The Sticktoitiveness of Saint Monica

Today we celebrate Saint Monica, mother of St. Augustine. When Augustine was a young lad, he was not a nice Catholic boy. He dabbled in heresy (the Manichean heresy), drinking and carousing. He lived with a woman and had a child out of wedlock. He was extremely smart, but he was a pain in the side to poor Monica.

And so Monica prayed. And prayed. And prayed. She prayed for 17 years.

By her example, we can see that our petitions to the Lord should not be one-offs. We shouldn't give the Lord or ourselves deadlines. I'll pray for five years and if nothing happens, it must be God's will. We shouldn't give up, ever.

Most people acknowledge her example of perseverance, but she exemplifies several other virtues as well.

Humility

She offered her prayers and petitions to the Lord knowing that He will* act in His own time. It was her job to pray. The rest was up to Him.

Fortitude

She stayed close to St. Augustine, closer than he wanted, so one night he ditched her and took a boat to Rome. She followed, but found he had gone to Milan. She followed. This was at a time when boat travel was perilous and difficult. She had the courage of a marine!

Trust

Monica, though a Christian, was given to a pagan in marriage. The man had a violent temper, and he came with a cranky mother. Most people would have packed it in and figured that this was a cross to bear.  Monica prayed, and before they died, both her mother-in-law and husband converted to Christianity!

She also gives us an example of expectant prayer, something that we are sorely short of in our culture. We should have faith that God will answer our prayers.

In our instant gratification culture, Saint Monica serves to remind us that God's gifts are not "on demand", and that He always hears our prayers.

Saint Monica, pray for us!

* (No. That's not a grammatical error. God is always in the present.)

The Miraculous Church

As Catholics, we tend to forget that our Church is the Church of miracles. I can't tell you how many times I've had someone (even priests) downplay the supernatural aspects of the Church.

"We can pray for healing, but it will be a spiritual healing. God will help us through our suffering."

No, no, NO!

Jesus didn't tell lepers just to be strong and bear their leprosy with dignity.  He didn't tell them to offer it up. He healed them, but he always asked them what they wanted first.

And He always credited the faith of the person who was being healed. As Dr. Margaret Schlientz explains it, it was His power that did the healing, but it was the person's faith that manifested the healing.

Lanciano

At St. Kateri Tekakwitha Catholic parish this weekend, we are honored to host "The Eucharistic Miracles of the World", a Vatican approved exhibition. Time after time, Jesus has reached out to give us the proof we, as flawed humans, need that the Eucharist is the Real Presence, the actual Body and Blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ. And the Eucharist is the ultimate healer.

The miracles include Lanciano, where the bread and wine turned into actual Body and Blood. Modern scientists evaluated the samples without knowing where they came from. They said the samples came from a heat muscle, and they wanted to know how the doctor took a sample from a man who was still alive.

When the later miracle at Buenos Aires occurred, samples from Lanciano and Buenos Aires were compared, and scientists said they came from the same person.

And still we doubt.

If we want to see more miracles in this modern world, then we need to have expectant faith. Expect miracles. Expect healing. Expect a huge, active God to take part in your daily life. He wants to, but He won't circumvent our free will.

What miracles have you seen in your own life? 

Is Your Face Shining Like Moses?

When Moses would speak to God, his face would shine.  He had to wear a veil in order to keep from freaking out his fellow Israelites. When we have a personal relationship with God, our faces should shine as well.  It's got nothing to do with good skin creams or our inner beauty. The glow is a reflection of God's love.

I've heard it said that Mary is like the moon  in relation to Jesus, the sun.  Just as we can see the moon because the light of the sun reflects off of it's surface, Mary reflects the light of Jesus. I love that analogy, and it applies to each of us as well. Mary was full of grace, but she was still one of God's creatures, just like us. That means that we, too, can reflect the love of Jesus to everyone we meet.

So, how to we up the wattage?

Spend time talking to God...

To activate that shine, you first have to speak with God. If you're just starting out, you can use the words of prayers already written. Even better, God has given us words we can use to express every emotion in the Psalms. Don't just read them. Pray them.


...and listening...

If we wanted to learn the accumulated wisdom of our grandmother, we wouldn't go to her house, sit down, and proceed to talk the entire time, never letting granny get a word in edgewise. We would eagerly anticipate what she had to tell us, knowing that life will be fuller and richer if we heed her advice. If we want to hear what God is saying, we need to keep our mouths shut.

...so that God has a chance to tell us what He wants.

When we are worried or there is an outcome that we are focused on achieving, we can certainly tell God about it. But if we sit back and wait for an answer to what we think is the problem, we may dismiss or ignore what God wants for us. Mother Mary tells us repeatedly in her apparitions that God answers ALL prayers. That should give us great joy.

What if you told God that you were worried about your son, who has separated himself from God. In our limited minds, we expect the answer will be a sudden stirring of that son's heart and instant conversion. But what if God's response is to tell you repeatedly to volunteer for the soup kitchen?

You might get annoyed. You might push it aside, because what has a soup kitchen to do with your problem with your son?

But what if you went to the soup kitchen. You eventually make friends with a young God-loving female volunteer. One day, your son picks you up from your volunteer work. They meet. They start dating, and slowly he sees how God is an important factor in the beauty of this person he now loves. He starts attending Mass or services with her and finally develops his own relationship with God.

See how God answered your prayer?  Just not the way you expected.

(And remember, He will never impose Himself on the  person you are praying for. They have free will, too. So, He may issue an invitation to your son, but your son can reject Him.)

