StCYM: Called to Community

Sunday was only our third Sunday Night Session since I started back in September. It is crazy how time flies. In between our second and third SNS we visited the Cathedral; carved pumpkins; and went on a hayride and had a campfire. We are continuing to act in community. It is really amazing to see the participation increase as time goes on. This is a sign that we are growing comfortable with each other. I look forward to what lies ahead.

The topic of the night was community. We started off the night playing Catch Phrase, which is always fun. It is a game that tests our communication skills and level of understanding. The game is verbal charades in a sense. The goal of the game is to describe a word (given on the screen) to your teammates without using that word. This game is fun and intense as it is a race against time.

After completing this intense game we enjoyed time together learning about community. We began with looking at the early Christians in scripture. We discussed Acts 2:43-47 where Luke tells us how the early Christians would live in self sacrifice for the benefit of the community. We also discussed Hebrews 10:24-25 where the author encourages us to be committed to the assembly. There is indeed no better way to build relationship than through person to person contact, which happens when we are physically present in the assembly (digital presence is also not nearly as good as physical presence).

We concluded the night by discussing what the teens needed out of the community. It was encouraging to experience the openness of the group to share what they needed, even though the needs, struggles, and wants were anonymous. Following this discussion we closed in prayer in which we shared our prayer intentions.

I certainly am blessed to have been called to journey with this group of teens and their parents. The National Catholic Youth Conference in Indianapolis is going to be an amazing pilgrimage. God is going to be felt and is going to speak to thousands of teens (and chaperones). Veni Sancte Spiritus!

Pax

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More readings on community:
Matthew 18:15-20
Romans 12:3-8
Galatians 6:1-10
1 Thessalonians 5:12-22

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Deus providebit! Credo Domine!

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!

Reflection on the Solemnity of All Saints

Solemnity of All Saints
- Readings: Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14; Psalm 24:1-6; 1 John 3:1-3; Matt. 5:1-12

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Does the world understand you? If so, what does it understand about you? Does it see you as a child of God or just another person on this planet? By our righteous lives will the world understand us to be Christians. This will disturb the world, because it does not know God, but fear not (cf. 1 John 3:1) open wide the doors to Christ!

In today’s first reading we are presented with an angel marching from the East (heaven) holding the seal of the living God (Rev. 7:2). The angel commanded the angels given control of nature to not destroy anything until the seal of God was placed on the servants of God (7:3). The point of this is to remind Christians that they are and will be protected from the coming turbulence. As servants of God, we are under His Divine Protection even in death.

We are sealed in God through the Sacraments, primarily Baptism and Confirmation. This should give us confidence to press forward! Christ recognizes that we are human, and thus knows we will experience various hurdles that could lead us to despair. Our Lord lays out that we don’t need to have perfect lives to inherit the Kingdom in the Beatitudes (Matt. 5:3-11). In fact, Christ even prepares us for persecution. But fear not! Christ tells us to rejoice and be glad because our reward will not be a worldly one, but a Godly one in heaven (5:12)!

Today we celebrate this reward and those that currently reside in it. The saints have run the race and entered the grace of God in heaven. As John puts it, the saints are "the ones that survived the time of great distress," (Rev. 7:14). They, along with the angels, are in the presence of the Creator of the Universe! They have God’s ear and are ready to intercede for us. Let us turn to them as examples of holy living for our Lord and His Kingdom. Amen amen God is certainly good!

Remembering the saints should stir up joy! These examples of holy living should give us confidence and hope in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The reason we should be confident is because these saints are human! They experienced the same senses, feelings, and emotions that we do. They are filled with the same Holy Spirit that we are! Let us press forward and keep running the race with the hope of one day joining them.

God is good!

Deus Invictus! Credo Domine!

StCYM: Hayride/Campfire

The youth group went on a hayride and had a campfire at Hickory Ridge Farms Saturday. When I planned the event I did not expect it to be quite as cold as it was. However, when realizing that it is indeed the end of October it should have been expected. We have definitely been spoiled lately.

