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Everyday Life

On the Inside; On the Outside


 
May 31 2018
Love0

It’s Not About You

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A while back, I was having the worst day ever. At one point, I decided that I needed to take a long walk or I was going to explode. I needed to vent, and I thought that taking my venting to God was what I needed to do. So I spent my entire walking journey complaining and whining to God in prayer.

I let everything out, and I didn’t hold back. (It was not one of my prouder moments.) At the end of my walk, I suddenly felt this phrase fall upon my heart: it’s not about you.

This was certainly one of those moments where I knew that God was speaking to me. It was just so out of nowhere that I knew it wasn’t something that I could have conjured up. God was reminding me that all my problems, concerns, worries, frustrations, and issues were all centered around me. Everything was about me!

In Scripture, whether we are looking at the Visitation, Annunciation, the Wedding in Cana or other events, Mary says very little, but her words are packed full of meaning. The one thing that underscores all of her communication is that it’s not about her – it’s about Him.

Her only desire was to be known as a lowly servant – a handmaid, if you will – of God. She wanted nothing more and would settle for nothing less that total surrender to Him.

What difficulties are you facing in your life? What conflicts do you find in your workplace, your family, or among your friends? Could it be that God is using these as a gentle reminder that it’s not about you and cause you to grow and experience the transforming power of God in your life?

Let us pray that “It’s not about you” rolls through our minds daily. Let us feel the invitation of God’s Spirit to change our attitudes and behaviors so that we become less self-focused and begin to see things as God sees them.

May 17 2018
Love0

May We All Be One

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It’s the night of the last supper. Jesus has shared a meal with his disciples, washed their feet, given them a new commandment to love as he loves, and told them of his leaving. Now he prays. In today’s gospel (John 17:20-26) we overhear a portion of his prayer to his Father. He prays for us and asks that we would all become one as he and the Father are one.

If Jesus is praying for our oneness, then he is also recognizing and rejecting the boundaries and differences that divide us. There are divisions within ourselves, our families, our churches, our nation. We live in a world full of divisions – male or female; rich or poor; gay or straight; Christian or Muslim; conservative or liberal. We could go on and on, but for every boundary we establish there is a human being. Ultimately, boundaries and differences are not about issues. They are about real people, with names, lives, joys, sorrows, concerns, and needs just like us. I think we sometimes forget or ignore this. It is easier to deal with an issue than a real person.

We often deal with the boundaries and differences that divide us by writing agreements, covenants, and legislation that govern how we will get along with each other and behave in the midst of our differences. But that is not Jesus’ prayer.

Jesus does not pray for our tolerance, our getting along, or just being nice to each other. He does not even pray that our differences would be eliminated. Instead he prays for our oneness. He prays that we would be one as he and the Father are one so that our oneness would be the revelation of God’s presence to the world.

Oneness is not about eliminating differences. It’s all about love. God loves us the same as he loves Jesus. God loves our neighbor the same as he loves Jesus. God loves our enemy the same as he loves Jesus. If that is how God loves, how can we do anything less and still call ourselves Catholic-Christians?

Even though Jesus is praying to the Father, you and I will be the ones to answer Jesus’ prayer – and we answer it every time we choose who to love, where to love, when to love and how to love.

May 10 2018
Love0

As Clear as Day

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For those of you who haven’t heard, I recently had a bad case of influenza. If that wasn’t bad enough, it arrived day before Holy Thursday, and it proceeded to “do me in” for at least two weeks.

One thing you need to understand is that in all the years of my existence on this planet, I had never missed attending parts of the entire Triduum and Easter Sunday. (And for a deacon, this feat is nearly impossible.) But that’s what happened. I was bed-ridden through the holiest days of the year.

I struggled with mini-bouts of anger for being sick and missing church. This really troubled me and I even felt guilty for being at home. I was going through the various stages of mourning, and I even broke out in tears at one point.

So I began to pray and placed myself into the passion story. I tried to connect my sickness to what Jesus had experienced. Of course, there is no comparison, but it helped me reframe my situation and gave me a powerful spiritual experience that got me through that difficult time. It’s hard to explain what happened, but I will always treasure the moment.

