Why the Transfiguration?

I have decided to suspend my blogging activities until further notice beginning with next week.  Please read this one to the end.

The Catholic Church celebrated the Feast of the Transfiguration this past Tuesday, August 6.  As you may recall from Scripture, Jesus "was transfigured before them (Peter, James, and John), and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became white as light."  (See Matthew 17:1-8).  Besides this, Moses and Elijah from the Old Testament appeared in this scene and were talking to Our Lord.  Peter was flabbergasted and could hardly put words together that made sense.  While shielding his eyes from the extreme brightness, he stated that he wanted to build three booths or tents, one for Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.

But before he was able to clarify himself, a "bright cloud overshadowed them" and a voice from within the cloud spoke, saying "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to him."  At this point, the light was so bright and the voice so overwhelming that they "fell on their faces with awe."  But, then, just as suddenly and unexpectedly, everything was back to normal.

Have you ever wondered what prompted Jesus and his heavenly Father to display themselves like this?  What events led up to this fascinating show of divinity, both of Jesus and of God the Father? Well, this Transfiguration occurred shortly after Our Lord made a strong statement to Peter:  "Get behind me, Satan!  You are an obstacle to me.  You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do."  (Matthew 16:23).  He was upset with Peter for not believing that Jesus would die and then rise again.  Apparently there was a need to bring Peter back to reality.  The Transfiguration accomplished that and then some.

Peter made reference to this event later, after Jesus' death, resurrection, and ascension, as we noticed in the second reading from the Mass on August 6: 

"We did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty.  For he received honor and glory from God the Father when that unique delcaration came to him from the majestic glory, 'This is my Son, my beloved, with whom I am well-pleased.'  We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain.  Moreover, we possess the prophetic message that is altogether reliable.  You will do well to be attentive, as a lamp shining in a dark place, until day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.'"  (2 Peter 1:16-19).

Throughout the MTT blog weekly for the past 5+ years, I have tried to communicate the importance to being faithful to God and to his Church.  But with this one clear statement from St. Peter in his letter, my posted thoughts take a back seat.  Scripture stories are not cleverly devised myths.  Peter was an eyewitness!  Peter's takes ownership of the divine message and this message is altogether reliable, and here it is, spoken plainly by God himself:  "Listen to him."  It is important, as St. Peter says, to "be attentive."

I have posted my thoughts almost every Thursday since the fall of 2013.  That is approximately 300 posts.  This is my last.  But every now and then, Facebook recalls a memory that is a MTT post.  I will share it when that happens.  God bless you in your efforts to remain faithful to God in your life.

That Word "Communion"

The word "communion" is one that is used in a number of different contexts in Catholic prayer and rituals.  People often refer to the Eucharist as Communion.  We celebrate a person's "First Holy Communion," for example, when he/she receives the Eucharist for the first time.  In addition, the priest/celebrant begins Mass with the words "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you."  And, when we pray the Apostles' Creed, we state that we believe in the Communion of Saints.  What does it mean?

Webster's dictionary gives five different definitions, such as a "sharing" or a "participation," or "an intimate relationship with deep understanding" as well as a Catholic definition: "the sharing in or celebration of, the consecrated bread or wine of the Eucharist."  I  like the definition given in my Catholic dictionary because it seems to cover all the bases in Catholic contexts: "The most sacred expression for any one of different forms of togetherness." 

Togetherness ... in other words, a union, a unity, a spiritual closeness, a spiritual relationship, a spiritual intimacy.  That especially seems to fit with the use of the word with the Eucharist.  But the communion of the Holy Spirit?  The Communion of Saints?  Togetherness with the Holy Spirit?  Togetherness with the Saints?  Yes!

My Catholic dictionary has a definition of the Communion of Saints.  It is the unity and cooperation of the members of the Church on earth with those in heaven and in purgatory.  We profess the same faith, obey the same authority, and assist each other with prayers and good works.  We honor the saints in heaven as glorified members of the Church, request their intercession, and strive to imitate their virtue.  And we exhibit a togetherness and a cooperatioin with the souls in purgatory by praying for them, knowing that they will become saints.

All this togetherness gets the adrenaline flowing.  What a great gift we have in our faith!  Nurture it, love it, ask God to increase and protect it.  Amen!

Everyone's Dream

Winning the lottery is everyone's dream.  Once you pay the taxes on it, you can retire and live a life of luxury.  My question today is, what was the equivalent of the lottery back in the time of Christ?  What was everyone's dream back then?

Jesus brought up the subject at least twice.  He knew what everyone dreamed about.  One was finding out that there was a great treasure buried in a field.  He said that when someone finds out about it, he would go and buy that field.  Another was a man who found a pearl of great price.  Even back then, it seems, everyone's dream was to become rich through no effort of their own.

But what point was Jesus making?  Was he making sure that everyone would be aware and pay the taxes?  No, he didn't mention taxes.  It was all about heaven.  Both parables begin with the words "The kingdom of heaven is like ....."  Yes, the kingdom is like that buried treasure.  The kingdom of heaven is like that pearl of great price.  Everybody wants to find it.  Today, Jesus would probably say that the kingdom of heaven is like that winning lottery ticket.  It would mean that our every wish and desire would be satisfied. 

No one knows what it's going to be like for sure.  Jesus assures us that it means eternal happiness.  People ask "Will my dog be there?"  "Will I be driving a shiny new Corvette in heaven?"  Such questions are the wrong questions.  The real question should be "How do I get there?"  Jesus wants you to have faith in him and his message. 

Here is another statement from Jesus:  "Blessed are you when people insult, persecute you, and utter every kind of calumny against you on my account.  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.  Amen!

