Monday, December 02, 2019

Be Still and Know … I Love You.

The second Psalm's quip in this morning's Monday Week I prayer:

The Father's voice proclaimed: "This is my beloved Son" (Matthew 3:17)

How many of us crave those words from our own father? How many of us remain devoid of loving and kind words at all?

Yet, God the Father made it clear that He loves is Son.

So, somehow, it is possible that He loves us too?!?

Be still and know that I am God (Psalm 46:11)

As one who grew up fatherless that empty space _can_ be filled. To some degree perhaps by one who would become a Foster Father as did happen with me.

But, it takes a lot of patient prayer in the Quiet and also healing before we can hear those whispered words:

You are my beloved son …

You are my beloved daughter …

He must love us! He gave up His only Son to break the bonds of sin and death.

Truly, we need to somehow learn to _believe_ those words and actions and _trust_ that we will not be betrayed by Him, His Son, and His Holy Spirit that resides within us.

That somehow is found in the Mass. It is found in learning to live the Lord's Sacrifice on the Altar and receiving His Body and Blood as often as we can.

It is also found in the Sacrament of Reconciliation/Confession. When we open our heart to the Most Precious Blood that pours down upon us in absolution after we confess our sins, we call it "Soul Laundry" in our family, we can be healed and our blinders/blind spots peeled away.

We have the tools. We just need to use them! :)

Pax,

John Everett

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

In the Face of Persecution

We have so many stories of men and women who have gone before us giving the ultimate sacrifice: Their lives.

We named one of our sons after such a one: Maximillian Kolbe.

Breviary Wednesday, Week II Morning Prayer quip for Psalm 97:

This psalm foretells a world-wide salvation and that peoples of all nations will believe in Christ (Saint Athanasius).

Then, our reading for this morning:

35 What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword?
36 As it is written:
“For your sake we are being slain all the day;
we are looked upon as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us.
38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things,* nor future things, nor powers,
39 nor height, nor depth,* nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:35-39

Today, it seems, we stand on the cusp of history repeating itself. It is said that one ignores one's history at one's own peril and sure enough, today that is very true.

And yet, we know that somehow no matter what happens that our Lord embraces us. He gives us all we need to face any moment with courage and hope.

With the prayers of Our Lady, the Martyrs, and the strength Our Lord gives us we shall triumph. If not in this life, definitely the next!

Our prayers go out to all of our Christian Brothers and Sisters facing the Martyrdom of Blood and/or White Martyrdom in the day to day.

Pax,

John Everett

Monday, November 04, 2019

Where We Belong and Why We’re Here

Each Psalm and Canticle in the Breviary has a little quip at the start.

Today’s quip, from the first Psalm Monday, Week III is the following:

For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the one that is to come. Heb 13:14

Psalm 84 is the first prayer of the morning the quip is tied to.

Blessed the man who finds refuge in you,

in their hearts are pilgrim roads.

As they pass through the Baca valley,*

they find spring water to drink.

The early rain covers it with blessings.

They will go from strength to strength*

and see the God of gods on Zion. Psalm 84: 6-8

Lately, with all of the political angst going on here in North America and abroad, and thus the requisite distractions as part of discernment, it' seems that we’ve come to lose sight of the “why” we’re here.

In many cases we’re being told that we are no longer relevant and should have no voice in the Public Square.

So, _why_ are we here?

We know that our ultimate home is with the Lord. The above makes that pretty clear.

But, what about the _here_?

We tend to make things so very complicated.

But the reality is really quite simple:

  • To Love
  • To Be Loved

The quip for the second Psalm is apt:

A new theme now inspires their praise of God; they belong to the lamb Rev 14:3

Indeed. We belong to Him Who first Loved Us. Loved us into existence. Then, Loved us into Redemption.

Our response should be simple: To love, and allow ourselves to be loved.

Pax! :)

John Everett

Feast of St. Charles Borromeo

Wednesday, October 09, 2019

The Heart of Stone

We've started praying the Liturgy of the Hours morning and evening prayer as part of a discernment process Lucille and I are going through.

There are times when it's so mundane, almost painful, that it becomes an offering out of love and duty.

Sometimes, there is a moment where clarity ensues and somehow the Holy Spirit can get a message through the stone into the softer parts of the heart. ;)

Yesterday morning's reading, Tuesday Week III, was from the first letter of Saint John 4:12-15:
12 No one has ever seen God. Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us.

13 This is how we know that we remain in him and he in us, that he has given us of his Spirit.

14 Moreover, we have seen and testify that the Father sent his Son as savior of the world.

15 Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him and he in God.
The reading reminds me of St. Paul in 1st Corinthians 12:3:
...[N]o one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the holy Spirit.
God in us ...

I'm not sure about you, but one thing that became pretty clear while meditating on that reading was my heart being more a rock than solid flesh. :(

Why?

Because, the reality stated above, that is God in us, has not really registered in my stony heart.

St. Anthony of the Desert, St. Bruno, St. Teresa of Avila, and St. John of the Cross come to mind and heart of folks who managed to allow the Lord's Blood and Water to slowly cleanse away the stone leaving a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26).

So much to learn and let go of. ;)

Pax,

John Everett
Feast of Denis, Bishop and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs