I am so sorry I forgot to post yesterday.
Unfortunately, my schedule so far this semester has been:
8/9 am - Attempt to wake up
10:15 - Arrive late to class
1-2 - lunch break, aka deal with newspaper stuff
2-3 go back to class
3 p.m. - 1 a.m. - work on newspaper
1 a.m. - 3 a.m. do homework
3 a.m. - 8/9 a.m. - have nightmares about the newspaper
So, tonight I'm just gonna pray that you never agree to edit the news section of a paper, and that if you do, you don't go insane.
I'm praying for you!
:)
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Katie uses BOLD way too much
So, I feel really stupid now for not realizing this was a repeat homily, but I hope you at least had an entertaining time reading my ridiculous recounting of Fr. Baker's repeat homily.
Anyway, the first reading yesterday, from Joshua, did get me thinking about family and the importance of family in the Catholic Church.
Joshua doesn't say, "Everybody choose a God. I, of course, choose the real God." He says, "As for me and my house, we shall serve the Lord."
I actually grew up with that phrase from Joshua implanted firmly in my head, because my grandmother actually has it embroidered in a frame on her dining room wall.
It's not just a personal promise to Christ. It's a promise of a family commitment to Christ.
A lot of people have told me over the years, "Oh, you're just Catholic because your parents are."
In part, of course, that's true. My parents raised me Catholic, so it's not exactly like I just stumbled across it and decided it was awesome on my own. My mom is actually a convert, as are a lot of my family members, but I'm not. I inherited Catholicism.
There are reasons I remain Catholic other than my family, but what bothers me most is not the assumption that I am completely blind about my faith; it is the insinuation that family ties are not an important part of religion.
See, the thing is, Catholicism is all about family.
God didn't just tell individual people, "I love you. Follow me." He chose Abraham, and told him that his descendants, his family, would be a chosen people. Already, in accepting this tradition of faith, we are accepting a family tradition.
Then, Jesus came, and He told us about the Trinity. God is a family in and of Himself. He is Father and Son and Spirit of Love between the two. He could have chosen any names to tell us in order to describe the relationship of the Divine Persons. He chose, though, to describe Himself as a family.
And, don't forget that Christ could have come as a warrior on horseback, but instead, He chose to become part of The Holy Family.
Then, Christ establishes His Church, which is His bride. St. Paul tells us that Christ's relationship with the Church should be the model for all marriages, and thus for all families.
God calls us His children. Christ calls Himself our Brother.
Throughout the Bible, religion is described in terms of family.
So, in the Catholic Church, we become one family, one house.
We worship together in one house, praying as a family, and we eat together, as a family would eat meals together.
Of course, people abandon their families. Some members of the Church leave, and we let them leave, following Christ's example in yesterday's Gospel and in His story of the prodigal son.
Also, new people join families. Not everyone is born into the family. We have converts, and we welcome new members of our family just as Christ said that those who believed in Him were His brothers and mother.
As a family, we teach our children family traditions, and we celebrate milestones in life together.
The Catholic Church has passed down Tradition and Truth throughout the ages, as a family passes down heirlooms. Only by joining with Christ as His Bride and Body, becoming part of God's family and accepting His Love, The Spirit, has the Church been able to maintain the Truth this long.
The model of the faithful Catholic family does not prevent true understanding of the Faith - it enhances it. The true Catholic family models Christ's love for the Church, so that children can come to understand the true meaning of Christ's love at an early age.
So, when a Protestant tells you that you should find your own faith and ignore what your family has taught you, remind them that Christianity is about following the way of God, the perfect family, and that being part of a Christian family is the surest way to learn how to imitate God's love.
I'm praying for you!
:)
Anyway, the first reading yesterday, from Joshua, did get me thinking about family and the importance of family in the Catholic Church.
Joshua doesn't say, "Everybody choose a God. I, of course, choose the real God." He says, "As for me and my house, we shall serve the Lord."
I actually grew up with that phrase from Joshua implanted firmly in my head, because my grandmother actually has it embroidered in a frame on her dining room wall.
It's not just a personal promise to Christ. It's a promise of a family commitment to Christ.
A lot of people have told me over the years, "Oh, you're just Catholic because your parents are."
In part, of course, that's true. My parents raised me Catholic, so it's not exactly like I just stumbled across it and decided it was awesome on my own. My mom is actually a convert, as are a lot of my family members, but I'm not. I inherited Catholicism.
There are reasons I remain Catholic other than my family, but what bothers me most is not the assumption that I am completely blind about my faith; it is the insinuation that family ties are not an important part of religion.
See, the thing is, Catholicism is all about family.
God didn't just tell individual people, "I love you. Follow me." He chose Abraham, and told him that his descendants, his family, would be a chosen people. Already, in accepting this tradition of faith, we are accepting a family tradition.
Then, Jesus came, and He told us about the Trinity. God is a family in and of Himself. He is Father and Son and Spirit of Love between the two. He could have chosen any names to tell us in order to describe the relationship of the Divine Persons. He chose, though, to describe Himself as a family.
And, don't forget that Christ could have come as a warrior on horseback, but instead, He chose to become part of The Holy Family.
Then, Christ establishes His Church, which is His bride. St. Paul tells us that Christ's relationship with the Church should be the model for all marriages, and thus for all families.
God calls us His children. Christ calls Himself our Brother.
Throughout the Bible, religion is described in terms of family.
So, in the Catholic Church, we become one family, one house.
We worship together in one house, praying as a family, and we eat together, as a family would eat meals together.
Of course, people abandon their families. Some members of the Church leave, and we let them leave, following Christ's example in yesterday's Gospel and in His story of the prodigal son.
Also, new people join families. Not everyone is born into the family. We have converts, and we welcome new members of our family just as Christ said that those who believed in Him were His brothers and mother.
As a family, we teach our children family traditions, and we celebrate milestones in life together.
The Catholic Church has passed down Tradition and Truth throughout the ages, as a family passes down heirlooms. Only by joining with Christ as His Bride and Body, becoming part of God's family and accepting His Love, The Spirit, has the Church been able to maintain the Truth this long.
The model of the faithful Catholic family does not prevent true understanding of the Faith - it enhances it. The true Catholic family models Christ's love for the Church, so that children can come to understand the true meaning of Christ's love at an early age.
So, when a Protestant tells you that you should find your own faith and ignore what your family has taught you, remind them that Christianity is about following the way of God, the perfect family, and that being part of a Christian family is the surest way to learn how to imitate God's love.
I'm praying for you!
:)
Monday, August 27, 2012
Today, Fr. Baker gave a really awesome homily about the Eucharist. I really wish I had known beforehand how awesome it was going to be. I would have brought my voice recorder to Mass. I might do that next weekend.
Anyway, he was talking about how there are moments of crisis in our lives, moments when we are forced to choose.
For instance, in the first reading, Joshua tells the Israelites, "Choose today whom you will serve." He throws them into a crisis, and they have to make a choice. They have to choose whether to serve the Lord. They do choose to serve the Lord, luckily. When left to just muddle around, they stray away from the truth. When forced into a crisis, though, they recall the wondrous deeds God has done for them, and they recommit themselves to serving Him.
In the Gospel reading, Jesus throws His followers into a crisis. He says, "My flesh is true food," and the people around Him say, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept this?"
Then, of course, the Gospel foreshadows all the schisms and Protestantism that have occurred since Jesus' time.
Rather than saying, "You're right. That would be hard if it were true, but it's just metaphorical," Jesus says that He absolutely meant it.
This sends everyone following Him into a crisis. He says He will give us His flesh to eat. Either we have to accept that, or we have to reject Him. No more Protestantism, no more middle ground. Either eat Him or leave Him.
Sadly, many of them leave. As Fr. Baker pointed out today, it would have been an impossible thing for them to understand, since the Last Supper, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection and Pentecost had not yet happened.
Then, Jesus turns to the 12, the core of His followers, as Fr. put it. He asks, basically, "What about y'all? Are y'all gonna peace out, too?"
Fr. Baker said you'd expect Peter to say something here, like, "We think this new teaching is totally awesome, and we can't wait to learn more!"
Instead, he says, "Where else would we go?"
