Learning to be Quick to Listen

Are you a prideful person? Are you committing spiritual idolatry? Are you what St. James calls an adulterer ? Pride will keep you from God's grace and He gives it freely. Pride is a disordered view of yourself and distorts our sense of importance. It causes us to place ourselves ahead of other people. It causes us to question why others have more worldly things than we do. We want things so much that we are willing to put those created things before the Creator or even in place of the Creator. Matthew 6:24 tells us that a divided loyalty cannot last. But many of us are very content with our friendship with the world. We are very focused on believing that created things are very important if we are to be perceived by others as important. All of this angst creates an inner struggle and we know what happens when pressure builds. It has to escape and frequently that inner angst explodes on other people. We become angry, envious and greedy. We covet what our friends have and we want it ...

For the past 10 years, Father James Statz has been inspiring Lenten devotions with his missionary-style chaplet. The chaplet consists of a cross on a cord with seven sets of three knots each that is worn around the neck over one's clothing, visible for all of Lent. Starting Ash Wednesday, parishioners wear the cross and pray seven Our Fathers, Hail Marys, and Glory Bes everyday for a specific member of the parish or community. On Good Friday, that cross is then given to that person. During his time as a missionary in Venezuela, Father Statz noted that there was need for a visible sign of the cross. The opportunity afforded by Ash Wednesday to visibly display the cross gave him the idea for what would later become the Lenten chaplet. "It's a good way to evangelize our own people and others in the barrios," he said. He views it a powerful tool in bringing the word of God to everyone. Through the cross, "people are brought into the church," said Father Statz. T...

The local paper had a story about St. Patrick yesterday. It talked about some of the myths that surrounded this great saint. One of the more interesting items in the story is that St. Patrick was either French or British. We know that he was brought to Ireland as a slave in 389 but we are not sure of his birthplace. Regardless of where he was originally from, St. Patrick embodied the Irish spirit and became one of the greatest instruments for God on that island. Patrick had a deep faith. He was in constant relationship with God and he wanted that for others as well. He knew of the blessings of God firsthand and made it his life's mission to bring everyone to that glory. Not only did Patrick have a deep faith, he embodied what St. James describes as faith and works. Patrick was always doing good works and showing the face of Christ to others. In spite of not knowing where he was from, he definitely knew where he was going. Patrick gives us a wonderful example of how to live our live...

First, please pray for Japan. It amazes me that people do not believe that the devil exists. Even folks who believe in God and consider themselves Christian. The question I want to ask them is, "have you read the Bible?" Last Sunday's gospel reading recounts the meeting between Jesus and the devil. The fourth chapter of Matthew's gospel tells you all you need to know about the devil. He is intent on leading you away from a relationship with God. He is focused on making sure that you try to place yourself on the same level as God. He tempts and most of the time it is with subtle words or whispers. So don't always expect big and flashy when it comes to the devil. Matthew 4:10 tells us, Jesus said to him, "Get away, Satan! It is written: The Lord, your God, shall you worship and Him alone shall you serve." Good advice for all of us. Later this week we will celebrate two special feast days. The first is in honor of St. Patrick. Of course, this special day ha...

St. James tells us in chapter 3:5-6, "In the same way the tongue is a small member and yet has great pretensions. Consider how a small fire can set a huge forest ablaze. The tongue is also a fire. It exists among our members as a world of malice, defiling the whole body and setting the entire course of our lives on fire, itself set on fire by Gehenna." The tongue reflects what is on our heart. How many times have you wished you had not said something that proved to be very hurtful to someone else? I heard a wonderful story that illustrates this point vividly. There was a rabbi and his student who grew to be very close. The rabbi was very proud of his student because the student always was very prepared for his lessons, asked lots of questions and seemed to be learning everything he could about his religion. The rabbi had been teaching for a long time and he was very methodical about his process. The student was very anxious and wanted to move faster, be done and get out into ...

As we begin our Lenten journey, it is always important to focus on preparing ourselves for the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus. The journey is equally important. How are you prepared to make the journey? Have you been prayerful about what you would like to see happen over the next 40 days? Opening yourself up to the assistance of the Holy Spirit is a great first step. The graces provided by the Holy Spirit can provide the difference between a wonderful Lenten walk and time wasted worshiping false gods. Lent does not necessarily have to be about giving up candy, soda or Facebook. It should be a time to focus on moving closer to God. Are you dedicating more of your time to listening to God? He wants to be in conversation with you. He is still offering advice. With the constant barrage of noise, can you hear Him? Commit yourself to a Lenten season filled with prayer, conversation and quiet time with God. Allow the Holy Spirit to inhabit every part of you. Look to Jesus as your mo...

Pope Benedict XVI states in his new book about Jesus that the Jewish people are not collectively responsible for His death. While the Vatican has for five decades taught that Jews weren't collectively responsible, Jewish scholars said that the argument laid out by the German-born pontiff was significant and would help fight anti-Semitism today. Pope Benedict uses biblical and theological analyses to explain why there was no basis in Scripture that the Jewish people as a whole were responsible for Jesus' death. The book is the second installment to Pope Benedict's 2007 "Jesus of Nazareth," his first book as pope, which offered a very personal meditation on the early years of Christ's life and teachings. This second installment, set to be released March 10, concerns the final part of Christ's life, his death and resurrection. The Pope also said it was a mistake to interpret the words reported in the Gospel, "His blood be on us and on our children,"...

Why do we find it so difficult to talk about God with other people? I am not talking about when you are at church or in a Bible study group. I am talking about general everyday life. Some find it even more difficult when it is a family member. Are we worried that we are going to offend them? Are we concerned that they are not going to like us any more. I have heard instances of people avoiding others because of their fervor for God. Isn't that the point? We should be on fire for God. We should want people to know that if they talk to us, they are going to hear something about God or at the very least get some advice that is based on God's word. This past weekend's gospel reading was about the difficulty that arises when you try to have two masters; putting things on the same level as God. Worshiping material things in place of God can cause so many problems for us. But having a conversation about these other things (sports, cars, money) is so much easier. Have you ever sat ...