Just a thought from a few saintly persons

Here is a thought from G. K Chesterton

"Some people do not like the word "dogma". Fortunately they are free, and there is an alternative for them. There are two things, and two things only, for the human mind,a dogma and a prejudice...

A doctrine is a definite point; a prejudice is a direction. That an ox may be eaten, while a man should not be eaten, is a doctrine. That as little as possible of anything should be eaten is a prejudice, which is sometimes called an ideal.

Now a direction is always far more fantastic than a plan. I would rather have the most archaic map of the road to Brighton than a general recommendation to turn to the left...

Men will walk along the edge of a chasm in clear weather, but they will edge miles away from it in a fog...

The essential of the difference is this: that prejudices are divergent, whereas creeds are always in collision. Believers bump into each other; whereas bigots keep out of each other's way...

Doctrine therefore does not cause divisions; rather a doctrine alone can cure our dissensions."

Why? Doctrines cause us to dialogue and enter into a real search for truth. Prejudices don't care for the truth but only whims, fancies, and opinions. Because these are always changing there can never be a true union of mind and heart and a temporary fix will never fix the real problem.

It is the truth that will set us free, free to build a society united both heart and mind.

IT is precisely a mind and heart fixed on a permanent truth that makes us able to love truly and live in harmony.

flaw

2 samuel 11:1-4, 5-10, 13-17; Psalm 51 Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned; Mark 4:26-34

Quote from Abraham Lincoln: "Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character give him power."

Lincoln had a deep insight into the human condition, especially since he held the office of president of the United States at a critical point in our history.

He understood adversity but he also understood the great risk involved in receiving power.

It is power that test a man's character not adversity.

Today in the first reading we encounter David, king of Israel. He was chosen to lead, to guide God's people at a critical point in the history of Israel. They were a new kingdom under a time of transition with new leadership but also a time of campaign where the kingdom was being extended.

David was on top of the world. He was in his prime. He was riding the wave of popularity. He was a man of great prestige and greater power.

We discover his character flaw because not of the adversity he endured but because of the power he wielded.

"From the roof he saw a woman bathing, who was very beautiful."

He knew she was taken, she belonged to another, yet he pursued her.

"Then David sent Messengers and took her. When she came to him, he had relations with her."

Bathsheba conceived a child. David tried to cover up his mistake. He had Uriah, Bathsheba's husband killed, "Place Uriah up front, where the fighting is fierce. then pull back and leave him to be struck down dead."

"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power."

David's character is revealed in the presence of the power given. His character flaw is revealed in the light of the power bestowed.

Humility was demanded for the office he received yet pride continued to hold him in its grip.

We shall see how humility finds David and eventually transforms him to become a man after God's own heart. But we must follow the story to see how power gives way to mourning; repentance prepares David to be a true king of Israel.

It is often in our flaws that we discover the ability to be transformed. It is our imperfections that lead us closer to God and avail our hearts to God's saving grace.

We can never cover up our faults and flaws and imperfections; we must learn to find life within them.

deal or no deal

2 samuel 7:18-19,24-29; Psalm 132 The Lord God will give him the throne of David, his father; Mark 4:21-25

"For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible; nothing secret except to come to light."

"The measure you give will be the measure you receive."

According to Jesus in today's gospel, the secret life has ended. There is no such thing as secrecy in the life of faith. There is no hiding behind or obscuring from view. All of our actions and thoughts and plans shall be made visible in the light of Christ.

Our task is to live in the light. We must not be afraid of the exposure. Just like picture negatives need black light or a dark room in order to develop our soul needs light itself in order for it to be formed properly.

Secondly Jesus mentions that the measure we give will be the measure we receive. It the words of my mother as she searched the papers for coupons, this is a good deal not worth passing up.

It is a good deal, laid bare at our feet. You get what you see and there are no strings attached. The measure you give will be the measure you receive. A good deal: do you take it or leave it.

Is it a deal or no deal. Be careful what you risk for as they say a bird in the hand is better than two in the bush.

These words of Jesus are probably the most precise and easiest to understand and put into practice: the measure you give and will be the measure you receive. So measure wisely and well.

Today is the feast of St. Thomas Aquinas, doctor of the church.

Here is a little excerpt of one of his teachings

"What may we learn from the descent of Jesus into Hell as we we profess in the Apostles Creed. We discover a firm hope in God. No matter how much one is afflicted, one ought always hope in the assistance of God and have trust. There is nothing more serious as to be in hell. If, therefore, Christ delivered those from hell, what great confidence ought every friend of God have that he will be delivered from all his troubles!..He that feared the Lord shall tremble at nothing and shall not be afraid; for He is his hope."

If Jesus goes there, then certainly he will come here to be with us.

