Today, I am thankful for many, many things.
Here are three that are related to this blog:
1) I am thankful that I have "met" all of you that visit and comment here, and even more thankful that you help me spend more time with God. I am eternally grateful for that.
2) I am thankful that our forefathers founded this great country with gratitude to God and with a nod towards freedom of religion. It is partially because of them that I was able to attend Church this morning without fear.
3) Most of all, I am thankful that our Lord sent His only Son here to die for our sins. Thank you, Jesus, for giving us the greatest gift of all.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone. May God bless you and your families.
Just about every survey result on people's greatest fears will list "death" in the top three. Usually, its numero uno.
I thought about that a lot this week, especially coming off last weekend's Gospel (Mk 13:24-32). Death, and the End of Time, are always described so ominously. It's no wonder just the thought of it worries us.
But should it?
Imagine if we got to interview someone who had passed away and gone to Heaven.
When asked what Heaven is like, I imagine they would tell us that Heaven is perfect. It is a place of beauty. A place of joy. There are no tears, no crying, no anxiety, and no pain. Angels rejoice. Love is abundant. Peace is overflowing. In short, it is Paradise.
But when asked what Earth was like, in retrospect, they might tell us it is a place of sin, anxiety, and sorrow. A place where there is little harmony, and even less peace. A place where there is far from enough prayer, love and honor. A place where people kill each other, born and unborn out of spite, fear, hatred, and greed. And a place where people worry about possessions more often than they worry about serving the Lord.
After those responses, we might be tempted to ask them one more question...
So, what exactly were you so afraid of again?
God Bless.
The following was inspired by this very moving post by Christopher. My prayers to his family - both living and deceased.
The next time I find myself complaining about doing some sort of physical task, I will remind myself that there are plenty of people in this world who have debilitating injuries and would love to be able to fold laundry or mow a lawn.
The next time I wonder if I can squeeze a call to a friend or family member into my busy schedule, I will remind myself that there is a chance that person might not be around tomorrow.
The next time I think about putting in an extra hour in at the office, I will remember that no one, when on their deathbed, ever wishes they spent just one more hour working.
I will also remember that, when on that same bed, no one ever wishes for more money. They wish for more time.
The next time I feel hungry, I will remind myself that there are people in this world that wonder if they will eat at all today. Or even this week.
The next time I get annoyed that I have to fix something in my house, I will remember that some people only have a cardboard box between them and the elements. And 20 degree air hurts.
The next time I wonder how long mass is going to run, I will remind myself that there are many people on this earth that fear for their lives every time they step into a church. And they go anyway.
The next time I find myself whispering a hymn at that same mass, I will remind myself of this gentleman.
The next time I think I have a difficult decision to make I will remind myself about the decision Mary and Joseph had to make, the decision the Apostles had to make, and the decision Jesus had to make.
The next time I wonder if I can really do something to promote God's Kingdom, I will remind myself what a few fishermen and tax collectors did. Many without an education. Or the internet.
The next time I feel nervous about anything, I will remind myself what Jesus must have felt like at the Last Supper.
And the next time I wonder how much God really loves me, I will remind myself to look at the nearest crucifix.
God Bless.
Last week's Gospel reading (Mark 10:46-52) was the story about Bartimaeus, a blind man who's persistence led Jesus to restore his sight.
Just about every homily and sermon I have heard on this passage highlights what great faith Bartimaeus showed. This is true, of course. People all around him were shouting at him and telling him to keep quiet. But he persisted. He kept calling for Jesus.
That in itself is a beautiful lesson for all of us.
But the part that always gives me pause is what happened next.
Jesus asked Bartimaeus "What do you want me to do for you?"
His response?
Sight.
Oh how I wish he had been like that thief crucified next to Jesus, and asked for a ticket to Paradise instead! I always wondered why this poor man wasted his "one wish" on such a physical, worldly thing, when he could have asked for something so much greater! After all, his sight came with an expiration date. But a place in the Kingdom would have been forever!
Of course, every time I lament about his "wish", I realize that there have been plenty of times in my life where I did the exact same thing. Times where I asked for - or worried about - silly things. Meaningless things. Times I pestered God for things that He knew weren't important. Times I should have been "asking" God for a seat at His table instead.
