Ash Wednesday

What to do for Lent?

"My advice is that henceforth we live no more in ourselves, but that in heart, intention, and confidence we lodge forever in the pierced side of the Saviour." - St Francis De Sales

How do we do this? 

By living in joy.

"Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.…" - 1 Peter 4: 12-14

Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium - 1.5

The Gospel, radiant with the glory of Christ’s cross, constantly invites us to rejoice. A few examples will suffice. 

“Rejoice!” is the angel’s greeting to Mary (Lk 1:28). 

Mary’s visit to Elizabeth makes John leap for joy in his mother’s womb (cf. Lk 1:41). 

In her song of praise, Mary proclaims: “My spirit rejoices in God my Saviour” (Lk 1:47). 

When Jesus begins his ministry, John cries out: “For this reason, my joy has been fulfilled” (Jn 3:29). 

Jesus himself “rejoiced in the Holy Spirit” (Lk 10:21). His message brings us joy: “I have said these things to you, so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete” (Jn 15:11). Our Christian joy drinks of the wellspring of his brimming heart. He promises his disciples: “You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy” (Jn 16:20). He then goes on to say: “But I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you” (Jn 16:22). 

The disciples “rejoiced” (Jn 20:20) at the sight of the risen Christ. In the Acts of the Apostles we read that 

the first Christians “ate their food with glad and generous hearts” (2:46). Wherever the disciples went, “there was great joy” (8:8); even amid persecution they continued to be “filled with joy” (13:52). 

The newly baptized eunuch “went on his way rejoicing” (8:39), while Paul’s jailer “and his entire household rejoiced that he had become a believer in God” (16:34). 

Why should we not also enter into this great stream of joy?

Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium - 1.4

The books of the Old Testament predicted that the joy of salvation would abound in messianic times. The prophet Isaiah exultantly salutes the awaited Messiah: “You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy” (9:3). He exhorts those who dwell on Zion to go forth to meet him with song: “Shout aloud and sing for joy!” (12:6). The prophet tells those who have already seen him from afar to bring the message to others: “Get you up to a high mountain, O herald of good tidings to Zion; lift up your voice with strength, O herald of good tidings to Jerusalem” (40:9). All creation shares in the joy of salvation: “Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth! Break forth, O mountains, into singing! For the Lord has comforted his people, and will have compassion on his suffering ones” (49:13).

Zechariah, looking to the day of the Lord, invites the people to acclaim the king who comes “humble and riding on a donkey”: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he” (9:9).

Perhaps the most exciting invitation is that of the prophet Zephaniah, who presents God with his people in the midst of a celebration overflowing with the joy of salvation. I find it thrilling to reread this text: “The Lord, your God is in your midst, a warrior who gives you the victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing, as on a day of festival” (3:17).

This is the joy which we experience daily, amid the little things of life, as a response to the loving invitation of God our Father: “My child, treat yourself well, according to your means… Do not deprive yourself of the day’s enjoyment” (Sir 14:11, 14). What tender paternal love echoes in these words!

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This is the joy which we experience daily, amid the little things of life, as a response to the loving invitation of God our Father: “My child, treat yourself well, according to your means… Do not deprive yourself of the day’s enjoyment” (Sir 14:11, 14). What tender paternal love echoes in these words!

 We can only do this by existing in the nunc, in the now.  If we love each moment, and the people who are in each moment, and are fully present in this moment, then we will partake in the day's enjoyment. 

God meant us to be happy. If we are stuck in the past or worrying about the future, happiness will pass us by. Let this not be our fate. Look around you. Take in the positive. Respond to it. Be a light where you are, right now, to whomever you are with. You will light up yourself.

“Remember that there is only one important time and it is Now. 

The present moment is the only time over which we have dominion. 

The most important person is always the person with whom you are, who is right before you, 

for who knows if you will have dealings with any other person in the future? 

The most important pursuit is making that person, the one standing at you side,

 happy, for that alone is the pursuit of life.” -- Leo Tolstoy

Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium - 1.3

(*Nota Bene: emphasis mine.)

I invite all Christians, everywhere, at this very moment, to a renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ, or at least an openness to letting him encounter them; I ask all of you to do this unfailingly each day. No one should think that this invitation is not meant for him or her, since “no one is excluded from the joy brought by the Lord”.1 

The Lord does not disappoint those who take this risk; whenever we take a step towards Jesus, we come to realize that he is already there, waiting for us with open arms. Now is the time to say to Jesus: “Lord, I have let myself be deceived; in a thousand ways I have shunned your love, yet here I am once more, to renew my covenant with you. I need you. Save me once again, Lord, take me once more into your redeeming embrace”. 

How good it feels to come back to him whenever we are lost! Let me say this once more: God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who tire of seeking his mercy. Christ, who told us to forgive one another “seventy times seven” (Mt 18:22) has given us his example: he has forgiven us seventy times seven. Time and time again he bears us on his shoulders.

