Father Abraham

Posted on August 11, 2013 by Michael

Our Father in Faith, Abraham and his son, IsaacAs a child (and also as an adult) I learned much from my biological father.   I have also learned much from my father in faith, Abraham.

Abraham has taught me to listen attentively, to persevere, and to submit completely to Lord’s call.

The Lord continually calls.  Sometimes, His call is heard over the noise of the day.  But, hearing His call differs from listening and paying attention to what He is calling us to.  From father Abraham, I learned to listen carefully to the call of the Lord.

The Lord remains true to His word.  He accomplishes His word on a different schedule than mine.  His word is accomplished at its proper time.   From father Abraham, I learned to endure with fortitude.

The Father’s beloved son, Christ, gave Himself freely and totally to the will of His Father, so did Abraham.  Christ taught that a house divided cannot stand, so also a heart.  A heart divided between two treasures possesses neither.  From father Abraham, I learned to give my heart, my soul, and my mind completely to the Lord.

Father Abraham taught his son Isaac well.  Isaac gave himself over to the Lord completely, in full trust. I pray that I too shall give myself wholly over to Lord, in full trust.  Also, I pray that my children will learn from me, as Isaac learned from Abraham, to trust and give themselves over to the Lord.

Posted in Essays, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Wrestling with Angles

Posted on August 9, 2013 by Michael

Wrestling with Angles“Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day.” (Genesis 32:24).  Wresting with an Angle is a daunting task.  Unlike this Gauguin painting depicting Jacob wrestling with an Angle before a crowd of people, most wrestle with an Angle in solitude.  The Angle may be an Angle of Light or Angle of Darkness.  Both are formable; both spiritually wrestle with the soul; both leave behind a soul changed forever – “Jacob’s thigh was put out of joint as he wrestled with him” (Genesis 32:25).

A minor wrestling match that lasts but a few seconds is as formidable as a match that lasts through the night till dawn.  The opponent is just as arduous and still leaves behind a permanently changed person.

The little way of St. Therese of Lisieux exemplifies many minor wrestling matches that strengthens and glorifies the soul by performing small acts of love for others, even the most difficult of personalities, in union with God.

Minor wrestling matches can also include encounters with the evil one who continually attacks the soul.  Like water that penetrates the smallest of cracks in rock to expand the small crack to a fissure and then ultimately fracture the rock.   So too does the evil one penetrate the soul to separate the soul from God and lay claim to it forever.

For this reason it is important be forever vigilant.  Do all for God and in union with God.  If not, the evil one will exploit a crack within the soul until the soul is separated from God, forever.

Posted in Essays, Meditations On Biblical Verses, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

To Follow

Posted on August 7, 2013 by Michael

To FollowWhenever I become uplifted with the vibrant beauty of the universe God created, the wonderful people He has brought into my life, and all that he has blessed me with, I rejoice and offer thanks.  Then, I hear Him call me, “My love is deeper and greater than all this, come follow.”  Then like the young man, I struggle with His call – not with any monetary wealth I am afraid to surrender – but with surrendering of self.

Christ call is a call “to follow.”  He will lead.  I am to follow.  He will show the path that I am to take.  Obstacles will have to be overcome. Crosses will have to be carried.

To follow means to surrender to Him.   The more that is surrender to Him, the more of His glorious light illuminates the path and the easier it will be to see the path in the darkness of this world.  The more that is surrendered to Him, the more grace He will bestow to overcome the obstacles of sin and evil.  The more that is surrendered to Him, the more He yokes and unites Himself to the crosses that have to be carried.

My God, My God teach me how to surrender so that I may come and follow.

Posted in Essays, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Finding Grace and Mercy in Typographical [Erors] Errors

Posted on August 5, 2013 by Michael

Good ShepardYesterday someone commented on a typographical error I made in one of my postings (which I gratefully thanked them for pointing out).  This morning, I found yet another.  This posting is result of these two typographical errors.

We strive to be perfect. But, due to our fallen nature, are imperfect.

In His perfection, God calls us to enter into loving relationship with Him.  Yet, through our fallen nature, we repeatedly turn our backs and walked away.  In his infinite mercy, He continually seeks us out – the lost, the broken, those who have surrendered their birthright.

We only need to admit our erroneous ways to be received back into His merciful loving heart.   He loves us in our brokenness, with all our imperfections, and in all our helplessness.

He only asks that we continually try to follow the pathway of His Son, though we may sometimes stray; that we not hardened our hearts, though our heart may sometimes have eyes for earthly treasures; and that we strive to preserve in faith, hope, and charity to end.

I am so thankful and humbled that He loves me in all my imperfections.  Now, if I can be more accepting of my imperfect self.

Posted in Essays, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Leaven

Posted on August 4, 2013 by Michael

Adoration of the EucharistI was debating within my mind what, if any thing, to post today when I received a comment from Kathleen.  Her comment prompted this posting.  She remarked to one of my previous postings, “If only all of us actually did leaven and salt the world around us.”  The following are some of the thoughts Kathleen’s comment brought to my mind.

We are leaven.  Our leaven comprises our words and deeds.  We must take great care to be the leaven of Christ or not the leaven of the Pharisees. The leaven of our deeds is more robust and powerful than the leaven of our words.   To be true leaven we must practice our faith not only in private prayer and worship, but also in the public square where we live our lives.  Our deeds and actions are being watched more critically than the words we speak.  This is why it is important to act and live in accordance with what we profess.  It is hypocritical and a scandal to act and live in a manner contrary to what we profess.

