Mary's Magnificat

Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

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Gospel of Luke 1:39-56

And Mary said: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name.

Total Consecration  I have just completed the 33 day preparation for Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary according to Saint Louis de Montfort  (myconsecration.org). I made my private consecration at daily mass this morning followed by a very fruitful confession.  

 Actually, I started the consecration  process back in 2012 but stopped toward the end.  I didn't feel ready to devote myself completely to Jesus through the intercession of the Blessed Mother. Throughout my conversion process, I've struggled understanding Marian devotions and dogma. Only in the last year have I experienced the power of Mary's intercession in my own life!  As a fledgling Lay Dominican, I've come to cherish Mary's important role in salvation history.  Her "Yes!" to her call to become the mother of Our Lord is completely remarkable!  I can't see how a mere 13 year old young woman could possess incredible wisdom, humility, and acceptance.  I know if I was Mary, recently told I was pregnant with the Lord, I would shutter in disbelief.  I'd question the angel, "What on earth are you talking about?  There's no way God would choose me to carry the savior of the world in my womb!"  I'd probably feel a little ashamed at my pregnancy, worried people think ill of me.  Our Blessed Mother was conceived without the residual effects of original sin, so of course no surprise she'd accept the news without question and complaint.  The fact she traveled alone to Judah to visit her elderly cousin is special in itself.  She felt it was necessary to share her wonderful news with a close relative who happened to be pregnant, too.   Mary could have decided to keep her pregnancy a secret.  She could have instantly felt unworthy of her chosen motherhood, weeping in sorrow for something she never wanted to happen.  To the benefit of all of Christianity, she decided to SHARE her joy!  No wonder the child within Elizabeth's womb leaped for joy just hearing Mary's voice!  I'm sure Mary's beautiful voice radiated excitement and anticipation.  She was special and unique. She was purposely chosen to bring Christ into the world.  Magnificent indeed!

Pray the rosary  I recently saw a bumper sticker that read:  Are you angry?  Need a weapon? Pray the rosary!   I was experiencing a terrible week.  I'd been losing my cool, thinking ill of others, and pretty much hated the world.  I was so angry at everything wrong happening around me.  Then I saw this bumper sticker.  It was one of those perfect God-instances that stopped me in my tracks.  Wow, now I know what to do when I feel as if Satan is attacking my mind, my spirit, my heart, and my physical body.  Pray the rosary!  Ever since then I've tried to pray the rosary every day.  If I can't pray a whole rosary, then I at least say a few Hail Mary's throughout the day.  It has made a tremendous difference.  I feel more grounded and more centered.  The rosary has definitely aided me though Saint Louis de Montfort's total consecration preparation.  

I know now that Our Lord is definitely calling me to build an intimate relationship with Our Lady.  I pray I can maintain a constant connection to Jesus through Mary.  At times I become very selfish, immersed in my own thoughts.  Being an introvert by nature, I tend to think and feel a lot!  Satan knows this and will penetrate his evil into my thoughts so I begin to doubt and draw wrong conclusions.  He rose-colors my optics in an attempt to draw me away from my faith.  Now I know my greatest satanic weapon is the rosary! The best way for me to keep evil away from my mind and my heart is to allow Mary's illuminating intercession to shield and protect me.  She loves me just as much as God does!  I often imagine Our Blessed Mother in personal conferences with Jesus giving him advice on how to guide me along in life.  She sees things from a feminine, motherly perspective.  Being full of grace, she radiates Christ through her.  Mary's intercession is real and very powerful.  I'm so happy to finally be able to fully relate to her on an intimate level.

Thank you Mary and Jesus for your love and protection!

Saint Louis de Montfort, Pray for Us!

-J.

Belief Beyond the Purple Cloth

Memorial of Saint Phillip Neri, Priest
Memorial Day (USA)

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Acts of the Apostles 16:11-15 
On the sabbath we went outside the city gate along the river where we thought there would be a place of prayer. We sat and spoke with the women who had gathered there. One of them, a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth, from the city of Thyatira, a worshiper of God, listened, and the Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what Paul was saying.

In 2007, I attended a Womens A.C.T.S. Retreat hosted by my parish.  I was fairly new to Saint Joseph. I hoped by attending this retreat I'd meet some women, forming new friendships.  It was a wonderful experience!  So much laughter, so many personal testimonies, and so many tears shed over the course of the weekend.     