 No one can strip us of the dignity bestowed upon us by this boundless and unfailing love. With a tenderness which never disappoints, but is always capable of restoring our joy, he makes it possible for us to lift up our heads and to start anew. Let us not flee from the resurrection of Jesus, let us never give up, come what will. May nothing inspire more than his life, which impels us onwards!

1 Paul VI, Apostolic Exhortation Gaudete in Domino (9 May 1975), 22: AAS 67 (1975), 297.5 

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Joy is a byproduct of love; this fact is common to our experience, yet made explicit by St. Thomas Aquinas:

Now it is evident from what we have said about the passions (FS, Q[25], AA[2],4) that love is the first affection of the appetitive power, and that desire and joy follow from it. Hence the same virtuous habit inclines us to love and desire the beloved good, and to rejoice in it. But in as much as love is the first of these acts, that virtue takes its name, not from joy, nor from desire, but from love, and is called charity. Hence joy is not a virtue distinct from charity, but an act, or effect, of charity: for which reason it is numbered among the Fruits (Gal. 5:22).

If we love God, we will desire Him and our joy will be from Him. So. . . let us, AT THIS MOMENT make an act of love to our Beloved. 

God is waiting. . . 

Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium - Introduction

Yesterday at Mass, the celebrant urged us to read:

 APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION

EVANGELII GAUDIUM

OF THE HOLY FATHER

FRANCIS

TO THE BISHOPS, CLERGY,

CONSECRATED PERSONS

AND THE LAY FAITHFUL

ON THE PROCLAMATION OF THE GOSPEL

IN TODAY’S WORLD

"Maybe it'll take two days, " he said. "Or two years at the rate of a paragraph at a time! Just do it."

I have decided to take up this challenge.

Here is the first paragraph.

1. The joy of the gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. Those who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness. With Christ joy is constantly born anew. In this Exhortation I wish to encourage the Christian faithful to embark upon a new chapter of evangelization marked by this joy, while pointing out new paths for the Church’s journey in years to come.

This reminded me of the Story of St. Francis and Br. Leo, a lived out example to me of St. Francis' words: "preach always and speak only when necessary".

May you live joy today.

True Catholic Joy

Excerpts by Fr. Roger Landry - April 24, 2009

It was Archbishop Dolan's Christian joy — even more than his incredible talent as a preacher of the Gospel — that was most on display during the installation festivities. During my years in seminary, he once gave a rector's conference on joy in which he stressed that joy is the most infallible sign of the presence of God within. He said that a man of God who is not joyful is an oxymoron who makes the Good News seem like a lie. He stressed that joy is a gift of God, a fruit of the Holy Spirit that flows from the conviction that God loves us, dwells within us when we're in the state of grace, sustains us with his providential care, and answers our prayers. He predicted that if Catholics were really joyful, people would be busting through the doors to invade our churches. The world is longing for this joy that the world can't give and take away, he asserted, but often does not find it in us.

In an op-ed in the New York Daily News on the morning of the installation Mass, Archbishop Dolan explicitly wrote about his joy and how the Catholic faith makes him — and should make us — joyous. "I aim to be a happy bishop, sharing joys and laughs with you. … Being Catholic is not a heavy burden, snuffing the joy out of life; rather our faith in Jesus and His Church gives meaning, purpose and joy to life. I love being a Catholic, I love being a priest, and I fully intend to love being archbishop of New York while loving all of you in the Church in New York."

From: http://www.catholicity.com/commentary/landry/00741.html

Emphasis mine.

Joy Is Found in Comforting Christ

Its been hard for me to write about joy -- even for my friend -- because I struggle with it.  I think it is because to a certain extent, I don't want to be joyful.  I want to cling to the hurt/frustration/whatever because I can use it to protect myself.  It is an excuse to stay in my comfort zone or a way to put all my problems on someone else.  Also, I think that it is less threatening to be a grumbler.

However a comment from a reader on my page  Shoulder Wound of Christ reminded me how to have the greatest joy. 

"Our Lord bearing this unrecorded burden for us has touched my heart and soul so greatly.  Whatever I must do in my days..., I offer it up for His shoulder wound.  In doing so, I feel blessed that my Lord has allowed me to comfort Him; therefore, He comforts me."

Personally, when I give to others, I am filled with joy.  I love helping others.  I love to find thoughtful ways to warm their hearts.  When I surrender my time and energy to helping others, I forget about all my interior grumblings -- and my life is no longer as awful as I make it seem.

If I am joy filled when I comfort even strangers, what joy awaits me when I comfort my Lord?  Even if all my dreams and plans are for naught, if I could comfort my Savior even for a brief moment isn't it worth it?

