Showing posts with label Parents. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Parents. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Devoted To Evangelizing The Next Generation
1Sam 1:9 "Hannah ... presented herself before the LORD ..she prayed to the LORD, weeping copiously .. promising: "O LORD of hosts ... if you give your handmaid a male child, I will give him to the LORD for as long as he lives" - Although Hannah was barren and suffered for lack of children, she still drew close to God and God to her. She valiantly demonstrates what true motherhood and parenting is all about; to raise their children to know the Lord and live for the Lord! God gave her a son, Samuel. For Christian parents it's all the more important to raise their children to know and live for Christ who alone redeems mankind and to prepare them to be evangelizers of such incomparable Life in Christ. How many Catholic parents, then, are encouraging their children to consider the religious life as brothers, sisters, or priests who freely choose to dedicate their entire being to Christ alone so that Christianity may expand? We can not afford to be selfish any longer! Help children, teenagers, and young adults know the amazing life of priest saints, sister saints, and brother saints, who were consumed in the love of Christ and made His love known by their undying love for others.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Family Values
Vocation Awareness
What is attacked more today than the traditional family unit? Tradition values have been under attack throughout the world for more than fifty years. Almost all of our struggles today such as pre-marital fornication, adultery, unwanted pregnancies, abortion, sterilization or the use of contraception, drugs, excess alcohol, and pornography stem from the lack of maintaining the traditional family unit provided us by God. (see Mark 10:1-12)
So what would be considered some traditional family values that would help a young family, husband and wife with their children (or the same desire by single moms and dads) to regain and keep control of their home and reestablish honor from their children as we begin a new academic year.
First, let us look at an example of what happened in Old Testament times when God and family values were shunned by Eli, the priest that Samuel would eventually replace. Eli wanted everything for his children and he bent over backwards to satisfy their every want and desire. Sound familiar mom and dad? Learn the moral lesson below.
Eli is an appalling example of fatherhood which is revealed by God, “And why do you honor your sons in preference to me, fattening yourselves with the choicest part of every offering of my people Israel?” (1 Sam. 2:29) Eli was honoring his children rather than honoring God, giving his best to his children instead of giving his best to God. Eli was a misfit father because he did not set the example for his children through humility, prayers and supplications before the Lord. Therefore, the goodness of God was withdrawn from Eli and his family. They were destroyed with only a few remaining who were left begging even for a “morsel of bread to eat” from the hands of Samuel, a man of God whom God put in place of Eli as the “faithful priest who shall do what I have in mind and heart”.
Yes, throughout the Old Testament God gives a stern warning to His people. If they heed his voice they are blessed and if they do not, then the Lord completes his action that he threatened against his own sons and daughters. Parents, you too must do the same. Set just rules, not to harsh and not to light, and then bind them for everyone in the home. There should be prayer time, chore time, study time, and family time. I see the television, cell phones, and video games as all major contributors to the break down of the family as it becomes a roof we live under instead of a home were God and family, love and generosity, are the priority.
Eli committed further crimes against God as his sons became young adults without any regard for God or morality, “though he knew his sons were blaspheming God, he did not reprove them.” (1 Sam 3:13) Eli would call on the Lord but it was too late, all of Israel suffered defeat, his sons were killed in battle, and the ark of the covenant was captured by his arch enemy, the Philistines. All this happened because Eli was not disciplined himself and refused to discipline his children at a young age. Yes, he tried to discipline his children when they were adults but it was too late, they had no respect for their father and did not listen to his correction. The same will happen to you and your children unless you renew your commitment to God, to Christ Jesus, set the good example by your own actions, pray fervently, and have your children follow the discipline of being disciples of the Lord instead of disregard for God and family.
Fathers, do you require obedience of your children? Do you give them assigned tasks and make sure they follow through? Do you set the example as the spiritual father of the household, praying everyday before your children? Or have you become couch potatoes when you get home from work, just wanting to eat, relax, lie down and not be bothered?
Samuel, unlike Eli’s sons, was disciplined through the dedication and love of his parents, even though he was separated from them early in life they continued to have a strong and positive influence on him. Because Samuel was disciplined as a child, following the rules and regulations set down by his parents, he remained faithful to Eli, returning to him repeatedly to be at his service saying “Here I am, you called me.” when it was God who was calling him. Don’t you want teenagers who will choose consistently to come to you first when they are confused, scared, or downtrodden? Even as an unfit father as Eli was, he did point Samuel into the right direction, guiding him back to God to begin his ministry unto the Lord serving faithfully the people of God. Most teenagers who are considering the religious life do so not only because of the good examples of sisters, brothers, and priests, but because of the singular devotion to God by their father or mother, grandfather or grandmother. Let us rebuild the family unit, a home grounded in the Gospel, safe from the immorality of this world.
What is attacked more today than the traditional family unit? Tradition values have been under attack throughout the world for more than fifty years. Almost all of our struggles today such as pre-marital fornication, adultery, unwanted pregnancies, abortion, sterilization or the use of contraception, drugs, excess alcohol, and pornography stem from the lack of maintaining the traditional family unit provided us by God. (see Mark 10:1-12)
So what would be considered some traditional family values that would help a young family, husband and wife with their children (or the same desire by single moms and dads) to regain and keep control of their home and reestablish honor from their children as we begin a new academic year.
First, let us look at an example of what happened in Old Testament times when God and family values were shunned by Eli, the priest that Samuel would eventually replace. Eli wanted everything for his children and he bent over backwards to satisfy their every want and desire. Sound familiar mom and dad? Learn the moral lesson below.