This is one of the strongest Biblical cases for Mysteries! Peter doesn't understand the Eucharist, none of the Apostles do or even can at this point. Jesus just spouted off the craziest sounding teaching in the whole of human history, that everyone needs to eat and drink Him to become immortal. They don't understand that. It's weird and unknown; it's a mystery.
But they don't need to understand it! They simply need to believe it at this point. They know from their experiences with Jesus that He is God, and thus they accept everything He says, without proof or explanation. Proofs and explanations make for interesting discussions and are a good way to try to grow closer to God, but they are not necessary for faith.
"Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet believe." - Jesus
So, Peter's words become incredibly profound, and his words echo those of the Israelites to Joshua so long before his time. He says, "Where else would we go? You have the words of everlasting life." Basically, He is willing to put all His trust in Jesus. He has already come to believe that Jesus is God, and He will humbly accept anything God tells Him as truth.
I will write more on these readings tomorrow. If you have any thoughts to add, let me know.
I'm praying for you!
:)
Anyway, he was talking about how there are moments of crisis in our lives, moments when we are forced to choose.
For instance, in the first reading, Joshua tells the Israelites, "Choose today whom you will serve." He throws them into a crisis, and they have to make a choice. They have to choose whether to serve the Lord. They do choose to serve the Lord, luckily. When left to just muddle around, they stray away from the truth. When forced into a crisis, though, they recall the wondrous deeds God has done for them, and they recommit themselves to serving Him.
In the Gospel reading, Jesus throws His followers into a crisis. He says, "My flesh is true food," and the people around Him say, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept this?"
Then, of course, the Gospel foreshadows all the schisms and Protestantism that have occurred since Jesus' time.
Rather than saying, "You're right. That would be hard if it were true, but it's just metaphorical," Jesus says that He absolutely meant it.
This sends everyone following Him into a crisis. He says He will give us His flesh to eat. Either we have to accept that, or we have to reject Him. No more Protestantism, no more middle ground. Either eat Him or leave Him.
Sadly, many of them leave. As Fr. Baker pointed out today, it would have been an impossible thing for them to understand, since the Last Supper, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection and Pentecost had not yet happened.
Then, Jesus turns to the 12, the core of His followers, as Fr. put it. He asks, basically, "What about y'all? Are y'all gonna peace out, too?"
Fr. Baker said you'd expect Peter to say something here, like, "We think this new teaching is totally awesome, and we can't wait to learn more!"
Instead, he says, "Where else would we go?"
This is one of the strongest Biblical cases for Mysteries! Peter doesn't understand the Eucharist, none of the Apostles do or even can at this point. Jesus just spouted off the craziest sounding teaching in the whole of human history, that everyone needs to eat and drink Him to become immortal. They don't understand that. It's weird and unknown; it's a mystery.
But they don't need to understand it! They simply need to believe it at this point. They know from their experiences with Jesus that He is God, and thus they accept everything He says, without proof or explanation. Proofs and explanations make for interesting discussions and are a good way to try to grow closer to God, but they are not necessary for faith.
"Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet believe." - Jesus
So, Peter's words become incredibly profound, and his words echo those of the Israelites to Joshua so long before his time. He says, "Where else would we go? You have the words of everlasting life." Basically, He is willing to put all His trust in Jesus. He has already come to believe that Jesus is God, and He will humbly accept anything God tells Him as truth.
I will write more on these readings tomorrow. If you have any thoughts to add, let me know.
I'm praying for you!
:)
Sunday, August 26, 2012
As my dad would say, a little bird told me that there is a piano where you live. So, here is some free sheet music for an arrangement of Pater Noster: http://www.saintchristophermusic.com/images/PaterPg1.pdf
That website actually has a lot of other sheet music. The front page says it's all free, but if you do end up using his stuff, especially in a group, just shoot him an email and let him know.
I don't know if you play piano, but if you don't, learning how could be a fun hobby in Seminary.
I'm praying for you!
:)
That website actually has a lot of other sheet music. The front page says it's all free, but if you do end up using his stuff, especially in a group, just shoot him an email and let him know.
I don't know if you play piano, but if you don't, learning how could be a fun hobby in Seminary.
I'm praying for you!
:)
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Friday, August 24, 2012
St. Thomas Aquinas wrote this prayer for students:
Creator of all things,
true source of light and wisdom,
origin of all being,
graciously let a ray of your light penetrate
the darkness of my understanding.
Take from me the double darkness
in which I have been born,
an obscurity of sin and ignorance.
Give me a keen understanding,
a retentive memory, and
the ability to grasp things
correctly and fundamentally.
Grant me the talent
of being exact in my explanations
and the ability to express myself
with thoroughness and charm.
Point out the beginning,
direct the progress,
and help in the completion.
I ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
I'm praying for you!
:)
Creator of all things,
true source of light and wisdom,
origin of all being,
graciously let a ray of your light penetrate
the darkness of my understanding.
Take from me the double darkness
in which I have been born,
an obscurity of sin and ignorance.
Give me a keen understanding,
a retentive memory, and
the ability to grasp things
correctly and fundamentally.
Grant me the talent
of being exact in my explanations
and the ability to express myself
with thoroughness and charm.
Point out the beginning,
direct the progress,
and help in the completion.
I ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
I'm praying for you!
:)
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
We started praying Compline tonight. If you're free at 10:30 any nights, we could probs Skype you in.
Anyway, today is the feast of The Coronation of Mary. I haven't done the Glorious Mysteries yet, but I thought I would share that link at least.
She bore the Savior of the world, raised Him, buried Him, watched Him rise, got taken up to Heaven to be with Him, and then got crowned Queen by her Son. Basically, Mary's pretty awesome.
I'm praying for you!
:)
Anyway, today is the feast of The Coronation of Mary. I haven't done the Glorious Mysteries yet, but I thought I would share that link at least.
She bore the Savior of the world, raised Him, buried Him, watched Him rise, got taken up to Heaven to be with Him, and then got crowned Queen by her Son. Basically, Mary's pretty awesome.
I'm praying for you!
:)
Monday, August 20, 2012
Some Thoughts
I'm really fond of saying, "I know there is a God," and people are really fond of replying, "No, you believe there is a God."
When I protest that I really do know He exists, in addition to believing, they look at me askance and ask me to prove it to them.
This is like asking a woman to prove that their husband loves her and objecting that she only believes it if she cannot offer empirical proof.
I believe that God exists because of the Tradition of the Church, because reason persuades me to place my faith in Christ and His Church. And yes, based on reason or external observation alone, I can only believe. Of course, belief is no small or unimportant thing, and it is very important to believe in Christ.
However, to state that my belief in Christ is founded only on reason, that it is merely my inclination or guess and is not a firm, sure knowledge, is incorrect.
Reason leads to belief in Christ and belief leads to knowledge of Christ. I do not simply believe in Christ; I know Him.
One of the most aggravating things for me when defending the Faith is that people seem to assume that I have given over my mind, heart and life to someone far away and distant, with whom I have no direct relationship. This idea pains me, because I realize that the people making this assumption have never truly recognized Jesus' love in their lives.
I know that Christ lives because I know that He loves me.
True, I was not physically present at Jesus' birth, public ministry, Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension. I have not placed my hands into His sides or gazed into the empty tomb. Much of my information about the nature of God has come from other sources rather than from direct experience.
Sometimes, though, when I am in Adoration or in Mass, when I am walking underneath a particularly beautiful tree, or when I am all by myself at night, I am overcome with a sudden, uncontrollable joy. In that moment, I know.
Just because I cannot prove it to another person does not mean that I am wrong.
I'm praying for you!
:)
When I protest that I really do know He exists, in addition to believing, they look at me askance and ask me to prove it to them.
This is like asking a woman to prove that their husband loves her and objecting that she only believes it if she cannot offer empirical proof.
I believe that God exists because of the Tradition of the Church, because reason persuades me to place my faith in Christ and His Church. And yes, based on reason or external observation alone, I can only believe. Of course, belief is no small or unimportant thing, and it is very important to believe in Christ.
However, to state that my belief in Christ is founded only on reason, that it is merely my inclination or guess and is not a firm, sure knowledge, is incorrect.
