Faith, an Encounter With God

   “Faith is born of an encounter with the living God who calls us and reveals his love, a love which precedes us and upon which we can lean for security and for building our lives.” (Pope Francis, “Lumen Fidei”)

   I’ve found that there are things that I desire in my spiritual life but are beyond my ability.  I can seek these things, but they are not something I can earn or ever deserve.  They are gifts of God.

   Faith is something I greatly desire.  I try my best to have a growing faith, placing all trust in the Lord.  But the truth is faith is not something I can accomplish on my own.  God must grant me the grace to have increased faith.  He wants me to have this gift and willingly gives it when I sincerely seek it.  I believe He is pleased when I ask for ever greater faith.  The more I desire it the deeper my faith becomes.  Not of myself but from the love and grace of God.

The more I realize my own limitations in my spiritual life the more I turn to God, relying on His grace to increase the spirit in me.  The more I look to Him and seek His help, the more I realize how undeserving I am.  The more I recognize my unworthiness, the more I give thanks for His love of me.

   I can’t be perfect in faith or in anything else for that matter.  But God knows that and wishes to help me.  He sees my weaknesses and failures but loves me anyway.  He knows how much I desire to follow His will and strengthens me.

   Thanks to Him my faith continues to grow and deepen.  Out of His great love for me He forgives my sins.  In His mercy He will lead me on the right path.

Lord, increase my faith.

Let me turn to You in all things.

Strengthen me in my struggles.

Lead me to Your Holy presence.

Amen

Questioning the Creator

   There are times when I struggle with what God has in store for me.  Not because I’m afraid or don’t want to follow His will but because I simply don’t know what His plan is.  I wish He would just tell me, but I get no firm answer when I ask.

   Instead of knowing with certainty what will come, I’ve found that I must simply trust that all God does is for the good whether I know it or not.  It’s not up to me to question Him.  His ways are so far beyond my ways and His will is what will lead me to heaven.

   I find the lessons of the book of Job helpful when I am tempted to question God and His plans.  Job had been greatly blessed by God with a family, land, and livestock.  His life was one of success in the world.  Then he lost it all and ended up covered with sores, sitting in a pile of ashes; his sons and daughters killed in a freak accident, his livestock stolen.  Even his wife urged him to curse God.  Yet Job refused.

   Job never cursed God, but he accused Him of being unfair to one who had served Him well, questioning why he should suffer all that had happened.  Questioning His purpose and plan.

   God’s reply to Job is what comes to mind when I begin to question why God won’t tell me plainly what His plans are for me, “Where were you when I founded the earth?” (Job 38: 4).  He went on to question Job concerning all God had done in creating the world; all without the help of Job.  Afterwards Job replied, “By hearsay I had heard of you, but now my eye has seen you.  Therefore I disown what I have said, and repent in dust and ashes.” (Job 42: 5 – 6).  Upon his repentance God blessed Job in his old age even more than in his youth.

   It is not for me to question the Creator.  I have no right to demand to know His plans for me.  I must trust in His love and mercy, knowing that regardless the plans He may have, they are the path to Him.  It is not mine to wonder, but to follow.

Forgive my questioning Lord.

You are the Creator of all things.

May I look to You in trust and faith.

Confident in Your will for me.

Amen

The Temptations of Satan

   “Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5: 8)

   It seems to me that Satan knows me far better than I know myself.  How else would he be able to strike with such ferocity at the areas of my greatest weakness?  The things I struggle with the most are consistently the focus of His lures and temptations.

   If life is a battle between me and Satan I am doomed to failure.  He is far too strong and persistent for me to resist.  Only with the help of God can I reject him.  In His strength Satan is defeated. 

   When Paul asked the Lord to remove the angel of Satan from him, the Lord replied, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Cor 12: 9).  My weakness is such that I can’t always resist the devil and his temptations.  Knowing that, I must turn to God for the strength needed to overcome the evil one.  Only with His help can I succeed.

   I’ve accepted the fact that this life will be a constant struggle against Satan and his temptations.  I know that I can’t win the battle alone.  But with the help of the Lord all things are possible.  When I call upon Him, Satan flees.

I am far too weak to defeat Satan.