Eli is an appalling example of fatherhood which is revealed by God, “And why do you honor your sons in preference to me, fattening yourselves with the choicest part of every offering of my people Israel?” (1 Sam. 2:29) Eli was honoring his children rather than honoring God, giving his best to his children instead of giving his best to God. Eli was a misfit father because he did not set the example for his children through humility, prayers and supplications before the Lord. Therefore, the goodness of God was withdrawn from Eli and his family. They were destroyed with only a few remaining who were left begging even for a “morsel of bread to eat” from the hands of Samuel, a man of God whom God put in place of Eli as the “faithful priest who shall do what I have in mind and heart”.
Yes, throughout the Old Testament God gives a stern warning to His people. If they heed his voice they are blessed and if they do not, then the Lord completes his action that he threatened against his own sons and daughters. Parents, you too must do the same. Set just rules, not to harsh and not to light, and then bind them for everyone in the home. There should be prayer time, chore time, study time, and family time. I see the television, cell phones, and video games as all major contributors to the break down of the family as it becomes a roof we live under instead of a home were God and family, love and generosity, are the priority.
Eli committed further crimes against God as his sons became young adults without any regard for God or morality, “though he knew his sons were blaspheming God, he did not reprove them.” (1 Sam 3:13) Eli would call on the Lord but it was too late, all of Israel suffered defeat, his sons were killed in battle, and the ark of the covenant was captured by his arch enemy, the Philistines. All this happened because Eli was not disciplined himself and refused to discipline his children at a young age. Yes, he tried to discipline his children when they were adults but it was too late, they had no respect for their father and did not listen to his correction. The same will happen to you and your children unless you renew your commitment to God, to Christ Jesus, set the good example by your own actions, pray fervently, and have your children follow the discipline of being disciples of the Lord instead of disregard for God and family.
Fathers, do you require obedience of your children? Do you give them assigned tasks and make sure they follow through? Do you set the example as the spiritual father of the household, praying everyday before your children? Or have you become couch potatoes when you get home from work, just wanting to eat, relax, lie down and not be bothered?
Samuel, unlike Eli’s sons, was disciplined through the dedication and love of his parents, even though he was separated from them early in life they continued to have a strong and positive influence on him. Because Samuel was disciplined as a child, following the rules and regulations set down by his parents, he remained faithful to Eli, returning to him repeatedly to be at his service saying “Here I am, you called me.” when it was God who was calling him. Don’t you want teenagers who will choose consistently to come to you first when they are confused, scared, or downtrodden? Even as an unfit father as Eli was, he did point Samuel into the right direction, guiding him back to God to begin his ministry unto the Lord serving faithfully the people of God. Most teenagers who are considering the religious life do so not only because of the good examples of sisters, brothers, and priests, but because of the singular devotion to God by their father or mother, grandfather or grandmother. Let us rebuild the family unit, a home grounded in the Gospel, safe from the immorality of this world.
5 Spiritual Steps to Find or Deepen our Vocation
Vocation Awareness
Here are 5 steps to help prepare and guide teenagers and young adults to their vocation, the path God has prepared for them to follow, as well as a guide that will help all of us in our vocation.
(1) We must first encounter Christ - Until a person encounters Christ they will never truly know their calling in life and thus have the opportunity to be fulfilled. I will be as blunt as to say that they will truly miss out entirely on the plan Christ has prepared for them. Until we know Christ and begin to walk with him we can not imagine, much less live, the life he has chosen for us. We are the blind and lost sheep needing to know our Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, and to be protected and guided in the sheep fold, called the Church, which he established. Prayer (and retreats which are enriched in prayer) is one of the primary means to encounter Christ. In the family setting this encounter can come through praying before meals, serving one another (prayer being lived out), and certainly by the entire family going to Church each Sunday, yet there is a more personal approach that is needed to help us encounter Christ at Mass and in the world; praying the Liturgy of the Hours, the daily praying of the rosary, the reading of spiritual books on the lives of the saints, attending a Holy Hour each week, the reading of Sacred Scripture, or praying through daily meditational books. Retreats are meant to be a springboard by which to delve deeper into our relationship with Christ and not a temporary encounter with Christ that fades away when we return home. Our encounter with Christ needs to be sustained through a commitment of personal prayer and communal support centered on the Sunday Mass.
(2) To live for Christ our courage must be great than our fear - As we feel God tugging us in a certain direction we typically resist. By the time we are teenagers we have already developed our comfort zone, but when we discover God’s call we will immediately recognize that God calls us out of our protective shell. As the saying goes if you want to walk on water you’ve got to get out of the boat! Saying yes to Jesus is exciting but also very frightening. Remember, in all honesty we can be just as frightened in our comfort zone as were all twelve disciples in the capsizing boat. It takes courage to overcome our fears! Among the apostles only Peter had the courage to go out to Jesus on the water and only Peter, because of his faith and courage, was able to walk on water (Mt 14:22-33). Figuratively speaking, we too must have greater faith in Jesus to follow him (no matter what) than the fears that prevent us from enjoying life to the fullest, to walk on water.
(3) Walk with Jesus one step at a time - Everything in this world seems to go fast. The faster something goes the bigger the rush... so we think. With God we must take the time to slow things down. In the rush of life we are suffocating our spirit! We need time and space to breathe. We need to set time into our daily schedule to communicate with God. We need months of prayer to discover our calling. I heard of one person describing our vocation to the like of driving a car at night. We only have enough light to see a few hundred feet ahead of us all night long but that is all it takes to get us to our final destination. God will show us the way a little bit at a time, not the whole road map at once. Be patient.
