Author: catholicgirljourney-kc

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Catholic Girl Journey

Enjoy the scenery

In the journey of life, are you a driver or a passenger?

As a driver, one needs to pay very close attention to many things. First, is the car itself; is it working correctly? Are the tires okay? Is there enough gas? Then there is the road. Where are you going? Do you know the way, or are you referring to maps/GPS to guide you? How fast can you go on the road; do you drive the speed limit (or a little over that)? But you’re not on the road alone, so you need to be mindful of other drivers. On a highway, it may seem easy, since everyone is going in the same direction, but the higher speeds involved, added to the traffic that surrounds you in the front, back and on either side, can make driving just as challenging — or even more so — than a two lane road with oncoming traffic. And if this was not enough, some folks have passengers in their vehicles, which can be both a distraction and a helpful set of extra eyes.

Some people enjoy driving and find it relaxing. For me, I do it because I have to, not because I want to. On the rare occasion that I get to be a passenger, sometimes it takes me a few miles to realize that I don’t have to keep my focus on the road in front of me, the driver is already doing that. It’s then that I can start to appreciate the beauty of the side windows. I can see things! The driver may be on the same road that I drive every day, but when I drive, my focus is trained on the road and any potential hazards, I don’t get to really see anything too far beyond the side of the road. Being a passenger allows me to find new places, appreciate the beauty of the landscape in suburban/rural areas and people watch in urban places.

In the journey of life, do we insist on driving or do we let God take the wheel? It’s very easy to try and take control and say that after we get through a particular situation, then we’ll let God drive. Or we say we’re driving with His GPS, the Ten Commandments. But when we’re in control, how often do we allow the person joining our journey direction to merge in front of us? With God at the wheel, we can be sure to expect the unexpected. He may take us on roads we would never think of going, but as a passenger, why not sit back, relax and enjoy the view as well as His company. God wants to be behind the wheel so that we can truly see His creation around us. He’ll be there as we stop along the road to help someone, to share a meal, or just take in the world around us. When God is at the wheel, we are never alone, we will never get lost and we will never run out of gas.

 

Catholic Girl Journey

The answer of God

When calling out to God, don’t be surprised if He exceeds your expectations.

The Bible contains many examples of God’s generosity, and the comparison story of Elijah on Mount Carmel illustrates it with a bit of humor and style.

The story in the first Book of Kings (18:20-39), describes Elijah challenging the prophets of Baal to see whose god can light the fire to consume the sacrifice of a bull.  After preparing the altar with the wood and the sacrificial bull, the prophets beseech Baal to light the fire, thus accepting the sacrifice and proving he is god.

The account of their actions, “They hopped around the altar they had prepared…” makes one think of cartoon-like characters bobbing up and down, shifting from one foot to another. Elijah even taunts them with a humorous suggestion: “Call louder, for he is a god and may be meditating.” (1 Kings 18:27) However, despite their efforts, which included the customary slashing of themselves and spilling their own blood, there was no response from Baal.

When Elijah’s turn comes, he sets a grand stage for God to show Himself. Not only does he prepare the altar with wood and the sacrificial bull, but he also digs a trench around it. He then pours water over the bull and wood, not once, not twice, but three times, completely saturating everything to the point where even the trench is filled with water.

Have you ever tried to light a fire with soaking wet wood? Elijah almost seems to be challenging God, but the Almighty cannot fail. Once Elijah called out to Him, “The LORD’s fire came down and consumed the burnt offering, wood, stones and dust, and it lapped up the water in the trench.” (1 Kings 18:38) Everything, gone. Not just a little fire to the wood, but consuming even the water!

God could have merely set the wood on fire to rekindle the people’s faith but it’s almost as if God put an exclamation mark to His demonstration that He is the true God. With such a generous response to Elijah’s faithful request, how could the people not return to Him? God continues to be generous when He answers those who believe in Him. Let us pray for the same strength in prayer that Elijah had that day.

Catholic Girl Journey

Surrender, not giving up

The universal signal of surrender is waving a white flag, at least in battle. To those waving the white flag, it signifies a defeat, a failure to achieve a goal. In our spiritual battles, we are often encouraged to “surrender” to the will of God.  In doing so, are we admitting defeat?  Have we failed spiritually?

When we battle God, we are fighting so that our will be done, not His. Our actions reflect what we want. Sometimes it comes very easy and other times we wonder why we are struggling so hard. It may be a very simple thing that we want, but it feels like dozens of obstacles are in our way. If we wave our white flag in surrender and “let go and let God” as the saying goes, we may fail to achieve our will. But is that so bad? In this world our vision is limited to the moment; God sees our whole life. We think we can control our lives, but in reality, we can only control our response in the moment.

