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Don’t tell God

Prayer is conversing with God. How many times, however, do we make a request of God, not a petition, but more of a command when we pray? Telling God what He must do is not prayer but arrogance. It illustrates the grasp for control that humans wrestle with since the serpent told Eve and Adam that they would be like gods if they only ate the forbidden fruit.

In last Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus encourages us to pray to God and to ask, seek, and knock for what we need. He tells us to be persistent, not to give up, but to continually petition God. (Lk 11:1-13) God the Father is the giver of all good gifts and we will be blessed in everything God gives to us. Yet in next Sunday’s Gospel, it appears to be almost the opposite. While the main theme is about greed, the passage starts with, “Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me.” (Lk 12:13) That reminds me of when Martha instructed Jesus to tell her sister Mary to help her. Telling, requesting, or instructing God as to how something should be done will not achieve the results you want. 

While prayer is a conversation with God and we should feel comfortable to describe how we are feeling and what we need, it’s also an opportunity for us to be open to what God wants from us. Asking, seeking, and knocking are all attitudes of being humble and understanding that we can’t do everything ourselves. We must also listen, accept, and be open to answers and the real need for God’s assistance. If we are telling God what to do, then we are in a moment of anger and frustration, and we are venting, not having a conversation. While those are valid feelings to bring to God, He doesn’t want us to stay there, but wants to help us work through the feelings. Using the example of the brother wanting his sibling to share the inheritance, perhaps the initial prayer is for helping his sibling to see his need. Maybe the reason for the sibling’s stubbornness is due to an argument between the brothers and the prayer should be about making peace between them. And maybe it’s the requestor himself who is the one holding the grudge and needs God’s help to forgive his sibling.

When we petition God for help, we’re asking Him to mold us into the best version of ourselves. We are called to be holy and become saints who will live in God’s presence for all eternity. Sainthood is not just for those called to religious life, but rather every individual God creates, especially those who are baptized members of the Church. But God will not make us a saint because we tell Him to do so. Rather, we become saints because we seek God first, ask for God’s assistance, and continually knock on the doors of opportunity God provides to us. We pray “thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Not our will to be in heaven, but God’s will that we reflect His image and likeness so that we can enter into heaven after the completion of our time on earth.

God wants to give us so many blessings. But if we do not have the maturity to recognize, appreciate, and share the gifts He gives us because we are focused on ourselves, then giving us more will not be in our best interest. Telling God what He needs to do only underscores that we are unprepared to receive all the blessings He wants to give us. We need to be persistent in seeking His help to become more like Him and to become as holy and blessed as He desires us to be.  

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Spirit and love

The other week in my Magnificat prayer book, the intercessions for the evening prayer surprised me. As I prayed each one, I was struck by how deep and personal each one was. These would be great to pray on a regular basis. 

When we are frustrated with the actions of others, and hurt by betrayal, is the first petition. Thankfully betrayal is not common in my life, however feelings of frustration are not just an everyday occurrence, but multiple times a day. They come from all areas of my life, including of myself! As humans in a fallen world, we do need to expect the bumps in the road of life, however, these can either be used for growth in reliance on God, or to chip away at that relationship. It can be very easy to make excuses to allow ourselves to be frustrated with another. Feeling disappointed is an acceptable feeling, but acting on that disappointment is opening ourselves up to sin. When I’m in the midst of frustrating circumstances, I notice in myself that I start feeling cranky and lose my temper at the silliest of things, like the paper towel not tearing off the roll correctly. It’s then I realize that I’m really reacting to something else and I need to lean on God to help me through the emotions so that I don’t respond poorly to someone who crosses my path.

The second petition is, When we are tempted to anger and hatred. Our world has in it entirely too much hate and anger. People are quick to raise their ire and respond with, “how dare you” about something that is spoken or not spoken, an action that is expected or unexpected, or a belief that is either accepted or denied. Each person seems to have their own definitions of what is right and wrong, and if you don’t comply, then you face a barrage of vitriol. Anger and hatred feed upon the person who gives these feelings safe harbor. There are times in life when we will feel the emotion of anger. If we feed it, ponder it, and build the case for why it is acceptable to be angry, then we will be on our way to meet hatred. When we acknowledge that we are angry, while it may sound odd to give God something so totally opposite of who He is and what He deserves from us, God is really the best person who can help us to release the anger we have and find peace, even in unresolved situations. 

