Light the Torch and Set it on fire...

"I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing"- Luke 13:49

Have you ever gone to an event that you thought should have been the most exciting time in the world but as it turned out, people were just so-so about it?  It was like that toward the end of the dynasty of the Atlanta Braves.  It was cool for the first 5 or so division titles, and then at 10 it became routine and after that it became very difficult to sell postseason tickets.  When it comes to our faith life we should always look at our life as if we were in the postseason race.  God has given us a "game" to play here on earth and he has even gone so far as to show us how to win.  Through his word and sacraments, he continues to coach us on the path to righteousness.  How he loves us is shown through his determination and dedication to our success in our lives.  We face many trials through life and we can find that we may be stuck in a rut that seems like it will never end.  We may feel as if the day is too hard and we cannot wait for it to end.  But when all things are for the glory of God, we will find joy in the difficulties of every day.  Our hope in the Lord should encourage us to put on the Christ who already lives with us in our hearts and deliver this same God to a world that is desperate to hear his word and receive his healing.  I have always marvelled at the hate filled comments on most news articles that speak to matters of faith and the Church.  They are always the same, God is a myth, religion is a fairy tale and the Church is the most corrupt corporation that ever existed.  And through all these overt challenges to my faith, I have found in Christ a hope that sustains me through it all.  This scripture for this passage speaks to what Christ is looking to do in our hearts and through us in this world.  God calls upon us to live like there is no tomorrow.  We are supposed to run with reckless abandon to our heavenly Father.  Our lives should show that we burn with the fire and hearts should glow with the passion of the Holy Spirit. 

"God our Father, we hold in our hearts the desire to serve you.  We ask you to kindle within our hearts a fire and passion to serve the world through you. Grant us the peace to do what you ask and the strength to deny ourselves.  Be with us as we take up our crosses and guide our steps as we draw closer to you."

Should I command you to get up or put you on your feet...

"Why are you amazed at this, and why do you look so intently at us as if we made him walk by our power or piety?" Acts 3:12

Peter is probably one of my favorite people in the bible.  Not only was he the first pope but he was probably one of the most hard-headed Christians too.  I chose this scripture to reflect upon today because if Peter were around today, he would have been just a little bit older than I am now so I can totally picture him going "Duh, Jesus..." instead of this great statement to the people.  The context of this quote is they were passing a cripple in Jerusalem and Peter looks over at him and picks him up and sets him on his feet and he is immediately able to walk.  The people are all amazed at what he has done and I imagine him today saying "Duh, Jesus..."  This goes back to the heart of the Christian walk.  How many of the poor and lame do we walk by everyday without so much as giving them a second glance or even a prayer.  The need for to reach out to the poor is becoming even more great as the wealth gap in the United States is growing ever more day by day.  The American financial crisis is only a financial crisis to the poor.  The rich won't see any real hiccup in their day-to-day lives.  Christ calls us to live as he did.  The Apostles got it.  The Church gets it.  Do we get it?

"God, our Father, help us today to see your children as you do.  Open our eyes and our hearts to see and love like you do.  Give us the strength, courage and love to do unto others as we would want you do unto us.  Let us be your miracle to the poor and let us be content with your will and obediently follow you wherever you take us.  We ask this through Christ our Lord.  Amen."

Forgiveness to the 77th Power

"Peter approaching asked him, "Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him?  As many as seven times?"  Jesus answered, "I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times."- Matthew 18:21-22

One of the many afflictions of being a human is that we are often prone to misunderstanding.  At work, I am expected to be the specialist in my field and guide the office management team and their staff in working in accordance with regulation.  Over the past week, I have made two distinct clarifications for the staff and management team but my intention was not received the way I thought it should have been.  Misunderstanding may very well be the root of many arguments and fights in many relationships.  These disagreements often escalate many situations.  Usually at this point feelings are hurt and communication comes to a halt.  When communication stops we lose the Christian identity of our relationships.  To bring that into focus it would be easier to think that when communication stops, communion stops.  When we lose that communion with each other, we take away from the unity and community that we share in the body of Christ, the Church.  The prayer of St Francis offers a quick solution to many of these disagreements as he put that we should no so much seek to be pardoned as to pardon.  We survive in such a disenchanted state that it is sincerely amazing to me that some people live at all.  We are called to live a holy life but sometimes the definition of holiness is misunderstood.  Do we sometimes pray and not hear the voice of God calling to us?  Is there so much going on around us that we are constantly distracted?   Is God working through the people around us?  One of my favorite worship songs has the line "You sing all around but I never hear the sound..."  Lord, today let me hear that sound...

