Our Father Who Art in Heaven…

08 Saturday Apr 2023

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Faith, Prayer

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)

©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.

From the Archives: Be Like Pope Saint Fabian

20 Friday Jan 2023

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Prayer, Saints

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Faith, Holy Spirit, Pope St. Fabian, Prayer, Resolutions, Word of God

Pope St. Fabian, stained glass window from the choir loft of St. Gratien church, Haussaire, Val d’Ouse, Ile de France, France, artist unknown.

When I complete my morning meditations I usually like to read about the lives of the saints who are celebrated on that day. Today is the optional memorial of Pope St. Fabian. As I read about his life, and especially about how he was chosen to be Pope, I thought how it all seemed familiar. I wondered if I had written about him before and, sure enough, I had, one year ago today. His is a fascinating story, and the message in my post from a year ago is still true. I thought it would be worth revisiting.

Today is the feast day of Pope Saint Fabian who was chosen as the 20th pope in 236 A.D., and who died as a martyr in 250 A.D.

St. Fabian’s story is an interesting one. Fabian was a layman farmer who happened to travel into Rome on the day a new pope was being elected to replace Pope Saint Anterus, who, after serving 40 days in his office, had been martyred. Fabian wandered into the crowd which had assembled to select a new pope and suddenly a dove flew in, descended, and landed on Fabian’s head. The gathered clergy and laity saw this, considered it a sign that the Holy Spirit was anointing Fabian, and unanimously chose him to be Pope by acclamation. As Pope, Fabian helped bring Christianity to unconverted areas of Europe, fought heresies, worked to extend aid to the poor, and promoted and kept the faith in spite of certain persecution.

Think about that for a moment. What would you have done had you been Fabian? Run and hide? Refuse the appointment? To whom would your refusal be addressed, those gathered or the Holy Spirit? Considering that the person before you had been killed because of his faith – would you have been afraid that, as leader of all Christians, you would meet the same fate?

Or would you have trusted in God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit that you were being called to serve Him to lead His people? Certainly, Fabian, as a layman farmer, had no outstanding qualifications as a clergyman to justify his calling. But, God knew he was the right man at the right time. I’m sure the phrase, “God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies those whom he calls” had yet to be coined. Fabian’s faith must have been strong, taking to heart Jesus’ words, “Do not be afraid”, as he placed his trust in God to lead him to do His will, each and every day, to the best of his ability.

Our culture may have evolved to where we don’t look at signs such as a dove landing on one’s head quite the same way. Maybe that was the Holy Spirit’s way of catching people’s attention back then. Today, most of us are literate and can read and, as such, we can receive the Holy Spirit through the sacred scripture of the Bible, God’s written Word, if we ask Him for it. Through His Word, God is speaking to us, each individually, meeting us where we are at that moment, and giving us an idea of how He would like for us to be, or what we should do, to grow closer to Him that day.

These days we don’t have to fear for our lives quite like Fabian and other Christians did in the third century. No, most of our fears revolve around losing worldly things to which we’ve become accustomed: comfort, money and material possessions, power, status, social inclusion, deeply rooted vices, etc. But, when we call upon the Holy Spirit to lead us each day as we hear the Word of God, we are often called to sacrifice one of those things that we hold near and dear so that we can grow in virtue, in holiness, and closer to Him.

Today, read or listen to the Word of God. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your heart so that you can hear what God is asking of you today. If His will for you is to lose a bad habit or make a change in behavior, ask Him for the strength and courage to make the change. Maybe He’s asking you to love someone more. Trust that He is asking these things of you because He wants you to be closer to Him, that He wants you to find joy and happiness which you can only find in Him. Then, resolve to carry out His will.

Be like Pope Saint Fabian.

“Heavenly Father, thank You for the desire to spend time with You in silence and solitude each day, to read Your Word, and to listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, and for the grace to do Your will with courage and trust. Amen.”

(Be Like Pope Saint Fabian was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

©2013-2022 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.

Ask and You Shall Receive

28 Saturday May 2022

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Prayer

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Charity, God-moments, Grace, John 16:23-28, Love, Prayer

(A reflection on the Gospel of John 16:23-28)

One night a week or so ago I didn’t sleep well and I woke up groggy and too late to go to 7:30 morning mass. In fact, I barely had time to get my act together and make it to 9:00 mass at another parish. I didn’t have time for my morning meditation and, because of the slew of errands i I had to run during the day, I knew I wouldn’t be able to fit it in until my Adoration hour that evening. So, my resolution for the day was the standard I use in situations like this: “Heavenly Father, grant me the grace to recognize and act on the opportunities you present to me today to be charitable to others. I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

My first stop after leaving mass was the grocery store. As I pulled into the parking lot the skies opened up and it began to pour down rain. I decided to wait it out and lay my seat back and take a little nap until it stopped raining. I checked the clock to see what time it was and then closed my eyes. Three minutes later, just as I was about to doze off, I heard a knocking on my window. There, looking me in the eyes with her nose almost touching the glass, with either rain or tears running down her cheeks, was a young woman asking, “Sir, my car won’t start, would you mind giving me a jump?”

I immediately replied, “I don’t have any jumper cables” (which was the truth), to which she responded, “I do!”. I couldn’t very well say we should wait until it stops raining since she was already soaked to the bone, so I agreed to help her.

The shopping cart corral was between her car and mine so I pulled out and maneuvered my truck close to her little sedan. By the time I got my hood opened I was already sopping wet. The young woman pulled her jumper cables out of her back seat and they were the shortest set of cables I’d ever seen, only about three feet long and they wouldn’t reach my battery. I repositioned closer to her car, reopened the hood and connected the cables, which barely reached, and soon we had her car started. As I disconnected the cables and closed the hood, she politely told me, “Thank you.”

I got back in my truck and pulled back into my parking spot. As I watched her pull away I realized the extent of my sogginess. I started to complain when it hit me that I had received exactly what I’d asked for, a chance to be charitable to someone else. I looked upwards and, with a chuckle, prayed, “Lord, you didn’t waste any time, did you!” In my imagination I could hear God, with a chuckle in His voice saying, “You asked for it so I gave it to you. Thank you, my son”, to which I replied, “You’re welcome….and thank You!”

This memory came back to me as I read today’s scripture. In today’s Gospel, John 16:23-28, Jesus tells us that “whatever you ask the Father in my name He will give it to you….ask and you will receive so that your joy will be complete.” This was nearly the last thing Jesus said to His disciples before He was arrested. It was His last request to His friends. He had told them He was going away but He would send the Advocate to be with them in His absence. He wanted them to know that He wasn’t leaving them alone and if they trusted in Him they would still find joy no matter what.

Jesus wants us to trust Him, too. He wants us to know that His Spirit is with us all the time and all that we have to do is call upon Him and ask Him for what we need. We please Him immensely when our request is for something good, something that is in line with making us like Him, something that leads us toward holiness.

If our request is for something that is not good, we might get what we ask for or we might not. We might get it to teach us a lesson, or we might not get it because we’ve sold ourself short and He’ll give us something even better. The important thing is to ask Him, to include Him in our daily lives, to trust that His generosity will provide the best for us and that it will complete our joy.

How often do you ask Him for help?

“Lord Jesus, I know that I don’t ask You for Your help nearly enough. You’ve told me that, without You, I can do nothing. I need to take that to heart and spend more time asking You for the good things in life like: loving my family and neighbors as they deserve to be loved, being more virtuous, and loving You more dearly by spending quality time with You in prayer. Come, Holy Spirit! Amen.”

(Ask and You Shall Receive was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

Be Like Pope Saint Fabian

20 Thursday Jan 2022

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Prayer, Saints

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Faith, Holy Spirit, Pope St. Fabian, Prayer, Resolutions, Word of God

Today is the feast day of Pope Saint Fabian who was chosen as the 20th pope in 236 A.D., and who died as a martyr in 250 A.D.

