Well, here it is, my last night in Albuquerque. And I have to say, I'm not exactly sure how I'm feeling right now. All the emotions I expected to feel have been there (anxiety, excitement, nervousness, sadness, etc.), but I honestly expected them to be a lot stronger than they are, and I honestly expected to feel them the strongest tonight. And maybe it's just because I'm tired, but I'm honestly not feeling much of anything right now, at this moment. Funny how that works sometimes. I guess time will tell if it's God's way of telling me that I'm on the right path. Maybe it's just because I've been waiting so long for this day, and it's finally here, so I'm feeling the way I feel just out of sheer relief that I finally get to take the next step.
I do know one thing for sure, though.... I am leaving New Mexico, the only place that I have called home for the first 25 years of my life, and embarking on a brand new journey. I don't know where it will take me, or even where I'll end up 5 or 10 years down the road, but I do know this: If I am indeed following God's will for me, that will all become clear in time. All I have right now is faith that God will lead me to where I'm supposed to be. And sometimes, that's all that's necessary.
Well, I'd best finish packing... I'll be sure to post an update when I get settled in in Toronto.
God Bless!
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine
So with all the recent doomsday predictions, The song that is the title of this blog has been in my head a lot, mostly because I knew that there was virtually no chance of the end of the world actually occurring when Harold Camping said it would. All you have to do is look at Luke 21:8, which states "See that you not be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he,' and 'The time has come.' Do not follow them!" Or Matthew 24:36, which states "But of that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone."
I just hope that none of Harold Camping's followers lose faith in God, because the rapture, or the end of the world, or whatever was supposed to happen, didn't. I also worry about the people who sold all of their belongings, because they "knew" the world was going to end. Now they have nothing, and they are stuck with figuring out how to continue a life they didn't think they would have to continue.
As Christians, we believe that Jesus will come again one day, for the final judgement. But if we start looking for a specific time for His coming, we lose sight of what our real purpose on this earth is. And that purpose is to do the will of God, and to bring him Honor and Glory through our daily lives. Our Pastor was talking about Christ's Second Coming at Mass this weekend, and he mentioned a case in which St. Francis of Assisi was asked what he would do if he knew the world was going to end. He simply replied: I would keep on tending my garden. And that is the spirit that we need to have. We do not need to wait on the Lord, but rather continue to serve him faithfully at all times, not always anticipating his return.
May God bless us as we continue to do His work. Amen.
I just hope that none of Harold Camping's followers lose faith in God, because the rapture, or the end of the world, or whatever was supposed to happen, didn't. I also worry about the people who sold all of their belongings, because they "knew" the world was going to end. Now they have nothing, and they are stuck with figuring out how to continue a life they didn't think they would have to continue.
As Christians, we believe that Jesus will come again one day, for the final judgement. But if we start looking for a specific time for His coming, we lose sight of what our real purpose on this earth is. And that purpose is to do the will of God, and to bring him Honor and Glory through our daily lives. Our Pastor was talking about Christ's Second Coming at Mass this weekend, and he mentioned a case in which St. Francis of Assisi was asked what he would do if he knew the world was going to end. He simply replied: I would keep on tending my garden. And that is the spirit that we need to have. We do not need to wait on the Lord, but rather continue to serve him faithfully at all times, not always anticipating his return.
May God bless us as we continue to do His work. Amen.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Thoughts on the death of Osama Bin Laden
I've been doing a lot of thinking since the news came out that U.S. Soldiers had killed Osama Bin Laden, and the only conclusion that I've reached is that I'm not quite sure how I should feel about it right now. I see all the footage of people chanting "USA! USA!" in the streets, and I can't help but wonder "are we any better than the Afghan people, who did a very similar thing in their streets after 9/11? Should we really be rejoicing over the death of another human, just because of how they chose to live their life?"
I've been doing a lot of reading on this very topic over the past couple of days, and the best conclusion I can come to is no, we shouldn't be rejoicing. I am in no way trying to justify Bin Laden's actions, I just feel like to rejoice goes against everything that I have been taught as a Christian. I know a lot of people have been quoting "an eye for an eye" and other verses like that to justify his death, but I prefer the saying, "an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind." And yes it may have been true that the old law was "an eye for an eye,"
but if you look to the Gospels, there is another message. The two verses I keep going back to when I think about Bin Laden's death, and the reaction to it are as follows:
"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'
But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you,
that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust."
