Show Us the Path that Leads to Him

One of the Intercessions in this evening's vespers reads...

You came from the Father, 

- show us the path that leads to him.

I often travel between Cherryvale and Independence, whether for weekday mass, adoration, or a Walmart run. While I usually travel the newest highway and most direct route, there is an old highway that runs between the two towns. My cooperating teacher showed it to me in our travels one day. I never think of it when leaving Cherryvale, but often do when leaving Independence. The one time I tried to return to Cherryvale from Independence, I got myself lost on some back roads with some excellent scenery and landscaping of southeast Kansas. I still have yet to travel the right path to reach my destination without too many detours or something that catches my attention and gets my off course.

This the small anecdote or comparison I thought of when I read this intercession. One who knows the path, or has traveled the path can lead us on that path. Christ came from the Father, became human in all ways but sin, and led the way back to the Father. Whatever route we are taking to get to the Father may be beautiful - as we each won't travel the exact same path - but there is only one who knows the way. Follow Him. 

Come, Lord Jesus! Aww-spiration.

It is Advent!

What a wonderful time of year! I'm always a bit skeptical of the people who put their Christmas trees up right after Halloween, but since today in the first Sunday in Advent, I'm wondering why we have yet to put up our tree. Things are a bit crazy at home. Dad's project list continues to grow before he can tackle almost any of them. Plus the weather keeps him on his toes. Mom does too much to have time to put up a tree, and my sister is hardly around to eat meals, let alone decorate. Hopefully before my next trip home, there will be a tree up. I cannot hardly put one up myself in SEK, as I will soon be graduating and moving to my real job/grown up person location. Yikes. 

Thus the Advent season is appropriate as there are many preparations that must be made for all that is to happen in the next five weeks. Be sure to prepare your hearts for the coming of Our Lord. Enjoy this tidbit on the Twelve Days of Christmas. 

ORIGIN OF "THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS"
An Underground Catechism

You're all familiar with the Christmas song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas" I think. To most it's a delightful nonsense rhyme set to music. But it had a quite serious purpose when it was written.

It is a good deal more than just a repetitious melody with pretty phrases and a list of strange gifts.

Catholics in England during the period 1558 to 1829, when Parliament finally emancipated Catholics in England, were prohibited from ANY practice of their faith by law - private OR public. It was a crime to BE a Catholic.

"The Twelve Days of Christmas" was written in England as one of the "catechism songs" to help young Catholics learn the tenets of their faith - a memory aid, when to be caught with anything in *writing* indicating adherence to the Catholic faith could not only get you imprisoned, it could get you hanged, or shortened by a head - or hanged, drawn and quartered, a rather peculiar and ghastly punishment I'm not aware was ever practiced anywhere else.

Hanging, drawing and quartering involved hanging a person by the neck until they had almost, but not quite, suffocated to death; then the party was taken down from the gallows, and disembowelled while still alive; and while the entrails were still lying on the street, where the executioners stomped all over them, the victim was tied to four large farm horses, and literally torn into five parts - one to each limb and the remaining torso.

The songs gifts are hidden meanings to the teachings of the faith.

The "true love" mentioned in the song doesn't refer to an earthly suitor, it refers to God Himself. The "me" who receives the presents refers to every baptized person.

The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. In the song, Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge which feigns injury to decoy predators from her helpless nestlings, much in memory of  the expression of Christ's sadness over the fate of Jerusalem:
"Jerusalem! Jerusalem! How often would I have sheltered thee under my wings, as a hen does her chicks, but thou wouldst not have it so..."

