Gratitude 

   “Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness, in your great tenderness wipe away my faults; wash me clean of my guilt, purify me from my sins.  …   My sacrifice is this broken spirit, you will not scorn this crushed and broken heart” (Psalm 51: 1, 17) 

   Psalm 51, often referred to as the “sinner’s psalm” is a beautiful statement of one sorrowing for their sins,  seeking to show gratitude for the mercy and forgiveness of God.  Finally, the answer comes, the best way to show gratitude is by a broken spirit, a heart broken by the sorrow for sin, full of repentance and love.  This is the sacrifice that is most pleasing to God.

   There are many things I can do to show my gratitude to the Lord for all He has done for me in this life.  By faithful worship, praise, and charity as well as many other ways I can offer gifts to Him for the love He has shown.  But the gift that God truly desires is my heart, my whole heart; a life given to Him in all ways.  My total love and devotion to Him far exceeds anything else I can give.

   Some come to God in sorrow for their sins but with no willingness to amend their life.  They confess the same sins over and over but never take the necessary steps to avoid those sins.  They look at God as an ATM, put in your confession and out comes forgiveness, over and over and over.  Where is the heart that is changed by God’s mercy?  Where is the humility and the desire to never offend Him again?

   St. Paul wrote, “Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.  For to me life is Christ, and death is gain.” (Phil 1: 20 – 21).  A life given to God, is a life of joy and contentment.  Whether in good times or bad, in life or in death, God will not spurn a humble, contrite heart.

 You Know Me 

   “You know me through and through, from having watched my bones take shape when I was being formed in secret, knitted together in the limbo of the womb.  You had scrutinized my every action, all were recorded in your book, my days listed and determined, even before the first of them occurred.” (Psalm 139: 15 – 16) 

   From before time began, You knew me Lord.  You knew the day of my birth and You know the day of my death.  There is nothing that has occurred or will occur in my life that you do not know.

   You knew me before I knew You; the sins I committed in ignorance of Your ways.  You taught me Your ways and still I have done evil in Your sight, betraying Your love and mercy.  I thank You for not taking me during those times, for hell would have been my destination, and deservedly so.  But You knew that I would come to regret my sins and at last turn to You in sorrow and repentance.

   You know how I sorrow for those sins, those betrayals.  You know how I wish I could go back and undo the evil I have done though that is not possible.  You know that I love You now with all that I am and that I long to never sin against You again.

   I desire to leave this life of exile and come home to You and You know that as well.  I do not disdain Your gift of life but while I live I remain in danger of failing You again.  The thought of again offending You, of losing You, horrifies me; let it never be so.

   Father, You know the day and the hour that my life will end.  Be it a few minutes or many years, I accept Your will.  All I ask is that You give me the strength and the perseverance to walk the path You put before me for whatever time I have left in this world.

   You created me to love You, to be holy, to serve You in life and to be with You in heaven.  I beg of You, make me the man You created me to be, make me holy, make me a saint, that I may spend eternity in Your heavenly kingdom.

 Faith 

   “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed (John 20: 29) 

   Without faith we cannot know Christ; without knowing Christ we cannot know God; without knowing God we cannot go to His heavenly kingdom.  Without faith we will never find the pathway to heaven.

   Faith is the lifeblood of a Christian, without it the claim to Christianity rings hollow and untrue.  Faith not only believes in Christ but in what He said and what He taught.  If our faith does not include believing in the truths He taught how can we say we have faith in Him?  And there's the rub.

   Many who say they have faith in Jesus do not believe all that He said and taught.  They may believe that He healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, but may question other of His miracles and teachings.  But faith in Christ is not a smorgasbord from which to choose the ones we want to believe and ignore the rest.  It’s a package deal, either He did what scripture says, and was truthful in all He taught, or He was a liar and a fraud.

   I suppose that’s what makes faith hard for some.  They want to believe in Christ, but they also want to accept and even promote the lies society teaches about abortion, euthanasia, extra-marital sex of any kind, and so much more.  Being accepted in "polite society" is more important than standing up for Christ and His teachings.

   Without faith the doors to heaven are sealed; with faith they open for those who believe.  But faith requires that we not only have faith in Jesus as the Messiah, but that we accept the truths He taught and live our lives accordingly.

 Listening 

   “Whoever has ears ought to hear.” (Matt 13: 9) 

   Jesus often spoke in parables, stories that had a message.  Often those to whom He spoke heard his words but didn’t understand the message.  We hear with our ears, but we listen and understand with our heart.  If our heart isn’t engaged the words we hear bear no fruit.

   Has anyone ever said to you that you aren’t “hearing” what they are saying?  What they really mean is you aren’t listening to their message.  Sound waves strike our eardrums resulting in hearing what is said, but it is with our heart and mind that we understand the message.

