Lenten Promises

Many take up a practice for Lent, like daily Bible readings, daily rosaries, daily fast. Many others give up practices like smoking, chocolate, coffee. It's almost like New Year's resolutions part 2. The real challenge, just like any resolution is the matter of follow though. Johnny McCharen, a fine businessman here in Oklahoma told me, "Any game with a stick and a ball requires three things. Keep your eye on the ball, strike it squarely with the stick, and follow though the stroke. It is the same in life, identify your goal, make a swing at it, and follow though to the end of the swing."

As we are just now at the beginnings of Lent, the passion to fulfill the Lenten promises is still heavily heartfelt. As time wears on though, the challenge of the follow though will appear. I like what Tony Dungy the football coach says, "If it's important enough to you, you'll do it!"

Is keeping a Lenten promise important enough to you?

Next week I will begin back on the series of the Inconvenient Faith, starting with the earliest of heresies and schisms and working our way up through history to the modern issues we face. I've often thought that we don't remain faithful to the Church because we find it inconvenient to the life we want to lead. Just like keeping the Lenten promise, we may find it inconvenient to our time or other desires. Tony Dungy had it right, "If it's important enough to you, you'll do it!"

Ash Wednesday

"Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return"

I don't know about you, but I get chills just thinking about this. Today reminds me of the finiteness of our life. Today is a stark reminder of our impending death. Death is when we settle our debts to God. Will you shake with horror at your position with God? How can you better your position? Do you really put all of your trust in the Lord?

As Mark Twain once said, "The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time."

Let's begin this season of Lent by becoming fully prepared. God bless you on your Lenten journey this year.

The Inconvenient Faith - Shrove Tuesday

Happy Mardi Gras!

It's funny how distance gives you perspective. I dearly miss living on the Coast, but this distance has given me a unique perspective on my ex-Coastal life. I know my family is having fun today, and hopefully drinking a cold one for me.

To give you a glimpse on my perspective now, imagine yourself as a quarterback in a football game. There are highly trained athletes racing towards you, with a goal of trusting your lifeless body into the ground. The crowd is deafening. The game is moving at light speed, and your trying to pass the ball to an open receiver. The longer you hold onto the ball, the greater opportunity you have to make a successful pass, however your also giving your opponents time to tackle you. You put your trust in the offensive line, and they are holding well. You look down field for an open opportunity. You throw the ball with your best precision, and moments after your release a defensive back comes in line with ball... The man you thought was open was actually double covered. You never noticed the lone man who was wide open all the time. How could you? You were in the heat of battle!

It's easy to sit on the 50 yard line and see the open receiver. The guy on the sidelines have a full field of view, and they don't have an imminent threat of physical injury.

Sometimes we find ourselves so engaged in our personal life that we don't take time to step back and look at the full field. It's worth a look to the sidelines and talk to a trusted friend about the game in front of you. Talk to trusted allies about what opportunities you may be overlooking.

Tomorrow starts a time for serious work, but as for today...

Laissez le bon temp rouler!!!

The Inconvenient Faith - John

"So I went up to the angel and told him to give me the small scroll. He said to me, "Take and swallow it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will taste as sweet as honey." I took the small scroll from the angel's hand and swallowed it. In my mouth it was like sweet honey, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. (Rev 10:9-10)"

This past weekend my family and I went the National Shrine of the Infant of Prague for Sunday mass. The priest there Fr. Shane Tharp is among my favorite priests. He can deliver an outstanding homily that is informational, insightful, humorous, and applicable to daily life. He made a mentioning of how God is always there for us, but we as a people turn our faith on and off for him. My mind began to think of the scripture above as he spoke about this topic.

When we hear the Word, and look at the wonders of God it is sweet as honey. It is such a beautiful and wonderful dream to think of the love God has for us. It is when we take this honey, that we can't keep the same taste. We like to hear and think of how wonderful our life is because of God, but we can't seem to take it into our own heart and apply it. Why is it we turn away? Why can't remain constantly faithful? He never turns from us. He is constantly calling for us. He loves us beyond what we can comprehend, yet we fail to love him back.

This also leads me to wonder about my own position with God. Why is it easy for me to speak of his wonders and deeds, but I have such difficulty showing the love of my neighbor. After all, both me and my neighbor are made in his likeness. I am challenging myself this week to not only take in the Word, but try to digest it in my heart this week. Perhaps if I try to better understand Mary the Mother of God who wholly took the Word into herself, can I come closer to my understanding.

"Ora pro nobis, sancta Dei Genetrix. Ut digni efficiamur promissionibus Christi. Amen."

The Inconvenient Faith - Saul

Imagine just bee-bopping along with some co-workers headed to the next city. Maybe your thinking of work, having idle chit chat with the others in your group. Thinking to yourself, "So many things to do. What is my next task? Wonder what we're going to eat for dinner?" Suddenly your world changes...

"...a light from the sky suddenly flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" He said, "Who are you, sir?" The reply came, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do." The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, for they heard the voice but could see no one. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him to Damascus (Acts 9:3-8)"

I used to envy those that have this "Damascus Road" experience. I've never had such a stark experience in my life. Wouldn't it just be handy if God came into your life in such a way and explicitly ordered you what to do? Wouldn't it be nice if God showed you the right path and decisions to make in your life? What I failed to realize for years is that God does show us and order us the path we should take, however sometimes it is inconvenient to the lifestyle we want to live out.

When I think of Saul here, he was at the top of his game, when this experience happened. He was doing everything he thought was right to do. He was living his life according to the way his society thought he should, but he wasn't living it the way Our Lord wanted. Take some time today to evaluate your life with that in mind.

Maybe some of us will never have the "Damascus Road" experience just simply because we wish to diminish the everyday "Damascus Road" encounters we have with God.

St. Augustine's Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy. Act in me, O Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy. Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit, that I love but what is holy. Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit, to defend all that is holy. Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, that I always may be holy. Amen.

The Inconvenient Faith - Phillip

"Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?" He replied, "How can I, unless someone instructs me?" (Acts 8:40-31)"

As a kid in school, I always had a difficult time with reading comprehension. I could read the words on the page, but after reading the page I couldn't tell you what it was about. Here the Ethiopian is reading from the Isaiah, but isn't sure of what the prophet is saying. Phillip comes along and asks the simple question, "Do you understand what you are reading?"

Without proper instruction, one may not fully comprehend what the words of Scripture are saying. Luckily for us, Jesus left the Apostles and followers to teach through the authority of the Church. I urge you to read your Bible with the willingness of the Ethiopian to admit that sometimes you won’t realize what the scripture is saying. You can certainly seek out other sources like the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Bible study guides, homilies and commentaries from the saints on sites like New Advent, and a variety of other sources. If you are still puzzled or need further understanding, you can always rely on the Magistarium. Ask your deacon, priest, or bishop.

Weekend Fun - Mixed Marriages