Be like Pope Saint Fabian.

(Be Like Pope Saint Fabian was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

Everything is Going to be Okay!

09 Tuesday Nov 2021

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Prayer, Trust

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

Mathew 18:3, Prayer, Trust

Friends, it’s been way too long since I’ve ventured into the blogosphere and shared how I’ve seen God present in my life. It’s not that I haven’t been inspired, I certainly have! Many of those inspirations started out to be new posts but died on my laptop because I simply didn’t have time to finish them. Let’s see if I can change that with this funny little family story that happened recently.

My daughter, Mary, and her husband have two sons, Patrick, 5, and Declan, 2. They recently relocated from Lake Charles, Louisiana to Olathe, Kansas due to my son-in-law’s job change. They have a new future in front of them with a new job, a new house, new schools for the boys, a new parish and, with hope, new and fulfilling relationships. But, that last day, the day they loaded their car, locked up the house, and said goodbye to the neighbors was a traumatic one with lots of tears being shed.

As they gave last hugs to their neighbors and walked back to their car, Declan cozied up to his sobbing mother, hugged her leg and said with all sincerity, “It’s okay, Momma, I take care of you.”

The tears didn’t stop once they got in the car and headed north. Both Patrick and Mary were crying. At one point Patrick cried out to Mary, “We have to go back, Mom, we can’t leave them, we have to go back!” Mary replied, “We can’t Patrick, we have to keep going to our new house.”

Declan, who is really too young for all that sentimentality, quickly followed up with, “Will you guys be quiet, my babies (stuffed animals) are trying to sleep over here!”

Several miles later, Patrick calmed down and became quiet. After a while, he said, “Momma, I have to tell you something”, to which Mary replied, “What do you need to tell me, Patrick?”

Patrick answered, “Momma, God just talked to my feelin’s and He told me everything is going to be okay. He told me we’re going to like living in Kansas. So, it’s okay, Momma, we’ll be okay.” From that moment on he was good to go.

“God just talked to my feelin’s!” Oh, how I wish that we, as adults, could dispose our hearts so easily to listen to God like this child did, making that leap of faith and turning loose of his anxieties and regrets and simply trusting in the Lord!

Why is it so hard for us to take heed of the Lord’s words, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Mt 18:3) It’s because we spend most of our time trying to be in control of our lives, doing things our way. It’s difficult to stop and listen to God and accept what we hear especially when it’s opposed to what we want, or when it pulls us away from our worldly attachments, or causes us some sort of suffering. But, when we do make the effort to listen and follow His lead we are guaranteed a better outcome than that from our own disordered choosing.

The key to getting there is to build a strong foundation of prayer, to grow in our interior life and in our relationship with Jesus. It’s spending time with Him daily in meditation, conversing with Jesus, telling Him what’s on our hearts and then listening to Him tell us what He wants us to hear.

It is only through following His will instead of our own that we discover true and lasting happiness when we listen and hear Him say, “Everything is going to be okay.”

Postscript: Declan admires his big brother, Patrick, to no end. He constantly looks up to him, watches every move he makes and carefully listens to every word he says. After Mary and her family began to settle into their new surroundings, Mary took Declan shopping with her while Patrick was in school. Declan found a toy he liked and the ensuing conversation went like this:

Declan: “Momma, I heard God.”

Mary: “What did you hear?”

Declan: “God talked to my ears.”

Mary: “God talked to your ears? What did He say?”

Declan: “He said let me get this [holding up a set of dominoes].”

Mary: “But I thought he told you to get the fishing game?”

Declan: “And this!”

Mary: “God wants you to get both of those?”

Declan: “Yeah!”

Mary: “I don’t think so.”

Declan (with a sly smile): “Okay, I put it back.”

Gotta love that boy!

