Young children have no problem believing in miracles. They are new, innocent, and without the constraints living in this world can produce. But despite our age, many of us are still open to miracles.
A miracle is a happening that no natural power can bring to pass in any manner or form whatsoever. Have you experienced one?
Of course you have:
If you have seen a baby growing in the body of a woman.
If you have held in your hand the seed of a flower, planted it, and watched it take root and bloom.
If you have seen the light and felt the burn of a sun you could never touch.
If you have forgiven an enemy when you never thought you would.
If you have risked your life for another’s. Or another has risked his for yours.
If you have lived another day in suffering, yet also lived that day with hope.
If you have heard the voice of God through another person, or media outlet, or in the frustrations of a difficult personal situation.
If you have experienced any of these things, you have experienced the miracle of Grace in the world–right here where you are. And there are many more opportunities than these.
But caution. Though it is always being offered, Grace must be noticed affirmatively to be taken advantage of.
If we don’t take the time to notice and affirm them, the miracles of Grace will not affect us–not even if they are all around us.
God’s Grace is as much a part of our earthly lives as our own breathing. But just as with our own breath, we must take it in and make it part of us.
We don’t often think of our leaders, or others who hold power, as being humble—because, frankly, most of them are not. Instead, we set them apart from us, even above us.
But when offered a ride in limo after becoming Pope, Associated Press reports that Pope Francis replied, “I’ll just go with the guys on the bus.”
That’s Humility. A big, big word–not easy to accomplish.
When we talk about being humble, many people picture sort of a slumped and wimpy individual with eyes and head down. But that isn’t humility.
Humility is a virtue, in contrast to narcissism, hubris and other forms of pride. And it is often the most disregarded teachings–indeed, commandments– of Jesus, because it’s so hard to let go of our love of self.
I remember a song from many years ago–a fun song my girl friends and I loved to parody. It began: “Oh Lord, it’s hard to be humble, when you’re perfect in every way!”
Of course, we knew we weren’t perfect, but maybe that’s why we tried to act a if we were. Because of an immature pride, we wanted everyone to perceive us as more, as better, as greater than we were. We did not realize that real greatness is always found in the service of others.
C.S. Lewis writes, in Mere Christianity, that pride is the “anti-god” state, the position in which the ego and the self is directly opposed to God: “Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness, and all that, are mere fleabites in comparison: it was through Pride that the devil became the devil: Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind.”
In contrast, Lewis states that, in Christian moral teaching, the opposite of pride is humility and, in his famous phrase, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.”
How much more could we become in our short lives on Earth if we thought less of ourselves—less about how we look, about what others think of us, about how we can best a situation to our own advantage? Just think of the serious stress that we could remove from our everyday worry about Me. Me. Me. And the serious joy we could receive through a genuine concern about You. You. You.
I think our own image when we look in the mirror would be greatly enhanced.
After all, we may look great in our skin-tight jeans, with our perfect hair, and money in our pocket—but I don’t think that’s the ticket to eternal life. Do you?
Today is the Feast of Saint Joseph, foster father of Jesus, husband of Mary.Everything we know about him comes from Scripture and that has seemed too little for those who made up legends about him.
The Bible calls Joseph, “a just man.” This meant more than being faithful in paying a debt. It meant that Joseph shared in God’s holiness. He did what God wanted him to do. He went where God led him.
Here’s what we know from Catholic Online.
Jospeh was a carpenter, a working man, for the skeptical Nazarenes ask about Jesus, “Is this not the carpenter’s son?” (Matthew 13:55). He wasn’t rich for when he took Jesus to the Temple to be circumcised and Mary to be purified he offered the sacrifice of two turtledoves or a pair of pigeons, allowed only for those who could not afford a lamb (Luke 2:24).
Despite his humble work and means, Joseph came from a royal lineage. Luke and Matthew disagree some about the details of Joseph’s genealogy but they both mark his descent from David, the greatest king of Israel (Matthew 1:1-16 and Luke 3:23-38). Indeed the angel who first tells Joseph about Jesus greets him as “son of David,” a royal title used also for Jesus.
We know Joseph was a compassionate, caring man. When he discovered Mary was pregnant after they had been betrothed, he knew the child was not his but was as yet unaware that she was carrying the Son of God. He planned to divorce Mary according to the law but he was concerned for her suffering and safety. He knew that women accused to adultery could be stoned to death, so he decided to divorce her quietly and not expose her to shame or cruelty (Matthew 1:19-25).
We know Joseph was man of faith, obedient to whatever God asked of him without knowing the outcome. When the angel came to Joseph in a dream and told him the truth about the child Mary was carrying, Joseph immediately and without question or concern for gossip, took Mary as his wife. When the angel came again to tell him that his family was in danger, he immediately left everything he owned, all his family and friends, and fled to a strange country with his young wife and the baby. He waited in Egypt without question until the angel told him it was safe to go back (Matthew 2:13-23).