Reason leads to belief in Christ and belief leads to knowledge of Christ. I do not simply believe in Christ; I know Him.
One of the most aggravating things for me when defending the Faith is that people seem to assume that I have given over my mind, heart and life to someone far away and distant, with whom I have no direct relationship. This idea pains me, because I realize that the people making this assumption have never truly recognized Jesus' love in their lives.
I know that Christ lives because I know that He loves me.
True, I was not physically present at Jesus' birth, public ministry, Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension. I have not placed my hands into His sides or gazed into the empty tomb. Much of my information about the nature of God has come from other sources rather than from direct experience.
Sometimes, though, when I am in Adoration or in Mass, when I am walking underneath a particularly beautiful tree, or when I am all by myself at night, I am overcome with a sudden, uncontrollable joy. In that moment, I know.
Just because I cannot prove it to another person does not mean that I am wrong.
I'm praying for you!
:)
More awesome quotes:
:)
Not 100 in the United States hate the Roman Catholic Church, but millions hate what they mistakenly think the Roman Catholic Church is. - Bishop Fulton J. Sheen
The proof of love is in the works. Where love exists, it works great things. But when it ceases to act, it ceases to exist. - Pope St. Gregory the Great
It is better to say one Our Father fervently and devoutly than a thousand with no devotion and full of distraction. - St. EdmundI'm praying for you!
:)
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Friday, August 17, 2012
This is yesterday's post. I will post today's later.
Morning Offering to the Sacred Heart:
:)
O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer You my prayers, works, joys and sufferings of this day for all the intentions of Your Sacred Heart, in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world, in reparation for my sins, for the intentions of all our associates, and in particular for the intentions of our Holy Father for this month.I'm praying for you!
:)
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
I thought you might need these quotes:
I'm praying for you!
:)
To maintain a joyful family requires much from both the parents and the children. Each member of the family has to become, in a special way, the servant of the others. - JPII
The great danger for family life, in the midst of any society whose idols are pleasure, comfort and independence, lies in the fact that people close their hearts and become selfish. - JPII
:)
Monday, August 13, 2012
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Today, I woke up sick and didn't get to go to Mass, so I didn't get to hear a homily, which is a shame because the Gospel passage today is one of my absolute favorites. I'm just gonna put my thoughts in blue.
The Jews murmured about Jesus because he said,
"I am the bread that came down from heaven," You'd think that if He didn't mean that literally, He would have corrected them.
and they said,
"Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph? Why, yes, He is. But only by adoption.
Do we not know his father and mother? Right, because they were supposed to just walk up to everyone they met and say "Hi. Our son is actually the Messiah." They would have been stoned to death for heresy.
Then how can he say, With His mouth. Oh, sorry, you meant "...why would He say..."
'I have come down from heaven?'" This part makes me think of modern atheists, mocking "the invisible man in the sky."
Jesus answered and said to them, "eek! He heard us?"
"Stop murmuring among yourselves. AKA: "Stop gossiping. You're being dense." Aren't we all sometimes? (Except for Jesus and Mary, of course)
No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him,
and I will raise him on the last day. You'd think that this line would give naysayers of the Hypostatic Union a pause. I mean, if He's just a messenger, rather than God, wouldn't He be leading people to the Father, rather than the other way around? Also, wouldn't His Father be doing the raising of people on the last day? If He's not God, He's definitely blaspheming.
It is written in the prophets:
They shall all be taught by God.
Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me. I love this wording. Notice that He does not say, "Everyone who believes in Him," or even simply, "Everyone who listens to God." He says that you have to listen to the Father and learn from Him. You have to change after encountering the Father; you must actually make an act of the will in order to come to Jesus.
Not that anyone has seen the Father
except the one who is from God;
he has seen the Father. Ooh, a paradox. Now Jesus is deep into talking about the Trinity and the murmurers probably don't even realize it.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes has eternal life. So, you have to come to Jesus, then through Him meet the Father, then listen to and learn from the Father, who will lead you back to Jesus? Sounds like a strange loop, until you realize that "coming to Jesus" in this sense must mean following Him as a disciple, not merely coming to Him in person. So, I first encounter Christ as man in the person of the priest, who tells me about the Father. When I pray to the Father, He grants me the graces necessary to truly discover Christ in the Eucharist. The Eucharist? The Protestants doth protest. Where's the Eucharist in all this?
I am the bread of life. Right here. They were murmuring in the first place because He claimed He was "bread" that had "come down from Heaven." I'm still not sure how the Protestants don't recognize themselves in the murmurers.
Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, Ooh, Old Testament support for the Eucharist! :) but they died; Ouch, Jesus, way to put it bluntly.
this is the bread that comes down from heaven Wouldn't He have stopped repeating it by now if He didn't mean it?
so that one may eat it and not die. Wait, did Jesus just say we had to eat Him and then we could live forever?
I am the living bread that came down from heaven; He said it again! Either He's crazy, or the Eucharist is the true Body and Blood of Christ.
whoever eats this bread will live forever; I feel like they're standing there at this point, getting really confused. Maybe He's not meaning to directly connect His flesh to bread?
and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world." He said it yet again! There's no mistaking it this time - Jesus said that we have to eat Him, so that we can live forever. I would give everything I own to be able to see the looks on the faces of the Jews standing around Jesus, trying to figure out whether to stone Him on the spot for blaspheming or write Him off as a nutcase. I bet that most of them never considered that He might be telling the truth.
I'm praying for you!
:)
The Jews murmured about Jesus because he said,
"I am the bread that came down from heaven," You'd think that if He didn't mean that literally, He would have corrected them.
and they said,
"Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph? Why, yes, He is. But only by adoption.
Do we not know his father and mother? Right, because they were supposed to just walk up to everyone they met and say "Hi. Our son is actually the Messiah." They would have been stoned to death for heresy.
Then how can he say, With His mouth. Oh, sorry, you meant "...why would He say..."
'I have come down from heaven?'" This part makes me think of modern atheists, mocking "the invisible man in the sky."
Jesus answered and said to them, "eek! He heard us?"
"Stop murmuring among yourselves. AKA: "Stop gossiping. You're being dense." Aren't we all sometimes? (Except for Jesus and Mary, of course)
No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him,
and I will raise him on the last day. You'd think that this line would give naysayers of the Hypostatic Union a pause. I mean, if He's just a messenger, rather than God, wouldn't He be leading people to the Father, rather than the other way around? Also, wouldn't His Father be doing the raising of people on the last day? If He's not God, He's definitely blaspheming.
It is written in the prophets:
They shall all be taught by God.
Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me. I love this wording. Notice that He does not say, "Everyone who believes in Him," or even simply, "Everyone who listens to God." He says that you have to listen to the Father and learn from Him. You have to change after encountering the Father; you must actually make an act of the will in order to come to Jesus.
Not that anyone has seen the Father
except the one who is from God;
he has seen the Father. Ooh, a paradox. Now Jesus is deep into talking about the Trinity and the murmurers probably don't even realize it.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes has eternal life. So, you have to come to Jesus, then through Him meet the Father, then listen to and learn from the Father, who will lead you back to Jesus? Sounds like a strange loop, until you realize that "coming to Jesus" in this sense must mean following Him as a disciple, not merely coming to Him in person. So, I first encounter Christ as man in the person of the priest, who tells me about the Father. When I pray to the Father, He grants me the graces necessary to truly discover Christ in the Eucharist. The Eucharist? The Protestants doth protest. Where's the Eucharist in all this?
I am the bread of life. Right here. They were murmuring in the first place because He claimed He was "bread" that had "come down from Heaven." I'm still not sure how the Protestants don't recognize themselves in the murmurers.
Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, Ooh, Old Testament support for the Eucharist! :) but they died; Ouch, Jesus, way to put it bluntly.
this is the bread that comes down from heaven Wouldn't He have stopped repeating it by now if He didn't mean it?
so that one may eat it and not die. Wait, did Jesus just say we had to eat Him and then we could live forever?