(4) Then we can begin to discover our purpose in life - With an establish prayer life and new found light through Christ a person can begin to ponder the meaning of life. There are so many areas in which God needs our help. If there are a million people in a city, then God has a plan in which all one million people are needed to help each other in building up the body of Christ. Through our common baptism we all belong and are a part of the body of Christ. One should then ask; how do I fit in the body of Christ? Where in the Church, or in what way in representing Christ, is God calling me to serve others? I need to let go of my ways and my will and live according to God’s will for me. What desire has God placed in my heart to help others individually or benefit the community as a whole?
(5) When we find peace its time to evangelize - When we are approaching our destination we will find ourselves joyful and being at peace. In another storm on the sea the disciples came to their senses and realized that Jesus was in the boat with them the whole time, so they called out to him, “Lord, save us! We are pershing!” Immediately Jesus responded, “Why are you so terrified, Oh you of little faith?”, then brought about a calming of the seas. (Mt 8:23-27) Again, when Jesus appeared in the resurrection to his disciples he said, “Peace be with you!” then he showed them his hands and side and then he said to them again, “Peace be with you, as the Father has sent me, so I send you.” and he breathed on them the Holy Spirit. (John 20:19-23) When we reach this level we are finally prepared, through our conversion and commitment, to say yes to the Lord where ever he calls us (be that through the single, married or religious life) and to bring others to Christ our Savior.
Yes, we need to plead to God for more young men and women to be called and to respond to their calling to the religious life. However, for this to happen, we also need to plead to God for strong commitments or even a renewal of commitments within marriages throughout our diocese. Furthermore, we need to plead to God that some young men and women be called to remain as they are in order to bear much fruit in the family, parish, and the diocesan life of the Church. We should equally respect and be humbly amazed at all three of these callings from God.
Here are 5 steps to help prepare and guide teenagers and young adults to their vocation, the path God has prepared for them to follow, as well as a guide that will help all of us in our vocation.
(1) We must first encounter Christ - Until a person encounters Christ they will never truly know their calling in life and thus have the opportunity to be fulfilled. I will be as blunt as to say that they will truly miss out entirely on the plan Christ has prepared for them. Until we know Christ and begin to walk with him we can not imagine, much less live, the life he has chosen for us. We are the blind and lost sheep needing to know our Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, and to be protected and guided in the sheep fold, called the Church, which he established. Prayer (and retreats which are enriched in prayer) is one of the primary means to encounter Christ. In the family setting this encounter can come through praying before meals, serving one another (prayer being lived out), and certainly by the entire family going to Church each Sunday, yet there is a more personal approach that is needed to help us encounter Christ at Mass and in the world; praying the Liturgy of the Hours, the daily praying of the rosary, the reading of spiritual books on the lives of the saints, attending a Holy Hour each week, the reading of Sacred Scripture, or praying through daily meditational books. Retreats are meant to be a springboard by which to delve deeper into our relationship with Christ and not a temporary encounter with Christ that fades away when we return home. Our encounter with Christ needs to be sustained through a commitment of personal prayer and communal support centered on the Sunday Mass.
(2) To live for Christ our courage must be great than our fear - As we feel God tugging us in a certain direction we typically resist. By the time we are teenagers we have already developed our comfort zone, but when we discover God’s call we will immediately recognize that God calls us out of our protective shell. As the saying goes if you want to walk on water you’ve got to get out of the boat! Saying yes to Jesus is exciting but also very frightening. Remember, in all honesty we can be just as frightened in our comfort zone as were all twelve disciples in the capsizing boat. It takes courage to overcome our fears! Among the apostles only Peter had the courage to go out to Jesus on the water and only Peter, because of his faith and courage, was able to walk on water (Mt 14:22-33). Figuratively speaking, we too must have greater faith in Jesus to follow him (no matter what) than the fears that prevent us from enjoying life to the fullest, to walk on water.
(3) Walk with Jesus one step at a time - Everything in this world seems to go fast. The faster something goes the bigger the rush... so we think. With God we must take the time to slow things down. In the rush of life we are suffocating our spirit! We need time and space to breathe. We need to set time into our daily schedule to communicate with God. We need months of prayer to discover our calling. I heard of one person describing our vocation to the like of driving a car at night. We only have enough light to see a few hundred feet ahead of us all night long but that is all it takes to get us to our final destination. God will show us the way a little bit at a time, not the whole road map at once. Be patient.
(4) Then we can begin to discover our purpose in life - With an establish prayer life and new found light through Christ a person can begin to ponder the meaning of life. There are so many areas in which God needs our help. If there are a million people in a city, then God has a plan in which all one million people are needed to help each other in building up the body of Christ. Through our common baptism we all belong and are a part of the body of Christ. One should then ask; how do I fit in the body of Christ? Where in the Church, or in what way in representing Christ, is God calling me to serve others? I need to let go of my ways and my will and live according to God’s will for me. What desire has God placed in my heart to help others individually or benefit the community as a whole?
(5) When we find peace its time to evangelize - When we are approaching our destination we will find ourselves joyful and being at peace. In another storm on the sea the disciples came to their senses and realized that Jesus was in the boat with them the whole time, so they called out to him, “Lord, save us! We are pershing!” Immediately Jesus responded, “Why are you so terrified, Oh you of little faith?”, then brought about a calming of the seas. (Mt 8:23-27) Again, when Jesus appeared in the resurrection to his disciples he said, “Peace be with you!” then he showed them his hands and side and then he said to them again, “Peace be with you, as the Father has sent me, so I send you.” and he breathed on them the Holy Spirit. (John 20:19-23) When we reach this level we are finally prepared, through our conversion and commitment, to say yes to the Lord where ever he calls us (be that through the single, married or religious life) and to bring others to Christ our Savior.