“Dear Jesus, help me to hear your voice in prayer as I try to discern your will each and every day. As I encounter distress in my life help me to remember that You are always with me, that when I place my child-like trust in you ‘everything is going to be okay’. Amen.”

(Everything is Going to be Okay! was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

©2013-2021 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.

That’s Why I Pray

10 Saturday Oct 2020

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Prayer, Road Trips

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Prayer, That's Why I Pray

Yesterday I posted in I Love Because of You that I came up with the lyrics to the song of the same name while I was driving west across Iowa through 300 miles of non-visually stimulating cornfields on my way to the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota. What I didn’t say was that the same cornfields offered no improvement on the return trip.

The Jerry Jeff Walker CD, It’s About Time, which provided the inspiration for I Love Because of You, was still in the player so I hit play, cranked it up and started singing along. The first song on the album is titled That’s Why I Play, which is an upbeat lively tune about the fun of playing music. As I belted out the words with operatic fervor I mistakenly said, “that’s why I pray”, and realized I had just come up with the basis for another new song. Creating the verses and the chorus and dictating them into my phone kept me busy for the next couple hundred miles. After tweaking them a little bit, I thought I would share this song with you, too. I hope you like it. (Hint: listen to the original tune and then incorporate the new verses into the tune). Thanks again to Jerry Jeff for the tune and to God for the inspiration.

That’s Why I Pray – Lyrics by Jerry Robinson

I woke up this morning and thought what will I do with my day
I could stare at my screen and just let my day waste away.
Or I could stay off of Facebook
And open the Good Book
And let the Lord lead the way
Yeah, that’s why I pray.

I could pour me some coffee and go out and watch the sunrise,
And marvel at the beauty He makes and the clouds in the sky,
The birds and the bees,
The flowers and trees,
And give Him thanks for this day
That’s why I pray

Chorus
I like the feeling I get from the One up above
I like the feeling I get lost in His love
When we make time to talk every day
That’s why I pray

I have some friends who need a little help every day
And a few others who’ve let the world lead them astray
Now, I’m trusting in You
To pull them all through
I know they’ll all be okay,
That’s why I pray

I like the feeling I get from the One up above
I like the feeling I get lost in His love
When we make time to talk every day
That’s why I pray

I know there’s a better life waiting for me down the road
When I pass from this world, that’s where I want to go
But since a Saint’s life for me
Is no guarantee
I need to live like Christ every day
That’s why I pray

I like the feeling I get from the One up above
I like the feeling I get lost in His love
When we make time to talk every day
That’s why I pray

Yeah, that’s why I pray
That’s why I pray.

(That’s Why I Pray was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

My Sanctuary, My Refuge

06 Wednesday May 2020

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Prayer

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Adoration, Meditation, Mental Prayer, Prayer, Psalm 31, Refuge, Remember the Titans, Sanctuary

King David Playing the Harp, Gerard van Honthorst, 1622

Sometimes when one is practicing meditation, or mental prayer, it is so frustratingly easy to get distracted! There you are, you’ve placed yourself in the presence of God and you’re trying to stay focused on Him. But then, your mind drifts to some far off place that may seem totally disassociated with anything else, and before you know it you’ve spent who knows how long down that path. When you eventually do realize how far you’ve strayed, you pull yourself back to the present moment and try to refocus on the Lord.

This happened to me yesterday. I was kneeling before the tabernacle in our Adoration chapel at church, giving thanks for His love and mercy, and just generally soaking up the grace of being in His presence. Then I got distracted. When I finally came back to the present moment I realized that I had just been replaying in my mind scenes from a favorite movie, Remember the Titans, a 2000 production based on a true story. A movie I haven’t watched in many years.

In the movie, Denzel Washington plays the role of Herman Boone, an African-American football head coach at a newly racially integrated high school in Alexandria, Virginia. Coach Boone is charged with integrating black and white students into a functioning and winning football team amidst a culture that not only has been segregated for generations, but one that lives for it’s high school football. The task seems insurmountable as it requires every ounce of his courage, leadership, and diplomacy.

