Catholic Mindset

Thursday Afternoons

2008-07-22T08:58:00.002-04:00

Below is a short stroy I wrote sometime ago called Thursday Afternoons.

In Christ,

Scott

She watched as he approached, right on time as usual; 12:10 every Thursday afternoon. She was attracted to him the moment she first laid eyes on him. His broad shoulders, always straight, never slouched gave one the impression that he was a man of conviction. To the casual observer he appeared god-like; Thor always came to mind as she laid her gaze upon him. But she knew different. He was not powerful or intimidating at all. Rather he was a kind and gentle soul. He wasn’t ashamed to let his tears squeeze through their ducts to the point of wringing them free of their salt, and rolling down his taught cheeks as they watched chick flicks together. Not intimidating at all she thought, but rather a friend, a lover, and a father.

Fall had already taken its grasp upon the time. The autumn colored leaves on the trees clung tightly to their branches, if not simply to be consumed by the soft and bitter breeze one last time before finally laying to rest on the ground below. George continued to approach her with his even, almost calculated gait. Goose bumps stood at attention making the sparse light colored hairs on her arms stand straight up like windmills scattered about on an open plain. This happened every time she saw him; she was so in love with this man that her emotions went into overdrive at his mere presence.

Every Thursday afternoon for the past year and a half George and Sandra met on the grounds of St. Michaels Catholic Church. Although neither of them were devout Christians they happened to be members of the parish. It wasn’t the religious experience that drove them to this location. St. Michaels was surrounded by large oak trees that reached up to the heavens. The trees lined the walking paths of the church grounds. The tops of the trees acted as a living canopy that guarded the paths below from the harsh elements of any given season. In the summer the broad awnings proved to be a safe haven of cool shade to those who wandered below. In the springtime the newly reborn leaves would absorb the blow of a driving rainstorm allowing gentle raindrops to float down to the ground. During the winter months the trees acted less as a protective barrier but rather artfully displayed layers of fresh fallen snow upon their outstretched limbs. On this particular autumn day the trees became barriers which split the lightly blowing breeze in two, while taking a bit of the harshness out of the cool day.

George cinched the lapels of his overcoat to cover his white shirt and loosely fastened tie. He stopped just inches in front of Sandra. “Hello darling” he said.

Sandra didn’t say a word. Instead a smile stretched across her face so wide that the light wrinkles surrounding her mouth laid flat upon her face. Her beam made her appear 10 years younger than her forty-three years would lead on.

George sat down on one of the benches that lined the walking path. The benches had been donated by various parishioners in loving memory of family and friends who had since concluded their journey on earth. He let out a subtle sigh as soon as he had settled onto the bench. Sandra knew something was troubling him. She stopped herself short of inquiring as to what it was that was bothering him because she knew he would tell her in due time. It had always been her motherly instinct to try to protect him from the world. Often times he would remind her that he wasn’t a young child. So overtime she had learned to let him express himself at his own pace. If she were too quick to question him, he would retract like a turtle into its shell and keep his problems to himself. Just like a man she smirked to herself, but he’s my man.

His brow wrinkled and took the form of a topographical map as he rubbed his chin as he pondered his thoughts. Sandra sat down beside him and waited patiently for him to speak.

“It’s been a rough week at the plant” he said. “The budget was approved today, and it looks like we will have to lay-off to more engineers.”

George was an operations manager for a local industrial plant. In the late eighties through the mid-nineties companies such as his had outsourced most of their labor force. From the mid-nineties forward when the dollar carried more weight these same companies began to do away with outsourcing and started to do the work in-house again. When tough times befell a company during their outsourcing years it was the vendors responsibility to do more with less. Now that George managed his own staff it was his problem to solve. What compounded his issue was the fact that when the company hired their own staff they did not hire at a one-for-one ratio in comparison to the outsourced staffing levels. So George was short handed before he ever incurred any labor force cuts. For the third year in a row he was faced with personnel cuts. A resourceful man as he was he would figure out away to keep his division afloat. The worst part of a personnel cut was sitting down face-to-face with the poor soul who was about to lose their job.

As many times as George was tasked with laying-off an employee he thought the process should get easier. But it never did. “It just sucks, ya know?” he said.

“We don’t have anymore short timers left. Now I have to fire guys who have been with us for fourteen and eighteen years of experience.”

It’ll be okay; she wanted to say but instead remained quiet and rested a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

“I know we have been told our whole lives that life isn’t fair……but this isn’t fair dammit!” George never looked in Sandra’s direction; he focused his stare at a deep point in the St. Michaels cemetery.

A stiff gust of wind blew threw them and swept a tousle of his golden hair in front of his eyes. He made no attempt to clear the hair from his line of view. Sandra rubbed her hands together briskly to attempt to remove the chill from her fingers.

After a few minutes of silence Sandra said “George, you know……”

But George spoke over her. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking ya, know. The kids are getting older and more independent. Kelly’s already in college and Stephen is gonna be enrolled at Colby next year.” he paused to let it sink in.

“I’ve accepted the job in Atlanta.”

He straitened up and finally combed his hand over his head to set his hair in order. He glanced over in Sandra’s direction.

“George….” she began, but he cut her off again.

“I know I know I didn’t include you in this decision.”

Sandra made no more attempts to get a word in on him. She knew she just needed to let him say what was on his mind. George stood up and paced around the bench.

“It’s just so tough Sandie. The new job is a one man position, and I won’t have to continually screw up people’s lives.” he said.

Tears began to fill the creases of Sandra’s face. She knew the day would come when George would have had enough. She noticed that his job was beginning to pull him apart. It had become especially apparent over the past few months. It was tough for her to watch but she knew he had to come to this decision on his own. He was the financial caretaker of the family and his job paid well. She knew whatever decision he made that the family would be well cared for. And she was more comfortable knowing that he was happy then to watch the pieces of him crumble off and die.

“It’s going to be tough on all of us for awhile but I think this is best.” George made one more revolution around the bench.

He twitched as he felt the cool air brush against his bones, and focused his gaze at a stone set in the ground.

“Sandie, you know I love you with my whole heart and that I would do anything for you and I always seek your approval. But I had to make this decision for the family on my own.” he said as he knelt down and pulled out a few pieces of grass which were resting against the stone. He traced the large letters that were engraved on the stone with his fingers.

“You have to know the toughest part of this decision is leaving you.” A tear began to slip out of the corner of his eye. George stood up without taking his eyes from her headstone and wiped his eye free of tears.

“I will miss our Thursday afternoons together my love. But I know you will always be with me and the kids” he said before turning and slowly walking away.

Wisps of colorless vapor began to veil her view of George, until finally she was enveloped by the clouds of heaven. She too would miss their Thursday afternoon rendezvous with her husband but knew that one day they would be united again forever.

My Name is Simon Part III

2008-07-22T08:40:00.002-04:00

Still a work in progress, I am adding my next installment of the Simon Peter series. Below is the start of Peter's 2nd encounter with Jesus. I hope you enjoy it. If you think it is a worthy endeavor please let me know and I will continue the series.