Matthew 5: 43-45
"Stop judging, that you may not be judged. For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you."
Matthew 7: 1-2
I guess the point I'm making here is that I don't really feel comfortable with all the people who are saying " I hope hell is an extra kind of hot right now," or "he got what he deserved", or things like that, because it really isn't up to us to make those kind of judgments. Perhaps the best approach to this situation came from the Vatican in their statement:
I've been doing a lot of reading on this very topic over the past couple of days, and the best conclusion I can come to is no, we shouldn't be rejoicing. I am in no way trying to justify Bin Laden's actions, I just feel like to rejoice goes against everything that I have been taught as a Christian. I know a lot of people have been quoting "an eye for an eye" and other verses like that to justify his death, but I prefer the saying, "an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind." And yes it may have been true that the old law was "an eye for an eye,"
but if you look to the Gospels, there is another message. The two verses I keep going back to when I think about Bin Laden's death, and the reaction to it are as follows:
"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'
But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you,
that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust."
Matthew 5: 43-45
"Stop judging, that you may not be judged. For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you."
Matthew 7: 1-2
I guess the point I'm making here is that I don't really feel comfortable with all the people who are saying " I hope hell is an extra kind of hot right now," or "he got what he deserved", or things like that, because it really isn't up to us to make those kind of judgments. Perhaps the best approach to this situation came from the Vatican in their statement:
“Osama bin Laden, as we all know, bore the most serious responsibility for spreading divisions and hatred among populations, causing the deaths of innumerable people, and manipulating religions to this end.
In the face of a man’s death, a Christian never rejoices, but reflects on the serious responsibilities of each person before God and before men, and hopes and works so that every event may be the occasion for the further growth of peace and not of hatred.”
-Vatican Statement on the death of Osama Bin Laden
Again, I am not trying to discredit the horrible things that Bin Laden did. It just seems to me like celebrating in the streets is the wrong approach to the death of a human being, even though said human being was responsible for many deaths. I hope for our sake, and the sake of future generations, that our actions surrounding the death of Bin Laden do not have negative consequences. People are treating this as a major victory, but we must remember that Al-Qaeda still exists, and will still function, even though the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks is dead. We must continue to pray for peace, and help to spread love for all mankind throughout the world, and stop the spread of hatred, just as the Gospel calls us to do.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
How does God speak to you?
How does God speak to you? This has been a question that has been on my mind a lot lately, especially considering that I haven't really thought much about this question until I started discerning the Priesthood. You see, I've always been kind of cynical of people who always go around saying "God spoke to me, and He told me that..." because I guess I've never thought of God as working that way. But I've had some experiences recently that have kind of given me some different insight into this topic, so I kind of wanted to share, and see what others thought about this.
Recently, I've had several experiences where something has been on my mind that is troubling me, and for no apparent reason, a scripture verse will pop into my head, or a song will come on to the radio that is exactly the answer to the question I was asking myself. I can't explain it, but there is a sense of comfort that comes from knowing that if I am willing to listen, the answers are there. They may not come in the way I expect, but they will come.
I think that all too often, many people (myself included) expect God to speak to us in big ways- we want to hear that booming voice coming down from the clouds, and God saying "This is my will for you!" But if there's anything I've learned over this past year, it's that God doesn't work that way. Sometimes he speaks to us in out thoughts. Sometimes it is through the words of others, whether it be a friend, parent, brother, sister, Priest, or anyone else we come into contact with. Sometimes it can be through a song that we hear, or even something that we see. Sometimes it can just be a feeling.
The experience that really drove this home for me happened at the Easter Vigil this year. I was serving, which meant that I got to be more involved in the service, everything from singing the Exsultet, to witnessing the Baptisms of the people who were becoming Catholic. It was an incredible feeling to not only see the smiles on the faces of the newly Baptized, but to also feel the Holy Spirit move during the Confirmations. It was enough to move me to tears, and it is the little reminders like this that are the greatest reassurances of God's presence in our lives.
