Envy, Unfairness, and Grace

23 Wednesday Aug 2023

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Vice, Virtue

Tags

Envy, Grace, Mt 20:1-15, Tooth Fairy, Unfairness, Vice, Virtue

The Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard, Andrey Mironov

As I sit down to write it occurs to me that it’s been two months since my last post. Time flies when you’re having fun! Since June I’ve road-tripped about seven thousand miles and I hope to write soon about some of the blessings received on both sides of the windshield. But, mostly, I’ve been busy at my new job trying to find ways to evangelize and bring people to Jesus through other people. I told a friend the other day that, for the first time in a couple decades, I look forward to going to work every morning! I am blessed!

Just because I haven’t written doesn’t mean I’ve not been inspired through reading Scripture and daily meditation. Quite the contrary, my prayer life has been amazing. But, I’ve put other things of importance ahead of writing. Let’s see if I can fix that tonight.

In today’s Gospel from Matthew, Mt 20:1-16, Jesus tells his disciples the parable of the landowner hiring the laborers for his vineyard. He hires some in the morning and then more every three hours during the day. The last hired, at five o’clock, received the same daily wage at six o’clock as those who were hired first thing in the morning. Those laborers who worked all day grumbled about the unfairness of it all, comparing their labor to those who only worked one hour. The landowner reminded them that they were paid what they had agreed on and asked them, “Am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?”

Can you imagine that scene? How would you feel if you were one of the laborers hired early and had worked hard all day only to be paid the same as someone who’d not yet broken a sweat? If you’re like me, you’d have grumbled, too. And we both would have succumbed to the deadly sin of envy.

Envy is the vice of finding sorrow in the good fortune of someone else. It can also be the feeling of joy at someone else’s misfortune. It’s the vice associated with comparing one’s self to another. And, when we grumble about the unfairness, we are directing our complaint to God.

As I read this passage this morning I recalled a moment some twenty-one or twenty-two years ago. My youngest daughter, Grace, was five or six years old. She had lost a tooth and placed it under her pillow in hopes of finding money left by the Tooth Fairy when she awoke the next morning. The “Tooth Fairy” was, I think, very generous with the dollar he left under her pillow. But, when Grace awoke and found the dollar, she threw it across the room and exclaimed, “Hannah (her best friend) got five dollars for her tooth!”, and, sobbing, buried her head back in her pillow.

Of course, Grace was too young to really understand the concept of finding joy in another’s good fortune; and too young to understand, appreciate and be grateful for the blessings generously bestowed upon her that others may not receive. She was too young to understand that we have to combat the vice of envy with the virtues of gratitude and generosity. She was only five or six years old.

Sadly, many folks haven’t improved much by the time they reach 25, or 40, or 65 years old. They often still feel envious over someone’s larger and fancier house, of their new high performance car, of their luxurious vacation, or simply that they have more friends and get more likes on their social media account. I think, though, that I’ve made some progress now that I’m 66. I find that I am happy for another when they receive special recognition, or when it seems that luck has found them instead of me. I’m happy with my state in life and don’t desire more than I need. Through grace, I know that I am loved and that the Lord has been super generous to me, more so than I deserve. And, I know it’s His business to decide the blessings He gifts to each one of us. He’s free to do as He wishes with His own graces. It’s not for me to compare what others receive to what He gives me.

Well, to be honest, maybe It’s more truthful to say that I feel that way most of the time.

Oh, I didn’t mention that my daughter Grace not only received a dollar that morning for her tooth, but she also received the truth about the Tooth Fairy.

And the Easter Bunny.

And Santa Claus.

And then I went and had a talk with Hannah’s dad.

“Gracious and loving God, thank You for all the blessings You so generously bestow on me. I know that I do not always say ‘thank You’. Help me to always be joyful and sincerely grateful over another’s good fortune and the blessings they receive from You, knowing that You willed it out of love for them. May I always rejoice in the many ways that You bless all Your children. Amen.”

(Envy, Unfairness, and Grace 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.

The Sweetness of the Word in a Sour World

19 Saturday Nov 2022

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Catholic Moral Teaching

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Cultural Immorality, Faith, Grace, Jn 10:27, Lk 19:45-48, Prayer, Ps 119:103, Rv 10:8-11

In today’s Scripture there seemed to be a common thread of how sweet the Word of God is to the faithful. In Rv 10:8-11, we read about the angel handing John the scroll (the Word of God) and ordering him to “Take and swallow it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will taste as sweet as honey.” The prospect of heaven is sweet, but the suffering we experience on our way there can be upsetting.

