Building the City of God

For centuries, the words of St. Paul have been heeded by Christians who desire to reform their own lives and defend their faith against nay-sayers. Time and time again, the first and greatest apologist of the one true Church exhorted his readers to change their ways, to put aside the sinful ways of the world, and rejoice in the goodness found in Jesus Christ. The selection from St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians used for today’s Mass readings does exactly the same. In fact, the selected passage seems to be a very good synthesis of all that this first-century apostle taught after his conversion.

Of the many poignant things mentioned in today’s passage, three sentences stood out to me.

“Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ.” This sentence helped to remind me that kindness, compassion, and forgiveness are the essential elements of fruitful relationships. If I cannot exercise these qualities, my relationships (especially my marriage) will be of no benefit to me or to the other parties.

“Be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and handed himself over for us as a sacrificial offering….” True love, as Christ exhibited, is dying to one’s self for the sake of others. As a (not-so-perfect) follower of Christ, I must always remember to sacrifice the things I desire for the betterment of others, especially my family.

“Live as children of the light.” The final sentence of the passage linked above requires me to accept my place in the Divine relationship. I am the child who is not able to provide for all that I need. Indeed, only God can provide everything I require; no one else can provide His sustaining light.

Pray that we might follow St. Paul’s exhortations and receive our “inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of god.” St. Paul, pray for us.

Any of my readers who espouse Christian principles should understand the fullness of the sentences below. Others might want to spend a few moments meditating on what new dimensions could be added to one’s life who doesn’t believe in Divine Fatherhood.

Our Father in Heaven is Love. No, really! He does not have love in greater or lesser amounts than some other person. HE IS LOVE! Everything that He thinks, says, or does is Love. Because He is Love, He pours himself out into the universe, specifically for the benefit of humanity. You see, Love is not Love until it is given away. Therefore, God must give Himself away if He is Love. (Pope Benedict wrote a whole encyclical on this very topic: Deus Caritas Est.)

Further, God is merciful! God is far more merciful than any human could ever imagine, or hope to be him/herself. Despite the vast sinfulness and narcissism of men and women on earth, God wants to forgive us, welcome us into His arms, and be in communion with us for eternity.

God is Truth! This concept certainly is difficult for modern culture. However, we can objectively state that the one Who created all life and existence did so with certain characteristics that are innate and incontrovertible. God’s Truth is the first cause from which all lesser truths flow; and God’s Truth took on human flesh in the person of Jesus Christ so that all humans might experience it.

God is eternally just. Everyone will be judged (either in personal or final judgment) according to his/her thoughts, words, and deed while on this mortal coil. No person will receive more or less than what he/she has “earned,” and no person will be judged according to what he/she did not know or understand. God’s justice will prevail in all cases for all time! (God’s justice must never be separated from His mercy, however.)

God is also all-powerful. He can do anything He desires, whenever He desires. Let’s not put Him to the test!

Aside from being the embodiment of Truth and being all-powerful, the rest of the characteristics mentioned are noble goals for people upon the earth, especially fathers. Now that I have found out that I will be a father soon, I pray that I will exhibit all of those qualities toward my beautiful child. I have a deep desire to be all-loving, all-merciful, and completely just. Please pray for me as I enter into the next phase of my adult Christian life.

God Bless.

St. John Damascene spoke very simply and eloquently about the most important concern that humans ought to have: “What then, is more precious than to be in the hand of God? For God is Life and Light, and those who are in God’s hand are in life and light.”

With a simple rhetorical question and answer, this eighth-century Doctor of the Church probed to the very core of human desire, of all that we hold dear. Without a doubt, nothing should be viewed as more precious or sacred than to be held in the protection of God’s loving hand.

God Bless.

The following passage from the Letter to the Hebrews (which we heard at Mass this past Sunday) serves as an excellent reminder to faithful Christians everywhere that Jesus Christ was, without a doubt, fully human (not at the expense of His total divinity, however); that He was subject to passions and temptations just as we are today.

