Gaudete! Rejoice! Rejoice!? How can I rejoice? It’s a desert out there. The desert and the parched land will exult, the steppe will rejoice and bloom. Rejoice? Again? What about exams? Say to those whose hearts are frightened, be strong, fear not. You obviously haven’t seen my semester average. Rejoice. Tell my parents that. Rejoice. Here is your God. He comes with vindication. Really? Rejoice. Maybe. Rejoice! Rejoice. Rejoice! OK - Rejoice. Rejoice! OK, OK -REJOICE!
This Sunday, listen to Isaiah’s bright and vivid call to the Chosen People: a land of beauty and plenty awaits, you will be free, healthy, fearless and joyful. You will be going home! Here is your God! REJOICE! In the second reading, James’ reminder to the early Christians is straightforward: do not let the days wear you down. Be patient and keep the community strong. The coming of the Lord is at hand! REJOICE! In the Gospel, an unsure John the Baptist gets to hear Jesus echo the words of Isaiah: everything prophesied is happening. The Anointed One is here! REJOICE! How were these forbearers reminded of the promise that God would enter their world? They listened to those who called them to remember God’s purpose-salvation-and who called them to REJOICE!
Who is the prophet reminding me of God’s great, loving design? My children, begging me to read the Christmas Story one more time? REJOICE! My roommate, talking me down after my exam? REJOICE! My spouse, making hot chocolate just for two, reminding me of the importance of our marriage? REJOICE! My friend, inviting me to go caroling at the nursing home? REJOICE! Fr. Bekeh, issuing a challenge? REJOICE! Fr. Fred, inviting me to morning prayer? REJOICE!!
Light the Advent candles! Remember, the Lord is coming! Rejoice! Gaudete!
Mike and Marge McCawley are WVU Alumni and long-time parishioners of St. John.
Question of the Week
How does God call you to rejoice? How does the Sacred enter into the secular in this season?
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Monday, December 6, 2010
Where’s the Fruit?
This week’s readings present a wonderful look at God’s kingdom and a challenging look at our society and ourselves. In our first reading, Isaiah gives us a picture of God’s Holy Mountain. He tells us that the Messiah is going to act with justice and faithfulness, that peace will fill everyone, and that our children will play with the cobra. I do not know about you, but I am not one for snakes. I am glad that God created them and they have a place on the Earth. However, that place is far away from me!
In our Gospel, Matthew tells of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to see John the Baptist. John is not welcoming or peaceful with them. He calls them “vipers” and demands that they “produce good fruits as evidence of [their] repentance”. John warns them that depending on their Hebrew heritage will not save them. Then John talks about trees being cut down and bad grain being burned in unquenchable fire. Quite a different picture than the one Isaiah gave us.
However, this is the challenge! We look at the peaceful mountain that Isaiah prophesizes and we feel warm and fuzzy, but do we think of that as a possibility for our world? Do we strive everyday to bring about that Kingdom? Do we act and think like the Messiah of Isaiah? Or do we go about our lives judging people, like the Pharisees and Sadducees, thinking that because we are Christian we are ok? Where are our “good fruits”, our works towards the Kingdom?
This is not an easy life we are called to live. It is easy to get discouraged, to feel like failures if we don’t fix everything. But we are only a part of the whole. Paul wrote that we should “think in harmony with one another, in keeping with Christ Jesus, that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” He tells us that we are not alone and “that by endurance and by the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope”. Our hope then comes from our faith and our community. We do not have to fix the world by ourselves; we are workers, not master builders as Archbishop Oscar Romero said. If we can become the true Body of Christ on Earth and create the Kingdom, then you will see me happily playing with a cobra!
Matthew Kosydar is a WVU alum and former member of St. John’s.
Recommended Reading:
Prophets of a Future Not Our Own
http://www.catholiccharitiesusa.org/NetCommunity/Document.Doc?id=867
Question of the Week:
How am I building The Kingdom? How can we as a Catholic community work together in this endeavor?
In our Gospel, Matthew tells of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to see John the Baptist. John is not welcoming or peaceful with them. He calls them “vipers” and demands that they “produce good fruits as evidence of [their] repentance”. John warns them that depending on their Hebrew heritage will not save them. Then John talks about trees being cut down and bad grain being burned in unquenchable fire. Quite a different picture than the one Isaiah gave us.
However, this is the challenge! We look at the peaceful mountain that Isaiah prophesizes and we feel warm and fuzzy, but do we think of that as a possibility for our world? Do we strive everyday to bring about that Kingdom? Do we act and think like the Messiah of Isaiah? Or do we go about our lives judging people, like the Pharisees and Sadducees, thinking that because we are Christian we are ok? Where are our “good fruits”, our works towards the Kingdom?
This is not an easy life we are called to live. It is easy to get discouraged, to feel like failures if we don’t fix everything. But we are only a part of the whole. Paul wrote that we should “think in harmony with one another, in keeping with Christ Jesus, that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” He tells us that we are not alone and “that by endurance and by the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope”. Our hope then comes from our faith and our community. We do not have to fix the world by ourselves; we are workers, not master builders as Archbishop Oscar Romero said. If we can become the true Body of Christ on Earth and create the Kingdom, then you will see me happily playing with a cobra!
Matthew Kosydar is a WVU alum and former member of St. John’s.
Recommended Reading:
Prophets of a Future Not Our Own
http://www.catholiccharitiesusa.org/NetCommunity/Document.Doc?id=867
Question of the Week:
How am I building The Kingdom? How can we as a Catholic community work together in this endeavor?
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Housecleaning
Today’s readings are talking about the Last Judgment. As Christians we should continuously repent and live in and under forgiveness. With this groundwork, the Advent Season serves as a reminder to prepare ourselves. Those who prepare their hearts and lives can wait with anticipation instead of fear for the coming of the Lord.
A few years ago, I felt the burden of my sin more than ever. Because I wanted to overcome my addiction before asking for forgiveness, I was too ashamed to go to confession. Once I finally went, confession was an amazing experience; it was difficult, but breathtaking. The sacrament became more important to me than ever before. I laid the sin at Jesus’ feet in complete admission of my inability to overcome it. Jesus paid my debt and gave me the most amazing and personal gift- my temptation was taken away. The sin that I was so ashamed of was brought out of the darkness and into the light. My source of embarrassment was now proof that God was merciful and powerful.
I implore you, take advantage of confession and shun that secrecy you think your sins are hiding under. You needn't be afraid and instead can "wait in joyful hope for the coming of our
Lord." When God clears your debt- you live in victory. Those old secret sins can actually become a source of glory. When the old sins are revealed, it will not pain or embarrass, but add to your joy and honor because God has conquered the Devil in that battle.
The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Romans 13:12
Cairine Lewis is a WVU student.
Recommended Reading:
Life of the Beloved: Spiritual Living in a Secular World by Henri Nouwen (2002)
Question of the Week:
In what ways do I need to prepare my heart for Christ’s coming at Christmas?
A few years ago, I felt the burden of my sin more than ever. Because I wanted to overcome my addiction before asking for forgiveness, I was too ashamed to go to confession. Once I finally went, confession was an amazing experience; it was difficult, but breathtaking. The sacrament became more important to me than ever before. I laid the sin at Jesus’ feet in complete admission of my inability to overcome it. Jesus paid my debt and gave me the most amazing and personal gift- my temptation was taken away. The sin that I was so ashamed of was brought out of the darkness and into the light. My source of embarrassment was now proof that God was merciful and powerful.
I implore you, take advantage of confession and shun that secrecy you think your sins are hiding under. You needn't be afraid and instead can "wait in joyful hope for the coming of our
Lord." When God clears your debt- you live in victory. Those old secret sins can actually become a source of glory. When the old sins are revealed, it will not pain or embarrass, but add to your joy and honor because God has conquered the Devil in that battle.
The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Romans 13:12
Cairine Lewis is a WVU student.
