New Years…if I can just make it…

Posted on by Bob

Are you ready! 2012 is beginning. What are your resolutions? To climb the highest mountain…or perhaps to set foot on all 7 continents…or to finally lose that annoying 15 extra pounds (which may appear to be 40lbs to some of you but really it is only 15lbs…trust me.).

I get annoyed with the zany new years parties and resolutions. It is like people mark the new year by pretending to want to improve, but in reality nothing changes. I know that health club memberships increase in January. I wonder what the actual rate of people who use them past January is…

In the past I have subscribed to the insanity myself and have even proclaimed 2012 as the “year of the foot” and am determined to run the St. Jude Half Marathon in December 2012. And yet, throughout this Advent and no Christmas season I have not run, nor completed a workout in preparation for my (deep voice with lots of commitment) Da Da Da DA “Year of the Foot”. So, am I really committed? Or am I too like the rest of humanity, only pretending to want to be better but actually comfortable in my apathy.

A couple of years ago I was telling my spiritual director that I just needed to get through the month and then everything would be okay. Financially, time management, work load, family responsibilities, and everything else was simply overwhelming me and I needed to get this one month over with. He looked at me and said, “explain to me what changes on the 1st day of next month.” I was stumped. My job was still there with lots of work to do. My wife would still need me to care for her and our children would still need a father. My relationship with God would still need time. My house and cars would need maintenance. And the number of hours in the day did not dramatically increase with the emergence of a new month. So…what changed?

This meeting with my spiritual director set in motion a dramatic change of events never before seen in human history, or at least Bob history which is slightly less lengthy but much more enjoyable…at least to me. I changed. I changed my priorities. Ultimately it is this conversation that would lead me to resign from my part-time job as Youth Minister, re-focus my relationship with my wife and children, and place my live in proper order. The reality is everything changed the next month, and yet nothing changed.

What is funny is that I started to write this post to discuss the Catholic New Year being the 1st Sunday of Advent. Apparently, what I really wanted to write about was change. Whether you decide to set a deadline of Jan 1, or the 1st Sunday of Advent, or any other day, the important thing is not what day nor what goal but rather what change do you want.

Recently i went to a management training conference. A high level manager commented that in any personal development plan you have to “own it” for change to occur. I think many times we Christians say we want to be like Christ because that is the right thing to do. But to you really own that goal? Or is it God’s goal for you? Between the two is a great difference. God wants you to join Him for eternity in heaven. God wants you to be a holy and blameless example for others. God wants you to love as He does. But do you? Change only occurs in you if you want it.

This New Years Eve, rather than drink away the last year and celebrate the beginning of another month in which everything changes if we could just make it, let’s own the true reality of our situations and honestly desire change. I will run the half marathon in December 2012 and I want to be held accountable to it. Putting it in writing here is terrifying because I know that my friends will hold me accountable…(that is if my friends actually read this, which is unlikely since they never listen to me anyway….). At least I know my wife will…I hope.

I pray that you make resolutions/goals that keep in mind your reality. Ask God to show you how He sees you, then work toward seeing yourself in the same way. Now there is change to be aspired to. Own yourself, no one else will.

Happy New Year.

T.G.I.F. – maybe not?

Posted on by Bob

This morning on my ride into work I listened to the radio instead of praying my morning rosary.  After a long week, I decided to wait and pray later as an end to the work week. 

The morning show on the station I was listening to was wishing a “TGIF” to all the listeners and then played a song montage to Friday, celebrating the end of the work week.  While listening, I was amazed at the joy in the voices in the song and comments, etc.  People are genuinely happy for Friday to come, as it is the last day before the weekend and they have worked so hard all week they need a break.  Even I find it easier to wake up and come to work on Friday, knowing that I have the next two days to rest (or work less….). 

What’s funny to me is how TGIF came to be.  The term was made popular in the 60’s when T.G.I. Friday’s was established.  And it became even more popular in the late 70’s when the movie T.G.I.F. came out. 

As I arrived at work this morning having listened to the TGIF excitement on the radio, I asked myself a question.  Am I happier to wake up on Friday, because I’m done working for the week; or on Sunday, because it’s the Lord’s day and I get to receive Him and worship Him.

Yes, the TGIF analogy can be a bit corny.  Yes, I do think of stuff like this. 

But ask yourself this.  Is Sunday the best day of your week? 

Does your calendar begin on Monday?  Or Sunday?  Many of us might think Monday starts the week because that is the first day of work, yet if we say that Christ is the center of our lives, shouldn’t His day begin our week?

