This makes me think... about how my communion in the Eucharist is incomplete without communion with others

“Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread” (1 Cor 10:17). 

Union with Christ is also union with all those to whom he gives himself. I cannot possess Christ just for myself; I can belong to him only in union with all those who have become, or who will become, his own. Communion draws me out of myself towards him, and thus also towards unity with all Christians. We become “one body”, completely joined in a single existence. Love of God and love of neighbour are now truly united: God incarnate draws us all to himself...

Eucharistic communion, includes the reality both of being loved and of loving others in turn. A Eucharist which does not pass over into the concrete practice of love is intrinsically fragmented. Conversely... the “commandment” of love is only possible because it is more than a requirement. Love can be “commanded” because it has first been given...

Anyone who needs me, and whom I can help, is my neighbour. The concept of “neighbour” is now universalized, yet it remains concrete... [it] calls for my own practical commitment here and now...

Jesus identifies himself with those in need, with the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick and those in prison. “As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me” (Mt 25:40). Love of God and love of neighbour have become one: in the least of the brethren we find Jesus himself, and in Jesus we find God.

--- Benedict XVI, encyclical, Deus Caritas Est ("God is Love"), 2005, par. 14, 15.

This makes me think... to never stop seeking God...

For Those Searching for God

O Lord my God,
Teach my heart this day where and how to see you,
Where and how to find you.
You have made me and remade me,
And you have bestowed on me
All the good things I possess,
And still I do not know you.
I have not yet done that
For which I was made.
Teach me to seek you,
For I cannot seek you
Unless you teach me,
Or find you
Unless you show yourself to me.
Let me seek you in my desire,
Let me desire you in my seeking.
Let me find you by loving you,
Let me love you when I find you.

-- Saint Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury, theologian, philosopher, monk, Doctor of the Church (d. 1109).

This makes me think... about God's voice

I'm the secret Fire in everything, and everything smells like Me.
The living breathe in My sweet perfume,
and they breathe out praise of Me.
They never die
because I am their Life.


I flame out -- intense, godly Life -- over the shining fields of corn.
I glow in the shimmer of fire's embers,
I burn in the sun and the moon and the stars.
The secret Life of Me breathes in the wind
and holds all things together soulfully.


This is God's voice.

--Hildegard of Bingen, Hymn, (1098-1171).

This makes me think... about what gives us meaning.

The resurrection of Christ is not the fruit of speculation or mystical experience: it is an event which, while it surpasses history, nevertheless happens at a precise moment in history and leaves an indelible mark upon it. The light which dazzled the guards keeping watch over Jesus’ tomb has traversed time and space. It is a different kind of light, a divine light, that has rent asunder the darkness of death and has brought to the world the splendour of God, the splendour of Truth and Goodness.

Just as the sun’s rays in springtime cause the buds on the branches of the trees to sprout and open up, so the radiance that streams forth from Christ’s resurrection gives strength and meaning to every human hope, to every expectation, wish and plan. Hence the entire cosmos is rejoicing today, caught up in the springtime of humanity, which gives voice to creation’s silent hymn of praise. The Easter Alleluia, resounding in the Church as she makes her pilgrim way through the world, expresses the silent exultation of the universe and above all the longing of every human soul that is sincerely open to God, giving thanks to him for his infinite goodness, beauty and truth.

---Benedict XVI, Urbi et Orbi, Easter 2012.

This makes me think... we've heard a lot about conscience in the media, how about from the CCC?

1795 "Conscience is man's most secret core, and his sanctuary. There he is alone with God whose voice echoes in his depths" (Gaudium et Spes, par 16).

1796 Conscience is a judgment of reason by which the human person recognizes the moral quality of a concrete act.

1797 For the man who has committed evil, the verdict of his conscience remains a pledge of conversion and of hope.

1798 A well-formed conscience is upright and truthful. It formulates its judgments according to reason, in conformity with the true good willed by the wisdom of the Creator. Everyone must avail himself of the means to form his conscience.

1799 Faced with a moral choice, conscience can make either a right judgment in accordance with reason and the divine law or, on the contrary, an erroneous judgment that departs from them.

1800 A human being must always obey the certain judgment of his conscience.

1801 Conscience can remain in ignorance or make erroneous judgments. Such ignorance and errors are not always free of guilt.

1802 The Word of God is a light for our path. We must assimilate it in faith and prayer and put it into practice. This is how moral conscience is formed.

-- From the Catechism of the Catholic Church

On the subject of toes... a page out of my prayer journal

I'm over at Patheos...

In this chapel, directly above the monstrance, there is a statue of the Risen Jesus, arms outstretched. Faithful to the biblical accounts ( Jn 20: 24-28), the wounds of Jesus’ crucifixion are still visible on his glorified body.  This depiction of his once-crucified feet extends low into my field of vision, inches away from the monstrance, as I concentrate on his True Presence in the Host. 

