From death into life

An old lady went to a tombstone-cutter’s office to order a stone for her husband’s grave.  After explaining that all she wanted was a small one with no frills, she told him to put the words, “To My Husband” in a suitable place.  When the stone was delivered, she saw, to her horror, this inscription: “To My Husband – In a Suitable Place.”

                Every married couple, at times, jokes about this.  Though the death of a loved one is often joked about, when it happens, it is very tragic.  In the past two weeks, I have had the privilege to share this with 4 different families: and yes you read that correctly, I said privilege.  Death is the one thing in life, which is inevitable.  We may get the car we always wanted, we may not get the job we had hoped for, we may not take the path we dreamed of; but, from the day we are born one this is sure.  We are going to die.  “By the sweat of your face you will earn your food, until you return to the ground, as you were taken from it. For dust you are, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19).

                The comfort, that we are offered, is that we will all meet again, one day, with the Lord.  (Pending we stick to those 10 simple rules).  After our years of struggles, or tests, trials and tribulations, the Lord calls us, to “Come apart by yourselves, and rest a-while.”  We are welcomed with open arms, after a long journey.  Though death does not always make sense (The child with cancer, that goes before their time, of the young adult, that gets struck by a drunk driver,) they all serve a purpose.  We are granted such little time, on earth.  Though the passing of a friend, or loved one, may not make sense, their purpose has been served; they may have changed someone’s life, or touched them in a certain way, or even given someone else purpose to change someone else’s life.

                We are asked to put service, above ourselves; to leave behind our belongings, and follow our hearts.  For the past two weeks, we have been asked to leave everything behind, and to follow the Lord.  In the end, we cannot take it with us anyway.

In verdant pastures he gives me repose

On a cold rainy night, the telephone rang in the home of a doctor.  The caller identified himself, and said that his wife needed urgent medical attention.  The Doctor was understanding, and said that he was willing to come and attend to her needs, but explained that his car was being repaired and asked the man to come and pick him up.  The man angrily responded, “What! In this weather?!”

The modern family has a hard time finding the time they spend together.  Sports have become an integral part of our lives.  Little Timmy could have baseball one night, Boy Scouts the next, and what about his brothers and sisters.  Where does the family find time to eat together?  There has been a movement, made popular by the Food Network, called “around the family table.”  They are asking for families to get together once a week for a family meal.  Once a week!  Have we gotten so busy that we cannot eat together as a family?  Have activities taken over our lives?  And the most important question, where does God fit into all of this?

Since the Economy crash, of 2008, and the subsequent years of struggle, has led many people to turn back to God, and ask for help.  But what are we doing to help God?  Churches are having to let go staff members, vocations are way down (the average age of a nun is 69), financial donation are down,  and Sunday school is more of a hassle, than the priority that it used to be.  Like the many, in the story above, we ask God to help us in need, but are we willing to brave the storm for God?

We have been given so much, why not return the favor?  Take a drive out, and meet God.  Find him in everyday things, or spend a few minutes a day thanking him.  You will be amazed at the peace, happiness, and even windfalls that will come your way.  Remember, “If you don’t feel close to God, guess who moved.”  He is there waiting, as always, with open arms.  Place you trust in God, he will never lead you astray.  “The will of God will never take you, where the grace of God will not protect you.”

Consubstantial with the Father

I witnessed an amazing thing the other day.  A Friar had passed away suddenly, and they held his funeral, at his home parish.  Why, you may ask?  Let me see if I can explain it.

            This man lived his life simply.  He followed the vows of the order, poverty, chastity, and obedience.  This was a man that was the most humble that I have ever met.  He didn’t want accolades, he didn’t want his name called, he didn’t want a thank you.  He wanted to thank God, for being able to help.  He found God in everything, from his fish tanks, to birds, to his plants, at home, and the parish.  He spent hours taking care of Gods creatures, young, and old, human, and animal alike.

            I went to this viewing, partly out of obligation.  I had not really spent a lot of time with him while I was in High School, where he served as a guidance counselor.  I had really only seen him a handful of times, since I graduated ten years ago; but something inside me told me I should go, that I should see this.  So I put on a dress shirt, hopped in my car, and drove to Rosedale.  What I found there was amazing.

            There must have been 400 people in the church, if not more.  Here is a man that never would have believed it.  Hundreds of people came out to say goodbye.  People that had not seen him in years: people that had not spoken to him more then once or twice.  This man had touched their lives.  As I stood outside of the church, in the line that was formed to get in the church, I could do nothing but smile.  This Friar gave his life to God, and Gods work, and in the end God showed us how many lives, one soul can touch. 

            Eternal rest grant unto him, o’ Lord, and let Perpetual Light shine upon him!

The journey of 40 days, begins with one step...

Many of us sacrifice like the little girl who, after hearing a Lenten sermon on sacrifice, decided to give up something for this special religious season.  Her mother said “you know, it should be something that you really like.”  The little girl thought for a moment and then said, with a twinkle in her eye, “Well, Mom, I guess it will have to be Sunday School, ‘cause I like that better than anything else.”