So I guess if there's anything I've learned, it's not not always think of God speaking in big ways, but to look instead in the stillness, for it is there that God speaks to us. May we all learn to not be afraid of this stillness, so that we too may learn to listen for the voice of God.
Recently, I've had several experiences where something has been on my mind that is troubling me, and for no apparent reason, a scripture verse will pop into my head, or a song will come on to the radio that is exactly the answer to the question I was asking myself. I can't explain it, but there is a sense of comfort that comes from knowing that if I am willing to listen, the answers are there. They may not come in the way I expect, but they will come.
I think that all too often, many people (myself included) expect God to speak to us in big ways- we want to hear that booming voice coming down from the clouds, and God saying "This is my will for you!" But if there's anything I've learned over this past year, it's that God doesn't work that way. Sometimes he speaks to us in out thoughts. Sometimes it is through the words of others, whether it be a friend, parent, brother, sister, Priest, or anyone else we come into contact with. Sometimes it can be through a song that we hear, or even something that we see. Sometimes it can just be a feeling.
The experience that really drove this home for me happened at the Easter Vigil this year. I was serving, which meant that I got to be more involved in the service, everything from singing the Exsultet, to witnessing the Baptisms of the people who were becoming Catholic. It was an incredible feeling to not only see the smiles on the faces of the newly Baptized, but to also feel the Holy Spirit move during the Confirmations. It was enough to move me to tears, and it is the little reminders like this that are the greatest reassurances of God's presence in our lives.
So I guess if there's anything I've learned, it's not not always think of God speaking in big ways, but to look instead in the stillness, for it is there that God speaks to us. May we all learn to not be afraid of this stillness, so that we too may learn to listen for the voice of God.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Limbo
Our Priest shared this at the Good Friday service today. Just wanted to pass it along.
Limbo
by Sister Mary Ada
by Sister Mary Ada
The ancient greyness shifted
Suddenly and thinned
Like mist upon the moors
Before a wind.
An old, old prophet lifted
A shining face and said:
“He will be coming soon.
The Son of God is dead;
He died this afternoon.”
Suddenly and thinned
Like mist upon the moors
Before a wind.
An old, old prophet lifted
A shining face and said:
“He will be coming soon.
The Son of God is dead;
He died this afternoon.”
A murmurous excitement stirred
All souls.
They wondered if they dreamed –
Save one old man who seemed
Not even to have heard.
All souls.
They wondered if they dreamed –
Save one old man who seemed
Not even to have heard.
And Moses, standing,
Hushed them all to ask
If any had a welcome song prepared.
If not, would David take the task?
And if they cared
Could not the three young children sing
The Benedicite, the canticle of praise
They made when God kept them from perishing
In the fiery blaze?
Hushed them all to ask
If any had a welcome song prepared.
If not, would David take the task?
And if they cared
Could not the three young children sing
The Benedicite, the canticle of praise
They made when God kept them from perishing
In the fiery blaze?
A breath of spring surprised them,
Stilling Moses’ words.
No one could speak, remembering
The first fresh flowers,
The little singing birds.
Still others thought of fields new ploughed
Or apple trees
All blossom-boughed.
Or some, the way a dried bed fills
With water
Laughing down green hills.
The fisherfolk dreamed of the foam
On bright blue seas.
The one old man who had not stirred
Remembered home.
Stilling Moses’ words.
No one could speak, remembering
The first fresh flowers,
The little singing birds.
Still others thought of fields new ploughed
Or apple trees
All blossom-boughed.
Or some, the way a dried bed fills
With water
Laughing down green hills.
The fisherfolk dreamed of the foam
On bright blue seas.
The one old man who had not stirred
Remembered home.
And there He was
Splendid as the morning sun and fair
As only God is fair.
And they, confused with joy,
Knelt to adore
Seeing that He wore
Five crimson stars
He never had before.
Splendid as the morning sun and fair
As only God is fair.
And they, confused with joy,
Knelt to adore
Seeing that He wore
Five crimson stars
He never had before.
No canticle at all was sung
None toned a psalm, or raised a greeting song,
A silent man alone
Of all that throng
Found tongue –
Not any other.
