FOURTH MONDAY OF ADVENT

 “‘Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: ‘Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.’” Lk. 2:9-14

Reflection: The shepherds live on the fringe of Israelite society, but it doesn’t matter. The heavens explode with splendor as countless angels proclaim the glorious news - He is here! The time has finally come!

Prayer: God our Father, fill us with the awe of the shepherds standing in the blinding light of heaven coming to earth. May we come and adore him at all times. Amen.
 

FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

"Behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.’” Matt. 2:1-2

Reflection: The Kings arrive as witnesses to the wonderful truth – the Savior comes into the world not merely for the Children of Israel, but for all men, women and children throughout the world. He is coming to restore all of humanity to God.

Prayer: God our Father, the Wise Men come from the distant corners of the Persian Empire to worship the newborn king. Help us to make the effort of traveling far from our own comfort to present ourselves to the Messiah. Amen.

THIRD SATURDAY OF ADVENT

"So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town. And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David.” Lk. 2:3-4

Reflection: How fitting indeed – the Son of God, the Son of Man who will one day reveal that he is the “Bread of Life,” the true manna come down from heaven, is destined to be born in Beth-lehem, the “House of Bread.”

Prayer: God our Father, the moment has nearly arrived! Fill our hearts until they overflow with joy over the coming of Your Son. Amen.

THIRD FRIDAY OF ADVENT

"All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,’ which means ‘God is with us.’ When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.” Matt. 1:22-24

 

Reflection: Joseph knows that the child is not his by the natural order. But when the angel tells him of God’s plan, Joseph brings Mary and her growing child into his house, which by the ancient law made them instantly members of his “house”, the line of David.

Prayer: God our Father, take away every one of our fears. Give us the confidence you gave St. Joseph by the message of the angel, and remove all of our doubt. Amen.

THIRD THURSDAY OF ADVENT

"Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, 'Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.'” Lk. 1:41-45

Reflection: The moment Mary discovers she’s with child, she travels to Judea to be with her relative Elizabeth. The Blessed Mother is always thinking of others, filled with the love of the God who now dwells in her womb – the new Ark of the Covenant.

Prayer: God our Father, may we, like Mary, place others before ourselves always. Amen.

THIRD WEDNESDAY OF ADVENT

"Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Lk. 1:30-33

Reflection: Mary accepts the angel Gabriel’s annunciation with her “fiat,” her yes. She is the handmaiden of the Lord, the example of all that is good and holy. God makes His own mother, and He makes her perfect.

Prayer: God our Father, we thank you for Our Blessed Mother’s “yes” to Your invitation to be the mother of Your Son. May we joyfully receive You in the wombs of our hearts and minds as she received you in these as well as her body. Amen.

THIRD TUESDAY OF ADVENT

"But you, Bethlehem-Ephrathaha least among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel; Whose origin is from of old, from ancient times.” Mic. 5:1

Reflection: It is not in Jerusalem that the stage is set for the coming of the Messiah, but in the little towns of Bethlehem of Judea and Nazareth in Galilee. Joseph, a simple carpenter, and Mary, a girl of about 14 years will be the earthly parents of the promised King of Kings.

Prayer: God our Father, after generations of men and women who, at best, followed you imperfectly, you bring forth Joseph and Mary – our wonderful examples of love and devotion to You. Show us how to ask for their unending intercession in our journey of faith. Amen.

THIRD MONDAY OF ADVENT

"Even if you now remain silent, relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from another source; but you and your father’s house will perish. Who knows—perhaps it was for a time like this that you became queen?” Esther 4:14

Reflection: Like Ruth centuries before, Esther the Queen of Persia cannot perceive the magnitude of her decision. Humble and deeply in love with the Lord, how could she imagine that it is indeed her, a simple Jewish girl in Susa, that God in His Providence has appointed to save her people from yet another grave threat? God works through mystery. Would that we trust Him at His Word.

Prayer: God our Father, how quick we are to tell You that You must be mistaken about us. Like so many of our ancestors do we doubt Your ability to make us exactly who You intend us to be. Help us to see ourselves as You see us and to believe. Amen.

THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT (GAUDETE SUNDAY)

"As the visions during the night continued, I saw coming with the clouds of heaven, One like a son of man. When he reached the Ancient of Days and was presented before him, He received dominion, splendor, and kingship; all nations, peoples and tongues will serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, his kingship, one that shall not be destroyed.” Dan. 7:13-14

Reflection: God’s people find themselves once more displaced from the Promised Land during the captivity in Babylon. But once more He sets them free. Daniel, however, sees beyond the present blessing to the glory of the coming Messiah. It will not be long now.

Prayer: God our Father, we each face our own Babylonian Captivity. Every human person is held captive to whatever he or she cannot part with that is less than himself or herself. But above all, we are meant to cling to You at all moments. Help us to do so! Amen.

SECOND SATURDAY OF ADVENT

"The LORD also declares to you that the LORD will make a house for you...Your house and your kingdom are firm forever before me; your throne shall be firmly established forever.” 2 Sam. 7:11,16

Reflection: David, like so many of his ancestors, eventually falls from grace into great sin. But the ever-faithful Lord will never abandon him. David’s house is shaken and will face centuries of turmoil, but the Lord makes another oath: one day He will raise up the Messiah, the King of Kings from David’s line who will rule forever. The Savior is coming.
 
Prayer: God our Father, David the King is the great unifier and leader of the Hebrew people, but he falls like all the others. But in Your infinite mercy, you raise him up and bring us salvation through his house. Help us to reflect on your boundless love. Amen.

SECOND FRIDAY OF ADVENT

"Ruth said, ‘Do not press me to go back and abandon you! Wherever you go I will go, wherever you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people and your God, my God.’” Ruth 1:16

Reflection: Ruth is a foreigner, the daughter-in-law of Naomi. Both widows, the two women return to Israel with a uncertain future ahead of them. Little does Ruth know that her faithfulness to Naomi will result in her becoming the great-grandmother of none other than David, the king.

Prayer: God our Father, you gave Ruth a faith that would help to shape the history of salvation. May we, like her, be faithful to the people You have placed in our lives. Amen.

SECOND THURSDAY OF ADVENT

"Moses went up to the mountain of God. Then the LORD called to him from the mountain, saying: ‘...tell the Israelites: You have seen how I treated the Egyptians and how I bore you up on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now, if you obey me completely and keep my covenant, you will be my treasured possession among all peoples, though all the earth is mine. You will be to me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.’” Ex. 19:3-6

Reflection: The Lord sends Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt after over 400 years of slavery. He gives His people the Law that will govern them for centuries to come, a law meant to protect them from the nations around them that will seek to lead them astray from the Lord.

Prayer: God our Father, we are often tempted to view Your guidance and rules as negative restrictions that limit our freedom. Help us to see that every law You give us is meant to protect us from being separated from You. Amen.

SECOND WEDNESDAY OF ADVENT

“So it was not really you but God who had me come here; and he has made me a father to Pharaoh, lord of all his household, and ruler over the whole land of Egypt. Hurry back, then, to my father and tell him: ‘Thus says your son Joseph: God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me without delay.’” Gen. 45:8-9

Reflection: Abraham’s descendants now begin a new chapter, one that seems like a blessing and an answer to prayers of desperation. But within a few short generations, they will be mired in unbearable slavery. Joseph has saved them for the time being, but they will soon cry out once more for a savior.

Prayer: God our Father, sometimes your blessings are disguised from our eyes. Other times, what we believe to be a dream come true is actually the beginning of a dark struggle we must endure. Prepare us for everything we will encounter on our journey to You. Amen.

SECOND TUESDAY OF ADVENT

“The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven and said: 'I swear by my very self...that because you acted as you did in not withholding from me your son, your only one, I will bless you and make your descendants as countless as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore; your descendants will take possession of the gates of their enemies, and in your descendants all the nations of the earth will find blessing, because you obeyed my command.'” Gen. 22:15-18

Reflection: The Lord puts Abraham to the test - how much does he really trust God? God knows the answer to this already. It’s Abraham who must see for himself how deeply he believes the Lord’s oath to him.

Prayer: God our Father, sometimes we forget how much faith You have in us. We struggle to trust you and to accept that You love us beyond all imagining. Help us to remember that You are always with us through the struggle, and You will guide us through it always. Amen.

