the Lord is placing me on the edge like my God daughter at the pool and He's taking a few more steps away from the edge and asking me to really jump!  But unlike my God daughter who had complete abandonment, I'm starting to freak out!  There is a fear; will the Lord continue to catch me?  What if He's not there this time? What if there comes a time He won't be there?  

Of course, as I continue to pray and reflect I can't help but think of all the times the Lord has caught me in my acts of abandonment: from choosing ministry over engineering, from being diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma, from entering the seminary, from leaving the seminary only to find myself being called to re-enter the seminary. The Lord has always caught me.  And without fail, I found myself with great joy in my abandonment to the Lord.  What is better then jumping into the Lord's arms with complete abandonment?  Nothing! I have my God daughter to thank for that wonderful meditation and challenge.  So here goes nothing, I'm ready to jump! 

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Label Maker + Finding Out My Sister's Crush = My Sister's Nightmare (Need for our Invitation to God)

When I was in 6th grade, I happened to find out who my sister's high school freshmen date was to her homecoming dance.  His name was John Hall.  What does a 6th grader do with that information, especially a 6th grader that had an old school label maker (new at the time)?
Maybe I would write "Tina likes John Hall!" a hundred times.  And maybe I took those labels and placed them all over her books, folders, and make-up compact mirror?  Needless to say my sister spent the rest of the following week discovering these gifts of love!

Now that I am a little older I can reflect back and see how I was a nightmare to my sister, Tina.  It also probably explained the fact why my sister seemed to be a little more secretive about her future crushes.   Also, as I look back, I saw myself trying to jump into my sister's life.  Being the youngest sibling with two older sisters, I remember my sisters bringing their friends over to the house.  I would invade their space wanting to be apart of their friendships.  But that's not how friendships are formed or love received.

When I think of love, specifically the love of God, God doesn't invade our space, He patiently waits for our invitation for Him to enter into our lives.  He waits during our greatest joys and most tragic parts of our lives for that invitation.

I saw this in my ministry this summer.  I was blessed to be a chaplain at a hospital in central Illinois.  It was interesting how I would get many different reactions to my knocking at their door; some people were openly happy for my visit, while others told me "goodbye" before I could say anything else (which I graciously left).  My hope was not to invade into their life (like when I was in 6th grade), but enter into their life and hospital room through their invitation.  

There is one patient that stands out in particular.  She wasn't really practicing any faith.  She was raised somewhat Christian when she was younger, but stopped practicing and going to any church long ago.  She was in her mid 30's, her life was turned upside down and was not like anything she had ever planned.  She was diagnosed with an incurable illness that could only be treated by heavy medication.  She no longer had communication with or support from her family, and her friends had abandoned her because she could no longer contribute to their social activities.  I entered the room asking if I could sit and talk, she said yes.  And for the next two hours we talked about life, difficulties, and faith.  At the end of my visit, I was clear that I couldn't promise healing of the body (though I would pray for that), but I did point to one important fact from this visit; the power of the invitation before her!   I pointed to the fact that her illness opened up the opportunity for our conversation.  For by her own admittance, she said she would have never talked to me if she was perfectly healthy.  I told her that her illness, though not a direct act of God (that God desired her illness), opened her heart to an invitation to God and the Christian faith once more.

Coming back on retreat, I can't help but to continue to pray for that patient and that 2 hour conversation we had.  And on retreat I came across this beautiful meditation of God and humanity; God does not force Himself upon us.  The Incarnation points to this reality.  First, God asks Mary if she would be the vessel in which the Word would become flesh.  It is only after her yes that she becomes pregnant with the Son of God.  

It's a beautiful thing how gentle and patient The Lord is with us.  He's not abrupt trying to invade our personal space, but God does have His labels over all of creation.  The Lord is waiting for our open invitation to let Him enter.  I'm so glad that God is not like me, especially when I was in 6th Grade!  Needless to say, Tina no longer likes John Hall.  However there may be one or two more labels to be found in her old high school folders.  

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Beauty of Being Chosen!

it's very hard for a kid in today's culture of sports and activities not to come across times when captains are selected and the anxiety of being chosen begins.  Now in my own experience, if I was good at the sport, it always felt great to see the disappointment of the other captain's face when he couldn't choose me, while at the same time, it was very difficult to swallow my pride when I was chosen last. It was as if people were bluntly telling me that I was not wanted and the feeling of rejection pierced my heart!