Only with Your help can I prevail.

I turn to You for strength.

With You I can overcome the evil one.

Amen

A Blessed Day

   Every day is a blessing from God, but some days seem more blessed than others.  This has been one of those days.  It’s only appropriate that I take the time to acknowledge that fact and give thanks to God.

   I awoke well rested and ready to begin the day.  At my age there are many times a few pains and discomforts when first awakening but not today.  I thank God for the sleep and rest during the night and for feeling good this day.

   Mass was exceptional.  A sermon on grace and what it means touched my heart.  To think that God loves me enough to give me the grace needed to serve Him in this life and spend eternity with Him is a beautiful thing.

   Holy Eucharist is especially meaningful after so many weeks of being unable to receive Communion.  The absence taught me again how very important it is to receive the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of my Lord.  I thank Him for His sacrifices that allow me share in this incredible miracle.

   Today, for the first time since Coronavirus struck I was visited by my two daughters.  We had a great visit, sharing the latest news and enjoying a wonderful lunch.  My oldest daughter’s birthday is Sunday, so we took this opportunity to celebrate it together.  Family is so very important and so many people lose their family over the most insignificant of things.  I thank God for the love of family.

   God has blessed me greatly today.  I am humbled by His love for me.  I just wanted to take this opportunity to let Him know how thankful I am and tell Him that I will do my best to live my life for Him and in His will.

Lord I thank You for this day.

You have blessed me in so many ways.

You love me though I am unworthy.

Help me live and do all for You.

Amen

The Fruits of the Spirit

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. (Gal 5: 22 – 23)

   In His love I will find love for others.  I will see everyone as children of God, loving them as I love myself.

   When I have the joy of the Spirit hardships are easier to bear.  Despair cannot overcome the peace and joy God provides.

   Patience is something I struggle with, but in learning patience I learn to give all things to God.  I must accept that all will occur in His time and I must wait.

   To be disrespectful or unkind to others is unacceptable when the Spirit has shown such kindness to me.  I am to share that kindness with all.

   Generosity is not just charity from excess.  Spiritual generosity urges giving even when it is difficult.  It encourages giving even out of need.

   In faithfulness I must always trust in God and His will.  He is faithful to the end; I owe Him the same loyalty.  Even when I don’t understand, I still must trust.

   I must show gentleness to all, even to those who may wish me harm.  Nothing and no one in this world can deprive me of the love and mercy of God.  In gentleness I can live this truth.

   Self-control is another of the Spirit's fruits I wrestle with.  It’s so easy to let emotion over-run control, saying and doing things I later regret.  I’ve gotten better in this respect, but it is still sometimes a work in progress.

   If I live my life according to the fruits of the Spirit I will not only be happier, but a better Christian.  It’s not always easy and at times I fail.  In His mercy, God forgives and helps me try harder.

The fruits of the Spirit strengthen me.

They make me better.

Let me live in the Spirit.

Serving You in all I do.

Amen

A Tale of Two Dimensions

   I think of the two forms of our existence as dimensions.  We have a physical dimension and we have a spiritual dimension.  In our prayers we sometimes experience the closeness of the spiritual dimension.  In times of great joy and sorrow we have a deeper presence of the spiritual.  Our joy is increased, and we are comforted in our sorrow by the close presence of our Lord.  These times are a tremendous blessing.

   The spiritual dimension has none of the restrictions we experience in our physical life.  Jesus, in His resurrected body, freely passed between the spiritual and the physical.  He appeared as He desired, when and where He desired.  When He appeared to the disciples on the road to Emmaus they didn’t recognize Him.  They walked with Him and talked with Him all during their journey but only recognized Him when He broke the bread. (Luke 24: 13 – 35).

  When He first appeared to the apostles in Jerusalem He was suddenly present to them in a locked room.  At first they thought He was a ghost.  To reassure them He ate with them, something a ghost could not do (Luke 24: 36 – 42).

   We too will someday pass from the physical to the spiritual world.  What awaits us we don’t know except that it will be paradise.  We don’t know what we will be like except that we will be like Jesus.

   “Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we shall be has not been revealed.  We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” (1 John 3 – 2). 

