Called to Serve

"What we do for ourselves, dies with us; what we do for others lives forever and for God for eternity."  (My Pastor loosely quoted)

We are living in a very self-serving society.  We are bombarded with enhancing our self-esteem, demanding our liberty and our personal rights.  Seldom are we encouraged to reach out to others--to serve others.   We are constantly told if we have this or that "thing" we'll be happy and we deserve it and the happiness it brings.  Yet many people are depressed; they aren't happy.  Though many people are seeking personal freedom, the freedom they are promised by others is often not realized.  At times the very thing they are pursuing to achieve this freedom is in reality enslaving themselves.  

It may seem to be a contradiction but those who reach out and serve others are the ones who really achieve freedom.

As Christians we believe God has called us to love and serve Him and others.  God gave us a free will and He wants our love and service and He wants us to love and serve others.  Yet, since He gave us a free will we have to make the decision whether we will serve Him and others or whether we will choose to serve ourselves.    

Those American Catholics who were catechized prior to Vatican II probably remember the answer in the Baltimore Catechism to the question "Why did God make us?"; i.e., "To know, love and serve Him in this world and to be with Him in the next."  What wisdom there was in that answer.

Have you ever noticed how truly happy those people are who reach out and voluntary serve and help others.  Really it is human nature in the positive sense to do this--parents who do whatever they can to assure their children are raised well;  spouses who demonstrate their love for each other daily; priests, religious and others who give their lives for others; siblings who love and help each other; etc.; etc.; etc.

When our pastor stated what I quoted above, I thought to myself he said a mouthful.  I am convinced the more willingly we serve God and others the happier we will be and the impact we'll leave will go on for generations and possibly eternity.

Life Worth Living

'"Vanity of vanities and all is vanity" except to love God and serve Him alone,'  My Imitation of Christ, Thomas a Kempis

I encountered the above quote from Thomas a Kempis in the mid 1950s, while still a teenager, when I purchased this Catholic clerics classical book of meditations.  This quotation which is based upon Ecclesiastes 1:2 has stuck in my mind ever since.

I find it fascinating that this observation that the majority of scripture scholars conclude was written in Ecclesiastes around 250 BC, and Thomas a Kempis wrote his "Imitation of Christ" sometime in the 15th century, and that this fact remains true to this day in the 21st century.

Thomas was born in the town of Kempen, Germany either in 1379 or 1380 and died on July 24th, 1471.  His correct name was Thomas "Haemerken" with various spelling versions depending on the country writing about him.  His father was a "blacksmith" which translated in Germany depending on the area was spelled "Haemerken"--his mother was a school mistress.  Since he was from Kempen he became known by the Latin name Thomas a Kempis, i.e., Thomas from Kempen.  He wrote many books and transcribed many copies of the Bible, but his "Imitation of Christ"
is the most popular and it is second in printing only to the Bible.  He is recognized throughout the world as "Thomas a Kempis".

The reading from Ecclesiastes (1:2, 2:21-33) was the first scripture reading for this Sunday's Mass, August 4th, 2013; the other scripture passages were Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11 and Luke 12:13-12.  The latter dealt with greed or misplaced priorities.  Our pastor made the following observation worth repeating.  "The things we do for ourselves die with us; whereas, the things we do for others lives forever."   He added, "Especially if we do them for God."  He went on to say by "others"  he is not referring to our family members as they are extension of ourselves; rather those things we do for "our neighbor", our neighbor as exemplified in Jesus' parable of the "Good Samaritan".

One last thought, over the years I've come to believe and endorse the maxim:  "Expect little from others; demand the most from oneself.  

When I remind myself of the above, I find myself surprised as I recognized how much good others actually do and humbled realizing how little I do.

     


                

Discipleship

The Mass Scripture Readings for the 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C deal with "discipleship".   Specifically, 1 Kings 19:16-21; Psalm 16; Galatians 5-1, 13-18 and Luke 9:51-62.

