Called Out Of The World. By: C.C.

"...You do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world." (John 15:19)

    This verse can bring comfort and simultaneously a sense of isolation and loneliness if we are not rooted in the understanding of what being a follower of Christ entails within the world. The comfort that this verse provides is best felt by those of faith who recognize the need for constantly focusing on the Eternal in order to make better sense of our worldly circumstances.

   Criticism often arises within our secular society in regards to Christian morality and way of life. In response to this, many of us can be filled with the temptation to retreat away from the worldly challenges and oppositions out of fear. This sense of fear, of which God does not will His children to have prevents the faithful from glorifying God, and also from living in the peace that our Lord wills us to experience while on earth. Fear also prevents us from sharing His message of love.

   Though we do not belong to the world, we are called within it to be present, to be a witness of faith, and a testament of the joy that only God can bring. If we dismiss the challenges, if we keep silent about things that are unjust, if we judge our peers in self-righteousness, then we lose the purpose for our being here. We must meet these challenges with prayer.  

  "You do not belong to the world".. and yet, you are chosen out of the world in order to live within it for the glory of God. In the moments that isolation and loneliness surface within our lives may we draw nearer to our Lord in prayer, trusting that He will truly "unite his children scattered throughout the world", in order for us to live united striving together for the good of His Eternal Kingdom. 

St. Michael Pray for us!

Holy Mary Mother of God, Pray for us!!

Amen. (C.C)   

  

"God Never Ceases". By: C.C.

"The desire for God is written in the human heart, because man is created by God and for God; and God never ceases to draw man to himself. Only in God will he find the truth and happiness he never stops searching for:" (CCC 27)

"God never ceases to draw man to himself". If God never ceases to draw us toward Him, then what is it that invades, disrupts, and distances man from God?

   If each of us took some time to reflect upon the distractions, disruptions, and idols in our lives that further the gap between us and God, we may begin to understand the reasons for any feeling of disconnect with our Heavenly Father who is consistently  present to us in love. 

   We may not be able to see God unceasingly drawing us toward Him because we do not cease in searching for happiness and truth outside of Him. As God constantly pursues us and draws us near to Him, we can be consumed with grasping at other things in our lives. Our search and ceaseless seeking for fulfillment does not enable us to see God at work. The constant motion and occupied nature of our lives can become a road block on our spiritual journey.

   "God never ceases to draw man to himself". It is only by our ceasing and surrender that we will be able to receive and allow the truth and happiness of God's love to resonate within us. We must recognize that the deepest desire written in the heart is for God, only then will we have joy. In the moments that we feel our Lord most distant, may we humbly be reminded that God never ceases and return to Him in prayer. Amen. (C.C.)  

     

The Loud Call to New Evangelization & The Quiet Whisper of Our Lord. By: C.C.

"The soul needs silence in order to adore Him.' (Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity)

                       

       The idea of New Evangelization has been embraced by many faithful members of the Catholic Church. Numerous blogs, websites, networks, twitter accounts, conferences, prayer groups, and many other fruitful means of sharing the Catholic faith have become quite prominent and easily accessible.

   The importance of Evangelizing is to encourage, ignite, and to also reveal the truth that we have been given. It is a means for us to share God's love. In order to do this successfully we must also take the time to get to know God ourselves and to make consistent effort at prayer. We must recognize the importance of having a strong foundation of personal prayer so that we may be formed in the truth of what we aim to share with others. If we feel called to share more, write more, preach more, post more, and "tweet" more then we must also understand the need to pray more and listen more to the voice of God.

   It can actually do a disservice to the faith of our Church if we consume ourselves only with talking and seeking to evangelize. We must pay attention to the movements of the Holy Spirit and where we are truly being led by our Lord. If we neglect the essential call to prayer and to fill ourselves with God through the celebration of Mass, The Eucharist, and the Sacraments... then we are only empty vessels at risk of becoming like the Pharisees.

