Building the City of God

Today, the Church celebrates the Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  It is a memorial during which all the faithful are reminded that Mary, the Mother of Our Lord, has been made queen of all the heavens and the earth (the Fifth Glorious Mystery of the Rosary).  Because we are creatures of this earth and disciples of Christ, we, too, must honor the Blessed Mother as queen.

Let us remember that giving honor to Mary in no way takes focus off of Christ, Our King.  In fact, the glory, honor, and blessing given to the Queen will only be reflected by her toward the King, her Son.  Thus, we may faithfully conclude that an intimate relationship with the Queen of Heaven will lead us into a more intimate relationship with Christ the King.

Personal experience proves, however, that such an intimate relationship with Mary is easier to write and speak about than it is to achieve.  I have committed and re-committed myself to a Marian devotion on numerous occasions.  Yet there always seems to be an excuse to become lax in that devotion.  Fortunately, the proverbial tide seems to be turning!

In recent weeks, the addition of the Memorarae to my daily prayer regimen seems to have provided additional peace and grace in my life.  Further, occasional (not daily at this point) recitation of the Rosary brings about joy, comfort, and peace; wonderful substitutes for the stress, anxiety, and turmoil wrought by Satan on a daily basis.

I pray that my devotion to Mary, Queen of Heaven and Earth may continue to increase throughout my adult life.  I pray that her intercession will bring innumerable graces for my family and ministry.  I pray that she will guide me toward her Son, even until the moment of my judgment.

Also, click here for a fabulous article on Our Lady of America, and the history of some lesser-known apparitions.

God bless!

As a Catholic husband, father, and minister, there is one area of my life over which I nearly constantly worry: money.  I suppose that most average adults can attest to the fact that “there never seems to be enough,” or that some unexpected financial obligation always interferes with the grandiose plans.  After more than two years of marriage and nearly one year of fatherhood, I have gained infinitely greater respect for the tough financial decisions that adults face; and I have struggled over and over again with becoming a good steward rather than indulgin my own selfish desires.

As I continually gain new experiences in this area, I seem to be in prayer continually: asking the Provider to help stretch those last few dollars until the end of the month and for the grace to place my family’s needs above my own.  The Mass readings for today, as well as a short passage from the Divine Office, offered emotional and spiritual reinforcement that was much-needed.

The first chapter of the letter of St. James reminds me to view “various trials” (among which are certainly financial worries) as joyful because they bring about perseverance in faith (vv. 2-3).  That same letter goes on to offer an image of withering fruitfulness: “For the sun comes up with its scorching heat and dries up the grass…and the beauty of its appearance vanishes.  So will the rich person fade away in the midst of his pursuits” (v. 11).  Further, the Responsorial Psalm acclaims God’s bountiful blessings; the benefits of affliction; and the kind and comforting reward brought by such faithfulness to His Divine Will (vv. 68, 71, 76).  Finally, one of the petitions in the midst of Evening Prayer requests that the Lord lead me into a life of “peaceful security.”

Such words and phrases resonate in my mind and heart.  They offer immense hope for my (and my family’s) future.  They offer simple, yet profound assurance that struggles are temporal; diligence is rewarded in great measure; happiness and fulfillment are found not in “gold and silver pieces” but in the “law of your [God’s] mouth” (Psalm 119:72).

I pray that God will continue to pour out His abundant grace on me and my family as well as all Christian families who work diligently to honor Him by taking proper care of His gifts.  May we build the City of God by becoming faithful stewards!

God bless!

“Why doesn’t God answer my prayers?”

Everyone who reads this post has probably heard that question at least once.  Some of us have even asked that question (to ourselves or to others explicitly), perhaps on multiple occassions.  Well, the answer is clear!

We’ve all heard the cliche: God does answer prayers; sometimes He answers with ”No.”  Indeed, He does, and such is His divine, omniscient prerogative!  However, in this author’s own prayers and meditations, it seems necessary to seek a deeper explanation.

