The Onlookers

Friday, September 21, 2018 Readings and Sorrowful mysteries of the rosary

Jesus asked Matthew, the tax collector to come and follow him. Matthew invited Jesus to dinner. A number of tax collectors and sinners ate with Jesus. 

"The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples,
"Why does your teacher eat with tax 
collectors and sinners?"
He heard this and said,
"Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.
Go and learn the meaning of the words,
I desire mercy, not sacrifice.
I did not come to call the righteous but sinners."
Matt 9:11-13

Sorrowful mysteries - thinking of the onlookers during Christ's passion

I listened to Mother Angelica's rosary between 5:30 and 6:00 am. for the second decade, the scourging, the narrator painted the scene of Jesus bound to a pillar and whipped in front of onlookers, and how Jesus was made to feel like a worm and not a man. My gut reaction was how could Jesus love these onlookers. They watched either indifferent to him, wanting to see a show, or with some personal or religious or idealistic dislike or hate of him. Those who loved him, or believed in him might have been there as well, having all kinds of feelings seeing Jesus pierced through for our faults, crushed for our sins.

I asked God "How/why do you love people who don't know you, don't want to know you, or hate you to the point where they can watch torture indifferently? The answer came in today's Gospel, highlighted above.

I think about the onlookers in this day. The brouhahas over Supreme Court nominee Brett Cavanaugh's accuser's claims of his assault to her in high school and the current Catholic Church's clergy sexual abuse scandal. We all listen to the radio, watch TV and use social media, all abuzz with scandal. Interesting that it always seems to be about sex. So many different ideas, opinions and thoughts and emotions in us, the onlookers. Yet, Jesus loves us enough to be tortured and die to bring us to heaven. 

Thank you God. Please have mercy on us, the onlookers. Dine with us, Jesus. Be our friend, teacher and healer.
Holy Spirit, grant us wisdom to know ourselves and our particular "pet" weaknesses (see the Seven Deadly sins) Protect us from idle curiosity and gossip. Give us a desire to see only what is Good, True and Beautiful. Give us moral fortitude in all temptations and grant us your peace always. Teach us to love as you love. 

Seven Deadly Sins

Pride
Envy
Gluttony
Greed
Lust
Sloth
Wrath

God's Cathedral

I've been thinking about evangelizing. I've heard the best evangelizing is through stories and personal witness/testimony. This blog was created with the intention of creating in me more awareness of God in my life and I've been using this for a while now. It's good to have reminders of God's constancy and love.

I awoke at 4:00 as usual. It's a clear, 58 degree morning. As I leave the house at 4:30, the eastern horizon light is soft blue melting into a sliver of gold like the beginning notes of a symphony heralding the coming of the sun. I meet Laurie and we walk our two turns around Nepessing street and I drop her off at Fit Body Boot Camp. I have about 40 minutes free time before I go to church at 6:00 for time with the Lord and receiving him in the Eucharist at 6:30. Since Mother Angelica and her sisters pray the rosary on EWTN at 5:30, I decide to walk and pray the rosary in Mt. Hope cemetery. I turn to EWTN on my phone and there is beautiful singing by the sisters at the monastery leading up to the rosary just as I am entering a cathedral of pines. Breathtakingly, achingly beautiful experience. Thank you Father God. I felt the communion of all those in the cemetery who have led so many different lives and have passed on and now, hopefully, live in full communion with God in heaven and then, in church, I was in communion with the three people, Rosemary, Tom and George. The readings were messages straight to my heart, God had used the walk to open my ears to his Word. I must say the first reading put fear of the Lord in my heart for our country of stiff-necked citizens who have turned to pagan Gods. May God have mercy on us. Jesus I trust in you. I know Love is always the answer.
Kgs 17:5-8, 13-15A, 18; PS 60:3 4-5, 12-13; Heb 4:12; MT 7:1-5

Necessarily Brutal - D Day memory from my friend Tom

After communion service this morning, while it was just Tom and I in church, he said "It's D Day today, je me'en suviens tres bien, and then translated it to English "I remember it well." I mentioned how it must be such a memory for him as he was stationed in England at the time. He told me the following.

He was in the Army mapping division assigned to the 8th Air Force. The division was stationed at what had been a girls school. They would get photos taken from reconnaisance aircraft and using 3D glasses and topographical maps, would create bombing maps for the Air Force. With the use of the glasses they could find the enemy's camouflaged munition dumps, arms factories, etc. The 3D glasses used the same technology as the stereoscopes used in the early 1900s but designed to have the glasses with folding legs so they could place them over the photographs on the table and focus in on specific areas of the photos.

Every morning, the maps would be given to bomber pilots who would then carry out their mission. No pilot knew his destination before he received that map and flew out on his mission. 

The men in Tom's unit all knew an invasion was going to take place but no one knew where or when. On D Day, they knew the invasion was under way when they heard the large force of B52s flying overhead. 

While he was not in the invasion force on D Day, Tom knew the story well. He told of the Normandy and Omaha beaches - the German pillboxes all along the ridge. The Allied planes overhead barraging the pillboxes. The Allied troops from the Navy vessels debarking from the vessels into the ocean. Many broke their legs tangling in the rope ladders, many drowned falling into the ocean. Those who made it to the beach were mowed down. Tom gravely said it was a "Necessary Brutality." 

The sheer enormity of loss of lives hit me and I teared up. He teared up as well and I said this is so overwhelming to think about. He patted me on the arm and moved on to his prayers and I moved on to my day with a humbling gratitude for all those who gave their lives to give me another beautiful day in this great, free, country of ours.

Jesus sends the Holy Spirit - What is He Guiding Me to do Today?

Monday, April 30, 2018

FIFTH WEEK OF EASTER

JOHN 14:21-26

Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit to inspire, strengthen, and defend his followers. Speaking to his disciples the night before he dies, Jesus tells them that he and his Father will send another Parakletos. The word, from kaleo (to call) and para (for, or on behalf of) designates something like an advocate or a lawyer, someone who would plead on behalf of another, offering support and encouragement. Jesus will depart physically from the scene, but he and his Father will send the Spirit as a friend. This is the supporter, the Advocate who will inspire Christians up and down the ages.  When the martyrs went to their deaths, it was with the help of the Holy Spirit; when the missionaries went to proclaim the faith in hostile lands, it was the Holy Spirit who pleaded on their behalf; when Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel ceiling, it was the Holy Spirit who lifted him up; and when Thomas Aquinas wrote his theological masterpieces, it was at the prompting of the Advocate. What is the Advocate prompting you to do today?

Becky's Move to Oak Park and God's assurance

Saturday, April 28, 2018 Today, we moved Becky from her Rochester apartment to the house in Oak Park that her friend, Kevin, bought and will be fixing up.  We met Kevin, who seems like a nice kid. Nice in that he was polite as we discussed the house and he answered my questions. Kid as in he didn't know to offer to help us move stuff, and he puttered around a little and left the house. He talked of the repair men coming in for different projects, his mom painting the bedrooms and Becky telling us privately that his mom is obnoxious and overbearing and kept saying, "Kevin" do this or "Kevin" come in here, etc. Brett said he could tell he must have an overbearing mom because he is a wuss.

FOURTH WEEK OF EASTER

JOHN 14:7-14

Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus declares his mutual indwelling with God: “Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?” Charles Williams, a friend of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, stated that the master idea of Christianity is “coinherence,” what he described as mutual indwelling. But we sometimes forget that we are all interconnected. How do we often identify ourselves? Almost exclusively through the naming of relationships: we are sons, brothers, daughters, mothers, fathers, members of organizations, or members of the Church. Yet read the Gospel today and see how Jesus identifies himself. Jesus reveals the coinherence that obtains within the very existence of God. “Lord,” Philip said to him, “show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.” Jesus replied, “Philip, after I have been with you all this time, you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” How can this be true, unless the Father and the Son coinhere in each other? Though Father and Son are really distinct, they are utterly implicated in each other by a mutual act of love. As Jesus says, “It is the Father who lives in me accomplishing his works.” Sunday, April 29, 2018 FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER JOHN 15:1-8 Friends, our passage today is from the beautiful, evocative, and challenging fifteenth chapter of John’s Gospel. Jesus declares that he is the vine and we are the branches. He is the power and energy source in which we live. This vine and branches image is closely related, therefore, to Paul’s metaphor of the Body of Christ. The point is that we live in him and he in us. Jesus is the source of supernatural life in us, and without him we would have none of it. If you are separated from the vine, you will die spiritually; if you are connected to it, you will live a supernatural life. What does this mean concretely? It means a steady immersion in the prayer of the Church and steady communion with God, and speaking to him on a regular basis. It means an immersion in the Scriptures and soaking in the truth of the Bible. It means engaging in the corporal and spiritual works of mercy.  And you must participate in the sacraments—especially confession and the Eucharist. By the sacraments, we stay close to the Christ who forgives our sins and enlivens our spirits