Jesus and Martyrdom

Today, I'm thinking about holy martyrdom.  Recently, my family played a little game while traveling in the car.  We were to take turns naming a saint who is also a martyr and see if we could get to fifty.  My first thought was that it will be nearly impossible.  Fifty saints who were martyred?  But then I immediately thought of the apostles.  All the apostles were martyred except for Judas and St. John, right?  So I thought I could use most of my turns just naming the apostles.  Piece of cake!  But other family members, I found out, could name quite a few!  St. John the Baptist, Saints Agatha, Lucy, Agnes, Cecelia, and others named in the first Eucharist prayer at Mass.  Then there were more obscure saints that some family members knew about.  St. Tarcisius, St. Maria Goretti, St. Isaac Jogues and his companions, St. Maximillian Kolbe, etc.  Surprisingly, we got to fifty in very short order.

A short while later, I learned about another martyr, one, who, like Maximillian Kolbe, died in a Nazi concentration camp.  His name was Blessed Franz Jagerstatter.  Talk about obscure!  I recently had the privilege of attending a play about his life produced by old friends back in Nebraska.  I drove seven hours to see it and it did not disappoint.  The stories of the martyrs can be really fascinating!

What did Jesus have to say about martyrdom?  The closest I have come to answering that can be found in the gospel of Matthew, Chapter 10.  Jesus seemed to address that very topic when he said "And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gahenna."  (Matthew 10:28).  In other words, do not be afraid of being murdered for the Christian faith.  Other human beings can kill the body but not the soul.  The one who can kill both the body and soul is in Gahenna.  In other words, the Devil.  Yes, be afraid of the Devil, but not another human being.  Give in to the death of the body for your faith, but do not give in to temptation to sin.  Sinning results in the death of the soul and without repentance and forgiveness, it is eternal.  Fear the Devil and don't give in to his temptations.

What else did Jesus say?  A few lines later in Matthew, we read this:  "Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.  But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father."  (Matthew 10:32-33).  Here is the scenario:  One, like a Nazi, points a gun at you and says "Deny your Christian faith!"  If you interpret Sacred Scripture like I do, we must say "no" and let him kill you.  Your body will be gone, but your soul will be in heaven.  If you feel that you would not have the courage, pray for strength and an increase in faith.  I recommend praying to  St. Maximillan Kolbe and Blessed Franz Jagerstatter for their intercession.  Two amazing saints!  Amen!

Unworthy, But Miraculously Healed

Have you ever noticed how many of the prayers that are part of the Mass have their origin in Sacred Scripture?  For example, take the following passage from the Gospel of Matthew:

“The centurion said in reply, ‘Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed ….’”  (Mat 8:8)

This closely resembles the words we pray immediately before receiving the Eucharist at Mass:

Lord“, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.”

In the case of the Scripture passage, the centurion had just asked Jesus to heal his servant who was suffering dreadfully due to paralysis.  But in his humility and because of his great faith, he knew that Jesus did not need to make the trek to his home to “enter under my roof,” but rather, he could just simply say the healing words right where they stood.  This, in fact, is what Jesus did.

So, too, at Mass, it is a prayer of humility … we are not worthy.  We are sinful beings and we acknowledge that Jesus can work the miracle of his forgiveness and we can receive him “under our roof" in spite of our unworthiness.  We have faith in Jesus' holy words and can then receive his body and blood in this wonderfully intimate sacrament while miraculously flooding our souls with the abundance of grace that accompanies it!  Amen!

The Doubting Thomas

I had a post all prepared for yesterday, but then I received what seemed like a message from God saying He did not want me to publish it and to come up with something else. So here I am, publishing My Thursday Thoughts on Friday!  I'm glad, because the Gospel from Wednesday's Mass gives me more important thoughts.

Wednesday was the feast of St. Thomas the Apostle in the Catholic Church and the Gospel from the Mass was the story of his doubt in the truth of Jesus' Resurrection.  He was not present when the resurrected Jesus first appeared to the apostles.  And he doubted the story,  saying "unless I put my finger into the nail holes and my hand into his side, I will not believe."  Well, when Jesus appeared to them the second time and invited him to do just that, Thomas didn't need to do it.  He fell on his knees proclaiming "My Lord and my God."   

Jesus' response was epic.  "Thomas, you believe because you have seen.  Blessed are they who have not seen, yet have believed."  Who are those who have not seen?  You and me!  Jesus is saying that we, you and me, are blessed because we believe.  Jesus said that!  It just makes me shiver with joy!  

If you  have doubts, my prayer today is that you will come to believe, because if you do, you will be blessed by God with awesome feelings of joy.  Amen!

Serra, NOT Sierra!

Today, I’m thinking about our Serra Clubs and their patron, Saint Junipero Serra (pronounced Hoo-nip-err-oh, with accent on the “nip").  First off, let me be clear, I have not misspelled “Serra.”  I’m talking about the Serra Club, NOT the Sierra Club.  Recently, I spoke to someone who presumably was a devoted Catholic.  I told him that I was a member of the Serra Club of Rochester (MN) and he responded with “Oh, the Sierra Club.”  I said, “No, Serra Club.”  I asked him if he knew what it was, and he said “no.”  I’m am writing this post as if I am responding further to him.  So here goes.

Serra is an international organization of Catholic men and women dedicated to promoting and nurturing vocations to the Catholic priesthood and religious life.  Our patron and namesake is Saint Junipero Serra (pictured), a Catholic Franciscan missionary priest who personally founded nine of the twenty-one missions that line the California coast.  These missions, including the Mission San Diego, the Mission San Juan Capistrano, the Mission San Francisco and six others were built between Father Serra’s arrival date in California, July 1, 1767, until his death on August 28, 1784.  He is known as the “Apostle of California” and his bust can be found along with other famous men and women from America’s past in the halls of Congress.  You may recall that he was canonized a saint of the Catholic Church by Pope Francis during the Pope’s visit to the United States in 2015. 

