Sede Vacante!

 

Sede vacante!  We are without a Pope! 

    For today's reflection, I am not going to use my words, I am going to use the  words of Pope Benedict the XVI as he gave his last address of his Pontificate today.  Whether you are Catholic or not, this was a historic day and we all can learn a lot from the words of His Holiness.

“I am no longer the pope but I am still in the church. I’m just a pilgrim who is starting the last part of his pilgrimage on this earth.”     

We are all pilgrims on a journey towards heaven.  Let's live each day, especially during Lent, with that ultimate goal in mind.  Let's not live to get the best title or the biggest house or the most expensive car.....let's live in such a way that we receive the ultimate reward when our journey on this earth ends: eternal life in Heaven.

“With all my heart and prayers and thoughts and strengths, I’d like to work for the common good and for the good of the church and mankind.” 

We are all called to work for the common good of mankind.  It is not all about us.  We have to care about others.  We have to build up His kingdom, not tear it down.  Can you imagine the change this world would see if we all worked for the common good of all?

“Thank you for your love and support. May you always experience the joy that comes from putting Christ at the center of your lives.” 

JOY.  Jesus, Others, Yourself.  By putting Christ first, all else falls into place.  This doesn't mean that life will be easy....but what it does mean is that no matter what comes our way, we can experience joy.  We might not be feeling happy, but we can experience joy in our trials because we realize that our hope lies in Christ not in the situation that we are in.

“I will continue to serve you in prayer, in particular in the coming days." 

We need to constantly be praying for each other.  There are so many forces working against us in the world today.  We need to combat those forces with prayer for each other.  We also need to serve each other.  Like Mother Teresa said, "We can do small things with great love."  Let's do those small things for each other.....let's love each other, serve each other and pray for each other every day. 

 Now, we join in prayer as we wait for a new Pope to be elected.  May the Holy Spirit be with all the Cardinals in the coming days.  Thank you, Pope Benedict.  Thank you.

Walk the Walk!

"Preach the Gospel at all times, if necessary, use words."  St. Francis of Assisi.”

 

     Today's gospel is one that I think everyone needs to read.  Jesus is talking about those that claim to be holy, but their actions do not reveal their holiness.  He is talking about people who do good, only so that the good that they do can be seen by others.  He is talking about people who "talk the talk," but who don't really "walk the walk!"  This speaks to me because of my profession as a religion teacher.  Every day I stand in front of my students and I "talk the talk."  I tell them what God expects of us and I teach them all the facts that they need to know about our Catholic faith.  I give them assignments and tests to make sure they are learning.  But, all the while, they are watching me.  They are listening to me.  They are learning from me........but not just facts about the Catholic faith, but how to LIVE the Catholic faith.....how to "walk the walk!"

 

How do I respond to the student that is misbehaving? 

How do  treat them each day? 

Do I listen to them as they speak? 

Do I make them feel that they matter? 

Do I accept them as they are?

Do I encourage them and motivate them?

Do my words inspire them?

 

      If I am going to teach about the Catholic faith each day, I better be ready to live it each day too!   My students will learn way more from my actions, than they ever will from my words.

 

    So, this Lent, I challenge you to live out your faith too.  Maybe God didn't bless you with the ability to teach about your faith using your words, but we all can reveal our faith through our actions that model the best teacher of all.....CHRIST Himself.  You know, He was the first one to ever "walk the walk!!"





Stay!

       One of the many reasons why I love Lent is because of the discipline I have during these 40 days.  I don't really have it the rest of the year, but during these 40 days, I am totally focused on my faith.  I have given up Facebook,  I am writing this blog, I'm listening to spiritual pod casts while running at the gym and I am only listening to Catholic radio while in my car.  I mean, I am totally immersing myself in Jesus!  So far, other than giving up Facebook, it has been easy.  Why?  Because Lent forces me to prove myself to Jesus and I love that.  The rest of the year, I can fall asleep and as I said earlier in a blog, get lazy and complacent.  But during Lent, I am determined to get it right and put Him first.  Sometimes, I just want to stay in Lent.....to not go back to the "regular" church seasons.  I feel so faith filled during these 40 days and I don't want that to change.