I listened to the reading of these passages and my Parish's Pastoral Vicar's homily on them at Mass this past Sunday, and I read meditations on the topic in the June issue of the monthly periodical "the WORD among us" and the book "In CONVERSATION with God, Volume Four".  These printed meditations basically provided a more extensive insight into what my pastor summarized so well.  

In a few sentences he had stated, being disciples of Christ we can  not force others to accept/believe what we do; we can only invite them.  Regarding our own behavior/faith journey--i.e., being "followers of Christ", he went on; there are three characteristics to consider (so well exemplified in Luke 9:57-62).  1.  We are not to expect human recompense for following Jesus.  2.  We can not place any conditions on our following Jesus.  3.  There is no turning back if want to be followers of Jesus.

In light of the last point, the statement of Jesus in verse 62 regarding a person plowing would have resonated with the people to whom He was speaking.  It was noted in the meditation "In CONVERSATION with God" that Jesus' audience would have known that any farmer who took his attention off his plow in the hard Palestinian soil would quickly find his furrows out of line.

Though the three points noted above are logical; knowing this does not make it easier for a person.  One can only pray that with the Grace of God one will persevere.             

A Few Thoughts In Passing; December 6th

1. Happy Saint Nicholas Day!!! Saint Nicholas, the generous and kind 4th century bishop of Myra, Lycia (now modern day Turkey) from whom the legend of our Santa Claus rose.

2. An Manhattan Declaration update. As of today there are 176 various church leader signatories and there are at least 260,605 people who have endorsed the declaration.

3. Last Monday, November 30th, Catholics commemorated the feast of the apostle Saint Andrew. Saint Andrew was seeking the Lord and was a follower of Saint John the Baptist before encountering Jesus. Though his role is not as predominate as Saints Peter, James and John in the gospels; he did play a significant role. According to the Gospel of Saint John, he was most likely the first apostle to find Jesus and he is credited for bringing Peter to Jesus (John 1:41), he also is the apostle who brought the young boy with the bread and fishes to Jesus (John 6:8-9). Subsequently when a group of Greeks asked to see Jesus, he was the one who took the message and the Greeks to Him.

Saint Andrew evangelized throughout Asia Minor and, as recorded by the bishop Eusebius, traveling as far as Scythia, the Black Sea, the Volga and Kiev. It is believed he was crucified in Patras, Achaea (Greece) around 70 ad. [Eusebius is credited with writing the first history of the Church; he lived from 260-339 ad.]

Saint Andrew is the patron of Scotland and Russia.

Saint Andrew's behavior as recorded in the Gospels demonstrates to me how God is depending on us to bring others to Him and even though we may not be big figures in the big picture, we are called to play a key role in building the Kingdom of God. Each of us is unique and God is depending on each of us.

Advent-A Time of Waiting

Today, November 29th, we begin the Season of Advent leading up to our celebration of Christmas--commemorating the birth of Jesus. In our Catholic churches, and in some homes, we have Advent wreaths and the churches are adorned in purple and the "Gloria"
is normally omitted from the liturgy. Yet, many of us go on our daily lives, other than decorating, partying and shopping, with little preparation for Christmas.

I'd like to note that if you were an Orthodox or Eastern Rite Catholic Christian, this would not be the case. No, if you were either Orthodox or Eastern rite Catholic you would be practicing a period of penance or sacrifice similar to what Latin (Roman) rite Catholics practice during Lent leading to Easter.

Wouldn't it be a good idea if we implemented a voluntary practice similar to our Eastern brethern. Maybe some small sacrifice like attending Mass during the week, eating smaller portions when not partying and accumulating the money saved for a needy cause/person, reflecting daily during Advent on the first two chapters of the Gospel of St. Luke and the Old Testament prophets, praying for someone you know in need, praying and reflecting on the five joyful mysteries of the rosary each day or practicing the virtue of patience; and the one I like to do, daily praying for the unity of the Orthodox and Catholic Church. This latter is of special concern to me as I reflect on the late Pope John Paul II who sought unity so that "...the Church could breath with both lungs".