My prayer for today:

Jesus, it is my new hope that I can comfort You today by sharing in Your Passion.  Do with me what You will.  If you desire me to suffer with You the betrayal of Judas, or the abandonment of Your beloved Apostles at the hour of Your greatest need, I will no longer grumble about betrayals against me.  If You want me to suffer physically in my body, I do so willingly.  Your body was shred by scourging.  It was bruised by beatings and falls.  It was pierced by thorns, nails and a spear... You could count all of Your bones.  What do I have to complain about? Teach my joy in all things.

Refurbishing the Soul: Making Room for Joy

If our souls are clouded by pain we can't be joyfilled.  Joy isn't something that we can "fake until we make it."  Rather, it is an effect of a true undergoing of the soul, which is health.

We spend much time on our body and mind, but what about our memories, understanding or will? How much time do we spend on healing our memories?  Do we even know how?

Babsie Bleasdell explains how to heal the hidden parts of our souls:

EWTN Audio Library File Index

Refurbishing the Soul Back to Series List
	Program Name	Audio File Name - Click to download
1.	Episode 1 Host - Babsie Bleasdell	refurb_1.mp3
2.	Episode 2 Host - Babsie Bleasdell	refurb_2.mp3
3.	Episode 3 Host - Babsie Bleasdell	refurb_3.mp3
4.	Episode 4 Host - Babsie Bleasdell	refurb_4.mp3
5.	Episode 5 Host - Babsie Bleasdell	refurb_5.mp3
6.	Episode 6 Host - Babsie Bleasdell	refurb_6.mp3
7.	Episode 7 Host - Babsie Bleasdell	refurb_7.mp3
8.	Episode 8 Host - Babsie Bleasdell	refurb_8.mp3
9.	Episode 9 Host - Babsie Bleasdell	refurb_9.mp3
10.	Episode 10 Host - Babsie Bleasdell	refurb_10.mp3
11.	Episode 11 Host - Babsie Bleasdell	refurb_11.mp3
12.	Episode 12 Host - Babsie Bleasdell	refurb_12.mp3

Sadness, Confusion

One of my close friends is suffering greatly.  Right now, she believes that she has a choice to make: to be Catholic, or to be happy.  Her past is filled with so much pain and after finding some healing, a huge door has opened to happiness and blessings, but to follow it would be disobedience.

The Catholic Church as understood by Catholics is the true Bride of Christ.  I am Catholic. I  believe this with all my heart.  Yet sometimes, the Catholic Church appears to be heartless, unsympathetic, and unwilling to change with the times.

My own heart is breaking as I witness my friend going through a particular trial.  I almost want to advise her to just follow her heart and if it means disobedience, well, this is a very difficult circumstance.  God knowing her past will understand....

Yet, I know that this is bad advice.  While, I do not understand why all this is happening to her, I do know that disobedience to Christ can only bring more pain; if not now, later.

My friend's situation is somewhat parallel to the story of Abraham and Issac.  She is trying to be faithful, but is being asked to completely surrender what seems to be a much needed blessing.  Likewise, Abraham probably didn't understand why God would ask him to sacrifice his long waited son, Issac.

Abraham obeyed anyways. God seeing his faith stepped in at the last minute and rewarded Abraham greatly.  Not only did Abraham and Isaac prefigure the heavenly Father and the Son, but Abraham was promised that his descendents would be as numerous as the stars, thus extending the covenant to all nations.  I am thankful, because as a "gentile", I can now be called a child of God. 

Yet, what if Abraham disobeyed, saying, "Well, God couldn't actually want this.  Keeping my son ALIVE will be better.  It will make me happy and happiness is healthy... Even if I am wrong, God will forgive me later, and it will all work out in the end...." ?

I don't have any answers to "what if", but I do know that there are major consequences that follow disobedience, such as the punishment after the Fall, the Flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, etc.,.  And in contrast major blessings for obedience, such as the Incarnation, forgiveness, redemption, the Resurrection.  God has always showed that He is faithful and that when we trust Him, He will not make us do something contrary to His Goodness.

I have no personal words of comfort for my friend; she has the head knowledge that obedience is best..., but is struggling in her heart with the question of whether she will ever be happy in this life, and whether following the Church when it goes against a deep conviction in her heart is indeed God's Will, or a problem caused by man.

In regard to whether she will every be happy, I want to hug her and say, "Yes! Yes! You will be and sooner than you think!"  But it is hard to accept these words of hope when in the center of confusion regarding God's Will.

And it would be wrong of me to say to my friend, "This suffering is a good."  For no suffering is good; rather, it is what we do with it, that is good. But, I don't wish to preach to her either.  I know she knows this and her circumstance is very heart-wrenching.

Again, since this is a matter that will effect her entire life, I just want to bring comfort to her weary soul.  In fact, I want to impart into her life bursts of perpetual joy, the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter. Since, I can't give what I do not have in me, I will focus on nurturing this virtue of joy.

I will dedicate all of May to the topic of joy, in hopes that seeing a new found joy in me will help my friend find some peace and healing as she walks on her journey.