"Jesus, my everything, I am so tired and weary.  This road I travel is too steep, too narrow.  Guide me to the way holiness, guide me to the way back to you.  Help me to see that you have always been with me through it all and give me the courage to let you carry me home.  In a special way we pray for the little ones of Norway who have been tragically deprived of their lives.  May you who live and reign forever with with Father and Spirit hold them and keep them with you for all eternity. This we ask in your name. Amen."

Lord Help Your Children

"We strive to create healing sanctuaries that carry on the ministry of Jesus Christ."--www.mercydurango.org

The Catholic teaching that every person has the right to life from conception to natural death is not a slogan nor is it a token statement found in a fortune cookie.  The right to life is God's gift to all people so that we can come to know, love and serve the Lord in the fullness of life.  Because this basic human right is extended to everyone and is a fundamental part of our Christian lives, the Church teaches that our faith communion is dependent on faithful adhering to these beliefs.  Clerics who propose or teach heresy must not be allowed to do so in the name of Church.  This should also be true for employees of affiliated Catholic insitutions.  The Durango Herald and many others sources are pressing allegations of scandal at the Catholic affiliated Mercy Regional Medical Center in Durango, CO.  Dr. Richard Grossman is a practicing OB/GYN physician at Mercy General.  He is also allegedly an abortion provider in the Durango region.  In his own reflection in the Durango Herald, he does not condemn abortion and he overtly recommends contraception.  He makes a comparison between the United States and France when it comes sexuality.  His views and practices are contrary to the teachings of the Church.  This anomalous relationship should not be endorsed by Mercy Regional Medical Center.  This doctor is intentionally leading people into immoral and gravely sin behavior and activities.  The leadership of the hospital should review his situation and judicious consider his future with their hospital. 

A cursory glance at the Planned Parenthood website has some alarming statements posted.  The first statement I glanced at was a factoid that claimed 1 in 3 American women have had an abortion by age 48.  This statistic implies that 50 million unborn children have been killed by abortion.  Another claim that was disturbing is that 'almost all' abortions are successful.  What horror awaits a child born after an unsuccessful abortion attempt?  Especially considering the two major abortion procedures are 'vacuum aspiration' and 'Dilation and Evacuation,' these two procedures are very violent to the child.  The last alarming post on the Planned Parenthood website is instructions for a woman to BYPASS the parental notification statute.  Parental notification is a statute that is in place to help young women make better decisions.  The final post I will reference from the Planned Parenthood website is the claim that "only you can decide what is best for you."  Studies have proven that the brain does not reach full maturity until the age of 24-26 whereas 52% of abortions in America are to women under the age of 25.  Even more shocking is the fact that 22% of those abortions are done to teenagers.  These statistics come from the Alan Guttmacher Institute and I will reference one more stat from their research.  93% of abortions are for social reasons such as unwanted pregnancy or incovenience.  We can reasonably assume that 43 million abortions have taken place in the United States the AGI study estimates that 83% of abortions worldwide occur in developing nations.  We must pray and seek God's intervention to this pandemic.  Abortion is a pandemic.  More children are killed from abortion that people who lost their life during conflicts in the past century.  Lord help us all. 