Recommended Reading:
Life of the Beloved: Spiritual Living in a Secular World by Henri Nouwen (2002)
Question of the Week:
In what ways do I need to prepare my heart for Christ’s coming at Christmas?
Friday, November 19, 2010
Building the Kingdom of God
The view of king/kingdom among the Jewish people consisted of their longing and hope for a Messiah/the Messianic kingdom. “Messiah” is Hebrew for the anointed one and was usually understood to be the long-awaited “King of the Jews” who was to be the expected deliverer of the Jewish people. He was to be the one in whom the Spirit of the Divine would rest, the one who is to rule with righteousness and faithfulness, and the one who is to bring about spiritual transformation in the Jewish kingdom that will become an example of goodness for other nations. Some of the Jewish people are still awaiting the Messiah, while others accepted Jesus as the Messiah, the King of the Jews. It is from the latter group and its followers that the gospel story developed that has me asking:
• What was there about the life of Jesus that he was called the Messiah and the Son of God?
• How is it that people believed they have met in Jesus a power that the grave cannot contain and death could not extinguish?
• What was it about the “Jesus experience” that caused people to say that in his life the signs of the in-breaking into the kingdom of God, that a new relationship with God, had been seen?
• What is it in the life of Jesus that people were challenged to change their lives?
On reflecting on these questions, I find myself moving between Jesus’ times in the Jewish community and the present time. Here are a few of the activities that caught the attention of the people. Jesus was fully human and so he grew in wisdom, grace, and age (Lk 2:52). He changed. He grew into an ever-increasing depth of understanding of living into God, into a relationship where he and the Father (God) were one. Jesus had one place to go and that was deeper into God--letting God work through him. He recognized that the kingdom of heaven, of God, is here and now. And in that kingdom, Jesus shared his love with the Jewish community and beyond—curing the sick, interacting with forbidden or unacceptable people by the Jewish law, feeding the hungry, challenging people through parables and questions, feeling sad when the meaning of his messages were missed or overlooked, teaching about the kingdom and how to be part of it, going apart to pray, and making God visible by allowing God to shine forth through him. This is a bit of what Jesus showed us. In Jesus we see what GOD IS LIKE, learn that God’s Kingdom exists in the HERE and NOW, and realize that GOD IS THE SAME FOR ALL.
In the light of Jesus and his kingdom here are a few questions I found myself reflecting on--How do we grow in wisdom, grace and age? How do we come to appreciate that we are to find God within us, to live into God as God lives us? How do we keep before us as we work that the kingdom of heaven is now? How do we draw into our community and share equally with people of the entire kingdom, the world, and live the words of the song, “All are welcome,” regardless of racial, ethnic, cultural or sexual orientation? HOW DO WE SHOW WHAT GOD IS LIKE HERE AND NOW?
Pat Obenauf is a Professor of Curriculum and Instruction Literacy here at WVU.
How do we show what God is like here and now?
Editor’s notes: As Catholics, we understand Jesus to be both fully human and fully divine. Jesus is “true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit, he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man.” (Nicene Creed)
We believe in the Parousia, that is, Christ will come again at the end of time, bringing the Kingdom of God into its fullness, and renewing the entire universe (CCC 1042). The Kingdom of God is both already present and not yet in its fullness; like a mustard seed which holds the potential for the bush which cannot yet be seen. In Luke (17:20-21), Jesus tells us “The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed; nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘there it is!’ For, in fact, the kingdom of God is among you.”
• What was there about the life of Jesus that he was called the Messiah and the Son of God?
• How is it that people believed they have met in Jesus a power that the grave cannot contain and death could not extinguish?
• What was it about the “Jesus experience” that caused people to say that in his life the signs of the in-breaking into the kingdom of God, that a new relationship with God, had been seen?
• What is it in the life of Jesus that people were challenged to change their lives?
On reflecting on these questions, I find myself moving between Jesus’ times in the Jewish community and the present time. Here are a few of the activities that caught the attention of the people. Jesus was fully human and so he grew in wisdom, grace, and age (Lk 2:52). He changed. He grew into an ever-increasing depth of understanding of living into God, into a relationship where he and the Father (God) were one. Jesus had one place to go and that was deeper into God--letting God work through him. He recognized that the kingdom of heaven, of God, is here and now. And in that kingdom, Jesus shared his love with the Jewish community and beyond—curing the sick, interacting with forbidden or unacceptable people by the Jewish law, feeding the hungry, challenging people through parables and questions, feeling sad when the meaning of his messages were missed or overlooked, teaching about the kingdom and how to be part of it, going apart to pray, and making God visible by allowing God to shine forth through him. This is a bit of what Jesus showed us. In Jesus we see what GOD IS LIKE, learn that God’s Kingdom exists in the HERE and NOW, and realize that GOD IS THE SAME FOR ALL.
In the light of Jesus and his kingdom here are a few questions I found myself reflecting on--How do we grow in wisdom, grace and age? How do we come to appreciate that we are to find God within us, to live into God as God lives us? How do we keep before us as we work that the kingdom of heaven is now? How do we draw into our community and share equally with people of the entire kingdom, the world, and live the words of the song, “All are welcome,” regardless of racial, ethnic, cultural or sexual orientation? HOW DO WE SHOW WHAT GOD IS LIKE HERE AND NOW?
Pat Obenauf is a Professor of Curriculum and Instruction Literacy here at WVU.
How do we show what God is like here and now?
Editor’s notes: As Catholics, we understand Jesus to be both fully human and fully divine. Jesus is “true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit, he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man.” (Nicene Creed)
We believe in the Parousia, that is, Christ will come again at the end of time, bringing the Kingdom of God into its fullness, and renewing the entire universe (CCC 1042). The Kingdom of God is both already present and not yet in its fullness; like a mustard seed which holds the potential for the bush which cannot yet be seen. In Luke (17:20-21), Jesus tells us “The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed; nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘there it is!’ For, in fact, the kingdom of God is among you.”
Sunday, November 14, 2010
It's the end of the world as we know it...
Global warming, melting of the ice caps, tsunamis, flooding, hurricanes, earthquakes, increases in crime and abuse, decreases in morality and church attendance, wars, nations against nations, poverty and starvation. Do our first and second scripture readings this weekend sound like the news headlines? Are we in the end times? If you read further in chapter 21 of the Gospel of Luke, there are numerous additional signs of the end including persecutions due to religious beliefs, and tribulations of armed occupations and severe punishments, and extreme natural phenomenon so frightening as to cause death. All of which could be in today’s headlines.
Why is it that we are so concerned with the “end of the world”? And so worried about when the end will come? The Good News that Jesus proclaimed is one of hope. As Luke tells us in chapter 21, Jesus proclaims that our “redemption is at hand”. God tells us in Jeremiah 29:11-14 that the Lord’s plan for us is “not for woe” but “full of hope”.
Acts 2:16-21 repeats the prophet Joel’s foretelling that in the last days, in addition to the great signs of end times, there will be a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit. What Great News! Comforting News! Why should we be fearful of the end of the world when we know what has been promised us?
The outpouring of the Holy Spirit is upon us today. Call upon the Holy Spirit, who you personally received at Baptism and who was renewed in you at Confirmation, to be rekindled in you today. Ask for the gifts of the Spirit to be enlivened in you. The same “holy boldness” that the first disciples received at Pentecost will be stirred in you and will enable you to proclaim to family, friends and all you meet, the Good News of hope for all who believe that Jesus is Lord! There is no fear of the end times by believers of the Word of God but only great peace and joy!
Praise the Lord!
bob & Irene Carubia
parishioners of St John University parish
bob & Irene are also leaders in the Light of Life Community sponsoring spiritual retreat opportunities, bible study, prayer and praise and Catholic radio broadcasting. For more info go to: www.wvLoL.org
Question of the Week:
Do you think we live in end times? Why or why not?