   We hear so many things but listen to so few.  The television in many homes is on virtually all day but no one is listening; the radio is playing but the sound goes unnoticed.  In the same way, we can be hearing or reading the words of scripture but never really listening and understanding God’s message.

   It's interesting that “listen” and “silent” contain the same letters.  To fully listen, we must silence our hearts and minds.  Listening is an acquired skill, it takes practice.  We must learn to shut out the world and all its noise and distractions.  God doesn’t yell, He whispers.  If we want to hear Him we must learn to listen.

 The End of Faith and Hope 

   “So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” (1 Cor 13: 13) 

   These words of St. Paul speak to the Christian life, these are three things that all Christians profess; faith in God, hope in eternal life, and love of God and neighbor.  But of these three only one will remain in the next life: love.

   Faith is what keeps me going in a world that seems to be on a rocket ship to hell, faith in God’s words, faith in my Lord Jesus Christ.  My faith tells me that this world is a temporary exile and that my true home is with God in His kingdom.  That faith is my strength.

   How desperately I need hope; hope in God’s promises, hope in the life to come.  Without this hope life would be so much harder.  Satan is the ruler of this world and without hope in God I fear I would more readily fall victim to his temptations and evil urgings.  My hope helps me resist him.

   The love of this world is a mere shadow of love as it will be in God’s kingdom.  A love so pure, so intense that earthly love can never compare.  This is the love God intended for all mankind and it is the love He still has for us.  However, we lost the ability to love as He loves when sin rose its ugly head in the Garden of Eden.  We will again know that love in heaven.

   So why do I say that there will be an end to faith and hope?  St. Paul wrote that “Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.” (Heb 11: 1).  What I have placed my faith in during this life will be reality in the next; there will no longer be a need for faith.

   The hope I have of eternal life with God will, by His grace, be fulfilled in the next life.  There is no further need for hope when all I hoped for is mine.

   Love, however, will remain for it is eternal.  God is love and that love will be the greatest blessing of heaven.  Not only will I know the fullness of God’s love for me, but I will be able to share that love, with Him and with all the saints who are gathered there.

 The Last Hour 

   “Never will we understand the value of time better than when our last hour is at hand.” (St. Arnold Janssen) 

   Do some people put off turning to God thinking they will have plenty of time to do so before they die?  I suspect some do.  If so, they should considered the following; 

   As I lay dying will I have the mental ability to make amends with God?  Will I be conscious; will my mind still be functioning?  If not, how am I to repent and find salvation?  How horrible to think that I wasted all the time given to me and now don’t have the ability or the time to turn to Him.

   Or what if that truck that should have stopped for the red light but didn’t broadsides my car, killing me instantly?  Will there be even a second to pray in sorrow, seeking forgiveness?  Quite possibly, the answer is no.

   What if the aneurism that has been lying dormant in my brain for many years ruptures and I am dead even before I fall to the ground?  Will there be that last chance to seek God’s forgiveness? 

   I may live a long life; some may say I already have.  But still, I don’t know when this life will be over.  Today, tonight, tomorrow, twenty years from now; only God knows.  There is nothing more important than to be prepared for that moment whenever it may come.

 Unrequited Love 

   “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” (John 3: 16) 

   The bible from beginning to end is the story of God’s love for us, it is the story of a covenant, a marriage between God and His beloved.  But far too often His beloved have rejected Him, turning to sin and earthly pleasures.

   The fact that many do not love God does not lessen God nor does it lessen the love that He has for all.  The only one harmed by rejecting God is the one denying Him the love He so rightly deserves.  They are refusing the One who loves them perfectly and wants nothing but what is best for them.  And for what?  The glitter of earthly treasures and the false gods of this world.

   Jesus put a human face on the love of God, He loved as no other human had ever or could ever love.  His love was so intense, so faithful that He chose to suffer and die even for those who refused to love Him.

   The parable of the lost son (Luke 15: 11 – 32) is the story of the undying love of a father for the son who had sinned against him.  The son who had betrayed his father, lived a life of sin and debauchery was welcomed with open arms when he returned to his father in sorrow and repentance.

   The same is true when a sinner repents and places himself at the feet of God in sorrow.  The Father of all will lift them up, embrace them and welcome them home.

   God created us out of love and will love us eternally.  He asks that we love Him in return.  If God sheds tears, I believe they are tears of sorrow for the unrequited love of His children.

 Go to the Lord 

   One of my favorite gospel songs is “Where Could I Go but to the Lord” by Elvis Presley (lyrics by James P. Coats).  In times of trouble or hardships the Lord is and always will be there to help us through..

   The Christian life is a blessed life, but that does not exempt us from having to face difficulties in life.  In fact, Jesus told us very clearly that there will be trouble in the world.  But He also assured us that we needn’t worry, He has conquered the world (John 16: 33).  Still, life can be hard at times.

