The First Christian Feast

Do you know which was the first feast day celebrated in the early Christian Church? Christmas comes to mind right away, though I am not sure if that is because I have logical reasons why I think it should be first or rather because it is my favorite feast day of the year. The answer is actually Easter, the Lord's resurrection. Reflecting for a moment, I have to say that it makes perfect sense. Everything else would have been pointless without the resurrection- it is what gave Jesus Christ not only credibility, but supremacy. He is the savior! No one else has conquered death. St. Paul wrote: "if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain." (1 Cor 15:14)

What do you think the next feasts to be added to the liturgical calendar? Sorry, still not Christmas. The second and third celebrations for which we have evidence are the feasts of the Ascension (Acts 1:6-11) and Pentecost (Acts 2- see picture above for how they celebrate Pentecost at the Pantheon!). At first glance, I would say that Christmas is more important than these feasts. The logic, though, is that these two feasts complete the celebration of Easter, the paschal mystery. Jesus said that he would leave us, but he promised that, after his resurrection, he would send us his Spirit. Pentecost marks the conclusion of the celebration of Easter-tide.

After these feasts, they also added feast days marking the days of the Lord's passion- Holy Thursday and Good Friday, along with Palm Sunday. The picture here may not look familiar, but it is the crucifixion. As a matter of fact, it is one of the earliest depictions of the crucifixion we are aware of as it may date to as early as the 5th century. It is on the large wooden doors of the Church of Santa Sabina here in Rome.

When we learned about this progression recently in Liturgy class, it really struck me because while the other feasts are truly important and significant, the celebration of Easter is the single, most significant feast in Christianity. Really, it is definitive and indicative of what sets Christianity apart. It is not so surprising, then, that this fact is witnessed even in the historical development of Christian worship.

Receiving Communion

The question was recently posed to me, "why don't Catholics allow other Christians to receive their communion?" The truth is that I was hardly satisfied with my response. So here we are.

The Eucharist is the "source and summit" (Lumen Gentium, 11; Catechism of the Catholic Church #1324) of Catholic faith and life. It is sort of like the cherry on top, except that it is more like a solid-gold-orb on top. With the cherry on top, the main event is the ice cream. But with the Eucharist, everything else is preparation, is "on the way to" the Eucharist. It is the main event, that which is most precious.

When I approach the altar to receive communion, it is a sign of my communion with the Catholic Church, of my adherence to the teachings and truths she proclaims, of my loyalty to the Pope and the Bishops, the successors of the apostles. Receiving the host, the Body of Christ, is the epitome of my union and communion with the body of Catholic Christians with respect to all of these implications.

In addition to the perspective of communion, one ought to be in a state of grace to receive the Eucharist. This implies the practice of confession, the sacrament by which we are restored to this state of grace, by which we are picked up from our falls, in which we accept the infinite mercy and love of God. In other words, confession restores us to communion with God, of which our reception of the Eucharist is symbolic.

The Eucharist is communion. It is communion physically, literally, figuratively, and spiritually. It is a sign of my communion with God and of my communion with the Catholic Church.

For further reading, you may consult numbers 1395, 1396, 1400, and 1415 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Similar issues are treated here (regarding Catholics attending other christian services) and 

here (regarding what Pope Francis says about receiving the Euchariat in Evangelii Gaudium). 

On the Lenten Journey

We are in the third week of Lent. It is entirely possible that you feel like me- worried that I have already lost some time and that Easter will be here before I know it  and that Lent will have passed me by and I will have accomplished nothing.

Know what I mean?

Don't worry. Lent is a journey. If you have felt this, I would say that it is a good sign; it is evidence that the Holy Spirit is present and inviting you to go deeper, just like he led Jesus into the desert (Matthew 4:1). Does that sound familiar? So keep your chin up. Lent is a journey and it's better to start your preparation for Easter now than on Holy Thursday. Pray. Listen. Follow the Holy Spirit's inspirations. Try to correspond to what he is telling you and communicating to you.

If he is asking you to give something up, start scaling back your intake of social media or of food, your time on Netflix or playing video games- whatever it is for you.

