Catholic

Catholic Girl Journey

Color the season

Purple, green and red are the colors of the Christmas season. Each one reminds us of a different aspect of the celebration.

“Purple?” you may ask. Yes, purple is the color of Advent, the preparation time prior to Christmas. The advent wreath candles are purple; the priest wears purple vestments at Mass. It is also a penitential color, signifying the opportunity we have to properly prepare for Christ’s coming. While the Church does not require us to fast or abstain from meat, voluntarily making such sacrifices along with others, could help us in our preparation.

The Church does remind us of the need to prepare with the words of the prophets Isaiah and John the Baptist, “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.” (Mark 1:3). In order to receive the Lord, we need to smooth out the bumps and hills that sin causes in our lives. A thoughtful and heartfelt confession will also prepare us for the upcoming celebration.

Green, the color in the boughs of the advent wreath, signifies our hope for a new beginning. The evergreen trees we decorate, ones that stay green even when other trees go bare and slip into winter hibernation, remind us that God is the source of our life. We should not despair when we sin, but rather acknowledge our transgressions and ask God’s forgiveness, so that we can be renewed in our life in Christ. Green in the season is the hope for eternal life with God.

The red berries nestled in the green holly leaves are the color that reminds us that God became man and shed His blood to offer Himself in reparation for the sins of mankind.  But first, He was conceived in the womb of Mary and was born nine months later, just like the rest of us. This is the miracle that we celebrate at Christmas.  Assuming human nature, He lived as one of us moment-by-moment, day-by-day. He understands what it means to be human and shows us the path to a relationship with God.

Therefore, when we see the colors of the season, let them be a reminder that we are preparing the way for someone. Let that someone be Jesus coming into our hearts and lives.

Catholic Girl Journey

Shine

Plunged into darkness is the way I describe changing the clock to standard time. It’s dark when I get up in the morning and dark before I leave work in the evening. If I didn’t sit near a window, I wouldn’t know the sun even comes out except for the weekends. But it’s being in this inky darkness that reminds me that I have to be a light.

As we begin Advent, we light a single candle on the advent wreath. It’s amazing what one candle can do to darkness. It might not make the room as bright as a modern lamp, but a single candle can light up what’s around us, and help us to see where things are in a room to avoid tripping over them. It’s what our faith can do for us. It makes us a light and helps us to see what’s around us and guide us to God.

Each week of Advent brings another candle to brighten the light even more. This preparation for Christmas is a time to reflect on how much light we give to others. With each act of charity and mercy, our light becomes stronger because we welcome God into our lives. We share the love of God with others, becoming His hands and feet on earth. In doing so, we reflect the light of the Trinity out to others, magnifying our own brightness.

It’s only a short four weeks until Christmas which may be packed with activities and parties, but we need time to prepare for Christmas in our hearts as well as among our family and friends. If we take time each day to reflect the what and the why of our celebration, we can enjoy the festivities with a greater appreciation of the gifts God has given to us. We can shine in the darkness and give light to others on their faith journey.  

Catholic Girl Journey

A single drop

Baptism is an amazing sacrament in the Catholic Church. Through it, we welcome the baptized into the family of God and mark the beginning of their faith journey.

I recently attended Mass at my Mom’s parish which included an infant baptism.  The priest reminded the congregation that some Christians do not believe in infant baptism, reasoning that the child should be able to choose their own faith.  However, we as Catholics believe that baptism is the “birth” of a person as a child of God. Just as we don’t get to pick the family into which we are born, the same can be said of our faith. In baptizing an infant child, the parents and godparents agree to instruct the child in the faith, to help keep the light of Christ burning within the child as they grow.

As I watched the priest pouring water over the baby’s head, I recalled a comment I once heard: “I don’t believe that trickle of water can do anything. You need to be plunged into the water.” At the time, I had no idea how to respond to a comment like that, but it stayed with me. After all, the Greek definition of baptism is to “plunge” or “immerse.” But the more I thought about it, the more I realized how limiting it was to believe that God could not wash away original sin and welcome a child into his family with that “trickle” of water. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “from ancient times it has [also] been able to be conferred by pouring the water three times over the candidate’s head” (CCC 1239).  I would like to think that a single drop of water for each member of the Trinity, along with a serious intention of baptism, would be enough for a miracle worker like God.

I do enjoy being able to participate as a witness when a baptism occurs during Mass. Not only do we get the opportunity to meet a new member of God’s family, but we also get to share the joy of that special moment. It’s a reminder that we too were baptized into the faith and to ponder how we have nurtured that faith in ourselves and those around us.

