Catholic Faith Space
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A while back, I had a thought that I should create a separate Facebook page to share my blog posts to. I thought that I would just invite the people who regularly read my blog to “like” the page so that the posts wouldn’t be shared on the newsfeed to people who don’t read them. I thought that maybe people might be annoyed with seeing these posts pop up each week. Thankfully, I decided against that, because I realized that there are people reading the posts who just don’t engage with the posts and then there may be people who decide to click on a certain post one week, without me even knowing. If I created a separate page, it would be limited to just certain people. And we cannot limit or hide our faith. We cannot put our faith in a box.
If we have faith, it should impact who we are and guide how we live our lives. Faith is not something that is a part of our lives, but rather, it must be a way of life and impact every aspect of our lives. This includes the words we speak, the thoughts we think, and the choices that we make every day. Sometimes, it’s easy for our faith to become a checklist, with boxes that we mentally mark off or something that is reserved just for Sundays. People can easily fall into the mindset that once they’ve gone to mass and said a few prayers, they are good until the next weekend to do whatever it is they want to do, leaving their faith behind until the following week. Maybe we have fallen into this trap at some point in our lives, doing certain things and moving onto the next task, setting aside our faith. But our faith must be intrinsic to who we are. Jesus is not reserved for certain people that we pick and choose. He is for everyone, whether they know it or not. And our job as Catholics and followers of Him is to try to make Him known by the way we live our lives, not just at certain times and in certain places, but always and everywhere. If we love Jesus, we will share Him by the way we live. We will not contain our faith to a certain group of people or to just one part of our lives. But we will strive to let Him guide us in each moment of our days, every day. My prayer today is that each one of us would let our faith and love for Jesus not be just part of our lives and something we conceal at certain times, but that it would be deeply embedded in us and something that can’t be separated from who we are!
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In the Catholic Church, November is dedicated to the Souls in Purgatory. Besides taking extra time to pray for those who have died, it is a good time to reflect on and think about death in general. When it comes to people dying, many people tend to share things that are just not true. Several weeks ago, a nearby Catholic parish shared the obituary of one of their parishioners who had died. The caption of the post said, “a smiling face that greeted everyone has earned her angel wings.” That is simply bad theology that was shared and the fact that a church posted this goes to show it is not surprising when countless people express the same thoughts and words when someone dies.
When people die, there are countless family members and friends of that person who share words that are not only wrong, but also hurtful to the person who has died. How many times do we see and hear people saying things like, “this person is now in a better place”, “he is up there enjoying a cold one”, “you now have an angel watching over you”, “happy birthday in heaven”, and the list goes on. I know these words come from a well-intentioned place. People in an attempt to comfort the family and friends of a loved one who died, or to make themselves feel better, say these kinds of words because they often don’t know what to say in the midst of deep grief and sadness, and these kinds of words make death less painful. However, we cannot assume people into heaven. If we love and care for a person, we will pray for them. When I die, whether that’s five years from now, 10 years from now, or 60 years from now, I do not want a eulogy shared during my funeral mass, talking about the good things I did or what I accomplished in my life. I don’t want people sitting around saying I’m in a better place or that I’m enjoying my time with others in heaven. I want people praying for my soul and offering masses for me because I know at the hour of my death I will be in great need of God’s mercy. And my hope is that this is what every single person would want not only for themselves, but also for their family members and friends who pass before them. It’s important to trust and hope in God’s mercy, love, and forgiveness. He alone knows our hearts and knows where we will go. But to think that we all go to heaven when we die as long as we are good people and believe in God is a harmful and wrong mindset to have. We are called to be more than good and even Satan believes in God. Acting like everyone goes to heaven when they die leads people to believe that being a decent person and believing in God’s existence is enough, and that we don’t have to try to live our lives for God. This month, take extra dedicated time to pray for your family members and friends who have died and have masses said for them. And when this month ends, keep praying for them as well as for those you don’t know. Prayer is the best thing we can do for those we love while they are alive on this earth and also when they die. This past weekend I worked a TEC retreat. Going into the weekend, it felt like a scramble to finish preparing in the days leading up to Thursday and to take care of things that I wanted to get done before being gone for the weekend. I also knew it would be a long weekend with little sleep and I was feeling a little distracted, thinking about the many other things I could be doing. However, it didn’t take long to be drawn out of this selfish mindset and back into reality. Thursday night, all of the team members arrived for the weekend and we had the team mass. When I heard the first line of the Gospel reading, it was a reminder of why I was there and what the purpose of the weekend was. This line that I was struck by in the moment was, “Jesus said to his disciples: ‘I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!’” (Luke 12:49). Being part of the team and serving was not about me or any of the team members, it was about helping to set the world on fire!
