Oh look! Something completly void of the death of Michael Jackson!

"And to keep me from being too elated by the abundance of revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to harass me, to keep me from being too elated.
Three times I besought the Lord about this, that it should leave me;
but he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." I will all the more gladly boast of my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities; for when I am weak, then I am strong."
2 Corinthians 12: 7-10

This is the second reading for mass next week, when I saw this my initial reaction was to be excited, it has got to be one of my favorite passages, I’m anticipating to go to Church next weekend and hear what my pastor has to say…and I think that makes me an idiot. Paul’s talking about his struggles and deficiencies referring to them as “a messenger of Satan”. I don’t know what this thorn in the flesh was, but it must have been a little more serious than meat on Friday. Paul brings this to the God, a God who wiped away his murderous past and created in him one of the greatest evangelists the Church has known, a God who sucked out Paul’s weakness and made him strong. You would think a humble request such as this would have been tended to post haste. This is not the case. He asks God once, then again, and again. Yet God says no.

Even Paul has rubbish that interferes with the flow of God’s grace. Even Paul, with all of his insight, still needs a Savior. In reaction to Paul’s third request God gives him an answer “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness”. This is point where I’m stuck, it’s as far as I go. I’m weak, I know I need God’s grace, yet I keep complaining and complaining. My liking of this passage is nothing more than my delusion towards it. In reality I hate the idea of weakness, I try my best to be emotionally sober and have life appropriately prioritized! Has it worked out for me at all? Nope! Yet I’m perpetually in this cycle, however with Paul, it only took 3 tries to understand that it doesn’t work. I’ve heard it said that insanity is reproducing the same action expecting a different outcome. So now I’m not just an idiot, I’m also down right batty. Isn’t that what life without God is, to be divorced from truth and love?

I’m going to substitute my so called “approval” of this passage with a proper reverence of it. To me this is an essential element of what Christianity is and to be overjoyed with it would suggest my deep misunderstanding of it. So I guess I have the opportunity to go Church next Sunday with more of an open heart, free from being too elated, not so impressed with myself. Hopefully I’ll start to get it.

What's Church?

So I’ve been thinking a lot about the Church and what exactly it is. I’ve been thinking about the Church and what it looks like. I’ve been thinking about the Church and where my place is in it. In this desire to internally illustrate the Bride, being a good Catholic, I took a look in the Catechism.

“To reunite all his children, scattered and led astray by sin, the Father willed to call the whole of humanity together into his Son’s Church. The Church is the place where humanity must rediscover its unity and salvation. The Church is “the world reconciled”. She is that bark which “in the full sail of the Lord’s cross, by the breath of the holy spirit, navigates safely in this world.” (CCC 845)

Immediately I picture this grand cruise ship traversing through turbulent and violent waters infested with sharks, octopi, and a many variety of sea monsters. Despite the crashing waves and monster attacks, nothing is quite capable achieving of any sort of debacle until the day we are all reunited on triumphant shores of the heavenly kingdom. But I think I’m wrong about something.

“Christians on earth (the Church Militant) are still struggling against sin in order that, when they die, they might go to heaven and be members of the Church Triumphant, those who have triumphed over sin. However, if this struggle is successful, but not completely so, then after death they temporarily become members of the Church Suffering before ultimately joining the Church Triumphant.” (Wikipedia.org)

Where does my imagination lead me now? This time we’re assembled in this massive regiment equipped with high-tech artillery; tanks, jets, and humvees all the while aided by distant subs and aircraft carriers. But something doesn’t seem quite right for me. I believe in the conditions that are being expressed but I hold a grievance with the loftiness. I believe there are turbulent waters, I believe there is a battle to be fought but I can’t reconcile it with being a guest on a cruise ship or a mighty military commander. For what reason? Because I don’t feel like one. I can’t ignore Deuteronomy 7:7 …

“The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples.”

God in NOWAY requires mighty armies or majestic and affluent pleasure cruises, it’s our worldliness (my worldliness) to have ever suggested it in the first place. Who exactly are we?

“In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.” (Ephesians 1: 4-5)

If we adopted it means one thing, we’re misbegotten, we’re bastards. The Church is no more an impressive army than daffy duck is a military strategist. The Church, in my mind, is an Orphanage, one with violent waves to circumnavigate and an enemies to vanquish. St. Paul says this…

“Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1: 26-31)

If this illustration is correct I think for once I feel like I have a place in the Church.

Purpose in praise.

Prior to actually looking at the readings for this following Sunday I automatically assumed that the theme was going to be positive and uplifting. Being in the Easter season one would assume that. I was surprised to see that every passage mentioned sin.