This desire to be chosen (or the feeling of not being chosen) does not only find itself in games and sports, but also in love!  How beautiful and exciting it is when you fall in love and the person you have fallen for has also chosen you!  I recently had a friend, on the day of her wedding say to her spouse, "I choose you!"  The words every spouse wants to hear from their loved ones.  All love stories are based on the idea of being chosen by the other.  

This desire to be chosen is no different in the areas of our faith!  It is also an area that we constantly forget about!  We need to remind constantly that the Lord, God has chosen us!  I recently came across the following quote:  

"This is one way of stating the difference between gods and men.  Gods choose; men are chosen.  What men lose when they become as free as gods is precisely that sense of being chosen, which encourages them, in their gratitude, to take their subsequent choices seriously" - Philip Rieff, The Triumph of the Therapeutic

In a society with strong emphasis on freedom, we have become as free as gods (being able to choose many things in life).  But by being caught up in the ability to choose, we actually lose something very important; the excitement of being chosen.  This story of the human person isn't new!  Actually we see this explained in the story of Adam and Eve, where the serpent tempts them to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil so that they would become like God!  In grasping after that freedom, they lose their identity of being chosen as God's children.  

The Christian faith reversing the conditions of the fall points to this redeemed reality - that God has chosen us!  John 15:16 - "You did not choose me, but I who chose you!"  God has chosen us!  God who is love, has revealed his love for us in Christ!   He sent his only Son for us!  God continually chooses to bring us into communion of persons in the Trinity. This simple understanding should leave us speechless, smiling, and finding great joy!  

If we are struggling to smile or finding ourselves with lack of joy, we need to remind ourselves of those times that God's love has been revealed his love for us, we were reminded of being chosen.  We need to remind ourselves of the story of Christ, when God made the decision to act within human history and intervene on our behalf and reveal His love for us!  

Let us call to mind John 15:16 - "You did not choose me, but I who chose you!" and proceed to jump and down in excitement!  God has chosen us!

Friday, May 23, 2014

I Want My Flesh-Pots!!! The Need for the Eucharist, the True Bread from Heaven!

I recently taught my 8th grade students at MTCA, while I was on my internship assignment, the similarities between the story of Israel and the story of our lives.  

The following picture was drawn not so neatly on the dry erase board!



Israel was enslaved for 400 years in Egypt just as God told Abraham in Genesis 15:13.  [Side note: 400 = 40 (means a generation or a person's lifetime) x 10 (means completeness).  Therefore, 400 years of slavery represents a complete lifetime of slavery]  The Israelites were freed from sin and slavery when Moses guides the Israelites through the Red Sea.  It was in that same action, that the Egyptian armies pursued the Israelites into the Red Sea, only to be killed in the water.  The action reveals God's freeing action of the Israelites from sin and slavery.  The Israelites spend the next 40 years in the desert. [remember 40 years represent a generation or a person's lifetime] only to be led through another body of water, the Jordan river, into the promise land.

How does this relate to our lives?  Like the Israelites, we too were born into a complete sin and slavery, known as Original Sin.  We too, like the Israelites, are saved by passing through the waters, the waters of Baptism.  It's in this saving act, we are SENT on our journey toward the promise land, which is Heaven.  It's only after spending a lifetime of journeying toward the promise land, that we pass through another water, which death, that leads us to Heaven!  

But the comparison doesn't stop there. After sharing the foundation of Israel's story with the students, I continued to point out deeper! If we actually read Israel's story closer, we would see that the Israelites were attached to their life of sin and slavery.  They actually constantly doubted the Lord and wanted to turn back to Egypt.  [This is revealed in the creation of the Golden Calf, an Egyptian god, found in Exodus 32].   The Israelites would prefer going back to Egypt, which includes sin and slavery, than live a life that had them constantly trusting in The Lord's providence.  Take in mind, that this is still after the Israelites saw the power of God through the 10 plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, the pillar of smoke in the day time, and the pillar of fire at night; the Israelites continued to complain to Moses:

"Would that we had died by the hand of The Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger" ~ Exodus 16:3

The fleshpots were believed to be huge stew-pots made up of swine meat.  To the Jews, these fleshpots were prohibited because swine were seen as unclean animals and should not be eaten. The Israelites, in a sense, would rather live a life of sin and slavery, than continue the difficult road of life trusting in the Lord in the desert. 