SECOND MONDAY OF ADVENT

"Then God said to Noah: ‘Go out of the ark, together with your wife and your sons and your sons’ wives. Bring out with you every living thing that is with you...and let them abound on the earth, and be fertile and multiply on it.”Gen. 8:15-17

Reflection: God purges the unimaginable evil covering the world through a flood which is a preview of baptism. Noah is righteous because He chooses the Lord before everything else, and he calls upon His name.

Prayer: God our Father, You sheltered Your beloved servant Noah and his family in the ark, a prefigurement of the Church. May we take refuge in the true Ark as the world churns and surges outside. Amen.

SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT

“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and hers; he will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel.” Gen. 3:15

 

Reflection: The Fall comes like lightning as Adam and Eve choose the path of the Devil, exalting themselves to be equals with Him who has no equal. Pandora’s Box is opened and the disease of sin becomes destined to pass on to every human descendant. But even here does the Lord promise that salvation will come.
 
Prayer: God our Father, take away our fear and help us to repent of our sins. May we reach out to the woman whose “Seed” is the source of our salvation and ask her to intercede for us always.

FIRST SATURDAY OF ADVENT

“On the seventh day God completed the work he had been doing; he rested on the seventh day from all the work he had undertaken. God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work he had done.”

Gen. 2:2-3

Reflection: Like an artist who steps back to take in her finished product, the Lord rests and smiles like a master carpenter at the beautiful work of His hands.

Prayer: God our Father, all that exists has its being in You. You hold all of creation in being at all moments. Help us to slow down and rest this season, drinking in the beauty of all You have done and still do. Amen.

FIRST FRIDAY OF ADVENT

“God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them...God looked at everything he had made, and found it very good. Evening came, and morning followed—the sixth day.” Gen. 1:27,31

Reflection: And here is our beginning. God raises us up from the dust of creation and breathes into each of us an immortal soul. We were made to be stewards of His entire creation. This was Eden— this was His original design.

Prayer: God our Father, our story begins and ends with you, for we are dust and to dust we shall return. Help us in this season of Advent to remember where we began and to thank you for Your gift of life. Amen.

FIRST THURSDAY OF ADVENT

“God created the great sea monsters and all kinds of crawling living creatures with which the water teems, and all kinds of winged birds. God saw that it was good...Evening came, and morning followed—the 

                                              fifth day.” Gen. 1:21,23

Reflection: The Lord is the God of variety! He fills the earth with every kind of animal He can think of, till the earth literally “teems” with life. We start to see hints of His joy and love for what He has made.

Prayer: God our Father, may we relearn how to smile when we see the animals as You see them. Help us to respect all life. Amen.

FIRST WEDNESDAY OF ADVENT

"God made the two great lights, the greater one to govern the day, and the lesser one to govern the night, and the stars...Evening came, and morning followed—the fourth day.” Gen. 1:16,19

Reflection: The heavenly bodies sometimes draw near to one another, occasionally they even collide. Other times they travel in different directions from one another and become far separated. Even in the stars to we see the drama of relationship.

Prayer: God our Father, Your creation is ever moving, ever transforming, yet You stay the same. Help us to begin to trust in You more than the ever-changing world. Amen.

FIRST TUESDAY OF ADVENT

“The earth brought forth vegetation: every kind of plant that bears seed and every kind of fruit tree that bears fruit with its seed in it. God saw that it was good. Evening came, and morning followed—the third day.” Gen. 1:12-13

Reflection: Creation is originally designed to be more “mother” than “machine.” She is meant to bear the fruit of the seeds planted in her by the Lord. Only later is she tainted by darkness and decay.

Prayer: God our Father, help us to always respect Your creation. May we all stand in awe of Your imagination and design. Guide us to cherish the world You have made, and to always be its respectful stewards. Amen.

FIRST MONDAY OF ADVENT

“God made the dome, and it separated the water below the dome from the water above the dome. And so it happened. God called the dome ‘sky.’ Evening came, and morning followed—the second day.” 

Gen. 1:7-8

Reflection: The Lord shapes the universe one step at a time. He leaves His fingerprints on everything that He makes and His voice echoes throughout creation.
 
