MUSINGS - The Joyful Penitent

I could remember it as if it were yesterday!

I hadn't laid eyes on him for the better part of a decade. And...he looked as if he had spent every day of those ten years climbing out of some terrible emotional pit. He was completely soaked from the torrential rain that was falling when he ran the 15 feet from his pick-up truck to the the glass doors of the warehouse that was home to the church's office. Our volunteer admin didn't recognize him, but she waved him through to me when she detected the note of familiarity on my face.

As if the rain wasn't enough, the stories started to pour!

He told me of a life of decadence that made me even more thankful for the narrow escape I had made from the strange drug-sex-and-alcohol underbelly of my hometown! We had been school friends, but not much more. We hadn't been particularly close, but I had thought about him every now and then while I had been preparing to be a Christian pastor. He was what Americans call a skilled, blue-collar worker. The last I had heard, he was doing fairly well. As my office chair absorbed the liquid from his wet clothes and the tears that flowed from his face, I realised that I must have missed the real story of my friend's success.

But - as I listened to him tell his tales of woe and cry - a terrible realization began to dawn upon me: He wasn't repenting. For all his sobs, my friend wasn't sorry for what he had done! He had squandered his money, mistreated his body, been unfaithful to his wife and neglected his children. Yet after sharing more details than I wished to hear, the only question that he had for me was, "Can you help me fix this?"

I couldn't.

Honestly, I didn't know how to help someone "fix" their life - espcially if they aren't actually sorry about the things they had done to break it in the first place!

So...with a prayer under my breath I spoke the hardest words that I had ever uttered as a pastor.

"There's nothing that I can do for you. I know that your life is messed up. But, I can't help you if you're not sorry for the way that you have sinned against yourself, your wife, your kids and God. So, I need you to leave my office and stop wasting my time. Please call me! I will be ready to help you at any time and on any day that you are willing to face your sin and repent!"

He didn't linger long... even so, he was still in my line of site when the prayers began. I wasn't confident that I would ever see him again.

I did.

About two weeks later, the same friend - but a very different person - returned to me. Same stories. Plenty of tears. Real sorrow. A different question: "Is there anyway that God would forgive me?"

He had come to himself... terrible as that self was... and now was asking the really important question: "What does the Father do with those who have repeatedly sinned against themselves, their loved ones and against God himself?"

On that day my friend had arrived at the place that Jesus wishes that we each will revisit on this Third Sunday of Advent. And...because of this he was able to hear again the most incredible news that anyone can ever hope to hear:

"On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem:
Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged!
The LORD, your God, is in your midst,
a mighty savior;
he will rejoice over you with gladness,
and renew you in his love,
he will sing joyfully because of you,
as one sings at festivals.."
~ Zephaniah 3:16-18

This is the Gospel!

This is how our heavenly Father treats those who repent from the heart! It is for this reason that the Son can say, "Come to me all you who are weary. I will give you rest!" This is the reason that the penitent rejoices!

On this Advent Three, I pray that the Lord will open your eyes and mine. May we see ourselves as we truly are, so that we might see the wonder that the Gospel truly is!

..........

Today's Readings: Sunday, December 17th, 2006.

MUSINGS - The Heart of Advent

"God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus." ~ Philippians 1:8

Theologians rightly spend days and months and years, and yes, even their entire lives pondering what the Scared Scriptures mean when they attribute human-like emotions to God... So ~ when we come face to face with the enormity of the distance that "he who dwells in light inaccessible" has traversed in order to communicate with us ~ you and I should offer prayers of gratitude to God for this labor of love made on our behalf.

But as we say our prayers, let us remember that when God - through the holy men of old - bent His knee so that he might whisper in our ear, "I long for you...with affection," He was saying more than what we mean when we say these same words to the people we love... not less.

Through Advent, the Father calls us to hunger for the coming of the Son of His Love. He calls us to long for Christ. As we respond to Him this season, let us not forget that He longs even more for us!

Today's Readings: Sunday, December 10th, 2006.

MUSINGS - The invitation called Advent

"The days are coming, says the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and Judah."
~ Jeremiah 33:14

Each year the Church calls us to re-orient our lives about a single proposition, "God can be trusted!" ...and our response to this call leaves no aspect of our lives unchanged.

Oh that we would say "Yes" to this invitation this year!

Today's Readings: Sunday, December 3rd, 2006.

MUSINGS - Even His careless ones...

I can remember the first time that I ever heard a sermon on today's Gospel reading. I was studying at Trinity Evangelical Divintiy School at the time. One morning a fellow seminarian - Lyall Bethel - asked if I would come and listen to a sermon he would be giving in his homiletics class later that day. Since I had vivid memories of my own first forays into the strange world of in-class sermonizing the previous year, I said, "Yes." Honestly, I thought that I would be doing him a favor.

Not wanting to miss Lyall's first sermon, I arrived at the homiletics lab about 10-15 minutes earlier than necessary. Before he walked up to the pulpit, however, I had to endure the homilies of a couple other seminarians. Unfortunately, their first efforts reminded me of my own the previous year. Oh well.

Not long into Lyall's retelling of the calming of the storm, I had all but forgotten the two "sermons" I had just suffered through. Almost from the start, he had grabbed my attention. He helped me experience the moment. First, Jesus' weariness from a day filled with ministry. Then, the disciples' eagerness to get away. Later on, as the storm came upon them and raged, their anxiety and fear. It was almost as if I were out there on the water with Jesus and the disciples.

Through the excellent story-telling, Lyall had left me disarmed. I had come to the lab expecting to offer a word of encouragement and critique. But as the sermon neared its end, Lyall asked his make-shift congregation if we had understood why Jesus had rebuked the disciples for their lack of faith. He asked if we had caught the specific way that the disciples' lack of faith had been revealed on that stormy night. Frankly, I hadn't! And...I had no idea what Lyall was going to say next.

Then Lyall re-read the text, "On that day, as evening drew on, Jesus said to his disciples: 'Let us cross to the other side'" (Mark 4:35). So when the storm came and the waves crashed against their little boat, they had nothing to fear. Before getting into the boat, Jesus had told the disciples that they would get to the other side. And..."Every word of Jesus can be trusted completely."

It's been twenty years since that sermon and I still ponder Lyall's simple observation. So today, when so many around me assume that every statement is accompanied by spin, Lyall reminds me that its not that way with Jesus! So, I need not be afraid. If I stay in the boat with Jesus, I will cross to the other side. Jesus says so. I can trust every word he speaks...even His careless ones."

Today's Readings: Sunday, June 25th, 2006.

MUSINGS - An ancient price for convenience

Ahab said to Naboth, "Give me your vineyard to be my vegetable garden, since it is close by, next to my house. I will give you a better vineyard in exchange, or, if you prefer, I will give you its value in money."
Naboth answered him, "The LORD forbid that I should give you my ancestral heritage." (1 Kings 21:2-3)

When confronted by the enormity of the carnage that abortion on demand makes present each day in America, it is important to not to forget that from the days of the ancients men and women have been ready to commit murder in order to secure some convenience. In this sense, nothing much has changed. What is distinctive today is that we no longer have to get around the law to secure the convenience. In fact, securing convenience has become the objective of the law itself.

Today's Readings: Monday, June 19th, 2006.

MFP - Secret of a Good Sermon

The secret of a good sermon is to have a good beginning and a good ending; and to have the two as close together as possible.~George Burns

MUSINGS - After Pentecost...

Tomorrow will come and go and many of us will have no personal encounter with tongues of fire. Significantly less will be accused of drunkedness as we leave Mass. And, fewer still will get to witness mass conversions. After the dust has settled, you might be tempted to think that it had been a pretty ordinary Sunday.... If you fall prey to this, then you will have missed an essential message of Pentecost: After the Holy Spirit has come, there can be no more ordinary Sundays!

Today's Readings: Saturday, June 3rd, 2006.

MUSINGS - Foreigners to love and honor...

"Let love be sincere;
hate what is evil,
hold on to what is good;
love one another with mutual affection;
anticipate one another in showing honor."
(Romans 12:9-10)

It is a tribute to the weakness of our character that we have traded that courageous and costly love which rejects all that is disordered in the one we hold dear, even as it recognizes and embraces the good in them. Is it any wonder why our friends, our parents, our siblings, our children and our spouses are insecure in our affection?

How can they be certain that they matter to us when we refuse to see them in all their glory and shame? They cannot. And so, both to love and to the honor it bestows, we remain foreigners!

Today's Readings: Wednesday, May 31st, 2006.

MUSINGS - Not just to the head...

"Behold, the hour is coming and has arrived
when each of you will be scattered to his own home
and you will leave me alone.
But I am not alone, because the Father is with me.
I have told you this so that you might have peace in me.
In the world you will have trouble,
but take courage, I have conquered the world."
(John 16:32-33)

To think that people are drawn to Christ first because their minds have been satisfied is an easy enough mistake to make. And, those of us who live in our heads make it often. Every now and then, however, Jesus says something that blasts through our cognitive walls and addresses the heart, "You will never be alone."

It was this promise that drew my wife, Norma, to Christ. Born in central Illinois, Norma was raised in an Evangelical Christian home. For the most part, things in the Turner house were pretty average. Her folks weren't wealthy, but they weren't poor either. They attended the Bible church regularly, and the older kids even sang together in some of the worship services.

In the early seventies, however, something happened that would propel Norma and her family into the new mainstream of American society: Her dad left home. Without warning. Without a word.

Not long after that, an itinerant preacher came to town, and Norma attended one of his meetings. Since I was raised in a similar tradition and have been to many similar gatherings back in the Bahamas, I'm guessing that the evangelist made a pretty good case for the reasonableness of Christianity. More than likely, he even presented the evidence in support of Jesus' life, death and resurrection.

Even so, when Norma recalls the night that she gave her life to Christ, she remembers none of that. What she does remember is that the evangelist said, "Jesus is a friend that will never leave you." It was just the part of the Gospel that her little heart needed to hear. Her life has never been the same.

Today, I still live in my head. But living with Norma has given me a more important reason for doing so. When I was a lot younger, I lived in my head simply because I enjoyed the intellectual life. Now, I do it so that I can do for others what that travelling evangelist did for the little girl who was to become my wife: Find the connection between peoples' need and the hope that Jesus' life, death, resurrection and ascension has secured.

In an age so driven by the fear of being alone, perhaps its time that we cry out from the mountain tops, "You need never be alone. Jesus has come!"

Today's Readings: Monday, May 29th, 2006.

MUSINGS - Contemporary worship

"...the hour is coming when everyone who kills you will think he is offering worship to God". (John 16:2)

The beloved disciple was prescient when he used the metaphor of homage to describe the response the Gospel of Jesus Christ would awaken. Today, this is particularly true of the reactions provoked within men and women when they hear that their lives are full of purpose. Anyone who wishes to proclaim the truth about the dignity of the human person that underlies and is secured by the Gospel of Jesus Christ had better be prepared to become the occasion for some contemporary worship.

Today's Readings: Monday, May 22nd, 2006.

MUSINGS - It's all about grace...

Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. (John 15:5)

There is perhaps no Catholic doctrine that human pride - especially in its more religious forms - resists more than the doctrine of grace: Without Christ we can do nothing.

Today's Readings: Wednesday, May 17th, 2006.

Seminarian and friend

Later today, a very good friend and fellow Catholic seminarian is undergoing back surgery to correct the effects of an injury that he sustained some time in the past. Please, when you pray today... keep him in your prayers!

MUSINGS - Two longings...

"And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be."
(John 14:3-6)

How is it that so many Christians reduce the faith to a thing without passion? Jesus and the Apostles knew nothing of this! Today's reading exposes Jesus' and the Apostles' hearts. He anticipates missing them fiercely, and he suspects that they are going to miss him, too!

BTW - Those who know Christ do not long for heaven because they wish to escape this world. No! They long for heaven because that is where Jesus is!

Today's Readings: Friday, May 12th, 2006.

MUSINGS - You and your enemy

"Saul, still breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, that, if he should find any men or women who belonged to the Way, he might bring them back to Jerusalem in chains."
(Acts 9:1-2)

The next time that you encounter your enemy, remember that your knowledge is not boundless, and your charity is paltry. Perhaps then, you might alter your course and precipitate a miracle.

Today's Readings: Friday, May 5th, 2006.

MUSINGS - Authority and receptivity

The Spirit said to Philip, "Go and join up with that chariot."
Philip ran up and heard the Ethiopian eunuch reading Isaiah the prophet and said,
"Do you understand what you are reading?"
He replied, "How can I, unless someone instructs me?"
So he invited Philip to get in and sit with him.
(Acts 8:29-31)

At least two things are necessary for Catholicism to flourish: Authority and receptivity! Faithful bishops, priests and deacons who are responsive to God's Spirit, and lay men and women who are receptive to instruction.

Both are now under seige!

Today's Readings: Thursday, May 4th, 2006.

