Twinkietinkletapeworm

Just a thought...

2010-08-12T09:57:00.000-07:00

I was listening to a blogpost on Sin and the Vocations Crisis and something profound jumped out at me. There was a statement made along the lines of Christ receiving US into HIS heart. Now I never even thought of this before. It has always been the idea of receiving Him in my heart. Come to think of it, I would much rather be received into His sacred heart (such a pure and holy place indeed!) than simply to receive Him into mine, full of cobwebs and undiscovered territory (while at the same time acknowledging that I must, in fact allow Him into this dusty old mansion!). A lot of this could simply be semantics. Just as the ball is in both courts of two lovers. A giving and receiving of love. This might lead to a deeper meditation on the heart of our Lord. To be able to dwell there, rest there, to allow His holy fire of love to consume all that is impure. Not much more to say about this but the idea is powerful. May it be more than just an idea!

The Father and the Son making music.

2010-01-13T08:34:00.000-08:00

Growing up, I didn't appreciate classical music. I thought Beethoven was a kids movie involving a Saint Bernard. Classical was either for old people or for one who flew over the cuckoo's nest. I vaguely remember my dad telling me about Arthur Fiedler and how great of a conductor he was. Yeah dad, sure. Whatever you say (rolling my eyes, making sure he didn't see me for fear of the whap). It wasnt until the military, being stationed in Germany, that I heard Toccata and Fugue being played live in an old cathedral in Darmstadt. If I remember correctly, my eyes actually watered from the beauty of the sound. "Oh, THIS is music!" As opposed to all the rubbish I've been listening to my whole life (well, except Skynyrd!). My ears were opened to a whole new experience. Since that day, I never turned my back on classical music. Bach and me were buddies for life.
Going back a few years before that experience, I remember picking up a violin and trying to run the bow over it's strings. After all, it couldn't be that difficult making a sound that at least didn't shatter glass. Well, after sweeping up what used to be my mom's glass vase, I quickly realized that this was no easy task. To this day I greatly admire those who can play ANY musical instrument. All I can play is my CD player!
Anyway, what got me thinking, is that in order to make Toccata and Fugue sound like a work of art, one must follow a conductor and only then, after years and years of labor intensive practice and discipline, can one be ready to play in the Pops. Another thing that comes to mind is no matter how beautiful the individual instruments sound, there is nothing like listening to them in a symphony. So it is with the church. It takes years of practicing God's presence, reading His Word and living out what you learn with discipline as a child of the Father, the great Composer. As we mature, we find our "place", our "instrument" and we join those in following Christ the Conductor of this beautiful symphony called life. Imagine what our Father hears when his musicians are in symphony with one another. I'll bet His eyes get watery too!

The love of Niagara

2009-12-01T10:03:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine recently told me that the love of God is like Niagara Falls. His love flowing, rushing, pouring over us almost overwhelmingly. Yes, it is indeed overwhelming. What if I am holding an umbrella to stay dry? To stay "safe"? Of course his reply to that was one of common sense. "The umbrella simply collapses under the strength of the water." Duh!
But why is this so hard to grasp? How could a perfect Shepherd love such weak and distracted sheep? A bigger question would be, how could I doubt this love? Maybe it is fear. Afraid to be a reservoir that feeds love to others only because of the love that feeds it. It is much more "safe" to be an undisturbed pond, which left to itself will become a swamp. A place for bugs and critters. OK, not to safe there!
So, how does one allow the love of God to change oneself. Surely, change will happen. First, by receiving His Holy Eucharist. Allowing Christ to enter into us in a way that is real, that is tangible. This is more than just a figurative analogy, one of His parables. This is indeed real. Second, by going to confession regularly. "Cleaning house" quite frequently creats a sactuary for our Lord...and for ourselves. Thirdly, the tough part, by serving Him in the ordinary. I must allow myself to be "disturbed" from quiet times of reading and prayer to help with the daily household tasks, be it loading the dishes in the dishwasher, putting a bandaid on Molly's knee or picking up the dog's poop (after I stepped in it of course!). After all, isn't this what our Lord calls us to? To be what we are called to be. A father, a husband, a priest or religious. Most of all, His child. And if I love my children, how much more, infinitely more He loves this child?!