Spend Time in His Presence...

Moses got that light from being face-to-face with God. We can sit in the chapel, mere feet away from God, in Adoration. The Eucharist does not have to be exposed in order to adore. The physical presence of Jesus is in the tabernacle.

...and see the changes in our lives.

If you develop a relationship with God through reading His Word and regular prayer, you will change. Once you've given God permission to act, you won't be able to stop the flow of love that will permeate your life. He won't promise you riches or prestige. Those are things of the world. But, He will fill you will peace and love, and you will learn to recognize His presence during every moment of your day. And what could be better than walking with God?

The Enemy Has Made His Latest Attack...And I'm Singing

In the wake of the enemy's latest attack, my first response was depression. A horror of what's to come. Anger at the foolishness of mankind. And then I realized that, by my reaction, I was making the same mistake that many Christians make in the face of seemingly hopeless situations We inadvertently give the enemy more credit than we give God. And that's a mistake.

My God is massive. He's HUGE. In the words of the song, He is "Indescribable. Uncontainable... All powerful. Untameable." Which is why "Awestruck, we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim, You are amazing, God."

When I give glory to God for His goodness and recognize that He is the one in control, that He is all powerful, then I can get proper perspective. Too often, I think in little terms, the terms of the world around me. But in the right perspective, my troubles are so small. The government is so small. Even our world is so small compared to our humongous God.

Our prayers shouldn't be troubled, fearful whispers asking Him to save our world. They should be bold proclamations of His marvelous works. Joyful shouts telling of His unconditional love. Awestruck professions of His complete and absolute power. And song.

And I think that He is just waiting for us to turn our gazes on Him where they belong, and when we fall to our knees and humbly proclaim that our God is AMAZING, we will see the enemy recede into the darkness where he belongs. Then we will witness the power of God.

And that's why I'm singing.

The Fallacy of Random Acts of Kindness

Random Acts of Kindness.  It's a phrase that bothers me. Every time I catch sight of a bumper sticker proclaiming these out of control impulses, I cringe.  If I replace the word random with some of its definitions, maybe you'll understand.

Accidental Acts of Kindness

I can't imagine how we can be kind accidentally. Our kindness may have unintentional consequences, such as when we are kind to the checker at the grocery store. The next person in line who witnesses our actions may feel better about the world. But we were intentionally kind to the checker in the first place.

Haphazard Acts of Kindness

This brings up images of someone stumbling around and spilling splashes of kindness paint on passersby, creating a Jackson Pollock-type world.

Hit and Miss Acts of Kindness.

While I admit that acts of kindness don't have to be accepted by the intended target, the actual act itself has to be directed at a recipient, even if it's ourselves. Try being kind to an empty room. 

So, why does this bug me? It belittles kindness by turning into some kind of tick. 

It takes an effort to be kind. It take practice. Kindness is like a muscle we develop through use. If someone cuts you off in traffic, which is more difficult? To wave your fist in the air and grumble about incompetent drivers, or to wonder if the poor soul is lost or late or frazzled and then follow with a quick prayer for the person's peace of mind? 

You have to work at being kind, especially in our knee-jerk reaction world. You have to have self-control, which requires discipline. 

We really should be kind to everyone we meet. If we practice Intentional Acts of Kindness, it could spread. We might even develop a sense of peace and a reputation as a nice person. Nice is underrated, but that's another topic.

Have you performed any Intentional Acts of Kindness?

Cherry Jam and the Good Steward

My cousin, Susi, is a blue-ribbon winner at state fairs for her jams and such.  She recently sent me samples of her cherry and apricot, and boy are they worthy of awards!  She makes the apricot from the trees in her backyard.

It really is a simple process. Not making jam. Being a good Martha.

First, you recognize the gifts you have been given, like the apricot trees in the backyard.

Then, you use those gifts, just like the top guy in the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30.  God doesn't give us gifts so we can admire them and then forget about them. I think He's happiest when we take them and run, like Susi with her jam.

It's homemade, so it's wholesome compared to something with chemicals you would pick up in the store. It's efficient, because now you don't have to buy jam.  And it's a celebration of creation, making something wonderful out of something beautiful.

But then there is the third part, and that's sharing. Susi could have hoarded her jam and had a private taste-bud festival, but she shared her wealth with others. She shared her talent, and she shared her joy.

And let me tell you. That jam is bringing us a lot of joy.

So, the secret to being a good Martha?

• Recognize the gifts all around you. 
• Use those gifts. 
• Share them with others. 

Sounds like a plan.

(I may remind Susi of this when I run out of jam.)

Walking Through The Rosary Meditation Guide

As I've matured in prayer, my Rosaries have gone from concentrated recitations of the prayers to personal meditations on the mysteries. I often apply the particular mystery to the challenges I'm facing for the day, and I've found great peace and solutions by doing so.

For example, if I'm worried about finances and the mysteries for the day are the Joyful Mysteries, then focusing on how Mary had complete trust in God during the scary times can really help. Or if I've been struggling with something I don't really want to do, knowing that Jesus followed the Father's will and was baptized by John, even though it wasn't necessary, helps put things into perspective.

I compiled some general meditations into a book, Walking Through The Rosary, and it's finally available on Amazon. I plan more books, such as meditations for brides and meditations on the Our Lady of Sorrows Chaplet.I like the Kindle cover shown here. The paperback has a different cover.

I originally came up with it as an addition to the Rosary decade bracelets I make, and I think it's pretty cool

Has meditating on the Rosary helped you to solve problems?