StCYM: NCYC Reflection Day 3

As we continue through the season of Advent, I figured this would be a good time to share my personal reflections on the National Catholic Youth Conference that we participated in a few weeks ago. This reflection will be about day three.

Reflection on NCYC Day 3                                                                                                   18NOV17

- I am learning a great deal about the holiness of the family. Despite this, I still do not feel drawn to have a biological family. The pattern of consolation will not change. I consider this great comfort as I recently struggled with confusion. I pray for courage.
- I am so grateful for the many prayer and adoration opportunities available here at NCYC. God is good!

Credo Domine!

I was very busy on day three and very exhausted at the end of it, which explains why I did not write much. I will provide more substance here. During day three we attended Mark Hart's breakout session entitled, "Moving Forward: Biblical Truth You'll Need for Your Future". It was a good discussion of God's love for us and desire for us to thrive, while incorporating His revelation in Sacred Scripture. Of course Joshua 1:9 stuck out to me when he discussed it, since it's our main verse for the retreat.

Day three ended with the Vigil Mass. It was a great display of the Universal Church. People from different places and speaking in different languages were all together to celebrate the Mass. It was beautiful. The bishops and other clergy were excited to see and hear the 25,000 teens. The energy was great.

Following the Mass we returned to our hotel. We discussed our top three favorite parts of NCYC. I am grateful for the chaperones that helped. They were absolutely amazing and the teens enjoyed their company. I also enjoyed getting to know the teens better. It was amazing to see everyone experience their faith as a group. I was moved to tears of joy on more than one occasion during NCYC.

NCYC was a rejuvenation of the fire of faith that we all possess through our Baptism and Confirmation. The season of Advent is a time of preparation and rejuvenation as we make preparation in our souls for Christ! Who are you preparing for? Are you preparing for the world or for Christ? Bring this question to Him in prayer as we continue our march toward Christmas.


Pax

Reflection on All Souls Day

Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls)
- Readings: Wisdom 3:1-9; Psalm 23:1-6; Romans 5:5-11 or 6:3-9; John 6:37-40

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“As gold in the furnace, he proved them…” (Wis. 3:6). Today on All Souls Day we remember the souls in purgatory as they undergo purification before entering heaven. Purgatory is defined by the Church as “the state of those who die in God’s friendship, assured of their eternal salvation, but who still have need of purification to enter into the happiness of heaven,” (Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 210).

To enter into heaven, a place that contains no impurities because it is perfection, one must be pure. Since God is all perfect, to be wrapped in His grace in heaven requires perfection. Purgatory is the purification of one’s soul before entering heaven. We are "gold" thanks to our baptism, through which we die and rise with Christ (cf. Rom. 6:3-4), and due to our sinfulness, we must be purified to cleanse us of our impurities. The Church does not have a firm teaching in how long this purification process lasts. It is perfectly reasonable to believe that the more stains a soul possesses the longer the purification will take.

The Church sets aside the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, more commonly known as All Souls, to remember them and pray for them. In today’s first reading St. Paul teaches us about Christ’s death as the means of reconciling with us sinners (Rom. 5:6-11). We should not grow weary of death! We should embrace it with confidence if we are walking with Christ!

The Church Suffering (souls in purgatory) has the hope of salvation, because they are guaranteed to enter it. Praying for them during this process helps shower them with grace. Praying for the souls in purgatory also reminds us of our spiritual lives. Are we living for Christ? Are we seeking purification while on earth? It is also perfectly reasonable to expect a shorter time in purgatory if we prevent our souls from acquiring many stains.

With the souls in purgatory in our prayers, let us march forward as servants of God called to be missionary disciples. Let us carry this hope of salvation wherever we go and be a witness to it! God’s will is for us to have eternal life (John 6:40)! Let us respond to God’s Will with a resounding “yes!”. Amen.

God is good!

Deus Invictus! Credo Domine!

Neglect in the Spiritual Life: A Self Reflection

After I went to the gym last night I went for a short drive around Parma to do a bit of self reflection. The reason for this cruise was because before I went to the gym I fell to sin, again. Getting through my workout was very difficult due to my motivation being very low as I felt ashamed of myself. However, I powered through it and then decided to drive. During this drive I reflected about my prayer life and came to a heavy realization; I am neglectful in my spiritual life. My spiritual life, as I realized, rather finally admitted, is very shallow.

Sure, I do have some consistent piety. I commit to Eucharistic Adoration once per week on Friday from 11 to midnight, I attend Mass two to three times per week, I go to Confession about once per week. I am good at going places, but that is where my discipline ends. I am absolutely terrible at being pious at home. It is shameful that I cannot bring myself to do more than pray anything outside of a Hail Mary upon rising and putting on my Brown Scapular and a Hail Mary and St. Michael prayer before sleeping. Sure, this is a good start and I shouldn't abandon this, but what bothers me is that this small amount of piety is not building up my Armor of God.

I would say that the list of things I do is pretty good, however it is what I do during my time at one of those things on the list and how I apply it that matters. I do believe that I am good at praying for others and for big things that I don't necessarily have control over. Where my prayer life severely lacks is in praying for myself. I do not find myself praying for things that I think I have control over (i.e. finances, job, living situation). This is very neglectful in my opinion! Am I too proud to ask the Almighty for help in these matters? Is it deep rooted despair that I am ashamed as a sinner to ask God to aid me in the little things? I would say perhaps a little of both.

In today's world it seems all too easy to blame everything on society, and perhaps society shares in the blame. In our culture we are expected to mold the world to our liking. We are expected to do a lot without God. Am I caving to this thought? See? It is all to easy to convict society of wrongdoing, seeing as a lot is indeed wrong with our society. I do not think the answer is blaming society. The answer is prayer. How can expect to conquer my big obstacles without overcoming the small ones, especially when perpetuating the small ones is seen as relief from constantly attempting to overcome the big ones?! Do you see the problem? I am in a cycle of self created obstacles.

Allow me to get a little more specific. I would say that habitual sin is a big obstacle. Now image yourself focusing all your energy on overcoming habitual sin. A noble undertaking, sure. We are called to be saints after all. However, to relieve stress and relax from the constant war against habitual sin you turn to the things that keep you from what is important in the spiritual life that is prayer and fasting. For example, I'm tired from battle so instead of praying, fasting, doing spiritual reading, and tackling smaller obstacles (shallow prayer life, finances, living situation) which would be immensely beneficial, I watch YouTube for hours or browse Facebook for a large amount of time in my room. I don't like what I see society doing and so I get angry and I'm back to being stressed and tired and my spiritual fuel is at zero.

Do you see the neglect? This is why I haven't blogged in a while either. It is easier to simply share a story on Facebook and add a sentence or two of commentary and watch the comment section explode in discussion. Don't get me wrong I'm all about some quality dialogue, but what are the fruits? So I have identified a problem; self perpetuating obstacles and not properly applying my piety to my practical life. While I'm good at applying my piety to my big obstacle of habitual sin, with everything else it is as if my spiritual life and my practical life are completely separate.

What are the solutions? This is where I encourage input from you the reader and maybe a quick prayer. I think the first solution is to focus more energy on smaller projects while remaining aware of the large obstacle. It begins with prayer. Pray for the smaller things that I think I have control over. Invite God into my practical life, my everyday life. Invite the Lord to journey with me to work, to the gym, to my friends, etc. Invite God to look at my finances with me and to plan with me so that I can improve my living situation. The Lord is faithful and will remain so. It is up to me to invite him in to the everyday.

Pax,
Johannes


Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Amen.

Hail Mary,
Full of grace,
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit
of they womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary,
Mother of God,
pray for us sinners now,
and at the hour of our death.
Amen.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning is now,
and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Discipline Prayer Discipline (DPD)

I. DPD Overview
Discipline, prayer, and discipline (DPD). No, that is not a typo or a mistake it is a way to go forward in pursuit of a strong faith in the midst of "toxic" environments. I had a short, but fruitful conversation with a college student today via Facebook, and the question was focused on maintaining your faith, while being around seemingly toxic people and places with an emphasis on an upcoming military life. I'm sure this person isn't the only college student that asks this, which is why I decided to write about it, hoping it reaches a few more people.

When it comes to discipline, discernment, and perseverance I am quick to turn to my Patron St. Paul the Apostle. One of the Church's greatest commanders (in this context commander as in Apostle or Bishop), St. Paul wrote a lot regarding proper practice doctrine. Sound like the military yet? The military is greatly concerned about proper techniques and doctrines. St. Paul is also greatly concerned with proper belief and practice, and rightly so! However, I will also focus on what the Great Apostle and first Vicar of Christ, St. Peter, has to say. As we meet at the corner of Peter and Paul this time, I will attempt to propose the DPD technique through the teachings of not only Christ, but the two Great Apostles Sts. Peter and Paul.


