Hearts on Fire

I've been reflecting on the question posed in Luke's Gospel, "Were not our hearts burning within us while He spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us."  As such, this question came to mind a number of times as I read the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, especially as it repeatedly stressed the meditative environment that must be fostered during the celebration of the Liturgy of the Word.  

The Liturgy of the Word, complete with reverent reading and chanting, reflective homily, and sacred silence is meant to offer spiritual nourishment, but also increase a spiritual hunger (a burning heart) for communion with our Blessed Lord in the Eucharist.

One of the deacons I have had the honor of serving with often says that the Liturgy should flow.  I believe the intention behind this statement is to always foster an environment that facilitates meditation and fosters a yearning for communion with the Lord, both in the Word and in the Flesh (the Eucharist).

Throughout the history of the Church, the Mass and the Eucharist have been the key to a fervent faith life.  Indeed, getting the most out of Christianity is dependent on our understanding of the Mystery of the Eucharist.  With that understanding comes hearts that burn for communion with Him.

Through the Liturgy of the Word, we have the opportunity to introduce and deepen that Eucharistic understanding.  Through the Liturgy of the Word, we have the opportunity to ignite burning hearts, whet Eucharistic appetites, and foster a deep yearning for true communion with our Blessed Lord.

Let us always approach the Liturgy of the Word with reverent reading and chanting, reflective homilies, and sacred silence that are meant to offer spiritual nourishment, offers a meditate environment that enables to have a true encounter with our Blessed Lord, and prepares us to enter into true communion with Him through the Eucharist.  Lord, set our hearts on fire with hunger for You!

Words Have Power

Recently, I reflected on the section of the Catechism entitled "The Sacrament of the Eucharist".  Paragraph 1381 struck me in a way that I hadn't noticed before:

"That in this sacrament are the true Body of Christ and his true Blood is something that 'cannot be apprehended by the senses,' says St. Thomas, 'but only by faith, which relies on divine authority.' For this reason, in a commentary on Luke 22:19 ('This is my body which is given for you.'), St. Cyril says: 'Do not doubt whether this is true, but rather receive the words of the Savior in faith, for since he is the truth, he cannot lie.'"

Godhead here in hiding, whom I do adore
Masked by these bare shadows, shape and nothing more,
See, Lord, at thy service low lies here a heart
Lost, all lost in wonder at the God thou art.
Seeing, touching, tasting are in thee deceived;
How says trusty hearing? that shall be believed;
What God's Son has told me, take for truth I do;
Truth himself speaks truly or there's nothing true.

We cannot apprehend the reality of the Eucharist with our natural senses, yet we dare not doubt that we consume the "true meat" and "true drink" of His Flesh and Blood (John 6:55) since He is the Truth and He cannot lie.

We have seen the power of the words of the Lord repeatedly, starting in the book of Genesis, "Let there be light!" (Genesis 1:3).  God speaks and the laws of physics must obey.  "Let there be light", and there was light.  "Let there be vegetation", and there was vegetation (Genesis 1:11).  "Rise, take up your mat, and walk", and the man became well and walked (John 8:8-9).  The Lord speaks and the laws of physics must obey.

The same holds true during the prayers of consecration during Mass.  Through the celebrant priest, the Lord says, "This IS my Body" (Luke 22:19).  Is the almighty God that is capable to creating light from a command, growing vegetation from a command, and healing a sick man from a command somehow only capable of a symbolic gesture in declaring His presence in the Eucharist?  I think not.  His words have power.  He is the Truth.  It doesn't matter what our natural senses detect.  If Jesus says, "This IS my Body", then we can trust in His power to make His real presence manifest as taught the Catholic Church.

Either Jesus has the power to do what He says, or He doesn't.  It is a matter of faith as to whether or not we receive His words and believe.  Let us pray the Holy Spirit continues to open our eyes of faith to the true and substantial presence of Jesus in the Eucharist so we may fully encounter Him and adore Him more fervently in the Sacraments.

Dynamic Discipleship - Reflection for Evening Prayer - Monday of the 26th Week of Ordinary Time (1 Thessalonians 2:11-13)

Our reading from the first letter of Saint Paul to the Thessalonians, along with a couple of the verses prior to those cited in the reading, in a way encapsulate our missions as baptized disciples.  The words of Saint Paul represent a challenge we are called to meet in our daily lives.