Why is it that we are so concerned with the “end of the world”? And so worried about when the end will come? The Good News that Jesus proclaimed is one of hope. As Luke tells us in chapter 21, Jesus proclaims that our “redemption is at hand”. God tells us in Jeremiah 29:11-14 that the Lord’s plan for us is “not for woe” but “full of hope”.
Acts 2:16-21 repeats the prophet Joel’s foretelling that in the last days, in addition to the great signs of end times, there will be a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit. What Great News! Comforting News! Why should we be fearful of the end of the world when we know what has been promised us?
The outpouring of the Holy Spirit is upon us today. Call upon the Holy Spirit, who you personally received at Baptism and who was renewed in you at Confirmation, to be rekindled in you today. Ask for the gifts of the Spirit to be enlivened in you. The same “holy boldness” that the first disciples received at Pentecost will be stirred in you and will enable you to proclaim to family, friends and all you meet, the Good News of hope for all who believe that Jesus is Lord! There is no fear of the end times by believers of the Word of God but only great peace and joy!
Praise the Lord!
bob & Irene Carubia
parishioners of St John University parish
bob & Irene are also leaders in the Light of Life Community sponsoring spiritual retreat opportunities, bible study, prayer and praise and Catholic radio broadcasting. For more info go to: www.wvLoL.org
Question of the Week:
Do you think we live in end times? Why or why not?
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Eat, Pray, Love. The title of that bestselling book helps me think about the readings for this week. It may seem like a stretch, but bear with me for a minute.
As the full title of the book explains, Eat, Pray, Love is the story of writer Liz Gilbert’s “search for everything in Italy, India, and Indonesia.” I think the readings this week tell the story of an entire faith community’s “search for everything” in God.
Eat. Liz Gilbert travels to Italy to focus on the joys and pleasures in life. Her descriptions are great, but beyond gelato, what really is at stake? Contrast this to the trip we take with 2 Maccabees 7:1-2, 9-14. A woman and her seven sons are faced with a choice: eat pork in violation of their beliefs—or die. One by one, they choose to die. In their resistance, they affirm their belief in God and in resurrection. It is not a happy story, but it is a compelling one that asks, “What do we believe?”
Pray. The first time Liz Gilbert tries to speak to God, she says, “It was all I could do to stop myself from saying, ‘I’ve always been a big fan of your work.’ ” I like the line, but St. Paul is more eloquent—and more generous—as he prays for us: “May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father . . . encourage your hearts and strengthen them in every good deed and word.” What good can we do in deed and word?
Love. Gilbert’s book concludes that happiness “is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it.” In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus doesn’t get caught up in earthly riddles. Instead he reminds us that our God is “not God of the dead, but of the living, for to him, all are alive.” Now that’s a happy ending! It is, however, also a challenge to think in terms beyond the personal.
In Eat, Pray, Love, Gilbert’s subject is herself—and that’s what limits her journey for me. Instead of stories that focus on individual answers, I think I’ll look for stories that focus on the self in service of others, stories that ask “What do we believe? What good can we do in deed and word?”
Laura Brady is a professor in the English department at WVU and a member of St. John’s.
Watch:
Entertaining Angels
Questions of the Week:
What do we believe? What good can we do in deed and word?
As the full title of the book explains, Eat, Pray, Love is the story of writer Liz Gilbert’s “search for everything in Italy, India, and Indonesia.” I think the readings this week tell the story of an entire faith community’s “search for everything” in God.
Eat. Liz Gilbert travels to Italy to focus on the joys and pleasures in life. Her descriptions are great, but beyond gelato, what really is at stake? Contrast this to the trip we take with 2 Maccabees 7:1-2, 9-14. A woman and her seven sons are faced with a choice: eat pork in violation of their beliefs—or die. One by one, they choose to die. In their resistance, they affirm their belief in God and in resurrection. It is not a happy story, but it is a compelling one that asks, “What do we believe?”
Pray. The first time Liz Gilbert tries to speak to God, she says, “It was all I could do to stop myself from saying, ‘I’ve always been a big fan of your work.’ ” I like the line, but St. Paul is more eloquent—and more generous—as he prays for us: “May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father . . . encourage your hearts and strengthen them in every good deed and word.” What good can we do in deed and word?
Love. Gilbert’s book concludes that happiness “is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it.” In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus doesn’t get caught up in earthly riddles. Instead he reminds us that our God is “not God of the dead, but of the living, for to him, all are alive.” Now that’s a happy ending! It is, however, also a challenge to think in terms beyond the personal.
In Eat, Pray, Love, Gilbert’s subject is herself—and that’s what limits her journey for me. Instead of stories that focus on individual answers, I think I’ll look for stories that focus on the self in service of others, stories that ask “What do we believe? What good can we do in deed and word?”
Laura Brady is a professor in the English department at WVU and a member of St. John’s.
Watch:
Entertaining Angels
Questions of the Week:
What do we believe? What good can we do in deed and word?
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Seeking Jesus
What is Zacchaeus doing? Why is he climbing a tree? Are we like Zacchaeus? Should we be like Zacchaeus?
We are busy; our days are crowded with concerns, activities, family, work, etc. All of these make it difficult for us to slow down, be aware of God in our lives. We forget. And we miss little moments where we can be blessed by an awareness of God with us always.
How do we be a follower of the Gospel today? Be a person of God, a Christian in our world? We are called to be holy. Openness to God, discipleship, awareness, and prayerfulness are characteristics we want in our daily lives. But we can’t be prayerful, aware, stopping to quiet ourselves all day. It’s not humanly possible.
Maybe our answer comes from Zacchaeus. He is also seeking, questioning, and then finding out for himself. He climbs a tree, finds a spot, puts himself in a place where he can view Jesus. He takes that extra step, that extra time to seek a glimpse of Jesus.
We can take a little time each week, each day to pause, be quiet, pray, practice openness. Take a few minutes to be in touch with the life that is within us, the life within us however we envision it: God’s spirit, God’s love, God’s blessings, etc.
If we highlight our day with prayer, then all that we do becomes a prayer. Knowing and living this lifts the burden and quest that sometimes wearies us: “How do I do this spiritual thing all the time?”
What will you do so to highlight your day with prayer, so that all you do is a prayer? Be like Zacchaeus. Find your own way to climb a tree to see God more clearly. Find your spot or time to get a glimpse of Jesus. Seek your few moments regularly to be in God’s presence.
With our Scripture readings for this week, we will be enabled to pray with the writer of Wisdom, “O Lord and lover of souls, for your imperishable spirit is in all things!” We want to also pray for each other with St. Paul’s words to the Thessalonians, “We always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and powerfully bring to fulfillment every good purpose and every effort of faith, that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, in accord with the grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ.”
Mary Ellen Koenn is a member of St John's
Recommended Reading:
Retreat in the Real World by Alexander, Gillick, and McCann-Waldron
http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/cmo-retreat.html
Question of the Week:
What can I do this week to be like Zacchaeus? How do I pray regularly so that all I do is a prayer?
We are busy; our days are crowded with concerns, activities, family, work, etc. All of these make it difficult for us to slow down, be aware of God in our lives. We forget. And we miss little moments where we can be blessed by an awareness of God with us always.
How do we be a follower of the Gospel today? Be a person of God, a Christian in our world? We are called to be holy. Openness to God, discipleship, awareness, and prayerfulness are characteristics we want in our daily lives. But we can’t be prayerful, aware, stopping to quiet ourselves all day. It’s not humanly possible.
Maybe our answer comes from Zacchaeus. He is also seeking, questioning, and then finding out for himself. He climbs a tree, finds a spot, puts himself in a place where he can view Jesus. He takes that extra step, that extra time to seek a glimpse of Jesus.
We can take a little time each week, each day to pause, be quiet, pray, practice openness. Take a few minutes to be in touch with the life that is within us, the life within us however we envision it: God’s spirit, God’s love, God’s blessings, etc.