Does your career/work define your attitude or value in any given week?  How do you measure your worth?  By how much work you accomplished each week?  Or by how well you loved each week?

And lastly, is Church work too?  Do you consider going to Church labor or extra-curricular?  Seems to me if our focus is on serving the Lord, then going to Church on Sunday should be more like coming home to mama’s house, rather than a chore or task we do each week.  Every Sunday should be like Thanksgiving in our hearts.

Yes friends, that’s my corny thought for the day.  Make Sunday your best day this coming week, maybe it will change your perspective.

Standing at the Wall – Habitat for Hope

Posted on by Bob

I just had to post this amazing post from Habitat for Hope written by Mark Horrockse. Mark is the founder and President of Habitat for Hope, a well organized group of volunteers dedicated to caring for those who have come to Memphis with a loved one who is in treatment at St. Jude. At Mass this evening at Villa Vianney with Fr. Murphy during the prayers of the faithful I was struck by this statement in the daily prayer: “That the needs and concerns of others may be ours as well…” Amazing. May God bless those working at Habitat for Hope for being such a great example to the rest of us of making the concerns of others their own. The following is a direct copy from their site located here: http://networkedblogs.com/m1PnX.

I pray you are affected by this as much as I have been. Please visit their site and read about this amazing work they are doing.

And, maybe it is time we all stood at the wall more for others.

God bless…

I was blown away yesterday by something I heard that made me instantly cry. Cry for joy, cry for how unbelievable it was, and cry over my own convictions. Many of you know that Habitat for Hope maintains 2 apartments in downtown Memphis, TN. These apartments are given free of charge to families of children receiving medical treatment in Memphis.

One of our families was moving out this past week and I went down to say goodbye, pray with them and help send them on their way. The dad asked me if I had met the neighbors before. I had seen them, waved, but have never met them. The dad told me that a mother and daughter that lived in the apartment next door. The mom is 94 and the daughter is 72. The dad said that one day he was locked out of his apartment (the doors automatically lock) and he went over to ask to use their phone. As they started talking the daughter mentioned how her mother will go over the wall between the two apartments, put her hand on the wall, and pray for the for the family and sick child next door. And pray for over an hour every night.

We have had these apartments for 5 years and she has done this faithfully every day for years! Picture in your mind…a frail elderly lady taking the time every night to pray for your sick child and family…without you ever event knowing about it.

James 5:15 15 “And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up.”

Thou Shalt Not Judge

Posted on by Bob

Lately there has been a lot of discussion on the issue of ‘gay marriage’. Facebook has been a forum for discussion of this issue and I’ve witnessed many and participated in a couple of conversations on the issue. Below are two issues that frustrate me so I’m writing about them partially to process my own thoughts.

I want to point out that I will not condone nor allow disrespectful dialog on this blog, my Facebook page, or any other forum. Regardless of your opinion (agreement with me, or disagreement) your comments will be deleted if they do not respect others.

So, here we go.

Item 1: Not believing in ‘gay marriage’ or that people are created homosexual means you are judgmental.

This is possibly the most frustrating element of this issue for me. The fact that I believe gay marriage is not in the best interest of society does not make me hateful or judgmental; nor does not believing that humans are created ‘homosexual’ or ‘gay’.

My personal take on this is that society has evolved over time and people no longer understand love and purpose. Society no longer acknowledges our purpose as the human creation to glorify our creator. Rather society places our purpose at the mercy of our individual emotions and desires. There is no longer a commitment to the good of the whole. People are left to simply do what they want, whether it hurts others or not. Granted there are some limits to this such as murder…yet even that is subjective as a woman can choose to kill a child if she desires.

The love element is also important. No I do not believe that ‘gay marriage’ or relationships are solely based on lust rather than love. I do believe however that we as a people do not understand love. Why is it that the mainstream Christian faith does not use Crucifixes and only uses crosses? Society removes Jesus because it does not understand True Love. True Love is about giving everything for another. But we can’t do that can we? Abortion, divorce, infidelity, care for the sick, elderly…care for the poor… All of these are signs that we do not understand true love for one another.

And why can we not understand true love for one another…because we are not willing to accept it from Jesus Christ who gave it all. Put a crucifix on your wall and daily reflect on what it took to accomplish that. The Grace is in the resurrection, the Love is in the death on a cross.

