Category: Catholicism

Dealing with thorns

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In the Second Reading at Mass this weekend we had my favourite passage from Paul:

Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. ” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. – 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

The question of suffering is one that everyone has to struggle with at some point. For a good treatment on the subject I would invite you to head over to Canterbury Tales to read Taylor’s article Why do we suffer? The theological answer of St. Paul:

Nearly every religion seeks to make sense of the problem of pain. If God is both omnibenificent {all-loving} and omnipotent {all-powerful}, why then does He allow us to suffer?

The Eastern traditions such as Buddhism dismiss pain and suffering as “unreal.” This solution is difficult to explain to a child with cancer.

Other religious traditions attempt to accrue “good karma” in order to ensure that good times will come with a future reincarnated life. For these traditions, the origin of suffering is past sins, even sins committed in previous lives.

Still other religions, such as Islam, seem to place the origin of suffering in the capricious “will of Allah.”

The Catholic Faith offers an entirely different account of suffering… Continue Reading

Are you saved?

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The most common question I’ve heard from non-Catholics is probably “Are you saved?”

The majority of Protestants view salvation as a one-time event when they accepted Jesus as their personal Lord and Saviour which guarantees them entry into Heaven. This is not the Catholic conception of Salvation. Here’s the Catholic answer to that question:

Thanks to All You Can Eat Catholics for this

Time Out

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Last week my friend Anh at Mod31 posted an article entitled Doing Nothing and True Silence. It really resonated in me:

“Really, who has time to waste these days, in the hustle and bustle of work, projects, and various activities? In fact, I don’t think I know how to NOT multi-task anymore. At work I tend to have 5-10 windows and who knows how many tabs are open simultaneously, allowing me to jump from one task to the next, with a quick Facebook breather in between. I work through my lunches, text coworkers my latte order while driving…, call my friends and family while walking from one place to another, mentally going over my weekly schedule while at the gym, and omigosh when can I squeeze in that much needed haircut? You get the idea. Instead of being present at one event, I am already planning my next hour/day’s activities. Heck, I’m reading three different books right now and am not more than halfway through each one”

This describes me to an absolute tee! Recently Anh has been trying to change her behaviour:

“I’ve been trying to set aside a couple of hours every now and then to be truly alone and to just be present. I mean turning my phone off to go for a walk around my neighborhood, enjoying the Farmer’s Market, making a Holy Hour (time set out solely for prayer), and allowing myself to reflect on various aspects of my life, without the anxiousness of feeling lonely or as though precious time is being wasted“

On my way back from work earlier this week, inspired by her example, I pulled off the freeway by Mission Bay and took a long walk:

It’s quite crazy that I’ve lived in San Diego for over two years and have driven past Mission Bay every day…and this is the first time I’ve stopped off on my way home to simply drink in the view.

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Sunday Lectionary: A Prophet Among Us

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Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time: July 8, 2012

In this week’s Readings we hear about prophethood and about our utter dependence upon the grace of God.

In our First Reading we read about the calling of the  Prophet Ezekiel, how he was strengthened by the Spirit and sent to proclaim an unpopular message to an obstinate people. In the Gospel, Jesus returns to His hometown of Nazareth and is met with suspicion and unbelief.

We are convinced beyond doubt that the truths of faith cannot deceive us; yet we cannot seem to bring ourselves to trust in them. It is easier for us to trust in human reasons and the deceiving appearances of the world. This, precisely, is the reason for our poor progress in virtue and in all that pertains to God’s glory – St. Vincent de Paul

For me though, the Readings which stand out are the Psalm and the Second Reading from St. Paul. The psalm expresses complete reliance upon God. St. Paul’s epistle to the Corinthians expresses a similar theme. Paul, probably the greatest Christian missionary in the history of the Church, knew something about strength and weakness. He knew that, in his weakness, God’s strength was more greatly manifested.

As we prepare ourselves to receive the Eucharist this week, let us come mindful of our weaknesses and therefore also recognize our need of God, thankful that He calls poor, imperfect creatures to be His children and to declare His goodness.

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