Corpus Christi: We Are the Body of Christ, and You Are What You Eat

June 2, 2023/1 Comment/in Catholic Theme, Eucharist, Evangelization, Faith/by Ben Bongers

Corpus Christi: We Are the Body of Christ, and You Are What You Eat

We have all heard the saying, “You are what you eat.” If that’s true, I am parts pizza, BBQ, peanut butter, and have coffee with a side of wine for blood!

So, IF we, Catholics, parishioners, Christians … are the “Body of Christ,” what are we made of—and most importantly, why does it matter?

First, let’s change the word “eat” to “consume.” We are formed by more than just what we eat. Everything we read, watch, listen to, and surround ourselves with has a bearing on who and what we are. If I eat a lot of greasy food, play a lot of high-intensity adrenaline-filled video games by myself, never get up from the couch or walk more than 100 feet a day, and smoke cartons of cigarettes while drinking nothing but energy drinks, my life expectancy goes from 82 years to 56.

But if I eat balanced meals, take time to shut down and refresh, get moderate exercise, and have a community of friends—neighbors, church family, clubs, and so on—suddenly I will be living a longer, and most importantly, happier life.

Now, that’s the outside life. Let’s talk about the inside life—the soul life. When we receive the Eucharist, we do not consume just a piece of bread or a sip of wine. No. We are receiving Jesus himself, in all his divine glory, sort of like a spiritual superpower; let’s call it “Jesus Juicing.” We begin to transform from the inside—out and become more like Him; better able to love and serve others. When our inside, our soul, begins to strengthen from “Jesus Juicing,” we find we have more peace, more wisdom, more self-control. But it not only benefits us, but the larger Corpus Christi, or Body of Christ, the Church! Remember, WE are the Body of Christ, the Corpus Christi. WE are the Church.

Being in a community isn’t a solo event. We are being nourished so we can help others. A great example is a group called New Roots for Refugees, run through Catholic Charities. My wife and I are avid gardeners. Last weekend we went to the New Roots for Refugees plant sale. Refugees from many different countries work together, growing vegetables and flowers that are then sold to gardeners—or after maturing—the fruits and vegetables are sold to eat. Interacting with these beautiful souls, we the Corpus Christi are being nourished by not just by the plants, but by “Jesus Juicing!” We’re strengthening our ties with people in need in the Body of Christ, and doing what we are all called to do—loving and serving each other.

So, there are 3 important things to remember on the feast of Corpus Christi:

We don’t need to just strengthen our outside-selves, but also our inside-selves with “Jesus Juicing.”
When we take care of the inside-selves, it will change the outside-selves.
We are not built to be a solo act. We are strengthening through “Jesus Juicing” to be of service to others.

Questions:

Are you allowing yourself to be changed?
How will you be of service to our Corpus Christi?

Blood Circulating in the Body of the Cosmic Christ

May 26, 2023/0 Comments/in Catholic Writing and Publishing, Faith, non-fiction, Spiritual Life/by Rick Clements

Blood Circulating in the Body of the Cosmic Christ

All human beings are born to share forever in the eternal circulation of love that is the divine life. But to participate as fully as possible in the divine life, we have to learn to selflessly give and receive the gift of self in love. That’s what we’re here to learn how to do. And the more fully we learn to do that, the more fully we can share in the divine love and life and bliss.

But how could we humans possibly share in the divine life of God? How could we, who are finite beings, be united with the infinite God? There is an infinite chasm between us finite human beings and God. We cannot leap over the abyss separating the finite from the infinite. We need a lifeline of some kind to be thrown across to us from the shores of infinity, a bridge of some sort that will span the abyss and enable us to cross over into the divine realm. Jesus Christ is that lifeline; Jesus Christ is that “vaulting bridge” who spans the abyss separating us finite beings from the infinite God. Jesus has forever united the human with the divine in himself, thereby making space for all human beings (indeed, the entire cosmos!) within the divine life of God.