When we feel neglected or rejected is the last petition. This one may pertain to some personalities more than others. When I read this one, I did have to pause before saying the response. There were a number of memories that flashed through my head. Experiences of this nature have a way of eating away at our confidence and make us second-guess not only ourselves but also the intentions of others. Removing these hurtful feelings definitely requires the precision and skill of our Creator. He understands us and how we think, feel, and react. It’s not enough just to forgive, but to open ourselves up to love, even when it means loving those who we feel neglect or reject us. 

The response was: Send us your spirit of love. It seems rather benign and not at all earth-shattering, but when coupled with each intercession, it becomes a powerful petition. Seeking God’s spirit to address each of these issues is like asking for the fire of God to purify your circumstances. It’s saying to God you are opening your heart, mind, and will to His assistance in addressing these issues. At the same time, it seeks the love of God. It’s that same love that prompted Jesus to perform many miracles, but to also pronounce judgement on those same towns who only took physical healing but remained untouched in returning to a relationship with God.  

These intercessions coupled with the response make a powerful prayer that’s especially needed in our era. Prayer is not placing an order with God, but communicating with Him. We need to be open to His response. He may ask us to do something, or He may have someone aid us. Perhaps He would have the circumstances turn totally upside down from where they are now. But if we could channel the Spirit of God’s love when we encounter these challenges, we could find a little bit of heaven here on our earthly journey. 

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End of times

From social media feeds, to headline news, to YouTube suggestions, the end of times seems imminent. Will Artificial Intelligence (AI) take over the world? Will climate change lead to multiple cataclysmic catastrophes that will wipe out civilization? Will the population explode to the point that the earth cannot sustain the number  of people or will it shrink to the point that society cannot sustain itself?

Anxiety, especially over events we cannot control, causes suffering and can be very hard to overcome, even for a person of faith. Yes, I believe in God and I know that He will bring the most good out of any circumstance, but what about me? How am I going to be able to handle these overwhelming prospects? This is where Satan can get a foothold. He wants us to lash out and react, not with confidence in God’s divine providence, but in fear, anger, and hatred. Previous generations experienced wars, famines, floods, and all sorts of dire challenges. For some it was the end of their existence on earth. For others, it was the end of life as they knew it, but surviving the traumatic events was the beginning of a different way to live. But the world still turned. 

For those who succumbed to the catastrophic events, we can only hope and pray that God had mercy on their souls. They were given time on earth to know God, but they also had the choice to ignore Him or to think they could spend time with Him once they achieved their desires on earth. Some may not have had much of a chance at all on earth. While their death seems horrible and senseless, perhaps if they had survived, they would have faced an even worse challenge. For those who did survive, no matter their beliefs, God allowed them to make it through the challenges. We may not know the specifics of their stories, but we know that not only is survival possible, but that we can weather the change and continue to flourish. 

We have seen many changes throughout history, and even in the past sixty-some years. Man has walked on the moon and made massive strides in technology. Not only have computers been invented, but what were once the size of a room are now small enough to fit in the palm of your hand and can do exponentially more calculations than their predecessors. Yet with all these changes and purported advances, our world has only gotten more unpredictable. We know we need to wash our hands to lower our risk of illness, but that it won’t save us from cancer. We are able to put a name to various illnesses and diseases, and while many can be cured or at least managed, we still don’t have complete control over our bodies. It would be great if I was able to control if and how badly I would develop arthritis in my knees, but I’m not. The only thing I do have control over is exercising to prevent, or at least delay, the arthritis from getting worse. 

With all the negative, and often sensationalized, content and news being directed toward us, it can be hard to have hope. This year especially, the Church is celebrating the Jubilee year for Hope. It is all at once: 1) a reminder to be hopeful, 2) to be thankful for hope-filled faith, and 3) to reflect on how we can live out the hope we have. We are bombarded with messages that are anything but hopeful. And if that wasn’t enough, life itself often gives us sufficient challenges to test just how much hope we do have. Our faith is hope-centric, as St. Paul says, “Now hope that sees for itself is not hope. For who hopes for what one sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait with endurance.” (Rom 8:24-25) We’ve never seen heaven, and yet we hope to spend eternity there. We hope in the mercy of God because He loved us so much that He willingly suffered, died, and rose again to demonstrate that there is more to life than just what we see. When we begin to be plagued by doubts about being hopeful, we must turn to Him and the scriptures to fill us with grace and hope in His Will. 