If we highlight our day with prayer, then all that we do becomes a prayer. Knowing and living this lifts the burden and quest that sometimes wearies us: “How do I do this spiritual thing all the time?”
What will you do so to highlight your day with prayer, so that all you do is a prayer? Be like Zacchaeus. Find your own way to climb a tree to see God more clearly. Find your spot or time to get a glimpse of Jesus. Seek your few moments regularly to be in God’s presence.
With our Scripture readings for this week, we will be enabled to pray with the writer of Wisdom, “O Lord and lover of souls, for your imperishable spirit is in all things!” We want to also pray for each other with St. Paul’s words to the Thessalonians, “We always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and powerfully bring to fulfillment every good purpose and every effort of faith, that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, in accord with the grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ.”
Mary Ellen Koenn is a member of St John's
Recommended Reading:
Retreat in the Real World by Alexander, Gillick, and McCann-Waldron
http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/cmo-retreat.html
Question of the Week:
What can I do this week to be like Zacchaeus? How do I pray regularly so that all I do is a prayer?
Sunday, October 24, 2010
“I don’t want to be a Pharisee...”
Luke begins today’s Gospel by giving away the story, the Pharisee is described as self-righteous and despising others, even before he appears. Does this editorial comment provide too much information? What if the Pharisee is sincere and believes all he says? After all, he begins by thanking God and saying that he avoids sin and does good by fasting and tithing. Isn’t that what we aspire to? Isn’t it all those other people who are greedy, dishonest and adulterous?
Almost certainly, the Pharisee sins less than the tax collector, and leads what he truly believes is a holy life, which should merit him a reward. Was it the editorial comment or something more subtle that caused Jesus to choose the tax collector as the role model? The tax collector sins more, but he believes that he can be forgiven. He understands something that the Pharisee misses, that salvation is a free gift from God, not a reward. The Pharisee’s sin is not his arrogance, but his self reliant attitude regarding justification.
The roles here could be entirely reversed; the tax collector is, after all, a man of importance in the community, at least to the government. Why is he more justified? Perhaps the first reading can help. We learn that God does not discriminate or play favorites, although He hears the cry of the oppressed and weak, the widows and orphans. This seems to be inconsistent, but perhaps these people understand, as did the tax collector, that sins can be forgiven, and that salvation is a free gift. The writer of Godspell, the musical from long ago, succinctly rewrote these readings: “What gift have we to offer, for all Thy love imparts, but that which Thou desirest, our humble, thankful hearts.”
Joan Mooney is a member of St. John’s
Further readings: The Return of the Prodigal Son, by Henri Nouwen
Psalm 51
See: Godspell
Question of the Week:
Do I minister like the Pharisee, for the pat on the back, the affirmation, the recognition?
Almost certainly, the Pharisee sins less than the tax collector, and leads what he truly believes is a holy life, which should merit him a reward. Was it the editorial comment or something more subtle that caused Jesus to choose the tax collector as the role model? The tax collector sins more, but he believes that he can be forgiven. He understands something that the Pharisee misses, that salvation is a free gift from God, not a reward. The Pharisee’s sin is not his arrogance, but his self reliant attitude regarding justification.
The roles here could be entirely reversed; the tax collector is, after all, a man of importance in the community, at least to the government. Why is he more justified? Perhaps the first reading can help. We learn that God does not discriminate or play favorites, although He hears the cry of the oppressed and weak, the widows and orphans. This seems to be inconsistent, but perhaps these people understand, as did the tax collector, that sins can be forgiven, and that salvation is a free gift. The writer of Godspell, the musical from long ago, succinctly rewrote these readings: “What gift have we to offer, for all Thy love imparts, but that which Thou desirest, our humble, thankful hearts.”
Joan Mooney is a member of St. John’s
Further readings: The Return of the Prodigal Son, by Henri Nouwen
Psalm 51
See: Godspell
Question of the Week:
Do I minister like the Pharisee, for the pat on the back, the affirmation, the recognition?
“John Henry Cardinal Newman’s Thoughts on ‘What is a University?’”
by John Stasny (September 10, 2000)
edited by Moira Reilly
We celebrated with the rest of the world on September 19th, 2010 when Pope Benedict XVI beatified Cardinal Newman (1801-1890), for whom our Newman Hall is named, along with all of the Newman centers for Catholic students at secular universities across the English-speaking world. Newman was the university man par excellence. His own education was at Oxford University, where he also served as a fellow and then a tutor (professor), until he left to join the Catholic Church. Newman became a Cardinal in 1879.
For all of us associated in various ways with WVU, we must ask ourselves: “What is a University and what are we doing here?” Newman’s own thoughts on the university shed light for us:
"A University is a place of concourse, whither students come from every quarter for every kind of knowledge...it is a place in which the intellect may safely range and speculate, sure to find its equal in some antagonistic activity, and its judge in the tribunal of truth. It is a place where inquiry is pushed forward, and discoveries verified and perfected, and rashness innocuous, and error exposed, by the collision of mind with mind, and knowledge with knowledge. It is a place where the professor becomes eloquent, and is a missionary and a preacher, displaying his science in its most complete and most winning form, pouring it forth with the zeal of enthusiasm, and lighting up his own love of it in the breasts of his hearers...it is the seat of wisdom, a light of the world, a minister of faith, an Alma Mater of the rising generation." (The Rise and Progress of Universities, 1854)
"When a multitude of young [wo/]men, keen, open-hearted, sympathetic, and observant, as young [wo/]men are, come together and freely mix with each other, they are sure to learn one from another...the conversation of all is a series of lectures to each, and they gain for themselves new ideas and views, fresh matter of thought, and distinct principles for judging and acting, day by day...learning how to think, reason, compare, discriminate, and discover and contemplate the truth...forming a habit of mind which lasts through life, of which the attributes are freedom, equitableness, calmness, moderation and wisdom." (The Idea of a University, 1852)
The Idea of a University is Newman’s most important book on the nature and purpose of a University. I used to tell my students that if they approached commencement day without having read and meditated on it, they would be taking their degrees under false pretenses.
Recommended Reading:
The Idea of a University (1852) by John Henry Cardinal Newman
Question of the week:
In light of Cardinal Newman’s thoughts on the mission of the university, what is our mission as St. John University Parish? How can we fulfill this mission?
edited by Moira Reilly
We celebrated with the rest of the world on September 19th, 2010 when Pope Benedict XVI beatified Cardinal Newman (1801-1890), for whom our Newman Hall is named, along with all of the Newman centers for Catholic students at secular universities across the English-speaking world. Newman was the university man par excellence. His own education was at Oxford University, where he also served as a fellow and then a tutor (professor), until he left to join the Catholic Church. Newman became a Cardinal in 1879.
For all of us associated in various ways with WVU, we must ask ourselves: “What is a University and what are we doing here?” Newman’s own thoughts on the university shed light for us:
"A University is a place of concourse, whither students come from every quarter for every kind of knowledge...it is a place in which the intellect may safely range and speculate, sure to find its equal in some antagonistic activity, and its judge in the tribunal of truth. It is a place where inquiry is pushed forward, and discoveries verified and perfected, and rashness innocuous, and error exposed, by the collision of mind with mind, and knowledge with knowledge. It is a place where the professor becomes eloquent, and is a missionary and a preacher, displaying his science in its most complete and most winning form, pouring it forth with the zeal of enthusiasm, and lighting up his own love of it in the breasts of his hearers...it is the seat of wisdom, a light of the world, a minister of faith, an Alma Mater of the rising generation." (The Rise and Progress of Universities, 1854)
"When a multitude of young [wo/]men, keen, open-hearted, sympathetic, and observant, as young [wo/]men are, come together and freely mix with each other, they are sure to learn one from another...the conversation of all is a series of lectures to each, and they gain for themselves new ideas and views, fresh matter of thought, and distinct principles for judging and acting, day by day...learning how to think, reason, compare, discriminate, and discover and contemplate the truth...forming a habit of mind which lasts through life, of which the attributes are freedom, equitableness, calmness, moderation and wisdom." (The Idea of a University, 1852)
The Idea of a University is Newman’s most important book on the nature and purpose of a University. I used to tell my students that if they approached commencement day without having read and meditated on it, they would be taking their degrees under false pretenses.