Close to His heart
When the embrace was done,
Old Joseph said,
“How is Your Mother,
How is Your Mother, Son?”
None toned a psalm, or raised a greeting song,
A silent man alone
Of all that throng
Found tongue –
Not any other.
Close to His heart
When the embrace was done,
Old Joseph said,
“How is Your Mother,
How is Your Mother, Son?”
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Holy Week is here!
This week, we as a Church enter into the holiest week of the Church year, The week in which we commemorate the Passion and Death of Christ, and prepare to celebrate the Easter Mysteries. This week begins with Palm Sunday, and ends with the Easter Triduum.
As I was sitting in Mass this morning, watching people make crosses out of their palm branches, I recalled the words of one Priest, who jokingly referred to Palm Sunday as "Arts and Crafts Sunday," since so many people would be making crosses out of the Palms during Mass. But why do we carry the palm branches on Palm Sunday? The symbolism in the use of palm branches can be found in the Gospels, where mention was made that the followers were placing branches on the road in front of Jesus, and shouting "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!" The palm branch, then, is a symbol not only of Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem, but ultimately a symbol of his triumph over death, since he entered into Jerusalem to suffer, and be nailed to the Cross.
As I was reflecting on the Crucifixion the other day, The thought that came to my mind was that many of the modern depictions of the Crucifixion are "too nice." One only needs to look at the Crucifixes in most Catholic Churches to see this. We see Jesus, portrayed with maybe a few drops of blood coming from the crown of thorns, some blood on his hands and feet from the nails, and then the lance wound in his side, and that's about it. The temptation is to try to lessen the horror that took place, and try to make it seem like the Crucifixion was "not all that bad." I can remember that when Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" came out, many people complained that it was "too violent" and that he went "way over the top" in portraying the sufferings of Jesus. In all reality, though, Mel Gibson's portrayal of the events surrounding the Crucifixion is probably quite accurate. Look at it this way: Crucifixion was the most horrible way to be put to death, and Jesus was not just crucified: he was beaten, mocked, crowned with thorns, and fell carrying the cross not once, not twice, but three times. He would have been bleeding from the marks of the scourging, bleeding from the thorns that had been shoved so mercilessly into his head, bleeding from the wounds he would have no doubt incurred when falling down, both from the ground, and from the cross landing on him. When he finally reached Calvary, and his clothing, his last remaining bit of dignity was taken from him, He must have been in agony as the force of his garments being removed ripped open his wounds again. As he was nailed to the cross, and then the cross was stood up, he could hear the jeers of the crowd mocking him, and telling him to "save himself, if he was indeed the Son of God."
And yet, he still had the courage to suffer. And when Jesus was on the Cross, Every single person who believes in him was on His mind. He could see all of us, and he knew that he was suffering for us, so that we would not have to pay the price of our own sin. There is a mediation that I once heard a Priest in the Byzantine Rite reference, which states "This you suffered willingly, This you suffered, just for me." What a powerful image of the grace and mercy of God, knowing that God loved us so much that he sent his Son to die for us, so that we all might know eternal life with God!
My prayer for this Holy Week is that as we walk with Jesus and commemorate his Passion and death, we can all attain a greater understanding of the Paschal Mystery, and celebrate the Easter Mysteries with great joy. Remember the words of John 3:16: "for God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, so that those who believe in Him might not perish, but may have eternal life."
Christ Crucified, have mercy on us. Amen.
As I was sitting in Mass this morning, watching people make crosses out of their palm branches, I recalled the words of one Priest, who jokingly referred to Palm Sunday as "Arts and Crafts Sunday," since so many people would be making crosses out of the Palms during Mass. But why do we carry the palm branches on Palm Sunday? The symbolism in the use of palm branches can be found in the Gospels, where mention was made that the followers were placing branches on the road in front of Jesus, and shouting "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!" The palm branch, then, is a symbol not only of Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem, but ultimately a symbol of his triumph over death, since he entered into Jerusalem to suffer, and be nailed to the Cross.
