Saturday, August 25, 2018

"Do as they say..." I'm scared, I'm sorry, and I beg you.

From today's Gospel (Saturday, March 25)

"The scribes and the Pharisees
have taken their seat on the chair of Moses.
Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you,
but do not follow their example.
For they preach but they do not practice."
Matthew 23:1-12

For they preach, but not practice. And isn't that precisely what we're facing in the Catholic Church?

Our leaders -- many of them, too many -- coach a good game, but don't follow the rules. And I'm scared.

I'm scared that many -- like the disciples in tomorrow's Gospel -- will leave Jesus. I'm scared of what has happened since the moment Christ founded His Church..that wolves in sheep's clothing will again come up with "solutions" to mend Her. And will end up wrecking even more souls in their efforts.

I'm sorry. I'll never be a priest, never mind a "lay leader." I'm just an ordinary lady in the pew. But I must tell you: I apologize. I apologize for every Church leader who has let you and so many others down. I apologize for their actions and inactions. Whether you forgive us is your choice. I can only ask, and pray, and hope.

I beg you: don't leave the Body of Christ. Don't let evil bully you away. Don't -- again, I beg you -- give up the inheritance Christ won for you because some people -- some "leaders" -- didn't practice what they preached.

In your charity, pray for me. I pray for you all the time. Because that's what we're supposed to do, yes, but also because it's a joy to do so. To pray for each other...without ceasing.

Thank you for reading this. May God continue to bless you,

Kelly




Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Bible Study Recap: The Right to Choose

+JMJ+
Queenship of Our Lady


Howdy, Howdy, Howdy!

What a JOY, JOY, JOY tonight's session was!

It started out by praying this Sunday's Entrance Antiphon and Collect…

…and I thank Frank for so beautifully praying it for us. You know, the Collect — or "Opening Prayer" -- is well worth contemplating. We start our sessions every week with it.

And then…the poignant words of Jesus in the Gospel, beautifully read by Catherine…

As has become our custom, we started our readings with the Gospel, without comment…just listen, reflect, and pray. I admit I was close to tears when Jesus asked His apostles — His friends! -- "Do you also want to leave?" We meditated on that, and then turned to the First Reading.

"As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD!"

It always amuses me to think that the "right to choose" is some modern meme. Good grief, God gave us the "right to choose" -- AKA "free will" -- at the dawn of creation. This Sunday's First Reading has Joshua, in the Name of God, giving the Israelites the right to choose — and they chose the BEST! Yes, I know that this is just a brief moment in salvation history, and that not all choices made by mankind were the best, but I think we had the right to wallow in this beautiful passage…and wallow in it we did! We were filled with joy, and many thanks to the Liturgy Guys, Whoever You May Be, for choosing these exact verses!

'Course, then there was the Second Reading (or its sadly edited alternative…which we ignored, seeing it makes no sense)

I say "sadly edited" because the Liturgy Guys — alas — gave us the "benefit" of a butchered reading. I pray you won't have to endure it. Thanks to Liz, and ably abetted by Nick and Karen, for expounding on the joys of being the Bride of Christ…the members of the Family of the King…God's children! Add the mutual submission of family members here on earth and no wonder so many brides and grooms choose this passage for their Nuptial Masses. (Father Michael's homily on today's Feast helped me a lot with the help of Liz, Nick, and Karen.)

Once again? Psalm 34!

Russell led us in the Responsorial Psalm — beautiful — and quick as a whip, Liz opened her phone Bible to John 19:33-36 and read the verses out loud. How cool is it that the HUGE Old Testament testifies to Jesus! "He watches over all his bones; not one of them shall be broken."

Back to the Gospel…

Again, Catherine's beautifully read passage had us all on the edge of our seats. This time, we rollicked in joy and amazement…especially at Jesus' question: "What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?"

We gave ourselves the luxury of eating up — literally! -- this Gospel. And musing on the fact that John's 4-week Bread of Life discourse is so important that not only the Catholic Church, but the Episcopal and Lutheran churches as well, consider it well worth while to devote themselves to these four weeks every three years. "Father, that we may be one, as You, and Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are one! In Jesus' Name. Amen."

Tons of other great stuff — what a wonderful hour!

We prayed for you…please pray for us!