I am the living bread that came down from heaven; He said it again! Either He's crazy, or the Eucharist is the true Body and Blood of Christ.
whoever eats this bread will live forever; I feel like they're standing there at this point, getting really confused. Maybe He's not meaning to directly connect His flesh to bread?
and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world." He said it yet again! There's no mistaking it this time - Jesus said that we have to eat Him, so that we can live forever. I would give everything I own to be able to see the looks on the faces of the Jews standing around Jesus, trying to figure out whether to stone Him on the spot for blaspheming or write Him off as a nutcase. I bet that most of them never considered that He might be telling the truth.
I'm praying for you!
:)
Some Blessed JPII wisdom:
:)
Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought.
I have a sweet tooth for song and music. This is my Polish sin.
Love is never defeated, and I could add, the history of Ireland proves it.
Radical changes in world politics leave America with a heightened responsibility to be, for the world, an example of a genuinely free, democratic, just and humane society.And finally, one of my personal favorites:
Stupidity is also a gift of God, but one mustn't misuse it.I'm praying for you!
:)
Saturday, August 11, 2012
I really love this quote:
“A person who has good thoughts cannot ever be ugly. You can have a wonky nose and a crooked mouth and a double chin and stick-out teeth, but if you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.” - from The Twits by Roald DahlI could go on about this quote for ages, about looking past society's standards and seeing someone's inner beauty when you look at them and about how it goes so nicely with Psalm 139:14, but I will let you ponder it some for yourself.
I'm praying for you!
:)
Friday, August 10, 2012
So, I read a blog post earlier, and I liked it so much that I'm going to repost the entire thing here (I'm sorry if Blogger gets mad and turns it all white):
Can a Christian lose his salvation. According to Saint Paul, the answer is “yes”.
Once Saved Always Saved?
Most Evangelical Christians hold that a Christian is “once saved always saved,” by which they mean that once a person has committed his life to Christ, he can never do anything to undo this gift of salvation. The explanation assumes that since the gift of salvation was freely granted, there is nothing that one can do lose it. Contrary to this, we know that gifts can be abandoned, rejected, or destroyed by of the ill will of the recipient. A father may purchase a sports car and freely give it to his son as a gift. It is rightly assumed that a gift cannot be “ungifted” or taken away. I am sure that the son would receive the car gleefully. However, the son may turn around and sell the car for drugs, crash the car, or neglect the car so that it no longer functions. The gift was not “ungifted”. Rather, the worth of the gift was rejected through negligence.
Most Evangelical Christians hold that a Christian is “once saved always saved,” by which they mean that once a person has committed his life to Christ, he can never do anything to undo this gift of salvation. The explanation assumes that since the gift of salvation was freely granted, there is nothing that one can do lose it. Contrary to this, we know that gifts can be abandoned, rejected, or destroyed by of the ill will of the recipient. A father may purchase a sports car and freely give it to his son as a gift. It is rightly assumed that a gift cannot be “ungifted” or taken away. I am sure that the son would receive the car gleefully. However, the son may turn around and sell the car for drugs, crash the car, or neglect the car so that it no longer functions. The gift was not “ungifted”. Rather, the worth of the gift was rejected through negligence.
Catholicism views salvation in a similar way – a gift is given freely, but it may be spurned and squandered. The Father freely gave His Son Jesus Christ to suffer, die, and rise again for our salvation. Through the Holy Spirit, God pours out this love upon us so that we become the children of God. In the words of Saint Paul, we become earthen vessels containing inestimable treasure (1 Cor 4:7). And this salvation is a gift. As Saint Paul wrote:
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God – not because of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them (Eph 2:8-10)
This gift of God is not “earned by works of our own doing” but rather is received “through faith”. However, notice that salvation has a purpose in this life. We are “created in Christ Jesus for good works…that we should walk in them.” Paul is opposed to certain persons trying to earn salvation through works without faith, but he finds no tension between faith and good works once faith has been established in the Christian. In fact, Paul expects that good works will necessarily grow up as the fruits of faith. Remember that Saint Paul, like the Catholic Church, finds salvation through “faith working through love” and not through “faith alone”.
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God – not because of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them (Eph 2:8-10)
This gift of God is not “earned by works of our own doing” but rather is received “through faith”. However, notice that salvation has a purpose in this life. We are “created in Christ Jesus for good works…that we should walk in them.” Paul is opposed to certain persons trying to earn salvation through works without faith, but he finds no tension between faith and good works once faith has been established in the Christian. In fact, Paul expects that good works will necessarily grow up as the fruits of faith. Remember that Saint Paul, like the Catholic Church, finds salvation through “faith working through love” and not through “faith alone”.
This difference demonstrates that for Saint Paul and the Catholic Church, salvation is understood as progressive and multidimensional. When Evangelicals read Paul, they observe a stress on “faith” and so they focus on this aspect of Paul’s teaching. The Catholic Church reads Paul and discovers in his writings a stress on faith but in the context of various over doctrines: baptism, the church, good works, tradition, liturgy, sanctification, etc. To use an illustration, it is as if two different people look at a written piece of music. The first looks at the piece and after studying concludes, “The note “D” seems to be predominate.” Then he walks over to the piano and strikes a “D” on the piano. The other person studies the same sheet of music and concludes, “This piece of music is in the key of D.” He then walks over to the piano and plays the beautiful piece of music from the sheet in the key of D. The first person tried to distill the music down to one note and as a result, he neglected the rest. However, the second person realized that “D” was the overarching theme and yet he incorporated all the other notes so that something more beautiful resulted.
Evangelicals and other kinds of Protestants in their commendable zeal often distill the writings of Saint Paul to such an extent that they miss the complexities and nuances of the Apostle. This is especially the case when it comes to Saint Paul’s doctrine of salvation. As a result, the Evangelical doctrine of “once saved always saved” misses the nuances of Paul’s doctrine. Paul does in fact teach that “nothing can separate us from the love of God” (Rom 8:39). However, he also clearly states that certain Christians have “fallen from grace” (Gal 5:4). What does the Apostle mean when he says that certain Christians have fallen from grace?
Evangelicals and other kinds of Protestants in their commendable zeal often distill the writings of Saint Paul to such an extent that they miss the complexities and nuances of the Apostle. This is especially the case when it comes to Saint Paul’s doctrine of salvation. As a result, the Evangelical doctrine of “once saved always saved” misses the nuances of Paul’s doctrine. Paul does in fact teach that “nothing can separate us from the love of God” (Rom 8:39). However, he also clearly states that certain Christians have “fallen from grace” (Gal 5:4). What does the Apostle mean when he says that certain Christians have fallen from grace?
The Apostle explains, “I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize” (1 Cor 9:27). Here the prize is salvation, as is clear from the preceding verses. Saint Paul follows a disciplined life because he knows that there is a possibility that he might forfeit the salvation that he preaches. For this reason, in the very next chapter, Paul encourages the Christians in Corinth to do the same: “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall” (1 Cor 10:12). The “fall” here is the “fall from grace” spoken about by Paul in Galatians 5:4. Interestingly enough, the warning about falling from grace in Galatians 5:4 is immediately followed up by Paul’s exhortation to have “faith working through love” in Galatians 5:6.
Since the Apostle believes that one might fall from grace, he elsewhere encourages the Christians in Philippi to “work out your salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil 2:12). Here again we see Paul’s emphasis on a “faith working through love” (Gal 5:6). We are to work out our salvation. While it is a gift, it requires our effort. If you receive the gift of a bicycle, it is worthless until you actually get on the bike and start peddling. If the giver of the gift saw the bicycle leaning against the wall in your garage covered in dust, he would be offended. The giver wanted the recipient to enjoy cycling, but this intention was never realized. The same is true of salvation. The gift of salvation has been given to us so that we can be conformed to the image of His Son (Rom 8:29). This is a profound honor. We are called not only to believe in Christ, but also to become like Christ. We participate in the life of Christ. It is for this reason that we are called Christians. This means that our life is characterized by acts pertaining to faith, hope, and charity (1 Cor 13:13). When we willingly break the bond our bond of charity with Christ, we fall from grace.
We learn from Saint John that some sins are “mortal sins” and some sins are not mortal in this way:
If any one sees his brother committing what is not a mortal sin, he will ask, and God will give him life for those whose sin is not mortal. There is sin which is mortal; I do not say that one is to pray for that. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin which is not mortal (1 Jn 5:16-17).