Yes, we need to plead to God for more young men and women to be called and to respond to their calling to the religious life. However, for this to happen, we also need to plead to God for strong commitments or even a renewal of commitments within marriages throughout our diocese. Furthermore, we need to plead to God that some young men and women be called to remain as they are in order to bear much fruit in the family, parish, and the diocesan life of the Church. We should equally respect and be humbly amazed at all three of these callings from God.
Helping the Next Generation Exploring Their Options
Vocation Awareness
Happy New Year to everyone! Our Lord leads the way to a new year in his name, 2011 years of celebrating our Lord’s birth, Jesus Christ, who has come to save us from our sins and bring us into his eternal kingdom.
As we begin a new year a lot of people tend to be fixated on new year resolutions. I personally like new year resolutions because it makes us reflect on the path we have chosen in the past and then attempt to be resolute in redirecting ourselves for a better future. For example, last year I made a resolution to turn off the television as I was often wasting an hour our two in the evenings that I could have been doing something productive, spiritual, or relaxing. How did I do? I did better than most of my resolutions (chuckle). With God’s grace I have freed myself of a chronic habit and spiritual disease that was consuming and wasting a part of each day God had given me to do good. This year I am focusing on steadfast prayer throughout the day, attempting to form a habit of stopping whatever I may be doing (every three hours) and choosing to pray to make sure that what I am doing is glorifying God. I hope you make a resolution and hold to it as well.
This brings me to reflect on deeper issues I see with teenagers and young adults. By definition, as Christians our life must center on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Yet, the culture we live in can lead all of us myriads of miles away from Christ and can do so in the blink of an eye. Those most vulnerable to a path of perdition (loss of self/soul) are our own teenagers and young adults. Like a new years resolution it takes sheer determination and a strong will (and God’s grace) to remain a faithful disciple of Christ in a culture that has rejected its Savior.
In response to this problem the Church has a long tradition of helping adolescents find the right path of happiness (that means happiness already exists along the way) and to fulfill their calling from Christ to be a servant of the Lord and to share the Good News with others. Our culture gives off the impression that we will not be happy until some future event happens, such as completing high school, college, landing the big job that launches our career or maybe even the idea that we won’t be happy until we get married. Do we really have to wait to find meaning and happiness to our lives? The Church says absolutely not! We receive God’s grace, and thus inner happiness, when we respond daily to our calling from God to live holy lives. As Christians this call to holiness and the grace to follow Christ happens at the moment that we are baptized. Our life is already being fulfilled, and thus true happiness begins and resides within us as long as we follow in the footsteps of Christ in communion with our Church. With the support of family and the Christian community, teenagers should already be finding meaning and happiness in their life, learning how to live virtuous lives, how to serve others, and how to growing spiritually. We already know that we need a new group of vibrant and resolute young men and women to rise to the occasion to re-Christianize our nation and the world. Before considering marriage, every Catholic teenager and young adult should consider the possibility of being called to remain as they are (as single) in order to begin new ministries and aid where new problems have developed, where new needs exist, or even to make permanent their current state in life by considering the religious life. Yes, before the consideration of marriage, teenagers and singles should first pray for a few years over the idea of serving others in this unique and holistic manner as a vowed religious sister, brother or priest. We have an extreme shortage, right? Yes we do! We have excellent men and women set on fire with the Holy Spirit to bring Hope, Love, and Christ's Life to the world who are stepping forward, but not near enough. God is calling many more than those who are responding. If we want a great future for the next generation then we need to help create that environment that will guide them in the right direction during the most critical years of their life, adjusting from the faith of their parents to embracing the Christian faith wholeheartedly for their own life. To help facilitate this I have helped run the Lenten Vocations Awareness Program for the past five years for single men and women, emphasizing the age group from 15 to 30, though one can be older. We meet once each week throughout Lent and we help them see the meaning and calling in life by examining the Christian prayer life, discipleship, community, family, and careers as well as a real, side by side comparative of what daily life should look like as a single Christian, a religious Christian and a Married Christian. Do we not have a common goal, a common mission? In this way young adults can see more easily that what life is all about and to see the real options or avenues of happiness that fulfill the mission of Christ and the individual. Please help us spread the word about our Lenten Program as further explained in our ad. Happy New Year, 2011, Anno Domini, Year of the Lord Jesus Christ!
Happy New Year to everyone! Our Lord leads the way to a new year in his name, 2011 years of celebrating our Lord’s birth, Jesus Christ, who has come to save us from our sins and bring us into his eternal kingdom.
As we begin a new year a lot of people tend to be fixated on new year resolutions. I personally like new year resolutions because it makes us reflect on the path we have chosen in the past and then attempt to be resolute in redirecting ourselves for a better future. For example, last year I made a resolution to turn off the television as I was often wasting an hour our two in the evenings that I could have been doing something productive, spiritual, or relaxing. How did I do? I did better than most of my resolutions (chuckle). With God’s grace I have freed myself of a chronic habit and spiritual disease that was consuming and wasting a part of each day God had given me to do good. This year I am focusing on steadfast prayer throughout the day, attempting to form a habit of stopping whatever I may be doing (every three hours) and choosing to pray to make sure that what I am doing is glorifying God. I hope you make a resolution and hold to it as well.
