The Lent we choose, the Lent God gives us

 

Faithful Friends:

I don’t often borrow a reflection, but this one struck me as particularly challenging. The gospel is Jn 2:13-25.

Borrowed with permission from Mike Day, President NACFLM (National Association of Catholic Family Ministers)

“I’ve often quipped that there’s two Lents: there’s the Lent we choose and the Lent God gives us. There have been many years I’ve charged into the season with grand ideas for penances only to find the most difficult were the sufferings I did not anticipate life throwing my way.

“For the 3^rd Sunday in Lent, the Gospel tells of Christ purging the temple of moneychangers. By pointing out that He did so with a whip made of cords clarifies that this was not some reactionary moment of human weakness. He had time to discern and spent that time in preparation for a response. Christ was consumed by a “zeal for his house” and the sign given for doing this was the temple of His own body which would be destroyed but raised again.

“Through reception of the Eucharist, the “house” in which Christ resides is our very selves. St. Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians that we are a temple of the Holy Spirit and, like the literal temple, Christ is consumed by zeal for us. For however well-intentioned and insightful our Lenten penances may be, God knows us more intimately than we know ourselves and He desires to drive out from us all that diminishes our worth, dignity and beauty. It is not always a peaceful process and can, like this moment with the moneychangers, be unsettling, tense, and frustrating.

“This is not only true within ourselves but relationships as well. Whether with our spouse, children, extended families or even co-workers, there may be conflicts that threaten to drive us apart. But the virtue of patience can afford us the space and time needed to see the work of purification Christ is doing within us.

“As we cross the halfway point of our Lenten journey, with all the blessings and challenges that have come our way, let us take heart and behold, for Christ makes all things new."

Sincerely Yours in Christ,
Mike Day, President NACFLM"

Blessings on your Lenten Journey, Charlotte

Show Up - Ash Wednedsay Reflection

Friends of Faith:

Yesterday the Ash Wednesday reflection was about our relationship with Jesus, about showing up to be with him. About showing up for him like we would for a friend, giving him our attention – not when we need his attention, but when, like a friend, he asks us to join him, to be present, so that he can have our undivided attention.

It got me to thinking about the empty pews we all see at church (regardless of which one we attend) and the difficulty so many have in following the “Keep Holy the Sabbath.” Commandment – even for only one hour on Sunday morning (or Saturday night).

It got me to thinking about why it’s so hard to just show up, for one hour to worship God, to give him our glory, our troubles and our attention; to just show up and be his friend.

Then today’s reading said this

Moses said to the people: “Today I have set before you life and prosperity, death and doom.
If you obey the commandments of the LORD, your God, which I enjoin on you today, loving him, and walking in his ways, and keeping his commandments, statutes and decrees, you will live and grow numerous, and the LORD, your God, will bless you in the land you are entering to occupy. If, however, you turn away your hearts and will not listen, but are led astray and adore and serve other gods, I tell you now that you will certainly perish; you will not have a long life on the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and occupy. I call heaven and earth today to witness against you: I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live, by loving the LORD, your God, heeding his voice, and holding fast to him. For that will mean life for you, a long life for you to live on the land that the LORD swore he would give to your fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” 1 Dt 30:15-20

There’s 9 other commandments that this reading applies to – not just showing up for one hour on Sunday, but for “do not kill” (showing up to protect life at all ages), “do not take the Lord’s name in vain”(do not swear, including using “xxx’s” and showing up with positive words) etc, etc.

May you find this Lenten season to be a new time of commitment, a new time to take courage to say no to all of those Sunday activities which interfere with God’s request and to just SHOW UP!

And if your relationship with Jesus is what it should be on Sunday – you’re showing up -- then think about the other commandments that may take courage or change in order to grow closer to him, to be a better listener, to be a better example of Christian charity and mercy.

Blessings on your Lenten journey,

Charlotte

What Does God See?

Friends of Faith:

Bishop Robert Barron wrote an interesting article (March 26 Witness) about what the culture wants us to see – tolerance, diversity and inclusivity. And the difference between that and what God really WANTS us to be and see, which is Love. A Love which may mean we have to be intolerant of sin and more truthful with each other, in order to protect others, so as to move us closer to what GOD really wants us to BE, which is much different than what the culture wants us to be.

What Bishop Barron is reminding us is that we cannot be tolerant at the expense of God’s truth, because that would mean we are tolerating sin and not seeing the world in God’s eyes, but rather seeing the world in human eyes.

Our love cannot be a love so inclusive as to be at the expense of God’s righteousness, because that would mean we may not be helping a friend, neighbor, or brother to grow holier, which is our call as a people of God.

"Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him. Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the LORD looks into the heart." 1 Sm 16:7

But in order to judge what is sinful, and in order to spread God’s love we must be able to SEE as God SEE’s – and in today’s world this is extremely difficult, if not impossible, because we are in a spiritual war that says we can’t judge, not even sin, and that we must be tolerant of all choices because choice is our right and we have a right to be free.