If he is asking you to give more, see how you can serve your neighbor, how you can reach out, how you can spend more time in prayer or in prayerful reading of sacred scripture or of some other spiritual book. See what will help you most.

Lent is a time to go to the desert. It is a time to encounter God, a time for renewal. We are made for God. When we take him seriously, he does not disappoint. As Fr. John Bartunek, LC wrote in his book The Better Part, "If we truly know him, we will delight in serving such a Lord, and we will go out of our way to be worthy of him."

The 1st Annual Priest Bowl

December 13 was an amazing day. 35 of my Legionary brothers were ordained priests here in Rome at St. John Lateran (click here to see my post on the Lateran Basilica). Many of their family and friends traveled here for their big day, the vast majority of them arriving here from across oceans. Many came from across the Atlantic- USA, Mexico, and South America, while some even came from Australia and New Zealand as a native Aussie and two Kiwis were ordained.

The new priests processing out after Mass

For some this was a once in a lifetime trip, finally made after so many years of waiting for their son/brother/friend to make through the long period of formation and preparation. For others, it was a truly unique opportunity to participate in a Mass of priestly ordination. One group had a particularly good time, coming to dub this event the "priest bowl." As they got to know many other brothers while in Rome, they resolved that they would have to make the annual trip overseas to participate in the priest bowl for years to come.

A new priest's homily in his 1st Mass

The ordination Mass was beautiful, but I find it easy to say that the days immediately following were just as emotionally and spiritually intense as these new priests celebrated their first Masses for family and friends. I have shared the moment of consecration from some of these Masses on Vine (click here). Homilies were often interrupted by choked voices, swallows, moments of silence taken to reign in surging emotions. I was so proud of these men, my friends and brothers, who are now bringing the sacraments of Christ, and with them eternal life, to so many.

One of the new priests

It struck me in a particular way to hear them saying the words "this is my body" and "this is my blood." Of course, they say these words in persona Christi, but it struck me that, in a few years, I will be the one saying these words; and saying these words, how could I not, experiencing Christ's immense love for us when he comes to us in the Eucharist, want to repeat, imitate, make true in my own life the truth those words express? This can be our experience of Mass every day, every time we participate in the holy sacrifice of the Mass. This is the desire that has been in my heart in these days since seeing my brothers ordained: I want to offer my body and my blood for the glory of God the Father, following the example of these brothers of mine who are leading the way and for whose example I am so grateful, but above all following the example of our Lord Jesus Christ. Indeed, this is the hope and glory of Christmas: our savior is born, our Lord is come to save us. Alleluia!

Nativity scene recently unveiled in St. Peter's square

Weezer and Biblical Contemplation of God

On their latest album Everything Will Be Alright in the End, the band Weezer, from a certain perspective, delves into the depths of the contemplation of God based on Sacred Scripture. On this album, the song "Da Vinci" spoke to me of the reality of sacred scripture and its divine inspiration. 

Caravaggio's "Inspiration of St. Matthew"

Simply put, we are unable on our own to comprehend and express the reality of God's love, mercy, and awesomeness. As Rivers Cuomo sings, "Even da Vinci couldn't paint you; Stephen Hawking can't explain you; Rosetta stone could not translate you, I'm at a loss for words." Our efforts to explain and understand the wonder that is God inevitably reach the point of words falling short, of slowly entering a state of silent admiration. This is not to say that God is not rational, but only that, without his having revealed himself to us in Sacred Scripture and in the person of Jesus Christ, we would fall far shorter than we actually do in our knowledge of his reality. What is actually contained in the Bible has been the source of endless study, writing, prayer and reflection through history. Rivers sings, "I tried to write it in a novel; I wrote a page but it was awful," and then, "I wish I could explain who you are, but when I try I never get far." That's why we turn back to the sacred page! "Now I just want to sing your gospel." Let's go back to the inspired word of God and get to know him as he reveals himself to us.

Given the general aims and messages of rock and roll, I deem it safe to say that this was not Weezer's intent. Nevertheless, I do see myself, by means of this interpretation, fitting into a long line of Christian tradition that has "baptized" pagan symbol after pagan symbol. I hardly want to label Weezer as pagan or opposed to religion. I simply accept that these themes are generally absent from their productions.

* All quotes from Weezer are based on my listening to the song and may not be the official lyrics. I have not taken the time to research that, but then, I really did not see the need to.

St. John Lateran

Today is the feast of the dedication of Rome's first basilica, St. John Lateran. It is part of the Rome experience to actually be able to attend Mass there on the very feast of its dedication.

It was dedicated in the 320s (I have heard two dates), before St. Peter's or St. Paul outside the walls, with the name "Church of the Redeemer." So why is it called St. John and what does Lateran mean? Here's the deal. Some of the land there belonged to a wealthy Roman family of the time whose name was Laterano. Then, at different points in history, the church was named for St. John the Baptist and for St. John the Evangelist. Their names (as well as their statues on either side of Christ) can be seen in the facade.

The cathedral has, through history, succombed to fire, an earthquake, and invading hordes. Each time it was destroyed it was rebuilt and received new names in the process.

As you enter through the front facade you pass a Latin inscription which says "the holy Lateran church, mother and head of all churches in the city and world." Why does it say this? Two main reasons. One is that the Lateran was the Vatican until the 1300s. It was the official Papal residence until the Avignon period when, for about 70 years in the 1300s, the Popes transferred their residence to France. After that, as the Lateran structures had become inhabitable, the Popes took up residence in the Vatican, where they have remained to the present day. The second reason, very connected with the first, is that St. John Lateran is the cathedral of Rome: it is the see of the bishop of Rome (the Pope). In fact, it still houses the offices for the diocese of Rome. St. Peter's is a mamoth basilica in the Vatican city-state, but it is not the official see of the bishop of Rome. Lateran, 1 - St. Peter's, 0.

Inside is a beautiful artistic portrayal of salvation history, or of God's intervention through history aimed at man's salvation. There are three levels (see photo immediately above, right) of decoration in the main body of the Church. The top level is a series of 12 paintings of Old Testament prophets. Below these are 12 frieze sculptures depicting, on the left side, scenes from the Old Testament which prefigured some moment in the life of Christ, depicted in the corresponding place on the right side. The two following photos depict, from the Old Testament the angel staying Abraham's hand when he was about to sacrifice his son, Isaac, who carried the wood up the mountain, and from the New Testament, Christ carrying the cross.

This is a bridge from old to new. Below these are the 12 impressive sculptures of the apostles and St. Paul, each with some emblem indicative of what they are known for. They were present at the Church's foundation and were the first followers of Christ who set the Church on its course. But there is yet a fourth level. As our gaze descends from the prophets, to the friezes, to the apostles, it finally reaches the floor upon which we stand. The fourth level is us. We are the heirs of this great history, of God's presence and action in human history. The Church's continuity and the realization of her mission now depend on us.

Historically, St. John Lateran is monumental for its Christian significance. Structurally, it is a marvel. Spiritually, it is a testimony of salvation history and is a fitting symbol of the Catholic Church herself, which has survived so many upheavels and struggles through the centuries, while continuing to offer mankind the surest means by which to reach heaven.

A Particularly Large and Friendly Elephant

Series on "Wisdom and Innocence: a Life of G.K. Chesterton" by Joseph Pearce

Chapter 6 treats of another move and of the Chestertons' dealings with a family living near their new homestead. What it is really about, however, is G.K. Chesterton's dealings with children and his love for them.

A truly beautiful portrait is presented us in this chapter of profound happiness and content. It tells of a grown man who enjoyed the stories and the jokes he told as much as, if not more than, his young listeners. It tells of this man, having lost himself in the fun and games, needing to lock himself in his room at the last moment to write a column due that evening. It can sound so proud and stuck up to speak of someone else as being simple, but that is exactly the quality of Chesterton which this chapter brought me to admire. Life for him was so beautiful, and as a man he himself was so sincere with how he lived. These two qualities, which children, when they feel trusted, seem to possess and master so effortlessly, meant that he and children were made for each other.