Through the ministry of Paul and Silas, the Thessalonians were moved to turn from their idols.  They were moved to truly worship and serve the living and true God.  Our lives as baptized Christians ideally have a lot of similarities to that of Paul and Silas.  We are called to engage a world that is full of idols and other distractions that often prevent true worship.  Idols and distractions that often act as a sort of spiritual contraception in the blossoming of spiritual fruit in our lives and in the lives of those we are called to serve.

Let's strive to embrace our mission as Christians similar to how Paul and Silas embraced them, and look to Paul and Silas for encouragement and hope from their experiences.  

Paul and Silas preached for free and worked professional jobs to pay their expenses.  Similarly, most of us do not have paid positions within the Church.  We work our secular jobs to pay our expenses, support our families, and support the Church. Let us always strive to be an active part of the world, influencing it with the values of Christ, but never fall for the ways of the world.

Paul and Silas practiced what they preached.  They led by example with conduct that was upright, just, and irreproachable.  Similarly, we are called to lead by the same example.  Let us always strive to be a visible example of what it means to truly love, worship, and serve the Lord.

Paul and Silas related to the Thessalonians as a father relates to their children.  Similarly, let's strive to be a source of spiritual nourishment to those God puts in our lives…guiding and teaching them in matters of faith, morals, and spirituality as a father may guide and teach their children.  Let's strive to always be loving and accepting of others where they are, but at the same time always encouraging them to be more than they are.  Let's strive to always present objective truth with respect and condor.

Remember always the words of Saint Catherine of Siena, "If you are what you were meant to be, you will set the world on fire."

If we can follow the example of Paul and Silas with self-sacrifice, holiness, and a sense of community, we can truly be an instrument of the Holy Spirit to move hearts, facilitate conversions, and renew the Church.  We will set the world on fire.

Clear and Present

Paragraph 1391 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church quotes the Lord saying, “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.”  In fact, I believe in John 6, the Lord says this four times in six verses.  In another one of those six verses, the Lord specifically declares that “my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink”.  

I have always been fascinated about how Zwingli and other Protestant reformers could come to the symbolic conclusions they taught when Jesus was so very clear about the reality of His flesh and blood.

Equally fascinating is how the Evangelicals and Fundamentalists that claim to follow only the Bible would reject the positions of the real presence of Jesus when the Bible clearly says that His flesh is true food (in fact; the King James version goes a step further by saying His flesh is meat indeed) and His blood is true drink.

St. Alphonsus said, “The devil has always attempted, by means of heretics, to deprive the world of the Mass.”  I have no doubt Satan is well aware that “receiving the Eucharist in Holy Communion is an intimate union with Christ Jesus.”  Satan certainly tempts non-Catholics into believing the symbolic teachings of many non-Catholic faith traditions and persuades them to reject the truth of the substantial presence of Jesus in the Eucharist as taught by the Catholic Church for nearly 2,000 years.

Ultimately, Jesus prayed that we “may all be one”.  Per the Divine plan, that oneness that Jesus prayed for can really only come to fruition through, with, and in Him via the Eucharist.  Our evangelization efforts should be Eucharist focused with the goal to bring those not in full communion with Christ to “the fullness of the means of salvation” and “full sacramental life” Christ established.

Jesus Christ is substantially present in the Eucharist.   Let's stand firm to Him.

Passover and the Eucharist

 I find the continuity between the Jewish Passover and the Eucharist to be fascinating.  

The Jewish Passover meal includes unleavened bread, wine, and an unblemished lamb.  Participating in the Jewish Passover meal recalls freedom from slavery in Egypt, and was a necessary component of being part of the Hebrew community.

Similarly, the Eucharist includes unleavened bread (at least in the Latin Rite), wine, and an unblemished Lamb, namely Jesus Christ.  Participating in the Eucharist recalls freedom from slavery to sin.   A Catholic must receive the Eucharist at least once a year (generally during the Easter season) to continue to be in a state of grace; i.e., part of the Catholic community.