Recommended Reading:
The Idea of a University (1852) by John Henry Cardinal Newman
Question of the week:
In light of Cardinal Newman’s thoughts on the mission of the university, what is our mission as St. John University Parish? How can we fulfill this mission?
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Through a Glass Darkly
Obviously Jesus didn’t own a cat, otherwise the parable in Sunday’s reading would feature the persistence of a cat rather than a widow. When your cat begs you for food, expect a deafening concert of meows, and cats don’t have a remote with a mute button! That must be the kind of persistence God wants in our prayers to Him too. Or maybe more, since cats offer you all the theological virtues: Faith, Hope and Love.
Cats show you their love by rubbing against your legs so vigorously that you better sit down lest you fall, and with improved access to your legs, they’ll dig their claws into your trousers. Is that what God’s looking for? Maybe; He did have Jeremiah (13:11) to tell us that He wants us to cling to Him like tight underwear. When we pray to God do we show such love for Him, or just meow loudly for what we want?
When cats beg, they show their faith by coming to you, looking you in the eyes, and asking you for what they want. Oh, if possible, they would open the pantry door, and find food for themselves. But lacking an opposable thumb, they must rely on a greater power. When we pray, do we admit our limitations? Do we believe that God can answer prayers? Do we show our Faith in Him, or just beg meowingly?
Catechism of the Catholic Church (1820) says that Hope links Faith and Love, but cats already knew that. They believe in you, love you and know you love them, and that they can expect good from you. When we pray, do we show such a trusting relationship with God? If so, keep meowing; we can expect good from Him!
Stan Wearden is professor of statistics at WVU and a member of St. John's.
Recommended Reading:
God's Plan for You by Fr. Bekeh Utietiang
Question of the Week:
What strengthens me in faith and trust? When I lay a petition before the Lord, do I trust that God will take care of it?
http://wvudoubtingthomas.blogspot.com
Cats show you their love by rubbing against your legs so vigorously that you better sit down lest you fall, and with improved access to your legs, they’ll dig their claws into your trousers. Is that what God’s looking for? Maybe; He did have Jeremiah (13:11) to tell us that He wants us to cling to Him like tight underwear. When we pray to God do we show such love for Him, or just meow loudly for what we want?
When cats beg, they show their faith by coming to you, looking you in the eyes, and asking you for what they want. Oh, if possible, they would open the pantry door, and find food for themselves. But lacking an opposable thumb, they must rely on a greater power. When we pray, do we admit our limitations? Do we believe that God can answer prayers? Do we show our Faith in Him, or just beg meowingly?
Catechism of the Catholic Church (1820) says that Hope links Faith and Love, but cats already knew that. They believe in you, love you and know you love them, and that they can expect good from you. When we pray, do we show such a trusting relationship with God? If so, keep meowing; we can expect good from Him!
Stan Wearden is professor of statistics at WVU and a member of St. John's.
Recommended Reading:
God's Plan for You by Fr. Bekeh Utietiang
Question of the Week:
What strengthens me in faith and trust? When I lay a petition before the Lord, do I trust that God will take care of it?
http://wvudoubtingthomas.blogspot.com
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Indiscriminant Love
This week’s reading talked about healing and God’s welcoming. During His ministry Jesus healed so many people, but personally this weekend’s gospel is one of my favorites on this topic. Luke takes special care to say that the only leper to return and praise God was a Samaritan. Throughout the gospels it is made very clear how the Samaritans and Jewish people dislike each other. Yet, at the same time, stories such as this and the Good Samaritan show a different side, and through this how God accepts anyone to Him, no matter who they are. This is God’s version of the disclaimer that is seen on every application and syllabus, that there is no discrimination. God loves everyone no matter who they are. He does not discriminate. If you want to go to Him, He will be there. God will always be there, especially in our toughest times; I know this fact extremely well. Though we may suffer in this life, He is there to comfort us. Though we may be sick and everyone else keeps away, He will be right beside us, healing us. Even if we have left Him, if we return, He will heal us.
While last week we heard how God is strict, this week we see the soft loving side of Him. All we need to do is seek Him out and believe in Him. If you’ve ever seen or had it read to you as a child, this is the same faith that allows you to hear Santa’s bells on Christmas in the Polar Express.
To close I leave you with one more analogy; if heaven were a hotel the vacancy light would always be on and God would always have a reservation for you, all you need to do is show up.
Victoria Trimble is a sophomore forensics major here at WVU.
Recommended Reading:
Psalm 139
Question of the Week:
How have you experienced God’s loving embrace?
While last week we heard how God is strict, this week we see the soft loving side of Him. All we need to do is seek Him out and believe in Him. If you’ve ever seen or had it read to you as a child, this is the same faith that allows you to hear Santa’s bells on Christmas in the Polar Express.
To close I leave you with one more analogy; if heaven were a hotel the vacancy light would always be on and God would always have a reservation for you, all you need to do is show up.
Victoria Trimble is a sophomore forensics major here at WVU.
Recommended Reading:
Psalm 139
Question of the Week:
How have you experienced God’s loving embrace?
Monday, October 4, 2010
A Servant’s Heart
As “faithful” Christians, we sometimes feel like we should be exempt from certain sufferings or strife. We think we deserve relief or ask God for His favor or merit for our adherence to His word. But Jesus dispels that notion when he tells us that doing what is expected is simply doing one’s duty. God has already blessed us, His believers, with gifts beyond measure. Our service is a response to God’s grace, not a way of earning grace.
We are called to turn ourselves over completely to the Lord. And by becoming His, we can truly understand our heavenly call. This is certainly hard to do with the demands of daily living, but through our expressions of humility, love and servitude, we are faithfully following God’s nurturing plan. Living as God wants us to live is typified by the story of Nick Vujicic:
…On the morning of December 4, 1982, moments after his birth, they laid Nick in his mother's arms. She held a blunt torso. Her firstborn had no arms. No legs. No limbs. Just this one twisted flap of flesh, a foot flipper. She swaddled him close and prayed; and he lived, thrived. Doctors never knew why Nick was born without limbs. Today Nick combs his hair, brushes his teeth, jets around the world on speaking tours, and, astonishingly, even swims.
But it's his words that jolt: . . . “People are touched just by my smile. It's important to be open to the way God wants to use us." Nick, a man with no biceps, no thighs, just teeth and a "'flipper," can get himself a glass of water, type on his keyboard, and shares his hope story with thousands of hurting people. God uses people willing to minister not out of their strengths but out of real weakness. Isn't that how God himself ministered to the world?
The application of today’s readings is clear. Those serving God cannot simply stop working and expect gratitude. Rather, because of our gratitude to God for His gift of faith and love, we must share our faith with others, and strive to bring God’s justice to reality on earth. We do not simply minister for the sake of ourselves. We act out of gratitude for the undeserved gifts we have already received. Nick Vujicic fulfills that faith challenge every day. Can I do anything less?
“Almost-Deacon Don” Battista did his pastoral ministry internship with our campus ministry in 2009. He is a parishioner at St. Peter the Apostle and St. Peter at the Lake Parish in Garrett County, Maryland and will be ordained a deacon in the Archdiocese of Baltimore in May, 2011.
Questions of the Week:
Where is God leading me? How can I be a better servant?
Recommended Reading:
You Are Special by Max Lucado
(Moira has a copy in her office: stop by!)
