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Catholic Girl Journey

Daily Joy

“Smile, look like you’re having fun.”  When I first started in the world of work, I used to say this to my co-workers.  They were not thrilled to hear it, although after grousing about it, sometimes the corners of the mouth would start to curl upwards. At the time, I was working in a card and gift shop, and except for the day after Christmas when everything was 50% off and the crowd was uncontainable, it was actually a nice place to be. Why not smile and be happy that the little bit of money we were making would help to offset the cost of college fees?

People communicate mostly through nonverbal means, like tone of voice and facial expressions. I admit, when I’m deep in thought mulling over a challenge, I may have more of a scowl than a smile. But when you’re dealing with other people, a smile goes a long way. It may even be the only bright spot in a day filled with challenges and disappointments. Recently while I was dealing with some health issues and was working from home, it was all too easy for me to express my crankiness at not being well. Since it’s just me at home, who am I hurting if I’m cranky, right? I received a mailing from the Society of the Little Flower, which had the following printed on the envelope, “Even when alone be cheerful, remembering always that you are in the sight of the Angels.” – St. Therese of Lisieux. OUCH! It felt like a finger pointing directly at me. It also made me realize that if I don’t try to be cheerful and smile at home, how can I ever expect to have it come naturally when I’m around others?

At the birth of Jesus, the angel proclaimed to the shepherds, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great JOY that will be for all the peoples.” (Luke 2:10, emphasis added) Are we afraid to live a life of joy and spread it generously? We often get so encumbered in our daily challenges that we forget the joy that living a life in Christ has brought us. We miss out at enjoying the blessings we have: life and breath, hope and love. The joy of Christmas is not meant for one day, but everyday. We especially celebrate it once a year to remember that most special day and re-energize our joy to spread through the upcoming year.

My trademark now is wishing people a happy <whatever> day, and yes, I do wish folks a Happy Monday. I have had the response of, “It’s Monday, how can it be happy?” However at the end of the work week, most people don’t mind when I wish them a Happy Friday. It’s not so much that the day itself is happy, but that I’m wishing folks happiness throughout the day, whatever it brings: a little happiness or much happiness. I am wishing them well in their day. Sometimes I’ll hear someone at work wish another a “Happy Tuesday.” I don’t know if they are picking it up from me or elsewhere, but it makes me smile to hear it.

Smiles, cheerfulness, joy and happy wishes, are all part of spreading the love of God to our neighbor. And since this is posted on Wednesday, dear reader, I wish you a Happy Wednesday.

Catholic Girl Journey

The Healing Touch of God

In a prayer he composed to recite before saying Mass,  St. Thomas Aquinas says he comes, “as one infirm to the physician of life.” One doesn’t necessarily think that a saint would be infirm or sick, especially approaching Mass. Yet that is what we all are, since we are all sinners.

Sickness, disease and wounds have all been physical metaphors for sin. There are numerous Psalms (6 & 32 come to mind) that speak of physical ailments and call for God to heal the soul. But in this age of modern medicine and technology, can this metaphor be maintained? Actually, I think it may even enhance the way we look at sin and the struggle we have against it.

God is the Divine Physician, but healing may not come overnight.  Sometimes, it’s a lifelong process or “treatment” like for someone who has high blood pressure. It needs to be monitored, and medication and diet changes may be needed to keep it under control. For other sins, God may need to do a bit of “surgery” on us that could leave some scars. It takes time to heal after surgery and for the scars to lessen, but they may not ever really go away. In a way, those scars can remind us of the pain and suffering a particular sin caused and help us better avoid it in the future. And other sins can be like overindulging in food; we can’t avoid it since it is necessary to live, but we can be on guard of the temptation to eat too much.

A sin can be both simple and complex. It’s all too easy to look at the 10 commandments superficially and say that you follow them all. But take a closer look, and they go much deeper than just the words. For example, “You shall not kill,” is not just about not taking a life, but about being life-giving, treating people with  the respect and dignity they deserve as children of God. It’s also about forgiving those who may have injured us.

Jesus once answered the Pharisees by saying, “Those who are well do not need a physician but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.” (Mark 2:17). Jesus is calling us, you and me. He wants us! He wants to heal us. He want to forgive our sins and tell us, “do not sin again.” (John 8:11) But in order for that to happen, we need to present our sins to Him, admitting the bad habits and ugliness of our lives. Only then, can we get the medicine, the treatment or the surgery that our souls need in order to live in Christ.