After viewing Boone’s challenges of building a united team at summer football camp; attempting to build respect and cohesion with his white assistant coaches; and the ever present friction (including threats to his family) from the predominantly white community, we are taken to a scene at the football field the night before the first game of the season. Coach Boone walks out into the bleachers and, looking out over the lighted field, utters, “Yeah, this is my sanctuary right here!” The football field was where he could put the world, and all the problems in it, out of his mind. It was his safe harbor, his refuge. It was where he had some control.

It was after this “scene” that I realized I was daydreaming instead of praying. My first reactions were to apologize, thinking, “I’m sorry, Lord, I can’t even give you ten minutes without wandering off!”, and then to wonder, “Where in the world did that memory come from?”!

As I tried to get back into the moment, Coach Boone’s utterance, “Yeah, this is my sanctuary right here!” popped back into my mind. Then I realized what I was saying. I was in my sanctuary, my place of refuge, right there in front of Jesus in the tabernacle. The only difference was that, unlike it being Coach Boone’s place where he felt in control, it was my place of solitude where I could relinquish control and place all my trust in the goodness and mercy of God. It’s where I could forget the physical, economic and political messiness of the current world pandemic and simply bask in God’s love.

I recalled verses from Psalm 31 (vv. 2-6):

In you, Lord, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame.
In your righteousness deliver me; incline your ear to me; make haste to rescue me!
Be my rock of refuge, a stronghold to save me.
For you are my rock and my fortress; for your name’s sake lead me and guide me.
Free me from the net that has been set for me, for you are my refuge.
Into your hands I commend my spirit; you will redeem me, Lord, God of truth.

And, I thought, “Wherever I am, Lord, especially in the Adoration chapel, you are there, also. Yeah, this is my sanctuary, right here!”

“Lord Jesus, You are my rock and my refuge, my sanctuary. Thank You for Your generosity. And, thank You for the grace to realize that sometimes distractions aren’t that at all, but actually loving inspirations sent from You through Your Holy Spirit. Amen.”

(My Sanctuary, My Refuge was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

©2013-2020 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.

Please Pray for Our Priests

29 Wednesday Jan 2020

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Prayer

≈ 11 Comments

Tags

Anxiety, Depression, Despair, Prayer, Priests, Spiritual Warfare, Suicide

A couple days ago a friend messaged me and asked me to pray for a priest, Fr. “V”, in his diocese who is having doubts about his worthiness to be a priest. Then, today, I read with sadness an article from the Catholic News Agency that a Kansas City, Missouri priest took his own life yesterday (KC Priest Harkins remembered as ‘A good man and a good priest’). The story alludes to the possibility that Fr. Harkins suffered from depression and anxiety which may have led him to suicide.

I don’t suffer from depression or anxiety nor have I ever had thoughts of committing suicide. Unfortunately, however, I have had two friends who succumbed to the pressures of life and took their own lives. I understand that, for someone like me who does not suffer these conditions, it is nearly impossible to know what it is like to be in their shoes. I give thanks to God that I don’t know.

But, there are two things I share with priests about which I do know: a love for our Lord, and the spiritual warfare that we wage against the devil because of our pursuit of holiness. They go hand-in-hand. As the former gets stronger, so the devil works harder against it. Priests, by the virtue of their vocation, are the devil’s prime target. If he can create chaos among the shepherds, the sheep will get lost. Often, the battle waged by the devil can be debilitating and when we feel we have lost that battle, it can lead to depression and anxiety.