Who do I Serve? The Consecrated Life

FOURTH WEEK OF EASTER

JOHN 14:1-6

Friends, in today’s familiar and majestic passage, Jesus exhorts us to trust him: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me.” So much depends on the spiritual meaning of the little word “trust.” Jeremiah the prophet laid it out as starkly and simply as possible: “Cursed be the one who trusts in human beings, who seeks his strength in flesh, whose heart turns away from the Lord.” And conversely, “Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose hope is in the Lord.” What does it mean to trust, to have hope, to turn one’s heart to God? It means to root the whole of one’s life in God, and not to ground our concerns in the things of this world: wealth, power, pleasure, and honor. Ask yourself: “What is the center of gravity in my life?” The Bible consistently proposes this question. For example, read the book of Joshua, when Joshua lays it on the line for the people of Israel: “Do you serve the Lord or some other gods?” That’s the question being asked of you today. The Catechism of the Catholic Church: 192. What is the consecrated life? The consecrated life is a state of life recognized by the Church. It is a free response to a special call from Christ by which those consecrated give themselves completely to God and strive for the perfection of charity moved by the Holy Spirit. This consecration is characterized by the practice of the evangelical counsels. Further reading: CCC 914-916, 944 193. What can the consecrated life give to the mission of the Church? The consecrated life participates in the mission of the Church by means of a complete dedication to Christ and to one's brothers and sisters witnessing to the hope of the heavenly Kingdom. Further reading: CCC 931-933, 945

Accomplish More with a 3-Item To Do List

WRITTEN by JOSHUA BECKER ·First, let me give credit where credit is due. It was Melissa Camara Wilkins who first introduced me to the 3-Item To Do List.

I have used it ever since. And I’d love to recommend it to you.

For most of my life, I was the person with a mile long to-do list next to me at all times, often carrying over from day-to-day and week-to-week. But no longer.

For the past several months, I have been using a 3-Item To Do List exclusively—and I have found it to increase my productivity and work satisfaction significantly.

The 3-Item To Do List is as simple and profound as it sounds. At the beginning of each day, I take time to identify and articulate the three most important items for me to accomplish.

For example, my To Do List for today consists of these three items:

1. Write a blog post for Becoming Minimalist
2. Set agenda for our next Hope Effect Board of Directors’ Meeting
3. Put final touches on an article pitch for a major publication

That’s it! Three items—all significant, all important, all entirely manageable.

Now, almost certainly,  there are other work-related things I will do today: post to Facebook, answer e-mail, text a peer. But my three main identified projects will always take precedence.

The short list approach keeps me focused on the most important tasks I need to accomplish.

But I have found other benefits as well. The shorter list keeps me from feeling overwhelmed. The shorter list also helps me overcome procrastination—the finish line is always in sight.

Additionally, and equally important, the 3-Item List provides a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day. This benefit is the main one that Melissa articulates—she even refers to it as an “Enough List.” When the list is completed, there is a sense of finality. She says it like this:

Now instead of ending each day feeling like I’ve fallen behind, I have a built-in sense of accomplishment in the evenings. I finished my three things! I did what mattered most!

The importance of identifying the three most important things to accomplish in a day is revolutionary regardless of where you apply it. It is a helpful productivity hack at work. It can be used equally well by a stay-at-home mom or dad. It can be uniquely tailored for a hobby or side-business.

In order to accomplish our most important tasks, it is essential to remain focused on them. The 3-Item To Do List accomplishes that and requires you to identify them anew each morning.