The Jewish Passover meal includes four cups of wine: the cup of sanctification, the cup of proclamation, the cup of blessing, and the cup of praise.  When Jesus celebrated the Passover meal with His Apostles in the upper room on Holy Thursday, He only drank the first three cups.  After drinking the cup of blessing, He and the Apostles sang a hymn of Hallel and left to go to the Mount of Olives without drinking the final cup (Matthew 26:26-30).  Jesus didn't drink the fourth and final cup of the Passover meal until He was given wine to drink on the cross (Matthew 27:48).  This fourth cup is also known as the Hallel Cup and  the Cup of Consummation.  We mystically drink from this fourth Passover cup at every Mass.

Thus, the Mass is a direct participation in the sacrifice of Jesus at Calvary, a fulfillment of the Jewish Passover that God directed all generations to celebrate at the time of the Exodus from Egypt, and an anticipation of the eternal Passover in the Kingdom of God as described throughout the book of Revelation.

The Eucharist truly is the source and the summit of the Christian faith.

Heavenly Communication - Reflection for Morning Prayer - Sixth Saturday of Easter (Romans 14:7-9)

We celebrate two joyful anniversary milestones this year.  One is joyful and happy, the other is joyful, but sad.  The 50th anniversary of entering into the covenant of Holy Matrimony is certainly the happy and joyful occasion.  Over those 50th years, there have been many happy times.  But, we have also seen a number of not-so-happy times.  We've seen illness and disease that have robbed us of our joy.  We suffered loss of loved ones, sometimes tragically and without warning.  The other anniversary marks one such event, the tragic loss of Erin and Barry 10 years ago.

You may be wondering why I would refer to that as a joyful anniversary.  After all, some of us may still be angry at God for allowing it to happen.  We still feel the loss, we still hurt, we are still in pain.  We want, actually, we need someone to blame. 

I think God is fine with being the target of our anger, but let's not let our anger blind us to the truth.  The world tries to convince us that this world is all we have.  To the world, there isn't a heaven.  To the world, there isn't a hell.  To the world, when someone dies, that is it.  The world convinces us that when a person dies, they are cut off from us and that we can never experience their presence again.  I think we can all agree that there is no joy in that. 

But, the world mindset is not even close to reality.  Our reading this morning reminds us that Jesus is the Lord of both the living and the dead.  This statement has immediate consequences for us as we reflect on the glorious mysteries of the Rosary and what those mysteries mean to us personally.    The promise of our own resurrection and eternal life.  The promise of our own assumption into heaven.  The promise of our own coronation in heaven.

Tomorrow, the Church will formally celebrate the Ascension of the Lord.  Therefore, it is fitting that we are praying in the cemetery today, surrounded by the bodies of our deceased family members, going back to the first Sparks to settle in Jasper County.  But, it is important that we remember that only their bodies are here, waiting for the promise Christ gave through the Eucharist in John chapter 6.  The promise that if we consume the Eucharist, if we eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood, that we will be risen on the last day and will have eternal life.

While the bodies of our family lay here in rest, we hope their life, their essence, their soul, is in heaven.  In heaven, the greatest desire is for us to join them in their joyful bliss and the saints are praying that we truly follow the way of salvation that Jesus instituted in the Catholic Church.  The promises of Jesus are real. The promises of the Eucharist and the other Sacraments Jesus instituted are real.  Through the Eucharist, we can have eternal life with Erin and our other loved ones.  Through the Eucharist our bodies can be risen on the last day to live the fullness of life God intended us to live before the fall of Adam and Eve…a life in paradise with Erin and our other loved ones.

When I was home a few weeks ago for Easter and Uncle Charlie's funeral, Gracey had made a comment about some sort of a sixth sense connection between twins.  Gregg, responded that it was a myth and didn't exist.  However, that is not completely true.  There is, at least a potential for, a very real spiritual connection.  The good news is that the spiritual connection isn't limited just to twins.  Think of the spiritual connection between Saul and Samuel in the first book of Samuel.  Saul sought a spiritual connection with Samuel by means of a medium that excluded the Holy Spirit, which is something we should not do.  However, the experience between Saul and Samuel show us that all of us can have this type of spiritual connection with our deceased loved ones.  But, it can only happen through, with, and in Jesus in the Eucharist….or as Father declares at Mass: Through Him, With Him, and In Him.