   The success of  New Evangelization is built upon the ancient tradition of solitude and prayer. Without spending time in silence with our Lord and allowing Him to build a foundation within us, our work will not bear fruit. Our mission will not be properly rooted in God's will. To serve the Church and to build up the Kingdom of God is not an easy task. It is not work that we are called to do alone. We are sent out as if employed by God to share the good news of His love. We must invoke the assistance of the Angels and Saints in Heaven, as well as the protection and guidance of our Blessed Mother Mary. 

    The Gospel of Mark reminds us of Jesus taking the time away to pray in silence "And early in the morning, while it was still dark, He arose and went out and departed to a lonely place, and was praying there. ( Mark 1:35). Jesus offers us an important example here about our need for time alone with the Lord if we are called to minister to others. May our humble prayer each day be rooted in these words "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening" (Samuel 3:10) Amen. C.C.

  

  

  

The Most Worthy Work. By: C.C.

"We think we need to work more and more; but, what we need to do is pray more"(Dorothy Pilarski)

"Our greatest work is our desire, our goal to be like Jesus. It's work. You have to struggle with yourself, you have to do violence to your passions, to your faults, to your weaknesses; you gotta change! You have to be transformed into that image. You can't buy it; it's a life long struggle to be holy as He is holy." (Mother Angelica)

    Being Christian takes work. Aspiring to be like Jesus is work that many may not wish to attempt or begin; yet, we all desire the fruits of what such a life would produce. We wish the merits without the work. The difficulty of working for holiness is intimidating. As Mother Angelica so bluntly expresses we must "do violence to our passions, to our faults, to our weaknesses" in order to be transformed and changed.

    It can often be perceived that living to fulfill our passions is more gratifying;that it is somehow more rewarding.The worldly work that we pursue with persistent ambition seems to offer us a tangible reward and a sense of accomplishment. Perhaps the first problem we are faced with today is the avoidance of wanting to lead a life of holiness in the first place. We have become obsessed and immersed in the idea of accumulating accolades and have forgotten about God. We have lost sight of Who is most important. 

   We have developed a perception that in leading a life of holiness we will somehow be taken away from everything "we desire", from everything we have worked for. To let go and allow God to work in our lives is not a matter of losing anything; it is a matter of gaining more than we ever imagined. It is to welcome the helping hand of One capable of providing the fruits that no human work and accomplishment can ever offer us. 

  If we surrender and realize that working to be like Jesus is the work that matters most, then we will begin to see the work around us becoming more fruitful and successful. It may not be this way initially, but do not lose heart. Continue to trust in the Lord. If we are taken away from our "desires" and everything that we have worked for, then it is because there is something greater, something more that our Lord has in mind for us. 

  Lord, today we pray that You will help open our hearts and our minds to the presence of You in our lives. We are often overwhelmed by our worldly responsibilities and duties, forgetting that You are capable of bearing our burdens and aiding our work. Provide us with the clarity to see that the most worthy work we can accomplish is that of serving You and longing to be most like Jesus.Amen. (C.C.) 

   

    

Graduated and Seeking God's Will: By C.C.

"God often speaks to us in the years of our youth and points out to us the project of our life." (Pope Benedict)

     It is important during the years of our youth to remain close to our Lord and to discern His will in our lives. I was inspired to write this post for those who have recently graduated from their studies and are "seeking". As many of our young adults wrap up their academic careers and graduate from school, the obvious question can be asked "What am I going to do with my life?" 

   So often we think that it is solely up to us. We spend years in education, tackling post secondary and graduate degrees. We devote countless hours immersed in our studies, and sleeplessly enter  lecture halls in pursuit of "our future". When everything comes to a close and our finals are written- we may wonder why there is there still a sense of unknowing.

   The question we must ask in regards to our future is "What does GOD will for me to do with my life?", "What does He will for this very day? The discernment process is challenging, but as we begin to ask this question in faith an answer will meet us with peace. It is important that we remain fervent in prayer amidst our confusion about where God is calling us. 

   Through an honest openness and surrender to our Lord we will surely be led to the place He wills us to be. May we all be attentive to God's voice as we seek to serve Him in faith. (C.C) 

 

The Holy Spirit; A Holy Light Of Love. By: C.C.

