relationship with God

Catholic Girl Journey

Can’t or won’t?

As a child, I remember saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me.”  However the words we use can be damaging to ourselves or to others. The language we  choose, especially for self-talk, can influence our outlook negatively or positively.

After a long day at work, I was on my way to the fitness center for a short workout but I really just wanted to go home. That thought kept going through my head: I don’t want to be here.  I also had  certain expectations of how my workout would go. After getting into the swing of it, I was waiting for the wave of energy to kick in. Instead, it seemed to just get harder. ‘I can’t do this,’ I thought to myself. I wanted to stop and sit down. But after sitting all day at a computer, I knew this was the best thing for me. I’ve done this workout for weeks, I thought, why was it so hard today? Why did it feel like it was impossible?

Is it can’t or is it won’t? I didn’t really want to work out when I drove to the center. Was my lack of  enthusiasm for working out making me feel that I was incapable of doing so? Since I had been working out regularly, I knew I could do it. Maybe it was more about the expectations I had about how the workout would go. It seemed that my efforts were being blocked because I really didn’t want to exercise.  I did keep going, but at a slower and more deliberate pace, and I let go of my expectations.  In the end I was able to not only finish the workout, but to feel good about completing it.  

While exercise is vital for the body to function properly, we also need to ‘exercise’ our spiritual soul. How often do we say we can’t do something, like weekday Mass, adoration or a rosary, but what we really mean is that we won’t. We let our feelings or our expectations get in the way. Sometimes, even when we get into a groove, we can face a challenge. However, if we persevere it will be to the betterment of our soul.

The call for perseverance is issued throughout the Scriptures. Jesus even questions, “But when the Son of Man comes, will he find any faith on the earth?” (Lk 18:8) We are not promised that our choices will be easy or our tasks without effort. But it’s when we continue on, even during our hardships that we come closer to God. “Happy the man who holds out to the end through trial! Once he has been proved, he will receive the crown of life the Lord has promised to those who love him.” (James 1:12).

 

Catholic Girl Journey

The strongest weakness

God knows we all have weaknesses; too many that we may only choose to acknowledge just a few. But what about God; does He have any weaknesses? Is there anything He can’t do?

In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, he calls to mind the paradox of the cross. “For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.” (1 Cor 1:25). The weakness of what the cross appears to us, is the instrument that God uses to save us. What kills a man has now become our salvation. It’s amazing to think that God can take our weakness and allow His greatness and glory to be revealed. Who could have known, that as Jesus hung on the cross, He was redeeming us? Only those few with faith, standing at the foot of the cross and believing that God could bring good out of it. In the eyes of the world, it seemed foolish keeping the vigil below a condemned man. The world may call us foolish for kneeling before a crucifix, but I’d rather be called a fool by the world, than a fool by God.

God can do anything. He created the world and all that is in it. He knows each creature by name. I think to ask the question of ‘is there anything God can’t do’ is the wrong question to ask. The better question is ‘is there anything that God chooses not to do?’ Yes. God does not force us to have a relationship with Him and He does not revoke His blessings on those who choose not to do so. God does not need us, but He wants us. God is love itself and He wants to share that with us. But He wants us to be willing. Even the angels were given the opportunity to eternally be in a right relationship with Him or not. Just as some angels chose against God and He allowed them; He allows us to make that decision. Unlike the angels, we have every day during our lifetime to choose Him and His will or to go against Him. And every day, in every moment, He calls us closer to Him. While He allows us to make our own decision, He also continues to pursue us to draw us closer to Him.

Instead of bemoaning our weaknesses to God, let us offer them up for His use. Let us petition Him to aid us in choosing His will for us daily. Perhaps after we complete our earthly life, God will show us just what He was able to accomplish through us by being open to Him and offering all of ourselves and every weakness to His will.

Catholic Girl Journey

Living the dream

What would it take to live your dream? Would it be the perfect job? Living in the perfect home? Traveling the world? Winning the lottery? And then what?

Having dreams is not a bad thing, except when they get in the way of living in the present moment. It’s very easy to get lost in the mundane everyday activities. Taking out the trash pales in comparison to watching the sunset on a Caribbean beach. But even in the Caribbean, the trash has to be taken out; how would your dream be different if you were there? One answer might be that since you’re in the Caribbean, you can enjoy the sunset and the marvelous colors of the sky and would be able to ignore the fish-reeking sack in your hand. Might you be able to enjoy the colors of the sky or the beginning twinkle of stars as you take out the trash where you are now? After all God provides the changes in nature around us, it’s up to us to see His hand in it.

“While I may not know you, I bet I know you wonder sometimes, does it matter at all? Well let me remind you, it all matters just as long as you do everything you do to the glory of the One who made you, because he made you, to do every little thing that you do…”

When I find myself getting caught up too much in daily activities, I use Steven Curtis Chapman’s song Do Everything to remind myself that it’s not all about me, it’s about where God has me now. This is where God wants me; in a way, it’s His dream for me: to bring acknowledgement of His presence to my daily activities, even when I’m taking out the trash. Rather than dreaming I am on some fantastic beach of His, what about appreciating His wonderful creation that surrounds me? Or interesting people He places in my life everyday?

What we have is right now —this moment. How can we make the here and now our dream? How can you approach this time and space with the wonder of living your dream? Can you make your dream the dream that God has for you?

Catholic Girl Journey

Cost of freedom

July brings the celebration of the United States as it’s own nation. We come together as family and friends to enjoy a picnic, fellowship, and, if we’re lucky, a dip in the pool to cool off. There may be parades where we cheer the veterans who have served our country. Some may remember those who paid the ultimate price to protect the country by giving their life. Perhaps, the true cost of freedom was paid by the sacrifice on Calvary.

The Declaration of Independence acknowledges three gifts that most know by heart: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Over 240 years ago, the founding fathers released this document that put into action a revolution from which the United States would emerge. They acknowledged God as the giver of these gifts. I’ve heard it mentioned that the order matters. You can’t pursue happiness if you don’t have your freedom (liberty) or your life. In a way, the document reminds us of the creation. God created Adam and Eve — that is He gave them life. He gave them the freedom to choose to do His will or their own by asking them to care for the garden and not to eat the fruit of one tree. Otherwise, they were to pursue their happiness by living in communion with God and the rest of His creation. Instead they put their pursuit of happiness above their relationship with God and thus impacted both their life and liberty.

God did not leave man on his own. He patiently gathered the tribe of Israel to teach them His ways and prepare for His Son to pay the price of that first and every sin. Jesus’ pursuit of happiness was to reconcile creation back to the Father through the forgiveness of man’s sins. This journey brought Him to the cross on Calvary, where He gave His very life for us all. The liberty He chose was to free us from our sins so that we can have a opportunity to pursue a relationship with God, both on earth and in heaven. We always have the freedom to choose: to do God’s will or our own. Now when we are sorry for those times we choose to do our will instead of God’s, we can return to a relationship with Him through the sacrament of reconciliation.

Let us give thanks to our creator, not just for our country, but those three precious gifts He gives to each of us. Let us not take our freedom for granted, but look to do the will of God and thank Jesus for paying the price for us.

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.