A parish priest’s role can be unbelievably difficult and thankless. He is expected to be not only a shepherd of his parishioners but also the parish CEO, finance manager, HR director, activities coordinator, facilities superintendent, IT manager, and wear many more hats. While he’s trying to take care of business the best way he knows, his boss, the bishop or archbishop, often pulls him away to support the overall diocese. Having been a manager in the corporate world, I know how difficult it is to wear all those hats. It’s impossible to please everyone and when you can’t, they default to thinking they can do your job better than you can. Employees don’t always air their discontent, but that’s not always the case with a thousand or more parishioners who have no inhibition about complaining that something is not to their liking. All too often priests get bombarded with suggestions from well meaning parishioners on how to run the parish more effectively; requests to spend money on special interests; threats to withhold their time, treasure and talent if they don’t get their way; innuendos that they aren’t as good as the previous priest; and scathing letters of complaint to the diocese. It can be discouraging and cause a well meaning priest to doubt his ability and choice of vocation.

In many parts of the country we have too few priests to go around. They may have more than one parish. A pastor may have a Parochial Region and have the responsibility for overseeing an Associate Pastor or Parochial Vicar. Add all of the responsibilities of running a small business, and there is little time left to attend to the flock. The priest feels his inability to be there to care for the spiritual needs of the parish and begins to doubt his worthiness. The devil laughs. He doesn’t really care that the sheep are not being fed as long as the shepherd despairs over their hunger.

The responsibilities of overseeing a parish are enormous and the time commitment can be grueling. With masses to be conducted every day of the year, it’s difficult for a priest to take a vacation or get a day off. Even when they do schedule a day off, they often get called in to hospitals for anointing the sick, for conducting funerals, for impromptu confessions, among other things. And, because of the shortage of priests, the luxury of a week’s vacation may only be realized if a substitute priest can be found to offer daily masses to the faithful.

In my work life I knew the feeling of loneliness of being at the top of your organization. You know your employees but you can’t afford, nor have the time, to be close friends with them. Often, employees choose to be detached from their boss because they know they’ve not given their best shot. It’s no different for priests. Parishioners don’t talk to their priests because they think they’re too busy, or because the priest knows what their sins are from the confessional. It can be a lonely profession.

And finally, another thing priests and I have in common is that we are men and we are born with the God-given gift of sexual desire. As husbands, we take a vow of fidelity and chastity to our wives, to use that gift in a loving, self-giving way for the purpose of procreation. Yet, through our concupiscence, which the devil fully exploits, it can often be difficult to harness our natural urges. The devil is a master of taking something good and turning it into an evil under the disguise of goodness.

A priest’s bride is his Church and to Her he takes a vow of chastity. But, just because he’s a priest doesn’t mean he loses his humanness. No, just like us regular men, the innate desire remains in him and has to be controlled. Just like us, priests may have to take cold showers from time to time. And, just like us, we sometimes fail. We feel ashamed and we seek forgiveness through reconciliation. But, it’s not shame, rather the doubting of our faithfulness and love, that the devil desires.

So, why would anyone want to be a priest, you ask, when the road is so rough? Well, he has a secret weapon called “love “- something the devil detests. A priest discerns his vocation because he has an undeniable love for Jesus and a desire to commit his life to Him, along with a strong desire, born from love, to lead others to Christ. In the throes of despair, however, from constantly fighting the mind games that assault him, the power of that love can diminish and may ultimately be depleted. Fortunately, it has a rechargeable battery fueled from our love, yours and mine, through our prayers that provide the supernatural energy needed for the recipient to persevere. Every one of us needs prayers to sustain us but nobody needs our prayers more than our priests, bishops, deacons, religious, and, most of all, our pope.

Won’t you join me in praying every day for our spiritual leaders, those who are at the forefront of spiritual warfare with the Enemy? Let’s be loving, encouraging and grateful for our priests and let them know how much we appreciate them. Let’s offer up our sufferings – those things we do not like, did not choose, cannot change and do not understand – and unite them to the Cross of Christ for the benefit of our friends, and our enemies, but, especially, for our priests and religious.

Please share this post. Priests all across the country and around the world need our prayers, especially in many third world countries where they are being martyred for their faith. Thank you.

