Catholic Girl Journey

The purpose of the Church

What did Jesus do when He first met with His apostles after His resurrection? He bestowed His peace on them, sent them out into the world, and gave them the power to forgive sins. These blessings were given to men who ran away when the going got tough, who locked themselves in a room because they were afraid, and who did not believe when Mary Magdalene brought them the great news that Jesus had risen from the dead.

These frightened but overjoyed men were asked to walk the way of Jesus; to proclaim His name throughout the world. “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” (John 20:21) They were sent out into the world to bring the peace of Jesus to all. This mission continues to our day and is not just the responsibility of bishops and priests, but all Catholics. We need to receive the peace of Jesus and not only hold onto it, but freely share it with others as it has been given to us.

In today’s world it seems when giving that everything has a price or must be negotiated: I did this for you, you need to do that for me or I gave you this, so you owe me that. Instead Jesus gives without expecting to receive it back. “Not as the world gives do I give it to you.” (John 14:27) He gives His peace willingly, without obligation. It is only by our own free will to receive and respond to His peace that we oblige ourselves to follow His commandments. He sets the example to give of ourselves without expecting anything in return.

“Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” (John 20:22-23) In sending them out with His peace, Jesus expected the apostles to help heal the variously fractured bonds that each person has with God. He just doesn’t want people to know about Him, He wants them to know Him. He wants a relationship with them; one that cannot be achieved unless they willingly turn to Him and ask for the damage that sin has caused to be repaired. By giving the apostles the Holy Spirit, He provided His authorization to these men to do what, up until then, only God could do. So by going to the bishops and priests for the sacrament of reconciliation, we are receiving the peace and forgiveness He bestowed on the apostles. While individual members of the Church may not forgive sins on behalf of God, we can forgive the injuries others inflict on us, just as God has forgiven us.

The purpose of the Church is to go out and meet people where they are, share the peace of Christ with them, and when people willingly want to turn back to God, to forgive them their sins so they can start afresh with their relationship with God.The Church didn’t begin with perfect men, but by fulfilling her purpose, she perfects them.

 

Catholic Girl Journey

Walking with us

Recently the daily Mass readings were large portions of the book of Tobit. They serve as a great reminder that God walks with us in everything we do.

Despite being exiled to Nineveh, Tobit strived to follow God’s commandments. Tithing, giving alms, and burying the dead were a way of life for him. He did not think about the consequences of his actions; he did it to honor God. However, Tobit was imprisoned for his good deeds and when he was eventually released, he ended up going blind. Even then he did not curse God or ask ‘why me?’ Instead he prayed to the merciful God he believed in, and asked for death so as to be spared the grief that overwhelmed him. God did, indeed, hear his prayer and he answered it, just not the way Tobit requested. How many times have we asked God for something, only for the prayer to be answered at a later point in time and totally not the way we expected?

As Tobit prepared for his death, he sent his son Tobiah to retrieve his inheritance. To make the journey safely, Tobiah found a fellow kinsman to lead him; in actuality it was God’s angel, Raphael. While we may not always have an angel visible to us in our time of need, they are no less present to us than Raphael was to Tobiah. It was through Raphael’s prompting that God’s will was accomplished: Tobiah married and was blessed with the wealth of his in-laws, the health of his wife, and the medicine to cure his father’s blindness. When Raphael reveals his true identity to Tobit and Tobiah, he brings to light Tobit’s prayer, not just for death to release him from his misery, but for each person he prayed over when he buried them. God heard all his prayers.

“So continue to thank him every day; praise him with song.” (Tobit 12:18) Raphael gives God the glory in the events that unfolded that did indeed take away Tobit’s misery, not by bringing him death, but by granting him life with a son, a daughter-in-law, and seven grandsons. Let us remember to thank God for walking with us daily, for hearing our prayers and answering them the way He wills. God gives us everything; let us joyfully share what He has blessed us with and think not that He will reward us, for He already has in what He has given us.

Catholic Girl Journey

For the Father

In a recent homily, the priest asked the parents in the congregation, “What would you tell your children if they said to you, ‘I love you so much, what can I do to show you?’”

While I may not be a parent, I can imagine that the responses would be things like: do your chores without complaining, don’t fight with your brothers/sisters, listen when I tell you to do or not do something. For young children, these answers reflect the fact that parents have their children’s well being in mind when they give them boundaries and responsibilities as they are growing up.