He thrived in their company. He was truly himself with them and they loved him for it. As one author wrote, "he did not, like many grown-ups who are reputedly 'fond of children', exploit the simplicity of childhood for his own amusement. He entered, with tremendous gravity, into the tremendous gravity of the child." One of his young friends later shared this reflection: "It was not, as is sometimes cosily and fallaciously supposed, that he became like a small boy, but that he made small boys feel that they had become men."

This chapter highlights another quality. Chesterton was simple, yet brilliant, and he had an innate knack for putting into words what other people merely feel without the ability to describe. During a difficult period for his wife, and so for him, he wrote to Fr. O'Connor, their close friend. First, he shared why he wrote to him in particular, and not someone else, in this period of trial:
"I would not write this to anyone else, but you combine so unusually in your own single personality the characters of 1. priest, 2. human being, 3. man of the world, 4. man of the other world, 5. man of science, 6. old friend, 7. new friend, not to mention Irishman and picture dealer, that I don't mind suggesting the truth to you."

He then shared a reflection on his marriage:
"One of the mysteries of Marriage (which must be a Sacrament and an extraordinary one too) is that a man evidently useless like me can yet become at certain instants indispensable. And the further oddity (which I invite you to explain on mystical grounds) is that he never feels so small as when he knows that he is necessary."

This chapter is a showcase of what seem to me to be two of the qualities which make Chesterton Chesterton.

What fills your heart?

Have you ever felt like you were let down by God? I was reading Genesis recently and, you know, if anyone could have felt let down by God, Abraham certainly could have. He received all these promises of great things and for years there was nothing to show for it. The promises were seemingly unfulfilled. Yet Abraham maintained faith and did not abandon God.

A similar case that came to mind was St. Faustina Kowalska. Jesus called her to found an order and she, despite serious illnesses did everything she could to realize his desire. She died before foundation took place. It looks, again, like a let down, almost like God was messing with her. Yet she, too, stayed strong in the faith until the end. Why?

I would propose that God is greater than his promises. For Abraham and St. Faustina, it was worth much more to have God than to have anything else. They believed and hoped that his promises and desires would be fulfilled, but those things were on a totally secondary level. All those things came after knowing and loving the Lord. With God theirs hearts were content. They were utterly satisfied by their relationship with God. Everything else, had or not had, failed to influenced the happiness and peace they found in God.

Towards a Solution to the Problem of Evil

I wanted to share in the first place this number from the Catechism of the Catholic Church- please humor me by giving it a read.

309 If God the Father almighty, the Creator of the ordered and good world, cares for all his creatures, why does evil exist? To this question, as pressing as it is unavoidable and as painful as it is mysterious, no quick answer will suffice. Only Christian faith as a whole constitutes the answer to this question: the goodness of creation, the drama of sin and the patient love of God who comes to meet man by his covenants, the redemptive Incarnation of his Son, his gift of the Spirit, his gathering of the Church, the power of the sacraments and his call to a blessed life to which free creatures are invited to consent in advance, but from which, by a terrible mystery, they can also turn away in advance. There is not a single aspect of the Christian message that is not in part an answer to the question of evil.

I read this whil I was studying this morning and it really struck me. And I did not add the italics- I read it like that in the Catechism. Why did this number strike me? Maybe for this reason: my integral, deep living of my faith furthers the solution to the problem of evil in the world, indeed, to all the bad we see and experience.

What does "live the faith," in the previous paragraph mean? It means treating God like a person, getting to know him, and growing in my relationship with him. Growing in this relationship makes the world a better place.

Formation: let me introduce you to the truth!

The other day I found myself wondering, "what is formation all about, anyway?" I was reflecting on my (yikes!) 9 years in the seminary, you know, where I was before entering (not yet 20), how I have progressed or not along the way, positive and negative elements... So when it comes down to it, what is formation all about?

I believe that the answer is, simply, TRUTH. Fundamentally, I think that formation is attempting to move the will by presenting it with the truth in all its goodness and beauty. I believe that formation is absolutely not getting someone to do something or getting them to behave within certain parameters but rather helping them to desire the true, the good, and the beautiful in all of their profundity. It is an empowering. This also means not settling for passing pleasures or superficial counterfeits instead of these transcendental realities. For more on this check out #89 of Pope Francis's recent publication Evangelii Gaudium.