Today, “Serra International” is the name of this lay apostolate in the Catholic Church, otherwise known simply as “Serra” and the members as “Serrans.”  Serra was founded by a group of men in Seattle, Washington, in 1935 and has spread to forty-six countries on six continents.  As of 2013, there were over 20,000 members in 1,109 Serra Clubs worldwide.  The international headquarters, as well as the USA Council of Serra, are located in downtown Chicago.  We are divided into districts, each district having a governor.  Local clubs are relative small.  As examples, the Rochester club of which I am a member, has forty-eight members and the Lincoln, Nebraska, club, which was my former club, has ninety-five members.  Each club has a governing board, which includes a president, and at least seven others, including a secretary, a treasurer, a number of vice-presidents who have charge of important components, such as communications, vocations, membership, etc.  We meet usually twice a month for Mass and lunch.

Serra Clubs have a very important function if they are to live up to their mission to promote and nurture religious vocations.  Our most important task is to pray.  I mean really pray.  Rosaries, Holy Hours, Masses, retreats, group prayers, etc., etc.  The secondary task is to get to know and to befriend all priests in their local area as well as all the seminarians, religious sisters, deacons and any other religious persons.  Promoting and nurturing vocations is the name of the game.  Clubs do have a budget and do have dues.  We sponsor activities that draw from our treasury, including golf outings and dinners for priests and seminarians, promotional “contests” for local high schoolers and elementary students, and the like.

If I have rattled your cage at all and you want to check out the club that serves your parish, please talk to your pastor about who to contact.  Recent scandals among the Catholic clergy has made the job a little more difficult, but remember that our primary tool is prayer and prayer can be used under any and all circumstances.  Here is an idea!  Monday, July 1, 1767, was the day Fr. Serra arrived in California.  This coming Monday is July 1.  It is St. Junipero Serra's feast day in the Catholic Church.  Let's all go to Mass and pray for his intercession.  Saint Junipero Serra, pray for us!  Amen!

Have You Lost Something?

Last Thursday, June 13, was the feast of Saint Anthony of Padua in the Catholic Church.  I took the photograph accompanying this post in the inner courtyard of the Basilica of Saint Anthony in Padua, Italy, while on my pilgrimage to Italy in 2016.  Most devoted Catholics probably know the story.  Saint Anthony is the patron saint of lost things.  If you have lost something of value (think your keys, your wallet, your purse, a credit card, etc.), it is said that if you ask Saint Anthony for his intercession, you may find this lost item.  Some people will tell you that it is uncanny how such a prayer has often worked for them. 

I have an idea.  Have you lost your faith?  Or has your son, daughter, grandchild, cousin, brother or sister lost their faith?  I mean, do you know someone who was devoted to their Catholicism growing up and now they no longer believe in heaven or hell, or no longer believe that the Eucharist is the Real Presence of the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ?  Or maybe they have come to doubt in the value of the sacraments, such as confessing sins to a priest.  Or perhaps worse than all of these, do you know someone who has now come to doubt the existence of God and had become an atheist?  Do you see what I’m getting at?  Yes, Saint Anthony, the patron saint of lost things! 

Put it in the hands of Saint Anthony.  After all, something is lost, and he is the expert at finding things again.  Try it!  It may work!  And wouldn’t you be excited?  What a way to potentially give your own faith a shot in the arm!  You would have your own prodigal son success story to tell everyone about!  Saint Anthony, pray for us and for all the lost souls.  Amen!

All Human Life Has Dignity

One of the arguments that my pro-choice friends make  in favor of abortion is that they say pro-lifers only care about the life in the womb and not the life of a baby after birth.  The implication here is that couples faced with an unplanned pregnancy and who cannot or would not properly care for the baby once it is born should be allowed to abort because there would be no one to love and nurture a small child.   To the uneducated, this appears to be a sound argument.  After all, the lack of care for a small child born into a situation in which it was unwanted in the first place would be harmful and dangerous for the child.  And so the child should be denied birth and allowed to be killed and removed from the womb by an abortion provider.

In a perfect pro-life world, all human life has dignity and is wanted and respected.  But we don’t live in a perfect pro-life world.  Pre-born human life is the life we hear the most about because such life is the most vulnerable and killing this life is accepted and sought by many.  The pre-born are hidden from the rest of the world.  No one has seen a pre-born human being (except via x-rays, sonograms, and heartbeats) and some believe that they should not have the dignity nor the “wanted” and “respect” labels until their bodies appear before us in their fully dignified form on their birth day.  And so this is the form of human life that gets the most attention from the pro-life community.  But that is not to say that post-birth life is totally ignored and forgotten.  Quite the contrary. 

Pro-life communities, particularly religious communities, have social programs that give counselling and support to pregnant women, even protection from disagreeable husbands or boyfriends.  And after birth, these protections extend to the families.  Beyond this, adoption is a viable option.  I understand that there are many childless couples that have tried, but cannot conceive.  These couples are crying out for a baby and adoption agencies should be considered.  Indeed, post-birth life is important to the pro-life community and should not be falsely portrayed.

But beyond all of this is that word “dignity.”  Human life is above all animal life and plant life.  We have intelligence.  We have ingenuity.  We make amazing things happen.  We have come the farthest of all creatures through the evolutionary chain.  Even if you don’t profess a particular religious belief, it is simply beneath our dignity to be killing our pre-birth life just as much as it is beneath our dignity to be killing post-birth life.  My dream is that we will eventually all agree on these things rather than to think of ourselves as simply another animal that we can kill at will.  God help us!  Amen!