And as I visit, the statue’s portrayal, and the Lord’s profound nearness in the Eucharist, is an ever-present reminder of “This is my body, which is given up for you (Lk 22:19).” 

As I enter the chapel each week, my knees hit the floor and I bend low: My Lord and my God! 

Not insignificantly, my Lord and my God has toes. 

And I’m struck deeply by the delightful humanity of it all. The precious and weighty reality of the Incarnation becomes, remarkably, accessible. And in that moment of recognition, I find this God, who is undeniably wondrous and magnificent as the Creator of the Cosmos, all at once, very much lovable to my down-to-earth womanly sensibilities. 

I have a God with toes. Isn’t that amazing?!

Of course, there's more. 

The Contagious Bonds of Faith and Friendship

My weekly column at Patheos today looks to the saints and apostles for inspiration on glories of friendship... and how friendships can evangelize and build up the church.

Here's a sample:

Faith is caught not taught. That pithy adage describes my own conversion to Christ as a teen. I was raised in a Christian home, but I did not as yet own my faith. Though I knew about Christ, I did not know him. 

The witness of a few close friends won me over. At first, it was more of what they did and less about what they said. 

My heart yearned for what they had… authentic love for one another born of respect, not competition or social status. They walked together with an easy regard for the uniqueness of the other; characterized by a building up, not tearing down. Their joy radiated from boon companionships. A community ethic rooted in teamwork brought compassionate service to others. 

There was a warm fire about them. And I needed to know its source. 

Jesus said, “I have called you friends.” (John 15: 15.) 

Friends… The God of the Universe wants to be friends with us. God took on a permanent partnership with his creatures, not only by taking on flesh in the Incarnation, but by longing to share our company so that one day we might share his. 

God, the mighty friend -- refuge and rock, consoler and confidant, healer and lover -- caught my attention. And I have never been the same. Once “caught” I couldn’t wait to be “taught” about the faith of the friends of God. 

There's more.  Subscribe to the column here. 

This makes me think... about the gift of one's nature...

Fish cannot drown in the water,
Birds cannot sink in the air,
Gold cannot perish
In the refiner's fire.


This has God given to all creatures
To foster and see their own nature,
How then can I withstand mine?


I must to God--
My father through nature,
my brother through humanity,
My bridegroom through love,
His am I forever!


Think ye that fire must utterly slay my soul?
NAY! Love can both fiercely scorch
And tenderly love and console.

--Mechthild of Magdeberg
(1210-1297)

The Ripples of Generosity, Unseen - my latest at Patheos

The beauty of the Sacred Scripture is the myriad of layers that are found in every chapter. My column this week at Patheos ponders the coming of the Magi to Bethlehem, and the unexpected blessings I have witnessed, and sometimes received, from modern-day "magi" in our midst... in a kind of unseen ripple effect...

Here's an excerpt:

Generosity is going the distance with big-hearted energy. It powerfully frames the Gospel’s challenge to “love one another (John 13: 34).” 

After all, the call to holiness is supposed to imitate God’s first love for us… “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son…(John 3: 16.)”  

God’s munificence leads us, like Magi-wannabes, toward charity for others. 

Generosity has a rather noble duty attached to it. It is always connected with lifting up another person. It is a chance to serve, bless, or elevate another through the sheer graciousness of giving liberally. To paraphrase Jesus’ later Sermon on the Mount: we go the extra mile. (See Mt 5: 39-41.) 

Generosity is the ability to give with no thought of getting, whether one is giving time, talent, or treasure. Fortunately, in God’s economy, giving without thought of a return is never for nothing. 

People I know have routinely offered their generosity to my family and me. I am so grateful for their unselfish love. Even if they were unable to see into the future to know if it was all going to be worth it, they didn’t stop from giving in the first place. 

The gifts of the Magi remind me of a remarkable potentiality: when we bestow generosity on those beyond our own circles, unseen exponential blessings become possible. There are many people this side of heaven who will never know that they have participated in the largesse of Providence through their own charitable giving.

Read the rest of the column here.  And please consider subscribing to A Word in Season today, and get it delivered right to your RSS reader or email inbox.

 

This makes me think... prayer and love of neighbor are linked

Q: How does loving my neighbor -- husband, wife, children, friends, co-workers -- contribute to my contemplative prayer?


A: I may begin with the theological core of the matter: there is only one virtue of charity by which we love God, ourselves, and our neighbor. If I am not loving others -- although not necessarily liking them -- I cannot have a deep prayer life, for its heart, love, is missing. My prayer will be no better than my love for others. No set of techniques... will be able of themselves to improve it.


...