“Heavenly Father, may Your love and mercy be with Fr. Harkin, and with all priests like Fr. “V” who, through the wickedness and snares of the devil, are losing hope and abandoning themselves to despair. Pour Your grace upon us, O Lord, by reminding us daily to pray fervently for the Pope, our bishops, priests, deacons and religious, and all those who, through their love for You, are working to grow in holiness. Amen.”

(Please Pray for Our Priests, was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

A Special Prayer Request

20 Wednesday Nov 2019

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Christian Community, Prayer, Spiritual Works of Mercy

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Tags

Prayer, Prayer intentions, Prayer Requests, Spiritual Works of Mercy

Dear faithful readers, it’s been a long time since I’ve posted anything on Reflections of a Lay Catholic. This post is not a normal post, rather it’s very special.

Ever since the inception of this blog back in early 2013, the single most popular post was a reflection posted in April 2013 by my friend Rich Brewers entitled, How We Respond to Prayer Requests, (https://reflectionsofalaycatholic.com/2013/04/15/how-we-respond-to-prayer-request/ ) It has been hit thousands of times by readers from over 100 countries around the world. It is so gratifying to know that so many people are willing to take time to pray effectively for those in need.

This post is a call to all of you faithful for your prayers.

A young friend of mine, Seth, 19 years old, was involved in a tragic vehicle accident on Monday night. He was hit head on by another vehicle traveling the wrong way on a divided highway. Seth survived the accident but, unfortunately, the other driver lost his life. Seth is in the hospital undergoing surgeries for two broken legs (femurs), a broken right ankle, a shattered knee, a shattered elbow, a broken collar bone, and a broken sternum. He has a brain bleed and lacerations to his face. Undoubtedly, he has a long road to recovery.

Seth is a quiet young man with a big heart. He has been a member of our parish mission team for five straight years to serve the less fortunate in Appalachian Kentucky. In September, I was with him on a men’’s retreat and I watched his relationship with our Lord grow even stronger.

Many friends from our parish community are praying for Seth and his family – prayers for healing and support as they endure a new reality for the unforeseeable future. The family has also asked for prayers for the peaceful repose of the soul of the elderly man who lost his life and for his family.

My hope is that, via this post, I can extend these local prayers world wide, especially to all of those who have shown such interest in how to respond to prayer requests. So, I ask you, as a Spiritual Work of Mercy, to pray for Seth and his family, and for the deceased gentleman. And, if you will, ask others to pray, as well. You have permission to forward and/or repost this post to spread the word.

Thank you in advance for your prayers! May God bless you always!

Yours in Christ,
Jerry Robinson

“Good and gracious God, please hear our prayers of healing for Seth and for peace and comfort for his family, and for the peaceful repose of the soul of the gentleman who lost his life last Monday night. Lord, thank you for all the faithful around the world who, through their generosity and charity, also offer up their prayers and sacrifices. Amen.”

(A Special Prayer Request was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

©2013-2019 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.

Treasure Hunting

31 Wednesday Jul 2019

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Bible Reflections, Daily 100, Prayer

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Tags

Grace, Joy, Mental Prayer, Mt 13:44, Prayer, Treasure

Parable of the Hidden Treasure – Rembrandt, c. 1630

(A reflection on Mt 13:44-46)

Jesus tells us that the Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure buried in a field which, when found, brings us joy.

God reveals Himself to us through golden nuggets which He scatters throughout our lives. If we close our hearts to these blessings we will never see them. Instead, opening our hearts to His grace allows us to find and appreciate His love.

But, by actively digging for them through daily mental prayer, searching the Word of God for His will for me, I uncover the mother lode of joy-filled grace.

Uncover your treasure through daily mental prayer!

“Heavenly Father, thank You for the treasure of Your grace, and thank You for the desire to mine for it daily. Lord, I pray for all those who need to find a nugget of Your grace in their lives and, when once found, will themselves become devoted treasure hunters. Amen.”

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

©2013-2019 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.