Peace be with you all,

Scott

2nd Encounter with Christ

(Luke 5: 1-11) It was not long after that day when Andrew and I were at the edge of the Sea of Galilee washing our nets after a fruitless day of fishing. As I stated earlier my profession had its good days and bad. As we worked Jesus approached along the shore. A large group of onlookers had begun to form. After he arrived, Jesus steadied my boat and climbed aboard. He asked me to put out a little from the shore. Once I had done as he requested, he sat down in the boat and began to preach the word of God to the ever growing crowd. After he had finished speaking he asked me to “put out into deep water, and let down my nets for a catch.” I replied “Master we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so I will let down the nets.” Almost instantly after doing so we caught such a large number of fish that our nets began to break. We called to our partners in another boat to come help us. We loaded the fish onto both boats. The catch was so great that the weight of the fish caused our vessels to strain nearly to the point where they would’ve sunk.

My Name is Simon Part II

2008-06-25T11:14:00.001-04:00

Here is the 2nd installment of "From the Mouth of Simon (Peter)" Series.

In Christ,

Scott

There has long been a common debate in the Christian Church as to whether or not I was once a disciple of John the Baptist. Since my brother Andrew followed John’s teachings I have commonly been associated as an admirer of John’s wisdom. I will neither confirm nor deny the truth of these claims but rather substantiate the truth that my loyalties lie only with the son of God, Jesus Christ. This truth is certain; I am a believer, follower and disciple of Christ. It is accurate that I first learned of Jesus’ appearance by way of Andrew. (John 1: 29)Andrew’s first encounter with Jesus came while he was listening to John’s teachings. It was during one of John’s sermons that Jesus approached the crowd. At once John became aware of Jesus’ presence and proclaimed “behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1: 37-41)After hearing these words two of John’s disciples began to follow Jesus, one of which was Andrew my brother. Jesus turned around and said to them “what do you seek?” To which they replied “Rabbi, where are you staying?” “Come” he replied “and you will see.” So they followed him to see where Jesus was staying and they spent the day with him. It was after that time that Andrew took leave of Jesus in order to seek me out.

1st Encounter with Christ

Much as the fisherman of today can confirm, my work was hard and my days were long. The fruits of my labor were at times gratifying, yet at others unsavory. I was tending to my boat when Andrew approached me. He said Simon “we have found the Messiah!” Come with me and you shall see for yourself. It had been written that the son of man would one day come to inherit the earth. Although I must admit my brothers’ proclamation came as quite a surprise to me. I would be speaking untruthfully if I were to say I immediately understood and believed that of which I had just been told. But these words in fact had come from my own flesh and blood, a devout and holy man. I had to see the proclaimed savior for my own eyes. So together with Andrew I went to Jesus. Upon our arrival Jesus looked at me and said (John 1: 42) “you are Simon, son of John. You will be called Cephas.” (Which when translated means Peter). I was truly amazed by this man, not only by his mere presence but by the fact that he knew me by name simply by sight. Later while I was alone with Andrew I asked him if he had spoken to Jesus about me prior to our initial meeting. He stated he had not. I know it might seem odd to you that Jesus would rename me at our first meeting. But this is not unlike the current culture of bestowing a companion with a nickname as you would today. To me it was the least of the awkward feelings I had during my first encounter with Christ. It was more overwhelming to me to think I might be in the presence of God. I must confess that my transformation and true belief in Jesus as the Savior of man did not manifest itself at that very moment. In fact it took a few more encounters for it to take complete hold of me.

From Simon Peter's Mouth to our Ears

2008-06-11T09:26:00.006-04:00

During a retreat in the midst of my RCIA fellowship we were placed into groups and were issued a passage from the Bible pertaining to the Resurrection of Christ. We were then tasked with first reflecting on the passage and then were asked to rewrite the accounts of Peter as though we were in his shoes. This little exercise had a profound effect on me. It helped me to more fully understand the word of God. Since the completion of my RCIA program I have taken this project a step further. I have decided to expand upon this little exercise and to write the entire depiction of Peter's life from his point-of-view. I have worked on this project on and off over the past few months. Below is a segment from this project. Please let me know what you think. I am interested to know if it is a worthwhile project (other than for my own edification) that others would be interested in reading. So here goes.

God Bless,

-Scott

My name is Simon; most of you may know me as Peter. My story is not new, in fact it has been told many times and in many places. It has been recorded in every language known to man. Many scholars from the past and present day have attempted to interpret the stories of my life. The most accurate portrayal of my life is depicted in what is known as the Holy Bible. I must acknowledge as a common fisherman to be held in such high regard nearly 2000 years after my life on earth is quite flattering. Although I played an important role in the history of mankind I am no more important than you who read my words upon these pages. There is only one man who should be revered and exalted and he is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is only through the boundless love and grace of our God that Jesus became man, lived and died for our sins. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

I come to you today not to dispel any myths or right any wrongs that have been spoken about me but rather to offer to you a personal reflection of my earthly life. I wish for you to understand my innermost thoughts and feelings. I pray for all of you each and every day in the hopes that you will find the true meaning of your lives and to help you understand that each and every one of you is in Gods good graces. It is through God and God alone that you will find eternal life. I lived in the time of Jesus and was one of a very few who was literally touched by the hand of God. My story is an important one but it is not simply a story but rather a history of mankind. Through these writings I will describe how I was transformed and came to see for myself Gods love and compassion of all of His earthly creatures. I will retell the stories which you have already heard and read from my own point of view. More has been written about me by others than has been penned by my own hand. In the latter years of my earthly life I wrote two letters now known as the Epistle’s of Peter. I will touch upon these letters a bit later, but most of this writing will focus on the stories of me as told by others. These stories are true and have an overwhelming relevance to the life and time of Jesus Christ. I will use the Gospels of Mathew, Mark, Luke and John to tell my story.

Continuing to Understand

2008-06-04T09:24:00.004-04:00

In the past I have written about understanding your belief system and the reasons for your faith. In my personal opinion it is fine to have a humble beginning in the formation of your faith journey, but I firmly believe that at some point you need to grasp a firmer understanding of your faith. I am not suggesting the need for you to run out and become an apologist. (In a future post I will discuss my thoughts on this topic.) I am simply stating it’s a good idea to gain a complete understanding of why you believe what you believe by building a firm and concrete foundation. If only for yourself, isn’t it more comforting to have a stronger understanding of your religion? Do you sometimes wonder why we as Catholics do certain things? Have you ever been stumped by a non-believer who asks you a question about your faith that you cannot answer? As I said you are not required to become the next great American Evangelizer, but it never hurts to know more. And lest we forget what the Bible says in 1 Peter 3:15 “but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you.” Additionally when you know more it strengthens the foundation of what you already believe.

So now that you are ready and willing to learn more about your faith, where do you turn? Well, you might want to consider the Bible, imagine that? Since our faith is based on the teachings of the Bible what better place to start. A wonderful companion to the Bible is the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Keep this reference guide by your side as you are reading the Bible. It comes in very handy when you reach a point in the Book, where you scratch your heads and think to yourself, “say what?” The Catholic Catechism is as thick as the Bible and is an all-in-one shop filled with all of the background information you could want surrounding the teachings of the Catholic Church.

In addition to the obvious there are numerous books on Christianity and specifically the Catholic Faith. I just recently finished a book by Timothy Paul Jones called Conspiracies of the Cross. This is a wonderful book which debunks the Top 10 conspiracies surrounding Christianity. From the notion that Jesus couldn’t have risen from the dead because his body would have remained on the cross to be devoured by dogs and vultures, to the theory that Jesus never even existed in the first place. Jones does an excellent job of detailing each of the conspiracies as well as identifying their biggest proponents. He doesn’t sell the conspiracies short in his descriptions of them. In fact while I was reading certain conspiracies, I found myself thinking, “wow that could be what happened, I never thought of that.” But then Jones uses history and well documented writings (including but not limited to the Bible) to set the record straight. This is a great read if you are one who wishes to be a Defending the Faith Crusader but is equally valuable as tool to simply enrich your faith. If you have read more than one of my posts, you know by now how passionate I am about expanding ones knowledge of their beliefs. It can never hurt to learn more. I have found the more time I have spent furthering my understanding of the Word, the closer I have come to God.