One of our jobs as Catholics is to help set the world on fire. This means to share our faith, to bring our fire to those around us so that they too would be filled with the love of Jesus and be filled with that same fire. Most of us probably want to see a world like this and so we must all play our part in helping to create this kind of world. What if we lived in a world where each and every single person was transformed by Christ’s love? The only way we can see this happen is if we live our faith. This means not keeping it hidden and not staying in our comfort zone, doing nothing. And to do this, we must be willing to show up, to serve and do whatever God has called us to do in the moment. Whether that means working on a retreat, teaching a faith formation class, or just taking time to sit down with someone and listen, we often need to put aside our own self-serving desires and interests and do whatever it takes to commit to helping others on the journey. Thursday night at that team mass, the scramble and hustle leading up to that evening all came to a standstill. As the gospel was being read and the rest of the mass went on, I was reminded not only why I was there but also that I truly did want to be there because I want to see a world that is on fire. To see the whole world on fire probably seems like an impossible reality. But we can start with the people around us. Jesus deeply desires for each and every person to be filled with the fire of His love and we probably have this desire too. So, we must ask ourselves, what am I doing to help the people around me, in my family, parish, and community to come to know Jesus and to deepen their relationship with Him? My prayer for all of us today is that we would do everything we can to help set the earth ablaze, just as Jesus wants! Today is the feast day of St. John Paul II. Throughout his life and time as pope, he shared countless profound and beautiful words that give us a lot to reflect on. One of my favorite quotes from him is, “The most beautiful and stirring adventure that can happen to you is the personal meeting with Jesus, who is the only one who gives real meaning to our lives.” Once you have had an encounter with Jesus, everything changes. You no longer allow your life to be defined by what the world tells us matters.
At the beginning of last year, the organization I work at went through a restructuring. Everyone changed roles to better align with the mission. The role I went from to the role I moved into was sort of a promotion. I remember telling someone about this transition as they asked me about my job. As soon as I explained about the change, the first thing this person asked was, “is there an opportunity for you to move up again?” She was immediately wondering about more promotion opportunities. I responded that maybe there was, but in my head I was thinking, “I just want to stay in this role and do the job well. I’m not interested in climbing the ladder.” I think this person’s question is indicative of the society we live in. So many people find meaning in advancing their careers and being at the top, so they can make as much money as possible. To be clear, there is nothing wrong with advancing in your job and being at the top of the organization. But the problem comes when this is what defines your life and where you find the meaning of your life. And this is just one example of many in our culture where people seek their meaning. Our relationship with Jesus should occupy more space in our minds and hearts than any other worldly pursuit. The sad reality is that there are countless people among us, including other Catholics/Christians who have not had an encounter with Jesus. They have not met Him in a way that has changed their lives. We must invite people to take part in various opportunities and continue to share with them how Jesus has impacted our lives. When we have had a personal encounter with Christ, it changes everything. It takes us down a path we would have not chosen to walk down otherwise. My prayer for each person reading this is that you would remember the meaning that your life has because of Jesus and that you would share that with the people around you who have not met Him yet. Yesterday, I read a book called Loved as I Am: An Invitation to Conversion, Healing, and Freedom through Jesus, by Sister Miriam James Heidland. While it was a quick and easy read, she shared so many profound statements to reflect on as she shared her story. In one of the statements I was struck by, she says, “When was the last time you were mistaken for Jesus? As our lives are redeemed and joined to the life of Jesus, the world around us changes because the face of Christ is made manifest” (Heidland 19). This is a powerful thought for us to all reflect on.
“When was the last time you were mistaken for Jesus?” Obviously, this is not meant in a literal sense, but what if we lived our lives each day in a way that was Christ-like enough that others could see Him in us? What if our friends, family members, co-workers, and neighbors were inspired by us because of our words and actions? What if people who’ve left the church returned to the faith because of the way we lived? What if people who did not know Christ had a desire to learn who He is because of the way we made Him present by our personal witness? When people see us or interact with us, do they see Jesus in us? One of the best ways to become more like Him is to seek out the sacraments, receiving the Eucharist as often as possible and going to confession. Another way is to read scripture regularly, letting His word permeate our hearts and minds. When we fail to present Jesus to the world around us, which we will often do, we can begin again, asking Jesus to help us become more like Him. Today, the Church celebrates the feast day of St. Teresa of Avila. She is known for saying, “Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body. Christ has no body now on earth but yours.” These beautiful words she is attributed with are fitting with this question from Sr. Miriam, “When was the last time you were mistaken for Jesus?” As St. Teresa of Avila says, we are called to be Christ in the world. Can people see Him through us? As we go throughout our week, may we let Jesus work in and through us, showing and reminding others who He is. We will fail often, but we can always begin again. My prayer is that we would be able to change our corner of the world around us, letting Christ be known and helping people see Him in us. In today’s (10/8) gospel, we read the story of Martha and Mary. Martha is busy serving and completing tasks while her sister Mary sits at the feet of Jesus and listens. When we hear this gospel passage, we are often asked to reflect on who we are in the story: are we more of a Martha or Mary? And oftentimes, Martha gets criticized in this story. But I think we are called to be both Martha and Mary.