Following John’s classification of these two kinds of sins, the Catholic Church teaches the following about mortal sin:
Mortal sin destroys charity in the heart of man by a grave violation of God’s law; it turns man away from God, who is his ultimate end and his beatitude, by preferring an inferior good to him. Venial sin allows charity to subsist, even though it offends and wounds it” (CCC § 1855).
Mortal sins are called “mortal” because as Saint John explained, they bring death to the soul. The other class is called “venial sin” from the Latin word venia, meaning “forgiveness” or “pardon”. Evangelicals understand the difference between mortal and venial sins whether they acknowledge it or not. If you were playing golf with your pastor and he let out a cruse word when he hit his golf ball into the forest, you would be disappointed, but not broken-hearted. However, if your pastor were engaged in an adulterous affair with the church’s secretary, you would have cause for alarm. The same is true in marriage. There are certain sins that inhibit the growth of love between a husband and wife, but they do not rupture the loving relationship, as would adultery or physical abuse.
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, three conditions must be met in order for a sin to be mortal: “Mortal sin is sin whose object is grave matter and which is also committed with full knowledge and deliberate consent” (CCC §1857). Would Paul agree with this? As a matter of fact, the Catholic Church looks to Paul as the foremost delineator of mortal sins. The Catechism cites no less than seven passages from the letters of Paul as examples of mortal sins (CCC §1852), but in particular it cites the Apostle’s Epistle to the Galatians:
Now the works of the flesh are plain: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, party spirit, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God (Gal 5:18-21).
Saint Paul lists a set of sins and concludes with, “I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God” (Gal 5:21). Who is Paul warning? He is warning Christians. If they do these things, then they will fall from grace. In other words, they “shall not inherit the kingdom of God”. Paul shows that there are certain sins that are mortal. These sins disqualify a Christian from inheriting the kingdom of God. The Apostle could not explain it any more clearly. In fact, these “mortal sin lists” are a common feature of Paul’s epistles. For more examples of Paul’s lists of mortal sins, see also Rom 1:28-32; 1 Cor 6:9-10; Eph 5:3-5; Col 3:5-8; 1 Tim 1:9-10; 2 Tim 3:2-5.
We find further confirmation of “falling from grace” when we turn to the Epistle to the Hebrews. While the Epistle to the Hebrews does not bear the name of Paul, Catholic tradition has held to be “Pauline” in origin. Some have speculated that its core was by Paul and that it was later composed and polished by Saint Luke on behalf of Paul. Others believe that it lacks the signature of Paul because it is addressed to the Hebrews. This makes sense when we remember that Paul was the Apostle to the Gentiles. Whichever the reason, the epistle certainly incorporates the theology of Paul and resembles Galatians in many ways.
In The Epistle to the Hebrews, we find three passages that echo the exhortations found in the other epistles of Paul about falling from grace. In Hebrews 4:1 we read, “The promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it.” Here, the assumption is that a Christian may “fall short” of entering into Heaven. Hebrews 6:4-6 is a difficult passage for Evangelicals and is often admitted to be the one passage that refutes the Evangelical doctrine of “once saved always saved”.
For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they then commit apostasy, since they crucify the Son of God on their own account and hold him up to contempt (Heb 6:4-6).
Here we have persons who have been “enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit,” and yet they are able to “commit apostasy” and reject the Son of God. Two verses later, he compares such apostates to thistles worthy only of being burned (Heb 6:8).
The Epistle to the Hebrews later takes up the problem of apostate Christians in its tenth chapter. It is worth quoting in full. The emphases are mine:
The Epistle to the Hebrews later takes up the problem of apostate Christians in its tenth chapter. It is worth quoting in full. The emphases are mine:
For if we sin deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful prospect of judgment, and a fury of fire which will consume the adversaries. A man who has violated the law of Moses dies without mercy at the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment do you think will be deserved by the man who has spurned the Son of God, and profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Heb 10:26-31).
This passage confirms Paul’s doctrine of apostasy and the warning set forth in the sixth chapter of Hebrews. A man will fall into “a fury of fire” (Heb 10:27) who has “spurned the Son of God, and profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and outraged the Spirit of grace” (Heb 10:29). Notice how the person in question has already been “sanctified” by the “blood of the covenant”. This person has received the gift of redemption of the New Covenant through the precious blood of Christ. And yet such a man will forfeit all those benefits and fall into the fires of Hell. Clearly, the Epistle to the Hebrews and the epistles of Paul in general teach that the Christian can “fall from grace”. This fall occurs through apostasy or through committing mortal sin and this accords perfectly with the Catholic doctrine of salvation as it regards the possibility of falling from grace.
-Taken from Paul is Catholic, written by Taylor Marshall
I don't know if you had seen this already, but I was really intrigued, so I thought I'd share.
I'm praying for you!
:)
Thursday, August 9, 2012
So, I thought I would take a break from sorrowful things tonight (AKA: I actually forgot to blog until just now and I'm super tired...), so here is a cute picture of a duckling:
I'm praying for you!
Every journey begins with a single step. Sometimes that step is rather ginormous, but sometimes you have to climb up the mountain before you can view the beauty of the plain.
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| For example, I took this picture from the top of a butte in Montana :) |
:)
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Sorrowful Meditations: Scourging at the Pillar part 2
All these mysteries seem to require a lot of picking apart.
After I had already posted last night's post, I realized that I had forgotten to mention what is perhaps the most mysterious part of this mystery: Jesus' complete humility.
Jesus' courage in the face of pain is amazing but not really mysterious: He is God, after all.
What is truly incomprehensible at times to me is His humility, the fact that Jesus allowed Himself to be scourged at the pillar.
In some ways, this mystery seems to highlight Jesus' humility better than any other, except perhaps the crucifixion itself. Yes, He is incredibly humble throughout the Sorrowful Mysteries, but it is amazing to think how much humility it took for Jesus to allow himself to be scourged, beaten down physically while being humiliated by his torturers.
What I forget so often is that Jesus was subject to temptation, just like all other humans. Unlike all the rest of us (except His mother), though, He never gave in to the temptation.
He didn't have to let them torture Him. When they spat on Him and told Him to prophesy who had done it, He could have rained fire down on His attacker. He could have escaped His bonds and turned the scourges to water, and He could have done all of this without so much as blinking His eyes.
I know that if I was ever in a situation where my entire body was screaming in pain and my torturers were taunting me, I would take any opportunity I could to escape.
Jesus didn't though, so why not? Why would He have allowed Himself to be humiliated? Why would He even have created us when He'd known from all eternity that we would do this to Him?
Love. That's why. A more incredible love than any of us could ever imagine, and it's all aimed at us. From all time, God has loved us with a burning passion; He has loved us creatures even before He created us, even though He knew that we would torture and kill Him when given the chance. That kind of love, I think, is the greatest mystery of all.
I'm praying for you!
:)
After I had already posted last night's post, I realized that I had forgotten to mention what is perhaps the most mysterious part of this mystery: Jesus' complete humility.
Jesus' courage in the face of pain is amazing but not really mysterious: He is God, after all.
What is truly incomprehensible at times to me is His humility, the fact that Jesus allowed Himself to be scourged at the pillar.
In some ways, this mystery seems to highlight Jesus' humility better than any other, except perhaps the crucifixion itself. Yes, He is incredibly humble throughout the Sorrowful Mysteries, but it is amazing to think how much humility it took for Jesus to allow himself to be scourged, beaten down physically while being humiliated by his torturers.
What I forget so often is that Jesus was subject to temptation, just like all other humans. Unlike all the rest of us (except His mother), though, He never gave in to the temptation.
He didn't have to let them torture Him. When they spat on Him and told Him to prophesy who had done it, He could have rained fire down on His attacker. He could have escaped His bonds and turned the scourges to water, and He could have done all of this without so much as blinking His eyes.
I know that if I was ever in a situation where my entire body was screaming in pain and my torturers were taunting me, I would take any opportunity I could to escape.
Jesus didn't though, so why not? Why would He have allowed Himself to be humiliated? Why would He even have created us when He'd known from all eternity that we would do this to Him?
Love. That's why. A more incredible love than any of us could ever imagine, and it's all aimed at us. From all time, God has loved us with a burning passion; He has loved us creatures even before He created us, even though He knew that we would torture and kill Him when given the chance. That kind of love, I think, is the greatest mystery of all.