In this case, one easily made mistake is to think of surrender as giving up. If we do and feel we cannot control our lives then we just accept whatever comes our way in a passive, reactive mentality. Surrendering in this sense is not surrendering to God’s will and does not draw us any closer to Him. It also leaves us barren from accepting and acknowledging His tender care.

Surrendering to God’s will is a proactive choice that we make.  “Your heavenly Father knows all that you need. Seek first his kingship over you, his way of holiness, and all these things will be given you besides.” (Mt: 6:32-33) Sometimes His will is to allow difficulties in our lives. In accepting these difficulties, we choose to fight against complaining, self-pity and anger. If God has allowed us to be challenged, then we must lean on Him for support and strength. We offer our prayers and sufferings to Jesus, who adds them to His Passion. We use the opportunity to draw closer to Him.

If we give up, we also give up on God. We may not understand why trying experiences are in our life. However, if we surrender to God’s will by seeking it out, our gain is a closer relationship with God. “If God can clothe in such splendor the grass of the field, which blooms today and is thrown on the fire tomorrow, will he not provide much more for you.” (Mt 6:30)

Catholic Girl Journey

Miracle in the mirror

The last time you looked into the mirror, did you recognize the miracle staring back at you?

Usually when I look into the mirror, my complaint is about my hair not being the way I like it, or some imperfection that catches my eye. I forget that God created me to be, well… me. He made me unique — inside and out. Every once in awhile I may actually be pleased with the way I look, but do I think to thank God in that moment?

Most of us are quick to complain when racked by the occasional aches and pains throughout our bodies. We are very good at voicing when things aren’t working properly; however when everything is functioning normally, we tend to forget what an amazing gift our bodies are.  

Have you ever paid attention to your breathing, just because you wanted to appreciate the ability to inhale and exhale? Have you ever wiggled your toes and feel them connect with earth? Have you ever been completely silent and just felt the pulse of life-giving blood flowing throughout your body to nourish each cell?

So how well, then, do you take care of this precious gift you’ve been given? Do you get enough sleep? Do you eat a balanced diet? Do you exercise? How many times do you give priority to your busy life and forget that you need to care for yourself?

God may have granted us a miracle in creating our being, but it is up to us to determine how we accept and treasure His gift.

Jesus prayed to the Father for His Apostles, “I do not ask that you take them out of the world but that you keep them from the evil one. They do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world.” (John 17:15-16) We are both physical and spiritual creatures. As we strive for a spiritually closer relationship with God, let us thank Him first and foremost for the gift of ourselves. Let us also ask Him how we can best share this gift with others, for all gifts are meant to be shared. Is it by smiling to someone we don’t know? Is it giving a hug to friend who needs comfort, or is it sharing a meal with family? God put us in this world, not to be solely focused on the day-to-day, but to live in His family, caring for the miracles of each one around us.   

So the next time you look in the mirror, whether you’re satisfied with the reflection looking back at you or not, smile and thank God for the miracle of you. The beauty of God’s creation will then be reflected out to the world from you.

Catholic Girl Journey

The ocean of God

If God was the ocean, how well would you know Him?

For some, the sheer vastness of the ocean is so hard to comprehend. Instead of getting closer, they draw farther away trying to see all of it at once. Others may see glimpses between hills and trees. For those landlocked in their daily lives, they may never see or even think about the ocean at all.

Then there are those who want to experience the ocean. What does it feel like? What does it taste like? Can I go in it? Some may stop at the tide pools along the beach, just getting little experiences. Others will try and test the waters by walking in the gentle waves that lap against the shoreline; sometimes running away when the water seems to come in too deep. With more experience of the ocean and the waves, one can become a bit more confident and go in deeper: to the knees, then the waist and finally swimming.

Few souls are brave enough to answer the call to go deeper. What is below the surface? For those that suite up in scuba gear, a marvelous world will open up for them. They may try to describe it, they may take pictures, but they will never be able to truly pass that experience on to another.

I see the tide pool visitors as those who believe in God, but who only do what is “required,” like Mass on Sunday’s and holy days, confession once or twice a year and a few prayers when the occasion calls for it. Cracking open the Bible to read, attending a weekday Mass and praying morning and evening prayers are those getting their feet wet in the ocean of God. They experience Him in a personal way. Our faith may only ever call us to walk along the waterline. Or we may be called to walk in a little deeper. Saints, like Thomas Aquinas, who don the scuba gear, explore the depths of God, trying to bring us closer to Him with their writings and teachings.