In the passage, Jesus says, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part…” (Luke 10:41-42). When we read this line we often believe that it must be true that Mary is doing what is more important and Martha’s worried about doing the wrong things and too busy serving. But I don’t think Jesus is condemning her actions. At the beginning of the passage, it says, “he entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him” (Luke 10:38). He was welcomed by her and surely must have appreciated her hospitality and service. And Jesus calls her by name, gently drawing her attention to Him. There is a right time and place for both Mary and Martha. We need to work and serve, but if our service is not done with a focus on Jesus, it is in vain. Jesus gently calls Martha back to Him, reminding her of what is important, and He does the same for us. To sit in prayer with Jesus is what gives us the love, peace, and joy that we need in our work and in order to make our faith a way of life, to serve and work for Him. Today, instead of asking yourself if you’re a Mary or Martha, ask yourself if your priorities are properly ordered. Ask yourself, are you taking time to be Mary, sitting with Jesus and being filled by His presence, so that you can go out and serve with love and joy, glorifying Him in your tasks? Yesterday night as I was packing to go on vacation this week, I thought for a moment about how I am a fairly light packer. There are two types of people in the world- those who pack light and those who overpack. Neither method is necessarily better than the other. In our lives, we can easily tend to overpack, carrying extra stuff that we don’t need to carry. And when it comes to how we pack our luggage, thankfully, whichever camp we find ourselves in, overpacker or under packer, is not an indication of our ability to trust Jesus and let go of the things we don’t need to carry.
Overpacking leads us to have a heavier load to carry because we have more than we need. And in the spiritual life, it is easy to find ourselves weighed down with a heavy load to carry. We often try to either carry things on our own or carry things that we need to hand over, to let go of. Maybe we allow the lies of the world and Satan to fill our hearts and minds. Maybe we let sin build up and weigh us down, instead of seeking out confession right away. Maybe we try to carry our crosses on our own, not seeking help from others and from Jesus. All of these things we carry on our own or unnecessarily with us on the journey are the things that hinder us from a stronger relationship with God. They drag us down, slowing our progress in our spiritual lives, and ultimately weaken our trust in God. But he wants us to hand everything to Him and put our complete trust in Him, knowing that He walks with us every step of the way, helping us carry only what we need and handing Him the rest. Is anything weighing you down lately? Take time to reflect on what you need to release completely or what you need to give to Jesus. May you open up your suitcase and remove those things you don’t need, lightening your load and letting Jesus take it from you. When I was in college, there was a campus department/organization called Healthy Choices Task Force. This was a group made up of faculty, staff, and students. And contrary to their name, they promoted many ideas, programs, and activities that were anything but healthy. One event they were planning on holding was called, “Healthy Pornography.” (These words do not belong together!) Working in the campus reservations office, I learned about this event several weeks before it was set to take place due to my supervisor, who also happened to be Catholic, drawing it to my attention in our reservation booking system and sharing his disgust and disappointment in this awful event that was being planned. I decided to investigate it a little bit so I reached out to get a summary from the event planners on what the purpose and summary of the event was. It turned out that their intent and goal for the event was to discuss and talk to students about how to view pornography in its different forms and it was going to be discussed in a positive light. I could not believe that any sane adult would think it was a good idea to promote this. As Catholics, when we come across evil, immoral, events, activities, or ideas that go against everything we believe we can either stay quiet and do nothing, or we can stand up and speak out.