I don’t know if I could have ever actually classified myself as an atheist but I can tell you this, I never could have fathomed that I would be writing so frequently and passionately on the topic of religion. But I have come full circle in my beliefs; not by being a passive observer but rather being an active participant. In life it is important to continue to learn; this goes for anything and everything. So how much more important is it to continue to educate yourself in the ways of God? Only you can answer this question. But whether you are a faith-filled by-the-book believer or someone who is struggling with your faith, it can never hurt to know more.

Editors Note: This side note pertains to the book review above. Some Catholics are very cautious when it comes to reading books or articles on religion. I must say I am not one of them. I feel that I am educated enough (biased observation) and strong enough in my faith that I can discern the good from the bad in my selection of reading materials. I am aware that the Catholic Church has a listing of approved motion pictures which can be found on the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Website. I was unable to find a similar listing for reading materials but am sure there is something out their. If you are unsure if this book is suitable reading material for you personally, I recommend that you confer with your priest first.

In Christ,

-Scott

Amazon.com Widgets

I'm Still Here

2008-06-03T08:10:00.002-04:00

I must apologize to the two of you who read my blog. I have been very spotty in my postings as of late and promise to work harder in the future to post more frequently. I am currently working on a few posts and hope to have them up in the next day or so. So please don’t give up on me quite yet. In addition if you have any suggestions or topics you would like for me to write about, please send me an Email
, I’d love to hear from you.

In Christ,

-Scott

Is it Just Me?

2008-05-21T10:20:00.005-04:00

Why is it such a constant struggle to follow God’s will? It should be so simple, shouldn’t it? The facts have been presented to me, so why must I struggle through daily transgressions of Faith?

I consider myself to be a decent and righteous human being. From an early age I have tried to live an ethical life. In my early development I developed an ethical foundation not so much do to my religious upbringing but rather because my heart told me the right things to do. I guess my parents covertly instilled morals into my life. Hmm, those sneaky so-and-so’s. Now that I am back on a spiritual track; one in which my faith has begun to blossom again (however slightly it may seem at times) my moralistic actions have taken on new meaning. As I once treated others how I wished to be treated simply because it was a logical thing to do has since transformed into actions that bring me closer to God.

The one problem I suffer from is (yes I live a very fruitful life and I only have one problem, speaking of fruitful, send me an email I am selling a few bridges in New York) the Light Switch Syndrome or LSS. Don’t bother looking it up, I just coined the phrase while trying to understand what was happening to me. The definition of LSS is, the action of turning your religious values on and off as simply as flipping a light switch. I use the word action rather than ability because I feel this act is not always a conscious one. Okay now that I have you totally confused I will give you an example of what I mean.

Last night while driving home from work on the way to pick up my children from daycare I was listening to one of my favorite Podcasts,The Catholic Hack with Joe McClane. It was halfway through an interview segment of this Podcast that I realized Joe hadn’t prayed at the beginning of the program as he normally did. After the interview segment concluded Joe remarked that he had neglected to pray at the beginning of the program and decided to do so at that moment. His prayers (however unconventional) are always well structured and spiritually uplifting. His ordered prayers would appear to be a scripted, yet he has the uncanny ability of delivering them in an effortless manor, which to the ear would suggest that they are off-the-cuff. As he began the prayer I had pulled into the parking lot of my children’s school. Knowing that I would have to finish the Podcast at a later date, I couldn’t go into the building until he finished praying. Once the prayer had concluded I entered the school with an uplifted heart. I was ready to take on the world with Jesus as my guide. I was ready to live out the rest of the day with the What Would Jesus Do mentality. When I entered my daughter’s classroom I was instantly greeted with her disdain for having to leave school for the day, a frequent occurrence I might add. Apparently for her school is a more enlightening experience than the alternative of having to endure a ride home with Dad and her younger brother. In any case I plodded on with this daily drama, as I knew her feelings would soon pass and the rest of her day wouldn’t be so bad after all. After we united with her brother we headed home in the car.

Enter the Light Switch Syndrome. About halfway home my uplifted heart, unbeknownst to me was no longer following the ways of God. I was instantly irritated with my fellow commuters who obviously have not been trained in the art of merging into traffic nor had they been educated in the school of common courtesy. A simple wave of thanks would have made things all better, at least for me, but I digress. I found myself becoming judgmental and irritated at these individuals for what I perceived as transgressions against me. I had to stop and ask myself, what am I doing? Would Jesus be proud of me for the way I was acting, even if it was only in my own head? I didn’t think so, so I flipped the switch again and tried to change my current tact.

This longwinded example may seem trivial to some of you but I often wonder to myself, how can I change? If I am considered to be a creation of God’s own likeness, than how come it is so easy for me to turn the righteous switch on and off? Does this flaw make me a bad person? I guess it doesn’t, especially if I notice it within myself and take immediate corrective action. But I struggle with the fact that this happens in the first place. I want to do the right thing because it is what God would expect of me. And although life is good, heaven is soooooo much better!

I’d be interested to find out if there are others like me who struggle as much as I do with my Faith Journey. Is LSS an isolated case study or is it an epidemic that will be recorded in the annals of religious psychiatric phenomena? Do tell.

God Bless,

Scott

For the Asking

2008-05-14T10:48:00.002-04:00

In today’s Gospel John 15:9-17 Jesus speaking to his apostles said “It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.”

I have often wondered how many devoted Christians actually follow these words. I am certain there are a large number of people who ask for God’s guidance as well as for material possessions. But when they ask him are they doing so in Jesus’ name? From early on in my journey of Faith I have thought myself unworthy to ask God for any personal favor. Whether it be for fame, fortune, or even good health. (This is not to say I don’t request these things of Him for others.) Of course this is a personal dilemma that I would never decree to the masses that they might find goodwill in my viewpoint. It has just been at the core of my existence to be an unjust thing to do. After all I have been given the gift of life, what more could I ask for? I guess it is a conscious decision to take the inch I have been given and not to press for the taking of the proverbial mile. But today’s Gospel has awakened my senses to the realization that it quite possibly could be acceptable to God that we ask for His favor insomuch as we remember to request these gifts in the name of his only begotten son, Jesus Christ. I don’t know if I am prepared to come off of my original stance on this quite yet, but this reading has certainly given me something to ponder.

In Christ,

Scott

Alter your Path Based on Faith

2008-04-29T11:41:00.001-04:00

Why is it so hard for many of us to put Jesus Christ first in our daily lives? Is it that we are too busy with the trials and tribulations of daily life? Is it because we feel that he doesn’t provide us with signs of his true continuation? Are we unable to find comfort in his healing ways? Is there too much “white noise” getting in the way of our relationship with him? Or worst yet, do we say we are believers but yet we aren’t quite convinced of his existence?