For you who have access to Catholic radio, I hope you have the opportunity to listen to the weekly "Light of the East" program produced by Annunciation of the Mother of God Byzantine Catholic Church in Homer Glen, Illinois and hosted by Father Thomas J. Loya; once you have, I believe you'll come to realize the beauty the Eastern (Byzantine) Catholic Church has to offer us. If you can't listen on a local radio station, you may visit the church's beautiful web site and stream past radio shows at www.byzantinecatholic.com.

Out of the Desert

As with many people, as I reflect in my life I realize how many years I wandered in the desert of life--as our ancestors of Faith wandered in search of The Promised Land.

Though I was baptized and remained a Catholic my entire life; for many years I was what is often referred to as a cafeteria Catholic--one who picked and chose how to practice one's Faith. Throughout those years I received numerous "pricks" from God but for the most part I remained unmoved. God finally hit me with a 2 X 4 in the early 1990's and ever since my relationship with Him and His Church has continued to grow. That is not to say that I haven't experienced moments of darkness but to this point they have passed followed by a greater brightness. God created us, thinking reasoning beings and though we are believers of God and followers of Jesus through a gift of Faith; God wants us to use our reasoning powers as God is the essence of Logic.

There are moments in my life when I experience an overwhelming sense of gratefulness for the love of God, a love I do not deserve. One of these moments occurred two weeks ago while as Mass when all I could respond was quietly saying "Thank You, God". My response must have been evident as the woman kneeling next to me touched me on my arm and asked "Are you okay?" I answered, "Yes I'm okay, I'm just easily moved."

Though I'm still wandering through my journey of life, I am so thankful that I am not alone; I'm out of the desert journeying with God's large community of saints, with God providing life support.

The Manhattan Declaration--A Call of Christian Conscience

A group concerned with the impact of the post-Christian secularism on our society got together and drafted the "Manhattan Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience" in New York on October 20th. The declaration was released on Friday, November 20th with over 150 Orthodox, Catholic and Evangelical Church leaders as signatories.

Today the number of signatories is 168. The declaration specifically addresses/defends:

1. The sanctity of human life

2. The dignity of marriage as the conjugal union of husband and wife

3. The rights of conscience and religious liberty

Those who agree with the declaration are encouraged to show their support by logging in to the "manhattandeclaration.org" web-site and indicating this support. At my last check over 182,000 endorsed the declaration.

The declaration is available as a link as well as a summary of the declaration and the list of signatories.

I first heard of the declaration on Catholic radio who announced it was going to be released and saw a report on the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN). Fox News also reported the release, as did Bill O'Reilly.

I hope you are moved to go the web-site, read the declaration and then hopefully endorse it. I believe our culture is at a cross road and it is imperative that Christians and like-minded people let their voices be heard.

Taking Up One's Cross

'Jesus said to His disciples, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what shall a man give in return for his life? For the son of Man will come with his angels in his Father's glory, and then he will repay each according to his conduct."' (Matthew 16:24-27)

When you read the above from Matthew's Gospel what comes to your mind?

It is worth noting that this quote in Matthew immediately follows Jesus foretelling of His death and resurrection, Peter's rebuke and Jesus' strong condemnation of Peter's rebuke. (Matthew 16:21-23)

Imagine we are among Jesus' disciples. The stir this causes. We are Jews living under the iron fist of detested Roman occupiers. We are anxiously awaiting the promised messiah who we believe or at least hope this Jesus is. As the messiah we expect Jesus to cast off the tyranny of the detested Roman gentiles and establish a kingdom blessed and far exceeding that of King David. Hopefully then, we as his favoured disciples, will share in the power and glory of this new realm.

