Getting to Know Jesus

Do you know Jesus? There is a difference between knowing about Jesus and experiencing Him personally. First you meet Him through others; then you meet Him for yourself.

  Some people think they know Jesus because they have heard and read the Gospels. But Jesus Himself said we would know Him through the power of the Holy Spirit:

     ...the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name,

     will instruct you in everything and remind you of all that I told you.

     John 14:26.

  He even said it was better for all of us that He go to the Father:

     If you truly loved me you would rejoice to have me go to the Father.

     John 14:28b.

While Jesus lived here on earth, He was limited by His humanity. He was limited as to how many lives He could touch; how many He could heal. By ascending to the Father, He could reach the whole world through the power of the Holy Spirit.

  So the way to get to know Jesus is to read and study the Gospel, be baptized, and then to pray (and preferably prayed with by others) for the power of the Holy Spirit. Then you will truly know Jesus.

Why Get Married?

Marriage means someone loves you so much they want to commit themselves to you until death. If a person is not willing to make that commitment their love is not real unselfish love, but only a love based on fulfilling their own needs. We take vows when we marry because marriage is better for men, for women, for children and for society. We make promises and take vows and oaths about matters that are important--both to us personally and for society in general.

  Marriage civilizes men. It directs their testosterone-filled bodies to constructive rather than destructive paths. Having responsibility for a wife, a home and children gives them a greater purpose in life than just living for themselves. Having a monogamous sexual relationship means less STDs and unexpected pregnancies.

  Marriage gives a woman security and enhances her self-esteem because she is especially loved by a man who is not related to her. It offers her the security of someone to support her emotionally through pregnancy and childbirth. There is also the security of having the father of her child share the responsibility of raising and supporting him.

  Marriage is especially important for children. All scientific research has shown that children grow up the healthiest--emotionally, physically and as a productive member of society--if they are raised in an intact home by their biological mother and father. It also shows that even in dysfunctional marriages children fare better than those raised in divorced families or single parent households.

  The foundation of society is marriage and the family. As the family goes, so goes society. The best way to have a strong, vibrant society is to encourage marriage between a man and a woman.

On Hearing God's Voice

You may say, “God doesn’t talk to me.  He only talks to holy or devout people, or to priests, ministers and religious people.”  But if you have received the Holy Spirit, God talks to you.  The only difference is how well you listen.

  Take time to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit within you. Shut off the television or radio. Get up a little earlier or spend some time in quiet in the evening or before bed. Find a quiet place. Go to Adoration or to a church or chapel; a quiet place in a park or the beach. No matter how busy you are, you can always find time and place to sit in quiet.

  

  Then the Lord said:  "Go outside and stand on the mountain before the Lord; the Lord will be passing by." A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the Lord--but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake--but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was fire--but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound. When he heard this, Elijah hid his face in his cloak and went and stood at the entrance of the cave.  I Kings 19:11-13

God in Nature

God’s Word in Scripture is often revealed in the natural world.  The Bible says:

  “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims His handiwork.”  Psalm 19:2 NAB

  Even people who cannot read or who are uneducated can understand some truths about God by examining nature.

  Take a seed.  Contained in even the tiniest seed is the fullness of the plant that seed will become.  All the seed needs is air, food, water and sunlight to grow to fulfillment.

  In the same way, even before science discovered genetics and the DNA of each cell, God was showing us through the seeds in nature that the seed of human life, the embryo, contained the fullness of the person.  Not just a hope or a promise, but the whole person contained in that little seed.

Are you old?

You know you’re old when you’re no longer in a hurry to get things done. Or you don't have enough to do to fill your days. Young and middle aged adults are always rushing. They have too much to do and not enough time to do everything that needs to be done or should be done. Children are never rushing because they don't yet feel the weight of responsibility pushing them on.

  So if you want to stay young, keep busy--be involved in life and in the lives of others. It is the stuff of life that keeps us young.

Adolescence

Adolescence is like setting out on a long voyage on an often turbulent and stormy sea—for both the teenager and the parents.  It’s kind of like a long labor when giving birth.

  Keep your eye on Jesus and on the vision of the strong, self-confident man or woman that will emerge at the end of this voyage.

