Before I begin:
…A series of Christmas Eve church attacks and explosions left at least 38 people dead in two Nigerian cities, and at least six wounded in the Philippines.
The situation was especially tense in Jos in central Nigeria, long a hotspot of ethnic and religious friction. It was hit late Christmas Eve by seven explosions that killed 32 and injured 74, many as they were doing their Christmas shopping, police said.
In Maiduguri in northern Nigeria, suspected members of an Islamist sect that launched an uprising last year attacked three churches, leaving six people dead and one of the churches burnt down, an army spokesman said…
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/afp/20101226/twl-christmas-world-4bdc673.html\
I am humbled by these news stories.
This Christmas I would like to keep those who are violently persecuted in my prayers, whether it be Christians, or people of any other religion, or people of no religion. May the Lord be with you all.
________________________________________________
I received a great gift from God this Christmas.
It wasn’t an ipad. It wasn’t an Xbox Kinect. And no, it wasn’t a Kindle.
What it was may make some joyful, may make some object, may be of no value to others, or may even incomprehensible.
But to me it was a gift.
It was a great gift, one that brings joy, yet it did not come without a journey-a journey of dialogue, of prayer and of fellowship.
The dialogue started something like this: “I follow the bible,” and continued…
“Oh yes. Do you know who decided which books to include in the bible?”
“The council of Nicea.”
“The council of Nicea taught us the Trinity doctrine. Actually the council of Rome, Carthage and Hippo starting in 382 AD decided which books to be in the New Testament. The Church gave us the bible as we know it today.”
From there stemmed dialogue about Jesus and the history of Christianity and whether Jesus’ historical church existed. We passed through many objections, or in most cases ‘misconceptions’ about this Church.
“In 26 years of my life, nobody has ever explained to me this church,” John said.
“I didn’t know much either, until a few years ago,” I responded.
Born into Protestantism, John had become an atheist at a point in his life, and then he had come to love Jesus in a way that changed his life. He evangelized college students in Santa Cruz, had served as a youth minister at a fellowship, and had performed concerts all over the country at Protestant fellowships.
As the months of dialogue went on, there were times when I thought John would not talk with me again (about religion). At other times, I thought it was a dead end (Ironically, Christians disagree on much).
But I kept praying that the Holy Spirit may open this man’s heart to the Church, if it be God's will.
And then we came across Jesus’ prayer in John 17:20. “I pray not only for them; but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be ONE as you Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me.”
John hadn’t seen this prayer before, or at least had never thought about it too much. But now seeing this prayer, he asked himself, “Do I follow Jesus’ prayer?”
This was a cross for John.
“It broke my heart to see so much division.” John had said about American Christianity. "If I love Jesus, I will follow His prayer."
John's cross was love.
And so the dialogue went on... and on... and on... until December 18. That is when I received the gift from God.
I held my right arm on his shoulder as we stood among a line of others. The priest said,” Send forth upon them thy sevenfold Spirit the Holy Paraclete." And then he anointed the forehead of each with chrism saying: "I sign thee with the sign of the cross and confirm thee with the chrism of salvation, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost." Finally, he gave a whisper: "peace be with you".
And so it came to be, my friend John for the first time taking the Body and Blood of the Lord in the Eucharist and coming into communion with the universal Church.
He calls it, "his marriage."
Everything came down to love.
A friend asked John, "Can't you love Jesus without being a part of the Church?"
John replied, "Jesus says, 'If you love me, you will obey what I command (John 14:15). And he prays that we be united, for me to eat His flesh and drink His blood (John 6:53)and to reconcile through the church (Matt 18:17)..."
In love I see unity. And through this unity, the world may believe in Jesus Christ (John 17:20). This brings joy to my soul.
Love is the bond of perfection (Colossians 3:14).
The Christmas gift was love.
May the Lord of love be with all of you and your families this Christmas season.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Saturday, October 16, 2010
The Evil One and the Woman
“I witnessed the angels fall” he said calmly.
“You weren’t even in existence when the angels fell,” John says.
“True that.” The man seems to snap out of what he is claiming. And then says, “I am a fallen angel.”
John turns and looks at me and his lips move with the words ,“This guy has a demon.”