Think about it: God and humanity, the infinite and the finite, united in the one person of Jesus Christ, in such a way that the path for us to transcend our finitude and participate in the infinity of Being, to share in the divine life of God forever, has been opened up to all human beings and to the entire cosmos. Seemingly impossible; seemingly incredible. But if it is true (which it is), then this one person would be the answer to the riddle of human existence. That is why our individual destinies are determined by our answer to the single most important question confronting us in life: Yes or No to Jesus Christ, which is a Yes or No to love and therefore a Yes or No to God and to our ultimate fulfillment as human beings. We were all born to be “blood circulating in the Body of the cosmic Christ,” in Balthasar’s beautiful phrase. By uniting ourselves to the Body of Christ, we are united with God and with all the other members of that Body. By uniting ourselves to the Body of Christ, we join in the eternal circulation of love that is the divine life and find therein our ultimate fulfillment.

* This article is an excerpt from Rick’s latest book, The Book of Love: Brief Meditations (https://enroutebooksandmedia.com/thebookoflove/)

Photo by Alexandru Acea on Unsplash

Lovely Genealogies

May 23, 2023/2 Comments/in Ancestry, Catholic Writing and Publishing, Faith, Genealogy, History/by Sarah Torbeck

Lovely Genealogies

Those lovely genealogies. You know what I’m talking about. Those long lists of tribes, generations and peoples, with impossible tongue twisting names that force even the most seasoned lector to stumble and stammer over the syllabic hills and valleys of a phonetic purgatory.

Yeah, those genealogies.

Mercifully, those genealogical lists don’t appear too often in the daily readings, but every now and then you find yourself internally cringing as you realize that the lector is about to attempt a series of tongue twisters to end all tongue twisters—which will eventually reverberate around the church, and twang your overly sensitized auditory nerve.

And then, like a trip to the dentist, you realize that the experience is going to live up to the expectation, as the lector steps to the pulpit and begins the reading. The pronunciations are everything you feared, and you say to yourself for the 20^th time, why are genealogies so important?

Indeed. Why have the ancient archivists taken the time to painstakingly reproduce those seemingly innocuous lists? Couldn’t they have left them out? Shouldn’t they have left them out?

It’s so typical of us to look at history through the lens of modern culture. The genealogies of long-forgotten peoples seem utterly irrelevant, and yet for the peoples of the past … they provided that all important filament of belonging that connected beliefs, talents and physical attributes to present realities—providing context and understanding for the individual as well as the collective.

Litanies of ancient tribes and peoples would hardly seem necessary in today’s world, but that is only because we have made technological advances that no longer require those tedious lists. They are still just as important as they were 5,000 years ago, we just tabulate them a little differently: in the forms of genealogical databases and DNA testing.

Long ago, I appointed myself as the unofficial genealogist for my family. I am fascinated with my genetic lineages, and the tales they have to tell. Over the years I have discovered that I come from a long line of writers, composers and teachers. I have been all three, at one time or another.

I also hail from a hardy Irish, seafaring family. They were Merchant Marines, sea captains and watermen. I have never been any of those things.

Juxtaposed to my more illustrious chromosomes, I admit to a lineage of scoundrels as well. In fact, I discovered that several family members in my distant Irish lineage were exiled to the Americas because they were involved in a plot to kill the Queen of England. Oh dear! Rest assured … I have never done that, either.

Still, I find these trends to be fascinating. They tell me so much about the genetic material flowing through my veins, and allow me to investigate the strengths and weaknesses in my family line. But most importantly, they provide me with a sense of belonging. I know where I came from, and where I belong in the human saga.

Could it be so very different for the family of God? Wouldn’t it be necessary … even vital, to maintain a record of the ancestral filament that stretches from the first Adam … through the Patriarchs and Prophets to the Second Adam: Jesus Christ?

That would be an absolute imperative, I think.

Those truly remarkable genealogies in the Bible are a codified record of the work of God down through the ages. They are documented evidence of God’s promise of salvation from Adam to Christ, and they are a record of the critical impact upon the people of God—despite the victories, and failures of their human endeavors.

But most importantly, they are a record of the promise of God—wending its way throughout salvation history to the entrance of Jesus Christ upon the world stage—Who is the fulfillment of that promise.

Yes, those lovely, lovely genealogies are still difficult to pronounce, but they exist as evidence of God’s faithfulness and love to an often difficult—yet salvageable people.

At this point, one has to ask: Why has God remained so steadfast throughout all of human history?

Because He is our Father, and He loves us.

Besides … we’re family.

“… [For] you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendant, heirs according to the promise.” (Gal. 3:28-29)

All Aboard The Surrender Express!

May 19, 2023/0 Comments/in Catholic Theme, Catholic Writing and Publishing, Faith, Spiritual Life/by Kimberly Novak

All Aboard The Surrender Express!

I am a huge fan of nostalgia, ranging from black-and-white television shows to antique furniture and sentimental trinkets. Simple times, unique vehicles, and outdated fashions appeal to a special part of me. One, in particular, stands out among the rest, and that is the old-fashioned train.

A few years ago while planning a vacation, I found a vintage train car converted into a hotel room. To my surprise, there are several of these throughout the country! I found a couple within driving distance, bringing my mission to fulfillment. My favorite was the Chattanooga Choo-Choo, which sits on the actual train track, and the ticket station is now the hotel lobby.

The exterior of the passenger car was untouched other than fresh paint, and much of the inside retained the feel of that era, aside from having a bed and modern-day necessities. Oh, how I longed to go back in time, dressed with the white gloves and pretty hat. Little did I know that dream would also one day be a reality. A year or so later, I boarded a 1940s-themed dinner train, dressed as if I had stepped out of 1941.

The lure of the train was whimsical, and the sounds of the engine chugging before picking up speed drew me into a place of wonder and relaxation. As a child, I could hear a train whistle in the distance from my grandmother’s house and often thought about who might be on it and where it was going.

More recently while chatting with a friend, a nonchalant answer got me thinking. When asked how things were going, my friend responded, “The train has left the station.” To which I asked, “Are you on it?”

I’ve been reflecting on that lighthearted exchange and the image of running to catch a train as it’s leaving the station, and I considered how it relates to my faith and God’s plan. Begging the ultimate question, am I living each day on my itinerary or God’s? I don’t even want to count how often I was so focused on my plans that I was blind to how God was trying to direct my steps. I’m not one to dwell on the past. However, I am always eager to learn from my mistakes.

For train travel, there is no room for adjustments once a trip is planned and advertised. Regardless of who is and isn’t on the train, it will leave the station on time. I like to live my life in this way—trusting the schedule that God has set for me. However, sometimes I want to sneak in a secondary scheme or backup plan. When I do this, there is the possibility that my plan B is wavering from God’s ultimate plan. The fruit is in the process of discerning whether or not to travel my way or surrender to God’s will.

Surrendering to the will of God involves prayerful communication, trust, faith, and a willingness to let go. The image of someone running after a train looks great in the movies, but in real-life instances, I don’t want to have to run after something God had right in front of me. I prefer to be on board, seated comfortably and have it fall right into my lap.

Another recent conversation regarding God’s will focused on whether or not to take action in creating a plan B for a particular situation. When it was all said and done, the family decided to take the need directly to God through prayer, leaving the outcome in His hands. A measurable amount of faith and trust in God were the key components to this family surrendering the need and the result to our Lord.

Complete acts of surrender are to be celebrated, regardless of the conclusion. As a highly organized person, it makes total sense to have a safety net; in some cases, it is a strategic move. Then again, factoring in my faith and relationship with Jesus reminds me that God is in control. It would be easy for me to go about my life as I think it should go, whereas it will be fulfilling and beautiful when God lines it all up for me.

Maria Riley shares tips for combating writer’s block.

May 11, 2023/0 Comments/in Blogging, Catholic Theme, Catholic Writing and Publishing, Faith, Inspirational/by Maria Riley

As a Catholic writer, I am blessed and challenged by the knowledge that what I am writing is not really my own words. My goal every time I sit down at the keyboard is to write the words God wants from me. For this reason, I have learned that I don’t suffer from a traditional writer’s block, but rather a spiritual block when the words don’t come.

I’ve often joked that I wish God would send me an email outlining exactly what he wants me to do. I am not known for my patience. When I feel lost without inspiration, I want a quick fix and immediate answer to what I should be writing that day. The reality is that God doesn’t work on our timeline. His inspiration isn’t a tap we can turn on and off when we are ready for it.

The tricks for overcoming a spiritual block are simple in theory, but the practice can be challenging. The more we talk to God through reading scripture, spending quiet time in prayer, and pursuing faith-based activities and friendships, the more we will hear God communicating with us throughout the day. The more we hear directly from God, the easier it is to sit and write with confidence and ease.

Unfortunately, our daily lives are inundated with noise and distractions that prevent us from hearing the quiet words God is trying to speak into our hearts. It has been my experience that God rarely yells. He is always reaching out and seeking us, yet he waits patiently for us to respond to him.

Finding time to sit quietly seems counterintuitive when a deadline is looming, yet it may be the only way to fully open the channel to God. Nathaniel Hawthorn penned one of my favorite quotes: “Happiness is like a butterfly, which when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.”

I have found this to be true for writing inspiration. So long as I am using my own strength and resources to actively pursue the right subject matter, I will always fail. If I can force myself to sit down, be still, and listen, that is when the creative juices flow freely.

Another method for combatting Catholic writer’s block is to not wait until you are at the computer to gather your inspiration. I keep a running note on my phone in which I can jot notes whenever I feel divine inspiration. I frequently get ideas while listening to a sermon, chatting in a conversation, or while hearing God’s word on a podcast. Since I practically always have my phone with me, the notes app is a perfect go-to place to gather these ideas.

By prioritizing quiet, contemplative prayer time, I feel close to God, even though I don’t always pray with the consistency that I’d like. Like everyone, my hectic schedule and constant disruptions get the best of me. Throughout my day I try to offer up my work and sufferings as prayer, and I pray for others when they pop into my mind. I struggle, though, to find significant blocks of time to sit silently and listen to God.

Every night before I fall asleep, I speak to God. I discovered that consistently I felt inspired and motivated each night. I realized that this was my contemplative prayer time. The house is quiet, everyone else is asleep, and I turn my thoughts to God. I first give thanks for my blessings, then ask for forgiveness for my shortcomings, and then I let my mind wander with the help of the Holy Spirit. Now I recognize that some of my best ideas are developed in those quiet moments.

When all else fails to combat your writer’s block, I recommend writing what you know. For me, I know writer’s block today. As I write, I pray that I can inspire another writer to continue on a mission from God to share his word with the world in that writer’s own unique way.

Maria Riley 2023

Our Lady of a Thousand Names

May 6, 2023/0 Comments/in Beauty, Blessed Mother, Faith, Inspirational, Marian Shrines, Pilgrimage, Sacred Art and Architecture/by Margaret Zacharias

Our Lady of a Thousand Names

Mary is our mother, and May is her special month. But who is Mary, really?

Mary of Nazareth was officially declared “Theotokos,” mother of God, at the Council of Ephesus in 431 A.D. This Greek-language title is still used in the Eastern Orthodox churches today. (1)

By the sixteenth century, popular devotion to the mother of Jesus in the Western church had multiplied into many titles. The traditional Litany of Loreto, approved by Pope Sixtus V in 1587, calls her mother, virgin, mirror, vessel, rose, tower, ark, house, gate, star, and queen. These vivid images are repeated, as diverse domains are placed into her care through one of only six litanies formally approved by the magisterium for public recitation. (2)

Those many queenships do not even to begin to exhaust her multitude of names.

All around the planet, there are shrines dedicated to Mary, often titled “Our Lady of …” with place names that have experienced church-approved apparitions and miracles, or with spiritual qualities like “peace, mercy, good hope.”

In their book, Marian Shrines of the United States: A Pilgrim’s Travel Guide, Theresa Santa Czarnopys and Thomas M. Santa, C.Ss.R. highlight more than fifty shrines dedicated to the Blessed Mother in the United States alone. (3)

With her parents, uncle, aunt, and husband Joseph, Mary was a historical human person. She is still remembered in Nazareth by contemporary villagers, whose ancestors have lived there continuously for thousands of years.

I heard one person say, sharing stories passed down in his family for generations, “We’re not sure it’s Joseph’s workshop, exactly. But all the carpenters worked right in this area, they always have, and so it probably looked a lot like this one.”

Those words were offered as a personal testimony when my group of pilgrims viewed an ancient builder’s studio in Nazareth that Israeli archeologists have managed to excavate with painstaking care. A similar tale was told about the ancient well where young Mary went to draw water.

Our faith considers the rosary a worthy meditation on the mysteries of Jesus’ human life; and also, about Mary’s life as his mother. Writings by a plethora of Saints who are formally recognized by the Roman Catholic Church often name the mother of Jesus as their guardian, guide, and friend.

At Our Lady of Lourdes, I was able to view a sign with Mary’s original words when she identified herself to St. Bernadette. By the letters engraved on that bronze plaque, she spoke in the local Pyrenees Mountain dialect, a combination of Spanish and French, probably the only language that Bernadette would have known. In 1858, when asked for her name, Mary said, “Yo soy Immaculata Conception.” “I am the Immaculate Conception.”

I was told, by an official guide there, that the poor young girl had no idea what those fancy words meant. But she memorized them. Only her parish priest, who had recently received the provincial distribution of papal bull Ineffabilis Deus from Pope Pius IX in Rome (4), was able to recognize the meaning of that particular message from Mary.

As Our Lady of Altötting, Germany Mary is said to have guided Joseph Ratzinger from birth to the papacy, through a childhood and young adulthood spent under the horrors of Germany’s Third Reich. His devotion to her has become legendary. Even now, when she temporarily resides in the parish church of St. Michael’s (pictured below) nearby while her ancient chapel is being restored, she carries in her scepter a custom-made sapphire ring. This ring was a gift to Fr. Ratzinger from his brother and sister, when he was appointed to be Archbishop of Munich. In 2006, after he was elected Pope Benedict XVI, Joseph returned to Altötting to give Mary his ring. (5)

Pope Benedict XVI had a great devotion to Our Lady of Altotting. It is said that she guided him throughout his life.

At the shrine of Our Lady of Knock in Ireland (pictured in banner), the shrine guide gave us this explanation about nineteenth century Marian apparitions there. (6)

“People always ask, ‘But what did Mary say?’ When we answer, ‘She was silent,’ everyone wonders how it could be, that Mary came among the garrulous Irish and didn’t say a word?

“Wherever she appears, Mary always asks for two things. She tells people to fast, and to pray. She didn’t ask us to fast because she knew we were already starving. She came with St. Joseph at her right, St. John on her left, with the angels and the Lamb on the altar, to show us that she had heard the constant prayers of her faithful Irish children.

“Everyone had lost so many members of their families to death from the Great Hunger, and then from the necessary emigration. The land had been decimated.

“We believe that Mary came just to hold us in her love, and to reassure us that there was a future. She came to bring us hope. She didn’t need to say anything. We all understood.”

