Jesus, the Spiritual Roadmap

07 Sunday May 2023

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Bible Reflections, Christian Life

Tags

I Am the Way the Truth and the Life, John 14:1-12, Meditation, Prayer, Roadtrips

I once was lost. Once. Back in 1991. I had to go to a gas well site in extreme Southwest Kansas. I was new to the area and I’d never been to that site before so I asked a fellow worker for directions. He told me to go down this road, turn left on another road and then turn right when you get to the big tree and it’s a couple miles from there. I couldn’t miss it, he said. I thought, that’s easy enough, I don’t need a map.

I found the first road and turned left but then I never saw the big tree. I kept driving looking for the big tree. I finally realized I was lost when I came to an intersection of two highways in Oklahoma, thirty miles south of where I was supposed to be. I found a pay phone (this was before cell phones), and called my associate. I told him I never found the big tree (there aren’t many trees nor much else in Southwest Kansas). His response….”Oh, that’s right, the tree fell down about five years ago but everybody knows where it was.” Everybody except me.

People who know me know that I like to drive. Ever since I was a young boy, I’ve been making long, cross-country roadtrips with my family. Some of my earliest memories include sitting in the front seat of our ’62 Chevy Bel Air somewhere between California and Missouri, studying a road atlas, and telling my dad how far it was to the next town down Route 66.

Younger folks these days might not know what an atlas or an accordion-fold state highway road map looks like. With GPS on cell phones, most people simply plug in an address, hit start and go where the cute voice tells them to go.

A few years ago, my daughter and her husband drove from Kansas to Middle Tennessee to meet us for a family reunion. They put the address in their GPS and relied on it to get them there. It took them through back country roads to the Tiptonville ferry which crosses the Mississippi River between Missouri and Tennessee. It’s a nine car ferry. When they arrived at the landing the ferry had just left. By the time the ferry returned and they got to the Tennessee side they’d lost about two hours. If they’d looked at a map they’d have seen a much better and quicker route.

Studying a map gives you the big picture. You have an idea of where you’re going, and what towns and scenery you can expect to see between here and there. You get an idea of waypoints and you can track your progress. A GPS, well, it just takes all the fun out of it.

Call me strange, but these memories came to mind this morning as I entered into prayer, meditating on today’s Gospel passage, John 14:1-12. Jesus said, “…’Where I am going you know the way.’” Thomas said to Him, ‘Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’”(Jn 14: 4-6).

Thomas (nor any of the Apostles, actually) had not been paying attention. He followed his Master all around Galilee but hadn’t studied his roadmap, Jesus. He hadn’t looked out the window at the scenery. He didn’t know where he was going nor where he had been. He was lost and confused.

Living eternally with our Father in heaven is our destination. Jesus is the Way. He is the Roadmap. Studying Jesus and His life in the Scriptures, and following His directions, is the shortest and quickest route to heaven. He showed us the route: in the Beatitudes, in His works of mercy, in His love for the Father, and in His sacrifice for our personal salvation.

Jesus is the Truth. He will not lead you astray. You can depend on Him for a safe and enriching journey.

Jesus is the Life. He will fill your life with infinite graces, let you see along the way all the beauty that God created, and give you opportunities to live your life to the fullest with peace and happiness.

Study His map. Follow His directions. The joy experienced on the journey will only be exceeded by the awe and wonder when you arrive.

“Dear Jesus, send Your Holy Spirit into my heart that I might have the grace to consistently turn to you in prayerful meditation, study Your life in the Gospels, and apply what I learn in daily resolutions so that I make all the right turns. Amen.”

(Jesus, the Spiritual Roadmap was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

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How to Evangelize Like St. Philip

01 Monday May 2023

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Evangelization

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Acts 8:26-40, Ethiopian Eunuch, Evangelization, Evangelizing, Jesus, Love, Mt 28:19, St. Philip the Deacon, St. Philip the Evangelist

In last Thursday’s first Scripture reading, Acts 8:26-40, we read where St. Philip the Evangelist (the deacon, not the Apostle), at the prompting of the Holy Spirit, met, instructed, converted and baptized the Ethiopian eunuch. Philip took to heart the Great Commission handed down by Jesus to, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” (Mt 28:19).

Let’s take a look at evangelization. What is it exactly?

In a very simple sense, it is telling someone else about something near and dear to your heart. Something you love. People know that I love pizza, I love my wife and family, I love to mow grass, and I love to fly fish in a mountain stream. They know these things because I talk about them. I don’t keep them a secret.

But, there’s something I love even more than pizza, my family, my zero turn mower, and fly fishing. I love Jesus. People who know me know this because I tell them. And, to people I don’t know, I write about my love for Him in this blog. It’s one way in which I spread the Gospel (which means “Good News” by the way). It’s really no different than telling someone the good news of when you have a new grandchild, when you get a new car, or when you’ve become engaged.

