Let Me Only Know Your Will

Oh, Holy Spirit, beloved of my soul, I adore you. Enlighten me, guide me, strengthen me, console me. Tell me what I should do; give me your orders. I promise to submit myself to all that you desire of me and to accept all that you permit to happen to me. Let me only know your will. 

Joseph Cardinal Mercier (1851-1926)

This prayer came to me on a card I received while attending a parish mission a few years back.  For a long time it served as a barely used bookmark in my Bible at home, sitting on the end table, collecting dust.  Last summer, as carpool ended I realized I had some free time between mass and the need to get to work.  I decided to give that time to the Lord, and try and listen to His voice through His holy scripture.  At some point I took a harder look at the bookmark I was holding, and ever since I have been reciting the words above as a precursor to my scripture reading.

Like alot of things in life, nothing really happened at first.  I didn't all of the sudden feel a greater affinity for the Holy Spirit, or sense his presence more often.  But with time, and the recurring themes streaming through my head, I started to ask myself some questions, like:

Golden Rules

“We have learned to swim the sea like fishes and fly the sky like birds, but we have not yet learned the art of living together as brothers.”  Martin Luther King

Number in hand, I leaned against the postal counter awaiting early morning service. 

A voice startled me out of my slumber.  A familiar Bengali accent heralded too loud to go unnoticed.  “Ah, Mr. Morrison!  How are you doing?  We have heard your family has been struggling with some difficult times.” 

A gentle hand squeezed my shoulder from behind.  I turned to greet a man taller than myself and grinning from ear to ear.  “I’m so excited to see you!”

“And you as well!”  I stepped away from the counter to visit with the parents of three of my former students.  We visited briefly as the couple brought me up-to-date on their adult children’s adventures.  Time forced our conversation to condense as they carried a package to be shipped to their daughter in India.

“We know you must be struggling.  Your family is in our prayers.  We have asked Poornima to contact our prominent guru directly.  He is a good man and lives in the city in which she serves.”  Always a spirited, gentle soul, Poornima recently completed her master’s degree in biomedical engineering at Ohio State University.  She had chosen to serve the poor of India for some time.  Also, at this same time she was receiving mentoring and spiritual direction from her guru, a spiritual teacher and master.

At that instant, I felt ashamed to admit I felt awkward.  My extent of “guru influence” was usually tied to trite wisdom or an exaggerated compliment.  I applauded John Paul II and several others who have made strides to promote ecumenism.  I have written about it, read about it, am a proponent of it.  However, in a different cultural form of prayer offered for my behalf, my initial, silent reflex-impression to the sincere offering was; a guru, what can he do?

I wondered what my students and families who were not Christian must have thought when I offered my prayers for their well-being or healing?   For a moment, I limited the essence of the Creator.  I beat religious prejudice from creeping in.  I felt humbled, blessed by my Indian friends’ outpouring kindness and generosity.    

Despite the heinous acts of violence in the name of religion on Palm Sunday in Egypt, Pope Francis has asked mankind to come together in dialogue to teach and to accept one another.  What do we genuinely know of our brothers and sisters and their faith journeys through this life?

We need to find wisdom, strength, and conviction in our Lord’s first words following His resurrection in Matthew’s gospel:  Suddenly, without warning Jesus stood before them and said, “Peace!”  The women came up and embraced his feet and did him homage.  At this, Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid!”  Mt 28: 9-10.

Golden Rules

Christianity – Jesus, Luke 6:13

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Jainism – Lord Mahavir 24^th Tirthankara

In happiness and suffering, in joy and grief, regard all creatures as you would your own self.

Sikhism – Sri Guru Granth Sahib

Be not estranged from another for God dwells in every heart.

Judaism – Talmud, Shabbat 31A

Shammai drove away the enquirer with the builder’s cubit which was in his hand, and then went to Rabbi Hillel, who said: “What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor; that is the entire Torah; the rest is commentary; go and learn it.”

Buddhism – Udana-Varqu 5:18

Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.

Zoroastrianism – Dadistan-I-Dink 94:5

Human nature is good only when it does not do unto another whatever is not good for its own self.

Islam – Sunnah

No one is a believer until you desire for another that which you desire for yourself.

Baha’I – Baha’u’llah, Tablets of Baha’u’allah 71

Blessed are those who prefer others before themselves.

“Either we acknowledge that God is in all things or we have lost the basis for seeing God in anything.”  Richard Rohr, OFM

A Guru shared this story from many years ago …

A Sheep found a hole in the fence

and crept through it.

He wandered far

and lost his way back.

Then he realized he was

being followed by a wolf.  He ran

and ran, but the wolf kept chasing

him, until the shepherd came

and rescued him and carried him

lovingly back to the fold.

In spite of everyone’s urgings

to the contrary, the shepherd refused

to nail up the hole in the

fence.

Bury the Dead

By Fred Vilbig


In my work as an estate planning attorney, I go to a lot of funerals. Some of my kids have told me that I have the most depressing job in the world since I deal with so much death and dying.

Normally funerals have family and friends that gather from all over. There is a wake the night before. At least here in St. Louis we seem to have developed a custom of putting up a display of pictures of the decedent, and everyone talks about what a nice person he or she was. At the funeral, the priest will usually say some kind words about the decedent, and after the Mass, there is a eulogy by a friend or family member that does the same kind of thing.