Posted in Essays, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Listening to God’s Soft Whisper

Posted on August 3, 2013 by Michael

At PrayerWe often thank God for sending a particular person into our life.   God blessed us through that person.  It is easy to see God’s action in those He sends into our life in response to our prayer.  It is more difficult to be the person who God sends in response to someone else’s prayer.   This requires, instead of a prayer petition to God, listening to God and acting on what we hear.  Listening is more difficult, it requires a peaceful heart, a heart free of distractions of the world and centered on God.  Listening to God speak is difficult, God speaks softly to the heart in a soft whisper.   Self must be poured out and emptied and replaced with Christ.  To be a servant of God, to imitate the Son of whom He is well pleased, is to hear God and act on what He requests.

Posted in Essays, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

Epiousious

Posted on August 2, 2013 by Michael

MonasterioSometimes the beauty and mystery of a biblical verse cannot be captured in translation.  For example, scholars, saints, and doctors of the Church have been perplexed with how to translate the verse “Give us this day our daily bread.”  The Greek word being translated as “daily” is epiousious.  A word that appears only in this verse of the Gospel and nowhere else.  Since the time of the early Church Fathers, agreement as to what the word epiousious means has not been reached.

Literally, epiousious is taken to mean “supersubstantial” or “super essential,” that which sustains all life – the Bread of Life – the “medicine of immortality.”   Other acceptable translations are (in the temporal sense) “this day” or (in the qualitative sense) “what is necessary for life” (CCC 2837).  Each is appropriate.  The Catechism of the Catholic Church concludes “its heavenly meaning is evident: ‘this day’ is the Day of the Lord, the day of the feast of the kingdom, anticipated in the Eucharist that is already the foretaste of the kingdom to come. For this reason it is fitting for the Eucharist liturgy to be celebrated each day.”

For me, the mystery of the word epiousious and the verse “Give us this day our daily bread” is expressed beautifully during the mass when the priest intones, after transforming ordinary bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ, “The mystery of faith.”  These words cause me to pause. What a truly beautiful mystery is our faith, and the Bread of Life that sustains us.

Posted in Essays, Eucharist, Meditations On Biblical Verses, The Lord's Prayer, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

That Which Follows the Beatitudes

Posted on August 1, 2013 by Michael

IMG_0477Religious and non-religious persons are familiar with Christ’s preaching of the Beatitudes and can at least paraphrase many of them.  Likewise, many persons are familiar with what Christ preached following the Beatitudes.  However, few are aware that the two are related.

Following the Beatitudes, Christ tells the crowd: “You are the salt of earth … light of the world” (Matthew 5:13-15).  Through theses two phrases Christ commissioned His followers to share the blessings of His Kingdom expressed in the Beatitudes with others.  That is, His followers are to conduct their private and public lives accounting to the Beatitudes, in so doing they will be salt that brings out the flavor in their life and the life of others.  Furthermore, salt is a preservative.  A life lived according to the Beatitudes can be preserved for all eternity.

Likewise, a light that cannot be concealed radiates from a life lived according to the Beatitudes.  The light will shine for all to see and draw those live in darkness to light of life.

Posted in Essays, Meditations On Biblical Verses, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Radiate Christ

Posted on July 31, 2013 by Michael

JohannesPaul2

Christ calls us, not only to follow him, but to also radiate Him from within to others.  “As Moses came down from Mount Sinai … the skin of his face had become radiant while he conversed with the Lord” (Exodus 34:29).  Like Moses, we are called by Christ to radiate the presence of Lord for all to see. Through prayer and the sacraments Christ comes to dwell within and transform us to focus our mind on Him and His work, crave with a pure heart to be near Him and follow Him; and direct our actions to gather His lost sheep and build His Kingdom. Christ incorporates Himself more fully in our body so that we will speak His truth with love, extrude his mercy with compassion, and call all to seek His kingdom with hope.

Posted in Essays, Meditations On Biblical Verses, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Mary the Sister of Lazarus

Posted on July 29, 2013 by Michael

Martha&Mary

We learn of Lazarus’ sisters Martha and Mary in the Gospels of Luke and John.

In Luke we learn that it is Martha who receives Jesus into their house and who serves Him.   Mary is given little prominence, and described as the sister of the Martha.  It is Martha who carries out the culture invitation and service to the household guest, Jesus.  It is Mary who sat at the feet of Jesus and opened her ears to hear Him teach.  From Mary, I learn that sometimes I need to be less busy and take the time to open my ears in humility and meekness to hear Christ.

In John, we learn that “Jesus loved Martha, her sister Mary and [her brother] Lazarus.”   After Lazarus’ death, it is Martha who first greets Jesus with: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”  Martha speaks the line with some doubt, while Mary when she saw Jesus fell at his feet as repeated the same greeting, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” From Mary, I learn that the faith and acts that accompany prayer matter.

Further in John, Jesus for a third time visits Martha and Mary in Bethany on to his way to His Pascal sacrifice in Jerusalem.  “Mary took a pound of costly ointment of pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment.”  From Mary, I learn that it is important to always glorify Christ.

Posted in Essays, Meditations On Biblical Verses, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments