The Truth About the Mass

The Truth About the Mass

Why Go?

07-12-13&07-13-13

The Vatican City. More specifically, St. Peter's Square. 

The center for Catholicism. Our Catholic roots go back some 2,000 years, with Rome and the Vatican remaining the home of the Pope,  along with being a place that fosters the faith. Though the Church is still very much alive, and thriving in many places, it seems to have hit another stumbling block, and this one might be more threatening than anything before. The biggest problem we face in the Church  today is actually coming from inside the safe haven that is our Faith. This attack could potentially destroy us. 

It is... the lukewarm Catholic. 

We all know what the lukewarm Catholic looks like, because in all honesty, it is us at times. All of us. None of us can honestly say we always avoid this title. I know I don't. 

With that, the question becomes -

1. How did it get to this?

and

2. How do we change this?

A picture can better display some problems our Church faces. 

In the past, our Churches looked like this - The best word I can use to describe this would be FULL. The cafeteria Catholics were a small group, not a large army. People went to mass, prayed their prayers, understood the importance of a relationship with God. We all know the Church has not been perfect up until this point, and it is true, there were problems in the past that we are dealing with less now, and we can all thank God for that, but in the past, one thing that people did do, no matter who you were, a saint or a sinner, was go to MASS. Sunday Mass was expected, and sadly, we seem to have fallen away from that. Now a days, our Churches are 

filled with empty pews, and the problem does not seem to be leaving anytime soon. As a whole, we have become...gulp....lukewarm! In scripture it says, 

 ^"So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth." 

Revelations 3:16 

I don't know about you, but that kind of freaks me out, and is a wake up call. You know what this lukewarmness is; you've seen it, experienced it, been a part of it yourself. Remember when you went to mass and no one sang, or when you  received communion and came back to your seat with no one around you? Wasn't there a bunch of people a minute ago? Yes, we know what this is. This is sadly what our Catholic Church is becoming. 

So now we see how it came to be, but how can we change it? 

One way is through prayer! How lovely a thing! There is nothing quite as beautiful as prayer, especially the Rosary. Of course there is the Mass, the most wonderful prayer, but if we want to start going to Mass, not out of obligation, but out of desire,  and to actively participate, we have understand.
Instead of having myself explain it, I think Catherine de Hueck Doherty, founder of Madonna House in Canada, can do a better job. She says:

"The Mass is the very breath of our spiritual life. There we are, face to face with the Lord of Hosts. There we become one with him. Then, refreshed and strengthened beyond our understanding, we once more can face whatever the day may bring. In the Mass we find bread and wine for the soul. We find Love bending down to us, Love lifting us, ever higher, to himself, until all things are right and well with us. For we have our being in him already on this earth. The Mass is the sum total of all our prayer life! Vocal: “With my voice I praise you.” Mental: “My mind is slowly absorbed in his, and I begin to see, to understand.” Contemplative: When we are unable to speak or think, we just “rest” in him.

All things come together in the Mass, for humanity comes together in God, and in God all things have their being. The Mass is a mighty bridge which brings the entire Church — living on earth now and those gone on to eternal life — together in an unbreakable unity. In doing so, it brings us peace, strength, and joy. For in the Mass we realize as through a glass darkly, that there is no loss of our Beloved, that we are not alone, that we walk in a goodly company of saints and martyrs. Life changes utterly and begins to make true sense to us when we participate in Mass daily. Our horizons become wider than all the universe, for they span time and eternity. Love grows within our soul until finally its eyes see Christ in all. Slowly, but oh, how surely, our whole person turns to God! Then the spirit of the evangelical counsels –- of poverty, chastity, and obedience – of the Beatitudes and the Ten Commandments becomes simple and clear. We become free. How free cannot be told; it has to be experienced."

BOOM. 

Quite honestly, this is one of the most powerful reflections I've ever read. To fully comprehend it, I need to read it over and over, and even with hours of reflection, there is still much to be grasped. If I had given my reasoning for why people are so lukewarm and why mass participation is so low, I would have basically said, in more basic terms, we suck, and we need to not be complacent, blah, blah, blah. Miss Catherine? Well, she actually knew what she was saying, and hit it out of the park with true charity.

I came across this reflection in the June issue of the Magnificat, and am so happy I did. I hope that I answered the questions I posed and I also hope I made you at least think, and planted some sort of seed. The Lords will be done. I'm just glad he is trying to use me in some capacity,  just his lowly servant .

