Quote of the Day

Do not let your love be a pretence, but sincerely prefer good to evil. Love each other as much as brothers should, and have a profound respect for each other. Work for the Lord with untiring effort and with great earnestness of spirit. If you have hope, this will make you cheerful. Do not give up if trials come; and keep on praying.

- Romans 12:9-12, from Vespers for 27 January 2009

The Cross

No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended from heaven, the Son of man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him, may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.  -John 3:13-17 – Gospel reading from 14 September 2008, The Exultation of the Holy Cross. (Emphasis mine)

Today in the Catholic Church, we celebrate the moment when God, who became man, sacrificed Himself for our sake, and more specifically, the manner in which he did so.

So many times when people think of our faith, it is put on some esoteric level, some ethereal plane where only the spirit exists, where the different stories we hear are but fables, and they are simply guideposts on the path to enlightenment. But what they forget, and indeed what even so many Christians fail to remember, is that these were real people and real events.

Listening to the wonderful Archbishop Sheen today, he reminded his listeners of an awesome reality. There are two aspects to our faith, the spiritual, and the physical. Each of the Sacraments has a spiritual side, and a physical side. Take baptism for example. The physical is the pouring of water; the spiritual is the washing away of sin. It is no different with the cross.

On the physical level, Jesus was condemned to die. He was sentenced to the most horrible execution that the Romans could offer. He was beaten to within inches of death. He was mocked, ridiculed. He was forced to undertake impossible tasks and to endure great suffering. Then when he reached Golgotha, he was nailed to the cross. Our God, become man, allowed himself to be restrained by mere mortals, allowed them to hammer the nails through His divine flesh. Our own God let His blood be spilled by His own creation, when at any moment He could have called a host of Angels to come down from heaven.

Our Faith is a physical faith, it is a true faith, it is more real than anything on this planet.

On the spiritual level, Christ’s sufferings paid for our sins. If there were no sacrifice on the cross, we would be doomed for all eternity. But, as the most recognized passage in the bible states: For God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. (Jn 3:16) We are but poor sinners, falling horribly short of giving God the thanks and adoration He deserves, and yet He gave himself completely and totally to us.

Our Faith is a spiritual faith; its realities reveal to us something grander and more glorious than anything in existence.

I’ve wondered at times what it would be like on that fateful day around 1,975 years ago. Jesus was dead, leaving his apostles to ponder what was next. I can only imagine. Personally, I have always been one to seek physical, concrete, proof, so the time for me would have been terrifying. Was it all real? Was this teacher, this God-Man, in fact the person he said he was? Not to mention the fact that the Romans and Pharisees alike no doubt wanted to eliminate the threat of Christ’s followers. The next three days, at least in my own mind, would have been days of fear and uncertainty. I am certain that those who were at the foot of the cross did not exactly feel exultation, as we do today.

But Christ did rise. His sacrifice was real. He did redeem us. It is because of His sacrifice that we are even saved. So when we consider His death on the cross, this very real act, we should celebrate it for what it was: the salvation of mankind. And when we consider his cross, we should remember that our own crosses are but feather-light in comparison:

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light. (Mt. 11:29-30)

Ad majorem Dei gloriam!

-Dean

Note: All scripture quotes taken from the RSV-CE 2nd Edition

Living the Faith

You must do what the word tells you, and not just listen to it and deceive yourselves. But the man who looks steadily at the perfect law of freedom and makes that his habit – not listening and then forgetting, but actively putting it into practice – will be happy in all that he does.

-James 1:22-25 (Reading for Vespers, 1 July 2008)

How often do we see others go to Church on Sundays, only to punch the proverbial “time card” with God and then proceed about their business as usual? How often do we hear someone talk about great intentions to help the needy, comfort the sick, spread the Eternal Word, yet they never get around to doing these things? How often do we see someone preach the Truth, the Christian Faith, and turn around and live the exact opposite?

More importantly, how often do we do these things ourselves???

Yes, the word of God and the teachings of the faith are vitally important to our Eternal Salvation. It is through the word of God and the handing down of tradition that we learn of the salvation that Christ brings us. Through studying the teachings of the faith, we can experience the love and peace of our Lord and Saviour, Christ Jesus, who died for each and every one of us. We should read and learn as much as we can, and spread this learning to the best of our ability, so that others may experience the truth.

But we must also live the Faith. And I’m not talking about just going to Mass on Sunday people! I mean really living it. Becoming involved in our churches. Volunteering for the poor, sick, and disadvantaged. Giving our time, talents, and energies in a life of self sacrifice and love towards others. As Saint Francis said:

Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.