Sadly, the word evangelization makes people uncomfortable. It brings about visions of knocking on doors, of preaching from a street corner with a bull horn, and of putting one’s self in difficult situations where you might get asked questions to which you don’t have answers. But, turn that around and look at it from the other side. There are millions of people out there who have questions and are seeking answers. Questions about how to be happier, how to feel loved, how to deal with suffering. Questions about God and Jesus. Questions that are just waiting for answers from those of us who experience the happiness associated with Christ’s love, and the value of suffering that comes with our faith. Answers that will help bring about positive change in another person. Answers that will ultimately save souls.

We all know people who are searching for something better. They may be family, friends, a co-worker, the next door neighbor, your child’s little league coach or piano teacher. People you know who see you and see what you have and want some of it for themselves. They may not feel comfortable in coming to you directly. But, if you’re observant, you can see the signs – signs that they’re hurting, lonely, afraid.

My conversion experience began with two men who befriended me, saw my struggles, and with love and patience, brought me to an encounter with Christ where I had a “Pauline” experience and got knocked off my horse. And, then, those two men and several other “Ananaises” brought me even closer to our Lord and helped me get to know Him.

With my conversion, I immediately felt Christ’s love for me, but I’d be lying to say I was immediately an evangelist. No, it took a while for me to learn to love Him back and to build up my faith with a strong interior life. That transformation took place through deep and consistent daily prayer during which my relationship with Jesus grew stronger. I talked to Him and, in meditating on His Word, I listened to what He had to say to me. By acting on His promptings I grew in virtue, in holiness. People noticed. They began coming to me for answers of how to know Jesus better.

So, how can you evangelize others? First, get to know them (and that applies to family members as well as strangers). Invite them into your life. Make friends with them. Build relationships. Share meals and good conversations. Get to know what makes them happy and what their struggles are. Create an atmosphere where they feel comfortable asking the questions for which they are desperately seeking answers. And, most of all, pray for them!

At some point you can begin talking more openly about your faith, telling them about Jesus. To start, maybe you invite them to the parish picnic. Soon, they might join you in a Bible study. Perhaps, then, they will come and experience mass with you. As they start growing in their relationship with Jesus, take them deeper in understanding His life by leading them in a meditation of the mysteries of the Rosary. And, never stop praying for them. Put all these things together and you have become an evangelist. You are making disciples.

The Ethiopian eunuch whom St. Philip evangelized went back to his country and began spreading the Good News to his queen and fellow countrymen. That one disciple became a disciple maker. Soon, Christianity spread throughout that region and the Catholic Church in Ethiopia became one of the first Orthodox Christian Churches outside of the Roman Empire and is still strong today.

Jesus not only gave the Great Commission to the Apostles, he gave it to us. We are called to make disciples who will go on to become disciple makers themselves. Our parish needs it. Our Church needs it. Humanity needs it.

With whom will you meet today or tomorrow that will bring an opportunity to begin a beautiful new relationship that will ultimately bring them to Christ? Be like St. Philip the Evangelist!

(How to Evangelize Like St. Philip was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

Teachable Moments

22 Saturday Apr 2023

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Bible Reflections

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

Do Not Fear, Jesus, John 6:16-21, Prayer, Spiritual Direction, Spiritual Mentoring, Teachable Moment

Thirty years ago when I was a middle manager in operations with an interstate natural gas pipeline company I had a vice president who intimidated me to no end. He didn’t do it intentionally, rather it was my pride, and perhaps lack of confidence, that permitted the anxiety I felt whenever I had to meet with or give a presentation to him.

His name was Theopolis (which I didn’t realize until I looked up the etymology of that name a few minutes ago that it means “Loved by God”). Theo was actually a kind man, a faith-filled man, soft spoken, and he usually wore a smile on his face and had a gleam in his eye. And he was intelligent – super intelligent – and experienced. He had worked his way up through the ranks, had previously been in my position and knew everything there was to know about my role and those of the engineers who reported to me.

It was impossible to slide something new past Theo, or to hide some mistake. He knew the ropes. In a regulated and safety conscious industry, there was little leeway to color outside the lines. But, he wasn’t averse to one doing so if there was a good reason and a good plan for improving something. His method of determining whether one’s intentions were good enough, or to get to the bottom of something that didn’t go as expected, was to gently question the poor unfortunate soul to see if they had thoroughly thought through the process. When the root cause of a problem or the glitch in a plan eventually surfaced, Theo would smile and say, “What we have here is a teachable moment.” He would then help you realize what could have been done differently or better based on his knowledge and experience.

