O Lord God,
I have no idea where I am going,
I do not see the road ahead of me,
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself,
And that fact that I think
I am following Your will
Does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe
That the desire to please You
Does in fact please You.
And I hope I have that desire
In all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything
Apart from that desire to please You.
And I know that if I do this
You will lead me by the right road,
Though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore I will trust You always
Though I may seem to be lost
And in the shadow of death.
I will not fear,
For You are ever with me,
And You will never leave me
To make my journey alone.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
"40 Days" - Mark Schultz
Lord, I came to the mountaintop
To be with You
I felt Your grace falling down like rain
And I was made new
But there are times like now when I’m all dried out
Lord, Your ways are not my own
But I trust You
Lord, You say, “You are not alone,
For I am with you”
But there are times like now when You can’t be found
And it’s like 40 days out in the desert
Feeling like I’m lost forever
And crying out for You
But in these 40 days I’m going to seek You
With my heart because I believe You
Have brought me to this place
These 40 days
‘Cause You are with me
You never leave me
Even when my world turns upside down
‘Cause there are times like now when I will
Trust somehow
And it’s like 40 days out in the desert
Feeling like I’m lost forever
And crying out for You
But in these 40 days I’m going to seek You
With my heart because I believe You
Have brought me to this place
These 40 days
Well, there is a light at the end of the tunnel…I know
To be with You
I felt Your grace falling down like rain
And I was made new
But there are times like now when I’m all dried out
Lord, Your ways are not my own
But I trust You
Lord, You say, “You are not alone,
For I am with you”
But there are times like now when You can’t be found
And it’s like 40 days out in the desert
Feeling like I’m lost forever
And crying out for You
But in these 40 days I’m going to seek You
With my heart because I believe You
Have brought me to this place
These 40 days
‘Cause You are with me
You never leave me
Even when my world turns upside down
‘Cause there are times like now when I will
Trust somehow
And it’s like 40 days out in the desert
Feeling like I’m lost forever
And crying out for You
But in these 40 days I’m going to seek You
With my heart because I believe You
Have brought me to this place
These 40 days
Well, there is a light at the end of the tunnel…I know
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Carrying That Weight
"'If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.'" - Lk. 9:23-24
One has to give credit Jesus for his tenacity. He did not hesitate to challenge the same people he was trying to bring to God. He spoke the truth and never sugar-coated the difficulties people would face in their lives.
Christ tells his followers that they must give up their materialistic lifestyle and dedicate their entire lives to the service of the Lord and all the struggles that come with that way of being. He warns that those who refuse to take up this challenge will end up never receiving their eternal reward;however, those who do accept the life as a servant of the Lord will be greatly rewarded with eternal life.
This was in no way easy for the people of Palestine at that time. It is even more difficult in today's society. We are surrounded by materialism from the moment we wake up to the moment we go to sleep at night (Maybe even in our dreams too!). We are told that we should have the newest technology, watch the latest successful television show,or wear the latest fashion. When it comes to holidays, we focus so much on the "happy" day of Easter and attempt to ignore the "darkness" of Lent. We choose to ignore the suffering and challenges Lent poses to our current lifestyles. We like the days we get stuff (Christmas, Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday, Easter) but pretend Christ doesn't then challenge us in the gospels over the next 40 days to sacrifice earthly happiness for heavenly happiness. We are more statisfied with instant gratification than making the inventment in eternity.
Spend some time and think about what you need to give up in order to follow Christ fully. Are you up to the challenges a life of following Christ entails? It is easy to say "Oh yeah, I'd follow Jesus without any problems." The apostles said the same thing and then spent the next three years not understanding what they had really gotten into. It wasn't until after Christ was resurrected did they truly understand and truly accept the challenges of being a follower of Christ by "carrying" their crosses daily.
What we must remember is that Christ carried his cross to his death. His was the heaviest cross to bear. On it, he carried the sins of all mankind. Upon it he gave his life so that we could have the opportunity to live. All he asked for in return is that we "pay it forward" and carry our own crosses in hopes of bringing about the Kingdom of God on Earth. That is actually a pretty good deal, even in a materialistic world.