MUSINGS - The art of apostolic self-promotion

...and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. (1 Corinthians 15:8)

Is it not amazing that one of our Lord's most gifted servants consistently sets aside the things that establish his value when commending himself to the faithful? What is even more amazing is that we fail to recognize that he intends for us to imitate him...today!

But a culture imprisoned by the cult of self-importance will not long tolerate those who practice the art of apostolic self-promotion. So...we will have to choose our path!

"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth!" ~ Jesus

Today's Readings: Wednesday, May 3rd, 2006.

MUSINGS - Opus Dei

So they said to him,
"What can we do to accomplish the works of God?"
Jesus answered and said to them,
"This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent."
(John 6:28-29)

To believe in Jesus is no more difficult for Moderns than it was for the Ancients. They were as prone to disbelief then as we are now. The difference is that when Jesus said something that the Ancients refused to accept, they stopped following him. We, Moderns, however, pursue a more nuanced path. We stick around and whisper through the crowds, "He really didn't mean that."

Today's Readings: Monday, May 1st, 2006.

MUSINGS - Eucharist and revelation

"The two disciples recounted what had taken place on the way, and how Jesus was made known to them in the breaking of bread." (Luke 24:35)

It is only with great difficulty that one can set aside the revelatory significance of the Eucharist for the Early Christians. "Jesus was made known to them in the breaking of the bread."

Today's Readings: Sunday, April 30th, 2006.

Transform Your Life - Learn Gregorian Chant

The Second Vatican Council opened the windows and doors wide to an enriched experience of the Church's liturgical life. But the lofty vision of the Council for the flourishing of the Church's liturgical and musical patrimony accompanied by an embrace of the vernacular languages of the People of God has not yet to be realized.

If you have been wondering what you might to realise the vision, then consider participating in The Sixteenth Annual Summer Music Colloquium this summer.

SUMMER MUSIC COLLOQUIUM 2006
Liturgical Music and the Restoration of the Sacred

The Sixteenth Annual Summer Music Colloquium
Tuesday, 20 June 2006 - Sunday, 25 June 2006
The Catholic University of America
Washington, D.C.

Sponsored by the Center for Ward Method Studies
of the Benjamin T. Rome School of Music
in collaboration with the Church Music Association of America

Registration - Online | Brochure - Download

MUSINGS - Indissolubly bound

"Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life..." (John 3:36)

It is because the first Christians were convinced that faith and obedience were indissolubly bound together that they joined their voices with the Publican and cried out, "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner" - and received just that!


Today's Readings: Thursday, April 27th, 2006.

OPINION - The next best thing

Every five hundred years or so something absolutely incredible happens: The Catholic Church publishes a universal catechism. The last time that happened we were at the close of a previous millennium. This year, Pope Benedict XVI has given us the next best thing, the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. If you'd like a trustworthy contemporary guide to the heart and soul of the Catholic Faith, then the Compendium is just what you have been waiting for!

MUSINGS - The font of our well-being

"God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish, but might have eternal life." (John 3:16).

No person who has been embraced by this truth can ever truly doubt the value of their life, nor be overcome by despair. God - knowing all that we have done - has willingly offered up his life in exchange for ours. This is the font of personal well-being. It is for this reason alone that we need never lose hope.

Today's Readings: Wednesday, April 26th, 2006.

OPINION - Two Great Books

The genius of Pope John Paul II was his ability to show the connection between what the Catholic Church teaches and life in the real world - to the whole world! If you'd like to deepen your understanding of the Faith better so that you can make the same connection for your friends and family, then pick up a copy of Catholicism for Dummies. Then come this September pick up a copy of John Paul II for Dummies.

I wouldn't be surprised if - after reading either or both of these books - you dropped a line to thank Fr. John Trigilio for helping renew or restore your sense of wonder!



P.S. To my mind, the Appendix that outlines the history of the Catholic Church is worth the price of admission all by itself.

MUSINGS - A faithful brother...

"I write you this briefly through Silvanus,
whom I consider a faithful brother..." (1 Peter 5:12).

We were born a little less than a year apart, and we have spent my entire life as friends. Throughout our childhood I was always a tad taller and fiestier. I would pick our fights, and he would end them...with grace.

Adolesence bequeathed maturity of face to me long before it did the same for him. And while this spelled trouble for me, he always kept within arms length... close enough to grab me before I went of the deep end.

Throughout our teen years, I think I took the more sane path to dating. I didn't allow myself to become too serious. Not surprisingly, he took what appeared to be the responsible route. He loved deeply, and his heart became profoundly intertwined with a girl in high school.

We both lost our first loves, but I escaped without too much difficulty. He took the mature path, and experienced great disappointment. I lucked out ~ did the "immature" thing ~ and wound up the better for it. A first!

In college he tried his hand at songwriting. And wrote a few good ones. Even here, his excursion became a good gift to me. One of his pieces became the occasion of my own return to Christ. When my devotion began leading me to extremes, he was the one who brought me back to my senses. His words of wisdom ~ many uttered without the slightest sense of the profound impact that they were to have upon me ~ have served as the rudder of my life on several occasions.

There have been times when we have disagreed about important matters. And, yes, I believe that had he listened more frequently to his crazy brother, he might have been the better for it ~ or at least avoided some unnecessary pain. Nevertheless, throughout my forty-three years (and counting), I have never known someone as loyal and true.

Six years ago, I converted to Catholicism. To his mind this is probably another instance of my extremism. Not surprisingly, he has remained in the Christian tradition of our youth. But while others have been content to sit on the sideline with their doubts about the Christian-character of my new found faith, he has stayed in the game!

We don't talk about God and religion as much as I would like any more, but I have never known a moment when I doubted that I could call upon him!

Throughout our relationship he has gotten better at saying "No" to some of my requests and many of my ideas. But every "No" of his has been crowded in by the "Yes" that he continually shouts about me...and how much I mean to him.

When I counsel my son and daughters about the way they respond to one another in the ordinary details of life... When I correct them for their spontaneous acts of verbal unkindness... I have a firm image in my mind about the kind of relationship that I wish for them to have with each other. That image is itself a gift...

When I read the Apostle Peter's comment about Silvanus in today's readings, I couldn't help but think of my brother, Timothy.

I can't imagine what my life would be like without this one, whom I consider a faithful brother (1 Peter 5:12)

Today's Readings: Tuesday, April 25th, 2006.

MUSINGS - Jesus' gentility...

"What a coward! Just look at him, the big shot religious and governmental official sneaking around at night. It's not like Jesus was hard to find during the day. For goodness sake, take a hike to the Sea of Tiberius and you'll find him easily enough. But there he goes again, catching up with the Master at night!"