All of this is to make the point that as someone who desires to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ I do not judge anyone regardless of their actions or beliefs. However not judging is not synonymous with acceptance. I do not have to accept or condone someone’s actions. In fact, it is more the opposite than you who disagree with me can know. I love them soo much I desire for them to see who they really are as a creation of the Father with dignity.

Item 2: God created homosexuals

This is a touchy subject for many. Especially those who have a relative proclaimed to be homosexual, because for many this is emotional not theological or scientific. For this to be in proper context, we must understand the purpose for sexuality. God said to Adam and Eve, “be fruitful and multiply and inhabit the earth.” These are the marching orders for humanity. We have been given stewardship of creation, and dominion over other creatures for a purpose. Sexuality is a fundamental part of creation with a specific purpose as ordained by God. Therefore, I cannot as a Christian believe that God created people to be homosexual. Rather I believe that society as explained above has distorted love and as a result that manifests itself in people not receiving the love they need from the proper places (parents, friends, community, etc.).

There is one other element to discuss here. Since society does not understand love, it also does not then understand purpose. Our “vocation” is critical to our person. Vocation isn’t job, career, or activity; rather vocation is part of one’s identity. I believe that those who believe they are homosexual perhaps misunderstand their identity, specifically their vocation.

That in a nutshell is a glance into some of these issues. Yes, you may disagree with me or not like my beliefs and I respect that.

I pray that we find unity in our society and regain our purpose.

God bless you.

Satan’s lie of mediocity and The Saint who called me out of it.

Posted on by Bob

Over the past few years I have slowly, but surely, grown in amazement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This began with my Cursillo brethren and I praying simply the Efficacious Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus (found here). Then I learned a little about the Saint behind this devotion, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque.

The devotion to the Sacred Heart is not simply a novena, nor a consecration, it is a lifestyle, it is an encounter with the Risen Christ, and it is supernatural. The Sacred Heart burns with the fire of Christ’s divine love for us, yet is crowned with a crown of thorns. There is a light shining behind the heart calling us to John 1:5, “the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” And the heart is pierced by a lance-wound, showing the ultimate price it paid for us.

I have always been interested in the lives of the saints. Often I read about a saint, take a tidbit for application, and move on. I have enjoyed reading books about the teachings of saints, the communities they served or founded, etc.

In the case of Margaret Mary, it is different. It is like Jesus has sent her as a sage for my journey. One with wisdom and guidance to continually guide me toward Jesus. And to constantly show up when I am in need of guidance the most.

This past year has been a spiritual struggle. I began to read a book about the Saint and found her life to be amazing. I would jump up and read sections to Sarah, almost in tears because of the things she endured, the events of her life, and often by what she herself wrote or said. Not before has a saint had such an affect. Not before has a saint been so tangible or real to me. I would read about her, feeling almost as though I was the ghost of Christmas past and could sit in the room to watch her life unfold. Yet in the midst of all of this, when the book described her in prayer before Christ, I could not find myself there. I could not take part in that piece of her life. I couldn’t smell or sense it.

The devotion to the Sacred Heart requires a great sacrifice on the part of the person. The fire in the Sacred Heart calls us to perfection, that of purgatory. The saint’s own life is one of a constant purge of self. I am no good at the purge of self. I tend to like me. No, I really like me, and am pretty attached to me. Are you getting the point of me here?

Another part of this devotion is the crown of thorns. O to be a King, one of riches and power; and a complete lacking of this devotion if that be the case. The crown of thorns is one of disgrace and denial by the world. The saint experienced this over and over, being hated by her own sisters until St. Claude affirmed her devotion in his homilies and writings. Not until his death was she truly accepted in her order.

And then there is the piercing of the lance. A heart so loved, pierced by man’s sin and disobedience of God. A meek heart, disgraced by our unwillingness to stand up for our faith in the Eucharist, or our ignorance of the Mass and worship of Him.

While reading her life I desired this devotion more so than I’ve desired anything spiritually aside from the Eucharist. I remember the months leading to my Confirmation and First Eucharist I became so hungry for His love and mercy that it was alive and real. Supernatural.

At the time all of this was welling up inside me, Satan too was planning his attack. You see, a soul cannot hunger for God without the devil hungering for the soul. And being a cunning adversary, he knew when and where to strike. Rather than tempt me to sins he knew I would never allow he attacked subtly. Focusing on the one thing that has plagued the Christian Church and the one thing I disliked most about American Christians. Mediocrity.

Mediocrity is to me, the same as rationalization. I’m good enough, can’t God accept me for who I am. These small sins aren’t that big of a deal, there are people way worse than me. Look at me, I’m a good guy. We even have Churches in the US designed to “take you as you are”.