One has to give credit Jesus for his tenacity. He did not hesitate to challenge the same people he was trying to bring to God. He spoke the truth and never sugar-coated the difficulties people would face in their lives.
Christ tells his followers that they must give up their materialistic lifestyle and dedicate their entire lives to the service of the Lord and all the struggles that come with that way of being. He warns that those who refuse to take up this challenge will end up never receiving their eternal reward;however, those who do accept the life as a servant of the Lord will be greatly rewarded with eternal life.
This was in no way easy for the people of Palestine at that time. It is even more difficult in today's society. We are surrounded by materialism from the moment we wake up to the moment we go to sleep at night (Maybe even in our dreams too!). We are told that we should have the newest technology, watch the latest successful television show,or wear the latest fashion. When it comes to holidays, we focus so much on the "happy" day of Easter and attempt to ignore the "darkness" of Lent. We choose to ignore the suffering and challenges Lent poses to our current lifestyles. We like the days we get stuff (Christmas, Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday, Easter) but pretend Christ doesn't then challenge us in the gospels over the next 40 days to sacrifice earthly happiness for heavenly happiness. We are more statisfied with instant gratification than making the inventment in eternity.
Spend some time and think about what you need to give up in order to follow Christ fully. Are you up to the challenges a life of following Christ entails? It is easy to say "Oh yeah, I'd follow Jesus without any problems." The apostles said the same thing and then spent the next three years not understanding what they had really gotten into. It wasn't until after Christ was resurrected did they truly understand and truly accept the challenges of being a follower of Christ by "carrying" their crosses daily.
What we must remember is that Christ carried his cross to his death. His was the heaviest cross to bear. On it, he carried the sins of all mankind. Upon it he gave his life so that we could have the opportunity to live. All he asked for in return is that we "pay it forward" and carry our own crosses in hopes of bringing about the Kingdom of God on Earth. That is actually a pretty good deal, even in a materialistic world.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Traditions
What better time to talk about the idea of traditions than the day the Catholic Church begins one of it's oldest and most significant traditions, the season of Lent.
We all have traditions. They are ones passed down by former generations in our families and even our faith communities. They sometimes have special meaning to us, and sometimes we carry them on just because "that's the way my parents did it."
In the Catholic Church, we are called to carry on the traditions of fasting, prayer and almsgiving during the season of Lent. Over the course of Lent, I will dedicate an entry to each of these traditions, but I want to make a general comment about them in relation to the concept of tradition.
I have been raised to uphold these traditions since I was a little child. I understand the reasoning behind them. However, I do find it saddening that there are young Christians in today's society view these sacrifices as almost personal attacks on their freedom. They complain how these practices are stupid, yet know little to nothing about their history. They don't understand the value of sacrifice. This is not entirely their own fault. We have raised an entire generation based on the concept of individualistic isolationism. They are raised to care about themselves above all else. They fail to understand the tradition that Christ gave us directly, which is to love one another and to serve our brothers and sisters in order to bring about the Kingdom of God.
Traditions during Lent can go beyond the practices of fasting, almsgiving, and prayer. I have my own traditions during Lent. Each Ash Wednesday, I start to read a new book that relates to my personal studies of theology. This year, I am reading The Parables of Peanuts, the follow-up book to Robert Short's The Gospel According to Peanuts. For the last ten years, I have also done daily readings from the Little Black Book by the Diocese of Saginaw (www.littlebooks.org) I also have a Lent 2010 iMix (Which you can now download on iTunes)of songs I have chosen to use in my own prayers and meditiations during Lent. And this year, I am trying to say a decade of the rosary each day, which is in thanks to my Rosary Rap CD by Joe Melendrez (www.rosaryrap.com).
Whatever traditions you may partake in this Lent, remember to keep Christ at the center!
We all have traditions. They are ones passed down by former generations in our families and even our faith communities. They sometimes have special meaning to us, and sometimes we carry them on just because "that's the way my parents did it."
In the Catholic Church, we are called to carry on the traditions of fasting, prayer and almsgiving during the season of Lent. Over the course of Lent, I will dedicate an entry to each of these traditions, but I want to make a general comment about them in relation to the concept of tradition.
