Catholic Faith Space
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Whenever I’m driving at night, particularly on country or back roads, I tend to go below the speed limit, making sure to keep my eyes peeled to all of my surroundings. I’ve hit three deer in my eight years of driving. I’ve learned to go slower than necessary, be more alert, and take notice of what’s on my right and left. Deer tend to pop up out of nowhere, leaping from the woods or ditches and into oncoming car headlights. If you’re not watching, you will miss them. Similarly, in our daily lives, God is everywhere, working in every moment. If we’re not paying attention, we will miss Him.
Most of us have probably been in the situation where we are asked to reflect on and share where we’ve seen God in the last week or few days. If you’re like me, this question has, at times, left you scrambling to come up with any seemingly profound moments you’ve experienced recently. You hear other people share their ‘God moments’ and you wonder why God’s been working and doing profound things in their lives but not yours. Then you realize that God is there but you just are not paying close enough attention! How do we learn to be more attentive to God in our daily lives? We must take it slow, be alert, and take notice of our surroundings. We should spend more time listening and reflecting and work to grow closer to God. The closer we grow to God, the better we will become at hearing Him and seeing Him on a regular basis, recognizing His presence in the regular moments of our days. God never stops working. He remains with every one of us at all times, whether we notice Him or not. When we open our eyes, we will see Him and notice all that He is doing in our lives. Take time at the end of each day to think about a ‘God moment’ for that day. Ask yourself, “Where have I seen God today?” Start a journal and write them down or just reflect mentally. When you look for God in each day, you will become more deeply aware of His presence in your life. And then, you can’t miss the love and goodness that He is pouring out upon you each and every day.
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“Do you not yet have faith?” (Mark 4:40). This line from the Gospel we heard at mass this weekend really stood out to me. Of course I have faith, I told myself as I was reflecting on this question. As this line from the Gospel floated around in the back of my mind as mass continued on, I was struck again; this time by the song the choir was singing at communion, “Only A Shadow.” There is one line, sung during the refrain, that hit me; ‘our lives are in your hands.’ If we have faith, it means we know and trust that our lives are in the hands of God. Do I have a strong, unwavering faith that withstands every moment of my days? I think the real question you and I should be asking ourselves is do we have faith that is stronger than doubt, fear, worry, and everything else that is not from God? Do we have faith, not just sometimes, but in every moment of every day? Do we fully know and trust that our lives are in God’s hands?
When was the last time you worried about something or were filled with fear about a situation? If we are being honest with ourselves, it was most likely not too long ago. Last week, yesterday, a few hours ago maybe? Having these feelings is normal since we are all human. However, we cannot let these feelings take over. The important thing to do when we experience fear, worry, and doubt is to offer it all to God and dive into our faith. Our faith needs to be stronger than fear, worry, and doubt so we can remember and trust that whatever happens in our lives, God is the One in control. His plans are greater than ours and His ways better than our ways. When we trust that our lives are in God’s hands, it means knowing that God is good and that He will never give us anything that is not good or put us in a situation wherein good cannot come from. The God who created the heavens and earth, the seas, and the sky, and you and I holds onto each one of us. In every moment of our lives, he is protecting us, guiding us, and loving us. When we experience the wind and storms of life, may we hold tightly onto our faith and trust that there is nothing to fear because our lives are in His hands. There’s a quote from Saint John Paul II in which he says, “Life with Christ is a wonderful adventure.” It’s a simple quote, yet filled with so much truth. Many people have the mindset that following Jesus, being Catholic, and having faith is boring. They think that it’s just about following a bunch of rules that are restrictive and that interfere with the ways they want to live. Personally, being Catholic is the most exciting part of my life. When I think of the best, coolest, and most fun things I’ve done in my life, most of the experiences that come to mind are opportunities I’ve had only because of my faith. Colorado Leadership retreats, a pilgrimage to Washington D.C. for the March for Life, college mission trips, the SEEK Conference, and Biking for Babies are some of the big things that stand out. These are in addition to the countless smaller activities, gatherings, and events that happen on a more regular basis. The best things we can do are those which are pure, wholesome, and holy things that lead us closer to Christ.