And so, whenever I hear this passage, I stop and thank Bartimaeus for giving me a lesson in persistence.
And then I thank him for, inadvertently, giving me a good dose of perspective as well.
God Bless.
What have you been doing since 1999?
(That's ten years ago, for those of you keeping score.)
If you are like me, and the years are starting to blur together, here are some random events from 1999 to give you some perspective:
- The Euro was born
- The first episode of Sponge Bob SquarePants aired
- The DOW crossed 10,000 for the first time (ironic, as we just crossed it again)
- Apple launched the first iBook (not iPhone)
- Exxon completed its merger with Mobil
- JFK Jr. died
- Fight Club and Matrix were top movies
Oh, and some folks in Kansas City started praying.
And haven't stopped since.
St. Paul tells us to "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thess 5:17), and the folks at the International House of Prayer in KC have been doing just that.
Ten straight years of prayer. Day and night. 24/7.
I can't even remember watching the Matrix for the first time, and these people have been praising God relentlessly ever since.
And as I think back to some of the silly ways I spent my time over the past ten years, I ask myself, "Who spent their time more wisely, these people or me?"
(Please don't answer that, I already know who.)
May God continue to inspire the folks at the International House of Prayer.
And may they, in turn, continue to be an inspiration for all of us.
God Bless.
First of all, apologies for disappearing for two weeks. I ended up going on a last minute trip, and will be posting some pictures in an upcoming post!
(Here's a hint, in case you want to play Where in the World was Michael: October 4th and Top 5. Any guesses?)
In the meantime, Christopher tagged me with the Honest Scrap award and I will fulfill my obligation in this post. Christopher's blog, Sanctus Christopher, is a nice mix of wit, photos, and religious commentary. I always enjoy stopping by. (And thanks for tagging me Christopher.)
Without further ado, here are "Ten Honest Facts About Myself". And since there don't appear to be any guidelines about topics, I will share 5 religious facts and 5 non-religious facts.
Non-Religious
1) I really don't like talking about myself. Jesus, yes. Peter and Paul, yes. Myself, not so much.
2) Stealing a topic from Christopher ... I sing Sinatra in the shower. With over 300 singles to choose from, I take really long showers.
3) Speaking of which, I have always wished I could sing. Maybe even make it my profession. (But since this is an Honest Fact post, I must admit I could shatter windows.)
4) You don't believe me? In 2nd grade we put on a singing concert for all the parents. After the third rehearsal, the teacher pulled me aside and said that instead of singing, I would be playing the triangle. Said it was a very important role that only I could perform. I believed her.
5) I am an optimist. About life, and about people.
Religious
6) I listen to the bible every morning in the car. (Thank you Daily Audio Bible)
7) I have never been to the Holy Land, but would love to go someday. I can't even imagine how spiritually moving it must be stand where Jesus and His Apostles stood.
8) I think Ave Maria is the most beautiful song in the world.
9) Embarrassingly enough, for a good part of my life, I thought Mark and Luke were Apostles.
10) And to show you that I still have a long way to go, I just tried to name the 12 original Apostles off the top of my head and I missed one. (Sorry, Thaddeus!)
Ok, Christopher, I believe this fulfills my duties. For the rest of you, I am sorry you had to sit through this!
God Bless all of you.
I was in the park the other day when I saw a middle aged gentleman sitting rather quietly.
All of a sudden, he started waving his hands frantically in the air, and then began hitting himself in the head. This outburst was followed by 20 seconds of laughing, and then silence.
As he repeated this sequence a few more times, I realized he had some sort of mental or physical disability - or both.
I don't know about you, but when I see someone like that I get a huge knot in my stomach, followed by a giant tug at my heart.
The huge knot is my conscience raining perspective down upon me - reminding me how fortunate I am.
The giant tug is God reminding me of Luke 12:28:
From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded;
And from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.
"Much", of course, is a relative term. But the fact that I am typing this blog, and can read all of yours, pretty much means I am in the "much" camp.
Which means I've got work to do.
God, please help all of us to be your vessels here on Earth; to use the unique gifts you have given us to promote your Kingdom.
God Bless.
Today, I am thankful for many, many things.
