Jesus Christ

Ten fingers and ten toes

“You made the world before I was born. Here I am holding you in my arms tonight.” Those lines from Francesca Battistelli’s Christmas song, “You’re Here” caught my attention. It made me wonder what Mary thought right after the birth of Jesus.

I’ve heard mention that new parents often count the fingers and toes of their newborns, just to make sure they are all there. Did Mary count Jesus’ fingers and toes? I wonder if he cried much, especially being in a rustic stable and laid on pinching hay. As a blessed newborn, how much did Mary and Joseph hold Him? Did they imagine what His life would be like? Did they wonder how He would save the world? Or were their thoughts more about their current circumstances of being registered and when they could return to Nazareth?

If you were to hold the infant Jesus, what would be your thoughts? Being over 2,000 years after Christ’s birth, knowing all the events that have taken place, would you thank Him for all that He would do? Would you ask Him for specific blessings or help? What if you put yourself in the role of Mary or Joseph, not knowing what the future would bring? Would you cuddle Him in your arms, make Him as comfortable as possible and just marvel that God would allow you to hold Him? Or would you talk softly to Him, making silly noises to get Him to smile and laugh?

God does smile and laugh. He has ten fingers and toes. He looks to us to help and care for Him — in every person we meet. We don’t know what the future will bring for those who touch our lives. Let’s take the wonder and awe of that first Christmas and pass it on to everyone we meet.

Catholic Girl Journey

Best

“That first Christmas, God gave us His best.” This is on the front of the Christmas card my parents sent me this year. I read that simple line and tears started down my cheeks.  It may be simple, but it’s very profound.

God’s generosity cannot be outdone. God the Father gave us a bit of Himself through His Son to save us. Jesus did not magically appear and claim that all was forgiven and that we’re now sons and daughters of God. As Saint Paul reminds us, “Rather, he emptied himself and took the form of a slave, being born in the likeness of men. He was known to be of human estate…” (Phil 2:7). God’s best was born just like the rest of us. He lived, working as a carpenter until he began his public ministry. He was like you and me, and yet so much more. He knows our challenges and successes, because He dwelt in the midst of people just like you and me. He is our role model in being a child of God.

During the course of a year it’s hard to bring out best to everything. But at Christmas, we all want it to be the best it can be …. or do we want it to be perfect as we imagine perfection to be?  We want to give our friends and family the best we have. When Jesus came, God’s messengers announced the good news to the working shepherds of the day, humble and poor men. Do we give our best to those who are in need, those we don’t know? As we celebrate the birthday of Jesus, do we give Him our best? I know I never seem to have enough time to get the things I “have” to get done in order to celebrate Christmas. But time is a precious gift that God gives us; do we spend some of that time with Him (and without thinking about the long checklist of items yet to be completed)?

Every year the youth group of my parish put on a Living Nativity the Sunday before Christmas. They always do their best. It may not be perfect, but it’s done with love and serves as a great reminder of the events that occurred over 2000 years ago, and how God’s best continues to truly be a gift that keeps giving.

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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

Passing judgment

I feel sorry for the Pharisees of Jesus’ day. With all their knowledge and training, they were blind when they met God face-to-face in Jesus.

It often seems that when a gospel references the Pharisees, it’s usually in a negative manner. I wonder if God expected them to recognize Him and He was harsher on them than others. Or was it that — in their hearts — they enjoyed the power and prestige and did not want to change? The people that Jesus helped were the ones who asked it of Him, who believed that He could help them. The Pharisees viewed Jesus and his ways as a threat and judged Him to be a usurper of the order they knew so well. Jesus challenged the people of his day: from speaking to women to giving a new way of living in the Beatitudes. Perhaps there was something stirred in their hearts, as they were angered enough to look for ways to put Jesus to death.

It’s easy to look at the Pharisees as “them,” and say that we’re not like them. However, in saying that, are we any different? In Luke 18:10-14, the Pharisee and the tax collector are praying in the Temple. The Pharisee is praising his own efforts and how much better he is than others, including the tax collector. Christians and Catholics fall into this sort of thinking all too often: the “I” or “we” versus the “they” and “them.” When we pass judgments on others, whether it is true or not, we distance ourselves from them, making them inferior to us. We also distance ourselves from God, as He is the true and only just judge, and we are merely grasping at His power. In our zealousness for the faith, we can create division instead of setting an example of living our faith.