Did St. Paul Foresee Scandals in the Church?

In the Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 20, Saint Paul speaks to the presbyters of his day (the forerunners of present-day priests) saying this: 

“Keep watch over yourselves and over the whole flock of which the Holy Spirit has appointed you overseers, in which you tend the whole Church of God that he acquired with his own Blood.  I know that after my departure savage wolves will come among you, and they will not spare the flock.”  (Acts 20:29-30)

Presbyters and priests throughout history have heard these words of Saint Paul via the Scriptures and found that they are the truth in different ways.  Could historical figures such as Arius, or Martin Luther, for that matter, be considered the savage wolves of their day?  That could be an interpretation of Saint Paul’s words, since these figures came from among the presbyters (priests) of their own day and did not spare the flock.  But what about today?  It seems the present-day savage wolf is taking a new form, i.e., one that has taken to sexually abusing members of the flock!

How did the presbyters of St. Paul’s day respond to his prophecy?  We read the following a few lines later in the Acts of the Apostle:

“When he had finished speaking he knelt down and prayed with all of them.  They were weeping loudly as they threw their arms around Paul and kissed him, for they were deeply distressed that he had said that they would never see his face again.”  (Acts 20:36-37)

How should we respond to our sexual abuse crisis?  Saint Paul responded to his weeping presbyters (we are weeping and are deeply distressed too) by kneeling down and praying with them!  How many of us have considered kneeling and praying for and with our priests?  Prayers for the faithful priests; prayers for the sinning priests; prayers for the bishops; prayers for the pope!  It is a stressful time for all ordained priests.  Evil forces are at work.  Let’s set our sights on a purging … not simply a purging of the sinning priests, but a purging of all sin and of the Devil.  But stay above the fray; let’s not lose our precious faith.  We are held by the embrace of our Creator God and he will not abandon us if we pray.  Amen!

Caution!

If there is one word that describes conservatism, I think it may be “caution.”  Caution about whether a new idea for change is “dangerous” or whether it is simply “progressive.”  Caution about whether a new idea for change is “moral” or whether it may be “immoral.”  Caution about whether a new idea for change is “based on truth” or whether it is “based on misinformation,” or worse, “based on lies.”  Caution about whether a new idea for change is driven by faith in God, or whether it has its origin in non-faith sources or even atheism.  

A cautious person would want to study an issue, including studying what a trusted authority may have to say about it, before rendering a personal decision on its merits.  I think that is why a conservative person is very often a person of faith while a liberal person is very often an atheist, even if he/she doesn’t like to admit it.  I consider myself a person of faith and I consider my authority on many issues to be the Catholic Church. 

Some people will tune out when they read that, immediately discounting my views on issues of the day, such as abortion, contraception, gay marriage, gender identity, and others.  They may say that the Catholic Church is out of touch with modern life.  They may say that the Catholic Church, which is itself mired in the sins of sexual misconduct and other scandals, cannot be trusted to issue judgements on morality or whether something is based on truth, citing Galileo, etc.  Speaking of caution ... I believe such thoughts are dangerous.

Some people will use science as their trusted authority on the issues.  But conclusions based on science are often revised based on newer research, and then revised again, and again.  Yes, paying attention to the conclusions of science is important, but I don’t think it can be the ultimate authority.  So I am cautious.

But if I have no authority to guide me, I very often cannot trust myself to form a correct opinion even if I am fully informed on the merits of an issue as espoused by liberals.  The Catholic Church, on the other hand, has a very long history of guiding humanity toward what is right.  This a beautiful tribute to our Creator God, who I believe is in charge and has given us a map of life to follow in the teachings of Jesus Christ.  Tune out if you want, but I believe it would be a mistake.  Rather, take the Catechism of the Catholic Church to be your guide.  It may not directly address every issue that may come up, but it is a trusted authority, a map of life.

Global Warming and Photosynthesis

I had the tree in the photograph planted in my back yard this morning.  So today, my thoughts are about global warming.  Let me explain.

I confess that I don’t know all that much about global warming, the Paris Accords (the international effort to combat global warming), the Green New Deal, or Laudato Si’, which is Pope Francis’ encyclical on the care of our common home, the Earth.  What I do know is that the increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide, a so-called greenhouse gas, in Earth’s atmosphere is said to be a major cause of global warming.  What I also know is that photosynthesis is the process by which the carbon dioxide in the air is consumed by the reaction with water from rain and the chlorophyll in green tree leaves (in the presence of sunlight) to produce oxygen.  And I have read that the destruction of our rain forests worldwide has contributed majorly to global warming because it is one factor that has caused the concentration of carbon dioxide in the air to increase – fewer trees leads to less carbon dioxide being consumed and therefore an increase in the carbon dioxide concentration in the air.  This leads me to the obvious solution:  plant more trees!

All that I have read or heard seems to suggest that the focus is on somehow lowering the carbon dioxide emissions from our vehicles and industries that burn fossil fuels and thereby produce this offending gas.  Another focus that I’ve heard about is the emissions produced by our cattle passing gas (the Green New Deal), which seems rather ludicrous to me.  The folks that oppose the curbing of the emissions idea, aside from their claim that global warming is a hoax) point to the damage that it would do to the worldwide economy.  And that is also something that seems obvious.

So … why not undergo a massive international effort to plant more trees?  Here in the United States (and in Europe, as I have seen), the federal and state governments own land that can be used for this purpose.  When I drive our interstate highway system, I think about all the wasted space in the medians and shoulder areas.  Imagine this space being filled up with trees!  I would like to see a study done to see exactly how “massive” the effort would need to be in order to have the desired effect.