Deception in the Susan G. Komen Foundation

"Let no one deceive you in any way."-2 Thessalonians 2:3

It seems that every day I get a letter, am stopped on the street, or receive a phone call directs me to donate to a charitable organization.  I am to help the poor says the Lord.  I am to help heal the sick; clothe the naked; feed the hungry.  And the most colorful thing I have read this week comes from Archbishop Chaput who said that unless we do all we can for the poor, we will go to hell.  I trust in the words of the Archbishop but this blog entry is not about my tithing and charitable contributions.  It is explicitly about discerning the nature of the people and institutions seeking charity.  Science has taken us to a place where we discover new breakthroughs and treatments every day.  But we must not allow passion and emotion to cloud our faith and reason.  We live in a time where we can no longer accept that we should do ALL that we are able to do for research.  Many debilitating diseases are very unfortunate and deserve the best research we ethically and morally provide.  But we are at a time where science has determined that we can have breakthroughs via murder.  This may sound harsh but the collection of eggs and sperm for the purpose of fertilization and subsequent harvest of stem cells terminating with the destruction of the life created outside of love is an absolute sin in direct violation of that child's inalienable right to life.  It is for this reason that the Church is completely and unequivocally against human embryonic stem cell research.  To move forward, the Church supports and directs all peoples to support the right to life for all.  To this end the Church is heavily against the Institute of Medicine pressing the Department of Health and Human Services in their quest to mandate free contraception, surgical sterilization and post abortion counseling (by free, they are seeking to require insurance companies to make these services available without co-pay).  We echo Cardinal Di Nardo of Houston in his statement that pregnancy is not a disease and fertility is not a pathology.  To do anything to suppress or circumvent the procreative nature of sex is in direct opposition to the will of God.  Contraception is fundamentally wrong.  Abortion is fundamentally wrong.  The bishops of Ohio today have directed the faithful to no longer direct their money to the Susan G. Komen charitable organization for breast cancer research.  This should not be considered an affront to the cause for cancer research but rather research into the inner workings of the Komen organization revealed that the Komen foundation gave $3.3 million from 2004-2009 directly to abortion programs.  Christians cannot in good faith give their money to organizations that will use it in immoral ways.  It is now that I lend my support to this cause in helping to spread the word on this deception.  In our need to help the poor; help heal the sick; feed the hungry; let us not get caught in our emotions and blindly be deceived into supporting institutions that are fundamentally against the true right to life.  We must now do all that we FAITHFULLY are able to do to help heal the sick, feed the hungry, give to the poor.  Faithfully give. 

Do You Hear What I Hear?

"I still live my human life, but it is a life of faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."-Galatians 2:20

St Paul is sending a pastoral letter to his friends in Galatia to encourage them to turn their hearts around and return to living their lives for Christ.  When he says that he still lives his human life, he acknowledges that he still has failures in his everyday life but this quote I think he is making a more passive statement.  I believe he is referencing his human work as a tentmaker.  St Paul was a great evangelizer because he worked in the markets every day.  He conversed with people everyday.  He lived faith everyday. St Paul was not exactly the most tactful person in the world which is probably why I relate to him so well.  Things just sort of fall out.  In his letter to the Galatians, in Scripture, he actually says at one point in time, "O Stupid Galatians..." (Gal 3:1).  For me that is encouragement.  Because I know that often Paul is speaking directly to me.  O Stupid Brandon... don't you know the Son of God loves you... don't you know the Son of God gave himself for you?  Jesus said in the Gospel two weeks ago on Sunday that we cannot truly hear unless God heals us as he referenced the prophet Isaiah. God hears.  God understands.  But most importantly God calls us to turn to him.  Today lets refocus our lives and enjoy a weekend in the Lord. 

"Gracious and loving God.  You saved me.  You have raised me from the dead.  My grave is a testament to your glory.  Show me how to live so that all might know your truth.  In Jesus we pray.  Amen"

Every Person Has the Inalienable Right to Life

"Pregnancy is not a disease, and fertility is not a pathological condition to be suppressed by any means technically possible." - Cardinal Daniel Di Nardo