Lord, we wait in anticipation of Your coming.

This world is not our home.

We are Yours; we belong to You.

We long to be united with You.

Amen

The Day is Coming

   “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.  But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.  Be watchful! Be alert!  You do not know when the time will come.” (Mark 13: 31 – 33)

   The time is coming.  The end will come when we least expect it.  It could be the final end in preparation for the return of the Lord or it could be our own personal end.  Either way, all we know and love in this world will cease to exist.

   Of all the things that we can prepare for, the end of life as we know it is, by far, the only one that truly deserves our focus.  The pleasures and joys of this world are gifts of God and properly enjoying them is fine as long as we recognize that they are not lasting and of little real importance.

   “What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart, what God has prepared for those who love Him.”  God has given us many gifts and blessings in this world, but they are as nothing compared to what awaits in the life to come.  Prepare now for eternity in His presence.

We get so involved with earthly matters.

We sometimes forget they are of little importance.

Help us focus on what is truly necessary.

Preparing for eternity in Your presence.

Amen

Standing Face to Face with Jesus

   “Then Peter remembered the word that Jesus had said to him, ‘Before the cock crows twice you will deny me three times.’  He broke down and wept.”  (Mark 14: 72)

   Peter denied our Lord three times, even swearing that he never knew Him.  After the third denial, remembering Jesus’ words to him, he went out and wept.  And yet Jesus built His Church upon Peter, entrusting Him with the keys to the kingdom.

   There was another who betrayed Jesus and ended very differently.  Peter wept and sorrowed and sought forgiveness; Judas refused to seek forgiveness, hanging himself instead.  Peter received the keys to the kingdom, Judas brought condemnation upon himself.

   I wonder if I’ll be able to look into the eyes of Jesus when it is my time to stand before Him.  Knowing the sins I’ve committed and the times I’ve failed to follow God’s will I feel that I will break down in tears and fall to my knees in sorrow and disgrace.  I am deserving of nothing but His condemnation.

   Standing before Jesus, I believe I will become conscious of every sin I’ve ever committed and sorrow greatly.  I believe I will fall to my knees in shame for the times I’ve failed.  But I also believe in the promises of Christ; my sins will be forgiven.  He has washed me clean in His blood.   He said, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be.”  (John 14: 3)

Lord, I am a sinful man.

Though I try, I continue to fail.

Only in Your mercy and love is there hope.

Cleanse me and take me to Yourself.

Amen

Defending the Faith

   “Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence,” (1 Peter 3: 15 – 18)

   St. Peter’s words are quite clear.  As a Christian I have a responsibility to defend my faith to those who may have questions.

   There are three responsibilities that go along with Peter’s charge.  First, I must be willing to answer and defend my faith.  Polite society tells us we should never argue religion.  But if we don’t how are we to defend our faith?

   Second, I must be knowledgeable in the faith and doctrines of the Church.  I must be able to provide a reasoned answer based on fact rather than opinion.  If I don’t know the answer I must admit it and ask for the time to research it.  I can never answer with a “best guess” response.  It is my responsibility to study and gain the knowledge of my faith so that I can answer correctly.

   Third, I must answer with gentleness and reverence.  Disrespect or off-handed responses will only drive people away.  If someone is asking the question I must assume they have an interest and treat their interest with respect.  To argue the faith does not mean to belittle or condescend to the one who is questioning but to respond clearly, politely, and lovingly to their question.  I am not trying to win an argument but perhaps to save a soul.

   Many people who leave the Church do so because they don’t understand the doctrines and beliefs we teach.  Bishops and Priests obviously have a responsibility to properly educate their flocks, but they can’t do it all.  We, as Christians, must also be ready to answer.

Father teach me Your ways.

Help me to share with those who ask.

Give me reverence and respect for their questioning.

Give me the knowledge to answer correctly.

Amen

In Our Loneliness

   “Look upon me, have pity on me, for I am alone and afflicted.” (Psalm 25: 16)

   It’s hard not feel alone right now.  The coronavirus has totally changed our lives.  The friends we are used to being with are, like us, isolated.  Even our families are distant at a time when their company is most needed.