Catholic Girl Journey

Endings and beginnings

All things must come to an end. For example, November is the month that the Church calendar ends. And like a wise mother, she uses this month to prepare us for our own life’s ending by reminding us what we are living for: heaven. 

The first day of November is the grand celebration of All Saints Day. It is the feast day for every human who is in heaven, not just the canonized saints. Someday even we, hopefully, will be among them as “God made us to know Him, love Him and serve Him in this world in order to be forever happy with Him in the next.” This is what we spend our lives on earth striving for.   Now is the time to think about all the saints we can remember by name and how they have served God. Then we turn our reflections inward to discover how we can emulate them and ask what is God asking of us? The saints are in a fabulous position to help us, as they are with God; we only need to ask for their guidance and support.

The second day in November, and indeed the rest of the month, is a celebration and remembrance of all the holy souls in purgatory. These are the people whose imperfections have kept them from entering heaven upon their death. They are assured of heaven, but need to purify themselves of their temporal punishment due to sin. Referred to as the Church suffering, we pray for them, offering Mass and small deeds of charity on their behalf, asking God to hasten their welcome into heaven. These can be members of our family and friends or they could be strangers from another generation from another part of the world.

Towards the end of the month, we celebrate the solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King of the Universe marking the last Sunday of the Church’s calendar.  What a grand title that evokes superlative majesty! And so it should be. Every day of the year we walk with Jesus in His life on earth with every gospel reading. We know Him as the person He was when He was on the earth. But He continues to be a person, seated next to Father God and reigns with Him as king over all creation in the universe: every moon, star, planet and galaxy.

We end the Church’s liturgical calendar recognizing that our ending is just the beginning of life everlasting. We strive to know, love and serve God today so that we can be welcomed into heaven, and have hope that our imperfections will not detain us too long in purgatory, so that we can be together with the communion of saints forever praising Jesus our King.

Catholic Girl Journey

Facing fears

I know I should not be afraid, but I am. I don’t like scary movies; I don’t like the suspense; and I don’t like being scared. October is my least favorite time of the year, as it seems like no matter where I look, there is some advertisement for a scary movie or fright-fest event.

I suppose one of the reasons I have this fear is because I see these scary things as manifestations of evil, intended or not.  I know that evil exists in the world. It can be subtle and enticing and look like a good thing; or it can be hideous and frightening. But what can it do to me? Can it hurt me? Sure. It can even test my faith. However, I know that as long as I have hope and cling to my faith in God, it can never overpower me. Jesus says, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body and do no more.” (Lk 12:4). Yet I still do not want to see even the advertisements for these activities as they plant seeds of doubt. I wonder if my faith is strong enough?

We are all challenged daily in our faith and our trust in God. Sometimes the test is easily passed, other times it is a struggle that seems to linger. Either way, God is with us each step of the way, even if we don’t feel His presence. Even so, part of me wants to  avoid these activities because I don’t want to see these scary things, thus avoiding the struggle. But if that were the case, then I wouldn’t want to see or talk to anyone, since we’re all struggling to some degree.

I want to see the good in things. If the main intent of these various seasonal “amusements” is to scare us because they represent evil, then it’s hard to see any good in it. They block us from seeing goodness and God around us. In a Word on Fire blog, Fr. Grunow talks about exorcism and the entertainment industry’s embrace of that theme. He quotes from the novel, The Exorcist, “I think the point is to make us despair. To see ourselves as animal and ugly. To make us reject the possibility that God could love us.”

I’d like to think that my aversion for such things is a gift from God that acts as a shield from temptation and the accompanying struggle.

Catholic Girl Journey

What does your soul look like?

The human being, as a child of God, is made up of both body and soul. You look at yourself in the mirror and see your body, but have you ever wondered what your soul looks like? How big is it? Where is it?

Being spiritual, the soul does not have a physical appearance, but our human tendency is to imagine it in physical terms. One description is that it is the size of the heart and “placed” right next to it. Another is that the soul is in the inner core of the body as when we feel something “deep within.”

A third image that comes to mind is the old, glass milk bottle. I remember teachers explaining how sin affects the soul by having us imagine a glass bottle full of white milk. As we sin, our soul is darkened little by little just as adding chocolate powder to the milk darkens it.

The Catechism, however states, “The unity of the soul and body is so profound that one has to consider the soul to be the “form” of the body… spirit and matter, in man are not two natures united, but rather their union forms a single nature.” (CCC 365). That’s a big soul!

