27th Sunday Reflection

Sunday was Respect Life Sunday in the Catholic Church, the opening of Respect Life Month. How appropriate that the Gospel reading from Mark should be about marriage and children! Check it out on the USCCB website and then continue reading below for this week's Following the Message Question.

Question: What steps might I take to strengthen my family life?

"God himself is the author of marriage ... Since God created (the human race) man and woman, their mutual love becomes an image of the absolute and unfailing love with which God loves man" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 1603-04). Sadly, when sin came into the world, "as a break with God, (it) had for its first consequence the rupture of the original communion between man and woman" (CCC 1607). "To heal the wounds of sin, man and woman need the help" of God's grace. "Without his help, man and woman cannot achieve the union of their lives for which God created them in the beginning" (CCC, 1608). "By coming to restore the original order of creation disturbed by sin, (Jesus) himself gives the strength and grace to live marriage in the new dimension of the Reign of God ... This grace of Christian marriage is a fruit of Christ's cross, the source of all Christian life" (CCC, 1615). For more information, please visit For Your Marriage, an initiative of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

All life begins in the family. Thus the church is one of the biggest supporters of marriage. Marriages within the church are so special. The priest doesn't marry us, we marry each other, the priest is only there as the official witness of the Church. That's pretty powerful when you think about it, a husband and wife are the ones performing the sacrament upon each other. I believe it is the only sacrament in the Church where this happens. In every other case, for the other six sacraments, the priest, bishop, or deacon is the one confirming the sacrament on the individual. That says a lot about marriage!!

Within our marriage we represent the Church. As husband and wife we are responsible for each other's souls. And if children become a part of that marriage we are responsible for their intellectual, spiritual, and physical well-being. We are, therefore, the Domestic Church.

I love that phrase!! The Domestic Church! Really evokes a powerful image of the family.

So as a Domestic Church we need to constantly work on our family. This week's question is asking us how we can strengthen our family. But why is this important?

Well, because it is up to us to ensure that our loved ones get to heaven. Yes, we're all responsible for ourselves, but if the family is the Domestic Church, than just as the priest's job is to lead us to Jesus and ultimately heaven, it is our job, as a priestly people, to lead our spouse and children to heaven as well.

That's a big job! And an important one.

Prayer is essential. I pray during my Holy Hour on Monday mornings. And I always try to pray for my husband and the souls of my two children. I also ask our children, who I believe are already in heaven, to pray for us as well. My husband and I also pray before each meal we have together. I like that we do that, but we always use the same prayer. I'm itching to add some free-form prayers at the end.

One day I'll get to that.

But that leads me to meals together. My husband and I always eat breakfast and dinner together when we're both home. That means dinner every night and breakfast on the five days a week when we're both there (two mornings one of us is at our Holy Hour). Some people have expressed surprise that we actually sit down at the table together for EVERY meal.

It would be so easy for us to not do this. We could use the TV trays and sit in the family room for meals. But I bet we'd get too comfortable with that. Also, we probably wouldn't talk as much. Often the TV is on, in the other room, but it's more background noise than anything else. And there are plenty of times that it is not on.

If we got overly comfortable not sitting down at the table together, how easy would it be to just continue the habit as children came along? We can make promises that we'll sit together as a family once we have children, but then ...

"Well, the baby doesn't know, we'll wait till he's older."

Well, we know where that's going! Habits are hard to break.

So we eat together. In the long run, our family will benefit from it. And we, as a family of two, benefit from it now.

How else can we strengthen our family life? Again I go back to prayer.

I want to pray as a family together more. We used to try and say a Rosary together daily, but have seriously fallen short of that goal. Just like the "potential" family meal, we want to make a daily Rosary part of our children's lives, but we're not in the habit now. It's a habit we need to get into now, so it comes easily later.

And why should we wait! We're still a family. Children do not make a family, two people coming together in marriage make a family. So we should be doing this more.

Now is a great time to start! Not only is it Respect Life Month, it's also the Month of the Rosary. I love how those two things coincide!!

Attending Mass together is also important as a family. I love sitting with my husband during Mass. I love that the liturgy is happening around us physically and around us spiritually as all the angels and saints in heaven celebrate the same liturgy. Heaven touches Earth and we're a part of that, as a family. It's such a beautiful coming together of the Church on Earth, the Kingdom of God, and the Domestic Church, all at the same time. And I feel closest to my children in heaven during those moments too, because I know they are a part of this with us.

Prayer, Mass, meals together where we share our days: these are the things that I think strengthen a family. I'm sure when the day comes that we have children for whom we are responsible for in this life I could add much more to this list. But for now, those are the things I need to continue building upon or working on.

Now I want to hear from you! What steps might you take to strengthen your family life?

(For those reading this on Facebook, you can comment here or you can follow the link below this post that says "View Original Post" to see comments others have left on the original post on my blog. Comments can be left in either place.)

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Reflection

There are times when I very much would like to skip one of these questions. This is one of those times.

Now, I have obviously missed some weeks, but generally that's not because I'm avoiding the question. That's more from the tired old excuse of "I've been busy."

But not today! This question really has me thinking, digging deep, and hoping that I can answer it honestly. This is after all, the point of these reflections.

The readings from today's Mass were all very thought-provoking for me. The book of Wisdom is always an interesting read, and this excerpt is no exception! It definitely foreshadows Christ's death, no doubt about that. The Psalm is a nice match for what we heard proclaimed in Wisdom and then we hear from the letter of James. James always seems to me the kind of guy that loves life and is full of optimism. This reading kind of goes against that. It's a good reminder of our selfishness as humans. Then of course we hear the proclamation of the Gospel from Mark. Just like in Wisdom, Jesus tells His disciples that he will be put to death; but that is not all. The disciples also argue about who is the first amongst them. Jesus chides them for this and tells them they must be servants to all. Then he brings forth a child and says, “Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the One who sent me.”

I love how the Gospel passage first works well with the Old Testament reading from Wisdom and the Psalm and then also touches on the selfishness we heard about in James' letter. The Church is so smart in how it puts all these together!!

But I digress ... For the full texts of the readings check them out here: USCCB website. And our question for this week:

When is it most difficult to put aside my selfishness?

This Gospel passage illustrates the problems engendered by selfish pride, as the disciples argue about who is greatest among them. The Catechism teaches that pride can give rise to envy of another, which St. Augustine saw as "the diabolical sin" (quoted in Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 2539). "Envy represents a form of sadness and therefore a refusal of charity; the baptized person should struggle against it by exercising good will" (CCC 2540). To correct the disciples, Jesus counsels that they should instead practice humility and self-giving: whoever wants to be first, should be the servant of all. As St. Ambrose wrote, "Pride transformed angels into demons; humility makes human beings into saints."

As I said at the beginning, this is a hard question. It takes a bit of honesty to admit that we feel selfish at times, even when we, as Christians, should be trying to be servants in all we do. It seems that this kind of interior reflection is popping up a lot for me lately.

First, I am in the process of reading C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity. Just the other day I read the chapter on Pride. Then, I am also taking a weekly class on campus called the Experienced Leader Academy. The recent reading I did for that class talked about how as leaders we should be focusing on developing our people and helping them to be the best employee they can be rather than the usual leadership mantra of how to get people to do the work you need them to do. This leadership philosophy takes more of the angle that we see described in the Gospel and in the quotes from the Catechism and the saints above. Be a servant to all; be humble.

So, yes, I do wonder where my pride gets in the way of who I am truly called to be. I know I can be prideful and I know I am not always humble. I like the quote above from St. Ambrose. We need to become saints in order to get to heaven. To be a saint we must be humble. And I can't be humble if I have pride or envy or am rooted in any way in selfishness.

Let's cut to the chase. How am I selfish? I know I can be selfish with my time. There are times when I really should be helping others with things and for whatever reason I fail to follow through. I always regret those times, but I know they will happen again. I used to happily volunteer for things, a lot. My calendar was often quite full. You may say, "oh, but then you need a break, it's okay, you can help out the next time." I don't think that's what we're called to. Taking a break is good, but we can't let the thought of taking breaks prevent us from ever getting involved. I'm pretty sure Christ didn't take breaks from his mission, nor did the apostles, or St. John, or any of the countless people who have dedicated themselves to serving Christ and the Church throughout history.

There's also my time at home. I should be serving my husband more than I do. Yes, I do lots around our household. I do laundry and help with dinner (he's mainly the cook), and I do other things too. But I know my laziness prevents me from truly keeping house as I would like. My husband hates clutter, but we have lots of clutter due mostly to me. I try to keep it from getting out of control, but I know it bugs him. So I need to be better at cleaning our house more often. Don't get me wrong, we don't live in a dump, it's actually fairly well kept up, but there is always plenty still to do. And it's those more time-consuming, icky jobs that are the hardest to do.

Anyone else want to admit their moments of selfishness? It's definitely a hard question, so I won't blame you if you don't comment. But it's definitely a good question to contemplate. Jesus has asked us to be servants to the people of this world. And by serving them we are serving Him. That's something I need to remind myself of often. And that, above anything else, should get me up and doing more where I am needed.

Your thoughts? When is it most difficult to put aside your selfishness?

(For those reading this on Facebook, you can comment here or you can follow the link below this post that says "View Original Post" to see comments others have left on the original post on my blog. Comments can be left in either place.)

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Reflection

Today is actually the 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time, but I feel compelled to share last week's question first. Today's reflection will be quickly following.

You can check out the readings for last Sunday here on the USCCB website. These were all great readings by the way!

Question: Have I ever encountered prejudice because of my faith?

