A Meaning-full Advent
We are on the verge of Advent, four weeks that tend to be a flurry of activity in preparation for Christmas. This week Jen Deshpande, who is on the parish staff of St. Dominic, wrote a reflection for our parish email that I needed to hear and thought you might too. She allowed me to make it my blog post today. I especially liked the last sentence: |
In St. Matthew’s Gospel this Sunday, we hear the parable that reminds us to “Stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” When our lives become so busy with earthly matters, our minds and hearts fall asleep to Jesus. We become so busy for the sake of being busy that we are silencing God’s presence in our lives. Our hearts need to stay awake and stay focused on God. God loves us and wants us to spend time in prayer with him. He wants us to sit quietly and engage in our relationship with Him. Silencing the busyness of our lives can open our minds and hearts to what God is trying to tell us. We can’t hear Him unless our minds are quiet.
BOOK REVIEW The Peace of Christmas: Quiet Reflections from Pope Francis
By Diane M. Houdek Franciscan Media 144 pages, $12.95
The flurry of activity during Advent can be overwhelming. There are gifts to buy and wrap, cards to send, special meals to prepare, cookies to bake, homes to decorate, and a tree to put up. The meaning of the season can easily be lost. The Peace of Christmas is the perfect antidote to stress and busy-ness. This book of daily reflections helps the reader to focus on God’s greatest gift: the coming of his Son into the world as a human being.
Each entry opens with a good-sized quotation from an address or homily of Pope Francis that is related to an Advent or Christmas theme. Coincidentally, Pope Francis is named for St. Francis of Assisi, who began the custom of displaying a Nativity scene. The Holy Father dwells often on the simplicity and poverty of the child of Bethlehem and the great love God has for us and our response.
The author then elaborates on the simple yet profound thoughts of the Holy Father in a section entitled “A Christmas Reality.” Weaving her personal memories and experiences with information about the Christmas story, she offers much food for thought. Her observations are down to earth and reflect the world as we know it. She refers to the violence and poverty in countries, and she acknowledges that there are dysfunctional families. In fact, one entry is “When Our Families Don’t Seem So Holy.”
The entries conclude with a section called “Your Christmas Gift Today.” In it the reader is presented with a practical suggestion for action that flows from the theme of the entry. In the entry on gift-giving, for example, the author advises resisting the temptation to use Santa as a threat against misbehavior but instead encourage children to imitate his generosity. Another suggestion is crossing off an item on your to-do list in order to spend an hour with God.
The entries lead from Thanksgiving through Christmas and end with Epiphany. The daily reflections can be read in sequence, but Houdek advises browsing through it when you have (or need!) a few minutes of quiet. Either way you make use of this book, you will find it a calming influence that sets your sights on the real meaning of Christmas. You will enjoy a respite of heavenly peace.
(Holy) Poor Souls and Saints: The Next World
The day after I flew home from a conference in Chicago, I googled my name. (That sometimes proves interesting.) That night a shocking notice appeared—an obituary for Kathleen Glavich! Did our plane go down? Am I in twilight zone? Am I dreaming? I didn’t feel dead. I clicked on the notice and it took me to the text. A Kathleen Edith Glavich had died a few days earlier. My middle name is Ann. Whew! I’m not ready to go yet. Still have books to write on the back burner. Someday my obituary really will appear. In this week when we remember the poor souls and the blessed saints, I wonder which group I will land in. Unless I am martyred, I will probably end up in purgatory, hoping that my friends and some strangers will be praying that my purification is over quickly.
My friend and consultant Monsignor Moriarity was adamant that the Poor Souls be called Holy Souls. They had run the race on earth successfully and so escaped eternal damnation. They were good people, holy people, who just needed to become a little more worthy of seeing God face-to-face. Their earthly prayers and penances hadn’t been sufficient to atone for their mistakes, their lack of love.
Thanks to divine providence, we are all bonded in God’s family in such a way that we who are still on earth can help out our brothers and sisters in purgatory. We can pray for their release. After a family member or friend dies, we have Masses said for them and we pray for them. But there are other people in purgatory who might not be as fortunate as they are. So it is a good practice to pray for certain groups: those who have no one to pray for them, those who died an early, unexpected death, first responders, priests and sisters, ancestors, those who committed suicide, and those for whom no one prays.