In today’s Psalm, Ps 119:103, we read, “How sweet to my tongue is your promise, sweeter than honey to my mouth!”

In the Alleluia, Jn 10:27: “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” Sheep are comforted by the words of a trusted shepherd.

And in the Gospel, Lk 19:45-48, the chief priests, scribes and Jewish leaders sought a way to put Jesus to death after he exercised His authority and cleansed the temple by driving out the money changers – “but they could find no way to accomplish their purpose because all the people were hanging on His words.” Jesus was feeding the people with something far sweeter than anything the Pharisees had been providing!

A new prophet was in town. Not just any prophet, but the one the people were calling the Messiah! Don’t you know this drove the Jewish leaders crazy! They were being ignored. They were losing control. Jesus was a threat to their power.

Not much has changed in two thousand years. World political leaders have consistently been frustrated over Christians who choose to follow Jesus, the Word of God, rather than capitulate to the philosophies and cultures they try to impose. Today, you don’t have to travel away from home to experience the sour stomach effects of what’s being shoved down our throats: abortion up to and including the moment of birth, rampant promotion of transgenderism and euphoric celebration of the LGBTQA movement, the redefinition of marriage, the erosion of religious freedom and hosts of other misguided policies that tear down accepted morality and the institution of the family in the pretense that government knows best.

Making it particularly difficult for us Catholics are the various leaders within our government who claim to be devout Catholics yet are on the front lines of promoting these immoralities. Faithful and humble believers are a threat to their agenda, a pain in the rear to the pride that drives their desire for power and control. Desperate people do desperate things and theirs are true acts of desperation. Their level of frustration with all of us who follow the voice of our Good Shepherd must be reaching a crescendo because, from all observations, they are working hard to do the devil’s work.

We must remember to let the evil born of their frustration be theirs and theirs alone. As virtuous Christians, the Church Militant, we receive through prayer the grace to take these issues which we don’t like and haven’t chosen and work to peacefully change what we can. But, for those issues out of our control, we need to pray for that same grace to live lives of virtue, maintain interior peace, and hang on His words – the only medicine that will soothe the indigestion of life and transform our frustration into acceptance that all will be well for those who love and trust Jesus.

Let it be Jesus to whom we listen! Let it be the sweetness of God’s Word we savor rather than the immoral philosophies of the misguided leaders of the world. We will be victorious and it will drive them crazy!

“Lord Jesus, Your sweet words hold the promise of everlasting life. I pray for the conversion of all misguided souls. And, I pray for the grace to be an effective disciple maker, to help change the world by feeding hungry souls on the sweetness of Your Word. Amen.”

(The Sweetness of the Word in a Sour World 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.

Lift High the Cross

15 Thursday Sep 2022

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Evangelization

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Adoration, Faith, Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, God-moments, Grace, Jesus, Lift High the Cross

I have had the great fortune to spend this week at the Savior Pastoral Center in Kansas City, Kansas attending the Catholic Spiritual Mentorship Program as an alumni staff member. As always, it has been an absolutely awesome week! I received a text this evening from my spiritual director back home in Ohio asking me how my week is going and that he is praying for me. I responded that, once again, it has been an amazing experience in an amazing place with amazing people and I still have three days left! I added my thoughts about why it is that way, “It’s 100 people all seeking the same thing – holiness and the desire to help other men and women to do the same. It’s the spiritual friendship that is developed from that common desire. It’s communion with God and with each other! I wish you could be here, too.”

His response: “Amen! The Lord’s prerogative! His words at the Last Supper: ‘I pray for them, that they may be one…me in them, I in You, and You in Me, that we may all be one!’”

Did I tell you I love my spiritual director?

I wish each and every one of you could be here! We receive so many graces and feel the presence of Christ in so many ways, especially through our interaction with the students and staff.

Yesterday I posted Recognizing Miracles: How You Can Resurrect the Dead in which I suggested that the dead or lukewarm spiritual lives of people we know can be resurrected by our witness to the presence of God in our lives. I want to practice what I preach by passing on to you a special moment from yesterday.