Because of this potential for spiritual connection, we don't have to wait for heaven to have a very real and substantial connection and relationship with Erin through Jesus in the Eucharist.  When we go to the Mass, and any time we are in the presence of the Eucharist, we are in the physical presence of the resurrected Jesus Christ –  Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity.  Being at the Mass puts us in the direct presence of the Lord, and by virtue of the Lord in the direct presence of anyone else that is in the direct presence of the Lord, including anyone in heaven.  When you are in the presence of the Eucharist, you are in the real presence of Erin by virtue of the consummation of the Lord's passion, death, and resurrection.  Eastern Catholics and Orthodox refer to this as theosis.   Whenever we receive the Eucharist, we are not only brought into communion with Jesus, but we are also into communion with anyone in a state of theosis, including Erin and anyone else in heaven.  That is reality…that is a reality we can embrace and be joyful for.

St. John Damascene said that in receiving the Lord's precious Body and Blood, we communicate with and are intimately united to the Lord Jesus.  Since those of us on earth and the blessed in heaven are members of His Mystical Body, in the Eucharist, therefore, we also communicate with and are untied to one another.  Let's take a moment to comprehend the reality of St. John's statement.  Through the Eucharist, we can communicate with and are united to Erin, in heaven.  St. Therese of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. John Chrysostom and several other mystical saints shared this truth in their writings.

As you pray the rosary in the future, especially the Glorious mysteries that we meditated on last evening, I encourage you to ponder the reality of these things.  What is it like to encounter the resurrected Lord and our loved ones in heaven through the Mass and the Eucharist?  What is it like to feel the Holy Spirit descend upon the altar during the prayers of consecration at Mass, similar to how He descended in the upper room during Pentecost 2,000 years ago.  What do you think your personal resurrection will be like?  What do you think being assumed into heaven similar Enoch, Elijah, and Mary will be like?  What do you think you will be feeling as Jesus crowns you in heaven with the words, "Well done, good and faithful servant?" 

But those promises are available to us today, through the Mass and the Eucharist.  Tomorrow, we will be celebrating the Mass together, probably for the first time since Erin's funeral.  When we go, go with profound faith in and love for Jesus in the Eucharist.  Allow yourself to experience the true rapture of the Mass, where heaven and earth meet.  Allow yourself to mystically see the angels and saints present at the Mass with us.  Allow yourself to listen to the holy silence….listening for the voice of Jesus, and, perhaps, the voice of Erin. 

If we truly embrace the Truths that Jesus has given to us through the Catholic Church and truly surrender ourselves to His real presence in the Eucharist, we can unite with Erin and our other loved ones in heaven, and we can truly experience the loving union that can only be found in the Holy Spirit.

I'll close this reflection with a prayer from St. Thomas Aquinas.  "O Jesus, Bread of Angels, make us see your Good in the land of the living.  You who feed us here, make us there (in heaven) the intimate companions of the saints."

Sabbath Rest - Friday of the First Week in Ordinary Time (Heb 4:1-5, 11)

When God established the original covenant with Adam, the sign of the covenant was the Sabbath.  God spent six days building creation.  God "rested and refreshed" on the seventh day.  

The idea of honoring the Sabbath carried forward with the new covenants with Noah and Abraham; and it was eventually codified in the covenant with Moses in the form of the third commandment of the Ten Commandments.  Keeping the Sabbath (or the Lord's day) holy continues to be an important aspect of the new and everlasting covenant Jesus established with His Church.

The bottom line is that by honoring the Sabbath we honor God, His work of creation, and His savings actions.  It is an opportunity to retreat from worldly concerns and the forms of servitude through which work, money, and other worldly concerns can attempt lay claim on us.

There are two points I would like to focus on for us to keep in mind as we attempt to honor the Sabbath in our faith life.

First, we need to make sure we are included in the covenant God has with His Church.  Jesus initiates the new and everlasting covenant through His divine nature, and Jesus responds to this covenant through His human nature.  Somehow, we need to participate in the response of Jesus.  This occurs through our active participation in the Mass and our reverent reception of the Eucharist.  As Jesus said, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you do not have life within you."  This is why it is imperative to attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation, and why the Church makes Mass attendance obligatory to the faith.  Objectively speaking, if we are not attending Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation and/or we are not receiving the Eucharist at least during the Easter season, then we are not included in the covenant God established with the Church to be the means of our salvation.