Look not on our sins but on the Faith of Your Church

2009-08-30T11:36:00.000-07:00

One of the phrases said each week at Mass, after the Our Father is, "Look not on our sins but the faith of Your Church." As these words leave the priest's mouth, I feel like I can hear a pin drop...even over the coughs and crys from the wee ones at Mass. I am caught off guard. I think to myself, "Wait. What did he just say? Petitioning our God not to look on OUR sins but on the faith of HIS Church!"

Living in such an individualized time and place, this goes aginst my gut. "But MY sins aren't the 'little' ones Lord!" Lust, greed, pride, the misuse of my Irish temper(for there is even a proper place for that..somewhere, hence my soapbox!). I could go on but that is not where the focus is right now. The focus (thank God) is on the faith of His Church. I find balance here. As I said before, the problem with the church is that it is full of people. Broken people. There is an acknowledgement of OUR sins as individuals and as a community. But the gaze of God is on the faith of His church. Oh, this is why I am called to participate at Mass. Because, I can't go it alone. Otherwise, I am back to the whole "our sins" part of the equasion. Left to my own devices, there's no tellin' where I'll end up. Of course going to church every Sunday won't do it alone either but that's no excuse not to go. Not to mention the fact that not going is a motal sin. Ahhh, mortal sin and venial sin. That's another blog post for another day!

The faith of His Church. Infant baptism makes sense here. Why would we not want our babies to be brought into this faith? Sure, there is a time when they must acknowledge it for their own but why would we deny the little ones such a gift? Our faith, our salvation isn't a one-time thing but an on going process that started at Calvary and continues on in our sanctification. "God ain't done with me yet!"

Not much more to say here but I am sure glad to be in HIS church. And as the old saying goes, "Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder." Our Lord is the beholder.

Religion: A source of division?

2008-04-21T14:11:00.000-07:00

The following was an article I read online. These aren't my words (as if I could write like this!). I just thought it was a great article!

"I was taken aback recently when an old friend of mine argued the position that religion is a major divisive force in the world. In light of recent events, he argues that religion is virtually the only thing that is dividing people in Kashmir and the Middle East, just as it was religion that divided Ireland, not to mention Iran and Iraq."

To read more from this article, go to
www.lifeissues.net/writers/mcm/mcm_43religiondivision.html

The Passive/Agressive Evil

2008-04-11T16:58:00.001-07:00

"The greatest evil is not now done in those sordid "dens of crime" that Dickens loved to paint. It is not done even in concentration camps and labour camps. In those we see the final result. But it is conceived and ordered (moved, seconded, carried, and minuted) in clear, carpeted, warmed, and well-lighted offices, by quiet men with white collars and cut fingernails and smooth-shaven cheeks who do not need to raise their voice."

— from the Preface to The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis

Nice quote. Is the "greatest evil" done by the passive/aggressive? By the subtle? Or is evil itself subtle? Does it always look like "nine - eleven" terrorism? Surely those were evil acts! Nowadays we are afraid to even mention the word. The word offends, even judges. But unfortunately, it is real...it is very real. We find it in politics/government, schools, businesses,marriages, even churches. Yes, we find it within ourselves. Maybe that's why these institutions appear corrupt. From what Merton calles the "false self". That's a whole other blog entry!

1 John 1:8 "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives."

So, there is good news here and bad news. Bad news, we are in fact sinners...which means we must wrestle with evil within ourselves, to work on removing the log in our own eye. This is a lifelong process. I doubt we will have much time to be concerned with the splinter in our brother's eye. Turns out, his splinter is his own log also. But ahh, the good news, He is faithful and just and will forgive us if we but only ask. Vs. 9 says He will "purify us from all unrighteousness."