At our Faith-sharing table, we were asked to name our group after a prominent woman in the bible.  At this time, I wasn't very familiar with many of the women in the bible except for Ruth, Sarah, Elizabeth, and Mary.  Most of the "big names" were already taken by the other groups.   One of my table-mates suggested we name ourselves "Lydia." Personally, I never heard of this woman named Lydia.  How obscure and unusual!  Yet, when we read the passage from the bible about the "dealer in purple cloth" opening her heart to God's message we all knew we had to take her name.  Lydia became "Patroness" of our group's A.C.T.S. retreat experience.

Whenever a woman is mentioned by name in the bible, usually she has made a significant impact in biblical history. Most of the time they've been holy and courageous women such as Ruth and Mary Magdalene.  Other women have been vicious such as Jezelbel.  However, with not much attention paid to women in antiquity we should be thankful that the biblical writers thought wisely to preserve their names in history.  Can you imagine no prominent women mentioned in the bible?  What if the Blessed Virgin was even left out?  Salvation History would not be the same.

Belief Beyond the Purple Cloth  Today in the United States we celebrate Memorial Day.  It is a special day we remember all of the fallen men and women who so bravely served in our military forces.  Most of us know at least one family member who served in the military at one time or another.  Both of my grandfathers served in the Navy during World War II.  My brother-in-law is an active Air Force surgeon.  I thank the Lord every day that my family members are still alive and well.  Many others did not make it.  However, they will always be remembered for their courageous service and love for our country.

Lydia's belief in Jesus Christ extended beyond the purple cloth.  Likewise, our military's belief in protecting our country from dangerous threats extend beyond the stars and stripes of the American flag...... 

Underlying the belief in serving and protecting our country is clearly God.  I can't imagine America being such a strong and resilient country without the assistance of the Lord Almighty along with the Blessed Virgin Mary's intercession.  Some people want to shoo God out of military life just like they want Our Lord out of our schools, places of work, and even public places.... 

Why not allow God to protect us from evil and help us in time of war?

Lydia clearly understood the importance of immersing her heart in Christ's message.  This message of peace, love, and hope is something we all need, especially in times of war, death, and tragedy.  Allow Jesus to wrap his purple cloak of divinity around your shoulders.  Allow him to hug and embrace you, sheltering you from fear and insecurity.  Allow his amazing grace to pour inside of you so that you can fight the good fight.  Keep Christ present in our society!  Don't allow belief to die but allow it to flourish and remain alive.

-J.

The Lord's Vineyard

Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Easter

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Gospel of John 15:1-8

Jesus said to his disciples: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. Remain in me, as I remain in you."

A Wine Toast   I just finished reading C.S. Lewis' classic Screwtape Proposes A Toast .  Originally published in The Saturday Evening Post (1959), this cleverly written text relates to modern day spiritual warfare and temptations. 

A highlight of the story is when Screwtape, a master at temptations, proposes a toast to the graduating class of Tempters' Training College (Location: The fiery pits of Hell.)  Screwtape says in his speech:

Fill your glasses.  What is this I see?  What is this delicious bouquet I inhale?  Can it be?....... I see and smell, that under wartime conditions the College cellar still has a few dozen of sound old vintage Pharisee.  Well, well, well.  This is like old times.  Hold it beneath your nostrils, gentledevils. Hold it up to the light.  Look at those fiery streaks that writhe and tangle in its dark heart, as if they were contending.  And so they are......

Imagine drinking vintage Pharisee wine?!  I laughed when I read this. A heavenly vintage is preferred over a diabolical one, especially when we choose to be faithful to God instead of Lucifer. Don't become like a biblical Pharisee.

Jesus vs. Satan's pruning  Let's say I'm a beautiful grapevine growing in the Lord's vineyard.  Jesus comes over to prune me so I bear more heavenly fruit.  Unfortunately, I'm diseased by mortal sin. The fungus of Satan's influence begins to rot my outer leaves and bark.  Weeds surround my roots.  Satan doesn't care if I live and die.  He won't even bother to prune.  Yet, Our Lord sees me in an unhealthy state.  He sprays away the fungus and carefully prunes my branches.  His vines of grace wrap themselves around my woody flesh so that I will become fruitful again.  I know as a grapevine I will not be cut down and burned because I accepted Jesus as the true vintner.  I will soon produce magnificent grapes fermented into the most delicious vintage of wine possible!

I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. (John 15:5)

Amen!

-J.

Via, Veritas, Vita!

Fifth Sunday of Easter

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Gospel of John 14:1-12
Jesus said to them, "I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me."