Wednesday was the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, a feast that was first celebrated in Rome before the end of the 7th century. It commemorates the recovery of that portion of the Holy Cross which was preserved at Jerusalem, and which had fallen into the hands of the Persians. It was recovered and brought back to Jerusalem in the year 629.

At mass yesterday morning in the chapel we sang the hymn Lift High the Cross. The song’s refrain goes:

“Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim

’Til all the world adore his sacred name.”

The cross, that instrument of death which the Romans utilized to put fear in anyone who might think to counter their authority. The cross, upon which Jesus died for our sins so that we might have eternal life. The cross that, because of His resurrection, became a symbol of victory to all believers and, ironically, was used by Christians to thumb their noses at Roman persecution.

As I sang those words I thought how it explained our mission perfectly, to proclaim the love of Christ so that the world will adore Him.

Later in the day we were gathered in the chapel for Adoration and Reconciliation. At the end of the Holy Hour I lingered for a few minutes as the others processed out. When I bowed to take my leave, I looked up at the crucifix behind the altar and froze in wonder. I took this photo so that I could share it with you.

The shadow behind Jesus on the cross, which isn’t visible most of the day, struck me as an image of God lifting the cross high as if to say, “Here is my only Son Who gave His life for you! Adore Him and proclaim His sacred name!” Can you see it?

This is how God works in your life when you are open to receiving His love and reassurance that He is with you at all times! You see and feel His presence in so many and unexpected ways.

Ask our Lord to open your heart so that you may readily feel His presence, too.

I would love to hear of how you’ve seen or felt God working in your life lately. Please feel free to share by adding a comment. Thank you and God bless!

“Thank you, Jesus, for allowing me to feel Your presence in my life. ‘I adore You, O Christ, and I bless You, for by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world’. Amen.”

(Lift High the Cross was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

Recognizing Miracles: How You Can Resurrect the Dead

14 Wednesday Sep 2022

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Evangelization

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

God Moments, Grace, Lk 7:11-17, Miracles, Resurrection, Widow of Nain, Witness to Christ

“Jesus Raises the Son of the Widow of Nain” – Mathias Gerung, 1500-1570

(A reflection on Lk 7:11-17)

In Tuesday’s Gospel, Jesus performed a miracle and raised the son of a woman from the dead. He showed compassion and mercy for the woman, a widow, who, without a son to care for her, would be left destitute and begging for sustenance. Many people witnessed the miracle and were struck with fear, and they glorified God for what they saw. They couldn’t contain their amazement and so spread the word across all Judea and the surrounding regions.

God works miracles of different degrees in all our lives. They usually aren’t as profound as bringing someone back to life after they have died and are already in their coffin, but miracles nonetheless. We may recognize miracles when our prayers are answered, or when we receive some special grace or blessing which we feel we have not earned and don’t deserve. The birth of a child is certainly a miracle. Our guardian angel performs a miracle when we are saved from a near death experience. In smaller ways, we can consider the geometry and symmetry of a perfectly formed flower, or the beauty and iridescence of a hummingbird’s plumage when seen in a sunbeam, as miracles given to us by God.

Sadly, it seems, many miracles go unnoticed. They aren’t recognized as miracles because they’re considered too commonplace, or they’re written off to science, or to simple good luck. But, mostly, miracles aren’t recognized because people don’t look for them. They aren’t open to receiving them. They’re too caught up in the thick of thinner things to see God working in their lives.

Last week I posted in Is Your Faith Contagious? a reflection from my daily meditation wherein I asked myself whether I actively make the effort to reach out to bring people to Jesus for healing of their spiritual and emotional brokenness. Today’s reflection is similar yet different. Today, I was struck by how often I do see God working in my life, how I receive unexpected graces which sometimes I don’t feel I deserve, and how, like those who witnessed Jesus’ miracle, I absolutely need to bring Jesus to others by telling of the miracles (large or small) I experience in my life.

My wife and I marvel over and share with each other the beauty of the flowers in our garden, and the hummingbirds which frequent those flowers.

Each month I relate to my spiritual director, and the men with whom I am a spiritual mentor, how I’ve felt the Holy Spirit working in my heart. And, I meet with two or three small groups of men for the explicit purpose of sharing our God-moments and encouraging each other to keep our hearts and minds open to receiving them.