Thank you for reading this and understand I am praying for you. Please pray for me. Let us continue to strive for Heaven. God bless you my brothers and sisters. 

"He died for me, so I will live for him."   

Signing the Contract

Signing the Contract 

7-5-13 & 7-12-13& 7-13-13

 

If you haven't signed one yet, don't worry - you will sooner or later. Contracts are as common in the work world as trays are in a cafeteria.
In the Old Testament, God and the Israelites had Covenants, which really was a contract in a way. Today's contracts are not as extreme as the one's the Lord made with his chosen people, but that is not to say we as human's don't put a large emphasize on them. In today's business world, most things are not really decided until a contract comes out. "I will work for this law firm if this and this is given to me," or "I will teach History and English at this school if this is included in my contract."
Besides the benefits people also look largely at the dollar signs. The yearly salary is very important. In a way, it is saying, you are worth this much to this company, or to us. When someone applies for a job at a school, they expect to receive the same amount as the teachers around them, or at least the ones who have been there as long as them. When you begin work at a hospital as a Nurse and your initial contract is $50,000.00, you are being told that is your worth to that hospital.
Every single job has a different salary range, as we all know. Some jobs make more money then others. Is the salary really a reflection of someone's worth, or the need and value of that profession? No. Does our society like to make you think that it works like that though? Naturally.
Think about professional athletes. An average baseball player can make anywhere from $2.5-10 Million, all based on their market value at the time of the contract and the teams need. I said an AVERAGE baseball player. Don't like that wide of a range? That is fine, because in 2012, the average salary per player was $3.2 million. Still, I will break it down further. The lowest team salary average, which was that of the Houston Astros, was just under $700-thousand. That is the lowest for any team, and they have zero stars.
Now lets compare that to the average salary of a teacher at a public school - $43,000.00. As you can see, the idea that someone's worth is justified based on their salary is crap. This is not to say that all teachers are most influential then baseball players, and that they all deserve more money then them. Honestly, it just doesn't work like that. People make what they make because of the demand. As American's, we love entertainment, and so anyone in the entertainment business is going to do well. Teachers? Our country finds teaching to be a very honorable profession, but if a certain teacher decided to quit, most schools would move on, and just hire someone else. Their profession is thought of with admiration, but most teachers are thought of as replaceable. But now lets look at baseball. What if the Detroit Tigers let Miguel Cabrera go? People would be up in arms. Why? Because though this profession is not as admired as say a teacher, his worth is greater when it comes to fulfilling that contract.
A teacher's mission is to better educate their students and help them to learn. Very admirable. Miguel Cabrera? His mission is to help his team win baseball games and if everything goes right, win the World Series.
If looked at without a bias, one would say that the teacher is more important, for they are educating students, and helping form who they are. Looked at from a normal humans perspective? At least a Detroit Native? Miguel Cabrera is much more important. The man has the chance to help his team win a Championship! If that teacher screws up, you can just fire them and get a new one! Miguel? You can't replace him. You just can't...
And this is our Countries logic...
But Seriously...
What the heck. Because the stock and worth we put into professional sports and entertainment, the people in those fields make ridiculous amounts of money. They sign lavish contracts and all just because they can hit a ball, or dunk, or score a TD. Not to say these things don't require a lot of skill and that they don't require a ridiculous work ethic, but does what there doing defend those contracts? No, and in all honesty, it never will.
So we can sit around and say, "It is not fair, I work just as hard as they do, blah, blah, blah," but it is not going to get anyone anywhere.
Our contracts in the work world are not really worth anything when it comes down to it. They don't really define our worth.
Why?
Because they are of human origins, and based off of human logic.
The real important contract? The one we form with God at baptism.
When we become members of the Church, we sign a contract with God that we aren't even really aware of, but basically it says:

"For whoever does the will of my Father is my brother and my sister and my mother."

Matthew 12:50

So if we do the will of God, we become family. We fulfill this contract by doing what he asks of us, and then... WE GET PAID! BIG TIME.

The contract has no negotiations. No need. Just do the Lord's will and you get something much better than money. You get...

ETERNAL "fREAKING" LIFE

Does our world see this contract as real, or even relevant to our life here on earth? Normally not. I can't think of anyone I know who has ever bragged about the potential contract that could lead to Heaven. At least not as like someone would when they sign a big deal for a contract at a law firm, or working as a doctor at a hospital, or even just a new job. When you get hired somewhere, you publicize it, have a small party, or at least celebrate in some way. With the contract we have toward acceptance into heaven? Normally nothing. We don't even think about it really. 