Formation is ongoing introduction to / discovery of the truth and then the conforming of one's life to that reality.

¿No?

Is Jesus an egomaniac?

The other day I was thinking about the martyrs. I'm not sure what it was- maybe Pope Francis talking about the persecution of Christians in the world today. Whatever it was, a thought occurred to me that I had never considered. When a martyr was dying for Christ, what was going through Christ's mind? Hmm... 

Was Christ there demanding that this person give their life for him? Was he there telling this almost-martyr, "ok, just a little more, I want you to prove to me that you love my by not giving in. Prove it to me!" Was Christ an egomaniac, going around looking for people who would give their lives for him? I certainly do not think so. On the contrary, I think that Christ would have said something more like, "I know you love me, you don't have to go through all this. I know your heart. I don't need this proof." Friends, people that love each other, do not want to see the other suffer.

So why would the martyr go through with it? I think that it has to be, quite simply, because of love. I think that the martyr loved Christ. The martyr did not want to leave any room for doubt in anyone's mind that he loved Jesus Christ. I think that the martyr tastes a freedom that few know exists. The martyr lives the zenith, the fullness, the absolute epitome of freedom! He squeezes it out to the last drop. He loves.

In the Catholic Church we celebrated last Sunday the solemnity of Christ the King. He is not an egomaniac but is entirely the opposite. He gave his life for us. He is the King who shows us how to love.

A Reflection on Purity

Classes started this week and Theology has proven to be very interesting. We hope that continues. In Pentateuch class there have been some really interesting connections. Have you ever read the book of Leviticus? FYI, it is in the Old Testament and I have not read it, either.

Interestingly enough, Leviticus is the book of liturgical norms which also dealt with the purity the Israelites were to maintain and how they were to maintain it. They were a people set apart in a land given them by the Lord and they were to maintain themselves pure to be His own. It struck me that basically this whole book was for that single, simple purpose of purity before the Lord.

Things have changed since then. The Savior came and the inheritance of God's chosen ones has been made available to all people. We become His sons and daughters in Baptism and, as sons and daughters, we, too, must defend and fight to maintain our purity.

Some things seem strange, and are, but really are not

You know, sometimes people do things that seem strange, and are, but at the same time aren't.

 

We went to visit an elderly couple for the first time last week here in Sicily. They had never received seminarians like us but when I called she was open to meeting us. So we arrived, rang, and, as the Gospel says, the door was opened to us. The house was set back behind the gate about twenty yards and as we entered we saw Mr. and Mrs. near the house approaching us. We greeted them and immediately he positioned himself between myself and the other seminarian, took us each by the arm, and walked with us to the house. It was a first-time, unexpected, and rather uncomfortable experience, given that I just met this man. How could I have known at that moment their sufferings, their difficulties, their burdens? How could I have known about their daughter who, along with her husband and their grandkids, had totally abandoned them, moving away and cutting all communication? How could I have known the joy, in the midst of this their continual ache, that our simple visit could bring? They were so happy that, 45 minutes later as we departed, they insisted and insisted we come for lunch our next visit. In addition, they insisted that we take two bags full of fruit that they had gathered from their fields. They accompanied us to the gate, gave us five euro for a cafè along the way, and saw us off until we were out of sight.

Taking us both arm-in-arm seemed strange to me, and it was, but in the end it really wasn't.

Learning from Pope Francis, Prayer for Peace

Here in Italy, everyone is talking about how "bravo" Pope Francis is. He has many human and spiritual qualities which make him very attractive. At the end of his Angelus addresses he says, "buon pranso," or, have a good lunch! He is notably extraverted. I hope, however, that these people who "love" Pope Francis also listen attentively to what he says. His words during the vigil of prayer for peace two Saturdays ago struck me as extraordinary. I share an excerpt below.

His words can be read in their entirety here.