Catholic Girl Journey

One Step on the Journey

Image at Nashville CathedralIt was a very special occasion. Besides his attire, he looked no different than you or I. But he has been marked by God. As for me, it was all chance (or God’s design) that I happen to be there. If it hadn’t been for the announcement prior to the celebration, I would have never known.

Work had brought me to Tennessee, so I extended my trip to see a bit of Nashville, scheduling in Mass at the Cathedral of the Incarnation. I was excited to see what would be different. That’s one of the fun things about going to Mass when traveling, each church does things just a bit differently. Sometimes it’s the music and sometimes it’s the way you’re greeted or a special prayer that is said before Mass starts. I had no idea it would be such a special celebration. It was the first Sunday Mass of Father Andrew Bulso and only  the second in his ministry. He had been ordained just the Friday before.

Beautiful. Both the Mass and cathedral. I think what amazed me most, is that just three days prior, Fr. Bulso did not possess the ability that he had that day, to say Mass and to consecrate bread and wine into the Most Precious Body and Blood of Jesus. Through the imposition of hands and the anointing by the bishop, Fr. Bulso had become a priest marked by God. The priesthood is a gift Jesus gave the Church to continue His mission of bringing the kingdom of God to us. Although it was not my parish, it reminded me that tomorrow’s priests come from our church family of today. We may not know who they will be, but they are among us.

Holy Orders confers an indelible mark on the soul; it cannot be seen, but it changes the individual. While the preparation for the ordination does take years of study, it is a moment in time that changes the person. Much like the Last Supper for the Apostles, the time spent learning at the feet of Jesus prepared them for that night when He instituted both the Eucharist and Holy Orders. Jesus gave his priests  the ability to feed His Church, both in Word and deed. It continues down to our day, as each bishop ordains the priests, who may one day become bishops and repeat the process.

There are men in our parishes and dioceses who are called to this most unique vocation. So say a prayer they will be open to God’s call. Say a prayer for those who have answered and are in formation for the priesthood. And say a prayer of thanksgiving for priests  who celebrate Mass, from their first to their 20,000th and beyond; for each one is just one step on the journey of faith.

Catholic Girl Journey

Going the Distance

It’s summer now and I as I was walking on a trail by my home, I was thinking of the apostles and the disciples who walked the Roman roads to spread the Kingdom of God. Now the trail that I was on, was a former railroad that has been paved over with nice, smooth asphalt. The Roman roads, however were engineered with stones. While they may have tried to make them as flat as possible, I’m sure all the people, carts and animals that used those roads made for less than a flat walking surface.

It’s over 1,000 miles from Jerusalem, Israel to Rome, Italy. That’s a lot of miles! Now some of the journey could have been by sea as well. We know that Peter and Paul were both martyred in Rome, so they made that journey. Peter also did a lot of traveling with Jesus, from the Sea of Galilee to Jerusalem and around the surrounding countryside. Their journey of faith was both a spiritual and a literal journey. They went to places where they did not know people and tried to share the Word of God with them. In some places they were welcomed and received well, other places they may have been harassed or even threatened with death. Yet they still kept going.

Countryside in Israel

Countryside in Israel

I made the mistake of using my hiking sandals for my first walk of the season on the trail. As my feet started complaining about the walking, I wondered about the apostles and disciples. How many pair of sandals did they go through? Or did they even wear any type of footwear at all  when walking? While I’m proud of the two and a half mile walk that I made, at least I was able to come home and rest. For them, reaching the destination was just the beginning. The real effort was teaching about Jesus.

So the next time you’re out walking/hiking/biking in the wonderful summer weather, remember those first Christians and say a prayer of thanksgiving for all the miles they logged. Then ask yourself, how far would I travel for Jesus?

Catholic Girl Journey

The Grace of Confession

Once as a child, I was sick on my birthday. Cards that were sent from my extended family were brought to me, and one unopened one got mixed with the empty envelopes. It was discovered only as they were being torn in two before being thrown away. I was very happy that it was noticed, as it contained a five-dollar bill. While five dollars might not mean as much now, to a young child many years ago, I was upset that it could have been trashed.

The sacrament of confession is a lot like those birthday cards, it is the delivery method of something special, the grace of God. I think that gets forgotten by many Catholics. Often they go before Christmas and Easter because they think that’s when they are supposed to go. Maybe they don’t go at all if it’s not convenient. But that’s just like throwing the gift of God’s grace away.