The other symbols mean the following:

2 Turtle Doves = The Old and New Testaments
3 French Hens = Faith, Hope and Charity, the Theological Virtues
4 Calling Birds = the Four Gospels and/or the Four Evangelists
5 Golden Rings = The first Five Books of the Old Testament, the "Pentateuch", which gives the history of man's fall from grace.
6 Geese A-laying = the six days of creation
7 Swans A-swimming = the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the seven sacraments
8 Maids A-milking = the eight beatitudes
9 Ladies Dancing = the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit
10 Lords A-leaping = the ten commandments
11 Pipers Piping = the eleven faithful apostles
12 Drummers Drumming = the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle's Creed
                                                                             --Fr. Hal Stockert, Fishnet

I Don't Understand, But I'm Grateful for This Feeling

Do you ever just get a feeling that you are being used as God's instrument, even though you may not even understand a lick of what's going below the surface of those around you? That's how I feel about my experiences today...

First, it was wonderful to attend the Allen County Community College Women in Agriculture Conference. It made for a great last day before Thanksgiving break, and I think the girls we took really enjoyed it and got something out of the sessions they attended. For me personally, it was getting to see a former national officer facilitate a high estrogen large group session. This was followed by sitting down with a sixth of those same young ladies and getting to some deeper questions. 

As I observed these events transpiring, I couldn't help but think back to the time when this individual and I were contending to become the Kansas national officer candidate and all the events that have happened in our lives since then. In one of my reflective moments this morning, I realized the true reason I hoped to become a national officer back then - to gain the training and facilitation skills in hopes of better connecting with and influencing the lives of young people. It was a selfish reason. I wanted to have the skills and earn the recognition. Reality: there is no way I could have left home for a whole year to travel across the country visiting high schools and facilitating conferences. It's just not in me. Besides, this person did and continues to do a much better job at such things, and keeps a humility about themselves, much better than I ever could. Praise God for knowing more about what both of us truly wanted and were capable of doing or handling. In order to gain those skills I thought I might obtain through working for National FFA, I realize now, I will just have to apply myself and really take note of how I interact with my students. 

Second, making the peaceful 160 mile trek from southeast Kansas to my home high school to watch the school play. My travels were quiet and allowed me some good time to reflect. Watching the play brought back a few fond memories of play practice and old high school times. The cast did a really good job this evening. It was also enjoyable to see and converse with many members of the community in which I grew up. I'll admit I've kind of forgotten what it is like to know almost everyone in the gymnasium.

Another outcome of my travels this evening was my sending a text message to an old high school friend of mine. As former fellow CYO members, God is at the base of our friendship, even if we haven't talked or seen each other in several months or maybe even over a year. Some how, our texting quickly turned to the many blessings in my life and how out of touch with God this person is. As I continued my attempts of being encouraging about getting back in touch with God, thankfully, this person did not just tell me to be quiet or push me aside. In reality I don't know how they took all my comments, but I hope and pray that I am being an instrument of God in their life. It would be much easier to meet up with them and have a life talk, but I'll have to settle with text messages for the time being.

Finally, it is good to be home with family. During Thanksgiving break, I shall not cease to praise God and be thankful for the abundant blessings of my life. What better way to give God thanks than celebrating Mass and the Eucharist. The word eucharistia is Greek for thanksgiving. Aww-spiration.

Be Satisfied with Me by St. Anthony of Padua

Be Satisfied with Me

by St. Anthony of Padua

Everyone longs to give themselves completely to someone,
To have a deep soul relationship with another,
To be loved thoroughly and exclusively.

But to a Christian, God says, "No, not until you are satisfied,
Fulfilled and content with being loved by me alone,
With giving yourself totally and unreservedly to me.
With having an intensely personal and unique relationship with me alone.

Discovering that only in me is your satisfaction to be found,
Will you be capable of the perfect human relationship,
That I have planned for you.
You will never be united to another
Until you are united with me.
Exclusive of anyone or anything else.
Exclusive of any other desires or longings.
I want you to stop planning, to stop wishing, and allow me to give you
The most thrilling plan existing . . . one you cannot imagine.
I want you to have the best. Please allow me to bring it to you.

