I have taken some sentences I thought important in the observance of Lent this week from the above passage.

They gave a dinner for him there, and Martha served, while Lazarus was one of those reclining at table with him. . .

Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil made from genuine aromatic nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair; the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.

Martha, Mary and Lazarus are telling us what to do this week. Do you have time to serve a dinner for Jesus with the finest of food? Let us keep our home neat and clean ready to receive Jesus.

Like Lazar let us recline at the table with the son of God. Try to spent some time with the Lord in person – upavasam

Do we have a perfume, as Mary had, the perfume of our grace when we are free of sin to anoint the feet of Jesus?

She prayed, “Please help Him!”

And it was answered. How do we know? Because the next station is Simon Helps Jesus Carry His Cross. Can’t you just hear Mary begging God for this? Please help Him! She knew who He was and what He had to do, but she was still His mother and He was her son. Please, help Him!

And then the next station, Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus. As a mom, it can be heart breaking to see your child’s face altered due to a simple accident, even a childhood mishap that will naturally be corrected over time. This was her son’s precious face, all covered with blood and sweat and dirt. Can’t you hear the Blessed Mother crying inside… Let me see His beautiful face again!

This was the first time I had ever heard this interpretation and while I know that we can’t know for sure, it really made sense to me. I have always been perplexed by the fifth station. Why did He need help? Who was Simon of Cyrene? Why was he chosen and what are we supposed to learn from this station?

And St. Veronica? How did she make it through the crowds? Why would the guards have allowed this kindness after they had already inflicted so much pain? Were they distracted? Why?

It makes so much more sense now. God wouldn’t refuse the prayer of the Blessed Mother. He knows the tortures of a mother’s heart and he hears her prayers.

(Taken from the blog of Charlotte http://tiredtwang.blogspot.com/2009/04/jesus-meets-his-mother.html)

How is your journey of Lent? Do we need to invite Mary the mother of Jesus to join our journey? As the Mother met Jesus on the way, may Mary meet us also. As the Mother stood beneath the cross, may Mary accompany us when we struggle.

I felt myself to be at the centre of the universe, and all things, flowers, birds, stars seemed to gather round to praise God with me.

I became creation’s vioce, the priest of all that was little and insignificant and voiceless. In this task I discovered my secret vocation. Peter’s words in scripture had struck me with force: ‘You are a priestly people’ (1 Pet 2:9).

I had never wanted to be a priest, and my companions knew this very well. But the happier I was not to be a priest, the more I felt that I was a priest.

It seemed to me that priests – the ones ordained by the bishop – were in the Church precisely for the purpose of saying to all men and women: ‘You are all priests, for you belong to a priestly people’ (1 Pet 2:9).

So I was quiet at ease when praying with arms extended, or when I blessed birds or fishes with the sign of the cross. (Hello, it is me, Francis, from Assisi.)

Have you ever listened to the call of God to become a priest? What is the nature of priesthood God is offering you?

(A new reflection will be updated once in a week in this Lent. (Source: I Francis- Carlo Caretto p.72))

You say: It is impossible.
God says: All things are possible. (Luke 18:27)

You say: I am too tired.
God says: I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28-30)

You say: Nobody really loves me.
God says: I love you. (John 3:16 & John 13:34)

You say: I can’t go on.
God says: My Grace is sufficient. (II Corinthians 12:9 & Psalm 91:15)

You say: I can not figure things out.
God says: I will direct your steps. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

You say: I can’t do it.
God says: You can do all things.(Philippians 4:13)

You say: It is not worth it.
God says: It will be worth it. (Roman 8:28)

You say: I can not forgive myself.
God says: I FORGIVE YOU. (I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1)

You say: I can not manage.
God says: I will supply all your needs. (Philippians 4:19)

You say: I am afraid.
God says: I have not given you a spirit of fear. (II Timothy 1:7)

You say: I am always worried and frustrated.
God says: Cast all your cares on ME. (I Peter 5:7)

You say: I don’t have enough faith.
God says: I’ve given everyone a measure of faith. (Romans 12:3)

You say: I am not smart enough.
God says: I give you wisdom. (I Corinthians 1:30)

You say: I feel all alone.
God says: I will never leave you or forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5)

He is nearer than you think. “Seek and you will find” (Mtt 7: 7)

Hope this lent is a time of earnestly seeking God by some  spiritual activity like fasting, retreat, spiritual reading, seeking guidance, penance etc.