But all of this aside, if the science is indeed valid, I think we need to pray.  If you are a global warming alarmist and also an atheist, maybe it is time for you to consider what a Supreme Being (God) could do for us if we would but ask.  Jesus has said time and again that He will grant what we ask if it is the Father’s will.  I have to believe that saving our planet is something that is in accord with the Father’s will.  Amen!

Going to Hell

Has anyone ever said this or something similar to you:  “You are going to Hell.”  Perhaps it’s because of some ongoing behavior, such as having an extramarital affair, living with a boyfriend or girlfriend outside of marriage, leaving the Catholic Church and practicing a different religion, missing Mass on Sundays and/or Holy Days of Obligation.  Or perhaps it’s because of having sex with a person of the same gender, or favoring abortion and supporting candidates for public office that favor abortion.  Or ... perhaps we have judged someone for doing these things.  Yes, that is sinful too!

Whatever our situation, here is what Jesus had to say about people who commit serious sins:  “If anyone hears my words and does not observe them, I do not condemn him, for I did not come into the world to condemn the world but to save the world.”  (John 12:47).  So we are not condemned, are not going to Hell!  What a relief, right?  If this is our thought process, then we need to continue reading John, Chapter 12:  “Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words has something to judge him:  the word that I spoke, it will condemn him on the last day, because I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and speak.”  (John 12:48-49). 

So what this says to me is that we will not be judged now, no, not now, but rather on the last day.  By the Father.  So we have time on our side.  This is where the mercy of God’s comes into play.  We must stop doing what we are doing and repent of our sins.  Seek God’s mercy and forgiveness!  Confess our sins and begin anew.  No, we are not going to hell now, right this minute, but we may very well go to hell on our last day.  It's up to God, of course.  I pray that we make things right before then.  And, remember that our last day may very well be today.  So the call is urgent.  This is my understanding of the teaching of the Catholic Church.  Amen!

The Blessed Mother – Honor vs Worship

It’s time once again for us Catholics to celebrate a memorial honoring our Blessed Mother.  This coming Monday, May 13, is the day we celebrate Our Lady of Fatima each year.  You may know that my wife and I had the privilege of visiting the site of the Fatima apparitions this past November.  The photograph I took that is accompanying this post is of the Basilica of the Holy Rosary, which was built near the exact spot where the Mother of God, aka., Our Lady of Fatima, appeared to the three shepherd children in 1917.  You may also know that Pope Francis canonized two of the children on May 13, 2017.

If you are a Catholic reading this post, you are likely well aware of the story of Our Lady of Fatima (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Lady_of_F%C3%A1tima), so I won’t repeat it here.  However, my thoughts this Thursday are about the practice of honoring the mother of Jesus in this and in other ways and some of the objections that non-Catholics have about it.

The most common objection is the belief that Catholics worship Mary and not just honor her.  The official Catholic teaching is that we do, in fact, honor her and not worship her.  Worship is something that is reserved only for God.  If a Catholic does, in fact, worship her, then that would be a serious error on the part of that Catholic.  Honor is something we do for men and women who have distinguished themselves in some particular way.  The Catholic Church honors people; the Protestant Churches honor people; the U.S government honors people; foreign governments honor people, etc.

These and many other organizations honor people by sculpting statues of them, by naming churches and other buildings after them, by hanging photographs of them in certain locations, etc.  We even honor family members by naming our children after them or hanging photographs of them in our homes.  There are many ways in which we honor our people.  Because the Blessed Mother played such an important role in salvation history, the Catholic Church honors her in these ways more than any other saint.  And, by the way, that is what she is … a saint, and not a god.  But that may also be why many people have mistaken impressions that Catholics worship her – because they hear about her so much.  Indeed, we honor her more than any other human being in our history.  Why?  Because she gave birth to the Savior of the world.  We believe she is in heaven, body and soul, and intercedes for us when we offer prayers to her.  But, even when we do that, we are honoring her. 

One final word … I would venture to say that no other organization honors women more that the Catholic Church honors women through their high regard for the Blessed Mother.  So the Catholic Church should be respected by all women because of this mind-blowing devotion to her.  But a discussion of this would be more appropriate for another edition of MTT.  Amen!

The Miracle of the Stigmata

Today I’m thinking about the miraculous condition known as a stigmata, a condition that certain Catholic saints have endured during their lifetime.  A stigmata is characterized by severe wounds in the hands, feet and side that resemble the five wounds that Jesus endured at his crucifixion.  I’m thinking about this today, because as we celebrated the memorial of Saint Catherine of Siena this week (Monday), I learned that she was one such saint.

Webster’s dictionary, as part of its definition of the word, states that the “marks” appear on some devout persons while “in a state of intense religious fervor.”  A devout Catholic like myself would consider it a miracle.  Non-believers might say that intense religious fervor can cause it, but that it is not a miracle.  I presume this means that they think that the power of the mind can somehow cause it.  How the wounds on Christ can appear on the body of any person and not be miraculous is beyond me.

In the Wikipedia discussion of this phenomenon, it is stated that some non-believers think that it may be fraudulent, meaning, I presume, that the wounds did not miraculously appear, but that the person may have intentionally harmed himself/herself or that someone else did so, or that the story is simply a lie.  Let’s take a look at some examples.

St. Paul seemed to be the first to report this.  Near the end of his Letter to the Galatians, he says this:  “From now on, let no one make troubles for me; for I bear the marks of Jesus on my body.”  (Gal  6:17).  No one can say with certainty these marks refer to stigmata, since there is no other discussion about it.  But if they do, a non-believer would presumably rationalize this away and say that the statement is somehow fraudulent, that he either did not write this or that it does not refer to a stigmata.

