“Without the Holy Eucharist there would be no happiness in this world, and life wouldn’t be bearable”.
St. John Vianney
‘Family Time’ - A Cabin, the Glue
The Jones family gathered for an extended Memorial Day weekend, at my brother, Dan and wife, Kelly’s home in Greensboro, NC, (420 miles from Pittsburgh). Everyone looks forward to having a Sunday cabin Mass. I brought my Mass kit along with my luggage. They own 53 acres in Reidsville, NC (approximately 30 miles from their home) where we celebrated Mass. Everyone gets a kick out of not having to get dressed up. Mass can start at any time, and it isn't as long as the ‘big church’, they can offer their own prayer intentions of what is in their hearts and minds, and no collections are taken! In their cabin kitchen, there is a beautiful picture of the “Last Supper” and lo and behold, there were 12 of us at the gathering. In the room, there was a rustic plaque hanging with the word “Simplify”. Time in the country away from it all makes life more simple. After sharing the Eucharist at the kitchen table, we ate our breakfast (pancakes, turkey bacon, scrambled eggs, toast and juice) as we held hands and offered thanks to the Lord for bringing us together to offer the Mass for Mom’s intention.
Dermatology Practice to have a “health clinic”. Dan takes care of skin, Dave takes care of feet, and as a Priest, I heard confession. Dan remarked “On this holiday, the dermatology visit is free, podiatry visits are free, but confessions are $10!” I made out like a bandit and it paid for my gas back home!
Around my brother’s house, I noticed door hangars with the words “Family Time.” I thought to myself, any investment that we make in family relationships, pays off dividends. Although we come from the same family, we are different. Yet coming together, on this holiday weekend, we are strengthened to help blend, bond, and build us into being continued nourishment for one another. Family stories, sharing laughter and fellowship, enjoying nature, playing games, throwing a rod into the lake, taking a hike, watching the labradoodles frolic around in playfulness, maintaining the land, enjoying campfire chats as we ate S’mores (graham cracker, marshmallow and chocolate, melted together over the fire) are just some of the ways I savor this Memorial Day family gathering.
I broke my new car in with this trip and am grateful for the GPS navigation system, Bluetooth (hands free calling) and my Sirius satellite radio. The GPS reminds me of God. 1) It knows how to get us where we are going. 2) It can direct one along the path. 3) It can redirect us when we make wrong turns and 4) It never gives up on us, no matter how many times we mess up. Like the GPS, our God is a God of second chances, and sometimes even third and fourth and so on. As long as we are sorry for our straying, God will get us on the right track that leads to our final destination. So, let us never give up on God who never gives up on us.
As we celebrate today, the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, let us reflect on the simplicity of our faith to be nourished by God’s word, to be sanctified by His body and blood that gives us courage and strength to be his followers. While away, it reminded me of how grateful I am to serve as a priest at St. Joseph Parish.
I had quiet time to do spiritual reading. During the time, I read the book Walking the Disciples Path - 8 Steps that Will Change Your Life and the World by Linda Perrone Rooney. She is a spiritual director, hospital chaplain, pastoral counselor, retreat leader and is the founding director of the Center for Healing and Spirituality in Winter Haven, FL.
Step 1: Surrender Your Nets (Matthew 4:18-22) The Church equips us through our baptism to become and make disciples using our own rod of faith and net of good works. We must fish in every day circumstances, in the sacred environments in which we dwell.
Step 2: Live as a Blessing (Mathew 5:1-12) Jesus offers the core values of his teaching and the secret to what will make life worth living, the Beatitudes. The word heart is used more than 630 times in scripture and the Jewish-world view taught that the heart was the life force and organizing principle of the entire body, mind and spirit. If a spiritual stethoscope evaluated the health of our heart, it would probe our motives, values and character. We must have three distinct qualities to truly live poor in spirit.
Humility—Not defacing oneself or selling ourselves short by denying our gifts and talent. True humility is to recognize what we have been given by a gracious and generous God. We are not self made, overconfident arrogant people with inordinate pride, but rather humble people who know our place in the universe and know our need for God each and every day. Eating “humble pie” is healthy spiritually.
Vulnerability—To allow our deepest emotions to be at the surface of others. To reveal our own wounds in an attempt to heal another.
Trust—To trust in God, we must let go of control, fear and believe He knows best. When we live simply, and we seek inner calm, we yield to God’s will. God takes residency in our hearts.
Step 3: Love your Enemies (Matthew 5:43-48) Someone once said as you get older, family and friends come and go, but enemies accumulate. An enemy is anyone who is an opponent, challenger, rival, foe, competitor. Sometimes we are our own worst enemies.
Step 4: Cultivate a Generous Spirit (Luke 6:37-38) Love always involves giving and our giving must be personal as we assess our own blessings, commitments and abilities. Giving should always be a private offering, not done for publicity. St. Paul reminds us there are 4 beneficiaries of our giving: the giver, the recipient, God and the Church.
Step 5: Pray like Jesus (Psalm 141:1-2) Prayer is not about words. It is about being connected to the ground of our whole being—God. Through body, mind and spirit to be at rest in the presence of the one who loves us. “I call to you, Lord, come quickly to me; hear me when I call to you. Let my prayers rise like incense in your sight; the lifting of my hands like an evening oblation.”
Step 6: See the Good (Matthew 7:1-5) Most of the conflict in the world, our church, our families, and within our own hearts resides in our judgments and prejudices. They stunt us from seeing as God sees. “The more one judges or condemns another, the less one has time to love another”. Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta.
Step 7: Heal all you Meet (Matthew 8:5-10, 13) The world is a ripe field in need of healing. We are called to be the healing presence of Christ in the face of pain, loneliness, isolation, fear and death which is everywhere.
Step 8: Do not be Afraid (Matthew 14:22-23) Jesus’ most profound anthem is His admonition to be fearless. Every generation must face and question whether evil will triumph over goodness. Yet we learn that God’s reign rules in spite of illness, tragedy, war, famine and human sinfulness. Fear is conquered through love.
Through these 8 steps: surrender, bless, love, give, pray, see, heal and trust, may we renew our commitment at every Eucharistic sharing to walk in the disciples path that changes our life and the lives around us!