     I think this is what Peter, James and John experienced in today's Gospel reading.  Jesus took them up to the mountain top to spend time with Him and Pray.   While they were up there, He appeared before them in dazzling white clothes with Moses and Elijah on each side of Him.  He was transfigured right in front of their eyes!  But it must not have been Lent, because they were SLEEPING!!  When they awoke, they were mesmerized by what they saw.  Peter was so filled with faith from what he was witnessing that he wanted to set up tents so they all could just stay on that mountaintop forever.  He didn't want to leave.  But soon the clouds rolled in and it was apparent that they couldn't stay in that moment forever.  When I read this, I think of Lent as my mountaintop moment.  It is the one time during the year when I "go up to the mountain top with Jesus" and am mesmerized by what He can do in my life when I let Him.  I feel so faith filled that I just want to stay in the Lenten season forever.  But, it ends.  The clouds roll in.  Life goes back to normal and oftentimes, I fall asleep again. 

     At the end of today's Gospel, Jesus says to Peter, James and John, "This is my chosen Son, listen to Him."  I think that is the key to staying in our mountaintop moments like Lent.  In reality, if I really Listen to what Jesus tells me, He tells me to be living like this ALL of the time, not just during Lent.  I need to begin these practices during Lent, but if I want to stay as connected to Jesus and as faith filled as I feel during these 40 days, then I need these disciplines to stay with me way after the 40 days  of Lent have ended.   That way, my mountain top moment can last forever!

     * Disclaimer: although I will be carrying these practices past the 40 days of Lent, Facebook is not included in that!  Jesus told me that wasn't necessary.  :)

ASK

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened."  

Matthew 7:7-12

 

     Today's gospel passage is one that has always been hard to explain, especially as a teacher.  So often, my students bring this Bible verse to my attention:

 

"Mrs. D., it says that if we ask, we will receive.............But I asked to pass that test, and I failed and Ben asked for his pap to live and he still died." 

 

This is when I know that my job as a Catholic educator is so important.  I am responsible for explaining this answer to my students.  (Yes, I know what some of you are thinking!  It is a scary thought!)  So, I answer the best way that I know how.  Simple and straightforward.  Just like our mom and dad have to say no sometimes, so does our Heavenly Father.  He knows the plan that He has in store for us, and even when we think we know what is best for us, we don't...... BUT He does.  His answers lead us to His ultimate plan for us, not ours.  We want Him to adapt His answers to fit our wants and needs and that is not how our God works.   Sometimes, He says yes and He is so excited when we recognize that He is working in our life with that yes.  But He is even more proud of us when He says no and we show Him that we trust in His plan for us and accept His no without complaint.  That is the hardest part.  Trusting His answers isn't always easy.   It means that loved ones still get cancer and die, it means that families still fall apart and it means that dad might still lose his job.  But, what this scripture passage tells us is that if we ask, we shall receive.  Maybe the answer wasn't what we wanted, but He answers.  And if we trust His answer, we may just receive more than we could have ever imagined.

 

Total surrender to His will
Relying on His answers, not ours
Unshakeable faith in His plan
Sacrifice our own wants and needs for His
To Him be the glory!

 

 

 

What More Could He Have Done?

     I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20

 

     As we journey through this season of Lent, most of us will at some point, think about the crucifixion of Christ.  Maybe we will attend the Stations of the Cross one week, or maybe we will attend the Palm Sunday Mass where we get to be the ones to yell out, "Crucify Him, Crucify, Him!"  We will remember his excruciating death during the next 40 days, but then Easter will pass and we will shout out, "He is risen, " and we will begin to forget once again.  We will begin to get distracted once again.  We will begin to say yes to the devil instead of to Christ once again.  As I was listening to a podcast today by Father Larry Richards, he asked a question that led me to write this blog:

 

What more could He have done for us?

 

      He did His part.  He died for our sins. He saved us by dying on the cross.  He paid the ultimate price.  We get to go to Heaven because of what HE did, not because of what WE do.  I hear people say to me all of the time, "I don't have to go to Church.  I'm a good person."  I don't have to do good works, I'm already saved!"  You're right!  You are already saved.  He paid the price.  But, that isn't the end of the story.  His death on the cross was only the beginning.  Now, it is our turn to prove to Him that His death mattered.  How do we prove this to Him?  We prove it by the way that we live.  We prove it by being crucified with Him so that when others look at us, they only see Him.  We prove it by living out his commandment, "Love one another as I have loved you." (John 13:34)  I know that I don't HAVE to do this, but it is the least I can do to prove to Him that His sacrifice mattered.  Can I give up an hour once a week to go to Mass?  YES.  Can I give up Facebook for 40 days?  YES.  Can I forgive the person who hurt me? YES.  Why?  Because it is no longer I who lives, but Christ who lives in me. 

