Over the last couple of weeks, many of us have experienced much excitement through Christmas and New Years parties, gatherings, and other celebrations. Well, similarly, the Church has also experienced much excitement. This excitement came through the Feast of the Holy Family (Dec. 30), the Solemnity of Mary (Jan. 1), and the Epiphany of the Lord (Jan. 6). My post this week will attempt to look back over the last twelve days or so and make a connection to these different celebrations.
Love. Peace. Invitation. In my opinion, these three words summarize the three feasts mentioned above. The feast of the Holy Family is a wonderful celebration of love, the Solemnity of Mary is a celebration of what being at total peace with God looks like, and the Epiphany of the Lord is an invitation to the Three Wise Men to continue being the seekers of greater truth that they already were. If we look at these feasts with a bird's eye view, hopefully we can find ourselves in the midst of them as lovers, peacemakers, and seekers.
As a way to go deeper into love, peace, and invitation, I'd like to look deeper at the family unit. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph are our model family in the Church. They represent the model family not necessarily because they consist of mom, dad, and child, but more so because of the love, honor, respect, sacrifice, and support embodied in their relationships. How many of us have friends, teachers, coaches, or other mentors that we are so close with that we consider them family? Or, how many of us have parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, or cousins that we are not as close with and have a hard time viewing them as family? Regardless of who is in our family, what matters most are the qualities found in good relationships as I mentioned above. Keep in mind, no family is perfect. A statement comes to mind that my mom says from time to time: "Families are the ties the bind and gag us." This statement is quite true. Family joins us tightly to one another in wonderful ways, but family is just as likely to make us sick, too.
Since we can get caught up talking about what the perfect family unit should look like (Lord knows this issue is politicized enough), here is a short list of simple TV shows and movies you might know and can relate to that focus on family relations in very different ways that came to mind: The Brady Bunch, 3 Men and a Baby, The Cosby Show, Full House, Family Matters, Home Improvement, Modern Family, Raising Hope, The New Normal, and Parental Guidance. While this list could certainly go on for pages and pages, the shows and movies listed here all do a good job showing just how diverse and flawed the family unit can be while still aiming to support the important values of love, honor, respect, sacrifice, and support. Take a minute to think back on some of your favorite books, shows, and movies. Do you find yourself thinking about the central characters and their relationships/conflicts with their families/enemies? If so, what kind of support systems surrounded these characters? I'd guess some characters had blood relatives around them while others had close friends, but either way, some support was probably there. You see, without relationships and support, we'll find it quite difficult to find true sources of joy in our lives. We know that with the joy of family also comes sorrow, but if we try to remove the sorrow from our lives by removing these relationships, then we may ultimately wind up removing the joy, too. Remember, though the ties of family may gag us, they also bind us together for the good of one another. We must learn to live within this painfully comforting embrace we call family.
To conclude, I'd like to refer to one more source of love, peace, and invitation that I experienced in the last twelve days or so. I had the privilege of seeing Les Miserables with my mom and dad recently. If you have not seen this movie, whether you are a fan of musicals or not, you need to go see it in light of the recent feasts I've mentioned here today. The story of the lead character, Jean Valjean, epitomizes what it means for all of us accept the invitation to seek truth and mercy, to both give and receive love, and to be at total peace with God in our lives. I pray that God will continue to bless you and your families whatever they may look like and that we will always embrace God's invitation to be love and peace to the world.
May we be ever-faithful, ever-joyful, and ever-mindful.
Monday, January 7, 2013
Friday, December 28, 2012
An Innocent Spirit
Merry Christmas, everyone! As we know, society has seemed to shut down Christmas already, but thankfully, our Christmas season in the Church is just beginning. As the mystery of the Christmas season continues, we will celebrate a few important feasts within the next twelve days. Today (Dec. 28th) is the Feast of the Holy Innocents. This feast, while sad in nature because it honors the baby boys that King Herod killed out of fear of Jesus, encourages us to see the purity and power that children have to unite people together. I believe this unifying ability is the reason why God entered into the world as a child.
Rather than elaborate further on this feast, myself, I encourage you to read an article by a friend of mine, Daniel Horan, o.f.m., connecting the Feast of the Holy Innocents with the Newtown, CT, shootings of two weeks ago and other similar losses. He really helps us understand how relevant this feast still is in our world today. Enjoy.
Daniel Horan's Huffington Post Article
May we be ever-faithful, ever-mindful, and ever-joyful.
Rather than elaborate further on this feast, myself, I encourage you to read an article by a friend of mine, Daniel Horan, o.f.m., connecting the Feast of the Holy Innocents with the Newtown, CT, shootings of two weeks ago and other similar losses. He really helps us understand how relevant this feast still is in our world today. Enjoy.
Daniel Horan's Huffington Post Article
May we be ever-faithful, ever-mindful, and ever-joyful.
Monday, December 17, 2012
Where is the Spirit?
Rejoice!
This is the command that we receive from the Third Sunday of Advent. The Church refers to this Sunday as Gaudete Sunday. Under "normal" circumstances, this may be easy to do this time of year. However, in light of the tragic events in Newtown, CT, recently, finding anything rejoice-worthy becomes extremely difficult. I can only imagine the challenge that the priests, ministers, and rabbis had this weekend trying to proclaim hope to their congregations. This Sunday at the Catholic Center at UGA, Fr. David challenged all of us to be "Advent people." I had never heard things phrased this way, but I really like it. He urged us to recognize that the season of Advent is not simply one of waiting and hoping on the Lord, but it is a season of action! What are we doing to help bring Jesus into the lives of others so that they can fully rejoice at Christmas? As we wonder what we can do to help the people in Newtown, CT, we need look no further than the gospel from Sunday (Luke 3:10-18). The people, tax collectors, and soldiers asked John the Baptist, "What should we do?" He tells them that they should do that which they are supposed to do. He does not tell them to do anything extraordinary, but rather, they should just treat people justly and fairly. We can do this, can't we? I think so. By taking action in just and fair ways (i.e. raising political awareness, protesting injustice, creating avenues for dialogue), we are, in essence, showing that God is ever-present.
This is the command that we receive from the Third Sunday of Advent. The Church refers to this Sunday as Gaudete Sunday. Under "normal" circumstances, this may be easy to do this time of year. However, in light of the tragic events in Newtown, CT, recently, finding anything rejoice-worthy becomes extremely difficult. I can only imagine the challenge that the priests, ministers, and rabbis had this weekend trying to proclaim hope to their congregations. This Sunday at the Catholic Center at UGA, Fr. David challenged all of us to be "Advent people." I had never heard things phrased this way, but I really like it. He urged us to recognize that the season of Advent is not simply one of waiting and hoping on the Lord, but it is a season of action! What are we doing to help bring Jesus into the lives of others so that they can fully rejoice at Christmas? As we wonder what we can do to help the people in Newtown, CT, we need look no further than the gospel from Sunday (Luke 3:10-18). The people, tax collectors, and soldiers asked John the Baptist, "What should we do?" He tells them that they should do that which they are supposed to do. He does not tell them to do anything extraordinary, but rather, they should just treat people justly and fairly. We can do this, can't we? I think so. By taking action in just and fair ways (i.e. raising political awareness, protesting injustice, creating avenues for dialogue), we are, in essence, showing that God is ever-present.
Now, whenever we become aware of tragedy and violence in our world, people wonder, "Where was God in the midst of these horrible things?" Some even go as far as to say that God is bringing punishment upon people for their wrongdoing. Let's be clear, though, that God does not pick and choose when and where to show up. God is ALWAYS present in ALL situations. Only that which is good comes from God because we know that God is love (1 John 4:8), and love is a very good thing. Let me use a classic Christmas movie to expand on this a bit further.
It's a Wonderful Life (1946) tells the story of George Bailey, a compassionate, driven, young man, who gives up his dreams of travelling the world in order to be an "Advent person." George chooses first to stand up for what is right and treats people justly and fairly before pursuing his own goals and dreams. Along the way, George leaves a wake of positive influences on others that ultimately transforms his local and national communities. However, at some point, George faces his own tragedy when it seems that he will lose everything in his life. Here, George wonders where God is and if God will help him. Well, God sends an angel to help George realize that God had been present in his life every moment up to that point through the love he gave and received so many times and God would continue to be there every moment from then on. When we learn to recognize God in everything and everywhere through lenses of love, we more effectively prepare ourselves to face major tragedy if and when it comes. So, rather than waiting to call on God when we need God, let us be people of continued faith, hope, and love. Let us be "Advent people!"
I leave you with a couple of songs that pose the question "Where is Love?"
Be the answer.
Be the answer.
Where is the Love? - Black Eyed Peas - 2003 (Lyrics)
May we be ever-faithful, every-mindful, and ever-joyful.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
"Advent"urous Spirit
While the world or commercialism and consumerism has been telling us it's Christmas time, it's not. Not yet, anyway. Let's remember that the Church has designated a time for us to get ready for the Lord. We call this time Advent. Recently, a couple of different sources reminded me that the word "advent" comes from the Latin words ad (meaning "to" or "toward") and venio (meaning "come" or "coming"). By simply combining the two words we create a word implying that which is "to come" or "coming towards." So, naturally, we understand that this four week season in the church year is a very special time we should spend preparing, reflecting, and waiting on the coming of God into the world as a baby (because God was already active in the world as we know from the Old Testament).