   The problems we face can sometimes seem insurmountable, we feel overwhelmed by the sorrow and pain.  It can be easy to become despondent and even depressed.  That is when we must turn to the Lord; He can and will give us the strength to persevere and to overcome the trials and hardships of this world.

   Sometimes there is nothing we can do but endure, but even then peace and comfort can be found in the Lord.  Jesus knew and accepted pain and agony in His life, He knows the anguish and hopelessness we sometimes face in this world.  He will guide us through whatever turmoil life may bring.

   What I’ve come to know is that there is nothing that cannot be overcome when we go to the Lord and place our troubles and our trust in Him.  When we feel lost and don’t know where to turn we can always turn to the Lord.  “And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Matt 28: 20).

 Wheat and Weeds 

   The gospel reading for this Sunday was the parable of the weeds among the wheat (Matt 13: 24 – 30).  A man sowed good seed in his field, but an enemy came at night and sowed weeds all through the wheat.  Some asked if they should pull up the weeds, but the owner said no, allow them to grow together.  They will be sorted at the harvest; the weeds will be burned, and the wheat gathered into the barn.

   The one who sowed good seed was the Son of Man, Jesus.  The enemy who scattered the weeds among the wheat was the devil.  The good seeds are the children of God, and the weeds are the children of evil.  At the judgement they will be sorted, the children of evil cast into the fiery furnace and the children of God welcomed into God’s kingdom. (Matt 13: 36 – 40)

   The parable reminds us that there has been evil among the good since and before the time of Jesus just as it is today.  We often think that the evil of our time is different, more wicked than ever before, but we are mistaken.  Evil always has been and always will be present in this world.

   It also speaks to the patience of God.  I think of St. Augustine; he led a life of sin and debauchery for many years before his conversion.  If he, a weed among the wheat, had been pulled up the world would have lost one of its greatest theologians and saints.  We are all sinners, to judge others is the height of arrogance.

   Those who wanted to immediately pull the weeds were like a lot of us.  We complain about those we see as evil in the world, we want to pull the weeds.  But it is not ours to judge.  Jesus is the judge, not you and not me.  We judge by appearance; He sees the heart.  We see the evil that they do today; He sees the potential for repentance, conversion, and even sainthood.

 Follow Him 

   “Where you I, I’ll go.  Where you stay, I’ll stay.  When you move, I’ll move.  I will follow.” (“I Will Follow”, song and lyrics by Chris Tomlin) 

   God will lead us where we need to go, but we must choose to follow.  In this life He will help us through the trials and tribulations and bring us great joy and happiness along the way.  In the next life we will know the perfect love, joy and happiness of His kingdom  But for either of these to occur, we must choose to follow Him.

   Throughout history God has sent leaders to His people.  People chosen to help the people to come to know Him.  Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Jacob, and Isaac were such leaders.  Many followed them, but many refused to follow, even at the cost of their very soul.

   Then He sent the greatest of all leaders, His own Son, Jesus Christ.  The prophets and leaders of the past were often ignored and rejected by the people.  Surely they would recognize and follow the Son of God, the Messiah.  But still, many refused to follow, and many still refuse to follow Him even today.

   The words of Jesus foretold of the many who would refuse to follow God and the few who would, “Enter by the narrow gate, since the road that leads to perdition is wide and spacious, and many take it; but it is a narrow gate and a hard road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matt 7: 13 – 14).

   God wants to lead us, but not by a leash.  He wants us to love Him and follow His ways, but not through coercion.  There are two paths before us, one leads to eternal life and the other to eternal condemnation.  We must choose which path we will walk.

 Fasting 

   I enjoy reading about the lives of the Saints.  Their lives and how they lived them can greatly help each of us do better in advancing our spirituality.

   One of the things I’ve found to be common among virtually all of the saints is a devotion to fasting and controlling the physical desires of the body.  Our eyes, our ears, our physical pleasures, our appetite for food and all our earthly desires are ripe targets for Satan and his temptations.  If we can control our body and its physical desires, we can better withstand his attacks.

   Most think of fasting as giving up a particular food or skipping a meal occasionally, but there are many forms of fasting.  What we choose to fast from should be whatever seems to be the biggest roadblock in our spiritual life; the thing that plagues us most in trying to come closer to God.

   If our temper is the problem we can fast from anger, refusing to allow our emotions to push us into attacking others through our words or actions or even in our thoughts.  When we feel anger rising we can stop and remember that we are all God’s children, asking Him to help us love rather than hate.

Jealousy, wanting what others have, can lead to envy, perhaps even to the point of despising them.  That is the road to perdition.  Stop and consider that everything gained in this world will be lost when this life is over.  Don’t risk your soul for the desire of temporary wealth and pleasure.