We are called to turn ourselves over completely to the Lord. And by becoming His, we can truly understand our heavenly call. This is certainly hard to do with the demands of daily living, but through our expressions of humility, love and servitude, we are faithfully following God’s nurturing plan. Living as God wants us to live is typified by the story of Nick Vujicic:
…On the morning of December 4, 1982, moments after his birth, they laid Nick in his mother's arms. She held a blunt torso. Her firstborn had no arms. No legs. No limbs. Just this one twisted flap of flesh, a foot flipper. She swaddled him close and prayed; and he lived, thrived. Doctors never knew why Nick was born without limbs. Today Nick combs his hair, brushes his teeth, jets around the world on speaking tours, and, astonishingly, even swims.
But it's his words that jolt: . . . “People are touched just by my smile. It's important to be open to the way God wants to use us." Nick, a man with no biceps, no thighs, just teeth and a "'flipper," can get himself a glass of water, type on his keyboard, and shares his hope story with thousands of hurting people. God uses people willing to minister not out of their strengths but out of real weakness. Isn't that how God himself ministered to the world?
The application of today’s readings is clear. Those serving God cannot simply stop working and expect gratitude. Rather, because of our gratitude to God for His gift of faith and love, we must share our faith with others, and strive to bring God’s justice to reality on earth. We do not simply minister for the sake of ourselves. We act out of gratitude for the undeserved gifts we have already received. Nick Vujicic fulfills that faith challenge every day. Can I do anything less?
“Almost-Deacon Don” Battista did his pastoral ministry internship with our campus ministry in 2009. He is a parishioner at St. Peter the Apostle and St. Peter at the Lake Parish in Garrett County, Maryland and will be ordained a deacon in the Archdiocese of Baltimore in May, 2011.
Questions of the Week:
Where is God leading me? How can I be a better servant?
Recommended Reading:
You Are Special by Max Lucado
(Moira has a copy in her office: stop by!)
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Simplicity and Solidarity
Living a simple lifestyle among the poor is something that I am learning this year. I have recently begun serving as a Salesian Lay Missioner in Montero, Bolivia. I live and work at Hogar Sagrado Corazon, an orphanage run by the Servants of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
So what has this new lifestyle meant for me? It means there are no couches; the only soft surface I encounter during a 24 hour period is my bed. It means eating old cows, and finding chicken bones and cartilage in the stew. It means drinking wine out of a coffee mug.
Despite all of the conveniences of a home, raising children is hard work. Raising 120 girls from broken homes in a developing country is harder. It is extremely difficult to keep the young kids clean and healthy, especially when we cannot even give them clean water. There are very few good male role models for the girls. But this is infinitely better than what they came here from.
It seems that poverty and humility often go hand-in-hand. The girls are labeled as “hogar girls” at school. Their uniforms are stained. The little ones have awful teeth. They all have lice. While the girls may lash out, scream, and throw fits, they can be so sweet. This morning, I found an apology note under my door from a teenager. I don’t think I have ever written out an apology for someone. Most of our girls are truly grateful for everything they have.
I am on God’s mission here, and I rely on Him heavily every day. I trust that my motorcycle taxi will not be in an accident, that my food will not make me ill, that I will be safe walking alone, that I will be able to handle 16 young children every morning. It is so easy to see God’s blessings at work here.
Living among the poor, I have come to realize, is a relative term. I have given up many everyday conveniences and comforts to come here. However, many of the girls who live here came from families that could not afford to feed them or send them to school. There are homeless people outside the walls of our hogar. So do I live among the poor? I guess I’m not really sure. But I do know that I have been challenged, that I have called out to God when things have been terrifying or when everything was going wrong, and that He always answers.
Andrea Garton is a 2010 graduate of WVU and former member of St. John’s.
Recommended Reading:
Populorum Progressio (On the Development of Peoples) by Pope Paul VI: www.vatican.va
Or the Abridged Version with Pictures: This Is Progress http://pastoralplanning.com/This_Is_Progress.pdf
Question of the Week:
How can I live in greater solidarity with people in need?
So what has this new lifestyle meant for me? It means there are no couches; the only soft surface I encounter during a 24 hour period is my bed. It means eating old cows, and finding chicken bones and cartilage in the stew. It means drinking wine out of a coffee mug.
Despite all of the conveniences of a home, raising children is hard work. Raising 120 girls from broken homes in a developing country is harder. It is extremely difficult to keep the young kids clean and healthy, especially when we cannot even give them clean water. There are very few good male role models for the girls. But this is infinitely better than what they came here from.
It seems that poverty and humility often go hand-in-hand. The girls are labeled as “hogar girls” at school. Their uniforms are stained. The little ones have awful teeth. They all have lice. While the girls may lash out, scream, and throw fits, they can be so sweet. This morning, I found an apology note under my door from a teenager. I don’t think I have ever written out an apology for someone. Most of our girls are truly grateful for everything they have.
I am on God’s mission here, and I rely on Him heavily every day. I trust that my motorcycle taxi will not be in an accident, that my food will not make me ill, that I will be safe walking alone, that I will be able to handle 16 young children every morning. It is so easy to see God’s blessings at work here.
Living among the poor, I have come to realize, is a relative term. I have given up many everyday conveniences and comforts to come here. However, many of the girls who live here came from families that could not afford to feed them or send them to school. There are homeless people outside the walls of our hogar. So do I live among the poor? I guess I’m not really sure. But I do know that I have been challenged, that I have called out to God when things have been terrifying or when everything was going wrong, and that He always answers.
Andrea Garton is a 2010 graduate of WVU and former member of St. John’s.
Recommended Reading:
Populorum Progressio (On the Development of Peoples) by Pope Paul VI: www.vatican.va
Or the Abridged Version with Pictures: This Is Progress http://pastoralplanning.com/This_Is_Progress.pdf
Question of the Week:
How can I live in greater solidarity with people in need?
Sunday, September 19, 2010
A Christian Critique of Economic Exploitation
Today's Gospel reading includes one of Jesus' most puzzling parables and some of his most famous sayings on wealth. The most common interpretations describe the lesson of the parable as encouragement to “use the resources at hand” in crisis situations, or simply that we must be determined in making right our relationship with God. Like many of Jesus' parables which involve the character of the “master,” though, such interpretations are often unsatisfying as they portray God in ways that are quite un-God-like!
Some scholars say that we should not assume that the “master” character in Jesus' parables always represents God, nor should we read the parables through the capitalist values of profit, shrewdness, etc. that are so pervasive in our society. Perhaps the “master” in today's parable does not represent God, and perhaps the steward is not meant to be the “hero” of the story. Perhaps in this parable Jesus is describing the relationships involved in the economic system of his day in which masters, debtors and the managerial classes – the “middle men” – do not trust one another and engage in various tactics to get what they want or what they need. Perhaps Jesus is not telling us to imitate the steward in any sense, but is revealing to his listeners the material and spiritual dangers of systems that exploit the poor.
We know from the first reading from Amos the way God judges such systems. And we know from the end of today's Gospel that Jesus, too, believes that people cannot serve both God and systems that exploit human persons. Insofar as our own economic system includes structures that create poverty and exploit vulnerable persons, can followers of Jesus today serve it?
Michael Iafrate is a doctoral student in theology at the University of St. Michael's College in Toronto studying liberation theologies and social movements in Appalachia. He is also a former campus minister/pastoral associate at St. John's, an independent musician, a husband, and a father. You can find him on the web at www.michaeliafrate.com, www.rockandtheology.com, and www.catholicanarchy.org.
Question of the Week:
As you see it, what constitutes serving “mammon”? In today’s complex economic structure, how can followers of Jesus avoid serving mammon?