My dear friends, we can preach the Gospel all we want. We can spread it to the ends of the Earth. We can talk, discuss, and debate till the cows come home. We can read all the best spiritual authors. We can read His Holy Word over and over again. But none of it will do anyone any good if we do not put it into action. Our lives themselves must be the evidence of our faith, not just our learning and our words. We must put it into practice. We need to bring Christ to the world through our actions and deeds, showing those around us what being a Christian truly means. Only in this way can we effectively spread the good news of Christ.

Only in doing this, will the Faith be spread to the four corners of the Earth.

And a word for my Catholic bothers and sisters!!! We have at our finger tips the fountains of Grace that are the Sacraments! These gifts from God to bring us to everlasting life! We must integrate the sacraments into the very core of our beings. For the sake of our souls, we need to take advantage of these totally unmerited gifts. We also have 2000 years of Tradition and writings from the fathers and the saints. At every chance we get, we should soak these up like a sponge, and integrate their lessons in our lives. We have the Fullness of the Truth and we need to take every advantage of it and live it to the fullest extent we can.

For my non-Catholic brothers and sisters in Christ…. Live your faith deeply and with love. Keep your hearts and minds open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. If you do this, He will lead you where you need to be. And if you’re ever interested in the Catholic faith, or even have a question or want a clarification, please, do not be afraid to ask. This web site is an excellent resource (Click Here).

My prayers are with you all. May Our Lord Jesus Christ bless and keep us, and may all the angels and saints pray for us.

Pax et bonum,
Dean

Sancte Benedicte, ora pro nobis.

The Road to Damascus...

Many times, in synagogue after synagogue, I punished them in an attempt to force them to blaspheme; I was so enraged against them that I pursued them even to foreign cities. "On one such occasion I was traveling to Damascus with the authorization and commission of the chief priests. At midday, along the way, O king, I saw a light from the sky, brighter than the sun, shining around me and my traveling companions. We all fell to the ground and I heard a voice saying to me in Hebrew, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goad.' And I said, 'Who are you, sir?' And the Lord replied, 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. Get up now, and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness of what you have seen (of me) and what you will be shown. I shall deliver you from this people and from the Gentiles to whom I send you, to open their eyes that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may obtain forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been consecrated by faith in me.' "And so, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. On the contrary, first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem and throughout the whole country of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I preached the need to repent and turn to God, and to do works giving evidence of repentance. That is why the Jews seized me (when I was) in the temple and tried to kill me. But I have enjoyed God's help to this very day, and so I stand here testifying to small and great alike, saying nothing different from what the prophets and Moses foretold, that the Messiah must suffer and that, as the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles."

-From the Acts of the Apostles 26:11-23

Today the Universal Church celebrates the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. St. Peter, the apostle to the Jews, and St. Paul, the Apostle to the gentiles,were human just like the rest of us, with gifts and failings, virtues and vices. But I would like to take a moment to focus specifically on St. Paul.

Whenever I hear the story of the conversion of Paul, I think to myself “boy, God has an awesome sense of irony, doesn’t He?” I know he has in my own life for sure!!! But we look at the man of Saul, who persecuted Christians. He was a Jew intent on exterminating this radical sect, preaching the Gospel of someone named Jesus. Even in the passage that we read above, we see that he literally followed Christians to other countries! And when it came time to put the Christians on trial, he would push them to speak against God, trying to get them to say something blasphemous or heretical. And when it came time to convict, he was right there, making sure that the Christians were put to death. This was not a nice man…

Enter Our Lord, Jesus Christ, son of the living God…

Saul’s experience on the road to Damascus changed him so much, that he was even given a new name: Paul. It was then that the tables turned. It was Paul who went far and wide spreading the Gospel. It was now Paul who was being persecuted for preaching the Good News of Christ. But Paul never takes one bit of credit for his conversion, in everything that he did, and had to endure. He is always giving it to Christ, who appeared to him on that fateful day and gave Paul the grace of conversion. He knows that it is Christ alone who is responsible for his conversion, and for his good works and faith. It is to Christ that all credit is given.

And so it should be with us.

Many of us may well have led the life of Saul. And then, through the power of our Lord, we have our Damascus experience. Even though most of us never encounter anything as dramatic as Paul, we are still led to conversion. But we need to remember one thing: that it is all due to the Grace and Power of Our Lord. Without him, we would still be living the life of Saul. Whether or not you are a cradle Catholic, or a convert like myself, it is important to remember that we are all brought to the faith because of God and God alone, not through our own fallen nature. He has given us His Son, and this Faith as a gift to us.