Second, we are called to step away from worldly concerns and allow ourselves and others to rest and refresh.  This is where we have to do a bit of an examination of conscience.  Do we spend our Sundays running errands, catching up on unnecessary work, and being absorbed in worldly concerns as opposed to being attentive to how God is operating in our life?  The Chief Information Officer of the company I work for recently challenged us to block 90 minutes on our calendar to step away from our work to do something nice for someone else.  What if we took that attitude in terms of how we plan to spend our time on Sunday and how we give honor to the Lord?  Is there an opportunity to spend 90 minutes after Mass reconnecting with God, self, and others?  Are there opportunities to spend that time purposefully practicing one or more of the Corporal or Spiritual works of mercy?  How is God calling you to spend your Sunday?  

Ultimately, Jesus is trying to lead us to spiritual perfection, and it is in how we love God, self, and others that we ultimately find our fulfillment and true happiness.  Properly honoring the Sabbath will help to free us from the worldly pressures and anxieties of life.  This will enable us to better hear how the Lord is calling us in our spiritual journey.

Time to Get to Work - Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord (Mk 16:15-20)

 I find this week of the liturgical calendar to be one of the most interesting and inviting, yet also one of  the most challenging of the Church year.  We wrap up the Easter season by celebrating the Ascension of our blessed Lord into heaven, and begin the transition from the Easter celebration, through Pentecost, and on into Ordinary time.  Just imagine what the the Apostles were feeling, after all they experienced with the passion, death, and resurrection of our blessed Lord and now His triumphant ascension into heaven.  On top of that, they have been promised power through an outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and have been entrusted to continue Christ's mission through the Catholic Church.  Let's face it, there is nothing ordinary about that.  Yet, here we are...spiritually speaking, the same transition, the same challenge, the same mission, and yes, the same promise of power and the same promise of the Holy Spirit.

As we listened to the Gospel today, the last command Jesus gave the Apostles before ascending into heaven was, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).  Since that time, the bishops of the Catholic Church,  who are the successors to the Apostles, along with the priests and deacons have continued the mission that Christ gave to the Apostles.  

Yet, we would be in err if we didn't recognize the rightful responsibility of the laity to actively participate in the mission of the Church as well.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen famously declared that it would not be the bishops, nor the priests, nor the religious that save the Catholic Church (Word on Fire).  He firmly believed that it would be the active participation of the laity that is key to the success of Christ's mission on Earth.  

In his encyclical, Evangelii Gaudium, which is latin for Joy of the Gospel, Pope Francis reminds us that the mission of the Church is evangelization and that each of the baptized are called to actively participate in this mission (Evangelii Gaudium, 120).  He goes so far as to say that authentic faith involves a deep desire to change the world, to transmit values, to leave this earth somehow better than we found it (Evangelii Gaudium, 183).

Yet, St. James reminds us, faith without works is dead (James 2:17).  In a world of distractions, conflicting priorities, and consistent busyness, a deep desire simply is not enough.  Pope Francis goes on to say that it is no longer possible to claim that religion should be restricted to the private sphere and that it exists only to prepare souls for heaven (Evangelii Gaudium, 182).  We have to begin to step outside of ourselves to experience the fullness of the Holy Spirit around us.  We must be an active participant in the mission of the Church reaching out to our neighbors, especially the poor, and introducing them to the fullness of Christ in the Catholic Church.

Does this sound like a daunting proposition?  Fear not!  As we read today in the letter to the Ephesians, Jesus gives grace to individuals in His Church for the continuance of the mission Christ gave to the Catholic Church (Ephesians 4:7,12).   Just as the Holy Spirit was poured upon the Apostles to give them the grace to help them in their missionary work.  So to, the Holy Spirit will provide all the grace we need to fulfill how we are called to participate in the mission.  

There are several principles we can follow to more fully participate in a missionary community and truly witness to Christ through faith, hope, and love.

Always trust that our blessed Lord takes the initiative in any evangelical opportunity (Evangelii Gaudium, 24).   We just need to step with Him.  Even if an evangelical effort appears to fail, we can trust Jesus will bring about the good He intended to bring out of the effort.

Be patient with and responsive to the needs of others.  Offer appropriate support when the oppportunity arises (Evangelii Gaudium, 24).  Jesus was clear that He wants us to  feed the  hungry, give drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, cloth the naked, and visit the ill and imprisoned (Matthew 25:31-40).  We need to be open to the people Christ sends into our lives for us to journey with them in their struggles, helping introduce them to Christ and His Church as we service to them.