How true is that in our life!?!  Though we have been saved by the waters of Baptism, and in many cases have been sealed by the gifts of the Holy Spirit through the Sacrament of Confirmation, we find ourselves desiring to go back to the slavery of sin.  Rather than trusting in the Lord's company and providence, we constantly desire to seek out pleasures that would draw us away from God.  G.K Chesterton hits this point right on the head, when he stated, "Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried."  If we pursue our Christian life, and if we our truly honest with ourselves, we will admit having the same temptations likes the Israelites.  We would admit, like the Israelites, "we want our fleshpots!"  

So what is the answer or response to these temptations.  The answer is found in Israel's story once again!  The Lord feeds the Israelites with Manna, the Bread from Heaven.  For us as Christians as we journey through life, we too are given the Bread from Heaven.   Jesus Christ gives us Himself as food for our journey in the Eucharist.  By partaking in the Body and Blood of Christ, we are given the strength and grace to continue on the difficult road toward Heaven.  Let us not be discouraged by the difficulties found in the journey of life.  Let us turn away from the temptations of our various fleshpot desires.  And finally let us turn, all the more, to The Lord as the source of true food that will give us strength for the journey to our Eternal home!

Friday, April 18, 2014

I Have Chosen Bar-abbas, I Have Chosen Sin! - A Good Friday Meditation

Today, the Church calls to mind the Lord's Passion on Good Friday.  I was blessed to give a meditation this morning on the choice given to the Jews and to us; the choice between Jesus and Bar-abbas!

Pontius Pilate brings before the Jewish people two men: Jesus, son of the Heavenly Father and Bar-abbas, whose name literally means son of the father.  Pontius Pilate makes the people choose who they will release and who will they follow.  Will they choose to follow Jesus Christ, the son of the Heavenly Father, or will they follow Bar-abbas son of the father of lies? (cf. John 8:44)  Will they follow the man whose message stands for service and self-sacrifice or will they follow the man who is known as a zealot, murderer acting on his own desires and wants.  Will they choose a life of holiness or will they choose a life of sin?  This same choice is given to us today!

The Church, in her beauty recounts for us the words of the Passion.  The congregation not only hears the words, but most will participate and cry out for Bar-abbas over Jesus!  And if we are truly honest with ourselves, we will admit, we too choose our own attachments over the Lord.  We too choose to act selfishly over being selfless.  In a sense, we too, choose SIN!  From my own heart, I can say, I have chosen SIN, I have chosen Bar-abbas!

To admit this fact is hard.  It first takes self-awareness.  It also takes humility to acknowledge our weakness and our attachments.  The reality is clear, in our human brokenness, we don't always do what is right! See St. Paul in Rom 7:15 - "What I do, I do not understand. For I do not do what I want, but I do what I hate"

What then?  Do we just surrender, give up, live in a life of sin?  The answer is NO! We come before the Lord and seek his forgiveness!  One of the most beautiful images given to the Church is the Apostle Peter. Pope Benedict writes:
The Church is founded upon forgiveness.  Peter himself is a personal embodiment of this truth! She is held together by forgiveness, and Peter is the perpetual living reminder of this reality: she is not a communion of the perfect but a communion of sinners who need and seek forgiveness.
Recounting the Passion, Peter denies Jesus 3 times!  He betrays and fails to trust in Jesus.  But the story doesn't end there, Peter is forgiven, along with all the other disciples, and they are given the ministry of forgiveness found in John 20:21-23
[Jesus] said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,“Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”   
Today, this Good Friday, let us acknowledge our brokenness, seek the opportunity to venerate and kiss the cross, and ask the Lord for forgiveness because we have chosen, even yelled out, Bar-abbas over Jesus. Let us ask the Lord for forgiveness because we have chosen our attachments to our sins over choosing to follow Him! Let us seek the healing the Lord wants to give us!
But he was pierced for our sins, crushed for our iniquity. He bore the punishment that makes us whole, by his wounds we were healed. (Isaiah 53:5)

Friday, April 4, 2014

Death By NutraSweet!

Hummingbirds are truly beautiful animals to watch.  To see them jet up, down, left and right at a whim is quite a site to behold, all with a simple humming sound.  Then we come to realize the following fact:

A typical hummingbird needs 7 to 12 calories of energy everyday. This might sound small, but when we do the math: it's the equivalent of a 180 pound human having to scrounge up 204,300 calories a day, or about 171 pounds of hamburgers.  How crazy is that!