Recommended Reading:
Gaudium et Spes: Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World Promulgated by Pope Paul VI, 1965 www.vatican.va search “The Church in the Modern World”
The Better World Handbook by Jones, Haenfler, and Johnson. www.betterworldhandbook.com
Some scholars say that we should not assume that the “master” character in Jesus' parables always represents God, nor should we read the parables through the capitalist values of profit, shrewdness, etc. that are so pervasive in our society. Perhaps the “master” in today's parable does not represent God, and perhaps the steward is not meant to be the “hero” of the story. Perhaps in this parable Jesus is describing the relationships involved in the economic system of his day in which masters, debtors and the managerial classes – the “middle men” – do not trust one another and engage in various tactics to get what they want or what they need. Perhaps Jesus is not telling us to imitate the steward in any sense, but is revealing to his listeners the material and spiritual dangers of systems that exploit the poor.
We know from the first reading from Amos the way God judges such systems. And we know from the end of today's Gospel that Jesus, too, believes that people cannot serve both God and systems that exploit human persons. Insofar as our own economic system includes structures that create poverty and exploit vulnerable persons, can followers of Jesus today serve it?
Michael Iafrate is a doctoral student in theology at the University of St. Michael's College in Toronto studying liberation theologies and social movements in Appalachia. He is also a former campus minister/pastoral associate at St. John's, an independent musician, a husband, and a father. You can find him on the web at www.michaeliafrate.com, www.rockandtheology.com, and www.catholicanarchy.org.
Question of the Week:
As you see it, what constitutes serving “mammon”? In today’s complex economic structure, how can followers of Jesus avoid serving mammon?
Recommended Reading:
Gaudium et Spes: Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World Promulgated by Pope Paul VI, 1965 www.vatican.va search “The Church in the Modern World”
The Better World Handbook by Jones, Haenfler, and Johnson. www.betterworldhandbook.com
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Children of God
Forgiveness is the cornerstone of our faith, and like so many aspects of our faith, it defies our notions of justice and equity. This is because forgiveness is an act of love, and any act of love is a challenge to comprehend. Why should God, who made us from nothing and gave us all that we have, forgive us for returning His love with indifference or malice? How would you feel if you offered a homeless person money and food, but they were apathetic toward your gift or hateful to you for giving it to them?
But what about a scenario where the other person is not an adult but a child? Put yourself in the position of a parent (if you aren't in that position already). You have brought another human being into existence and given it every care: food, clothing, and shelter for the body; love and kindness for the heart; education and experience for the mind; and faith and hope for the soul. Yet children are not always as grateful as we'd like in returning the love we give them, and the older they get the more true this seems. Yet a good parent does not turn his/her back on the child; a good parent understands that a child does not yet comprehend the value of what they have been given, but will in time.
No matter our age or experience, and in spite of our wealth or place in the world, we all remain as children to our God. God has given us great gifts and blessings, not because we deserve them, but because God loves us and wants to meet our needs. Let us then be good children to our God, recognizing God's care for us and returning the love He has so generously given us.
Cody Ford is a Masters student in Public Administration here at WVU.
Recommended Reading:
The Book of Hosea (Old Testament)
The Return of the Prodigal Son by Henri Nouwen
Question of the Week:
The Old and New Testaments contain different images of God; some infinitely merciful and forgiving, some as a just judge who renders due consequences for disobedience and sin. How do you see God? How do you reconcile these contrasting views?
But what about a scenario where the other person is not an adult but a child? Put yourself in the position of a parent (if you aren't in that position already). You have brought another human being into existence and given it every care: food, clothing, and shelter for the body; love and kindness for the heart; education and experience for the mind; and faith and hope for the soul. Yet children are not always as grateful as we'd like in returning the love we give them, and the older they get the more true this seems. Yet a good parent does not turn his/her back on the child; a good parent understands that a child does not yet comprehend the value of what they have been given, but will in time.
No matter our age or experience, and in spite of our wealth or place in the world, we all remain as children to our God. God has given us great gifts and blessings, not because we deserve them, but because God loves us and wants to meet our needs. Let us then be good children to our God, recognizing God's care for us and returning the love He has so generously given us.
Cody Ford is a Masters student in Public Administration here at WVU.
Recommended Reading:
The Book of Hosea (Old Testament)
The Return of the Prodigal Son by Henri Nouwen
Question of the Week:
The Old and New Testaments contain different images of God; some infinitely merciful and forgiving, some as a just judge who renders due consequences for disobedience and sin. How do you see God? How do you reconcile these contrasting views?
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Discipleship=Possessed by Christ
Jesus talks in today’s gospel of the preparations involved in great undertakings. Now, although I am a carpenter, I have never sought to construct a tower. Nor have I led troops into battle. But I have helped to found an intentional Christian community and nonprofit organization. And I am preparing for the birth of my first child, so I can relate when Jesus talks about the time, attention, and resources needed to prepare for any great undertaking. I’m sure many of us can relate when Jesus talks about taking care to lay the necessary foundations to ensure a successful outcome.
As we are nodding in agreement, Jesus lays down the challenge, “In the same way, anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.” Heads stop nodding. Blank stares ensue. We avoid eye contact. What is Jesus talking about and why does it make us so nervous? Our culture has taught us that we can ‘have it all’ and here’s Jesus saying that we cannot have it all and we have some tough choices to make.
Renounce all possessions. That is, voluntarily set aside that which we possess (property and wealth) and that which possesses us (selfishness, hate) and freely surrender ourselves to Christ, to love. Not just on Sunday, not just in the little boxes and within the narrow rules we have made for ourselves, but everyday, without limits, gratuitously.
Our journey to Bethlehem Farm, at its best, has been a journey toward discipleship. It began as an idea of how we could direct our time and talents toward serving the local community. When we got married, there was the idea to sidestep material wedding gifts in favor of donations to our mission at Bethlehem Farm. We often find ourselves sharing our home for a week with 30 or 40-strangers-turned-friends that join us in growing healthy food and repairing homes with neighbors in need. There is some renouncing of personal time and space that goes with this kind of calling.
Sometimes I feel we are failing miserably at choosing the Kingdom and leaving behind the trappings of success. Have we really surrendered control of our lives and been possessed by Christ? Do we want to be disciples?
Holy Spirit, open our hearts.
Eric Fitts is director of Bethlehem Farm, a Catholic community in Summers County based on the gospel cornerstones of prayer, community, simplicity and service. He and his wife Colleen are former parishioners at St. John.
Question of the Week:
Do you agree with Eric that Jesus is literally calling us to renounce all possessions in today’s Gospel? If so, what does that look like in our culture today? If not, how would you interpret Jesus’ statement “anyone of you who does not renounce all your possessions cannot be my disciple”?
Also check out the Appalachian Bishops’ Pastoral Letter At Home in the Web of Life: http://www.bethlehemfarm.net/08documents/athomeintheweboflife.pdf
As we are nodding in agreement, Jesus lays down the challenge, “In the same way, anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.” Heads stop nodding. Blank stares ensue. We avoid eye contact. What is Jesus talking about and why does it make us so nervous? Our culture has taught us that we can ‘have it all’ and here’s Jesus saying that we cannot have it all and we have some tough choices to make.
Renounce all possessions. That is, voluntarily set aside that which we possess (property and wealth) and that which possesses us (selfishness, hate) and freely surrender ourselves to Christ, to love. Not just on Sunday, not just in the little boxes and within the narrow rules we have made for ourselves, but everyday, without limits, gratuitously.
Our journey to Bethlehem Farm, at its best, has been a journey toward discipleship. It began as an idea of how we could direct our time and talents toward serving the local community. When we got married, there was the idea to sidestep material wedding gifts in favor of donations to our mission at Bethlehem Farm. We often find ourselves sharing our home for a week with 30 or 40-strangers-turned-friends that join us in growing healthy food and repairing homes with neighbors in need. There is some renouncing of personal time and space that goes with this kind of calling.
Sometimes I feel we are failing miserably at choosing the Kingdom and leaving behind the trappings of success. Have we really surrendered control of our lives and been possessed by Christ? Do we want to be disciples?
Holy Spirit, open our hearts.
Eric Fitts is director of Bethlehem Farm, a Catholic community in Summers County based on the gospel cornerstones of prayer, community, simplicity and service. He and his wife Colleen are former parishioners at St. John.