However, I have not heard anyone really use another English word that looks very similar to advent: adventure. This may be because we have come to associate adventures with grand journeys full of challenges and obstacles ultimately culminating in some kind of triumph. We may see this as inappropriate for such a joyful and peaceful time of the year. Well, I'd like to think that viewing Advent as a time of adventure is not far from what we should attempt to experience during this season. By virtue of being alive, we are constantly on a journey as it is, so Advent, then, challenges us to continue to faithfully work our way through the "wilderness" of our journey as both the prophet Isaiah and John the Baptist mention. This wilderness includes all of the challenges and obstacles that may prevent us from preparing ourselves fully for the coming of Lord at Christmas. Then, as we begin to come out of the wilderness, we should be better prepared to receive the joy and peace that is Emmanuel (God with us).
As I reflected more on this season of preparation, I thought about a story that is very popular this time of year: The Christmas Carol. Now, I know it's not Christmas yet, but this story is a prime example of someone (Ebeneezer Scrooge) forced to acknowledge the wilderness he lives in and has created for himself so that he may fully receive the joy of Christmas. I'll leave you with a song from my favorite version of this story: The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992). This song represents the triumphant culmination of Scrooge's journey and the "Thankful Heart" he receives as a result. Enjoy!
"A Thankful Heart"
May we be ever-faithful, ever-mindful, and ever-joyful.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
A Thankful Spirit
Last week, we experienced two great celebrations. On Thursday, many of us gathered with friends and family to celebrate Thanksgiving, and on Sunday, at mass, we celebrated the feast of Christ the King. In today's post, I'd like to look at the meaning of these two feasts from a bit of an "unconventional" view.
As we all know, Thanksgiving Day is a great time for us to call to mind that which we are thankful for in our lives. Whether we believe in God or not, we can all at least recognize areas of our lives in which we are fortunate. Over the Thanksgiving break, I found myself sitting with my brother on the couch enjoying some time to relax. At one point, he was checking out the website of his beloved Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles (To the Top!). On the home page was a video sequence of several student-athletes sharing what they are thankful for and what sports team they represent. I thought this was nice, but after listening to five or six athletes say the almost the exact same thing (that they were thankful for their friends, family, and opportunities to compete for USM), I became a bit jaded in the repetitiveness of these responses.
In reflecting upon this further, I realized that just like the student-athletes, we are easily thankful for the things in our lives that are positive contributors (i.e. family, friends, talents, opportunities, etc.). However, in light of Jesus' message that we are to love our enemies (Matthew 5:43-48), I asked myself if maybe I should try to find gratitude in my life from more negative contributors (i.e. rivals, people I don't like, weaknesses, failures, missed opportunities, etc.). After all, if I can thank God for my enemies, I am in essence finding a way to love them as Christ does. So, why should we be thankful for such negative people and things? Well, these negative factors challenge us to reflect upon how we can become better loving people in the midst of them. We can not afford to allow ourselves to become complacent with the status quo of things being "good" in our lives. Complacency can limit our perspective on bigger and more important issues on which we can potentially have a positive influence. Not to mention, by being thankful for the negatives in our lives, we are hopefully able to look inward at ourselves to see where we may be contributing negatively to others and try to be better there, too.
On the feast of Christ the King, we get a chance to see Jesus defy the traditional role of a king. Jesus' "kingship" consisted of looking at the negatives in his life (as well as the positives) and ultimately dying for them in order to positively affect them in the best possible way. If this "positive-negative" paradox is not reflective of "the mystery of faith," I'm not sure what is. Keeping this in mind, I'd like to challenge us to redefine what a king is based on the life of Jesus. The "King of Kings" and the "Lord of Lords" whom we sing about and laud so much this time of year "did not come to be served, but to serve" (Mark 10:45). So, the next time we enter a large church with ornate designs, expensive furnishings, grand chalices and candles, and other "glorious" pedestals on which we put Christ the King, let us remember that Jesus did not call himself a king. Rather, we have given him that title throughout history (and for good reason), but I think Jesus wanted nothing more than to show us a kingdom made of servants not masters.
So, as we enter into this Advent and Christmas season, let us strive to be more humble, more thankful (for our allies and our enemies), and more king-like as servants of others.
May we be ever-faithful, ever-mindful, and ever-joyful.
