Sunday, December 13, 2015

"Rejoice!" (And that's an order.)

Guadete Sunday. It's not all about getting all giddy about the holidays. In the readings, we're told — and quite sternly — to, bleep it, REJOICE!

This is not a suggestion, like, you know, "hey, cheer up" is a suggestion.

It's an order.

As Father Greg Staab, OMV, said in his homily today:

"Rejoice. It's a commandment!"

Now our good friend Zephaniah isn't one of your more "merry" prophets. In the same chapter today's reading comes from? He calls Jerusalem "rebellious and polluted" and isn't exactly spreading holiday cheer all over the place.

Yet he, through the Holy Spirit, commands us to "rejoice!" To "shout for joy!" Hey, they're not my exclamation points...they're the Lord's!

And Isaiah — while a terrific guy, I'm sure — wasn't exactly Good-Time-Charlie. Yet, in today's Response we, through God, hear him exhort us to "cry out with joy and gladness!"

Why?

"For among us is the great and Holy One of Israel."

Paul — a Pharisee who, at best, manages to keep his moanings and complaints within reason — tells us today (not once, but twice...he felt, through God, the need to repeat this):

"Rejoice in the Lord always! I say it again: rejoice!"

These guys Are Not. Kidding.

Neither is God.

"But, gee, Kelly! We've got troubles galore!"

Yep, I know. Right here in River City and throughout the world.

But we've been given a command. To rejoice. And whether we're Jews or  Christians, we've been given our orders.

So do it! Rejoice! Even if you don't feel like it? You've got to. We, you and me, have been commanded to do so.

Hey, even if you're not in the mood? Maybe this will help.

May God continue to bless you!




Tuesday, December 08, 2015

He's a Muslim. He's my friend. Try not to be stupid.

My friend, Ahmed El Abany, lived in our house while studying to be the great pediatrician that he is today. He posted this on Facebook yesterday. It's worth sharing with you.

We've reached a point when we hear of a terrorist attack on the news, certain thoughts come to our mind : 
1- the hope that the suspects aren't muslims or carry an arabian name.
2- the certainty that a militant group who are islamic extremists would be responsible for such a tragedy.
3- the sad feeling you get when the muslims living around the world who will be affected and mistreated with this terrorist act.
4- the flairing of racial responses and fascist ideas towards islam and muslims from some well known individuals.
5- the greater responsibility to prove to the uneducated how Islam, like any other, is a religion of peace.
6- a prayer to god to save his humanity from the lunatics who disfigure the image of religious beliefs.
The hearts of muslims all over the globe are ached everytime they see or hear about a deadly act.
Media is a fraud. Know islam from the person in front of you and not from the screen.
Religion is your connection with God. Manners is how to connect with human beings. Do not mix them up. To know a muslim, talk to one.

Can you imagine living like this? Imagine it. To know a Muslim, talk to a Muslim. Get to know a Muslim.
Stop the stupidity. Instead, oremus pro invicem. (Let us pray for each other.)



Monday, December 07, 2015

Dimmer Switches and the Holy Spirit: Let There be Light!

From Father Greg Staab, O.M.V., in his Sunday homily, Sunday, December 6:

"Ask the Holy Spirit to shed light on your conscience, so that you may better see the sins you might have otherwise missed."

Okay, are you like me? 

(Then, for Heaven's sake, DO something about this to correct it...and quickly!)

Where was I? Oh yes...about dimmer switches.

Dimmer switches are exceedingly cool inventions.

Say, for example, you go into your kitchen, and you realize -- yikes! -- there's some cleaning up to be done around here!

A dimmer switch lets you blithely lower the lights in the kitchen, and — voila! — those crumbs on the counter? Gone! (Or, at least, you can't see them anymore and may virtuously go back to that book you were reading.)

'Course a dimmer switch switches both ways.

Say you want to clean that kitchen. Well, you'd better be able to see those crumbs and such, so all you have to do is to turn the switch the other way. Light up that kitchen! Holy bleep, not only crumbs, do you see, but, among other things? That stain on the floor (to say nothing of that gunk on the oven range.)

Every single piece o' dirt is suddenly glaring at you, pleading at you, saying "for Heaven's sake, DO something about this!

That's how the Holy Spirit works when you "turn Him up."

You're examining your conscience, right, and you see the big lumps o' dirt. Fine. But crank up that Holy Spirit light switch, and you suddenly see dust, like, for example:

  • that jerk you muttered at when he cut you off in traffic the other day
  • that cashier you rolled your eyes at when she made a mistake in the checkout line
  • that rather sarcastic comment you made to your spouse yesterday
  • that juicy piece o' gossip you...just happened to pass along
  • the fact that, while examining your conscience, you're still identifying the guy who cut you off as a "jerk"

And so on and so on and guess what?

The brighter the light, the clearer the dust in your soul, the easier it is to clean it up!

And the better your confession will be.

Ask the Holy Spirit to light up your mind and soul...the better you see the gunk? The easier to get rid of it!

May God continue to bless you!