Question of the Week:
Do you agree with Eric that Jesus is literally calling us to renounce all possessions in today’s Gospel? If so, what does that look like in our culture today? If not, how would you interpret Jesus’ statement “anyone of you who does not renounce all your possessions cannot be my disciple”?
Also check out the Appalachian Bishops’ Pastoral Letter At Home in the Web of Life: http://www.bethlehemfarm.net/08documents/athomeintheweboflife.pdf
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Walking the Walk
I have been blessed with many wonderful experiences in my life, but never have I felt more alive and fulfilled than when I am serving others. I was going to church every Sunday and was actively involved in the church, but I thought, "What good is God's word if I don't live it?" As I prepare to live simply, in a mud hut with none of the privileges that we as Americans have become accustomed to (water, electricity, nutritious meals 3 times a day, clean water, etc.) I know that my faith will be challenged like never before.
Yet I remember what the Bible says: "that you do to the least of my people, that you do unto me." I see God in the eyes of the people I serve, and from those people, I have learned some of life's most important lessons--humility, gratitude, patience and perseverance in times of difficulty. Their faith and resilience is incredible, it puts me to shame. I have found that it is only when you spend time among those on the margins of our society that you realize the saying is true: When God is all you have, you know God is all you need. I am looking forward to simplifying my life, taking away all of the "noise", all of those things that distract me from living fully in God's word in my everyday life, and focusing on what is really important.
Natalie Committee is a former member of St. John's and WVU alumnae: BA in Public Relations '09, MBA '10. She is volunteering with ChildVoice International in Uganda, working to empower at-risk women and children with education, business skills and micro financing so they can support themselves and do not become targets for sex traffickers.
You can follow Natalie's blog at: http://thebusinessofgiving.wordpress.com
Question of the Week:
Our society tells us that we have to be successful, and we need to promote ourselves so everyone will know how awesome we are. Today’s Gospel and Natalie’s reflection talk about humbling ourselves and relying on God. How do you reconcile this apparent contradiction?
More Food for Thought:
James 2:14-18
Catholic Relief Services Campus Connection
crscollege.org
Like a Drop in the Ocean: 99 sayings by Mother Teresa W. Bader, Editor
Yet I remember what the Bible says: "that you do to the least of my people, that you do unto me." I see God in the eyes of the people I serve, and from those people, I have learned some of life's most important lessons--humility, gratitude, patience and perseverance in times of difficulty. Their faith and resilience is incredible, it puts me to shame. I have found that it is only when you spend time among those on the margins of our society that you realize the saying is true: When God is all you have, you know God is all you need. I am looking forward to simplifying my life, taking away all of the "noise", all of those things that distract me from living fully in God's word in my everyday life, and focusing on what is really important.
Natalie Committee is a former member of St. John's and WVU alumnae: BA in Public Relations '09, MBA '10. She is volunteering with ChildVoice International in Uganda, working to empower at-risk women and children with education, business skills and micro financing so they can support themselves and do not become targets for sex traffickers.
You can follow Natalie's blog at: http://thebusinessofgiving.wordpress.com
Question of the Week:
Our society tells us that we have to be successful, and we need to promote ourselves so everyone will know how awesome we are. Today’s Gospel and Natalie’s reflection talk about humbling ourselves and relying on God. How do you reconcile this apparent contradiction?
More Food for Thought:
James 2:14-18
Catholic Relief Services Campus Connection
crscollege.org
Like a Drop in the Ocean: 99 sayings by Mother Teresa W. Bader, Editor
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Discipleship requires discipline
In one of my finance classes my students are asked to memorize seventy three financial ratios. I can’t force my students to memorize the ratios; they have to choose to do it. But if you want to earn an A in that particular course, you will have to commit the ratios to memory.
One semester a student missed a letter grade by one point and begged me to please review their work and consider changing their grade. I agreed and went straight to the student’s final exam which included twenty ratio calculations. I informed the student that based on the fact that they missed seventeen out of the twenty ratios, I would not change their grade.
The student felt that this was not fair because their grade was ultimately determined by an exercise that was arguably no longer relevant in the business world. They claimed that in our new information age they have access to all of the ratios and calculations at the touch of a button and therefore they chose not to memorize the ratios. I told them that they were absolutely correct with regard to the availability of the information and that my decision had absolutely nothing to do with their knowledge of finance and everything to do with their obvious choice to not do something that they were completely capable of doing.
The readings for today are by no means my favorites. They speak about discipline. I hate discipline. Discipline is not easy. In fact, most of the time discipline is hard. Discipline is not fun and there is little if any joy in the process of disciplining ourselves.
Today’s readings are difficult because they remind us of how hard it is to be a true disciple of Christ and that there are consequences to our decisions. As Catholic Christians, we are called to walk in the footsteps of Christ; proclaiming the Good News to all the world, and to know, love, and serve God in this world, so that we may spend eternity with Him in the next. Through Baptism and Confirmation, we were given all of the grace and power needed to walk that walk. Through reconciliation we return to and are eagerly accepted back on the path of Christ. And through the extraordinary celebration of the Eucharist, Christ provides for us to be one, through Him, with Him and in Him.
If the crazy professor can ask us to discipline ourselves for something as trivial as a letter grade, how much more should we choose to discipline ourselves to walk in Christ’s footsteps so that we too may recline with Him at table in the kingdom of God?
Pax et bonum-
Frank DeGeorge
Question of the Week:
Today’s second reading describes our trials as discipline from God. Is it difficult to be a Christian today? What kind of hardships do you encounter because you follow Jesus?
We want your two cents!
Want more food for thought?
The Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5:1-7:28)
http://onlineministries.creighton.edu
www.bustedhalo.com
Is there a topic you would like Doubting Thomas to address? Contact Moira (reilly.moira@gmail.com)
One semester a student missed a letter grade by one point and begged me to please review their work and consider changing their grade. I agreed and went straight to the student’s final exam which included twenty ratio calculations. I informed the student that based on the fact that they missed seventeen out of the twenty ratios, I would not change their grade.
The student felt that this was not fair because their grade was ultimately determined by an exercise that was arguably no longer relevant in the business world. They claimed that in our new information age they have access to all of the ratios and calculations at the touch of a button and therefore they chose not to memorize the ratios. I told them that they were absolutely correct with regard to the availability of the information and that my decision had absolutely nothing to do with their knowledge of finance and everything to do with their obvious choice to not do something that they were completely capable of doing.
The readings for today are by no means my favorites. They speak about discipline. I hate discipline. Discipline is not easy. In fact, most of the time discipline is hard. Discipline is not fun and there is little if any joy in the process of disciplining ourselves.
Today’s readings are difficult because they remind us of how hard it is to be a true disciple of Christ and that there are consequences to our decisions. As Catholic Christians, we are called to walk in the footsteps of Christ; proclaiming the Good News to all the world, and to know, love, and serve God in this world, so that we may spend eternity with Him in the next. Through Baptism and Confirmation, we were given all of the grace and power needed to walk that walk. Through reconciliation we return to and are eagerly accepted back on the path of Christ. And through the extraordinary celebration of the Eucharist, Christ provides for us to be one, through Him, with Him and in Him.
If the crazy professor can ask us to discipline ourselves for something as trivial as a letter grade, how much more should we choose to discipline ourselves to walk in Christ’s footsteps so that we too may recline with Him at table in the kingdom of God?
Pax et bonum-
Frank DeGeorge
Question of the Week:
Today’s second reading describes our trials as discipline from God. Is it difficult to be a Christian today? What kind of hardships do you encounter because you follow Jesus?
We want your two cents!
Want more food for thought?
The Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5:1-7:28)
http://onlineministries.creighton.edu
www.bustedhalo.com
Is there a topic you would like Doubting Thomas to address? Contact Moira (reilly.moira@gmail.com)
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