We don’t know what will come to pass or when the end of times will be. However, we can prepare for heaven, which is what life on earth is all about, by seeking a relationship with God and with all those He loves, which is every person because each is made in His image and likeness. By following Jesus’ example and spending time getting to know Him, we can prepare ourselves for whatever may come our way. We can be hopeful that we will be ready for heaven, despite whatever challenges we are called to face. And if we are destined to endure hardships, we can spend even more time in hope and preparation for eternity. 

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The struggle to change

Change happens every minute of every day. Sometimes it can be impactful, sometimes it can leave a mark, and sometimes we don’t even realize it. Change can happen to us in our circumstances, or it can be something we initiate. Any change, however, requires us to make choices of how we will adapt. With intentions of changing ourselves, we may have grand aspirations of what we can accomplish, but do we remember that we need to put in the hard work to achieve those expectations? Or is our initial reaction to the struggle a signal to change our minds or give up? Maybe we blame others when our expectations fall short. While the results of our choices may have been reasonable, the road to them may be very long and with lots of detours, so how can we give up when we’ve only gotten started?

The old adage, “you made your bed, now you need to lie in it” is all about accepting consequences for our actions. But when the results don’t measure up to what we expected, it is an uncomfortable experience. Life is not a simple mathematical calculation where you plug in two numbers and achieve a sum that can only be only one answer. When we respond to change, our choices can initiate the need for more change. It’s not the result we expect, but we need to be willing to be open to the opportunities when they present themselves. 

While I know I’ve made changes in the past that I’ve stuck with, there are probably more that fell to the wayside. Sometimes change is more than just altering a routine, it’s about adjusting our perspective and our response. A familiar routine is a comfort in times of change, but so is the attitude we use to approach our life. When we always think of things one way, it can be hard to get out of that mindset to think of other possibilities, even when we want to change ourselves! We can get caught in a stagnant loop in our mindset. Yet it is in these moments when, instead of digging deeper into ourselves, we need to seek God’s assistance. Perhaps we do need to make other changes that we may not recognize. Maybe the struggle is the opportunity to truly learn about ourselves. Our expectations are really our will. In praying to God, we need to trust in His guidance and accept the unexpected. We may eventually realize that what He desires for us is so much better than our initial expectations. 

Daily I pray, “Oh sweet Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything.” Yet as much as I trust in Christ to see me through, times of struggle are just that: a struggle. I don’t expect life to be all sunshine and roses, as we need some rain to make the sun seem that much brighter and to water the plants to make them bloom. In Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians he says, “Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Cor 12:10)

God gives us a lifetime to grow closer to Him. In our fallen world, that means that we need to change and become more like Him. The goal for our life is to build a solid relationship with God so that we can spend eternity with Him. We hope all the struggles, choices, and changes in this life will produce the fruit of heaven-ready souls. 

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God’s peace

While our world today is in great need of peace, it’s more than just our politics and nations that need it. Each of us requires peace as well. God’s peace is available to us all. The question becomes, will we accept it? 

Sometimes at the end of Mass during the final blessing, there is a reference to God’s peace surpassing understanding. It’s one of those phrases that I know it when I hear it, but I can’t recall it exactly. In Googling the prayer, one of the first items in the search results was Paul’s letter to the Philippians from the US Conference of Catholic Bishops website, specifically the books of the Bible section. And there it was, “Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:7) When I pause to take it in, peace seems like a shield. How can peace protect us? Perhaps the key is what it is protecting or guarding: our hearts and our minds. Shouldn’t peace protect our bodies as well? Maybe not. Maybe what gets us in trouble in the first place is our hearts that desire worldly things and our minds that scheme up ways to get what our hearts desire. If our hearts and minds are firmly centered and guarded in Jesus Christ, we may still stumble but we will remain much closer to God than if we chose to follow our own desires. 