In today’s Gospel (John 16:16-20), we are reminded that we may weep and mourn at times, even when the world may be rejoicing. We may grieve over things that we experience, even things out of our control. But we must trust and believe that Jesus is always with us along the way. He desires to be in relationship with us. He loves us so much that he laid down his life for you and me. He didn’t take the easy way out, but had faith in his Father’s will.

We may not always see the Lord in all that we do, but he is always there with us. All we have to do is have a little faith and simply trust in the Lord. Then, in a little while, we will see clearly. And that will be more than enough to turn our grief into unimaginable joy.

Mar 25 2018
Love0

Look at these Palms

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When I was a kid, Holy Week was always a busy week. We were getting the food ready for the Polish Easter Basket blessing next Saturday and planning for the big meal next Sunday. My mother would be cleaning the house for company. There were eggs to color and chocolate to look forward to. Read More

Mar 15 2018
Love0

Living Simply

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The sannyasi (a spiritual Hindu person who has turned away from all material possessions) had reached the outskirts of the village and settled down under a tree for the night when a villager came running up to him and said, “The stone! The stone! Give me the precious stone!” Read More

Feb 01 2018
Love0

Don’t Trust Your Baggage

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In today’s Gospel (Mark 6:7-13) we read how Jesus sent out his closest friends with special instructions and powers. Like Jesus, they were to go out preaching and teaching the Good News. They too, will face rejection. Jesus also gave them detailed instructions as to what to carry and how long to stay in any given place.

Jesus warned the twelve against carrying anything they did not need. They were to be counter-witnesses to possessiveness and the consumerism to which advertisements propel us. The more we have, the less we are. The greatest treasure which the twelve carried with them was the good news of Jesus.

The notion to “take nothing for the journey” makes traveling easier. Wealth, desire for recognition and personal pride can stunt our desire for God and our freedom to love and to do good. Jesus wanted his disciples to realize that they could not depend on human possessions but to trust in God alone. Trusting in God is more than enough!

Today, we need to reflect on these two questions: are there things that we hang onto in our lives that we might be better off letting go? Are we putting all our trust in the “baggage” that we have collected throughout our lives instead of traveling light and trusting in the Lord?

Each one of us is being sent out each day to bring the good news to those we meet. May we all live as disciples, available to do the work that God calls us to do – always aware that Jesus is with us wherever we go.

Jan 28 2018
Love0

Let the Healing Begin!

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On a cold January day, a man wearing a t-shirt and a ball cap walked into a busy train station in Washington D.C., opened his violin case and began playing. Four minutes went by and finally one man realized there was a musician playing, so he slowed down for a moment to listen but then carried on. After about eight minutes, the violinist received his first dollar bill, tossed into his hat on the floor by a woman who never even looked in his direction. Children would stop to listen, only to be quickly pulled away by their rushing parents. Read More

Jan 04 2018
Love0

We Need More, Not Less

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Welcome to 2018! We are now four days into the New Year and we begin the annual tradition or ritual of the New Year’s Resolution. You know what I’m talking about. It’s that list of things that we’re going to do (or not do) in the New Year; and from what I hear, there’s an outcry that people want less, not more: less weight, less stress, less financial worry, less time away from friends, less arguing with family, less health concerns, etc.

I think that we need to demand more in our lives, not less. More time serving those in need, more patience with others, more peace in our hearts, more thankfulness for what we have, more concern for human life, more honesty and integrity, more kindness, more love of neighbor, more compassion and warmth, more reverence for the earth, and more prayer in our lives.

Today we celebrate the feast of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, a woman who was born in the upper class and married into a wealthy family. But when her husband’s business failed and he later died of tuberculosis, Elizabeth realized that she needed more out of life, and was awakened to the things of God – dedicating her life to the service of others.

As we head full-steam into 2018, let us demand more out of life and ourselves. May we be awakened to the things of God instead of the things of the world so that we, like St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, can serve more, care more, and love more each and every day of the coming year.

Dec 18 2017
Love0

And So We Wait

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There is no shortage of waiting in life. Waiting for the weekend. Waiting to find out if you got that new job. Waiting to find out if you made the team. Waiting to hear the test results from the doctor. Waiting to get a driver’s license. Waiting to hear from colleges. Let’s face it: our days are packed with family obligations, work, school, sports and Netflix. But there is also a great deal of waiting in the midst of all the activity. Read More