There was one thing that my family took very seriously when I was growing up, and that was Family Night. This usually involved playing a game or watching a movie, like those on Family Classics, The Wonderful World of Disney, or network TV. One of our all-time favorites and one that we would never-ever miss was The Wizard of Oz.
Where is the one who brought up out of the sea, the shepherd of his flock? Where is the one who placed in their midst his holy spirit, who guided Moses by the hand, with his glorious arm?
Where is the one who divided the waters before them— winning for himself an everlasting renown— who guided them through the depths, like horses in open country?
As cattle going down into the valley, they did not stumble. The spirit of the Lord guided them. Thus, you led your people, to make for yourself a glorious name. ~Isaiah 63: 11b-14
Since the very beginning of this pandemic, there has been one phrase that we continue to hear: “We are all in this together.” It reminds us that you are I are not the only ones facing the challenges and struggles of COVID-19. Like it or not, we are all in the same boat.
As part of my day-job, I get to speak with people from across the globe every single day. This past week, I spoke with individuals from Japan, China, Sweden, Mexico and the United Kingdom. Every call begins with the topic of self-isolation, how we are surviving in this current environment, and if our families are safe. I see on a daily basis how we really are ‘all in this together.’ This is truly a global experience.
I have been thinking about this and how we can make a direct connection with our own Catholic faith. Catholic means universal. The Mass and the other sacraments are celebrated exactly the same throughout the world, bringing all Catholics together in a spirit of unity.
When I have attended Mass in other countries; even though I may not have fully understood the languages, I was fully aware of what was taking place. No matter where we may be, our Catholic faith is universal, centered around Jesus Christ and our belief in Jesus’ presence in the Eucharist.
But being Catholic is also about having an ongoing personal encounter with Christ so that we may be a witness of God’s love in the world. This means that we are called to live like Jesus and to work for peace and justice for one another by living out the Gospel.
We are part of this universal Church together, believing that God is not only present in the Eucharist, but is also present within us. This means that whatever we are going through, whatever comes our way, whatever obstacles we encounter, we are never left alone. God is always with us. Now I’ll admit, it’s not always easy to recognize Jesus when our eyes are cast down, when life is difficult, or when we find ourselves in our own personal pit of despair. But that is when we must fall back on our faith, trusting and believing that Jesus is the only one who can lift us out of our pit. We just need to be able to lift up our eyes and our hearts to see that Jesus is right there and to feel his presence.
My sisters and brothers, as Catholic-Christians “we are all in this together.” We always have been, and we always will be. May the spirit of the Lord guide us always and let us remember that Jesus is with us; Jesus is here – and we are never left alone.
Today is the feast of St. Vincent, Deacon and Martyr. Vincent was ordained a deacon by his friend and bishop St. Valerius. The Roman emperors had published their edicts against the clergy in 303, so Vincent and Valerius were imprisoned in Valencia, Spain. They seemed to thrive on suffering, for hunger and torture failed to break them.
Valerius was sent into exile, and the Roman governor now turned the full force of his fury on Vincent. Many types of torture were tried, but all failed.
Finally, the governor suggested a compromise. If Vincent would give up the sacred books to be burned according to the emperor’s edict, he would stop the torture. But Vincent would not give in, so the torture continued. Vincent remained courageous, and the torturer couldn’t take it anymore. So, Vincent was thrown into a prison cell and ended up converting the jailer. The governor wept with rage; but strangely enough, ordered the prisoner to finally be given some rest.
The faithful came to visit Vincent, but he was to have no earthly rest. For when they finally settled him on a comfortable bed, Vincent fell into his eternal rest.
Even in the midst of turmoil, God sticks with us and uses those challenges that we encounter to shape us and make us better disciples. As it says in the psalm, ‘In God I trust; I shall not fear. When we remind ourselves of this, we no longer see our setbacks as failures and our problems as obstacles; we see them as moments when God is working in us, strengthening us for our earthly journey. We will be rescued from our stumbling. All we have to do is trust in the Lord with all our hearts. For when we trust in the Lord, we have nothing to fear.
I was sorting through a bunch of papers recently when I came upon a quote from a silent retreat that I had taken a number of years ago. Here is that quote:
What do you do when everything is going wrong and there’s nothing else you can do?
You hang on – just like Jesus did.
The imagery behind this quote was that of Jesus on the cross.
Jesus did everything that He could do in order to show people how they should live, how they should serve those in need, and how they should love everyone. Now, Jesus finds Himself heading towards His death – and there’s nothing more He can do about it, except hang on.
This is a beautiful, symbolic gesture of how we should accept the challenges that we face everyday. When we realize that things are out of our control and not going the way we had hoped, we just need to hang on. Things will eventually get better. (They always do!) After all, Jesus hung on in order to save us. And everything got better after that!
Jesus, give us the strength to hang on even when it seems impossible to do so. Let us feel your constant presence so that we may know that you are right here beside us, especially during our struggles. Free us from our burdens and lead us to the power of your saving love. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Am I glad to see Friday! This has been one of those weeks; you know, the type of week where you were tested and tried, poked and pried, basted and fried. It was one of those weeks when your patience is put to the test, day after day. And, I’m sad to say, I did not handle that patience piece very well at all!
My activities surrounding my job search were quite active this week. There was also a lot of activity surrounding some family health challenges. And don’t even get me started on the lack of sunshine this week! The skies were constantly dark and cloudy, it was cold and raining – and my patience was running thin! Read More
© 2024 Deacon Allen Tatara Catholic Speaker. All rights reserved.