Theo passed away ten years or so ago and I probably haven’t thought about him since I retired six years ago….until this morning when I read and meditated on today’s Gospel passage, John 6:16-21. This morning I saw him as not always being critical of what I did, but as a mentor and teacher.

After feeding the five thousand, Jesus went up the mountain to pray and the Apostles got in their boat and set out across the sea to Capernaum. On the way, the wind and seas picked up causing the crew to have some heightened anxiety. Jesus, foreseeing their fears, then came to them walking on the water, which, to the crew of experienced fishermen, may have been an embarrassment before their master and teacher. Jesus, told them, “It is I. Do not be afraid”.

Whether you’re a young engineer and middle manager or an experienced fisherman, it’s good to have someone who’s been there and done that, who can help you through the rough times. Someone who can see beyond the immediate situation and find “teachable moments” to ease the tension and dispel the anxiety.

It’s a beautiful thing to learn from the experiences of those who have gone before us, from their mistakes and successes. The Apostles and early Christians were, in a sense, just trying to figure things out. They pioneered the New Way with Jesus as their leader. They had no prior experience or self-study history books on which to fall back. Their’s was a new learning experience every day. And, Jesus, as their mentor, found “teachable moments” around every corner, especially when his followers, in their anxiety, needed to be told, “Do not fear.”

We still struggle with anxiety born from trying to do everything on our own. We forget that Jesus is with us always, even in the midst of life’s storms. We are fortunate in our faith, however, that the lessons learned by the Apostles and the early Christians have been captured for us in Scripture and in the sacred writings of the saints. We need to remember that every time we pick up and read from our Bible or the spiritual writings of the saints, we are in the middle of a “teachable moment”.

Even then, trying to learn under our own power can be difficult and frustrating. As Catholics, we are also fortunate to have available to us Spiritual Mentors who will walk with us on our journey of living a Holy life. Spiritual Mentors are trained to ask questions that help us see what we can’t see for ourselves, and to gently provide “teachable moments” that help us steer around the difficulties of life.

If you are interested in learning more about spiritual mentorship, or receiving spiritual mentorship from a trained mentor, or interested in becoming a Spiritual Mentor yourself, please leave me a comment, and I’ll be happy to help you.

“Lord Jesus, too often do I try to navigate rough waters on my own, forgetting that You are always with me. In my times of prayer, Lord, give me the grace to realize Your presence, be attentive to Your gentle guidance, and learn from those “teachable moments”. Help me also, Lord, as a Spiritual Mentor of other men, to help them find peace in their lives by relying on Your help. Amen.”

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

Leftovers

22 Saturday Apr 2023

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Bible Reflections

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Faith, Feeding the 5000, Holy Eucharist, Jesus, John 6:1-15, Leftovers, Living Water, Meditation, Multiplication of the Loaves, Prayer

There are plusses and minuses to being married empty nesters. One positive is saving money on groceries, but an associated negative is the difficulty in preparing meals for only two people. Most recipes are designed for at least four which, when followed, means there are usually leftovers. That can be a problem if you’re one of those people who doesn’t care for leftovers, but for those of us who are fine with them and would rather not waste good food, it can be a really good thing! When you accumulate enough leftovers you get a bye on deciding what to cook from scratch every now and then.

Also, leftovers, like a spicy pot of chili, just get better after they’ve “seasoned” for an extra day or two. Even a pineapple upside-down cake like the one my wife made for my birthday this week just gets better each successive day as the pineapple juice and brown sugar syrup soak into the cake below.

I was thinking about leftovers yesterday morning as I read the day’s scripture during my morning meditation. The Gospel, John 6:1-15, told the story about the multiplication of the loaves and fishes for feeding the five thousand. After instructing the crowd to recline in the grass, “Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish that they wanted. When they had had their fill He said to His disciples, ‘Gather the fragments leftover so that nothing will be wasted.’ So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat.” Jesus’ miracle transformed five loaves and two fish into enough food to nourish and curb the appetites of five thousand people with enough leftovers to repeat again and again.

Taking the bread and giving thanks is a prefiguring of the miracle performed at every mass when, at the epiclesis, the priest calls upon the Holy Spirit and consecrates the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ. In receiving the Blessed Sacrament, we are at a feast and being fed with all the graces we need to live Holy lives.

But, we are also nourished and sated by the Word of God in Scripture. When we pray and meditate daily on the life of Jesus in the Gospels, we are lovingly fed with as much as we can eat in one sitting. We are given exactly what we need for that day to be virtuous souls. Our job is to listen to and savor His Word, swallow it by relating it to our lives in the present moment, and then digest it by resolving to apply what we hear to living in a more virtuous way. Then, we simply have to return to the table and repeat each and every day to partake in the perpetual and eternal leftovers. No worries about not getting enough, about eating too much, or the food spoiling. There will always be another full and satisfying meal the next day. And, just as day-old chili gets more flavorful, and pineapple upside-down cake gets more moist, each “meal” just gets better!