This is not to say we don't care deeply about going to heaven. Let us hope we all do. But with that, we don't seem to put much emphasize on this potential prize, even though it is the greatest one of all. HEAVEN, BRO. We should be freaking celebrating that potential gift everyday of our lives. 

If we do the Lord's will, we have the gift of celebrating Eternal Glory with our Lord and Father. Not going to lie, it pumps me up. Celebrate all that the Lord has given you! 

With this, let us reflect on this gift the Lord gives us, and worry a little more about that contract, cause when it comes down to it, it is the only one we ever signed with real worth.

Heaven. 

"Versa L'alto!"  

"He died for me, so I will live for him." 

Man of Morality

The Man of Steel 

is the

Man of Morality 

06-14-13 & 06-15-13

"You will give the people an ideal to strive towards. They will race behind you, they will stumble, they will fall. But in time, they will join you in the sun. In time, you will help them 

accomplish wonders." Jor-El

Only Zach Snyder, the director of Man of Steel, could tell you what he was going for in his most recent blockbuster, but intentional or unintentional, he produced a movie in line with Catholic teachings and filled with truth. 

The story of Superman is one most of us know.  With the planet of Krypton on the verge of destruction, two loving parents, Lara and Jor-El, send their only son to planet Earth, hoping he can live, and also in hopes that he can save Earth from suffering the same fate. Kal-El arrives and is found by the Kent family, who then in turn raise him. As Kal-El, now Clark, grows, he learns about his powers and understands that with them, comes great responsibility. Based on his own knowledge, and with the help of the Kent family, Clark becomes a rock of morality, never wavering in his beliefs. In the end, he becomes Superman.  

Snyder gives us Superman, but with that, he also portrays him as something all Christians can easily understand - a Messiah. 

He shows that Superman, probably better then most, tries to fulfill the qualities Jesus so wonderfully displayed, with the biggest being that sacrificial love. 

When looking at the quote from above, it is easily seen that their is an underlining message we Catholics can take from this - Superman is a symbol for Jesus. Lets break it down. Just like Jesus, Superman is his Father's only son, and just like Jesus, he is asked to give of himself for humanity. Jesus, ultimately through his Pascal Mystery, saves us from death and brings us to new life, and while Superman does nothing of that magnitude, he still gives fully of himself, and does exactly what Christ calls us to, "take up your cross, and follow me." Matthew 16:24 

 The thing is, Snyder had no choice but to add these elements. Unless he wanted to change the whole background and story for Superman, these ideas needed to remain. But even so, there comes a point when the comparisons and similarities end, and Snyder could have pushed the movie a different route, away from the faith. Instead, Snyder ran with it, telling the viewers that the age of Superman is 33, which is the age Jesus was when he died for our sins. 

The subtle pushes of Christianity kept coming though, with one scene showing Superman in a Church. It is up to the viewer to decide if the Church is a Catholic one, but it appears while he is there he speaks to a priest. Now doing a bit of a background check on Snyder, he himself is an Episcopalian, so it is unlikely he was envisioning that Church as a Catholic one, but as the viewer, we can chose what to make it.

Did I forget to say this movie is packed with Christian messages? One line that Jonathan Kent says sticks out -"But somewhere out there you have another father, and he sent you here for a reason. And even if it takes you the rest of your life, you owe it to yourself to find out what that reason is." I would like to think that this line is not just meant for Superman, but for all of us. A.K.A. God in relation to us. 

There is more though. What about that Superman symbol, the classic S? Turns out, the S stands for hope. Just as we have hope in the Resurrection!

It can't be said what Snyder was really going for throughout this movie, but what I saw what a movie packed with a moral push, something we don't often see from movies these days. Superman isn't perfect and does make mistakes, but it is hard to see them in this film, and with that, you have to thank the director. 

A fun, exciting movie, Man of Steel is going to be remembered for a long time. I was pleasantly surprised by it, and I hope you are as well. 

And a last message to the director - Keep producing Christian films, cause as we all know, this society needs it! 

"He died for me, so I will live for him."  

Prayer of St. Brendan the Navigator

Prayer of St. Brendan the Navigator

Help me to journey beyond the familiar
and into the unknown.

Give me the faith to leave old ways
and break fresh ground with You.

Christ of the mysteries, I trust You
to be stronger than each storm within me.

I will trust in the darkness and know
that my times, even now, are in Your hand.