The first portion of the event was the hayride, where we got on a flatbed trailer and were towed by a tractor through the woods of the property. It was dark and bumpy, but we had a good time talking and sharing stories. We also learned that one of us (who will remain anonymous) absolutely hates s'mores. This person (not me) is a good father because he sacrificed a lot for his children. I am grateful for his involvement in the group.

While riding through the woods I also learned about some of the adventures our youth have already taken in their young lives. Studies in Europe, experience with hostels, going on cruises. What an event filled life these teens have! It was certainly fun to share in these stories and to discuss the great German food of course.

Eventually we saw our campfire prepared for us in the distance. While traveling to it I had forgotten about the cold since I was so engaged in conversation. Once I saw the fire, I remembered how cold it was and how good this fire was about to be. Once we got to it we all rushed to the fire! We all got really close so we could experience its warmth.

There is a lesson in this. We didn't think twice about going to the fire. Once we finished our journey through the woods we immediately approached it. There was no fear, no hesitation, no doubt that this fire was going to keep us warm (and cook our hot dogs and s'mores). Fire is often symbolized as God engaging with us. We look to Acts and the tongues of flame or back to Exodus and the encounter between Moses and the burning bush. Do we run to God like we ran to the campfire?

God is the God of life! St. John Paul II told the youth in Denver that God wants us to have life! And have it abundantly! The fire of the Holy Spirit is for us to stay warm when the world is cold. And it is indeed cold! Do we forget how cold the world is because we are so engaged with the noise in our lives? Let us continue to return to the fire of the Gospel for warmth. Let us return constantly to God in prayer and in the Sacraments!

God is good!

Deus providebit! Credo Domine!

Called to Self Awareness: Reflection on Romans 1:16-25 and Luke 11:37-41

Have you ever examined yourself? Have you ever taken some serious time in prayer and gone over how you are deep down inside? If we are to follow the CALL, then we need to know about our spiritual well being. When we call ourselves Catholic, do we truly attempt to BE Catholic? In today's readings we are reminded of the importance of remaining pure.

In Romans 1:16 St. Paul proclaims that he is not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the "power of God" for all who believe in salvation. We often hear of our brothers and sisters being persecuted in the early Church, but they are also dying for Christ today. The self awareness check, here, is to determine our level of commitment. Are we ashamed of the Gospel? Do we hide it from others to avoid awkward moments? Do we down play our commitment around others to avoid being uncool? These are hard questions. It is hard to swim against the current of our society. Keep swimming!

There is another thing we have to be self aware of. Instead of being ashamed of the Gospel, we could be faking our commitment to it! Our Lord admonishes the Pharisees saying, "Oh you Pharisees! Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, inside you are filled with plunder and evil," (Luke 11:39). When doing the dishes do we just wash the outside of the cup or the back of the plate? Of course not! We make sure to clean them completely. What is your spiritual life like? Are you clean on the outside by simply going to Mass just to go? Or simply doing the Sign of the Cross swiftly to look right? Brothers and sisters seek cleanliness from Our Lord!

It is important to examine ourselves, because what is on the inside will eventually have an effect on what is on the outside. The saying, "you are what you eat", applies to our spiritual lives as well. Let's challenge ourselves to spend a few minutes each day becoming more self aware. We are CALLED to produce good fruit and to do so we must be a good tree. To be a good tree we need to feed ourselves properly.


Pax

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Readings for 17 OCT 2017


Deus invictus! Credo Domine!

StCYM: Cathedral Visit

Sunday we visited the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist. It was great to be able to take the teens and some parents to see the Bishop's church. Some have been in the Diocese of Cleveland all their lives and have never visited so they were excited to make the trip to E. 9th and Superior.

Our visit started with Mass celebrated by Fr. Sean Ralph the cathedral's administrator. The readings were Isaiah 25:6-10; various verses from Psalm 23; and Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20. The Gospel reading was Matthew 22:1-14.