            With the start of this Lenten season, what are we going to give up?  There are many loop holes to this practice, which many of us use.  If you are over 65 or not yet confirmed, you do not have to do this.  Also, if you count the days between today, and the start of the Triduum, there are more then 40 days.  The reason for this is that Sundays do not count in Lent.  Sunday is the day of rest, so whatever you give up for Lent, you can have on Sundays.

            I wish I would have known all of this when I could have taken advantage of it, alas, I have been confirmed, and 65 is a long way off.  I read something on Shrove Tuesday, this year.  If he reads this, he will know it is from him.  Jesus didn’t leave the desert on Sundays to have candy.  Does it seem fair to give up something for 6 days?  Is that really that heard.  Jesus spent 40 days, in a desert, preparing for the coming of the trials of Good Friday, and the Joy of Easter.  In this period of Lent, can we sacrifice, just a little bit, to get us right.  Maybe you don’t give something up. Maybe you try praying.  That Rosary is pretty, but it does have a use.  Don’t know how to pray?  Ask God to help you.  Guess what? You just prayed.      

Listen for Gods voice, meditate, volunteer, feed the hungry, donate to a charity, read to a sick person, visit the elderly, write a letter to the troops, or God forbid, even go to church.  Remember, “Anything that you did for the lesser of my children, you did for me.”  You never know, you may just feel a little bit better, at the end of this Lenten season.

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

In regions of Mexico hot springs and cold springs are found side by side, and because of the convenience of this natural phenomenon the women often bring their laundry.  They boil their clothes in the hot springs, and rinse them in the cold springs.  A tourist watching this procedure commented to his Mexican guide: “They must think Mother Nature is generous to freely supply such ample, clean hot and cold water.”  The guide replied, “No, senor, there is much grumbling because she supplied no soap.”

In this week’s readings, we hear many different parables, all telling us the same story.  It is in this time of the year, that we hear a lot of the parables that Jesus used to describe the love of the father.  Some of them are easier to understand then others.  We also hear from Paul, in his letters to the Romans.  Paul is talking to us about prayer, and knowing the spirit.

In the Gospel this week, we have the parable of the mustard seed.  The mustard seed, is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it is cared for correctly it grows into the biggest of the crops (of the time).  We also have another farmer sowing seeds.  In this parable the good seed all falls on the good soil, but in the night, the farmers enemy came through and sowed some weeds.  So as the good seed grew into wheat, so did the weeds grow up with them.

Jesus uses these examples to show us that faith, love, and understanding, are not easy.  They take time to grow, and a lot of care.  Faith has sets of road blocks on the way.  Just when you think that all is well, and right in the world, God seems to throw us a curve ball.  God does provide us everything that we need to grow as his children, but there are things that we need to bring to the table as well.

In the second reading we hear, again, from Paul.  Paul is telling the Roman how to know the spirit.  When we do not know what to pray for, then we should put out faith in the spirit, and trust that the spirit will intercede for us.  There are roadblocks set up along the way, but with faith in God, we can overcome any hurdle, even having to bring our own soap to the spring.

The Fifteenth Sunday In Ordinary Time

Well Welcome to those reading this.  This will be the first of, hopefully, many posts.

"Preach the Gospel every day, if nececary use words" ~ St. Francis

The theme of this week’s reading is listening:

There were two men about to tee off.  This was their weekly way of catching up on each other’s lives.  As they sat in the cart waiting to tee off, the one man said to his friend, "My wife talks to herself a lot."  His friend chuckled and answered, "mine does too, but she doesn't know it.  She thinks that I'm listening."

As amusing as this is it is so true of people every day of their lives.  In a world of iPhones, Wi-Fi, facebook, and Email, there almost is no need to listen to people.  We can just read their latest post, and find out what they have going on in their lives.

In this week’s gospel, Jesus tells us of the Parable of the Seeds.  Behold, the sower went forth to sow; and as he sowed, some [seeds] fell by the way side, and the birds came and devoured them: and others fell upon the rocky places, where they had not much earth: and straightway they sprang up, because they had no deepness of earth: and when the sun was risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. And others fell upon the thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked them: and others fell upon the good ground, and yielded fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He that hath ears let him hear.

In this story, the Seed represents the word of God.  Many people hear the word, but soon lose sight of its meaning.  They do not have the roots to let the word survive long enough.

In the first reading Isaiah tells us that the word, is like rain falling from heaven.  It does not return to the sky until it has saturated the earth, providing the life force for the seed to grow.  Only then, can it return to the heavens.

Listening is not the easiest thing, in the age of soccer games, working parents, dance class, and the like.  When do you have time to listen for the voice of God? We are constantly on the move.  It might help to take a step back, to take a break from the world around you, and offer a prayer up to God for help through the week.  You will be surprised what can happen, when you have the help of the Lord.

So unlike the one golfer, pay attention, for God is not talking to himself.  In hearing you may listen, and understand; and, through understanding comes salvation.