And at this point I ask myself: Is it possible to walk the path of peace? Can we get out of this spiral of sorrow and death? Can we learn once again to walk and live in the ways of peace? Invoking the help of God, under the maternal gaze of the Salus Populi Romani, Queen of Peace, I say: Yes, it is possible for everyone! From every corner of the world tonight, I would like to hear us cry out: Yes, it is possible for everyone! Or even better, I would like for each one of us, from the least to the greatest, including those called to govern nations, to respond: Yes, we want it! My Christian faith urges me to look to the Cross. How I wish that all men and women of good will would look to the Cross if only for a moment! There, we can see God’s reply: violence is not answered with violence, death is not answered with the language of death. In the silence of the Cross, the uproar of weapons ceases and the language of reconciliation, forgiveness, dialogue, and peace is spoken. This evening, I ask the Lord that we Christians, and our brothers and sisters of other religions, and every man and woman of good will, cry out forcefully: violence and war are never the way to peace! Let everyone be moved to look into the depths of his or her conscience and listen to that word which says: Leave behind the self-interest that hardens your heart, overcome the indifference that makes your heart insensitive towards others, conquer your deadly reasoning, and open yourself to dialogue and reconciliation. Look upon your brother’s sorrow – I think of the children: look upon these… look at the sorrow of your brother, stay your hand and do not add to it, rebuild the harmony that has been shattered; and all this achieved not by conflict but by encounter! May the noise of weapons cease! War always marks the failure of peace, it is always a defeat for humanity. Let the words of Pope Paul VI resound again: “No more one against the other, no more, never! ... war never again, never again war!” (Address to the United Nations, 1965). “Peace expresses itself only in peace, a peace which is not separate from the demands of justice but which is fostered by personal sacrifice, clemency, mercy and love” (World Day of Peace Message, 1975). Brothers and Sisters, forgiveness, dialogue, reconciliation – these are the words of peace, in beloved Syria, in the Middle East, in all the world! Let us pray this evening for reconciliation and peace, let us work for reconciliation and peace, and let us all become, in every place, men and women of reconciliation and peace!

Learning to See What Matters

I met this awesome family here in Italy. One of the kids was dating a girl in high school and she had a serious stroke at the age of 15 which left her with minimal use of her left side. It was so bad that other kids at school made fun of her to an unbearable extent and she did not finish high school. There was, however, one friend who stood by her. It was her boyfriend. He stayed with her through the whole thing and, a few more years down the road, he proposed to her and they are now married. She still has merely minimal use of her left side, but they are happily married and I found their testimony to be extremely edifying.

Something I Learned from Christopher West

There are lots of opinions about Christopher West. Reading one of his latest books, "At the Heart of the Gospel," I came across something that I really liked. Mr. West, as we know, is one of the great "popularizers" of John Paul II's Theology of the Body. He has studied and read a LOT and from personal experience I can say that he is on fire to bring this message out to the world.

At the end of the first chapter of this book Mr. West reveals what he is carrying in his heart, what motivates him, and why he is going forward despite the criticisms and difficulties that he has encountered. I found it to be enlightening an exciting. Let me just share a few of his words:

"If Christ is to become present within the secular world's understanding, that will mean walking a fine line, a place of tension, between the sacred and the secular. That will mean, in some instances, using a language with which a more pious and refined audience might take issue so that much less pious and refined audience might be reached...let us try, and when we err, let us correct those errors and try again...we must stretch ourselves; we must break out of our comfort zones; we must be courageous, bold, and daring."

Reading that, I could not help but think of the calls of Pope Francis to go out and not stay closed within the Church. He wants a Church that is dynamic, apostolic, and full of love and concern for neighbor. That is what the Pope wants. That is exactly what I read in Christopher West.

Seeing God's Goodness in Fallen Angels

Have you ever thought about the fall of the angels? It really is fascinating. To think of rebellion in Heaven, a celestial battle, St. Michael the Archangel expelling Lucifer from the heavenly host. My question is, why have there not been fantastic movies made about this!

We were praying about this, the fall of the angels, in a month-long spiritual retreat I recently completed. And it was precisely in contemplating this scene that the goodness of God struck me in a particular way. God created. Maybe it is like standing in a sandbox. There is just you and the sand. But then you start making castles and roads in the sand, pools and rivers. That is like God and creation. He animates. He gives being. What He makes is good.

