Do You Have a Problem with Acedia?

I did a reflection for our Women's Bible Study on The Visitation. Through prayer, I felt that the point of The Visitation was, for me, at this time, a cure for acedia. Here's the reflection I presented:  

Acedia.  How many have heard that word?  Probably not very many. It's from the Greek word akedia. It's used in terms of spiritual apathy. It's also called the "noon day devil." You know that tiredness that comes over us around lunchtime? We've lost our first energy of the day and we just feel like taking a nap? The rest of the list for the day, well, I'll do it some other time.  It's that laziness or indifference in our spiritual lives. Not direct acts of evil, but a refusal to do the good because it takes too much time. It costs too much. It's too uncomfortable. It's such a little thing that it's not worth it. I can't be bothered. It's an indifference to our spiritual lives and our salvation.

We've all been apathetic at one time or another. After Easter, I used the leftover ham in a family recipe that called for horseradish. After I added it to the casserole, I did the math and realized that I'd had that same bottle for, oh, three years. My apathy could have led to the poisoning of my family, but I called Mom and Dad and they said, with their usual confidence in man's ability to overcome anything, "Three years? That's nothing. You'll be fine." And we were. I think the reason that it's so easy to give into apathy is because it doesn't require any effort. :)

So does that mean we're all doomed unless we become spiritual dynamos? I don't think so.

Once, when I was meditating, I saw a well. It went deep into the earth and I couldn't see the bottom. It was as black as pitch, as if there wasn't only an absence of light, but even air. It was suffocating. It was evil. It was the path to hell, the place where Satan sucked souls down into the dark nothingness where God isn't present because the souls there choose to break from Him.

But above ground, surrounding the well on the earth, there were lights. And the lights kept multiplying. Southern Californians are very familiar with fires and how fire spreads. It leaps from branch to branch and envelop everything that's in its path. These lights were us, spreading the light of Christ.

How do you stop a fire? You take away the fuel. The fuel of this fire is God's unfathomable love, the flame of His Sacred Heart, the burning love of His Word. 

And I realized that God's fuel would never run out. While there was still this hole, this well, people would have to get close enough to the well to get sucked in, but the lights would keep multiplying and spreading, and the well would never catch up.  

What does this have to do with the visitation?

  Here's Luke 1:39 from the NIV.

At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea,

From the NABRE:  

 During those days Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah,

Mary was on fire with the love of God. She had a mission and she didn't dawdle.  If it were me being told that Elizabeth were pregnant in her old age, I might stop to think about how inconvenient it would be. Maybe Elizabeth would settle for a phone call, or a carrier pigeon, or maybe I could send word through someone who was already headed in that direction. I would make excuses. I need to take care of myself. Or, I'm sure Elizabeth is really busy getting ready for her child. I'll only be in the way.  Or, it's not as if she's having the baby tomorrow. I can wait a month and get things in order here before I leave. Did I cover them all?

Mary had the best excuse ever.  She was pregnant with the Son of God, and she could have thought, "I need to take care of myself." But the Angel Gabriel made it known that her cousin was in a position where she would need Mary's help, and Mary hurried.  She traveled in haste. The Holy Spirit overshadowed her and she was on fire, and she spread that light.

And I love that she put her faith in God that He would take care of the details, because it WAS dangerous to travel back then. There were robbers. There were wild animals.  I looked it up online. I saw cute things in the desert around Judah, like gazelles and hares, but there are also wolves, jackals, leopards, and there used to be bears and lions.  That's why people traveled together. So Mary caught the first caravan and left.

There is so much evil at work in the world today. Sometimes it's obvious, like the killing of Christians in the Middle East, but more often, it's subtle. It's that noonday devil slipping in and whispering in our ear that the thing we were going to speak out against might hurt someone's feelings, or make us unpopular. That kind act that we were going to do really isn't important in the scheme of things. Maybe you see a woman who looks like she could use a kind word and you think, "I don't really know her. I'll be imposing on her. Who am I to think I could help her." So you remain silent. You don't spread the fire.