Jesus will always give us enough to nourish our souls if we invite Him, through prayer, into our hearts to feed us. What nourishment do you need today? Sit at the table, partake of the meal, savor each bite, and rejoice that there are enough leftovers for all the days to come.

“Heavenly Father, thank You for slaking my hunger by feeding me with Your Word, and for quenching my thirst with the Living Water, Your Son, Jesus. I know through faith that You will never let me go hungry as long as I keep returning to the table through prayer and the Sacraments. Amen.”

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

Our Father Who Art in Heaven…

08 Saturday Apr 2023

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Faith, Prayer

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

Faith, Holy Saturday, Our Father Who Art in Heaven, Prayer, RCIA, The Lord's Prayer, The Our Father

Holy Saturday began busily this morning as I arose and left home early for an 8:00 a.m. appointment with a gentleman at a local coffee shop/patisserie for our monthly spiritual mentoring discussion. I let him know ahead of time that I needed to wrap it up around 9:20 at the latest so that I could make it back to our parish church by 10:00 a.m., for the final rites and practice for tonights Easter Vigil Mass when I will be welcoming a friend, whom I am sponsoring, into the Catholic Church.

I arrived at the coffee shop early so that I could get my daily morning prayer and meditation in before my friend (let’s call him Wilbur) arrived. Fortunately for me, I was able to read the Gospel and quickly formed a resolution for the day because Wilbur also arrived early. He got a coffee, and I warmed up mine, and we set about talking about what’s happening in his faith life and how we can grow closer to our Lord. As always, it was a fruitful discussion.

Time always flies by quickly when we’re in deep conversation and when I checked the time it was 9:20 already. We began to wrap it up and then said our closing prayer and a Hail Mary with intentions for many out there who need help. As we stood and began to walk away from our table, a woman sitting directly behind Wilbur caught our attention and said with a smile, “It is so refreshing to see men praying together! You just made my day!” Then, a woman sitting alone at an adjacent table stood and said, with excitement in her eyes, “I agree! What a blessing to see men sharing their faith in public! Thank you!”

We were kind of caught by surprise. Wilbur was the first to reply and said that he was there receiving spiritual direction. Me, all I could think to say was, “Thank you! You just made our day by noticing and saying something to us.” We chatted for a while and I learned that the second woman was a minister at a small church. Eventually, conscious of the time and needing to get going, I asked if they would like to pray the Lord’s Prayer with us. They did, and we prayed, and, feeling sure that they were Protestant, I remembered to add, “For thine is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory, forever and ever. Amen”, to our normal recitation of the Our Father.

Wilbur and I said our goodbyes and as I got in my truck I realized it was 9:40 already. I also knew, after having made this trip several times in the opposite direction, that it was at least a 30 minute drive considering all the traffic lights I had to pass through. I was compelled to say a prayer of thanksgiving for the encounter with those ladies, and, even though I would be late, a prayer of trust that I would not arrive at church excessively late.

I made the first three major intersections on green lights. I had a few miles then on the interstate where I blew past a state trooper at least five miles over the speed limit. As I checked my rearview mirror I was relieved that he didn’t pull out after me. After exiting the interstate I passed through the next four lights on green. The eighth traffic light had me stopped for about ten seconds and the ninth light was green as I passed through it. I walked into the church at 10:01.

The final rites this morning for the Elect coming into the Church tonight include the Presentation of the Lord’s Prayer, the Recitation of the Creed, and the Ephphetha Rite. After standing and praying the Lord’s Prayer (the Our Father) together, we were asked to meditate on what it means to us.

As I repeated the prayer in my head, I thought, “‘…Hallowed be Thy Name…’ – I praise you and thank you, Lord, for that encounter with those ladies at the coffee shop, and for getting me to the church on time!”

I continued with, “‘…Thy will be done…’ – Lord, it was Your will that enabled that encounter, and Your will that caused all those traffic lights to be green.”

And I ended with, “‘…And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil…’ – Lord, thank You for the faith to trust in You and not be tempted to be anxious about things out of my control. Amen.”

“Heavenly Father, thank You for the many blessings You bestow on me and all Your faithful. Thank You for the courage to express my faith in public and for the graces received when noticed by others. Thank You for the gift of trust in You. And, thank You for the gift of Your Church and for all those who will be baptized and initiated into the Catholic Church tonight. Amen.”

