Reflection on Pain, Suffering and Joy

 
During the celebration of the sacrament of Confirmation a Bishop in Ireland asked a young man a question about the Trinity. 

The young man responded, Bishop 3 in 1, and 1 in 3, the Bishop replied, “I don’t understand”, the young man responded, “You not supposed to, it’s a mystery!”

We do not understand why pain and suffering exist, however I want to share with you the best explanation I have found for why we suffer is a story about a Rabbi teaching his students about 400 years before Christ. 

He was teaching his students just outside their village. 

As they looked down on their village, they saw foreign troops invading the village.  They heard the screaming; he yelling & saw the fires.  Finally, the rabbi looked up to heaven and screamed, “If only I were God!”  One of his students asked him, “What would you do differently if you were God.”  The rabbi answered, “I would do nothing differently, but I would understand!”

We don’t understand why there is pain and suffering in the world, but Jesus taught us what to do with our pain and suffering. 

Offer your pain and suffering to God, the Father and ask Him to bless it and have good come from it.  We should not seek suffering, God does not want us to suffer, God allows it sometimes what we do with our suffering is a gift that only we can offer to God. 

When you suffer pray to Jesus our Lord and our and our Savior with this part of Psalm 18, “I love you, Lord, my strength, my rock, my fortress, my savior.  My God is the rock where I take refuge; my shield, my mighty help, my stronghold.”

Then pray not there go I but for the grace of God, instead pray there go I with the grace of God.

May God Be Praised!

On my blog during the next few days I will be sharing some thoughts on Prayer, Suffering and Joy!

God is faithful and God can be trusted!  Do you believe that?

Someone wrote me a few months ago asking about Prayer Suffering. 

Here is my response, “Dear_____,

Thank you for your letter, which I have summed up in two questions, 

1. Why do people suffer, 

2. Why do we pray?

These may appear to be simple questions on the surface, but they are really quite profound.  I think the first thing you want to consider is why you pray?

Do you pray to get what you want?

Do you pray to know what God wants? 

Do you pray to build and strengthen your relationship with God?  I suggest that the primary purpose of praying to is build and strengthen your relationship with God, so you can discover His will for your life and follow it.”   

Suffering is at its essence a mystery; we can know something about suffering, but not the entire picture.  We don’t understand why there is pain and suffering in the world, but Jesus taught us what to do with our pain and suffering.  

 

Offer our pain and suffering to God, the Father and ask Him to bless it and have good come from it.  What we do with our suffering helps us grow or weighs us down.  St. Francis de Sales taught us, “Do not look forward to the changes and chances of this life with fear; rather look upon them with strong hope that, as they arise, God, whose child you are, will deliver you from them.”

 

Begin each day TRUSTING in God, live each moment in that TRUST, and allow TRUSTING God’s WILL to RUN your life and then you will live as a child of God.  Easy to write, easy to say, but very hard to live.

“Let nothing disturb you; Let nothing frighten you. 

All things are passing. 

God never changes. 

Patience obtains all things.  Nothing is wanting to him who possesses God.  Go alone suffices.”  (St. Francis de Sales)

I hope these insights help you to remember to pray for the strength to follow God’s will, not to change God’s mind, or get God to do what you what; but to pray for the strength to accept what comes your way as from the hand of God.  Thank God for the Good offer up the hardships and crosses to God; ask Him to bless them and have good come from them.

In Jesus Love,

Deacon George

May God Be Praised!

Thoughts from meditation from two saints and Psalm 27

"I am sent not only to love God but to make Him loved. It is not enough for me to love God, if my neighbor does not love Him."

"We should take as a maxim never to be surprised at current difficulties, no more than at a passing breeze, because with a little patience we shall see them disappear. Time changes everything."  [St. Vincent de Paul]

“When God sends inspirations into a person’s heart, one of the first that is given is obedience.”

"We shall steer safely through every storm, so long as our heart is right, our intention fervent, our courage steadfast, and our trust fixed on God."  [St. Francis de Sales]

I am sure I shall see the Lord’s goodness 

in the land of the living.
Hope in him, hold firm and take heart.
Hope in the Lord!  [from Psalm 27]

Today’s Mission, if you accept it, is to be God’s witness to your neighbor, accept the difficulties that appear on your path, be obedient to God’s promptings, make God your north star and “Hope in the Lord!”