Be concerned with bearing fruit through our efforts for the good of others (Evangelii Gaudium, 24).  The ultimate act of love of neighbor is to bring them closer to Christ through the Sacramental life of the Church, especially the Eucharist.  Jesus even said, “unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you” (John 6:53).  We need to be responsive to opportunities to invite our family, friends, and neighbors to the heavenly banquet our blessed Lord prepared for us at the Mass.

Take the time to be joyful and rejoice often  (Evangelii Gaudium, 24).  Pope Francis reminds us, “an evangelizer must never look like someone who has just come back from a funeral (Evangelii Gaudium, 10).”  We should always be mindful of the attitude we project when evangelizing.  He encourages us to “recover and deepen our enthusiasm, that delightful and comforting joy of evangelizing, even when it is in tears that we must sow” (Evangelii Gaudium, 10).  One of the best ways I know to do this is to always find something to be grateful for and help others to be grateful as well.

Be flexible and reach out often (Evangelii Gaudium, 28).  Pope Francis reminds us “the parish is the presence of the Church in a given territory, an environment for hearing God’s word, for growth in the Christian life, for dialogue, proclamation, charitable outreach, worship and celebration (Evangelii Gaudium, 28).”  Find ways to increase our active participation in the Mass and other liturgical celebrations.  Be open to opportunities to join small faith groups and other parish committees.  Additionally, participate in parish outreach programs to inactive parishioners, home-bound parishioners, and the like.   4-H groups teach “that which we keep for ourselves, we lose; but that which we give away, we keep.”  They do this by getting out of themselves by helping someone else.  They call it the Joy of Service (4-H).  The same axiom applies to our spiritual lives.   If we want to continue to consistently experience the joy of the Gospel, we must regularly participate in the evangelical mission of the Church by getting outside ourselves and reaching out to someone else.

Continue to improve as an evangelizer (Evangelii Gaudium, 28).  Pope Francis reminds us “a missionary heart never closes itself off, never retreats into its own security, never opts for rigidity and defensiveness. It realizes that it has to grow in its own understanding of the Gospel and in discerning the paths of the Spirit, and so it always does what good it can, even if in the process, its shoes get soiled by the mud of the street (Evangelii Gaudium, 45).”  It is important that we continue to grow in our understanding of the Gospel and the faith.  Some examples of how to do this is to study scripture, read good books related to the faith, join a small faith discussion group, work with a spiritual director, and the like.

Seek to abandon complacent attitudes  (Evangelii Gaudium, 33).  There is an old axiom, if you are not moving forward, you are falling behind.  No where is that more true than our spiritual life and how we evangelize.  Ideally, we are continually growing closer to the Lord and helping those the Lord places in our life to continually grow closer to Him as well.  Do we have an increased awareness of God's presence in our life and how He interacts with us compared to the past?  Do we see an increased display of the fruits of the Holy Spirit in our lives compared to the past?  Do you find others seek you out for advice and support more than in the past?  If not, now may be the time for us to challenge our spiritual status quo.  This can be done by reaching out beyond our comfort level in service to others.  Spiritual direction and small faith groups may also be a help.

As we enter into ordinary time, it is important that we embrace the evangelical mission Christ gave the Apostles in our Gospel reading today.  These principles may help us better participate in the mission.

Structure helps me to incorporate these types of principles into my life.  If that is true for you, tt may be beneficial to more fully embrace the timeless practice of making every Friday a day of self-denial and penitential witness in memory of the Lord’s ultimate sacrifice for us (Fast).  Historically, this was a requirement for the Church whereby the faithful abstained from meat every Friday through out the entire year.  Since Vatican II, the requirement to abstain from meat was lessened to only Friday's during Lent.  However, we are still encouraged to take up some work of self-denial by free choice on Friday's outside of Lent (Fast).  I propose that we take meaningful action to use our time, talent, and/or treasure on Fridays to help the evangelical mission of the Church.  Such an exercise can be an excellent way to participate in this call for self-denial and facilitate spiritual growth.

If after employing these principles into our spiritual lives, we still struggle with feeling the joy of the Gospel...if we still find the mission of the Church overwhelming, I recommend participating in a Spiritual Gifts Inventory seminar.  These seminars, conducted by the Catholic Renewal Center, help attendees discover their spiritual gifts and offer some ideas on how to use those gifts in the service of our blessed Lord.  They are a wonderful resource that can help us to better understand how Christ is calling us to more fully participate in the mission.