Notes:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theotokos
https://www.ourcatholicprayers.com/litany-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary.html#:~:text=The%20Litany%20of%20The%20Blessed%20Virgin%20Mary%2C%20also%20known%20as,1587%20by%20Pope%20Sixtus%20V.
Liguori Publications, Liguori, Missouri, 1998.
https://www.papalencyclicals.net/pius09/p9ineff.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrine_of_Our_Lady_of_Altötting
https://www.knockshrine.ie/history/

Photo credits:

Featured photo: Our Lady of Knock Interior Chapel Sculptures Attributions

Page URL: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Apparition_Chapel_with_Stained_Window.jpg

File URL: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8a/Apparition_Chapel_with_Stained_Window.jpg

Attributions: KnockShrine, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Inset Photo: Image of Our Lady of Altotting

Page URL: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gnadenbild,_Gnadenkapelle_Alt%C3%B6tting.jpeg

File URL: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ed/Gnadenbild%2C_Gnadenkapelle_Alt%C3%B6tting.jpeg

Attribution: Finner: Siddhartha Finner, Dipl.Ing.-Architektur, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Licensure: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en

We ALL Teach, So Be Careful of What and How!

May 5, 2023/1 Comment/in Faith, Family Life, Inspirational/by Ben Bongers

We ALL Teach, So Be Careful of What and How!

Many years ago, I taught at a local Catholic elementary and high school. It was my first professional teaching job, and I was excited to pass along the knowledge I’d garnered over my years in college. As a Catholic school music teacher, I taught science, math, English, history… and sometimes music. I had one student in my history class who was NOT going to pass and, furthermore, didn’t care. When I approached him with this information, he kept saying, “I don’t care! I’m going into my family’s business. I don’t care if I pass or not.”

Exasperated, I asked, “What’s your ‘family’s’ business?’” Imagine my surprise when the young man told me his family’s business was something VERY illegal!

My teaching training kicked in, and I said, “Well, even in your dad’s business, history plays a large part! He needs to research, plan, and know the history of the situation he will be walking into.” The student gave me a wary look, smirked, and walked away.

At a parents’ evening at school, the student’s father asked to see me alone. Needless to say, I was nervous. I suddenly wished I’d become a banker instead of a teacher. Soon a mountain of a man ambled into my classroom scowling, “I’m [so-and-so’s] pappa.” I swallowed hard and stuck out my hand for him to shake. In an instant, he had his bear-paw-sized hands and arms around me—giving me a hug and beginning to sob.

All I could do was stand there and say, “It’s okay, it’s okay, whatever it is, it’ll be alright…”

After the man composed himself, he told me his son had told him about our exchange. He was shocked into reality. He said, “I had no idea he even knew what I did for a living, let alone planned on going into it.” The father had been preaching one thing to his son, “Be a good boy. Always do the right thing. Listen to your elders…” Meanwhile, his actions were teaching him to do something different.

For the sixth Sunday of Easter, we’ll hear of Phillip converting an entire community, then James and Peter coming to “confirm” what Phillip had done and laying hands on them to confer the Holy Spirit to them, making sure the people honestly knew who the Christ was. Then we hear Peter telling us we need to embrace holiness and be able to explain why we believe what we believe. And furthermore, we need to “show-and-tell” in a way that is not confrontational. Finally, we have Jesus telling us that IF we fully integrate what he taught into our lives, he will send the Holy Spirit to fill us and help us in every decision.

What we teach matters, but so does how.

If you were wondering what happened to the student, I am very happy to report he went on to business school and owns a local business that is considered a jewel of the community.

Spring and the Stubborn Cardinal

April 21, 2023/0 Comments/in Catholic Writing and Publishing, Faith, Inspirational/by Kimberly Novak

Spring and The Stubborn Cardinal

Spring has arrived in my neck of the woods, and with it comes the hustle and bustle of God’s fantastic flying creatures around the flowers in bloom. This time of the year, I try to take every opportunity to visit outdoor places of interest. Recently, my husband and I walked the grounds of Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine, taking in all that nature had to offer. Scattered across the walking paths were sticks and small branches which had fallen in storms earlier that week. However, the beauty of the outdoor chapel, statues, and illumined candles surrounding the altar remained. Off in the distance was the whistling call of a cardinal announcing its presence, bringing happiness to my heart.