The priest’s question piqued my interest. I realized that  young parents want their children to listen to their advice, to follow their example, and obey them, so that they can be molded into responsible and loving parents as they become adults. It reminded me of the 10 Commandments. For example,“Do your chores” is like “Keep holy the Sabbath.”

As we grow up, we have a responsibility to nurture our spiritual life and, among other things, by going to Mass, and reflecting on the readings and homily, we are learning to be responsible for the growth of our faith. To be asked not to fight with our siblings is much like the commandment “do not kill.” While it may seem like a leap from fighting over the TV remote to killing, any anger and violence is like a plant seed that grows with each fight. God the Father gave us the 10 Commandments, through the Israelites, to serve as a guideline for living,  similarly to what any parent would give to their children, for their own good, the good of the community and the good of the relationship with God.

“Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.” (John 14:21) At the end of the Last Supper, Jesus tells His Apostles that it is by observing His commandments, that they not only show their love for Him, but how they can keep a relationship with Him, even if He is not physically present in the world. The time spent keeping the commandments makes up the building blocks of the relationship with Jesus.

The actions we take, the choices we make all reflect our love for God, as we chose to — or not to — observe and obey His commandments.

 

Catholic Girl Journey

In the world

Living in a tangible world, we experience our surroundings by seeing, smelling, hearing, tasting and touching. In His infinite wisdom, God knows this so He has given us the ultimate tangible gift, Himself in the Eucharist!

I’m blessed that my parish has a Eucharistic adoration chapel where I can drop in from 8:30 AM to 10 PM any or every day for a visit. I can go and offer all my fears, questions, petitions and thanks to Him in His visible presence. Seeing the Eucharist displayed in the monstrance gives me focus. That sacred host is, after all, the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus which allows me to tangibly see Him. It also allows me to be open to His love and peace. When I am there sitting directly in front of the Blessed Sacrament, there is a sense of His love washing over me and time seems to stand still.

While the chapel provides the opportunity to encounter Jesus at a time that fits into my schedule, it is when I take time for Mass that I can fully experience Jesus. At Mass we are given the opportunity to not just see Jesus, but to touch and taste Him by receiving Him in Holy Communion. Through this sacrament, He wants to be a part of us and wants us to be a part of Him.

After the Last Supper, Jesus prayed to God the Father: “And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them even as you loved me.” (John 17:22-23) This oneness that Jesus prays for is found in the Eucharist. He also prayed: “I do not ask that you take them out of the world but that you keep them from the evil one.” (John 17:15) Being part of the world is to experience it through our senses.

God gives us multiple opportunities to encounter Him through His creation, but none so intimate as to be in the presence of or to receive the Holy Eucharist. He comes to us so that we can have a relationship with Him that goes beyond the tangible world into the spiritual.

Catholic Girl Journey

Temples of the Spirit

At baptism, through water and the Spirit, we are received into the family of God. It is our introduction to the Holy Spirit. At confirmation, we acknowledge ourselves as Catholics and open up to receive the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit. For many of us, these sacraments were received so long ago that we don’t often think of ourselves as temples of the Holy Spirit.

As the Easter season comes to a conclusion with the celebration of Pentecost, the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles describes the events of that day thousands of years ago (Acts 2:1-11). We hear how a ‘driving wind’ came through the place and ‘tongues as of fire’ rested on each of the apostles. With the prompting of the Spirit, each was able to proclaim Jesus in various languages so that Jews gathered in the city could understand in their native tongue. It sounds like an incredible event, one that I wish I could have been there to witness. If we even remember our confirmation, it paled in comparison to that first Pentecost. Yet that same Spirit driving the apostles is the very one that came to us in confirmation.

We’re not all called to preach God’s word to the ends of the earth as the apostles were, but we are called to be open to the promptings of the Spirit within us. Paul tells the Corinthians, “You must know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is within — the Spirit you have received from God.” (1 Cor 6:19) It begins with how we treat ourselves and is also revealed in our actions towards others. Do we consider ourselves temples or do we wall off that portion of our hearts and souls for when we go to Mass? Are we open to the seven gifts that the Spirit brings: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord? These supernatural graces help us to put God as the center of our lives and to avoid offending Him though sin.

God’s Spirit may not come to us in wind and flame, but it is no less present and no less effective, as long as we are open to Him. We may not see the result of the good that we do, but it is noticed by God. Perhaps this Pentecost, we can ask God to renew His Spirit within us so that we can be God’s hands and feet in our little corner of the world.