This brings me to reflect on deeper issues I see with teenagers and young adults. By definition, as Christians our life must center on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Yet, the culture we live in can lead all of us myriads of miles away from Christ and can do so in the blink of an eye. Those most vulnerable to a path of perdition (loss of self/soul) are our own teenagers and young adults. Like a new years resolution it takes sheer determination and a strong will (and God’s grace) to remain a faithful disciple of Christ in a culture that has rejected its Savior.
In response to this problem the Church has a long tradition of helping adolescents find the right path of happiness (that means happiness already exists along the way) and to fulfill their calling from Christ to be a servant of the Lord and to share the Good News with others. Our culture gives off the impression that we will not be happy until some future event happens, such as completing high school, college, landing the big job that launches our career or maybe even the idea that we won’t be happy until we get married. Do we really have to wait to find meaning and happiness to our lives? The Church says absolutely not! We receive God’s grace, and thus inner happiness, when we respond daily to our calling from God to live holy lives. As Christians this call to holiness and the grace to follow Christ happens at the moment that we are baptized. Our life is already being fulfilled, and thus true happiness begins and resides within us as long as we follow in the footsteps of Christ in communion with our Church. With the support of family and the Christian community, teenagers should already be finding meaning and happiness in their life, learning how to live virtuous lives, how to serve others, and how to growing spiritually. We already know that we need a new group of vibrant and resolute young men and women to rise to the occasion to re-Christianize our nation and the world. Before considering marriage, every Catholic teenager and young adult should consider the possibility of being called to remain as they are (as single) in order to begin new ministries and aid where new problems have developed, where new needs exist, or even to make permanent their current state in life by considering the religious life. Yes, before the consideration of marriage, teenagers and singles should first pray for a few years over the idea of serving others in this unique and holistic manner as a vowed religious sister, brother or priest. We have an extreme shortage, right? Yes we do! We have excellent men and women set on fire with the Holy Spirit to bring Hope, Love, and Christ's Life to the world who are stepping forward, but not near enough. God is calling many more than those who are responding. If we want a great future for the next generation then we need to help create that environment that will guide them in the right direction during the most critical years of their life, adjusting from the faith of their parents to embracing the Christian faith wholeheartedly for their own life. To help facilitate this I have helped run the Lenten Vocations Awareness Program for the past five years for single men and women, emphasizing the age group from 15 to 30, though one can be older. We meet once each week throughout Lent and we help them see the meaning and calling in life by examining the Christian prayer life, discipleship, community, family, and careers as well as a real, side by side comparative of what daily life should look like as a single Christian, a religious Christian and a Married Christian. Do we not have a common goal, a common mission? In this way young adults can see more easily that what life is all about and to see the real options or avenues of happiness that fulfill the mission of Christ and the individual. Please help us spread the word about our Lenten Program as further explained in our ad. Happy New Year, 2011, Anno Domini, Year of the Lord Jesus Christ!
Our Faith And Our Children vs. Atheism
Vocation Awareness
Do you get the feeling sometimes (all the time) that we as Christians are not on the path we are supposed to be on? Do you sense that we are too rapped up in the world today? Can we not say that Christianity has lost its direction because it has taken its eyes off of Christ and instead it has been looking and listening more to the world? Are we not upside down because we have chosen to align ourselves with the world rather than with God? I am not talking about the many advances in science, medicine and technology. All of these are good things if used properly. Rather, I am speaking of the world that has rejected religion, ethics, or a higher power. So, how are justice laws and civility advanced when everything becomes subjective? Answer: They can’t be.
On the other hand, I personally did not mind the recent uproar in Fort Worth in regard to the local buses having signs stating, “Millions of people are good without God”. It shocked many people and religious leaders. But, why should we be surprised? Besides, some group paid for those ads and I support the people’s freedom of religion or non religion to do so. At the same time, I also know the many historical events in time and their atrocities when mankind has chosen to deny freedom of religion, or likewise, when people have used religion to justify the unjustifiable.
Directly applicable to this problem is a phenomenon that is occurring in our culture today that is attacking our Christian community, especially our teenagers and young adults. Today, the promotion of none religion, secularism, and atheism is gaining ground in our country (those claim no religion has nearly doubled from 8.2 % to 15.0 % and atheism has doubled from 0.7 % to 1.6% between 1990 and 2008 - The American Religious Identification Survey), but worse is the traction it has made in our schools, universities, and in our neighborhoods, and pulling our children away from their faith and salvation in Christ. We must respond to this crisis and let us not delay.
If we want to get at the root of the problem we do not need to investigate atheism, because nothing exists there, pun intended. Rather, we need to look at our faith and try to determine what is missing in the Christian life that is clearly making many of our children vulnerable to this secular world and detracting them away from Christ. I have spent several months pondering this question and I asked many priests and lay leaders this question too. In addition, I poured over Sacred Scripture seeking answers. The dominating response that I received which reverberated and grew stronger and stronger was that many families do not pray together, they have not experienced the saving power of Christ in prayer or through regular reception of the Sacrament of Reconciliation or attendance at Mass and the Holy Eucharist. Secondly, our faith is not being passed on from parents to children to the point that teenagers and young adults do not even know what is sin anymore. Yes, it’s true. What we take for granted as older adults in our faith teenagers and young adults have a tough time understanding. We must go back and teach the basics of our faith as well as re-enter into a meaningful and consistent prayer life with our children. In the classroom, we need more men and women teaching and volunteering who know our faith and are able to be good listeners and responders to real questions that teenagers have about the faith and its teachings while praying with them and communicating with God in using devotions, Liturgy of the Hours, and time before the Blessed Sacrament. I firmly believe that the true message of Jesus Christ as Savior and triumphant over evil is not being communicated and taught in our classrooms. Hence, combined with a lack of communion with Christ through daily prayer and knowing their faith, our young Catholics are vulnerable and easily tempted into the hands of secularism, materialism, hedonism, and sinful paths of perdition without realizing the cost of jeopardizing their salvation given to them at baptism through the blood of Jesus on the cross.