Prayer: God our Father, open our ears to hear Your voice in every corner of our lives. Help us to turn down the distracting volume of everything that is not You. Amen.

FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT

“God called the light ‘day,’ and the darkness he called ‘night.’ Evening came, and morning followed—the first day.” Gen. 1:5

Reflection: Before anything else is, God was. Before He is “God the Creator,” He is the Eternal Father. This is where it all begins - in the heart and mind of God.

Prayer: God our Father, open the eyes of our hearts to the season we begin this week. Help us to journey with You from the very beginning and to never forget that You have always been there. Amen.

Back to Egypt?

The pattern is always the same. It has been for thousands of years. The Creator whispers, He does not usually shout. He beckons to us, calling us softly in our deepest and most intimate depths. As we trudge along the path, tempted to turn back because we are tired and fearful, He tries to lift up our eyes so we can see a little farther down the road. And if, indeed, we find the courage to look beyond ourselves for even a moment, we stand a good chance of hearing what He says.

"Come. Follow me. Leave Egypt behind you and journey into the place you have never journeyed before. I know you are afraid, but you need not fear, for I am with you always. I know Egypt is the only home you have ever known, but it is no home at all. It is a prison. You were a slave there, my child, and if you turn from me and go back there you will never be anything else. Leave this place with me, and you will be truly free, truly alive forever. Do not be afraid."

Will I keep my eyes fixed on Him and His will? Will I follow Him? Or will I go back into slavery?

My Own "House"

In the Gospel according to St. John (chapter 7), we hear of a certain "division among the people" that occurs over Jesus and the message he brings. The jealous religious leaders send men to arrest Jesus, but when they return empty handed, the following occurs: 

The officers then went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring him?” The officers answered, “No man ever spoke like this man!” The Pharisees answered them, “Are you led astray, you also? Have any of the authorities or of the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd, who do not know the law, are accursed.” Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus before, and who was one of them, said to them, "Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?” They replied, “Are you from Galilee too? Search and you will see that no prophet is to rise from Galilee.”

The passage concludes with this telling line: "They went each to his own house." Interesting phrase. We see a rather heated dispute erupting between different factions, each having their own opinion about Jesus. And how does the dispute conclude? It doesn't, really. They each "go home" with their own vision of who Jesus is, what his Gospel means, and whether or not his words even apply to them at all.

We all face the challenge of what to believe about Jesus, and this story makes me ask these questions:

• Where is my "house" when it comes to Jesus?
• Where am I most myself when it comes to him?
• Is this house built on a rock or on shifting sands?

In other words: Who am I going to believe when it comes to Jesus?

Oh say can you see... Pope Francis!

With the arrival of the Holy Father on our shores today, I thought it might be good idea to share some observations and suggestions. For about two and a half years now, I've found myself routinely on the scale between bewilderment and utter disappointment with so many people's conception of who Pope Francis really is at heart. All you have to do sometimes is look at a Facebook news feed: Pope Francis the radical dogma rejecter (or even dogma "hater" according to Jane Fonda)... Pope Francis the Marxist extremist... Pope Francis the superstitious, devil-obsessed moralist. It would be funny if it wasn't so sad.

So, since a blog isn't really the place for a long and drawn out argument (at least that's what I think!), here are a few things to keep in mind while the Pope is visiting our nation:

Some examples of what Pope Francis is NOT

Pope Francis is not a Republican or a Democrat. He is not merely the leader of an NGO. He is not an advocate of an earthly utopia. He is not a Marxist radical or liberation theologian. He is not a harsh moralist who has no compassion for those who are leading lives that are incompatible with Christ's commands. He does not "hate" dogma. He is not in favor of a social justice that is stripped of a deep and primary commitment to the Gospel. He is not a radical environmentalist. He is not in favor of changing Church teachings on the nature and requirements for the priesthood. He is not lukewarm on things like abortion, euthanasia, government infringement on religious liberty, or the redefinition of marriage. His many statements on these topics are absolutely in accord with his predecessors, especially Pope St. John Paul II and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.

