Answering the Call

   “Jesus, help me to simplify my life by learning what you want me to be, and becoming that person.”  (St. Therese of Lisieux)

   Whether we recognize it or not God has a plan for each of us.  He knew us from time eternal and will know us throughout eternity.  We were created for a purpose and, if we will allow, God will show us that purpose and make us into the person we are intended to be.

   Sounds simple, right?  Just listen and God will let us know what to do.  Except for me and, I suspect, many others hearing the call isn’t that easy.  I’ve not heard the voice of the Lord clearly telling me what He wants of me.  I’ve prayed that I, like the Blessed Virgin, would be visited by an angel who would tell me God’s plan for me.  Then, like Our Lady, I could respond with “yes” and accept His will for me.

   I wish that I could approach the burning bush like Moses and hear my God giving me the direction I seek.  I pray that I could hear the voice of the Lord in the whisper as Elijah did on the mountain.  So many prophets sent by the Lord with a clear mission.  I still struggle to understand what He desires of me.

   Clearly I’ve not been visited by the Archangel Gabriel or anyone else clearly giving me a path that I am to follow.  So I pray and meditate and contemplate, trying to discover God’s will for me; how He wishes me to serve Him.

   And so I will continue to seek His guidance.  I will go on searching for the path I am intended to walk.  My greatest desire is to serve God in all ways.  I pray that He make me holy; make of me a saint.  I wait for His call.

Father, in all things I desire to serve You.

I pray for Your guidance and direction.

Show me the path You have chosen for me.

Give me the strength to walk that path.

Amen

Rest in the Lord

   “Our hearts are restless Lord, until they rest in you.” (St. Augustine)

   Have you noticed how some people seem to never be able to rest?  They are on the go constantly seeking more of whatever they hold dear.  Rest can wait until they have all they want.  And yet they never get all they want, there is always more to chase after.  Rest and peace can’t be found in earthly things.

   I know people who have worked hard for many years building a business or career.  At some point most begin to talk of retirement.  They say they are looking forward to hanging it all up and enjoying the rest of their life in ease.  Yet they still seek and take that next promotion.  Instead of selling or downsizing their business they continue to build and add on.  They may continue to talk of retirement, but their actions show they are still seeking wealth and status rather than rest.

   The very simple fact is that there is no true rest unless it is in the Lord.  The world will always tempt with more and more.  More money, more fame, more of everything.  Some people never seem to understand that they can’t get everything they want in this world.  There will always be more to get.

   If we are to find rest it can only be in God.  The world is a restless place and will remain so until the end.  We all seek rest, but it can never be found in this world.  Only through the grace of God can we find the rest we seek.

Lord I seek rest.

May I find it in You.

Let my heart rest in Your love and Mercy.

May I find the true rest You offer.

Amen

For You

“This is my body which is given for you.  Do this in remembrance of me.’  Likewise the cup after supper saying, ‘This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.” (Luke 22: 19 – 21)

   There are two words in Jesus' institution of the Eucharist on which we need to focus.  In offering both the bread and the cup He told His disciples that it was “for you”.  His body and blood was not only for the disciples but for all Christians to come.  The miracle of the Eucharist is just as real for us today as it was for the disciples at the last supper.

   We hear these words at every Mass during the consecration.  How many of us are even paying attention?  How many of us focus on the fact that Christ died for us on that cross?  It wasn’t just for the disciples of His time it was for all people for all time.  Every sin committed, every evil done can be forgiven because of His sacrifice.

   “But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.” (Romans 5: 8).  The redemption purchased by the life of Jesus applies to us though we are sinners.  He loves us regardless of our failures.  His sacrifice offers us forgiveness and salvation.  He paid the price for our sins and opened the gates of heaven to those who would believe.  He did all of this for you and for me.

Lord, Your love is eternal.

Jesus gave His life for my sins.

He died for me.

May I always remember His sacrifice.

Amen

Nourish the Seed

   “But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.” (Matt 13: 23)

   We are very much like farmers.  Our soul is the soil and we must tend it carefully if we want to produce a good crop.  A soul cluttered with earthly desires can’t properly nourish the word of God planted within us.