Jesus emphasizes that, just as he had to suffer rejection, so too must we disciples take up our own crosses if we want to follow him. We "must be prepared to confess Christ before men and to follow him along the way of the Cross, amidst the persecutions which the Church never lacks. Service of and witness to the faith are necessary for salvation" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1816). "The Christian is not to be ashamed then of testifying to our Lord. In situations that require witness to the faith, the Christian must profess it without equivocation" (CCC 2471).

I had to answer this question because I did once feel prejudice from being a Catholic. But I will admit, that I don't believe I have ever faced prejudice in being a Christian. We are lucky to live in a country where we can practice any faith and be accepted. I have had discussions with non-believers, but usually those are open and honest conversations with both sides asking questions and both sides listening.

But several years ago I did encounter prejudice, and I wasn't prepared for it. I was in college and was visiting my then-boyfriend's family in another state. While I was in the family room with his sister, he and his mother were in the kitchen. Unfortunately it was a small house and I could hear their conversation, though I don't think I ever let on that I had heard what they were discussing. Anyway, all I remember now is that his mother was concerned that I was a Catholic and she told him that I wasn't Christian. He (thankfully) told her that I was a Christian, which I appreciated!

Now you have to also understand that at the time I was not a practicing Catholic. I hardly ever went to Church and I know I didn't really understand my faith at the time. I was in college, afterall, so not an uncommon thing for that age group. Despite that, I always considered myself Catholic and deep down knew that I would want to marry in the Church and raise my kids Catholic. It was at least ingrained in me enough that I couldn't even contemplate joining another faith. So despite not practicing at the time, this statement shocked and hurt me. I was glad to hear that my boyfriend at the time stood up for me and understood that Catholics are Christians (the first Christians, truth be told, but that's a discussion for another time). However, it was still a shock to hear it. I had never encountered that before. I also couldn't really respond, since I wasn't actually part of the conversation. I didn't want to reveal that I was eavesdropping, which, of course, wasn't hard to do, but still!

Anyway, I've come a long way since then and would know better how to respond should something similar happen to me again. I am thankful that I live in a country where we can be Christians openly without fear for our lives. Which reminds me of something I heard earlier this week during an introductory lecture to the Book of Revelation.

The lecture focused on some of the history of Revelation (authorship, dating, what the first century church was like, etc.). During the part on the first century church the teacher talked about the persecutions the early Christians dealt with, particularly death. Many, many Christians were killed for their faith, for refusing to worship the gods of the Roman empire and the Emperor, and for insisting that Christ was God. Despite all this, the Church was a place of hope and the book of Revelation is a book of hope. It is hope in the second coming, that if we live for Him, we will join Him in heaven one day for the continual worship of God! And she said that the early Christians were told not to compromise. Despite everything happening around them, they were told by the early Church fathers, and by writings such as Revelation, not to compromise. That was pretty powerful!

This is true even today. We can not compromise our moral beliefs in any way. We can not compromise our belief in Christ for anything the secular world throws at us. Despite any difficulties that are put before us, we should be willing to lay down our lives for what we believe in. And there are plenty of people all over the world who still do so everyday.

How about you? Any reflections or thoughts on this question: Have you ever encountered prejudice because of your faith?

(For those reading this on Facebook, you can comment here or you can follow the link below this post that says "View Original Post" to see comments others have left on the original post on my blog. Comments can be left in either place.)

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

In today's Gospel many of Jesus' disciples leave him because they find His teaching on the Bread of Life too hard to understand. To be a follower of Christ is not easy, He never said it would be. Thus also why He doesn't call the disciples that leave to come back. In today's world it is very hard to be a follower of Christ and many, many people do leave the Church because they find one or more teachings hard to understand or follow. This week's question is a good one.

The link to the readings this week on the USCCB website.

Question: When have I reached out to someone who has left the church?

Alternate Questions for Kids: Do I know someone who doesn't go to Church?

"The first announcement of the Eucharist divided the disciples, just as the announcement of the Passion scandalized them: 'This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?' The Eucharist and the Cross are stumbling blocks. It is the same mystery, and it never ceases to be an occasion of division. 'Will you also go away?': the Lord's question echoes through the ages, as a loving invitation to discover that only he has the words of eternal life, and that to receive in faith the gift of his Eucharist is to receive the Lord himself" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1336). Let us always be ready to express that invitation!

I got a chance this morning to read the question and the Catechism excerpt before Mass started. It was nice to have the question in my head as I listened to all the readings. I couldn't help but see the importance of the Old Testament reading in relation to the Gospel. So I want to bring some thoughts in on that reading as well.

First, though, I do know several people who have either outright left the Church or don't attend Mass but maybe on Christmas, Ash Wednesday, and Easter but still consider themselves Catholic. I don't know that I have directly reached out to any of them, but maybe I have in some indirect ways. In many cases the indirect methods are often better ways to reach out anyway.

I am conscious of the fact that many of my loved ones who have either left the Church or choose not to participate fully read this blog, see my status updates on Facebook, and have other regular contact with me. Thus when I talk about my faith, my participation in the Mass whenever possible, my attendance at the Adoration Chapel, and other things I do, I hope and pray that I am showing a loving example of what it means to be Catholic. In the past I have also used this blog to explain parts of the Catholic faith in the hopes that maybe it will at the very least plant a seed in someone's mind that could grow and be pondered on and may eventually bring them fully back to the Church and her sacraments. I may never know if I have any effect on anyone, but I will keep trying.

In other respects, I do try to answer questions when people bring up aspects of the faith. This has happened among friends, with family members, and even in the workplace. I know I'm not going to change someone's mind about something right then and there, but when I discuss things I try to be as true as possible to Church teaching. I also try to live by example. My use of NFP, my attendance at Mass weekly if not daily, my open acknowledgement of the deaths of my children, and much more are all examples of how I am openly living my faith to be an example to others.

One of my favorite quotes is from St. Francis: "Preach the Gospel always, and when necessary use words."

So I don't know that I have ever directly reached out to someone who has left the Church, but I hope I have preached the Gospel by example and maybe had an indirect influence on someone's reconsideration of the Catholic Church.

Real quick, I find the dichotomy of the Old Testament reading from Joshua placed next to this Gospel reading from John quite interesting. In the first, Joshua asks all the tribes to commit to serving the Lord as he and his family do. Without hesitation they all uphold their own allegiance to the Lord because of all He has done for them. If you didn't read the whole reading at the link above, go do so now. It is quite powerful!! One thing that came to my mind in this reading with the various ways people in today's society worship other things or people and not the One who gave them life and loves them and only wants love back. We worship movie stars and material things, we saw what I can only describe as worship of politicians last summer during the presidential campaign. Our society tells us that it is okay to worship material things. Think about when the economic crisis first started. We were told to go out and shop. If Joshua were to ask people in today's society I don't think they would have chosen as the tribes of Israel did.

In contrast to this, in the Gospel of John the disciples find the Bread of Life discourse too hard a saying and they leave. What happened to the people between the time of Joshua and the time of Jesus?? Suddenly they were faced with something much harder. This was more than just following Jesus and being a good person. Now He was asking them to eat His flesh and drink His blood. Only the Twelve stayed with Him.

As I have said in some other recent posts, this teaching is still very much misunderstood today and/or rejected by many. This is one of the great mysteries of the Church and an amazing and intimate way of expressing our love for Jesus. I can't imagine a more intimate way of being close to Christ while on the Earth than to be able to physically consume Him.

Getting back to the Question for this week, I do plan in the future when talking with someone who has left the Church or doesn't attend on a regular basis (if we're already discussing Church teaching, of course) to ask them if they miss the Eucharist. Really, I would miss all the sacraments if I were away from the Church, but most especially the awesome and amazing gift of the Eucharist!

On that note, I must head to bed now and get some sleep so I can get up bright and early tomorrow. Okay, not so much "bright" since I know it will still be dark at 4:30am. I will be heading out early to spend time in adoration in front of the blessed Eucharist. Jesus did ask us: could you not keep one hour with me? I will be, tomorrow morning and every Monday morning for as long as I am able.

Finally, when have you reached out to someone who has left the Church?

(For those reading this on Facebook, you can comment here or you can follow the link below this post that says "View Original Post" to see comments others have left on the original post on my blog. Comments can be left in either place.)

20th Sunday in Ordinary Time a Little Late

Since tomorrow's the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time in the Church I figured now would be a good time to catch up on last week's reflection. I also was just watching a movie with my husband that was just getting a little too scary for me to handle. So while he finishes watching a movie about people who have been infected with some weird disease and now seem to crave human blood, I can reflect on the continuing Bread of Life discourse in the Gospel of John.

Last Sunday's readings can be found here: 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Question: How am I strengthened by receiving Jesus in the Eucharist?

"Holy Communion augments our union with Christ" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1391). Indeed, the Catechism teaches that "the principal fruit" of receiving the Eucharist is "an intimate union with Christ Jesus," and that "life in Christ has its foundation in the Eucharistic banquet" (CCC 1391). At the same time, "Holy Communion separates us from sin" (CCC 1393). "The Eucharist strengthens our charity, which tends to be weakened in daily life" (CCC 1394). "By the same charity that it enkindles in us, the Eucharist preserves us from future mortal sins. The more we share the life of Christ and progress in his friendship, the more difficult it is to break away from him by mortal sin" (CCC 1395).