But no, now this Jesus tells us that we are to deny ourselves and willingly take upon ourselves the most horendous instrument of death available in the Roman Empire, the cross, and be willing to suffer with Him and for Him; even be willing to die for Him. Then and only then will we be rewarded. Wow!!! Surely He must be kidding!

And yet, probably within 40 years of Jesus' death and resurrection when hearing Matthew's account at the Eucharistic liturgy it all resonates and it makes sense.

Isn't it somewhat surprising after all these years of Christians understanding the importance of denying oneself, taking up one's cross and following Jesus; how many today believe that being Christian precludes suffering or deny the significance of suffering on one's road to eternity? Many have forgotten or over look St. Paul's observation on the subject.

"Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is the Church." (Colossians 1:24)*

*Catholic Biblical footnote. '"...what is lacking..." Christ's suffering were of course, sufficient for our redemption, but all of us may add ours to his, in order that the fruits of his redemption be applied to the souls of men. (The Holy Bible, Revised Standard Version / Second Catholic Edition, Ignatius Press p.168)

"Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid."

Aren't these words of our Lord; "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid." (Matthew 14:27) really encouraging? Here we have the apostles in a boat that is being tossed about in turbulent waters, fearing the possibility of drowning and seeing what appeared to be a ghost approaching them--very likely they saw this as a omen of their pending demise. But no, the image they saw was not a ghost, it was Jesus.

There were times in my life when I felt that everything was going wrong or there was no way out of a given predicament--that I was drowning in the situation--and I heard these comforting words; "Don't give up, I am here, do not fear." And yes, everything did work out. I know these comforting words were not of a ghost; I know God wants to talk to me/assure me if only I listen.

I pray that I learn that prayer is a conversation, which means I need to be a better listener--after all God has a lot more to say than I and what He has to say is of much greater value.

God who is Love so wants to share Himself with us if only we'd let Him.

Pentecost and The Holy Spirit

Today being Pentecost Sunday, the priest offering our Mass asked us what symbol/image did we associate with the Holy Spirit. There are the obvious, e.g., "a dove" or "tongues of fire". Ironically, about a month ago my brother and I were discussing the very same thing. I told my brother I envisioned The Holy Spirit as something invisible yet knowing to exist. To me this is best illustrated as I see The Holy Spirit as the air circulation flowing from God, e.g., the Breath of God in Creation, the Breath of Jesus on the Apostles when He instituted the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the Breath of Jesus when He gave them His great commission--i.e., the very sustenance of life. I envision The Holy Spirit being a peaceful and soothing as a gentle breeze--something hardly noticeable but there, and when need be as strong as tornado or hurricane force winds. Is it not possible that the tower or cloud that led and protected the Israelites fleeing the Egyptians and the separation of the sea which created their final of the means of escape could they not have been brought upon by The Holy Spirit--The Love of The Father and The Son (The Word)?

Anyway, I find my image of The Holy Spirit though lacking as any human image would be, very comforting--one of the many titles describing The Holy Spirit--"The Comforter".

I pray and hope that as this Easter Season is drawn to a close, it was as Blessed for you as it was for me and that you radiate The Love of The Father and Son, i.e., The Holy Spirit to all you encounter through the rest of your life.

A Reflection--Vine and Branches (John 15:1-8)

"I am the vine, you are the branches." John 15:5

The Gospel reading for the Mass on Wednesday, April 23rd was John 15:1-8. When the deacon proclaimed this passage and our pastor commented on it, two sentences struck me: "I am the true vine, my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit."

As an amateur gardener I've learned early on that many plants are much more productive when they are pruned--some won't produce flowers or fruit if they aren't pruned. Though plants are a lower form of life and I suspect they do not experience pain as animals and humans do; I do believe they experience some sort of stimulus when they are pruned.