   When we become overly enamored with worldly pleasures we allow weeds to grow in our soul, lessening the crop of good that God’s word can produce.  If money, fame, or recognition is at the top of our priority list we create pagan gods within us.  We begin to worship those things that are of this world rather than those of the next.  The seed is overcome by the pleasures and desires of this world.  Good fruit cannot be produced.

   Just hearing the Word but never acting on it is very similar.  If our spiritual life consists of going to church once a week and forgetting God the rest of the week our faith has no roots, it will not last.  When a conflict arises we may choose the worldly over God.  In our neglect little or no fruit is produced.

   As a farmer must tend his crop so we must nourish the seed sown within us.  It must become the most important thing in our life; the one thing that over-rides all others.  We must read scripture and study our faith to learn all we can learn; an unknowing farmer can’t produce a good crop.  We must take the time to tend to it each day in prayer and thanksgiving for all the blessings God has given us.

   By tending the crop, nourishing it, caring for it and making the word of God our top priority we too can yield a hundred or sixty or thirty-fold.  When the crop is harvested at our death we can then rest in the comfort of God.

Father help us to cherish Your word.

Let us nourish and tend the seed planted in our soul.

May we produce abundant fruit in our life.

May we rest in the joy and comfort of heaven at life’s end.

Amen

Glory to God

   “I will glory not because I am righteous, but because I am redeemed; I will glory not because I am free from sins, but because my sins are forgiven me.”  (St. Ambrose)

   Each day I fail; each day I sin in some way.  Satan delights in tempting me and at times I don’t even recognize the temptation.  A driver pulls out in front of me or cuts me off nearly causing a wreck.  My first reaction is to call them an “idiot” or some other derogatory term.  Once again I have sinned by allowing my emotions over-ride my love.  Try as I may this scene is repeated far too often.

   So many people seem to think that anyone who claims to be Christian must also be perfect.  Any sin or failure indicates that all Christians are hypocrites.  They use the slightest slip as “proof” that Christianity is false.  They can’t seem to understand that we are not sinless but forgiven and striving to sin less.

   “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.”  (1 John 1: 8).  I recognize that I am not now nor will I ever be perfect in this life.  I have sinned and will sin again.  Only through the mercy of God can I hope for perfection in the next.

   I give all glory to God for without Him there is no perfection.  Without Him there is no holiness or righteousness.  Without God and the redemption purchased for me by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ there is no forgiveness of sin.  I glory only in the love and mercy of God.  He is my hope, my stronghold, the focus of all glory and praise.

Father I am a sinner.

Jesus gave His life that I may be forgiven.

Forgive my sins I pray.

Strengthen me as I struggle to avoid sin.

Amen

The Protection of the Lord

   “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; you are mine.  When you pass through the waters I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.” (Is 43: 2)

   If only we could take these words to heart and place our trust in the Lord life could be far less stressful.  We need to understand and have faith that God has everything under control.  Even when we face trials and suffering He is there.  His love for us is eternal.

   This doesn’t mean that we should ignore the day-to-day responsibilities of life.  We have an obligation to care for ourselves in many ways.  But we too often let those concerns consume us.  We focus on the earthly to the detriment of the spiritual.

   Our worries and our cares are far better handled by turning to God and seeking His peace and comfort in any situation.  Regardless of the difficulty we are facing it is much better resolved with God’s help.  We may never be able to resolve it as we think it should be but with His guidance we can begin to realize that we don’t have all the answers; God does.  His answer may not be what we would expect or even like, but it is the right answer.

   Everyone worries about things they probably should put aside and forget about.  With God we can place those things we can’t change in the hands of our Lord and let them go.  We can quit filling our lives with earthly concerns that we can’t control and focus on building a stronger relationship with our Lord.

   The daily grind doesn’t have to be a grind.  Look to God for comfort and peace.  Turn the earthly woes over to Him and trust in the fact that He has everything under control.

Father we worry about so many things.