I think it is safe to say that we have all struggled at one time or another with our faith in God. I often question myself as to why this has to be. I have come to only one conclusion on the matter. Simply stated, we are human. It is in our DNA to question everything. It’s how we are wired. We require supporting documentation in order to process things and to determine them to be concrete. You might say the Bible is pretty concrete and I would have to agree with you. But where are the signs? 2000+ years is a long time. Why doesn’t God make his presence known to us today as he did with the Old Testament Jews? My first thought is that 2000 years is a long time for mankind, but how long is it for God? How long will the world turn before it ceases to exist? For a lot of us our biggest problem stems from the first question I asked at the beginning of this entry. We need to let go and let God. Once we have done this completely and succinctly we will see all of the signs we long to see.

Faith is a Journey, not a Destination

Accepting things on faith is very difficult for many people to do. Because by accepting something through faith, you are fighting your own instincts when you are unable to rationalize why something is what it is. This is also known as reason. When you consider your own faith you should also consider through reason that your faith is well documented throughout time. Jesus’ first followers have laid the groundwork for your belief system. It has been recorded for all to see and to comprehend. All you need to do is to take the time to review the facts placed before you and to rationalize it for yourself.

Whether or not you realize it, you take things on faith during the course of your daily lives all of the time. Take the following example as a for instance. Let’s say you are pulling out of the parking lot of your local grocery store. As you wait to take a left hand turn onto the main road another vehicle pulls into the parking lot and the driver signals you to roll down your window. They proceed to tell you about a major accident a half of a mile down the road, in the direction you are about to head. You take the information in and make the determination to take an alternate route. So instead of going left you turn right and alter your course. What just happened here? You rationalized that the person (one you have never met) was telling you the truth. Out of the kindness of their heart they decided to make you aware of the accident in an attempt to prevent you from sitting in traffic caused by the accident. Because you surmised that this individual wasn’t lying to you, you heeded their advice and made a change to your preplanned actions.

Although this is a minor action of faith, you based your decision solely on the report of one individual. You didn’t see or hear a news report concerning the accident. You certainly didn’t visualize it for yourself first hand, yet you followed the advice of this one person and consequently acted on faith. Now take a close look at your faith in God and Jesus Christ. There are multiple reports on Jesus and his actions, from different points-of-view. If you are able to take a leap of faith (however small) from someone you have just met, aren’t you then able to find faith in Jesus? The facts are there for you to rationalize; now you just need to alter the path of your life and follow God.

A Good Christian Shouldn’t Judge, But……

2008-04-24T11:44:00.005-04:00

I know it is God and only God who should judge each and everyone of us. I went on another one of my tirades about this subject here! But I’m going to take off my Christian hat for just a moment. My first point is me being judgmental, but once I make my point I will quickly transform back to my Christian values. So here goes: If you are making a concerted effort to attend Mass on Sunday, why show up late? A Mass is broken up into two key elements:

1. The Liturgy of the Word
2. The Liturgy of the Eucharist

Neither of these elements is less important than the other. Please approach the bench. (Yes I still have my Judges robe on) From my perspective (tsk, tsk) I sense that some people don’t hold the liturgy of the word in as high a regard as they do the Holy Eucharist. If we never listened to the Word of God, we never would have learned about the Eucharist in the first place.

Okay, I am going to stop judging now and simply state the facts about the importance of truly listening to the Word of God.

(Removing my robe, and stepping down from the bench)

As I have stated before I am religious about (pun intended) reading the Word of God on a daily basis. And as I learned in my first

Jesus's Real Body and Blood?

2008-04-24T07:17:00.005-04:00

Christian denominations other than Catholicism regard the Eucharist as a simple sign of God’s saving grace. As Catholics we believe the consecrated Host is the actual Body and the consecrated wine is the actual Blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. For those who do not believe in the consecrated Host and wine I present to you The Eucharistic Miracle of Lanciano, Italy.

The Miracle of Lanciano, Italy

In the city of Lanciano, around the year 700 of Our Lord there was a monk who, although learned in the sciences of the world, was ignorant in those of God, and therefore not strong in his faith. He was plagued by a doubt as to whether the consecrated Host was truly the Body of Christ, and the consecrated wine truly His Blood.

He was a person dedicated more to science than to wisdom, interested more in the world than in the Absolute, trusting more in reason than in contemplation. We can recognize in him a person of our own times: he resembles each of us to an extraordinary degree.

However, he constantly prayed that God would take this wound from his heart, and divine grace did not abandon him, because the almighty God, Father of mercy and consolation, was pleased to raise him up from the depths of his darkness and to grant him that same grace that he had shown to the Apostle St. Thomas.

One morning, as he was celebrating Mass, after he had already said the most holy words of consecration (“This is My Body…,This is My Blood…”) as Jesus had taught it to his Apostles, his doubts and errors weighed upon him more heavily than ever. By a most singular and marvelous favour then, he saw the Bread changed into Flesh and then the wine into Blood.

Frightened and confused by so great and so stupendous a Miracle, he stood quite a while as if tansported in a divine ecstacy; but eventually, his fear gave way to the spiritual happiness that filled his soul, and he turned his joyful yet tearful face to those around him, exclaiming “…Behold the Flesh and the Blood of our Most Beloved Christ.”

Today, twelve centuries after the miraculous occurrence, the Holy Relics have remained practically intact. Upon a superficial examination, the Host of Flesh, which is still in one piece, and has retained the dimensions of the original “Large Host”, has a fibrous appearance and a brown color, which becomes light-reddish if one places a light in back of the Ostensorium.

The Blood, contained in the chalice, has an earthy color, inclined toward the yellow of ocher, and consists of five coagulated globules. Each of the parts is uneven in shape and size and when weighed together, the parts are equal to each separate piece.

The actual spot of the Miracle is located beneath the present-day Church of St. Francis. The Miracle Itself is preserved in the second tabernacle, which is found in the middle of the high altar. The Host now changed to Flesh is contained in a silver Monstrance. The wine now changed to Blood is contained in a crystal chalice.

Official Position of the Catholic Church

Local Church and Vatican officials have authenticated the Holy Relics on many occasions since the middle ages. In 1887, the Archbishop of Lanciano obtained from Pope Leo XIII a plenary indulgence in perpetuity to those who visit the Church of the Miracle during the eight days preceding the annual feast day, which falls on the last Sunday in October.

Scientific Studies

A rigorous scientific analysis was performed in 1970-71.

The research done on the fragments of the Blood and the Flesh yielded the following results:

-The Blood of the Eucharistic Miracle is real blood and the Flesh is real Flesh.
-The Flesh remains intact after 1200 years.
-The Flesh consists of the muscular tissue of the heart.
-The Blood and the Flesh belong to the human species.
-The Blood type is identical in the Blood and in the Flesh.
-The proteins in the Blood are in the same proportions as those found in normal fresh blood.
-There is no trace whatsoever of any materials or agents used for preservation of flesh or blood.

The Blood is Real Blood

Science, when called to testify, has confirmed what we have believed in Faith and what the Catholic Church has taught for the last 2,000 years; echoing the words of Christ, “My flesh is real flesh; my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood dwells continually in me and I dwell in him.” (John 6:56-57)

Becoming a Catholic takes how long?

2008-04-22T08:54:00.005-04:00

It has been eight months since I ventured out on my journey to join the Catholic Church and now I am 3 weeks away from completing the RCIA process. For those of you who have yet to (or never needed to, if you’ve always followed the Catholic Faith) take this journey you just might have let out a collective sigh. I have to tell you that I don’t subscribe to said feelings. My journey has not been a long one but rather a great one. I will admit when I first inquired about joining the church I was taken aback when I realized how long the process would take. I thought “I am already a Christian, a Lutheran minister’s son no less. What more do I need to know?” Whoa, quite a bit. As I look back on it now I wonder where the time has gone, in addition I am consumed with the feeling of an impending loss knowing that my initial journey is coming to a close. I know my journey of faith has just begun and that this voyage is a lifelong endeavor. But I can’t help but feel a sense of sorrow that the initiation phase is almost over.