   Fasting should be a part of our life, not just something we do for a while during Lent or for some other special time.  We can and should try to fast from those things that come between us and the Lord.  Make of them an offering to God and ask for His help in overcoming them.  Fasting of this kind will bring us nearer to God.

 The Peace of Christ 

   “Peace is that deep, interior stillness that tells you that no matter what kind of catastrophe might be happening in your life or in the world, everything is going to be ok.” (Dr. Gregory Bottaro, “The Mindful Catholic”) 

   I write about the peace that comes from knowing the Lord quite often because there seems to be so little peace available in the world in which we live.  Not a day goes by that we aren’t bombarded with bad news of terrible events.  Rarely, if ever, do we see anything good in the media.  Like the man said, “If it bleeds, it leads”.

   Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.  Not as the world gives do I give it to you.  Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.” (John 14: 27).  The peace Jesus gives is very different from what the world calls peace.  There is no true peace in the world, something will always disturb what we might call peace.  Any tranquility we might find lasts only for a very short time.  I don’t believe the world really wants peace, it wants power and control, neither of which brings true peace.

   The peace that I have within me, the peace that comes from God’s love is true peace.  It is not a peace that the world can take from me even in the worst of times.  No matter the trial, no matter the cross I may have to bear, I can do so by God’s grace which conquers all.

   St. Augustine said, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”  There is no rest, no peace, no serenity to be had in the world.  When I place my faith and trust in God I am at peace and there is nothing that the world can do to take it from me.

 Do Not Fear 

   “..:do not be afraid, for I am with you; stop being anxious and watchful, for I am your God.  I give you strength, I bring you help you, I uphold you with my victorious right hand.” (Isaiah 41: 10) 

   Throughout the bible, both the Old and New Testament, the people of God are repeatedly told not to fear, to not be afraid.  When we place our trust in Him there is nothing we need fear.  It is when we turn from God that fears and anxieties come.

   Satan has one purpose and that is to draw us away from God by whatever means possible.  Fear is one of his most potent weapons.  If he can keep us in a state of fear and apprehension he can cause us to doubt the goodness and promises of God.

   Our world feeds on fear, governments fear other governments, people fear other people.  Politicians use our fears to control us, creating crises which do not exist, insisting that we must look to them to resolve them.  There is an old song that says everything is cool in a peaceful world (Peaceful World by John Mellencamp), but peace is hard to find when we are prisoners of fear.

   There is only one we must fear, Satan.  Jesus said, “I shall show you whom to fear.  Be afraid of the one who after killing has the power to cast into Gehenna; yes, I tell you, be afraid of that one.”  (Luke 12: 5).  Spending eternity without God is the only thing worthy of our fear.

 The Poor In Spirit 

   “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God.” (Matt 5: 3) 

   “No one can serve two masters.  He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and mammon.  (Matt 6: 24) 

   We are to be poor in spirit, to serve God, not mammon.  Though mammon may refer to riches, it is anything that one prizes over God.  It is, in effect, a false god.

   There are many things that could be construed as mammon; self-defined gods that take the place of the one true God in people’s hearts.  It may be money, but it can be many other things as well.  For instance, gluttony, an unreasonable desire for too much food is a form of mammon.  It doesn’t even have to be a want of too much food but may be a desire for the “right” food, that which is the tastiest and most pleasing to the senses.

   It could be fashion sense; the need to have the newest fashions in all things, whether it be clothes or the newest television or mobile phone; one without the newest bells and whistles just won’t suffice.

   In my case it was new cars.  I thought I “needed” a new car every two or three years even though the one I had was in great shape.  It had nothing to do with need, it was purely misplaced desire, serving mammon rather than God.

   It doesn’t much matter how much or how little we have if God remains first in our heart.  To serve God rather than mammon, to be poor in spirit, means that if all of my earthly possessions are gone tomorrow, but I still have God,  I am rich in what really matters.

 The Sounds of Silence 

   We live in a world where silence is hard to find.  No matter where we go or what we do, something or someone is making noise.  It is a loss that I believe is damaging both our physical and our spiritual lives.  We no longer hear the voices of silence.

   In the silence of the early morning when I go for a walk I hear the birds waking up, their morning song as the new day begins.  It’s as if they are saying, “Good morning God, thanks for the new day.”  Yet, even in the silence of a morning walk many carry their noise with them, music playing in the earbuds in their ears.  They never hear nature greeting the new day.

   New parents often sit in silence, just listening to the quiet sounds of their newborn son or daughter.  The cooing and the laughter, the sounds of a happy baby that they love to hear.  They delight in the smile and the joyful greeting of their child when they first see Mom and Dad as they are waking up.  Many miss these precious moments allowing worldly concerns to interfere, rather than rejoicing in the new life they have brought into the world.