John’s gospel (3:1-21) tells us of one Pharisee who visited Jesus at night, Nicodemus. Jesus gave him the following reminder, “But he who acts in truth comes into the light, to make clear that his deeds are done in God.” Let our deeds be those of the children of God and leave the judging to God alone.

Catholic Girl Journey

Open hands

Little hands are open, palms facing up. There is a fading blue marker stain in the middle of the palm looking like it is slowly being washed and worn off. The young girl looks up at me, her face solemn as she says her “Amen.” Her fingers are long for such a young one, and more importantly, unstained. I instinctively  place the host on top of her fingers rather than in the marked palm. Some might object: she should receive in the mouth if her hands were stained, but she is a youngster and probably figured if she washed her hands, they are clean. Others might object: a communicant has the right to decide how to receive; it’s not my place to judge the cleanliness of her hands any more than I would want her to judge the cleanliness of mine.

It is always a privilege to distribute Holy Communion to my fellow congregants. But the thought of this little girl with the stained hands stayed with me long after Mass ended. The more I pondered it and my reaction to her, the more it made me think of my relationship with God. Specifically during the Mass when we say, “we lift them [our hearts] up to the Lord,” I have often felt something lacking. It’s as though I wish I could brush off the imperfections from my heart before I lift it up. I do lift it up anyway, as is, with hope in God’s mercy. Why do we lift up our hearts to the Lord? It is right and just. We render, or give back, to God what God has given to us. Although we should not expect any payback, God gives us His Son in the Eucharist. And so we open wide, either our hands or mouths, taking in the most holy of sacraments. And God accepts us with stained hands, hearts and all.

Catholic Girl Journey

Brothers and sisters

“Brothers and sisters,” how many times have we heard that during Mass? Have we heard it so much that we no longer grasp the full meaning of those titles?

Addressing a Christian community as brothers and sisters is not a recent trend. It goes back to the earliest days, and is evidenced in Paul’s writings. In some letters, he even repeats it more than once. It is a way to equalize all before God since we are all His children. The writer or speaker is putting himself on the same level as his audience.  It’s also a way to help us recognize that we should love everyone, as we are all one family. The tradition continues today; most letters from a bishop to the members of his diocese start in that same fraternal way.   

At Mass we hear these words in the Penitential Act when we say, “ I confess to almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters…” We actually refer to the members of the congregation as our family members. We are reminded again as the Liturgy of the Eucharist begins and the celebrant urges us: “Pray, brothers and sisters, that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God, the almighty Father.”

We claim our familial bond with God through the person of Jesus, His Son. Since we are children of God and Jesus is God’s Son, that would make Him our brother, correct? Have you ever considered Jesus as your brother? When we acknowledge Him that way, He recognizes and validates our relationship with God. As we receive him in the Eucharist, He is even more present in our lives.

I’ve heard it said that we cannot merit heaven by our own actions, and if we were to stand before God and be weighed on the scale of justice, we would be found lacking. But when Jesus stands on the scale beside us, His merits far surpass our deficiencies. Can you imagine standing before God and having Jesus right next you, pleading for your entry into heaven? When I think of it that way, I want to participate more fully in the family of God.

So, my brothers and sisters, the next time you hear yourselves addressed that way, I hope you take a moment to reflect on deep meaning those words convey regarding your relationship with God and with each other.

 

Catholic Girl Journey

At the garment’s hem

I’ve always admired the woman who suffered from a hemorrhage in Mark’s gospel (Mk 5: 25-34). Even when most of the world would call her situation hopeless, she had such a strong belief in Jesus and his power to cure her.

I can’t imagine what her suffering must have been like in that era. Day after day with no relief, weak from her illness, she sought aid, only to be left worse. The story indicates that she “exhausted her savings in the process,” so while she may have been a woman of means, she was still subject to adversity. But she did have the gift of hope, as she kept going to “doctors of every sort.”  It was this hope that brought her to Jesus. However, it was her faith that ultimately healed her. She did not seek an audience with Jesus, nor did she cry out to Him. She did not even reach for His hand, just the hem of His garment. At that brief moment her fingertips brushed over a few threads, she was healed.