There is an 80/20 rule. 20% of the people do 80% of the work.  So 80% of the people don't care, or they think someone else will take care of the ministries or the volunteer work or the evangelizing. Well, you and I are that someone else. You and I need to be that 20%.

So how do we overcome the demon of acedia and hurry to do God's will in our lives? 

The book Noon Day Devil has a few suggestions.  One of them is prayer and work. Having a prayer life in which you talk to God every day keeps you in informed. You will know Him, and you will know His will for you.  As for work, you can't be listless when you're being active, whether it's your day job or making dinner, doing the laundry, or wiping a kid's sticky face. You're spreading the light of Christ to your husband, your children, your coworkers.

Another way to counter acedia is with contradiction. This is having scripture verses handy to counter those whispers that tell you what you're doing doesn't matter, or can wait.  Here are a few:

When I feel that what I'm doing just doesn't matter, or I think I'll give that volunteer work or that prayer time a pass, or if I can't come up with time to talk to God, or I think I go to Mass on Sunday. Why bother with weekday Mass. That's so fanatic, and besides. I want to sleep in. I can turn to

Colossians 3:23: Whatever you do, do from the heart, as for the Lord and not for others,  

Offer everything up to the Lord. That load of dishes you're washing. Make it a prayer. A prayer can turn the mundane into the sacred.

Of course, stress is always a problem. I work at home, which means I'm easy prey for people who want to talk to me. My mother calls me almost every day. There are times when I see her on the caller ID and I'm in the middle of something important. But my mother won't be around forever, and I doubt if I will remember those important things, but I'll remember the time I didn't give her.

Or there are times when I'm worried about all the things I have to get done, and I blow off my prayer time. Then I can turn to

Luke 12:26: If even the smallest things are beyond your control, why are you anxious about the rest?

There is a reason why Jesus kept telling us not to be afraid. It's because fear is the biggest snuffer of lights out there.

I encourage you to look through your Bibles to find a favorite verse of Scripture. I love Proverbs when I'm looking for practical advice. Write it down if your memory is like mine, and when you feel that apathy, when you think it's time for a break from your spiritual practices or your mission, or you feel your love for Jesus starting to flicker, pull it out and read it. Say a quick prayer. And be part of that 20%.  

One final thought. Gratitude.  We have so much. We have our friends here in Bible study. We just had a wonderful breakfast, so we're not hungry. We have this wonderful church, the Eucharist. But sometimes, we're like children at Christmas. You know how kids will open a ton of presents, and then they'll lay there like slugs, sighing. "But I didn't get what I really wanted!"

Gratitude makes it difficult to be apathetic. Gratitude can fill you with energy, and it can remind you of the God who is so good and then maybe put us in the frame of mind where we want to give him everything, in haste.

Open you're Bibles to  Luke 1:46  and we'll close by reciting the ultimate prayer of gratitude, the Magnificat.

Luke 1:46-55

The Canticle of Mary.  And Mary said:

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;

    my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
 For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness;
    from now on will all ages call me blessed.
 The Mighty One has done great things for me,
    and holy is his name.
 His mercy is from age to age
    to those who fear him.
 He has shown might with his arm,
    dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart.
 He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones
    but lifted up the lowly.
 The hungry he has filled with good things;
    the rich he has sent away empty.
 He has helped Israel his servant,
    remembering his mercy,
 according to his promise to our fathers,
    to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”

Stop Talking About Jesus!

You're in your home. Loved ones come over. You're so happy to see them...until they walk past you and sit at a table nearby. You can hear them talking, and they're talking about YOU! How much they love you. How wonderful you are. How they can't imagine life without you.

But they won't talk TO you. In fact, every time you try to jump into the conversation, they talk over you or ignore you.

from The Commons Getty Collection

Would that make you happy? All warm and fuzzy inside?

Not me. I want to be part of the conversation, and I think that might be how Jesus feels. There are many people who sincerely speak of their awe of God the Father, their affinity for the Holy Spirit, and their love for Jesus, but they can't find time to sit down in prayer and talk TO Him.