We know Joseph loved Jesus. His one concern was for the safety of this child entrusted to him. Not only did he leave his home to protect Jesus, but upon his return settled in the obscure town of Nazareth out of fear for his life. When Jesus stayed in the Temple we are told Joseph (along with Mary) searched with great anxiety for three days for him (Luke 2:48). We also know that Joseph treated Jesus as his own son for over and over the people of Nazareth say of Jesus, “Is this not the son of Joseph?” (Luke 4:22)
We know Joseph respected God. He followed God’s commands in handling the situation with Mary and going to Jerusalem to have Jesus circumcised and Mary purified after Jesus’ birth. We are told that he took his family to Jerusalem every year for Passover, something that could not have been easy for a working man.
Since Joseph does not appear in Jesus’ public life, at his death, or resurrection, many historians believe Joseph probably had died before Jesus entered public ministry.
Joseph is the patron of the dying because, assuming he died before Jesus’ public life, he died with Jesus and Mary close to him, the way we all would like to leave this earth.
Joseph is also patron of the universal Church, fathers, carpenters, and social justice.
We celebrate two feast days for Joseph: March 19 for Joseph the Husband of Mary and May 1 for Joseph the Worker.
Today is also my youngest son’s birthday, a young man who has many of St. Joseph’s virtues. Happy Birthday, Patrick!
Who is the woman who means, or has meant, the most to you? Is it someone you trust? Someone you love? A woman you admire from the media?
What are the qualities this woman has that makes her so important to you?
Traits traditionally cited as feminine include gentleness, empathy, and sensitivity. I would submit another trait: extraordinary bravery. Does the woman you most admire have this trait?
There are many women today who stand up with courage–in quiet and often unappreciated ways such as:
Loyalty to a loved one.
Tending to sick children or parents.
Making a paycheck cover the month.
Giving up something she WANTs so her children can have what they NEED.
Standing by a friend despite the politics.
Loving an enemy who’s asked her for forgiveness.
Quieting the gossip of others when she knows it is hurtful.
Continuing, when continuing is hard.
Keeping faith in God and passing it to others by her example.
Here are some examples of bravery in women from the Bible.
Sarah – wife of Abraham. Sarah was also the step-sister of Abraham. When they went down to Egypt, Abraham told Sarah to say that she was his sister, which was true. She then caught the eye of the King of Egypt who took her as his wife, but later restored her to Abraham through divine admonition. Sara gave birth to their son Isaac when she was 90 years old and Abraham was 100 years old. She laughed when she was told by visitors to their home that she would have a son. Therefore, the son she bore was named Isaac which means “He will laugh.” Isaiah 51 calls Sarah the mother of the chosen people.
Rebecca – married Isaac when he was forty years old. Rebecca bore twins, Esau and Jacob when Isaac was sixty years old. Esau grew to be a skillful hunter and was preferred by Isaac. Esau was tricked into selling Jacob his birthright. Rebecca favored Jacob and when Esau was sent by his father to hunt some game, Rebecca prepared a dish for Jacob to give to his father, pretending he was Esau. She also covered Jacob’s hands with goatskin since Esau was hairy and Jacob was not. Isaac, thinking that Jacob was his favored son Esau, gave Jacob his blessing. Esau returned and learned that Jacob had received his father’s blessing and his father had no blessing left to give to Esau.
Deborah – a unique character in the Bible. She was a prophetess as well as the only woman to be a Judge of Israel, making her the equivalent of a king. She was also a leader of the army of Israel. Israel had been under domination by the Canaanites for twenty years. Sisera was the captain of the Canaanite army which far outnumbered the army of Israel. Deborah was told by God to have her general, Barak, take his soldiers to Mount Tabor. They would be engaged in battle by the Canaanite soldiers but the Israelites would win the battle. Barak agreed to do it only if Deborah would accompany him. The Israelites did indeed defeat the Canaanites. Deborah gave all the glory to God for the victory and also thanked Him for what He had done for the nation of Israel.
Judith – The king of Ninevah sent his general Holofernes to subdue the Jews. The Jews who were suffering from a famine were about to give up when the widow Judith reprimanded them and told them she would deliver the city herself. She entered the camp of Holofernes and captivated him with her beauty. When he became drunk, she cut off his head. She returned to the city with his head as a trophy and the Jews gained the strength to defeat their enemy. Chapter 16 is Judith’s song of thanksgiving to God for the victory.