Some examples of what Pope Francis IS

To put it quite simply, Pope Francis is the pope. He is the Vicar of Christ and the supreme pastor of the Universal Church. He is the successor of St. Peter, chief of the apostles. He a follower of Jesus Christ, a witness to the world that Christ is risen and calls all people to himself. He is the advocate of the poor, especially the unborn and the infirm. He is the defender of God's creation, of which we are all responsible before God as stewards and cultivators. He is the champion of the moral life, human life according to the blueprint of the Architect, and he stands in opposition to the idea that freedom means doing whatever we feel like doing.

The harder we try to understand Pope Francis apart from his actual vocation and mission, the more we will be left confused or even upset. Listen to what he actually says. Read what he actual writes and do so in context. It's worth the effort! May God bless and protect our beloved Holy Father during his pilgrimage to our land.

God Doesn't Work For Me

Joseph: Protector of Husbands, Fathers, and Priests

As I get closer to the Big Day (wedding's only a few weeks away!) I am struck more profoundly on a daily basis just what a tall order it is to be a husband and, God willing one day, a father. We live in a world that seems to have completely lost its azimuth when it comes to following the direction God designed us to follow. The Catholic Church has always held up two beautiful, holy, challenging vocations to which God calls men. They are very distinct, yet they are complementary and both very necessary for advancing the Gospel. They are, of course, the Priesthood and Holy Matrimony. Both vocations demand that the parties entering into them give not just of their earthly treasure and time in some kind of contractual agreement. They demand our entire lives. Ordination to the priesthood and entrance into the married life are covenants, not contracts. They are not exchanges of goods and services, they are exchanges of persons. They are not based on feelings, emotions, potentially prosperous lifestyles, self-assertion, or even strong attraction. They are completely based on love. Love is sacrifice. Love is doing whatever is best for the beloved's sake, especially the beloved's soul.

For the priest, he gives his life entirely to God in service of Christ's Bride, the Church. The Church truly becomes the bride of the ordained priest. He is entirely for Her in all places, all settings, all times. He is never "off duty." Likewise, for the married man, his commitment to his wife and to the children God may send them can never be something he hangs up at the end of the night like a grilling apron. He himself is theirs, he is not his own. This is the Church's understanding of marriage and the priesthood precisely because they are images of God's spousal love for the human race. Look no further than the crucifix if you want a rather brutal summary of how unthinkable the notion of just giving us some of His love was to God the Father. He gives every last drop of blood to save us. He sacrifices everything He is for our own good. That's the model - a better one just does not exist.

Next to Mary, I don't think anyone ever lived with that kind of love to a greater extent than Saint Joseph. A fallen man, he was the one that the Father chose from all eternity to be his very representative in the human life of His Son. Joseph was, in a very profound way, the face of God the Father to the Christ Child. He protected him from harm, hid him from adversaries, traveled day and night through heat, dust, sand, wind. Joseph never, never stopped loving and serving Mary and Jesus. We have no record of him saying so much as one word in all of the New Testament. He just sought out the will of God, and he did it the best he could. He prayed. He worked. He didn't complain. He absolutely spent himself in devotion to Our Lord and Our Blessed Mother.

I can't think of a better model for me to emulate as I stand on the threshold of married life. In a time like never before, when the Church's beautiful, God-given image of marriage is being assaulted from every possible angle, we all need Saint Joseph. Priests as well as husbands and fathers need to humbly call out to Saint Joseph and ask for his intercession, his protection, and his guidance along the path that will require us to give everything away for the sake of our bride and our family. Indeed, it will require our very lives.

O Saint Joseph, patron of husbands and fathers, pray for us.
O Saint Joseph, patron of those who labor and those who seek labor, pray for us.
O Saint Joseph, patron and protector of the Church, pray for us.
O Saint Joseph, patron of departing souls, pray for us.

Saint Augustine's Sage Advice

JULY 4

LET OUR LIVES BE GOOD

Bad times! Troublesome times! This is what people are saying. Let our lives be good and the times will be good. For we make our own times. Such as we are, such are the times.