(Our Father Who Are in Heaven… was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

Become an Apostle of Reconciliation

28 Tuesday Mar 2023

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Reconciliation

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Confession, Forgiven, John 8:1-11, Jonah, Penance, Reconciliation, Sacrament of Reconciliation, The Jonah Plan

It is Lent and, as such, there is a special call for repentance prior to Easter. We want our souls to be in a state of grace prior to celebrating the Lord’s passion. Most parishes offer a communal penance service a week or two before Holy Week for everyone who seeks to be cleansed of their mortal and venial sins through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Our parish’s penance service was last week. Our pastor arranged for six priests to visit and join him in hearing confessions. They spaced themselves out around the perimeter of the sanctuary for privacy’s sake. I decided which priest with whom I wanted to air out my dirty laundry and took my place in that line. As I looked around the church at the other lines and the folks still in the pews, I counted forty-nine souls. Some parents and children were there together so there may have been thirty families represented overall. Our parish has nearly 1,300 members. Where were they?

My first reaction was sorrow for our pastor who was leading his first Lenten penance service in his new parish. I felt sure that he must be experiencing some embarrassment in front of his brother priests for the lack of attendance. And, he had to be thinking about the work ahead for him.

Then, I wondered why did people not come? It had been advertised in our bulletin all during Lent, flyers were posted, and it was announced at masses. Where was our faith community? Some probably forgot. Some may have recently been to confession. Some probably planned to go to regularly scheduled Reconciliation on the following Saturday.

It’s possible that some folks are without sin in their lives and didn’t need to go. It’s possible. But, not probable.

Being careful not to judge individuals, I concluded that for many parishioners it just wasn’t important. The lack of importance may be a result of lukewarmness, a lack of catechesis, of having a minimal, if any, relationship with Jesus, or simply that other things were more important. My worst fear was that people didn’t show up because they do not believe that the true Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ is contained in the Holy Eucharist, and, therefore, saw no reason to be reconciled and receive the Lord’s mercy before receiving communion.

I had been thinking about this since that night. Then, after meditating on yesterday’s Gospel, I decided I needed to say something. Thus, with no intention of passing judgment on anyone in particular in our parish who skipped this beautiful opportunity to receive the mercy of God, or on anyone around the world who is reading this, I encourage you to go back and reflect on yesterday’s Gospel, John 8:1-11, the story of the woman caught in adultery.

In this passage, Jesus gives a shining example of his loving mercy. The adulterous woman was afraid of the consequences prescribed by the Law of Moses – death by stoning. Jesus, in His mercy, turned back the anger of the Pharisees when he brought to light their own sins by suggesting that whoever among them was “without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Jesus then forgave the woman’s sins and told her to go and sin no more. Do you think she was grateful? You bet! Do you think she worked on becoming more virtuous? I suspect she did! When we fail to go before the priest, confess our sins, and let Jesus forgive us, we are facing certain spiritual death. We need His mercy, and when we receive it we should be as relieved and full of joy as that woman was. We are given a new life and an opportunity to begin again.

But, this post is not just for those Catholics who don’t take this amazing Sacrament seriously. No, it’s also for those who do. You know how loved you feel when Our Lord absolves you of your sins, when His Grace has been restored within you. It should make you run to tell others of Christ’s love, so that they will want to experience it, too. We are called to practice the virtue of Charity. How uncharitable would it be to not let a friend or family member know of this wonderful opportunity for salvation through reconciliation? How much more can we love our neighbors than to bring them to this amazing “car wash” where the dirt and grime is power washed from their souls?

A good friend of mine has chosen as her personal apostolate this very charity for others. Paula has developed a website called The Jonah Plan. Her hope is to establish a community committed to regularly attending the Sacrament of Reconciliation, praying for those who do not recognize its value, and learning more about the Sacrament so that they can teach others about it. There is power in numbers, and Paula’s hope is that by joining with other people committed to devoting one day a month to pray that family, friends, and fellow parishioners return to this Sacrament and experience Christ’s love and mercy, the Church will be renewed. Please check out her website at the link above.

Won’t you become an Apostle of Reconciliation?

“Loving Jesus, thank You for Your mercy and absolution when I come before You and confess my sins. Your love restores and invigorates my soul. You give me new life and an opportunity to begin again. Thank You! Amen!”

(Become an Apostle of Reconciliation was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

We Have Entered Into Passion-tide

27 Monday Mar 2023

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Lent

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Conversion, Interior Freedom, John 11:1-45, John 8:1-11, Lent, Reconciliation

I have the great pleasure and honor to post a reflection from a dear friend, Marian Rose Varisco, from Bryan, Texas. Marian Rose and I have become close friends over the last six years in our association with the Catholic Spiritual Mentorship Program. Marian Rose’s reflection exemplifies her deep interior life based on meditative prayer, listening to the Word of God in Scripture, and resolving daily to grow in virtue. She offers this very personal reflection in hopes that it may help other souls desire and seek interior freedom. If it appeals to you, I know she would appreciate hearing from you in a comment. Thank you and God bless!