Tune my spirit to the music of heaven,
and somehow, make my obedience count for You. 

My patron saint, St. Brendan, celebrates his feast day on May 16th. 
Want to learn more on him?  Brendan the Navigator

"He died for me, so I must live for him." 

Summer Time - A Time not to be Wasted

Summer Time

A Time not to be Wasted

Summer Time for a College Kid- 

Beaches, bonfires, baseball, brew's (when of age), and bros. The "Five B's" of summer.

Does summer consist of anything else? Yes, of course. Like sand volleyball, summer jobs,  family vacations, camping, swimming, etc. Does the rest really matter in comparison to the "Five B's"? Well...

Summer time for a college kid is normally all about taking a break from school, making some money, and just relaxing. All of this is good, but if your summer ends and all you got out of it was memories of those nights you went to your friends and drank beer and watched baseball, or those days you spent at the beach, it could be said that you might have wasted your summer. Why do I say that? I will get to that.


I was talking to a friend of mine recently, and we were discussing our summer plans, and she was telling me how difficult it is for her to get to mass in the summer, though she wanted to go regularly. She said during the school year it was part of her daily routine, and she loved going, desired it so very much. During the summer though? She told me how tough it was for her, and in part because it wasn't as convenient as before. During the school year, she could walk to mass, but now at home, she had to drive to mass if she wanted to go, making it much more difficult. She still plans on going this summer, which is good, but I know not everyone can say the same.

In some cases, daily mass in not an option. If you work at six in the morning, and go until three or four, you might have missed all available masses. For the most part, parishes only have daily morning mass, so often times, it is impossible. Even when they do have evening masses though, it can be hard to motivate yourself to go, because frankly, you are probably just tired from your day of work, and just want to relax. So sometimes it is not even an option, and even when it is, it is difficult to go.

The same goes with other prayer, such as holy hours, rosaries, etc. When your in school, especially at Franciscan, everyone is always praying, always going to the port or the chapel; Mass is offered three times a day. When summer hits though, things change, and it becomes more difficult to pray, to go to mass. It is not as convenient as it once was. That's the thing though - your faith is not about convenience! Your faith and my faith is a continual journey of growth and conversion, and we can't allow change in routine to dictate that.

That is why I said you might have wasted your summer if that is all you got out of it. Though it could be argued that the summer time is more difficult to stay faithful and consistent in prayer, that does not validate lukewarmness. In the bible it says, "So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I will spit you out of my mouth." Revelations 3:16

Honestly, the summer time is such a great time for growth, and the fact that it can be more of a challenge, makes it all the more rewarding. I understand the challenges that come with summer, for I am not immune to them myself, but I also understand that it just means I have to work harder.

We have to strive for that continual conversion, and we really need to want it. If this means working on just loving your family while your home, do it. Avoiding your family just so you don't fight with them is not virtuous. And when it comes to your old high school friends, you might have to reevaluate your friendships with them. I understand wanting to hang out with them regardless of their character, because they are the people you grew up with, and maybe you even think you can change them, but it doesn't always work like that, and sometimes those people can lead you to sin as well. So yes, in some cases, you might be called to stop hanging out with some people. The list of things go on and on - avoid drunkenness, sexual sins, drugs, etc.
In the end, we have to look at all we do, and ask ourselves, is this bringing us closer to the kingdom of God, or is it taking us farther away?

We have a choice right now - we can either decide to look at this summer as just a vacation, or we can look at it as part of the journey. These summer months will test you, and they'll force you to confront your demons, but that is where the decision comes: do you face them head on, and fight back, or do you run away or fall to them. St. John of the Cross said, "We must adjust our trials to ourselves, and not ourselves to our trials."
The choice is yours.

Continue to pursue holiness, fight the good fight, and with all things, pray. "Pray without ceasing." 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Enjoy your summer and pray for me, as I'll be praying for you.

"He died for me, so I will live for him." 