   Most alone of all are those in senior care or hospitals and their families.  Visitation is prohibited and those suffering are without their loved ones.  Families worry and endure emotional pain because they can’t visit those they love and comfort them.

   In these times it’s more important than ever to realize that we are never truly alone.  You are with us, to give us comfort and peace.  You answer when we turn to You in prayer.  It’s easy to feel alone and despair; it takes faith and love to turn to You and know Your presence in our lives.  If there is a benefit to be gained from the current crisis it is that maybe, just maybe, we’ll come to rely on You and trust You more completely.

   Things will change, things will return to a normal of some kind and our aloneness will lessen.  Friends and families will again be able to gather and enjoy their companionship.  Churches will resume proper worship, businesses will reopen, and life will go on.  My hope is that this period of suffering will help us see that You are always with us in love and mercy.

   Until then we can only turn to You, trusting all to You, and seeking Your comfort and peace.

Lord, help us in our aloneness.

Let us feel Your presence.

Fill our hearts with Your comfort.

Let us rest in the peace only You can give.

Amen

The Greatest Journey of All

   I must give credit to my wife, Karen, for setting me on this journey to God.  It was because of her faith and devotion that I chose to enter the Catholic Church.  Without her influence I don’t know if I would have ever found the path I’m now on.

   Along the way I’ve learned a lot about my faith.  For years I studied my faith, reading the teachings of the early fathers of the Church and great saints, taking bible studies and university theology courses to learn the history and truth of why I believe what I believe.  I have gained a lot of intellectual knowledge of my faith but the intellectual learning is not the heart of my faith.

   Love of God and others is the heart of the faith.  It doesn’t really matter if I know all the history of the Church or can quote the bible verse by verse, without love all is worthless.  I have also learned that what our culture calls love most often is not Godly love but love of false gods.

   Love is not sex, not money, not fame, not bigger and better things.  Love is a total giving of one to the other, even if the other doesn’t deserve it.  It’s understanding that there are things about your friends, your family and even your spouse that you don’t really like very much, but loving them anyway.  Like is not love.  Liking something or someone is a personal choice.  Godly love is not a choice but a gift from God.  If it were of man it would not last, only with God is love never-ending.  Love is the answer to my journey to God.  Without it, He isn’t with me; with it, He is with me for eternity.

   My journey isn’t over, but there’s certainly far less remaining than has gone before.  I thank Karen for bringing me to the Church and showing me this beautiful path of love.  I think God for Karen and the incredible, eternal love He has given us to share.  The journey continues.

Father, I’m traveling home.

Lead me on the right path.

Show me the way to You.

Amen

The Cares and Worries of the World

   It seems the world is in serious trouble, but when I look at history there have been worse times.  It’s important to see that the world has been a mess since the fall of of Adam and Eve, Satan has seen to that.

   Like most men I have something inside that says I’m supposed to fix things.  When I can’t it’s almost as if I’m not doing my job.  But the truth is I don’t have the ability to change the world, I struggle to change my own life.  Accepting this fact has brought me peace in a troubled world.  No, I can’t fix it, but neither can anyone else.  Only God can effect the change that is needed.

   I can't fix it, so what can I do?  Just ignoring the situation isn’t the answer.  I believe the answer is to understand that we are all exiles in a broken world.  Satan and our sins have broken it and it will remain so until Jesus comes in glory.  In the meantime I can live my life as best I can to follow Him and His ways.  I can reject the evil and celebrate the good that is in the world.  Most importantly I can trust in God.

   St. Paul said, “I have been crucified with Christ; yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me;” (Gal 18: 19 – 20).  This is the attitude I need; to recognize that I am to live for Christ and let Him live within me.  In this way the evils and trials of the world can never take from me the peace I find in God.

Sometimes it seems the world is a mess.

Jesus came to give us hope in a broken world.

I place my trust in Him and await His return.

Amen, come Lord Jesus!

The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit

   “But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father.” (Matt 10: 33).

   As Christians we believe in One God in three divine Persons.  God, the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.  All are equal in glory and majesty.  All are the great “I AM”.