For months I struggled. My “ardent desire” waffled. My supernatural hope reduced to human hope, failing me slowly but surely.

And then, Jesus and the saint had enough. A few weeks ago a friend came to my house and returned the book on her life to me, reminding me about her, as though through a fog I could see her life calling me forward. Then in the last few days another friend sent me this article http://wau.org/resources/article/re_three_streams_one_love. Yet another encounter with St. Margaret Mary.

Though these simple yet direct encounters, and again picking up the book about her life, I’m now gaining speed; doing some things differently. Mediocrity is the lie. After multiple plays I have white boarded a defense, no an offense to beat Satan’s play (insert great quote about MI having a new coach here). Spring training is over.

Right now in our home we have placed on our mantle a relic of St. Margaret Mary. Dust from her coffin. History tells us that in 1830 when her tomb was opened upon Pope Leo XII pronouncing her Venerable, two instantaneous cures took place. The dust from her coffin having touched those that were healed.

Tonight I begin praying for the intercession of St. Margaret Mary that I am healed of the disease of mediocrity.

Today I begin again praying daily the Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Last week I began a fight to work on the first two Necessary Dispositions for the Devotion to the Sacred Heart. A great horror of sin, and an ardent desire for Jesus Christ.

And I no longer fear the fire. Nor the crown. Nor the piercing. Because the light out shines all, and the darkness cannot overcome it.

I pray you find the courage to overcome mediocrity in your life. It is a lie, and it is too often overlooked by too many, including me. The front lines of this war are every day. The weapon is our own heart, overcome in love by His Sacred Heart.

Sr. Margaret Mary Alacoque, pray for us.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in thee.

Here is more about her if you are interested.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marguerite_Marie_Alacoque
http://www.sanctuaires-paray.com/spip.php?article316

And more on the Sacred Heart of Jesus
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacred_Heart_of_Jesus

Que est Veritas – Part 2

Posted on by Bob

I haven’t written in a while. But something has been on my mind so here ya go.

I have previously written about Pilate’s questioning of Christ in John 18 (Que Est Veritas). My point in that post was that as a people, we are not very good at seeking the Truth. Since this post is about Truth, I’m calling it part 2.

I recently learned that the Japanese language has two words for truth in the context of society. They are Honne and Tatemae.

Honne is the underlying truth, what is real. Often this is hidden from the world or public.

Tatemae is the outward appearance, what we can see.

Tatemae is not always consistent with Honne.

I’ve reflected on this for the past few days. I once heard that achieving Zen is simply matching our insides with our outsides. I think of the movie 28 Days in which Sandra Bullock plays an alcoholic. She is taken to a farm and given the task of lifting a horse’s hind hoof off the ground. The horse is strong and cannot be forced, despite her attempts. Only when she matches her inside with her outside can she accomplish it. The last scene of the movie has her lifting the hoof of a police horse after finding her true self.

How many of us acknowledge that what is inside of us isn’t always pretty? And are willing to show it off anyway? In my life I have struggled with many sins which are well documented in the posts of this blog. And even today, I struggle. Everyday I strive to become more like Christ despite my significant shortcomings. He calls us to do this. Believing in Him obligates us to this.

I struggle significantly with mainstream Christianity in the United States and abroad. I see many attempting to live perfection without trying to achieve it. I also think this is why many Christians believe their sin only affects themselves, rather than the whole Body of Christ. It seems as though the Christian Tatemae is a mask for impurity, brokenness, and shame. Only Christian rock stars and preachers are to display their past shame as a method of conversion. And once they believed in Christ everything was fixed…right?

The Honne is very different isn’t it? How many preachers have fallen due to impurity? How many “good” marriages fail? Simply look at the divorce rate for Christians of 51% which is exactly the same as the national divorce rate of…yes 51% How many leaders’ careers and ministries shattered when the truth about their lives are known? One has only to look at Representative Anthony Weiner for an example. I could write an entire book on the topic of Honne and Tatemae in relation to pornography and impurity.

Rather in this post I want to ask a different question. Does our Honne match our Tatemae? Are we living proof of Truth? Or do we hide a lie deep inside?

Jesus Christ came for the broken, not the proud.
Jesus Christ called sinners, not the perfect.
Jesus Christ died for the poor in spirit, not the rich.

Which God do you worship? The one who is happy with who you are and doesn’t want you to change, because who you appear to be is already good enough? The “Come as you are God”?