   In the silence I hear God and feel His presence more clearly.  Rumi, a Sufi mystic and poet wrote,  “Silence is the language of God, all else is a poor translation.”  It is in the quiet that God speaks to us, the noise of our world far too often drowns out His voice robbing us of His wisdom and His will.

   When Elijah sought the Lord on Mount Horeb He found Him not in the wind or the earthquake or the fire.  He found Him in the sound of a gentle breeze. (1 Kings 19: 11 – 13)  If you want to hear God, go to the mountain, find the silence and listen for the gentle breeze that is the voice of God.

 Prayerfulness 

   Every now and then I come across a quote from one of the saints that bears sharing.  Today I would like to share one from St. Bonaventure:

 

   “If you would suffer with patience the adversities and miseries of this life, be a man of prayer. If you would obtain courage and strength to conquer the temptations of the enemy, be a man of prayer. If you would mortify your own will with all its inclinations and appetites, be a man of prayer. If you would know the wiles of Satan and unmask his deceits, be a man of prayer. If you would live in joy and walk pleasantly in the ways of penance, be a man of prayer. If you would banish from your soul the troublesome flies of vain thoughts and cares, be a man of prayer. If you would nourish your soul with the very sap of devotion and keep it always full of good thoughts and good desires, be a man of prayer. If you would strengthen and keep up your courage in the ways of God, be a man of prayer. In fine, if you would uproot all vices from your soul and plant all virtues in their place, be a man of prayer. It is in prayer that we receive the unction and grace of the Holy Ghost, who teaches all things.”  (St. Bonaventure, "The Ways of Mental Prayer”)

 

   I could write page after page about prayer, but I could never state it as eloquently and clearly as St. Bonaventure.  Prayer is our lifeline in a troubled sea.  Prayer is our strength in times of trouble and sadness. There is nothing a Christian can do of more importance than prayer, each day, every day, all day.

 A Beautiful Soul 

   “You are so beautiful to me.” (Joe Cocker, lyrics by Billy Preston and Bruce Carleton Fisher) 

   I imagine God looking at His finest creation, man and woman and saying to them, “You are so beautiful to me.”   Yet very shortly after their creation they would tarnish their beauty by selfishness and sin.

   Our soul was beautifully created but became stained by the sins we commit.  It can become beautiful again if we will submit ourselves to the Father.  At baptism our sins are washed away, and the beauty of the soul God created within us is again pure and unsullied.

   However, we, like our first parents, listen to the lies of Satan, falling once again from grace and soiling the beauty of our soul.  The fact that much of society today denies that Satan even exists is one of the devil’s greatest successes.  How can we protect ourselves and our souls from something we don’t believe exists?  We can’t!

   How I long to leave this sinful world and be united with the Father in heaven.  No longer will there be the temptations to sin, the staining of my soul. My soul will then reflect all the beauty that God intended for all eternity.  I know that when it is time He will call me; my prayer is that I will be prepared to hear those words from my Lord, “You are so beautiful to me.”

 World War III 

   “God then said, ‘What have you done?  Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground!’” (Gen 4: 10) 

   Those killed in World War I, the war to end all wars – over 20 million.

   Those killed in World War II, the war after the war to end all wars – 80 – 85 million.

   Those killed in World War III, the war against the innocent – over 63 BILLION world-wide since 1950 and still counting.  (source Human Life International, HLI.org).

   Though many won’t admit it, we are engaged in another world war.  Unlike the previous world wars, it is not nation against nation and there are no military weapons involved.  It is an inhuman, barbaric war against the most innocent life of all, unborn children in the womb.  Sons and daughters, children that could have had a long and happy life; sacrificed to the god of “free sex”.

   I wonder how many of those lost would have grown up to be exceptional in their chosen field of study.  Perhaps the medical researcher who unlocked the key to curing cancer.  Or the engineer who discovered the secret of fusion energy, providing unlimited, safe power to the world.

   Were there any new Monets, van Goughs or da Vinci’s that never had the opportunity to take up the brush or create a David or Pieta?  A Bach or a Beethoven whose music the world will never hear.  We’ll never know, they were all cast aside for the "crime" of being inconvenient.

   God saw Cain’s murder of Abel as an abomination.  What must He be saying about the mass-murder of billions of His children in the womb.  Surely, their blood cries out to Him.

 Christian Perfection 

   God takes great delight in 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, but we need to have a mature relationship with Him.  We need to advance in our spirituality in every way.

   Though God is pleased 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).  On our own perfection is not possible, only God can make us perfect.  However, we must allow Him to do so; He will not force perfection upon us.

   Our journey toward Christian perfection won’t always be easy.  There will be setbacks and failures along the way.  We will be called upon to suffer in this world just as Jesus suffered for us on the cross.  We need perseverance and determination to walk that path, graces that can only come from God.