When I was on the Applachian Trail, I remember the bliss of a hot shower after being out on the trail for a week, smelling like roadkill. Nothing to bathe in but rain and a pond here and there. Sweet purgatory. After all that is what it is isn't it? The difference, being a "purging", a purifying "yet so as by fire". (1 Cor 3 :15). My guess, a painful process. Unfortunately, purgatory appears misunderstood by Protestants and Catholics alike. Purgatory...this too is another blog entry!

Ok Murph, off your soapbox. All of this to say sin can appear neat and clean, even attractive. If we would only ask for God's Irish Spring and become "clean as a whistle"!

Pax Christi,
Murph

Show Me The Money!!!

2008-02-19T10:13:00.000-08:00

This is just what we need people! Hey, I'm not complaining in terms of getting more dough back from Uncle Sam, BUT...

We all need to tighten our belts. From the feds to little Jimmy who makes 25 bucks a week on his paper route. Let's face it, times are tough! I think part of the problem today is that we have such high standards of living. We need to head in a direction that will allow the grampas out there to stop sayin, "When I was your age..."

After all, they have a point. They were lucky to have ONE car in the driveway. Steak was a luxury. And your own bedroom...much less with an Xbox 360, home entertainment center, your own phone line...no, wait I forgot, kids have their own cell phones today.

Will we, as Americans step down from such "royalty"? Not to be a skeptic but I doubt it. But I think most would agree--we NEED to. I admit, I feel the pull of the Joneses. But then I come back to reality and realize that there is not enough Prozac in the world to keep the Joneses happy. "What does it profit a man if he gain the whole world and suffer the loss of his own soul?" And gaining the whole world? That's to heavy anyway!

Gospel Reading for today...

2008-02-11T16:38:00.000-08:00

Mt 25:31-46
The Sheep and the Goats. Every time I read this, I am reminded of Kieth Green's song, "The Sheep and the Goats". It still moves me today.

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory,
and all the angels with him,
he will sit upon his glorious throne,
and all the nations will be assembled before him.
And he will separate them one from another,
as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
Then the king will say to those on his right,
‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father.
Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me drink,
a stranger and you welcomed me,
naked and you clothed me,
ill and you cared for me,
in prison and you visited me.’
Then the righteous will answer him and say,
‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,
or thirsty and give you drink?
When did we see you a stranger and welcome you,
or naked and clothe you?
When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’
And the king will say to them in reply,
‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did
for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’

Those on His right, the ones who clothed, cared, fed, visited these "brothers of the king". They served (unaware)as seving the king himself. Oh, to be able to see the face of Jesus in everyone we meet. The prisoners, the homeless, the rich, the poor, believers and nonbelievers, gay, straight, black, white and on and on. Why is it so hard to do this? Isn't it easier to send "missionaries" to do it for us? After all, that's what we pay them for right? Which are we, sheep or goats? It is too easy to be surrounded in the "safety" of our "Christian circles". But as Lewis says about Aslan, "He is anything but safe!"

OK, off my soapbox.

"Then he will say to those on his left,
‘Depart from me, you accursed,
into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels.
For I was hungry and you gave me no food,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
a stranger and you gave me no welcome,
naked and you gave me no clothing,
ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’
Then they will answer and say,
‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty
or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison,
and not minister to your needs?’
He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you,
what you did not do for one of these least ones,
you did not do for me.’
And these will go off to eternal punishment,
but the righteous to eternal life.”

The sin of omission. Yeah, I'm guilty. Not beating myself up here but today's Gospel is pretty clear on the difference on what we do and don't do. Sola Fide doesn't seem to work here. Sola, alone. As if we are saved by faith alone. As if our salvation has nothing to do with "works". Works without faith is dead. Faith without works...well, what kind of faith is that. Can we earn our way to heaven? No. Do we have a ticket though for just believing? Even the demons believe and shrudder. I know there are many divisions especially between Catholics and Protestants on what it means to be "saved". That's a bummer really.

Getting on another rabbit trail. There I go again. The soapbox!

Christ calls us to action, a living faith, an active faith. Not to be bench warmers. Not to be "goats". But to be sheep, His sheep. Let us be thankful today for the Good Shepherd and in that thanks serve one another as if we are doing it to the Lord.

God bless and have a great week.