When carefully reading that passage, I realized that it begins with the word, Then. That word indicates cause and effect. So, if we want God’s peace, then we need to see what comes immediately previous to that passage. “Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near. Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.” (Phil 4:4-6) God’s peace will come to those who fully rely on God and show it in their actions. While this passage does not say we shouldn’t be sorrowful in times of sadness, what it does indicate is that we should also find a way to rejoice in the midst of our sorrow. It does not mean we put on a smiling face because we “have” to do so. It’s about allowing God to fill us when we don’t have enough for a genuine smile. 

Paul’s reminder is simple and straightforward, but how often are we aware that God is always with us, no matter the circumstances?  Regardless of when we are in a moment of consolation or desolation, God does not leave us, even if we don’t feel His presence. If we lean on our faith to believe God is always with us, then we can rejoice in all moments. We also can dwell in His peace because it is always available to us. And when we believe and trust that God accompanies us through our life’s journey, we can then achieve the ability to live without anxiety. When we know that God is with us, we are in regular conversation with Him, which is what prayer is. We converse about our day, our needs, the needs of others, as well as appreciating all He does for us. How often do we, instead of turning to God, fret about the daily circumstances we encounter? We are anxious about the cost of living rising, and about the potential worldly events. We forget we are not destined for this world, but life everlasting with God after this world.

God’s peace is not conditional. He doesn’t withhold it because of our faults. Rather God’s peace is the fruit — the result — of when we put our total trust in Him. God’s peace is meant not for us to hold onto it, but to share it with others. In reflecting the love of God to others, we can also reflect His peace as well. Like the well-known hymn states, “Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.”

Pursuing happiness

How many times have you heard someone say, either about themself or a loved one, “I just want (them) to be happy.” Is happiness something that can really be achieved and long-lasting?

In the preamble to the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America, one of the most famous lines is the right to, “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Have you noticed that only happiness has an unending quest associated with it? It doesn’t say we have the right to pursue life, liberty, and happiness. The right to life and liberty are fully granted. Yet happiness is not that simply achieved. Life and liberty do not have shades of grey associated with them. You are either alive or dead. You are either free or in bondage. 

Happiness, however, is elusive and depends entirely on the person’s perspective. Ask someone what makes them happy. Is there just one answer or many? Will only having one item on their list make a person happy or do they need them all? What makes one person happy may make another person absolutely miserable. While I find enjoyment in knitting, another may prefer trying to play darts with knitting needles rather than to actually knit with them. Yet so much of our culture is hyper focused in achieving happiness, as if there is just one thing that will make the rest of one’s life a fairytale, living happily ever after. 

I think the founding fathers were using the phrase, pursuit of happiness, to assert independence from expectations. In colonial days, there may have been some choices a person could make, but they were limited. One’s profession, spouse, and location were limited opportunities based on a person’s circumstances. Sons were expected to follow in the family’s occupation, be it farming or some other trade. Can you imagine being the son of the carpenter and having no inclination, or ability, to work with wood? Yet, a man may not have had much choice. If there was another son who excelled in it, his brother may have been able to join the army or professed religious vows instead. The Declaration claims that each man has the choice to pursue what can make him happy and not submit to his parents’ expectations for his life. 

In our times, we tell our children they can be whatever they want to be when they grow up. Children have so many choices across all facets of their lives, it is a wonder they can make any decisions at all! We want our children to pursue what makes them happy and do our best to support their journey. But are we doing our children a disservice in setting their expectations for happiness? Are they pursuing choices that make them selfish and at the cost of the happiness of others?

Introspection is good for a person, as it allows one to review their circumstances from an objectively neutral perspective in order to learn how to grow and be a better person. In our culture, instead of introspection, the retrospectives people ponder are about pleasing themselves and getting what they want. It’s as if the whole world was created for them and they don’t spare a thought for another. If their actions seem generous, it is for the recognition that they are good people, not to help those in need. 