“I witnessed an exorcism by a cult. They came into me,” he says.
Something resembling Ichabod Crane, my legs begin to shake.
“In the name of Jesus, what’s your name?” I ask.
“Beezelbul,” he responds promptly, looking at me in the eyes.
About a week ago, I had been given a book called, “An Exorcist Tells His Story” by Fr. Gabriele Amorth. Fr. Gabriele says that when you encounter a demon mentioned in the bible, you are dealing with a heavyweight. He also says his that his favorite prayer during an exorcism is Philippians 2:10-11:
“…that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
While the people are bowing, reciting in prayer, he says even the demon-possessed stops and bows at the hearing of this prayer.
As the man continues with his distracting dialogue about Scripture, religion and his life going in and out of what seems to be at times him speaking and at others times, the fallen angel speaking, I begin to read Philippians 2:10-11. His mouth stops and listens. Then when I am finished he continues speaking. I read it again. Again his mouth stops and listens.
Fr. Gabriele says it is difficult to assess demonic-possession for sure, and that only during his initial exorcism can he conclude if there is demonic possession. Quite possibly the man was speaking only on his own, but my body and its shaking legs thought otherwise.
When I get home that night, in the darkness of my room, I cannot but think of Revelation 12:17:
“Then the dragon became angry with the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring, those who keep God’s commandments and bear witness to Jesus.”
This goes with Genesis 3:15, when God speaks to the serpent:
“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike your head and you will strike his heel.”
God put enmity between the evil one and the woman. The evil one was not able to get to the woman who had given birth to the male child, but the evil one wages war against the followers of her son, Jesus Christ. And because the evil one was not able to overcome the woman, he goes after her offspring.
I remind us today that this is the week that it was reported that the woman appeared in the sky of Fatima, Portugal in 1917 (October 13). A reported 70,000 journeyed great distances on muddy trails to witness the promised miracle of Cova da Iria. The woman asked us to have faith in her son, to amend our lives and ask pardon for our sins. And then God provided what has been called, “The Miracle of the Dancing Sun.”
I was ignorant to the details of this story until about a year ago and upon further examination, I learned that the Church has approved these apparitions. In them an angel speaks to three children and then later the woman appears and speaks to them. What the angel and what the woman says to the children has changed my prayer life.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Lady_of_F%C3%A1tima
This is the week of Our Lady of Fatima. The woman who the dragon was not able to overcome, and now the dragon wages war with her offspring.
“You weren’t even in existence when the angels fell,” John says.
“True that.” The man seems to snap out of what he is claiming. And then says, “I am a fallen angel.”
John turns and looks at me and his lips move with the words ,“This guy has a demon.”
“I witnessed an exorcism by a cult. They came into me,” he says.
Something resembling Ichabod Crane, my legs begin to shake.
“In the name of Jesus, what’s your name?” I ask.
“Beezelbul,” he responds promptly, looking at me in the eyes.
About a week ago, I had been given a book called, “An Exorcist Tells His Story” by Fr. Gabriele Amorth. Fr. Gabriele says that when you encounter a demon mentioned in the bible, you are dealing with a heavyweight. He also says his that his favorite prayer during an exorcism is Philippians 2:10-11:
“…that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
While the people are bowing, reciting in prayer, he says even the demon-possessed stops and bows at the hearing of this prayer.
As the man continues with his distracting dialogue about Scripture, religion and his life going in and out of what seems to be at times him speaking and at others times, the fallen angel speaking, I begin to read Philippians 2:10-11. His mouth stops and listens. Then when I am finished he continues speaking. I read it again. Again his mouth stops and listens.
Fr. Gabriele says it is difficult to assess demonic-possession for sure, and that only during his initial exorcism can he conclude if there is demonic possession. Quite possibly the man was speaking only on his own, but my body and its shaking legs thought otherwise.
When I get home that night, in the darkness of my room, I cannot but think of Revelation 12:17:
“Then the dragon became angry with the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring, those who keep God’s commandments and bear witness to Jesus.”
This goes with Genesis 3:15, when God speaks to the serpent:
“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike your head and you will strike his heel.”