Bird enthusiast will sometimes put out bird feeders filled with sugar water to watch these amazing fliers of the sky, while giving them necessary calories to live. But what happens when you take away the necessary calories found in the sugar and use NutraSweet (a sugar substitute)?  The beautiful bird still takes the sweet water, feels fulfilled for its stomach is full, but will die because the false substitute doesn't provide the necessary nutrients.  

How often do we find ourselves in a similar situation.  We, like the hummingbird, indulge in false substitutes that eventually lead to our own death and destruction.  The devil in many ways tries to entice us with these false substitutes of the world, such as; lust, greed, and power.  These powerful three temptations seem to satisfy for a while, but in the end leave us unfulfilled.  Note that the Church offers us the three Evangelical Councils to confront these false substitutes with; chastity, poverty, and obedience. 

Or how about other false substitutes that try to fulfill our desire to be known and loved?  Are filling our lives with artificial friendships found in most social networking programs like facebook and twitter?  Am I satisfied with my 2,000 friends on facebook?  Or tens of thousands of followers on twitter? The answer is clearly No!  
This story of accepting false substitutes isn't new!  The story of Adam and Eve is a story of grasping after a false substitute.  Instead of being satisfied in their loving relationship with God, in temptation, they reach after the fruit that would make them become like gods.  They literally had a relationship with the source of life, and decided to take the substitute over the real deal.  Taking the false substitute broke the relationships with God and literally brought death into the world!

Let us acknowledge those things in our lives that may be our false substitutes in life.  If it be pleasures, money, or control.  It's time to eliminate the false substitutes that only temporarily satisfy, like humming bird drinking NutraSweet water.  It's time to seek the food and water that will completely satisfy and give us life!  

"But whoever drinks of the water I shall give him will become in him springs of water welling up to eternal life" (John 4:14) 

"Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give to you!" (John 6:27)  

AMEN!

Monday, March 31, 2014

My Failed College Dream!

When I was in high school, I couldn't wait for college.  I was tired of the hyped up high school drama and I couldn't wait to move on!  My idea was; I would leave high school and I could start completely all over.  I could "create" myself a new image.  No one in college would know that I was a nerd.  I could highlight all my cool accomplishments, and no one would know any of my faults.  Now that I think of it, my high school dream was exactly what facebook offers today; all the highlights and none of my faults. My goal was to create a great life and get that elusive girlfriend I had been longing for!


The dream was based on the idea; that I was in control of my image!  I was responsible of creating myself.  But, as I look back, I see how far I was from the truth.  I don't have the ability to create myself, nor did I create myself.  My identity, which seemed elusive, was found outside myself.  My identity, my image is found completely in the OTHER!

Looking at life, it is clear: our whole life is meant to be described in the other!  I became a brother because I had sisters.  I became a son because I had a mother and father.  I became a boyfriend because there was a girlfriend.  This is a profound reality of God.  TheTrinity of persons are found in relationship to the other (Father, Son, Holy Spirit).  And if we are truly made in the image and likeness of God, we too, will find our identity in the other!

But everything in this world, even relationships come and go: my girlfriend is long gone and so is my title as a boyfriend.  In a world of professions; a teacher is a teacher as long as there are students.  Likewise a doctor is only a doctor as long as they have patients (so what if they have a MD degree, but don't have any patients)!  When my grandparents passed away, am I still a grandson? If my parents were to pass, would I still be their son?  Well yes, but only because of my Christian understanding that they are still alive in heaven. Otherwise, I would lose that identity and part of who I was as well!

If we are to keep a sense of identity of who we are, we need to have a relationship with someone who is not temporary!  A relationship that never fades.  What is the Christian Gospel all about?  It's about bringing us in relationship with God the Father.  We are his children because of our particular relationship we have with Jesus Christ the Son.  When all relationships fail, and our identity seems completely lost, this will remain (if we acknowledge it or not).

We need to re-gain our identity and source.  The identity of being God's son's and daughters.  "See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are!" (1 Jn 3:1)

If we want to get back to being satisfied with who we are - we can't hide from the need to dive into that particular relationship with God.  No job, no exercise (Cross fit, lifting, or run - I speak to myself in this comment), no relationship on this earth will ever satisfy our longing in our hearts or reveal to us who we really are!  Only in a sense of confidence in our relationship with God can we face the crosses of this world, even death.

