Last week, I was with a group of teens from our parish on a mission trip in Detroit, Michigan. There we lived in community and helped the people of Detroit with various acts of service and charity. What a fulfilling way to put our faith into action and truly experience Christ in those we served. What a blessing it was for our teens to have such an awesome experience.
But during that one full week of hard labor – of long days and short nights, I have to admit that I was really tired. My body ached, my muscles were sore, and my head throbbed from the heat and exertion. And suddenly I recalled an old proverb that I came across long ago: One can go a long way after one is tired. And that became my mantra for the week. Read More
Recently, when praying the Liturgy of the Hours, I read a verse from the Book of Job that suddenly reminded me of something that I was taught in one of my classes during diaconate formation. The verse was:
Naked I came forth from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall go back again.
I remember the teacher telling us that when we die, we will stand naked before the Lord – bearing everything about us. We come into this world with nothing, and we leave this world with nothing. It doesn’t matter how much or how little we possessed while on this earth. It is all about what we’ve done with our time here. Everything we do remains a part of us. It is like our skin is an invisible tattoo displaying everything we’ve done during our earthly lives.
Therefore, when we stand before the Lord naked, are we to be ashamed? Will we stand before our Savior with our hands covering our body parts, embarrassed for who we are?
Perhaps today is the day when we truly look at ourselves and see who we really are. Perhaps today is the day when we decide to begin anew. We need to live our lives in the way that God desired – not to walk around thinking that we’re better than others; but to live a life of humility, love, and service. We are to live a life where we love everyone, serve those in need, and do whatever is necessary in order to make a difference in the lives of others. Maybe then we can stand naked before our God, fully transparent, unafraid, and comfortable in our own skin.
Do you ever feel like the bucket of your life has a hole in it that leaks faster than you can fill it? No matter what you do, how hard you work, where you go, what you try, you just can’t fill it up. Work, play, friends, and family all leave you feeling empty, restless, and searching. You can’t seem to get enough. The outflow is greater than the inflow. You are left drained of life: tired and weak, frustrated and hopeless, angry and resentful, sorrowful and grieving, fearful that you will never have the life you want. If you know what that is like, perhaps you can relate to the hemorrhaging woman in today’s gospel (Mark 5:21-43). Read More
What kind of foundation are we building on? In today’s gospel (Matthew 7:21-29), Jesus wasn’t talking about building an actual house, but about building a life – a life that is meaningful – a life worth living. We could certainly apply this teaching to marriages and families too.
When we’re building a life, we want it to be a life that we can look back on at the end of it without any regrets. When we’re building a family, we want that family to be stable, strong, and full of joy and love. If we want to build a life or a household that will last, that will stand, that will make a difference; we first need to understand what Jesus means when he talks about storms. Read More
We all are busy people. There is always something going on, somewhere to go or something to do. Between work, school, family commitments, sports, hobbies, leisure, etc., we barely have time to breathe. Our calendars fill up more quickly than a rain barrel in a thunderstorm. Let’s face it: we are insanely busy! And yet today, Jesus tells us that there are two additional things that we have to find time to do:
Love your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.
Did you know that each one of us is mentioned in the Gospel reading for today? (John 17:20-26) We are! Jesus is talking about us – in fact, he is praying for us. First, Jesus prays for his disciples, the ones he will be sending out into the world. But then, Jesus shifts his prayer to include others. He says: “I pray not only for these, but also for those who will believe in me through their word…”
So what is the Lord praying for? What does he want for us? What is his will for us? Jesus asks “that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us…” Read More
Today would have been my father’s 87th birthday. But as many of you know, he left this world last November. Tomorrow, it will be the six month anniversary of his death. I’ll be honest with you, I miss him dearly. I miss the talks we had, both in person and on the phone. I miss his advice. And I miss his warm embrace when we hugged. And I’ll never forget the last words he said to me the night before he died. When we were done talking on the phone, he said, “So long.” It was his way of saying goodbye. How ironic that these were his final words to me. Read More
Ah, Spring! That glorious season when the sun warms, temperatures steadily increase, trees begin to come alive again, birds sing their happy songs, the grass begins to regain it’s color, and a menagerie of ground vegetation emerges and blossoms from the shadows of winter. Ah, Spring! How lovely it is to have you back with us. But along with all of these joyful experiences of this season, a frightful and disturbing life form develops… Read More
Today’s reading from the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 8:26-40) is often used as an example for witnessing to a foreigner or a Gentile. However, I personally believe that this passage is also about being open to where the Holy Spirit is leading us. Read More
Peace on the outside comes from knowing God on the inside - spreading the message that work and the circumstances of everyday life are opportunities for growing closer to God and serving others.
Last week, I was with a group of teens from our parish on a mission trip in Detroit, Michigan. There we lived in community and helped the people of Detroit with various acts of service and charity. What a fulfilling way to put our faith into action and truly experience Christ in those we served. What a blessing it was for our teens to have such an awesome experience.