God put enmity between the evil one and the woman. The evil one was not able to get to the woman who had given birth to the male child, but the evil one wages war against the followers of her son, Jesus Christ. And because the evil one was not able to overcome the woman, he goes after her offspring.
I remind us today that this is the week that it was reported that the woman appeared in the sky of Fatima, Portugal in 1917 (October 13). A reported 70,000 journeyed great distances on muddy trails to witness the promised miracle of Cova da Iria. The woman asked us to have faith in her son, to amend our lives and ask pardon for our sins. And then God provided what has been called, “The Miracle of the Dancing Sun.”
I was ignorant to the details of this story until about a year ago and upon further examination, I learned that the Church has approved these apparitions. In them an angel speaks to three children and then later the woman appears and speaks to them. What the angel and what the woman says to the children has changed my prayer life.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Lady_of_F%C3%A1tima
This is the week of Our Lady of Fatima. The woman who the dragon was not able to overcome, and now the dragon wages war with her offspring.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Jesus’ Final Prayer: Ut Unum Sinct
A friend recently passed on a quote to me: “The most segregated day in America is Sunday.”
I was left pondering Jesus’ final prayer as recorded by John.
“I pray not only for them; but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be ONE as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be ONE, as we are ONE, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought the perfection as ONE, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them even as you loved me” (John 17:20-23).
Our different “Christian faiths” directly oppose Jesus’ final prayer of being ONE.
St. Paul reminds people to fulfill Jesus’ prayer when he says:
“… so that the body of Christ may be built up, until we attain to the UNITY of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to MATURE manhood, to the extent of the full stature of Christ, so that we may no longer be infants, tossed by waves and swept along by every wind of teaching arising from human trickery, from their cunning in the interests of deceitful scheming…” (Ephesians 4:12-14).
Let us attain the unity of faith and mature manhood for Our Lord.
“And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way” (Eph. 1:22).
“Rather living the truth in love, we should grow in every way into him who is the head, Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, with the proper functioning of each part, bring about the body’s growth and builds itself up in love” (Ephesians 4:15-16).
And what is the importance of us being one?
Jesus says, “that the world may believe the [the Father] sent me.”
An effective evangelizer to Jesus is simply unity of faith.
One faith.
One body building itself up in love.
Let us answer the Lord’s prayer.
May the Almighty and loving God bless you in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
I was left pondering Jesus’ final prayer as recorded by John.
“I pray not only for them; but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be ONE as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be ONE, as we are ONE, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought the perfection as ONE, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them even as you loved me” (John 17:20-23).
Our different “Christian faiths” directly oppose Jesus’ final prayer of being ONE.
St. Paul reminds people to fulfill Jesus’ prayer when he says:
“… so that the body of Christ may be built up, until we attain to the UNITY of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to MATURE manhood, to the extent of the full stature of Christ, so that we may no longer be infants, tossed by waves and swept along by every wind of teaching arising from human trickery, from their cunning in the interests of deceitful scheming…” (Ephesians 4:12-14).
Let us attain the unity of faith and mature manhood for Our Lord.
“And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way” (Eph. 1:22).
“Rather living the truth in love, we should grow in every way into him who is the head, Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, with the proper functioning of each part, bring about the body’s growth and builds itself up in love” (Ephesians 4:15-16).
And what is the importance of us being one?
Jesus says, “that the world may believe the [the Father] sent me.”
An effective evangelizer to Jesus is simply unity of faith.
One faith.
One body building itself up in love.
Let us answer the Lord’s prayer.
May the Almighty and loving God bless you in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Every Act
"Be on your guard, stand firm in the faith, be courageous, be strong. Your every act should be done with love." (1 Cor. 16:13-14)
Sunday, March 21, 2010
My Aunt and the Epiousios Bread
About 15 months ago
It’s evening. My aunt and I are sitting at the dining room table, just her and I. We’re about to begin reading the gospel of Matthew.
“I’ve never read the bible before,” my aunt says.
“Let’s read from the gospel of Matthew. The gospel is a book about Jesus’ life.”
We begin reading the gospel account.
She shivers.
“This is de ja vu,” she says.
I don’t know what she is speaking about, but I sense something spiritual is happening.
“What do you mean?” I inquire.
“I had a vision a few days ago that we were reading this, just as how we are reading it now. You and I were sitting at this table and we were reading this passage from the bible.”
Premonition.
Amazing. Praise God.
She shivers again.
As we read on, we come to Matthew 6:9, the Lord’s Prayer. She reads the words that Jesus gave us, “give us this day our daily bread.”
“What is ‘our daily bread?” She asks.
“It’s everything we need from God-our spiritual food,” I answer.
“Oh, I thought it meant the bread they give at church,” she responds.
At this time, “our daily bread” for me was mostly Scripture and prayer. I was hungry for them. I would pray and be filled. I would read Scriptures and be filled.
Then, over time “our daily bread” became: Epiousios.
About Two weeks Ago
Two weeks ago, I learned that what my aunt and I had stumbled upon, “our daily bread,” was something truly rare and special in Scripture.
Epiousios.
When our Lord Jesus says, “Give us this day our daily bread,” the word “daily” is translated from the Greek word epiousios.
“Daily?” I know. It doesn’t seem at all special. We use it, well almost daily.
I can say: I go to school daily or I read daily or I brush my teeth daily. “Daily” in our English is not at all special, right?
Yet epiousios is special. How many times does epiousios appear in Scripture?
Not 20 times. Not 10 times. Not 3 times.
Not 2 times.
Only one time. That’s right- once.
We can’t cross-reference this word to determine its meaning. In fact, I’ve read that there has not been another discovery of epiousios in any other ancient Greek literature that is extant. No legal document, no story, no historical account containing epiousios.
Pretty amazing, huh. The word epiousios is seen only in this prayer from our Lord. St. Jerome in his translations used “daily,” but that’s not all. It is interesting to note that there’s another word he uses to translate this word. And that is the word “supersubstantial” or as the Church Catechism says, “super-essential.”
This week
Today, I am reminded of the time my aunt had “premonition.” And I remember her thinking of “our daily bread” as being the bread distributed at church services.
Even though she had never read the bible on her own, I can say that I’ve realized she was giving me a “premonition.” It was the premonition of what I too would come to see as “daily bread.” She was right.
Each morning, through the Lord’s will, I rise from sleep and pray. And an indescribable yearning for our Lord Jesus is within me. I yearn to be in communion with Him. To be filled by Him and with Him.
I read Scripture, pray and spread the good news on my own. I attend a Church history class and I meet with a few people and enjoy fellowship. And the Lord fills me through these experiences.
Yet there is a more powerful way I am being filled. It is a “supersubstantial” way and it has become “super-essential” in my life.
It is when my knees touch the pews of the household of God. I see the truth of who I am and the truth of who Jesus is.
It is when I confess my membership of poor sinnerhood that I repent and beseech the Lord for mercy.
It is when I attentively listen to the Scriptures being read publicly. Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms, Gospels…
It is in total humility that I glorify God totality.
And then understanding how an unworthy soul like me could ever partake in the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus I say ,“Lord I am unworthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed.”
To understand this is to understand the love Jesus has for us.
It is with all this in mind and heart, that the Eucharist is placed on my tongue. This is the bread of life.
It is participation in the body and blood of Christ. (1 Cor. 10:16)
That is when I experience…
Epiousios.
This is humility in front of God. This is proclaiming the death of the Lord until he comes (1 Cor. 11:26).
This is partaking in the Last Supper. This is being a beloved disciple at the table with our Lord.
This is communion with our Lord Jesus through the daily mass.
This is love.
This is Epiousios.
An indescribable word for an indescribable experience.
Available to us-
“daily.”
May the Almighty God bless you in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
It’s evening. My aunt and I are sitting at the dining room table, just her and I. We’re about to begin reading the gospel of Matthew.
“I’ve never read the bible before,” my aunt says.
“Let’s read from the gospel of Matthew. The gospel is a book about Jesus’ life.”
We begin reading the gospel account.
She shivers.
“This is de ja vu,” she says.
I don’t know what she is speaking about, but I sense something spiritual is happening.
“What do you mean?” I inquire.
“I had a vision a few days ago that we were reading this, just as how we are reading it now. You and I were sitting at this table and we were reading this passage from the bible.”
Premonition.
Amazing. Praise God.
She shivers again.