The main purpose of this blog is to share inspirations and close moments with thousands of people around the world in hopes that they, too, will learn to see the presence and goodness of God in their lives.

I participate on a parish ministry team with other men in leading retreats where we give witness to the many ways in which various aspects of our lives have been touched by the Holy Spirit.

Unlike the people who witnessed this miracle in the Gospel, we may have to heighten our awareness and pay closer attention to the smaller miracles God works in our lives. But, just like them, we are all called to glorify God and spread the news of His good works to others. When we do, we find that miracles beget other miracles as men and women are spiritually “raised from the dead” and given new life when they see how God has truly blessed them.

How have you seen God working miracles in your life recently, and how have you witnessed to others so that their spiritual lives might be resurrected from the dead?

“Dear Jesus, thank You for the grace to recognize Your presence in my life, especially in all the miracles that confirm Your love for me. Thank You for the desire to share Your love with those who need to know both You and Your love for them more deeply. Lord, I resolve today to sow the seeds of this reflection by reaching out to friends and ask them to share how they have seen God working in their lives recently. Amen.”

(Recognizing Miracles: How You Can Resurrect the Dead was first published on the blog 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)

Where Sin Increased, Grace Overflowed All The More

27 Thursday Jan 2022

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Grace

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

Grace, Luminous Mysteries, Mk 4:21-25, PS 119:105, Rom 5:20, Rosary, Satanic Temple Club, Sin

It was ten degrees this morning when I drove through our sleepy little town of Lebanon, Ohio on my way to Mass. As the sun was beginning to peek over the eastern horizon, I encountered the usual light traffic of folks making their way to work. Ours is a quiet town, an historic town, with good folks.

As with most small towns we have many churches and as Catholics we are well represented. I’d say the majority of the town’s citizens lean towards the conservative side of life and, in elections, generally favor the more conservative candidates and their views. Thus, it was no real surprise that our City Council voted in May of 2021 to become the first city in the state of Ohio to be a sanctuary city for the unborn, a decision that nevertheless ruffled a few feathers.

In Scripture we hear, “Where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more” (Rom 5:20 NAB). I truly believe St. Paul’s conviction, but it seems that it’s never the end of the story. Evil has a way of rearing its ugly head in new and different ways, creating new opportunities for grace and goodness to abound.

A particular opportunity will present itself this afternoon, at 4:00 p.m. EST. The inaugural meeting of The Satanic Temple After-School Satan Club will be held in rented space at Lebanon’s 3rd/4th grade elementary school campus. The flyer that was distributed encouraged children (with parental permission) to join and participate in “Science Projects! Puzzles & Games! Arts and Crafts Projects! Nature Activities!” It went on to tell parents their child would learn about benevolence and empathy, critical thinking, problem-solving, creative expression and personal sovereignty.

It all sounds good until you get to that “personal sovereignty” part. To me that’s just another way of saying we don’t need God because we are our own gods. As Christians, we know that the Mother of all Vices is Pride, and there’s no greater expression of pride than to reject God, thinking that we can take His place.

As you can imagine, there has been quite an uproar. Parents have protested to the School Board only to be told that their hands are legally tied, that, since space is currently rented out to The Good News Club (a Christian club for children), they must accept the application from the Satanic Temple Club. I understand, and agree with, the State’s point of view. We are a country founded on respecting one’s religious preferences. It’s what guarantees our own right to practice our faith.

The thing is, this is not a political battle. It’s spiritual warfare, and once again, the forces of Goodness and Grace are being called upon to face off with the forces of evil. We don’t do that by sending disciples with swords to cut off ears at an elementary school. No, we do it with prayer and refusing to give the Devil his due.

Today’s Gospel is from Mark 4:21-25, The Parable of the Lamp. Jesus asks His disciples (and He’s asking you and me), “Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket or under a bed, and not to be placed on a lampstand?” Also, today, we read from Psalm 119:105, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light for my path.” As Christians, we receive Him to light our path and we are called to light the pathway for others.

There’s an old analogy relating God and evil to the science of physics. Physics defines cold as the absence of heat, and darkness as the absence of light. Our faith tells us that evil exists as the absence of God. Put another way, the darkness of evil exists due to the absence of the light of God. One might ask, “Why doesn’t God just shine the light on the evil ones?” Well, he respects their free will. But, he also expects us to do our part to bring His Light into the world. We ought to ask ourselves if we are doing that or are we being a barrier that blocks out the Light?