In Our Lady, Queen of the Universe, your humble scribe,

Kelly
~~~~~
Extras!

"In the Eucharist we also receive the pledge of our bodily resurrection at the end of the world: “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day” (Jn 6:54). This pledge of the resurrection comes from the fact that the flesh of the Son of Man, given as food, is his body in its glorious state after the resurrection. With the Eucharist we digest, as it were, the “secret” of the resurrection." (John Paul II, Ecclesia de Eucharistia no. 18)
Points to Ponder, by Doctor Scott Hahn

"A Choice to Make"

This Sunday’s Mass readings conclude a four-week meditation on the Eucharist.

The 12 apostles in today’s Gospel are asked to make a choice—either to believe and accept the new covenant He offers in His body and blood, or return to their former ways of life.

Their choice is prefigured by the decision Joshua asks the 12 tribes to make in today’s First Reading.

Joshua gathers them at Shechem—where God first appeared to their father Abraham, promising to make his descendants a great nation in a new land (see Genesis 12:1-9). And he issues a blunt challenge—either renew their covenant with God or serve the alien gods of the surrounding nations.

We too are being asked today to decide whom we will serve. For four weeks we have been presented in the liturgy with the mystery of the Eucharist—a daily miracle far greater than those performed by God in bringing the Israelites out of the land of Egypt.

He has promised us a new homeland, eternal life, and offered us bread from heaven to strengthen us on our journey. He has told us that unless we eat His flesh and drink His blood we will have no life in us.

It is a hard saying, as many murmur in today’s Gospel. Yet He has given us the words of eternal life.

We must believe, as Peter says today, that He is the Holy One of God, who handed himself over for us, gave His flesh for the life of the world.

As we hear in today’s Epistle, Jesus did this that we might be sanctified, made holy, through the water and word of baptism by which we enter into His new covenant. Through the Eucharist, He nourishes and cherishes us, making us His own flesh and blood, as husband and wife become one flesh.

Let us renew our covenant today, approaching the altar with confidence that, as we sing in today’s Psalm, the Lord will redeem the lives of His servant.

Monday, August 20, 2018

On the feast of Saint Bernard of Clairvoux...

"Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known, that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession, was left unaided.

"Inspired by this confidence I fly unto Thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother!

"To thee I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful! Despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy, hear and answer me. Amen."


Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us.

Saint Bernard of Clairvoux, pray for us.

Wednesday, August 01, 2018

Bible Study Recap: "Put on the New Self..."

+JMJ+
Saint Alphonsus Liguouri

Howdy,

When I realized today's Mass readings for the day were to be read, rather than the memorial readings, I thought to myself: "Oh bleep…we're going to hear old Jeremiah with his complaints. Again. Goody."

Only during the homily did I realize two things:

That the prophet shared an intimacy with God, allowing him to gripe (and that his gripes would be heard), and…

That we — by virtue of our Baptism into Christ — share an even greater intimacy with God than even Jeremiah!!!

We focused a lot on Paul's Letter to Ephesians (Ephesians 4:17, 20-24)…

…especially verses 23 and 24:

"…and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self, created in God's way in righteousness and holiness of truth."

The "new self" is Christ — Whom we "put on" symbolically in dress, in reality in brotherhood, at our Baptism. Which made us God's children. Which gives us the right — not to complain like spoiled brats, exactly, but to complain nevertheless, knowing Abba will fix it, in one way or another. In His way. Trust in Him.

I think I'll skip the constipated "scientific" explanations of the miracles of the manna and quail…

And instead, give you a nice Hebrew word to drop at your next party. :-) "Man hu" is Hebrew for "what is it?" This is where we get the word "manna." You're welcome!

"Signs, signs, signs, give us signs!"

In both this Sunday's First and Gospel readings, God — after doing amazing things — is asked for signs. Miracles are awesome, yes, but we don't need them. We've been given plenty of miracles. The manna, which is the precursor of the true Bread of life, is miracle enough. No wait…Christ's Resurrection is miracle enough. No wait, God becoming man for us is not just miracle enough — it's an undeniable proof of His love for us, His creatures.

(So, you know? Knock it off with stuff like "copy-this-novena-to-saint-whoever-nine-times-and-make-a-wish-and-it'll-come-true" junk. GOD is our Father for Heaven's sake…what more do we want???

Anyway, it was a blessed session…and we prayed for you!

Please remember us in your prayers. Thanks!

Your humble scribe,

Kelly
~~~~~~
Points to Ponder, by Doctor Scott Hahn

Endurance Test

The journey of discipleship is a life-long exodus from the slavery of sin and death to the holiness of truth in Mount Zion, the promised land of eternal life.

The road can get rough. And when it does, we can be tempted to complain like the Israelites in this week’s First Reading.

We have to see these times of hardship as a test of what is in our hearts, a call to trust God more and to purify the motives for our faith (Deuteronomy 8:2–3).

As Paul reminds us in this week’s Epistle, we must leave behind our old self-deceptions and desires and live according to the likeness of God in which we are made.

Jesus tells the crowd in this week’s Gospel that they are following him for the wrong reasons. They seek him because he filled their bellies. The Israelites, too, were content to follow God so long as there was plenty of food.

Food is the most obvious of signs—because it is the most basic of our human needs.  We need our daily bread to live. But we cannot live by this bread alone. We need the bread of eternal life that preserves those who believe in him (Wisdom 16:20, 26).

The manna in the wilderness, like the bread Jesus multiplied for the crowd, was a sign of God’s Providence—that we should trust that he will provide.

These signs pointed to their fulfillment in the Eucharist, the abundant bread of angels we sing about in this week’s Psalm.

This is the food that God longs to give us. This is the bread we should be seeking. But too often we don’t ask for this bread. Instead we seek the perishable stuff of our every day wants and anxieties. In our weakness we think these things are what we really need.

We have to trust God more. If we seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, all these things will be ours as well (Matthew 6:33).