As we read on, we come to Matthew 6:9, the Lord’s Prayer. She reads the words that Jesus gave us, “give us this day our daily bread.”
“What is ‘our daily bread?” She asks.
“It’s everything we need from God-our spiritual food,” I answer.
“Oh, I thought it meant the bread they give at church,” she responds.
At this time, “our daily bread” for me was mostly Scripture and prayer. I was hungry for them. I would pray and be filled. I would read Scriptures and be filled.
Then, over time “our daily bread” became: Epiousios.
About Two weeks Ago
Two weeks ago, I learned that what my aunt and I had stumbled upon, “our daily bread,” was something truly rare and special in Scripture.
Epiousios.
When our Lord Jesus says, “Give us this day our daily bread,” the word “daily” is translated from the Greek word epiousios.
“Daily?” I know. It doesn’t seem at all special. We use it, well almost daily.
I can say: I go to school daily or I read daily or I brush my teeth daily. “Daily” in our English is not at all special, right?
Yet epiousios is special. How many times does epiousios appear in Scripture?
Not 20 times. Not 10 times. Not 3 times.
Not 2 times.
Only one time. That’s right- once.
We can’t cross-reference this word to determine its meaning. In fact, I’ve read that there has not been another discovery of epiousios in any other ancient Greek literature that is extant. No legal document, no story, no historical account containing epiousios.
Pretty amazing, huh. The word epiousios is seen only in this prayer from our Lord. St. Jerome in his translations used “daily,” but that’s not all. It is interesting to note that there’s another word he uses to translate this word. And that is the word “supersubstantial” or as the Church Catechism says, “super-essential.”
This week
Today, I am reminded of the time my aunt had “premonition.” And I remember her thinking of “our daily bread” as being the bread distributed at church services.
Even though she had never read the bible on her own, I can say that I’ve realized she was giving me a “premonition.” It was the premonition of what I too would come to see as “daily bread.” She was right.
Each morning, through the Lord’s will, I rise from sleep and pray. And an indescribable yearning for our Lord Jesus is within me. I yearn to be in communion with Him. To be filled by Him and with Him.
I read Scripture, pray and spread the good news on my own. I attend a Church history class and I meet with a few people and enjoy fellowship. And the Lord fills me through these experiences.
Yet there is a more powerful way I am being filled. It is a “supersubstantial” way and it has become “super-essential” in my life.
It is when my knees touch the pews of the household of God. I see the truth of who I am and the truth of who Jesus is.
It is when I confess my membership of poor sinnerhood that I repent and beseech the Lord for mercy.
It is when I attentively listen to the Scriptures being read publicly. Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms, Gospels…
It is in total humility that I glorify God totality.
And then understanding how an unworthy soul like me could ever partake in the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus I say ,“Lord I am unworthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed.”
To understand this is to understand the love Jesus has for us.
It is with all this in mind and heart, that the Eucharist is placed on my tongue. This is the bread of life.
It is participation in the body and blood of Christ. (1 Cor. 10:16)
That is when I experience…
Epiousios.
This is humility in front of God. This is proclaiming the death of the Lord until he comes (1 Cor. 11:26).
This is partaking in the Last Supper. This is being a beloved disciple at the table with our Lord.
This is communion with our Lord Jesus through the daily mass.
This is love.
This is Epiousios.
An indescribable word for an indescribable experience.
Available to us-
“daily.”
May the Almighty God bless you in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Lent and... Lint?
As we prepare for the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus the Christ in a period called “Lent” I am reminded of the word “lint.”
The word “lent” is the Old English word for Spring and in Latin, is a derivation of the Latin term quadragesima or “forty days.” Hence, the Spanish word “cuaresma.” But when I hear the word “lent” in modern American English language, I am reminded of the word “lint.”
Yes, I know, a little odd, right?
But wait, there is meaning to my thoughts.
You see, lint is the clinging fuzzy fluff that accumulates in one’s pockets or navel or on clothes or on lint traps. And this lint is basically useless (barring the advent of a new use for it) and just seems to clog up things. So when I think of “lint,” I think of “accumulation”- accumulation of useless items that prevent something from being clean. A pocket filled with lint, is not a clean pocket and a shirt spotted with lint is not a clean shirt, yet they become clean when they are emptied of this lint.