During the past week, the mass readings have switched gears.  No longer are we reflecting on Jesus' Resurrection.  Now we've gone back in time and  read passages from the Last Supper discourses, before Jesus' death took place.

In this familiar passage from John, the apostles are confused by what Jesus is telling them.  They understand him to be a miracle worker and a prophet.  But, all of the talk about Jesus being in the Father and the Father in him has them stumped.  Thomas has no clue of where Jesus is going and what his way is supposed to be like. 

Has the apostles' faithful leader gone mad?  Who is the Father and what he's all about? Where is the proof that Jesus is the Father and the Father is Jesus? How are the disciples supposed to know the way ?? The disciples scratch their heads in concern and misunderstanding.  They will figure out what Jesus is speaking of only after the Resurrection.  At this point their minds are muddled. 


Via (The Way)  How is Jesus The Way (Latin: Via)?  This has been a question asked for centuries.  Jesus' way involves following his commandments and teachings.  It involves loving our enemies and caring for those in need.  Jesus instructs us on a narrow path to holiness that involves a lot of frustration and struggle.  His way is not the easy way!  Jesus' way involves perseverance and strength.  It involves pushing ourselves away from sinful temptations and fully immersing ourselves in the light of Christ.  His way is beneficial!  His way is bountiful!  His way is beautiful!  Beware if  the way seems a little too easy and a little too pleasurable, it may not be the right way.  In fact, Satan loves to distort our thinking patterns to pull us away from God.  

I've been reading C.S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters .  In Lewis' amazing classic, Screwtape instructs his nephew Wormwood, a fellow demon, on how to pull his "patient" away from the grasps of the Enemy (aka God) and into the deceptive arms of "Our Father" (Satan).  Screwtape finds himself frustrated by Wormwood's mistakes. Wormwood isn't doing a good enough job tempting his patient into following the bad way.  God is the stronger entity!  

Following the Jesus way takes an incredible amount of faith and devotion!


Veritas (The Truth)  Jesus is The Truth (Latin: Veritas)  Many sceptics, mostly atheists, want to portray Jesus as a man who never existed.  It's as if he's Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, or some other fictional character.  His "truth" could not possibly be accurate since he wasn't a real man to begin with!  Fortunately, we have the bible as well as the Dead Sea Scrolls and archaeological artifacts that prove of Jesus' existence.  The "truth of the manner" is that Jesus is the Son of God. He became fully human and died on the cross for the salvation of all.  His Truth encompasses faith, love, hope and charity.  His Truth encourages teaching of the faith.  His Truth is a positive source that we can draw from.  His Truth gives each one of his followers strength and determination.  We must be careful not to relativize Jesus' Truth, fitting our own needs and beliefs.  We need to focus our lives around God.  When we do, we will reap the benefits of a life that's much more fulfilling.

Vita (The Life)  Jesus is The Life (Latin: Vita). Jesus died for our sins and rose from the dead.  He gave life to each one of us!  He could have easily become selfish and fell for the Devil's temptations while in the desert. Jesus could have decided to live a life wrapped around Satan's lies and debauchery.  However, he chose the right path!  Jesus chose to remain faithful to his mother, to Joseph, and to the Father himself.  He died for our redemption.  The best way for us to honor his deep love for us is to respect all human life!  

Our secularized culture continuously dismisses life:  

• If a child is deformed, abort it.  
• If a woman converts to another religion, kill her for apostasy. 
• If a child is unwanted, sell him or her into the slave trade.  
• If an elderly man is in pain, give him the option for Euthanasia.

Life is so precious!  Allow Our Lord to take each one of us to the grave according to his own schedule - his place and at his appointed time

Jesus is via, veritas, vitas!  He loves us so much.  He's is there with us on our journey through life.  We just need to acknowledge his presence.  Pray for his intercession and his healing. His way, his truth, and his life is something we should cherish forever in our hearts!

-J.

A Special Dwelling Place

Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter

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Gospel of John 14:1-6

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled.
You have faith in God; have faith also in me.  In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?"

A Troubled Heart  My heart has been troubled for quite some time now. Work stress, financial burdens, home responsibilities, and over-extended church commitments has worn down my nerves raw.  I'm mentally and physically exhausted!  It doesn't help that I read and hear of all of the tragedies going on in the world today.  I have tremendous faith in God, and know he will turn things around in time, but why does it seem like everything is falling apart so quickly?  Why does it seem like more and more people suffer?  I'm particularly sadden and horrified by the pregnant Sudanese Christian woman who will be hung for apostasy.  The government has made an exception allowing her to give birth to the baby and nurse it before being killed.  Yes, it's somewhat "humane" they are allowing the innocent child in the womb to live, but why not  allow the women to live, too? Make an exception to her ill fate? I pray that somehow amnesty will be granted and this Christian doctor and mother of two will live.