The Cardinal is addressing the Institute of Medicine's recommendation to the Department of Health and Human Services to mandate that surgical sterilization and all FDA approved birth control be covered by insurance companies.  This recommendation would seriously do more than to undermine the right to life for all persons.  This recommendation is being heralded by groups such as Planned Parenthood as a step in the right direction.  Some commentators are noting that free birth control and surgical sterilization will help taxpayers by reducing unwanted pregnancies and the ensuing welfare children borne out unwanted pregnancies.  At the heart of this is a complete misunderstanding of the source of unwanted pregnancies and pregnancies out of wedlock.  The first misunderstanding is the nature of sex inside the covenant of sacramental marriage.  Marriage is the fulfillment of man's response to God's call to be fruitful and multiply.  When people live faithfully inside sacramental marriage and they lovingly have children, they participate in God's creative nature.  At the heart of this issue in this reflection on the Cardinal's quote is the lack of the Institute of Medicine and the Department of Health and Human Services perspective on this issue.  The recommendation does nothing to address the underlying issue of the pervasive nature of sexuality in today's culture.  It also builds on our culture's desire to shift responsibility away from our own actions.  
Neither God or the Church is looking to stifle sexuality but rather to allow God to teach us what the true meaning of love is and how we ought to properly express it.  Even more so, the Church wants people to be healed of the brokenness and the wounds they carry and express through unsafe behavior.  It is our duty and our salvation to work to advance the gospel message and live faithfully according to God's will.  So we must let Jesus lead us to truth and trust in the Holy Spirit.  

What if a pill really could make you smarter

"Be on guard against every form of greed; life is not in possessions" - Luke 12:15

'Limitless' is a movie released earlier this year essentially about a man who gets addicted to a drug which allows him to use 100% of his cognitive power instead of an indicated 20%.  The movie was well received by viewers and critics alike earning a modest $80 million dollars worldwide at the box office.  The tagline for this movie is "What if a pill could make you rich and powerful?".  This movie speaks to heart of the sins of greed, lust, and idolatry.  Our protagonist (the hero of the movie) in his first act under the influence of this "pill" is to manipulate his landlord's wife into committing adultery.  The film highlights the character's exploits for promiscuity, greedily accumulating wealth and then running from people attempting to acquire his drugs (it should also be noted that the protagonist acquires the drugs through theft).  While just a movie, this film invites the viewer to revel in the imaginary quest for power and riches.  It denies the true value in life founded in faith and work.  The implicit nature in humanity is founded on how we live in relation to others around us.  When good people choose to do good things we build up the kingdom of God.  Our sense of accomplishment in life is not in the amount of money in our bank nor is it in how many many people we control but rather in the service to God that we render for each other.  "Limitless" is superficially entertaining because it acts much in the same way as pornography in that it appeals to our desires of the flesh.  God speaks to us today in Sacred Scripture and through the workings of the Holy Spirit to get past these inward desires and exchange them for things of true and lasting value.  We must persevere in faith and overcome temptation in holiness.  We must never lose hope and we must always trust in the Lord.  God provides for all of our needs and only asks us to follow him.

Obedience in the Lord

"Whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother." -Matthew 12:50

Is it not always the way of God to remind us that he is close to us?  The Gospel message strikes at the heart of just how near God is to us.  Christ came to suffer and die among us so that we may be saved.  Christ today reminds us that people who do the will of the Father are not just his friends but they are family.  In the days of the early Jews, the nuclear family unit was one of the absolute sacred things in the everyday life.  So when Christ calls on us to do the will of the Father, he reminds us that we take our place as his adopted brothers and sisters.  Holiness calls us to follow.  Jesus will direct our paths and guide our hearts.  With the advent of the newest Archbishop of Philadelphia in Charles J. Chaput, we have a great model of integrity and faith but most of all, obedience.  His Excellency demonstrates for us this day obedience.  We trust that the Holy Father has directed in the will of the Father and that His Excellency has accepted in will of the Father. How blessed are we to have this Gospel passage today.  Practical example in front of us. 

"Lord, loving God.  Bless your people and give us the strength to follow you.  In a special way today, we direct our prayers and petitions to you for your servant, Charles J. Chaput, give him the wisdom, knowledge and courage to do your will.  Make us one in your love so that we, too, can do the will you have for us.  This we ask through Christ our Lord.  Amen."