As we all know, Thanksgiving Day is a great time for us to call to mind that which we are thankful for in our lives. Whether we believe in God or not, we can all at least recognize areas of our lives in which we are fortunate. Over the Thanksgiving break, I found myself sitting with my brother on the couch enjoying some time to relax. At one point, he was checking out the website of his beloved Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles (To the Top!). On the home page was a video sequence of several student-athletes sharing what they are thankful for and what sports team they represent. I thought this was nice, but after listening to five or six athletes say the almost the exact same thing (that they were thankful for their friends, family, and opportunities to compete for USM), I became a bit jaded in the repetitiveness of these responses.
In reflecting upon this further, I realized that just like the student-athletes, we are easily thankful for the things in our lives that are positive contributors (i.e. family, friends, talents, opportunities, etc.). However, in light of Jesus' message that we are to love our enemies (Matthew 5:43-48), I asked myself if maybe I should try to find gratitude in my life from more negative contributors (i.e. rivals, people I don't like, weaknesses, failures, missed opportunities, etc.). After all, if I can thank God for my enemies, I am in essence finding a way to love them as Christ does. So, why should we be thankful for such negative people and things? Well, these negative factors challenge us to reflect upon how we can become better loving people in the midst of them. We can not afford to allow ourselves to become complacent with the status quo of things being "good" in our lives. Complacency can limit our perspective on bigger and more important issues on which we can potentially have a positive influence. Not to mention, by being thankful for the negatives in our lives, we are hopefully able to look inward at ourselves to see where we may be contributing negatively to others and try to be better there, too.
On the feast of Christ the King, we get a chance to see Jesus defy the traditional role of a king. Jesus' "kingship" consisted of looking at the negatives in his life (as well as the positives) and ultimately dying for them in order to positively affect them in the best possible way. If this "positive-negative" paradox is not reflective of "the mystery of faith," I'm not sure what is. Keeping this in mind, I'd like to challenge us to redefine what a king is based on the life of Jesus. The "King of Kings" and the "Lord of Lords" whom we sing about and laud so much this time of year "did not come to be served, but to serve" (Mark 10:45). So, the next time we enter a large church with ornate designs, expensive furnishings, grand chalices and candles, and other "glorious" pedestals on which we put Christ the King, let us remember that Jesus did not call himself a king. Rather, we have given him that title throughout history (and for good reason), but I think Jesus wanted nothing more than to show us a kingdom made of servants not masters.
So, as we enter into this Advent and Christmas season, let us strive to be more humble, more thankful (for our allies and our enemies), and more king-like as servants of others.
May we be ever-faithful, ever-mindful, and ever-joyful.
Monday, November 12, 2012
Championship Spirit
While I have spent much time talking about football, I'd like to devote this post to the other great fall sport in our nation: cross country. Right now, we are fully engulfed in the championship part of this fall distance running culture. Many teams are vying for their local, state, and national titles. But for the average sports fan, cross country may not be the most popular sport, but anyone who has spent a fair amount of time around this heart, mind, body, and spirit-draining sport could confirm just how powerful and inspiring it is for all involved Cross country is arguably the most team-oriented sport that exists. In most other sports, one could make arguments toward how one athlete could single-handily influence the outcome of a competition. In cross country, this is not the case. In order for a team to achieve success, five runners must hold their own within a given race to ensure the best possible score for their team. While a team may have one or two stellar individuals, the team score is not complete without the efforts of the three other runners. Team success requires an understanding, chemistry, dependence, energy, and spirit among its members that transcends physical preparation. Runners discover these things each day in practice along the "Trial of Miles" and the "Miles of Trials" as John L. Parker, Jr. says in his novel Once a Runner. Cross country teams are only as good as the collective identity of its individuals.
In an earlier August post entitled "The Spirit's Comfort Zone," I referred to the athletes whom I coach at Clarke Central High School in Athens, GA. In that post, I recognized the early success and chemistry of my athletes as we began our season. I commented that "The spirit of their positive efforts [was] contagious." This indeed proved true throughout the season. In the past couple of weeks, I've watched the boys and girls in our cross country program accomplish things that have not happened at Clarke Central in nearly a decade. Both the boys and the girls qualified for the State Championships. While the girls qualified last year (with almost an entirely different team), the boys had not qualified since 2007 and both teams together had not reached the State Championship since 2005. These teams, while very different (the boys were led by 5 seniors; the girls were led by 5 freshmen), both exhibited a type of drive, grit, and compassion that I'd suggest could only come from God. This season was not the seamless wonder it looked like it might be from the start. We reached a part of the season where things seemed to be falling apart when we needed them to unite the most. Our goals appeared to be in jeopardy as we faced untimely injuries, poor decision-making, and other unfortunate circumstances. However, the resilient spirit of our athletes somehow transcended these imperfections. I realized that this is exactly where I could expect the Spirit to show up, and it did. The Spirit seems to always meet us at our worst in order to bring us to our best!
