Fending Off the Peace Thieves

14 Sunday Jan 2024

Tags

Adoration, Eucharist, Eucharistic Adoration, Five Minutes' Peace, Love, One Hours' Peace, Peace

I hope everyone had a beautiful and blessed Christmas! This was the year our daughters spent Christmas with their in-laws. Thus, on Wednesday after Christmas we hit the road for a week and traveled to see them, my parents, and my siblings in Southeast Missouri, and as far west as Olathe, Kansas where two of my daughters and five grandchildren live.

We stayed with Mary who has two sons, ages seven and four, both very busy and demanding boys. While staying with them, I came across a children’s book called Five Minutes’ Peace¹. When Mary and her sisters were toddlers in the late 1980s, I read this book to them frequently. It is a story about a mother elephant, Mrs. Large, and her three elephant children. Mrs. Large gets up one morning and finds her children eating breakfast in their trashed-out kitchen. She decides she needs five minutes’ peace so she prepares her breakfast, grabs the morning paper, and heads for the bath tub. Of course, the kids ask why she’s taking her breakfast to the bathroom and she replies, “Because I need five minutes’ peace from all of you!” Then, no sooner than she settles into her bubblebath, the kids begin coming in and disturbing her peace. The first comes in to play a tune on his recorder. The second to read a few pages of her book. And then, the baby with his toys, which he throws in the bathtub and jumps in after them. Soon, the four of them are in the tub together. Mrs. Large has enough, gets out of the tub, dries off and heads for the kitchen still saying, “I need five minutes’ peace from all of you!” In the kitchen, she receives exactly three minutes and forty-five seconds of peace before the kids come to join her.

The story ends before we learn whether or not she put each kid in separate corners with their trunks to the wall. I tried that once with Mary and she peeled the wallpaper off the wall.

We are all a Mrs. Large at various times in our lives. It’s often daily! Parents are harried by their children, employees by their bosses, teachers by their students. Circumstances out of our control cause us anxiety, plans get sidetracked, schedules get delayed. Things break down and bills pile up. There is no end to the plethora of things that can steal our peace.

You walk away like Mrs. Large and the peace thieves follow you. What can you do to keep your sanity?

Instead of looking for only five minutes’ peace, go big and shoot for 60 minutes instead – a full hour. Impossible you say? Not so. Every Catholic church, yours included, has a tabernacle in which the Body, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus resides in the consecrated Eucharist. Jesus is there waiting for you to come to Him, to spend an hour with Him in Adoration and lay all your worries, pain, frustration, and suffering before Him so He can exchange it with His peace and love.

One hour of Eucharistic Adoration where I sit before Jesus and pour out my heart with love for Him is the best way I know to retrieve that stolen peace. I turn away from my troubles and focus on loving Him. In return, He loves me…and I let Him. I feel it, and I soak it up. When that hour is up, I am refreshed far more than any bath or shower can provide.

Be like Mrs. Large. Walk away from the frustrations, but walk to Jesus. Spend an hour with Him. He’ll renew your soul and make all those troubles seem insignificant.

“Dear Jesus, thank You for being there for me, for waiting patiently for me to come to You so that I can adore you and receive Your love in return. You take away the sins of the world. You take away our troubles, too, and You replace them with a supernatural peace that can only come from You. Amen.”

¹Jill Murphy, Five Minutes’ Peace, New York, NY, Penguin Putnam Books, 1999

(Fending Off the Peace Thieves was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

©2013-2024 Reflections of a Lay Catholic. Reposting and sharing of material in its full and original content is permitted, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author(s) and Reflections of a Lay Catholic.

O Holy Night

25 Monday Dec 2023

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Christmas

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Tags

Adolphe Adam, Christmas, Fall on your knees, O Holy Night, O Night Divine, The soul felt its worth

It wasn’t too long after I became Catholic that my favorite Christmas song, White Christmas, by Bing Crosby, was replaced by the beautiful Christmas carol, O Holy Night. Accepting that I was a beloved son of God helped me understand the full meaning of the lyric, “’til He appears and the soul felt its worth.” I have often thought I should write about how this song touches my heart, and how I should frequently fall to my knees in praise. But, it seems the busyness of Christmas has always kept me from doing so.

Melinda and I went to Mass this morning for the fourth Sunday of Advent. As always, we picked up a bulletin and perused it once we got home. In today’s edition, our pastor, Fr. Craig Best, wrote a message to the parishioners, telling us that O Holy Night is his favorite Christmas carol, as well. After reading it, I thought how I could not express myself any better than he did. So, rather than creating my own Christmas message, I will simply share his. I don’t think he will mind.

Message from the Pastor

“Early in the lyrics of my favorite Christmas carol, O Holy Night, come the words:

‘Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Til He appears and the soul felt its worth.’