 The lack of religious freedom in areas of the world, as well as the continued violence against women, troubles my heart even more.  I sincerely feel for these people.  I'm so blessed to be a woman living in the United States.  I'm so blessed to be allowed to marry whoever I want and practice any religion that I choose.  Other women do not get such freedoms! Every time I feel sorry for myself, I should remember that women across the world are undergoing cruelty and injustice.....

A special dwelling place I think a special dwelling place resides in heaven dedicated to the men, women and children who've died under religious persecution and intolerance.  This place is full of eternal love.  Everything that was once miserable on earth is now glorious in heaven.  

Actually, I think God has a special dwelling place for each one of us.  It is uniquely designed to fit whatever our talents, hobbies, and pleasures consisted of on earth.  I imagine my dwelling place as a house similar where I am living now.  The heavenly home is surrounded by vineyards, herbs, and beautiful flowers.  All of the precious animals I've owned, or been fond of, are living in the home with me.  Music surrounds me everywhere I go.  All of my family and friends who have made it to heaven are nearby neighbors.  I see my favorite Saints passing along the walkway between dwellings peacefully and joyfully praying.  Angels are flying about delivering the heavenly news of the day.  (Perhaps I'm asked to intercede for a human who's going through a difficult time.)  Overall the dwelling place of heaven is serene.  No more pain, suffering, or turmoil.  Everything is peaceful and beautiful.

Let us always have faith in Our Lord regardless of what ails us.  Allow God to heal our inner souls.  Pray and meditate regularly so that the issues that trouble our hearts no longer affect us in a destructive way.

We have so much to look forward to the the Kingdom of Heaven!  Keep up the faith, hope, love and charity.  Lift up our hearts to the Lord and sing praise to him.

-J.

Love One Another

Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Easter
Feast of Saint Matthias, Apostle

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Gospel of John 15:9-17

"This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this,

to lay down one’s life for one’s friends...."

Easy to hate    After reading this gospel passage, a question came to mind:  Why is it so easy to hate?  Everywhere I turn someone is "hating" this or that.  A person hates his or her job, so the complaining begins. One country hates another country, so a war erupts.   A extremist group hates the idea of God, so vicious trolls attack religious blogs with vile comments. 

People get so easily offended these days.  This offense quickly turns into anger, rage, and vehement hate.  I attribute the growing hate to the melting pot of different cultures living and working together, excessive individualism, obsession with social media, and overall societal pessimism.  The news media does an outstanding job of suffocating our minds with murders, suicides, bad economic news, and other tragedies on a regular basis.  Then, social media allows us to compare ourselves to others which in turn encourages envy, jealousy and hate.  Overall, "Hate one another" appears to be the new catch phrase.  Maybe if a person can be a good enough hater he/she can star in their own reality tv show.

Harder to love    To love somebody unconditionally is much more difficult!  It demands a caring and humble heart.  Any hate flowing through our arteries and veins must be purged and purified.  Hate only leads to cardiac arrest of the soul.  Why not convert that hate into love?  Why not turn around the pessimistic thinking into optimism?  Why not try to see the goodness in others and our surroundings?  If God is willing to lay down his life for his enemies and those who persecute him, we can do it, too.  

Our hearts were designed to love.  Yet, this love is a challenging emotion.  So many people break our hearts on a regular basis.  This is the reason hate has such a strangle on each one of us.  Satan "loves" if we habitually hate, hate, hate!  This is the opposite of Christ's call to love, love, love!

Love one another   Through prayer and emerging ourselves in the sacraments, we can grow to love one another despite our differences, weaknesses, and prejudices.  When the world seems destined for hateful nothingness, love changes the course directing the world into spiritual happiness. 

-J.

Lay Down Your Life

Monday of the Fourth Week of Easter

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Gospel of John 10:11-18

Jesus said:“I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. A hired man, who is not a shepherd and whose sheep are not his own, sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf catches and scatters them...."

