I remember in 1978, when I was a sun burnt kid with cut offs and a bad hair cut. I had a hero. Someone who was larger than life to me. 6’ 5”, valedictorian of his graduating class, talented athlete, but could draw and paint. He filled the room with his laughter. In my mom’s words, “He just made life seem bigger.” My old man.
As you grow older, you see your hero with all of his imperfections and shortcomings. As you mature, your definition of what a true hero is starts to change as well.
Where are our heroes today? At times it’s easy to get pessimistic about the selfishness that exists in our world. It’s on display everywhere you look. People trying to board a plane before everyone else, taking credit for things at work, or even helping themselves to the big piece of chicken at dinner. Have we lost faith in each other? Do we live in a time where the only way you can find happiness is at the expense of someone else?
According to the folks at the Carnegie Hero Fund, heroes are everywhere. You just have to know where to look. The fund has recognized hundreds of people annually who meet their criteria of what it means to be a hero. They are so flooded with nominations that they had to toughen up the criteria. It’s inspiring to hear the stories of regular men and women, courageously putting themselves in harms way to protect someone they often don’t even know. When these award winners were asked why they did what they did, there was a common theme in their response. “Well, if the roles were reversed, they would have done the same for me.” There is a belief in heroes that they are not special, and a trust in their fellow man. A belief that deep down, past our differences in race, wealth, faith or politics, we all care for one another.
Ten years ago, a wirey kid from St. Louis who played in various bands while in high school, felt the call to the priesthood. He is currently in New York in formation. Brother John Klien wrote a song called Love is Brave. I think it helps us frame what we as Catholics, see as a hero.
My dad’s been gone for five years now. Not a day goes by that I don’t see his hand in who I am, both the good and the bad. I remember the day of his funeral. A man came up to me that I didn’t know. He told me a story. At a church meeting, each of them were asked to identify a hero; someone in their life who demonstrated greater than anyone, a selfless love that inspired you. He showed me the piece of paper my dad turned in. On it was scribbled the words, “my son, Ben.”
None of us deserve praise for doing what is right. The trust we have in each other, the willingness to put our needs behind those we love as well as those we don’t know, comes from inside us. The part of us where God lives. That part of us where we are all the same.
One of the blessings in my life lately has been daily Mass. Over the past few years daily Mass had been part of my Lenten sacrifice. Then, last year I attended a Mission given by Father Larry Richards. If any of you have ever seen him in person or on video, you know Father Larry has great passion and a gift for connecting with people, especially men. I was struck by his emphasis on a daily holy hour - it seemed to be vital to his walk with Christ and a source of his daily strength. As Lent came to an end I decided to see if I could continue to take part in the daily celebration of Mass, inspired by Father Larry...and here we are almost a year later and I am still going. Please say a prayer for me that I may continue...
From this increased emphasis and exposure to scripture and the heart of Our Lord in the Eucharist, my life has changed. I see things differently, spend more time in reflection of my daily life and the place of Christ within it. By no means have the red seas parted and my path made straight...if anything I would say that more and more distractions have come to the fore. Unfortunately if you asked my wife she would probably hesitate to say that I have changed much. It is in the interior self - in my attitudes, motivations and intentions - where I notice the change.
God has shown me that He is deeply in love with me, and wants so much more for me than I even want for myself. This revelation brings fear and trepidation as I instinctually cling to what is known and comfortable. I am slowly learning to let go, to allow His will to be my will, to become a man fully alive. No doubt the daily reminder in Mass of His sacrifice for me strengthens my resolve as I travel that road - without it I suspect that the knock He is making at my door would go unanswered...
I have come to savor the time after Eucharist, when Christs Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity becomes infused into mine. Recently I have been overcome with gratitude, and have found the Anima Chisti, the prayer below, as one way to manifest that emotion. Often as I recite the 7th line, a tear or two comes to my eyes...
John the Baptist
proclaims, God can raise up children to
Abraham from these very stones. Mt
3:9
Upon arriving, the angel said to her: “Rejoice, O
highly favored daughter! The Lord is
with you. Blessed are you among
women.” She was deeply troubled by his
words, and wondered what his greeting meant.
The angel went on to say to her: “Do
not fear, Mary. You have found favor
with God. You shall conceive and bear a
son and give him the name Jesus. Great
will be his dignity and he will be called Son of the Most High. Lk 1:28-32
“I solemnly assure you, history has not known a man
born of a woman greater than John the Baptizer.
Yet the least born into the kingdom of God is greater than he.” Mt 11:11
When
Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leapt in her womb. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and
cried out in a loud voice: “Blest are you among women and blest is the fruit of
your womb. But who am I that the mother
of my Lord should come to me?” Lk
1:41-43
I’m an avid fan of
good children’s literature. Though
written through the eyes of children, I find a purity of heart and profound
truthfulness in their stories. Unfortunately,
they become corrupted through life’s experiences. Our excuses fog the clarity of goodness
children experience, BUT we are encouraged by our Lord to forever foster the
heart of a child as we are forever children of God. We wander!!!