 

     That is what I want to work on for the next 40 days.  I want to be crucified with Christ.  I want Him to take up residence in my heart, so that He not only lives in me, but radiates throughout me!

I mean, If His death on the cross didn't prove His love for me, then what else could He have done?  That alone is reason enough for me to live a life saying YES to Him! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Temptations!

"Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days,  to be  tempted by the devil."  (Luke 4:1-13)

 

 

     This Sunday's gospel is one that really speaks to me.  Jesus was just baptized by John in the Jordan river and the first thing He decided to do was go into the desert to pray and fast.  I love that this is the reading for the first Sunday of Lent.  On Ash Wednesday, we all began our Lenten journey as we were marked with ashes.   We made a choice to take the next 40 days seriously and to do our best to participate in some sort of prayer, fasting and giving.  Jesus knew we were "falling" away from Him and He needed to reinvigorate our faith.  So, He calls out to us, "Return to me," and we have answered YES!!!!  We begin this Lenten journey with excitement and determination to return to Jesus and give Him all that we have for the next 40 days.  BUT.......a few days have passed.  The ashes are washed away.  The temptations have begun. 

Maybe one piece of candy won't hurt.

Well, technically Sundays are a part of Lent.

Oh no, is it Friday?  I totally forgot and ate meat.

 

     Sound familiar?  After His own baptism, He knew that He, the Son of God, the Almighty, the Divine one, would need strength to begin His public ministry.  Before He began healing, forgiving, preaching and performing miracles, He took time to fast and pray.  He knew that the task in front of Him was going to be hard.  He knew it was going to come with many temptations and He needed to be prepared.  Jesus knew this would happen to us too.  He knows that over the next 40 days, we are going to be tempted to forget, to give up, and to give in.  Just like He was tempted in the desert by the devil, we too will be tempted.  When we said  "YES" on Wednesday, the devil went into action!  He wants to take us off track, to fill us with doubt, and to make us question the excitement and determination that we had on Ash Wednesday. 

 

     So, what can we do?  We need to do as Jesus did.  Call on the Holy Spirit and PRAY! 

 

Dear Lord,  
Let everything I do this day and in this season of Lent 
come from you, be inspired by you.

I long to be closer to you. 
Help me to remember that nothing is important in my life 
unless it glorifies you in some way.

It's so easy to get caught up in the day to day of my life and keep saying,
"Tomorrow, I will spend more time in prayer," 
but now my longing meets your love and I want to do it now.  
Help me to rely on you for help during these next 40 days.

AMEN

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daily

     In Luke's gospel today, Jesus speaks these words, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily."  In Matthew and Mark, the word daily is omitted, but Luke felt it necessary to include this word in his Gospel.  I think that Luke knew that for Christians to really understand what Jesus was talking about, the word daily had to be included.  This made me think about what my priest, Father Bob, said during his Ash Wednesday homily.  He asked us a very interesting question that I haven't been able to stop thinking about.  "How are the ashes on your forehead going to change your heart for the next 40 days?"  Millions of Catholics came out on Wednesday to receive their ashes.  We all walked out of Mass with our foreheads proclaiming to the world that we are Christians.  But Jesus knows how hard it is to follow Him.  He knows that it is going to take more than ashes in the shape of a cross to keep us on the right track.  He knows that we are willing.  We came to receive the ashes.  We have the desire to begin this Lenten Journey.  But, that was yesterday.  Now, in today's Gospel, he hits us with the reality of discipleship.  "This isn't just a one day event my children.  You have to be committed to me.....DAILY."  When the situation in your life seems impossible, you need to trust, "for all things are possible with Christ."  (Philippians 4:13) When cancer comes to a loved one, you need not lose hope, because, "all things work together for good to those who love God." (Romans 8:28)  Following Christ takes a daily commitment.  A commitment that allows you to praise Him when times are good and praise Him when times are bad.  A commitment that allows you to put Him first and know that He truly is "the way, the truth and the life." (John 14:6)  We, as Christians, must allow the ashes on our foreheads to be only the beginning of a spiritual transformation and renewal that will take place in our hearts for the next 40 days. 

So, I'm ready.  How about you? 

 

Fast, Pray and Give!