I have been raised to uphold these traditions since I was a little child. I understand the reasoning behind them. However, I do find it saddening that there are young Christians in today's society view these sacrifices as almost personal attacks on their freedom. They complain how these practices are stupid, yet know little to nothing about their history. They don't understand the value of sacrifice. This is not entirely their own fault. We have raised an entire generation based on the concept of individualistic isolationism. They are raised to care about themselves above all else. They fail to understand the tradition that Christ gave us directly, which is to love one another and to serve our brothers and sisters in order to bring about the Kingdom of God.
Traditions during Lent can go beyond the practices of fasting, almsgiving, and prayer. I have my own traditions during Lent. Each Ash Wednesday, I start to read a new book that relates to my personal studies of theology. This year, I am reading The Parables of Peanuts, the follow-up book to Robert Short's The Gospel According to Peanuts. For the last ten years, I have also done daily readings from the Little Black Book by the Diocese of Saginaw (www.littlebooks.org) I also have a Lent 2010 iMix (Which you can now download on iTunes)of songs I have chosen to use in my own prayers and meditiations during Lent. And this year, I am trying to say a decade of the rosary each day, which is in thanks to my Rosary Rap CD by Joe Melendrez (www.rosaryrap.com).
Whatever traditions you may partake in this Lent, remember to keep Christ at the center!
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Mardi Gras: Preparing For The Journey Through Lent
“I have to say it now
It's been a good life all in all
It's really fine
To have the chance to hang around
And lie there by the fire
And watch the evening tire
While all my friends and my old lady
Sit and watch the sun go down
And talk of poems and prayers and promises
And things that we believe in
How sweet it is to love someone
How right it is to care
How long it's been since yesterday
What about tomorrow
What about our dreams
And all the memories we share” – John Denver
Tomorrow marks the start of the Season of Lent and new journey of faith for me. I have decided to keep an online journal to record my thoughts and actions for two reasons. The first reason is so that I can recall my experiences throughout the season. The second reason is with the hope that someone else might enjoy following my own personal journey and maybe in some way it helps them on their journey.
I named this blog “Poems, Prayers and Promises” because it is one of my favorite John Denver songs and I think it fits so well with Lent. It is an opportunity to sit and think about where one has been and where one is going in their life. We recall the poems, or words that inspire and guide us. We spend the time in prayer, asking God for guidance and direction toward a more fruitful relationship with him. Finally, we make promises to others, ourselves and God to become better Christians as a result of our spiritual journey during this time. With these aspects for reflection in our lives, we start to shape the person God intended for us to become in the world.
I should explain how I envision this journal working. Over the next six and a half weeks, I plan to update daily. These updates will take the form of personal reflections, lyrics, poems, prayers, or even questions that enter my mind as my spiritual journey progresses.
So enjoy the rest of your Mardi Gras!
It's been a good life all in all
It's really fine
To have the chance to hang around
And lie there by the fire
And watch the evening tire
While all my friends and my old lady
Sit and watch the sun go down
And talk of poems and prayers and promises
And things that we believe in
How sweet it is to love someone
How right it is to care
How long it's been since yesterday
What about tomorrow
What about our dreams
And all the memories we share” – John Denver
Tomorrow marks the start of the Season of Lent and new journey of faith for me. I have decided to keep an online journal to record my thoughts and actions for two reasons. The first reason is so that I can recall my experiences throughout the season. The second reason is with the hope that someone else might enjoy following my own personal journey and maybe in some way it helps them on their journey.
I named this blog “Poems, Prayers and Promises” because it is one of my favorite John Denver songs and I think it fits so well with Lent. It is an opportunity to sit and think about where one has been and where one is going in their life. We recall the poems, or words that inspire and guide us. We spend the time in prayer, asking God for guidance and direction toward a more fruitful relationship with him. Finally, we make promises to others, ourselves and God to become better Christians as a result of our spiritual journey during this time. With these aspects for reflection in our lives, we start to shape the person God intended for us to become in the world.
I should explain how I envision this journal working. Over the next six and a half weeks, I plan to update daily. These updates will take the form of personal reflections, lyrics, poems, prayers, or even questions that enter my mind as my spiritual journey progresses.
So enjoy the rest of your Mardi Gras!
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