We wonder!!!
In a recent animated
film, Moana, a female child journeys
to a distant land in quest of restoring fish of the sea to nourish her island
people. Though special to her royal
parents, young Moana is more of a utilitarian piece to her tribe than loved for
who she is. Intimidated to venture forward
in life, she relies on the words of her grandmother reminding Moana that she
was “chosen” regardless of the success or failure she might encounter. To be chosen has far greater assurances
beyond gifted or special. It promises to
freely give and to receive love unconditionally …. Later, when Moana is alone, abandoned,
failing, and prepared to surrender at life, Moana draws strength and hope from the
radiant stingray rising from ocean’s darkness … the spirit of her dead
grandmother’s words reinforcing that she is/was chosen!
I find the nativity narratives
in the gospels of Matthew and Luke to be much like quality stories of
children’s literature graced with truth more so than facts. The quotations above are read during the
Sunday Masses in advent. Mary was told
she was blessed among women. She was
chosen … and not to fear. She found
favor with God. Jesus, too, was chosen. John the Baptist and Elizabeth (both also
chosen) both recognized Jesus to be chosen verifying, confirming the greeting
Mary received from an angel. And … God promised to love unconditionally!
Being special is very
different than knowing you were chosen and that you belong. Every child is a gift from God to be loved
unconditionally. Your child is chosen by
you … and do your children know that? Too
many children and too many adults need to know they were chosen!
As a teacher, I
encounter many broken young people. (In
the act of privacy, the facts have been changed, but the truth in the
consequences and severity of loss to this individual have not been compromised
or diminished.) In school, two weeks before
Christmas, a student was caught with marijuana in the morning and
expelled. Later that afternoon, after
peers let him into the building, he was caught a second time and expelled again. The case could be made favoring stupidity,
but I heard a freshman screaming for help.
Suffering high anxieties, he failed to attend classes 80% of the time. Upon inquiry, I was informed he was new to
our community and school following his mother’s suicide on her return from
military tour two years earlier. A week
prior to his drug infraction, his meth-addicted father attempted suicide. When emergency personnel arrived, the fire
marshal condemned the housing in which he and his siblings were living. Due to age differences the siblings were
placed into different housing facilities. There is a question he desperately needs
answered … a question he does not even
know to ask … he is screaming and he doesn’t hear himself … Have you chosen me? Has anyone chosen me?
Across generations a
grandfather reminds the chosen they are loved unconditionally ….
“When I held my
grandson for the first time, I couldn’t find words to express everything I was
feeling,” begins an excerpt of a
letter composed by a grandfather to his daughter and son-in-law after the birth
of their son who will require a lifetime of emotional and physical care. “Yesterday, I felt your great joy over him, …
but also your pain. This joy and pain is
ours, too. Yes, it was a shock to see
all the black marks on his little body, and only God knows what lies ahead for
this courageous young fighter. … I wish
you the courage to stand by him when things get tough. … I will remind him as he grows he has
grandparents who have loved him from the start and will never stop loving and
praying for him. … his life will carry a
meaning that is greater than the sum of his suffering … Wishing you God’s
closeness, your Papa.” -- Johann
Christoph Arnold
Mary and Elizabeth
were told they were chosen. Their sons,
too, were chosen and affirmed. Despite
the angel’s words, Mary and Elizabeth were not told their sons would experience
rejection at home … wander through life’s deserts … fail in popularity … battle
greed, power, temptation … undergo persecution … toss and turn in sleepless
nights … encounter anger and hostility … battle social, economic, ethnic and
racial injustices … struggle to understand … face world disharmony … experience
hunger, thirst, pain and loss … question as to whether they belong … and … God gave them strength, courage,
support, and loved unconditionally!
We share much more in
common with Mary and Elizabeth than we might think. God the Father reminded Jesus His Son through the Spirit. "You are my beloved Son. On you my favor rests." Mk 1:11
We need to know … kids
need to know they are loved unconditionally, they belong, they are chosen! They need to be reminded … often. They need to hear it, feel it, celebrate it! We must act on it!
Upon the passing of Epiphany, we enter into the Ordinary Time of the Church year. The Gospel readings at Mass cover the beginning of Jesus’ ministry and the calling of the Apostles. The stories include the first miracles and the astonishment of the Jews. Jesus casts our demons, and they testify as to who He was. His fame spread far and wide because of all of this. I don’t know about you, but to me, this does not sound much like “ordinary” time.
For me, the “ordinary” time of Jesus’ life would have been the time when Jesus lived in Nazareth with Mary and Joseph. The Gospels say nothing about that time other than that after they found Him in the temple, Jesus was obedient to Mary and Joseph. Luke tells us that He advanced in wisdom and age and favor before God and man. Luke 2:51 – 52. Other than that, those 30 or so years with the silent years, the “ordinary” time of Jesus’s life.