All three of the readings and the Psalm are wonderful this week. First we have the reading from Proverbs about the feast that Wisdom prepares for us. Through this feast we can forsake foolishness and gain understanding. That's a banquet I want to be part of. Then we get Psalm 34: Taste and see the goodness of the Lord!! We can start to see a theme here. In the reading from Ephesians, St. Paul urges the Ephesians to be filled with the Holy Spirit and to seek the will of the Lord. He urges them to watch how they live and not fall into evil. We must also seek God's will, and the hard part is accepting it, especially when it isn't our own.

Finally the Gospel to which our question directly addresses. Over the last several weeks we have gotten almost the entire sixth chapter of John proclaiming Jesus as the Bread of Life. I think we have one more week left. Here we see the Jews specifically wonder how this man can give his own flesh to them to eat. Instead of correcting them and telling them that He is only talking symbolically, he stresses the point even further:

Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood,
you do not have life within you.
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood
has eternal life,
and I will raise him on the last day.
For my flesh is true food,
and my blood is true drink.

This is so powerful. I love reading this chapter. The really sad part is the next part of the chapter, which we read tomorrow, so I won't spoil anything.

I do feel real strength in the Eucharist, but not all the time. Sometimes I don't and it makes me very sad. But when I do it is amazing. I think sometimes it depends on where I am personally. Sometimes I come to the Eucharist needing strength and I pray for Jesus to strengthen (or heal) me in whatever way I need. Upon receiving the Eucharist, I can feel myself being strengthened and ready to go out into the world again. Those times when I am most in need of strength or healing or whatever is when I most feel like I get something from the Eucharist.

Other times I receive the Eucharist and my mind wonders. I watch everyone else going to Communion and I don't stop to listen to hear Jesus in my heart or feel His strength in my life. Those are times when I'm not sad that I didn't feel strengthened, but I'm disappointed in myself for not taking the opportunity to be with Christ in the most intimate way possible while we are here on Earth.

As disappointed as I am, I have to remind myself that whether I am aware of it or not Christ is with me. Not just in the Eucharist, of course, but always, everywhere, and in every way. But most intimately He is in the Eucharist that we consume into our own bodies. Such an amazing gift ... and mystery. Obviously difficult to understand, the Jews that were with Jesus at the time of the "Bread of Life" discourse didn't get it and many, many people today still don't get it. It is a hard teaching, one of the hardest. But also one of the most beautiful. The Love of Christ is everywhere in this gift of the Eucharist.

As a last quick note: if you missed my post last week there was a beautiful video in it that links the celebration of the Eucharist with the crucifixion. I highly recommend going to check it out if you missed it. Link to my post is here.

That's my reflection for the 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time. The movie is over (my husband said it was actually a rather stupid movie, so I didn't miss much) and now it's late and time for bed. And ... time for thoughts from my friends in the blogosphere:

How are you strengthened by receiving Jesus in the Eucharist?

(For those reading this on Facebook, you can comment here or you can follow the link below this post that says "View Original Post" to see comments others have left on the original post on my blog. Comments can be left in either place.)

19th Sunday in Ordinary Time Reflection

I apologize for missing the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time. We attended Mass that Sunday at the National Shrine of Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, MA (check out the virtual tour on the website, the church was amazing). I did grab a bulletin from my church once we got home to see what the question was and intended to make a post here, but it never happened. So we're moving on ...

The past three Sundays we have been reading from John's Gospel chapter 6. This past Sunday we really start getting to the heart of the matter. It's a great reading, and I really want to go further, but we'll have to wait. For this Sunday's readings, follow this link to the USCCB website.

The Question: How do I prepare to receive the gift of the Eucharist?

In response to murmuring criticism, Jesus emphasizes that eating his Bread leads to eternal life. The Eucharist is therefore "a pledge of the life to come" and "an anticipation of the heavenly glory" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1402). As St. Ingnatius of Antioch wrote in the early second century, we "break the one bread that provides the medicine of immortality, the antidote for death, and the food that makes us live forever in Jesus Christ" (quoted in CCC 1405). The Eucharist is "already the foretaste of the kingdom to come" (CCC 2837), and in the Mass, "we already unite ourselves with the heavenly liturgy and anticipate eternal life, when God will be all in all" (CCC 1326). Because the Eucharist is such a transcendent gift, let us always receive it with the greatest care and devotion. "To respond to this invitation, we must prepare ourselves for so great and so holy a moment. St. Paul urges us to examine our conscience ... Anyone conscious of a grave sin must receive the sacrament of Reconciliation before coming to communion" (CCC 1385).

This is a great question and something that I believe many Catholics don't quite "get." I know I didn't get it for a long time. I don't think I ever understood it as a child and young adult, but as I started coming back to the Church about 8 years ago I noticed something I had never noticed before. Communion wasn't just a symbolic rememberance of the Last Supper, it was a central part of the Mass. And the reason for this was that we believe that the Eucharist is in fact the actual body of Jesus Christ. That revelation gives you a whole new perspective on the Eucharist.

At some point in my journey back to the Church I discovered the amazing words of John's 6th chapter in his Gospel. Jesus talks in parables so often, but not this time. He meant the words he said: He is the bread and his blood is the wine, and we can not have eternal life without Him. And when those around Him grumble that this can't be true, he sticks to his words. That's how this particular Gospel reading starts, with the Jews murmuring about Jesus' claims, they don't understand what he is saying. How could they? They are supposed to eat him, how can that be! It's a great mystery that we experience each and every time we attend Mass.

So, knowing that we are receiving the actual body and blood of our Lord when we come forward for the Eucharist, it is important that we prepare ourselves. I always feel best receiving the Eucharist when I have recently received the sacrament of Reconciliation.

Prayer is also important, of course. I have recently started trying to focus my prayer better before Mass begins, before receiving the Eucharist, and after receiving the Eucharist. Before Mass I focus on prayers of thanksgiving as well as asking God to open my heart and mind to listen to the readings and homily presented that day. Before Communion I have found it helpful to again be thankful and to ask for God's mercy that I may receive the body and blood of His Son worthily. Keeping this in mind has become important to my preparation for receiving the Eucharist. After receiving the Eucharist I spend my prayer time thanking God again for all his goodness. In addition I take many prayers to Him that are on my heart while he is so incredibly present in my body.

What a gift the Eucharist is!! It's no wonder it is the "Source and Summit" of our faith. The whole of John 6 is a testimony to the importance of this in our faith.

Finally, a friend recently sent me this incredible video and it is such a beautiful illustration of exactly what this "Following the Message" question is all about. So I share it with you here:


Now your turn: How do you prepare to receive the gift of the Eucharist?

(For those reading this on Facebook, you can comment here or you can follow the link below this post that says "View Original Post" to see comments others have left on the original post on my blog. Comments can be left in either place.)

Reflection: Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Once again, I bring you the weekly Following the Message question/reflection on the Gospel. This week we moved from Mark, which we had been reading most of this year, to John. And even better, from one of my favorite chapters in John's Gospel!! So here we go:

For all the readings for this Sunday follow this link to the USCCB page.

The question: How have I experienced the superabundant generosity of God?

Alternate questions for kids: When was I overwhelmed by a great gift?

Jesus' miraculous multiplication of the loaves and fish not only fed the vast crowd, but it far exceeded their desires. This miracle, prefiguring Jesus' offering of himself in the Eucharist, illustrates that God's generosity is boundless. Indeed, God's generosity is at the very root of creation itself. "St. Bonaventure explains that God created all things not to increase his glory, but to show it forth and to communicate it, for God has no other reason for creating than his love and goodness" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 293). "We believe that (creation) proceeds from God's free will; he wanted to make his creatures share in his being, wisdom, and goodness (CCC 295). We offer "a sacrifice of praise in thanksgiving" for creation at every Eucharist. "In the Eucharistic sacrifice the whole of creation loved by God is presented to the Father through the death and the Resurrection of Christ" (CCC 1359). Through the Eucharist, "the Church expresses her gratitude to God for all of his benefits, for all that he has accomplished through creation, redemption, and sanctification. Eucharist means first of all 'thanksgiving'" (CCC 1360).

Reflecting on the Gospel passage of the feeding of the 5,000 and this question of how I have experienced the superabundant generosity of God, I realize that I could go a number of ways with this. Unfortunately, I don't have a lot of time, since it's already late and I'm leaving town tomorrow. But I want to try and at least offer a small reflection on this.

First there is the obvious answer to this question. Of course, the most amazing gift ever would be Christ dying on the cross for our sins. Every Christian would agree with this. But as is revealed in the Catechism passages quoted above, there is this and much more in the Eucharist, which this Gospel passage prefigures (we're close, just need to go deeper into John 6). The Eucharist is such an amazing gift!! To be able to actually consume the flesh and blood of our savior is an extraordinary miracle!! And we can experience this every Sunday ... every day actually. As I mentioned in a previous post, I have started attending daily mass and one of the best parts about doing that is being able to participate in the Eucharistic celebration every day! Every day!! How extraordinary!

There is one other way I see the generosity of God. I hesitate to go do this direction, but I'm being brave (picture a brave face, please) and I'm going there. I read the question and I read the paragraph of CCC quotes and I think about life, namely children. God creates life: He does it out of love, He gives us free will so that we will freely choose to love Him. And this is His amazing, superabundant, generous gift to us. Life! And so many people I know (soooooo many) see that every day when they look at their children. They see God's gift of life to their children and it reminds them that God gave them this gift as well, and those children are placed in their lives to form as His people. It's an amazing responsibility and an amazing gift. It's something I'm constantly reminded of (what's the count up to now for 2009?? Anyone know? I think I lost count, must be about 15-20 babies born to family and friends of mine just this year), it hurts a lot, but I am still happy for those who get to experience this life-giving gift everyday.

