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.