A final thought, the Apostles and disciples spent nine days in the upper room following the ascension of the Lord until the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.  They spent these nine days in prayer, which is where early Christians got the idea for prayer novenas.  They prayed about their fears and concerns, surrendering them to the Lord.  They prayed to be able to participate in the mission and accept the challenge the Lord gave.   They prayed for the coming of the Holy Spirit.  They prayed that their hearts would be open to receive the Holy Spirit when that promise was fulfilled.  They prayed that they may have the courage and the strength to follow the Holy Spirit.  They prayed to surrender their life and their will to the Holy Spirit in that His will, as opposed to their will, would be done.

I ask that you consider spending this week reflecting on the upper room.  Imagine yourself in the upper room with our Blessed Mother and the Apostles.  Allow yourself to hear the prayers they are praying.  Allow yourself to experience the emotions they were feeling after all they had experienced with the passion, death, and resurrection of our blessed Lord and His triumphant ascension into heaven.  Allow yourself to experience the anticipation they must have felt over the promise of the Holy Spirit, and perhaps the anxiety they may have felt over the impending mission.  Allow these emotions to become your own emotions.  Pray that your heart will be opened for the fullness of the Holy Spirit and pray for a personal Pentecost in your life.  Pray that the Holy Spirit will help you hear God's calling for you, give you power, and lead you in your work on the mission the Lord has given us.

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created and you shall renew the face of the earth.

Let us now take this intention to the alter as we prepare to receive the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of our Lord and Savior.

Family Tradition - Thursday of the Third Week of Advent (MT 1:1-17)

Whenever we read the genealogy of Jesus, I am reminded of the important lessons that we can learn from the stories behind the names in His ancestry.  The Gospel reading today, not only serves to present the lineage of Jesus, but can also represent the major heroes and milestones of Salvation History in the Old Testament, encompassing nearly 2,000 years and includes the ancient Patriarchs and the Exodus, the high Kingdom of David and Solomon, the split of the Kingdom into two, the Babylonian Exile, and the struggles of the postexilic community to restore the land.

Among the lessons we can learn from our spiritual ancestors are reminders that God is in control and has a divine plan, that God can use sinners and those that are seen by the world as “unremarkable” to make His will manifest, that God has an unerring capacity to bring light out of the darkness, and that God ultimately acts in and through His covenant with us.

When God established His covenant with Abraham, He set forth a plan of salvation that continued to evolve over time as the people of Israel continued their pilgrimage through Salvation History.  Sometimes, the light of salvation can be difficult to see, but we can see God's promise endure through the many challenges Israel faced.

The genealogy shows us God's providence endures through time.  Take for example Ruth.  Ruth was an outsider from Moab that had married an Israelite husband.  Her husband and sons died and she decided to move to Israel with her mother-in-law.  After some time  in Israel, she met Boaz, whom she later married.  Their child, Obed, is the grandfather of David, the great King whom God had ordained to rescue Israel from the Palestinians and establish the Davidic kingdom, which is a foreshadow of the Messianic kingdom established by Christ.  To say Ruth was “unremarkable” to the world (and even to Israel as a community) is an understatement.  Yet, she is a particularly important piece of the overall plan God put together.  The same is true in our own lives.  As “unremarkable” as we may feel at times, God has a plan for us that has important consequences for Salvation History.  

David, himself, was quite “unremarkable” as a simple shepherd boy.  In fact, he was nearly overlooked when Samuel was searching to anoint the next king of Israel.  Yet, David has a more remarkable lesson for us to be mindful of.  Many of us have sins in our past (maybe even sins we are still struggling with today), sins that might leave us feeling like we aren't good enough to serve God.  Yet, we must remember that David, the greatest King of Israel, was a murderer and an adulterer.  Even with those mortal sins in David's life, David was still God's anointed one and God did great things through him.  We, too, have been anointed by God by virtue of our baptism and confirmation.  If we, like David, truly repent of our sins and live within the context of the covenant (which for us, is to live the sacramental life of the Church), God will do great thing through us as well.