The American Church

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart" Proverbs 3:5

We wait in anticipation for the announcement from the Vatican regarding the successor to Justin Cardinal Rigali of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.  Many commentators and bloggers have been quick to note that the front-runner to succeed His Emminence, is His Excellency, Charles J. Chaput.  I believe that the media will be quick to make many judgments regarding the tenure of Justin Rigali.  It is our duty and obligation, not to the Church, but to God to remember that the Holy Spirit leads.  That is not to say that we do not have a duty and obligation to the Church but that God works through the hearts of people.  Cardinal Rigali joined the 1.5 million member Archdiocese in 2003.  Now this is when the Church abuse scandal first broke out.  The Cardinal has been an outspoken critic of embryonic stem cell research and the protection of the sanctity and dignity of marriage.  The sexual abuse scandal in Phildadelphia is a great trial for the Church, but the Cardinal has paved the way during his tenure to renew the Church in Philadelphia.  Mainstream media has been posting that the Cardinal is resigning in light of scandal where the truth of the matter is that the Cardinal submitted his resignation in April 2010 in accordance with Canon Law.  His Excellency, Charles Chaput will bring to the people of Philadelphia a vocal leader and an enthusiasm to renew the Church.  The people of Denver have had the blessing of this charismatic leader for 14 years and have become accustomed to decisive leadership and a man dedicated to the pastoral nature of his office.  Charles understands what it means to shepherd the people.  He will be an example of holiness, charity, courage, and most of all love for the people of Philadelphia.  We praise the Lord in his loving kindness.  We pray for her Church.  We pray for her Church leaders.  In all things we praise the Lord. 

The Common Vetch

"Ground that has absorbed the rain falling upon it repeatedly and brings forth crops useful to those for whom it is cultivated receives a blessing from God" - Hebrews 6:7

This past weekend's Gospel spoke of the wheat and the weeds.  Let the weeds grow with the wheat until the harvest and then pull the weeds.  An alternate translation of the Gospel did not use the Greek word for "weeds" but rather used a word for "tares."  What is a tare?  Tare is another name for the 'common vetch'.  This is a plant that was considered a weed in the southeastern Europe and middle eastern region especially during Egyptian dynasties.  The thing about a tare is that when it first sprouts up, it is almost indistinguishable from wheat.  So with this in mind, how can one know wheat and weeds?  God tells us that it isn't until the harvest that we can know the difference.  The letter to the Hebrews speaks of absorbing the rain falling.  Jesus said that he was the living water come down.  This passage has led me to reflect that God calls us to frequent the Sacraments.  When we actively receive this grace, our lives experience this love poured out for us in a way that draws us deeper into holiness and virtue.  If Jesus truly is the living water, should we not deny our thirst?

Friday's Reflection

"No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends." - John 15:13

I enjoyed last night the midnight showing of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.  This piece of fiction has many treasures within that can serve as a light reflection just prior to this weekend. One of the prevalent themes in the Harry Potter series is the overwhelming power of Love versus Evil. Harry is our symbol of love and his nemesis, it is revealed, has no concept of true love.  Our protagonist, Harry, has such a messianic complex that in the course of the movie we are told that he has to sacrifice himself before we come to the climax of the film.  Now, what does this have to do with scripture and our spirituality.  Our lives are the gift of God to us.  The sanctity of life and dignity of the human person are what the Church teaches that we should defend most ardently at all times.  We are called to imitate Christ and his goodness but in the course of his life he gave his life for all.  In this we should expect in our lives to sacrifice for others.  We may not be called to give our lives in the literal sense in matyrdom or in humble sacrifice.  But at the very least we are called to give our lives for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  It is through prayer and discernment where we will find what God has for us in our lives. In the great plan of God there is a unique plan for each of us.  But at the end of the day we must know that each of us willed and each of us loved.  Our lives must bear witness to the Glory of God made manifest in our lives in the person of Jesus Christ.  His love is with us most tangibly in his corporal presence in the Eucharist.  God loves us and we should love ourselves and each other. Perhaps even so far as to lay down our lives so that another may live.

"Father God, you are our hope and all our joy rests in you.  In the perfect plan you created man and though we fell away, you gave us redemption and salvation in your son, Jesus Christ.  In the perfect sacrifice which has purchased our peace in you, may we come to celebrate the joy of the kingdom where you reign forever and ever, Amen."