Ruth – In the time of the judges, a famine arose in the land of Israel. Therefore, Naomi and her family emigrated from Bethlehem of Judea to the land of Moab. After her husband and children died, Naomi left Moab to return to Bethlehem. She was accompanied by her daughter-in-law Ruth who insisted on going with her. Ruth intoned that famous quote “Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.” To help out, Ruth went to work in the fields of Boaz, a rich man. Boaz married Ruth who bore him a son Obed, the grandfather of David. The book of Ruth therefore gives insight into the origin of David, King of Israel and the royal ancestor of the Messiah.
Esther – Upon the death of her parents, Esther was adopted by her uncle Mordecai. Esther won the favor of King Ahasuerus who made her his queen. The king had meanwhile raised Haman to high rank and all the king’s servants bowed down to Haman. Mordecai would not bow down to Haman. Haman obtained the king’s consent to a massacre of all the Jews in the kingdom. (Mordecai, of course, was a Jew.) A gallows was erected to hang Mordecai. The king learned belatedly that Mordecai had never been rewarded for revealing a plot by the eunuchs to kill the king, and therefore planned to reward him accordingly. He asked Aman what would be a fitting reward for one to be honored by the king. Aman, thinking that he himself was to be honored, suggested the use of the king’s apparel and insignia. Esther informed the king of the plot of Aman to destroy her people. The king then ordered Aman to be hanged on the gibbet he prepared for Mordecai and bestowed on Mordecai all of Aman’s property. Mordecai then instituted the feast of Purim to celebrate the day when Aman would have destroyed the Jews but which Esther turned into a day of triumph.
All of these women of the Bible showed extraordinary bravery during a time when women were regarded as mere chattel with no rights and little respect. It is fitting that they should be recognized for their character and accomplishments in the book that is the Word of God.
How many people do you know who could be described as completely confident? Probably not many. We all have our hang-ups.
Even if we have great self-esteem, there are times when our confidence level drops. Someone says something to us that pricks an old memory, and the old memory hits us with thoughts like, “See? You’re not so good. In fact, you’re no good at all.”
Sadly, some constantly feel that way—they are no good. Why?
People aren’t born confident. Somewhere along the way–very early on—another person is responsible for planting the seeds of self-worth. This beneficial vision of himself through the eyes of another stays with a child. Of course, the opposite can be true as well.
How can a person re-instill self confidence that has been taken from them?
First of all, the Realization that God loved us enough to make us in His image and likeness , and that we are necessarily good because of it. And then, by reaching out to others, by helping other people, we see and understand their own valuable uniqueness. We receive appreciation from them, and may even see ourselves differently, too. And that is a great builder of self confidence.
When we treat others as we’d like to be treated, when we love them for who they are–our brothers and sisters in Christ–we are actually bolstering our own self-worth as well as theirs.
DEAR MAMAS,
You are the wives
You are the mothers
You are the nannies
You are the teachers
You are the cooks–no the gourmets!
You are the washerwomen and the scrubbers
You are the taxi drivers
You are the gardeners
You are the counselors
You are the peace-makers
You are the judges
You are the juries
You are the nesters
You are the consolers
You are the planners
You are the confessors
You are the dream-makers
You are the caterers
You are the celebrators
You are the lovers
You are the listeners
YOU ARE THE GLUE
The definition of work of art is something that is considered to have aesthetic value, something that is beautiful, intriguing, interesting, creative or extremely well done.
Love is a work of art. Not a piece stuck on a shelf though, an inter-active work of art–like dancing. Love is a dance.
So how is the dance begun?
Love, as a dance, requires a partner of course. It requires a desire to be in the partner’s arms. It requires a certain timing. It requires a creative rhythm And above all, Love as a dance, requires the aesthetic of gracefulness.
What is necessary for the grace performed in a dance of love?
Grace, in the dance, first necessitates watching a teacher, or a role-model, how he or she moves. Try to copy that.
And of course, be skillful. Know the steps of the dance well, so you’ll be able to concentrate more on being grace-filled.
To be grace-filled, a dancer must be aware of the rhythm of his or her own heart, as well as the heart of his partner.
Grace, in the dance, necessitates practice–every day.
A dancer must allow for mistakes. He or she must forgive stepping on toes. Changing moods. Exhaustion. Even tears.
He/she should validate a partner’s significance.
Together, each partner should encourage the other to reach for perfection with a continuous supply of passionate praise.
Smugness- – — exhibiting or feeling great or offensive satisfaction with oneself or with one’s situation; self-righteously complacent
How do each of us personally stand up beside this definition? Aren’t we all, at one time or another, smug? I know I have been, and I’m not proud of it.
More important, in what ways do we bring our gavel of smugness on others?
Well, when we consistently and pompously think we’re right and they’re wrong–we’re bringing down the gavel of smugness.