"As the day breaks we see more clearly in a mirror the spots and stains of our faces. In the same way, as the inward light of the Holy Spirit enlightens our consciences, we see more clearly and distinctly the sins, inclinations and imperfections that keep us from reaching true devotion. The same light that enables us to see such defects and imperfections inflames us with a desire to cleanse and purify ourselves of them. "(St. Francis De Sales)

      As the Holy Spirit enlightens our consciences the vices that exist within us become more visible. One may find it difficult at first to recognize this awareness as purifying love. It takes great commitment to God and a yearning to lead a life of holiness in order to persevere in trust that this clarity will bring us to true freedom; that it will unite us with God. Beyond this, a willingness to pursue the path toward true devotion demands great faith!

    Absent of God this inward gazing can become destructive. Often the avoidance of our own truth and inner shades of brokenness is something that we are told by our "feel good" culture to steer away from and ignore. We are presented with numerous books, theories, and "instant remedies" that are geared toward gratification; geared away from embracing the Cross. Somehow these "fixes" have become the source of further brokenness and disenchantment. The often radical measures attempted to blind us from our weaknesses and brokenness succeed only in fueling the fire that burns our open wounds within. 

     Our brokenness is not a disease or something to be ashamed of. It is our reminder that we are human. It is our reminder that we are in need of our Divine Physician. We are called by God away from this brokenness and wounds. God calls us toward Him with purifying love that longs for us to know the joy and peace of His love. 

   As the Holy Spirit enters our hearts we are led by a light of love and not one of destruction. In seeking to unite ourselves with God we must be willing to detach and heal from the ills that create a barrier between this union. In our brokenness we may believe the lies that can often fill our minds. It is the Holy Spirit that provides us with the clarity to see that amidst all of the sins, inclinations and imperfections God loves us so much as to call us toward Him and meet us where we are. Through the stings of purification we are comforted by an unconditional love. We must keep our eyes on God, remain persistent in prayer, and continue to hope in order to be "inflamed with a desire to cleanse and purify ourselves" so that we can live in the peace and joy of our Lord. 

    Lord, thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit and also for our brokenness. It is in this way that we may come to a better understanding of how much we need You within our lives. As we seek to break free from various things that separate us from You, provide us with the clarity and comfort that we need. Help us Lord, so that we may always look to you in our time of distress;recognizing that You are the only capable healer and help that is steadfast. Provide clarity and mercy for those who have yet to know You. Help those who yearn to serve You by sharing the joy, peace, and truth of Your love. We ask for the intercession of all the Saints, especially Saint Raphael and the protection of our most Blessed Mother Mary. Amen (C.C.)  

Facing "The World of Action" With The Solitude of Prayer: By: C.C.

“In our age, the road to holiness necessarily passes through the world of action…. He who wills adventure will experience it—according to the measure of his courage. He who wills sacrifice will be sacrificed—according to the measure of his purity of heart.” (Hammarskjold)

     The path to holiness is one that invites us to aspire toward purity of heart;"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God"(Matthew 5:8). To attain this purity while living in our "world of action" poses great challenges and calls us first to surrender, to act with courage, and ultimately to sacrifice. 

  Though we share the call to holiness, the way in which we fulfill this call varies depending on our state in life and God's true will for us. Hammarskjold reminds us that this is also according to the measure of our courage and of our purity of heart. In order to respond to the Lord's call and be willing to sacrifice and strive toward purity we must first begin by encountering our Lord through the silence and solitude of prayer.

   It is important that we take time away from our "world of action" to seek the serenity of our Lord. "There should be at least a room, or some corner where no one will find you and disturb you or notice you. You should be able to untether yourself from the world and set yourself free, loosing all the fine strings and strands of tension that bind you, by sight, by sound, by thought, to the presence of other men. "But thou, when thou shalt pray, enter into thy chamber, and having shut the door, pray to thy Father in secret" Once you have found such a place, be content with it. (Thomas Merton)

   Lord, help us to recognize the importance of solitude and silence of prayer as we seek to serve You within this world of action. Provide us with the courage and strength to pursue the path to holiness despite the difficulty we may face. Thank you Lord for the gift of faith and the desire to follow You. May we strive each day to close ourselves away from the world as to better hear Your voice and carry out Your will. Amen. (C.C.)