“I am deeply touched every time I hear this song and think of those lyrics, for what more could God have done to better demonstrate His love for us and our worth to Him than to enter our world the way He did, not to rule over us, but in order to serve, suffer, and die?

“I sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have lived back in those times and to have come upon the scene at that first Christmas. What would have gone through my mind and heart upon seeing the humble, homeless Holy Family, or if the infant Jesus had met me in the eyes? No matter how often we come to church or pray, how can we not be touched to really meditate on the Nativity!

“A few lines later, as the music swells, we hear:

‘Fall on your knees; O hear the Angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born.’

“If we had been there two thousand years ago, and truly knew Who it was Mary held in her arms, surely we would have fallen on our knees.

“But, here’s the thing: the very same Person who came to us in that stable in Bethlehem is born on our altar in every single Mass. To believe this is a gift, but it is a gift God wants you to have.

“We are so blessed to be Catholic. Please never take this for granted.

“Christmas blessings to you and your families.

“Fr. Craig.”

________________________

Merry Christmas, everyone! May your day be blessed, and may you rejoice in the birth of our Lord, Jesus. I pray your soul will always feel its worth.

(O Holy Night was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

©2013-2023 Reflections of a Lay Catholic. Reposting and sharing of material in its full and original content is permitted, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author(s) and Reflections of a Lay Catholic.

Where’s Baby Jesus?

24 Sunday Dec 2023

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Christmas

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Advent, Baby Jesus, Christmas, Christmastide, Epiphany, Nativity, Twelve Days of Christmas

Two weekends ago, our church’s Nativity Riggers and Erectors local 14408 (our Knights of Columbus) set up the Christmas nativity scene in front of our church. It’s a beautiful arrangement complete with lambs, shepherds, and wisemen gathered around Mary and Joseph at the manger in the stable.

Last week, then, we received a call in the parish office from a lady in the neighborhood who had been out walking her dog and was drawn to check it out. She told our admin assistant, Debbie, “Your nativity scene is beautiful but you ought to know that someone stole baby Jesus!” Deb replied, “No, no, no, he’s not stolen” to which the caller responded, “But He’s not there in the manger.”

Being the good Catholic that she is, Debbie took this as an opportunity to evangelize and clarify that we celebrate Jesus’ birth on Christmas day, not before, and we’ll place him in the manger on Christmas day. Sensing some confusion on the caller’s part, Debbie went on to ask if she knew the song, The Twelve Days of Christmas, to which she said she did. Debbie continued to explain that the four week period before Christmas is what we call Advent, which is a period of anticipation and looking forward to Christ’s coming. Then, unlike most of the world which thinks Christmas is over as soon as the gifts are opened, we believe that Christmas has just begun, that the first day of Christmastide is Christmas day, and we celebrate our Lord’s birth for the next twelve days up until the Epiphany on January 6th.

The lady told Debbie that she didn’t know this was our belief and was grateful to her for taking the time to explain it. Then as a parting comment, the lady added, “Well, when I’m out walking my dog after Christmas and baby Jesus isn’t there, I’ll know someone stole him and I’ll let you know!”

Today is Christmas Eve as well as the fourth Sunday of Advent. May your anticipation reach a crescendo today so that you can rejoice tomorrow! And, if you happen to be in Lebanon, Ohio sometime in the next twelve days, stop by and see our beautiful nativity scene, complete with baby Jesus. And, if he’s not there, please let us know!

(Where’s Baby Jesus? was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

Unexpected Grace

23 Saturday Dec 2023

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Grace

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Answered prayers, Grace, Love, Prayer

This is the year our three married daughters spend Christmas with their in-laws. Our youngest daughter, Grace, who is unmarried, and who has traditionally came home for Christmas, informed us a couple weeks ago that she is scheduled to work both Christmas Eve and the day after Christmas and, thus, would be staying in Nashville for Christmas. Then, much to our surprise and delight, she told us last weekend that she would be off work Tuesday and Wednesday of this week and would be coming home Monday night!

Unfortunately, thinking I had no reason to do otherwise, I scheduled work related meetings for Tuesday and Wednesday that prevented me from spending any quality time with Grace while she was home. But, before she left early Wednesday afternoon, I decided to take a couple hours off and come home for lunch and spend at least a little time with her. On the drive home I prayed, “Lord, I am thankful that Grace could come home for a couple days, and I’m thankful for the little time I’ve been able to spend with her. I just wish we’d been able to have more quality “father/daughter” time together. Amen.”

Pulling into our driveway, I saw her car and remembered she had mentioned that her driver’s door window would not roll down. I thought the problem was perhaps simply a blown fuse. So, I unlocked her car and found the fuse box under the steering column. and, after getting down on the ground and contorting my body into an unnatural position, I determined that the fuse was not blown. I reinstalled the cover, and then began the process of reversing my motions to get up off the ground.