Or do you worship Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, who came to raise you to a new life. A life of Grace. A life filled with Him. A life in which our souls are purified daily by His blood. That’s the God I desire to worship with you. This is Our God.

Lately I’ve heard twice the quote ‘God accepts you for who you are but loves you too much to leave you there.’

Tonight as you pray, ask God to show you who you really are. And tomorrow wake and show that person to the world. That’s who we want to see. That’s who you were created to be. That’s the one who will change the world simply by being loved by Him.

God bless you.

“I am valuable becuase I exist”

Posted on by Bob

A friend of mine is very involved in The International Down Syndrome Coalition for Life. I was reading their newly designed website http://www.idscforlife.org/ and was awestruck by a young mans story. Emmanuel Joseph Bishop is a 12 year old boy who has down syndrome. Emmanuel is a “Self Advocate” for the IDSC. Please read his story below:

I Am
I am 13 years old and my great story is being written and my great accomplishments and successes are to come.

I am a self-advocate speaker. I like giving Power Point presentations and answering questions. When I was six years old I read a welcoming statement in three languages at the National Down Syndrome Society Conference in St. Louis. At age 12 I spoke at the 10th World Down Syndrome Congress in Ireland and played a violin recital in front of 900 people at the Plenary Session.

I am a swimmer. I train everyday. I set six Junior Down Syndrome World Records in freestyle, long course:
• 50 meters
• 100 meters
• 200 meters
• 400 meters
• 800 meters
• 1,500 meters

I am a traveler. I have a passport. I have visited:
• Canada
• Mexico
• Honduras
• Ireland
• France

I am a violinist. I started to play when I was six years old. I am on Suzuki Book 3. I am a golfer. I learned to play when I was 8 years old. I like to practice at the driving range. I open golf events with ceremonial drives. I am a polyglot. I am good at learning foreign languages. I speak:
• English
• Spanish
• French
• and I study Latin

I am homeschooled. I know the multiplication tables. I know the Ten Commandments. I know all the presidents of the United States. I study botany and entomology. I am a reader. I learned to sight-read when I was 2 years old. I have a bookcase at home with all my books. I have a library card.

I am a cyclist. I learned to ride a bike when I was 8 years old with Dr. Dick Klein at Lose the Training Wheels bike camp in Chicago. I ride 12 miles with my father in the summer and fall. I am Catholic. I was baptized when I was a baby. I made my First Communion when I was 10 years old. I am an altar server and I am studying for my Confirmation.

I am valuable because I exist. Not because of what I do or what I have done.

I am not a burden to society. My life is worth living with respect and dignity.

I am a self-advocate so that others may understand.

I am a person.

I am Emmanuel Joseph Bishop.

Friends. This is what life is all about. God said “I Am who Am”. We are His creation, always. There is no sometimes, or not this time…God is all in for us 100% of the time. I cannot explain why this young man, and countless others, is born a little different in how they see the world, communicate, and think. I can however be certain that they are beautiful, just like you.

So, why am I posting about this? What’s the point Bob…you ask…

I read this story and my first thought was “I hope that I have the courage to love as this young man’s parents have.” There is another story on the website in which a young lady says she is glad her parents did not abort her! Have you ever had that thought?

As spouses we are expected by God to love unconditionally. Do we?

As parents we are expected by God to love unconditionally. Do we?

As siblings. As friends.

Friends in this young man I see Christ. I see pure Love. And I’ve never met him. And I probably never will. But in reading this story I learned something about me that I needed to hear…and perhaps you do to.

I have value because I am…not because I do.

Lord if we could only learn that our world would be dramatically different. Our marriages would be different. We would be different. And God would be greatly glorified.

Thank you Emmanuel for teaching me how beautiful we are in God. You are in my prayers.

Please become a fan of the IDSC for Life on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/IDSCforLIFE

Also visit their website and learn more about this great organization: http://www.idscforlife.org/p/self-advocates.html

Please take the time to read the stories of the other Self Advocates here: http://www.idscforlife.org/p/self-advocates.html

Cafeteria Catholicism

Posted on by Bob

Today a friend asked me about this topic. I responded and thought perhaps this would make a good post.

What is Cafeteria Catholicism? Amazingly there is even a Wiki page dedicated to this topic! It says: “The term “cafeteria Catholicism” is a pejorative term applied to Catholics who dissent from Roman Catholic doctrinal or moral teaching.” That’s a pretty descriptive definition. In simple terms it means one picks and chooses which teachings they want to adhere to and which they do not. Most often this can be seen in relation to the Church’s teaching on birth control.