Our parish is conducting a prayer service at 4:00 p.m. this afternoon and will consist of praying the Rosary, calling upon our Blessed Mother to intervene, to turn hearts away from the evil that lurks in our midst, and let the Light shine. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that today is Thursday, the day on which we pray the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary. No, it’s the Divine Providence that we need.

If you are in Lebanon and would like to come to St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church today to pray at 4:00 p.m. EST, you will be welcomed. You don’t have to be Catholic to pray a Rosary. You can just show up to pray. For those of you who are not local, please consider taking time to pray for us wherever you are at that time. And, please feel free to share this post on FaceBook or forward it to your friends. We need all the prayer warriors we can get. Thank you!

“Lord Jesus, Light of the world, open our hearts to be the light that shines on the path for all those who are searching for peace, beauty and goodness in the world today. Let us not hide Your Light, but be Beacons of Light to others. Amen.”

(Where Sin Increased, Grace Overflowed All The More was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

Confession, Gethsemane, and the Cross

09 Sunday Jan 2022

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Redemptive Suffering

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Confession, Garden of Gethsemane, Grace, Reconciliation, Redemptive Suffering, The Cross

Today was a good day to go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. There was nothing on my agenda that needed my time, nor was there any voice in the back of my head giving me false justification for why I shouldn’t go. It had been about a month since my last visit to the confessional, plenty of time to rack up a few venial sins for which I wasn’t very proud.

“Father, let’s start with the vice of Sloth. Maybe it’s the weather, or maybe just coming down from the Holiday, but it’s been hard to get off my rear end and do anything worthwhile. I have a long list of stuff, some of it pretty important, but procrastination has set in and it’s only the feel-good stuff that’s getting done.

“Let’s move on to Gluttony. Maybe it’s a side-effect of the Sloth, but I’m overdoing it in the Comfort department. Instead of two cookies, four or five is better. An intended fifteen minute power nap turns into an hour. You know what I mean? I can’t say my lifestyle has earned much sanctification lately, Father.

“And last, and probably the most important, has been my Pride and my lack of faith. Oh, my prayer life has been great, but my trust in Him has been lacking. There’s a couple people whom I love very much who are hurting and struggling emotionally right now. I’m a guy, I want to fix them, but I know there’s not much I can do to help but love them the best I can, and I know I should trust God to answer my prayers to bring them peace, but He’s not working fast enough for me.”

After a few words of consolation, affirmation, and my act of contrition, Father gave me my absolution and my penance to spend some time in church in prayer for those about whom I am concerned. I thought, “If you say so, Father, but I’ve already been doing a lot of that at home.”

Finding a pew on Mary’s side, I looked up to the altar, above the altar, actually, and the first thing I saw was a stained glass window of Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. It’s a beautiful window and every time I look at it I can’t help but think of the emotional anguish Jesus was experiencing at that moment. He knew what was in store when He said, “Not my will, Father, but let Your will be done.” Uniting His will with the Father’s, He put His trust in God that all would be well, and then got up and got on with the business at hand.

Jesus Praying in the Garden of Gethsemane (Not as beautiful as the one in our church but the best I could do)

My eyes dropped down a notch to that which was between the window and the altar – the Crucifix, that wooden cross upon which Jesus was nailed, and which culminated in the salvation of the world. Looking up at Him, I knew He knew what I was going through.

It dawned on me that the Agony in the Garden was Jesus’ passive suffering and sacrifice. It was what was handed to him as a loving human being. But, His crucifixion was His active suffering and sacrifice, that which He chose to do for the sake of the world, including you and me.

Most protestants don’t believe in In Persona Christi, that Christ works mercifully through the priest to absolve sins and bring us closer to Him. I thought how wrong they are because there seemed to be a heap of Grace, Mercy, and Divine Providence staring me right in the face. Jesus was making it clear that my own emotional turmoil was my passive suffering, it goes with being alive and is a grace that comes from my ability to love. I needed to offer it to Him with love and trust.

And, He was leaving no doubt that I needed to actively choose a sacrifice on behalf of the ones for whom my heart pours out. God doesn’t ask for the impossible. He asks for the possible but at the same time makes you stretch, makes you get over your inertia and get out of your comfort zones so that He can draw you closer to Him. For me, that means pushing myself to grow in the virtues of Temperance and Diligence to offset my tendencies towards Gluttony and Sloth. For the ones I love, that’s a sacrifice I can make.