If my husband never listened to anything I had to say, he wouldn't know me. My wishes for our relationship. He wouldn't know what I wanted, even if it was something as simple as picking up milk from the store on his way home.

Take ten minutes today, find a quiet spot that is free of distractions, and talk to Jesus. Listen. It's the only way to grow in your relationship with Him, and it's the only way to change your world.

Is the Blessed Virgin Mary Telling Us to Shut Up?

In the February 25, 2015 message to the  Medjugorje visionary, Marija, the Blessed Virgin Mary said these words:

"Dear children! In this time of grace I call all of you: pray more and speak less. In prayer seek the will of God and live it according to the commandments to which God calls you. I am with you and am praying with you... ."

When I first read this message, I thought that Mary, like a gentle but admonishing mother, was telling us to be quiet. Stop talking. But why???

Did she mean that when we talk about God we run into the danger of making His words and will reflect our words and will? Like that nasty group that runs around protesting at Christian churches and military funerals?

I was ready to shut down my blog, withdraw from doing reflections for the Women's Bible Study, and keep my trap shut.

But wait.

We are supposed to proclaim the Good News, and one of the best ways is through our own actions and our words, by sharing our experiences. What some might call "witnessing", though that word has always carried bad connotations for me. Someone living like a hypocrite, yet shouting "Praise, Jesus!" after ever sentence. So what could Mary have meant? My brain was shorting out.

Then, I found Jesus' own words to St. Foustina, to whom He revealed His desire for a devotion to His Divine Mercy.  These words were recorded in her diary:

My daughter, when I was before Herod, I obtained a grace for you; namely, that you would be able to rise above human scorn and follow faithfully in My footsteps. Be silent when they do not want to acknowledge your truth, because it is then that you speak more eloquently (Diary, 1164).


He was telling us that we should speak the truth. It was when people chose to ignore us that our silence would "speak more eloquently".   So, discuss the truth, but don't rant at those who dissent.  Don't turn proclaiming the good news into a Jerry Springer show. So, tell Nancy Pelosi that she's choosing to turn her back on Jesus when she encourages abortion, and when she responds with something inane about killing babies being all about women's health, walk away. She's heard the truth; now she has to choose. 


It's really, really difficult not to shake someone by the shoulders to wake them up, but it's not my job. We all have free will, so I can present it, and then it's up to the other person to accept it or not. Only God knows what's in their heart. Maybe, I'll have planted that tiny seed in the person's brain and, when they are less defensive, they will think about it, explore it, and come to the truth on their own (with some help from the Holy Spirit).

Good deal.

Encountering Jesus This Lent

Our parish is in the middle of an Encounter series for Lent. It's kind of our parish mission, but it's much more than just a few speakers. It's an encounter with Jesus meant to last the rest of our lives.

The Encounter program did begin with speakers from all over the country who brought us stories and examples of how we can encounter Jesus in our lives. Being the queen of lists, I embraced a checklist of the Daily Disciplines of a Disciple of Jesus. Are you ready for them?

1. Read Scripture

Encounter Jesus through the Word of God every day. Father Larry Richards has a saying: No Bible, no breakfast; no Bible, no bed. Where do you start? The New Testament is a good place. Just don't neglect the Old Testament, because it all ties together in a miraculous way. (That's what happens when the Holy Spirit picks up a pen, using men to do the writing.)

UPDATE:  Matthew Kelly just did a great video on reading the Bible, and if you're just getting started, here are the books he recommends you jump in with:  The Gospel of Matthew; Genesis; Psalms.

2. Prayer

This sounds like a no-brainer, but it's more than reciting "Now I lay me down to sleep" at the end of the day. It's dialogue. To hear God, you need some silence. You need to listen, so at least find a quiet spot for your prayer. One great way to pray is with Scripture, Read slowly. Read again. Take the word or words that stuck out or struck you and meditate on them. Listen. Let God get a word in. Then resolve an action for the next day.

Here's an example:  I read Luke 1. It's about Zechariah and Elizabeth, the parents of John the Baptist. The couple were old and childless. Zechariah was a temple priest. This particular year, he had been chosen by lots to go into the temple and burn incense. This was a big job. They would tie a rope around the priest so they could drag him out if he died in there. He would come out and speak the name of God and give the people a blessing.