For you Super Mario nerds...and one for Indian Jones fans

2008-02-01T15:34:00.000-08:00

David, Bathsheba, and Uriah

2008-02-01T14:09:00.000-08:00

I find today's reading troubling. And yet, somehow reminds me that even the greatest of kings can fall. See http://www.usccb.org/nab/020108.shtml. 2 Samuel passage.

Ok. David is called a man after God's own heart. He wrote many of the Psalms. Killed Goliath with a stone's throw (let's see Dice K do that one!), humbly served his king (Saul) even with Saul's threat of killing David, loved his son even with his rebellious ways...face it, he was a man's man. If we could only be half the man David was!

Yet, today's reading alarms us when "the man after God's own heart" falls in adultery with the woman he noticed from his roof top, Bathsheba. She was very beautiful in appearance the scripture notes. She gets pregnant and loses her husband to the front lines of war. David covers up his affair by sending in Uriah to die in battle.

Adultery, murder. Two of the "biggies". (Maybe mortal and venial sins start to make sense here!). How does such a man fall? This becomes humbling to us as Christians. There is a saying, "Be careful when standing at the top of Everest. A step in any direction is a step down." No matter how "good" we are. No matter how much integrity, how much strength, courage. We can fall. There but the Grace of God go I.

I think us men in the church should take note of David's fall. Lust kills. Not only us but others. For those of us who might struggle with this sin, be not afraid. Because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 1 Jn 4:4

Pax Christi

Today's Mass readings

2008-01-28T04:10:00.000-08:00

Mark 3:22-30

vs. 24-25 "If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand."

This seems to follow up with yesterday's readings. What comes to my mind this morning is what good old Abe said. "United we stand, divided, we fall."

Republican vs. Democrat. Conservative vs. Liberal. Heck, it seems like we have more division in the "UNITED" States than the Civil War era! Why is that? Maybe because we are in an "individual" era. It's all about me. I am the center of the universe. I think what this country needs is a big group hug. Men need to get in touch with their "feminine" sides and women, their "masculine" sides...oh, wait that's already happening. So much so, that we don't know who the heck we are any more. God forbid we discuss "roles" within marriage or even children obeying their parents. After all, "it's all about me and what I want" right? Wrong! I think I did learn a few things in the Army. How come we have the best military in the world? Because everyone has a part to play and if one does not "play" it, there will be consequenses. Our culture has misunderstood the word equality. Sure, we are created equal but NOT the same. There is a reason for our differences. My wife once said that America used to be the melting pot but now we are a tossed salad. Again, united we stand, divided we fall.

As I write this I find a paradox going on here. We need to be united, "ONE nation under God". One nation but many parts. The individuals with the same goal, the same end in sight. Ahh, I think I got it. One nation under me? Under you? Under man, woman, gay, straight, liberal, conservative? Nope. Under God. I think that has to be the unifying factor. If not, we will indeed be divided. Again, we seem to be in the age of the "self". Where the self is the final destination. All the current issues in our lives ironicly can be solved not by serving the self but by dying to self (of course so that He may live).

Maybe I am an idealist. Maybe I am just dreaming. As if we could all die to ourselves and focus on the One who created us. After all, that would achieve unity wouldn't it?

Live once, die twice. Live twice, die once.

God bless.

Today's Mass readings

2008-01-27T11:35:00.000-08:00

1 Cor 1:10-13, 17

"I urge you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,that all of you agree in what you say,and that there be no divisions among you,but that you be united in the same mind and in the same purpose.For it has been reported to me about you, my brothers and sisters,by Chloe’s people, that there are rivalries among you.I mean that each of you is saying,“I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,”or “I belong to Cephas,” or “I belong to Christ.”Is Christ divided?Was Paul crucified for you?Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel,and not with the wisdom of human eloquence,so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its meaning."

Right from the start...divisions! Now add 2 thousand years, a "reformation", multiple schisms and what do get? A lot of confused people wondering/asking, "what is the church?"