Our true happiness, however, is found with God. He understands us because He created us. The happiness He wants us to pursue is a relationship with Him and doing His will. It is not a once and done thing, we don’t just get baptized or receive Holy Eucharist once and we’re happy forever. It’s about making everyday choices and being happy with them, or learning when those choices stray from God’s guidance for us. God has given us all gifts and talents that do make us happy. We are to use them to bring glory to God and to make the world a better place. I have knit prayer shawls and hats for people going through cancer treatments. It doesn’t cure their illness, but can provide a moment of comfort and warmth in the midst of their struggles. It makes me happy to knit, and gifting to family, friends, and strangers for their enjoyment elevates the happiness that I can’t achieve when the item is for myself. 

I think we need to examine our expectations for happiness, understanding that life’s journey has moments of happiness based on the choices we make. We also need to stop trying to find happiness in our selfish pursuits, and see how the gifts God has given us can be shared with others, punctuating our lives with happy moments experienced with God and all of His creation. 

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Food for the journey

While the weekday masses are now firmly back in Ordinary Time, the Sundays after Pentecost continue to highlight major components of the faith. Last week was the Most Holy Trinity and this weekend the focus is on Corpus Christi, or the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.

One way a parish can celebrate Corpus Christi is by processing with the consecrated Host in a monstrance. For some it may be a quaint way of keeping old traditions alive. However, there’s more than just tradition in this ancient practice. Look at the pieces of what goes into a procession: the Holy Presence of Jesus in the Host, the congregation walking behind, and songs of praise, thanksgiving, and adoration. This is like a miniature version of life. This is what we’re supposed to do on a daily basis: walk with God, allowing Him to lead us, and sing His praise in all that we do. In practicing on a small scale on this solemnity, we are exercising our faith muscles so that we can use them in our daily lives. 

The Eucharist is food for our life journey. While the Church asks us to attend Mass weekly, if we were able to attend daily, we could receive Holy Communion each time. However, regardless of how often we receive, we need to be on guard about it not becoming a habit. A habit, as described in Merriam-Webster is, “an acquired mode of behavior that has become nearly or completely involuntary.” Basically, when the Eucharist is received out of habit, then its effect on us is diminished. It’s similar to when Jesus visited His hometown, and because the people thought they knew Him and who He was, He was not able to perform many miracles amongst them. 

Attitude is the key for preventing such a precious gift from becoming a mere trinket. At each Mass, we prepare ourselves to receive Jesus in the Sacrament by being attentive and participating in the liturgical responses. We take the time of silence before receiving to open our hearts, to have an attitude of welcome for Jesus. Just before the Our Father is one of the most important prayers the priest says: the Eurcharistic Doxology: “Through him, with him, and in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, Almighty Father, forever and ever.” In this prayer, we lift up the Mass, with all our intentions through Jesus, uniting them with the Holy Spirit in an offering to God the Father. When we receive Jesus, the opposite happens: we allow Jesus to work through us, with us, and in us, and in unity with the Holy Spirit. We don’t receive the Sacrament to stay the same person we are in our sin, but rather to be transformed out of our sinfulness into the best version of ourselves. We strive to become the Body of Christ on earth by allowing Christ to use our hands and feet to do His will. The Sacrament not only feeds us spiritually, but stirs up the Holy Spirit we received in Baptism and Confirmation to continue the guidance long after our bodies have absorbed the Host. 

Corpus Christi is the Latin phrase for the Body of Christ. As we celebrate this food for our journey, let us welcome the solemnity and the sacrament it celebrates, so that we can be blessed with all the graces God can bestow to our open hearts. 

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Gifts for the Father

I know that Father’s Day is next Sunday, as I’ve been seeing advertisements for the “best” gifts that Dad will love. But have you ever thought about giving God, the Father, a Father’s Day gift? As the creator of all, there really isn’t anything He needs, yet it seems like a huge miss if we neglect to acknowledge God as our Heavenly Father. After all, without God, we wouldn’t exist.

Dads love a good barbeque and receiving tools and gadgets honor their chef talents. While Jesus did grill fish for the apostles, it’s impossible for us to give God barbeque-themed gifts for Father’s Day. While a barbeque is all about cooking with fire, the result is food ready to eat by others. Perhaps to honor God with a Father’s Day gift, we can volunteer to make food for a homeless shelter. One option could be to take a elderly person grocery shopping who doesn’t have the ability or means to do so. Another way is to donate a grocery bag to the food pantry. In assisting others with their meals, we can reflect the generosity of God in our lives, sustaining us in all our needs.