   Christian perfection is our vocation, our destiny is to spend eternity in God’s heavenly kingdom.  However, perfection is difficult, and the cost can be high.  If we are to achieve that end, we must place all our trust in God and accept His will in our life.

 Ignorance of History 

   I hear people complain about the way things are today and there is certainly enough to complain about.  But most people have very little knowledge of history, whether it be the history of the Church or of the world.  Without the perspective of the past the present can seem to be much worse than it really is.

   There is persecution against Christians in the United States today as there hasn’t been in recent memory.  In fact, I’m not sure this nation has ever been as anti-God as it is today.  But still, Christians aren’t being fed to wild animals in the circuses as entertainment for the Roman crowds.  There is no Nero pouring oil over Christians, hanging them on lampposts and setting them on fire to light the streets of Rome.  Will the persecutions get worse?  I fear that they may, but let us pray that we never see the level of persecutions and martyrdom Christianity has experienced in times past.

   A healthy perspective on life, both secular and spiritual can help reduce the anxiety and fear many are experiencing today.  I certainly don’t make light of the evil we see in society, and it is our responsibility as Christians to confront the abominations of a depraved society.  But we must also keep in mind that, as bad as it may be today, it has been far worse in the past and could be again.

   We must trust in God and His plan if we are to know the peace that He wants us to have within us.  We must trust Christ when He said, “And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Matt 28: 20).

 Anxiety 

   “Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.  Then the peace that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and mind in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4: 6 – 7) 

   We live in troubled times.  Evil seems to be gaining more and more power in our society and in our government.  Even in our churches there are priests and pastors who are bowing to the whims of an evil society.  Faithful Christians are often left wondering and confused; Christ and His truths are being set aside to appease rather than confront a perverse world.

   It can be very easy to become upset and anxious, wondering where our nation and the world is heading, but our anxiety does nothing to change the world.  We can stew and fuss about the way things are; we can complain and point fingers at those who we believe are the problem, but none of that will change the situation.  As hard as it is to accept, there is virtually nothing we, as individual Christians, can do to effect the change that we know needs to occur.

   But that doesn’t mean we can’t fight back against evil.  Every prayer we say reaches the ears of God and He always listens to the prayers of the faithful.  While we can’t know His plans or why things are the way they are at this point in time, we can know that He is in charge and will, at the time of His choosing, make all things new.

   Until then, we need to take the advice of St. Paul to the Philippians; we need to pray, and we need to pray often.  What we must not do is allow ourselves to become anxious and despondent, losing hope.  One of my favorite sayings of Archbishop Fulton Sheen is, “In the end, God wins”.  When we turn our anxieties and frustrations over to Him in prayer, He will give us the peace we seek. 

 Fill Your Heart With God 

   “God does not fit in an occupied heart.” (St. John of the Cross) 

   Every now and then I find it helpful to just sit quietly and consider what is in my heart.  I believe God is a jealous God, He doesn’t want a place in my heart, He wants my entire heart.  If I’m unwilling to give it, I limit what God can do in my life.

   The interesting thing is that the more of my heart I give to God the more He gives to me.  If I give Him my pride, He gives me the humility to realize that I am no better than anyone else and most likely worse than some others.  If I give Him my anger, He gives me peace.  If I offer Him any suffering I may have to endure, He gives me comfort, reminding me of how Jesus suffered for me.  For every worldly thing I give up, He fills my heart with more and more of His spirit.

   We often say we have given our heart to our spouse or perhaps our children, and it is right that we should love them deeply.  But the love we want to give them can be increased a hundredfold by loving God first and foremost.  The more we love Him, the more love we will have to share with others.  Whatever we offer to God, He returns with interest.

   If we are to love God and allow Him to love us as He desires, we must empty our heart so that He can fill it with what is good.  If our heart is full of worldly matters there is little room for God.  When it is filled with God, blessings will flow freely from the God who loves us.

 His Will Be Done 

   “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will.” (Matt 26: 39) 

   Our Lord knew the cup He was about to drink.  His passion, including betrayal of one of His chosen apostles and the abandonment by the rest.  He knew of the coming pain in the scourging and the crown of thorns.  The cross was His destiny, with all the pain and agony that would include.  Still, He prayed that the will of the Father be done.

   Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane is the perfect prayer – “not as I will, but as you will”.  The will of God is always for the good.  He doesn’t will evil although He does allow it.  But the evil He allows is not of His making but of our refusal to accept His will in all things.

   We were created in the image of God and part of that image is free will.  Just as God does as He wills, we too can do as we wish even if it is against the will of the Father.  People ask where evil comes from and the answer is simple, it comes from the heart of mankind, from our refusal to seek  His will, but our own desires.