In Persona Christi. Through the priest, the Holy Spirit could have given me the usual Our Father and three Hail Mary’s as a penance. Today, he didn’t. He just wanted me to sit before Him and pray, to open my heart to His Spirit and His Will, and let Him penetrate me with His Grace, and convince me that He’s got this.

“Loving and gracious God, thank You for Your bountiful grace and mercy. Thank You for putting in me a heart that is so full of love that it hurts. Thank You for bolstering my faith each and every time I let my pride put more trust in me than I do in You. Amen.”

(Confession, Gethsemane, and the Cross was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

I Love Because of You

09 Friday Oct 2020

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Love, Road Trips

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

Fly Fishing, Grace, Love, Mercy

16″ Rainbow trout caught on a #22 midge and released

Last week I went for a little drive. From Cincinnati to Rapid City, South Dakota and back. Just 1,225 miles each way. I visited family and took the opportunity to do a little fly fishing in the Black Hills. I caught a few trout including this 16 inch Rainbow on a #22 Midge on what was going to be my last cast of the day.

The Black Hills are always stunningly beautiful, and with the fall foliage contrasting with the deep blue of the sky, they are even more so this time of year.

Upper Rapid Creek in the South Dakota Black Hills

But, to get to the Black Hills of South Dakota, I had to traverse from east to west the entire state of Iowa. It is difficult to describe the corn fields of Iowa with quite the same picturesque enthusiasm. I’m not saying corn isn’t beautiful in its own way, but 300 miles of it got a little boring.

Somewhere just west of Davenport, I slid in Jerry Jeff Walker’s CD, It’s About Time, a good sing along album, to break the monotony. Track 3 is titled Because of You, a love song to his wife about how their loving relationship changed his life. I thought about that a bit and transferred the idea to how our lives change when we turn to and have a loving relationship with Christ. And, by the time I made it to Sioux City, I had four verses and a chorus written to that tune (there are only three verses in the original song). I’m sharing them with you here. Thank you, Jerry Jeff, for the tune, and thank You, Lord, for the love You give and for the inspiration to write this.

I Love Because of You – Lyrics by Jerry Robinson

I never knew Your love, Lord, all those years ago,
I turned my back on You, and I chose to go alone.
But when I hit the bottom
Some friends brought me to You,
And everything I love now,
I love because of You.

You knew I needed love, Lord, so You gave to me my wife,
A partner for the good and hard times in my life.
You gave us beautiful daughters,
Sons, and grandkids, too,
And everyone I love now,
I love because of You

Chorus
Jesus, You have loved me for all my life,
Your grace and mercy are a love that’s true,
So, I want to thank You
And give my loving heart to You
‘Cause everything I love in life
I love because of You.

There’re a lot of people, Lord, who struggle every day,
There’re hungry and there’re homeless, and those who’ve lost their way.
You say to love our neighbor
‘Cause that’s what good folks do.
So, everyone I love now,
I love because of You.

Jesus, You have loved me for all my life,
Your grace and mercy are a love that’s true,
So, I want to thank You
And give my loving heart to You
‘Cause everything I love in life
I love because of You.

There’s no greater love, Lord, than what You did for me,
You sacrificed Your own life on a cross on Calvary.
Yet, You still sustain me
With Your blood and body, too,
And everything I love now
I love because of You.

(I Love Because of You was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

The Cardinal at My Window

27 Monday Apr 2020

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Bible Reflections, Grace, Spirituality

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Acts 2:22-33, Angels, Grace, Lk 24:13-35, Ps 16:8-9, Road to Emmaus, Significance of a cardinal sighting

Some people are keeping track of the number of days they’ve been in lockdown, or quarantine, or whatever you want to call it. I haven’t kept track because it really doesn’t matter. Today is today and it’s here that the Lord meets us. Not in our memories of yesterday or our worries about tomorrow. Today.

That’s easy to say, but lately it hasn’t been easy for me to feel the Lord’s presence. I’ve been faithful to my daily prayer and meditation, yet I miss receiving Jesus in the Eucharist and I feel my spiritual life has grown a little stale.