Socks are simple gifts, but they can be both practical and fun. While Jesus might appreciate socks if He continued here on earth, God the Father is pure spirit and has no need of socks. But others in our communities do have clothing needs. Perhaps we buy a new pair of socks to donate to a shelter or an organization that helps with the clothes for those who can’t afford to purchase them. We could also go through our closets to see what clothing we haven’t worn in awhile that is still in good condition and donate them as well. Whether we give from our surplus or purchase new for those in need, we are honoring the fatherly role model to provide the warmth and protection that clothes give us. 

One gift fathers appreciate is their car washed. Here again, God does not have a car to wash, so how can we translate that option into a divine Father’s Day gift? Washing a car is not about spending money, but rather giving up our time and taking action. Volunteering our time at our parish or at diocese events could be optional ways to give God a similar gift. Maybe it’s asking if there is a particular project around the parish campus that needs someone to step up and offer their time and expertise. Time is a precious gift from God and when we donate it back to the Church, we are praising God through our efforts.

For some dads, a gag gift is the perfect gift. These gifts result in smiles and laughter. I do not have any idea of what type of gift that would make God laugh, however, if we bring laughter and smiles to others, that could be a gift God would like to see. Laughter does make the best medicine and visiting a nursing home, hospital, or even house-bound neighbors could brighten their day and ease their circumstances. When we take the time to see other people as individuals created and loved by God, we see a bit of the divine beauty within them. Visiting those who could use a friend allows us to be God’s hands, eyes, and smile to them. 

As dads age, sometimes the most treasured gift is that of spending time with them. This is one gift we can give God. Spending time in an adoration chapel or even at home in prayer or reading scripture, we can spend time with God. We can open ourselves up and listen to Him. In the quiet calmness of our hearts we can welcome Him to dwell with us. We can thank Him for both the challenges and the blessings He has granted us thus far and trust that He will continue to provide in the future.

As we honor the fathers and the fatherly role models in our lives, let us not forget to honor God the Father. He has provided us the men in our lives that have reflected aspects of His heavenly love for us. 

Wind, water, and fire

The liturgical period nearing Pentecost is when there is a focus on the Holy Spirit. The third Person of the Trinity is as ethereal as His name, yet He can be present in the most ordinary signs of nature.

The Holy Spirit is mentioned all throughout the various books of the Bible, even from the very beginning. “…The earth was without form or shape, with darkness over the abyss and a mighty wind sweeping over the waters…” is the description of God’s presence via the Holy Spirit in the wind when creation began. (Gen 1:2) The phenomenon of wind is a curious thing, as we can’t see  wind itself, but we can see what it does as it causes trees and plants to sway and birds to soar on its currents. It can be refreshing on a hot, summer day, or devastating as it demolishes communities in a tornado or hurricane. It’s a power that we cannot control. We may be able to predict it, we may even be able to harness it to generate electricity, but we cannot make it blow when we want or stop it when it does. Yet God can use it in creation, not just of the world, but also to give birth to the Church. We are reminded of Genesis when we read in the Acts of the Apostles, “And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind,* and it filled the entire house in which they were.” (Acts 2:2) We recognize the presence of the Holy Spirit, just like at creation, in a mighty wind. 

As we learn from Elijiah, “There was a strong and violent wind rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the LORD—but the LORD was not in the wind…,” not every wind announces God’s presence. (1 Kings 19:11) However, are we ever mindful that God could be seeking our attention in little ways like the wind? Do we look for Him in either a strong wind or a light breeze? Or is the wind merely a feature of nature to tolerate? 

Water is a staple symbol in the Church. Wind and water are both mentioned together in creation’s story, although it takes on the role of chaos and something to be put in order. It escapes its boundaries in the account of Noah and the flood, where here too, like the wind, water can be a source for destruction. We think we can control water, thanks to modern plumbing, however, given enough rain, there is nothing we can do when it overwhelms the land. Here again, in God’s hands, it washes away original sin in the sacrament of Baptism. It is through these life-giving waters that we can claim God as our Father. We are a new creation when we are baptized. 