Well, at my age (and size), that’s no longer easy to do. I suppose I used the door arm rest to leverage myself up and, in doing so, I hit the door lock button. Without thinking, I shut the door and, of course, the keys were in the car. Grace’s spare key was in Nashville, Tennessee.

Having paid outrageously for a locksmith in the past, I turned to YouTube for advice on how to unlock a locked car door without a key. Obviously, there must be many Subaru Outback owners who have locked their keys in their cars because there were several videos to view. I learned all I needed were two tools: an inflatable pillow called an air jack, which, when deflated, can be inserted between the door post and the door, and then inflated by pumping a bulb by hand; and a long crooked rod with a hook on the end, and “presto”, the door is opened.

Obviously, Grace wasn’t going anywhere soon so I invited her to go to the hardware store with me and purchase the air jack. Forty minutes later we were back home. She inserted and inflated the pillow while I crafted a coat hanger with a hook to fit between the gap. The coat hanger was about six inches too short and too flexible. I found four one-foot long, one-eighth inch diameter rods that I had saved from somewhere (because you never know when you might need something like that), and I connected them with electrical tape. But, they were too stiff to make a hook on the end.

Grace’s keys had slid off the console onto the passenger’s seat and the buttons on the fob were facing upwards. Grace had the ingenious idea that we try to use the rod to push the unlock button on the fob. We relocated to the passenger side and reinserted and inflated the air jack. The rod reached the fob with about three inches remaining on the outside of the door – too little to hold onto and control the rod’s movement – but still enough to grab onto with a pair of pliers. After another thirty minutes of maneuvering, getting just the right kinks in the rod, and taking turns, I was able to land the end of the rod on the fob’s unlock button and apply enough downward pressure to release the lock! Hallelujah! Amen!

Grace had a five hour drive ahead of her so she hurried and packed her things into her car. After hugs and goodbyes, she headed home and I headed back to the office. On the way in, I thought about the grace I’d just received, about how I’d spent an unexpected extra two and a half hours with my daughter, working together solving a problem, each of us gaining some experience and, best of all, some valuable “father/daughter” time together. I had prayed for that time, and God delivered, not in a way that I could have expected, but He delivered none the less.

“Heavenly Father, thank You for answering prayers in unexpected ways. Thank You for this opportunity for Grace and I to work together, for the time to talk and enjoy each other’s company. And, thank You for the grace to know of Your presence in the moment. Amen.”

(Unexpected Grace was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

Anticipation

03 Sunday Dec 2023

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Advent

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Advent, Anticipation, Mk 13:33-37, Mt 4:18-22, Patience, Prayer, St. Andrew, Waiting

Back in 1971 singer/songwriter, Carly Simon, released her song Anticipation. The song’s chorus went, “Anticipation, anticipation, you’re makin’ me late, you’re keepin’ me waitin’.” The song was a hit and I remember playing it over and over on my 8-track tape player. A few years later in 1976, the Heinz ketchup people used the chorus from the song to advertise and tout the thickness of their ketchup, how slowly it poured out of the bottle, and how it was worth the wait. The commercial showed a child with her grandmother eagerly anticipating the enjoyment of her favorite condiment while waiting patiently for it to ooze out of the bottle onto her burger.

Call me crazy but this memory came back to me after reading last Thursday’s Gospel, Mt 4:18-22, on the Feast of St. Andrew, Apostle. The Gospel told the account of Jesus seeing Andrew and Simon fishing, and telling them, “Come after me and I will make you fishers of men.”

But, if we only consider Matthew’s Gospel, we might think this was Andrews’s first time to meet Jesus. We’d probably be wrong. In the Gospel of John, chapter 1, we’re told that Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist who preached and prophesied that “a man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.” This could only have been the promised Messiah whom Andrew, like any good Israelite, had been anticipating would deliver them from the Romans.

Andrew believed the Messiah was coming. His imagination tasted the sweetness of freedom and he sought the Messiah as he waited in eager anticipation.

Then John heightened the anticipation by adding, “I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky and remain upon him.…now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.” John pointed out to Andrew, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.”

This is what Andrew had been waiting for! The Messiah was right there in front of him, he could see Him, he could touch Him! And, then, Jesus invited him to come and spend the day with him! The ketchup was now out of the bottle and on the burger! Could it get any better than this? Yes, it could, and it did the next day when Jesus told Simon and Andrew to follow Him. Andrew was being called to follow his Messiah! His search and faithful anticipation finally paid off and his joy must have been a thousand times better than that little girl’s when she finally took a bite of her ketchup covered burger.