You just keep watching me, expecting the greatest things.
Keep experiencing the satisfaction that I am.
Keep listening and learning the things that I tell you.
Just wait, that's all. Don't be anxious, don't worry
Don't look around at things others have gotten
Or that I have given them
Don't look around at the things you think you want,
Just keep looking off and away up to me,
Or you'll miss what I want to show you.
And then, when you're ready, I'll surprise you with a love
Far more wonderful than you could dream of.

You see, until you are ready, and until the one I have for you is ready,
I am working even at this moment
To have both of you ready at the same time.
Until you are both satisfied exclusively with me.

The Secret

Something simple to share on the Solemnity of Christ the King

The Secret

One day, one friend asked another,
'How is it that you are always so happy?
You have so much energy,
And you never seem to get down.'
 

With her eyes smiling, she said,
'I know the Secret!'
'What secret is that?'
To which she replied,
'I'll tell you all about it,
But you have to promise to
Share the Secret with others.'
 

'The Secret is this:

I have learned there is little I can do
In my life that will make me truly happy.
I must depend on God to make
Me happy and to meet my needs.
When a need arises in my life,
I have to trust God to supply
According to HIS riches.
I have learned most of the time
I don't need half of what I think I do.
He has never let me down.
Since I learned that 'Secret', I am happy.'
 

The questioner's first thought was,
'That's too simple!'
But upon reflecting over her own life
She recalled how she thought a bigger house
Would make her happy, but it didn't!
She thought a better paying job
Would make her happy, but it hadn't.
When did she realize her greatest happiness?
Sitting on the floor with her grandchildren,
Playing games, eating pizza or reading a story,
A simple gift from God.
 

Now you know it too!
We can't depend on people to make us happy.
Only GOD in His infinite wisdom can do that.
Trust HIM!
And now I pass the Secret on to you!
So once you get it, what will you do?

The Man and The Birds

Last Tuesday evening was several days ago, when an idea for a blog came to me. In fact, I thought it a good enough of an idea to come back to and type it up. 

I spent more hours at school in the evenings planning last week. Mostly because I neglected to do any extra planning the week prior or over the weekend. Sometimes you just have to let your mind get away. Thus theses extra hours might have caused me to be a bit more stressed. Perhaps I was just that frustrated with a particular group of students. Some of them don't understand the concept of come to class (prepared!), listen, do what the teacher asks, put forth some effort and try. On this particular Tuesday morning, I was utterly frustrated with a few particular young individuals. I am not typically a mean sort of person and thus disciplining students is not my strong point. Yet, I must also learn not to let them walk all over me - or things will be miserable for everyone involved. The class ended with no one getting hurt and the rest of the day went on as planned. Still, I must care because I was about fuming over the course of the first 50 minutes of the day. Sometimes I think it would be easier to become a student, get on their level, show them how to act, lead by example and be a stronger influence in their lives. 

I was able to relate this experience to a couple of scriptural passages. The first is that day's Gospel passage. John 2:13-22. In short, Jesus clears out the temple of those who had made it a marketplace (emphasis removed). "Zeal for your house will consume me." In class that day, I was zealous for the classroom to be used as it was intended. I sent a student or two away. Hopefully I've learned something and the days will improve.  

The second new and deeper understanding of the day, I've already slightly mentioned. Take this story, "The Man and the Birds," made popular by Paul Harvey.

The man to whom I'm going to introduce you was not a scrooge, he was a kind decent, mostly good man. Generous to his family, upright in his dealings with other men. But he just didn't believe all that incarnation stuff which the churches proclaim at Christmas Time. It just didn't make sense and he was too honest to pretend otherwise. He just couldn't swallow the Jesus Story, about God coming to Earth as a man.

"I'm truly sorry to distress you," he told his wife, "but I'm not going with you to church this Christmas Eve." He said he'd feel like a hypocrite. That he'd much rather just stay at home, but that he would wait up for them. And so he stayed and they went to the midnight service.