Jesus vs. the Big Bad Wolf Ultimately, Jesus died an agonizing death on the cross for the salvation of the whole world.  He is our Good Shepherd who still "pastures" us through the works of the Holy Spirit. He guides us along with his walking stick never forgetting about us.  When we are lost, he finds us.  When we are alone, he comforts us.  When we make bad judgments, he forgives us.  He protects us from the influences of Satan when we clearly listen to his call instead of the call of the big bad wolf!  In other words, Christ as the true shepherd wants what is best for each one of us.  Sometimes we may be "tricked" by Satan into thinking God isn't there for us and that HE is the one we should follow!  The devil doesn't have much power when we turn to Christ and the Blessed Virgin for protection.  He will try his hardest to make us lose our way, following a path of darkness instead of the narrow path to holiness.  The Father of Lies will flood our minds with all kinds of garbage in order for us to run away from God and never return.  No way this will happen under the careful watch of the Good Shepherd! However, it's up to us to remain faithful at all times.

Lay Down Your Life for Someone Do you know anybody who has sacrificed their own life for someone else?  I think of our brave soldiers in time of war and conflict. Catholic martyrs come to mind such as St. Maximilian Kolbe. I think of the courageous pregnant women who refuse cancer treatments, quickly dying after they give birth to their children.  I think of our firemen and police officers who often pass away in the process of saving others.

The willingness to die for someone else takes tremendous strength, courage, and humility. Personally I don't know if I could do it!  It would be easier to help a good person survive versus a bad person.  Also, I think I could die for a cause that I support. Overall it's something I have to pray about.  Laying down your own life for someone else is a tough act but a holy one!

-J.

Voice of a True Shepherd

Fourth Sunday of Easter
Good Shepherd Sunday

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Gospel of John 10:1-10
So Jesus said again, “Amen, amen, I say to you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved,and will come in and go out and find pasture...."

Happy Mother's Day!  What a great day today!  It started with my scheduled lector and communion ministry at the parish's 7:30 am Mass.  Our diocese's auxiliary bishop just happened to be the visiting celebrant!  He gave a special blessing to all of the mothers in the congregation. After mass, I came home, ate breakfast, and  I finished the excellent autobiography "Something Other Than God" by Jennifer Fulwiler.  (I will give a review in an upcoming post.)  Then my mom picked me up, and we drove over to my grandparents' house in East Texas for Mother's Day lunch with the family.  Perfect Spring weather!

I may not be a human mother, but I'm definitely a doggy mother!  My sister sent me a great Facebook picture featuring a paw print surrounded by fingers in the shape of a heart.  The caption said:  "My kids have paws!  Happy Mother's Day to all the pet moms out there!"  Love it!!  I always used to feel a tad bit depressed around Mother's Day since I've never given birth to a child.  After I adopted the best little dachshund in the world, I began to think of myself as a mommy, too.

Good Shepherd Sunday  How appropriate that Good Shepherd Sunday falls on Mother's Day this year.  Throughout the bible, God often called shepherds to do important work for the Lord.  Think of Abel, Moses, and David.  Each one of these important men were shepherds attending to sheep before they were "identified" by God to carry out important missions.  Abel was murdered by Cane out of extreme jealousy and hate, yet Abel remained humble.  Moses received the call to lead the Israelites out of Egypt through God's sign in the burning bush.  David, a young handsome shepherd in the field, was anointed by Samuel to become the first King of Israel.  All of these Old Testament "shepherds" foreshadowed the arrival of the one true shepherd - Jesus Christ.  

Jesus is the Good Shepherd who attends to the needs of his flock.  He blesses his followers with the waters of baptism which washes away the stain of original sin.  He blesses the faithful with his own blood and body through the nourishment of the Holy Eucharist.  The Good Shepherd even wipes away our tears, forgiving us of our sins whenever we go to confession.  Jesus is the heavenly gate.  All who believe, and enter, will be saved.  

Thieves and robbers will be at the entrance of the gate, attempting to coerce the sheep to follow their own wicked ways and paths.  They will present themselves as false shepherds.  They try to steal the faithful from the loving protection of Christ.  False shepherds lure the faithful with sensual pleasures through pride, vanity, and sensuality. These sinful ways do not fall in line with what God desires for his faithful.  

All of us will encounter a false shepherd in our lives.  Beware and do not follow!  The voice of the true shepherd - Jesus Christ - will always be much more powerful and everlasting!

Mothers as Good Shepherds  The gospel reading of Jesus as the Good Shepherd caring for his flock of sheep reminds me of mothers caring for their children.  Mothers are definitely "good shepherds" in many ways:

• They said "Yes!" to life inside the womb in the first place!
• They protect their children from harm.
• They nourish their children with proper nutrition.
• They educate their children, teaching them right from wrong.
• They encourage creativity and exploration of their child's unique talents and gifts.
• They care for their children when they are sick.
• They love their children unconditionally.