Today is the first day of Advent, the season of waiting and anticipating the coming of our Lord, Jesus Christ. We wait for His return, His second coming, and we wait for His birth at Christmas. Waiting, however, is difficult, it’s uncomfortable. Most of us want instant gratification. In our culture, we hurry and scurry in these final weeks before Christmas frantically shopping for gifts, planning meals or trips to visit family, or completing end-of-year business. Most people spend very little time, if any, thinking about and anticipating Christ’s coming. We want to fill our waiting time with other productive stuff.

In today’s Gospel, (Mk 13:33-37), Jesus cautions us to be watchful and alert because we do not know when He will be coming back. We should be prepared, ready, waiting and seeking Him with joyful anticipation. Our attention should be on the object of our desire, not on less important things that will steal the joy of the anticipation. We should be like Andrew.

Patience is a virtue, and joyful anticipation makes patience possible. We can all wait for something we are looking forward to. We can wait patiently for the ketchup to flow out of the bottle because we know how good it will be. The catch phrase in the Heinz commercial was, “It’s slow good!” Rather than fill your time with stuff just to be productive, spend that time seeking Jesus. Spend time in prayer with Jesus each day during Advent, telling Him what’s on your heart, and listen to Him in the silence of your heart. It is extremely “slow good.”

Slow down during this Advent. Make time for your loved ones. Give them the best gifts they could ever receive – your time and your love. And make time for Jesus. Enjoy the blessings and graces that God provides as you patiently anticipate Christ’s birth and His eventual second coming.

“Heavenly Father, thank You for this season of Advent, this precious time to slow down and reconnect with the most important things in life: You and our families. Thank You for the grace to grow in virtue as we seek You and patiently wait to celebrate Your birth, and await Your return. Amen.”

(Anticipation was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

Wisdom in Speaking

02 Saturday Dec 2023

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Evangelization

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Tags

Baptism, Confirmation, Evangelizing, Faith, Luke 21:14, Quinceanera, Wisdom in Speaking

In last Wednesday’s Gospel, Jesus told His disciples that they were not to prepare their defense before hand because He Himself would give them a wisdom in speaking. (Lk 21:14). I know Jesus was alluding to their legal defense when they would eventually be persecuted, but today I had an opportunity to pray for wisdom in speaking in an unexpected situation.

I had gone to my office at the parish center to wrap up some unfinished business. Upon entering the building I noticed someone was using one of the conference room. Not long after settling in at my desk I was interrupted by a woman, a friend of mine, knocking at my door. She is Hispanic, was the one using the conference room, and she was leading six fourteen and fifteen year old girls, along with three moms, in preparation for their Quinceaneras, their cultural right-of-passage into womanhood at the age of fifteen.

My friend asked me if I would come talk to the girls about their faith obligations once they make this transition into young adulthood. I’m sure I had a scared, deer-in-the-headlights look on my face because: one, I stink at extemporaneous speaking; and, two, all I knew about this celebration is what I just wrote in italics above. I had no idea what new faith obligations they might have once they “officially” become young women, and no time to ask or research it. What could I say? She is my friend and she asked because I am the parish’s Director of Evangelization. She was trusting in me to enlighten these young ladies.

It is about twenty steps from my office to the conference room. With the first ten or so steps I tried to think of what to say but, getting no inspiration, I paced the last ten steps simply praying for the Holy Spirit to lead me.

My friend had the girls introduce themselves and I congratulated them on their upcoming milestone and asked if they were looking forward to it. They smiled and nodded. I made an awkward momentary pause, still not knowing what to say, but continued with, “Growing up can be exciting but it also brings more responsibility as you know. One of those responsibilities is to not only stay strong in your faith but to pass that faith along to others. We call that evangelizing.” Mostly blank looks followed.

“How many of you have tattoos?” That produced a smile or two and, thankfully, none had received one. “That’s good”, I added with my own smile, “but you actually have a tattoo, an invisible one. It’s the mark you received at your baptism, the mark that identifies you as a beloved daughter of God, and one who has the Spirit of Christ in you!” Quizzical looks.

You’re fourteen or fifteen so I suspect you’ve all been Confirmed, right?” All nods. “You may not know it but you were given another gift at your Confirmation, the courage and strength to tell others about your love for Jesus. Is that kind of a scary thought, talking about your faith?” More nods.

“Well, it’s really not that hard. The best way to do that is to just be friendly with other people, especially those whom you don’t know well. And, because you have the love of Christ in you, you will radiate a joy that they find different than in other people. They will begin to want some of what you have. They will want to be your friend. It’s much easier to share your feelings with friends, isn’t it?” Nods.