Angela's ashes

Readings for the mass

Just a note on the gospel: Today the parable of the sower and the seed strikes our mind with a very lucid image. The sower sows seed everywhere.

The image is meant to get us to understand that God the sower allows his word to go all places. There is no such thing as dead soil when it comes to God. He never sees it as a waste for he recognizes the potential in every place no matter how barren it may seem to us.

What may seem like dismay and despair to us will always look like potential in the eyes of God

***********************
Today in the church we celebrate the memorial of St. Angela Merici.

She was born in the late 15th century and died in the 16th century.

At the age of ten both of her parents died, as well as, later she sat at the bedside of her sister while she died.

A life filled with sadness and sorrow did not however distract her from loving God.

In fact, it inspired her and strengthen her to more devoutly give herself to God.

She became rich soil that bore much fruit in her life.

So, we honor her today.

We can still learn much from her wisdom and teachings.

Just a few bits of wisdom form her:

1) the disorder of society is rooted in the disorder of the family. If you want to know what is wrong with society and why you must direct your attention to the family. If you want to correct the errors of society and direct it anew then the remedy will only be discovered and implemented in the family as well.

2) The devil never sleeps. Therefore we must remain aroused from slumber by continued prayer and acts of love. By this life of devotion will we be able to beat the devil at his own game.

Stay awake, the devil prowls like a lion seeking to devour souls. But a soul full of prayer and love can never be overcome.

May St. Angela help guide us home.

pass it on

2 tim 1:1-8; Titus 1:1-5; Psalm 96 Proclaim God's marvelous deeds to all the nations; Luke 10:1-9

today we celebrate the memorial of Timothy and Titus. Both of these men were instrumental in helping to build and form the early Christian communities, the early church.

They worked hand in hand with St. Paul to proclaim the gospel message and to ensure the faithful were living it in the proper manner. See Titus 3:8, "I want to insist on these points, that those who have believed in god be careful to devote themselves to good works."

They were a faithful, reliable, consistent, and strong force for the gospel, for the kingdom.

They did what was asked of them, with no complaint and no hesitation.

We honor them today. But we do not just honor them, we honor those who taught them.

St. Paul in his letter to Timothy, mentions gratitude not just to Timothy but to those who passed it on to him, "...I recall your sincere faith that first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice..."

All faith comes from some where. It doesn't just pop out of the thin blue sky. It must have a history and a heritage if it is to be genuine and authentic.

St. Paul acknowledges the rich faith tradition from which Timothy comes. His heritage in his grandmother and mother gave him the foundation he needed to respond to God's call when it arrived.

They laid the seed bed so that God could reap his harvest.

When ever we celebrate the feast of the Saints, we must pause and think not only of them, but of those who helped them on the path. No saint becomes a saint in isolation.

We all have people in our life that have become for us what Lois and Eunice was to Timothy.

We should thank them. We should pray for them. We should bless them by living the faith we have received. What greater honor would there be than to embrace what was passed on and with gratitude pass it on as well.

excerpt from St. Basil

"What words can adequately describe God's gift? They are so numerous that they defy enumeration. they are so great that any one of them demands our total gratitude in response."

surpised

Acts 22:3-16; Acts 9:1-22; Psalm 117 Go out to all the world and tell the Good News; Mark 16:15-18

The feast of the conversion of St. Paul

Today we celebrate the reality of God reaching into the human heart and changing it forever.

As we encounter the conversion of St. Paul we encounter the desire of God for all. He wants to change us, convert us, open our eyes.

God wants our heart to be transformed.

There are two things to note about the conversion of St. Paul.

One: this conversion was initiated by God. All conversion is initiated by God in God's time. We should pray and work for all but also be patient with God. In his time, man's heart is ultimately awakened to the reality of God's presence and God's call.

As we pray for those around us, in our families or in our circle of friends, we must learn to be patient with God and this will give us strength and teach us endurance.

Secondly: St. PAul was a man who was hateful toward christians. He was constant in arresting them and punishing them for their beliefs. Yet, despite is character and zeal against the Christians God chooses him to be the champion of the Christian way and lifestyle.

God chooses the most hateful to become the most capable of preachers and teachers of the faith.

As you read the conversion accounts you discover that the people, especially the Christians, were surprised by this reality.

In fact, creating space in our life to be surprised by God, is necessary for a life of faith. Unless we are willing to be surprised by God we will never be able to experience the true depth of faith or enter fully into a genuine relationship with God in Christ.

We have to be willing to be surprised. We must learn not only to like surprises but begin to anticipate them with great joy.

In the same way we must also let God use us to surprise others. We must be willing to let God use us as his instruments to surprise others with the touch of glory and joy that comes in living our faith.