The whole of life is lived in the divine presence, which is an atmosphere of love. We are urged by St. Paul "to live through love in his presence (Eph 1:4).  St. Augustine also shrewdly noted that "in loving our neighbor the eye of our mind is purified to contemplate God." Loving our associates requires that we practice other virtues: humility, gentleness, patience, obedience. Thus we are purified of our faults, each of which may be an impediment to growth in divine intimacy.


---Thomas Dubay, S.M. Seeking Spiritual Direction,  Servant, 1993.

This makes me think...

I cannot dance, O Lord, unless you lead me.
If thou wilt that I leap joyfully
Then must thou thyself first dance and sing!
Then I will leap for love
From love to knowledge,
From knowledge to fruition,
From fruition to beyond all human sense.
There I will remain
And circle evermore.


---Mechthilde of Magnaburg (1210-1297), A Little Book of Women Mystics, Carole Lee Flinders.

The Specter of Evil vs. The Face of Divine Providence (Hint: it's Providence-1, Evil-0.)

There's a lot of heartache in the world, and a lot of evil. It can feel overwhelming at times... like we're all en route to hell in the proverbial hand-basket. And while those feelings are real, they can overstate the truth of the matter.

Way back at the start of the new millennium, Pope John Paul told us the program for the new evangelization begins with our meditation upon the face of Jesus. That is a practical application for much of life. It's been something the Church has been doing since her inception. With good reason.

My latest column over at Patheos explores the angst we encounter as we wrestle with the question of evil in our world, and in ourselves. Here's an excerpt:

There is not a single aspect of the Christian message that is not in part an answer to the question of evil. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, par. 309.)

There are days when there are just no words, when the specter of evil overshadows us all, and we feel feeble and dwarfed by its presence. Witnessing an unprovoked attack on innocent people -- be it a bombing, a shooting rampage, or some other atrocity -- often renders us speechless. Yet speak we must. There must be words not only denouncing such evil, but also prayers unto heaven that cry out for justice and succor in the aftermath.

And there must be words that announce hope.

Amid shock and dismay, and our wrestling with the presence of evil, there is also God -- who speaks a word in the face of evil and death.

That word is Providence -- Divine Providence.

In our finite minds, we often mistakenly see good and evil as equal powers; they are not.

But our minds are so impressed and distressed by evil that we are tempted to believe it.

The truth is that evil is limited; it comes from created sources. Goodness, by contrast, is an attribute of an uncreated, almighty God -- the Author of creation -- and God’s Providence encompasses and upholds all of creation. Goodness outweighs evil because it originates and flows from God.

God’s Providence is his Work and Will guiding all of creation toward perfection that is yet to be attained. But as creation is in a state of journeying toward that fullness, we will encounter evil along the way. God’s good plan for creation moves forward, even when we do not understand our troubled circumstances. Surprisingly, within that plan, God would choose to use us rather than usurp us; God never ignores our human dignity.

God dignifies human persons by giving them intelligence and free will, inviting us to act with him in a god-like manner. This is precisely so that each person may choose their destiny. 

Find the rest here.

If you like this column, consider subscribing for a weekly post to your email or via RSS here. Thank you.

A Word in Season: The God Who Wants to Be Found

My latest over at Patheos is both a look at the upcoming Sunday Readings, and a look at one of the greatest things to ever happen to humanity: God's revelation of Himself to us. So often we think that we are searching for God, when in reality, he has been in search of us all along.

Here's a snippet:

I now understand my seeking of a relationship with God was merely my long overdue response to his first generous invitation that began with my infant baptism. My baptism was the profound starting place of my formal sacramental encounters with Him… even though I did not know it yet.  

Yet even before my baptism, God was in search of me, knowing me from within my mother’s womb.

You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother's womb...

My very self you knew… When I was being made in secret…

Your eyes foresaw my actions; in your book all are written down;

my days were shaped, before one came to be.

(Psalm 139: 13-16.)

God courteously waited for me to catch up and learn to live within the blessing that seekers of him are destined to find him, for He wishes to be found. 

Suffice to say, I have bumbled along and made mistakes in this friendship. But I have learned of the remarkable elasticity of his grace to sustain it and me.

Read the rest.

Among Women Podcast #102: Finding God on Campus

Among Women 102 welcomes college students, Kate Gohn and Kate Ryan, women of the Class of 2012. Together we explore themes of friendship, finding Christian community, going to Mass, and trying to grow in faith in an urban campus setting. They also offer a few tips to incoming college freshmen on being committed to one's faith.

Also profiled is Blessed Pierina Morosini, a young Italian martyr for the faith who is a patron for rape victims.

This note: AW will be on hiatus until July 13.

Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

Happy Sunday! Today is the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. 

For most of us*, St. Patrick’s Trinitarian analogy using the little shamrock, for all its simplicity, conveys the essential essence of the Trinity.