What can we do? Maybe we cannot convert masses of people to a good life. But let the few who do hear live well. Let the few who live well endure the many who live badly. (Sermon 30, 8)

PRAYER: O Truth, light of my heart, let not my shadows speak to me. Let me not be my own life, for I lived badly on my own power and was deadly to myself. In You, however, I live again. It is You Who speak and converse with me. (Confessions 12, 10)

(from Augustine Day by Day, Catholic Book Publishing Corp., 1986)

The Insufficiency of Self

It seems these days that there are far too many issues to count, too many topics to discuss, too many truths to defend. Where do we even begin anymore? The sanctity of true marriage which, as Christ defined it, has "from the beginning" been the one-flesh union between one man and one woman for life? Or should we pour all of our energy into the crucial effort to defend our most innocent and helpless brothers and sisters on earth, the unborn? Or what about our brothers and sisters who genuinely feel they ought to be recognized as a member of the opposite sex, even though no reassignment surgery could ever change the reality that at the chromosome level they are a man or a woman?

Many of us have experienced the seeming impossibility of discussing any of these issues from the basis of our faith, our firm commitment to the truth and reason, or our deep sense of authentic compassion without incurring hateful slurs, intellectual bullying, or angry ridicule.

Emotion, no matter how sincere, can never replace true reason and genuine love and respect for every human person, no matter what they believe. But emotion rules our society, and no reasonable argumentation can likely break through to hearts and minds that are so rooted in the soil of emotions and passions.

Love is not an emotion. It just isn't. Love is an act of the will. Love means willing someone else's good, that which is truly in their best interest, most especially their eternal life. It means choosing to think, say, and do whatever is right, regardless of how that person feels or how I feel about it. Love is putting someone else's needs before my own wants (or even my own needs!) Ultimately, love is always about the other, not about me.

Our culture is drowning in a sea of confusion that goes far beyond mere individual behavior anymore. Now the confusion has spilled over into the realm of trying to redefine reality itself, and I believe that it all stems from one deep wound that must be treated urgently. We have refused the true love in whose image we are each made. We have instead remade "love" in our image. We have allowed ourselves to believe that we can define love for ourselves. This can never work, and nothing but more pain, anger, heartbreak, and confusion awaits us if we don't recognize that.

Pope Saint John Paul II was one of the few people in the world brave enough to challenge our focus on radical self-assertion. It's our favorite activity (look at the popularity of "selfie-sticks"). We keep trying to go deeper and deeper into ourselves in order to find the answer to who we are, why we are here, why we exist, what love is, and how to be happy. But that's a problem, because my "self" is insufficient to answer those questions. No one is self-sufficient. We are made for love, for other. We are made precisely to go outside of self and to humbly receive the grace and truth that is never ours to define or declare on our own. When we dabble in redefining reality itself, like what "marriage" or a "human person" are, our first parents' sin in the Garden of Eden reechoes throughout the world, and the wound, the rift between us and our Creator, opens even more. In the end, to pursue only "self" is to self-destruct. 

I pray deeply that we will have a profound change of heart. I pray for a miracle.

Lord Jesus, teach every single one of us to joyfully embrace the great gift of humility. Teach us how to lay down our weapons of pride, hate, anger, and jealousy at the foot of your cross once and for all. Finally, Lord, I beg you to fill our hearts and minds with the truth, for you yourself are that truth. You are the truth that enables us to finally be our true selves, the sons and daughters of God the Father whose sole purpose in this world is to bear your love and glory to all creation. Protect your children throughout the world, and be with us now more than ever. I ask this in the name of Our Lord Jesus, for "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:20).

What does "natural" really mean?

"I will sprinkle clean water upon you to cleanse you from all your impurities, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. I will give you a new heart and place a new spirit within you, taking from your bodies your stony hearts and giving you natural hearts. I will put my spirit within you and make you live by my statutes, careful to observe my decrees. You shall live in the land I gave your fathers; you shall be my people, and I will be your God."   (Ezekiel 36:25-28)

Did you catch that little part in the middle? For some reason it hit me this morning like never before:  "I will give you a new heart and place a new spirit within you, taking from your bodies your stony hearts and giving you natural hearts."

Other translations render "natural hearts" as "hearts of flesh" but either way, this is an amazing statement to me. How often do we hear from others (ourselves for that matter) that this or that sin is "natural"? I think we throw the word around far too carelessly. From drug use to any kind of sexual behavior imaginable to even violence toward others, it's not uncommon to hear human actions declared to be permissible or even good because they are "natural."