This is only a sampling of the hundreds of ways mothers are good shepherds.  Thank God for the gift of motherhood!

Sweet & Blessed Virgin Mary, Pray for Us!

-J.

Bad Choices

"Choices made, whether bad or good, follow you forever
and affect everyone in their path one way or another."
-J.E.B. Spredemann, An Unforgiveable Secret

This week's been an awful one! I haven't felt like writing on my blog.  My mind has been polluted by so much drama and confusion.  It's difficult to think about God and his loving influence.  It's hard to imagine God creating intelligent human life when people make incredibly bad choices day in and day out.

I know I'm not perfect.  I'm prone to listening to gossip and rumors.  Sometimes I tell my close friends what I hear on the "corporate street."   This is a bad choice on my own part.  (Okay, it's time for a trip to the confessional....) 

I definitely should not judge the going-ons of people around me. It's none of my business. People can do whatever they want with their lives making as many bad choices as they want.  However, when it affects me on a professional level, even in an indirect way, I feel angry and frustrated.  I think to myself:

 "Maybe if people left the drama at home and didn't spread it around like a virus we could get some work accomplished.  The environment would be a lot less stressful.  Plus, we may turn around a profit.  What a concept:  Make money!  Stop the gossiping, profanity, complaining, over-sensitivity, unethical behavior, and sleeping around.  This is not a doctor's office, a gentleman's club, a debt reduction center, a day care center or psychiatrist's office.  Do work you're paid to do!"

I've worked at my company for nearly three years.  I've been exposed to clash of different soap opera characters.  I'm used to it.  Working with a bunch of 20-Somethings mixed in with sales/marketing people and a couple of snarly managers makes for interesting daily episodes. A day doesn't go by without an F-bomb. We have had car wrecks, broken legs, bogus lawsuits, counterfeiting, out of wedlock pregnancies from coworker affairs, mass voluntary leaves, surprised firings, inventory theft, and a few questionable business transactions.  I'm pretty much ignored as the quality person for the organization.  I have to keep on my toes when it comes to necessary inspections.  Coworkers want to ship out product no matter if it's out of spec and defective. Everything is rush, rush, hurry up!  We need to make our numbers by the end of the month...... This week I made the bad choice of voicing my outrage in a harsh email.  People complained to my boss. She spoke to me in private and made some helpful recommendations on how to better handle a situation like this in the future. Overall, I think I made it firmly clear that as long as I work there I will not allow stuff to slide by.  I'm tired of being walked on as if I'm invisible.  I'm tired of being a nobody in that place. However, I can thank Our Lord for blessing me with an understanding boss.  She sees the bad choices the business makes everyday and how it affects overall quality.  Not only quality of the product itself but the quality of our brand and image.  As the number of bad choices increases exponentially, I'm worried our company may not exist in another year.  We may all become unemployed when our parent company finally realizes its trendy and fashionable subdivision isn't performing up to par. 

I imagine God watching humans on his "angelic earth cam" rolling his eyes and shaking his head.  He gets frustrated with tales from guardian angels describing how Joe Blow, Missy Mess, and Wanda the Whiner continually make bad choices.  

God gives us all the tools necessary to make good choices.  In fact, he encourages us to do the right thing.  The right thing seems too boring.  It's not dramatic enough.  It doesn't surprise and shock others.  Isn't that what life is all about:  One huge non-ending soap opera drama?  Aren't we all supposed to act on our worst behavior so that life is more meaningful and fun?  Isn't it all about me, myself, and I?  Should I be overly dramatic and raunchy to attract attention?  Should I continue to make bad choices while ruining my life  and the lives of innocent people in the process?  I pray nobody will answer "Yes" to any of these questions.  Good choices are necessary in order to live a satisfying, healthy, and vibrant life.

What's your choice?

• Keep the baby or abort it?
• Sleep with the married man/woman or give him/her the boot?
• Steal from the company or not?
• Gossip about the latest rumors or keep it to yourself?
• Shout and yell or behave calm and collected?
• Follow the Golden Rule or your own Revengeful Rule?
• Learn your lesson from a bad choice or repeat it over and over again?