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful. And kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And you will renew the face of the earth.

Catholic Girl Journey

A little bird told me

Even if you don’t have twitter, you’re not far from it. Tweets are often shared, not just within that medium, but also on Facebook, blogs and other social media apps. When sharing good news, it’s great that it can be picked up beyond its own space. However, how often does  it really happen that good news gets passed along?

It’s so easy either on our mobile phone or tablet, to send our first reaction in about 140 characters. Sharing a local fundraising event or word of a good deed done is a great way to pass on positive messages. But when it comes to topics that are controversial, it seems negativity is what is passed on. Do we really know enough to be able to condemn so quickly?  Would we want to be judged based on so little knowledge? Do we realize that our response could hurt others?

Social media was initially thought to help educate others about different points of view. In reality, it seems to bring people who have the same point-of-view together and give them a forum to express, not just their thoughts, but their emotional reaction to other viewpoints. Using social media to hold a public figure or a company responsible for their actions, can be beneficial to society as long as it is done respectfully and honestly. But continued bashing of a topic, person or company is more like a virtual mob than a tool for change.  

I wonder if the Bible were to be be translated in the cultural speak of the day, would Jesus be quoted as saying: ‘Let the man among you who has no sin send the first tweet.’ (adapted from John 8:7) A first step  to countering this negative trend could be to start looking at our own responses, even if it’s after  the fact. As we get more aware of our reactions, perhaps we can wait 5 minutes to let our emotions cool and think about a positive way to respond instead. Another option may be not to respond or share at all.

If we are followers of Jesus, we need to receive the peace He brings to us and pass that on to others. Let the peace of Christ begin with us and be evident in all our words and actions, even down to the smallest tweet.

Catholic Girl Journey

God versus job

Success, what does it look like? There are many “helpful” articles, blogs, books, videos and companies that will tell you that in order to be successful, you need to make progress. You need to move ahead from where you are right now. With this expectation in my head, it seems that the job front is the hardest place to let in God.

I am restless with my current situation, but feel blessed that I have a job that pays the bills. Each time I wonder if I should be looking for a new position, it seems that the answer is for me to prepare. It’s not a total ‘no’ but it’s not a full ‘yes’ either. I’ve been casually looking at job postings for several months and am having difficulty wrapping my head around the search process. The first question I ask is, “what do I want to do?” But is that the right question to ask if I want God to be involved of this aspect of my life? I do not have aspirations of becoming a CEO, rather, I want to do a good job for a company that I believe in and in an field that I enjoy. I’ve been with my current company for over 15 years, , and don’t want to leave just to make a change. I want it to be the right change. So how can I let God into this area of my life? I can pray for guidance, but is that it? Is there a way to really invite God into the search process to walk with me and help me to identify which positions I should consider,perhaps the ones that He would like me to apply for, but I might just pass over?

Next to the job search itself, the resume and cover letter are the next items which seem to lack the inclusion of God. After all these documents are supposed to answer the question, “who am I?” First and foremost, I am a child of God. That is not something that goes over well on a resume. Companies want me to list the jobs that I’ve had, and I understand they want me to prove to them I can do the job for which I’m applying. But I do not define myself that way. My qualifications go beyond tasks I’ve previously completed; they include the Catholic values I bring to my work. I’m not looking for a stepping stone to someplace better, rather I’d like my work to more than fill the void they posted.

Once in the workplace, my true Catholic self does show in my actions. So how can those actions lead me in the job search? Perhaps the time is not quite right to make a change. But like all things involving faith, I need to be prepared. Understanding the positions that are open now and updating my resume are two ways to get myself ready. I trust God to guide me to the right place.

Catholic Girl Journey

Pondering the mystery

I’ve always been fascinated by mystery stories. Growing up I read Trixie Belden and Encyclopedia Brown.  I enjoyed trying to figure out what happened as the story unfolded. As an adult, it seems my search for mystery stories leads mostly to murder mysteries.  While  I’m not fond of reading about a character’s demise, the who-done-it clues from the story do get my mind thinking.

It seems that people like mystery stories of many kinds because there are numerous subcategories in the genre. But with all the creative and varied stories that are out there, are we missing the chance to ponder the greatest of all mysteries: God? While we can enter into a personal relationship with Him, that doesn’t mean we know or understand Him completely. For example, take the Trinity; we can do our best to explain it in human terms, but what is it really and how can it be? Have we ever thought about how a simple petition we make is received by the Trinity? We may pray to any one person in the Trinity, but since all are one, do they need to consult one another?

