1Cor12
1 If I must glory (it is not expedient indeed), but I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ above fourteen years ago (whether in the body, I know not, or out of the body, I know not; God knoweth), such a one caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I know such a man (whether in the body, or out of the body, I know not: God knoweth), 4 That he was caught up into paradise, and heard secret words, which it is not granted to man to utter. 5 For such an one I will glory; but for myself I will glory nothing, but in my infirmities.6 For though I should have a mind to glory, I shall not be foolish; for I will say the truth. But I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth in me, or any thing he heareth from me. 7 And lest the greatness of the revelations should exalt me, there was given me a sting of my flesh, an angel of Satan, to buffet me. 8 For which thing thrice I besought the Lord, that it might depart from me. 9 And he said to me: My grace is sufficient for thee; for power is made perfect in infirmity. Gladly therefore will I glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10 For which cause I please myself in my infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ. For when I am weak, then am I powerful.
All glory belongs to God. That's hard, because we all want praise. In fact, some of us are desperately needy for praise. ;) Still, if at some level we can recognize that we have nothing but for God, perhaps there is a beginning of humilty.
*** *** ***
This was the first reading at Mass today.
Ez 47:1-2, 8-9, 12The angel brought me
back to the entrance of the temple,
and I saw water flowing out
from beneath the threshold of the temple toward the east,
for the façade of the temple was toward the east;
the water flowed down from the southern side of the temple,
south of the altar.
He led me outside by the north gate,
and around to the outer gate facing the east,
where I saw water trickling from the southern side.
He said to me,
"This water flows into the eastern district down upon the Arabah,
and empties into the sea, the salt waters, which it makes fresh.
Wherever the river flows,
every sort of living creature that can multiply shall live,
and there shall be abundant fish,
for wherever this water comes the sea shall be made fresh.
Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of every kind shall grow;
their leaves shall not fade, nor their fruit fail.
Every month they shall bear fresh fruit,
for they shall be watered by the flow from the sanctuary.
Their fruit shall serve for food, and their leaves for medicine."
"You hit me," I said as he got out of his car. I was secretly thankful he was not a huge goon. We inspected my car, but we couldn't find anything. We then went to his car and couldn't find anything. I felt small. I felt like a jerk. I apologized. It was after we shook hands, that I realized that I was really pumped up from adrenaline.
As I drove to the Birthright office, I thought it over. I was so sure he had clipped me. I was wondering if I was imagining things. When I finally got to the parking lot of the building where the Birthright office is, I finally had some decent light to see stuff. I noticed that he had shaved off a sliver of metal from my rear wheel well. Boy, I felt so relieved; I wasn't imagining things.
Sometimes you just have to laugh at yourself.
I wonder what I'll find in the full light of tomorrow. ;)
Job 1:21,2:10
Naked I came forth from my mother's womb,
and naked I shall go back again
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;
blessed be the name of the Lord!
We accept good things from God;
and should we not accept evil?
Living in a country which has a huge emphasis on rights tends to foster a sense of entitlement. How many times to we pray and expect God to grant our wishes or eliminate our suffering? Don't get me wrong, we should pray for our needs and the needs of others, but it's the sense of entitlement that I'm arguing against. It's that attitude that suggests the God owes something to us.
But that's exactly backwards. We are so poor, that God sent his only Son as a ransom against our slavery. We couldn't pay that debt. We could never pay that debt. We owe something to God.
From today's Gospel reading (Lk 14:25-33)
Great crowds were traveling with Jesus,
and he turned and addressed them,
"If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother,
wife and children, brothers and sisters,
and even his own life,
he cannot be my disciple.
Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me
cannot be my disciple.
Which of you wishing to construct a tower
does not first sit down and calculate the cost
to see if there is enough for its completion?
Otherwise, after laying the foundation
and finding himself unable to finish the work
the onlookers should laugh at him and say,
'This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.'
Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down
and decide whether with ten thousand troops
he can successfully oppose another king
advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops?
