New days ahead...

As the frivolity and (often) insanity of this evening looms I am pressed to consider what is different about my life from New Year's Eve one year ago. Although I am a sinful person, often flawed in horrific ways, I can see a few positive lights from 2012:

• I seem to be more keenly aware of my own sin. I do get to "confession" more often.
• I am more reflective and habitually "examen" (for St Ignatius fans) my day.
• Even though I get myself involved in many more "social justice" causes I am keenly aware of my inability to solve these problems.
• My study of the 2nd Vatican Council has opened my eyes and my mind to the great hope and possibilities that lie ahead if we only read and follow the Documents.
• I am much better at living life one day at a time instead of by weeks, months or seasons.

As I look to the days ahead I would like to:

• Be better at keeping a journal - I have started and stopped this process so many times it's embarrassing. 
• Always be reading at least one book for recreation and enjoyment. 
• Become more "quiet". I love the silence of early mornings, of empty chapels, and of deserted parks - "in the silence, God speaks".
• To respect the way God created me (diabetic) and to live my life in obedience to that nature.
• To listen.

What about you? What's different about you from a year ago? What will be different in the days ahead?

Les Mis

If you haven't seen the new musical movie "Les Miserables" do yourself a favor and get there. The story, which has been told in many movies and plays, is timeless. Although set in France in the early 19th Century, the themes are relevant to our day today.
For me, the most moving part of the story is when Jean Valjean is released from prison (19 years for stealing a loaf of bread) and, after experiencing much rejection and mistreatment, spends the night in the rectory of the Monsignor (Bishop, in some adaptations). After Jean steals the silver tableware from the rectory and is caught the Monsignor has mercy on him. The police are ready to send him right back to jail but because Jean has told them that the items were a gift, they take him back to the rectory. The Monsignor tells the police that the items were indeed a gift and he is so glad they brought Jean back because he had forgotten the matching candlesticks. This one act of mercy becomes a profound experience of conversion for Jean Valjean. He tears up his parole papers and begins his life anew.
It brings tears to my eyes every time I see that scene. The healing effect of mercy versus the harsh and unrelenting consequences of the law - a great lesson for me in my ministry to the inmates in the jails and prisons right here in South Dakota.
Click here to watch the trailer.

Christmas presence

My mother told me that Christmas was not a big day for presents in her family. They lived in the rural area around Sisseton, SD where their father attempted to make a living as a farmer. He was a bad alcoholic and never had much success. Their mother did as well as she could for them at Christmastime but, with little money or other resources, the kids usually received just some hard candy and an apple.
One Christmas, when my mother was about ten, she received a real present - the first doll she had ever owned. She told me she adored that little doll and took it with her where ever she went. She combed its hair and dressed it up and played with it everyday. A few days before Christmas the next year her mother came to her and told her she had to give the doll back. It was her sister's turn to have a toy. Amid tears, she reluctantly surrendered the dolly to her mother. She was so heart broken that she was sure this would be the worst Christmas ever. And then she saw how much excitement and happiness her sister experienced upon getting that present.
Even though she only 11 years old she learned an important lesson. Christmas is not about what you get, it is about what you give. When they went to Mass on Christmas morning she said that, for the first time in her life, she understood the sacrifice that God made in sending Jesus to us on that first Christmas Day. She finally realized that true Christmas joy came not from presents, but from the true presence of Jesus Christ at Christmastime and every day.
This story has taught me much about what is important in life. I give thanks to my mom for always making Christmas, regardless of the presents, a time of realizing the true presence of Jesus Christ in my life.

We wait, we need

In the Niel Diamond soundtrack of Jonathan Livingston Seagull there is a song called "Dear Father" that I find inspiring. As I was out for my walk today I listened to it and thought about how appropriate one of the verses is for Advent. The verse goes something like this:

Who are we to need?, We need, we need,
While we wait...