It’s interesting to speculate (and that’s all it would be) about that time in Jesus’ life. From the moment of His conception in Mary’s womb, He was fully God and fully man. As a man, I assume he would have grown in His awareness of who He was. At the same time, he would have helped Mary with chores, and when he was older, he almost certainly would have helped Joseph in his carpentry shop.
We would have to assume that Jesus would have been patient and loving in all that He did. In addition, I would think that He would have done the best job He could possibly have done to help His mother and Joseph. Although He was waiting for the time when He would begin His public ministry, that time was not wasted. Simply by living His daily life, He sanctified all of those common, day-to-day tasks that each one of us do on a regular basis. He made those ordinary things extraordinary.
I think we sometimes think that we are in a rut, or that the things that we do day-in and day-out don’t really matter. But that isn’t true. Performing those ordinary tasks for the glory of God makes them extraordinary. Just do your best and offer them to God every day. If you do that, you will never be in “ordinary time”.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-19 “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing; give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit.”
I’ve got to admit it guys, mine is kind of dry sometimes. While I do not normally make New Year’s resolutions I have reflected on what I would like to do in 2017 to be a better Catholic. Praying more intentionally and fervently heads my list.
We’re all busy. We have responsibilities and duties that fill our days and crowd our minds and hearts. They stretch us and keep us on the go. In the midst of this reality, how are we to preserve and nurture a spiritual life? How are we to prevent our souls from being casualties to our life’s activities? In summary, how are we to stay close to the Lord in our everyday lives? How are we to pray when prayer becomes dry and challenging?
Some might respond that we need a quiet life, solitude, and set times for prayer in order to grow spiritually. This may be possible for some of us, but probably not the majority of us. How about this: Seek to quiet some of the things we do; instead of complete solitude, we need to look for solitude within our hearts and where we might be able to find a few minutes to be alone; instead of set times for prayer, we should look for zones of prayer that acknowledge our legitimate duties and gives the flexibility we need to find time to pray.
“What am I supposed to say when I pray?” When we pray, we can say whatever we want. There is no such thing as a bad prayer. When we begin to pray, the most important thing is just that we are praying.
To help us when we begin to pray, we can do what we do best in our fallen nature; namely, we can just complain! We can open our hearts and just let God know about our struggles and disappointments. As our habit strengthens, we can change our complaining into thanksgiving and gratitude. We can thank God for all his blessings. Eventually, our five minutes can become ten minutes. We can pray for family and friends. We can pray for special intentions of the Holy Infant Prayer Group. We can pray for teachers, who have such an instrumental role in fashioning the intellect, ethics, and character of young people. We can pray for our government leaders because they need all the help they can get! Most importantly we should remember to pray for the souls in Purgatory, the sick, dying, poor, homeless, and those who are marginalized by society. Don’t forget to ask for a small measure of grace and forgiveness for yourself. Now pause and let God speak to you. In forming our habit of prayer, we begin to deepen our understanding that prayer is about relationship and covenant, and not about a “to do” list for God. We begin to see that prayer is about asking God what he wants from us, and not asserting what we want from him.
In time, our ten minutes can become fifteen or twenty minutes and then we can begin to use different prayer forms from the Church’s spiritual treasury (Holy scripture, CRHP (March 25-26, 2017), PX90, Eucharistic Adoration, daily Mass) to help us deepen our prayer and more clearly hear the Lord speak to us.
“What can I do when prayer gets really difficult?” When our prayer life becomes dry, it’s important that we understand what is happening. Some might think that when prayer becomes difficult or dry, that they are doing something wrong, have offended God in some way, or something in that arena. This is especially true if we have experienced spiritual consolations and the joy of prayer. The hardship of prayer can come as a swift and firm lesson. What is happening in these moments? What is God doing? Have I lost my mojo?
This part of the spiritual life is known as the purgative way. The expression reflects the reality: we are being purged in these dark times of prayer. God is removing the consolation and teaching us to love him for himself and not for the blessings we receive from him. As St. Theresa of Avila, the great Doctor of Mystical Prayer, teaches us, “We worship the God of consolations, not the consolations of God.” In the purgative way, God has moved from “soul triage” to “soul surgery.” In this process, he is teaching us dependency and trust.
We should not be afraid of these moments. Even as we wrestle, the spiritual masters teach us that God is closer to us in our purgation than in our times of consolation. God is doing more in our souls than we could ever imagine. Our task is to persevere and let God work.
The purgative way usually concludes with an illumination of some form. The Lord imprints knowledge within us in a profound way. This could include a mystical awareness of love, mercy, hope, healing, or other areas that we need in our discipleship. After this illumination, the purgative way begins again and the process continues within us leading us from “glory unto glory” (John 1:16).
Mark 11:24 “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
God’s blessings to you and your family this Christmas, and to a happy, healthy, prosperous, and prayerful 2017.