Only You truly deserve our concern.

Help us to focus on You and Your love.

Help us to always trust in You.

Amen

Hope, Patience and Constancy

   “Rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” (Romans 12: 12)

   Hope, for a Christian, is the hope promised by Christ.  The hope of salvation; of forgiveness of sins.  It is hope for the consummation of God’s will on earth and within us.  In this hope we see the beauty of God’s plan.  He desires that all be saved and spend eternity with Him.  This is the hope of the gospel; the hope we rejoice in.

   Patience is difficult for many of us.  In times of sorrow and tribulation patience can be even harder.  When we are in pain or turmoil we just want it to be over.  Even a day seems too long to suffer.  Yet patience in suffering and tribulation contributes to a better understanding of God and His ways.  He will never tax us beyond our ability to cope.  In patience we learn that even though we suffer, sometimes for a lengthy time, God is still there.  He will comfort us and console us.  In this way we come to rely on His mercy even more.

   I believe the key to both hope and patience rests in constancy.  No matter the situation constancy in prayer will bring hope and help us practice patience.  At times prayer can be difficult.  Our suffering and pain may cause us to question God.  Why has He given us this cross to bear?  Reflecting on the cross of Jesus is the answer.  We are to bear our crosses just as He did.  Christ’s pain on the cross brought a tremendous good; the redemption of mankind.  When we join our pain to His perhaps some good can come of our pain as well.

   Hope, patience and constancy.  Each is important to our spiritual life.  Of these, constancy in prayer will strengthen our hope and increase our patience.

Lord You are the source of all hope.

In our sorrow Your love eases the pain.

May we always seek You in prayer,

Confident in Your love and mercy.

Amen

My Sins, His Blood

   “But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.” (Romans 5: 8)

   I sometimes sit quietly and contemplate the passion and death of Jesus Christ.  In this way I am reminded that I am a sinner.  He died for my sins and offers me redemption.  I again realize my unworthiness and His great love.  I again give thanks for the gift of His love and sacrifice for me.

   Every lash of the scourging is the result of the sins I’ve committed and will commit again.  Each thorn of the crown of thorns reminds me of the times I’ve failed Him.  The nails through His hands and feet are the result of my ungodliness.  His death on the cross was to pay the price I am unable to pay; the price of redemption and the chance for salvation.

   Recognizing my own faults and failings is never easy.  The realization that my sins are what caused Him to suffer and die tears at my heart.  The blood He shed was to wash away my sins.  I am reminded of how loving and merciful our Lord is; so merciful that He would choose to die for me.  It is a lesson in humility.  I’m convicted of causing the death of Jesus.

 

   Yet is it also a source of joy.  Though I have sinned and will sin again, my God loves me so much that He made it possible for me to be forgiven.  He gives me another chance.  Regardless of how often I fail, He waits to lovingly and mercifully forgive.  He paid the price; His mercy is unbounded; His love eternal.  He wants me to come home to Him and has prepared a place for me.

   In my sinfulness I turn to Him in sorrow and shame, seeking forgiveness.  In His love He gives it.  My efforts to be holy may fail but He will sustain me, forgive me and strengthen me to try and try again.  I am His and seek only His will.

Lord I am a sinful man.

I turn to You and ask forgiveness.

In Your love You cleanse me of my sins.

Help me to better serve you in all things.

Amen

The Shelter of God

   “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High, who abides in the shadow of the Almighty, will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust.’” (Ps 91: 1 – 2)

   God is a shelter and a comfort to those who love Him.  When the Israelites fled Egypt He parted the Red Sea so they could walk across on dry land.  When the Egyptians followed He allowed the sea to return.  When Joshua led the Israelites into the promised land, God parted the waters of the Jordan to allow them to cross on dry land.

   Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den to be killed.  The next day He was found alive and unharmed.  Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to bow before the golden idol and were thrown into the fiery furnace.  They walked around in the flames praising God.  When released there was not even the smell of smoke on them.

   These are just a few of the many scriptural examples of the care God takes for those who love Him.  Throughout history there have been many other examples of God protecting believers.