The first to otherwise report it was St. Francis of Assisi (1182-1226).  The photograph accompanying this post shows a painting I viewed in Florence, Italy, while on a pilgrimage there in 2016.  St. Francis is a highly respected saint by most Christians, not just Catholics, and was known for his humility and great sanctity.  I would seriously doubt that there was any fraud involved here.

Then, we have St. Catherine of Siena (1347-1380).  I visited the St. Catherine sites in Siena, Italy while in the same pilgrimage, and I don’t remember anyone mentioning her stigmata.  But she was also the epitome of humility and respectability.  She is known for her religious writings (The Dialogue of Divine Providence) and her adamant defense of the Catholic Church during a very stressful period in our history when the papacy was divided between two popes, one in Avignon, France, and one in Rome.  Also, she is a doctor of the Church, the ultimate in respect by the Catholic Church.

The third example is that of St. Pio of Pietrelcina (1877-1968).  Since he lived more recently, we have actual photographs of him showing his bloodied and bandaged hands.  Once again, we have a person of great sanctity and respect.  He was known for his skill in the confessional, often spending hours and hours with long lines of penitents waiting for their chance.

All of these examples were highly respected Catholic saints, not fraud specialists.  Yes, the miraculous wounds of Christ crucified.  What a Church we have!  Amen!

The Resurrection: A Bible Study

When you meditate on the first glorious mystery of the Rosary, the Resurrection, what comes to your mind?  There are several accounts in Scripture to study for ideas. 

Matthew’s gospel tells us that there was an earthquake and that an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, opened the tomb, spoke to Mary Magdalene and “the other Mary,” and told them what had happened.  The soldier-guards “were shaken and became like dead men.”  Jesus appeared to the women and gave them instructions to tell the disciples what had happened.  Meanwhile, the guards went to the Jewish authorities who directed them to lie and say that the disciples stole the body while they were sleeping.  (Matt 28:1-15).

Mark’s gospel tells a similar story, but does not mention the lie that the Jewish authorities had concocted.  Mark also states that the disciples did not believe the story the women told nor the story that two other disciples told regarding an encounter that they had on the road with the risen Jesus.  (Mark 16:1-13).

Luke’s account states that after the women spoke to the disciples, Peter went to the tomb and saw that it was empty.  Luke also provides a great deal of detail of the encounter mentioned in Mark above between the two disciples and the risen Jesus, the story of the encounter on the road to Emmaus.  In addition, Luke tells of the first encounter between the risen Jesus and the apostles, convincing them that he was not a ghost by asking them to come forward and touch him and by eating with them.  (Luke 24:1-43).

Perhaps the most stirring account is given in John’s gospel.  Mary Magdalene went alone to visit the tomb and then returned to the apostles to tell them of the empty tomb.  Peter and another disciple ran to the tomb and, bewildered, returned home.  Mary Magdalene returned to the tomb, encountered the angels (dressed in white), and initially mistook Jesus for a gardener.  Jesus gave her instructions and she subsequently returned to the disciples to tell them everything.  Jesus later stood in the midst of the disciples (despite locked doors), instituted the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and spoke to Thomas, who had doubted.  There were other encounters with the apostles, including one in which surprising number of fish were caught after Jesus had instructed them as to where to drop their nets.  There was also a dialogue with Peter in which Jesus told Peter repeatedly to “feed” (or “tend to”) my sheep, seemingly a direct command for Peter (and his successors, the popes) to be the leader of his Church.  (John 20:1-23).

Matthew is the only one to mention an earthquake and the descent of an angel.  It seems to me that the event warranted a host of angels from heaven (as in the Christmas story) giving glory to God and a spotlight shining on the tomb while trumpets blared.  But, alas, perhaps an earthquake and one angel dressed in white was deemed sufficient by God the Father.  But what was it that caused the guards to become like dead men?
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There is much to meditate on here for just one mystery of the Rosary, so much that it makes my heart pound!  May God bless you during this most holy and glorious season.  Amen!

Was It Real, or a Myth?

Was there a real person who was called Jesus Christ, or are the stories in Scripture describing his birth, life, death, Resurrection, and Ascension totally made-up stories, pure legend, a total myth?  Made-up stories and a total myth would be how modern atheists and Secular Humanists would describe Christ.  One such person, one Lee Strobel, who, in 1981, was a graduate of Yale Law School and an award-winning legal editor of the Chicago Tribune newspaper, was such a spiritual skeptic … until 1981.  What happened?  It was then that he began to research and write a series of books that attempt to answer that very question … real or myth? 

His research involved extensive travel to the offices of a host of experts in order to get their answers to some hard-hitting questions that would get to the heart of the matter.  The series of books he then wrote as a result are titled “The Case for a Creator,” “The Case for Christ,” The Case for Faith,” and “The Case for Easter.”  I purchased and read all of these over the years.  Fascinating!  Since we are so close to Easter, 2019, I picked up and re-read “The Case for Easter,” a 90-page account of his interviews with three such experts that get to the heart of the matter – the miracle of the Resurrection.  First was a prominent physician who had extensively studied the historical, archaeological, and medical data relevant to the death of Jesus.  Second was a well-known Scripture scholar with impressive credentials as a theologian with two PhDs and extensive writings on the subject of the Resurrection and the existence of God.  The third was another PhD who had written his dissertation on the subject of the Resurrection and also wrote seven books and over one hundred articles on the subject.

Here are some conclusions drawn following his three interviews.  First, after interviewing the physician, there was no doubt that Jesus died on the cross.  There is simply no way that Jesus could have survived the brutal treatment of his body by the soldiers.  Before He even got on the cross, his body was in such a weakened state from the flogging and the march to Calvary.  Then, while hanging on the cross, he would have had trouble breathing due to the weight of his body not being supported and, before long, would have succumbed to asphyxiation.  Finally, the piercing of his lungs and heart with the soldier’s lance would have been the final death blow. 