Train a child in the way he should go;

 even when he is old, he will not swerve from it.  Proverbs 22:6 NAB

Eight Ways to Show Our Love For God

One of my favorite sayings is "Love is an action word."  In the Broadway play (and subsequent movie) "My Fair Lady", Eliza sings, "Don't talk of love...show me!"
  We often speak of our love for God. And He loves to hear us praise Him. But praise without works is not enough.
  So here are eight ways to show our love for God. I did not think of them, but I don't think the person who did will mind my sharing them with you.

• Trusting Him
• Spending time with Him
• Heeding Him
• Apologizing when we offend Him
• Loving His whole family
• Picking up our cross
• Following Him
• Eagerly awaiting Him

On Abortion

I realize that some mothers choose to have their children aborted because they are poor, young or desperate; or, in rare cases, the conception of the child was due to incest or rape. But many more mothers sacrifice their children on the altar of materialism. To have your child killed because it interferes with your plans for your life is the worst reason.


"It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish."  Mother Teresa of Calcutta

The Duties of Mothers

In Greek Hellenistic society, a household slave was charged by a father to oversee the moral formation of his son. This normally lasted from the time the child was a minor until he reached maturity.
  The tutor would accompany the youth to and from school, supervise his daily activities, protect him from dangers, and administer discipline whenever necessary.
  In our society, this duty is typically given to the mother. God, our Father, charges us to serve as tutor, custodian and protector and guide for our children, both boys and girls.
  Be careful not to delegate that charge to others. If God blessed you with a child, then He gave you, not someone else the gifts needed to raise him.

Living Water

When Jesus met with the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:1-42), He told her to ask Him and He would show her the way to “living water.”  Let us ask Him to teach us to what sources we must go in order to find the abundance of these waters.

  Ask yourself: Where do I find an abundance of living water? Where do I feel closest to God, to Jesus? In what settings do I hear the voice of the Holy Spirit most clearly? It may be when reading or studying the Bible; at Mass or Church service; while listening to Christian music or hymns; in the Sacraments; in nature; after receiving the Eucharist; at Adoration; in personal prayer time. God chooses to reveal Himself to each of us in the ways most suited to our personalities.

  Wherever it is for you, focus your time there.

The Suffering Servant

Unless you have seen Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ”, it’s probably difficult for you to imagine the pain & suffering Jesus experienced. But most of us have have experienced the pain & suffering of a person afflicted with terminal cancer—if not in our immediate family, then someone we know. Jesus accepting death on the cross is a little like someone agreeing to suffer & die of cancer in your place.
  Jesus was not forced by the Father to suffer and die on the cross. The Gospels tell us that when He prayed so fervently to the Father on Holy Thursday in the Garden of Gethsemane, He actually asked the Father if there were some other way to save mankind from their sins. But when the Father said no, Jesus accepted the Father's Will and the cross in obedience to Him.
  Take some time to reflect on this and thank Jesus for suffering for your sins.


Yet it was our infirmities that He bore,
our sufferings that He endured,... Isaiah 53:4 (The Suffering Servant)

Christ the King

What do we mean when we say that Jesus Christ is our King?

The true concept of a “King” is more difficult for us to understand because we live at a time when kings are mostly figureheads with little or no power. In our modern democracies and republics, the power to rule has been given to the majority or to representative governments. So if we want to get the accurate meaning of what it means to call Christ our King we have to look at what being a “king” actually means.

  The dictionary defines “King” as: The male ruler of an independent state, especially one who inherits the position by right of birth. Some synonyms are: ruler, sovereign, crowned head, royal personage, emperor, prince, lord, leader, chief.

  “Christ the King” refers to the Kingdom of God where Christ is described as seated at the right hand of God the Father. The titles of “Christ” and “king” are not used together in the gospels, but “Christ” is in itself a royal title “the anointed” (king). In the Greek text, Christ is explicitly identified as king several times. Where is the newborn king of the Jews? Matthew 2:2. In John 18, Pilate asks Jesus if he claims to be the “King of the Jews” to which Jesus replies that He is indeed a King, but not of this world. In John 1:49, a follower addresses Jesus as “the King of Israel”. Outside of the gospels, the First Epistle to Timothy (6:15) states that Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords….

   The concept of Christ as King is not a new idea. Around 314 it was the subject of an address given by Eusebius, Bishop and historian. Depictions of the imperial Christ arise in the later part of the fourth century. Pope Pius XI said in 1922 that true peace in the world can only be found under the Kingship of Christ as “Prince of Peace”, “For Jesus Christ reigns over the minds of individuals by His teachings, in their hearts by His love, in each one’s life by living according to His law and imitating His example.”  Pope Pius XI instituted the feast of Christ the King in 1925 to remind Christians that their allegiance was to their spiritual ruler in heaven as opposed to earthly rulers.