As we approached a building that housed a gift shop, the little red cardinal made its existence known, flying from its edge to a nearby tree. It wasn’t until we were inside the shop that we became aware of the cardinal’s intent. We listened to the shopkeeper’s story explaining that the cardinal was either confused or stubborn.

A sister of the Most Holy Trinity told us the cardinal had been visiting for many months. Daily attempts were made at flying directly into the shop window. These occurred so often that decals were affixed to the window to deter the bird from attempting to enter. It is common for a bird to see its reflection in a window, provoking it to go after what it thinks it sees—ultimately resulting in either an injured bird or complete surrender to the situation.

In this case, it appears the Shrine has a stubborn cardinal on its hands, and it prompted some thoughts as my husband and I recalled the activity of the bird that afternoon. Could it be that the bird was refusing to leave? What was it looking for? Had it lost a mate? Did the bird know it wasn’t getting anywhere by continuing its current behavior?

I am not alone when I share that there have been countless times when God has called me toward something, and I have run the other way. Or instances when I continued to go “my way” only to hit the same roadblock repeatedly, never realizing that the road I was trying to travel was not God’s plan. Like the cardinal at the gift shop, we spend too much time looking for something that isn’t there instead of listening to God’s voice as our guide.

Our moment of surrendering to the situation comes when we realize that our plan may not necessarily be God’s will. Like the bird flying into a window repeatedly, we are injuring ourselves when we repeat a pattern that has us, in essence, stuck. The decals in our lives that help us to see come in many forms—spiritual guides, faithful friends, parents, siblings, a spouse, and our children. Let’s not discount the stranger or good Samaritan who will help us to visualize what is ahead through teachable moments.

We can only hope that the cardinal visiting the sisters at the Shrine stops long enough for God to provide enlightenment or perhaps send another bird to provoke a different activity. You and I both know that if it continues on the path it is now, the bird will eventually suffer hurt beyond repair. The same is true for you and me. If we continue on the wrong track and fight the direction of God, our circumstances may result in a chaotic life.

The cardinal has as many choices as you and I. We can continue flying into the window, never getting anywhere, or set our sights on a path for God to light and guide us. Discernment becomes clear through consistent prayer and prayerful conversations with a spiritual director or parish Priest. Take advantage of the freshness and new beginning spring offers, open the windows of your heart, and fly.

We Believe…We Have Faith…But Where’s the Peace?

April 7, 2023/2 Comments/in Faith, Spiritual Life/by Ben Bongers

We Believe…We Have Faith…But Where’s the Peace?

Throughout this Lent we’ve seen the Apostles, Samaritans, Martha, and Mary say, “I believe.” But what does it mean to “believe”? What and how should we believe?

We’ve all heard the adage, “If it quacks like a duck and walks like a duck and swims like a duck…” So why do people still question what’s quacking, waddling, and swimming? The Apostles saw Jesus heal, teach, and cast out demons; yet Peter denied he knew Jesus.

Sometimes we need to “unlearn” what we, as adults, “know” to be true and regain the way children believe—with pure faith that leads to peace.

If a young girl is scared, she listens to her grandma, who says, “No child, there are no monsters under the bed. Now come here.” The grandma stays with and comforts the little girl, helping her find peace as she hums a lullaby, and the little girl drifts off to sleep.

Or when a scared little boy approaches a busy street—cars whizzing by, honking, making noise. He takes his grandpa’s hand, and as soon as his little hand slips into grandpa’s old and weathered fingers the boy is at peace. He believes his grandpa will get him safely across that dangerous street.

Today (like the Samaritans, Apostles, Martha and Mary) we’ve forgotten how to believe—as a child. To have faith—as a child. And be at peace—as a child. To “unlearn” what we as adults “know” to be true.

—A little story—

I was born a farming ranch kid with more cattle than my little fingers could count. My whole adult family knew the neighbors to the south were sheep farmers—dirty, stinking, rotten sheep farmers—and believed they were evil because they dared to raise sheep in cattle country.

