There is a Longing

For today's Wisdom Wednesday, we have two quotes on fasting that fit quite well together. "Fasting of the body is food for the soul." (St. John Chrysostom) "Fasting is directed to two things, the deletion of sin, and the raising of the mind to heavenly things."   (St. Thomas Aquinas)

Luke 15:1-3, 11-32 The parable of The Prodigal Son has been my favorite for a long time.  In 2007, I was going through a struggle in understanding my Faith and trying to fill in the gaps I’d missed in my early faith formation.  A dear friend loaned me a stack of books she thought might help and most did.  One, however, stood out above the rest and has stuck with me to this day – Henri Nouwen’s The Return of the Prodigal Son .  Drawn to a friend’s print of Rembrandt’s painting of the same name, he embarked on his own prodigal journey and homecoming. Nouwen’s layout of his book includes three main sections, each focusing on the three characters of the parable.  He began his journey relating to the younger son, then the older son, and finally the father.  I am sure we can all relate to each character at various stages of our own lives.  For me, I think I started as the older son.  As the oldest child, I grew up with the sense of being the example ...

  St. Hugh of Grenoble, a contemporary of St. Bruno, founder of the Carthusians, was born in 1053. He lived in France, being made bishop of Grenoble, a position he served in for fifty-two years. Hugh set out to reform the diocese, having seen that corruption lurked in every corner. After two years, with no successful results he became discouraged and tried to retire to a monastery to a Benedictine monk. However, the Pope called him back into service. This second attempt to reform led to more promising outcomes. Hugh was a firm defender of the Church and the papacy, and lived as a holy example for the people of Grenoble. Canonized shortly after his death in 1132 by Pope Innocent II, St. Hugh is venerated as the patron saint of Grenoble and of those who suffer from headaches. The Catholic Church celebrates his feast day on April 1st. St. Hugh of Grenoble, pray for us!

"Lenten practices of giving up pleasures are a good reminder that the purpose of life is not pleasure. The purpose of life is to attain a perfect life, all truth and undying ecstatic love--which is the definition of God. In pursuing that happiness, we find happiness." (Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen)

Luke 13:1-9 I don’t like figs!   So, I think it’s ironic that I am just like that fig tree in today’s Gospel. Jesus’ parable of the fig tree is representative of our own failures and need for repentance.   Time after time, year after year, like that fig tree, I fail to produce the fruits (gifts) God has given to me.   I take those gifts and often store them away, too distracted by worldly things to spend time on them or just hiding them because I’m insecure and don’t think anyone really cares to see them.   In my failure to cultivate my gifts, I risk offending God.   Yet, when I do cultivate them, I am sharing God with others, whether through my gift of music, writing, or a joyful presence.   I know that nothing I do is because of me.   God is present in all I do, speaking through me when I allow Him in and remain open to His gifts to me.   Those times I fail are not the end – the time to cut down the fig tree.   God is always there offer...

  St. Oscar Arnulfo Romero was martyred in 1980, making him a saint of our modern day, and many of the issues he faced are still prevalent to us. Two issues which greatly concerned him were social justice and human rights. Both of which he defended and spoke out for, using his influence to offer his voice for those who were being maltreated and persecuted. Born on August 15, 1917, Romero’s father had wanted him to become a carpenter, but he instead studied for priesthood and was ordained in 1942. He went on to become Bishop of Santiago de Maria, and later was appointed Archbishop of San Salvador. During this time, political upheaval in El Salvador was increasing, and by 1979, the civil war had broken out. Romero became a target of the Salvadoran government as he spoke out against the violence and injustices being done. He encouraged the people not to act in violence, defended the rights of the poor, and denounced the killing of one's own people. He informed the people of El Salva...

  "As Lent is the time for greater love, listen to Jesus' thirst... 'Repent and believe,' Jesus tells us. What are we to repent? Our indifference, our hardness of heart. What are we to believe? Jesus thirsts even now, in your heart and in the poor -- He knows your weakness. He wants only your love, wants only the chance to love you."                                                                                               ( St. Teresa of Calcutta)

Luke 9:28b-36  A few months ago, during Mass, I caught a glimpse of Jesus’ Light and true Divine Presence.    As the priest elevated the Host and chalice, the Host was illuminated.   The glow of the Host touched me to my core, giving me a small taste of His full Glory.   Deep down & scientifically, I know it was only the altar lights reflecting off the chalice, but to me it was much more – a message from above.   Just as Jesus’ disciples witnessed His Transfiguration on the mountain, I witnessed His Transfiguration at the Eucharistic table.   God allowed me a glimpse of Jesus’ Divinity, a reflection of His Love for me and each of us. Jesus was (and is) truly present at each Mass celebration when the priest speaks the words of the Consecration.   It took many years for me to fully comprehend that.   For some reason, whether it was something lacking in my early education, my eight-year-old mind misunderstanding Church teaching, or somethi...