Our entire self is animated by God’s spirit, giving us life, both physical and spiritual. When we take good care of our bodies, it can help us spiritually and vice versa. For example, when we fast, we are training both body and soul not to be attached to only the physical things of this world. When we perform an act of kindness, it is our body and soul making that happen. And when we receive the Eucharist, we are nourishing both body and soul.

So the next time you hear the word soul mentioned, don’t think of an invisible heart or a glass milk bottle. It is not some separate part of you, it’s all of you!

Catholic Girl Journey

Practice losing control

Since I live alone, I’m responsible for everything in my home and in my life: cleaning, cooking, laundry, where to go, when to go, what to do, etc..They’re all my decisions (or sometimes indecisions). However, I often feel that I don’t “let go and let God” work in my life. I know He’s there, and I know He does, but sometimes I feel like I’m getting in the way. Lately, I’ve had the feeling that I needed to practice losing control, to totally not make any decisions, but to be open to what comes my way. How does one practice that? In my case, I decided to go on a “mystery tour.”

The mystery tour was sponsored by AAA and consisted of 5 days of travel. I only knew where to meet the tour group. We were given one or two clues for each day, and a general sense of what type of clothing to pack, but that was it. The tour was Wednesday through Sunday, and I had no idea if I was going to be able to attend Sunday Mass. This was totally outside of my comfort zone.

After I booked the trip, I enjoyed seeing people’s reactions when I told them I didn’t know where I was going on vacation. As the day grew closer, trepidation set in. It was hard for me to pack, since I didn’t know if I was going to places where stylish clothes would be appropriate or if we were going to be more casual.  I began to feel that I didn’t want to go. I had a knot in the middle of my stomach. I was afraid.

I had a million questions, but only asked a few to the AAA escort, who would smile and say, “You’ll see.” It was so hard to put my mind at rest and not question. After traveling and a bit of sightseeing on the way to our destination, the Finger Lakes region of New York state, as much as I enjoyed it, I so wanted to know what was next. It took another day or so, before I really started to relax and realize that each place I went, I enjoyed. If I had previous knowledge of what the tour was, I don’t know if I would have chosen it, but I’m glad I went. There were so many different places we visited; they seemed to appeal just a little to everyone. And the most important lesson was learning how to stop wondering and just enjoy where I was; to live in the moment.

It was not until Saturday evening when I heard the time of our departure, that I realized I may have an opportunity to go to Mass. After a few quick searches on my mobile phone, I found a church nearby that had a Mass at a time I could attend. I had my own little adventure within the trip, as I needed to arrange for a taxi to take me to church and back. I did have a concern that I would be late for the departure, but I focused on what I had to do, go to Mass and meet the taxi at the appointed time. It all worked out.

Now that I’ve returned to my daily routine, my challenge is to put the practice of “letting go” in my spiritual life and hoping for another successful “tour.”

Catholic Girl Journey

Flour, water, salt and yeast

“He offered them still another image: “The reign of God is like yeast which a woman took and kneaded into  three measures of flour. Eventually the whole mass of dough began to rise.””(Matthew 13:33)

This image came to mind as I was mixing bagel dough on Sunday morning. I love to bake and baking bread, in particular, is an artform. There are so many types of breads, rolls, bagels and sweet treats that can be made by using just a few simple ingredients and changing their proportion. I thought of how the amount of flour was always a greater proportion compared to the water, salt and yeast. Then in struck me that this could be an analogy for the Church. The  flour represents the people, the basic building block of the church. The water, representing the priests and religious, interacts with the flour and hydrates it. Their words and actions are “absorbed” by the people, enabling them to become united in the kingdom of God. The salt is the collection of the pope, cardinals and bishops guiding the church, encouraging a good flavor by keeping God’s commandments. The yeast is the Holy Spirit increasing the faith throughout the church.

While yeast itself will raise the dough through a chemical reaction, kneading is the catalyst which enhances the process. Yeast is important but dough needs to be worked, in a rhythmic, folding motion. This kneading slowly changes the dough, more felt by the hand than seen. Although the finished dough is visibly different, it is the product of a gradual change that can seem endless as the kneading motion is repeated again, and again, and again. Then the dough is left to rest, and the yeast has a chance to do its work.

Each recipe is different and the doughs looks different too. Some are stiff and some are loose. So too, the church, while remaining consistent in her teachings, has looked different as she reacted to the happenings in the world around it. There have been times of persecution, times of growth, times of challenge and discord, and times of peace and learning.

The final transformation of the dough is when it is baked in the oven. The temperature will depend on the recipe, size and additional ingredients. I’d like to think of this as comparison to purgatory. The heat does not destroy the dough, but transforms it into a fragrant and nourishing bread; what the mixture of flour, water, salt and yeast was truly meant to be.