One night we saw a glow coming from our northern neighboring cattle farm. Their barn and hay were on fire. Soon every farmer and rancher for a twenty-mile radius came—putting out flames, moving livestock, saving what they could. The shepherd was the first to arrive and the last to leave, even though he knew how all the cattle ranchers felt.

The cattle ranchers helped rebuild the barn, but no one had extra hay for his stock of hundreds of mouths to feed. One night, several semi-trucks pulled into the farmyard. The lead driver said, “Someone anonymously sent us. Where do you want it?” It was eight semi-truck loads of hay! Later we found out the shepherd freely gave the hay, asking nothing in return.

We had believed what others said about the shepherd, instead of listening to the preaching of his actions. Our eyes were finally opened to childlike believing, with faith and goodness—finally finding peace with him. Like our eyes being opened, Peter and the “other apostle” in next week’s Gospel finally believed when they see the empty tomb. They finally understand and have faith in what Jesus has been showing, teaching, and modeling for three years. Finally finding peace.

So, this Easter, what could you:

“unlearn”? Something you “know” to be true but isn’t?
find faith in, like a child, and find peace?

Ben Bongers, 2023

Falling Upwards to the Present Moment

March 12, 2023/1 Comment/in Faith/by Paula Veloso Babadi

Falling Upwards to the Present Moment

“…but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31

Two weeks ago, one of my nephews was laid off after fifteen years. My heart ached for him, my niece, and their four young children. When I told him I was praying for them, he thanked me, smiling all would be well. His faith reminded me of a time in my career when I faced a similar situation.

I never thought it would happen to me, until the day our team learned three of the five project managers would be displaced. A tightly knit group of high performers, we were driven to excellence by the thought of making a difference.

God spared me in several ways; first by providing a fun respite, second by affording me a compassionate leader, and third but definitely not last, gracing me with insight about living in the present moment.

A serendipitous getaway shielded me from the initial jolt. Our team was to meet for the verdict and on my way to work that morning, my daughter-in-law offered me a last-minute vacant spot in her mother’s cruise cabin. Of course, the possibility was off my radar. I had meetings and presentations to complete Thursday and Friday. When she suggested I call in sick, I politely told her it was not possible.

At work, after my first conference call, second thoughts overtook me and somewhere in the 5 minutes before my next meeting, I dashed into my boss’s office and told her about the random offer. She exclaimed, “If it were me, I’d rearrange my schedule and go!”

I dashed to my next meeting but by 10 am, I had a plan. I instructed my son, “Add me to the guest list and don’t leave without me.” By 10:30, my manager approved two vacation days and I cleared my calendar as willing friends covered critical meetings. By noon, I was home throwing together bare bones essentials, and by 2pm, my son, daughter-in-law, grandchildren and “Mimi”, their other grandmother, hustled through check-in on our way to a four-day island cruise.

“…Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” Psalm 30:5

On that short vacation, God reminded me of the joy of living in the present moment. Playing “Connect Four” with my grandsons, I thought of nothing else but them; reveling in their boyish chatter and laughter. Enjoying “Mimi” playing bingo for the first time in her life, and winning, kept any thoughts of work-life in the distant past. In his mercy and love, God knew what I needed to get me past the fear of falling down by embracing life in the present and rising upward through Him.

O Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away. Psalm 139:1-2

Falling Upwards

Does the dandelion tuft

Mourn its wrenching from the globe

Home no longer with the rest

Curse cruel gales

Ride the crest?

Do falling leaves to mulch or mold

Cry fallen hopes in season’s cold

Give up their role in nature’s quest

Change to bedding for a nest?

Does a severed branch downed by wind

Give up its soul, its life rescind

When circumstance would name it “broke”

Does it rise anew as smoke?

In the wrenching and the falling

In the severing and the breaking

In the dying

Is awakening.

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Falling Upwards to the Present Moment

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