Jesus said: "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke   upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."- Matthew 11 28-30

A close friend of mine wrote an entire song about this verse.  The song was called "Heaven On Earth."  The entire song was about becoming free in Christ and surrendering to God so that he may give to us HIS 'heaven on earth.'  But let's take a closer look at this passage from the Gospel of Matthew. The very first thing that strikes me is the universality of this message.  Jesus doesn't tell just his followers, or even just the Jews to come but 'all.'  Sinners and saints alike, believers and unbelievers are called to come to the Lord.  This passage gives us hope as we start our day.  The Lord invites us to give all that we are carrying and rest in him.  This for us should be the start of our conversion of heart.  Once we turn to Jesus, acknowledge humbly before him that he is our Lord and that he can take away all our fears, then we will find that we can have peace.  When we think of yoke, we tend to think of beasts of burden and the like tilling the soil.  The Lord's call to us is not to be overwhelmed, but rather to rejoice in the opportunities we have before us.  Christ's yoke is living the Catholic faith as he has demonstrated.  He tells us that he is meek and humble of heart, and so shall we also be.  As a people who struggle daily with temptation and sin, it is difficult to see how his yoke can be easy and his burden is light, but we know that salvation is the reward for us in heaven for following Christ. We cannot overcome this life on our own, but rather we depend on God to get us through the day.  It is God who carries us on his yoke to everlasting life. It has to be our choice to get on for the ride and live. 

"Good and gracious Lord, you comfort us and call us to rest in you.  Give strength to our hands and feet and voice to our lips to praise you and proclaim your goodness to the world.  Open our hearts and deliver us from temptation and sin as we ask you to carry us to salvation. Your word cannot return to you void, Lord, but rather let it find its fulfillment in us.  We ask through our Lord, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit.  One God, forever and ever.  Amen."

Reflection on Holiness

"Holiness is not something extraordinary;  it is not the luxury of the few.  Holiness is the simple duty for each one of us."-- Mother Teresa

Have we ever thought 'what are our simple duties?'  I have never really thought about my simple duties.  I would think they would be to eat, sleep, and pray.  Holiness, for a long time, seemed like some abstract notion that was just outside of my grasp.  Mother Teresa today speaks to us about just how accessible holiness in our lives. We know that to be 'holy' means to be set apart for God.  By extension, holiness is simply the being in God.  Holiness is not necessarily in the lack of sin but rather what we do in the face of temptation.  Our reaction to temptation is what will determine our own holiness.  Falling into temptation does not necessarily preclude one from holiness.  We pray and we fight in the face of temptation but if we fall, we take ownership of our shortcoming and we confess to almighty God and receive the grace of the Sacrament of Reconciliation and get back on the path to righteousness.  Every Saint knew confession very well and were no stranger to reconciliation.  We must humbly accept that this history should teach us that we are to be no different in our quest for sanctification and salvation.  Holiness is being set apart for God. What have we set apart for God in our lives?  I have gradually worked my own life to getting up in the morning 40 minutes earlier to make time to pray and reflect upon the word of God.  That is not meant to be arrogant but rather the humble admission of what I have done.  Where can we allow God to permeate in our lives?  The true answer is everywhere.  God has told us through Scripture and revelation that he wants us to call upon him in need.  We certainly need him every day.


"Lord, by your cross and resurrection you have saved the world.  In this day, let me open my heart just enough for you to come in and save me personally from the fears and temptations of this day. Calm my heart and fulfill the promises you have made while at the same time building the hope that is found in you.  Your grace is enough for me and I offer you this day so that I can become more holy and dwell with you.  Grant this Christ our Lord. Amen"

Tuesday's Reflection

"Whenever you begin any good work you should first of all make a most pressing appeal to Christ our Lord to bring it to perfection" --from the Rule of St Benedict

I don't about most people and how they view things, but every time I set out to do work, I think of it as 'good work.'  I don't set out and intentionally seek to do bad work.  I usually aim to perform most of my tasks to the extremely best of my abilities.  The rule of St Benedict was considered by many to be a strict and hard way to live a monastic life. However, the rules, when followed, made living the faith very easy.  This particular rule quoted above convicts me in most of my actions during the course of the day.  I don't pray before working on a project at the office.  I didn't pray before cooking breakfast. There is so much in life where we can and should invite Christ to be with us and perfect in us all that he desires.  When looking at life from the 'big picture', we must try to see that anything that does not lead or contribute to our salvation is useless.  I am not saying that some of these things do not have a value in day-to-day life but they can be all the same useless.  I tend to call these things "guilty pleasures."  My video games are my guilty pleasure, movies are my guilty pleasure.  Actually just about anything that goes on my TV is a guilty pleasure.  Today we reflect on the grace of Christ and his will for our lives.  And may Christ bring all things in us to perfection.