So instead of judging what is sinful, we are being conditioned to love everyone unconditionally. This then means we are not telling someone that what they are doing is wrong for fear of hurting their feelings. So we allow everyone to think they are a winner and to determine what is right by themselves, without God’s guidance.

Yet our call in life is exactly opposite of this scenario. Our call in life is to help make others holy. That may mean we are placed in someone’s life to be their example, to be their parent or teacher, or even to be their conscience.

And, I for one know that I do things wrong, that the sins I commit, I cannot always see and that I must constantly learn, seek guidance and be taught God’s perspective. And in doing so, I am aware of God’s constant forgiveness and mercy—a different sort of tolerance and intolerance.

And while many, over the last 2000 years have tried to deny, change, challenge or even vilify God’s one, holy, universal and apostolic Church we cannot deny that God would have left us nothing less than what could be perfect, that God’s eyes are all seeing, and that God’s ways (tolerant and intolerant) are known only fully to Him.

That’s why, although people are imperfect, HIS Church and the Sacraments He has given us are so perfect, because they were designed by Got to lead us to perfection, to holiness.

We become one with Him through baptism.  He sent His son, Jesus, to offer us renewal through the eating of the flesh of His body and blood given in the sacrifice of the Eucharistic table (John 6: 35 -59). And we are guided by the grace of the Holy Spirit given to us in Confirmation. (Father, Son & Holy Spirit –the Trinity)

He gave Peter the keys to the kingdom (priesthood) “And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven.” Mt 16: 18 And completed the call to priesthood with the Sacrament of Reconciliation. “Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Mt 16:19  

And He gave us the gift of the Sacrament of Marriage, so that we here on earth could continue His manifestation in His gift of life and love through sacrificial giving to another as a reflection of our eventual union in heaven with Him.

So as we journey through Lent, drawing closer to the Good Friday memorial of Jesus’ death on the cross, may we constantly strive to “see” not from our human eyes of tolerance and righteousness; but rather from God’s eyes the right intolerance of human sinfulness. And let us look ever forward to the mercy granted by His death, by His perfect love, which just as He granted the “good” thief on the cross, also grants us His promise and hope for eternal life.

May we constantly seek to see and understand as God sees and understands,

Blessings,

Charlotte

Be Holy

Friends of Faith:

Often times my goals are short sighted, or short lived, but the Lenten readings help me recall that my mission here on earth isn’t fame, wealth, power, prosperity or even happiness. As a Christian my true mission here on earth is to become holy.

The LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the whole assembly of the children of Israel and tell them: “Be holy, for I, the LORD, your God, am holy.” Lv 19: 1-2 (This verse is followed by the list of the Ten Commandments.)

In the New Testament Jesus gives us a greater commandment: “To Love one another, AS I have Loved you.” And his instructions and witness were on HOW I am to accomplish this task:

Jesus said to his disciples: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him.  And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’
Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’
Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food,  ….’ Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’ He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’ And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” Mt 25: 31-42

As a Christian, a friend, a parent and a spouse it is good to be reminded that my goal shouldn’t be for WHAT I can achieve on earth, but for HOW God calls me to be for others. Becoming holy doesn’t happen because I am “good,” becoming holy happens because my actions help others see Christ in their lives. My true goal should be to achieve heaven, to think about HOW GOD will judge me when I die and to remember that I don’t know when my last day will be so I need to take every opportunity to love today. Being Holy is about living EVERYDAY as if it is my last day.

The Bible (Basic Instruction Before Leaving Earth) is in fact full of ways to make me holy – none of them exclusive of any other. If we believe in one page, even one verse, then we must believe in the entire book.

God is a package deal. Not only did He leave himself in the physical words of the Bible, BUT his “word became flesh” in His son, Jesus, who instituted a physical Church to instruct and unify His people AND who died to redeem our sins. AND, finally he completed the “package” by sending the Holy Spirit to place himself into our hearts.

Becoming holy isn’t to pick and choose from a buffet line of offerings to say I am good at one thing or another or that I believe one thing, but not the other. Becoming holy is to be ready to do whatever God’s call is for me today even if it is something I don’t feel particularly good at, or want to do, or that take me by surprise, or happen unexpectedly (good or bad).

Not only am I called to be holy in and for myself, but my call is to be a witness, to lead and to bring others to holiness.

St Paul in his famous passage on marriage (Eph 5: 21-33) says that husbands and wives are to love each other as Christ loved us (he died for us) so that in doing so the other will be made spotless and unblemished – holy in his sight.

Wherever and whenever I turn in my reading and reflection, God’s Holy Word inspires me to do for others, be for Him, ask of Him and to be ready to receive Him as a WHOLE, so that I can become more like Him: Holy in his sight.