While in the temple, an angel of the Lord appeared and announced that Elizabeth would become pregnant. Great news! But Zechariah doubted. Would you have asked questions? I probably would have. As punishment for doubting, Zechariah was struck dumb. This meant that he wouldn't be able to give the blessing or pronounce God's name to all of those people who had made the trek.

What struck me was the other people waiting to hear God's name and receive a blessing. Because of Zechariah's doubts, he wouldn't be able to perform this task. For some of the faithful, this was the only time in their lives they could make it to Jerusalem. This was the only chance they would have to receive the blessing and hear God's name. Remember, back then, if you spoke the name of God, you were stoned to death. So it was a big deal.

It became clear to me that my lack of faith, my fears, affect others. Maybe God has a gift for them, and if I balk at doing my part, they won't receive that gift.

3. Living the Sacramental Life

The Sacraments are Baptism (which you only receive once), First Communion, Reconciliation, Confirmation, Holy Orders (for those who become priests), Matrimony, and Anointing of the Sick. You can receive the Eucharist every time you attend Mass, and in most areas in the United States, you can attend Mass daily. What a blessing! Reconciliation schedules vary, but you should be able to find it once per month. I go twice per month. Otherwise, those sins slip into habits. We receive grace through the Sacraments. Who couldn't use more grace? 

4. Fellowship with each other

It's not Jesus and Me; It's Jesus and Us. We are the Body of Christ, a community. Don't be an island! Part of the Encounter series is small group communities that will meet throughout Lent to share our journey as we get closer to Christ. If you can't get out of the house, there are online communities. Just don't get caught up in the anonymity of the web over live interaction.

5.  Service to Others

The majority of non-profits out there are Christian. There is a reason for this. We are Christ's hands and feet. Put them to work for Him.

6. Proclamation

You do this through word and action. First, be joyful. When people are exposed to the joy of a life in Christ, they want to know more, and that's a perfect time to introduce them to Jesus. Never be intimidated. I have found that if you bring Jesus up, more often than not, others are at least willing to listen. Quite often, they want to talk about Him themselves, but are too intimidated or shy.

Boy. If I can do all of these daily for one year, I ought to see a difference in my life, and others should see a difference in me.

Do you have any suggestions for carrying out these steps? Additional steps you would add?

Encountering Christ Through Praise

This week, our parish held a three-day Encounter.  There were speakers, filled with wisdom, who shared stories from the Bible and connected them to stories about real life. Their messages were funny, heartfelt, exciting, and jarring. They encouraged us to deepen our relationship with Jesus, either through opening ourselves to begin that relationship or to bring our current relationship to the next level. They laid out how simple that choice should be, and how hard it can be because of our fallen nature.

The most incredible gift was the praise, especially through music. It set the tone, and it definitely pleased God, because He sent His Spirit rushing through that church to bring His children closer to Him. And I deliberately use the term gift, because God doesn't need our praise. He's God. He doesn't need anything. Praise is His present to us, because we were made for worship. WE need to praise, and through it, we experience joy.

I'll admit that I have an aversion to what I call happy-clappy music, and this has come about from attending Masses where people become the audience, rather than participants. They like the music, but as entertainment.  Meanwhile, they wander in late, play on their cell phones (and I know some use devices to follow along as Scripture is read, and that's fantastic) or chat with each other, and they ignore Jesus and what's taking place on the altar. The lack of respect is a distraction I have to fight.

After my experience this week, I've determined that the problem lies not with the music, but with the misuse of the music. I just have to pray that those who don't get it will allow God to work in their hearts to convert them to a place where the music becomes praise.

Back to the Encounter. Every evening began with praise. Gifted musicians led the people through songs meant to open our minds and hearts to Jesus. There are always those who raise their hands and sway with the tempo. I'm the one tho folds her hands in front of her and stands at attention, but that doesn't keep the Holy Spirit out.