II. Discipline
I will begin with St. Paul and his teachings in 1 Corinthians 11:29-32. In Chapter 11 St. Paul discusses women's headdresses and the Eucharist or Lord's Supper. For the purposes of this post I will focus on the later. In verses 27-28 he states that eating and drinking the Holy Supper unworthily will result in judgement. One should examine themselves before partaking. This sounds exclusive, and indeed many Protestant denominations mistake the Church's teaching regarding the Eucharist. That is another post. St. Paul goes on to say in verses 29-32, "For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgement on himself. That is why many among you are ill and infirm, and a considerable number are dying. If we discerned ourselves, we would not be under judgement; but since we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world," (1 Cor. 11:29-32 NAB). What a powerful statement!

What St. Paul is saying in these verses is that we must really understand and know of Christ's sacrifice, and cooperate in obeying the teachings. Obeying the teachings is in essence a way of knowing Christ's sacrifice. If I know Christ's sacrifice, would I not be inclined to work to sin less? I believe, and the Church believes, the answer is yes. St. Paul is teaching here that partaking in the Eucharist is a discipline! Obeying the teachings of Christ, and thus recognizing Christ's sacrifice, takes discipline. This is why I chose this passage to help in discussing DPD. To build up or maintain our faith in a world that often is toxic, we must begin with discipline. Faith is obviously the initial step, but beyond the starting point which is faith, step one is discipline. We must constantly examine ourselves and our relationship with our Lord and his Church. If we truly believe in Christ, we must do this frequently. Step one, discipline.


III. Prayer
Prayer, the second part of DPD, is the most beneficial and often neglected part of a life of a Christian. I often hear people say, "I'm a Christian. I believe in Jesus. I pray sometimes." Sometimes? My brothers and sisters (myself included here), let us pray often! Prayer can be very intimidating. "How do I pray?" "I sound like I'm whining." "God is probably tired of listening to me." "I'm a hypocrite and don't deserve to pray." Some of those statements are legitimate concerns, and the last one especially is despairing. God listens! When researching how to pray, let's start with the basics. The basic Christian prayer is in the Regulation (The Bible) and discussed heavily in the Field Manual (Catechism). I suggested that a good place to start a solid prayer life is with the Lord's prayer. What better way to start praying than with the prayer Christ himself taught us?

The Lord's Prayer as found in Matthew 6:9-13 (a shorter version is also presented in Luke 11):
"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and do not subject us to the final test, but deliver us from the evil one," (NAB).

Boom! There is our starting point. Let us build our prayer life on the foundation of Christ and the prayer he told us to pray! He gives us the foundation! From there we can grow a fruitful prayer life. If you have the discipline to get going, and build on the foundation prayer (Lord's Prayer), you will notice yourself praying more spontaneously in time. This is good! Step two, prayer.


IV. Discipline
For the final part of DPD we return discipline. I could have used the word persevere or motivation, which St. Paul and others also frequently discussed. I chose discipline again, because it takes more discipline to keep motivated and persevere during the storms. It is discipline that will allow us to keep on the armor of God that St. Paul discusses in Ephesians 6:10-17 (constant prayer is also discussed in this chapter). I have discussed St. Paul already, though, and will now discuss St. Peter's teachings in 1 Peter 2. The entire chapter is devoted to living a Christian life in a hostile world. Let us look first at 1 Peter 2:11 and it states, "Beloved, I urge you as aliens and sojourners to keep away from worldly desires that wage ware against the soul," (NAB). St. Peter is telling us to protect ourselves. He interestingly notes that the recipients of his letter are "aliens". This can be applied to us today. He addresses the readers as aliens, because the Christian is not of the world but in the world.

Verses 13, 16-17 are very interesting taking into account today's American political environment. In theses St. Peter discusses citizenry; "Be subject to every human institution for the Lord's sake... Be free, yet without using freedom as a pretext for evil, but as slaves of God. Give honor to all, love the community, fear God, honor the king," (NAB).  Pope Saint Peter tells us that we are not to be unnecessarily rebellious, but subjects of our government. He also tells us we are to use freedom for God and not for evil. Simply reflect on America today. Are we using freedom to build up God's Kingdom or to attempt to bring it down? This, also, is another post.


V. Conclusion
DPD; Discipline Prayer and Discipline. I believe this is a good way to enhance our faith that is in Christ. DPD is merely a tip to promote a life of faith by a humble follower of Christ. If there is something that works better at bringing you closer to Christ and his Church, by all means utilize it. You there is a better asset to complete a mission than the one you were given, would you not use it? Of course you would. I hope DPD is a motivator and and tool to place in the tool box. May we continue to look to Christ, using the saints before us and among us as guidance. Amen. Credo Domine.








Resource:
1. The Catholic Bible: Personal Study Edition. Second Edition. Jean Marie Hiesberger, editor. Oxford University Press. 2011.