No one is perfect, God knows that, so he gave us the wonderful sacrament of healing. Confession is work; one must prepare by examining all they have thought, said, done, or failed to do. But the fruit of that labor is not just to apologize to God and ask for His forgiveness, but to seek to avoid those sins that are confessed. It can be frustrating to confess the same sin time after time, but each time we receive the grace to help avoid that sin either for a longer time or lessen the impact when we do commit it. While it may seem that we’re not making progress, we are actually being “spiritually strengthened” (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1496) and should take comfort and peace that we have been reconciled with God and the Church.

In my parish, there is a priest available each week, however according to the Catechism, priests  “must make themselves available to celebrate this sacrament each time Christians reasonably ask for it” (CCC 1464). While confession is needed for someone who has committed a mortal sin in order to participate in the other sacraments, the graces are available to all as often as they celebrate this sacrament. And to be healed by God is something to celebrate!

Catholic Girl Journey

Glory Be to God

I was once asked what my favorite prayer was. I had to think about it, but my answer ended up: The Glory Be. Some may think it’s because it is so short. Others may think it’s because it provides the opportunity to both praise and ponder the Glory and Eternity of God. But really, I like it  because it gives praise to God as Trinity: Father, Son and Spirit.

The Trinity is one of those mysteries of the Catholic faith that we humans can never fully understand with our finite brains. I think most of us have an idea about it that makes sense to us, either that or we just don’t think about it much. While I am no different than others in my lack of true understanding, what I can appreciate is God is one in three persons.  The Catechism tells us that the divine persons do not share the one divinity among themselves but each of them is God whole and entire.

Prayer is a conversation with God, so when you pray, who do you talk to? Do you pray to God the Father? Praying the Our Father is exactly that. How about praying to His Son, Jesus? Well if you hear the priest at Mass, most prayers are “through Jesus Christ,” and are offered on your behalf, so it’s as  if you said it yourself. But how about the Holy Spirit? While there are a few prayers out there for the Holy Spirit, the Spirit is not invoked as often in prayer.That is why I like the Glory Be, because it does include the Holy Spirit.

I like to use the comparison of speaking to another person. If you know someone who is a fan of a certain sports team, even if you don’t like the sport or the team, you would still inquire about that interest, because it’s important to that person. It’s the same way with God.  Sure, you can focus your attention on one of the Persons of the Trinity, but wouldn’t the relationship go deeper if you recognized all of the Persons?

The Glory Be is so simple, but it speaks volumes. It praises God in all 3 Persons and acknowledges this glory across time: in the beginning, now and evermore. How amazing is it, that we can pray these words and express what remains a mystery to us.

Catholic Girl Journey

A welcome distraction?

Cars whizzing by, chirping birds and buzzing cell phones are just some examples of noisy distractions in our everyday lives. When you’re trying to quiet yourself to pray, those sounds seem like they are ten times louder.

I’m lucky enough to have an adoration chapel at my parish, but even in there, a cough, a clearing of the throat or the sound of turning pages in a prayer book feel like a conspiracy to prevent me connecting with God. One would expect that at Mass it would be easier, right? Not so, and in addition to the noises is added the antics of little children.

It’s at those moments that I recall my college Native American literature class. Not only did we read the stories, but we also learned a bit about the culture. One of the tribes from the central plains would allow the children to be, let’s say, mischievous during certain religious ceremonies. They were allowed to pinch people, sprinkle them with water and pranks of that sort without repercussion. The theory was that the adults would learn how to concentrate more on the ceremony and less on what was going on around them. I wonder if God is allowing those distractions for me to practice paying attention to Him. If I can’t put aside the distractions at Mass, how can I listen for Him in the everyday distractions?

Another thought that comes to mind is when Elijah was waiting for the Lord to speak to him (1 Kings 19:11-13). God was not in the strong wind, the earthquake or the fire, but rather in a tiny whispering sound. Perhaps God is speaking in what I’m calling a distraction and I’m not paying attention. Maybe that cell phone going off in the middle of Mass is a reminder for me to pay closer attention to what is going on instead of letting my mind wander. The crying child could be a reminder of the tears Jesus shed for me and that I need to be more open to His will for me. And the next time I feel distracted, I can use the distraction as an opportunity to ask Jesus to help me focus on Him.

Catholic Girl Journey

Following The Way

During this Easter season, one thing I marvel about is the first Christians.  Before they were called Christians, they followed  what was known as The Way (Acts 9:2).