As we encounter Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew leading up to Lent, let us be reminded that John the Baptist came proclaiming, “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand.” Repent from what? “their sins” states Matthew 3:6. Jesus repeats this proclamation and then begins to explain the roots of sin that pass beyond the law as well as the good that we ought to do which has no human law at all but is the path that leads to eternal life as defined in Matthew 7:21, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.” Let us welcome Christ in our midst and make our faith alive so that it is embraced by our children as well. My last question as a litmus test of our faith is as follows: Do you live for God? If we live for God, then our life will be immersed in things and people that our holy, helping others while assenting to Christ through prayer and the Church in all things. If not, then we have made some concessions toward secularism and atheism which is a direct cause of children’s lack of faith.
That being said, we do have many excellent young men and women who understand the importance of our Catholic faith as well as those do not understand as much but who nevertheless know they are called to help bring Christ to the world in concrete ways. I ask that you help the Vocation Office in promoting our Lenten Vocation Awareness Program that is designed to help like minded young men and women to see their purpose in life more clearly while having a setting that supports them as they discern God’s will for them. Please see our additional ad and help spread the word of these events. Christ has given us momentum, so let’s add to it with our prayers and encouragement.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Modesty in Apparel for Mass
Vocation Awareness
Modesty – Could something as simple as modesty help us in finding and growing in our true vocation? How should we present ourselves publicly? What types of clothes are appropriate for Mass? On one extreme, is it okay to wear a t-shirt, shorts and flip flops to church? On the other extreme is it okay to be overdressed for church such that it attracts others? In determining the appropriate apparel for Sunday Mass and for all other occasions the virtue of modesty will help. Let’s take a look.
To begin with, modesty is the virtue governing the outward expressions of inward humility and purity, an important virtue which falls under the virtue of temperance, a moderation in the indulgence of appetites or passions. Public modesty, dignity, and self esteem often go hand in hand. We say a lot about ourselves, our self esteem, and what we are looking for or what we are not looking for by how we dress in public. Do we seek glory from others by what we wear so as to invoke awe, jealousy or even lust? Our modesty at church should set the example and govern our modesty in every other public occasion. While clothing and appropriate attire seem small relative to our faith they do indicate the state of our mind in regard to God, self esteem, prudence, modesty, chastity, purity, and worldly influence. When we come to church we are there to worship the Lord in community, as one family in Christ. So, we should be asking ourselves, especially as we approach the summer months, what should I wear that glorifies God and sustains me in dignity and chastity of heart in the community. When we seek the approval of God rather than others, we will find that we will win the approval of others because we have first obtained the approval of God. In this way we are truly evangelizing through our faith, drawing others to salvation in Christ, as they recognize the chastity of our mind, the purity of our heart, and our good deeds as they join us to glorify God as well.
Thus, our overall dress at Church should not be an attraction nor a distraction for others, but a sign of dignity and appreciation as we worship God as a family in our holy place of public worship, our beloved church.
Both men and women ought to dress appropriately for Sunday Mass. On the men’s side, they can cause a distraction to the worshipping of God by arriving at Mass ungroomed, looking like they just woke up, like an unmade bed, wearing what resembles an undershirt rather than a nice collared shirt, wearing pants or shirts that are too tight for the purpose of attraction, or over grooming with the intent to attract others. Tattoos should be covered (Lev 19:28 – do not tattoo yourself), cologne should be at a minimum (like a deodorant rather than to attract others who come close by), and jewelry should be the exception and not a norm. We don’t go to Mass to be making a macho statement nor a statement of rebellion either, but to worship our Lord in community.
On the side of women I’ve already seen this year single women dressed in Church in what resembles more of a towel than a dress, in fact a towel would have covered more body parts. I’ve seen married women wearing what appears more like a night gown for one’s husband rather than a public dress that displays honor to their body and to their husband. What is proper dress? What is visible or exposed? Legs above the knees? A see through silhouette? A tight outfit that accentuates curves for attraction to one’s self? Still, the most notorious and notable among women is the exposure of shoulders, back, and cleavage. As a priest I find this offensive. I am trying to live in a state of purity of mind, body and heart and of all places we should set an example of proper attire for Mass! Full coverage is full coverage and partial coverage is never enough... just ask any insurance agency about the difference betwenn the two and they'll have plenty to say. lol. Enough said before delving into Sacred Scripture to reacquaint ourselves with the need of modesty.
St. Paul writing to Timothy states, “Women should adorn themselves with proper conduct, with modesty and self control, not with braided hairstyles and gold ornaments, or pearls, or expensive clothes, but rather, as befits women who profess reverence for God with good deeds.” (1 Tim 2:9) and St. Peter says to wives, “Your adornment should not be an exterior one; braiding the hair, wearing gold jewelry, or dressing in fine clothes, but rather the hidden character of the heart, expressed in the imperishable beauty of a gentle and calm disposition.”