I have become so empowered by the experience of the RCIA program that I am sure I will continue to be a part of it. I hope and pray that I can become a sponsor for an individual in the Love of Jesus Class of 2009. This whole process has been such a rush for me. I could have never imagined it to be so when I rejoined Christ in my walk of life.

I hope and pray that the church will continue to grow and that more and more people will answer the call of our loving God. If you are at the point in your life where you are considering joining the church, all I can say to you is sign-up as quickly as you can. If the thought of becoming one with Jesus has entered your mind then you have heard his call. All you have to do now is answer it. You won’t regret the experience. Bring all of your preconceived notions you have about the church with you (good or bad) to the program. During the Period of Inquiry you will be allotted ample time to ask any and all questions you might have. Don’t sit on your hands, but rather raise your hand high and ask these questions. You won’t be judged, but moreover you will be given straight forward answers that will become the cornerstones of your newfound or newly rekindled faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

It is time to let go and let God. Trust me; you will be glad you did.

God Bless,

-Scott

Mass with our Holy Father

2008-04-21T13:10:00.005-04:00

Okay, so the Easter Vigil was an awesome experience this year. It was extremely special to me because it was the day that I was initiated into the Catholic Church. I look forward to attending this mass in the future. I never thought anything could top that evening and the feelings I had when being confirmed and receiving the Holy Eucharist for the first time. Well that was until our Holy Father came to visit us here in the United States.

As I stated in an earlier post I was one of the fortunate few who was blessed with the opportunity of sharing mass with the Pope here in Washington, DC. So as I promised I would like to share my experience with you.

Easter Vigil Mass and initiation into the Catholic Church = Extraordinary!!

Sharing in Mass with our Holy Father = Out of this World!!!!!

One couldn’t have asked for a better day. The sun was shinning extra brightly onThursday morning. Upon arriving at Nationals Stadium I sensed an air of anticipation unlike I have ever felt in my life. When attending an event of this scale, whether it is a sporting event or concert there is always a bit of enthusiasm. But the enthusiasm before the mass was magnified tenfold. The Holy Spirit was the embodiment of the 45,000 + Mass attendees who filled the stadium.

There were 3 choirs which totaled over 250 people. Even if these choirs were mediocre (which I am not suggesting they were) their voices filled the air as if their songs slipped through the lips of angels. The hymns they sang were glorious.

Shortly before the mass began they announced the Pope’s arrival at the stadium. The cheers that spread through the stadium were deafening. Shortly thereafter the Pope was driven around the stadium so all could get a closer look at him. This was quite an experience as the initial cheer of the entire stadium subsided; the cheers cascaded around the venue like a wave as he passed each section. As he traveled beyond the section I was sitting in it was as if he were on a different city block, and it sounded like the cheers came from afar as he passed each new section.

Following his tour around the stadium the mass began with a large procession beginning with approximately 30 bishops with the Pope following behind. The procession began from the home teams dugout and crossed all the way to the altar which was situated in center field. After gracing the alter with incense our Holy Father began the Mass.

“In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

The entire crowd of 45,000+ answered in unison “Amen.” That first response still sends a shiver down my spine when I think of it. I could never have anticipated the pure passion that would exude from the responses in the Mass. We intuitively, sometimes almost robotically offer up these responses every time we participate in a mass. But there was nothing robotic about it on this day. The sensation I felt as we all offered our responses were spine tingling. It is hard for me to put into words the awe-inspiring feelings that I felt when I heard the enormous crowd respond, Amen!

It is equally difficult to describe the entire mass, except to say it was awesome! I have to confess, I probably didn’t get as much out of this Mass in terms of absorbing the word of God due to the enormity of the entire event. But it is not to say that it was worthless in terms of a mass either. What I did get out of it was a true sense of peace. So that in and of itself was probably a far greater spiritual experience than I have experienced at a normal mass. I hope that makes sense.

Another feat of pure marvel was the accuracy and planning that went into this mass. I never could have fathomed how quickly communion for that shear number of people would be distributed. They managed to offer communion to the entire stadium in approximately 20 minutes!! This was surely God working at his best.

I apologize to you if I wasn’t able to capture the true essence of the experience for you. I will always know that I was blessed to be afforded the opportunity of sharing in this mass with our Holy Father. I thank God every day for that wonderful opportunity.

In Christ,

-Scott

Please Pray for My Son

2008-04-21T07:24:00.001-04:00

Today I would like to make a special prayer request. My 2 ½ year old son is going in for out-patient surgery this morning. He is having tubes put into his ears as well as having his adenoids removed. I ask that you pray for his doctors as well as for him. I pray that the surgery is successful and that he has a speedy recovery. Thank you for all of your prayers.

In Peace,

Scott

In case you thought the press wouldn't be covering our Holy Fathers Visit...

2008-04-15T07:59:00.009-04:00

Below is a listing of some of the national coverage of Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the United States. This information has been reprinted with the permission of the CBS Evening News.

CBS NEWS PLANS COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE OF POPE BENEDICT XVI'S VISIT TO THE U.S., INCLUDING LIVE COVERAGE OF HIS WHITE HOUSE ARRIVAL, AND REPORTS ON THE "CBS EVENING NEWS WITH KATIE COUIC" AND "THE EARLY SHOW" THROUGHOUT THE WEEK

CBSNews.com and CBS Radio News to Carry Live Coverage of the Pope's Public Events, From Arrival to Departure
CBS News will offer comprehensive coverage of Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the United States from his arrival in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday (15), through his departure from New York City on Sunday (20). CBS News' coverage will include carrying the Pontiff's arrival at the White House on Wednesday (16) live, along with reports on the CBS EVENING NEWS WITH KATIE COURIC (6:30-7:00 PM, ET/PT) and THE EARLY SHOW (7:00-9:00 AM, ET/PT). CBSNews.com and CBS Radio News will add to the coverage, providing live reports on public events during the Pope's trip.National Correspondent Byron Pitts will travel with the Pope through the duration of his U.S. visit and will report for the CBS EVENING NEWS on the state of the Catholic Church, the Pope's role in U.S. politics, religious tolerance and any breaking news regarding the Pontiff's daily activities. Tonight, Correspondent Bob Orr will report on preparations by U.S. law enforcement and Secret Service to protect the Pope as he moves throughout the Northeast, often in large open venues.

Coverage on THE EARLY SHOW will include live reports and live West Coast updates of many of the historic events taking place during the Pope's visit. On Tuesday (15), correspondent Jeff Glor will be live from Andrews Air Force Base awaiting the arrival of Pope Benedict. On Wednesday (16), co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez will be live at the White House to cover the Pope's arrival ceremony with President Bush live for the West coast. On Thursday (17), Rodriguez will co-anchor from Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., before the Pope celebrates Mass there later in the day. Glor and Rodriguez will continue to cover the Pope's arrival in New York City for THE EARLY SHOW on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.CBSNews.com will provide live Webcast coverage of all public events during the Pope's visit and an online library of on-demand video clips from the trip and from Benedict's papacy as a whole. The site will also have a number of interactive elements, including a timeline of the Pope's itinerary in the U.S. and his life in pictures, his thoughts on major world issues and a timeline of milestones in his life, which can be viewed here: Pope Benedict in America <http://www.cbsnews.com/elements/2008/04/11/in_depth_us/interactivehomemenu4009079.shtml>.CBS Radio News will provide reports on the Papal trip, including those from National Correspondent Dan Raviv, White House Correspondent Peter Maer and Correspondents Cami McCormick and Steve Kathan. CBS News Radio plans to air live coverage and special reports of the major public events in the Pope's schedule.Coverage of Pope Benedict's arrival began with a SUNDAY MORNING piece on April 13 by Martha Teichner exploring how many U.S. citizens know who he is and how everyone from children to adults are preparing for the Pontiff's arrival, which can be seen here: Who Is Benedict XVI? < http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=4012054n>.