I'm praying for you!
:)
Sorrowful Meditations: Scourging at the Pillar
The second sorrowful mystery is the scourging at the pillar.
This mystery is one of the scariest for me to contemplate, because it shows just how depraved and bloodthirsty we humans can be.
In Luke's Gospel, he writes that Pilate addressed the crowds three times, telling them that Jesus had committed no capital crime.
Pilate asks the Jewish people three times if just flogging Him will suffice, and they say no, He must die. Of course, the point isn't that Jewish people are inherently evil as a race. The point is that the people asking for Jesus' death knew Him - He had taught them, healed them, fed them, maybe even made things for them in the carpentry shop or played with them as a child. Even Peter denied Him, although he did not shout "Crucify him!" along with the crowd, I'm sure. This is the ultimate betrayal.
This is one reason why this mystery haunts me so much when I meditate on it - as a cradle Catholics, I have been granted a relationship with Christ that many will never have on Earth. He has nourished me with His Body and Blood. Beyond even just being a neighbor of His who might have seen a few miracles performed by Him, I have been taught about His sacrifice for me since before I can remember, and yet I still sin.
I can almost hear Pilate's voice sometimes, saying "This man has committed no crime," hear him saying that Jesus will be scourged and then released, and I know that although I have not said the words aloud, my actions are my way of shouting along with the crowd, "Crucify Him."
Shouldn't scourging be enough? Can't I even limit my sinning to that much pain? After all, I cried after getting swatted with Crape Myrtle switches as a kid - I can't imagine what it would be like to be tied to a pillar and whipped mercilessly with leather thongs that have small sharp bones attached to them.
It's really horrific to think of how much pain Jesus endured for our sake, of course, but we need to meditate on this mystery, on why we often don't stop sinning even when given multiple opportunities to stop, even when we have seen the pain we are causing. Only when we meditate on the suffering of Christ can we begin to recognize His healing love, and only then will we find the courage to truly repent.
And our repentance actually matters, of course, because of Jesus' sacrifice. That is the joyful side of the sorrowful mysteries - through Jesus' sacrifice, the gates of paradise are opened, and we can return to Him.
It is difficult to meditate on these mysteries, but it can be (at least, it has been for me) a healing meditation. I walk into meditating on these mysteries like I walk into Confession, slowly and nervously, scared to death of the horrible truth I have seen in myself, but I also leave like I leave Confession, smiling in joy at the wonderful truth I have seen in Christ Jesus.
Yes, we have fallen asleep while He prayed, we have scourged Him, we have mocked Him, we have watched Him carry His cross without offering to share the burden, and we have nailed Him to that cross and killed our Lord, but He has defeated death and sin. I am amazed at my own horrific acts, but I am more amazed at the love of Christ, at the amount that He is willing to forgive.
The Sorrowful Mysteries can be looked at in two ways:
1. They show the horrible things which we have done to Christ.
2. They show all the horrible things which Christ has forgiven out of love for us.
Let me know your thoughts if you have any, of course!
This mystery is one of the scariest for me to contemplate, because it shows just how depraved and bloodthirsty we humans can be.
In Luke's Gospel, he writes that Pilate addressed the crowds three times, telling them that Jesus had committed no capital crime.
Pilate then summoned the chief priests, the rulers, and the people and said to them, “You brought this man to me and accused him of inciting the people to revolt. I have conducted my investigation in your presence and have not found this man guilty of the charges you have brought against him, nor did Herod, for he sent him back to us. So no capital crime has been committed by him. Therefore I shall have him flogged and then release him.”
So, this isn't a case of people getting over-excited and then handing him over to Pilate, who enthusiastically sends Jesus to His death. This isn't even a case of Pilate asking them once what they want and everyone angrily screaming, "Crucify him!"But all together they shouted out, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us.”(Now Barabbas had been imprisoned for a rebellion that had taken place in the city and for murder.)Again Pilate addressed them, still wishing to release Jesus, but they continued their shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!"Pilate addressed them a third time, “What evil has this man done? I found him guilty of no capital crime. Therefore I shall have him flogged and then release him.” - Luke 23:13-22 (bold added by me)
Pilate asks the Jewish people three times if just flogging Him will suffice, and they say no, He must die. Of course, the point isn't that Jewish people are inherently evil as a race. The point is that the people asking for Jesus' death knew Him - He had taught them, healed them, fed them, maybe even made things for them in the carpentry shop or played with them as a child. Even Peter denied Him, although he did not shout "Crucify him!" along with the crowd, I'm sure. This is the ultimate betrayal.
This is one reason why this mystery haunts me so much when I meditate on it - as a cradle Catholics, I have been granted a relationship with Christ that many will never have on Earth. He has nourished me with His Body and Blood. Beyond even just being a neighbor of His who might have seen a few miracles performed by Him, I have been taught about His sacrifice for me since before I can remember, and yet I still sin.
I can almost hear Pilate's voice sometimes, saying "This man has committed no crime," hear him saying that Jesus will be scourged and then released, and I know that although I have not said the words aloud, my actions are my way of shouting along with the crowd, "Crucify Him."
Shouldn't scourging be enough? Can't I even limit my sinning to that much pain? After all, I cried after getting swatted with Crape Myrtle switches as a kid - I can't imagine what it would be like to be tied to a pillar and whipped mercilessly with leather thongs that have small sharp bones attached to them.
It's really horrific to think of how much pain Jesus endured for our sake, of course, but we need to meditate on this mystery, on why we often don't stop sinning even when given multiple opportunities to stop, even when we have seen the pain we are causing. Only when we meditate on the suffering of Christ can we begin to recognize His healing love, and only then will we find the courage to truly repent.
And our repentance actually matters, of course, because of Jesus' sacrifice. That is the joyful side of the sorrowful mysteries - through Jesus' sacrifice, the gates of paradise are opened, and we can return to Him.
It is difficult to meditate on these mysteries, but it can be (at least, it has been for me) a healing meditation. I walk into meditating on these mysteries like I walk into Confession, slowly and nervously, scared to death of the horrible truth I have seen in myself, but I also leave like I leave Confession, smiling in joy at the wonderful truth I have seen in Christ Jesus.
Yes, we have fallen asleep while He prayed, we have scourged Him, we have mocked Him, we have watched Him carry His cross without offering to share the burden, and we have nailed Him to that cross and killed our Lord, but He has defeated death and sin. I am amazed at my own horrific acts, but I am more amazed at the love of Christ, at the amount that He is willing to forgive.
The Sorrowful Mysteries can be looked at in two ways:
1. They show the horrible things which we have done to Christ.
2. They show all the horrible things which Christ has forgiven out of love for us.
Let me know your thoughts if you have any, of course!
Monday, August 6, 2012
I just now got internet access for the first time today (eek!) and I took my night meds about 2 hours ago, meaning that it's probably a miracle that I haven't passed out by now.
So, I will do another Sorrowful Mystery meditation tomorrow as soon as I can get on the internet.
For now, all my love and prayers to you. I hope you have a truly blessed week.
Oh, also, a priest at my parish gave an excellent homily today in which he explained why the Eucharist is at the center of the priesthood. Remind me to tell you more when I am more coherent.
I'm praying for you!
:)
So, I will do another Sorrowful Mystery meditation tomorrow as soon as I can get on the internet.
For now, all my love and prayers to you. I hope you have a truly blessed week.
Oh, also, a priest at my parish gave an excellent homily today in which he explained why the Eucharist is at the center of the priesthood. Remind me to tell you more when I am more coherent.
I'm praying for you!
:)
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Sorrowful Meditations: Agony in the Garden Part 2
Welcome back to the internet, Josh!
The first sorrowful mystery is, of course, the Agony in the Garden.
The mysterious thing about this is not that Jesus is praying, obviously. Talking to His Father before His death is not weird or mysterious. What does seem odd is that Jesus says, "Not as I will, but as you will."
For me to pray this would not be odd; I pray all the time for God to take away trials if He wills it. But for Jesus to pray this does strike me as odd - He and His Father are one - "If you have seen me, you have seen the Father" - right? So, how can they have separate wills?