“But you have to be open to making new friends, which means that you have to intentionally reach out to meet new people. And that can be kind of scary. But, remember, you have been given the strength and courage you need to do that. What’s the best way to make good new friends? Well, the best way is to put your phones down and greet people person to person and have conversations face to face. This is how you really get to know someone and they get to know you. And, it’s the best way to share life and share your faith and introduce a new friend to Jesus. It’s the adult way to have a relationship with someone else.” Funny looks.

“Jesus told all of us to go and tell others about Him. It’s our responsibility. And it’s a responsibility that we have to accept as adults. I love that you’re all so excited about this next step in your life! it can be really exciting, too, to share your faith with other people, especially when you see them learning to love Jesus, too.

“I wish you all well, and that your Quinceanera celebrations are amazing! And, I hope you all embrace your young adulthood and the challenges and responsibilities it will bring. God bless you all.” Smiles and nods.

It’s difficult to tell what’s going on in a stoic young person’s mind. Everything I said may have gone in one ear and out the other. My friend and the moms seemed to love my comments, though. Someday I may have the opportunity to look back on this and see whether or not my advice stuck with them. If a connection was made with just one of those young women, and she someday puts those ideas into play, then all of my situational uneasiness will have been worth it. But, for now, I will simply trust in the Holy Spirit, the One Who gave me the wisdom to speak those words, to take it from here.

“Dear Lord, thank You for this opportunity that literally came knocking on my door today. You may have been testing me, or You may have been simply showing me that You believe in me, that I actually can evangelize when I need to. Either way, I thank You, and I thank You for giving me the words to speak. Lord, I pray for those young ladies, that they may keep the faith and that they will lead others closer to You. Amen.”

(Wisdom in Speaking was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

Be an Ambassador for Christ

29 Wednesday Nov 2023

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Christian Life

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Ambassador for Christ, Christian Life, Friendship, Missionary Discipleship, Spiritual friendship

It’s been a while since my last post, and tonight seems like a good time to make amends. I’m going to do something new – reach back into my “draft” file and dust off one of the many unfinished reflections which never got posted because I ran out of time. This one took shape back in September but I don’t think it’s lost any relevance in the two months it’s sat incubating.

Be an Ambassador for Christ

One of my responsibilities as an alumni staff member at the Catholic Spiritual Mentorship Program in Kansas City is to be hospitable and get to know as many of the participants as I can. Since much of our days are structured, we have to be intentional about taking advantage of breaks and mealtimes to get to know one another.

I thought I’d done a decent job of meeting everyone, but today I found myself at the coffee bar standing behind Charlie and Julie, husband and wife, a couple with whom I’d not yet had the pleasure of officially meeting. I realized that this week of classes would be over in two days and I’d probably never see them again. Then and there I thought, “I need to get to know these folks”. So, I waited for Charlie to fill his cup and then said, “Charlie, I apologize but we’ve spent all this time together in the same building and we haven’t had a chance to talk. Let’s change that and have lunch together.” He and Julie both lit up with smiles and replied they would like that very much.

We walked and talked on our way to the dining hall and I learned a little about them. I said I wanted to hear their story and was surprised to hear Julie say that they already knew much of mine because someone had introduced them to this blog. Then, over lunch we had a beautiful conversation. Charlie and Julie shared some of their personal life with me, their love for Jesus and their desire to lead others closer to Him. Like the spiritual mentors they are training to be, they asked me good questions that prompted me to share more of my story with them, too.

Charlie and Julie are very nice people with warm smiles and gentle eyes. Like many folks, however, they are slightly uncomfortable in meeting new people and making the first move to initiate a conversation. But, all it took was someone to take the initiative, to be intentional, and to express an interest in them, and they were ready to welcome a new friend.

Charlie and Julie are not unique in this world, There are millions of people just like them who are eager for friendship and the chance to tell their story if only someone would be interested enough to listen. These people are not elsewhere. They are in our parishes, our neighborhoods and our workplaces. They are the people sitting next to you in the church pew, or the new parishioner who’s just moved to town and doesn’t know anyone. They could be someone who is lost and despairing, and God put you in their path on purpose.

As Catholics, we need to be ambassadors of friendship. We need to be Ambassadors for Christ. We need to be welcoming and hospitable and help others find happiness in the world by delighting in them and helping them feel relevant, and affirming that they are beloved sons and daughters of God.

To take the first step in becoming an Ambassador for Christ, it may require you to get out of your comfort zone. You may need to prepare by thinking, “I’m going to intentionally meet someone new today!” When you do, you’ll need the courage to reach out for a handshake and say, “Hi, I’m [name], I don’t think we’ve met before. What’s your name?” You may need to be ready with a follow-up question that will propagate the conversation such as (if they are new in the parish), “Oh, welcome, we’re glad to have you! Where are you from?” It’s actually pretty simple. Some of my closest friendships began just this way.