   In the name of ecumenism I fear we often endanger our beliefs in an effort to find peace and co-existence with other religions, those that do not recognize the Triune God.  Some say that Christians, Jews, Muslims, and others worship the “same God”.  But that is not true.  If they do not acknowledge and worship the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit they do not worship the God we worship.

   To recognize the sincerity and devotion of other religions is perhaps a good thing, but to say we all worship the same God is a fallacy and a dangerous one.  Without the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the god others worship is not the one True God.  To believe otherwise is heresy.

   Can those who don’t recognize the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit find favor with God and enter His presence in eternity?  As we used to say when I was in the Navy, “that’s above my pay grade”.  I don’t know but I do know that our God, the one true Triune God is a merciful God who wishes condemnation upon no one.  I have to put faith in His love and mercy.

   We should never belittle the faith and sincerity of other religions.  To do so is not following Jesus’ command to love our neighbor.  But to pretend that we all worship the same God denies our core believe in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Father, there are many who worship You in different ways.

Still, they seek to know and serve You.

In Your mercy, look with favor upon their sincerity.

Amen

Living Day by Day

   The Lord has given me another day.  What am to do with this gift of His?  I will try not to be concerned with earthly matters, simply leaving them to God, focusing on His will for my life.

   I can’t change yesterday and I’m not sure tomorrow will come.  This day, these hours and minutes are all I have to show God how much I love and adore Him.  It is my earnest desire to do all things in His will, to give Him all.

   I don’t know what today will bring.  It may bring joy, or it may be a struggle.  Each day is a new experience in life full of potential but also the unknown.  All I can do is trust in God, knowing that He has my best interest in mind.  Good or bad, the day is His gift to me, and I thank Him.

   I will try to meet everyone with love in my heart.  I will do the best I can to overcome the temptations that Satan brings each day.  I will most likely fail in some way and will need to pray for God’s mercy and forgiveness.

   When evening comes I will look back over the day.  I will ask God to help me see the times I’ve fallen and ask His forgiveness.  I will ask Him to strengthen me to fail less often.  I will look for His many blessings, giving Him thanks and praise for His love and mercy.

   This day is all I have and even that is tenuous.  Just because I awoke this morning doesn’t mean that I have a full day ahead of me.  God may call at any time and I wait in joyful anticipation for that call whether it be today or years from now.  All is in His hands and I will trust Him in all things.

Lord my life is in Your hands.

I don’t know the length of my life.

Help me live each day as it if were the last.

May I always trust in You.

Amen

What Can I Give the Lord?

   “I ask nothing more of you than this: your efforts to surrender yourself wholly to Me.” (Thomas á Kempis, “The Imitation of Christ”)

   I have nothing that the Lord needs.  In fact, all I have are the gifts of His love and caring.  I can do nothing worthy of Him and I have no gift to give Him.  And yet, He desires me to be His; to be a part of His family and spend eternity in His presence.

   The only thing I can offer Him is myself, and even that does not truly belong to me.  Still, I could decide to live for self rather than for Him.  I could convince myself that what I have is deserved when in fact everything is a gift from God.  I could ignore His desire that I make of myself a gift to Him.

   I can give Him my sins, my pride, my envy, and selfishness.  I can give Him my desire for earthly pleasures, pleasures of the flesh.  I can give Him my anger, my biases, and my prejudices.  I can give Him my love.

   Though I have nothing of real value to give Him, I am reminded of the story of the feeding of the four thousand.  With just seven loaves and a few fish Jesus fed everyone, and they had their fill.  There were even seven baskets of food left over (see Mark 8: 1 – 9).

   I have nothing great to give Him, just myself.  But Jesus can work miracles with even a small gift given in faith, love, and sincerity.

Lord, I have nothing of value.

Only Your love matters.

Take me, make me holy I pray.

Make me a gift to You.

Amen

Our Lady of Fatima

   In 1917 the Blessed Mother appeared to three peasant children in Fatima, Portugal.  She didn’t choose to manifest herself to the wise or the learned, or even the adults, but to simple children.  Today the Church celebrates and remembers the message she imparted and the miracles that occurred.

   I’m always amazed by the people Our Lady appears to.  Peasant children in Fatima, the teenage child Bernadette at Lourdes, the peasant Juan Diego on the hill at Tepeyac.  Why the children, the uneducated, the peasants?