Given the Apostles' reactions to some others who tried to get close to Jesus - or to whom Jesus tried to get close - it's probably not too far off the mark to suggest that at least one of them might have spoken this way about Nicodemus' covert approach to following the Lord. Certainly, we are sometimes tempted ~ and sometimes fall prey ~ to these ignoble thoughts. Perhaps, we even speak them.

But, Jesus never does!

He seems to have a knack for detecting the real reasons why people behave the way they do. No, its not because he's a bleeding heart liberal. Remember his completely un-PC behavior in the temple? Jesus simply understands people. Behind our quirky ~ and sometimes irksome ~ behavior, he sees the real us (Isaiah 42:3)! And, its a good thing that he does!

Because sometimes... it takes a long time ...a very, very long time for us to pluck up the courage to stand with him.

So, if you're sneaking around like Nicodemus today, don't worry to much about it. At least not yet. But, just remember, that one day ~ at just the right time ~ he's gonna invite you out of the shadows.

Today's Readings: Monday, April 24th, 2006.

MUSINGS - The Divine Mercy

"In this way we know that we love the children of God
when we love God and obey his commandments.
For the love of God is this,
that we keep his commandments" (1 John 5:2-3).

It is impossible for an honest person to be confronted by these words and fail to recognize his need for God's mercy!

It is for this reason that the Catechism of the Catholic Church opens with this affirmation:

"God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life" (CCC 1)

Today's Readings: Sunday, April 23rd, 2006.

MUSINGS - Remarkable transformations...

When I was a boy, my family practically lived in church. I'm not complaining, I'm simply stating a fact. If the church doors were open, the Trecos were there. In fact, most of the time, we did the honors.... or at least my dad did!

Honestly, there were a few times that I wished I could sleep in. No matter, unless I was at death's door, that wasn't an option. So every Sunday morning I would be awakened and we would head off to church. Resistence was futile!

Mom and dad got us up earlier than most kids for two reasons: First, they had the church keys. And, second, they ran the Grace Gospel Chapel Sunday Morning Jitney Service, too! If you wanted a ride and didn't have a car, then my parents would have gladly added a few extra minutes to their Sunday travel schedule and would be there to pick you up!

I can't tell you how many graces came to me through this Sunday morning liturgy!

I met people of every possible shape and size and color and race. I shared my parents' cars with both the perpetually poor and soon-to-be-wealthy poor as well. I learned how to speak with people who barely spoke English ~ even though it was supposed to have been their native tongue ~ and with people who rellished the language of the Empire. I also picked up a few tips about personal hygeine along the way.

And while I wouldn't trade my experience with the Grace Gospel Chapel Sunday Morning Jitney Service for anything, our family's frenetic Sunday schedule afforded me a far more important gift: The opportunity to hear story after story about the power of the Gospel! My childhood memories are filled with personal testimonies about the remarkable transformations that occured in the lives of men and women ~ and, yes, even boys and girls ~ who heard, believed and embraced the Good News "that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself" (2 Corinthians 5:19).

The Christian people who taught me the faith believed two things with all their hearts: That (1) men were sinful (Romans 3:23)) and ~ except for the grace of God ~ without hope (Ephesians 2:12), and that (2) the Gospel was the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16). And...because they believed these things, they half-expected that people who gave their lives to Christ would experience a radical change in their experience of sin's oppressive power. And, truth be told, many did!

If you are a cradle Catholic, you might be wondering if I am simply recalling stories, half-remembered from my childhood. Or, perhaps you're saying to yourself, "That sounds just like the kind of fanciful (and false) claims that those Charismatics like to make." Now, I am not prepared to vouch for every conversion story that I heard in my youth, but this I can say, "Mine eyes have seen the glory" of lives transformed ~ almost in an instant.

Todays reading from the Acts of the Apostles reminded me of the tens and hundreds of conversion stories that I heard when I was growing up. As I read of Peter and John's strange courage before the Sanhedrin, I could not stop thinking about their cowardice during Jesus' interrogation and scourging. I was caught up again in awe over the "wonder working power of the blood."

As I reflected on the experiences of these two Apostles ~ the Rock and the Disciple whom Jesus Loved ~ and upon the stories that filled my youthful years with hope, I was made to wonder if somehow, some of us have embraced a truncated version of the Catholic Faith, a form of Catholicism that no longer has a place for these kinds of personal miracles... miracles of remarkable transformations.

BEFORE: "Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus at a distance" (Cf. Matthew 26:58; John 18:15).

AFTER: "Peter and John, however, said to them in reply,...It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard" (Acts 4:19, 20).

Lord, rescue me from anything that would cause me to disbelieve your power to save with immediacy, even as the Gospel works its power to transform me through a long obedience in the same direction. Amen.

Today's Readings: Saturday, April 22nd, 2006.

MUSINGS - The power of the mirror

Is it not astounding that we spend billions of dollars every year in order to gain what we can get for free? We'd prefer to squander all that we possess chasing ephemeral joys, rather than confront the reality in the silvered glass.

Despite our reluctance, it is to the mirror we must first go if we are ever to enjoy the refreshment we long to find.

"Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away, and that the Lord may grant you times of refreshment..." (Acts 3:19-20)

Today's Readings: Thursday, April 20th, 2006.

COMMENT - The "Local Church"

Yesterday, one of the members of the Plymouth Brethren Discussion Forum, stated that tradition's fundamental conviction regarding the biblical witness to the Church with such simplicity and clarity that I was compelled to respond. Although my response was in the form of a series of questions, I believe that it can serve as a goad to a fuller appreciation of the New Testament witness to the Church.

THEOLOGICAL AFFIRMATION:
There is no scriptural mandate for any organization other than the local church.

FIRST RESPONSE - A QUESTION ABOUT METHOD

1A. Can you outline what is required to establish that a given practice/claim has a "scriptural mandate"?

1B. Is the practice of the New Testament church as recounted in the New Testament sufficient to establish a scriptural mandate? Does one need explicit Apostolic instruction to establish a scriptural mandate? Or, is a combination of both required to establish a scriptural mandate?

SECOND RESPONSE - TWO QUESTIONS CONCERNING CONTENT

2A. Since the New Testament's statements regarding the the church in a specific locale seem to have a multi-congregational organization in view, I was wondering if - contrary to the typical Plymouth Brethren pattern - you were assuming this multi-congregational definition of "local church" in your affirmation?

2B. If you aren't assuming this multi-congregational organization, then I was wondering if you might outline your scriptural mandate for setting this New Testament pattern aside?