The moment the woman was healed, Jesus asked who touched Him. Trembling, the woman explained the story. Jesus was not angry with her, rather He wanted an interaction with her. In curing the sick, Jesus spoke with them and touched them; it was a personal exchange. Jesus soothes her fears by calling her ‘daughter’ and telling her to “Go in peace and be free of this illness.”

My daily struggles are but a mere inconvenience in comparison to stories like that of the unnamed woman in Mark’s story. Yet I still seek relief from those challenges. I do turn to God in thought, prayer and action, knowing it is He that sustains me. As I approach the Eucharist, I know that Jesus is present: body, blood, soul and divinity, in the tiniest of crumbs of the host or a single drop of the precious blood. In that moment, I am like that woman seeking healing with the slightest of touches. The encounter is enough to bring me peace. It may not solve all my woes, but it does give me the strength to keep moving forward.

Catholic Girl Journey

Got Jesus?

I heard an advertisement for a Christian radio station indicating we needed Jesus because of the troublesome events occurring in America. I disagree with that logic.

Do we need Jesus in our life? Yes! Always and all the time. Is that because life is full of heartache and trouble? No. We need Jesus because His life, death and resurrection are the bridge we can use to become closer to the Triune God. God should be the center of our universe, the reason we get up in the morning and the passion to do everything to the best of our ability. As the Catechism teaches, “He calls man to seek him, to know him, to love him with all his strength.” (CCC 1) We need Jesus not because of things happening around us or to us, but simply because that’s what we were created for: relationship with God.

So how does one “get” Jesus? To seek Him, is to take action. We cannot merely sit by and expect to experience Him. Actions include reading the Bible, attending Mass and praying. They can also include getting to know other people, since there’s always a little bit of Jesus in every person. We can also seek Him in the world the Father created. From the tiniest little insects to the massive redwood trees and everything in between, all reflect God in some way.

One has to take action in order to be able to know Jesus. It’s in absorbing our experiences that we can start to get a glimpse of Him. He can be both an old friend and a new acquaintance all at the same time. When we are not focused on Him, it’s not that the Lord has abandoned us, but rather that we turn our backs to Him. Making the effort to search for Jesus is the only way to focus on Him and to get to know Him.

Seeking and knowing the Lord are linked by loving. Love also involves action. It can be a prayer, a smile to a stranger or a hug to a friend. When we offer up our daily activities — no matter how small — we are seeking Him out, getting to know Him better and showing our love for Him. We are modeling Jesus’ total gift of self to God.

Invite Jesus into your life today, because you want Him in your life. He will give you what you need to get through life’s obstacles as He journeys beside you to the Kingdom of God.   

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.

Catholic Girl Journey

The crown of Jesus

While meditating on the Passion of Jesus is never easy it is the third sorrowful mystery, the crowning with thorns, that I find the hardest to comprehend.

Both Matthew (27:27-31) and John (19:1-3) mention the crowning with thorns, but it was just one part of the violence against Jesus. The soldiers spat at Him, slapped Him and mocked His kingship. And Jesus allowed their actions.

To the soldiers, He was just another man who called himself a king. They were in a foreign country as unwelcome visitors. No doubt they had experienced a time or two when a person of a higher rank insulted or shamed them. So the soldiers took it out on their prisoners, especially Jesus, the so-called King of the Jews.

But with all that Jesus had to suffer: the agony of the garden, the betrayals by his friends Judas and Peter, the accusations of the Pharisees, as well as the crucifixion and death, why was this additional insult necessary?

Perhaps this irony of a crown of thorns is to help us reflect on how we treat Jesus as the king in our lives. Do we accept His rule willingly with all it entails? Do we trust that Jesus is working in our lives when we don’t see or feel it? Or do we worry and plan so that we can maintain control?  How many times have our actions been like the soldiers actions to Jesus, mockingly proclaiming Him as king? Or how many times do our sins like those thorns cause pain for Jesus?

Like the prodigal son, let us demonstrate our sincere sorrow for those times when we did not treat Jesus as a king. Let us seek Him in the Divine Mercy chaplet, praying “with great confidence to submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself.”

 

Note: Novena to Divine Mercy begins on Good Friday, in preparation of the Feast of Divine Mercy on April 2nd.