   What does this mean to me?  It means that my God loves me and cares for me.  He will protect me and guide me through the trials of this world.  He will comfort me in sorrow and protect me from the temptations of Satan.  All this He will do if I give myself to Him and place myself under His sheltering love.

   It doesn’t mean that my life will be free from suffering.  Suffering is a part of life and we all experience it in some way.  However, when I trust in the Lord I have a protector who loves me and will help me through those times, bringing comfort and healing.

Lord, in Your love is protection and comfort.

Keep me safe within Your care.

Amen

Faith

   “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”  (Heb 11: 1)

   We are called to faith.  We have never seen Christ, but we have faith in Him.  We believe He died on the cross to free us from the slavery to sin though we did not witness it.  Such is faith.  It doesn’t rely on physical evidence but spiritual assurance.  We believe and have confidence that what Jesus taught, what the bible teaches, is true.  Do we always understand?  No; nor can we prove what we believe by faith.

   In faith I am confident that what I receive in Holy Communion is the body, blood, soul and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ.  What I see is bread and wine; faith tells me that beyond what I see is a reality I can’t explain and have no need to.  Faith tells me it is true, a miracle performed by God.

   Faith tells me that the love my wife and I shared in this life is never-ending because it is a love based in God.  A love given by God for us to share; a blessing.  All love comes from God who is love itself.  God is eternal so the love He gives is eternal as well.  I am confident that I will be reunited with my wife in heaven and our love for one another and for God will be eternal.

   Some resist a belief in God based on faith yet believe that they will awaken in the morning and that the sun will rise.  There is no certainty that such will occur.  We expect it in faith based on past experience. The world may no longer exist tomorrow.  We have no proof that we, our world or the universe will continue to exist beyond this very second.  We expect it and believe it on faith.

   Without faith there is no hope.  With it the world becomes a more joyful and beautiful place.  We see God in His creation and recognize that this is a mere shadow of what is to come.  Faith is life-giving.

Lord I believe; I have faith.

Strengthen my belief; deepen my faith.

Amen

Possessed

   When people hear the word “possessed” I think a lot of times the first thing that comes to mind is a movie such as “The Exorcist” or “The Amityville Horror.”  I don’t think most people consider possession as a real experience.  They may be shaken a bit by the movie but ease their anxiety by the idea that it was “just a movie”.  They don’t want to hear that “The Exorcist” was based on an actual exorcism of one who was most definitely possessed by demons.

   There are many kinds of possession, not all as terrifying as depicted in the movies and such.  Some people are possessed of themselves; they are their top priority.  They are prideful, selfish and concerned only for their own well-being.  Others are possessed by earthly treasures.  They care more for money, new cars, bigger and better houses; anything that’s newer, bigger and better.  Those possessed in this way would never believe that they are possessed by evil, yet self-serving pride is a sin and sin is the realm of Satan.

   Thankfully, there is another kind of possession.  One that everyone should seek and willingly submit to.  That is the possession of self by the Lord.  The indwelling of the Holy Spirit; Christ within us.

   St. Paul wrote, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is on longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Gal 2: 20).  This is the possession that leads to heaven.  This is the possession we should pray for and lovingly accept with all our hearts, all our minds and all our souls.

   My Pastor strongly recommends saying this small prayer several times a day.

Jesus I love you, possess me.

Jesus I love you, possess me.

Jesus I love you, possess me.

Amen

Pleasing God

   It’s not hard to please God.  Every effort we make to better follow His will pleases Him.  Every time we rebuke Satan and reject his temptations God is pleased.  Just as any parent is pleased by the progress of their children, God enjoys our successes in the progress of our spiritual life.

   God takes great delight at the baby steps we take as we begin our spiritual relationship with Him.  But just as a father or mother expects their child to advance from crawling to walking to running, God expects the same from us.  We are to have the trust and faith of a child in God, but we need to have a mature relationship with Him.  We need to advance in our spirituality in every way.  We need to become perfect.