The first step in prayer, whether you're following the structure found in the Psalms or you're winging it in your own prayer, is giving God praise. There's a reason for this.  It's like activating His presence. With that praise, we glorify Him and put ourselves in communion with Him, and I believe He is pleased and responds by lifting us up to a place where we can hear His voice.

Only then will we have the clearest line, the best connection, that will enable us to pray with confidence for our requests, to hear His voice in Scripture, to receive guidance as to what He wants you specifically to do as His disciple.

And then we thank Him.

(But it all starts with the Praise!)

Our Lady of All Nations: A Prayer for Peace

During her apparitions to Ida Peerdeman, a Dutch woman, from 1945 - 1959, under the title of Our Lady of All Nations, Mary gave her a prayer for peace.  She asked that it be prayed daily in front of the Cross.

Mary often predicts world secular events as a way to catch our attention, to get us to believe. In this instance, she predicted

- the return of the State of Israel
- the Korean War
- the communist revolution in China
- the "Arab Spring"

Our Lady asked people to write to the Holy Father and encourage a fifth Marian Dogma that declares her Mediatrix, Co-Redemptrix, and Advocate.  She put special emphasis on the "Co", and said that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit will to send her, bearer of the Redeemer, into this world as Co-Redemptrix. She said that it would cause much controversy, but the more the Church fought for it, the stronger it would become.

Why does Our Lady ask for titles? Is it because she's gone egocentric? NO. It's because Mary's titles are her functions.

She also asked that we say this prayer daily in front of the Cross to end the degeneration, disaster and war in this world.

"Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Father, send now your Holy Spirit over the earth. Let the Holy Spirit live in the hearts of all nations, that they may be preserved from degeneration, disasters, and war. May the Lady of All Nations, the Blessed Virgin Mary, be our Advocate. Amen."

If you would like to write the Holy Father, you can do so at:

Pope Francis, 00120 Vatican City.

Do You Have a Relationship with the Church, or a Truce?

I heard an interesting comment the other day.

"50/50 is not a relationship; it is a truce." 

Photo from Wikimedia Commons

It really hit home, because most of us are looking for a truce, whether it be in our marriages, our jobs, our
relationships with family and friends, or our relationship with the Church.

Anyone who is happily married or has children will tell you that love is not give and take; it's give. Any time I've looked for my 50% or tried to divvy things up to make them fair, I've wound up miserable or angry or both.

Keeping score doesn't work for anything other than sports. That doesn't mean be a doormat, but our definition of doormat has narrowed to the point where the minute the balance is tipped in the favor of someone else, we cry foul.

How, you ask, can I have a relationship with the Church?  It's an organization. Well, that kind of thinking is the start of the problem.

The Church is the Body of Christ. It is comprised of members, individuals, human beings. Your relationships with those human beings, from your fellow volunteers to the parish office staff to your priest to your bishop to Pope Francis define your relationship with the Church.

Are you a minimalist? You've filled out a parish registration, dutifully check the Catholic box on surveys, and regularly put money in your donation envelope. What more do they want? Well, does your spouse require more of you than to bring home the paycheck and acknowledge that he/she is part of the family? I would hope so!

Are you confrontational?  Are your conversations about the Church a criticism of everything you don't agree with or understand? Just a suggestion: Have you ever tried to understand the Church's position? I've found they are usually well thought-out positions with valid reasons behind them. Get a Catechism. It's a great resource.

Do you write your pastor with complaints about the music, the altar server's tennis shoes, or parish leaders?  Have you ever offered a (workable/kind) solution? Sometimes your solution won't be accepted even though it's obviously the most brilliant idea since American cheese. Realize that there are others who don't agree with you and let it go.

If you feel as if nobody ever says hello, have you ever introduced yourself? They may be shy, new to the parish, or feel they are respecting your privacy.  Conversely, do you know the names of any of your fellow parishioners? Or do you approach them at Mass the same way you'd approach fellow audience members at the theater? You're all there for the same show, but no talking!

Relationships take effort. Sometimes you may be the one who has to go more than halfway, but life is rarely never 50/50.

There can be great peace in tearing up your scorecard.