3A. Since the New Testament envisions certain men having authority to appoint leaders for the multi-congregational organizations that exist in various geographical locales - Timothy and Titus come readily to mind in this regard - I was wondering how the Plymouth Brethren currently implements this aspect of the scriptural mandate regarding the "local church"?

3B. If the Plymouth Brethren does not currently implement the multi-congregational pattern found in the New Testament, then I was wondering if you could present the scriptural mandate upon which Plymouth Brethren theologians, bible teachers or leaders have based their decision to set this New Testament pattern aside?

3C. If the portion of the Plymouth Brethren movement with which you fellowship has in fact implemented the multi-congregational pattern found in the New Testament, including the establishment of men with trans-congregational authority, I was wondering how it went about establishing/recognizing such trans-congregational leaders?

THIRD RESPONSE - A QUESTION CONCERNING PRINCIPLES

The two previous questions presuppose that the theological principle assumed by your affirmation is true. The following seeks to have you establish the scriptural mandate for the theological principle that your affirmation assumes.

4. What is the scriptural mandate for the theological principle that only scriptural mandates have binding force on the People of God, the Church, the Bride of Christ?

-------------
P.S. Wondering what a good Catholic boy was doing hanging out on an Evangelical Protestant forum? Well...I was invited to share my conversion story on the PBDF by it's host, Shawn Cuthill. Shawn is a full-time commended worker serving Bridlegrove Bible Chapel, Scarborough, Ontario, Canada.

BTW - The handsome, if stern, looking gentleman in the photo is John Nelson Darby, one of the founding and principle theologians of the Plymouth Brethren.

COMMENT - Reinventing Church

There seems to be a pervasive instinct within Evangelical Christianity. You might call it an instinct for reinventing church.

Perennially confronted by the imperfections of humanity - and the impact this has upon its attempts to build Christian communities that live up to the call of the Gospel - Evangelical theologians, pastors and laypeople regularly scour the New Testament in search of a more biblically faithful understanding of Church. Today, the search continues with the House Church and Emergent "movements".

Two features appear common to these efforts: First, they are born of a passionate desire to obey Christ and establish Christian communities that honor him, strengthens believers and bears faithful witness to the Gospel. Second, they speak of the church first and foremost as a notional reality.

What strikes me as odd about these efforts at reinventing church is that each of them neglects to take into account the actual, living community that Christ himself called into existence during his earthly ministry. They ignore the fact that when our Lord and the Apostles spoke of the Church - they had a specific community in view.... a community that even the gates of hell could not confound (Matthew 16:13-19).

It seems to me that implicit in this effort is the settled conviction that the Church that Christ actually founded has ceased to exist. If this is in fact what happened - if the original church failed - then I am left to wonder why any of us ought to waste our time trying to reinvent church at all. If the God-Man himself couldn't get it right, then why should mere mortals even try?

MUSINGS - God's strangeness...and ours

At no other time does God seem more alien to us than at the Triduum. Almost at every turn we find Him behaving oddly.

1. On Maundy Thursday, the One who formed us out of the dust of the earth stoops to wash the dust off of his followers' feet.

2. On Good Friday, the Innocent One suffers, so that the guilty can go free.

3. Finally, on Holy Saturday (Easter's Vigil), the once-dead Immortal rises so that the born-dead might become immortals through death.

Oddly enough, millions have discovered unexpected peace when they have embraced Jesus invitation to join in by imitating his strange behavior.

Today's Readings: Sunday, April 16th, 2006.

For Mac lovers only...

If you love the Macintosh and have been looking for an incredible tool for doing biblical studies. Then, get on the Logos Bible Software for the Mac email list. Logos produces the best biblical research software (...that's my private take), and this year they plan to introduce a version for the Macintosh! If you do, you'll be one of the first to know when a new day in Mac-based scripture studies has arrived!

MUSINGS - The betrayer's fee

"What are you willing to give me
if I hand him over to you?"
(Matthew 26:14)

Judas settled on 30 pieces of silver.
Others have handed him over for less!
Do you have a betrayer's fee, too?

Today's Readings: Wednesday, April 12th, 2006.

MUSINGS - The font of Catholic stability

Throughout the ages, as Catholics have been buffeted by the weaknesses and wickedness of popes, cardinals, bishops, priests and deacons, they have gained much consolation from the realism of our Lord's words:

"Amen, amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me....
Amen, amen, I say to you, the cock will not crow
before you deny me three times."
(John 13:21,38)

Yes, every now and then we have been tempted by the promised purity of a believer's church (remember the Donatists?)... In the end, however, we have embraced the Church as Christ has formed her... warts and all! - and found our solice in Christ.

Jesus' realism is the font of Catholic stability.

Today's Readings: Tuesday, April 11th, 2006.

Y4 - Two popular questions...

Since my conversion to Catholicism two questions have been asked of me more than any others! The first and most popular has been, "Why did you become a Roman Catholic?" After hearing my response, many have followed it up with, "Does the Charismatic Episcopal Church have a valid priesthood and Eucharist?"

If you have ever wondered why someone from a wonderful, devout Evangelical Christian home would even think about becoming Roman Catholic, then you'll want to read, One Persistent Desire.

If you have a burning desire to know what one Catholic person thinks about the apostolic credentials of the Charismatic Episcopal Church, then Conditional Ordination might be just the thing that you're looking for!

MUSINGS - A mother's counsel

As I read the Psalm for today I was transported back in time to an event that has been pivotal in my relationship with our heavenly Father. The Great Apostle was confident that the Old Testament stories were recorded for our benefit and instruction. I hope that hearing my brief witness is a similar salutary experience to you.

I was about thirtteen or fourteen, and my stomach was severely acidic. The condition wasn't of recent vintage. I had been in an out of our family physician's office several times during the past eighteen to twenty months. Despite the visits and the 800 mg Tagamets that I was taking, there had been little improvement. Dr. Ted feared that if I didn't manage my condition properly I would have an ulcer by the time that I was fifteen.

Sometime later that year, my mother caught my eye in the upstairs hallway of the Whitehouse (this is what we called my parent's home). She was preparing for a bath, and I could tell that she was worried. (My mother often looked worried, though I could never figure out about what.) On that day, however, her anxiety seemed particualrly heightened.

I had planned to walk-on-by. (What else is a child to do?) But, as I turned to enter my bedroom she spoke. "Vaughn!" She had called my name. "Vaughn, there is something that I want you to promise me. Can you make me a promise?"