(A new reflection will be updated once in a week in this Lent. Source: Unknown)

I cannot say OUR if I live only for myself.
I Cannot say FATHER if I do not endeavor each day to act like His child.
I cannot say WHO ART IN HEAVEN if I am laying up no treasure there.
I cannot say HALLOWED BE THY NAME if I am not striving for holiness.
I cannot say THY KINGDOM COME if I am not doing all in my power to hasten that wonderful event.
I cannot say THY WILL BE DONE if I am disobedient to His word.
I cannot say ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN if I will not serve Him here and now.
I cannot say GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD if I am dishonest or seeking things by subterfuge.
I cannot say FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES if I harbor a grudge against anyone.
I cannot say LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION if I deliberately place myself in its path.
I cannot say DELIVER US FROM EVIL if I do not put on the whole armor of God.
I cannot say THINE IS THE KINGDOM if I do not give the King the loyalty due him from a faithful subject.
I cannot say THE POWER if I fear what others may do.
I cannot say THE GLORY if I am seeking honor only for myself.
I cannot say FOREVER if the horizon of my life is bounded by the things of today.

For Contemplation: “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” (Matthew 6:14)

Let us pray. OUR FATHER, . . .

Are you able to say the prayer?

(A new reflection will be updated once in a week in this Lent. Source: Unknown, Thank you Michelle for sending it over.)

Her husband, a celebrated wisdom teacher, was off studying at the time.
Bruria laid her dear children on the bed and covered them tenderly. When her husband returned, she told him: “A stranger came. He left two pearls in my care. He’ll be back to take them soon, but they are such beautiful pearls I don’t want to give them back.” Enraged by this talk, the husband said, “They don’t belong to us! You must give them back!” Then Bruria took him by the hand, and showed him their two sons.

Our loved ones don’t belong to us. People aren’t possessions and we can’t hold on to them, no matter how we try. Yet God, the stranger who comes in the night, values the pearls of our relationships even more than we do. For our loved ones most certainly do belong to God in a way they can never belong to us. As tenderly as Bruria laid her children down, God will lift them up again.

For Contemplation: How do we honour our pearls, living and deceased?

What do you think?

(A new reflection will be updated once in a week in this Lent. Source: Alice Camille, Walking on Holy Ground)

Holy Father’s message for Lent 2011

Has anybody written such a beautiful message to you?

Charles Dickens wrote the following letter to his youngest son who went out to Australia in 1868:
“I need not tell you that I love you dearly and am very sorry in my heart to part with you, I have put a New Testament among your books because it is the best book that ever was or will be known in the world. As your brothers have gone away one by one, I have written to each such words as I am now writing to you, entreating them all to guide themselves by this book. Only one thing more, never abandon the practice of private prayer. I know the comfort of it.”

We can pray in various ways:
The prayer of approach – being aware of the presence of God.
The prayer of confession – asking forgiveness.
The prayer of thanksgiving – grateful to God for all gifts.
The prayer of petition – raising our needs.
The prayer of intercession – prayer for other people.
The prayer of adoration – acknowledging the awesomeness of God.
The prayer of communion – mystical union with God.
God shares his free gift to us every moment. During this lent, why not make yourself available to God’s presence?

What do you think? Hope you have begun the lent in style with ashes.

If you are a member of cybersouls you can view this weekly reflection on your cybersouls account. Unlike last lent (2010) this will be updated only once in a week in this Lent. Source: William Barclay, More Prayers for Young People. Talk soon.

As we watch this video, may we be united in our prayer, praying for our own needs and the needs of the entire world who wait and watch for Christ.

Happy Easter to all readers. Hope you benefited from this blog during the Lent.

This video was prepared and used as a part of the ‘Prayer around the Cross’ in St John the Baptist’s Church Clontarf, on Good Friday 2010, evening.

Surely he has borne our infirmities
and carried our diseases;
yet we accounted him stricken,
struck down by God, and afflicted. (Isaiah 53:4)

But he was wounded for our transgressions,
crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the punishment that made us whole,
and by his bruises we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5)

Journey of Faith

This may be the last question to be addressed in this Lenten Reflection on questions raised by young people. The coming days we will have some very short reflections about our Lord’s suffering and passion. Thank you Jeby for asking today’s question.

This is a very difficult question which we often do not ask but once asked it can trigger a lot of other questions burning within. It is a question very similar to, ‘What is poetry?’, ‘What is love?’ etc. Similar entities like love, truth and beauty also can not be obtained, separated from where they belong to for an analysis or a definition of them on their own. Similarly faith also may better be understood by looking at our own yearning for God where it operates.

There are a lot of attempts at looking at faith as a separate entity. For example St Paul Says, “Now, faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). I would like this  following definition for myself which is  more a concrete one : Faith is the understanding that God is the creator of the world and he created me out of his love towards me personally.

How can we talk about faith? It is not always easy to talk about faith the same way as we understand and talk about material things. A spiritual and symbolic language is to be chosen to talk about faith in many situations. Every material object and act on earth is a mere foretaste / symbol of what is to come in heaven, the spiritual world.

What gives you faith? Faith is a free gift from God, but because of our attitudes and sinfulness we can reject that gift. This is because faith is not a material gift, but rather a spiritual gift that needs to be fine tuned as we progress through life.