Hail Mary, Full of Grace. Part 1

2008-04-11T12:41:00.001-04:00

Prior to my Catholic conversion I often wondered about the Catholic fascination with the Virgin Mary. I never questioned her role in our salvation but I seemed to think she was held in a higher regard than was necessary.

It wasn’t until I attended a mass a few years ago (pre conversion) while vacationing in Myrtle Beach that I began to understand and to accept the adoration of our Blessed Mother. The priest presiding over the mass dedicated his homily to Mary. He recounted a story about a time when he had visited a home of a protestant family. Following some idle banter the conversation turned to Mary. One of the hosts asked the priest why the Catholic Church held Mary in such high regard. They wondered why the church as a whole had so many statues and pictures of the Virgin Mother. Before he answered their questions the priest took an inventory of the room, then he began to answer their question with a few questions of his own. He asked who the woman in the picture on the mantle was. To which they answered that is my mother. And the woman in that picture over there? That is my grandmother came the answer.

It was after his questions that the priest began to answer their questions about Mary. He said to them just as you honor you mother and grandmother, so should we honor the mother of the Lord. He continued to explain that the church was not holding Mary in a higher regard than Jesus but rather the church honors her for being the handmaid of the Lord. She was the instrument through which God gave the world our greatest gift. It is only right that we should honor her. This struck a cord with me as a protestant. Although I didn’t realize it at the time, I now believe this was a defining moment in my eventual conversion.

In Christ,

Scott

Sign Up Today....Free Training! (NOT!)

2008-04-10T10:39:00.002-04:00

I was recently asked the following question: Proselytism, what is the objective and strategy of it all? This is a very interesting question. In order to answer it we first must look at the Bible. The Bible uses the word proselyte to describe the conversion of one over to the Jewish faith. The connotation in the Bible is not negative in its foundation. Today however, the word is used with negative undertones meaning to convert a person’s point of view from one to another. Today this word is used interchangeably between the two descriptions I just proposed.

Since I don’t know the person who asked this question and for the purpose of this discussion, I am going to assume the overtone of the question was of negative origin. This question leads us to the process of conversion. Conversion as described by the Webster’s Dictionary is “a spiritual enlightenment causing a person to lead a new life.” But to be converted one would need to be a willing participant.

My personal belief at least in my experience with the Catholic Church is that proselytism (in the negative sense) doesn’t exist. My conversion was a personal decision that I came to on my own. I was never solicited, polled, recruited, questioned, or sought after by the church. On the contrary, I solicited, polled, recruited, questioned, and sought out the Catholic Church. I am also not naïve to the fact that other religions and even other denominations of Christianity openly use the proselyte doctrine as part of their church’s foundation. But this simply isn’t the fact with the Roman Catholic Church.

Was this question asked of me because I have chosen to write about my beliefs in a public forum? Most likely yes. But affirming ones faith by sharing it with other likeminded individuals is a far cry from proselytism. I openly invite anyone from any religious background to join in on the conversations posted in this Blog; without fear of demoralization. It doesn’t mean I will agree with what is said, but it won’t be my objective to evangelize these individuals either. Nor do I expect to be converted over to another’s viewpoints. This brings me back to my point about being a willing participant in order to convert. We all know our society consists of some individuals who are easily persuaded. I would assume they are ripe for the picking by the proselytism sect. For the rest of us however it is a matter of religious study and most important of all; FAITH.

Proclaiming the good news of God is a privilege and a personal right. By doing so one should never imply that there is a hidden agenda behind it. If there are those among us who have not heard the words of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ I welcome them to open their ears to hear his saving grace. But there won’t be any sign-up sheets, or questionnaires on the way out the door. It is a personal decision to decide if the word of God is speaking to you. After all he did give each of us free-will. All are welcome, but there are no strings attached.

God Bless,

Scott

The Pope is coming! The Pope is Coming!

2008-04-09T14:53:00.002-04:00

As you all know by now, Pope Benedict XVI is coming to the United States next week. He will make stops in Washington, DC and New York City. He will be presiding over two public masses; the first at Nationals Park in DC on April 17th and then at Yankee Stadium on April 20th. It is a time to reflect on our Holy Father’s visit to our country. I ask that we all pray for his safe travel to the United States and too that the Holy Spirit guides him and assists him in delivering his message of peace to us all.

I am one of the fortunate few (1 of 80,000 or so between the two masses) who has been graced with a ticket to attend the mass here in DC. I am overwhelmed with this great privilege of the opportunity to share in this wonderful experience with our Holy Father. I have never been so excited about attending a mass in my entire life. This will certainly be a once in a lifetime opportunity for me. I am proud to say that my faith in Jesus Christ has never been stronger than it is today. I couldn’t think of a better time in my own life to be ready to hear the word of the Lord from one of his chosen Apostles.

In a future posting (following the mass), I will write about my entire experience. I hope and pray that all of you will be able to participate in this most Holy of events. Even if you are unable to attend one of the masses in person, I hope that you are able to witness at least one of these events on one of the national broadcasts. It is not often that we can participate in the teachings of one of Jesus’ Apostles.

“Go in Peace, Serve the Lord.”

“Thanks be to God.”

Thanks be to God indeed!!!

In Christ,

Scott

To Pray or Not to Pray......Is that a Question?

2008-04-08T13:54:00.001-04:00

We should pray to God each and every day. But do we do it? I could sit here all high and mighty behind my keyboard and tell you that when I’m not blogging, I’m praying. But if I did so, I’d be lying and I’d have to add it to my list of venial sins. What’s that, you don’t keep a venial sin list? Tsk, tsk. Aw heck, who am I kidding, I don’t either. You just knocked me off of my trusty steed High & Mighty again.

I must say that when I am at church, I am the quintessential praying Catholic. I bear down hard and pray my heart out. It is not so much that I keep a running tally of things to pray for at mass, quite on the contrary. The things I need to pray for seem to manifest themselves at the moment I kneel down before Jesus. So is it that I have nothing to pray for outside of mass. Not on your life. It’s just that I haven’t disciplined myself enough to ask for God’s grace on a daily basis, at least not in a formal sense. Which leads me to another question? Does prayer need to be formal in order for it to count? I can say that I pray with my children every night at bedtime, but that particular prayer is more for them than it is for me. This is not to say that I don’t get anything out of it. But rather I am not spending any alone time with God. It is easy enough to talk to God without getting on your knees or bowing your head in silence. So if I am at peace with myself and I strike up a conversation with God does that mean I am truly praying? I may be doing better than I think I am.