"Loving Father of our Redeemer, Christ our Savior, Spirit of fire; be with us today.  We need your presence more than ever.  Today give peace to our souls and rest to our bodies that as we enter again into the world you created to give you better service.  All of our hope is you, Jesus, you certainly are the Light of the World.  Come into our hearts and make us living witnesses to your glory.  We ask this through the same Christ our Lord.  Amen."

Monday's Thought

"Whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me."  -Matthew 10:38

At the end of Chapter 4 in Father Larry Richards' book, 'Be A Man!', He poses 3 tasks that we, the faithful, should accomplish.  In one task, he suggests that we must "Be a man who 'fans into a flame' of the Holy Spirit within you.  Find a friend, or a priest or a deacon, and ask him to pray over you that you would fully receive the gift of God's spirit."  It might seem a bit odd to be asking for the Spirit to be flamed and yet in today's gospel selection Jesus is talking about who is worthy and who is not.  Today we don't really have a good understanding of what it meant to take up a cross.  We all have seen the crucifixes and probably have seen visual depictions of the Passion, but in our everyday society we don't get to see real corporal punishment.  When we go into the city of Denver, the local authorities do not have common criminals and theives nailed to the "Welcome to the Mile High City" sign. It is not in our daily lives for us to see suffering that will most likely end in death.  That cross is usually only borne by doctors and family of terminally ill patients.  But in the days of the Roman Empire and even earlier, most people were well aware of the suffering of the cross, so when Jesus said to take up the cross and follow him, it must have been a very difficult thing to hear.  I think that we must be willing to take up the cross to follow Christ.  Once we embrace our suffering with Christian charity, then I believe, Christ comes and fulfills his promise that 'his yoke is easy and his burden light.'  Let us today trust in the Lord and meet our suffering.  Let us pray for the Holy Spirit to come and give us the gift of fortitude so that we may have the courage and the strength to bear all things in the name of the Lord.


"God, almighty and everliving Father, Christ, Immanuel and Spirit, fire of justice blazing; We need your presence for than ever.  The world shows us trouble and bitterness and hate; we need your spirit and truth.  Heal our troubled hearts and give peace to our restless minds.  Strengthen our hands and feet to go where you send us and do what you need us to do.  Let us always be good stewards of the gifts you give to us and let us always commend ourselves daily to your loving care.  This we ask through the same Christ our Lord.  Amen."

An Invitational Reflection

“My word…that goes forth from my mouth shall not return to me void.”—Isaiah 55:11

Our Sundays are assuredly a day of rest, mandated by God, but they are also days of action.  The Lord calls each of us to participate fully in the life of the Church which is also our participation in the Liturgy every Sunday.  The Holy Mass is where we receive the Lord Jesus and render our service to the Lord.  It happens all too often that we can fall into despair and forget that we are loved and we have family that will be with us on our way.  God is our Father and he never abandons us.  Jesus, our brother and Lord, even goes so far as to tell us that “Amen, Amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father (John 14:12).”  Jesus is the Word of God and the word cannot return void.  I have never walked on water.  I have never given sight to the blind.  I have never commanded a paralyzed man to “rise, take your mat, and walk out of here.”  I have never called anyone to rise from the grave.  And yet, Christ promises that if I believe in him, not only will I do these things but do greater things than this.  How am I to surrender to God?  How am I to trust him long enough to believe in him?  The simple answer for me is adoration of the Lord opening my heart to triune prayer, and living the freedom that Christ earned for me.  ‘Greater things have yet to come and greater things are still to be done in this city.’ –God Of This City, Chris Tomlin, Hello Love 

“Lord, your love is life to all.  I invite your Spirit to come into my life and show me only what I am to do.  God, your grace is welcome at all times and may you please pour it and fill my heart so that I may be not just me but you who live in me for the world to see.  Lead me past temptation and bring me back to the new life you gave me when I baptized in you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen”

The Saturday Thought

"What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light;
 what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.
 And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul;
 rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy
 both soul and body " - Matthew chapter 10...