In looking back over our successful season, I truly believe that the Championship Spirit, through the wonderful sport of cross country, has empowered another group of young people to become better versions of themselves. I hope we can all find that which challenges us in the same way to find our Championship Spirit.
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May we be ever-faithful, ever-mindful, and ever-joyful.
In an earlier August post entitled "The Spirit's Comfort Zone," I referred to the athletes whom I coach at Clarke Central High School in Athens, GA. In that post, I recognized the early success and chemistry of my athletes as we began our season. I commented that "The spirit of their positive efforts [was] contagious." This indeed proved true throughout the season. In the past couple of weeks, I've watched the boys and girls in our cross country program accomplish things that have not happened at Clarke Central in nearly a decade. Both the boys and the girls qualified for the State Championships. While the girls qualified last year (with almost an entirely different team), the boys had not qualified since 2007 and both teams together had not reached the State Championship since 2005. These teams, while very different (the boys were led by 5 seniors; the girls were led by 5 freshmen), both exhibited a type of drive, grit, and compassion that I'd suggest could only come from God. This season was not the seamless wonder it looked like it might be from the start. We reached a part of the season where things seemed to be falling apart when we needed them to unite the most. Our goals appeared to be in jeopardy as we faced untimely injuries, poor decision-making, and other unfortunate circumstances. However, the resilient spirit of our athletes somehow transcended these imperfections. I realized that this is exactly where I could expect the Spirit to show up, and it did. The Spirit seems to always meet us at our worst in order to bring us to our best!
In looking back over our successful season, I truly believe that the Championship Spirit, through the wonderful sport of cross country, has empowered another group of young people to become better versions of themselves. I hope we can all find that which challenges us in the same way to find our Championship Spirit.
Thank you to all of my friends, family, coaches, teammates, and athletes who have inspired me and continued to inspire me to believe so much in the power of cross country!
May we be ever-faithful, ever-mindful, and ever-joyful.
Monday, November 5, 2012
Tailgating with the Spirit - Part 4
Over the last few posts, I have tried to draw connections between our country's football culture and one's faith culture. In Part 1, I compared a football stadium and a church building. In Part 2, I tried to connect tailgating activities with church ministries, and in Part 3, I looked at the similarities between an active "fanhood" and an active prayer life. I hope that these connections have enabled all of us to re-examine our priorities this fall season and hopefully re-commit ourselves to things that are much bigger than ourselves (relationships, church activities, school activities, community service, etc.). As a result of this re-examination, I pray that we are able to recognize that having an unhealthy obsession with our favorite teams and developing a healthy passion for our faith lives and church communities require different levels of attention. This being said, I'll leave us with a few questions for reflection:
1. Do we take sufficient time each day to recognize that God uses our everyday activities and interests (such as football) to teach us the power of God's remarkable love?
2. Do we make a conscious effort to be mindful of the things in our lives that are truly fruit-bearing?
3. Have we dismissed things or people in our lives that were positive gifts from God because we found ourselves too engulfed in other things? If so, how can we reconnect with them?
4. Are we willing to re-prioritize our lives in an effort to help ourselves see the beauty of God in all things?
As you reflect on these questions, let me add one more item for thought. In light of the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, there have been football players and their families housed in hotels, basketball games postponed, and a marathon cancelled. Regardless of personal opinions on these matters, one thing is consistent: life finds a way to transcend sports. Does yours?
May we be ever-faithful, ever-mindful, and ever-joyful.
1. Do we take sufficient time each day to recognize that God uses our everyday activities and interests (such as football) to teach us the power of God's remarkable love?
2. Do we make a conscious effort to be mindful of the things in our lives that are truly fruit-bearing?
3. Have we dismissed things or people in our lives that were positive gifts from God because we found ourselves too engulfed in other things? If so, how can we reconnect with them?
4. Are we willing to re-prioritize our lives in an effort to help ourselves see the beauty of God in all things?
As you reflect on these questions, let me add one more item for thought. In light of the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, there have been football players and their families housed in hotels, basketball games postponed, and a marathon cancelled. Regardless of personal opinions on these matters, one thing is consistent: life finds a way to transcend sports. Does yours?
May we be ever-faithful, ever-mindful, and ever-joyful.
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