This is why taking time to pray EVERYDAY is so important! It grounds our identity, not in something that fades in time, but will remain for all eternity.  Don't try to live my college dream; the ability to create yourself! Realize that you find purpose and strength in the other.   Don't deny yourself the ability to stand in confidence and proclaim the prayer that Jesus taught us: "Our Father."

Sunday, March 23, 2014

What I Learned From My Father's Garden

When I was in middle school my dad decided to allow his old farming days as a kid come out into our backyard.  The task to create a garden area was quite a feat, but what I discovered was the hardest part of having a garden was the daily care needed for it to prosper; from watering, pruning, and harvesting!

Jesus shares a similar gardening story in the Scriptures through the parable called the Sower and the seed (Matthew 13:1-9).  In the parable, Christ talks about a Sower (God) that sows seeds upon 4 different types of ground; the hard path, the rocks, the thorns, and the good soil.  Reading this passage, it was very easily to think that the Lord was talking about 4 different types of people.  But what I have come to discover in my own spiritual journey, is that the Lord is giving us the way to garden our own hearts, which like my dad's garden takes lots of work!

As I learned from my dad, to garden we first need to break up the hard and trampled ground.  In doing so, we discover rocks that need to be removed.  Once the rocks are removed, we can start removing the various types of weeds and thorns that would grow.  Eventually with the initial work complete, the soil would be ready for growing a fruitful garden. 

It is clear that my own spiritual journey didn't start with fruitful soil.  From high school to college I would say my heart was pretty hardened by any acceptance of the faith.  If you doubt me, you can talk to my cousin Jeanne!  It wasn't until college, that the Lord in a way pierced through the hard path.  But I soon discovered the rocks and weeds that would get in the way of the Lord.  15 years later, I can say the gardening of my heart has not been an easy task.  I continue to find old and new weeds sprouting and needing to be removed, rocks find their way into the garden, and the task just to bear simple fruit in my spiritual life is a task in itself.  It is clear the spiritual journey is a work in process!

Don't think my example is good enough?  I love reading the apostle's journey in the Scriptures!  The Lord spent three years with the apostles gardening their hearts.  Many times the Lord called them out saying that they were slow to hear and had little faith.  Think of how Peter did not want to hear about the Lord's upcoming suffering in Matthew 16, or how he denies Christ 3 times after telling Jesus he wouldn't!  But the most beautiful thing of the story was the Lord was patient with the Apostles, constantly forgave them, and worked tirelessly on their hearts so that on the day of Pentecost, the descent of the Holy Spirit, they would bear tremendous fruit for His Church.  And do you think even then their labors in the garden of their hearts were complete?  No!  Look at St. Paul as he talks about his weakness in 2 Corinthians 12!  

Not only is gardening something that takes continuous effort, it is clear that once you stop taking care of the garden; the weeds return, the rocks re-appear, and eventually the once luscious garden returns to being a hard path.  Let us during this great time of Lent continue to work with the master gardener in tilling our hearts; let us remove the rocks and weeds that prevent the Lord from bearing fruit in our lives.  If we can do that, I can guarantee that the Lord will continue to bear fruit a hundred fold in our lives!

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Lent in the Context of Falling in Love

When I was growing up, I always took on Lent grudgingly. Lent was always the time to give up the things I liked; soda, chocolate, and candy. But as a kid, I never wanted to give up those things I enjoyed.  I always found Lent difficult and I never looked forward to the season of Lent!  Easter, however, that was a blast; chocolate, candy and soda galore. 


Everyone knows the number one question of a growing child; "but why?"  I asked the same question, "Why do I have to give something up for Lent?" The answer I received never satisfied me; “that’s just what we (Catholics) do.”  Nor did it ever change my perspective on Lent.  To me, Lent was something not enjoyable and something I had to grudge my way through. 

It wasn't until later that my world was turned upside down!  My perspective of Lent was not of pain and suffering, but on the context of LOVE!  Fr. Louis Evely wrote, "When one loves, one is (necessarily) led to fast - without even thinking of it.  But when one fasts in order to suffer...it is difficult to imagine that it leads us to love or be happy.  Any true love engenders sacrifice, but any sacrifice does not engender love.  God is not sacrifice.  God is LOVE and because he is LOVE, he has become sacrifice - a joyful sacrifice"
 

Mind blown!  If we start with sacrifice, it doesn't mean we will end with love.  But if we start with love, we will come to sacrifice.  This is clear from the times I fell in love, which has happened to me more then once.  When I was falling in love, it was easy for me to spend time and converse with the girl I loved.  I would actually look for more opportunities to talk. I can remember a few nights staying up and talking until the sun rose and at the same time desiring for the night not to end.  When I fell in love I remember how easy it was to make sacrifices.  I would give up many things without even a second thought.  I would easily skip a meal, skip a nap, give up hanging out with the guys, if that meant it would allow me to stay in the presence of the one I loved.  I also remember how easy it was to give gifts.  How I would see flowers and items to give as gifts.  I would make any excuse to give them too!