Now, if He only prayed this once, I might be able to disregard it as just an example to me of how to pray. I mean, He obviously didn't need baptism to cleanse Him of His sins, since He didn't have any, but He got baptized. Maybe this could also be an example? But no, He doesn't just pray this once, He prays it three times.
Now, I'm flummoxed. How could Jesus be praying to His Father to please take away the cross if possible and saying "Not as I will, but as you will"?
Of course, I don't have a great explanation for this - it is a mystery, after all, and I am nowhere close to being a theologian. But, I think that there are three things about this that I may have figured out:
1. This mystery highlights the greater mystery of the Holy Trinity
Jesus and His Father are indeed two separate Persons. Rather than just being identical, They are distinct and They do interact with each other. How this is possible I have no idea, but I do think that this mystery provides a really wonderful opportunity to meditate on the Trinity.
2. It highlights the human nature of Jesus.
As I mentioned in the previous post about the Agony in the Garden, this mystery highlights Jesus' human nature, and this phrase accentuates that. He appears nervous about death, and even though I cannot ever understand (while on this Earth) how the two Natures of Christ coexist in one Person, this phrase especially shows that He is fully human, like us in all things except for sin.
3. It provides us an example of perfect submission to the Will of the Father
I don't think this is a case of Jesus having a will which is contrary to that of His Father. He is God, after all. The only way that I can think of to explain this phrase to myself is that Jesus is submitting control of His Will to His Father. When He says "Not as I will," He is not saying, "Our wills are different, but I'll go with Yours if I have to." He is saying, "I am allowing You to make the decision here, whatever Your decision is. I submit My will to Yours." It is a fine difference, so I don't know if I've explained it well. Basically, I think He is relinquishing control completely. He is not Himself willing anything with regards to His death, because He is allowing His Father to make the decision. He is not saying, "I will differently but am going to do what you want," but "I will whatever You will."
It is this submission of the Will which is so difficult for me so much of the time. I say so often, "I want this to happen, but if it can't, I'll do whatever You want me to do." It's easy to think I am submitting to the Will of God when I am actually following His Will begrudgingly, without actually wanting to do what I am doing.
What I, along with everybody else, am actually called to do is to change my will to reflect that of God, to allow God's Will to shape mine, so that I actually want to do what He wills.
When you do what God wills, and you actually want to be doing it because you know and accept God's will, that is true joy. After all, joy is being [and, at the same time, willing to be] with the beloved, right?
This is a really tough mystery for me to unpick, so if you have any ideas, please share!
I'm praying for you!
:)
The first sorrowful mystery is, of course, the Agony in the Garden.
He advanced a little and fell prostrate in prayer, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will.” - Matthew 26:39In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus prays this not once, not twice, but THREE times.
The mysterious thing about this is not that Jesus is praying, obviously. Talking to His Father before His death is not weird or mysterious. What does seem odd is that Jesus says, "Not as I will, but as you will."
For me to pray this would not be odd; I pray all the time for God to take away trials if He wills it. But for Jesus to pray this does strike me as odd - He and His Father are one - "If you have seen me, you have seen the Father" - right? So, how can they have separate wills?
Now, if He only prayed this once, I might be able to disregard it as just an example to me of how to pray. I mean, He obviously didn't need baptism to cleanse Him of His sins, since He didn't have any, but He got baptized. Maybe this could also be an example? But no, He doesn't just pray this once, He prays it three times.
Now, I'm flummoxed. How could Jesus be praying to His Father to please take away the cross if possible and saying "Not as I will, but as you will"?
Of course, I don't have a great explanation for this - it is a mystery, after all, and I am nowhere close to being a theologian. But, I think that there are three things about this that I may have figured out:
1. This mystery highlights the greater mystery of the Holy Trinity
Jesus and His Father are indeed two separate Persons. Rather than just being identical, They are distinct and They do interact with each other. How this is possible I have no idea, but I do think that this mystery provides a really wonderful opportunity to meditate on the Trinity.
2. It highlights the human nature of Jesus.
As I mentioned in the previous post about the Agony in the Garden, this mystery highlights Jesus' human nature, and this phrase accentuates that. He appears nervous about death, and even though I cannot ever understand (while on this Earth) how the two Natures of Christ coexist in one Person, this phrase especially shows that He is fully human, like us in all things except for sin.
3. It provides us an example of perfect submission to the Will of the Father
I don't think this is a case of Jesus having a will which is contrary to that of His Father. He is God, after all. The only way that I can think of to explain this phrase to myself is that Jesus is submitting control of His Will to His Father. When He says "Not as I will," He is not saying, "Our wills are different, but I'll go with Yours if I have to." He is saying, "I am allowing You to make the decision here, whatever Your decision is. I submit My will to Yours." It is a fine difference, so I don't know if I've explained it well. Basically, I think He is relinquishing control completely. He is not Himself willing anything with regards to His death, because He is allowing His Father to make the decision. He is not saying, "I will differently but am going to do what you want," but "I will whatever You will."
It is this submission of the Will which is so difficult for me so much of the time. I say so often, "I want this to happen, but if it can't, I'll do whatever You want me to do." It's easy to think I am submitting to the Will of God when I am actually following His Will begrudgingly, without actually wanting to do what I am doing.
What I, along with everybody else, am actually called to do is to change my will to reflect that of God, to allow God's Will to shape mine, so that I actually want to do what He wills.
When you do what God wills, and you actually want to be doing it because you know and accept God's will, that is true joy. After all, joy is being [and, at the same time, willing to be] with the beloved, right?
This is a really tough mystery for me to unpick, so if you have any ideas, please share!
I'm praying for you!
:)
Saturday, August 4, 2012
So, I realize that my previous post was almost completely pointless, and to make up for it, here is a video of a really old but good song.
When I hear this song, I legitimately think of God and how well this song describes falling in love with our Lord (the chorus, at least. I don't remember all the words to the verses...)
I'm praying for you!
:)
I am literally so tired I can't keep my eyes open for very long, so you probably don't want a Mystery meditation from me tonight.
I saw this guy on TV, though, who lost both his legs in a fire during an earthquake in El Salvador, got adopted by American parents, and is now paddling his way down the Mississippi to raise money for some cool foundations for people like him.
He has a tattoo of the words "Hasta la Victoria Siempre," which translates roughly to "Towards Victory Always." He said the tattoo reminds him to work hard and never give up, so I thought I'd share it with you, even though it was the slogan of Guevara, who I would not recommend you emulate...
In other news, the newest slogan against Chick-Fil-A is "Support Families. Don't eat at Chick-Fil-A." So obviously, I ate there today.
Back to meditations tomorrow, I promise!
I'm praying for you!
:)
I saw this guy on TV, though, who lost both his legs in a fire during an earthquake in El Salvador, got adopted by American parents, and is now paddling his way down the Mississippi to raise money for some cool foundations for people like him.
He has a tattoo of the words "Hasta la Victoria Siempre," which translates roughly to "Towards Victory Always." He said the tattoo reminds him to work hard and never give up, so I thought I'd share it with you, even though it was the slogan of Guevara, who I would not recommend you emulate...
In other news, the newest slogan against Chick-Fil-A is "Support Families. Don't eat at Chick-Fil-A." So obviously, I ate there today.
Back to meditations tomorrow, I promise!
I'm praying for you!
:)
Friday, August 3, 2012
Sorrowful Meditations: Agony in the Garden
Since tomorrow/today (it's 12:29 a.m., after all...) is Friday, I figured I would start on my Sorrowful Mystery meditations for you:
The first Sorrowful Mystery is the Agony in the Garden.
The first Sorrowful Mystery is the Agony in the Garden.
Usually, when I think or talk about this mystery, my attention is all on the Apostles, falling asleep behind Jesus while He prays.
What I lose sight of so often, though, is that this mystery is about Jesus' very real agony in the garden, meaning that this mystery is about Jesus' pain and suffering, something much greater than the disappointment of friends who can't stay awake.
What I also often lose sight of is the word mystery, which denotes something beyond mere human comprehension. Thus, the apostles, whose actions I can understand and even recognize in my own life, are not the focus of the mystery. There is nothing mysterious about weak humans falling asleep while someone else is praying or in pain.