The “Lint” of my life becomes the accumulation of unimportant items that occupy my energy and focus and takes away from my relationship with our Lord, Jesus. Whether it is the too much television, or lack of prayer time, or not going to mass, or gossip, or being too attached to consumerism, or pride. These accumulate in my life and do not allow be to clean.
You see, lint relates to my life, because little by little the fluff accumulates beginning from a miniscule amount and growing to a considerable amount. That is what “lint” can do to our focus with God. Little by little, the things of the world, can become larger and larger in our lives until they are difficult to remove.
So now comes “Lent.”
This is becoming a period of my life, that by the Lord’s grace I can clean out my “lint.” I can empty my lint from my life. It’s a time for me to empty myself for Jesus. Not that we shouldn’t be emptying ourselves all the time for Jesus, but maybe this is too idealistic for us humans.
Even our Lord Himself, went through a 40 day period of fasting and praying (Matthew 4:1-11). 40 days. My brothers and sisters, that is a finite period of time. That is something we can do. And so through His example, I gain the confidence to say, “With the Lord’s grace, I can do this, too.”
I think about the rosary’s sorrowful mystery called the “Agony of the Garden” (Luke 22:39-46) and I think about how Jesus asked the Father to “take this cup away from me.” His human suffering was finite. It had an end. I think about this phrase, “With the Lord’s grace, I can do this.” Because we know these 40 days too will pass. Whatever temptation we go through to break our devotional promises, remember that we can make it through. And maybe at the end of this time, we go back to accumulating more “lint” but you know, it’ll be less accumulation because we’ve just cleaned out the previous one. And perhaps, your will has become more disciplined now, and you’ll be able to keep lint from accumulating again.
So however we can spend this time preparing for the death and resurrection of our Lord, let us remember that Jesus has already overcome the world. We gather strength from Him to clear out our “lint” that has and is accumulating in our life that takes our focus away from the Lord. Let us discipline our wills this lent. Let us empty our lint and be filled with the grace of God. Let us say, “not my will, but yours be done” as our Lord said in the garden.
Let us ask God for grace this lent because we do not want our Lord Jesus saying to us what he had said to his disciples after he finished his agony in the garden: “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not undergo the test.” (Luke 22:46)
Let us not be found sleeping this Lenten season. Let us clear out our “lint.”
May the Almighty God bless you, in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The word “lent” is the Old English word for Spring and in Latin, is a derivation of the Latin term quadragesima or “forty days.” Hence, the Spanish word “cuaresma.” But when I hear the word “lent” in modern American English language, I am reminded of the word “lint.”
Yes, I know, a little odd, right?
But wait, there is meaning to my thoughts.
You see, lint is the clinging fuzzy fluff that accumulates in one’s pockets or navel or on clothes or on lint traps. And this lint is basically useless (barring the advent of a new use for it) and just seems to clog up things. So when I think of “lint,” I think of “accumulation”- accumulation of useless items that prevent something from being clean. A pocket filled with lint, is not a clean pocket and a shirt spotted with lint is not a clean shirt, yet they become clean when they are emptied of this lint.
The “Lint” of my life becomes the accumulation of unimportant items that occupy my energy and focus and takes away from my relationship with our Lord, Jesus. Whether it is the too much television, or lack of prayer time, or not going to mass, or gossip, or being too attached to consumerism, or pride. These accumulate in my life and do not allow be to clean.
You see, lint relates to my life, because little by little the fluff accumulates beginning from a miniscule amount and growing to a considerable amount. That is what “lint” can do to our focus with God. Little by little, the things of the world, can become larger and larger in our lives until they are difficult to remove.
So now comes “Lent.”
This is becoming a period of my life, that by the Lord’s grace I can clean out my “lint.” I can empty my lint from my life. It’s a time for me to empty myself for Jesus. Not that we shouldn’t be emptying ourselves all the time for Jesus, but maybe this is too idealistic for us humans.
Even our Lord Himself, went through a 40 day period of fasting and praying (Matthew 4:1-11). 40 days. My brothers and sisters, that is a finite period of time. That is something we can do. And so through His example, I gain the confidence to say, “With the Lord’s grace, I can do this, too.”