Despite the fact that my mind was racing a mile-a-minute, I had no idea what my mother was about to say. Nevertheless, I heard my mouth saying, "Yes, mum, I'll make you a promise. What is it?" Then the questions started...

"Has God ever treated you or our family unkindly?" she asked.
"No, Mum," I answered.

"Has God ever left us in need of something we couldn't live without?" she continued.
"No, Mum. We have always had what we needed." I replied.

"Has he ever failed to live up to any of his promises?" she pressed.
Again, I said, "No, Mum. God has always been faithful to us!"

"Then, trust him!" she said. "Promise me that you will stop worrying and never worry again, ever!"

Then she continued... "I have spent most of my life worrying. And, now, I see that you have begun to worry, too! Promise me that you will not become like me in this. Promise me that you will trust God, no matter what happens."

"I promise, Mum," I said.

With that, Mum, turned and continued preparing her bath.

I have never been the same since!

"The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life’s refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?"
(Psalm 27:1)

Today's Readings: Monday, April 10th, 2006.

SUPPORT - Killing two/three birds with one stone

Most of you know that I am currently preparing for ordination to the priesthood. What you may not be aware of is that this opportunity is made possible - or very much less stressfull - by the generous support Christian friends a cross the United States many of whom support us financially on a monthly basis. A greater number still support my family and I through their prayers, private and public.

If you would like to support my priestly formation by adding financial support to your prayers, but haven't figured out a way to dot it. Here are a couple of ways you might be able to realize your hope:

I. Kill three birds with one stone: Support a Catholic organization, a Catholc seminarian, and get great Catholic resources!

Find Me...

II. Kill two birds with one stone: Support a Catholic Seminarian and get whatever else you need from Amazon:

MUSINGS - Don't miss the tension!

"The LORD shall ransom Jacob,
he shall redeem him from the hand of his conqueror.
Shouting, they shall mount the heights of Zion,
they shall come streaming to the LORD’s blessings:
The grain, the wine, and the oil,
the sheep and the oxen."
(Jeremiah 31:11-12)

"You know nothing,
nor do you consider that it is better for you
that one man should die instead of the people,
so that the whole nation may not perish."
(John 11:49b-50)

Every now and then the tension that lies at the center of the Catholic faith impresses itself upon us in an unmistakeable manner.

God will redeem his people!
But, he will have to die in order to do it!

When this happens, "Don't miss the tension!"

Today's Readings: Saturday, April 8th, 2006.

MUSINGS - The finger of God

Some time back the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith published Dominus Jesu (The Lord Jesus). The theological and political firestorm that it set off was incredible. Yes, I actually mean "incredible," that is, "So implausible as to elicit disbelief" (see Dictionary.com).

Listening to those who had taken issue with the declaration, you might have reasonably concluded that the Catholic Church must have declared a new dogma. But Dominus Jesu had done no such thing. On the contrary, it simply restated the Church's fundamental conviction regarding Jesus Christ of Nazareth:

+ That "God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself" (2 Corithians 5:19)
+ That "in him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily" (Colossians 2:9), and
+ That "there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we might be saved" (Acts 4:12).

Do not doubt it! This is the stuff of controversy. But it is salutary for Christians to remember that there is nothing new here. Jesus' claims about his unique relationship to the Father provoked powerful responses when he uttered them 2000 years ago. When the apostles proclaimed the Gospel to their contemporaries, some were scandalized while others thought them fools (see 1 Corinthians 1: 23-24). If this is the kind of reception that the Gospel originally received from many when it was first proclaimed, we ought not to be surprised when it provokes similar reactions today.

Today's Gospel reading reminds believers that Jesus' claims have always stirred the crowds. By the grace of God, some were moved to worship and obedience ~ and their lives were never the same again! But, it reminds us especially that there were other reactions...

The Jews picked up rocks to stone Jesus.
Jesus answered them, "I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of these are you trying to stone me?"
The Jews answered him,
"We are not stoning you for a good work but for blasphemy.
You, a man, are making yourself God."
Jesus answered them,
"...If I do not perform my Father’s works, do not believe me;
but if I perform them, even if you do not believe me,
believe the works, so that you may realize and understand
that the Father is in me and I am in the Father." (John 10:31-34)

When Christians are caught in some storm of controversy about our Lord, we ought to avoid the dual temptations of defensiveness or acquiescence. We may avoid the first by pointing to Jesus' actions and words. The other temptation may be quieted by recalling that some of Jesus' most passionate opponents were later to become his most ardent followers!

A few weeks after the events recorded here, some of these same people would come to place their faith in Christ (Acts 15:5; Philippians 3:5). They would come to recognize in Jesus' actions "the finger of God" (Luke 11:20)

Today's Readings: Friday, April 7th, 2006.

MUSINGS - A sensible response...

If for nothing else, you have to applaud the Jewish leaders' passion. They had conviction and a spine to prove it! They thought Jesus was dead wrong and were prepared to see him dead for it. They had little patience for unpopular fools traipsing across the hill country stirring up the people: They had none for popular ones claiming to be God. "So they picked up stones to throw at him" (John 8:59).

Perhaps recognising the integrity of this kind of response, the British literary critic and Christian apologist, C.S. Lewis made the following observation (Mere Christianity 40-41):

"I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: 'I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God.' That is the one thing we must not say.

A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic - on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg - or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse.

You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher.

He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to."

Whatever else might be said of Jewish leaders' response to Jesus' teachings and personal claims, it cannot be said that they failed to take him seriously! Alas, if we would follow their example and Mr. Lewis counsel!

Today's Readings: Thursday, April 6th, 2006.

This excerpt is taken from C.S. Lewis's Mere Christianity. You may purchase a copy here

MUSINGS - If God were your father...

The next time I hear someone say, "All religions are alike," I think I'm gonna scream! I just don't get it! How have so many intelligent men and women of faith allowed this drivel to become the accepted wisdom of the day?

True, some Jews and Muslims think highly of Jesus Christ - and the efforts to promote a spirit of mutual respect and understanding among people of faith is a good thing. But just let a Jew show up at synagogue or a Muslim arrive at his mosque for prayers and be invited to worship Jesus Christ, and...well... things might get a bit testy! And, this is how it should be!

The fact of the matter is that Christianity, Judaism and Islam differ in very important ways, and those differences matter! Faithful Jews think that they read the Hebrew Scriptures correctly. But Christianity renamed that same collection of texts precisely because Christians believe that Judaism has misread those texts. Muslims presume that these same texts have been corrupted or misread by both Jews and Christians, and thus need the correctives offered in the Koran. Two certainties are present here: (1) These three convictions are not the same! and (2) They radically alter a person's approach to Jesus.