May God Be Praised!

You Are Christ’s Light in the World Today

St. Matthew teaches us, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.  Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house.  Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.”  [Matthew 5: 14-16]

 

 

Live your life today as if you are the only Christian on the planet, you are Christ’s light, His message being lived totally depends upon you and your actions.

“The light we ask to see in Christ is beautifully expressed in this prayer by the Scottish poet and minister John Philip Newell:

In the morning light, O God,

may I glimpse again your image deep within me

the threads of eternal glory

woven into the fabric of every man and woman.

Again may I catch sight of the mystery of the human soul

fashioned in your likeness

deeper than knowing

more enduring than time.

And in glimpsing these threads of light

amidst the weakness and distortions of my life

let me be recalled

to the strength and beauty deep in my soul.

Let me be recalled

to the strength and beauty of your image in every living soul.”

[Connections 2/19/2020, From Celtic Christian Spirituality: Essential Writings]

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful.

And enkindle in them the fire of Your love.

Send forth Your Spirit and they shall be created.

And You will renew the face of the earth.  Amen.

Almighty Father, you have brought us to the light of a new day: keep us safe the whole day through from every sinful inclination.
 
May all our thoughts, words and actions aim at doing what is pleasing in your sight.
 
Lord, as a new day dawns send the radiance of your light to shine in our hearts.  Amen.



May God Be Praised!

Homily Cycle A 02-16-2020

Readings: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/021620.cfm

Remember the play or the movie “Westside Story, it has a beautiful and moving song “Somewhere”.

Fortunately for you I will not sing it today, but I want you to hear some of the lyrics, “There’s a place for us, Somewhere a place for us.

Peace and quiet & open air Wait for us somewhere ….”

We’ll find a new way of living,

We’ll find a new way of forgiving, Somewhere.”

[You can listen to the entire song here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPgqeVROE_4]

Today Jesus points out for us the “new way of living”, the Spirit of the Law.  Our reading from Sirach urges us to keep the commandments and to trust in God.  Then our responsorial psalm reminds us if we follow the law of the Lord we are blessed.

St. Paul tells us that the Wisdom of everlasting value comes from God.  And in our Gospel St. Matthew points out that Jesus came to illuminate the law and the prophets not abolish them.

"Jesus urges us to consider three areas of life:

1.   To be a person of peace,

2.   To live our relationships in fidelity and,

3.   Be speakers of the truth all the time.” 

[Lift Up Your Hearts, pp.162-164]

Ancient Greek philosophers made a distinction between the nomic and anomic spirit of the law.  Nomic meant the inner spirit of the law, and anomic meant without the inner spirit of the law.  One who knew the purpose of the law and lived it, verses one who knew the purpose of the law and did not care.

Being a disciple of Jesus requires us to live the inner spirit of the law, and to live it daily in our thoughts and our actions.

We can view our Baptismal call as a burden or a gift, as a cross or as a grace to guide us.

Maybe this story can help us.  It is about identical twins (as the grandfather of identical twin girls I can relate, although this story is not about them), one is a pessimist and one is an optimist.  Parents became very concerned!   

They asked their pediatrician for advice, the Doctor recommended for their birthday give presents [lavish presents for the pessimist and meager presents for the optimist] to help them achieve balance.   

 

Pessimist’s presents are in one room he finds a red bike and an IPhone, but he finds problems with them. 

  

The Optimist’s present is in another room he gets manure and he is delighted, throws it in the air and happily yells “Where there is manure there must be a pony.”

We, Christians, are spiritual optimists because our HOPE is in Christ and our FAITH is in His promise.  Today’s Gospel is about attitude and perspective.  Jesus asks us to own the attitude and the perspective we choose; He offers us HOPE.

In life we get manure and good gifts, how we deal with them makes all the difference.  Being a committed disciple of Jesus Christ is demanding and life giving - eternal life giving.  I began my homily with lyrics from “Somewhere”, I think those lyrics can clarify Jesus’ message for us.

Jesus’ calls us to a “new way of living” and in doing so challenges us to “Hold [His] hand and we’re halfway there, Hold [His] hand and I’ll take you there ….”