The Gospel of John offers a wonderful insight: “We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if any one is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him” (John 9:31).  Thus we can explain the lack of “acceptable” answers from the Giver.  Only when we cut sin out of our lives (a difficult task in its own right), worship God properly, and conform our will to His do we begin to receive the answers for which we beg.

There is, however, an underlying truth not immediately recognizable.  We should never be so naive as to think that God will provide the answers that we want simply because we do exactly as He tells us.  On the contrary, once we participate in Reconciliation, Penance, Divine Liturgy, and submission of personal will, we experience profound conversion.  That conversion of heart creates in us a desire not to tell God what He must do for us; but to truly seek God’s answer before we begin to ask any questions.

God has exercised this Divine methodology in this author’s life over the course of four years.  There is no doubt that He wants to do the same in the lives of every other human.  Indeed, it is the methodology by which we will merit Eternal Life.

God bless!

During my four previous Lenten journeys (as a Catholic, that is), I have never harbored such anticipation for the Resurrection as I do this year!  Each time I pray the Liturgy of the Hours, each time I read Scripture, and each time I speak to or teach youth during this holy season, I am filled with joy because I know that the celebration of Christ’s Resurrection is right around the corner.

As I examine my heart on this Holy Thursday, I believe that God has led me to focus on this certain aspect of my faith because I have been in the midst of a personal resurrection.  Joy and hope (interestingly enough, the title of an important Church document) has filled my life in recent weeks.  My mind and heart have been drawn toward Eternity and the unending celebration there.

The more I pray, the more I read Scripture, the more I spend time with my family, the more I minister, I am filled with great pleasure knowing that I am a co-worker in the Lord’s vineyard; that I am helping to build His City here on earth, and His Kingdom in Eternity!

I pray that all of you will have a blessed Easter celebration with your families and parish communities.

 God bless!

I was blessed yesterday to have met with my spiritual director.  The fruit of that meeting was a very clear understanding of how God has called me to change during this holy season of Lent…and after.

I’ll spare the details because they are personal, but I do want you all to know the value of continually seeking God’s voice in your life.  It is absolutely essential to seek His Wisdom through prayer and spiritual direction.  Without those two things, the blessings of Lent have potential to get lost in the “I gave up…” and “I’m doing…extra” shuffle.

Instead of focusing on the legalism of sacrifice (which is not unimportant), let us all take time to reflect on the many and various ways that God may have worked through those sacrifices.

I pray that your Holy Week is a time of spiritual fruit.

 God bless!

The following thoughts were made clear to me based on prayer and Scripture reading over the past twenty-four hours.  I am continually amazed at how God teaches things to me; I suppose He does it that way because of my ignorance and stubbornness.  Alas, I have learned something: it is my own lack of faith that prevents the recognition of God’s answers to my prayers.

Monday evening was filled with stress and self-doubt, while Tuesday was marked by disappointment and confusion.  All the while, God was speaking softly (as usual) to me; trying to get my attention.  At last, He did gain my full attention as my wife, my son, and I sat in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament.

 But, His revelation to me did not end with that special time of prayer and reconciliation among family members.  This morning, my eyes fell upon a passage from Mark 11 as I prayed the Scriptures.  “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you will receive it, and you will.  And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive your trespasses” (v. 24-25).

O God, forgive me for doubting that You will provide the solution to my life’s little “problems.”  Forgive me, also, for my lack of forgiveness toward others.  As the young, demon-possessed boy’s father cried, “I believe; help my unbelief!”

Pray that all people will be open to hearing God’s Word, receiving His revelation with great faith, and forgiving their fellow humans.

 God bless.

Faithful Catholics understand that a person’s spiritual journey is marked with interspersed periods of fertility and aridity. Those periods often vary in length and degree. Simply put, the spiritual life if much more like a roller coaster than like a walking track!

Over the course of nearly four years, I experienced a few peaks and valleys; times of great spiritual depth and times of severe dryness. I must say, however, that I have been blessed with richness in greater duration and degree than the opposite. It seems as though my spiritual life has been on a near-constant ascent during my Catholic adulthood. That is, until just over a week ago.