Have you ever heard of the psychological phenomenon known as 'mob mentality.'  It is the social that suggests that a group of people will either do nothing in the face of evil or will become riotous and out of control.  This phenomenon explains some things occur such as a woman being raped in an apartment hallway while neighbors look on or why protests can turn violent.  It makes none of it just or excusable.  There is a sign in New York City outside of the fire station where those 7 heroic firefighters were stationed who chose to continue up the first tower to save as many people as possible on 9/11.  Under the street sign is another street sign that says "7 in Heaven."  Currently there is an atheist group filing a lawsuit against the government citing violations of the Establishment Clause and claiming they don't want Christianity 'shoved down their throats.'  To prosetylize is to force someone to adhere to a religion.  The Church does not ever endorse this behavior.  She does though call on us all to exercise our free will to follow the Lord and be strengthened by the Holy Spirit and the grace of God to stand and proclaim the goodness of the Lord.  To proclaim is more than just a speaking of words.  Proclaiming is a action, a physical action, that demands our body to assist in what we are trying to convey.  Using this notion of proclamation, let us today remember that we must preach with our lives the message of faith, hope and love. If we cannot live authentically the life Christ intends for us, then any word we speak, will be as St James described, "faith without works is dead."  We know our faith is not dead and we do try to live faithfully, but we must remember that we are fighting new ideologies that try to tell us there is no god.  Our God loves and lives and we are his hands and feet.  Holiness happens in the world, but it is only through those who are willing to be moved by the Holy Spirit in Christ our Lord. 

"Lord today make me yours and make me holy.  Take this day and take this body and do with it however you choose.  Yours in the kingdom and the glory and I want nothing else except you.  Be with me and guide my steps for each one is uncertain but you carry me.  Lead me past temptation and deliver me home to you.  This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen'

An Ordinary Reflection

This post was from July 5, 2011...

"Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Trial, or distress, or persecution, or hunger, or nakedness, or danger, or the sword? Yet in all this we are more than conquerors because of him who has loved us." --Romans 8:35-37

As we return from a holiday weekend, blessed to know that there is a God who gave us a country where we could be free to worship him without fear, to the work that we place in our hands to pass us through the day, let us remember that today we will encounter temptations and trials. God loves us and is with us with the temptations and trials and he is with us through sin and sorrow. Let us also rejoice that God is with us and he has conquered death and the grave and made us co-heirs in the promise he has made. And as always, 'If our God is for us, then who could ever stop us?'

'All powerful Father, merciful Lord, saving Spirit; come into our hearts and bless our lives. Make them holy and pleasing to you. Let our living give witness to your dying. Let our dying to ourselves give witness to your rising. Take this day and make it yours and lead us to share in the inheritance given in our baptism. In all our needs, help us to cry out to you. Lord, you are our life and light, be with us on our journey and help us to draw ever closer to you. We ask this through the same Christ, our Lord. Amen.'

The First Reflection

"My heart is ready, O God, my heart is ready"--Psalm 57

As we continue on the path that leads to everlasting life and a greater communion with each other through our Lord Jesus Christ, I offer a short reflection this morning. As I awoke and was preparing to head out to work, I was thinking about the Holy Mass. The Mass is what I imagine most priests prepare for first thing in the morning. I guess you can say it is them getting ready for work. When the priest is in the sacristy and he is putting on the vestmests for Mass, he is 'vesting'. When we prepare for work and we are putting on our clothes, we too, are in a sense 'vesting'. We are putting on the outward sign of what we do, whether it be jeans and a T-shirt or a three piece suit. As the priest is 'vesting' before Mass, the Church has some prayers the priest may say as he vests. My reflection this morning is that we can start our day with a short prayer to God to open our hearts and our minds to his will for us on this day. So that as we continue to draw closer to Christ, we may learn to use every moment of the day in some way as a prayer.

brandon

"All powerful Father, Christ my saving brother, sanctifying Spirit; come into my heart and kindle within my soul a desire to serve you this day. As you call my name, help me to hear your command and to feel your love so that I may be able to go into the world and be your hands and feet. Look not on my selfish and sinful ways but show me the heart your formed in my chest. Grant me peace and bring me to holiness. This we ask through the same Christ our Lord. Amen