All of us make bad decisions - bad choices.  It's how we handle such failings that matters.  We can tell the whole world our petty problems, and invite innocent people into our own personal dramas, or we can pray, meditate, and reflect. Examine the bad choices we've made, and with God's help, discover ways to improve difficult circumstances....When it comes to a job, it's important to leave the personal baggage at home, do good and honest work, and not dwell on the negative.  Yes, it seems impossible when we work around a bunch of people we may have nothing in common with and don't even like.  

I find praying the Holy Rosary is my best defense against allowing workplace drama to overwhelm me.  Our Blessed Mother has a mysterious way of soothing my anxiety and discomfort, encouraging inner peace.

Let us make good choices from now on with the Lord as our guide !

-J.

Food for Eternal Life

Monday of the Third Week of Easter

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Gospel of John 6:22-29

Jesus answered them and said,

“Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him the Father, God, has set his seal.”

All I can think about is food after reading today's gospel passage!

Food for nourishment On Sunday, my mother took me out to eat for a belated birthday lunch.  We went to a local Cheddar's restaurant.  I feasted on salmon with a loaded baked-potato, broccoli, butter croissants, and a huge monster cookie for dessert. (Oh, I must not forget the glass of Pinot Grigio.) I'm not used to eating that much food in one sitting.  Normally I eat small, vegetarian meals with occasional fish.  Eating fish makes me think of Our Lord cooking fish for his apostles.  However, when I think of regular meat bloody animal sacrifices from the Old Testament come to mind.  Yuck!  Those images pretty much stopped any cravings for a steak, ham, lamb chops, or a greasy hamburger.  I haven't eaten a "real" hamburger in 8 years!!

Tasty zucchini!  For lunch today, I ventured over to Jason's Deli for a zucchini grilled sandwich.  While waiting for my to-go order, I noticed  a tall, attractive blonde woman wearing a black and white dress.  As she walked with her tray of leftovers toward the exit, the young man taking orders dropped his a ball point pen and an unopened breathe mint right at her feet.  She just kept walking only hesitating a second but continuing on her merry way.  The young man look at her with an annoyed look. Obviously, he needed to walk all away around the counter to pick up his pen. So, I walked over, grabbed the pen and breathe mint, and gave it to the guy.  He exclaimed, "Thank-you, Miss!" (I loved that he called me a "Miss" instead of a "Ma'am!")  

My good deed for the day may have not been much, but it sure made my zucchini grill sandwich extra tasty!  I figured that woman is probably unaware of a lot of things around her, including a young boy trying to get her attention.  

Food for eternal life  When it comes to food, we need to eat enough to maintain physical strength and nourishment.  Don't over-eat or under-eat.  Choose foods that are healthy.  Our Lord wants us to take care of our bodies both physically as well as spiritually.  Receiving holy communion regularly is essential for feeding our spiritual hunger.  In essence, the Lord is calling us to dine with him.  His spiritual food is nutritious, good tasting, and healthy for the soul!  It gives us the energy to handle our burdens and help those in need.


-J.

Our Hearts Burn Within

Third Sunday of Easter

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Gospel of Luke 24:13-35

So he went in to stay with them.
And it happened that, while he was with them at table,he took bread, said  the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight. Then they said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?”

Playing a violin  Last night I attended Saturday evening mass at the sister parish. During the distribution of communion, a violinist played "Ave Maria" with piano accompaniment.  Wow, it was beautiful!  It made me think of the days I used to play violin in the Baptist church.  I watched as the violinist's fingers moved up and down the finger board with full vibrato. The instrument's sound pulled at my own heart strings as I felt a burning desire to pull out my old dusty violin and play along!  The month of May is dedicated to Our Blessed Mother, so "Ave Maria" is very appropriate selection.  Playing the violin is like riding a bicycle:  You never forget how to play.  It just takes practice to get back into musical shape!

Music is a beautiful form of prayer.  I always think the angels in heaven sing along with the congregation during Mass. Also, I imagine Jesus, Mary and the Saints humming along, too.  There's nothing more inspiring than a high mass with full choir and orchestra!  I've attended some parishes with professional-quality music and others with just the basic guitar and cantor.  Each unique style of music expression invites parishioners to immerse themselves in the heart of the liturgy - celebrating Jesus Christ in Holy communion. 

An unfamiliar road  Certain scripture passages resonate with me on a very deep level.  Luke's account of the disciples and Jesus on the road to Emmaus is an example.  I find it so interesting how the two disciples didn't instantly recognize Jesus.  It reminds me of instances when we are so focused on the "drama"surrounding our own lives that we fail to recognize the people, situations, and actions that can help shed light on our misunderstandings and confusion.  Jesus while "undercover" explained the scriptures to the two disciples.  The prophets predicted correctly the arrival of the Messiah; yet, so many people, including the Pharisees, refused to accept the truth.  