As for the people who are enjoying heaven free from pain and sorrow, we do not pray for them but to them. Just as we ask our friends on earth to pray for us, we can pray to friends in heaven—first and foremost, Our Blessed Mother. They then intercede for us before the throne of God. We can especially pray to those saints who are our patrons, such as the saints for whom we are named. St. Therese of Lisieux promised to let fall a shower of roses on those who prayed to her for help. I’ve heard stories confirming that she keeps her promise.
By now there are millions of saints in heaven; we know only a few that have been canonized, that is, officially declared in heaven by the church. Pope John Paul II, now a canonized saint himself, canonized so many people that someone quipped, “He wanted to make sure he had a lot of friends when he got to heaven.”
The lives of the saints are intriguing. No two are alike. They come from different centuries and countries and have different personalities and lifestyles. They looked different and prayed differently. The one fundamental thing they had in common was a passion for God. He was the center of their lives.
In some distant year someone might be praying to you on All Saints Day or for you on All Souls Day. Keep your eye on the grand prize and persevere. Remember we were born for another world. I look forward to meeting Kathleen Edith Glavich someday, but not real soon.
Have the prayers of a saint you prayed to ever brought about what you requested?
A lovely rendition of the classic hymn “For all the Saints” . . .
When Things Go Wrong
We all have periods in our lives when so many things go wrong, we wonder what else could happen…and then, surprise, it does! The other day at 6:30 AM I got in the car to go to Mass in the dark, and the key wouldn’t turn in the ignition. This had never happened before. In the same brief time span, the television went black, the car’s engine warning sign went on, I couldn’t connect to Facebook, I cut my hand on a Reddi-wip can (very hard to do!), and a thank-you card I sent came back. I won’t even mention what was happening on the national scene. I also lost the large cross that identifies me as a Sister of Notre Dame. How ironic! The Lord had supplied plenty of other crosses. So how does a Christian cope when minor problems pile up or one huge one crops up? You can get frustrated and depressed, but there are tips to help maintain inner peace and sanity.
Look for the positive angle of the cross. Often there is a blessing hidden in a problem. Because the car key wouldn’t turn, I learned something new from the manual: the key won’t turn when the steering wheel is locked. In the process of having the broken equipment repaired, I met several new, nice people. Because the thank-you card came back, I learned my friend’s correct address.
Our deceased Sister Mary St. Jude, who had a quirky, delightful sense of humor, liked to tell this story:
One day a man’s horse ran away. A neighbor comes over and says, “I’m so sorry about your horse.” And the farmer says, “Who knows what’s good or bad?” The horse returns the next day bringing with him twelve wild horses. The neighbor comes back and says, “Congratulations on your great fortune!” And the farmer again replies again, “Who knows what’s good or bad?” The next day as the farmer’s son is taming one of the wild horses, he is thrown and breaks his leg. The neighbor comes back over and says, “I’m so sorry about your son.” The farmer repeats: “Who knows what’s good or bad?” On the following day, the army comes through their village conscripting able-bodied young men to go and fight in war,
but the son is spared because of his broken leg.
Even though you don’t understand why your life is such a mess sometimes, you can trust the good God to know what he is doing. Remember, too, that he loves you with infinite, unconditional love. With his grace, you will get through the storms unscathed.
You can also counteract problems by recalling the wonderful things that happened during those days when you were bombarded with difficulties—events that lifted your heart—like looking out the window just in time to see six deer walking across the neighbor’s lawn or finding out that your sister’s pain is diminishing. Dwelling on those happy moments soothes your bruised heart.
We Catholics have an advantage in that we can offer everything that occurs—good and bad—to God, turning them into a gift. By uniting our crosses with the cross of Jesus, they can also become redemptive. They help further the world’s salvation. Because we believe in the Communion of Saints, our “connectedness” with all people, we can also apply the graces we win by our patient endurance of difficulties to a particular person or intention. That is how we make lemonade from lemons.
On the natural level, as the saying goes, trials make us either bitter or better. By enduring them patiently, we can grow stronger. Moreover, we are able to empathize more easily with other people who are suffering.
It’s said that St. Teresa of Avila was thrown off a mule into a mud puddle. When she complained to God, he said, “That’s how I treat my friends.” She retorted, “That’s why you have so few!”
So we can regard our inconveniences, interruptions, difficulties, and problems as love tokens from God. And as my friend says, “We can kiss them up to God.”
When have you experienced something bad that turned out to be a blessing in disguise?
BOOK REVIEW The Franciscan Saints
Robert Ellsberg
Everyone is familiar with the Franciscans St. Francis, St. Clare, and St. Anthony. This biographical book is a fascinating introduction to them and many other members of the Franciscan family. Included in the collection are some of the original Frranciscans, such as Brother Juniper; the founders of various branches of Franciscans, such as Mother Luana White, who founded the Franciscan Sisters of the Atonement; as well as Third Order Franciscans.
