Mass attendance is a pretty simple mandate. Most parishes have multiple opportunities to fulfil the mandate, either in the parish or in an area faith community. I don't understand why people choose to skip Mass. It is a weekly chance to spend time with Jesus in the real presence of the Eucharist. It is an opportunity to hear the word of God and to hear the priest's interpretation of the words and how it applies to daily living.
Mass isn't just about the sacraments, or receiving those sacraments for the first time. It is so much more.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Meal Prayers
Prayer before meals is a staple at our house. We usually say the Catholic table grace. Dave, however, was raised with, what we call, a Lutheran table grace. There are times when we choose to say that prayer instead.
Personally, my preference is the Catholic table grace. It is the table grace my family used when I was a child. It reminds me of my grandparents, especially my father's mother.
There are prayers before every meal at our home, even if we aren't all together. There are prayers before breakfast, lunch and supper. There are prayers at home and prayers in restaurants and prayers at family homes. We have individual prayers and family prayers. We are thankful for the blessings we have been given and it is such a small way to remember Who provided everything we have.
My fear is the prayers become routine, habit and not heartfelt. It becomes meaningless when there are only words said. If there isn't thought and reflection tied to the pray, it is easy to get distracted from what the words mean. I will focus on being present in the moment of prayer.
Personally, my preference is the Catholic table grace. It is the table grace my family used when I was a child. It reminds me of my grandparents, especially my father's mother.
There are prayers before every meal at our home, even if we aren't all together. There are prayers before breakfast, lunch and supper. There are prayers at home and prayers in restaurants and prayers at family homes. We have individual prayers and family prayers. We are thankful for the blessings we have been given and it is such a small way to remember Who provided everything we have.
My fear is the prayers become routine, habit and not heartfelt. It becomes meaningless when there are only words said. If there isn't thought and reflection tied to the pray, it is easy to get distracted from what the words mean. I will focus on being present in the moment of prayer.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Spending Time With Jesus
Spending time with Jesus was something I thought you did by yourself. It could be quiet time in reflective prayer. It could be reading a daily devotional. It could be in song. It might even be in a specific devotional, like Stations of the Cross. I never thought of finding Jesus in a conversation with another person.
On a monthly basis, I take communion to the hospital. One week a month, I share a week with another person. We take communion Monday through Saturday and offer it to whichever Catholics are currently hospitalized. This week, I had Thursday through Saturday. Thursday, there were no Catholics. Friday and Saturday, there was only one.
There are days where taking communion to the hospital can be very quick. I have had days where I have been in and out within a half an hour and have taken communion to three or four people. Occasionally, there are days where it takes a little longer, but most people aren't feeling well and aren't really in the mood to visit. They are comforted by the time in prayer, but they are not usually looking for a lot of extra conversation.
This weekend, I spent more than two hours at the hospital. I wasn't visiting with people I used to work with years ago. I didn't hang out in the cafeteria, people watching. I was spending time with one woman, in a CCU room. She is elderly, facing her own eventual passing, knowing it is closer than the beginning of her life.
Jesus sat with her in her recliner this weekend. Her absolute faith shone through in each of several conversations. Her life story hasn't been an easy one, but she speaks of walking with Jesus, and you can tell she has perfect belief her life has been spent walking with Him. It wasn't just talking, it was living.
She had said she felt she was a nobody, no one would remember her when she was gone. I will remember her, her and her walk with Jesus.
On a monthly basis, I take communion to the hospital. One week a month, I share a week with another person. We take communion Monday through Saturday and offer it to whichever Catholics are currently hospitalized. This week, I had Thursday through Saturday. Thursday, there were no Catholics. Friday and Saturday, there was only one.
There are days where taking communion to the hospital can be very quick. I have had days where I have been in and out within a half an hour and have taken communion to three or four people. Occasionally, there are days where it takes a little longer, but most people aren't feeling well and aren't really in the mood to visit. They are comforted by the time in prayer, but they are not usually looking for a lot of extra conversation.
This weekend, I spent more than two hours at the hospital. I wasn't visiting with people I used to work with years ago. I didn't hang out in the cafeteria, people watching. I was spending time with one woman, in a CCU room. She is elderly, facing her own eventual passing, knowing it is closer than the beginning of her life.
Jesus sat with her in her recliner this weekend. Her absolute faith shone through in each of several conversations. Her life story hasn't been an easy one, but she speaks of walking with Jesus, and you can tell she has perfect belief her life has been spent walking with Him. It wasn't just talking, it was living.
She had said she felt she was a nobody, no one would remember her when she was gone. I will remember her, her and her walk with Jesus.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Discipline
Discipline always has a negative connotation in my mind. Discipline is the consequence of poor choices and bad behavior. Discipline is never good.
We attended the 5pm Mass tonight. Father Paul's homily focused on discipline. He reminded us that discipline isn't always a bad thing. Discipline is what helps us focus on eating healthy, exercising regularly, reading a daily devotional. Discipline is a practice to keep us doing what we should be doing when we should be doing it.
Father spoke of attending Mass on a weekly basis as a discipline. I had thought I was a rather undisciplined person, unfocused and not very structured in many ways. We are disciplined in our weekly attendance at Mass. I am disciplined in my daily devotionals. For this week, I will work on applying discipline to my life in other areas. I will work on a discipline of daily exercise. I am hoping with a better attitude, this will come easier.