O LORD, my rock and my redeemer: Let the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart find favor before you. (Ps 19:15) Make my Lenten journey be one of holiness, wisdom and good judgment. Help me to recognize and not turn my back on the sick, homeless, naked or imprisoned, especially those who are struggling nearest to me. Thank you for giving me instructions and a Savior, Jesus, so that when I fail I can be redeemed. Open my eyes to understand, my thoughts to find wisdom and my heart to have the courage to choose Your goal for me, holiness, instead of living to achieve my short term desires. Amen.

Just as Moses spent 40 years leading the people to the promised land and Jesus spent 40 days in the desert before his death, these 40 days of Lent are my time to “wander” closer to holiness: to welcome, visit, feed, cloth AND love whomever, whichever, least of my brothers is set near, on, or even “coincidentally” in my path.

God, Jesus, Spirit. The Word, The Flesh, The Soul. The Bible, The Church, The Heart. Teach me to Love, Guide me to Love, Form me to Love. Holy, Holy, Holy.

Be Holy and inspire others to be Holy.
Blessings,
Charlotte

 

By Death We Grow

Friends of Faith:

Which came first, dying or growth?

In the world of plants, first the seed must die before the flower can grow and fully bloom.

How true is that of humanity? When do I as a person grow? When do I as a person grow closer to God?

“And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. For Christ, while we were still helpless, died at the appointed time for the ungodly. Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person, though perhaps for a good person one might even find courage to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.” Rom 5: 5-8

I have seen untimely deaths and I have witnessed the growth that took place in the people closest to the one who died. I have seen children give up careers to take care of their parents and through the response of their faith they are blessed with strength and courage to respond with love while having their own needs fulfilled by the blessings of others.

I have witnessed those affected by illness and hardship. When there was hope and faith, God’s love poured out through them – growing not only those directly affected, but inspiring others to become more, and to grow in their own faith. I have seen friends and neighbors receive the blessings of tears and smiles of joy while helping one another recover from natural disasters or an untimely death. (It is better to give than to receive, or, we receive more in giving than we do in receiving.)

As spouses (or faithful friends) the love we have for each other grows when we give up something of ourselves FOR the other: when we sacrifice our time and our energy to help one another without anger, jealously, or envy. We grow when we build the other person up, when we rise to the responsibility of becoming parents, and when the needs of our spouse or family member becomes our own concern, like sacrificing a personal career goal for taking care of a family member.

In each of these instances some part of our selfish person dies. In each of these instances some part of our selfish personality dies – to become less of ourselves, to rely more on God, and to grow in faith.

Heavenly Father, in hope we ask for the courage and strength to die to ourselves and accept our sufferings and sacrifices as Your Son, Jesus did when He died on the cross for us. “O, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love; For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; it is in dying that we are born again to eternal life.” (Prayer of St. Francis) Amen.

Without Christ’s death our sins would not be pardoned; without Christ’s death there would not be new life. Without the death of a seed the plant cannot grow. Without the death of my selfish desires I will not grow to receive the love of another.

In the middle of this Lenten season, may I learn to find greater hope through the experience of a death of self, so that I may grow deeper in faith, gain a greater love for God and have peace in the knowledge that Christ’s death was given so that I might live.

In faith and hope, dying to grow,

Blessings,

Charlotte

Everything I need

Friends of Faith:

A very wise young lady has had me thinking for the past several days about this answer to “What is heaven like?”

Her response, “Heaven is right here, right now. Because we have everything we need.”

"Even now, says the LORD, return to me with your whole heart, with fasting, and weeping, and mourning; Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the LORD, your God. For gracious and merciful is he, slow to anger, rich in kindness, and relenting in punishment. Perhaps he will again relent and leave behind him a blessing, Offerings and libations for the LORD, your God.” Jl 2: 12-14

Since I knew early Monday that this reflection was going to be late, I decided to do an Ash Wednesday  thought  instead – one fed by my own soul searching after hearing her response—and tied to our Lenten journey of prayer, fasting and almsgiving.

Hopefully these questions and thoughts will help us all focus on Lent, our personal preparation, how we might make Christ present for others and how Christ has made himself a sacrifice for us on the Cross, to give us the heaven we have here on earth and the heaven promised by an Easter resurrection.

Prayer: What am I praying for? Is God telling me no, because I already have what I need? Do I ask (pray) to God for my wants or do I pray to Him for my needs (more trust, to let Him have control)? Am I praying for more and not recognizing what I already have?

If I am sick—am I turning down help and missing blessings God is trying to provide for me? Despite some of the financial headaches of our healthcare system we still have the best healthcare professionals available.  Do I find and thank God for both the smallest and the greatest of these blessings?