It also reminds me of a discussion I got into online recently. The discussion had to do with suicide, in particular the pros and cons of assisted suicide. I feel that it is wrong and most of the others within this discussion felt that it wasn't. For me, my world view is formed based on my morals and values. If I value life as a gift from our Father in heaven, than suidcie would be like throwing that gift away. You are basically telling God that you don't care for this gift of life He has given you and you're thowing it back at Him.

Life is a gift!! I see the generosity of God in my life, in the fact that He gave me life and just in everyday things that are a part of my life; I see it in the sacrifice of Christ on the cross; and I see it in the Eucharist, the source and summit of our faith. I felt it too, when I was pregnant, particularly the second time. I felt that gift of life in me, that developing baby that would one day be in my arms. And I would sit in front of the Eucharist in adoration every Monday with that life growing inside of me and I would be overwhelmed. It is overwhelming, plain and simple.

Your turn: How have you experienced the superabundant generosity of God? All comments are welcome (just don't expect me to respond this week, I'm leaving town and will be sans Internet!).

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Reflection: 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time

The readings for this Sunday were great!! I think, for me, some of my reaction also had to do with attending daily mass this past week and hearing readings from the Book of Exodus each day. Monday was about the Hebrew woman who hid her baby for three months, then put it in a basket in the river and Pharoah's daughter found it and named the baby Moses. From there, the rest of the week was about Moses' life, ending on Friday with God telling him to lead the Isrealites out of Egypt. After listening to that all week, to then get these readings today with the overall theme of the shepherd was really amazing. I'm so glad I've decided to start attending daily mass again, it's been years and I was really missing it!

So, the readings can be found here: Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. These are a great combination of readings!

The question for the week: When have I freely given up my time to help someone in need?

This Gospel passage calls to mind our own shepherds, our priests. "Called to consecrate themselves with undivided heart to the Lord and to the affairs of the Lord, they give themselves entirely to God and to (us)" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1579). The sacrament of Holy Orders configures the priest to Christ and confers upon him an "indelible spiritual character" (CCC 1581-82). Therefore, through the priest, "it is Christ himself who is present to his Church as Head of his Body, Shepherd of his flock, high priest of the redemptive sacrifice, Teacher of Truth" (CCC 1548). Because the priest acts in the person of Christ, Pope Benedict XVI has spoken of the "necessary, indeed indispensable, aspiration to moral perfection that must dwell in every authentically priestly heart. Precisely to encourage priests in this striving for spiritual perfection on which, above all, the effectiveness of their ministry depends, I have decided to establish a special 'Year for Priests' that will begin on 19 June and last until 19 June 2010. In fact, it is the 150th anniversary of the death of the Holy Cure' d'Ars, John Mary Vianney, a true example of a pastor at the service of Christ's flock." Let us observe this year by praying in a special way for our priests, who dedicate their lives to minister to us. For more information on the Year for Priests, visit the USCCB's Year for Priests page.

There are two things I want to do in this post and one thing I won't do. I am not going to discuss the Year for Priests here because I have done so already in some earlier posts. What I am planning on doing is first answering this week's Following the Message question and then, second, I want to share some thoughts I had regarding this combination of readings from Jeremiah, Ephesians, the Gospel of Mark and the famous Psalm 23.

When I started contemplating this question regarding when I've given up my time to help someone else in need, I couldn't really think of anything I've done lately. I have done some small things in the past like assisting to serve a meal to the homeless at the Catholic Action Center, assisting with some event or other at Church, helping to fix up a playground that was falling apart at a school when I was in college, and other similar things. There are a number of small things we do every day as well. Most of these don't take any great amount of time, but I do find that sometimes you do have to take a moment you might not have used before to help someone else. For example, stopping to hold a door open for an elderly person or a mother dragging a toddler and pushing a baby in a stroller, or stopping to pick something up that a stranger dropped and getting it back to them. I'm sure we could all think of small things like this that we have done to help those around us.

One time I witnessed a car accident when I was in a hurry and running late for something. But regardless of what I was running late for I knew instantly that it could wait. I stopped, checked one those who were involved, called 911 and talked to the dispatcher, and waited for the police to arrive. Luckily no one was seriously hurt, but it was scary nonetheless. It was clear who was at fault and once the police were there and decided they didn't need my statement (though I gave my number to the guy who was hit just in case) I was able to leave.

I sometimes wish I could do more. I have wanted to help out in many ways, but I often can't actually be present for things. I have donated items to pregnancy help centers on several occasions, which I know is a way of helping those in need, and Chris and I do contribute financially to a number of charities we believe in. But I often feel that I lack in "action" or "works." The Catholic radio station in town has a short spot each week from the Bishop that plays during commercial breaks. In them he always mentions something about the readings, usually the Gospel reading, and invites listeners to come to church on Sunday. So this past week, his spot kind of hit struck me as relevant to my own recent thoughts. He said something about how Jesus invites us this to week to come rest in him and by resting in him our faith leads us to action and our actions lead us to deeper prayer. Or something like that! I only caught it once or twice and my memory isn't good. Regardless, it was an interesting message (plus I remember thinking that it sounds a lot like what I learned in Cursillo, and the Bishop is also a Cursillista).

My conclusion for this part of my post, I need to be more aware of my actions. I need to recognize when people around me are in need and I need to be willing to give of my time to help them.

This goes well with my second thought about this Sunday's readings, namely the idea of social justice. For several years I participated in a group that met weekly to read and discuss the readings for the upcoming Sunday (I met my husband at this group too!). Participating in that group for several years gave me a new understanding for the combination of readings we have each Sunday. They are not randomly selected and they usually all relate to each other in some way. Not only that but we read a good chunck of several parts of the Bible over the course of a year within the Liturgy of the Word at Mass each week. This week's readings are a great example of that.

In Jeremiah we hear about the Shepherd who will bring the scattered flocks back together again. The one who will do this will bring Israel security and will be the "Lord of Justice." Then we sing Psalm 23: "The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want." What a great reminder about how the Lord will always provide for us just as a shepherd provides for his sheep! The second reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians really spoke to me. Paul tells the Ephesians about peace, several times. In the Lord our God we find peace, and really when we know the Lord takes care of our every need (like a shepherd) why wouldn't we feel at peace. Finally in Mark's Gospel we see the apostles returning from their journies of preaching and healing (see last week's Gospel) and Jesus invites them to come and rest from their hard work. But the people are desperate to hear more from Jesus and they follow them. Jesus is moved by pity and teaches them. I love the line that says "for they were like sheep without a shepherd," which is a great reminder of the first reading.

Why do I see a theme of social justice in this? I think it's a combination of things. We have these readings with the shepherd theme coming out all over the place and the idea of the Lord of Justice and Peace, plus our Pope recently released his latest encyclical which has been called in a few places his social justice encyclical. On top of that, thinking about how our belief in Jesus Christ, the shepherd of all peoples, leads us to action makes me reflect on how we should be acting to bring about good in this world because of our faith.

I haven't yet read the new ecyclical, but I do hope to soon (although this is his third and I haven't read the second one yet either). I have, though, heard it discussed and heard small portions of it quoted. And from what little I have heard the spirit of it seems to reflect very much this idea of action and works because of our faith. The readings on this sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time seem to go alone well with this theme.

I think I have a lot to reflect on for the rest of the week!

How about you?? Any thoughts on these readings or on the question? When have you freely given up your time to help someone in need?

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Reflection: Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

We've had a very busy last couple of days, so this reflection is a little delayed. At long last, here we go!

This past Sunday was the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. The readings can be found here: Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. I love the connection between the first reading in Amos where Amos tells the priest that he's just a shepherd doing what the Lord asked of him and the Gospel from Mark where Jesus sends the Twelve apostles out to preach and heal and cast out demons. I love how the readings are always so well put together!!

This week's question: In what ways do I help to spread the Gospel?

"The whole Church is apostolic, in that she remains, through the successors of St. Peter and the other apostles, in communion of faith and life with her origin: and in that she is 'sent out' into the world. All members of the Church share in this mission, though in various ways" (Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 863). Because we "are entrusted by God with the apostolate by virtue of (our) Baptism and Confirmation, (we) have the right and duty, individually or grouped in associations, to work so that the divine message of salvation may be known and accepted by all men throughout the earth" (CCC 900). "It is from God's love for all men that the Church in every age receives both the obligation and the vigor of her missionary dynamism, for the love of Christ urges us on" (CCC 851).

The above excerpts reminded me of part of a lecture we recently went to where the Bishop was the speaker. The lecture was part of a series of lectures with the overriding theme of the sacraments. This last lecture was on the two service sacraments: Holy Orders and Marriage. It was a really great lecture; our Bishop is a wonderful speaker and I always learn something when I attend a lecture of his. During the talk, while he was on the topic of Holy Orders he mentioned that we are all, as a community of baptised Catholics, a priestly people. He had a lot more to say in a much more eloquent way that I do, but essentially we all are called to evangelize the faith in some way, whether we are ordained priests or not. It's a thought-provoking concept if you've never thought of it that way before.

Back to the question, how do I help to spread the Gospel? Well, for one thing, posting on this blog my reflections on the Gospel each week is one way. In addition, I am being more bold in being a voice of the morals and values I believe in as a result of my Catholic faith. I have become engaged in conversations on a variety of posts I've seen on Facebook and some message boards I belong to. I've gotten into debates on abortion, contraception, and suicide, to name a few. In some of these cases I am speaking with people who have completely opposite views from me and in others I am speaking with other Catholics who are questioning things in our common faith. Either way, I hope that when I speak I am allowing the Holy Spirit to guide me in choosing my words well.