Catholic Girl Journey

The glory of work

I’ve often heard the expression, “if it was fun, they wouldn’t call it work.” However, no matter how painful work may sometimes seem, it should not be seen as a drudgery, but rather a participation in God’s handiwork.

Through multiple recent reorganizations of the company where I work, I’ve been struggling to avoid becoming jaded and to continue caring about the work that I’m doing. This struggle is also spilling over into my home life, as I tend to procrastinate in my daily chores. After a day at the office, I want to have “me” time.

Searching for some resolution to this dilemma, in the past week, I came across two very different examples of, not the drudgery, but the glory of working. One was a video by Fr. Mike on Ascension Presents YouTube channel, called Letting God Take His Time. The other was a chapter in He Leadeth Me by Fr. Walter Ciszek.

Father Mike’s video demonstrates to me an aspect of work in which we can encounter God in every moment of our activity, and thus should not rush through a project but treasure this gift. He tells a story about building a pre-fab shed on an unlevel foundation. His co-worker wanted to disassemble what they had put together to level the foundation. He was in a hurry to get it completed so that he could move on to the next task. Rather than rushing through the building process and forcing the pieces to fit, going back to the beginning to level the foundation made the building go much smoother and faster. He points out, that we can never encounter God in the past or in the future. We can only encounter God in the present moment, in whatever we are doing in that moment. If we hurry out or are focused on past or future activities, then we miss the connection with God and doing His will in the everyday tasks.

In his book, Fr. Ciszek relates his experience of spending 23 years in the Soviet Gulag and how it affected his faith journey. Initially, his chapter about work made me feel badly for complaining about my job, compared to the severity of his servile prisoner work, which was beyond comprehension. He had to perform hard labor to earn mere sustenance. He struggled with the work as well, but came to an amazing perception about it: ”…all work, any work, has a value in itself. It has a value insofar as it partakes in the creative act of God. It has value insofar as it partakes of God’s redemptive acts. It has value in itself and a value for others.”

These examples demonstrated to me that if we allow ourselves to be instruments of God, He will work in us and through us in all moments, not just the ones that make us feel good. We can also call upon God for strength, patience, and aid in getting the job done. Even in paradise, there was work; in Genesis 1:15, God places man in the garden He created “to cultivate and care for it.”

So whether it is sitting in a seemingly endless conference call at the office or taking out the trash, we can participate in the work of God by being open to Him in the moment and doing the best job we can.

 

Catholic Girl Journey

Open wide

Open wide your ears, mind and heart and let the merciful healing love of God touch you. That is my summary of AbbeyFest 2016.

In order to enjoy the day, I first had to open my ears and listen: to what was said and what was sung. I also had to open my mind to what I was hearing; to not allow it to be background sounds but rather concentrate and let the messages be absorbed. While knowledge is good, it doesn’t mean much if you don’t put it into practice. Opening my heart, I took action by going to confession and passing through a Holy Door at Daylesford Abbey designated specially just for that day.           starsgodim

This year’s artists included Stars Go Dim, the Josh Blakesley Band and Sidewalk Prophets as well as a keynote address by Jeff Cavins. While each presented his  own witness to Christ, I think it was the lead singer from Stars Go Dim that amazed me the most. Chris Cleveland shared his personal story of medical issues he faced from early childhood, leaving him unable to hear in his left ear. Yet he continues to succeed in an industry where hearing is very important, giving all praise to God. It was a very cloudy start to the day, until they sang Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow, at which the clouds parted , the sun shone down and peeks of blue sky became more visible. sidewalkprophetsWhen it was time for Mass, there was not a cloud in the sky.

Jeff Cavins gave an impactful and entertaining keynote speech that illustrated how knowing the faith is not the same as practicing the faith. He explained it by comparing it to his foray into photography: reading lots of magazines before buying a camera and then reading even more before he ever took a picture. I kept thinking about my hobby of spinning wool into yarn and how I approached it the opposite way. I learned to spin from a local group that met monthly. While I was encouraged to attend a spinning workshop, I felt I was not good enough. It took many years before I felt comfortable enough to go, only to find out all the bad habits that could have been avoided if I had attended the workshop as a new spinner. The same can be said for the faith, you can think you’re practicing it, but if you don’t learn about it – and continue to learn – you end up with habits that can be hard to break.

In this Year of Mercy we are all called to open wide to God’s mercy and experience His grace, especially when we participate in opportunities like AbbeyFest. What local events
can you take part in?