We attended the 5pm Mass tonight. Father Paul's homily focused on discipline. He reminded us that discipline isn't always a bad thing. Discipline is what helps us focus on eating healthy, exercising regularly, reading a daily devotional. Discipline is a practice to keep us doing what we should be doing when we should be doing it.
Father spoke of attending Mass on a weekly basis as a discipline. I had thought I was a rather undisciplined person, unfocused and not very structured in many ways. We are disciplined in our weekly attendance at Mass. I am disciplined in my daily devotionals. For this week, I will work on applying discipline to my life in other areas. I will work on a discipline of daily exercise. I am hoping with a better attitude, this will come easier.
Catholic Connection
Today, as I waited for my son to arrive back at school on the shuttle bus, I had the opportunity to listen to Lino Rulli (That Catholic Guy), as he played Catholic Connection with Father Jim. For those who are unfamiliar with the program, seven rounds are played. It begins with a sound. After the sound, both Lino and Father Jim have 30 seconds to draw a correlation between the sound and the Catholic faith.
Some of the sounds have a more obvious connection than others. Today's first sound was harp music. I thought it was going to be an easy afternoon for the two of them, but things got a little more challenging as time went on. The latter sounds included the bubbling of a scuba diver's air tank and the bottle rattling against a hard surface during a game of Spin the Bottle.
Some of the answers are funny. Others are thought provoking. Finally, some are just people grasping at straws as they try to connect some abstract thoughts to their Catholic faith.
Listening to the show tonight, I realized how important it is to connect our Catholic faith to our daily lives. The connection needs to be there in all areas of our lives so we are aware of how we behave and the attitudes we have. Those should reflect our Catholic faith, even in the smallest details.
Some of the sounds have a more obvious connection than others. Today's first sound was harp music. I thought it was going to be an easy afternoon for the two of them, but things got a little more challenging as time went on. The latter sounds included the bubbling of a scuba diver's air tank and the bottle rattling against a hard surface during a game of Spin the Bottle.
Some of the answers are funny. Others are thought provoking. Finally, some are just people grasping at straws as they try to connect some abstract thoughts to their Catholic faith.
Listening to the show tonight, I realized how important it is to connect our Catholic faith to our daily lives. The connection needs to be there in all areas of our lives so we are aware of how we behave and the attitudes we have. Those should reflect our Catholic faith, even in the smallest details.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Giving It Up To God
I am a control freak. I like to be in control of just about every facet of my life and I have a horrible, terrible time giving up that control to someone else. It is something I have worked on, and continually work on, but I am not feeling like I am succeeding currently.
Right now, life is tough. The economy is having a very direct impact on our business and I am watching long standing customers go out of business...without paying their bills. I have developed friendships with the title clerks that are losing their jobs. I have heard about their children, their dreams, their goals, their histories, and now, their fears. I am torn between worrying about them and worrying about how our business is going to survive another round of businesses going under and skipping out on bills.
I haven't been sleeping right. I dream about car titles. I dream about bills. I dream about employees, and not just mine. I realized tonight that while I am dreaming about all of the things I am worrying about, I haven't really turned them over to God yet. In my infinite need for control, I haven't been able to let go of the situation. Somehow, I feel I have to handle all of these stressors on my own, even though they are nowhere near anything I can actually control.
Tonight, I will pray for peace and rest. Tonight, I will give it to God. Tomorrow, I will give it to God again, since I am sure this is something that will be a work in progress. I will have to continue this on a daily basis until I actually accomplish the job.
Tonight, though, I also pray for all of those impacted by the tensions of the economic issues at the dealerships: for the title clerks, office managers, receptionists, finance people, sales people, custodial staff and mechanics. I pray for peace, for the ability to listen to God's call, and for re-employment.
Right now, life is tough. The economy is having a very direct impact on our business and I am watching long standing customers go out of business...without paying their bills. I have developed friendships with the title clerks that are losing their jobs. I have heard about their children, their dreams, their goals, their histories, and now, their fears. I am torn between worrying about them and worrying about how our business is going to survive another round of businesses going under and skipping out on bills.
I haven't been sleeping right. I dream about car titles. I dream about bills. I dream about employees, and not just mine. I realized tonight that while I am dreaming about all of the things I am worrying about, I haven't really turned them over to God yet. In my infinite need for control, I haven't been able to let go of the situation. Somehow, I feel I have to handle all of these stressors on my own, even though they are nowhere near anything I can actually control.
Tonight, I will pray for peace and rest. Tonight, I will give it to God. Tomorrow, I will give it to God again, since I am sure this is something that will be a work in progress. I will have to continue this on a daily basis until I actually accomplish the job.
Tonight, though, I also pray for all of those impacted by the tensions of the economic issues at the dealerships: for the title clerks, office managers, receptionists, finance people, sales people, custodial staff and mechanics. I pray for peace, for the ability to listen to God's call, and for re-employment.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Abraham and Isaac
My Bible study continued through another chapter in Genesis. The miracle of new life through the birth of Isaac has blessed Abraham and Sarah. In today's study, Abraham is faced with the challenge of offering his son in sacrifice. I cannot imagine the angst I would feel if I were presented by that challenge. How would you trust God enough to know you were making the correct decision? How, if you were Isaac, would you trust your father enough to allow him to bind you and place you on the altar?
The faith and trust is beyond my comprehension. What an amazing and awesome testimony!
The faith and trust is beyond my comprehension. What an amazing and awesome testimony!
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