I think about the rosary’s sorrowful mystery called the “Agony of the Garden” (Luke 22:39-46) and I think about how Jesus asked the Father to “take this cup away from me.” His human suffering was finite. It had an end. I think about this phrase, “With the Lord’s grace, I can do this.” Because we know these 40 days too will pass. Whatever temptation we go through to break our devotional promises, remember that we can make it through. And maybe at the end of this time, we go back to accumulating more “lint” but you know, it’ll be less accumulation because we’ve just cleaned out the previous one. And perhaps, your will has become more disciplined now, and you’ll be able to keep lint from accumulating again.
So however we can spend this time preparing for the death and resurrection of our Lord, let us remember that Jesus has already overcome the world. We gather strength from Him to clear out our “lint” that has and is accumulating in our life that takes our focus away from the Lord. Let us discipline our wills this lent. Let us empty our lint and be filled with the grace of God. Let us say, “not my will, but yours be done” as our Lord said in the garden.
Let us ask God for grace this lent because we do not want our Lord Jesus saying to us what he had said to his disciples after he finished his agony in the garden: “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not undergo the test.” (Luke 22:46)
Let us not be found sleeping this Lenten season. Let us clear out our “lint.”
May the Almighty God bless you, in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Mourn for the Unborn
Amen, amen I say to you my brothers and sisters, each one of us came through the choice of our mother.
As we think about this today, I ask you for your thoughts and prayers tomorrow (Saturday) as many people walk for life through the streets of San Francisco. I ask you to remember all the lives that did not get to see the world and all the people who are affected by abortion, physically and emotionally and spiritually.
Recently I have begun reading “The Faith of the Early Fathers” which is composed of ancient letters of the Early Church Fathers dated from the early centuries. The first document of volume 1 is called the “Didache” or “Teaching of the Twelve Apostles”. Among other commandments the document reads:
“You shall not procure abortion, nor destroy a new-born child.”
I was astounded to see that this teaching was to be found in such an early document of the Church. I was under the impression that, other than despotic leaders trying to kill babies, that this issue was a more modern issue. And in reading this statement, I am led to infer that even in ancient times, people, other than rulers, were killing the unborn.
I was once one of those that didn’t take the time to mourn the unborn; it never became a personal aspect of my spiritual life. Then I began to think about it more and more, and one day I was out praying for a pastor who was jailed for being in front of an abortion clinic, and I began to weep for the souls of the unborn. They are voiceless. They can’t scream when they’re being killed. I began to internalize this pain and this helplessness.
In listening to some speakers, I’ve heard there is a lady who is one who survived an abortion. I looked up her story, an abortion performed at 7 ½ months. This is her story:
Gianna Jessen
Testimony of abortion survivor Gianna Jessen before the Constitution Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee on April 22, 1996.
My name is Gianna Jessen. I am 19 years of age. I am originally from California, but now reside in Franklin, Tennessee. I am adopted. I have cerebral palsy. My biological mother was 17 years old and seven and one-half months pregnant when she made the decision to have a saline abortion. I am the person she aborted. I lived instead of died.
Fortunately for me the abortionist was not in the clinic when I arrived alive, instead of dead, at 6:00 a.m. on the morning of April 6, 1977. I was early, my death was not expected to be seen until about 9 a.m., when he would probably be arriving for his office hours. I am sure I would not be here today if the abortionist would have been in the clinic as his job is to take life, not sustain it. Some have said I am a "botched abortion", a result of a job not well done.
There were many witnesses to my entry into this world. My biological mother and other young girls in the clinic, who also awaited the death of their babies, were the first to greet me. I am told this was a hysterical moment. Next was a staff nurse who apparently called emergency medical services and had me transferred to a hospital.
I remained in the hospital for almost three months. There was not much hope for me in the beginning. I weighed only two pounds. Today, babies smaller than I was have survived.
A doctor once said I had a great will to live and that I fought for my life. I eventually was able to leave the hospital and be placed in foster care. I was diagnosed with cerebral palsy as a result of the abortion.
I’ve never met Gianna, but in looking her up, I discovered she’s not alone. There are other survivors.