In today's Gospel, our Lord says to the Pharisees, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and am here; I did not come on my own, but he sent me" (John 8:42). In a sense, he was telling them that they had misread the Sacred Scriptures... and that the misread had staggering implications for their relationship to God. The same is true today!

"At the heart of catechesis we find, in essence, a Person, the Person of Jesus of Nazareth, the only Son from the Father. . .who suffered and died for us and who now, after rising, is living with us forever." (John 1:14, 14:6; Ephesians 3:9, 18-19; CT 5) To catechize is "to reveal in the Person of Christ the whole of God's eternal design reaching fulfilment in that Person. It is to seek to understand the meaning of Christ's actions and words and of the signs worked by him." (CT 5) Catechesis aims at putting "people . . . in communion . . . with Jesus Christ: only he can lead us to the love of the Father in the Spirit and make us share in the life of the Holy Trinity." (CT 5) [CCC 426]

Jesus said to those Jews who believed in him, "If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:31).

The implication is unmistakable: Christ is life's center! Misunderstanding, neglecting or rejecting him has enormous implications for time and eternity!

Today's Readings: Tuesday, April 5th, 2006.

MUSINGS - Pain's truer purpose

Complain as we might about suffering, the fact is that most of us would remain blissfully unaware of life's purpose without it. Pain might be God's megaphone to a dead world (C.S. Lewis). But it is the thing that we discover after the noise has diverted our gaze that really matters: In our suffering we are most like God himself.... And, we are not alone.

Today's Readings: Tuesday, April 4th, 2006.

EXCERPT - The Center of the New Testament (von Balthasar)

Without a doubt, at the center of the New Testament there stands the Cross, which receives its interpretation from the Resurrection.

The Passion narratives are the first pieces of the Gospels that were composed as a unity. In his preaching at Corinth, Paul initially wants to know nothing but the Cross, which "destroys the wisdom of the wise and wrecks the understanding of those who understand", which "is a scandal to the Jews and foolishness to the gentiles". But "the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men" (I Cor 1:19, 23, 25).

Whoever removes the Cross and its interpretation by the New Testament from the center, in order to replace it, for example, with the social commitment of Jesus to the oppressed as a new center, no longer stands in continuity with the apostolic faith. He does not see that God's commitment to the world is most absolute precisely at this point across a chasm.

This excerpt from Hans Urs von Balthasar's Short Primer for Unsettled Laymen fromInsight by Ignatius Press continues here.
To buy Short Primer for Unsettled Laymen go here.

MUSINGS - Lord, loosen our lips

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.
(John 3:16)

God, who is rich in mercy,
because of the great love he had for us,
even when we were dead in our transgressions,
brought us to life with Christ - by grace you have been saved -
raised us up with him,
and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus,
that in the ages to come
He might show the immeasurable riches of his grace
in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
(Ephesians 2:4-7)

To remain silent in the face of God's grace would be an inestimable ingratitude. Thus the righteous pray, "Let my tongue be silenced, if I ever forget you!" (Psalm 137:6)

Today's Readings: Sunday, March 26th, 2006.

MUSINGS - One word can change the world

For most of us, it is far too easy to imagine that our lives really matter. The Annunciation screams a resounding "No" to all such self-deprecation. Sometimes the fate of the world hangs on a single "Yes"!

Today's Readings: Saturday, March 25th, 2006.

ANSWERING MISTER BROWN

About three years ago I was asked by the ladies council of my home parish, Our Lady of Angels, Woodbridge, Virginia, to lead a study that would address the issues raised by Dan Brown's novel, The DaVinci Code. While that study was able to assist a small group of concerned Catholics, it could do little more!

Since that time I've watched as many articles and books have been published to assist Christians - both Catholics and non-Catholics - in their efforts to respond to Mr. Brown's historically false and spiritually dangerous claims regarding Jesus Christ and the Church. One or two have also attempted to coordinate a more widespread parish or congregation based response.

The DaVinci Antidote is one such comprehensive resource. It is a coherent Catholic response that enables parishes everywhere to tackle the issues raised by The DaVinci Code. I hope that you would consider using these resources in your parish!

BTW - If you are able to coordinate a parish-wide response, you might want to consider purchasing a few copies of The DaVinci Deception and giving them to your friends.

MUSINGS - Understanding and embracing

And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding, he said to him, "You are not far from the Kingdom of God" (Mark 12:34).

It is a common enough error. Even so, it's important to keep in mind that having a correct understanding of the faith is not identical with embracing it. We must move beyond knowing about God to knowing Him; from information to trust!

Today's Readings: Friday, March 24th, 2006.

MUSINGS - Speaking & listening

THEOLOGY 101: God speaks in words and in power.
"If today you hear his voice..." (Psalm 95:8a).

SPIRITUALITY 101: If we are to hear, then we will need to incline our wills.
"...harden not your hearts" (Psalm 95:8b).

Today's Readings: Thursday, March 23rd, 2006.

MUSINGS - What you desire most!

If you wish to be thought wise, then obey God's commandments (Deut 4:5-6). If greatness is your aim, then teach others to do so as well (Matt 5:19).

Your need for significance has been anticipated and met in God's call to you.

Today's Readings: Wednesday, March 22nd, 2006.

MUSINGS - Forgiveness from the heart

Human pride is never so great as when it imagines that the forgiveness that we extend to each other may be compared to the forgiveness which we have received from our heavenly Father. It is for this reason that Jesus reminds us that the forgiveness the Father requires must be from the heart.

Today's Readings: Tuesday, March 21st, 2006.

DVD - The Journey Home Interview

On Monday, February 13th, I was Marcus Grodi's guest on EWTN's The Journey Home cable television show. It was an incredible opportunity to give witness to the tremendous grace God has given throughout our family's journey home to the Catholic Church.

If you would like to get a DVD of the show, click the button below. When you do, you will also be helping to support our family as I continue my theological and spiritual formation in anticipation of the priesthood.

EXCERPT - The Paradoxes of Christianity (G.K. Chesterton)

The real trouble with this world of ours is not that it is an unreasonable world, nor even that it is a reasonable one. The commonest kind of trouble is that it is nearly reasonable, but not quite. Life is not an illogicality; yet it is a trap for logicians. It looks just a little more mathematical and regular than it is; its exactitude is obvious, but its inexactitude is hidden; its wildness lies in wait. I give one coarse instance of what I mean.