Imagine Patrick holding a shamrock as he converses with you, somewhat along these lines…

“Would ye be seein’ the little shamrock clover I’m holding in my hands now?”

“Aye.”

“Now, laddies and lassies, answer me this… Is this one leaf or three? Or would it be both one leaf and three?”

“Aye, indeed, ‘tis the one and the three at the same time!”

“And so ‘tis with God!”

His prayer of renown, St. Patrick’s Breastplate, opens and ends with these resounding sentiments...

I arise today

Through a mighty strength,

The invocation of the Trinity,

Through a belief in the threeness,

Through a confession of the oneness

Of the Creator of Creation…

The saints knew firsthand what they were talking about. 

If you'd like a fuller explanation of the "who" and "what" of the Trinity, please go read my most recent column on the Trinity over at Patheos.

*(Note: For those desiring a deeper explanation of the “how” the Trinity is three-in-one, I defer to the mastery of Frank Sheed by referring inquirers to carefully read his work on the subject, excerpted here, or read the Catechism, par. 232- 267.)

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Getting Ready for this Sunday's Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity: "The Sublime Logic of the Trinity" -- my column this week at Patheos

There's no end to plumbing the depths of the mystery of the Holy Trinity... but for us mere mortals, the Catechism of the Catholic Church gives us beautiful insights to this, the most foundational of Christian beliefs. A Word in Season, my column at Patheos, highlights some of the basics truths that might assist our desire to grow in the knowledge of God, and accept his amazing love for us.

Here's an excerpt....

Christians have faith in this Three-in-one God because of God’s own revelation to us. God not only created time but entered into time and spoke to us. The primary reason for this divine intervention is that God longed to reveal Himself to us, and did so in ever increasing degrees over the course of human history. 

Think about it: This is a God that wants to be known.  By us! And loved by us. The most amazing thing about the glory of God is that it is something that God wishes to share with us.

 God is not afraid to seek us out and invite us to be joined to him in everlasting glory. God is our origin and our end.

Read the whole thing.

Please subscribe to my weekly column, if you enjoy it. It can be delivered right to your email inbox, or a reader via an RSS feed.

Yeah, Sing It Loud Easter People: My God is Mighty to Save!

This makes me think... about God's will...

The will of God is simply what ought to happen in the world He created, what ought to emerge from the interplay of natural forces, and what ought to emerge from man's work, from the freedom of the human spirit, so that the world may come to be what God intended it to be. The will of God is the consummations of the divine creation of which man, with his freedom, is part.


That is in itself inconceivably great. But there is more to it than that: the will of God is what God demands of man; in other words, what He requires of me. It is His will for me, for this individual me, as a member of the human race, and His will for the world through me. 


But there is still more to be said. This will of God does not stand "over" me, "in front of" me, and say, "You must do this or that. You must become this sort of person." God does not give me marching orders. He is a living power ruling within me. The will of God is not merely a claim on me; it is also an active force. It is the special way in which he admonishes, urges, helps, sustains, acts, molds, struggles, overcomes, and perfects -- inside me.


The will of God is the power with which He help me to fulfill His demands. Seen in this light, it has another name: it is the power we call grace. When the will of God is done, it is the gift and achievement of this will itself. It is my work, but mine only through His, His will acting in me, the whole process being a mysterious unity. 


---Romano Guardini, The Living God, Sophia Institute Press

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The Fun Quotient... You are Amazing, God!

So while you are enjoying the praises of God sung from Chris Tomlin, consider the awesomeness and indescribable creativity of God, as captured by the Hubble Telescope:


Source: Hubblesite.org The Sombrero Galaxy


Source: Hubblesite.org The Cat's Eye Nebula


Source: Hubblesite.org Light Echo Illuminates Dust Around Supergiant Star V838 Monocerotis


Source: Hubblesite.org  The Crab Nebula


Source: Hubblesite.org  Interacting Spiral Galaxies NGC 2207 and IC 2163


Source: Hubblesite.org  "Mystic Mountain" (A mountain of dust and gas rising the the Carina Nebula.)


Source: Hubblesite.org  A cosmic string of pearls surround an exploding star.


Source: Hubblesite.org The Helix Nebula (A dead star.)


Source: Hubblesite.org Saturn's rings in ultra violet light


Source: Hubblesite.org  New red spot appears on Jupiter


Source: Hubblesite.org  Rings and moons circling Uranus


Source: Hubblesite.org  The Dog Star, Sirius, and its tiny companion


Source: Hubblesite.org  The heart of the Whirlpool Galaxy


Source: Hubblesite.org Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 1512 in many wavelengths


Source: Hubblesite.org  Hubble's deepest view of the universe reveals never-before-seen galaxies...

There is so much more to see -- check it out!

This makes me think....

Now,  just think a minute.... where did YOU see God today?