I recently attended a funeral that had none of that. The decedent’s only sister had died a couple of years earlier. There were no children or nieces of nephews. The woman had been perhaps a little cantankerous, so there was only one neighbor couple, our parish mourners, some bank trust officers, and me. This started me thinking about what we really are doing at funerals.

Progress

I worry about my kids. It seems to me like the last few generations had more opportunities than the ones before it. My parents had an easier time than their parents, and I had more chances than they did. I feel fortunate. The hard work I was willing to put forth coupled with the place and time I was in, set me on the path to success. I'm worried that my children will have a tougher time. They will have to accept a lower bar of success than what Lisa and I have achieved.

Or will they? Having a great education leading to a high paying job doesn't guarantee you fulfillment. I know that, yet as a parent, this is what I fret over. If I'm being honest, I might be better at the American Dream than the generation after me, but my kids are better people than I am. They are more loving, kind, and content. They have a maturity and perspective that I'm just now starting to grasp.

I remember listening to George Carlin with my parents in our living room. My dad was given a cassette tape, that I would rewind with a pencil whenever our player would eat and spit the tape everywhere. One bit I remember he called the Paradox of Time.

Are You Spiritually Healthy?

By Mike Hey

1 Timothy 4:7-9

"Spend your time and energy in training yourself for spiritual fitness. Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is much more important for it promises a reward in both this life and the next. This is true and everyone should accept it."

During Lent Matthew Kelly asked his readers this question and it got me thinking. We seem to discount or downplay our spiritual health and fitness even though it is as important as our physical and emotional well -being. I sure did. My priorities were screwed up. After taking a personal inventory of my life it became clear to me that the emptiness I was feeling was the absence of Christ. I had no relationship with Him, and this needed repairing.

We all know that our bodies and minds function and feel better with daily physical exercise, nutritious foods, and a good night’s sleep. Good hygiene, right? Neglecting any of these can lead to serious health issues. Abusive behaviors are also detrimental. No brainer. Our spiritual health requires as much attention. I'm convinced that we cannot experience the abundant life in Jesus Christ without exercising good spiritual hygiene on a systematic basis. Here's why. God wants us living our lives before the world in a manner that glorifies Him through Jesus Christ. In order for that to be the case, we must demonstrate the attributes of Christ. This comes naturally when we are led by the Holy Spirit, Who will fuel us with spiritual health and enrichment in a continual, renewing process. When we are full of the Holy Spirit, we are led by the Holy Spirit. And when we are led by the Holy Spirit, people see the attributes of Jesus Christ flowing from us.

Like many of you perhaps, my faith is a work in process requiring daily exercise and fuel. The fuel consists of the following attributes:

Lessons from a Little Prince

It’s a cold rainy day, and my father-in-law is visiting from Dallas. I pour a cup of coffee and sit in my familiar chair, ready to trudge through some emails and get my day started. He sits across from me. He looks like Dave Brubeck in his glasses. He still has his breathe right strip on and a 1995 American Royale BBQ sweatshirt he proudly wears, reminding me of his third place finish there. He starts talking about a dream he had about one of his favorite books, The Little Prince. He tells me about the author Antoine de Saint-Exupery, who was a French pilot during World War II, and eventually became a poet and author. He encouraged me to read the story. I did.

One of the messages I picked up on is the relationship the little prince has with a rose. This rose represents a friendship. Once you have established ties to another you become responsible for that person forever. The prince spends his time caring for his rose. In doing so, he realizes the unique bond that is created with someone when you invest your time with them.

“But my rose, all on her own, is more important than all of you together, since she's the one I've watered. Since she's the one I put under glass, since she's the one I sheltered behind the screen. Since she's the one I listened to when she complained, or when she boasted, or even sometimes when she said nothing at all. Since she's my rose.”

“People where you live," the little prince said, "grow five thousand roses in one garden... yet they don't find what they're looking for...And yet what they're looking for could be found in a single rose, or a little water…" And the little prince added, "But eyes are blind. You have to look with the heart.”

“Grown-ups love figures... When you tell them you've made a new friend they never ask you any questions about essential matters. They never say to you "What does his voice sound like? What games does he love best? Does he collect butterflies? " Instead they demand "How old is he? How much does he weigh? How much money does his father make? " Only from these figures do they think they have learned anything about him.”

 As I travel down the path on my faith journey, I start to appreciate things that I once took for granted. The relationships I have with others is a gift from God. The quality, intimacy, and joy in those relationships, is in direct correlation to the time I spend with them. Sharing my experiences, my hopes and fears, and just enjoying the passing of time. How long have I been busying myself growing a large garden yet not find what I’m looking for? How blind do my own eyes continue to be to what truly matters?

The most important relationship I have is with Jesus. I know even writing that sentence, that my actions don’t show that. Some people in my life, I touch base with once a year. I give them an update of what is going on, and offer a highlight reel of notable events. Others are part of my life. They are experiencing it daily with me. There is no need for me to bring them up to speed, because they are shoulder to shoulder with me. Which one is Jesus for you? I pray that each of us invest our time and energy in worthy causes - in people rather than things, and recognize the source of love that bonds each of our closest relationships together.