When we look at another person as being below us in intelligence, talent, beauty, etc.–we’re bringing down the gavel of smugness.
When we don’t understand why others don’t do things our way, and don’t bother to understand their way—we’re bringing down the gavel of smugness.
When we are overly critical, pig-headed, stubborn, and complacent. (And we might be hypocrites, too, because as individuals, we are often critical, pig-headed, stubborn, and complacent, as well)—yet still, we bring down that old gavel of smugness.
Smugness can be found in religion, too.
“The operation of the church is entirely set up for the sake of the sinner, which creates much misunderstanding among the smug.”– Flannery O’Connor
For the sake of the sinner, Jesus Christ died, rose, and offers eternal life. Yet we often point to sin in others (the sinners) and are too arrogant to see it in ourselves–because we are–what? The sin-less?
No, we are all sinners. How can we think that we are so far above others that we can judge them? Only God can weigh an individual’s sin. Because only God knows the absolute truth about any of us.
So, let’s strip away our smugness. Let’s not be so serious about ourselves, loosen up, and laugh a little.
Let’s remember that we are created in the image and likeness of God. But we are not God. And God, alone, knows what’s beneath that coat of smugness we sometimes wear.
When we are very young, we are easily bored. We like different experiences, and we like them frequently. When we are adults, we tone down a bit. We learn which experiences are better suited to us, and our personalities. And as we get older, we like comfort and continuity.
Still, whether young or old, most of us go through periods when we want a change. We want something fresh and new. We’ve grown weary of the same old stuff, or maybe, we’ve even grown weary of the same people.
There’s a lot to be said for the ‘tried and true.’ But there’s a lot to be said, too, for change.
And we don’t have to throw the baby out with the bath water.
Part of being creative is looking for a new slant on an old thing–even if the old thing is comfortable, continuous, and—well, brilliant. If we continue day after day, doing, hearing, and seeing, exactly the same thing, it can become stale, flat, and close to unbearable.
If a relationship with a family member or a friend is getting too predictable and bland, we look for ways to revive it–anything that freshens up the scene–a new place to go together, a new project both are interested in, a different way to converse or even to disagree.
Another example might be a piece antique furniture, say a Victorian chair—still comfortable, still beautiful. Except you’ve changed everything else in the room. You don’t want to throw out the chair, but in your eyes, it is becoming stodgy. You might look for a new slant— in a throw, a different place in the room, or even re-upholstery, so you keep the old, but freshen it up.
Freshening up to re-issue is done frequently with pieces of art: painting, sculpture, music, dance, and of course, with old movies.
One more concrete example: Everyone who’s been to a wedding has probably heard Pachelbel’s Cannon in D more times than they’d care to. But you’ve probably never heard it like the following video presents it.
The Cannon is there in all its brilliance, because there is value in the ‘tried and true,’ but a little something new can give it a whole new life.
The expression is said to come from coon hunting. Once a raccoon is treed by the hounds, he’s a gone coon.
Do you like to be up a tree, with someone else in charge? Do you like to put yourself in a vulnerable position? Generally, I don’t.
I don’t like the feeling of not being in control. I want to know how something’s going to turn out before I step into it. I like the safety of the ‘usual.’ So, taking a risk is not a thing I’m likely to do easily–without a push, without a really good reason.
But there are some really good reasons for allowing ourselves to become vulnerable enough to take a risk. Another person’s life, for instance. We’d like to think that if someone was in danger, we’d step in to help, or even save his life, despite the risk to ourselves. We put another ahead of ourselves and this shows human love.
Love is a really good reason to make yourself vulnerable.
We cannot be truly in love with someone with out being vulnerable. We can’t walk around in armor; we have to take that off and let our true selves out in order to experience genuine love. Otherwise, it’s just a game of charade.
In love, we often have to back down, or give way. We cannot force those we say we love to do much of anything–ok maybe a little child, but even then, it’s not a good idea.
When we become vulnerable and let go—make ourselves completely available to the other—the love between us becomes stronger. We allow the other the freedom to find for themselves his/her way forward, even if it involves mistakes. Even if those mistakes affect us, too.
When we allow ourselves to be ‘treed…’
When we loosen our grip on the wheel and let go of every little thing…
When we allow ourselves to be vulnerable to someone we love, and they do likewise…
Then love becomes extremely powerful. Powerful enough to withstand any threat or risk.
This is selflessness— not selfishness.
This is when our hearts are open, and our very lives are on the line.
This is genuine love. And there is nothing else quite like it.
Young children have no problem believing in miracles. They are new, innocent, and without the constraints living in this world can produce. But despite our age, many of us are still open to miracles.
Translating a World on the Edge 