   While God is delighted by each step we take toward Him, He is not satisfied with anything less than perfection.  Jesus said, “So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matt 6: 48).  Perfection is not possible for us.  The only path to perfection is through God.  He will perfect us if we give Him our permission to do so.

   Our journey toward God won’t always an easy one.  We will suffer setbacks and failures along the way.  We may be called upon to suffer in this world just as Jesus suffered for us on the cross.  Perfection is difficult and the cost can be high in earthly terms.  Yet perfection is our goal.  Thankfully, in all things God is there to support us, to help us and to pick us up when we fall.  If we allow it, He will lead us to the perfection He seeks in us.

Father, we are far from perfect.

We are weak, sinful and full of pride.

In Your mercy take our faults from us.

Perfect us in all things.

Amen

Be Holy

   How can holiness be achieved?  It can’t be bought, learned or taught.  Only one thing can make us holy and that is the grace of God.  No matter what we do in life or how we live our life we can not achieve holiness unless we are given it by God.

   If we desire holiness we must ask God to make us holy.  Only He can give us the gift of holiness and He will do so if we seek it.  But beware, asking God to make one holy means a complete change of life.  God doesn’t do half-way holiness; it’s all or nothing.  Our heart, our soul, our mind and every part of us must seek the will of God if we are to be made holy.

   Jesus said, “Not every one who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”  (Matt 7: 21).  There are those who think they are holy because they put on a good show or donate the right amount of money or time to the church.  Holiness leads to good works, but good works don’t always lead to holiness.  Sometimes they are only pride in self and a means of gaining acclaim for all they’ve done.  Those who truly seek holiness must be willing to give everything in their life to God and His will.

   If we wish to join the saints in heaven there is only one path.  That path is holiness and only God can make us holy.  No matter how hard we try we can't become holy except by the grace of God.

Lord, we long for holiness.

We seek eternal happiness in Your presence.

We offer all to You.

Make us holy as You are Holy.

Amen

The Gifts of God

   “All the things of this world are gifts of God, created for us, to be the means by which we can come to know him better, love him more surely, and serve him more faithfully.”  St. Ignatius of Loyola

   God created earth as a paradise.  Man and woman were to live in eternal bliss in the paradise He created.  They were without need; everything was provided.  There was no sickness, no sorrow and no death.  There was only one rule; do not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

   The temptation of being able to know good and evil was too great.  Man wanted to be like God.  They wanted to define good and evil for themselves.  As a result they were banished from paradise.

   The Garden of Eden was lost due to sin.  The paradise created by God has been despoiled in many ways by its’ misuse and abuse.  We have not been good stewards of God’s gifts.  Instead, we have used them for our own benefit; selfishly seeking profit and reward by their use.

   Yet God still wishes for humanity to exist in paradise as was originally intended.  The gifts of paradise were lost due to sin, but they can be regained through faith and love of God.  We have free will; we can accept or reject God and His gifts.  We can accept or reject the redemption won by Jesus on the cross.

   The gifts of God are still there, though besmirched by sin.  We can choose to rejoice in those gifts and give glory to God.  We have the choice of accepting His love or rejecting it.  God offers His gifts to all, the good and the bad alike.  He wishes all mankind to accept those gifts and return to the paradise for which they were created.

   That paradise is available in heaven but only through God’s mercy and love for us.  Accept His gifts and treasure them.  Love Him in all ways and serve Him in all you do.

Father, through our sin we forfeited the paradise You created.

Help us to recognize Your gifts and love for us.

May we live our life to please You.

May we regain the paradise for which we are intended.

Amen

Look Inward

   “I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” (Hebrews 8: 10)

   Looking at the world today one can easily become downhearted.  There is discord, hurtfulness and sin everywhere we look.  We complain about how bad things have gotten, and indeed things are not good, but looking back over history we find that it has always been this way.  The world is damaged by original sin and will remain so until Jesus comes again in glory.  Satan and the evil he causes will be with us until then.