     Ok......I'm going to start this blog with a controversial statement:  I have a problem with today's Gospel.  I don't agree with it.  Well, actually I do agree with it, but I look at it from a different perspective.  It says, "Jesus said to his disciples: “Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father."  So, lets dive into this a little bit.  The Catholic Church tells us to do three things during Lent; pray, fast and give.  However, the Gospel tells us to do it all quietly.  It tells us not to look gloomy while fasting or pray for all to see like the hypocrites.  It tells us to hide our Lenten practices.  I say, I don't like that very much at all.  Let me explain.

     I LOVE going somewhere after I receive my ashes on Ash Wednesday.  In fact, I make it a point to go to quite a few places, especially the grocery store.  I brush my bangs to the side and I unleash the black smudge on my forehead for all to see.  Then, I wait for the games to begin!!  You see, I love Jesus.  I love my faith.  I want the whole entire world to know how Jesus changed my life.  Unfortunately, you just can't  walk up to someone and talk to them about Jesus nowadays without being arrested!  BUT......on  Ash Wednesday, you CAN talk to them about Jesus after they tell you that you have DIRT on your forehead.  GOTCHA!!!  "Actually sir, that isn't dirt.  You see, it is Ash Wednesday and these ashes are a sign that I am a sinner and am making a commitment to live the next 40 days for Christ.  I can tell you more about it if you would like."  Now.....this is where they either run away from you or maybe you have an amazing conversation with someone about your faith.  (I've had both happen!)  So, keep it quiet?  I think not.  This is the greatest day to evangelize and I am going to take full advantage of the black smudge on my head!    The difference though, is that I don't do it for glory, or so people think that I am a holy person.  I do it because I want other people to experience the love of Jesus Christ that changed my life.  I don't do it for ME, I do it for HIM.  I do it so that others may come to know Him, be loved by Him and be forever changed by Him. 

     So, that is where the challenge of this Gospel lies.  Why are you fasting?  Are you fasting so that others will see it and congratulate you?  Are you fasting because you need to lose those extra few pounds?  What you do for the next 40 days should be for HIM.  You should pray, fast and give because it allows you to have a greater intimacy with Christ.  In turn, others won't be able not to notice.  You won't look gloomy, you will radiate the joy of Christ!  You won't be praying like a hypocrite, you will be living each day with humility and with a servant's heart.  People may not be able to see the black smudge on your forehead anymore, but they will see the change in your life.  So, when you are out and about during the next 40 days and someone says, "Excuse me.  You seem so happy.  What is your secret?"  TELL THEM.  Why?  Remember what He did for us?  It's the least we could do for Him.

 

Happy Ash Wednesday everyone!!!

Kim

 

 

 

 

 

Return to HIM!

"Yet even now," declares the LORD, "Return to Me with all your heart, And with fasting, weeping and mourning." 

Joel 2:12

 

     It is that time of year again.....LENT!!  Most people do not look forward to Lent, but it is my favorite Liturgical season of the year.  It is my "kick in the butt" season.  You see, I spend my days teaching Religion to 49 students.  It is my job to know my faith and to make sure that I teach it well to my 5th-8th graders.  But, because of that, sometimes, I only teach what my curriculum requires me to teach.  I mean, I might be teaching my students what they need to know, but what about MY faith? I can become lazy and complacent when it comes to my faith and that is why I love Lent.  I get to make the next 40 days about growing in my faith, not just teaching it to my students.  What about you?  What can you do with the next 40 days?  Have you become lazy or complacent?  If so, then I ask you to join me for the next 40 days as we return to the Lord with our whole hearts!

 

     Tomorrow, we will all go to Mass to receive our ashes and hear the words of Joel, "Return to me with your whole heart."  God knows that our lives are filled with distractions and He desperately wants us to return to Him for the next 40 days.  The ashes are an outward sign that we desperately want to return to Him too. You see, this relationship is a two way street.  We have to go to Him with our whole hearts.  He is eagerly waiting for our return.  Tomorrow we will hear the words, "Turn away from sin and be faithful to the gospel."  We will leave Mass marked as sinners.  A black cross on our forehead, like a scarlet letter, proclaiming that we are imperfect for the world to see.  Imperfect, yet unconditionally loved.  We, though sinners, are called to run into the arms of our Father during Lent, who has been patiently waiting for our return.  He wants to wipe our sins away and make us the perfect creations that he intended.

  

     So, it is time for the laziness and the complacency to stop.  It is time to dive deep into our faith for the next 40 days and FAST, PRAY and GIVE!!  You know.....the three things we are asked to do during Lent.  But we will save those three topic for the next blog!

 

HAPPY FAT TUESDAY EVERYONE!

Kim