If the topic of the three persons in one God is too overwhelming, how about pondering something more down to earth: Jesus; specifically His incarnation, death and resurrection. It’s very easy to say that since He is God, that’s how He was able to become man, suffer, die and rise again. But if we chalk it all up to His divine nature, are we missing the opportunity to go deeper into His humanity? In my simple brain, I wonder what He was thinking while His body was developing in Mary’s womb; did he know as each organ and body part was being formed? As a child, did He have to be taught how to read and write, or did His divine nature allow Him to bypass those little adventures? And as for His resurrection, how did he know when it was time to rise from the dead?  After all there is no time and space when we die, right? These may seem like trivial questions, but they are human questions — mysteries to consider.

Do we shy away from pondering the mysteries of God because it’s too overwhelming, or is it that we, as humans, will not be able to solve them in this lifetime?

 

Catholic Girl Journey

Truth

Truth has green eyes. At least in my world she does. I just adopted a little orange tabby with a big name: Vera, which is derived from the Latin Veritas meaning ‘truth.’ There was one thing she did that really reminded me of what God, who is Truth itself, does in our relationship with Him.

Before bringing Vera home, I made space for her and did a good cleaning so that it would be a safe place  for her. Cats being such curious creatures, I tried to put as much away as possible, but in a one-bedroom condo, there is a limit to what can be shut away behind a door. There was one space that I neglected: under the bed. It seems that whenever I try to add something under there, there are so many boxes and pieces of luggage, that nothing else could possibly fit. I was confident it was not a place she could explore. I was wrong. She picked the dirtiest, darkest place and made herself comfortable. I bought her cat toys and a “tree” (a carpeted contraption with a sleeping place at the top):  I made space for her to run around and play. The first few days her comfort place was on a chair under the dining table. That I could understand. But under the bed? Why?

I may not understand cat philosophy, but I think she imitated Truth Himself by going to the place that I did not want to go. Maneuvering the mattress and boxspring by myself can be difficult. I had to face dust and wrangle the vacuum around the bed supports. It’s not something that I want to repeat on any regular basis, but I wanted to make sure there wasn’t anything that could harm Vera. God doesn’t want any harm to come to us, so He gets comfortable in the dirtiest, darkest places that we would like to ignore. His cleaning style is to shine light into  the darkness. It may seem like a dim light at first with all the stuff that’s buried there, and we will face dusty irritants. God is patient with us as we sift through the boxes remove  items that we had been clinging to  thinking we might need  them someday.

When I was finished with my cleaning, I did feel a sort of peace that I had done the best I could for Vera. And if we allow God to shine His light into the dirtiest, darkest places of our hearts and souls to help us clean it up, our peace and joy will be without measure, for we will truly be living as children of His light.

Catholic Girl Journey

Goals

We all have goals; often several levels of achievement. Some may be to map our success for our career. Others can be more like a “bucket list” of places we want to go or activities we want to try. But do we have a goal for our faith?

“Although you have never seen him, you love him, and without seeing you now believe in him, and with glory because you are achieving faith’s goal, your salvation.” (1 Peter 1:8-9). This passage struck me when I read it prior to Mass last Sunday. I think because I always considered my faith a journey and the goal as heaven; I realize will not reach my goal until after my death. In my simple mind, I think of it as rather like a piggy bank, a good deed is like a quarter that goes into the bank. We don’t see the money, but we know it’s there. When the bank is filled (i.e. we die), we will be able to count out how much faith we had during our lifetime.

But Peter’s letter describes it as something active with an almost tangible quality. Rather than something far away, our salvation can be experienced in the here and now. Loving the Triune God and believing in Jesus’ Passion, Death and Resurrection makes us think and act differently. In being compassionate towards our neighbors and family, we bring a little bit of heaven to earth. In those moments when we experience the true peace and  joy of self-giving, perhaps that’s when we are experiencing a taste of heaven. While we would like to savor those moments and make them last as long as possible, they are just a foretaste of what is to come.

So with hope and trust that God will grant us eternal heaven someday, let’s begin to anticipate that wonderful time by bringing a bit of heavenly love to all we encounter, by refining our thinking and by giving praise and thanksgiving to God through Jesus and the Holy Spirit. After all, our earthly goals once achieved may be forgotten, but the salvation of our soul will  continue beyond our body’s journey on this planet.