There are so many opportunities our faith presents us that people are missing out on. People often dismiss the experiences and opportunities that will fill them up and help them grow in their faith, believing that these kinds of things are dull and boring. The truth is, these kinds of opportunities are the experiences that allow us to enjoy full, abundant, and adventurous lives, which is what God wants for us. To put it simply, trying to enjoy life apart from Christ is very difficult, yet this is what so many people do. Pushing faith aside prevents us from experiencing all that is good and holy. When I think about some of the best experiences of my life, several common denominators stand out. My favorite experiences have been ones that involve pure and wholesome fun, which means they were aligned with my morals and did not compromise my values. Also, these experiences have involved a strong community who share the same faith and have the same beliefs, which makes it easier to grow deeper in faith and be encouraged and inspired. Another factor in these experiences is the Holy Spirit. Reflecting on each of these experiences, I have noticed that they were all events in which it was very evident that the Holy Spirit was present and at work. Love, joy, peace, and goodness were fruits that were strong parts of each of these events. In addition, in each of these events, the focus was on Jesus and centered on encountering Him. Opportunities I’ve had due to my faith are the ones that stand out as the best for the sole reason that they are unlike anything else in this world. Without my faith, I know for a fact I would not have had nearly as many amazing opportunities as I have. Many of the best memories and times of growth are thanks to being Catholic. The greatest adventures you will ever have are when you choose to fully and wholeheartedly follow Christ. Open yourselves up to Jesus and the opportunities to encounter Him and trust that your life will be filled with excitement and adventure like you’ve never experienced before. Will you follow where He leads? From the moment the month of June started, it’s been everywhere. It’s been shared on social media and on the news along with other forms of media/entertainment. Organizations have made statements and updated logos. Companies that create different products, whether it’s candy, cereal or clothing to name a few, have updated their packaging/designs. Flags have been put up. If you haven’t figured out what I’m talking about yet, I’m referring to the endless amount of rainbows that have been plastered everywhere. As the secular world celebrates Pride Month, we constantly hear the motto “love is love” while being bombarded with phrases and messages about LGBT Pride. As Catholics, we cannot support the culture, events, activities, and behaviors that this movement celebrates and promotes. We must, however, respect and love the people who partake in Pride Month events and offer compassion and empathy for all who experience same-sex attraction. Instead of celebrating pride, we should all pray to grow in the virtue of humility. Rather than identifying ourselves by our temptations, weaknesses, and sin, we should allow ourselves to be defined by the love God has for us. What better way to do these things than by diving deep into the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a devotion that the Catholic Church celebrates during the month of June.
If you dare defend the Church’s teaching on marriage, you’re usually called a “homophobic, bigoted, hateful jerk” or something along those lines. What the Church teaches is full of truth, beauty, and goodness. Whether we are talking about marriage or love aside from marriage, our society does not understand love and often has a distorted view of what it means to love. However, when we look upon Jesus and His Sacred Heart, it is only then that we can begin to understand what it means to love others and be loved. The culture promotes love as something that is selfish and asks questions like “what’s in it for me?” or “how can I get what I want?”. The Sacred Heart bursts forth with a flame, pierced and bleeding, and crowned with thorns, thus revealing to us His deep, infinite, unconditional love for all of humanity. The love of Jesus is more powerful and transformative than anything else in this world. The heart of Jesus is filled with love, mercy, compassion, forgiveness and all that is missing from our culture’s ideas of love. We can only truly love others when we open ourselves up to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Receiving His love fills us with love for those around us. We are all called to learn from the heart of Jesus and imitate His love and humility. It’s not easy but with prayer, dedication, and discipline, we can grow more like Him each day and learn how to love like Him. Contrary to what the world might say, people are not defined by their attractions, temptations, or weaknesses. While Catholics cannot celebrate Pride month and the behaviors and activities that it promotes, we must recognize the dignity and worth of every single person, regardless of what they struggle with. Take time to lean into the Sacred Heart and know that Jesus pours out his love and mercy on each and every one of us. That is something worth celebrating during the month of June and every month after! “Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make our hearts like yours.” |
AuthorStriving to share hope, joy, God's love, and all of the good stuff, one blog post at a time. Categories |
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