Reflecting on what Jesus is stating above, I pondered we all have crosses to bear in our life. May these "crosses" provide an opportunity for a gift of pruning by our loving "Vine Grower", The Father, so that we don't get all tangled up in the "unimportant" and be fruitless; but rather adhere in a closer bond with His Son, "The Vine", so that we produce the fruit we are on this earth to produce?

A Special Week

The following is a rewrite of an e-mail that I sent to my "Family & Friends" addressees on January 23rd.

This is a special week. The week running from last Friday, January 18th through Friday, January 25th is very special.

On Monday, January 21st we celebrated the life, accomplishments and dreams of Dr. Martin Luther King. Right here in San Antonio, Texas we have one of the largest Martin Luther King Day parade/march in the country.

On Tuesday, January 22nd we reflected on the Doe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision 35 years ago. Beginning this past weekend through Tuesday we prayed, marched and reached out in behalf of our lost unborn and to those who suffered from being involved with an elected abortion. The secular media's lack of coverage of the events was eye opening. I suspect that many of the Americans across the country are unaware of the outpouring of their fellow citizens who participated in the events around the country. In addition to the numerous local prayer services, Masses and marches throughout the US, there was a large "Walk for Life" in San Francisco on Saturday. The major event, however, took place in Washington D.C. Monday evening through Tuesday. On Monday evening there was a Mass at the National Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. The basilica was filled to overflowing with people of all ages and race. There were so many people they were literally sitting on the floor in the aisles. There were at least six cardinals, fifty bishops and over 400 priests in attendance. On Tuesday morning there was a Youth Mass at the Verizon Amphitheater which after reaching capacity of 20,000 had to close the entrance. At mid-morning marchers assembled at the Washington Mall to pray and listen to various speakers before marching to the US Supreme Court building. Though there was an extensive Catholic presence, the opening prayer was given by an Episcopalian bishop followed by speakers/leaders in prayer which included at least one Evangelical minister, some Orthodox Metropolitans/clergy, some Orthodox Jew rabbis and was closed with some Catholic bishops. Interspersed, were various pro-life speakers and congressmen. Conservatively, at least 200,000 people participated in the program and subsequent march to the Supreme Court. What was most heartwarming was that approximately 75% of the participants were 35 years old or younger and 50% were 25 years or younger with large contingents of college and high school students.

Finally, these eight days which began last Friday is a Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Though we have a long way to go, from a Catholic perspective, there has been some progress made in this area. Looking back over the years since Pope John XXIII launched the initiative a few highlights include: the Catholic Church--recognizing that "men on both sides were to blame" for the division; creating a Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity and appointing the first ever Catholic representative to the Assembly of the World Council of Churches; and welcoming the heads of many churches to the Vatican. In 1960 when the Archbishop of Canterbury visited the Vatican it was the first visit of an Anglican Prelate since the rupture of the Church of England from Rome. In 1965 Pope Paul VI joined Patriarch Athenagoras in lifting the mutual excommunication between Catholic and Orthodox Churches that had been in place since 1054. In 1995 Pope John Paul II dedicated an entire encyclical to ecumenism ("That They May Be One"); and his pontificate demonstrated his continued effort to reach out to fellow Christians as has/is Pope Benedict XVI. These two popes definitely follow Pope John XXIII who is quoted to have said:
"Whenever I see a wall between Christians, I try to pull out a brick."

As I noted above, we have along ways to progress in Christian unification, as we do with living with others as our brothers and sisters, as we do in communicating that science now proves each person's uniqueness--though possibly difficult for us lay persons to decipher--begins at conception, and that we continue to stand up for the sanctity of all human life from conception to natural death.

It is so appropriate that these three events, all requiring self examination and a prayerful contemplative heart, occur during this one week. For me to cap it all off, Thursday, January 24th, Catholics commemorate the feast of the late 16th-early 17th century French saint, Saint Francis de Sales, the patron of journalists and a saint who has greatly influenced me; and on Friday, January 25th, Catholics commemorate the feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, who I'm so fortunate to have as my patron.