But here's the question I think the reading above should lead us to consider: Is something automatically morally good just because it's "natural"? More to the point: What does "natural" really mean, anyway?

Usually, we seem to use the word to generically describe 1) anything that we find in nature (like marijuana) and its usage in a number of ways, and 2) just about any behavior that an animal exhibits. In this way of thinking, it would be just as natural for me to kill someone I have a disagreement with as it is for a dog to kill a groundhog. But for this to hold, we have to make some pretty broad and incorrect assumptions:

1. If something appears in nature (is "natural"), then I can use it however I want.
2. We are nothing more than animals, driven and even controlled by biological instinct.

Cuddle buddy or death wish?

There are some serious problems here. To the first point, just because something originates in "nature", it certainly does NOT follow that we can use it in any way we want. If you don't believe me, try replacing your washcloth with poison ivy. Or try cuddling with a rabid wolverine. Yes, poison ivy and wolverines are "natural." Playing around with them is not a good idea, though. Viruses and bacteria and UV rays are natural, too. So is marijuana, but does that mean that smoking it is morally neutral or even permissible? What is your criteria for answering that question?

"Natural" washcloth

To the second point, it's just simply not true that we are exactly the same as every other animal in the world. We are rational beings. We don't merely act on instinct, though we certainly share the instinctual drive of the animals. But human nature is different. It is not a set, permanent, unchanging fact of my being. As Dr. Peter Kreeft has pointed out, we are the only species in God's creation who can fail to achieve our nature. Trees are always and everywhere "treeish" and dogs are "doggie" and mountains are "mountainous." But we can truly be "inhuman."


This is because we alone among the animals operate on the moral spectrum. We don't just pick between neutral actions. We choose between good and evil. Our thoughts, words, and deeds have moral and eternal consequences, both for us and for everyone else in the world, for we are one human family. The Catholic principle of solidarity emphasizes this: we are all united and the choices I make either bring humanity up or down. Sin is not merely a mistake. Every sin, from the little white lie to grand theft auto to murder is an act of nature-mutilation. Everything we do makes us more human or less human. This is a tremendous responsibility, but it is also an unfathomable gift from the God who made us to bring His presence into creation at every moment.

So next time we're tempted to lower the bar even further, maybe we should tap the breaks and ask ourselves this question: "What does the One who designed me say I should do right now?" After all, who has more of a right to say what my "nature" really is than the one who made me?
 

HE IS RISEN, INDEED!

Disciples John and Peter on the Way to the Tomb (Burnand)

The morning of the third day has brought something utterly incredible, unthinkable, even impossible. Mary Magdalene has returned in haste from the tomb with shocking news - she claims that Jesus, lifeless and entombed since Friday afternoon, HAS RISEN FROM THE DEAD!

Peter and John race towards the tomb. John, the only one of the Twelve who followed Christ to the cross itself. John who watched Jesus die the most agonizing of all deaths. John who knew better than the others that there was no doubt - their beloved Master was truly dead.

Peter, the chief of the apostles. The man who had walked on the tempestuous sea toward Christ. The one whom Jesus had renamed "Rock" and to whom he had promised the keys of the kingdom - the new steward of the royal household who had authority to bind and loose (see Isaiah 22:15-24). Peter who had, in terrible fear, rejected the Lord three times. Peter, to whom Christ had said: "Simon, Simon, behold Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, but I have prayed that your own faith may not fail; and once you have turned back, you must strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:31-32).

And so they run. John, the younger of the two, runs faster. Peter runs as best he can. John, filled with anticipation: "Could it really be? Please, O Father, let it be so!" Peter, filled with hope but also a deep and painful shame: "Please, Master, please... Please forgive me!"

They finally arrive. John waits for Peter, acknowledging his primacy. Peter enters first. The tomb is empty. The Lord's wrappings lie there, the cloth that had covered his face in another part of the tomb, folded. What grave robbers would have taken time to unwrap his body? What is going on here?

They return with more questions than answers. Little do they realize that he will soon come to them in the very room where they had last eaten with him, and things will never be the same - for them and for the whole human race.

Holy Saturday (an Ancient Homily)

I post this selection from today's "Office of Readings" each year because I can't think of a better reflection on Christ's descent to the dead. Enjoy!