Brothers and Sisters:
Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens,
Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not
have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who
has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin. So let us
confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for
timely help (Chapter 4, verses 14 to 16).

Readers of these words ought to find great solace in knowing that the Lord of Heaven and Earth was tempted greatly throughout His life. As the ideas pass through our minds and on to our hearts, we should realize that He is able to lift us out of our fallen state and aid us through tempting situations. Indeed, He can help us as no other human being can because He is the embodiment of true perfection.

God Bless.

Each Friday, faithful Catholics the world over commemorate the Passion and death of Jesus Christ. They do this in any number of ways: prayer, devotions such as the Stations of the Cross, fasting or abstaining from meat, and so on. The whole point of undertaking such prayer or sacrifice is to unite one’s self to Jesus’ Passion and death.

For example, a person might fast on one full meal and take time some time during the day to mediate on Christ’s death. Another might simply abstain from meat. Others might participate in a communal meditation on the Way of the Cross before or after performing a corporal work of mercy. Some who are truly devoted (or severly austere) might do all of the above for the greater glory of God.

There is a fitting connection today. In the Catholic Church in the United States, today marks the memorial of St. Paul of the Cross, who founded an order of priests whose primary devotion was to the Passion of Our Lord (commonly known as the Passionists).

St. Paul of the Cross was born Paolo Danei in the piedmont of northern Italy in the late 17th century. Even as a youth, he was quite pious. Then, when he was still in his twenties, he received a vision that placed in him a great desire to preach about Jesus’ Crucifixion. Thus he wrote: “It is very good and holy to consider the passion of our Lord, and to meditate on it, for by this sacred path we reach union with God. In this most holy school we learn true wisdom, for it was there that all the saints learned it.”

St. Paul’s desire to meditate on and preach about Christ’s suffering and death led to the well-known motto of the order, “JESU XPI PASSIO.” Such a phrase was simple, yet clear. There could be no misunderstanding about the focus of these holy men (and women, eventually). Moreover, St. Paul’s call for meditation has been heeded ever since by generations of faithful men and women.

So, on this Friday, October 20, let us enter the “school of wisdom” by which saints are made. Let us meditate for a brief while on the Passion of Our Lord. St. Paul of the Cross, pray for us.

God Bless.

There are several reasons for my decision to forego publication of “Musings from Memphis.”

Foremost among the reasons is the name of that blog. It seems that there are already musings of this, musings from there, etc. I want to have a truly unique name for my blog.

Second, I believe that the scope and focus of “Musings from Memphis” is too broad. It was a forum in which I would write about politics, sports, religion, and anything in between. Further, “Musings from Memphis” had truly become solely focused on religion. (Partly because of circumstance, partly because of my own choice.)

In recent months, I have become extremely disenchanted with politics. The guys and gals on the left sling mud at the guys and gals on the right, and vice versa. No one candidate or party has truly put together a plan or a vision that suits me. And, quite frankly, I have more important things to do with my time than try to analyze the political climate. There are many other writers and commentators who do a fine job of that. (Please do not mistake my disenchantment for a refusal to participate, however. I will still vote, and I will still remain abreast, to the best of my ability, of current events.)

In the realm of sports, there are two teams that I really care about: the University of Memphis Tigers football team and the St. Louis Cardinals. The former team has done absolutely nothing to write about this season (a 1-5 record is quite displeasing!). The latter is coming to the close of its season, and there will be little of interest (except the remainder of the playoffs) for several months. Maybe I will begin a blog dedicated solely to sports in the future, but the time is not right now.

As you may have gathered from recent posts, my life has become excruciatingly busy. Thus, I believe that any writing I do should be focused in some way on my work. Since I am an evangelizer, a youth minister, a catechist, and a novice theologian and philosopher, those things (in some way, shape, or form) will become the content of this blog. No longer will I bother to muse on the things of this world which pass away. From this point forward, my eyes will be turned solely toward Heaven, and I will do my best to present the glory that is found there.

God Bless.