There’s something strange in the neighborhood. Who Ya Gonna Call?
There’s something weird and it don’t look good. Who Ya Gonna Call?
Most of you probably know the song and the movie quite well. Ghostbusters was a huge hit back in the day and the new version is doing quite well in theaters now. If there was ever any dreadful danger or spooky situations, the Ghostbusters were the best at saving the day. The song is still great and the movies are still funny, but spooky ghosts and goblins aren’t real. Proton packs and ghost traps don’t exist. There’s nothing spooky to be afraid of. Read More
Once again, I find myself going through some old notes that I had taken on a prior retreat. And behold, I found this anonymous quote:
“The more words in prayer, the more undesirable the prayer is.”
So what exactly does this mean? Well, let’s be honest with ourselves – sometimes, we pray with too many words. We find ourselves going on and on to God about all that is happening in our lives, what prayers we want answered and what intentions we want to be granted. We deliver a long list of requests, needs, wants and desires – and we expect immediate action on every one of these.
Often times, we make our prayers too complicated. Simplicity is often needed in order to pray. Otherwise, we are just telling Jesus about ourselves. When we approach prayer, we need to have the simplicity of a child. If you’ve ever listened to a child pray, there is both a beauty and an innocence to their words. They are not weighed down by negativity, but are lifted up in positive spirituality. Their way of praying is simple, to the point, and from the heart.
One of the best ways to experience God in prayer is by forgetting yourself. Ultimately, if you want something, you must experience nothing. Our prayers should not be filled with meaningless words or just going through the motions. We must come to prayer with a simplicity of speech and a willingness to listen to God. Always remember that prayer is a two-way dialogue with God. The challenge is to forget ourselves and to let our prayer be a loving experience with God our Father. We must be willing to let the Lord speak to us and to be open to receive what he has to say. If we can find a way to truly listen with our heart, we will then be able to experience desirable prayer.
Prayer is the most concrete way to make our home in God. ~Henri Nouwen
I recently came across some notes that I had taken while on a silent retreat a number of years ago. There’s something special about finding little nuggets of information from past moments in life that bring back not only fond memories, but often times new-found joy. It’s like re-learning something you already knew – but kind of compartmentalized far back in the recesses of your brain.
One of the things that I had written down from our retreat master was something that he told us to remember: I am special, and God has plans for me. This is certainly a statement that we need to keep repeating to ourselves each and every day. It needs to be a part of our core values as Catholic Christians. It needs to be spoken by us when we are struggling with the stresses of our lives. It needs to be a part of our daily language.
We so often forget that we have been uniquely created by God and that each one of us is a major part of God’s plan. Yet, here is something to reflect upon: How often do I try to interfere with God’s plan? How often do I try to do what I think is best for me instead of first asking God? Sometimes, we get so stressed out trying to figure out what we should be doing with our lives that we forget that it’s really not up to us in the first place. God has destined us for greatness.
We truly need to feel and believe the fact that God knows what He is doing. We need to stop second-guessing God and simply listen to His directions for us. This can only happen if we take time each day for prayer. We need to be able to voice our questions and concerns to our Creator, but then we have to be able to be silent and listen.
Try repeating this phrase each morning as you arise from your sleep and several times throughout your day: I am special, and God has plans for me. You’ll be amazed at how your perspective on life will change.
Having spent three days this week with our parish teens at Youth Ministry talking about vocations, you can imagine that this topic is still fresh on my mind. The very fact that each one of us is called to a vocation is a powerful thought; but to be able to discern your vocation and live it out is an entirely different story. Read More
This reflection is based on today’s reading from the Book of the Prophet Haggai (1:1-8)
We live in a materialistic world today. Enough is never enough. More than enough is never enough! But this is nothing new. This was the state of affairs in Judah 2,500 years ago. It’s not as if the people of Judah didn’t have what they needed. But instead of seeking after the Lord’s house, they were only concerned with their own. Instead of looking to the Lord’s will, they were only concerned with their own. As a result, they were never really satisfied. Read More
There are two mistakes one can make along the road to truth…not going all the way, and not starting. ~Buddha
It’s funny how the voice of the Lord is heard in different ways by different people. But what’s most important is that we are able to actually “hear” that voice, and act on it.
Over the past several months, I have been moving toward following that voice. So far, I have avoided the mistake of not starting. That is why that you are viewing this blog on my new website. I took that leap of faith in following my calling to go out and become “available” to the world. It was a calling to go out and evangelize by using my God-given gifts to serve the Lord by serving others. It is an opportunity to share my stories, songs, and teachings with my fellow Catholic-Christians. Read More
As you may have known from my previous posts, I had taken a retreat a couple of weeks ago to spend some time with the Lord. I needed to sort things out, and the best way to do that was through silence, solitude, and prayer. With all of the stuff that is going on in my life, I needed to stop what I was doing and listen for the voice of the Lord and to find where God was calling me.
As a society, we always seem to be doing something at sometime. And as we are well into the holiday season, there is even more hustling and bustling in our lives. Whether it’s Christmas shopping, or planning holiday party menus, or house cleaning for guests, or school concerts, or baking cookies, or home decorating, or writing Christmas cards, or… Read More
It’s the fifth of July, and it’s going to be another hot summer day. After surviving a scorching July 4th of 102 degrees, it should be interesting how this day will shape up. Temperatures are climbing again, forecasted to be around 103 degrees or so, with high humidity. It is very important to stay hydrated, and to begin the day on the right foot. Read More
“If I am to know the will of God, I must have the right attitude toward life.”
Trappist monk Thomas Merton really hit the mark when he wrote this. How can a person expect to hear the voice of God if one isn’t listening? How can a person expect to see the path one must walk if one is blinded by their own desires? How can a person expect to experience the presence of God if one doesn’t let God inside one’s heart?
Live the gospel by the way you live your life, and you will experience the Lord in ways you never imagined.
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.