As the Christmas season ended and “normal” life resumed, I began to find it increasingly difficult to pray, especially for sustained periods of time. In fact, there were several days when I was simply not able to pray at all, despite my best efforts (and probably some laziness!). All the while, I was (and have been) crying to God for help.

The first answer from Him that I recognized was to read Scripture as a prayer. So I began with the Gospel according Mark, which is an account that I have never read or prayed in depth. While praying through the second chapter, I received another “divine nudge.”

My eyes fell upon Christ’s words: “Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry…he entered the house of God…and ate the bread of the Presence…” (vv. 25-26). That recalled other words of the Lord to his disciples: “unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life within you…” (John 6:53). Immediately, I knew that the next answer to my desperate cries was to “enter the house of God” and “eat the flesh” of Christ provided for me in the Eucharist.

Indeed, part of my problem (I recognize it now!) was my lack of daily worship! I need Jesus in my life; I need as much of Him as I can get, especially His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity inside of me! So, my spiritual rehabilitation must include a sustained effort to participate in Mass AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE!

As I traipse of to the nearby parish, I pray that many others will recognize the benefits of going to Mass more regularly. I pray that more people will worship Our Lord more frequently, faithfully, and fruitfully.

God Bless.

Today’s Office of Readings required the recitation of a portion of Psalm 18, which spoke praise and thanksgiving for God’s salvation. In addition to that Psalm, the two-year cycle of Biblical readings prescribed the third chapter of Genesis. Additionally, this author’s most recent choice for non-Biblical reading has been Spe Salvi. These particular readings spoke volumes about the unconditional nature of God’s love for humanity (and each individual human).

After the Creation Story, the author of Genesis provided an account the Fall, the original sin. We’ve all heard it before: God was crazy about Adam and Eve, but they messed up that relationship, for themselves and every future generation. However, the situation did not remain without hope! The sin of Adam and Eve could not prevent God from promising salvation for all humanity throughout all history.

Remember Genesis 3:15, which the Church proclaims as the proto-evangelum! But, God’s love doesn’t stop with that grand promise. At the end of that same chapter, God “made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins, and clothed them” (v. 21). Despite the grave mistake, God showed His devotion to humanity through an action that (in this author’s estimation) was intended to prevent further sin. With covered bodies, man and woman would have fewer opportunities to lust after one another, thus remaining more pure.

The idea that God loves humanity unconditionally was expanded upon and solidified by St. Paul in his letter to the Romans (which happens to deal quite extensively with sinful lifestyles). He wrote: “For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (v. 38-39). Did you get that? Nothing will ever cause God’s love to be absent!

Recitatation of Psalm 18 served as a reminder of personal sinfulness, the reconciliation offered by the Almighty, and the subsequent conversion. Indeed, there have been many times when the “cords of death encompassed me, the torrents of perdition assailed me; the cords of Sheol entangled me, the snares of death confronted me” (v. 4-5). God, however, did not deny His truth and grace to me: “From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears” (v. 6). After my soul cried for redemption, He moved me toward His Church, whereby He offered to me the sacrament of Reconciliation; He offered me true forgiveness!

With great hope, I pray that all of you will remember God’s unconditional love, seek Him during your dark nights, and allow His healing to come upon you in the wonderful sacrament of Reconciliation.

God Bless.

As I drove to work this morning, the subject matter on several morning radio shows was enough to make a person despair (and vomit!). I realized how very blessed I am to have hope; to know that something better and purer awaits on the other side of this life.

I began to arrive at this realization as I prayed through a portion of Pope Benedict XVI’s most recent encyclical on that very topic. And, I pray that God will continue to bless me and allow me to deepen my understanding of this most precious gift. After all, Advent surely is a most hopeful season.

Please pray for our culture in general, and particularly those people who have resorted to twisted philosophies and actions because they have lost hope.

God Bless.

Fr. Tom Euteneuer, the President of Human Life International, has put forth a challenge to faithful Christians in his latest Spirit & Life column. I am taking up his challenge, and I pray that all of you will, too!