What does the Church ask of us this Lent-en season?  Prayer, fasting and alms giving.  What are these things if not conversing with the Lord, making sacrifices for the Lord, and giving gifts to the Lord? The Church is asking us to re-new our love for the Lord.  The Church is calling us to an opportunity of love! If we do that, then all the sacrifices, gifts, and conversations with God will make sense of the fasting, alms giving, and prayer the Church is encouraging us to do.  The Church is encouraging us to engage in Love! 

But we need to make sure we start with love!  If we try to do these things the other way around, as Fr. Evely pointed out in his quote, it's not guaranteed we will love!  Let us ask the Lord for the grace to be moved by love this Lent-en season, that the sacrifices we do choose are moved by love so that we can come to grow closer in love with the Lord!

A Scripture Meditation from the Gospel of Matthew 4:1-2 - for this upcoming Sunday Gospel!

"At that time Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert...He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry."  

Jesus wasn't hungry during the forty days, but only AFTER!  Why?  Jesus drawn by the Holy Spirit conversed with his Heavenly Father for forty days.  Who of us wouldn't forsake a meal to continue a conversation with a person we love?  

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

The Beauty of Rejection, The Beauty of Love

We all have a natural desire to be known and loved!  So when we encounter rejection from those who seem to know and love us, we feel the rejection in a very powerful way.  As I interact with many in their faith, rejection is the greatest fear I encounter.

So it might surprise you when I say, that there is actually beauty in rejection.  That which is our greatest fear, can be the very instrument in which we come to the Lord.  It was actually through rejection that I came to know the Lord in a very intimate way. Rejection??? Why not start with encountering the Lord through His Love?  Yes, I have encountered a fraction of God's infinite Love.  But I was really opened to His love in the midst of my brokenness and rejection.  Through rejection by those close to me: from family, to friends, to my missionary work, and I would argue, even my body has rejected me through various illnesses.  It was in the rejection I was forced to ask the greatest question: "IS THE LORD ENOUGH?"

In the midst of rejection, can we completely rely on the Lord ALONE? The answer to this question is a necessity for everyone.  In the short time I've been in my parish internship, I've found so many hurting from rejection.  Through illnesses that have taken loved ones, to those who are struggling to find work, to those in the nursing home who have been ignored by so many.  It's in their pain, my heart aches, but also beauty is seen.  For they continue to hold onto the Lord in a very powerful way.  Their holiness is incomparable!

I'm reminded of the Story of St. Therese of Lisieux, patroness to my missionary work with FOCUS, but more importantly patroness to all missionaries in the Church.  St. Therese was a cloistered Carmelite dedicating her life at the age of 15 solely to prayer and rejecting what the world had to offer.  She died at a very young age of 24. On her death bed, she overheard her religious sisters asking the question, "I wonder what Mother superior will say about this one?" Because of her illness at a young age, her religious sisters didn't see any of her contributions to the community or the Church. They did not see what the Lord had done in her life. She was rejected and even forgotten by the religious community she dedicated her life too beginning at the age of 15! St. Therese of Lisieux rejoiced in overhearing the conversation. She rejoiced in the rejection, because she knew that even though her religious sisters from her community had forgotten her, the Lord was holding her more closely! It didn't take long after her death, that her memoir/autobiography became renown and eventually St. Therese of Lisieux was canonized in the Church and raised by JPII declaring her as a Doctor of the Church and patroness to missionaries.


So the next time you encounter rejection, in whatever form, remind yourself that The Lord is enough!  Throw yourselves into the arms of The Lord and  I guarantee you that the rejection will never be much sweeter, for in the cross of the rejection, you will have been brought closer to resurrected Lord!


Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Skateboarding Lesson; 41,000 Different Denominations; and the Unity of the Church!

When I was in 5th grade, I had the opportunity to come across my best friend's skate board.  The ability to skateboard was a foreign concept, but I was willing to give it a try. I specifically remember telling myself, "don't fall back and hit your head!"  I got on the board and when I gained speed I leaned back, the skateboard went forward, I went flying backwards and landed on my back nailing my head against the sidewalk.  Needless to say I learned a lesson: The goal of skate boarding is to stay connected to the board and don't lean back, but lean forward to go in the same direction of the board.  That and I should always wear a helmet!

Little did I know I would later come across this lesson again.   But this time it didn't involve a skateboard; it involved the unity of the Church!  

When I was in Boulder, Colorado as a FOCUS missionary I was blessed to take a graduate level course on the Theology of the Church at the Augustine Institute (a master's degree program).  I also had a tremendous blessing to lead several non-Catholics through a Catholic perspective of the Scriptures at the same time!  In talking with these students you could see that their hearts were hurting over the divisions found in Christianity: from Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans, Methodists, Presbyterians, Baptists, and the catch all Non-Denominational churches.  Their experience matched a recent study out of Massachusetts in 2011 where they accounted for over 41,000 different Christian denominations! 41,000 different churches!!! The students had lived and saw this division.  They took their experience and looked to the Scriptures to help understand why this might happen.  But the Scripture points to a different reality:  Here are just a few passages of conflict! 

Matthew 12:26 - "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand"

John 17:12 - "Holy Father, Keep them in thy name, which thou hast given me, that they may be ONE, even as we are ONE"

Ephesians 4:4 - "There is ONE body and ONE Spirit... ONE Lord, ONE faith, ONE baptism, ONE God and Father of us all"

2 Timothy 4:3-4 - "For a time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own likings, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths."  

It is clear in the Scriptures that God did not desire division, but unity!  If that is the case, then how do we account for division in Christianity? Let alone 41,000 divisions?  Clearly division seems to be the work of the devil, just like sin and death, and not from God.  

As I studied the Church I came back to the simple skateboard lesson I learned in 5th grade.  If I didn't want to fall off the skateboard, in other words stay in union with the board, I would have to do two things;  First, stay connected to the board and secondly, go in the same direction of the board.  The instant those two things didn't happen, I would be on my butt with a possible headache.   

Connection and direction are a necessity of unity.

Taking this physical truth, what can we learn about the division in the Church?  We need to take some time to learn more about Christian history.  Though there was various heresies (division) confronted by the early Church, it's seems clear that connection and direction were mostly effected by the Reformation with Calvin, Zwingli, and Luther.  There was a clear break from connection in the form of Sacraments!  Each reformer had different understandings of the Sacraments and removed Sacraments that the Church celebrated.  There was also a clear break from direction; the authority of the Church (corrupted as it may be).  Even though Luther, Zwingli, and Calvin wanted to create a united front against the authority of the Catholic Church, they couldn't agree in their theology, which led to more division.  

This may seem an over simplification of a major issue, and I don't want to down play the complexity of the issues faced during the Reformation (from the corruption of the Church, to politics, to economics), but the spiritual life is often taught through physical realities.  Hence, Christ taught spiritual lessons through physical stories called parables.  Physical realities of unity, like a skateboard, can point to great spiritual truths about unity. 

If our hearts are also torn by the 41,000 different denominations of the Christian faith and we truly desire to seek unity for the Christian faith, then we will have to turn to the connection and direction, which are found in the Sacraments and Authority of the Catholic Church.  

Though many people don't see this reality, this is the jewel and beauty of the Catholic Church.  Jesus Christ offers to the Apostles both His authority and Sacraments!  "He who hears you hears me, and he who rejects you rejects me, and he who rejects me rejects him who sent me." (Luke 10:16)  He offers the Church connection and direction.  He gives His authority to men and their successors, and He gives us His Spirit to guide us in all truths (cf. John 16:13).  

Let us once again with sincere and humble hearts find the beauty of the Catholic Church.  The beauty found in the Sacraments (connection - Baptism, Eucharist, Confirmation, Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders and Marriage) and the Authority found in the succession of the Apostles (the direction found in the Pope, Bishops, priests and deacons)!  It's only in this beauty will we be able to stop the on-going division of 41,000 different denominations. 

If we don't seek connection and direction, then we will constantly find ourselves on our butts! And if we reject the Sacraments and Authority of the Catholic Church, don't forget to wear your helmet!