After the heights of the Kingdom during the reign of David and Solomon, the Kingdom of Israel split into two and eventually fell to the Babylonian empire.  The Babylonian exile is among the darkest periods of Salvation History.  It is a time of great persecution and suffering of God's people.  It is during this period that we read of forced worship of pagan idols, persecution, and the abandonment of the faith.  It is during the Babylonian exile that we hear the story of the three men cast into the fiery furnace and the story of the mother that witnessed the martyrdom of her seven sons prior to her own martyrdom.  

The Babylonian exile should remind us that there are consequences when we start to become lax in our faith life, when we do not make our best effort to understand God's will and  we make choices that are not proper to living within the context of the covenant.  

As we reflect on the Advent season, we should also take consolation of the more positive message we can receive from the Babylonian exile.  No matter how dark the Babylonian exile was, God was able to bring light out of the darkness.  

When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into the fiery furnace, God delivered them and used the situation to remind the faithful of His mighty wonders; that His kingship is an everlasting kingship, and His dominion endures through all generations.  Further, when the mother witnessed the martyrdom of her seven sons prior to her own martyrdom, the Lord used it as an opportunity to remind us to hope in the eternal life that is born of serving the Lord and living within the context of the covenant.  

These examples, along with many others, show that God uses the dark periods of Salvation History to produce heroes of the faith.    God raises these heroes within the context of the covenant.  God raised the Judges in the Mosaic covenant, and similarly He raised the Church Fathers in the Messianic Covenant.  God raised prophets (like Elisha) and kings (like Josias) to meet the specific needs of His people at those respective times of Salvation History.  Similarly, God rose specific leaders in the Church, such as St. Francis De Sales and Pope Clement XI.  It is through the covenant, which for the the Messianic covenant is the sacramental life of the Church, that we are granted the grace to face the challenging times of our day, the grace allow God to transform us into the heroes needed to make His plan manifest, and the grace to allow God's light to shine through us into the darkness.   

Advent offers us an opportunity to reflect on our full spiritual heritage and open our hearts to what God is calling us to be.  It is an opportunity to repent of any sins that may hold us back from our full spiritual potential and to renounce any lies that we may not be good enough or somehow too “unremarkable” for God to use us.  It is an opportunity to embrace the holy silence that we may better recognize how God is working through us and around us, even in what seems to be the darkness of the world.  It is a time to re-embrace the everlasting Messianic covenant that Jesus shed His blood to establish; most especially in the true presence of His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity in the Eucharist.  It is a time to fully surrender our will to God and remember that He has a plan that “justice shall flourish in His time, and fullness of peace for ever”.  Everyone in the genealogy of Jesus had an important role in making His plan manifest.  Similarly, every baptized Christian also has an important role in making His plan manifest.  What is your role?

Advent – The Invitation Awaits

For many, this time of year represents a time of hyper-superficiality.  A time where we are easily overwhelmed by the unrealistic expectations of rushing from one holiday party to the next, buying that perfect gift for the special people in our lives, and completing the year-end deadlines imposed by work and society at large.  It has become a season of people-pleasing that showcases the co-dependent and materialistic nature of our society at its worst.

Yet, Advent can be a powerful season of introspection if we allow ourselves the opportunity to pull away from the cultural noise bombarding us to get in touch with ourselves and with the Lord calling within.

It is a time to reflect on the trials and tribulations of the ancient Israelites.  A time when they felt distant from God and yearned for the promised Messiah to deliver them from the overwhelming cultural circumstances our spiritual ancestors had found themselves in.  As you read the Advent readings and hear the Word at Mass, allow yourself to feel the spiritual hunger and thirst that Jeremiah, Isaiah, Zephaniah, and the other prophets must have been feeling during the time of exile.

In what ways do you associate with these feelings?  What components of your life do you feel are distant from God?  Is there a restlessness that you are not able to articulate?  In what other ways are you feeling unsatisfied or empty?  Where in your life are you harboring unforgiveness, resentment, sinfulness, or self-centeredness?  Where in your life are you lacking peace?

These are the questions you are invited to ponder this season.  This is where your Savior awaits, laying in the manger of your innermost vulnerabilities and at the very core of your soul.  He awaits to fulfill the promises He made to Israel through your life in a special way. 

Allow this season to be a season of rebirth for you, shedding the false self you have been living through and instead embracing the true self God created. Ponder the implications of His words:

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you.”  (Jer 1:5)

“For I know well the plans I have in mind for you—oracle of the LORD—plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope.”  (Jer 29:11)