The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself,
‘O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity --
greedy, dishonest, adulterous -- or even like this tax collector.
I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.’
Luke 18:11-12
Have you ever felt the crushing pain of self-knowledge or self-loathing? Have you ever put on so convincing a mask over the "real you" that you even you can't see through it sometimes?
Each time this parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector is read, I consider this sleight of hand or master illusion that the Pharisee is trying to pull off. "Lord, don't look at me. Look at these other people. Yes, let's both stand here looking at them together. I am much more like YOU, Lord, than I am like this tax collector! Let me just list all of the great things about me!"
I suppose it is possible that a Pharisee with this disposition could believe his words and go home self-satisfied. But I doubt it.
When we consider what it means to be humble, as compared what it means to be full of pride, I think that this parable is a great teacher.
The poor tax collector stood in the back not to be hidden, but because he was fully exposed to the God who made him. Because of this, he could not even raise his eyes. There, in the gaze of the God of the Universe, he was laid bare and begged for mercy. He knew who he was, but more importantly, he knew who he wasn't: he was not God.
Unlike the poor Pharisee, he knew that God gives mercy and love because of the greatness of God, not the greatness of man. The tax collector in the story could be fully and completely his flawed self before his God, and still beg for forgiveness and mercy.
The Pharisee may have gone home self-satisfied, but Jesus teaches us that only one went home justified.
Last weekend at training, one of the catechists shared how her young son prays everyday this beautiful prayer: "God is God, and I am not."
How comforting to know that I need not climb onto a pedestal to be close to my Creator, because Lord knows that I would just fall off. I can take off the mask and come to him in all my brokenness, confident that this great Lover of my soul will hear my prayer for mercy.
Monday, October 17, 2016
Monday, October 10, 2016
At the Hour of Our Death and NOW!
Maybe you noticed a little booth in the corner of the Ministry Fair last weekend. There were two young girls, 11 and 12 year old parishioners, who were displaying a variety of hand-tied rope rosaries, and some of their favorite bead rosaries next to a sign up that said, "Living Rosary of Girls (Must be 16 or younger)."
The premise of their sign-up was that each volunteer would promise to pray one decade of the rosary each day for the intentions of life and their vocations. The girls are about half way done with their signup. They are hoping to get a full 20 girls (one for each decade) plus one to pray the opening and closing prayers. Girls can (obviously) pray more than just one decade per day, but this is a commitment to pray everyday so that together a full rosary is said for their special intentions.
I have to admit... I would never in a million years have thought to do that when I was 11 years old. Rosaries were prayed by the old people in church and when someone died. I figured I would probably grow up and pray the rosary, but not "now."
I think that their idea started because one of the girls' moms (Geneveve L., a CGS catechist, a parishioner here, and also one of my baby sisters) decided to start something similar a couple of years ago with a group of moms. "The Living Rosary of Moms" was an idea she got from reading about the teenage years of Pope St. John Paul the Great and a group of young men that formed a Living Rosary even before he discerned the priesthood.
Geneveve decided to throw it out there and see if she could find 19 other people who would pray together each month. A couple of years later, she now has 89 woman who have joined together to form more than 4 full rosaries prayed each day for our vocations as wives and mothers, for the vocations of our children, and any special intentions we might have together. Apparently this witness had quite the impact on her daughter who is now setting up her own LR group.
October is the "Month of the Rosary" and is as good a time as any to discover the power of this devotion.
The mysteries we reflect on are a powerful way to think more deeply about the life of our Lord, the prayers themselves are composed from the words of scripture ("Hail, Full of Grace" Luke 1:28 and "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb" Luke 1:42), and the difference that this simple discipline of prayer can make in your life is immeasurable. Mary's whole life points directly to Jesus. Spend time with her in the Rosary! Not only does she promise to be with us "at the hour of our death," but also "now." So there is no better time to begin!
Click here to join in our CGS Living Rosary that runs for the month of October!
The premise of their sign-up was that each volunteer would promise to pray one decade of the rosary each day for the intentions of life and their vocations. The girls are about half way done with their signup. They are hoping to get a full 20 girls (one for each decade) plus one to pray the opening and closing prayers. Girls can (obviously) pray more than just one decade per day, but this is a commitment to pray everyday so that together a full rosary is said for their special intentions.
I have to admit... I would never in a million years have thought to do that when I was 11 years old. Rosaries were prayed by the old people in church and when someone died. I figured I would probably grow up and pray the rosary, but not "now."
I think that their idea started because one of the girls' moms (Geneveve L., a CGS catechist, a parishioner here, and also one of my baby sisters) decided to start something similar a couple of years ago with a group of moms. "The Living Rosary of Moms" was an idea she got from reading about the teenage years of Pope St. John Paul the Great and a group of young men that formed a Living Rosary even before he discerned the priesthood.
Geneveve decided to throw it out there and see if she could find 19 other people who would pray together each month. A couple of years later, she now has 89 woman who have joined together to form more than 4 full rosaries prayed each day for our vocations as wives and mothers, for the vocations of our children, and any special intentions we might have together. Apparently this witness had quite the impact on her daughter who is now setting up her own LR group.