   Jesus said, “I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike.” (Matt 11: 25).  The wise and the learned sometimes think they are too wise and educated; they cannot accept what they don’t understand.  Children have an open heart, ready to learn and believe.  “Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.” (Mark 10: 15).

   The word of God and His messages brought by the Blessed Mother have most often come to us via the simple, those with a childlike faith ready to believe and accept God’s word.  From the earliest disciples to the children at Fatima, His messengers have been the humble and the meek.

   There are things in the plans of God that can never be understood in this life, things of faith rather than learning.  Striving to learn and be better educated is a worthy goal, but always keep in mind that it is the open, childlike faith that most readily receives the word of God.  It is this simple, accepting faith that will lead us to our Lord and Savior.

Lord, open our hearts to Your message.

Give us a childlike faith to accept it.

Give us the heart of a lion to live and share it.

Amen

The Devil's Playground

   “Occupy your mind with good thoughts, or the enemy will fill them with bad ones.  Unoccupied, they cannot be.”  (St. Thomas More)

   There’s an old saying that says idle hands are the devil’s workshop.  I don’t know about idle hands, but an idle mind is certainly Satan’s playground.  When our thoughts are not properly directed the evil one will take every opportunity to turn those thoughts to evil.

   Life has a way of pulling us away from God.  It’s nearly impossible to continuously think of our Lord and there are so many other things to occupy our mind and our time.  How are we protect our thoughts from the evil one?

   We must always be alert to Satan trying to steal into our mind.  As soon as we recognize his influence in our thoughts or ideas we must immediately turn to God and seek His help.  Even in times of prayer the devil will try to insert himself into our thoughts.  Responding with a simple phrase like “God, help me” can turn Satan away in such times.  Satan will always flee when we call on the Lord.

   The devil is always there, waiting to attack.  Thankfully, God is always there as well.  When we turn to Him He will strengthen us and drive the evil one from us.

Lord, our mind sometimes wanders.

Don’t let it wander to sinful thoughts.

Protect us from the evil one.

Come to our help when we call.

Amen

The Great Divider

   “Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5: 8)

   I once had someone tell me that she was a “pro-choice Catholic”.  She got terribly upset when I replied that there is no such thing as a pro-choice Catholic, since the two are totally incompatible.  Division over such an obvious evil as taking the life of an unborn child is the work of Satan.

   The overwhelming majority of Priests and Bishops are faithful servants of God.  They do all in their power to further God’s kingdom on earth.  However, through the sexual abuse scandals, a few brought shame upon themselves and caused great division in the Church.  The evil one, I'm sure, took great delight in their heinous crimes.

   For many the teachings of the Church seem to be merely suggestions which they are free to accept or reject on their own authority.  It’s estimated that nearly fifty percent of practicing Catholics do not acknowledge the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist.  Many refuse the Sacrament of reconciliation; they never enter the confessional.  Satan revels in the division and lack of sincerity of those lukewarm Catholics.

   Since its’ beginning in Christ, the Church has fought heresy and division.  The battles remain today.  Secularism, with its’ relational morality is a heresy that has gained a great following in today's society.  This error says that what is right for you may not be right for me and vice versa.  In other words there is no certainty to right or wrong, it all depends on human opinion.  Satan loves it when we assume we know better than God what is right or wrong.

   It’s sad, but these division will not go away.  By nature, people seek the easy route.  If it’s too hard, they look for another way and Satan is always there to show them one.  But there will always be difficulties on our path to God.  As Christ said, “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter it are many.” (Matt 7: 13).

Put Your law into our hearts Lord.

Teach us Your ways.

Keep us from the path of destruction.

Lead us always to You.

A Family of Individuals

   We live in a very individualistic society.  Our own well-being is far too often the primary focus.  In a way, that is to be expected since we are taught over and over that we are individuals.  We are unique and therefore, the concerns others may be of no concern at all to us.

   In one sense we are certainly individuals.  God created each of us as one of His children with a plan in mind for each of us.  He knit us together in our mother’s womb, infused in us an eternal soul and brought us into this world.  From the beginning He knew us, He knew His plans for us.  Though individual, we are also His sons and daughters.  We are His family.