I am quite good at listening to God. What I mean is that I do make time in my day to read the daily readings. I used to think of reading the word of God more as a form of education rather than listening to God. It wasn’t until my first confession when the priest asked me if I took time to listen to God. I wasn’t quite sure what he meant by this. Then he asked me if I read the word of the Lord. Like a smack in the face I came to realize that I did indeed listen to God. The priest was happy to hear that I read the daily readings and he added that too many people spend too much of their time with God doing all of the talking. He said that they don’t spend enough time listening. So I ask you this question. If I am a better listener than I am a speaker, am I still praying to God?

Holy do-over Batman!!

2008-04-07T14:22:00.002-04:00

As a Lutheran I was taught that you should personally confess your sins to God. We believed that our sins were between us and God alone. During the process of becoming a Catholic I was quite concerned about my first confession. I wasn’t prepared to accept the priest as an instrument of God. This fact made me worry about the process of verbalizing my transgressions against God to another human being. What would I say? How would I say it? I’m 35 years old, that’s a lot of confessing, how much time do you have Father?

Since my first confession I have come to realize what a blessing the Sacrament of Reconciliation is. Through my life I found that self confession went something like this:

Example: Taking the Lord’s Name in Vain.

(Editors note: I know none of you have ever taken the Lord’s name in vain; this example is for demonstration purposes only!)

1st Offense: Dear Lord, I have forsaken you. I have inexcusably taken your name in vain. I cursed your name when I was angry at another individual who had trespassed against me. Forgive me Father for I know that I was in the wrong. Please heal me of my ill will and help me to never curse your name again.

2nd Offense: Forgive me Father for I cursed your name. I will try not to do so in the future.

3rd Offense: Forgive me Father.

4th Offense: Forgive me.

5th Offense: (No request for forgiveness is requested)

I have found that although I am the sole proprietor of my sins, I did not own up to my end of the bargain when requesting forgiveness for my transgressions against God. I have since discovered through my first experience of confession a complete lightening of the pressure on my soul. Confession is like a Holy Do-over button. All of your sins have been wiped clean and you are able to start anew. Confession is not a fun process, so there is not a feeling of freedom to go out into the world to sin again knowing that all will be forgiven in the future. But Reconciliation is such a wonderful sacrament, because it forces you to look deep within yourself and to take a self assessment of the wrongs you have committed against the Lord. It also requires you to be sorrowful of and to feel a true sense of regret for your actions.

Let's Let God be the Judge

2008-04-04T11:21:00.003-04:00

Over the past few days I have heard a reoccurring theme in some of the Catholic Podcasts I listen to on a regular basis. This theme surrounds Non-Catholics receiving the Body and Blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ during a Catholic Mass. In most of the stories that people have shared on these programs it is not ignorance that leads these individuals to receive the Holy Eucharist. But rather the individuals in these recounted incidents are being defiant of the teachings of the Catholic Church.

The first time I went to a Catholic mass with my girlfriend who later became my wife (pre conversion) I accepted the Holy Eucharist. But I did so because I was uneducated on the teachings of the Catholic Church. My faithful upbringing was performed in the Lutheran Church. The Lutheran Church recognizes all baptized Christians as followers of Jesus and therefore allows all baptized Christians to receive Communion. After that first mass my future wife explained to me that I should not accept the Holy Eucharist unless I was Catholic. Although I didn’t fully understand the significance of why I shouldn’t receive, I honored the churches belief and never received the Eucharist again until I became a Catholic. This was a sign of respect that I personally chose to follow. I decided I would not be one who would desecrate the teachings of the Catholic Church as a matter of principal. If the churches teachings stated that there are certain requirements for receiving the Eucharist, then I was going to follow these requirements. Not to mention the fact that I probably wouldn’t be married to my wife if I had so chosen to be defiant.

Now that I am an official Catholic, I will give you my new found take on Non-Catholics receiving the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. Quite bluntly, it doesn’t bother me. We all know that it wouldn’t be all too difficult for a person from another denomination to covertly accept the Holy Eucharist without our knowing. I would assume that there are a lot of people who do so. The next time you are at mass take a look around you. I’d be willing to bet that there is a non-Catholic individual in the group who will receive the Eucharist at that very mass. In many cases the only one who will know this is God.

If Jesus has taught me anything, he has taught me not to judge others and that everyone’s judgment will come before God. Please don’t misinterpret this statement and assume that I am an expert at this, but I try to achieve this goal in the actions of my daily life. So if we are taught not to judge others it must be for better or worse. We can’t pick and chose what we would like to judge about another person.

Another point I would like to make is that Jesus is for everyone! Jesus isn’t just for the Catholics or the Lutherans, or the Church of Latter Day Saints, etc. He is for everyone, so who are we to take Jesus away from another member of mankind?

I want to make it perfectly clear that I truly believe the Holy Eucharist is indeed the body and blood of Jesus Christ. I also believe it is the right of the Catholic Church to prescribe to its set of guidelines for who should and shouldn’t receive the Eucharist in the Catholic Church. I also think we as Catholics have a right to tell someone from another denomination or faith that they shouldn’t accept the Eucharist if they are not a member of the Roman Catholic Church, but that it where it ends for me. If someone chooses to accept the Eucharist with full knowledge of its value to the Catholic Church, then so be it. At that point my conscience is clear, and I look forward in great hope to receive my judgment from God. But during my time here on Earth, I will continue to suppress my desires to judge others. Won’t you join me?

It’s Sometimes Hard to Be a Good Christian

2008-04-02T09:32:00.002-04:00

I was stopped at a traffic light yesterday; I was in the third lane from the left. The two left lanes were turn only lanes. And although the left hand turn was my desired destination the traffic in those two lanes was backed-up for quite some distance. So I decided to stay in the main lane until I passed through the light. Once I got through the light it was my intention to make a U-turn, followed by a right hand turn, which would’ve put me back on track to my desired course in less time. Of course I could have gotten into one of the turn only lanes in the first place and patiently waited my turn through four or five light cycles, but what kind of option is that?

In any case when the light turned green and traffic proceeded forward, a car in the turn lane next to me left approximately a two car length opening between him and the car in front of him. What luck I thought. Now there was no need to test my cars steering radius or waste precious rubber on my tires from a pointless U-turn. So instead of continuing straight ahead I eased my car into the opening and made the left turn. Now at this point I am sure you are wondering why I am describing my turn by turn exploits of my evening commute. If this were the end of the story I would completely agree with you.

Quite frankly I thought it was the end of the story. Anyhow, I continued down the road for awhile not giving it another thought. And why should I have? It wasn’t a reckless move; I had more than enough room to ease in between the two cars. So one would think no harm no foul, right?

Apparently my move was so spectacular that it was of the Mario Andrettiesque variety. An older woman in the lane to my left pulled up beside me and tried to get my attention. Being that it was a nice spring day, I had my window rolled all the way down. When I noticed her she yelled to me “nice move!” She finished her comment off with a single finger salute to which I responded with a wide smile and a wave.

Now you might think that my immediate reaction was well intentioned and in line with our Christian values. A happy smile and a polite wave for the compliment just bestowed upon me. If that is what you are thinking than I believe you’d be correct. It wasn’t my immediate response that concerns me. It was the potential confession worthy thoughts I had as I continued on down the road that have me worried.

It is hard to be a good Christian sometimes. Before my conversion I wouldn’t have given my ill-fated thoughts any consideration. It is now that I am sincerely trying to live my life as God would want me to live it that I find it to be ever more difficult. I am not complaining mind you, I am just expressing my trials and tribulations. I guess I should just chalk it up to a lesson in humility. I must continue to strive to be a better Christian in all of my thoughts and deeds. If any of you out there have some advice on the subject, my ears are open.