The reader may be surprised to learn that St. Elizabeth of Hungary, St. Angela Merici, and St. Pope John XXIII were all Third Order members. The book encompasses many saints, blesseds, venerables, and servants of God, such as Sister Thea Bowman. Even the poet Dante Alighieri, who possibly was a member of Third Order, and the Franciscan Father Mychal Judge have pages devoted to their lives. A total of 107 holy people have found their way into Ellsberg’s book. Living the Gospel values and witnessing to Christ in their particular age and culture and dealing with difficulties and sorrows as we do, they serve as an inspiration.
The book, which required loads of research, is well written and engaging. For example, the opening sentence for the entry for a Franciscan Sister who died in 1943 reads, “Restituta Kafka took her religious name form a third-century martyr beheaded under the Roman Emperor Aurelian, little guessing that the age of martyrdom had not passed.” Each entry concludes with a quotation from or about the person presented. It was hard to tear myself away from reading this book.
Why Pray a Psalm at Mass?
At every Mass we pray or sing a psalm after the first reading. A psalm is a prayer-song taken from the Old Testament and attributed to King David, who, as you know, played the harp. I thought of blogging about psalms today because we are in the month of the Holy Rosary, a devotion that is rooted in the Psalms. Originally people prayed the 150 psalms. Having them memorized was even the requirement for joining some communities. The many illiterate people were at a disadvantage. But then some creative person started praying 150 Our Fathers as a substitute for the psalms and thus began the paternoster beads, the forerunner to our rosaries. The psalms were an integral part of Hebrew worship and the prayers of Jesus and Mary. They are also appropriate for our worship and our personal prayer life. Because they express our every emotion, we can find a psalm to pray when we are glad, sad, mad, or have been bad. Being in Scripture, the ultimate source of the Psalms is God. They are his love songs to us and the songs he wishes us to sing to him. They contain such tender verses as these: “If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me fast” (Psalm 139:9–10). (more…)
Lessons from Las Vegas
We Americans are reeling from the unholy terror that was unleashed in Las Vegas. Our news is saturated with videos and details about the massacre. It will leave a deep scar in the memories of the families and friends who were directly affected by the attack as well as of people like me who grieve over the violence too often ruining our nation. Let’s pray for the victims: eternal peace for the dead, a speedy recovery for the injured, and comfort for those who loved them. Dare I say that we should also pray for the perpetrator, who for whatever reason committed this crime. Let’s also pray that God provides us with insight to find a solution to gun violence and heal our broken country. At times like this, it seems as though darkness is overcoming the light. When heinous acts of terror snuff out the lives of innocent people, we may struggle to hold onto our faith in the good God. We face the age-old mystery of the presence of evil in this world of ours that God created good. Some people might feel as if they are praying on empty. In our darkest moments we must remain convinced that nothing, not even the worst tragedy, separates us from God’s love. Besides, he can draw good from it. What can this heartbreaking, horrific tragedy teach us?
What first comes to mind is how precarious and fragile life is. We never know when our time on earth will end. So let’s cherish every moment and live our life to the full. Let’s also treasure our loved ones who enrich our lives and make sure they know it.
Another lesson is that we need to face the fact that much of our culture breeds hate and violence. How many movies, programs, books, and songs make violence commonplace and desensitize us to it? Research shows that exposure to violence triggers it.
The senseless killing also leads us to wonder what life is all about. Does it mean anything? Of course, in my opinion, belief in God and in another life after this one gives our lives purpose and makes it possible to hope. I imagine that God is mourning over our latest tragedy with us.
The heroes who emerged in the event—the first responders, law enforcement officers, those who sheltered their loved ones or guided others to safety at the risk of their own lives, tireless hospital personnel—remind us that people do have a shining nobility. There is goodness in our land.
We also learn that it is vitally important that we do more to promote peace and love in order to eradicate crimes like mass shootings. If only everyone realized that every person is precious, a loved child of God. If only everyone realized that they themselves are of untold worth and that God loves them with a profound, indescribable love.
Ultimately light will conquer the darkness. But God is looking to us to help. What can we do? Support organizations that work for peace. Vote for people who will promote peace. Protest situations that war against peace. Teach peace and love to our children, grandchildren, and others. Live peacefully ourselves.
What action steps can you take to bring God’s kingdom of justice and peace closer to our world?