Yesterday morning as I was eating breakfast and trying to figure out what I would do during the day, I heard a tapping at my living room window. I curiously checked it out and found a bright red male cardinal fluttering his wings and striking the glass with his beak. He would tap for a few seconds and then fly to a nearby branch of a pink dogwood tree. Shortly, he would come back and repeat the performance.

That beautiful and persistent little guy kept up his routine throughout the day until nightfall and then came back this morning with renewed vigor. And, he’s been at it all day today! Tap, tap, tap on the window. It’s like there’s something in here that he wants.

Maybe he wants my attention.

I recalled reading somewhere that a cardinal sighting represents an angel or the spirit of a loved one who has returned to let one know they are with you and watching over you. Interested, I did an on-line search along those lines and I came up with a few hits from New-Age or psychic resources that point to this being a Christian belief. But, I know that superstition and Christianity don’t mix. I know that a black cat crossing one’s path isn’t an assurance of bad luck. And, I’m pretty sure there’s no reference in Scripture tying cardinals to the spirits of those who have passed.

Yet, while I don’t believe in superstition, I do believe that God sends us signs. Is a cardinal the definitive sign God has chosen to tell us that a loving spirit is watching over us? I don’t think so. But, can God send us a loving spirit as a sign through a cardinal? Certainly He can! God created it. He can do what He wants.

Needing to spend some time reading and meditating on the Scripture de jour, I set all those thoughts about cardinals aside and found my place of silence and solitude. I read in today’s first reading: “Jesus was a man commended to you by God with mighty deeds, wonders, and signs, which God worked through him… “(Acts 2:22); “I saw the Lord ever before me…” (v. 25); “my heart has been glad and my tongue exulted…” (v. 26); and “…You will fill me with joy in Your presence.” (v. 28).

In the Psalm (Ps 16), I read, “I keep the Lord always before me;…therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices.” (v. 8-9).

And, the Gospel, Lk 24:13-35, recounted the appearance of Jesus to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus; how at first they didn’t recognize Him, but, once they did in the breaking of the bread, their hearts were filled with joy and they hurried to tell the Eleven of their encounter with Him.

Collectively, these passages reminded me that Jesus is always with me even though I may not always recognize Him or feel His presence. He is with me in the people He has placed in my life and in my life’s circumstances. They reminded me of the joy I feel when I do feel Him near me. They reminded me that even in difficult times when the world pulls my attention away from Him, He is still there going before me. And, they reminded me that I ought not to keep quiet but to hurry and tell others about Him.

And, then, I thought about the bird again. Was God wanting to catch my attention with one of His truly beautiful creations as a sign to let me know of His presence? Whether it was His intention or not, it certainly worked.

Could that crazy cardinal have actually been a messenger sent to draw me away from the hum-drum of isolation so that I could refocus on His love for me? Possibly. If so, He succeeded by reminding me of the grace that He gives me each and every day. That His grace is here with me in the love I share with my wife and our support for each other during these unusual times. It was there in the video calls with all four daughters and grandchildren today. It was there last night in the good food, friendship and conversation we shared among a few friends as we “risked” getting together for the first time in over a month.

But, mostly, that silly, persistent, cardinal, who wouldn’t give up pecking at my window, reminded me to never give up on God’s love for me, and never give up loving Him in return.

“Good and gracious God, thank you for sending your fine feathered creation to draw my attention back to You. Even though I may lose sight of You from time to time, thank You for never leaving my side. Lord, thank You for Your angels who watch over me. And, I pray that the souls of all the faithful departed, through Your mercy, rest in peace. Amen.”

(The Cardinal at My Window was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

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Believing Without Signs

23 Monday Mar 2020

Posted by Jerry Robinson in Faith

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Blessed Sacrament, Catechism, CCC 1127, CCC 1128, Eucharist, Faith, Grace, John 4:43-54, John 6:54, Luke 22:19, Meditation, Prayer, Sacramental Grace, Spiritual Communion, Virtue

Yesterday was odd: a Sunday forced to be away from church and not be present for mass. In the seven years I’ve been Catholic I’ve missed mass twice. Once because I had the worst “man-cold” in the history of the world, and once on vacation in Arkansas when we were sixty miles from the nearest Catholic church. Other than that, I’ve fulfilled my Sunday obligation no matter where I’ve happened to be. I know most of you are the same and yesterday was difficult for you, too.