Although your next best friend might just be the person you’re about to meet, you don’t have to approach someone with the intention of becoming best friends. One can enter into a friendship with nothing in common except knowing that you have a shared love for our Lord. A friendship such as this allows you to open up about your successes and struggles in your walk with Jesus. It’s a friendship in which you accompany each other on your journeys.

Each one of us can have a spiritual friendship with another person. Whether we admit it or not, we need each other. God made us for each other. He shows His love for us through other people. We just have to seek and be open to opportunities, be open to where and to whom the holy Spirit is leading us, and invest in another person by listening to their story.

Charlie and Julie and I spent less than an hour together. We may never see each other again. But I know we could pick up the conversation right where we left off. The friendship we built in those few minutes will endure. I think we brought each other just a little bit closer to Christ. I am grateful for the grace to get out of my comfort zone and meet someone new, and I’m grateful to Charlie and Julie for enriching my life by sharing their story with me.

Charlie and Julie, peace to you both, my friends! I know your love for Jesus and others will enable you to be amazing Ambassadors for Christ. God bless!

“Dear God, thank You for the grace to set aside my personal discomfort and introverted-ness to become a better missionary disciple, an Ambassador for Your Son, Jesus. May the examples I set encourage others to also reach out and become Ambassadors who in turn will proclaim the Good News of the Gospel. Amen.”

(Be an Ambassador for Christ was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

Grace, God-Moments, and First Graders

30 Monday Oct 2023

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Grace

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God-moments, Grace, Lk 12:35-38, Predominant Fault, Third Watch, Vice and Virtue

Last Tuesday’s Gospel (Lk 12:35-38, NAB) had Jesus telling his disciples, “Gird your loins and light your lamps and be like servants who wait their master’s return….Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.” Jesus is giving a warning that we shouldn’t wait til the last minute to live virtuous and holy lives. We should live as such every day because we don’t know when that last day will be.

He then goes on to say, “And if he should come in the second or third watch and find them prepared, blessed are those servants.” The second or third watch. Jesus is implicating those who are in their middle years or towards the end of their lives. He’s placing an importance on becoming more virtuous and growing deeper in relationship with Him as we age.

I think I’ve entered into the third watch of my life.

To me, being vigilant at my stage of life is synonymous with being virtuous – doing the right things, for the right reasons and in the right amount. And, the deeper I grow in my relationship with the Lord, the more my predominant faults, those bad habits and things to which I’m attached – my vices – become apparent to me. I’ve found it is getting more difficult to summon up the gumption to combat those to which I’m especially attached.

There is one particular bad habit that raises its ugly head over and over – my eating habits and my lack of exercise – the two things that should go hand in hand for better health. I admit it, I love to cook and I love to eat. I snack too much, and I don’t push away from the table as quickly as I should. I don’t get as much exercise as I should, either. Since I returned back to work six months ago, I have a lot more “desk time” than I do “up and moving around time”. It shows.

So, Tuesday morning during my morning meditation, I prayed for God to help me get better, to find the strength to overcome the inertia. I resolved especially to carve out a little time each day for some form of exercise. I didn’t have a plan other than to just try to find some time.

Later that morning I was sitting at my desk and I glanced out my office window. My window looks out over our school playground. There, about ten feet from my window, two young girls, probably first graders, were sitting on the ground. It was their recess and they were eating their snacks. One girl was nibbling on cookies and the other was dipping a breadstick in a Nutella tub. (And, no, I did not secretly want to run out and steal their snacks!). In unison they took their nibbles and then set their snacks down and did five sit-ups. They’d take another bite, and then do five leg lifts. They did this until their snacks were gone and then they jumped up and ran off to play the rest of recess with their friends. It was quite fun to watch and it made me laugh. As I returned my attention to my work, I wondered why these two little ones with all their energy felt they needed to work off their snacks.

An hour or so later it was lunch time and I unwrapped the sandwich I’d made for lunch. I was about half way through my ham and cheese on wholewheat when I recalled my resolution. And then, those two first graders came back to mind and it occurred to me that they had found a way to carve out a few moments to exercise. And then it hit me, I had just received a beautiful grace-filled God-moment. I had asked for help and God didn’t waste any time. He sent me two first grade girls to show me the way. Never before had any children sat outside my window to play. But that morning they did. It could have been two boys playing rock-paper-scissors, or something worse, but instead it was two skinny six-year old girls worried about their figures.

I looked at my sandwich and then looked at the floor to see if there was room for me to do some sit-ups, but then I imagined how sad I would look as I tried to get up off the floor. It was a beautiful autumn day outside, sunny, and the air was beginning to get crisp. I thought about those kids running and playing on the playground. I looked again at my sandwich and decided I would finish it and then go outside for a walk.