   St. Augustine said, “He who created us without our help will not save us without our consent.”  God would have us all be holy, to be saints.  But we must allow Him to make us so, we must pray that His will be done.

   It is right to pray to God for the things we desire but we must remember that our desires may not be His.  We do not know His plans, for us or for the world.  He is God, we are not.  Therefore, when we pray we should always pray that His will, not ours be done.

 We Are Spiritual 

   A line in a book I was reading made me stop and reflect on the importance of what was said, “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience.  We are spiritual beings having a human experience.”

   It made me think about the balance in my life.  If I were to keep a log of my thoughts and activities, how much time would be spent on worldly needs and thoughts and how much on the spiritual?  I’m not going to keep such a log because I don’t think I want to know the answer, or maybe I already know the answer and don’t like it.

   If too much of my time is taken up by taking care of my human needs it’s likely that my spiritual needs are being pushed aside.  If so, my priorities are completely backwards!  I need to care for my spiritual needs first, and when I do, God will help me see to my human needs.

   Living in this world can be a demanding experience but living in this world should not be the ultimate or even primary concern in my life.  No matter how long I live it is just the blink of an eye when compared with eternity.  If I allow earthly matters to overwhelm the spiritual I may very well be putting my eternal soul in jeopardy.  To put it simply, life is short, eternity is forever.

   As Christ told His apostles in the Garden of Gethsemane, “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matt 26: 41).  I pray that with God’s help I can tame the flesh and strengthen the spirit within.

 Finding Happiness 

   “Find your delight in the Lord who will give you your heart’s desire.” (Ps 37: 4) 

   Happiness – everyone wants it, but few find it.  But what is happiness; what does it mean?  How I define happiness has everything to do with whether or not I can find it in this lifetime.

   Some believe they can find happiness by going to the right school or finding the right job.  But what if the “right” school doesn’t accept them, or others get the job they wanted as well as the promotions and advancements in their chosen profession?  Have they lost any chance for happiness?

   Others think that living in the right neighborhood, in a large house and driving a fancy car will make them happy.  But big houses and fancy cars cost a lot of money.  Without the advantage of the right school and a profitable career those things may be unattainable.  Without them, can they still find happiness in life?

   Many believe happiness comes with finding the right person to marry, even though they rarely understand what marital love really is.  True love, “Agape” love, is the desire for the good of the loved one rather than for self; it is a choice, not just a feeling.  Without this kind of love marriages often fail, bringing pain and sorrow rather than happiness.

   The problem with each of those paths to happiness is that they are essentially self-centered.  They depend on me, on my abilities, my drive and quite frankly a lot of luck.  They are also very much dependent upon each other.  Without one, the rest may be impossible to achieve.

   Happiness that weathers the storms and trials of life come from only one source: God.  The world can only provide a poor substitute for the happiness to be found in our Lord.  If I submit myself to Him and His will in all things I will find happiness and peace no matter the trials and disappointments of the world .

 The Blessed Sacrament 

   “Now as they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and when he had said the blessing he broke it and gave it to the disciples.  ‘Take it and eat’; he said, ‘this is my body.'  Then he took a cup, and when he had returned thanks he gave it to them, ‘Drink all of you from this’, he said, ‘for this is my blood, the blood of the covenant, which is to be poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.’” (Matt 26: 26 – 28) 

   Many Catholics and practically all of those of protestant faiths, do not accept the real presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist.  They refer to it as a symbol or simply a practice of remembrance.  No where is the word symbol found in any of Jesus’ teaching about the Blessed Sacrament, no where is it mentioned that it is just a way to remember Him.

   In John’s bread of life discourse (John 6: 35 – 71) Jesus said over and over that He is the bread of life and that the bread He would give was His flesh.  He said very clearly, “I tell you most solemnly, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you will not have life in you.” (John 6: 53).  There is no equivocation in His words, it is a simple statement of fact.

   The people were startled and confused, asking how He could give his flesh to eat.  Jesus did not back down from His statement, in fact He repeated it over and over, again and again.  “For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.” (John 6: 55).  There is no room for doubt that He meant exactly what He said.

   This teaching was so outrageous to the people that many, including some of His disciples, walked away from following Him.  Still, He did not call to them, explaining that He was speaking symbolically or in parables.  Rather, He let those who refused to accept His word walk away.  Does anyone really believe that Jesus would let His followers turn from Him and walk away from God over a simple misunderstanding?  He spoke the truth and the truth is not negotiable.

   I wish there were some way I could explain the joy and peace that comes to me when I receive the Blessed Sacrament.  I wish I could convince everyone of what happiness they are missing.  To receive the glorified Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of my Lord is beyond description; my Lord, giving Himself to me under the guise of a piece of unleavened bread.