 

Second reading

From an ancient homily on Holy Saturday

The Lord descends to the dead

Something strange is happening—there is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began. God has died in the flesh and hell trembles with fear.

He has gone to search for our first parent, as for a lost sheep. Greatly desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, he has gone to free from sorrow the captives Adam and Eve, he who is both God and the son of Eve. The Lord approached them bearing the cross, the weapon that had won him the victory. At the sight of him Adam, the first man he had created, struck his breast in terror and cried out to everyone: “My Lord be with you all.” Christ answered him: “And with your spirit.” He took him by the hand and raised him up, saying: “Awake, O sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”

I am your God, who for your sake have become your son. Out of love for you and for your descendants I now by my own authority command all who are held in bondage to come forth, all who are in darkness to be enlightened, all who are sleeping to arise. I order you, O sleeper, to awake. I did not create you to be held a prisoner in hell. Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead. Rise up, work of my hands, you who were created in my image. Rise, let us leave this place, for you are in me and I am in you; together we form only one person and we cannot be separated.

For your sake I, your God, became your son; I, the Lord, took the form of a slave; I, whose home is above the heavens, descended to the earth and beneath the earth. For your sake, for the sake of man, I became like a man without help, free among the dead. For the sake of you, who left a garden, I was betrayed to the Judeans in a garden, and I was crucified in a garden.

See on my face the spittle I received in order to restore to you the life I once breathed into you. See there the marks of the blows I received in order to refashion your warped nature in my image. On my back see the marks of the scourging I endured to remove the burden of sin that weighs upon your back. See my hands, nailed firmly to a tree, for you who once wickedly stretched out your hand to a tree.

I slept on the cross and a sword pierced my side for you who slept in paradise and brought forth Eve from your side. My side has healed the pain in yours. My sleep will rouse you from your sleep in hell. The sword that pierced me has sheathed the sword that was turned against you.

Rise, let us leave this place. The enemy led you out of the earthly paradise. I will not restore you to that paradise, but I will enthrone you in heaven. I forbade you the tree that was only a symbol of life, but see, I who am life itself am now one with you. I appointed cherubim to guard you as slaves are guarded, but now I make them worship you as God. The throne formed by cherubim awaits you, its bearers swift and eager. The bridal chamber is adorned, the banquet is ready, the eternal dwelling places are prepared, the treasure houses of all good things lie open. The kingdom of heaven has been prepared for you from all eternity.

RESPONSORY

Our shepherd, the source of the water of life, has died. The sun was darkened when he passed away. But now man’s captor is made captive.
– This is the day when our Savior broke through the gates of death.

He has destroyed the barricades of hell, overthrown the sovereignty of the devil.
– This is the day when our Savior broke through the gates of death.

CONCLUDING PRAYER
All-powerful and ever-living God,
your only Son went down among the dead
and rose again in glory.
In your goodness
raise up your faithful people,
buried with him in baptism,
to be one with him
in the eternal life of heaven,
where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
– Amen.

"And he looked for an opportunity to betray him." (Mark 14:11)

This should fill my heart with sorrow and a deep reflection. Judas is the Lord's friend. He has walked with him for three years, learned from him, received Jesus' love at every moment of every day. Judas has himself preached, healed, and shared in Jesus' ministry! And yet as we arrive at the threshold of the Passion where is Judas? Where are his heart and mind now? He is "looking for an opportunity" to betray his Master.

We wonder how it's possible. We feel the deepest kind of pain and confusion. We can taste the betrayal and its bitterness makes us cringe. But we must humbly face the question that follows: "How often do I myself seek an opportunity to betray Jesus?" He is the Truth - where do I willingly and callously seek out gossip, slander, one-upmanship? He is the Way - where do I refuse to follow him because of the sacrifice it requires, preferring to cut my own path no matter how far away from God it leads me? He is the Life - how often do I willingly seek fulfillment and pleasure, distraction and self-centered enjoyment, even though death, darkness, and emptiness always accompany them?

"Judas immediately went out; and it was night." (John 13:30)

Our Father in heaven, open our hearts and help us to empty them of every last ounce of selfish pride. Fill the remaining hollow darkness with the light that leads us to true life and love, and help all of us to refuse to betray you ever again. Amen.