Water is a necessity of life. We drink it to keep hydrated. We wash with it to keep ourselves, our clothes and our dishes clean. We use water daily, and when we don’t have adequate access to it, we suffer. How many times do we think of the Holy Spirit during our daily water activities? Now that summer is almost here, people will be flocking to beaches and pools to cool off in the waters, yet not many will spare a thought for the graces and fruits of the Holy Spirit.

The most iconic of natural symbols of the Holy Spirit is fire. “Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them.” (Acts 2:3) We’re all familiar with this passage, and even if we couldn’t cite the chapter and verse, we can describe the event at Pentecost. But this is not the first time the Holy Spirit’s presence was found in fire. During the Israelites exodus from Egypt, “The LORD preceded them… at night by means of a column of fire to give them light.” (Exodus 13:21) In God’s hands, fire can be used for light, direction, and protection. Just like wind and water, fire, too, can be destructive, but it can also bring us warmth, cook our food, and help us see at night. As we fire up our grills over the summer do we appreciate the gift fire is to mankind? Are we reminded that God can use a simple flame to ignite a change in us to seek Him and His will for us? 

Three catastrophic elements of nature are at the same time three blessings from God in which He reminds us that He, via the Holy Spirit, is never far from us. We only need to see these items to be reminded of His presence. In His hands these natural wonders have the power to transform us. Let us open our minds, our hearts, and our souls to the Spirit of God as we prepare to celebrate the birthday of the Church. 

Resolutions and new beginnings

This year the Catholic Church is celebrating the Jubilee Year of Pilgrims of Hope. The theme conveys that we are on a journey in which we should keep a positive attitude, i.e. hope. But what really is hope?

I was watching a YouTube video recently where the commentator’s remark drew a distinction between hope and expectation. It’s caught in my subconscious, as it randomly pops into my thoughts. The word hope gets used quite frequently in a very casual manner. People hope for all green lights when traveling. After several days of rain, one hopes the sun will come out soon. But is this the type of hope we as Christians are supposed to have? Or, is hope like love, where there are several layers of meaning, depending on the context?

According to Merriam-Webster, the definitions of the word hope as a verb are: 1) to cherish a desire with anticipation, 2) to desire with expectation of obtainment or fulfillment, and 3) to expect with confidence: trust. As I read these three definitions, I nodded in agreement to each of them, however, it seems to me that hope is really all three of these together at once, rather than optional uses of the word. These definitions use the word expect in them, so how can hope and expectation be different? I think the last definition is the one that rings true for Christians, when we trust in God, we let His will be done, even when the outcome is totally not what we would plan for ourselves. Expectation seems to convey a sense that we know what the outcome will be, where hope is only anticipating a positive resolution.

I was surprised that the definition for hope did not convey a joyful aspect. We don’t hope for something bad to happen, but something that is good. Perhaps it is signaled in the first definition of “cherishing a desire.” But hope goes beyond merely wishing for something specific, it is an attitude of positivity in anticipation. There’s a sense of mystery to hope, and an awaiting of surprise. The expectation of hope is to be delighted in what comes about. Hope can be either a resolution, or a new beginning, or both! 

Being Pilgrims of Hope, our destination is heaven, which is also  the beginning of eternal life with God. We have some indication of what heaven could be like, but we won’t really know until we get there. In the letter to the Romans, St. Paul says, “Now hope that sees for itself is not hope. For who hopes for what one sees?” (Rom 8:24) If we look at the world around us, we can see many beautiful and wonderful things created by God. However, our world is a fallen world, and we can also see the corruption brought about by sin. Expecting heaven to be like our current world without corruption is as far as our limited human minds can comprehend. Yet hope also conveys that there is more than just our expectations. We will be fulfilled in our immersion in the glory of God in heaven. 

As we journey through this jubilee year, reflecting on what the word hope means to each of us is key to the celebration. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “the virtue of hope responds to the aspiration to happiness which God has placed in the heart of every man…it opens up his heart in expectation of eternal beatitude.” (CCC 1818) May we leave our limited expectations of God and heaven behind and joyfully look forward to being with God, in the sacramental encounters in our life on earth, and in full communion with Him  in the life to come.