   I don’t have the words to explain it; I don’t believe it can be explained.  I don’t understand it; I don’t believe it can be understood in human terms.  But I have no doubt whatsoever that it is true and that I receive Jesus within me each time I receive the Holy Eucharist.  He is the Bread of Life.

 Keep Christ in Christianity 

   I was sitting in adoration this morning before the Blessed Sacrament worshipping my Lord in the Holy Eucharist and it occurred to me that more and more Catholics no longer believe in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist.  Without the real presence, of what use is a wafer of unleavened bread?  As Flannery O’Conner once wisely said, “If it’s just a symbol, to Hell with it.”

   But the problem doesn’t stop with a lack of faith in the real presence.  I believe there is a lack of Christ in much of what passes for Christianity these days.  When was the last time your priest spoke about the reality of Christ within us or in the Holy Eucharist?  Do they ever mention sin and the ultimate result of unrepentant and unforgiven sin?  Do they ever speak to the evils of abortion or euthanasia or any of the wickedness so prevalent in society today?

   If the answer is never or rarely there is a problem in your church.  If we are not being taught of Christ, in us and in the world, we are being misled.  If we are more concerned with making sure we offend no one rather than preaching Christ and His truths we are misleading others.

   More and more people are checking the “none” box when surveyed about religious affiliation.  Until we again make Jesus the focus of Christianity, confronting evil wherever possible, and proudly proclaiming our faith, the number who check the “none” box will continue to grow.  Without Christ there is no Christianity.

 To Become Holy

 

   “I don’t pray because I am holy, but because I want to be holy and I need Jesus to teach me.” (Sr. Briege McKenna, O.S.C.) 

   Holiness is not something I can achieve on my own.  I am only a man, and like all humans, a sinful one.  What I must to do to become holy is get on my knees and pray for God to make me holy.

   However, I can pray for holiness all day every day, but if I don’t submit my will to Him I will not become holy.  I am always amazed that God waits for me to give Him permission to do with me what He will.  That is the key to holiness, submitting my will to His in all things.  Just as our Lord prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, I too must say, “not as I will, but as you will.” (Matt 26: 39).

   The archangel Gabriel told our Blessed Mother “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” (Luke 1: 35).  If I am to become holy, the same must happen to me.  But that can only happen if I, like Mary, become a servant of the Lord, allowing Him to do with me whatever He wills.

   I can’t enter God’s heavenly kingdom unless I am holy.  I cannot become holy unless I allow God to make me so.  That is why I pray; not because I am holy but because I want to become holy.

 Opening the Scripture 

   “Then, starting with Moses and going through all the prophets, he explained to them the passages throughout the scriptures that were about himself.” (Luke 24: 27)

 

   When I read of Jesus opening the scriptures to the disciples on the road to Emmaus I can’t help but wish that I could have been there with them as He explained the scriptures to them.  Through prayer and by the grace of God He does, at times, open the scripture to me in a way.

   I often try to place myself in the scripture, to become a participant in what is happening.  For instance, in reading St. John’s account of the feeding of the five thousand one phrase captures my attention, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?” (John 6: 9).

   I try to become that boy, seeing what he sees, hearing what he hears.  How would I react when the disciple came and asked me for the loaves and fish?  Would I willingly give them up or would I hesitate, thinking like the disciple did, that so little food was of no use for so many.

   As I gave Jesus the food, would I still be wondering how my few loaves and fish could help?  Then He blessed the food, and I watched in amazement as over five thousand people had their fill; all from my few loaves and two fish.  Would I recognize Him as the Messiah in the miracle He had performed?

   God will, at times, open the scriptures.  But it takes desire, trust, and prayer.  It takes reading the scripture for inspiration rather than just for intellectual knowledge.  It means giving my heart and soul to Him and prayerfully listening to what He wants to tell me.

 God’s Law Within Us 

   “Deep within them I will plant my Law, writing it on their hearts.  Then I will be their God and they shall be my people.” (Jerimiah 31: 33) 

   These words apply to each of us.  Within each of us God has written His word and His laws.  Many reject His words and disobey His laws but that does not change the fact that He is always within us.

   This is the basis of St. Augustine’s famous line, “You have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”  This is why people search for peace and happiness in life but never truly find it unless they look for it in God.  What joys, happiness, and peace that can be found in this world are at best temporary and often based on the disordered things of this world.

   Satan uses the desires of this world to give us false joy and peace, keeping us from recognizing God within us, leading us away from the peace our heavenly Father wishes to grant us.  Many fall victim to the devil’s ploys, but if they look within themselves they will find that these carnal desires do not bring lasting peace but lead to even more evil desires.

   His word is within us; deep down we know His laws and know that they are right.  The lures and temptations of life may hide them from us, and we may reject them.  But in the end we will realize that St. Augustine was right; our hearts will not be at rest until they rest in God.