Is Christ divided? No. Therefore His church should not be divided. I guess the problem is that His church is full of us human beings! Oh how we always get in the way. Heck, if I am honest with myself, there is division within me. Can't seem to fit with the saints, more at home with the sinners. I guess it's comforting that He came for the sinners.

We must strive for Christian unity. First question is how? How do we strive for such a task? When I reconciled with the Roman Catholic Church, I figured I was "back home". No more division. Wrong. SSPX vs. Novus Ordo. Pre vs. Post Vatican II. Like Charlie Brown says...Uuggggghhhh!

So, how do we strive? Maybe that is the wrong question. Maybe the right question is not how do "we" strive but how "I" strive for this unity.

1)Work on me first. More time in prayer, solitude, time alone with our Lord. Daily time in the Scriptures. Studying, praying, absorbing the Word of God.

2)Create more unity at home with my wife and kids. Daily examining my conscience as a father and husband. This of course seems tough. I guess I have to go back to step one on this one.
...Ok assuming I can get the first one down, prioritizing time spent with the family. I mean, how am I supposed to prioritize between the Xbox 360 and doing an activity with my wife and kids! (Only sort of joking on that one.) This is where I find going to Mass together so important. Receiving the Body and Blood or our Lord together, being unified with fellow Catholics around the world--what a mystery! Oh the Sacraments (see http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13295a.htm). A sign of something sacred and hidden, a mystery. "The redemption of man was not accomplished in an invisible manner. God renewed, through the Patriarchs and the Prophets, the promise of salvation made to the first man; external symbols were used to express faith in the promised Redeemer: "all these things happened to them [the Israelites] in figure" (1 Corinthians 10:11; Hebrews 10:1). "So we also, when we were children, were serving under the elements of the world. But when the fullness of time was come, God sent his Son, made of a woman" (Galatians 4:3-4). The Incarnation took place because God dealt with men in the manner that was best suited to their nature. " Ok, I am on a rabbit trail with this one, bear with me. Isn't it like God to touch our senses? To touch our humanity? But I digress...

Back to the unity thing. After being married for 5 years now, I realize how difficult it can be sometime to be united with my wife on such topics as disciplining the kids, what to do with our finances, how to prioritize our time, etc. After thinking about all of this, I think I have my hands full with working on family unity.

Maybe that's why God gives us families. To learn how to die to self and serve others. To put others first. Maybe being a desert father never looked so good!

Ok, now I am really rambling. I gotta get ready to take the fam to Sesame Street live. Who knows, maybe I will be "unified" with Tommy and Molly in enjoying Elmo dance around.
More thoughts later.

Here Goes!

2008-01-27T06:07:00.000-08:00

Here goes. I'm not much of a writer. More of a talker. But I figure I'll give my family and friends a break from my soapbox and try a new outlet.

A little about me...
I am a 34 y/o Catholic convert (or should i say a reconciled Catholic) from being an Evangelical Christian for about 18 years. I guess I came to the conclusion that the problem with the Catholic Church is that it is full of human beings (of which I happen to be one;a chief of sinners even!). For many years, being somewhat of an idealist, I was always trying to find out what was wrong with Christianity. All the hypocrites, the sin within, the division, etc. Many influences on this journey have been Kreeft, Chesterton, Lewis, and studying Francis of Assisi, etc. Of course add Scott Hahn, mixed with a bit of Mark Shea, and well, I guess my mind was on to something. One influential book, Peter Kreeft's book Fundamentals of the Faith, explains it well. First, we must see if Truth exists (or is it all relative). If it does, there must be things that aren't true. Ok, is there a God? Who is this God? I believe He the God of Abraham, Issac, Jacob. I believe in Jesus. I believe in the Holy Spirit. Yep, the Trinity. (See Apostle's Creed. I think that does a pretty good job defining who God is as defined in the Holy Scriptures.).I guess I made it this far as an Evangelical. But there was always an unanswered question floating around in my head. What is the Church?! What is this business about "One, Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church"? Ahh, that is the question that I pursued for many years until coming to believe in...One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.
The story is much deeper than that but I guess that is my journey in a really small nutshell.
I'd write more but I gotta go to Mass with the fam.

Pax Christi