To Imagine Love

“I wonder if you’re too idealistic?”

That’s what he said to me. Which led to the thought of being romantic, and so on to the phrase “hopelessly romantic.” Now I bring this jungle of thought to your attention for Christians in general.

Well, what does “romantic” mean? Google defines it as:

ro·man·tic rōˈmantik,rə-/ adjective

1.      inclined toward or suggestive of the feeling of excitement and mystery associated with love…relating to love, esp. in a sentimental or idealized way.

2.      of, characterized by, or suggestive of an idealized view of reality

What is this “idealistic” that keeps coming up? Merriam-Webster says:

            ide·al·ism noun \ī-ˈdē-(ə-)ˌliz-əm, ˈī-(ˌ)dē-\

the attitude of a person who believes that it is possible to live according to very high standards of behavior and honesty

Hm… just following the bouncing ball as we know what people usually mean when they say “hopeless romantic,” but in actuality it doesn’t sound like a romantic is hopeless at all. Quite the opposite in fact! It is the same as saying “hopelessly hopeful.” “…relating to love, especially in a sentimental or [very high standards] way.” Reminds me of the saints. Men and women who held to their hearts desires of hoping to bring God, who is trust (honesty) and love. They lived virtuous lives of high integrity. St. Therese of the Child Jesus. Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati. St. Gianna Molla. St. Maria Gorretti. Bl. Jose del Rio Sanchez. St. Barbara. St. Philomena. St. John Vianney. St. Josemaria Escriva. The list goes on!

So if you’re “hopelessly romantic” or “too idealistic” is that not actually a complement to one who is seeking God? I must admit that it took some searching to find a definition of “idealism” that seemed appropriate for this post for various reasons – such as the use of the word in the definition and a couple definitions that’s wording wasn’t suited for this train of thought, but do you still find agreement with the definitions presented? What then, do you day dream, idealize, and romanticize about?

Life from Luke

i was offline last weekend due to a retreat which ws pretty good.For one thing, I noticed the Ld really urging me to open up Luke and what I found flipped my lid!  Luke 1:12-17. Read it.

Ok, now follow along with tese awesome revelations:
Luke 1:12. "Elizabeth will bear a son." A son. A person! Not a clump of meaningless cells.

Luke1:13. "Joy will come with his birth." His enetering into the world will bring joy to all whose lives he will be a part of.

Luke1:15. "He will be great in the eyes of the Lord." The Lord will see this little boy, whose future only the Lord knows, as great!

1:16. That future is that he is going to do great things. He is the only one who can fill the space in human history that was made for him.

Luke1:17. "Strong and mighty." TGabriel could even tell Elizabeth what he would grow to be like! Look at this! John was not even conceived yet and look at what the Lord  already knew and was able to share about him. This is everyone of His children. Every human. Is it awesome? Why can't others see thisand apply it to every unborn child? Let's pray for for this conversion and wisdom! :)

En Communio

Have you ever watched a couple who are legitimately in love? They can silently exchange glances, communicating one thing or another. They seek to anticipate the needs of the other in order to help them. They gladly make sacrifices of their own will to see the other become over joyed.

Should this not be how our relationship with God the Son should be? Didn’t He make the greatest sacrifice to see us at the eternal level of joy? Didn’t He anticipate our need for redemption and mercy? There’s a story I’ve heard a few different versions of…

“Once there was an old man who would come to adoration every week. He would sit in the back pew and just stare at the Blessed Sacrament. No reading. No beads. Just gaze. And when asked what it was that he prayed during that time, he responded, “I’m not praying. I look at Him and He looks at me.”

Obviously this is prayer since prayer is a two way street. Is he not listening? Isn’t the lover and beloved silently exchanging glances? What great love the Holy Spirit must be doing in such a person’s heart! 

Recently, on EWTN radio, Johnette Benkovic was talking with an older man who had been away from the Church for over 40 years. He complained that since he’s begun praying he’s not heard God speak and wondered if he was doing it wrong. He’s felt nothing. Johnette’s answer was profound: “Like medical anesthesia, the Lord is doing such deep work in your soul that it would be too painful for you to feel it all at once, but He is there.”