Suppose some mathematical creature from the moon were to reckon up the human body; he would at once see that the essential thing about it was that it was duplicate. A man is two men, he on the right exactly resembling him on the left. Having noted that there was an arm on the right and one on the left, a leg on the right and one on the left, he might go further and still find on each side the same number of fingers, the same number of toes, twin eyes, twin ears, twin nostrils, and even twin lobes of the brain. At last he would take it as a law; and then, where he found a heart on one side, would deduce that there was another heart on the other. And just then, where he most felt he was right, he would be wrong.

Excerpted from Chapter 6 of G.K. Chesterton's Orthodoxy. For the rest...GO HERE!

If you would like to read the book, then click the following link:

Orthodoxy

MUSINGS - A Divine-Human Resonance

"Joseph did as the angel...had commanded him" (Matthew 1:24)
"Jesus went...to Nazareth, and was obedient to them" (Luke 2:51).

There is a remarkable resonance between the Gospel for today and it's alternate. In the one, Joseph faces the implications of Mary's pregnancy. In the other, Jesus is confronted by Mary and Joseph. One hears the voice of an angel. The other, the voice of his mother. Both respond in kind with a steady heroism...aka obedience.

Today's Readings: Monday, March 20th, 2006.

MUSINGS - Love is at hand

He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, and...he said, "Take these out of here, and stop making my Father's house a marketplace" (John 2:15-16)

Love of God and love of neighbor are both present here! How do we know? Because God is at hand. We cannot see it because we have collapsed love into passion. Today's Gospel is a reminder that love is much more than that!

Today's Readings: Sunday, March 19th, 2006.

IRELAND'S TRUE GLORY

SAINT PATRICK'S BREASTPLATE

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through the belief in the threeness,
Through confession of the oneness
Of the Creator of Creation.

I arise today
Through the strength of Christ's birth with his baptism,
Through the strength of his crucifixion with his burial,
Through the strength of his resurrection with his ascension,
Through the strength of his descent for the judgment of Doom.

I arise today
Through the strength of the love of Cherubim,
In obedience of angels,
In the service of archangels,
In hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In prayers of patriarchs,
In predictions of prophets,
In preaching of apostles,
In faith of confessors,
In innocence of holy virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.

I arise today
Through the strength of heaven:
Light of sun,
Radiance of moon,
Splendor of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of wind,
Depth of sea,
Stability of earth,
Firmness of rock.

I arise today
Through God's strength to pilot me:
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's way to lie before me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's host to save me
From snares of devils,
From temptations of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
Afar and anear,
Alone and in multitude.

I summon today all these powers between me and those evils,
Against every cruel merciless power that may oppose my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul.
Christ to shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that there may come to me abundance of reward.

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the threeness,
Through confession of the oneness,
Of the Creator of Creation.

-------
This is the true glory of the Irish and their noblest dream.
Thanks for the reminder, Miss Trish!

MUSINGS - Joseph, childhood & hope

Ever since I was a child, Joseph has fascinated me!

I heard Joseph's story from my mother's lips first; full of drama and intrigue. I can remember how she spoke of his dad's favoritism and the trouble it stirred up between Joseph and his brothers. Since my mom and dad had fought successfully against any similar urges they might have had, the fear of parentally enhanced sibling rivalry was never a part of my experience. So it was easy for me to see how to rise above it.

When mom spoke of the wicked machinations of Joseph's brothers, and Rueben's cowardly compromise, I wondered how it was possible for brothers to behave like that. But since my mom was older and bigger than me, and, since she had never lied to me before, I figured this part of the story had to be true, too. I comforted myself with the thought that this is what happens in bad families.

I was impressed when mom told us about how Joseph had - through hard work - advanced in his master's house. I was so captured by the ease with which Joseph escaped from the clutches of Potiphar's evil wife that I didn't even mind that it landed him in prison. I had never been to a prison of any kind, so I imagined that it couldn't have been all that bad! And after all, Joseph was God's guy!

I know that my mom told us about the two men that Joseph helped while in prison. You know, the one that got strung up by the neck (whatever that meant), and the one that got to go live in the palace again. The first man never returned the favor, and the other just forgot about Joseph. In any event, Joseph kept doing what good guys always do: He kept trusting the Lord, because in the end God would do right by him. God always did.

And - by the way - that's just what happened.

Eventually, Pharaoh needed a dream deciphered and Joseph's forgetful former fellow-prisoner suddenly had a revelation. As the story goes, he said to Pharaoh, "I know a guy who can interpret dreams." With that Joseph was sprung!

Joseph interpreted Pharaoh's dream. Then, he saved the Egyptians from starvation - along with a bunch of other people. After that he was made second in command, and Pharaoh even gave him a beautiful wife. Finally, and true to form, Joseph saved the very wretched brothers who had thought to kill him, but who decided to sell him into slavery instead.

I heard Joseph's story many times in my childhood. For all that, there was one detail that I had never noticed: Jospeh didn't know how his story was going to end. He had to go through it blind!

By the time this detail had caught my attention, I had had an encounter or two with strife-torn families. I had also tasted the shameful fruit of cowardice, been wrongfully accused, and had learned something of the power of temptation. The experience of these all too common human weaknesses - coupled with that long unnoticed detail - has altered the way I read the story of Joseph today. Joseph was a man, just like me. Yet, he remained true to God no matter what life dished out.

This has changed my view of Joseph forever. This Lent, I hope that it changes me, too!

Today's Readings: Friday, March 17th, 2006.

MUSINGS - Restorer of the human heart

Despite all the sophisticated spiritual, religious and/or theological moves that we employ to justify ourselves, few of us are happy with anything less than genuine fidelity from our fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, husbands, wives, co-workers or friends! In the world of relationships, you are what you do!

It's the same way in the life of faith: The blessed are alive with the works of justice. But, our practiced delusions about this are so powerful that we very easily forget the witness of the Scriptures (Luke 16:29-31)! Keep this in mind the next time you are bothered by the distracting demands of Lent. ...and give thanks.

Each Lent you and I are given forty days to hear again the law and the prophets - and to contemplate the incredible grace secured by the Resurrection - so that our torturous hearts might be turned back toward God more completely...and fine their rest and restoration in Him.

"O God, the restorer and lover of innocence,
direct the hearts of your servants unto yourself:
that being enkindled with the fire of your Spirit,
they may be found both steadfast in faith and fruitful in deed."
(Collect, Thursday of the Second Week of Lent)

Today's Readings: Thursday, March 16th, 2006.

MUSINGS - Wasted Surprise

Why are we surprised when we get into trouble for speaking the truth? Jesus said it would happen!

Today's Readings: Wednesday, March 15th, 2006.