Soon to be ‘Blessed’ Pope John Paul II had this to say about this issue in 1987 to the Bishops while visiting the US:

“It is sometimes reported that a large number of Catholics today do not adhere to the teaching of the Catholic Church on a number of questions, notably sexual and conjugal morality, divorce and remarriage. Some are reported as not accepting the clear position on abortion. It has to be noted that there is a tendency on the part of some Catholics to be selective in their adherence to the Church’s moral teaching. It is sometimes claimed that dissent from the Magisterium is totally compatible with being a “good Catholic,” and poses no obstacle to the reception of the Sacraments. This is a grave error that challenges the teaching of the Bishops in the United States and elsewhere.”

There is also example of someone in the bible who chose not to accept everything Jesus offered.

Now someone approached him and said, “Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?” He answered him, “Why do you ask me about the good? There is only One who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” He asked him, “Which ones?” And Jesus replied, ” ‘You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; honor your father and your mother’; and ‘you shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” The young man said to him, “All of these I have observed. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to (the) poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad, for he had many possessions. – MT 19:16-22

The man in this story does many good things. Jesus tells him he lacks in only one thing. Yet this man could not (at this time) conform to Jesus teaching. He chose not to sell his possessions. He “went away sad”.

In today’s world, unfortunately, many Cafeteria Catholics do not go away sad. Rather the choice is to, through pride, state “I know better than the Church”. Really that is the message we send when we choose not to accept Her teachings. As stated previously much of this problem relates to teachings such as birth control.

I once met a man who told me he agreed with Humane Vitae right up to the end, but didn’t agree with the conclusion. Huh? How can you do that? Or rather, under whose authority? Jesus entrusted the teaching of His Church (faithful) to the Apostles and throughout the ages they have defended the faith and beautifully (well not so beautifully at times) instructed the hearts of Men. Through the Holy Spirit the Church is guided to Truth….. And you don’t agree with the conclusion? I simply don’t get it. Actually, I think he was the one who didn’t get it. ?

Cafeteria Catholics can be likened to church hoppers in the non-Catholic Christian arena. Those in this category attend church somewhere they are comfortable until the Pastor says something they don’t like or are challenged by and then in order to avoid the challenge, they hop to another church where the message is less challenging. So, we now have a phenomenon of watered-down-Gospel churches who teach a mere acceptance version of the Gospel. Don’t get me wrong, we in the Catholic Church have a lot to learn with regard to welcoming people, however watering down the Gospel isn’t the answer either.

In the end Cafeteria Catholicism is a consequence of the sin of pride. If we find ourselves challenged by a moral teaching of the Church, I hope and pray we have the courage to discern why we cannot accept it rather than to dismiss it as being wrong. The Holy Spirit will not allow the Church to fail; the Victory is already won in Heaven by Christ!

If you are reading this and think I’m wrong, that you do have the right to dismiss a teaching if it doesn’t suit you…well…let me ask you this: Why are you a Roman Catholic? (or whatever Church you belong to)

It’s like this. If you want to be a runner and call yourself a runner, then you have to run right? You have to train and become a runner. If you call yourself a runner and are actually a lazy-couch ridden-tv addict…then you aren’t a runner. The same is true here. If you call yourself a Roman Catholic then you HAVE to believe in certain things…because if you don’t then by extension you are not a Roman Catholic. Here is a simple, incomplete, and short list of some key beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church:

- The Eucharist is the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ. We receive Him in Mass.
- One must attend Mass weekly
- Sex is reserved for the marital relationship only.
- Birth control restricts the marital act and is not in keeping with God’s law (moral)
- All life is created by God and therefore has dignity
- Abortion is illicit under any circumstance. Even one which affects the life/death of the pregnant mother.
- Mary is the Mother of God and was without sin (Immaculate)

These are few of the Truth’s taught by the Roman Catholic Church.

We should be asking ourselves often: Am I in Communion with the Church? This does not only relate to sin, but to our beliefs. If we find that believing in a teaching is hard, then we have an obligation to learn more about it and conform our hearts.

“Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever.” These things he said while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. Then many of his disciples who were listening said, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?” – John 6:53-60

This saying is hard. Isn’t that the truth? For centuries we have been attacked for this belief and for centuries it has been hard to believe it. Yet we are called to believe and to accept Jesus in the Eucharist. Many have left the Church because they could not, rather would not, accept this teaching. Or the teaching on birth control, or the teaching on Abortion, or marriage, or homosexuality, or this or that. These are not arbitrary thoughts in the minds of some old guy in Rome. These are part of the beauty of the Catholic Church’s teachings. These are part of the beauty of revelation. These are the beauty of Creation.