We Have Entered Into Passion-tide, by Marian Rose Varisco

In yesterday’s Gospel, John 11:1-45, Jesus said to roll away the stone from Lazarus’ tomb. In today’s Gospel, John 8:1-11, we see the embarrassed Pharisees backing down from casting the stones they intended to use to kill the adulterous woman. What is Jesus trying to tell me through these stones?

I believe He desires to show me areas of my heart which are broken and wounded. I believe the stones represent areas where I am lacking in self-knowledge, areas which only the Holy Spirit can reveal to me.

Am I willing to sit, like the adulterous woman, in the dirt with Jesus, in my brokenness and hear Him say to me, “Go and sin no more”? Where am I casting stones, like the Pharisees, in my thoughts, words and actions? Am I willing to drop the “stones” I can so easily cast? Jesus is inviting the adulterous woman, the Pharisees, and each one of us, to accept His invitation for real conversion!

Where am I acting out of my wounds, becoming tied hand and foot like Lazarus, placing a stone over my heart, and living in a tomb? Am I willing to allow myself to hear Jesus weeping at the truth that parts of my heart are behind a stone? Do I hear Jesus say to me, “Come out!”, knowing His desire is for me to have a life of interior freedom, not a life where I am bound in burial clothes?

These last two weeks of Lent are an opportunity to prepare our hearts more fully to be in His Presence. Today I read in Finding Christ in the World, an Ignatius Retreat, that when Jesus entered into the Father’s Presence He had a sinless self-concentration. The sentence concluded with the words, “…and you do not”. Those words really pierced!

“Jesus, I ask you to stir Your Holy Spirit within me so that I may easily drop my stones and allow You to roll away any stone covering my heart. Freed from these stones, through the Grace received in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, may I be truly present to Your Presence with a sinless self-concentration. Amen.”

(We Have Entered Into Passion-tide was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

Believe and be Rewarded

18 Saturday Feb 2023

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Evangelization, Faith

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

Catholic Spiritual Mentorship, Discipleship, Evangelization, Faith, Friendship, Hebrews 11:1, Hebrews 11:6, School of Faith, Seek God

When I cracked open my Bible this morning to today’s first Scripture passage I saw that it began with the familiar, “Faith is the realization of what is hoped for, and evidence of things not seen.” (Heb 1:1, NAB). I immediately sensed I should pay attention because something profound was yet to come. Five verses later, there it was, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him [God], for anyone who approaches God must believe that He exists, and that He rewards those who seek Him.” Those words evoked a beautiful memory of a life-changing event….

Midnight, Saturday, April 14, 2012 – I had just spent one of the most uncomfortable days of my life – the first day of a two day Catholic spiritual retreat at which my attendance had nothing to do with my spiritual life. Rather, I was there to get away from the stress of life, from the loneliness of spending countless time away from home due to work, the loneliness of having made no real friends since I’d moved to town six years prior, and to think about how I was going to dig myself out of the mire of depression into which I was falling. After the first couple hours of the retreat, I felt like a fish out of water. I had seen more praying than I’d seen my entire life. Although I’d been married to my loving and devout Catholic wife for 30 years, I was a NONE, with no real convictions about God. Jesus was not part of my life.

I was getting ready to hit my bunk for the night when I fell into a conversation with a man that I had come to know fairly well. We were friends although we’d never actually shared our lives with each other as I now know that true friends do. Eric asked me how my day had been. I opened up to say that I honestly didn’t know what to think. I had never heard men talk like those whom I had heard that day, disclosing such personal and intimate experiences, and avowing how God had helped them through their struggles. I allowed that this was new territory for me, that I tried to live my life as morally as I could and with kindness to others, but that I’d never felt called to fully believe in God. Eric replied, “Brother, you’re doing the good things God wants you to do! Just open your heart to the Holy Spirit like you heard today, and God will give you the gift of faith.”

2:00 a.m., Sunday, April 15, 2012 – After two hours of insomnia, thinking about the experience of the day, and going over Eric’s advice in my head a million times, I asked myself, “What would I pray for if I was to pray for something?” Two things came to mind: first, that I would get some affirmation that my wife and daughters knew how much I loved them, and that I would receive some reinforcement of their love for me; and, second, that I might develop some friendships with these men on the retreat who seemed to be taking an interest in me.

Summoning up the courage to roll out of my cot, I found my way into the chapel. I took a pew near the back on Joseph’s side and looked forwards. Eric and a woman were up near the altar praying. On the altar was what I had heard them call a monstrance, a cross-looking thing in which a consecrated host was on display. Kneeling there, I wasn’t sure how to start my prayer so I said, “God, I don’t know how to pray. I don’t know for sure if I believe you are real or not. But, after what I’ve seen today, how these men can be so happy in spite of the difficult situations they’ve faced, I want to believe in you.” And then, for the first time in my life I prayed. I prayed for those two things: love and friendship.