It's only until Jesus broke the bread and gave it to his disciples that the men's eyes were opened. They finally recognized Jesus conversing with them along that familiar road.  

Are there times in your life you've ignored signs around you?  If Jesus came up to you today, would you recognize him?  Or is he an unfamiliar stranger?

Our hearts burning within  I love when the disciples question each other with the following: 

"Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?"  

Many times our inner alarm detectors will go off when we know we are in the presence of something good and holy.  Our hearts burn with excitement and inspiration.  We feel a peace and harmony that's indescribable.  It's as if the Holy Spirit ignites our hearts with so much love it bursts into flames.  The heat rises to the level where we don't get burned but instead feel a sensation to spread the good news of faith and love to others.  The fire within our hearts draws us to acts of charity, catechesis, or even spiritual direction.  The flame of Christ's love never burns out when it's fully recognized and shared with others.

Let us not walk on earth in a shadow of mystery with our hearts only weakly lit.  Keep the flame burning within our hearts through prayer, continuously searching ways we can grow in our Christian faith.

-J.

Are You Abnormal?

Feast of Saints Philip and James, Apostles

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Gospel of John 14:6-14

"Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father. And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.”

Are you abnormal?  Today's reading from 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 spoke to me instantly.  Saint Paul talks about the order of people Jesus appeared to after his resurrection.  The passage ends with the words: "Last of all, as to one born abnormally, he appeared to me."

How often do we think of ourselves as abnormal?  Maybe we suffer from physical or mental handicaps.  Or, we engage in habits and personal rituals that appear odd to others.  We may be a little eccentric, saying off-the-wall comments that spark a questioning look or response.  People just don't get us!    

God made each one of us special.  Why are we so hard on ourselves?  Why do we think being different is bad?  Why do we care so much about what people say or think about us?  All that matters is that God loves us!

Over the years, I've realized being abnormal - different, unique, special, authentic, out of the ordinary - is something not to be ashamed of.  Certainly, when it comes to being a faithful Catholic it's essential to be perfectly abnormal.  Society's new "normal" involves selfishness, indifference, excess, over-consumption, and waste.  An individual's wants and desires become the primary attraction, creating what Pope Francis refers to as a "throw away culture."  If it's not normal, get rid of it!  If it doesn't benefit "me, myself and I" then it's no good. Throw it out to the dogs!

Abnormality requires each follower of Christ to step out of the bounds of worldliness.  Don't conform to the culture but change the culture.  Don't fit the secular mold but reshape the mold so that God is center.  Focus on loving, caring, and accepting one another as beautiful gifts from God.  

Jesus' own abnormality   Consider Jesus' own abnormality during his public ministry. He dined with prostitutes and tax collectors.  He cast out demons, gave sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf. He often spoke in confusing terms, answering questions with more questions. Most abnormal of all:  Christ rose from the dead!  Yet, his "abnormality" still attracts people to Christianity even in the midst of growing anti-religious sentiment.  People see the evil around them, often recognizing the poor decisions they've made. They feel a pulsating spiritual magnet drawing them to something uplifting and more fulfilling.  The spiritual magnet of Christ is infinitely strong, overpowering all  material possessions and creature comforts.  Earthly pleasures composed of pride, vanity and sensuality are de-magnetized as spiritual magnetism draws us intimately closer to Our Lord.  

Who wants to be boringly normal when we can be perfectly abnormal!  Proudly wear the t-shirt that tells the world you believe in God and desire to follow his works and his mighty deeds!

Do even greater works   Jesus commands all Christians to perform even greater works.  These are important works he could not accomplish during his short life.  Today we recognize the courageous apostles Saint Philip and Saint James who proclaimed Jesus' way, truth and life with vigor and enthusiasm.  Without their strong faith and dedication, as well as the ministry of other early disciples, the Christian message would not have survived 2000 years and counting.

As followers of Jesus we may not be able to perform miracles such as raising someone from the dead, but we can help and care for one another. We can certainly ask Our Lord for his divine assistance.  He clearly answers "I will do it"  if we only ask in his name!

Stop the closed-minded thinking and critical judgments.  Help those who are suffering instead of ignoring them.  Discover innovative ways of spreading the good news of the gospel.  Be kind and loving toward those who are different. God wishes for peace and harmony among all of his blessed children.  

Saint Philip and Saint James, Pray for Us!

-J.