St. Peter lets single women know that their adornment too “should not be an exterior one”, lest they attract men for the wrong reason which will be a cause of deep sorrow, suffering, and pain as these types of relationships cause women to have an inferior relationship with men which will strip away dignity and self esteem. On the other hand, modesty builds women up in many other virtues, self esteem and dignity which gives women a true sense of equality with the opposite sex as they are to be valued and treasured for who they are rather than a toy to be used, played, dropped, broken and then disposed. When we play the game of living through attractions we are actually living in the flesh rather than the spirit which is a choice made to live in the world, abandoning the gift of living in the spirit as children of God, saved and redeemed in Jesus Christ. In this case we are not building up the kingdom of God, we are tearing it down and falling into one of the many traps of the devil.
Single women, finding the right one for marriage will come in your involvement in church activities and growing in holiness before God through family and community, and not by ulterior motives of luring a man by a scanty dress, doing as we please, or by cutting ourselves off from God who teaches us how to love and to be loved because He is love itself.
Similarly, a married women’s public dress should not be to attract men, for she is already married and has her man, lest she sin by attracting other men by her dress rather than attracting others to Christ through her “imperishable beauty” of living out her vocation in mind, body, and spirit.
And mothers, where are you when your daughter is picking out her bride
dress, or the dress for the bridesmaids? Sadly, it is not infrequent
that the mothers of the wedding party dress more immodest than the
bride! Remember women, you have the power to set was is fashionable,
acceptable and unacceptable. Believe me, the fashion industry will go
to where the money is, and if they see enough brides purchasing more
modest dresses they will be offering more options for those who have
drawn the line to sustain dignity and purity before God and man. And yes, I went on-line and found several local bridal shops that include wedding and bridesmaid dresses that cover the word modesty.
Instead of competing with one another women of the church should set the example of embracing younger women to help them sense and know that they are welcomed and treasured in the community and to help them grow in the areas of grace and security, modesty and purity.
Thus, growing in modesty can and will help us to grow in our true vocation as our hearts are set right before God. In this way all of us will find life less burdensome because God calls us to cooperation not competition, the building up of the individual and family in the Spirit of Christ. I believe this is a major reason I enjoy the religious life and find it attractive because sisters and brothers, priests and bishops enjoy living and being spiritually connected with people through Christ as opposed to being embattled in the attractions and desires of the body. In conclusion, please dress appropriately and modesty for Mass as befits the dignity and purity God gave you.
Church Attendance
Vocation Awareness
Someone asked me the other day, “Did your parents make you go to Church?” Make me? I didn’t know it was an option! And that’s my point! When something is made normative by parents, then it’s an expectation, and not an option. We are making a huge mistake when we choose not to establish good, healthy, and holy expectations in the family along with solid explanations.
Here, in the middle of Lent, it may be the perfect time to review and answer a similar question, “Why do I have to go to Church on Sundays?” while at the same time explain why the argument that “I can pray just as well at home” is not a justifiable Christian reason for not attending Mass on Sunday.
First, we may need to be reminded of what life would be like without God’s protection. It would certainly be a life of oppression, maybe even slavery, as God reminds the Hebrews, “For remember that you too were once slaves in Egypt, and the Lord, your God, brought you from there with his strong hand and outstretched arm. (What a great image of being rescued and saved!) This is why the Lord, your God, has commanded you to observe the Sabbath.” (Dt 5:15). This is why “The seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord.” (Ex 31:15) At the same time do we not hear the great words of St. Augustine ringing out, “O Lord … you have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”, which corresponds to Psalm 62, “My soul rests in God alone, from whom comes my salvation.” As if these explanations are not sufficient enough, God tells Moses, “Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day. Six days you may labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath day of the Lord, your God….In six days the Lord, your God, made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them; but on the seventh day, he rested. That is why the Lord has blessed the seventh day and made it holy.” (Ex 20:8-11)
As Christians keeping holy the Sabbath takes on a significantly larger reason. Our “Sabbath” or “Saturday” is transferred permanently to the following day, Sunday, the first day of the week and the day Jesus resurrected from the dead as an everlasting sign of hope for eternal life after death. Let us stop for a minute and ponder what this means. Jesus wants us to receive this blessing of eternal life with him. Wow! Not a million years of heaven, but eternal life! After his resurrection, Jesus said to the apostles, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you” and he breathed on them the Holy Spirit. (John 20:21) Similarly, just before his Ascension, Jesus said, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” (Mt. 28:19-20) Yet, a few weeks ago we heard in our Sunday Gospel that not all who call out “Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven but only the one who does the will of my father in heaven.” (Mt 7:21) So there it is! Is the Father’s will that we remain at home instead of going to Church on Sundays? Not according to Scripture, nor any time in Christian history. The letter to the Hebrews (10:25) reminds the faithful to attend regular (Sunday) gatherings as “We should not stay away from our assembly, as is the custom of some, but encourage one another.” And St. John Chrysostom (c. 349-407) writes “You cannot pray at home as at church, where there is a great multitude, where exclamations are cried out to God as from one great heart, and where there is something more; the union of minds, the accord of souls, the bond of charity, the prayers of the priests.”