But if not, while he is still far away,
he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms.
In the same way,
everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions
cannot be my disciple."
It's not as if the world owes us anything anyways. ;-)
"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few." -- Mt 7:13-14
I love Tolkien's essay "On Fairy Stories" (which is based on a lecture given). It can be found in The Tolkien Reader (I highly recommend the book). It's in here, that one of my favorite quotes intersects with the Gospel:
Children are meant to grow up, and not to become Peter Pans. Not to lose innocence and wonder, but to proceed on the appointed journey: that journey upon which it is certainly not better to travel hopefully than to arrive, though we must travel hopefully if we are to arrive. But it is one of the lessons of fairy-stories (if we can speak of the lessons of things that do not lecture) that on callow, lumpish, and selfish youth peril, sorrow, and the shadow of death can bestow dignity, and even sometimes wisdom.
It is the life of prayer, life lived through prayer, and living life as prayer where the journey becomes a fairy story. If faerie is a supernatural land, then we are well suited as natural and supernatural beings. The travels are full of peril and wonder. And it is sacramental, where the natural points to the supernatural mysteries. Peril and wonder, the wide and narrow road, the choices that we make are all part of growing up, the life lived. We have a journey toward heaven, not an easy road to find or follow, but a road made easier by the Shepherd, a guide in our fairy tale and hoped for happy ending.
Agnus Dei, qui tolis peccata mundi, miserere nobis.
Agnus Dei, qui tolis peccata mundi, miserere nobis.
Agnus Dei, qui tolis peccata mundi, dona nobis pacem.
Abortion is the Ring of Power, the One Ring. The nine rings of torture kneel to it. The seven rings of incontinent sex bow down to it. The three rings of science are enslaved to it.
Destroy the Ring of Power.
Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
Destroy the Ring of Power.
"(But) take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father." -- Mt 6:1
It's hard not to crave the notice of your peers. I guess that betrays a certain lack of trust or faith.
But it requires a lot more trust and faith to believe transubstantiation has occurred during the consecration at Mass. We have to trust the Magisterium of our day and Tradition of ages long ago and a reading of Scripture that says that which our eyes perceive and which our tongues taste is truly the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ. That's faith! And it should teach us something. "Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God." Jn 6:68-69
*** *** ***
"Your Father knows what you need before you ask him." -- Mt 6:8
We can pray, and through prayer we can establish a personal relationship with God. And so Jesus taught us how to pray, "This is how you are to pray: Our Father..." (Mt 6:9)
See...
http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p4s1c1a2.htm
http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p4s2.htm
"Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted." -- Mt 5:4
During the Presentation of baby Jesus at the temple, our blessed mother, Mary, is told by Simeon: "Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted (and you yourself a sword will pierce) so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed." Lk 2:33-34
From Mary's Fiat (i.e. "May it be done to me according to your word" Lk 1:38), we know that Mary accepted the sword that pierced her soul, the crucifixion of her Son, Jesus Christ.
How different this is from Simon Peter's story. He denies Christ three times. And then he is given a chance to state his love of Christ three times. But I sense that our impetuous and impatient (Mt 16:13-23, Lk 9:33, Jn 13:36-38) Peter is not ready to accept his fate. So the Risen Christ tells him, "Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when he had said this, he said to him, "Follow me." (Jn 21:18-19)
Today I went to Our Lady of the Annunciation Melkite Cathedral for Liturgy (i.e. the Eastern Catholic way of saying "going to Mass"). It is during the Annunciation that Mary proclaims her Fiat.
Later this day, I was emcee for Birthright of Hudson-Marlboro's 30th anniversary celebration. People were kind enough to say that I did a good job, but I realize that I need to work on my impatience, that nervous need to get off the stage NOW. I know that once I accepted the moment, and desired that it last as long as it need last, the nervous stage fright left me. Perhaps, next year, if Birthright "hires" me, I will do a better job.
It seems that things are going according to the Lord's plan. Pax vobiscum.