Second, after interviewing the theologian, there can be no doubt that Jesus body was not found in the tomb.  The tomb was found to be empty, the body missing.  While there exists several theories as to how the body could have gone missing, all of them were clearly and convincingly debunked.  There could be no doubt now that Jesus was dead and his body was laid in the tomb late in the day on that first Good Friday and was found missing on the first Easter morning.  A miracle of staggering proportions had occurred – Jesus had risen from the dead.

Third, after interviewing the expert on the Resurrection, once again there were convincing arguments in favor of this miracle.  Simply put, dead people simply do not rise up, walk away from the tomb and be seen by, converse with, and eat with former friends.  Passages from Scripture were used as evidence.  St. Paul had personally spoken to Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-5) and mentioned it in his first letter to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 15:3-8).  It was not a second-hand account.

Today, Lee Strobel is a Christian, having converted from his atheism as a result of his extensive research and writing.  Have a Happy Easter everyone!

Disgusting, Filthy People

The passion of Jesus Christ includes two very cruel actions:  a flogging, or scourging, and a crowning with thorns.  Very little detail of each of these is actually found in Scripture.  St. Matthew’s Gospel says this about the flogging:  “Then he [Pilate] released Barabbas to them, but after he had Jesus scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified.”  (Matt 27:26).  St. John’s Gospel states it this way:  “Then Pilate took Jesus and had him scourged.”  (John 19:1).  St. Luke’s Gospel has Pilate threatening to flog Jesus, but that is all. 

Similarly, the crowning with thorns is mentioned in three gospels (Matthew, Mark, and John) as part of a mocking of Jesus because He had been identified as a king by His followers.  The most detail is probably given in St. John’s Gospel:  “And the soldiers wove a crown out of thorns and placed it on His head, and clothed Him in a purple cloak, and they came to Him and said, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’  And they struck Him repeatedly.”  (John 19:2-3). 

These passages leave much to the imagination, so, as I often try to do, let us try to fill in the blanks.  I’m thinking that it was the soldiers under Pilate’s command that actually performed these deeds.  So I think that they were not Jews but Roman soldiers who had contempt for the Jewish religion.  As such, they would have wanted to inflict as much physical and emotional pain as they possibly could, while laughing and mocking, proud of the ideas of the crown made of thorns and using whips that had hooks on the tips of leather straps as shown in the photo of the painting that accompanies this post. 

They likely were strong, muscular, uneducated men who must have cared very little about the Jewish people, perhaps were even pagans themselves.  I picture them as having dirty, sweaty faces, only a few yellow teeth and unkempt hair and beards.  In other words, disgusting, filthy people.  And here they are, whips and branches of bushes with very long and sharp thorns in their hands, pounding the crown into the top of Jesus’s head and flogging Him, while tied to a granite pillar, causing pieces of flesh to be torn from the skin on His back.  The loss of blood would have been astounding, not to mention extreme weakness inflicted on the sacred Victim.

Today, the Scourging at the Pillar and the Crowning with Thorns are two Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary in the Catholic Church.  The Rosary is a meditation prayer, so I think, with so little to go on from Scripture, we have to use our imagination as I have done here as part of our meditation so that the blanks can be filled.  It works for me.  God bless my faithful readers as we come into Holy Week next week!  Have a blessed ending to your season of Lent.  Amen!   

That Word "Hope"

For those who believe in Jesus Christ, there is much hope because of what the Scriptures say He promised.  Consider the following words of Jesus from the Gospel of St. John:  “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes in the one who sent me has eternal life and will not come to condemnation, but has passed to life.”  (John 5:24). 

One might ask what is meant by “the one who sent me?”  We take this to mean God the Father, the first person of the Blessed Trinity.  In other words, God.  One might also ask what is meant by “eternal life?”  Christians believe that this refers to the afterlife and that it is a place called “heaven.”  Heaven is a place where both soul and body will eventually be for all eternity if a person is “saved.”  On the other hand, if a person is not saved, they will “come to condemnation,” which means the body and soul will go to a place we call “hell,” sometimes referred to in Scripture as “Gehenna,” a place of torment, for all eternity.

The following Scripture passage is found a few lines later in John’s Gospel, again words of Jesus:  “Do not be amazed at this, because the hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice and will come out, those who have done good deeds to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked deeds to the resurrection of condemnation.”  (John 5:28-29).  This makes it clear to me that simple belief (faith by itself, or “faith alone”) is not sufficient, but one must also perform “good deeds.”  This is a point of contention between Protestant Christians and Catholics Christians.  Faith alone, or “Sola Fide,” is a Protestant doctrine, and not a Catholic doctrine.  Catholics believe that true faith will be accompanied by good deeds (Sacraments, assistance to the marginalized, etc.).

But whatever your interpretation of Scripture entails, even if you are an atheist, that word “hope” that I used in the first sentence of this post is a key to our happiness in our earthly existence.  Hope is the virtue that says that extreme happiness is in our future.  We will one day escape the confines of this wicked world and come to a place that is free from all that is evil.  What great joy and love is ahead of us if we would only “repent and believe in the Gospels.”  That is why I believe.  I delight in this great hope we call eternal life and it makes for a beautiful and blissful time on earth despite the evil.  Think tulips everyone!  Happy spring!