Here in the U.S., we use the Roe v. Wade case to support abortion, yet have you ever wondered what ever happened to “Roe.” Who was she and what does she do today? I’ve learned that she is now a supporter of the Pro-life movement. Praise the Father Almighty and the love he works through.
So, my brothers and sisters, I ask for your thoughts and prayers, even if it is for split seconds, for the unborn. Lord willing, we’ll be marching tomorrow in support of the babies and for the people who are facing that choice.
And if the sympathy for the aborted babies and their mothers haven’t penetrated your soul, let us thank the Blessed Mary for not having an abortion. And if that hasn’t penetrated your souls, let us all do something we can all relate to: Giving thanks to our own mothers for choosing life for us.
May the Almighty God bless you: In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
As we think about this today, I ask you for your thoughts and prayers tomorrow (Saturday) as many people walk for life through the streets of San Francisco. I ask you to remember all the lives that did not get to see the world and all the people who are affected by abortion, physically and emotionally and spiritually.
Recently I have begun reading “The Faith of the Early Fathers” which is composed of ancient letters of the Early Church Fathers dated from the early centuries. The first document of volume 1 is called the “Didache” or “Teaching of the Twelve Apostles”. Among other commandments the document reads:
“You shall not procure abortion, nor destroy a new-born child.”
I was astounded to see that this teaching was to be found in such an early document of the Church. I was under the impression that, other than despotic leaders trying to kill babies, that this issue was a more modern issue. And in reading this statement, I am led to infer that even in ancient times, people, other than rulers, were killing the unborn.
I was once one of those that didn’t take the time to mourn the unborn; it never became a personal aspect of my spiritual life. Then I began to think about it more and more, and one day I was out praying for a pastor who was jailed for being in front of an abortion clinic, and I began to weep for the souls of the unborn. They are voiceless. They can’t scream when they’re being killed. I began to internalize this pain and this helplessness.
In listening to some speakers, I’ve heard there is a lady who is one who survived an abortion. I looked up her story, an abortion performed at 7 ½ months. This is her story:
Gianna Jessen
Testimony of abortion survivor Gianna Jessen before the Constitution Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee on April 22, 1996.
My name is Gianna Jessen. I am 19 years of age. I am originally from California, but now reside in Franklin, Tennessee. I am adopted. I have cerebral palsy. My biological mother was 17 years old and seven and one-half months pregnant when she made the decision to have a saline abortion. I am the person she aborted. I lived instead of died.
Fortunately for me the abortionist was not in the clinic when I arrived alive, instead of dead, at 6:00 a.m. on the morning of April 6, 1977. I was early, my death was not expected to be seen until about 9 a.m., when he would probably be arriving for his office hours. I am sure I would not be here today if the abortionist would have been in the clinic as his job is to take life, not sustain it. Some have said I am a "botched abortion", a result of a job not well done.
There were many witnesses to my entry into this world. My biological mother and other young girls in the clinic, who also awaited the death of their babies, were the first to greet me. I am told this was a hysterical moment. Next was a staff nurse who apparently called emergency medical services and had me transferred to a hospital.
I remained in the hospital for almost three months. There was not much hope for me in the beginning. I weighed only two pounds. Today, babies smaller than I was have survived.
A doctor once said I had a great will to live and that I fought for my life. I eventually was able to leave the hospital and be placed in foster care. I was diagnosed with cerebral palsy as a result of the abortion.
I’ve never met Gianna, but in looking her up, I discovered she’s not alone. There are other survivors.
Here in the U.S., we use the Roe v. Wade case to support abortion, yet have you ever wondered what ever happened to “Roe.” Who was she and what does she do today? I’ve learned that she is now a supporter of the Pro-life movement. Praise the Father Almighty and the love he works through.
So, my brothers and sisters, I ask for your thoughts and prayers, even if it is for split seconds, for the unborn. Lord willing, we’ll be marching tomorrow in support of the babies and for the people who are facing that choice.
And if the sympathy for the aborted babies and their mothers haven’t penetrated your soul, let us thank the Blessed Mary for not having an abortion. And if that hasn’t penetrated your souls, let us all do something we can all relate to: Giving thanks to our own mothers for choosing life for us.
May the Almighty God bless you: In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)