Like Saint Paul, we would do well to give him honor and glory for this unmerited gift…

Pope Benedict has declared a Year of St. Paul, honoring the 2000th anniversary since his birth, from June 2008 to June 2009. Over the next year, meditate on the witness of the apostle Paul. Read a decent book about him. Better yet, read his letters in the New Testament, meditating on his words, given to him by the Holy Spirit. St. Paul, through the power of Christ, has a lot to teach us, and I think we all need to be better students…

Blessings and peace,
Dean

Lenten Reflection

Note: This posting may seem to be a bit of a departure from my other writings, a bit more harsh. I do not apologize for it. I am tired of people in this world turning a blind eye to suffering, pain and evil! As Catholics and Christians, especially in America it is our duty to set an example, change our lives and be a living witness, and to be an agent of change on this small planet we have here...

Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.

A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.

For you are not pleased with sacrifices;
should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it.
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.

-Psalm 51: 3-4, 12-13, 18-19

Responsorial from the Mass of Wednesday in the First Week of Lent

This season of Lent is a time of great reflection and prayer. Most importantly, on how we have fallen from His light, confessing this to God, especially sacramentally, repenting, and performing penance. In the words of the Confiteor “I have sinned through my own fault, in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done, and in what I have failed to do…”

Indeed, sin can cut us off from God! I am not saying that we are out of His reach. It is OUR choice. It can deny us communion with him! He has always been there to love us, but it is up to each individual person to allow that love to enter their lives. We must learn to reach out in these times of sorrow, distress, and sin. Learn to remember that He is always there for us, all we must do is reach out and accept His Love and Grace!

This is a hard message for a lot of people to swalllow. So many things in our culture now are relativistic. Sin and evil are now in the eye of the beholder. What may be wrong for one, may be totally acceptable for another.

But to be blunt, this is wrong. There is absolute Truth! Absolute Good, and Evil. And if we are not careful, we can fall into the trap of Evil. It can destroy us, and those around us. All one has to do is look around the world today to see the effects of it...

We must turn towards Him! Take advantage of the helps that the Church has given us, namely the practices of Lent and preparing for Easter. If you are Catholic, go to confession. Receive him in the Eucharist, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity.

If you are not Catholic, have you ever thought of crossing the Tiber? The swim is tough, and things don't get any easier over here, but you may find you like it over here with us crazy Catholics. The sacraments are awesome! :)

Do penance. Make peace with God this Lenten season. He is there waiting. All you have to do is open the door and let Him in...

My prayers are with you all. May Our Lord guide you and keep you, and may the prayers of the Angels and Saints, especially the Blessed Virgin, be with you.

God bless,
Dean

Wisdom 9:13-18

Who can know God's counsel, or who can conceive what the LORD intends? For the deliberations of mortals are timid, and unsure are our plans. For the corruptible body burdens the soul and the earthen shelter weighs down the mind that has many concerns. And scarce do we guess the things on earth, and what is within our grasp we find with difficulty; but when things are in heaven, who can search them out? Or who ever knew your counsel, except you had given Wisdom and sent your holy spirit from on high? And thus were the paths of those on earth made straight, and men learned what was your pleasure, and were saved by Wisdom.

~~~

Our lives are much too active, too noisy. Especially in the younger generations (and I admit, I am one of them), people are so concerned with the "earthen shelter" in the passage above, that it pushes the voice of God out of our lives. How do we hear this voice? How do we come to know His will? For it is only through listening to the Holy Spirit, that we will know where and how our time on Earth is meant to be spent.

As much of an aficionado for technology that I am, it is one of the great causes, I think, of people not being able to quiet their minds to the promptings of God. How many times have we spent an hour or more mindlessly flipping through the television channels, or surfing the internet, when we could be helping the poor or needy, volunteering our time, doing His work! How many times has this happened, when we could have spent this time in silent conversation and prayer with Him?

Prayer! How wonderful it is! And at the same time, how neglected it can be in today's world! We have so many cares and worries that consume our thoughts, and yet more often than not, we do not look to our Lord for guidance. As the passage indicates, we have such a difficult time figuring out our lives, the mundane matters of the world, how should we expect to figure out what God wants in Heaven? Only through prayer, and quieting our hearts and minds to the Holy Spirit, can this be possible. Even when all seems hopeless, and we are bogged down with the stresses, pains, hurts, and concerns of our lives, when it seems that God Himself is not present in our life, we need to remember that all that is needed is for us to ask Him for guidance, to seek Him out in prayer. Then our goal should be to quiet our souls, so that we may hear the answer…

~~~

I'll step off the soapbox now, and wish you all a wonderful Sunday. :) God bless.