As I was reflecting on the Crucifixion the other day, The thought that came to my mind was that many of the modern depictions of the Crucifixion are "too nice." One only needs to look at the Crucifixes in most Catholic Churches to see this. We see Jesus, portrayed with maybe a few drops of blood coming from the crown of thorns, some blood on his hands and feet from the nails, and then the lance wound in his side, and that's about it. The temptation is to try to lessen the horror that took place, and try to make it seem like the Crucifixion was "not all that bad." I can remember that when Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" came out, many people complained that it was "too violent" and that he went "way over the top" in portraying the sufferings of Jesus. In all reality, though, Mel Gibson's portrayal of the events surrounding the Crucifixion is probably quite accurate. Look at it this way: Crucifixion was the most horrible way to be put to death, and Jesus was not just crucified: he was beaten, mocked, crowned with thorns, and fell carrying the cross not once, not twice, but three times. He would have been bleeding from the marks of the scourging, bleeding from the thorns that had been shoved so mercilessly into his head, bleeding from the wounds he would have no doubt incurred when falling down, both from the ground, and from the cross landing on him. When he finally reached Calvary, and his clothing, his last remaining bit of dignity was taken from him, He must have been in agony as the force of his garments being removed ripped open his wounds again. As he was nailed to the cross, and then the cross was stood up, he could hear the jeers of the crowd mocking him, and telling him to "save himself, if he was indeed the Son of God."
And yet, he still had the courage to suffer. And when Jesus was on the Cross, Every single person who believes in him was on His mind. He could see all of us, and he knew that he was suffering for us, so that we would not have to pay the price of our own sin. There is a mediation that I once heard a Priest in the Byzantine Rite reference, which states "This you suffered willingly, This you suffered, just for me." What a powerful image of the grace and mercy of God, knowing that God loved us so much that he sent his Son to die for us, so that we all might know eternal life with God!
My prayer for this Holy Week is that as we walk with Jesus and commemorate his Passion and death, we can all attain a greater understanding of the Paschal Mystery, and celebrate the Easter Mysteries with great joy. Remember the words of John 3:16: "for God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, so that those who believe in Him might not perish, but may have eternal life."
Christ Crucified, have mercy on us. Amen.
Monday, March 28, 2011
What a week!
So I'm a little late with this post, because I am actually referring to last week, but better late than never, I guess!
The first week back from a break always seems more hectic than the rest... even more so for me, since I'm getting into the busy time of year, getting ready for Showfest. What also made last week hectic was the fact that I decided to tell my students about my plans. I wasn't sure what was going to happen when I told them, but I knew that it was time. I had been becoming increasingly worried about what my future had in store for me, and I was beginning to feel like I had said anything to my students/colleagues because I was afraid things might not work out. But I finally "came to my senses" so to speak, and realized that the best thing to do was to let go, and let God take care of things. It hasn't exactly been the easiest thing in the world, but I know it was the right thing to do. And my students took it really well, too! My favorite question I got was "does this mean you get to wear the pointy hat?"
My whole life recently seems to be an exercise in learning to trust God. I'm realizing more and more each day that I can't do this on my own. I try to go it alone, and I end up crying to God when I'm at the breaking point, because I realize that I need his help. Hopefully I can keep that knowledge always at the front of my mind, and keep God at the center of my life, and not get distracted by all the temptations that I know I will encounter in my day to day life.
The first week back from a break always seems more hectic than the rest... even more so for me, since I'm getting into the busy time of year, getting ready for Showfest. What also made last week hectic was the fact that I decided to tell my students about my plans. I wasn't sure what was going to happen when I told them, but I knew that it was time. I had been becoming increasingly worried about what my future had in store for me, and I was beginning to feel like I had said anything to my students/colleagues because I was afraid things might not work out. But I finally "came to my senses" so to speak, and realized that the best thing to do was to let go, and let God take care of things. It hasn't exactly been the easiest thing in the world, but I know it was the right thing to do. And my students took it really well, too! My favorite question I got was "does this mean you get to wear the pointy hat?"
My whole life recently seems to be an exercise in learning to trust God. I'm realizing more and more each day that I can't do this on my own. I try to go it alone, and I end up crying to God when I'm at the breaking point, because I realize that I need his help. Hopefully I can keep that knowledge always at the front of my mind, and keep God at the center of my life, and not get distracted by all the temptations that I know I will encounter in my day to day life.
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