The first reading during this time between Easter and Pentecost is generally taken from the the New Testament, mostly from the Acts of the Apostles which illustrate for us the first bloom of the Church. I feel so blessed that we have over 2,000 years of history, reflection and interpretation to help us understand just a bit of what Easter is all about: the Eucharist, Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus. Even as a cradle-Catholic, I often feel overwhelmed pondering this. In Acts, Peter reminds the crowd of their participation in the death of Jesus (Acts 2:22-24; 3:12-26). What must have it been like to hear those words from Peter and know that you were one who watched or shouted out, “Crucify Him”? Perhaps because most of the apostles and disciples “ran away” from Jesus during the time of the crucifixion, they could minister to those who participated in calling for His death. Maybe seeing the conviction and zealousness of the apostles moved the people to accept God’s mercy. Maybe seeing what God’s mercy had brought about in the apostles helped them to be baptized and follow the way of Christ.

One of the repeating themes in Acts is the persecution the disciples suffered  for preaching about Jesus as the Christ. Time and again they meet with individuals who try to stop them. The apostles’ response, though, is much different than most would expect: they delight in the suffering (Acts 5:41). How can anyone delight in being taunted, beaten and killed for Jesus? And yet, from the beginning it was so. Sadly, the persecution continues into our own time. While, we may not face death in America, how many times do Christians suffer persecution in the way of bad jokes, put-downs and being called foolish for their beliefs?

What did those first converts see in The Way? Risking life as they knew it, they found something much more beautiful that was worth the sacrifice. I may not know what convinced them to follow Jesus’ teachings, but I appreciate their convictions, sufferings and triumphs as fellow brothers and sisters in the family of Jesus Christ. Where would we be without the witness of those who knew Jesus and received his teaching directly?

Catholic Girl Journey

Questions and Answers

“God answers all prayers. Sometimes He says ‘Yes’, sometimes He says ‘No’, and sometimes He says ‘You’ve got to be kidding…’”.

I have a mug with that saying on it, and it reminds me that God does have a sense of humor. I think of times in my life when I’ve prayed for help about something that could be considered trivial, but in my world, it was a mountain. And I have on occasion tried to imagine what God’s response would be. Would He say, “Why are you asking for that when there are so many more important things that you could ask for?” Or perhaps “Why is that the most important thing to you?” It’s a good thing that God is who He is, as He would need the patience of a saint to put up with my requests. God knows what we need and will provide it when we actually need it. Prayer is a conversation with Him, it helps us get to know Him better.  Prayer deepens our relationship with God;  we adore Him,  we express contrition for our misdeeds, we give thanks for the gifts we received and we ask for assistance and graces.

But what about when God asks something of us? What is  our response? For me there are times when the saying on the mug could just as easily be my response to God: You’ve got to be kidding! It reminds me of the parable of the two sons, where one responded ‘No’ but then went, while the other responded ‘Yes’ but did  not go (Mt 21:28-31). Sometimes I think my response is, ‘God, I don’t want to do this, but You’re asking me and that’s the only reason I’m doing it.’ It’s easy to see this as an acceptable answer because at least we are doing His will. Looking at it from one perspective, yes, that is true. However, it rather falls short, like a child who stomps off to clean her room. Like any relationship, my relationship with God is a two-way street and I need to be open to God’s will, especially when He asks me to go outside of my comfort zone. It’s not easy, but His grace can see me through when I say ‘Yes’ joyfully. And isn’t His grace the greatest blessing of all?

Catholic Girl Journey

Debunking the Faith Myth

People of strong faith always seem so confident. Why don’t I feel that way?

I was pondering that thought while driving one day and and odd reference popped into my head: ducks. I remembered seeing some ducks while kayaking; they look so calm and serene, but you know underneath the water they are paddling like mad.

Life will always have challenges, whether they are the kind that we take on ourselves or ones that are thrust upon us. Practicing our faith does not make these challenges much easier and it certainly does not take them away. But faith can provide perspective to the challenge. It helps us take a step back to  reflect, “What does God want me to learn from this?” Faith provides  the opportunity to ask God to help us through the challenge and asking for God’s help can bring a sense of peace.  In private, we may be praying fervently for our challenges, but to the world we can present the calm serenity of the duck gliding across the water.

You know that God loves you. You know God will always help you. And yet, the challenge can still create a feeling void. Even with prayer, there may seem like there is no answer to the challenge.  Sometimes we need to let go of the “non-feeling” and just trust in God. Tell Him you believe in his plan for your life. Continue to work on meeting the challenge on your part. Continue to ask for God’s help. Keep paddling forward.

Ironically, as I was pondering  this post while driving, it started raining; actually pouring is more like it. At first I thought maybe God doesn’t like this idea. But the rain started just as I reached the point in my drive home where I was really familiar with the road. And I got mostly green lights. So then I thought maybe I’m on the right track. I may not feel confident with this challenge of writing posts, but maybe I need to keep paddling forward.