  So what does it mean to call Jesus Christ our King? It means He is our ruler, our boss, the one who guides our lives. We are His servants; He is our Master. We live our lives according to His teachings, according to His law and imitating His example. We are not slaves because we freely and willingly submit ourselves to His authority. And in return we have His undying love and eternal life in the world to come.

Whose Opinion Do You Respect?

In society today, people who are older and more experienced are not valued or respected—youth and fame are.  It annoys me when magazines interview famous people or entertainers and ask their opinions on child-rearing or politics, as if being famous makes a person an authority.  Being famous doesn’t make them any more knowledgeable than the person next door.

  Or when older employees are booted out the door in favor of the latest college graduate with his or her MBA.  The older employee’s years of experience on the job are far more valuable than someone fresh out of college, even with the best educational background.  Ask any college graduate in a new job—there are many, many things that college just doesn’t prepare you for.  Companies should value veteran employees as they can help train new employees and pass on to them the knowledge they have gained through experience.

Then there is child-raising—

  Advice on how to raise children seems to me to change with every generation--at least in the last century. Someone comes up with a theory and it seems that the majority of child development specialists just jump on the bandwagon. A few very wise ones do not. Three that I would recommend at this time are Dr. Ray Guarendi, Dr. James Dobson, and Dr. John Rosemond. The task of raising good children is just too important to take a chance on following the crowd.

 

On Tithing

  If everyone in the world gave 10% of their income to the poor, it would alleviate almost all hunger and poverty. God wants us to give to others not out of obligation, but out of compassion.

  In the New Testament there is no specific reference to tithing 10%, but there are many passages about supporting those who minister to you, sharing your possessions and income with your brothers and sisters in Christ, and caring for the poor.

  You cannot out give God. When you give, God will often allow you to see how He is giving to you in return. It may or may not be financial. It may be material. But there will be a blessing.

Give and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over. For with the measure you measure, it will be measured to you.  Luke 6:38

 

 

A Pet Is Not A Child!

One of the things in our society that makes me very angry is when people think of their pet as a child. And I get especially upset when I see the bumper stickers "I love my Granddoggy" or something similar. My children's pet is not my granddog or cat.

  To even compare an animal to the intricate creation of a child is an insult to God. Human beings were made in the image and likeness of God (see the Book of Genesis in the Bible); animals were not. Human beings are the highest level of God's creation. Animals are a part of God's creation put here to fulfill God's plan for the earth. Man was given the task of naming the animals (Genesis). Humans will live forever; first on earth and then in eternity. There is no sure revelation from God about animals.

  Pets can be wonderful. They can give much joy and happiness to young and old alike. They can be of service to mankind in many ways. They think and feel, but not even remotely on the same level as people. Couples who don't want to have children often use pets as a substitute to fulfill their innate desire to nurture. But the pets have a very short lifespan; they do not give you grandchildren; they can't speak. They are a poor substitute.

  Unlike children, pets love you unconditionally. They require less care and for a shorter period of time. You can put them in a crate and go out without them. But they will never say "Ma-Ma" or "Da-Da". You will never enjoy that first smile, those first steps, the hugs & kisses, the first day of Kindergarten, graduations, accomplishments, weddings or grandchildren.

  So love your pets. Enjoy them as God intended them to be enjoyed. But don't compare them to children or use them as a substitute for the children you may not want to have.

On Marriage

Marriage is more than just pro-creation; it is complementary. Men and women were created to complete each other, whether they have children or not.
  In the Book of Genesis it says:
The Lord God said: "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a suitable partner for him."... So the Lord God cast a deep sleep on the man, and while he was asleep, he took out one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. The Lord God then built up into a woman the rib that he had taken from the man. When he brought her to the man, the man said: "This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; This one shall be called 'woman,' for out of 'her man' this one has been taken."  That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one body. (Chapter 2:18-24)
  Although men can be very good friends with men, and women can be very good friends with other women, it's not the same kind of relationship as a man and a woman. And that's how God planned it.  God looked at everything He had made, and He found it very good. Genesis 1:31

Spiritual Works of Mercy: Counsel the Doubtful

To “counsel the doubtful” is to give a questioning person wise advice.