   When we take individualism too far we become distant from each other; we show little or no concern for anyone but ourselves.  It’s up to others to worry about their own situation and make the best of it.  That’s what successful individuals do in our society; they take care of self.

   But we are also to be family.  God created us as His sons and daughters, not a bunch of individuals focused only on self.  A family will fall apart if the members quit caring for each other and care only for themselves.  So too, the family of God can't flourish unless there is love and concern for all in the family.

   So be an individual, enjoy and be thankful for the special blessings God has given just to you.  Strive to develop the gifts He has given you.  To do less is to waste the gifts of God.  But also be family and care for others.  Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Matt 25: 40).  When we refuse our brothers and sisters, we refuse the Lord.

Father help us be family.

Teach us humility and caring for others.

We are to be brothers and sisters.

Help us love one another.

Amen

Solitary Confinement

   Since Florida initiated a “stay at home” policy I have experienced what is essentially solitary confinement.  To do my part in keeping the COVID-19 virus from spreading I’ve remained virtually home-bound.  Shopping became a once a week excursion done very early in the morning to avoid crowds.  If something ran out I did without until the next shopping trip.

   Except for a few telephone calls from my family and friends I’ve had no interaction with others.  At first I was concerned that constantly being alone would be extremely difficult, and at times it has been.  But I’ve learned a lot through this experience as well.

   My time has been devoted mostly to reading, studying scripture and prayer.  I found a source to stream daily and Sunday Mass and continued to attend each day.  While I missed physically participating in Mass and receiving Holy Communion, it was comforting and helped me through this time.  Also, if I’m being honest I must admit that there were days when I watched too much television, which is almost always a waste of time.

   What I’ve learned is that the solitary life can be beneficial to the spiritual life.  It can be a hardship, but hardship is to be an expected part of Christianity.  How I deal with those hardships is what really matters.  I can allow them to lead me into despair and sorrow or I can be led to my God.  In all times, good and bad, God is there to comfort and strengthen.  I’ve come to understand and believe that there is no hardship that cannot be overcome by relying on His strength and mercy.

   I am sincerely looking forward to an end of my solitary confinement.  To return to Mass and receive the Blessed Sacrament will be a tremendous blessing.  Being able to visit with family and friends will be such a joy.  Fellowship and company is important and I’ve missed it terribly.  However, I am also thankful for the opportunity to deepen my relationship with the Lord given me during this time of isolation.

Father we need the community of others.

But we need solidarity with You far more.

Give us the joy of family and friends.

Give us the joy of fellowship with You.

Amen

A God Who Sacrifices

   “Go and learn the meaning of the words, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’  (Matt 9: 13)

   Pagan gods demand sacrifice.  Over the centuries the followers of false gods have sacrificed much to gain the pleasure of the gods.  Many have even offered human sacrifice in their attempts to please their god.

   Still today people offer homage to the false gods.  Some lose their families by the hours they work in sacrifice to the god of money.  Others destroy their marriage as they sacrifice chastity to fornication.  Some sacrifice their own children through abortion to the god of so-called sexual freedom.  We may not name our false gods as the pagans did, but they are our gods, nonetheless.

   The one true God sacrifices for us.  Our Lord sacrificed His glory to become one like us except in sin.  The Creator became the brother of the created.  He humbled Himself as an example to us.  He never sought fame or glory, only the salvation of His people.  At the last supper Jesus took on the role of the lowliest of slaves, washing the feet of His apostles.  He taught, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the land.” (Matt 5: 5).

   He was betrayed and abandoned by His closest friends.  He bared His back to the whips of the scourging, His head to the pain of the crown of thorns.  He carried His cross through the streets of Jerusalem and was nailed to it on Calvary.  These sacrifices He made because of His love and mercy for us.   He gave His life that we might have life eternal.

   So many continue to sacrifice to false gods, seeking fortune, fame, and self-gratification.  They have turned their back on the One who can truly save; the God who sacrifices for His people.

Father we turn to many false gods.

You are the one true God.

The Son sacrificed His life for our salvation.

May we turn to You in praise and thanksgiving.

Amen