11:45 a.m., Sunday, April 15, 2012 – After a few more testimonials that morning I was given a large envelope stuffed with dozens of other smaller envelopes. As I delved into them I found letters from the men who were giving the retreat thanking me for attending, praying for me, and offering to walk with me in faith. There were cards from people I didn’t even know saying they had been praying for me all weekend that I might experience Christ’s love. And, to my surprise, there were letters from my wife and daughters, parents, brother and sisters. Each and every one was a love letter letting me know how much they loved me and that they knew my love for them. That’s when I discovered I had what a friend later explained was the Gift of Tears.

I found more than the love of my family in those letters. And, I found more than new friendships that weekend. I found the love of Christ, a love deeper and more profound than any love I’d ever known. I realized all that i had been missing for fifty-five years. I started life anew that weekend when I cracked open the door of my heart. I found the source of happiness, and I wanted more of it. I was given the gift of faith through the realization of things I had hoped for, because I had been given evidence of something i couldn’t see. That weekend I became a Christian. One year later, I became Catholic.

The scripture says we must believe God exists before He rewards those who seek Him. But, I think He is a loving and merciful God, One Who bends His own rules, when He sees fit, and rewards those who seek Him because they want to believe.

I imagine there are hundreds of people in every community, yours included, who fit that description, who want to believe, but have no one to show them the way; men, women and children who are waiting for someone to reach out to them in friendship and invest in them and encourage them to crack open the door of their heart to let the love of Jesus rush in. Won’t you let that someone be you?

Lent begins next Wednesday. Perhaps a Lenten resolution would be to meet and strike up a conversation with a neighbor whom you don’t know well; smile and introduce yourself to someone who looks sad, bewildered, or hurting; or honor the Sabbath by setting aside work and, instead, invite over for dinner someone who is alone. God gave you an imagination. I’m sure you can use it to come up with your own ideas of how you can be a disciple for Christ.

This week, almost eleven years after my conversion, I am helping a class of eighty men and women learn and grow in their faith, forming them to become Catholic Spiritual Mentors so that they may more effectively lead others closer to Jesus. On April 13th, 2012, I’d have said you were crazy if you had suggested I would be where I am today! I praise and thank God every day for this life to which he has brought me, for the men and women who have led me along the way, and for the desire to help others grow close to Jesus.

The Catholic Spiritual Mentor class of 2025 is forming now. If you are interested in learning how to become a guide to another in his or her quest for friendship with Jesus, you can visit the School of Faith website for more information, or if you are interested in having a Spiritual Mentor of your own, you can find more information here.

“Dear Jesus, thank You for placing those undesirable and uncomfortable situations in my life that drew me to an environment in which I learned to seek You and receive Your gift of faith. Thank You for loving me through good men who offered friendship to me, and thank You for a loving wife and children who supported me as I grew to love You more. Thank You for giving me the desire to be a disciple-maker for Your Kingdom. Amen.”

(Believe and be Rewarded was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

Run the Race

31 Tuesday Jan 2023

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Holiness, Perseverance

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Disordered attachments, Hebrews 12:1-4, Holiness, Liberal, Olney, Perseverance, Run the Race, Shrove Tuesday, Sin

Back in 1990 and 1991 my family and I lived in Liberal, Kansas, a small city in far southwest Kansas. Liberal has a sister city in Olney, England. Residents from both cities have been competing since 1950 in what they call the “International Pancake Day Race”. It is held every year on Shrove Tuesday (also known as Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday), the day before Ash Wednesday. Female participants race approximately 400 yards wearing aprons and carrying frying pans while flipping pancakes in the pan. They are timed and the times are shared between the two cities and a winner is declared.

There is also a children’s race of about 20 yards for youngsters to get involved in the festivities. Well, in 1990, my three young daughters, ages 4, 5 and 6, decided they wanted to run the race. To prepare, we practiced sprinting in the small park behind our house. I would mark a starting line where they would line up, and a finish line where I would stand. I would yell, “On your mark, get set, GO!”, and they would sprint the sixty feet, and I would declare a winner. We practiced for weeks.

The day of the race came and the girls lined up at the starting line on the city street where the race was to be run. People were lined up on the sidewalks on both sides of the course ready to cheer on the two or three dozen young competitors. The race official announced, “On your mark, get set….” and then he fired a starting pistol. It scared the bejeebies out of the girls. By the time they got their wits about them most of the other kids were crossing the finish line.