Those sorts of things are great to do, but I am reminded of one of my favorite quotes from St. Francis of Assisi: "Always preach the Gospel and, only when necessary, use words." These are powerful words from that great Saint! I love them and try to remind myself of this whenever possible. I remember leaving Church on Sundays as a kid and we'd be in the car trying to get out of the parking lot (we went to a huge church and the parking lot was always packed!) and someone wouldn't let us out, or into a line of exiting traffic, or cut us off or something and my mother would always wonder aloud how people can leave church and then be so rude in the parking lot. What a great image!! (And this would really make sense to you if you could have seen the maze of cars and how they packed them all into this parking lot!). It's so true that we see people all the time who claim to be Christian but don't act it. How much different the world would be if more people actually acted in a way that conformed more with the faith they claim to profess. I know I'm not perfect and, like everyone else, I make mistakes and I slip up (insert plug for the Sacrament of Reconciliation here!), but I hope that I do act, more often than not, in a way that reflects to others that I am a moral, Christian person. I strongly believe that our actions often do speak louder than our words.

Interestingly enough, Theology on Tap started this past Monday and the Bishop was our first speaker. The theme for this 6-week series is "Beyond Sunday" and his topic was evangelization. How funny that we have this reading about Jesus sending the apostles out to evangelize and the very next day we begin a series of talks on how we can better live our faith in our everyday lives! The wisdom of the Holy Spirit never ceases to amaze!!

(Quick advertisement.) If you're in Lexington (or close enough to get here for an evening) stop by and check out Theology on Tap. Have a beer, some food and fellowship, and enjoy a talk from an engaging speaker. We meet at Shooters on Southland Dr. about 6:30, talk is at 7:00pm. Every Monday through August 17.

One last thing. I look forward to one day sharing the faith and the Gospel with my children. I am so looking forward to one day sharing the joy of the Catholic faith with my own children and being an example for them of how to live the faith. I think any parent that works at doing this is truly doing the work of God in abundant ways. So for all you parents out there: keep working at it! I hope to join your ranks one day myself.

So now it's your turn. In what ways do you help to spread the Gospel? I look forward to seeing your comments!

Adoring Christ: Heaven on Earth

Ever heard someone refer to something as like "heaven on Earth"? People may say this about some awesome dessert or a beautiful view from atop a mountain after a long hike, or any number of things. So many amazing things can be described this way and I'm sure I've used that phrase myself once or twice. But lately I've had that experience at times when people would probably not normally think of it: during Mass or in front of the Eucharist in adoration.

Last night we attended a young adult event at a nearby Catholic Church. The event had a social time a wonderful talk by one of our wonderful priests, and some praise and worship music, but at the core of the evening was adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. I had a very moving experience during part of the evening, but to understand why it was so moving for me I have to give a little background.

After we lost our first baby, Casey in March 2008, going to Mass was really hard for me. I cried a lot and particularly during some of the Eucharistic prayers the priest would say. Eventually this subsided and I could sing again and get through mass without the tears. Then we lost the second baby, Zachary in January 2009. All those emotions came back again. I couldn't sing in Church and certian prayers would set me off. Sometimes things said in a homily would bring me to tears as well. In particular I found that when the priest used the Prayer before we sing the "Holy, holy, holy" that says something like, "and we join with the choirs of angels and all the saints as we sing ..." that would really move me (I think it's in the Eucharistic Prayer II, but I'm not sure). This prayer leads into the "Holy, holy, holy" and at times I could even feel my arms aching, like they would if you were holding a child. Eventually this got easier as well and I didn't cry at Mass nearly as much.

Part of the reason that really moved me was that I could envision tons of angels and tons of saints (including my two children) surrounding the altar at those moments, kneeling in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament on the altar. And our church has a big, huge open altar with lots of room around the Eucharistic Table. I would just get overwhelmed! We learn that heaven and earth come together during the Mass and particularly during the Eucharistic celebration we get a taste for heaven.

When I attended the Cursillo retreat in May, and in Cursillo meetings I've attended since, I have started focusing more on when I have "close moments" with God. In addition I recently finished reading the book The Lamb's Supper by Scott Hahn, and he talks a lot about the "Holy, holy, holy" and how the Mass is a reflection of the Book of Revelation which is a reflection of Heaven. All those things combined have really made the Mass very meaningful for me.

So last night at this Young Adult thing called The Summit we had Adoration in front of the Blessed Sacrament, the Real Presence of Christ. The first half of adoration was silent reflection but during the second half they played and we sang some praise music. The words of one of the songs had a lot of "holy, holy"'s in it and I really felt that "close moment" again. I also felt that presence again of tons of angels and saints also adoring Christ in the Eucharist. When I get that feeling I feel that my children are also there amongst the saints. It's an awesome feeling. So awesome, in fact, that it moves me to tears.

So last night, and more and more often during Mass, I have these close moments and at those moments I feel that Heaven and Earth are coming together. Particularly during the consecration of the host when it becomes the body and blood of Jesus Christ, because it is usually during those moments when I am reminded that the angels and saints in heaven are also adoring Christ at that very same moment. This is not something I feel at every mass nor at each time I attend adoration, and I know that it won't always be there.

But I love it when it is there and when that presence can be felt surrounding us. Feeling that presence is so awesome. For me, that is truly Heaven on Earth.

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

This Sunday's "Following the Message" question has been a tough one for me. The Gospel passage is from Mark 6:1-6. Although the "Following the Message" exercise is specifically related to the Gospel passage, I found the first reading to have some interesting parallels, which is often the case (for some reason the second reading is often harder to relate to the others, at least for me). Sunday's first reading was from Ezekiel 2:2-5.

Question: When have I been surprised to find holiness in everyday life?
Alternate question for kids: When have I misjudged someone?

From the bulletin:
Jesus is amazed at the lack of faith among the people of his own town of Nazareth, who take offense at him. Having known him and his family for years, they cannot reconcile the ordinariness of Jesus' life with his profound teaching and his performing mighty deeds. "During the greater part of his life, Jesus shared the condition of the vast majority of human beings: a daily life spent without evident greatness, a life of manual labor" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 531). "The obedience of Christ in the daily routine of his hidden life was already inaugurating his work of restoring what the disobedience of Adam had destroyed. The hidden life at Nazareth allows everyone to enter into fellowship with Jesus by the most ordinary events of daily life" (CCC 532-33). "For all (our) works, prayers, and apostolic undertakings, family and married life, daily work, relaxation of mind and body, if they are accomplished in the Spirit -- indeed even the hardships of life if patiently borne -- all these become spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" (CCC 901).

Reading the excerpts from the Catechism in the above paragraph gets me thinking about the concept of redemptive suffering. I attended a lecture not too long ago on this topic and it is probably one of the hardest concepts to fully grasp. But each time I read about it or hear a talk about it I feel that I come away with a bit more understanding. The idea of suffering being a part of our everyday lives here on Earth is a difficult one. No one wants to hear that to be holy you will have to suffer. More and more in this day and age, people want things to be easy. It's just not so.

I said above that I found this question very difficult to reflect on. For me this is probably because I know that I am not very good at seeing holiness is everyday things. But there is so much holiness around us! It's in the chores we do, our work, loving our family (especially when they are not being very lovable), and in the strangers around us. And as I type I realize that I do have one example I can share from my life.

My husband and I both knew, without even discussing it, that we would follow the teachings of the Catholic Church on contraception in our marriage. In other words, we would not use any artificial means of birth control. The Church teaches that it is wrong and we both knew that we wanted to uphold the teachings of the Church in our sacramental marriage. This was a big step for me because I was very much ingrained in a culture with a contraceptive mentality. This step took faith, trust in God, and quite a bit of suffering. We decided to learn a method of Natural Family Planning to help us understand my fertility better and to be able to help us plan for our family in cooperation with God.

In our culture, there is this idea that two people (any two people) can have sex anytime they want. But that is not how God designed it. Sex is intended for marriage only, and I encountered a lot of amazement that both my husband and I had never had sex prior to our marriage, especially because we were both already in our thirties! Oh the horrors!! Not only that, but when people find out that you aren't using any form of artificial birth control they think you are nuts. Why? Because it would be too hard!! Or, you'll have a dozen children. I want to expound on the aspect of suffering in regard to the practice of NFP.

By the way, a bit of a side note: NFP is a generic term for a host of methods. All are natural, no chemicals in your body, no side-effects, no long-term effects that will cause you problems later in life. The most commonly thought of method is the Rhythm Method, but this is an old-fashioned method that I don't hear of anyone using any more. We use the sympto-thermal method (STM) as taught by the Couple to Couple League. There is also Creighton, Billings, Marquette, and many others.

The thing that people find so "hard" about the thought of using NFP is that if you have reason to avoid a pregnancy, there is some abstaining that has to happen. My doctor actually said to me once, "You have to have quite a strong will for that!" I was a little taken-aback by her comment, but I let it go, knowing that the medical establishment feels more comfortable putting chemicals into your body to prevent pregnancy than actually taking the time to learn and understand your fertility signs. I don't understand the problem with abstinence. Yes, it can be difficult, but don't people abstain when their spouse is out of town, or when one of you is sick for a week or more, or what about for 6 weeks after the birth of a baby (or however long you're told to abstain after going through childbirth). Abstaining is part of marriage, even for those using birth control. So what is the difference?

For us, we have suffered in a variety of ways, but through it all we grow in holiness. I've learned that after a pregnancy loss, we have to abstain for a time, and then I've learned that my cycles are completely out of whack. And that gets frustrating when we want to start to try again and my cycles disrupt our efforts every two weeks. My fertility signs are kind of all over the place, but despite the difficulties, we know we are doing the right thing.