If my spouse doesn’t seem to be all I think they should be—am I telling my spouse what it is I need, or are they attempting to fulfill the wrong needs because they truly don’t know what else to do? Am I praying to change others when I should pray to change myself instead?

Am I thankful that I have the opportunity to pray publicly? And do I take that opportunity?

Fasting: Our readings this week were about how we cannot honor both mammon and God. How much do we have and how much do we really need?

Most of us have plenty of food, and some of us could probably do with eating a little less. Most of us have a warm roof over our heads, while many are living without shelter or inadequate sanitation. Most of us have plenty of clothes in our closets, while some barely have the shirt on their back, or sandals on their feet. Who could we help by sacrificing a meal, a degree on the thermostat for even a day, or a single shopping trip? Should we be making a donation to the local clothes closet or food pantry, or as Pope Francis suggests “to look those in need directly in the eye” by helping in a soup kitchen?

Almsgiving: Our Christian call is to make ourselves holy, and to help others see Christ in and thru us—to help make others holy. Our baptismal call is to make this earth a small piece of heaven for others. That doesn’t mean to just give money (although we need to do this too), but more importantly to share a piece of ourselves, to do something for others, to make someone laugh or smile, and to make someone feel important enough that we care enough by being a good Samaritan—rather than walking past and hoping someone else will take care of them.

“Jesus said to his disciples: “Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father. When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward…..  “When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites,… “When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites….Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.” Mt 6: 1-6, 16-18

Heavenly Father, You sent us Your Son, Jesus, a “peace” of heaven, to dwell within us. Jesus, You did not put on the gloomy face of a hypocrite, but accepted Your sufferings and died to save us so that we might have a piece of heaven. Holy Spirit, Enlighten us, to the pieces of heaven around us.  Thank you for giving me everything I need. Amen.

Don’t make Lent about “me.” Make Lent about seeing the pieces of heaven around you, and about helping others to see the pieces of heaven around them. YOU may be everything they need!

Blessings this Lenten season,

Charlotte

In Awe

Women of Faith:
My first title this morning was Rise Up and Say Amen. I wanted to write about Ash Wednesday and beginning anew. But there are some mornings when I don’t seem to have words, when I know what is in my heart but I don’t have the energy to think so I just want to use someone else’s words.

Not only am I searching for words, but for hope and light. I just want to be able to say “yes, amen, that’s right.”

I suppose it is human nature to doubt. I feel like my faith is strong, like I should have enough faith to always believe, but yet I am constantly awed by what is set before me.

I said to someone earlier this week, “Things just keep happening, in a good way, but not always in good circumstances. And I continue to feel, each time, “wow” can that really be. What just happened? I am awed by God’s presence. But, why am I still surprised and in awe? Awe and wonder is one of the seven gifts of the Spirit we receive at confirmation.”
So while some of you may be doubting and/or searching, I pray that you will have the faith to believe and have hope.

And for those of you who have been given, by the Spirit, the gift of awe in His presence, I pray that you will share your faith by being an example of hope, joy and love for others.

These are the words set before me this morning, the first song I heard, the bible verse I last read and words from both yesterday and today’s readings. I am so in awe!

“Everybody falls sometimes. Gotta find the strength to rise from the ashes and make a new beginning. Anyone can feel the ache. You think it’s more than you can take. But you're stronger, stronger than you know. Don’t you give up now. The sun will soon be shining. You gotta face the clouds to find the silver lining.

I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains, hope that doesn’t ever end. Even when the sky is falling I’ve seen miracles just happen, silent prayers get answered, broken hearts become brand new. That’s what faith can do.

It doesn’t matter what you’ve heard. Impossible is not a word. It’s jus t a reason for someone not to try. Everybody’s scared to death when they decide to take that step, out on the water. It’ll be alright. Life is so much more than what your eyes are seeing. You will find your way. If you keep believing.” What Faith Can Do – Kutless

“For however many are the promises of God, their Yes is in him; therefore, the Amen from us also goes through him to God for glory. But the one who gives us security with you in Christ and who anointed us is God; he has also put his seal upon us and given the Spirit in our hearts as a first installment.” 2 Cor 1: 20-22

“Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”* Eph 5: 14

"Why could we not drive the spirit out?" He said to them, "This kind can only come out through prayer." Mk 9:29

I am so in AWE!!

Heavenly Father, It is in your presence that I am awed! Thank you for the gift of awe and wonder sent by your Spirit. Give us strength to begin anew in this Lenten season and to rise from the ashes!! Help those who are struggling to find You. May they have the faith, strength and courage to ask for your guidance and wisdom. May they answer your call and do your will. Help me to continue to feel that “WOW!” To see the silver lining in the clouds and to pray unceasingly. I say, “Yes! Amen! I believe!” Amen.

God says it all! I can say no more—Have an AWEsome week,
Blessings,
Charlotte