But then the freedom He bestowed is abused. He, the giver of every gift, finds himself rejected, spurned, unwanted. They walked. But that is precisely where God's goodness shines so brilliantly. He let them walk. He loves and respects to such a degree that whatever choice the other makes, He responds with love. If the choice of the other is to spurn, to reject, and even to hate, He respects and loves and never obliges.

We know how the story goes. Man fell, too. God respected man's choice to sin. I am fallen as well. I have rejected God so many times. And His love is so radical that He honors my freedom and refuses to impose upon, which would be to limit, my freedom.

Feeling far from God #2

Dipping back into the Discernment of Spirits...

Rule 10 of the spiritual exercises says that when experiencing spiritual consolation you should buckle up for upcoming desolation. Ok- 1st thing: what's the difference between consolation and desolation? Well, to make it really simple, consolation is like heaven on earth and desolation is, well, the opposite. Of course, this pertains not to how things are at work, at home, in the stock market, with your favorite sports team...but to your spiritual life and your relationship with God. Sometimes we can feel like St. Peter, like we are walking on water. Then, all of a sudden, it can feel like God does not even exist, like he totally fled the scene and is nowhere to be found. What often happens is that we then live accordingly, either as if God did or did not exist. Which means how we live fluctuates like crazy. Good or bad, in light or shadows, before the Almighty or as if I am the almighty.

St. Ignatius says in this rule that when I am experiencing spiritual consolation- i.e. when I believe in God and it feels good and I am happy and loving rather than sinning- I should not just sit back and enjoy. Yes, enjoy it, but without the "sitting back" part. I ought to be preparing myself mentally, aware of the fact that this spiritual high is not going to last forever. On the contrary, a spiritual low is coming. For sure. And there will be a high again after that, but in the meantime I need to get ready for the time of trial. What does that mean? It means that even when it feels like hell on earth, I will live as though God exists and I will strive to love him. 

Will we know each other in Heaven?

"The Fulfillment of All Desire" is the title of a great book on the spiritual life authored by Ralph Martin. Have you ever wondered about heaven and, particularly, about whether or not we will know each other there? For example, your spouse, your best friend, your parents or siblings, your mother-in-law...St. Catherine of Siena was a mystic in the 1300's and is a doctor of the Church. She actually touches on this theme in her work "The Dialogue," which is a conversation between her and God the Father.

In 1 Samuel 18 the future king David has a beautiful and profound friendship with Jonathan, the son of Saul. It says that Jonathan loved David as he loved himself. This endures even when his father out of jealousy ends up seeking David's life. It is a beautiful example of friendship in the Bible. St. Catherine says in her work, and this is cited by Ralph Martin in his, that not only will we know and recognize each other in Heaven, but our friendship will be even deeper and more intimate. Those healthy friendships we have in the Lord will only reach new heights.

So look forward to heaven! And let's strive to live friendships now in anticipation of how they will be there.

There is that interesting Bible passage where Abraham asks God not to destroy the city if there are 40 righteous people in it, then 30, then 20...and he gets down to 5 righteous people. Well, needless to say the city gets destroyed, but have you thought about why God wanted that to happen?

I remember when I was a kid my mom would bring me shopping. Me? Well I was obsessed with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- loved the cartoon (early 90's, right?) and needed as many of the action figures as possible. There were all different kinds- the one where the shell opened for storage, the one with the automatic karate chop... Well, I knew that if the shopping was at Target, there would be a chance to get more action figures! The thing was, if I didn't bring it up on the shopping trip, it would not happen because we all know that buying ninja turtles will not be on mom's shopping list. Bottom line: I had to ask.

So I was talking to a recently ordained priest about that passage of the bible and he asked me the very question: why do you think God did that? God already knew what was about to happen. Fr. John told me that God must have wanted to let Abraham know that he needs to be proactive. It reminded  me of something I read in In the School of the Holy Spirit by Fr. Jacques Philippe. He emphasizes how we must ask God to inspire and guide us- we shouldn't just expect it to happen. Ok everybody- lesson learned! Let's start praying.