I am fascinated with the idea of scuba diving, but the gear makes me claustrophobic. If God were the ocean, I wonder if I would be able to suit up appropriately, or would my fear hold me back from knowing Him more? Can I leave my comfort zone and put all my trust in Him to go deeper?

One very big difference between God and the ocean is the undertow. God will never force us under. He is the gentlest of oceans, constant in His love for us and calling us ever more to experience Him, personally.

Catholic Girl Journey

Finding yourself

Who are you? How do you describe yourself in relation to others?

“Who do you think you are?” is the TLC show that features a celebrity researching their ancestors. They may start out in another country and trace the travels of a particular generation. They find out about the marriages, births and deaths from church and government documents. They get a glimpse of life in previous centuries with land deeds, wills and marriage contracts. After watching a few episodes, I found it interesting how much learning about the people in one’s past affected the seekers. In one instance, it was disappointing to find out that a pattern of father leaving his family occurred over several generations. Another was amazed with all the experiences and trials that his ancestors had gone through. It was evident that finding the details of the people’s lives touched them at a personal level.

In watching the effect the knowledge had on the seekers, I found a similarity of seeking out the bits of information to try to paint the picture of the ancestors’ lives, to that of learning about Jesus. If learning about the people in previous generations can touch a person’s heart, how much more can learning about Jesus change our lives? While the Gospels are not a daily diary of Jesus actions, they paint a much bigger picture of Jesus’ life and about the lives of the people He touched. No matter how often I read the same scripture passage, often I see a different perspective that leads me to a deeper relationship with Him. They are more than just a catalog of where he was or what he said in a government inquiry, they convey His teaching of God and how we can have a relationship with Him.

I just don’t think, I know I am a child of God. And there is no limit to what you can learn when you continually seek Him.

Catholic Girl Journey

Fire is not just for hell

In a recent homily, the priest mentioned being a “pyromaniac for the Holy Spirit.” It was quite an interesting phrase, which made me think about fire. Traditionally, when I think of fire in a spiritual context, I think of hell. But at Pentecost, “tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them” describes the Holy Spirit. (Acts 1:3). How can fire be used to illustrate  these two opposites?

As for hell, Jesus referred to the unquenchable fires of Gehenna (Mark 9:43-48). In His time, Gehenna was a smoldering place where refuse of all types, including the bodies of criminals, was discarded. In Revelation, hell is described as a pool of fire and sulfur. Sulfur burns with a blue flame and a suffocating odor. It doesn’t take much of that smell to make one breathless.  In any case, it is a place without life and apart from God.

However, Jesus also said, “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!” (Lk 12:49). It is with this burning desire that He speaks of His “baptism” that he needs to undergo; and of His passion, death and resurrection, which will open for humanity the ability to be reconciled with God, to love God and do His will. The gift of the Holy Spirit, represented by tongues of fire at Pentecost,  manifests Jesus’ continuing desire. As a result of this burning love and desire, we have the Church and the persuasive preaching of the Apostles to turn people to Jesus and the Way He taught.

So what is the difference between the two fires? Hell is the fire of destruction. It distorts and eventually consumes what it is burning. It is a place of misery, where even the simple act of breathing is labored and undesirable.

The other fire is that of creation, like melting down precious metal to its liquid state and refashioning into beautiful works of art. It does not change the true essence, but transforms into beyond what it originally was. And when one sees such a creation, inspiration for change can result.  

Every baptized and confirmed Catholic has received the Holy Spirit. We are all called to be “pyromaniacs” for Holy Spirit: to spread the Word of Jesus and of His love and mercy, and to invite each person into a personal relationship with Him.

Catholic Girl Journey

Honoring Mom

With Mother’s Day fast approaching, I was thinking about how God has blessed me with an earthly mother and a spiritual mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary. While they are very different people, they do share some similarities.

From Mary’s encounter with Gabriel at the annunciation, to the encounter with Simeon at presentation in the Temple; through the crucifixion on Calvary to the descent of the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem, Mary lived through times she did not understand. Instead of turning away, she patiently listened and pondered these things in her heart (Luke 2:19).

My mom does not understand my work. While I do my best to explain it, it’s still beyond her understanding. But mom patiently listens to me when I need to talk about my struggles and celebrates with me in my successes.