Here is a life of conversion: to be surprise by joy, to surprise others with the joy of God's presence and God's call in Christ.

(Above is the beheading of St. Paul by Algardi. A reminder that conversion is never just a one day thing, but a life lived in faith and a willingness to die for life.)

Where were you?

Nehemiah 8:2-10; Psalm 19 Your words, Lord, are spirit and life; 1 corinthians 12:12-30; Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21

"...the parts of the body that seem weaker are all the more necessary, and those parts of the body that we consider less honorable we surround with greater honor, and our less presentable parts are treated with greater propriety..."

"God constructed the body as to give greater honor to a part that is without it, so that there be no division in the body, but that the parts may have the same concern for one another. If one suffers, we all suffer..."

"Now you are Christ's body and individually parts of it."

The analogy of the body that St. Paul uses and develops in his letter to the Corinthian community it by far the easiest and most clear to follow.

We all have bodies and we all understand how our body is affected when one part is afflicted or diseased or paralyzed or even cut off. Our body seems some what unbalanced, incomplete. Its ability to perform is greatly affected by the smallest of hurt in the smallest part.

I think of athletes. How often are athletes sidelined for an injury to their toe? The "turf Toe" ailment afflicts great discomfort and limits the body's ability to perform as it should.

Think of our own life. A simply tooth ache can be debilitating. A pimple on the tip of the nose can cause excruciating pain. A cut on a finger can limit one's ability to do daily and routine activity.

The body is a well designed work of art that needs full cooperation of all its parts for performance to be what it is made to be.

Such is the life of society. We are all one body. We are all affected by each other. What one does has a pull on the other. We are not isolated nor private. Especially as Baptized Christians, together collectively we all serve to build society; only together can we function properly and beautifully.

St. Paul mentions in the letter that "the parts that seem weaker are all the more necessary."

Isn't this true for our society, our life together as a human family? Isn't this true for our public reality as the body of Christ? Isn't our weaker parts in need a much more concern and attention and protection?

And yet, we fail at our duty. And yet we let them down.

This pass friday we marched on Washington, some estimated 250,000 to 300,000 men, women, and children seeking to take a stand for the weakest of our parts in the body, the unborn child in his/her mother's womb.

The weakest yet the most necessary is under attack. A new Holocaust has been ripping through our body, our society, our life. The most vulnerable has been left exposed to violence and they are in need of our help, our protection, our voice.

We are called to have "the same concern for one another."

Should not the unborn child get the same attention as the victims of the Earthquake in Haiti. Should not the 50 million that have been killed in their mother's womb be just as important as the 200,000 possibly killed in the earthquake.

Where is red cross, where is the clinton bush fund, where is the telethon raising money, where is the news media for the most vulnerable and weakest and yet most necessary part of all?

Our faith demands action for our body suffers.

When you visit the Holocaust museum in Washington D.C. and you go through the exhibit that tells the reality of what the Nazis did to exterminate the Jews and anyone else who stood in their way you discover an important part of the Nazi Germany's weapon.

Half way through the exhibit there on the wall is written this note: the one thing the Nazia counted on and the on thing the that did not let them down was they trusted that people would remain bystanders. They trusted that people who saw what was happening would simply turn away and choose to be spectators.

We cannot be spectators or bystanders. Whether we like it or not we are involved.

St. Paul says, "God constructed the body in such a way that one part is concerned for the other part." We must choose to act, to take a stand for the weakest and most vulnerable part of the body of society: the unborn child.

Just as we enter fully into Ordinary Time in the church and focus our attention on the public ministry of Christ in the gospels, so too we remember that our faith is not a private affair. We must live it publicly. Just as Jesus lived his faith publicly so too we must as the body of Christ.

We must stand and march forward defending the weakest and most necessary parts of the body. If the child in the womb is not important then what is? If we have no concern for this part, what part is of concern?

I was marching for life this past Friday...where were you?

"He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord."

"He said to them, 'Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing."

Do not close your ears. You can no longer be a bystander. Your voice is not only needed but demanded by God, "You are the body of Christ.'

The unknown in the womb need your voice to be known in the public square.

They tried to silence Christ on the cross, yet his voice still echoes forth carrying the same message, "what you do to the least of my brothers and sisters you do unto me."

If life in the womb is not sacred and worth fighting for, then life as we know it shall be destroyed.

Quote on the wall at the Holocaust museum as you leave the exhibit, perhaps as a warning for us all,

"first they came for the communist, and I did not speak out- because I was not a communist. Then they came for the trade unionist, and I did not speak out- because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out - because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me-there was no one left to speak out." Martin Niemoller

We can all say that we are not many things. But the one thing we can never say is that we have never been an unborn child.

If we do not stand for life, we can not stand at all.