The Conversation With God

Have you ever felt abandoned by the people you love?  Think back to a time when you had a dire need for love and understanding.  Perhaps it was a time when a friend became angry and belittled you because of something you did.  Or maybe it was a time when a family member falsely accused you of some serious transgression and yelled and screamed at you.  Or maybe it was a serious argument over some political issue that could not be immediately resolved.  Or perhaps you really did do something seriously wrong and it weighed heavily on your psyche.  Yes, you felt abandoned and alone.  What do you do?

One solution would be to seek consolation with a family member who always seems to understand, or a friend who had a knack for comforting you – someone you could trust.  Perhaps it was a counselor, or a therapist.  But what if this person was not immediately available and you needed help NOW?

Well, I’ve been in this position many times in my life.  I’m a sensitive guy who can get to feeling unloved seemingly at the drop of a hat.  My solution?  Rush to a place where I can have a conversation with God.  I’ve been known to run to the nearest Catholic church or chapel where I can kneel before the Blessed Sacrament and lay it all out there for God to see and have Him say to me “don’t worry, I love you and will never abandon you.”

Recently I was reminded of this when I heard this passage from Scripture that sounded like God was speaking to me:  “I will be your God and you will be my people.”  I googled this quote this morning and discovered that there are forty-three different Scripture passages that express some form of this sentiment, both in the Old Testament and the New. 

Think about this and what a comfort in can be.  The Supreme Being who created all things, who keeps this universe humming, who performs His miracles every second of every day on your behalf – He is there for you, because you are among his people and He is your God.  What a simple, but hope-filled expression of His love.  It gives me hope in these times of trial.  May God bless you and may He keep you in the palm of his hand through all eternity.  Amen!

A Major Announcement

March 25 is exactly nine months before Christmas.  And so, on March 25, this coming Monday, we celebrate the day that Mary became pregnant with Jesus, a feast in the Catholic Church known as the “Annunciation.”  The word “annunciation” is the noun form for the verb to “announce.”  You would think that this noun form might be “announcement” rather than “annunciation.”  But, I digress.  You also might ask the question, “Was something ‘announced’ on that day, or what?”  The answer is yes, it is the day we celebrate the fact that the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and “announced” to her that “the Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.”  See Luke 1:35.  The announcement was that she was to become the Mother of God.  A major announcement!

Some people object to the Catholic Church giving her the title “Mother of God.”  They say she is the mother of Jesus, yes, but not the Mother of God, since God is eternal, no beginning and no end.  They say that she did not become pregnant with God or give birth to God.  They say that no one can be called God’s mother.  I think confusion occurs because of the doctrine of the “Blessed Trinity.  The Blessed Trinity refers to the idea that there are three persons in the one God.  It is one of the great mysteries of our faith.  God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, all three, are mentioned many times in the New Testament.  All three are God, and there is just one God.  The three are the three persons in the one God.  St. Patrick explained it by holding up a shamrock and pointing to three leaves on one stem.  But it is still a great mystery.

Since the Son, Jesus, is God, and since Mary conceived and gave birth to Jesus, one of her many titles should therefore indeed be the “Mother of God.”

The photograph accompanying this post is of the Annunciation painting found in the Basilica of the Holy Rosary in Lourdes, France.  The Annunciation is the first joyful mystery of the rosary, a wonderful point for reflection for us Catholics as we pray using this great sacramental, the rosary.  Happy Annunciation Day everyone!

Agony and Ecstasy

Today I’m thinking  about Our Lord’s agony in the Garden of Gethsemane following the Last Supper and before His arrest by the Jewish and Roman authorities.  The gospels say that He goes for a walk with His apostles Peter, James, and John.  He stops, asks the three of them to wait while He walks ahead “a stone’s throw” and prays, saying:  “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, not my will but yours be done.”  (Luke 22:42).  He knew what was about to happen to Him and He asked His Father to intervene.  Luke says, “He was in such agony and He prayed so fervently that His sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground.”  (Luke 22:44).

Matthew’s gospel records that He returned to the three apostles three times and found them sleeping each time.  Among other things, He says, “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”  (Matt 26:41).  Shortly after, He was arrested, flogged, crowned with thorns and crucified.

What are we to make of the details and of Jesus’ behavior in this scene?  I remember a physician turned priest once told me that it is indeed possible, when a person is under extreme duress, for blood to squeeze through the wall of a vessel and intermingle with sweat.  That presumably explains the drops of blood.  But why ask God the Father to “take this cup away?”  Isn’t He supposed to suffer and die so that mankind can be saved from their sins?  Well, yes to the second question.

I think what we must remember is that Jesus has two natures … a human nature and a divine nature.  Some refer to Him as the “God-man.”   So because Jesus has a human nature, He must experience human pain and emotion.  He knew what was ahead of Him … a painful and relentless flogging at the hands of His enemies and, once greatly weakened from the loss of blood and a painful scarring on his torso, a pushing and shoving way of the cross, the cross on his shoulders, to the hill of Calvary, and then the piercing and shooting pain from nails through his hands and feet that held him on the cross until, finally, death.  His human nature simply could not endure it, could not handle it.  Yes, Father, take this cup away from me, please, please, please.

As death overtook Him, the chains of sin were lifted from my body and your body.  Once that act was completed, His divine nature took over … a glorious Resurrection.

Friends, please don’t let the great miracles associated with the life, death and Resurrection of Christ pass you by on this Earth.  He suffered and died for me.  He suffered and died for you.  To use modern language, please love Him “to the moon and back” for this terrific, soul-saving gift from our God.  I’m fully aware, of course, that indeed, “the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” and that you likely will fall asleep and commit sin, for I have the same human nature as you!  But I also know that your love for God will produce eternal ecstasy in heaven for all of us if we just “repent and believe in the Gospel.”  I pray that your Lenten journey continues to be grace-filled and holy.  Amen!