Twice around the school soccer field gave me time to earnestly thank God for answering my prayers, for sending me a simple sign – perhaps more of a challenge – that if little girls could do it, then I could, too!

“Loving God, I know that I cannot amend my life on my own. You hear and answer my prayers…sometimes in simple but always awesome ways. Thank You for Your love and for the grace to realize Your presence in my life. I pray for continued actual grace to match my will with Yours. Amen.”

(Grace, God-Moments and First Graders was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

Iris and the Botanical Hitchhikers

05 Thursday Oct 2023

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Bible Reflections

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Tags

God-moments, Grace, Hiking, Psalm 46:10

It’s been a while since my friend Bob has provided me with one of his Random Musings. But, good things come to those who wait, and I’m happy to offer his latest reflection. I don’t think his James Joyce stream of consciousness literary style is intentional, it’s just the way his mind, and heart, works. I love him for that, and it makes for some good conversation when we get together.

Iris and the Botanical Hitchhikers – by Bob Magness

We went for a hike this weekend. Well maybe ‘hike’ is a bit too ambitious of a term, let’s call it a nice walk through the forest of a local state park. This fall season so far has been a continuation of summer – warm and dry. The cottonwood trees are already dropping their dry brown leaves, but some of the maples are showing off their autumn colors. This hike was on a bridle trail that we’ve been frequenting for the last 25 years. In those years, we rarely come across other hikers and seldom see horses. It’s a nice quiet trail.

We take the opportunity to cut the dogs loose and let them burn some energy by running ahead. We are back to having two dogs. Tilly is a wire-haired pointer – I like to tell people she is my dog. Iris is a pointing griffon; she is Robyne’s dog. Iris is a good girl but sometimes she doesn’t hear me so well and other times she just flat out ignores me. They’re both still pups – less than 18 months so they have plenty of energy and this hike gives them a chance to run and explore and to just be a dog. It’s fun to watch.

The inventor of Velcro is said to have made the discovery after walking through a field and was picking burrs off his wool sweater. I would have guessed that he had a dog a like Iris. She is a magnet for all varieties of these prickly seeds. But she’s a thinking kind of dog – she thinks that rubbing up against the forest floor or patch of grass will free her of these botanical hitchhikers. And before long her long hair is wrapped around these tiny seeds, and she is completely matted. Our peaceful walk through the woods is now interrupted as we attempt to free her from this predicament. She doesn’t seem to enjoy our efforts of pulling the seeds from her fur and before long a wrestling match breaks out. For a thinking dog she doesn’t seem to realize that we are trying to help.

Wrestling. I wrestled in high school. It is a tough and brutal sport with absolutely no shortcuts or hacks to success. The sport teaches you about yourself – what you’re willing to sacrifice to be better, and what you can endure. In wrestling there is only one person to blame if you lose a match. I look back at those days fondly and mostly grateful that they are behind me. I used to think I was pretty good but for some reason most everybody I wrestled was better. It’s good to be humbled. I found it more than interesting that one definition for “Israel” is “he who wrestles with God.” I’ve thought about that for some time now. It certainly feels appropriate for all my struggles with attempting to understand life and His creation. Wrestling against all those times I thought I knew the better path. Wrestling to understand why my sacrifice was not sufficient for what I thought I wanted. And suddenly, I’m back in the Garden of Eden and there’s the Tree. I’m a thinking dog too… I know how. I know what’s best…

Maybe the hardest thing about wrestling with God is that He doesn’t play fair. Maybe He shows me how silly and futile my actions are while walking a dog through the woods. He gives me a forest and pats me on the head with a resounding “Go get’em boy!” And I come back to Him with all the burrs of life stuck on me while I thrash about trying to shake them loose – so much like Iris. And as I cry out to Iris, “You silly dog just be still, I’m trying to help”, it hits me and I can’t move. I’m pinned as I hear Psalm 46: 10, “Be still and know that I am God.”

(Iris and the Botanical Hitchhikers was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

From the Archives: Soil Conditioning for the Heart

23 Saturday Sep 2023

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Bible Reflections, Faith, Prayer, Scripture

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Tags

Faith, Jesus, Luke 8:4-15, Mark 4:1-20, Parables, Prayer, Reflection, Resolution, silence, solitude, The Parable of the Sower

Every now and then I recall from my morning meditation something about which I’ve already written. Today’s Gospel from Luke 8:4-15, the Parable of the Seed and the Sower, rang a bell. I found what I was looking for from January 2018, except that it was a reflection from Mark’s Gospel, Mark 4:1-20. As I re-read it, I thought the message from over five years ago was still as relevant as ever, if not more so, and it needed to be shared again. I hope it will lead you to a fuller prayer life.

Peace and blessings to you all!