As I pondered the answer to that question I wondered; "what is it that I need?" I could think of many material things that I think I need but that would only complicate my life, like more money, nicer vehicles or fancier clothes. I sometimes think I need more time, more intelligence, more capacity to think and discern and pray. But all of those things presume that God somehow made a mistake when creating me - a theological impossibility.

What I need (and maybe what you need) is union - union with God. God has made us for Himself and our hearts are restless until they rest in God (to quote St Augustine). And what better time to wait for that need to become better fulfilled than Advent? We wait in hope. We wait in expectation. We wait in anticipation. For what? The coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ!

Watch, wait, hope, and realize your need. And who are we to need? Sons and daughters of the Dear Father.

Who is wearing the crown in your life?

Yesterday was Christ the King Sunday in the Catholic Church. On this day we recognize the Lordship of Jesus over the universe, the world, the nations and the Church. Indeed, whether we choose to acknowledge it or not, Jesus Christ is king. If we as nation or church think we can we can bring about truly positive change, to make real strides in our world, or to "win" the battle over evil without Jesus we are as St Paul says "the most pitiable of people" (1Cor 15:19).
The fact, though, is this: Jesus Christ cannot be Lord of nation and Church unless he is first Lord of our lives. There is a Christian author who has observed that our culture is filled with what he calls "Christan atheists". These are people who go to Church on Sunday but then live the rest of their lives like God does not exist. If this describes you, then Jesus is not Lord and King for you.
I lived a portion of my live in this "mode". I thought if I just showed up at Church once a week I was "fulfilling my duty". What a crock. A little over 20 years ago my own hypocrisy was pointed out to me. Since then, I have slowly allowed Jesus Christ to become Lord of my time, my career, my family, my marriage and my money. My fear when starting this process was that I would end up with less of all of these things since I was giving them up to God. The fact is I have more time, a better job, a great family, more true friends, a better marriage and more money then I have ever had.
I invite you TODAY, to the best of your ability, to ask Jesus Christ to be Lord of all aspects of your life. You do this by praying for family, spouse, coworkers, and boss. You do this by praying before deciding what to do with your time, your talent and your money. Try this between now and Christmas Day. Make this an Advent devotion and journey and see what God can do with your life that you have never been able to do on your own.

Why won't you talk to ME?...

I just watched a CNS video posted on the Deacon's Bench blog about communications in our day. Although technology and social media are clogged with posts, tweets, and etc. most persons are experiencing an unhealthy solitude today. The face-to-face is becoming much less common as we would rather "text" than talk. As Archbishop Celli expresses in this video, so much of communication is nonverbal. In our gestures and facial expressions we communicate a love and care that just doesn't come through on Facebook and Twitter. While these methods of connecting with one-another are OK, they simply cannot replace human company. Please watch this two minute video and examine your own life, communication methods, and relationships.
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/deaconsbench/2012/11/we-must-rediscover-the-human-dimension-of-our-communication/

Peace to you.

My Conscience is bothering me...

 
What does it really mean when we say that? Why is that, when we have done a wrong or committed a sin, most of us are haunted by "something"? That "thing" is, of course, our conscience. The word conscience means "with-knowing". This knowing is what keeps us accountable to God, to society and to our own deepest self. Theologians tell us that there are two types of conscience - anterior and subsequent. Anterior conscience is what we use when we are searching and deliberating about what we should do in a particular situation. Subsequent conscience is when we look back and examine an action  or decision already made.
The challenge for us as Christians is to make sure that always seek to better form our conscience so it is capable of leading us to good moral choices and of examining choices already made. We do this in prayer by asking God to reveal to us our own "dark side" so that we can continue to improve. We also do this in study by reading and understanding Scripture, digging into the Catechism and other trustworthy resources, and by taking time every day to reflect on our thoughts and actions. In the end we rely on God's grace given through the Sacrament of Reconciliation to propel us to a saintly lifestyle. 
I am attending a 4-hr talk this Friday on "conscience". I'll write more on this when I process the speaker's message.