  Clement Mary  - or John, the name given to him at his baptism - was born in Moravia, to a poor family in 1751. Having lacked the funding for education, he was unable at first to pursue the priesthood, as was his desire, so he instead took up an apprenticeship to a baker. Eventually, Clement met some people who offered to sponsor him and his friend Thaddeus in their studies. The two friends were ordained in 1785, both being attracted to St. Alphonsus’ order, the Redemptorists. Due to the religious difficulties of the time, they settled in Warsaw, Poland, where they were able to minister to the many Catholics there who had been left without priests from the suppression of the Jesuits. For many years they actively worked among the poor and engaged in promoting the overall welfare of the people, successfully and compassionately enriching many lives with new faith. However, Clement was eventually imprisoned, expelled, and forced to leave. He found his way to Vienna, where he spen...

  "(Lent) is a period of spiritual 'combat' which we must experience alongside Jesus, not with pride and presumption, but using the arms of faith: prayer, listening to the word of God and penance. In this way we will be able to celebrate Easter in truth, ready to renew the promises of our Baptism." (Pope Benedict XVI)

Luke 4:1-13 After Jesus’ baptism, the Spirit led Him to the desert to spend 40 days, tempted by the devil. Despite the devil's persistence, Jesus had a comeback for each of the four temptations presented. As God the Son, Jesus knew all of the Old Testament by heart because He had a part in the Divine inspiration given to each scriptural author. If you look up Deuteronomy 8:3, 1 Samuel 7:3, Psalm 91:11, & Deuteronomy 6:16, you will see each of Jesus’ responses to the devil’s temptations. The devil found no success in tempting Jesus, so he turns towards the next best thing – God’s children! We are bombarded by temptations on a daily basis. Most are not quite so extraordinary as what Jesus faced in the desert, but temptations that can cause great harm if succumbed to nonetheless.   Let us look to Jesus as an example of how to resist the devil & his temptations. Now, I’m not saying we must go out & memorize the entire Bible (although that would be awesome, wouldn’t it?)...

  The majority of early Martyrs that the Church venerates as Saints have been left with little to no personal information other than the knowledge of their heroic death for love of Christ. However, we do have some insight on the lives of Sts. Perpetua and Felicity, who were martyred in Africa during the third century and whose feast we celebrate on March 7th. Much of this comes from those who had known the two Saints, as well as from the writings of Perpetua. The two women were both mothers (Felicity having given birth to her daughter just a few days before her death), who had embraced Christianity during a time of persecution in Africa under the Roman Emperor Severus. The Saints had been arrested and placed in an overcrowded prison. They were eventually moved to a more tolerable part of the prison after the guards had been persuaded by two deacons who had been ministering to the Saints. Perpetua and Felicity showed great patience and endurance amidst the numerous insults and abu...

  This is Part Two of our posts on the Three Theological Virtues - Faith, Hope, & Love. You can read part one HERE . *************** The word "hope" has numerous meanings. It is a noun, a verb, a feeling, a name. We throw the word around many times in everyday conversations. Brides hope their wedding day will be perfect.  Sports enthusiasts hope their team makes the playoffs. Patients hope the tests are negative for that fatal disease. Children hope for just the right present under the Christmas tree. None of these uses of the word "hope" are wrong, per se, but they're more wishes than hope. There is an even deeper meaning according to The Catechism of the Catholic Church. In the glossary, we find hope defined as "the theological virtue by which we desire and expect from God both eternal life and the grace we need to attain it." Our true hope in this sense is our desire for Heaven. Created by God, in His image, we are deeply drawn to the hope o...

As we begin the season of Lent today, we have decided to focus on Lenten quotes for Wisdom Wednesday.  "Let us set out with trust on our Lenten journey, sustained by fervent prayer, penance and concern for those in need. In particular, may this Lent be a time of ever greater concern for the needs of children, in our own families and in society as a whole for they are the future of humanity." (St. John Paul II, from his 2004 Lenten message)