Thankfully, my supervisor, who shared my faith, encouraged me to do something. That weekend after mass on campus, I brought it to the attention of our campus minister Sr. Laura, and our priest, Fr. Scott. We discussed the issue and prayed for the people involved with the event, that they might see the harm in it. A few days later, a group of us from the Phoenix Catholic student org got together to write a letter to send to the Vice-Chancellor, Dean of Students Office, and the event organizers to express our concerns, letting them know it went against our beliefs and morality. In the response we got from the vice chancellor, he indicated that while the University would not be making a definitive moral statement on the subject, they were rethinking the event and canceled it. We probably didn’t convert anyone or change their minds in this whole ordeal, but we planted a seed and made an effort to make Christ known in a small way. We made our voices heard. I share this story because we all see these types of things all around us on a regular basis. We live in a country that seems to have no moral compass. Whether it’s in the media, forms of entertainment, different groups/organizations, or just other people or situations we encounter, immorality and wickedness are all around us. Satan and the evil spirits truly “prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls”, as we pray in the St. Michael Prayer. In these situations, we must make the choice to stand by Christ and our faith, even when it is hard, uncomfortable, and it seems like the whole world is against us. The way we confront evil around us is not only through our words, but also through our actions and the way we live our lives. And we should not be surprised when people who don’t profess faith in God and spaces that do not welcome Him have let the evil one seep in, resulting in behaviors and actions that are contrary to faith in God. We must pray and continue our work that we have been given as disciples of Jesus, to share the Gospel and make Him known. When we choose to go against the ways of the world, holding firm to our faith and rejecting immorality and evil, people will take notice. While we will likely not change people’s minds or make them change their ways, we may be planting a seed, or causing them to think about what makes us live differently, wondering why we so strongly believe what we believe. When faced with two choices- to do nothing or to stand up, may we always choose to stand up for our faith, sharing a glimpse of Jesus with the world! Last Friday, I went to eucharistic adoration at my church. When I got there, there were four other people plus the priest. After almost an hour passed and I was close to leaving, our priest was the only person there. As I left, I hoped that more people would stop in within the last remaining hour. Right before I left, I was thinking about how often Jesus in the Eucharist sits on altars exposed in the monstrance and in tabernacles, waiting for us to come sit with Him, and how often we don’t.
As I reflected during my time at the church, a line from a book that I read in college came to mind. In the book Consoling the Heart of Jesus, by Fr. Michael Gaitley, the author is talking about Jesus’ Sacred Heart and says, “Behold this Heart which loves so much yet is so little loved” (Gaitley 92). This line is repeated several times throughout the book and has stuck with me as a powerful thought to reflect on throughout the years since I’ve read it. As Jesus was exposed for adoration Friday night, I thought about how Jesus was there, in a largely empty church. He loves so much but is often loved very little or not at all in return. It made me reflect on the times when I fail to love Jesus above all else, the times where I put Him below many other things. Most of us probably struggle with this at times. But when we take time for prayer and spend time deepening our relationship with Jesus, it is a step in the right direction, a step closer to where we ought to be. And I think that is what Jesus wants from us, to keep trying, to keep showing up, and to spend time with Him, so that we can become more like the people He created us to be. Jesus wants to pour out His love on us. And as I sat in church on Friday, it made me sad to think of all of the people from the community who have maybe never experienced this love that is found in adoration and in the mass. A community of people that can fill the pews and pack the church on Ash Wednesday and other certain days of the year, but with many of them not going to weekly mass or taking time to go to adoration. We are all busy and we all have a lot of stuff going on in our lives. But taking time to sit with Jesus is time where we are loving Him, who loves so much. It reorders our priorities and helps us to return a fraction of the love that He has for us. This week, reflect on the ways that you can love Jesus and how you will show Him that love. Yesterday I was listening to an episode from the Poco a Poco podcast where they were talking about life being a pilgrimage. If you’ve ever been on a pilgrimage before, you know that there are challenges and discomforts along the way, and when you reach the final destination/site, there is a lot of excitement and joy because you’ve finally made it. Pilgrimages that we go on can be a reflection of our lives as a whole, because our whole lives are a pilgrimage, as we walk towards the ultimate goal- eternal life with God.
One part of the podcast, one of the hosts mentioned that during a pilgrimage, unlike a vacation, we can’t just stop and check into a hotel and says, “Jesus doesn’t teach us to check into the hotel or take it easy” (Fr, Isaiah, CFR, 2024). When we get tired or want to stop moving, Jesus helps us to continue on. Our lives are like this too. The spiritual life is one that must keep moving forward. If we are not moving forward, we are either staying still or going backwards, meaning that we aren’t deepening our faith or growing in our relationship with Jesus. We are never going to make it to our destination by staying still, by being stagnant in our faith. When we are sore, tired, and weak, we keep going. Sometimes, it seems like having little or no faith would be easier. To be complacent and not care means that we wouldn’t have to put in the effort. Not knowing or caring would allow us to live as the world lives, carefree and as if nothing really matters. While it may seem like it would be easier, our lives would be a lot lonelier, a lot emptier, and a lot more seemingly meaningless. Even though this pilgrimage we are on is hard, it is completely worth it. And Jesus walks with us every step of the way. During a pilgrimage, we are able to encounter Jesus along the way, especially in the trying moments where there is discomfort and suffering. These moments allow us to lean on Jesus to carry us through. And just like the pilgrimages to different places we can make, our lives are one long pilgrimage. As you continue on this week, keep in mind the purpose and where you are trying to go, asking Jesus to be with you, with the hope that one day we will make it to the final pilgrimage destination. Fr. Isaiah, CFR, host. “Life and Mystery”. The Poco a Poco Podcast with the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, episode 221, 17 July 2024, https://www.franciscanfriars.com/pocoap |
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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