  We find this work of mercy throughout the New Testament, particularly in St. Paul’s epistles. Generally speaking, each of St. Paul’s letters is aimed at “counseling the doubtful,” for he gives sound wisdom and advice to Christians on the road to salvation.

  This corresponds to the basic definition of “counsel,” which usually means “giving instruction or advice to direct the judgment of another.” To “counsel” in the spiritual realm then refers to helping someone discern what is truth or what to do in a particular area.

  However, what makes this an even trickier situation is that the person receiving counsel is “doubtful.” This means that the person is uncertain about the truth and needs to be convinced that it is true before accepting it for their life.

  In the Epistle of Jude we are instructed to “Correct those who are confused; the others you must rescue, snatching them from the fire.” Jude 22.

  As in all ministries, we are given spiritual gifts, through the working of the Holy Spirit within us, to minister to others. We do not need a degree in theology or catechetics to counsel the doubtful. We all know that some of the most convincing people of faith have been the simplest individuals we’ve known. They just love God and their neighbor and try to live according to God’s commandments. We have all been given the gifts of wisdom, understanding and counsel at Confirmation. Therefore, we are all equipped to a certain degree to counsel the doubtful.

  Counseling the doubtful means not turning away from people’s questions, misgivings or fears. It means being a solid rock in the midst of the storms of others’ intellects, wills, and emotions that cause them to be “blown and tossed by the wind” (James 1:6).

  A caution here—when counseling anyone we need to be sure that the counsel we give is not just our opinion. As with all truth, what we think we know cannot contradict Scripture or the truth as revealed by the Catholic Church. If we’re not sure what Scripture or the Church teaches on a particular matter, we need to do some research before sharing what we think is true with another. If someone asks us a question and we’re not quite sure what the correct answer is, we need to be humble enough to admit that and tell the person we will research the topic and get back to them. Two excellent sources are the Catholic Catechism and Catholic Answers “20 Questions” series of booklets (available at shop.Catholic.com).

 To counsel the doubtful requires a tremendous amount of patience. If people are doubtful by nature, they may relapse, over and over—much to their own frustration and that of anyone trying to guide them. Constant wavering can be a real cross in talking with others.

  Some people are “doubting Thomases”. They will not believe anything they have not personally experienced. The most we can do for them is to present the evidence for the particular truth they are having trouble accepting, direct them to further resources, and then leave it to the Holy Spirit to convince them. I have found that many people will argue vehemently against a particular doctrine only to come to accept it sometime in the future. There are just some people who have a very rebellious spirit and take a long time to accept a particular truth.

 Counseling the doubtful can also mean, perhaps, enduring slings and arrows against us, God and the Church by those doubters who are wounded and lashing out. Instead of taking offense it’s better to be kind. Rebuffing them is pushing them further away from eventually accepting the truth. Sometimes we also may think we need to “defend” God from those who are doubtful, but God doesn’t need us to defend Him. Our job is to try to reflect God’s love and forbearance towards them.

  Counseling the doubtful is a Spiritual Work of Mercy we can all do when given the opportunity. Let us pray to be open to those opportunities.

The Sound of Silence

The following is a quote from Mother Angelica:
"Today everything is noise. You call to order something and you've got to listen to bebop music while you're waiting for the salesperson. You go to the dentist and he's got more music. Like that's going to help when he comes at you with the drill...I suppose you would say, 'Well, I would rather have that than silence in the dental chair." I don't know. Maybe you'd have time to pray. But everywhere we go there has to be something to block our thought patterns. And what does it do? Many time it takes us away from God, just when we need him most."
  Mother Angelica had a way of making a point in a very down to earth way.
  We live in a very noisy world with something always invading our mind. Even at the grocery store there is music playing in the background (often it's music I don't care to hear). Our minds are even invaded with "silent" noise--our cell phones beckoning us with someone texting or a social media notification.
 Think about your own life. How much silence is there in any given day? These noises and distractions in our lives are not bad in themselves. It's the preponderance of them that's the problem. They can often be used by the evil one to drown out the voice of the Holy Spirit within us; or to stifle our conscience.
  Take time to examine your life; or just today. Is there time in your life for silence? If not, then look for opportunities to incorporate times of silence each day.
  Another good idea is to have an occasional day of silence--no TV, no radio, no music, no social media; only necessary texts or emails. You may be surprised at how attached you are to the noise in your life.  And you may be surprised by the voice of God.
In the silence of our days, we hear the voice of God.