Shortly after the family drove away in the car, snow began to fall. He went to the window to watch the flurries getting heavier and heavier and then went back to his fireside chair and began to read his newspaper. Minutes later he was startled by a thudding sound...Then another, and then another. Sort of a thump or a thud...At first he thought someone must be throwing snowballs against his living room window. But when he went to the front door to investigate he found a flock of birds huddled miserably in the snow. They'd been caught in the storm and, in a desperate search for shelter, had tried to fly through his large landscape window.

Well, he couldn't let the poor creatures lie there and freeze, so he remembered the barn where his children stabled their pony. That would provide a warm shelter, if he could direct the birds to it. Quickly he put on a coat, galoshes, tramped through the deepening snow to the barn. He opened the doors wide and turned on a light, but the birds did not come in. He figured food would entice them in. So he hurried back to the house, fetched bread crumbs, sprinkled them on the snow, making a trail to the yellow-lighted wide open doorway of the stable. But to his dismay, the birds ignored the bread crumbs, and continued to flap around helplessly in the snow. He tried catching them...He tried shooing them into the barn by walking around them waving his arms...Instead, they scattered in every direction, except into the warm, lighted barn.

And then, he realized that they were afraid of him. To them, he reasoned, I am a strange and terrifying creature. If only I could think of some way to let them know that they can trust me...That I am not trying to hurt them, but to help them. But how? Because any move he made tended to frighten them, confuse them. They just would not follow. They would not be led or shooed because they feared him.

"If only I could be a bird," he thought to himself, "and mingle with them and speak their language. Then I could tell them not to be afraid. Then I could show them the way to safe, warm...to the safe warm barn. But I would have to be one of them so they could see, and hear and understand." At that moment the church bells began to ring. The sound reached his ears above the sounds of the wind. And he stood there listening to the bells - Adeste Fidelis - listening to the bells pealing the glad tidings of Christmas. And he sank to his knees in the snow.

 If I could better remember what it was like to be a student, perhaps I could better reach them. At the same time, it is also my job to look at the research done by numerous education professionals and allow their wisdom to guide me in becoming a better teacher. Guide me, Good Lord, to do your will. Thank you for the insights. Aww-spiration.

STOP STRUGGLING

I receive a daily e-mail from a distant cousin of mine entitled, "Morning Tea." Today was one of those days where I felt as though I was flailing - stressing more than I've stressed all semester. Today's e-mail is exactly what I needed to read - in more than one way. God is really talking to me today. I've taken some time to listen, but probably not near enough. Have you noticed God talking to you, lately? Aww-spiration. God is great!

“Flesh gives birth to flesh, but . . . spirit gives birth to spirit.’  John 3:6

If you want to see God's promise fulfilled in your life this year, do not rush things - or you might give birth to an Ishmael!  Ishmael was born because Sarah tried to orchestrate events and bail God out.  And the world has been living with the consequences ever since.  Be sure that your plans are born of God's Spirit.  Do not try to salvage anything that is flesh-based. God said, '. . . my covenant will I establish with Isaac . . .' (Genesis 17:21), because Isaac was the result of God's will, done God's way, in God's time.

Jesus said, 'Flesh gives birth to flesh, but . . . Spirit gives birth to spirit.' Everything that is conceived in you comes from one of two sources; the flesh or the Spirit.  People will try to involve you in all kinds of schemes to rescue and promote yourself. But God does not need help to bless you; He can do it all by Himself.  That is why, whenever Satan attacks, you need to be able to point him to your spiritual birthplace and remind him that you did not begin this project, therefore you do not have to finish it.  What God ordains, He sustains!

Today, if God is dealing with carnality, pride or any other obstacle in your path, do not get in His way.  Like rescuing a drowning man who is frantically trying to save himself, until you stop flailing around God cannot do anything for you.  Give it up!  Try less and trust more!  The Bible says, '. . . he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion . . . (Philippians 1:6 NIV).  So relax and stop struggling!