In Fr. Sean's homily he encouraged us to respond positively to God's invitation to His heavenly feast. He laid out who was excluded from heaven and who was included in heaven. Responding positively to God's invitation means being one with His Church and living a holy life, which we are all CALLED to do. This sometimes includes things that are not easy to understand or follow.

Following Mass we received a tour of the cathedral from Fr. Sean. We began in the sacristy where we were shown the different vestments and the significance of the different colors. We are also shown where the bishop's staff is kept along with a relic of the Cross.

After the sacristy, we entered the sanctuary where we learned about the bishop's cathedra (chair, Latin) and his coat of arms. We also learned about the statues behind the altar and who they were. We were taught about the various symbols and their origins and meanings.

Once we exited the Sanctuary we learned about the two wings on the sides of the church. We were told about the significance of the imagery around the Mary. The statues around Our Lady are of her family (Sts. Joseph (husband) and Anne (mother), and the Christ Child). The painting on the wall above and around her depict her life ending with her coronation at the top.

Opposite Mary is the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Pieta next to Christ, where we learned about the significance of that scene. Above and around Christ is the depiction of the Apocalypse as described in the Book of Revelation.

One of my personal favorite parts of the cathedral is the crypt. In the crypt lye the predecessors of Bishop Perez. The reason I consider it one of my favorite parts of the cathedral is because I am able to see the Apostolic Succession of the Diocese of Cleveland. The bones of St. Christine of Bolsena are below the altar in the Resurrection Chapel. She was a very young martyr who was martyred when she was only about 13 or 14 years old.

Once out of the chapel we learned some Latin. We learned the words Laudamus te, Benedicimus te, Adoramus te (We praise you, we bless you, we adore you). The words are from the Gloria in the Mass. We are CALLED to praise, bless, adore, and glorify God at Mass and in the world.

The last stop of the tour was in the choir loft upstairs. We were able to look at the entire church and truly take in its beauty. Overall the visit to the cathedral was one of prayer, worship, fellowship, and learning. We celebrated Mass with different people and we saw the center of the diocese. All the authority of the priests comes from that place (the Bishop sitting on his cathedra).

God is good.

Conversations in the World: My Version of Catholicism

Advent greetings! It has been a while since submitting a blog post. One of my resolutions for 2017 is to be more consistent and post at least once per month. I pray I am successful. Anyway, in this post I'd like to give a reflection of a recent conversation I had in the world. What I mean by having a conversation in the world is discussing different Church teachings or stances on various topics with someone who is either not Catholic or is a separated Catholic in a non-religious setting. Based on my experience most of these conversations happen over a good glass of beer at a local bar. In this conversation the topic was conversion and witness.

We were discussing the coercive nature that some religious people evangelize, including Catholics. He mentioned how people have been pushy or even shut him out. I immediately acknowledged that coercion does exist, but that it is not the proper way to evangelize and began to discuss what proper evangelizing is and what the Church teaches in regard to conversion. God does not coerce and this is evident in Christ's ministry. Christ was not a warrior that sought to gather foot soldiers and ransack Jerusalem. The proper way to evangelize is to be like Christ; a faithful witness to the truth seeking the good of others. Christ, the Son acting in union with the Father and the Holy Spirit, gave people a choice. It is important to note that Christ didn't mince words. He gave people a solid choice to make, but he let them make the choice upholding their free will. It is important to remember that the Holy Spirit does the converting when a person's heart is open to respond to the Spirit. All we can do and should do is proclaim the teachings of the Church and be a witness to the teachings. We must recognize our sinfulness and need for the Church.

It was a very civil discussion with someone who believes in a world beyond this one, but who is not religious. He appreciated my tone and said he likes my version of Catholicism. I must note that I responded by thanking him and added that my version is not my version. I simply seek to follow Christ as I work toward holiness in serving God and His creation. I love these types of conversations. Don't be afraid of engaging in conversations similar to these. You may not know all the answers, I certainly don't, but that's why we have smart phones. If you get stumped, simply look up the answer on a good Catholic app or website. If the person you are conversing with is a good person, they will appreciate your diligence. The moment was certainly a moment of consolation in my discernment of the priesthood.