My prayer is that we can continue to conform ourselves to the whole Gospel…not just the easy parts. I pray we accept the Resurrection AND the Cross.

Obedience – It’s one way to Him.

Posted on by Bob

Recently I’ve been reading a book on the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This devotion took hold in the late 17th Century following the death of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque.

Reading her life has been an unbelievable experience. Her life has been almost painful for me to read because she displays constantly two traits of which I struggle. Humility and obedience. In her life she sought to be cast out from society, undesired, and forgotten. She also sought for complete submission to Jesus Christ and to her superiors.

One small example: She was completing a penance, some sort of prayers, and she was liking the prayers. She thought perhaps she might continue the practice. As she ponders this Jesus says to her, “What you have just done was for me, what you are about to do is for the Devil.”

Are you kidding me!!!!

Jesus tells her that he desires 1 act of obedience more than anything chosen of her own desires.

I think it bears repeating… Are you kidding me!!!!

She died in 1690, and when the opened her tomb two miracle healings occurred immediately. They also discovered she was incorruptible. Her body is on display in the church where the apparitions of Jesus revealing His Sacred Heart to her took place.

After reading her life I have come to a conclusion.

I suck at obedience. I’m the last to obey. This has been an asset in times of trouble when some not so great friends have attempted to direct me to things that would prove disastrous. However, this has caused me great troubles in spirituality at times. Particularly in relationship with Our Lady. The more I submit to Christ, the more I understand and desire a relationship with Mary; since she has one desire only, that of leading me to her Son, how can we resist her guidance?

The truth is that in order to be fully in communion with Our Lord we must be obedient to a few things. I need to point out that these are purely my opine and not some Church teaching I found.

First we need to be obedient to the Will of God for our lives. This is our Vocation, what we were created to become. It is the Macro experience of God in our lives. Only in honoring this reality of our created identity will we fully know the joy we have in Christ. If we are living a lie then there can be no Truth.

Second, we need to be obedient to the Spirit daily. This is the micro experience of God in our lives. Everyday we are presented with opportunities for Grace. We must respond to these opportunities and soak up His Grace as much as possible. The more we respond, the more we can receive, the more like Him we become.

Third, we need to be obedient to those Christ puts in our path to form us. We are the Church. We are His people. He works through and in us. If we believe that we are called to do God’s work and form others, then we must also accept that others are called to the same in forming us. I have, I think, failed to capitalize on this like I should. Often I am looking for opportunities to share faith and to form others. Have I missed opportunities where I should have been listening more than talking? Have I written someone else off, when I should have heeded their message for profit in the Spirit?

Funny how I have noticed this deficiency in others at times, and pointed it out occasionally; yet it took reading about a saint in the late 1600’s for me to get it about myself.

I have committed to being more obedient to the three items listed above, with particular attention to my greatest fault… listening to others sent by God to form me. This is, and can be, my wife, my children, spiritual director, close friends, others in leadership, etc.

I made this commitment in my professional life about 4 years ago and it has transformed my career from questionable to exciting and fulfilling. I can only imagine if the change to such a mortal element was this drastic, what is in store for me with the supernatural element?

If you too struggle with submitting yourself to the spiritual authority of those around you, as they are sent by God to guide you, I suggest you pray the Rosary. Particularly the Sorrowful Mysteries… The Visitation and the Presentation have been key in helping me discover what God is teaching me through this Saint.

That’s it, not big close on this post. No big message; just a simple encouragement to listen to others more. The Body of Christ is alive in His Spirit and we are all a part.

“Political Catholics”

Posted on by Bob

Lately it seems I’ve come across a couple of folks who fit the title of this post.  These folks have a distorted view of Catholicism and how we are called to act with regard to issues such as abortion, war, prayer in schools, etc.  The line between Catholic and Politician is blurred and they see their role as “fixing” the world rather than “loving” as God intends.

Let me clarify this post by saying (1) I am a pro-life Catholic who tries to live the teachings of the Church fully and (2) I am a very conservative voter and I do not associate with any political party or movement (3) and lastly that I am a gun owner who wouldn’t think for one second about shooting a home intruder to defend my family.

Recall that recently I wrote about the desire to seek justice and the desire to love.  These two desires are not congruent with one another.  Love is an action, or choice, which is wholly separate from justice because love is our action and justice belongs entirely to God.  This idea is fundamental to understanding my stance on political Catholics. 