It's difficult at times, but we are following what we believe to be God's will for us. We have to trust in Him and we have to suffer the rejection from the culture around us. But in the end it will all be worth it. Christianity is hard, and for us, this is part of being a Christian. It may be difficult at times to completely trust God and it might be frustrating to not get the results we want, but God knows what He is doing. I have to keep reminding myself of that. And I know that we are growing in holiness through our perseverance.

I do want to say that I found it interesting in this Gospel passage from Mark that we see Jesus hurt by the rejection of his family and friends. We are used to seeing Jesus as suffering for us all through His dying for us on the cross. That is an extraordinary act of suffering! But to see Him suffer in a way that many of us can relate to in a much more human way is also amazing. It's too easy (at least for me) to forget that Jesus is both divine AND human. This passage illustrates that well. It also shows that He persevered, a good lesson for us all.

So tell me: When have you been surprised to find holiness in everyday life? What are your thoughts on this question?

Activities for the Year of the Priest

On June 19, Pope Benedict proclaimed the beginning of the Year of the Priest. With all the difficulties our wonderful priests have had to face during the last decade (and really for centuries, from Peter and the Apostles all the way to today) this is a good time for us to remember how important our priests are.

This morning our newest priest presided over the Mass that my husband and I attended. It was this priest's first Sunday Mass as an associate pastor at the Cathedral parish. In his rather short homily he said some wonderful things, but there was one thing that stuck out for me as I think about the Year of the Priest. He said his job is to get us to Heaven, even if he has to drag us there kicking and screaming, he just wants us there. His statement summed up for me just how important our priests are.

Our priests have jobs that never end. They are called in the middle of the night, anytime during the day, in the wee hours of the morning, and they respond. They look after the church building, the church community, administer the sacraments, in some cases daily, and offer up the Mass every day. And the most important sacrament of all is the Eucharist. Without the Eucharist we are not the Catholic Church. And without the priest we can not have the Eucharist. And the devil knows this. The attacks on our priests that we have seen over the last decade, in particular, are a testament to the fact that the devil does exist.

So during this Year of the Priest, please pray for our priests! Also, pray for vocations to the priesthood. Priests are desperately needed, there is a shortage everywhere. Again, the devil is hard at work.

As for me, I am going to try to remember our priests in my prayers and to pray for vocations to the priesthood. In my own vocation as a married person I also pray that I may be blessed with a son one day who would consider a priestly vocation. In addition to prayer, my Cursillo small group has agreed that we would read the book 101 Inspirational Stories of the Priesthood together. Later in the year we hope to read a biography of St. John Vianney as well (the patron saint of parish priests, who will be named the patron saint of all priests at the conclusion of the Year of the Priest). Finally, my church has started a vocations prayer in our parish. They have a crucifix and a paper with some suggested prayers. Each Sunday they ask for a volunteer to take it for the week and pray for vocations as a family that week. Then you bring it back the next Sunday and another volunteer is found. At some point over the course of the year, I imagine that I'll volunteer Chris and I for this.

Also, this coming Tuesday, the Bishop will be closing the Second Annual Bishop's Cathedral Lecture Series with a talk on the two service sacraments: Marriage and Holy Orders. If you're in Lexington and want to hear more about the Priesthood, this would be a good lecture to attend. Reception at 6:30, lecture 7-9, at the Cathedral in Hehman Hall.

Those are my plans for the year. Anyone else thought about anything special you can do during this Year of the Priest??

In closing, I found this quote that illustrates so clearly the importance of our priests in our Catholic Faith:

"In awe should all men tremble,
the whole earth quake,
and the heavens shout for joy,
when Christ, the Son of the Living God,
is present upon the Altar
in the consecrated hands of a Priest."
--St. Francis of Assisi

My reflection on this Sunday's Gospel will be coming shortly. Stay tuned!

Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

We were out of town this past weekend and went to church on Sunday at the parish in Little Rock, AR where my husband had gone to school for 1st-8th grades. It was a nice church and the priest that is currently there gave a very nice homily about the end of the Year of St. Paul (ended June 29) and the beginning of the Year of the Priest (started June 19). He used that opportunity to ask the congregation to pray for all priests. I enjoyed his homily, unfortunately he didn't really talk about the Gospel much. So my reflection below is entirely my own with no influence from the homily I heard following the proclamation of the Gospel on Sunday.

As a result of our travels, I didn't pick up a bulletin from my church until Monday morning when I was there for my Adoration hour and it has taken me until now to sit down with it and think about the "Following the Message" question for this week. The gospel reading for this past Sunday was Mark 5:21-43. In this passage we see Jesus and the apostles being approached by a man who's daughter is very sick. On the way to his house a crowd gathers and a woman who has been suffering for 12 years from hemorrhaging touches Jesus' cloak and is cured. Jesus also raises the young girl up (she had died by the time He arrived). Read the passage in Mark for the fuller story, that's just my quick summary.

The question this week: When have I stepped out boldly in faith?
(Sorry, no alternate question for kids this time.)

Along with the question, our bulletin provides some additional food for thought. Here is that text:

This Gospel passage highlights the crucial importance of having faith, and acting upon it. "Faith is a gift of God, a supernatural virtue infused by him" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 153). "Believing is possible only by grace and the interior helps of the Holy Spirit. But it is no less true that believing is an authentically human act," wherein our intellect and will are actively engaged in "trusting in God and cleaving to the truths he has revealed" (CCC 154). "To live, grow, and persevere in the faith until the end, we must nourish it with the word of God; we must beg the Lord to increase our faith; it must be working through charity, abounding in hope, and rooted in the faith of the Church" (CCC 162). "The disciple of Christ must not only keep the faith and live on it, but also profess it, confidently bear witness to it, and spread it" (CCC 1816).

When I first read the question the only thing that came to mind was defending the faith, but I don't think that's what the question is really getting at. Given the Gospel reading for this past Sunday, I keep thinking about the woman who was seeking healing. She had great faith!! She knew that she would be healed if she could only just touch Him. She knew this because of her faith. That got me thinking more about just how strong my faith is. Am I that confident that I can just know without a doubt that Jesus could also do something for me the same as this woman. It's hard to admit, but I'm not sure I am that strong. It is human to have doubts and to be a bit sceptical. I have been contemplating this Gospel reading since I first heard it during Mass on Sunday (mostly because I know I was going to be writing about it) and the more and more I think about it the more I admire the woman in the passage. What an amazing faith!!

Then I read the excerpts from the Catechism that I quoted above and that got me thinking more. (That is the whole point of this, isn't it?) Those excerpts really help me put it into perspective. Faith is something that has to grow in us and doesn't happen all at once. It develops over our lifetime and the whole time we have the help of the Holy Spirit in us to help us along the way. I am only starting to learn to listen to the Holy Spirit more and more in my life. The HS is the one part of the Holy Trinity I always tend to overlook. But I am starting to get better about recognizing the importance of It and over time will hopefully learn to listen more.

But back to the question itself: have I ever stepped out boldly in faith? I keep getting stuck on the word "boldly." And I keep coming back to defending the faith. I have stepped out a number of times in defensive of some misunderstanding in regard to the Catholic faith. I have stepped out boldly at times to speak up on pro-life issues when I have had the opportunity. And posting on this blog about my faith is a huge step at times as well. But have I acted boldly?? That's what I'm not sure about. I'm not always the best example of a Christian (I imagine few of us are all the time) but I try. Lately I've been trying harder. Part of the reason is my recent involvement in Cursillo. Through Cursillo I am gaining a deeper understanding and appreciation for Catholicism and I love the regular weekly discussions of our faith to help us stay on track as we continue to grow in our faith over a lifetime.

There is one "action" I can think of that might answer the question. Last summer about this time I was getting frustrated with my cycles. I had had a miscarriage in March and it had been over four months and my cycles were not getting back to normal. It was frustrating knowing that we wanted children and nothing was happening. About that time I started running into a saint I had never heard of before. Finally, after this happened a couple times I decided that maybe I needed to find out more about her. So I looked up St. Philomena and then decided to ask her for her help. I had never really done this before but decided it was time. So I prayed for healing. I asked for her to intercede and I did a nine day novena for her. I finished the novena on a Monday, had a doctor appointment on Tuesday to see if my doctor had any recommendations, then on Wednesday my chart finally indicated a thermal shift! I was amazed. Sure enough we got pregnant too! I was stunned!! I had faith that St. Philomena was close to God and that she too would ask Him to heal me and He did. Is this stepping out boldly in faith?? It was certainly a leap for me.

So I ask you (anyone reading this): what about you? Does that reading speak to you? Can you think of a time when you have stepped out boldly in faith? What other thoughts do you have on this question and/or Gospel passage?

Reflections on Following the Message

About a year ago my church started putting a "Question of the Week" in the bulletin. They titled it "Following the Message: Reflections on the Weekly Gospel." The idea behind it was that it would give families, church committees, small faith sharing groups, and even individuals, a means for starting conversation and/or further reflection on the Gospel passage heard at Mass that Sunday. Sometimes they even provide an alternate question for kids.

I haven't really reflected on the question much at all, but recently decided that I should try to do so and try to post some of my thoughts on the blog. This way others can see the questions, read the Gospel, and comment as well.

Today's Gospel was from the Gospel of Mark 4:35-41. To sum up, it is the passage where Jesus and the disciples cross the sea to the other side, a storm pops up and the disciples are frightened. Jesus is sound asleep, they wake him, he chides them for not having faith, then calms the seas. The questions for reflection are:

When have I felt that my faith was being tested?