God Bless,

-Scott

Come again?

2008-04-01T12:25:00.002-04:00

I am continually amazed by the teachings of Jesus. He tried his best to clearly explain his message to the group or individuals he was speaking to. Yet time and time again his lessons were questioned. “How can this be, Lord?” I have to laugh each time I read an account of Jesus’ teachings. Each time someone asks him why, or how, or what do you mean by that? I am reminded of the classic phrase from Arnold Jackson in the 70’s sitcom, Different Strokes. If you don’t intuitively know the phrase to which I am referring, grant me this opportunity to put it into context with today’s Gospel reading from John 3:7b-15.

Jesus said to Nicodemus: “You must be born from above.’ The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus answered and said to him, Whatchu talkin’ ‘bout Willis?”

Now you catch my drift don’t you? There is a major difference between our own interactions with Christ and those of the people who interacted with him firsthand. We have the benefit of being able to dissect Jesus’ teachings and to analyze to the nth degree the point he was trying to get across. Another thing to remember is that Jesus interacted with a large cross section of people, many of whom where not highly educated individuals. Although I consider myself to be a somewhat intelligent person, even I struggle at times to grasp the true meaning of Jesus’ teachings. Fortunately for me I have a wealth of reference materials at my disposal to help me to discern the significance of his words.

Let’s go back to Jesus’ first statement “You must be born from above………so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Here he is referring to our baptisms where we are truly born from above. He is also alluding to the point when we all receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. As humans we are not truly aware of how the Holy Spirit enters our hearts, minds and souls, but we know it is within us all. Jesus describes this by saying “….the wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it goes…..”

Jesus never insulted his listeners, instead he changed the focus of his words and tried to shed new light on the subject by saying it another way. He could have just as easily moved on and begun to teach somebody else. Instead he understood that his words were hard for the human psyche to comprehend and so he proceeded to help his followers by providing them with a greater understanding.

In the case of Nicodemus, Jesus said to him “You are a teacher of Israel and you do not understand this? Amen, amen I say to you, we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen, but you people do not accept our testimony…..” In this Jesus was saying it is not that you do not understand but rather that you do not believe. In other words Jesus was saying “Nicodemus you need to let go and let God. For I am your salvation and only through me will you have eternal life.”

That isn’t so hard to understand now is it?

Doubting Thomas, Doubting Jesus

2008-03-31T07:47:00.003-04:00

The Incredulity of Saint Thomas - Caravaggio (1573-1610)

It isn’t hard to understand that we, as believers should go through some periods of doubt concerning Jesus’ teachings. We were not fortunate enough to live in the time of his teachings. None of us were first hand witnesses to the miracles he performed or to the good word he spread. So are we sinners simply for the fact that at times we question the reality of our Lord and Savior? We are sinners for sure, but I am not certain it is because we challenge our belief system.

How hard is it to believe in Jesus? If we look closely at Sundays Gospel reading (John 20:19-31) which is the story of Thomas. Some of the disciples told Thomas “We have seen the Lord”, yet he was still in doubt. When he heard these words he said to them “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nail marks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” These words come straight from one of the twelve. These are the words of a man who had spent the last three years of his life following Jesus and learning from his teachings. Yet he refused to believe, based on the accounts of the other disciples. He needed to see for himself firsthand that Jesus had indeed risen from the dead.

So how do we believe what we have been told if a personal eyewitness struggles with such beliefs? Obviously we cannot witness the resurrection of Jesus for ourselves. All we have to go on are the accounts of others, in this case from the personal accounts of his twelve disciples. Is this hard for you to do? It depends on where you are in your life. For some of you today might be one of those days where your beliefs are strong. But for others of you today might be a bad day; one in which you have turned away from God. We all have these days and need to continually remind ourselves of God’s love for each and every one of us. This is where true faith comes in. Our faith is constantly tested. We test our own faith without the intersession of outside forces. When bad things happen to us we question our belief in God. When good things happen in our lives, we await the bad to follow. These thoughts and feelings are compounded when we read about or listen to people with differing view points on Jesus and God. As I mentioned in my last post, it is important that we understand why we believe what we believe. It is all the more reason why we should explore our faith and continually strengthen it by reading all we can about our religion. There are many historical references we can use to do just this. By understanding our faith completely we will limit the number of times when our faith is challenged. The more we know the more we grow.

It is important to believe not because we think it is the right thing to do but rather to believe because we know it is the right thing. Your God given freewill allows that your faith can waiver. Now is the time to use your freewill to gain a greater understanding. Jesus’ disciples have presented to you the stories of his life. Take this time to expand upon these stories and constantly strengthen you beliefs. Your faith is like a muscle, if you don’t exercise it it will begin to atrophy. But the more you exercise your faith, the stronger it will become and the closer you will be to God.

Amen.

-Scott

Broadening Your Belief System

2008-03-28T08:01:00.003-04:00

Why do you believe in God? When were you saved by Jesus? What is the foundation for your beliefs? These are some of the questions you may have been asked by skeptics in the past. There are thousands of others but you get my point. So now I will ask you, why do you believe in God? I want you to think about this for a moment before you answer. Is it because you were nurtured into the belief in God by your parents? Is it because if it’s in the Bible it must be so? Or is it because you can feel the Holy Spirit working through you?

Did you answer yes to any of these questions, or is there another reason for your beliefs? If your sole answer is yes to one or more of these questions then I challenge you to explore your faith in a deeper sense. Before I go headlong into my dissertation on this subject please don’t misinterpret my rationale. There is nothing wrong with believing just because. I know that the Holy Spirit is working through me right now in the writing of this entry. Bear with me as I get to my point.

I am not a Christian recruiter. Heck Catholicism alone has nearly 1.5 billion members worldwide, so how effective would I be in the first place? My point here is simple why wouldn’t you want to know more about your faith? The Catholic Church through the teachings of Jesus asks that we be good Christians every day of our lives. This means that going to mass on Sunday just isn’t enough. We need to search our souls and ask ourselves, what would Jesus do? So, what exactly would Jesus do? In order to find out we need to know everything there is to know about our religion. So how do we go about doing this? Reading the Bible on a regular basis is a good start. But is that all there is to it? The simple answer is no. Now I know most of you are thinking of course that isn’t all we need to do Scott. We need to attend mass regularly, we need to pray, we should always give alms when we are able, we should fully participate in the sacraments and we should devote our time and our talents to the ministry of the church through it’s many outreach programs. That too a good start. But it is just that, a start. What I am alluding to is a deeper understanding of our beliefs and why we do what we do.

There are hundreds of great books on the market today which enable us to garner a deeper understanding of our belief system. I encourage all of you to explore these texts and to absorb their knowledge. (in future blogs I will reveal to you some of my favorites) It is healthy to explore your faith. Quite frankly I think it is a necessity to gain as much knowledge about your faith as you possibly can. You wouldn’t buy a car without taking it out for a test drive would you? So why wouldn’t you test drive your faith? What do you have to lose? Again I am not here to sell anyone religion. Don’t fear I won’t be knocking on your door to proclaim glory of Christianity. My point is this, nothing but good can come from taking the time to evaluate and strengthen your faith. You don’t have to justify your belief in God to anyone. But wouldn’t it be nice to have a litany of answers for the next person who asks you “why do you believe in God?” Rather than answering, “just because.”

Peace be with you,

-Scott