My wife and I tuned into a live-streamed mass from St. Peter in Chains Cathedral in Cincinnati. That was odd, too. The only people in the entire cathedral were the Archbishop, a deacon, an altar server, a lector and a cantor. The Archbishop gave a very good homily. I assume it was the Archbishop – it sounded like his voice but the camera was so far away it was impossible to tell for sure. At the moment we would have received Holy Communion had we been there in person, we recited the Prayer of Spiritual Communion.

As much as I desired the grace that comes with receiving the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist in a state of grace, the circumstances with the Coronavirus pandemic weren’t going to allow it. I had to believe that Christ is still with me. I had to believe that the grace I received in receiving Him in the Eucharist the previous Sunday was enough to nourish my soul until I can receive Him again. I thought, “I can do that.”

This morning’s Gospel, Jn 4:43-54, The Second Sign at Cana, helped me to better come to terms with that resolution. Today we read about the royal official, a non-Jew, who traveled a long distance to ask Jesus to cure his dying son. Jesus, knowing that He would not win many hearts in Galilee, harshly replied to the man, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe.” The man, in humble supplication, responded, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” Seeing the man’s faith without the need for a sign, Jesus replied, “You may go; your son will live.” John then tells us, “The man believed what Jesus said to him and left”, and during his two day journey home discovered that the fever had left his son the previous day at the exact time Jesus told him his son would live.

Most of Jesus’ miracles were performed in person and usually involved Him touching the one in need of healing followed by a required action on the receiver’s part. Since the recipient wasn’t present in this miracle, Jesus did neither in extending His healing grace because He sensed the father’s faith.

The Eucharist is the source and summit of our Catholic faith. We believe and take Christ for His word when He said, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood will have eternal life” (Jn 6:54). He instructed us to “Do this in memory of Me” (Lk 22:19), which we do every Sunday, and even, if we’re so inclined, every day of the week.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that “The sacraments are perceptible signs (words and actions) accessible to our human nature. By the action of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit they make present efficaciously the grace that they signify.” (CCC 1127). It’s like a husband giving flowers with a sincerely spoken and affectionate “I Love You” to his wife as a sign of his love.

But, the Catechism goes on to say, “Nevertheless, the fruits of the sacraments also depend on the disposition of the one who receives them.” (CCC 1128).

What does this mean? It means that when you go to mass and receive the Sacrament of the Eucharist, you may not necessarily be receiving all the graces that are possible. Even though the Eucharist is always an infinite amount of grace, just because one goes to the Fount of Living Water doesn’t mean that one always drinks from it. Total refreshment comes only through a strong faith and living a life of prayer. Going back to the analogy of the flowers, the love felt by the wife is a function of the disposition of her heart and is independent of the love expressed by the husband.

So, where does this leave me? I know I cannot receive Jesus in the Eucharist at the present time nor the sacramental grace that goes with it. But, I can, with the help of the Holy Spirit, dispose my heart to loving Jesus more through deepening my faith, a deeper prayer life, living a life of virtue, and showing God more gratitude, thus receiving an increase in sanctifying grace.

How does one do this? Developing a deeper prayer life may mean spending 20 to 30 minutes a day reading daily Scripture and reflecting on it; meditating on the Word of God and asking the Holy Spirit to show you what His will is for you that day; and, then making a resolution to take action and follow His lead and do His will.

It may mean taking time for silence and solitude where you can simply love God more, feeling His presence, and trusting that His love will carry you through the day.

We can deepen our faith by seeing God around us in the people we meet, our family and friends; in the words and help offered by a kind person; by the phone call from someone you care about. We can imitate the virtue of Christ and serve others; call upon our loved ones; seek to serve the vulnerable elderly while they are shut-in.

And, we can pay attention to and give thanks for the circumstances of our lives: take pleasure in the flowers that are starting to bloom in our gardens; the birds who are feeding at the bird feeder; and the beautiful sunrises and sunsets (if there are such things in Ohio in the grayness of March!).

I believe our God is an understanding and loving God. He knows we long to receive Him in the Blessed Sacrament. But, in His infinite Wisdom, He has permitted the current situation. Maybe He’s giving us the opportunity to grow closer to Him, to show our faith without the sign that we cherish so much.

God bless and may the Peace of Christ be with you.

“Oh my Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.”
(Prayer of Spiritual Communion)

(Believing Without Signs was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)