And alternately, for kids:
Do I ask Jesus for help when I'm scared?

When I looked at this question, one situation in my life (very recently actually) immediately popped into my mind. I didn't lose my faith, but I do think it was certainly a test of my faith.

In January of this year, I was 22 weeks pregnant when my water broke and my husband and I rushed to the hospital. We had been planning on going anyway, because I had been very uncomfortable (I was having contractions, but didn't know it) and was getting concerned, but we left quite quickly when my water broke. That was a Saturday morning. After a thorough exam the baby was still alive, but I was admitted as a precaution (chance of infection was great, etc., etc.). My husband and I sat in that hospital room waiting anxiously for any test results, waiting for each time my vitals and those of the baby were checked, each time holding our breath until we found that the baby still had a heartbeat. It was a scary situation, but we were pretty optimistic throughout that day.

During that ordeal I remember telling my husband that we had a fighter. Despite having lost the amniotic fluid, that baby was still alive. We prayed that he would continue to keep going, that the sac would heal itself, and that fluid would eventually return. We called our families and asked for prayers. My siblings called me to tell me about all the people they had talked to who were praying for us. It was a tough day, and yet all those prayers made me feel better. Saturday night before going to sleep, we said a rosary together, thinking about our baby the whole time.

Sunday morning my husband went to Church. While he was gone my vitals were checked again and the baby's heartbeat was now gone. The nurse called Chris and he came right back. That was one of the toughest days.

That situation was one where I could have easily lost faith in God. It was a test of the utmost proportions. Someone asked me during that next week if I was ever angry at God after our son died on that Sunday. Honestly I wasn't. I had brief moments when I wondered how something like this could happen, how God could let something like this happen. But the answer is no, I was never angry. Hurt, yes; confused, yes; grief-stricken, absolutely.

The temptation to be angry, or to wonder where God is was great. But although that temptation was there (and that's the test), I didn't surrender to it. I held onto my faith. But I also realize now that I needed the faith of those around me as well. We are not alone in our lives, none of us are. We have family, friends, our church community, and even strangers. All praying for us, whether we know it or not, and all sharing in our trials, our pains, and our heartbreaks.

I think that's one of the beauties of our faith. We aren't going at it alone. After the death of our son this past January when I started learning how many people had been praying for us, I was overwhelmed. We received tons of emails, cards, flowers, a few gifts, and lots of prayers through online message boards, Facebook, and who knows where else. God's goodness was in all those prayers. So even though I don't have my son with me, I have faith, and thus know, that he is with God in heaven, he is with Mary and all the saints, and he is with Christ.

So has my faith ever been tested? Yes, I think it has. And I hope that I passed that test. I feel like my faith is actually stronger now having gone through the pain of losing not only my little Zachary in January, but also a child before that as well. Our faith helps us to understand that our children are now saints, that they are now living with Christ in heaven, and they can be intercessors for us. That too is a blessing!

Feel free to share your own reflections on these questions or try the kids' question out with your children and let me know how the conversation went. I suggest reading the Gospel passage again before starting. Next weekend I'll be out of town, but hopefully will be able to grab a bulletin on Monday to try this again.

Proper Pro-Life Speak

Ever since the unfortunate murder of Dr. Tiller in Kansas, by a very misguided man who obviously doesn't understand what being Pro-LIFE actually means, I have been watching and reading various news stories about this tragedy and about abortion. It has made me start contemplating the terminology that we use, or should be using, in the Pro-Life Movement.

In particular, I think we need to be consistent about what we call the child in the womb. I have heard fetus, the unborn, and once I did hear the term preborn. The term Fetus is used a lot. It seems to be the term of choice for the news casts I watch. My guess is that it seems the most neutral term. But the question here is, is it a good term for us to use as people who stand up for the rights of ALL humans?

I went to Dictionary.com and found this definition:

the young of an animal in the womb or egg, esp. in the later stages of development when the body structures are in the recognizable form of its kind, in humans after the end of the second month of gestation

This is the scientific term. What is interesting to me is that the fetus is in recognizable human form after the second month of gestation, which the definition also calls a "later stage of development." That's at the end of about 8 weeks!! Eight Weeks!! Some women don't even know that they are pregnant before about 8 weeks; there are roughly 32 more weeks to go. Most abortions happen after the 8th week of gestation. But I digress ...

Fetus is definitely an accurate term to use. But does it work well when discussing pro-life issues with someone who is pro-choice? Ask them if a fetus has any rights and they will tell you that it's about the mother's health. Yes, they are avoiding the question (I know, I used to be in this camp), but I think the word fetus is so familiar to everyone that it can be easily forgotten that it is, in fact, a baby.

So how about the term "unborn?" Until recently I thought this was a great term to use. It makes me realize that the "thing" we are talking about is a human that has not yet been born. And that's the idea! But I started reconsidering my thoughts on this recently. What does the prefix "un-" really mean? Well, the prefix "un-" has two meanings:

1. a prefix meaning “not,” freely used as an English formative, giving negative or opposite force in adjectives and their derivative adverbs and nouns (unfair; unfairly; unfairness; unfelt; unseen; unfitting; unformed; unheard-of; un-get-at-able), and less freely used in certain other nouns (unrest; unemployment).
AND
2. a prefix freely used in English to form verbs expressing a reversal of some action or state, or removal, deprivation, release, etc. (unbend; uncork; unfasten; etc.), or to intensify the force of a verb already having such a meaning (unloose).

There is a lot of negativity in this prefix, at least in my mind. So "unborn" is the opposite of born, it is the removal or deprivation of the state of being born. This really doesn't help Pro-Lifers. I keep looking at this word and keep thinking that it doesn't lend itself well to advocating for the birth of a so-called "unwanted" child (no child is unwanted). And the definitions above make me this even less of this term. Again, it's a term we can use and we would be accurate, but does it help our case??

I have been hearing the term preborn used more and more. It's still a pretty infrequently used term, but I think it's one which has the most power behind it. Again, the actual definition of the prefix "pre-" is:

a prefix occurring originally in loanwords from Latin, where it meant “before” (preclude; prevent); applied freely as a prefix, with the meanings “prior to,” “in advance of,” “early,” “beforehand,” “before,” “in front of,” and with other figurative meanings (preschool; prewar; prepay: preoral; prefrontal).

The dictionary actually listed 6 varying definitions, but the one thing they all had in common was the concept of something happening "before." Preborn, therefore, would imply that we are talking about a human that is to be born, thus in the "before birth" state. For me, "preborn" is a much more positive, forward-thinking term, therefore, having a lot more power behind it.

We were all created and became human from the moment of our conception. From that moment we had all our DNA. From that moment we are human. This is scientific fact, not a religious belief. And if we believe that every human being is entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, that all human beings deserve to be treated with dignity no matter what their stage of life (young, old, sick, etc.), then we have to realize that the most vulnerable humans are those that are preborn. And those preborn human beings deserve that same right to life that we all have.

To bring this back to where I started, the murder of Dr. Tiller was a horrible tragedy. He too deserved his right to life. No matter what our disagreements, those of us who fight for the rights of the preborn advocate for peaceful dissent keeping within the law. Murder goes against the very foundation of being Pro-Life.

That being said, I hope that this issue is discussed more and everyone can have an open mind to really understand what we are talking about when we talk about abortion. Those preborn babies have as much right to life as all of us. Remember, they are just innocent humans who happen to be in a stage of life "before" birth.

The True Presence in the Catholic Church

This past Sunday was Corpus Christi Sunday, also called the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. Many Catholic Churches on this past Sunday celebrated by having street processions led by the Eucharist carried in a monstrance and followed by the people usually singing an appropriate song. At my church the street processions happened after the 5:00pm Mass on Sunday evening. We didn't go, but we've been in the past.

The Eucharist is very special in the Catholic Church. For us, it IS the body and blood of Christ. We believe in transubstantiation, meaning that when the priest says the words of consecration it becomes the body and blood at that moment and remains that way, it can't change. Some churches believe in consubstantiation, which is similar but relies on the belief of individuals, so if you believe it's the body of Christ it is, but if you don't, then it isn't. In the Catholic Church, once it is consecrated it is the Body and Blood and whether you believe or not does not change what it is.

So the "Question of the Week" from my church this week was, of course, about the Eucharist. The Question was, "How do I experience intimate communion with the Lord in the Eucharist?" This afternoon the local Catholic radio station discussed this question and I found the conversation very interesting. In particular I was interested in their discussion of those who are not able to participate in our Communion celebration within the Catholic Church.

First, the deacon that was the guest on the show is very involved in an inter-religious group in our city. Once a year, a group of people from another Christian faith attends our Mass (and a group from our Church attends the church service at the other church). The deacon said that he confronts this issue a lot when he has to explain that non-Catholics are not to receive the Eucharist but can go up during communion for a blessing.

Now, for those who don't know, because the Eucharist is the Source and Summit of our faith, only those who are in good standing within the Catholic Church (and thus a member of the Church either through baptism or confirmation, plus there are other requirements) are allowed to receive. The reason being is that by taking the Eucharist we are professing our belief in the Catholic Church. It is not to leave people out. We very much would love to accept all Christians to our communal table. The deacon, when talking about discussing this teaching with our Protestant brothers and sisters, noted that many feel offended by this teaching. This is understandable.