At the marriage feast in Cana, Mary volunteered Jesus to resolve the lack of wine issue (John 2:5). Maybe it’s a “mom thing,” as my mom likes to volunteer me for various odd jobs that need to get done. It’s in those moments that I need to look to Jesus as a role model, not just doing the job, but doing it to the best of my ability and without complaint.

God was the center of all of Mary’s life. From the cradle to the grave, she participated in Jesus’ life, sharing the joys and sorrows. One of the best gifts my mom has given me is the example of participating in the Mass. Every Sunday her focus was on the altar and every response was said clearly and every song was sung. It was never rushed, but would match the congregation, whether it was fast or slow. As a child, I learned to worship God as part of a community, by following my mother’s example.

May God’s blessing flow on all the moms who set good examples to lead their children to Him. Happy Mother’s Day!

Catholic Girl Journey

Celebrate 50 days

Happy Easter! Yes, that is not a typo, it is still the Easter season. But Easter day seems so long ago, it’s easy to forget that we are still celebrating

The Church in her wisdom gives us 40 days to prepare for the most sacred time of the year. The celebration of Easter itself lasts for 50 days: the first 40 lead up to the Ascension of Jesus into heaven and then 10 days later, we commemorate Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles.

It’s interesting to notice how much we relax our discipline after Easter Sunday. Penances like abstaining from meat and fasting are not typical during this season, but why not sacrifice time to go to an additional Mass during the week or take the time to read scripture? Why is it so easy to say that since it’s not Lent anymore, we don’t “have” to go beyond the minimum? It seems to me that the Easter season should be a time to intensify these practices in thanksgiving for this season.

When you look at  the Christmas season, most people celebrate from Thanksgiving through either Christmas or New Year’s day, about 30 days.  We include Advent in the Christmas celebration although for the Church, they are separate. The actual celebration of Christmas doesn’t begin liturgically until December 25th, but it continues through the Baptism of the Lord, the second Sunday after Christmas.  You may have noticed that the parish Christmas decorations don’t usually come down until then.  But, by way of contrast, with Easter, we tend to celebrate only one day  with a special family meal after the Easter Mass. Is it because Christmas has been embraced more by the secular culture or because we have lost the wonder of the Resurrection?

After participating in the “Consoling the Heart of Jesus” retreat by Fr. Gaitley, I started praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy as a Novena. I’m on my fourth iteration since  Good Friday. It was not my intention to do multiple novenas, but somehow it didn’t seem right to stop saying it. Yes, it does add about another 10 minutes to my morning prayer time, and sometimes it does get pushed to the end of the day. In order to keep the days straight, I’ve had to mark the novena day number in my Magnificat. I don’t know if I  will continue after Pentecost, I’ll leave that up to the Holy Spirit to move me!

Catholic Girl Journey

Instant change

I was preparing to lector for a daily Mass, and the reading happened to be Paul’s conversion (Acts 9:1-20). Part of my preparation is to read out loud, and hearing this powerful passage made me take a closer look.

The writer of Acts does not shy away from bold statements, and the chapter begins, “Now Saul, still breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord…” It’s clear that Saul doesn’t just dislike the disciples; he wants to put an end to this group known as The Way, even if it means killing all the followers of Jesus. However, the official letters he requested from the high priest were not for putting them to death, rather that, “he might bring them back to Jerusalem in chains.” Perhaps he had hoped that these followers could be reconditioned or convinced to return to the proper Jewish practices. Perhaps it’s this passion, this zealousness for God, that makes room in his heart for conversion.

Saul’s encounter with Jesus came in a blinding flash of light that caused him to close his eyes and fall to the ground. In this vulnerable state, Jesus spoke to him: “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” The encounter leaves him blind, requiring his fellow travelers to lead him by the hand into Damascus. For three days, he was left in prayer, he neither ate nor drank. What must have gone through his mind during this time? There was probably a good amount of ‘what have I done’ during his meditation. But perhaps all the exposure to the disciples’ teaching started to sink in, including the debates Stephen participated in prior to his martyrdom which Saul witnessed. Is there a deliberate connection between the three days that Jesus spent in the tomb and this three day hiatus in Saul’s life? When he was baptized, Saul’s old life was washed away and new life in Jesus’ resurrection took root, so that “he began at once to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.”

Reading the twenty lines of this major transformation makes it seem like it happened in an instant. But it took Saul three days of being blind, praying, fasting to prepare for this baptism and his new life for Christ. He went from being the persecutor to being the persecuted. The results are the fourteen letters he wrote to the Christian communities, timeless messages that continue to be relevant to Jesus’ followers even today.