October is the "Month of the Rosary" and is as good a time as any to discover the power of this devotion.
The mysteries we reflect on are a powerful way to think more deeply about the life of our Lord, the prayers themselves are composed from the words of scripture ("Hail, Full of Grace" Luke 1:28 and "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb" Luke 1:42), and the difference that this simple discipline of prayer can make in your life is immeasurable. Mary's whole life points directly to Jesus. Spend time with her in the Rosary! Not only does she promise to be with us "at the hour of our death," but also "now." So there is no better time to begin!
Click here to join in our CGS Living Rosary that runs for the month of October!
Monday, October 3, 2016
Reasons to Be Nice to Your Sister
Sibling rivalry. It's a thing.
There might be some families where the siblings don't struggle to get along, but I'm pretty sure they live in a faraway land called "Nowhere."
I think that the reason for this is simple: we just don't try very hard to get along with the people who have to hang out with us.
Friends? Sure, they get our best side. Acquaintances? I'll even do my hair to hang out with you. But my parents/siblings/spouses/my own children? They are far more likely to get the "leftover" me--the one who is all tired out from being nice to everybody else.
I remember my mother warning me to treat my sisters more nicely. "One day, you are going to need your sister, and she's not going to be there for you because you chased her away. You have to treat your sisters at least as good as your friends if you really want them to be your friends." It was great advice, and I'm glad I finally listened, because my sisters are some of the best friends I have in the world.
Well as I watch my own children struggle with the early stages of this very ugly thing, I'm begging our Lord for light on how to help them choose to love their (currently annoying) sisters. The only thing I can think to offer is Jesus' golden rule: "Do unto others as you would have them do to you" Matt 7:12.
The only way to transform our family relationships is if someone decides to live this out. Otherwise, we're all just treating each other the way we are treated. That's how ground wars are started.
Do you want to build a happy family? Do unto your sister as you would have her do to you. Do you want someone to be there for you when life hits you hard and you need help? Do unto your sister as you would have her do to you.
And for goodness' sake pray! Sometimes our relationships need more than a little kindness to heal.
Dear Lord,
I offer you this prayer, to help me with my current relationship situation. Please take away all the pain and hurt in my heart. Fill it with love, joy, patience, and understanding. Bless me and _____, so that we may never surrender to whatever challenges that come our way. Fill our hearts with love for each other, and may you make each one of us realize each other's worth. Please touch the heart of my _____, fill it with much love for me. Make our complicated relationship become uncomplicated. I seek for your mercy and blessing that you may allow us to spend the rest of our lives with each other. Please make this feeling mutual for both of us. Lead us not into temptations. Guide us wherever we go. Always put us in each other's heart and mind. Thank you Lord for hearing my prayer. I love you. Amen.
(Prayer taken from Catholic.org)
There might be some families where the siblings don't struggle to get along, but I'm pretty sure they live in a faraway land called "Nowhere."
I think that the reason for this is simple: we just don't try very hard to get along with the people who have to hang out with us.
Friends? Sure, they get our best side. Acquaintances? I'll even do my hair to hang out with you. But my parents/siblings/spouses/my own children? They are far more likely to get the "leftover" me--the one who is all tired out from being nice to everybody else.
I remember my mother warning me to treat my sisters more nicely. "One day, you are going to need your sister, and she's not going to be there for you because you chased her away. You have to treat your sisters at least as good as your friends if you really want them to be your friends." It was great advice, and I'm glad I finally listened, because my sisters are some of the best friends I have in the world.
Well as I watch my own children struggle with the early stages of this very ugly thing, I'm begging our Lord for light on how to help them choose to love their (currently annoying) sisters. The only thing I can think to offer is Jesus' golden rule: "Do unto others as you would have them do to you" Matt 7:12.
The only way to transform our family relationships is if someone decides to live this out. Otherwise, we're all just treating each other the way we are treated. That's how ground wars are started.
Do you want to build a happy family? Do unto your sister as you would have her do to you. Do you want someone to be there for you when life hits you hard and you need help? Do unto your sister as you would have her do to you.
And for goodness' sake pray! Sometimes our relationships need more than a little kindness to heal.
Dear Lord,
I offer you this prayer, to help me with my current relationship situation. Please take away all the pain and hurt in my heart. Fill it with love, joy, patience, and understanding. Bless me and _____, so that we may never surrender to whatever challenges that come our way. Fill our hearts with love for each other, and may you make each one of us realize each other's worth. Please touch the heart of my _____, fill it with much love for me. Make our complicated relationship become uncomplicated. I seek for your mercy and blessing that you may allow us to spend the rest of our lives with each other. Please make this feeling mutual for both of us. Lead us not into temptations. Guide us wherever we go. Always put us in each other's heart and mind. Thank you Lord for hearing my prayer. I love you. Amen.
(Prayer taken from Catholic.org)
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