The Political Catholic is a breed of Catholic who sees their ministry/passion solely as accomplishing things such as the reversal of Roe v. Wade, or the removal of guns from society, or the reinstatement of prayer in schools.  These “political” issues are, while very important, not elements of the Catholic faith.  As Catholics we are called to be pro-life, pro-prayer, and while the 5th Commandment tells us not to kill there are no real Catholic teachings on gun ownership. 

See the problem with the Political Catholic isn’t their passion, and often times their theology isn’t faulty.  Rather it is the method of carrying out their agenda, their “mission”, which causes grave concern.  Political Catholics place the advancement of their agenda above the dignity and love of others and often are unwilling to accept any lower result than the perfect one.  This not only turns off others and alienates the Political Catholic, it alienates those that might more tact and Grace to hear the Gospel. 

An example, and an easy one at that, is quote “Pro-Life Catholics” who are overtly passionate about the issue of Abortion.  Abortion is wrong and it IS murder of the innocent.  Roe v. Wade is the most destructive law on the books in the U.S. Government and we lose millions each year because of this lie. 

The problems with the Political Catholic approach to this issue are three fold:

-          First these folks have a distorted view of the Pro-Life movement and they hijack it solely for the issue of abortion.  I am constantly amazed at those that proclaim to be pro-life and yet forget the elderly, sick, abandoned, hungry, homeless….  And don’t get me started on pro-life people who are devoid of love for those among us with disease, physical ailment, or mental ailment such as Downs or another (note that I didn’t say disease or dysfunction, these beautiful people often love better than any of us can ever hope too; would you call that dysfunction?)

-          Second, these folks place the reversal of Roe v. Wade as the number one priority of the pro-life movement.  Hear me clearly: The reversal of Roe v. Wade is an ignorant attempt by those involved.  I wish you luck in your losing effort.  The reversal of this decision will happen only when and only if we Evangelize the world to become more pro-life.  Until then the pro-life is only a movement and not a state of society….which is the ultimate goal.  It’s like a sport, almost always the way to score is not to go directly for the goal, rather it is to work as a whole team to move the ball around and find the best angle.  At this point, we need more on our team to win.

-          Lastly, these folks place their passion, in this case the anti-abortion agenda, ahead of everything else regardless of any collateral damage.  After all what could be more important right?  How about working to save the souls of those that are pro-choice, the abortionist, and those that are turned off by this agenda?  Political Catholics do not consider the negative impact of their words/actions on others.  Often they explain away those that disagree as ignorant or not faithful.

The Political Catholic does more damage than good to the Church.  Their efforts are destructive to the Body of Christ and to others perception of our faith. 

How many people proclaim to be Catholic and yet do not know the Truth?  Shouldn’t we be focused on strengthening our Body [of Christ] rather than berating those among us who don’t agree?  Don’t get me wrong, you cannot be Catholic and pro-choice.  Well, unless you like hot places….[sarcasm…].  Seriously if you are pro-choice you should not be receiving the Eucharist as you are not in communion with the Catholic Church.  You should discuss this with your Priest or another trusted person with a properly formed conscience (which means someone who believes and lives the teachings of the Church)…

Back to the issue.  The Political Catholic would rather those who are not in full communion with the Church simply leave.  Is this Christian?  Is this Catholic?  No, it’s not.  Rather it is a distortion of the Church to advance a personal political agenda.  And more importantly, it’s not acceptable.

Lastly I want to say this.  I agree with a Catholic Politician (who may or may not be a Political Catholic) being denied the Eucharist if they publically proclaim a belief not in communion with the Catholic Church.  I pray I’m never asked to carry that out because I cannot imagine the drama involved however, publically proclaiming a belief that does not fit the Church’s teachings is not acceptable.  Note however that this is a Church issue, not a politic issue. 

If you find yourself in the un-lucky position of being a Political Catholic, you should seriously consider why you say and act as you do and if those words and action reflect Christ.  I pray for you.  And I’m here to help however I can if you ask.

If you find yourself in conversation with a Political Catholic and you yourself are not one my request is simple.  Love.  Show them what real unconditional Christian love is all about.

I pray we are able to find greater unity in the Body of Christ.  That means that the ultra-conservative and the ultra-liberal Catholics need to move to the center….where Christ is.

In Him!

In the next article I’m going to address further the Pro-Life Movement.  I’m growing tired of “pro-lifers” not being pro-life and simply being anti-abortion.  There is more to the picture than that.