But, he went on to say, he is amazed to see how they respect our teachings, often go up for a blessing, and then later tell him how special they could feel that moment was. The deacon said that many of them seemed to have a much better appreciation for our Eucharistic celebration after being a part of it and all seemed to no longer feel offended by not being able to receive. There is suddenly an amazing understanding for how special this moment is for us and why they can't fully participate. He said it is a beautiful thing to see.

The host on this radio show is a convert to the faith; he was raised in the Baptist church. He said he remembers feeling offended that he could not fully participate in the Eucharistic Celebration in the Catholic Church when he attended with his then girlfriend (now wife). He said he even refused to come forward for a blessing back then. Now however, he sees the beauty in the Catholic Church's teachings on this and understands how special that moment is. He also commented that he is now a Eucharistic minister and he is amazed at how excited people often are to be receiving the body and blood of Christ. He finds it very moving.

For me, I love this teaching! We get to meet Christ every week in the Eucharist, what could be better than that. To actually be able to consume him, you can't get much more intimate than that. I love the passage in the Gospel of John (about the second half of chapter 6) where Jesus gives us this teaching and many of the disciples walk away because they find this teaching so difficult.

The Eucharist is very special to us. And without our priests we wouldn't have the Eucharist. We need our priests, because we need the Eucharist!!

Updating Part Three: Vacation

I haven't been very good at posting lately. I had promised an update on our vacation in May and while I have a few minutes I thought I would do a quick post. And this will be quick.

In May we went to Charlottesville, VA. It was really nice. We stayed at a Bed and Breakfast where we could walk to both downtown and the university quite easily. Our room was called the Sleeping Porch and it literally was a porch. Very nice, but we had a few incidents of flying insects coming in when we left the windows open (no screens).

While we were there, we visited Monticello, saw the Rotunda at UVA, walked around campus, walked through the pedestrian mall, did a wine tasting, hiked up to Humpback Rock just off the Blueridge Parkway, and had lunch at the famous tavern near Monticello whose name I can not currently think of (I should have posted this back when it was all fresh in my mind). Each day we would end up back at the B&B around 4pm for wine and cheese (and other treats) where we could chat with one of the owners, others guests, and review the various menus they had to help us decide where to do dinner.

Check out our pictures here: May 2009 Vacation. The pictures are on my Facebook page, but this link should make them viewable to anyone, whether you are on FB or not.

Next trip on our agenda: Chris' 20 year High School reunion in Little Rock, Ark.

Updating Part Two: The Eucharist

Continuing my updating from my last post, I wanted to share some of the highlights from a talk I went to a little over a week ago.

A little background: last year the Diocese of Lexington began a series called the Bishop's Cathedral Lecture Series. Over the course of four years, they are planning a series of four talks in each year that will address the four pillars of the Church. Last year's lectures were on the Creed and this year the focus is on the sacraments. The next two years will tackle the other two main sections of the Catechism. So, the Second Annual Bishop's Series began with a talk in April by the Bishop on the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation. In May the talk was on the Eucharist and Fr. Robert Barron from the Archdiocese of Chicago gave this lecture. So now we've covered the three Sacraments of Initiation. Two more lectures are left to cover the other four sacraments: The Sacraments of Healing (Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick) and the Sacraments of Service (Marriage and Holy Orders).

So with that background, I have to share some of the wonderful stuff I heard when I attended Fr. Barron's lecture on the Eucharist. I found it a very enlightening discussion!! I've been to a lot of talks on the Eucharist, I have read a lot on it, and I very much believe in the concepts of transubstantiation and the Real Presence. And yet, I was completely captivated by this discussion and learned a lot.

So Fr. Barron started out by telling us that he was going to discuss the Eucharist through three means: 1. Meal, 2. Sacrifice, and 3. Real Presence.

In terms of meal, he looked at the concept of "meal" from a cultural perspective from the beginning of Genesis through Jesus' time. The first major meal that had an effect on all of civilization is the fruit in the Garden of Eden. By that one act, Adam and Eve disobeyed God and sin entered the world. When Jesus instituted the Eucharist we were given the opportunity to share in the ultimate sacred meal. Fr. Barron called the scene with Adam and Eve the "meal gone bad." From there we had Israel in the desert receiving manna from heaven to sustain them. Throughout the rest of the Bible, according to Fr. Barron, God is trying to bring us back to the divine banquet. There is no question that food and meals are very important throughout the Bible. Even today we organize practically any gathering around food. Many of Jesus' miracles involve food of one form or another: the wedding at Cana, the multiplication of loaves, gathering in someone's house around food, and the most important of all: Jesus' establishment of the Sacred Meal at the Last Supper.

Second, Fr. Barron discussed Sacrifice. What an amazing sacrifice Jesus made for us!! There is no doubt, all Christians agree that Jesus sacrificed his life for our sins. A truly amazing thing and really quite unique in the history of religions. In no other religion does that religion's god put himself into a position to sacrifice himself for the people of the world. It's a very extraordinary thing!! And the idea of sacrifice is integral to our faith. We as followers of Christ often have to sacrifice things for our faith and beliefs. Jesus even told us that we would sacrifice our lives (and there are many martyred saints). He asked people to sell all their possessions and follow Him. He asked people to leave their family and friends to follow Him. In addition, the Eucharist is an amazing sacrifice. In addition to allowing Himself to be killed on the cross for us, the ultimate sacrifice, He also gave us the Eucharist and told us to do this in remembrance of Him. So we do, in the Catholic Church we do it every day, we celebrate His sacrifice at every Mass.

I apologize if that previous paragraph seems a bit unorganized. Fr. Barron also said that in a world gone wrong sacrifice is necessary to bring about community. He told us that he was talking to his sister one day and she was telling him that many people were starting to leave the Catholic parish he had grown up in. She said many of them were joining a nearby Evangelical church because it felt more friendly and welcoming and not much was asked of them. It was easier. There was a little more to the story, but this part of it was interesting in terms of sacrifice. I have heard many people complain about the hour they have to spend in church on Sundays and they especially complain when mass goes a little long. I am always amazed at that!! Jesus sacrifices his life for our sins and we can't take an hour a week to spend time in Mass thanking him for this sacrifice. We need to be prepared to sacrifice just a little of our time, whether it is an hour or an hour and a half. Is that really a lot to ask?? Somehow I don't think so.

In addition, Fr. Barron discussed the concept of the "Lamb of God," a common title we use to describe Jesus. Lambs were often the animal of choice for sacrifices to God; interesting that this is the title we use to describe Jesus. Also, in terms of the Mass, he emphasized that the Mass is a re-presentation (read those as two words: re and presentation) of what Jesus gave to us. We do it not because God needs it (God doesn't need anything) but because we need it. We need the sacrifice of the Mass.

[By the way, I am currently reading The Lamb's Supper by Scott Hahn. So far it is an amazing book, as most of Hahn's books are. For more on the Mass, why we use the title Lamb, and how the Mass can explain the Book of Revelation, I highly recommend reading this! Hahn always has an amazing perspective as a former Protestant minister now Catholic theologian.]

Finally, we moved to Fr. Barron's third point: the Real Presence. The story he told about his sister mentioning to him that so many people were leaving his home parish included him asking her about the Eucharist. He asked her if these people miss the Real Presence in the Eucharist. She told him that many people probably don't understand what that means. This is so sad. As Catholics we believe (whether you know it or not) that the Real Presence of Jesus is in the Eucharist upon the consecration of it during the Mass. This is the source and summit of our Catholic faith.

So another story: most people have heard of the author Flannery O'Connor, who was a practicing and faithful Catholic. She was also a shy person. She was at a dinner once with Mary McCarthy, a lapsed Catholic. Trying to draw Ms. O'Connor into the conversation she remarked that the Eucharist was a beautiful symbol. O'Connor's famous response was, "If it's only a symbol, then the hell with it." How true!! We don't believe in the Eucharist as just a symbol, it is so much more!! It is the living Christ!!

One of my favorite passages in the Bible is in chapter 6 in the Gospel of John starting around vs. 22 through the end of the chapter. When you read this you notice that many of the disciples following Jesus leave at this teaching. Now, Jesus talked in parables a lot in the Gospels. In this passage he is being literal, and when given the chance to explain himself he doesn't say, well, what I really meant was ... No, he emphasizes his words even more, saying in John 6:53: "unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you." And he goes on repeating himself many, many times. Then the disciples say, this is a hard teaching (vs. 60). Yes, this is hard and is still dividing Christians today. At the end of this chapter in John, many of the disciples leave him because they can not accept this teaching. If Jesus was only speaking in parables, he would have called them back, explained that he was speaking only symbolically. But he doesn't, he lets them go.

For me, this is where the idea of sacrifice and the Real Presence come together. It is also where our faith is most tested. Fr, Barron explained that the scene in John 6 would have been shocking to Jews of Jesus' time, it would have been appalling, actually.

One of the hardest things to understand in this idea that the Real Presence is there in the materials of bread and wine is the teaching of transubstantiation. Fr. Barron explained that the substance changes during the consecration even while the appearance does not. To help explain this further, he said that appearance and reality are often not the same. Take the stars in the sky. When we look into the sky and see the stars, what we are really seeing is how the stars were many hundreds of thousands of years ago. Some of the "stars" we see are no longer there because of how long the light takes to travel from where that star once was to where we are today. Appearances are one thing, reality can often be another.

This was one of the best talks I've been to in the Bishop's series. We went to three of the the four talks during last year's First Annual Series and have been to both of this year's. There are two more left this year and I'm looking forward to hearing more. Fr. Barron was an incredible speaker, he didn't use any notes and was so incredibly knowledgeable. I came away from this talk with an even deeper appreciation for the mystery of the Eucharist.