   This isn’t to say that we should not take a stand against sinfulness.  As Christians we must always fight against the evil.  But it’s important to keep in mind that the world and everything in it will pass away.  Jesus said, “In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33).  In His death and resurrection Christ opened the gates to heaven for us.  Jesus overcame Satan, giving us the opportunity for eternal joy in His presence.

   Instead of constantly looking for how bad things are, take comfort is looking for the good that is also present.  It’s very easy to see the evil in society but it’s so much better to seek out the good.

   His laws are in our minds and in our hearts.  If we look within ourselves we will know His presence and see the world in a different way.  We can better fight the evil and its’ influence by drawing on the strength He has placed within us.  We may not be able to change the world, but we can perhaps improve our small corner of the world.  God has placed His love, mercy and goodness within us.  By focusing on those and sharing them with everyone we meet we, like John the Baptist, can be a voice crying out in the wilderness, “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” (Matt 3: 3)

Lord, those of the world try to ignore you.

May those who believe be strong in their faith.

May we share Your love and mercy with all.

Amen

Who Am I?

   I’ve considered this question many times.  How do I identify myself; who am I?  I suppose there could be many answers to the question but there’s only one that really matters.

   I could answer that I am a man, a father, a brother, uncle, grandfather.  I could respond that I am a retired Navy Master Chief Petty Officer.  I’ve lived, at least for some time, in nine states and two foreign countries.  I’ve tried, though I’m sure I’ve failed many times, to do the best I could in all that I’ve done.  Yet none of this matters in the world to come.

   I am recently widowed, yet still in love with my wife.  In my heart I am still married and simply waiting to be reunited with her when my life on this earth is done.  The love God blessed us with did not and will not end with death.  It will continue through eternity.  This is the love that God shares; love that never lessens, never ends, but continues to deepen.

   Who am I?  The right answer, the only answer that really matters, is I am a child of God.  My life is His, He gave it, and, in His own time, He will take it.  All I have, everything I will ever have has been given me by God.  My hope of salvation is a gift of God.  He sent His son to pay the price for my sins, opening the doors to heaven if I choose to follow Him.  The choice has been made, I will follow Him in all things to the best of my ability and seek His forgiveness when I fail.

   Who we are in this world is of no value in the next, regardless of fame, fortune or status.  The only thing that matters is our relationship with God.  The joys of this world can’t compare with the joys of heaven.  The sorrows and pains of this world can’t compare with the sorrow and pain of eternity without God.

   I am a child of God.

Lord, You have adopted me into Your family.

My prayer is that I may be a faithful son.

One you will welcome into Your heavenly home.

Amen

Sodom and Gomorrah

   “Then the Lord said, ‘Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah and their sin is very grave, I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry which has come to me; and if not, I will know.’” (Gen 18: 20 – 21)

   Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed because of their sinfulness.  It seems the only righteous people to be found were Lot and his family.  The rest were apparently beyond redemption.

   I’ve often wondered what the outcome would be should God come down to review the activity in some of our cities.  Perhaps New York, or Chicago.  Maybe San Francisco or Los Angeles.  Would there be righteousness to be found?

   Many places not only allow but seem to glorify the killing of infants in the womb.  Young people are being shot and killed in great numbers for no reason.  The elderly live in fear of burglary, robbery and attacks.  Some fear that their own family will conspire to have them euthanized in the name of “quality of life.”

   God is forbidden in most schools, and in many public forums.  There are groups who exist only to force God from all walks of life.  They claim a “freedom from religion”.  I’ve yet to see anyone handcuff them and force them into a church on Sunday so I’m not sure what freedom they feel is in danger.  Yet they look for any reason to sue cities, states, schools and individuals who dare to speak of God or practice their religion in public.

   Abraham bargained with God concerning the people of Sodom and Gomorrah.  God agreed that if only ten righteous people could be found He would spare the cities.  How many righteous people would He find in some of our cities today?  If God agreed to save the city if only 10% were righteous would they be saved or destroyed?

Lord our society has drifted so far from You.

Sinfulness of all kinds is rampant.

Many refuse to even acknowledge that You exist.

In Your mercy help us rebuild faith in You.

Amen