I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. But, then, as if nothing happened, the girls decided to head for the finish line – not at a sprint pace, but casually, stopping along the way to talk to a policeman and a neighbor. When they finally crossed the finish line I asked the five year old (the fastest of the three) why she didn’t run fast. She replied, “Well, Dad, I wasn’t going to win and I was going to get a medal anyway!”

I remembered this event this morning as I was meditating on today’s first Scripture reading, Hebrews 12:1-4. In it, we are encouraged to persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, and rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us.

In our quest for holiness, to become saints, and reside with Jesus in heaven for eternity, there are many things that will frighten us, distract us, slow us down, and cause us to lose sight of the ultimate goal. When the going gets tough, we will occasionally feel like giving up. But, like Jesus, we need to endure those circumstances, our crosses, for the sake of the joy that lies before us. We have to persevere and not be discouraged because someone else is running faster than us. And, we need to hear and be energized by the cheers from all the saints in heaven who are lining the course before us, urging us on.

The only way we will not receive that medal at life’s finish line is if we fail to persevere in the race for holiness.

“Dear Jesus, when the race gets tough and seems all uphill, let me remember, please, that you are here with me. You, Lord, are both my strength and my goal. You are waiting for me at the finish line. I know I will stumble, I will get distracted, and obstacles will get in my way. Let nothing keep me from pursuing You. Amen.”

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

Have Faith and Possess Life

27 Friday Jan 2023

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Bible Reflections, Faith, Trust

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Faith, Heb 10:34, Heb 10:39, Mark 4:30, Mark 4:32, Matthew 11:25, Prayer, Psalm 37: 39, Psalm 37:40, Romans 8:23

(A reflection on today’s scripture passages: Heb 10:32-39; Ps 37:3-6, 23-24, 39-40; Mt 11:25; and Mk 4:26-34.)

In today’s first reading from Hebrews, we are reminded to not become discouraged and lose hope when we are afflicted by various sufferings. Rather, we should joyfully accept them knowing that God’s love for us, in the present and eternally, is a better and lasting possession¹ if we keep confident and endure to do the will of God.

Scripture is God speaking to each of us. Meditating on His words today reminded me of how badly I stink at suffering, of how it is so much easier to complain about physical ailments, complicated relationships, and, in general, simply not getting my way, rather than finding joy in spite of those situations. Then, in the Holy Spirit’s fashion, He didn’t let me dwell on that very long. He spoke to me with some examples to follow by placing on my mind and heart the sufferings of three close friends: Harry, Larry and Andy.

Harry has lung cancer. He endured a series of chemo and radiation treatments and the doctors thought they had it corralled. But, it came back and he’s now going through a second round. Harry’s faith is enduring. He continues to attend daily mass on mornings when he’s able and his compromised immune system is less vulnerable to catching something from the rest of us. He is always cheerful and, as much as we long to give each other a hug, there is a ton of love in each fist bump.

Larry has skin cancer. He’s been told he has a couple years of life left…here on this earth. But, Larry has a trust in God like nobody I’ve ever seen. He knows from the bottom of his heart that he is in good hands no matter the physical prognosis, and finds strength in the hope of everlasting life with the One Who loves him more than anyone else in the universe. I know this from the smile on his face and the joy in his eyes I see every time we meet.

Andy was recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. With treatment he might make it through the summer. I had breakfast with him and his wife a couple weeks ago. He was as upbeat and jovial as he’s always been. You’d never know he had a struggle in the world. Andy is a hard worker, and his state in life is to provide for his family. I know he will continue to do his best in that role until it is physically impossible for him to do so.

Harry, Larry, and Andy. Three men who are not among those who draw back and perish, but among those who have faith and will possess life.² Three men who, through their love of God and faith in Jesus, are examples to the rest of us. They are humble and childlike³ before God They know that all things work for good for those who love and trust in God.⁴ They are like mustard seeds, which have put forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky (the rest of us) can dwell in its shade.⁵ They bring the Kingdom of God⁶ to the rest of us so that we can find comfort and strength. They model the idea that their salvation is from the Lord; He is their refuge in time of distress. And the Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in Him.⁷

Harry, Larry, and Andy. I pray for them, and every person who is struggling with a terrible disease, each and every day. Will you join me?

“Good and gracious God, thank You for placing good and holy men like Harry, Larry, and Andy in my life. Reassure them, please, that their struggle is not in vain, that through their faith in Your mercy and grace, there will be goodness result from their trials. Help me, Jesus, develop the trust in you that they have. For them and for all the faithful, let the Church pray. Amen.”

(Have Faith and Possess Life was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

Hebrews 10:34, NAB
Hebrews 10:39, NAB
Matthew 11:25, NAB
Romans 8:23, NAB
Mark 4:32, NAB
Mark 4:30, NAB
Psalm 37:39b, 40, NAB