Now we are getting to the heart of the matter. In communal prayer we gain everything; a union of minds with God instead of ever-growing and over-inflated opinions, the strength and courage from fellow Christians, instead of becoming grumpy and cold, the bond of giving, thinking about and praying for others, and sharing in community versus being selfish and self-centered, and most importantly as the source and summit of the Christian life, we get to see and receive Jesus in the Eucharist as he leads his flock to eternal life. (although a bad attitude or a closed heart to Jesus and our neighbor will not only eliminate God’s grace upon an attendee but also cause scandal and hypocrisy)
So, don’t just send your kids to church, go with them! The breakdown of the family starts here. Parents, you have the obligation to be parents and to lead your children by way of example to holiness and happiness in Jesus Christ who alone is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Mass is meant to be and should be the highlight of our week! Optional? If we are sick, disabled, or elderly, or care for infants, then there are dispensations and alternative forms of communal prayer, but our Church states unequivocally in its Catechism under 2181, “Those who deliberately fail in this obligation commit a grave sin.” While many say they can pray just as well at home, what percent of those choosing not to attend church are choosing to pray for an hour at home on Sunday? Does it really make any sense to say we believe in Jesus who has called us to be “one body” but then choose not to worship together, pray together, receive his precious body and blood, receive the same message from Christ, where we are challenged in our hearts, while given individual tasks and a common mission? To choose not to attend regular Sunday services is to choose to dismember ourselves spiritually from Christ. The longer we stay away from worship of God in community, the further will be our severing, suffering, and pain which we will experience because, “O Lord...you have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.
Invite people to come back and experience the joy of Christ in community as we prepare for the joy of Easter.
Someone asked me the other day, “Did your parents make you go to Church?” Make me? I didn’t know it was an option! And that’s my point! When something is made normative by parents, then it’s an expectation, and not an option. We are making a huge mistake when we choose not to establish good, healthy, and holy expectations in the family along with solid explanations.
Here, in the middle of Lent, it may be the perfect time to review and answer a similar question, “Why do I have to go to Church on Sundays?” while at the same time explain why the argument that “I can pray just as well at home” is not a justifiable Christian reason for not attending Mass on Sunday.
First, we may need to be reminded of what life would be like without God’s protection. It would certainly be a life of oppression, maybe even slavery, as God reminds the Hebrews, “For remember that you too were once slaves in Egypt, and the Lord, your God, brought you from there with his strong hand and outstretched arm. (What a great image of being rescued and saved!) This is why the Lord, your God, has commanded you to observe the Sabbath.” (Dt 5:15). This is why “The seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord.” (Ex 31:15) At the same time do we not hear the great words of St. Augustine ringing out, “O Lord … you have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”, which corresponds to Psalm 62, “My soul rests in God alone, from whom comes my salvation.” As if these explanations are not sufficient enough, God tells Moses, “Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day. Six days you may labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath day of the Lord, your God….In six days the Lord, your God, made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them; but on the seventh day, he rested. That is why the Lord has blessed the seventh day and made it holy.” (Ex 20:8-11)
As Christians keeping holy the Sabbath takes on a significantly larger reason. Our “Sabbath” or “Saturday” is transferred permanently to the following day, Sunday, the first day of the week and the day Jesus resurrected from the dead as an everlasting sign of hope for eternal life after death. Let us stop for a minute and ponder what this means. Jesus wants us to receive this blessing of eternal life with him. Wow! Not a million years of heaven, but eternal life! After his resurrection, Jesus said to the apostles, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you” and he breathed on them the Holy Spirit. (John 20:21) Similarly, just before his Ascension, Jesus said, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” (Mt. 28:19-20) Yet, a few weeks ago we heard in our Sunday Gospel that not all who call out “Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven but only the one who does the will of my father in heaven.” (Mt 7:21) So there it is! Is the Father’s will that we remain at home instead of going to Church on Sundays? Not according to Scripture, nor any time in Christian history. The letter to the Hebrews (10:25) reminds the faithful to attend regular (Sunday) gatherings as “We should not stay away from our assembly, as is the custom of some, but encourage one another.” And St. John Chrysostom (c. 349-407) writes “You cannot pray at home as at church, where there is a great multitude, where exclamations are cried out to God as from one great heart, and where there is something more; the union of minds, the accord of souls, the bond of charity, the prayers of the priests.”
Now we are getting to the heart of the matter. In communal prayer we gain everything; a union of minds with God instead of ever-growing and over-inflated opinions, the strength and courage from fellow Christians, instead of becoming grumpy and cold, the bond of giving, thinking about and praying for others, and sharing in community versus being selfish and self-centered, and most importantly as the source and summit of the Christian life, we get to see and receive Jesus in the Eucharist as he leads his flock to eternal life. (although a bad attitude or a closed heart to Jesus and our neighbor will not only eliminate God’s grace upon an attendee but also cause scandal and hypocrisy)
So, don’t just send your kids to church, go with them! The breakdown of the family starts here. Parents, you have the obligation to be parents and to lead your children by way of example to holiness and happiness in Jesus Christ who alone is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Mass is meant to be and should be the highlight of our week! Optional? If we are sick, disabled, or elderly, or care for infants, then there are dispensations and alternative forms of communal prayer, but our Church states unequivocally in its Catechism under 2181, “Those who deliberately fail in this obligation commit a grave sin.” While many say they can pray just as well at home, what percent of those choosing not to attend church are choosing to pray for an hour at home on Sunday? Does it really make any sense to say we believe in Jesus who has called us to be “one body” but then choose not to worship together, pray together, receive his precious body and blood, receive the same message from Christ, where we are challenged in our hearts, while given individual tasks and a common mission? To choose not to attend regular Sunday services is to choose to dismember ourselves spiritually from Christ. The longer we stay away from worship of God in community, the further will be our severing, suffering, and pain which we will experience because, “O Lord...you have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.
Invite people to come back and experience the joy of Christ in community as we prepare for the joy of Easter.
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