Jesus gave us the Scriptures to know Him and the Sacraments to love Him, grab hold of His hand and He will lead you to everlasting happiness and joy.

For a few minutes, in silence, reflect on you attitude and your perspective toward the law of love that Jesus gave us to live.

May God Be Blessed!

“I will sing to you, O Lord, I will learn from you the way of perfection.” 

Jesus tells us to “…be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Being perfect is hard work, very hard work!  A famous concert pianist answered questions from his audience after one of his concerts.  One person said, “I would give anything to play like you!”  The pianist surprised his audience and said, “No you wouldn’t!  I practiced eight hours a day for 25 years, and I practice eight hours every day now!”

Being great is hard work, very hard work.  Make no mistake you need talent, but talent alone won’t get the job done.  Talent, self-discipline and hard work equal success.

As disciples, followers of Jesus Christ we are called to use our God given talent, self-discipline and hard work to allow God to form our hearts, wills and minds for HIS KINGDOM.

The Lord said to Moses and to us, “Be holy, for I, the Lord, your God,  

am holy.’  St. Paul tells us “…the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God.’

In the Sermon on the Mount, which is our how to live book, we are asked to:

1.   Turn the other cheek,

2.   Give your cloak as well,

3.   Go two miles,

4.   Love your enemies,

5.   Be perfect.

That way of life is foolishness in our world, and it was in Jesus’ time.  Nonetheless we are called to live that way.  Thomas Merton offers us an important distinction between liking/loving that can help us live as fools for THE KINGDOM.

Liking is an emotional thing.  Loving is an act of the will.  He said Jesus doesn’t ask the impossible we are not called to like everybody, but to love everybody.  Reconciliation AND forgiveness are the heart of the Gospel.  Mark Twain said, “I have no problems with the parts of the Bible I don’t understand.  It’s the parts of the Bible I do understand that gives me fits.”

There is a lot of truth in Mark Twain’s observation.  Make no mistake about it we are called to: Be Holy and Be Perfect.  But it is important to note that, Perfection and holiness are not rooted in themselves or in our deeds, but in God!

In 2000 “Five for Fighting” made this song, Superman (It ain’t easy being me) “I’m just out to find The better part of me.”

The Sermon on the Mount as our how to live book, it will enable us to find our better part; it will show us the way to be holy and perfect.                 

May God Be Praised!

Our final insights from St. Francis de Sales’ “The Art of Loving God: Simple Virtues for the Christian Life” are below.  This book is drawn for a series of Conferences [talks] that de Sales gave to the Visitation Nuns in the early 1600’s.

Today reflect on the scripture below with Jesus and Peter:  

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+21%3A15-25&version=NIV

Then think about Martha, Mary and the Lord in this passage:

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+10%3A38-42&version=NIV

Consider the times you have been like Martha, Mary and Peter, remembering that Jesus loves you fully, totally and always, thank Him for that love now.

As we conclude our selections from St. Francis de Sales’ The Art of Loving God, we will focus on Chapters Thirteen thru Seventeen.  De Sales’ “The Art of Loving” might be an excellent meditation to read during Lent.

[Chapter Thirteen – Love God Simply] “… simplicity is nothing else than an act of pure and simple charity, having only one aim and end, … to acquire the love of God; our soul is simple when we have no other aim ….”  [p. 105]

[Chapter Fourteen – Be Untroubled by Public Opinion] 

“Simplicity … seeks nothing but the pure love of God

Simplicity … thinks of itself

Simplicity always follows the rule of God’s love.”  [pp. 117-118]

[Chapter Fifteen – Abandon Yourself Wholly to God] “… God … will guide you.’  [p. 125]

[Chapter Sixteen – Do Not Seek Special Crosses or Privileges] “… we must neither ask for anything nor refuse anything, but must leave ourselves in the arms of Divine Providence ….”  [P. 132]

[Chapter Seventeen – Desire Nothing, Refuse Nothing] “So, too, ought we to desire nothing and to refuse nothing, but to receive with perfect evenness of mind all that the Providence of God may allow to happen to us.”  [p.143]

We finished our walk with Francis de Sales and hopefully we have a greater appreciation for loving God as an Art.   Jesus came to show us that art and we are called to practice and learn it until we go to “the land of the living.”

May God Be Blessed!