“But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you”
Acts 3: 13 - 15, 17 - 19

”O men, how long shall my honor suffer shame? How long will you love vain words, and seek after lies?”
Psalms 4: 2, 4, 7 - 9

” He who says "I know him" but disobeys his commandments is a liar, and th e truth is not in him;”
1 John 2: 1 - 5

Are we honestly this guilt stricken? That in our time of celebration and redemption we fulfill our Catholic stereotypes and continually recite the same remorseful banter the world knows us for?

The truth is in order to accept and receive the full arrival of true joy we have to participate in the complete departure of sin from our lives. There aren’t many words that hold such negative and adverse baggage as “Repentance”.

The Catechism says “ Indeed the sacrament of Reconciliation with God brings about a true "spiritual resurrection," restoration of the dignity and blessings of the life of the children of God, of which the most precious is friendship with God. ”

Sometimes in our jubilation we dismiss from mind the original reason to which we’re celebrating and solely focus on the act. It’s not just about saying “Alleluia” but “Alleluia that it’s not about me”. The only qualifying faculty we posses is that, without the Messiah, we don’t qualify and we cannot facilitate. This legitimizes and fuels our continuous rejoicing in this Easter season.

“The culture of death; the blindness of pride.
Self-exulting, others put aside.
Neglecting to acknowledge what it is we really need:
Redirection away from all our selfishness and greed.”
Paul Sanders, Identifying the Opposition

This truth must be clearly articulated. When it was proclaimed that Jesus was reveled in the breaking of the bread he appears to them. The timing was not coincidence. In their fear he affirms his identity and makes himself more present “Why are you troubled, and why do questionings rise in your hearts? . See my hands and my fe et, that it is I myself; handle me, and see; for a spirit has not flesh and bones as you see that I have." After all of this he issues to them " Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”. In our case Beginning from Winnipeg .

We can often complicate our call to evangelization. Often times not out of our own quest for truth but out of fear and anxiety we can recess away from this Christian duty by overanalyzing the situation, similar to performing brain surgery on a carrot. We can have so much relucta nce to the most fundamental, profound, and loving truth there is, that Jesus wants his love to be known and this is the pathway in which it is established.

Child and Heir

How many people here are High School Graduates? Have you ever considered the time it took, and the amount of work that was done, in order for you to have that title? The answer for most is probably 12 years. That’s a lot! Yet it’s rather interesting that something that would require great effort is not held in high esteem. It’s quite the norm for someone of my age to posses their High School diploma despite all the years of hard work. Now let’s look at those who have graduated from University or College. Depending on what avenue they studied it could take 3 to 8 more years until they have completed their education. (We’re including Doctors and Priests).

Dictionary.com calls a doctor “an eminent scholar and teacher.” A doctor, now that’s a title that holds respect. Someone would have to be very intelligent and determined if they wanted this role. In our society we value and admire such titles. For good reason, it’s quite the obstinate challenge.

We also give prestigious awards to those who make discoveries, write literature, perform on stage and in film, create beautiful music, and aid in humanitarian work. We give out Peabody’s, Oscar’s, Tony’s, Nobel’s, Pulitzer’s, Gold, Silver and Bronze. However there is one title none of us will ever grasp and no award we could ever achieve. No matter how educated or successful we become in this life we will never ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, be God. It’s simple and straight forward, the answer is no.

Yet God, in all his incomparable awesomeness, offers us something much greater than anything we could ever dream of achieving. “When we cry, "Abba Father!" it is the Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” (Romans 8: 16 – 17)

A Child and an heir, this is what he gives us. So what astronomical adventure must we pursue in order to win that role? What insane gesture of greatness and act of heroism must we undertake? Our first step is to cry to Him, and then we offer Him our burden.

I think its funny how we get offend at real life dramas like “The Hills”. We see the tension take place as these undeserving affluent young people, living off their parents millions of dollars, complain about life, relationships, fashion faux pas and any other superficial topic under the California sun. How are you any different? Just how deserving are you? We are completely unsuitable to say the least. Yet to acknowledge this somehow qualifies us to accept it. This is available to all; elitists, cosmopolitans, socialites, businessmen, politicians, bus drivers, single moms, the orphaned, jailbirds, vagrants, and You.

The next part is living it out. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age." (Matthew 28: 19 – 20). Notice in the gospel, Jesus provides a journey for the disciples and through this they find him. In my mind this encounter in an archetype for conversion and having an interior confidence in Jesus. We then are aware of our need to worship him. When this confidence is shaken, like other times in the gospel, all Jesus has to do is reaffirm that he’s Jesus “"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” This call to evangelization isn’t any kind of automated ritual but springs forth from our encounter with the risen Jesus.

A.D.D.

So I decided that blogging wasn't going to be one of those things that I get hooked on for a short time but loose interest. It may be June but I'm starting up again. The next couple posts will be reflections I did at a prayer meeting.