So often we become discouraged in our prayers. Why isn’t God answering them? Why isn’t He giving me the answer in the time frame I want? Why can’t I feel Him? Love isn’t about feelings. Sometimes it’s not about getting what we want when we want, but receiving what it is that we actually need to become the saints God created us to be.

Like the lovers, we are God’s beloved, are we letting Him romance us? Can we listen to Him? Are we able to just spend quality time with Him? Or do we treat Him like a vending machine: put in a prayer, receive desired result?

“He is jealous for me. Love’s like a hurricane and I am a tree, bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy. When all of a sudden of these afflictions eclipsed by glory, And I realize just how beautiful You are, And how great Your affections are for me. (How He Loves, by David Crowder Band.)”

Pax Tecum.

Gifts of the Church

“You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church.” Mt. 16:18

“For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” Romans 12:4-5

The Lord is so good. As if you don’t already know it! But over the last two days He allowed me to experience His love and majesty with a different perspective and solidly reiterated some reoccurring lessons. I was blessed with the opportunity to interview with St. Paul’s Outreach on OSU’s campus during the past 36 hours and while there they Lord presented how alive His body is. I've been wondering what happened to the Church that I once thought was in a spring time of its life. Where had it gone? Living in my current diocese, there’s not much persecution happening- praise be Jesus! – but it’s allowed a complacent blanket to settle on most of the Catholics here. We go do good during the day, we seek some good in the evening… it’s all honky-dory. Where is the zeal? Where is the fire for the souls we’re working next to that are dying? Perhaps this place is too focused on only social justice when we need to be balancing it with soul-cial charity too.

Arriving in Columbus, I showed up an hour early. My friends were unavailable and I have nothing to do with that hour. Turning some corners I came across Holy Name Church, which is gorgeous! It’s so pre-Vatican II with it’s lovely high altar, side altars (complete with their own tabernacles which now hide behind flower displays), and of course a marble communion rail. Kneeling before the Lord in this wonderful house of His, I was struck with awe at the fact that there’s a sense of home in each and every Catholic church throughout the world, whether it was built 5 years ago or 500, is ornately gothic or plainly modern, because Christ is still present in the tabernacle. It’s an other worldly gift that He offers us. No doubt to help in romancing us. How wondrous that He offers us the gift of coming home every time we enter a Catholic church! How blessed we are with this gift that many of our Christian brothers and sisters don’t have. If only we would allow our hearts to be empty so that He could completely fill them! How might the world reform with such joy and charity!

Since the beginning of January the Lord has just been crazy about giving me awe about the priesthood, another gift that many of our Christian brothers and sisters can’t experience. Who are these men that would lay down their life for us, the children of God, so that someone sacrifices everything so that we are spiritually nourished, protected, and healed? Where does God find these men? I think He makes them. He makes us all. But they allow Him to make them. Do we? He makes them feet, hands, and ears of His body. What is He trying to make of us? Are we allowing Him to work? Why not – He’s a skilled craftsman! But back to these men of His, His beloved sons. Are they not brave, courageous fathers? They are our spiritual fathers and they know in spiritually adopting us by accepting the gift of becoming a priest, that we will be disobedient, wayward, stubborn, weak, lost, hopeless, and wounded at times, but like all amazing parents, they know that it is the Lord’s will what happens in our lives and they are here, answering the call, to guide us to Him. They know they alone can do nothing, that it is God Who works through them. They know what our potential can be, if only we accept the mercy and truth of God that they want to share with us. What courageous men! Praise be Jesus!

They are more than just "priests" they are "priest-victims." Ven. Fulton Sheen once said that hyphenated part is too often left off their full title. This is evident because we all seem to have forgotten about that part. Let us pray for them, and know that those with other titles, such as "bishops," etc. are called to be even more victims/servants for the Lord and His body, the Church.

Pax Tecum.