Soil Conditioning for the Heart

In my previous life (pre-2012 and pre-Catholic) I would occasionally crack a Bible and read a passage or two before losing interest and closing it up. This didn’t happen often, mostly when I was traveling, alone and bored in a hotel room somewhere and there was a Gideon Bible in the nightstand drawer. I remember reading from the Gospels and wondering why Jesus talked to the people in parables. As far as I could tell, it was all a riddle that nobody in their right mind could understand. It made no sense.

This recollection came back to me today as I read and meditated on today’s Gospel, Mark 4:1-20, the Parable of the Sower. A lot has changed over the last six years. I understand this parable today – that Jesus is the sower, the Word of God is the seed, and the different types of soil are the dispositions of the diversity in our faith. Or at least I think that’s what it’s about.

But, as I meditated on this today, my thoughts were more on why Jesus spoke in parables rather than the message in the parable.

I have learned that the Jewish rabbis and teachers in Jesus’ time, taught using stories with familiar images and experiences to which the learner could relate. The messages in these stories were not explicit but, instead, were designed to make one think. The answers were complex and seldom simple. If you thought you had it figured out, you probably didn’t. You needed to think about it more, and think more deeply.

Jesus’ parables were similar to what we call allegory today. He always had a hidden complex spiritual meaning or moral lesson embedded within his parable. And, depending on one’s level of faith, you either got it, partially got it, or you were totally lost.

Even Jesus’ disciples and His chosen Apostles didn’t always understand. In today’s Gospel, His disciples questioned Him about the parables. Jesus answered them, “The mystery of the kingdom of God has been granted to you. But to those outside everything comes in parables so that they may look and see but not perceive, and hear and listen but not understand, in order that they may not be converted and be forgiven.” Jesus continued, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables?” (Mk 4:11-13)

We often think that the Apostles were all totally on board and on the same page as Jesus. But, the reality was that they never did quite figure it out until Jesus’ resurrection and eventual ascension into heaven. No, they were quite often lost regarding the mysteries of Christ’s life (e.g. Mk 8:32-33, Peter’s response to the first prediction of Jesus’ Passion; and, Mk 9:28-29, the healing of a boy with a demon).

Jesus wanted everyone, His disciples included, to think deeply about His message. He wanted them to look beyond the obvious, below the surface, and outside of the box. He challenged them to compare and relate His stories, His parables, with their own lives. The extent of their understanding and ability to relate often depended on their faith.

Nothing has changed. It still depends on faith. The reason I didn’t understand the Gospel as I read while lounging on a hotel room bed was because I had no faith. The difference between then and now for me is that I now believe the Word of God to be the truth. I have a deep desire to understand it so that I can apply it to my life.

Jesus still challenges us to understand God’s Word within the context of our own lives, our own experiences. He wants to sow the Seed on fertile soil so that it may grow and produce fruit. How do we prepare that garden plot in preparation for His sowing?

First, we need to create an atmosphere in which we can listen to God through His Word in the scripture, an atmosphere of silence and solitude that is conducive to deep thought without distractions. Author Henri J.M. Nouwen in his book, The Way of the Heart, describes silence as, “not not speaking, but listening to God”; and solitude as, “not being alone, but being alone with God.” Finding that time and place is critical.

Once you’re there, open up your heart in prayer. Give thanks to God for the opportunity to be with Him in that moment. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your heart and mind to receive the Word of God, and for the grace to understand His Word as you read and reflect upon it.

As you read the scripture, think deeply about what it is God is telling you at that moment. Maybe there is a verse or a phrase or just a couple words that jump out at you. Stop and reflect on that which catches your attention and let the Holy Spirit take you deeper to reveal God’s unique message for you. Say a prayer of thanksgiving once you’ve absorbed His revelation.

Next, ask yourself how that message relates to your life today. Is there something you can do to change? What can you do today to be more virtuous, to grow in holiness, and to become a better disciple, spouse, parent, and friend? How can you condition your soil to make it more fertile? The Holy Spirit will convict you and show you the way!

Finally, take that one thing, that one change for the better, and write a concrete resolution that will effect an improvement that day. Make it easy but make it concrete. Think baby steps instead of leaping tall buildings. Something that you can, at the end of the day, look back on and say with a sense of accomplishment, “Yes! I did it!”

And then go do it.

This is how you grow in faith. This is how you begin to understand the Word of God and not get confused in the complexity of the parables. And, this is how you gradually grow in holiness on your way to becoming a saint just like the Apostles.

“Heavenly Father, thank You for giving me the deep desire to understand Your Word, and for Your Son, Jesus, to sow that Seed in my heart. Thank You, Holy Spirit, for the gift of faith that has conditioned my heart to be fertile ground for producing fruit for Your kingdom. I pray that, through Your grace, the harvest is abundant. Amen.”

(Soil Conditioning for the Heart was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)