Reflection on Ecclesia de Eucharistia

A Reflection on the Eucharist 

4-26-13 & 5-8-13

On April 24th, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to go to Beloved First Truth's study night. They have their study night every Wednesday at 9 p.m. and once a month, they open it up to all on campus. This Semester, they studied "Ecclesia de Eucharistia," which means Church of the Eucharist. Being the last study session of the semester, they dove into the conclusion of Pope John Paul II's encyclical, section 59-62. I really enjoyed reading and discussing these sections, and now I would like to share some of my thoughts with you.
Two phrases really stuck out. The first one was this:

"In the Eucharist we have Jesus, we have his redemptive sacrifice, we have his resurrection, we have the gift of the Holy Spirit, we have adoration, obedience and love of the Father. Were we to disregard the Eucharist, how could we overcome our own deficiency?" (EE 60)

As this little section of the encyclical shows, this thing is packed with uncompromisable Theology. The line I got hung up on though, is the last part of it, "Were we to disregard the Eucharist, how could we overcome our own deficiency?" (EE 60).
Basically, without the Eucharist, we are unable to truly do the Lord's will. Fr. Richard Davis T.O.R. has a nice way of putting this, saying that the Eucharist is, "Not a sticker or a mark saying you got an A+. It is food for the journey." We NEED the Eucharist to thrive and live good and holy lives.
Just look at the lives of the Saints. One thing they all seem to have had in common is a true love and devotion to our Lord, especially in the Eucharist. You can try and think of a saint who didn't have a devotion to the Lord in the Eucharist, but they don't exist. St. Peter Julian Eymard said, "In one day the Eucharist will make you produce more for the glory of God then a whole lifetime without it." He understood, as have all the saints, the true importance of the Eucharist.Our hearts should be constantly longing to receive Jesus in the form of the Eucharist.
With this, it tells us the importance of receiving Jesus daily at Mass. It is not always an option for people, especially people who live in areas that have a lack of priests, but when it comes to living in America, or more specifically, going to Franciscan, we have a surplus of vocations, and on this campus alone, have three different times a day when mass is offered. And if you can't fit mass in during those times, there are plenty of options to go off campus. What I am getting at is, we really never have an excuse for not going to mass, plain and simple. But that is another thing - we should think of it like we had an excuse, cause it is not a punishment. the Mass is a Wedding Feast. Basically, it is one continual party, and you never want to miss a party.

The second phrase that stood out to me was this:

"By giving the Eucharist the prominence it deserves, and by being careful not to diminish any of its dimensions or demands, we show that we are truly conscious of the greatness of this gift. We are urged to do so by an uninterrupted tradition, which from the first centuries on has found the Christian community ever vigilant in guarding this “treasure" (EE 61).

 

This small section sort of sums up everything I just spoke about. We need to really try and give the Eucharist the proper respect it deserves, and understand its sacredness. 

In short, we need to just understand what a real treasure the Eucharist is, and remember it is truly, "food for the journey." The Lord is good to us. Let us continue to walk with him through everything. 

God Bless! By the way, I apologize for how scatter brained this all was. I just wanted to make sure I posted it. I will probably edit it.

"He died for me, so I will live for him."

Update

It has been four months since I last blogged, and I want to apologize. I truly do love writing and sharing my thoughts, feelings, ideas, and such. I have been quite bad at this of late though, and it is in large part because of the hectic schedule I have. Am I always busy? No, not really. Sometimes, I am quite free actually. But when I do end up being busy, I am over loaded, and so I normally chose to use my free time for something relaxing, like watching Netflix, or hanging out with friends.
I am going to be more free this summer though, and I am hopefully going to be blogging a lot more often, and hopefully I can get back into the swing of things. I really do love writing. Now I just need to make the time for it.

Anyways, for this blog, I just want to give a little update on myself and how the Lord has been able to use me this semester.

I would say of the four semesters I have been in college, this one has been the most humbling and growth filled. It began with a trip to Jamaica for Mission work, which was a wonderfully blessed time. The Lord was very present during those ten days. When I returned from there, I was back in the flow of school. This semester I'm taking 18 credits, along with working two jobs, doing Music Ministry, Household stuff, Intramurals, Life in the Spirit and I also was helping with Born of the Spirit. So basically, I have been keeping myself busy.
Besides all that, I was also able to do Steube Mission, which in itself is worthy of its own blog. Such a powerful experience.
What else has gone on? A lot of growth. I am very prideful, and the Lord has been trying to humble me, and I got to say, he has done a pretty good job. He has basically told me, on more then one occasion, that he is in charge, and it is not me. I have not come to fully appreciate it yet, but I am trying to trust the Lord and understand that he has a plan for me.
Besides the growth and the busy schedule, I am getting prepared to embark on a trip to Europe in the Fall which I am super excited about. The Lord has definitely blessed me with that.
I guess I'm just chugging along, and trying to not put my plan before the Lord's. Easier said then done.
But thanks for reading this if you did.
God is good.
"He died for me, so I must live for him."