The true mystery is the fact that Jesus was in AGONY. As difficult as it is for me to admit it, Jesus died for me, and He did so willingly yet painfully. It is not as if Jesus simply marched up to Calvary, patiently died a peaceful death, and then rose and said, "Ta Da! You're saved!" This sacrifice was difficult for Him.
This moment in the garden is a moment in Jesus' life when we can truly see that He is at once Divine and human, two natures in one person. He is in such terrible pain at the knowledge of His impending death that He prays that He might not have to endure it.
When I reflect on His pain, His tortuous agony, I can see more clearly how great a sacrifice He made for me and all mankind. This was not a show, a performance, a completion of a formality. This was real suffering.
Therefore, if my understanding is correct, when we hand our sins to Christ, joining them to the cross, it must be a true joining. When He died for us so long ago, He felt not just the pain of hanging on the cross. He truly suffered for all sins which have been and will ever be joined to the cross.
Thus, I don't just upset God when I sin or make Him slightly sad, I actually cause Him, in the Person of Christ, real physical and emotional pain, not some kind of Divine pain of which I have no conception, but human pain that I can understand and relate to.
Jesus knew this. He knew what He had known since before time began, that He would suffer once for all our sins, the most intense pain that anyone has felt or will ever feel. He knew this and He accepted this. God humbled Himself to the point that we could hurt Him, that we could kill Him, and then He used that pain to save us from our own sins.
I could go on forever about how mysterious it is that God could suffer, but I think I've rambled enough for one night, and I don't want to drift into blasphemy accidentally :O
If you have anything to add (or disagree with), please let me know! I love discussions about Rosary Mysteries :)
Tomorrow, I will keep meditating on this Mystery, namely the fact that Jesus says, "Let Your Will, not Mine, be done." I might need to do some research before this meditation, though - explaining the Trinity is not really my strongest subject.
I'm praying for you!
:)
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Today, I spent a bunch of time arguing with people about Chick-Fil-A, and I also spent a lot of time listening to my dad explain (kinda) why Dan Cathy is somewhat similar to St. Thomas More (and therefore, somewhat similar to Jesus).
You see, Dan Cathy said he supported and believed in traditional family values.
Then, people were really incredulous, because they disagreed with him, so they asked him if he really meant what he said.
Dan Cathy knew that saying "Yes" could cause turmoil for him and for his company, but you know what he did?
He stood by his original statement. And that is pretty freaking awesome.
Dan Cathy's affirmation of his beliefs, without eSven considering what those beliefs are, makes me really want to support him and his company even more, not because he's Christian, but because he's honest and firm about his beliefs.
To me, it wouldn't have mattered if Dan Cathy had said "I'm flaming gay and I'm in love with Michael Phelps," as long as he stood by the statement when tested.
Don't be lukewarm, be hot or cold!
So, how is he like St. Thomas More?
Well, St. Thomas More was beheaded not for dissenting from any political proposal of Henry VIII, but for refusing to swear to something he did not believe.
When asked if Henry's new "marriage" was valid, he said "No."
And they chopped off his head!
It's not just the fact that he said, "No," that he chose correctly when choosing whether to say "Yes" or "No" that is so Christ-like and awesome - it is the fact that he was willing to stick by what he believed, no matter how controversial his beliefs were. If he had firmly believed the marriage was valid and had sworn so, he would have been wrong in his beliefs, but he still would have possessed amazing, admirable conviction, and that is something our society needs so much right now.
How are they both imitating Christ?
When standing before Pilate, Christ said that He had come into this world to testify to the truth.
And He suffered and died and rose from the dead all in testament to the truth, even as the modern world looks on incredulously and asks with Pilate, "What is truth?"
Also, another awesome point is, as Marc has pointed out in Bad Catholic, it is so much easier to argue with and persuade somebody who's wholly against you then somebody who couldn't care less what side they're on.
So, tonight, I pray that you may be firm in your convictions, that you may stand by what you believe, defend your beliefs no matter what others say, and always be completely truthful about what you believe, what you've said about your beliefs, and how your beliefs shape your life. May Christ lead you to a true and perfect understanding of Himself, but may He first give you the fortitude to defend your belief in Him. Amen.
I'm praying for you!
You see, Dan Cathy said he supported and believed in traditional family values.
Then, people were really incredulous, because they disagreed with him, so they asked him if he really meant what he said.
Dan Cathy knew that saying "Yes" could cause turmoil for him and for his company, but you know what he did?
He stood by his original statement. And that is pretty freaking awesome.
Dan Cathy's affirmation of his beliefs, without eSven considering what those beliefs are, makes me really want to support him and his company even more, not because he's Christian, but because he's honest and firm about his beliefs.
To me, it wouldn't have mattered if Dan Cathy had said "I'm flaming gay and I'm in love with Michael Phelps," as long as he stood by the statement when tested.
Don't be lukewarm, be hot or cold!
So, how is he like St. Thomas More?
Well, St. Thomas More was beheaded not for dissenting from any political proposal of Henry VIII, but for refusing to swear to something he did not believe.
When asked if Henry's new "marriage" was valid, he said "No."
And they chopped off his head!
It's not just the fact that he said, "No," that he chose correctly when choosing whether to say "Yes" or "No" that is so Christ-like and awesome - it is the fact that he was willing to stick by what he believed, no matter how controversial his beliefs were. If he had firmly believed the marriage was valid and had sworn so, he would have been wrong in his beliefs, but he still would have possessed amazing, admirable conviction, and that is something our society needs so much right now.
How are they both imitating Christ?
When standing before Pilate, Christ said that He had come into this world to testify to the truth.
And He suffered and died and rose from the dead all in testament to the truth, even as the modern world looks on incredulously and asks with Pilate, "What is truth?"
Also, another awesome point is, as Marc has pointed out in Bad Catholic, it is so much easier to argue with and persuade somebody who's wholly against you then somebody who couldn't care less what side they're on.
So, tonight, I pray that you may be firm in your convictions, that you may stand by what you believe, defend your beliefs no matter what others say, and always be completely truthful about what you believe, what you've said about your beliefs, and how your beliefs shape your life. May Christ lead you to a true and perfect understanding of Himself, but may He first give you the fortitude to defend your belief in Him. Amen.
 |
| I came into this world to testify to the truth. |
:)
So, last night, I literally climbed into bed, turned off the light, started to fall asleep, and then thought, "Oh darn! I forgot to post on Josh's blog!" I thought briefly about getting out of bed and booting up my laptop, and then was like, "I'm too tired, I'll just pray for him." I started to pray a Hail Mary for you. Unfortunately, I can't remember whether or not I finished it...
Anyway, the same thing almost happened tonight, but I remembered just in the nick of time, so here I am. I woke up both the cats sleeping on the couch, and my cat attacked my computer (he's real smart, he is...), but that has nothing to do with anything and I'm waaaay off topic now...
So, anyway, I'm praying for you, both yesterday and today and, well, pretty much every day.
I'm obviously too punch drunk to continue (and I haven't even drunk any punch!), so I will save you from the madness and call it a night.
 |
| No, those have nothing to do with it! Only about, ummm, welll...ok, I know I have at least 1 pill bottle somewhere that doesn't say, "causes drowsiness/dizziness," ... maybe? |
Anyway, the same thing almost happened tonight, but I remembered just in the nick of time, so here I am. I woke up both the cats sleeping on the couch, and my cat attacked my computer (he's real smart, he is...), but that has nothing to do with anything and I'm waaaay off topic now...
So, anyway, I'm praying for you, both yesterday and today and, well, pretty much every day.
 |
| That's right, little old whiskery cat, every day |
...
Anyway, I'm praying for you! Goodnight!
Why are you still staring at the screen? Oh, you still want an actual prayer, and not just pictures of cats? Gosh, Josh, you seminarians are so hard to please!
Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi
Lord, make me(/Josh) an instrument of Your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me(/him) sow love;
where there is injury,pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I(/he) may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen
I know you've seen this a million billion times, but one of my friends from camp has it tattooed on his stomach, so it was the first prayer that came to mind. (That sounded weird - just ignore it; I need sleeeeeep).
 |
| No, not y'all! I need SLEEP! |
:)
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