How did you come into your faith? For some people it is inherited. Even if it is there in the family some others choose not to believe. But, later on, through their own yearning for God within they could come back to faith. For some others they stumble upon faith in their sincere search for truth, love, happiness, meaning, and beauty.

How can we sustain in our faith? Our faith can be sustained through good friendships, Community of the church, Spiritual reading, Celebrations of sacraments & Personal prayer.

Once we begin to find faith interesting and benefitting we will naturally spread the word. This is called sharing of faith.

Give me the grace both to recognize that only your redemptive love will fulfil my deepest thirst and to open myself to that love.

by His wounds you have been healed (1 Pet 2:24)

Being truly sorry for something can best be explained by our repentance for the very act and most importantly by our resolve to avoid such situations in future. We had a discussion about forgiveness in this site before (March 2 and 3, see the Calendar on the right column to get it).

I feel by this question Angela is touching a concept once dealt by Saint Francis de Sales, called “Affections of Sin”. This is a common feeling of all of us who are sinful:

• If God has forgiven me why is there still a tendency for me to sin again?
• Once the innocence of a child is lost can I not be pure again?
• Yes you can.

Our Lord is compassionate and merciful abounding in love. He has made arrangements for us in his divine plan.

St. John Vianney, the saint of the confessional says, “Remember that when the priest gives you absolution, you have but one thing to think of – that the Blood of the good God is flowing over your soul to purify it and make it as bright as it was made by its Baptism.”

Confession is also called second baptism as it makes us pure giving us a chance to start afresh. In confession, even if we do not receive any anointing like Baptism, this cleansing of the soul with the Precious Blood of Christ is happening. In the Eucharist we receive the Body and Blood of Christ.

Exodus 12:13

Why should we think of this? If we fall and the wound is bleeding, if it is not deep, we can just clean it with water and leave it, then it will heal itself. These are venial sins, small offenses. We do not need to bring in confession. But if we have a deep cut in our body or a broken limb or even a malignant inflamation, we may need to go to the doctor, operate on it, apply the necessary ointment or antibiotic etc. This is the same case with grave sins. We may need to go to the priest for confession to get the real cleansing with the precious blood if the offense is grave.

If a sin has become a habit and the root of it has gone deep, we may need a really deep digging to root it out. God forgives our sins, but we have to work on our bad habits or memories to make us pure again. Memories of sin may haunt us again even if we have confessed. These memories may tell us that we have to resolve an issue within us. Address that issue in your life bringing it in prayer.

Prayers to cleanse ourselves with the precious blood of Jesus will make us pure again when we are at the confessional. We need to relive the anointing we received in baptism by calling on the precisous blood of Jesus to fall on us again. This exercise can be done any time any where.

Remember, in the Old Testament people behind those doors marked by the blood of the lamb were spared by the angel of death.

This video will tell us more:

1. Why God did you do this to us (them if you are not part of the family)?
2. If God is so good why did He do this, he could spare my Mum?
3. What can replace one’s own mother’s love at that tender age?

If you have a large and loving extended family you may be looked after by them.

Looking at the life of Saint, Therese of Lisieux, the Little Flower, her mother died of breast cancer when she was just four and a half years old. Let us watch a video to journey with the Little Flower reflecting about this question:

Now, let us try to stand back from the emotion of this type of situatuion for a moment. This may be unpleasant especially for the young people involved.

However we have to try to put things into perspective:

• We are passing through life with its ups and downs which at times can seem unfathomable.
• People are sent difficult trials but the people with greatest trials seem to be able to handle it better with a life of faith.
• This life is a mystery and one thing is certain that only so many questions can be reasoned or answered from the head.
• This mysterious life realization lets us Christians off the hook at times but it really is.

No-body has seen God, heaven, hell angels, saints etc. So does any of it exist? It cannot be proved at all. But then we cannot see love as such, the same way feelings, thoughts, emotions —-do they exist either?

The life of faith can throw up a lot of difficult situations that we will never know the reason why. What we do know is that we all have free will and God has a reason for everything. In addition it is contradictory but in times of suffering we in our human weakness, come closer to God which is what life is all about and the only true and real purpose. Of course the opposite can also happen where people reject God and become bitter.

I don’t know why these things happen but they do. What I do know is that God the father allowed his only son to be killed for my sake in front of his own mother, Mary. This was part of a divine plan that resonates into eternity in order that we can all have happiness in heaven. This is the important part and what we should be seeking and what I do believe.

Furthermore I do think that the children will be united in the next life with their Mum and then all will be understandable. The thoughts that this is all random, over at the final breath and that God does not exist does not for me make sense but that we are on a journey of mystery to the one who is love does.
(Written by Declan Lawlor)

Like a water lilly

This is a question which can come to the mind of any person who is enlivened by the Church rooted in the modern world. I suppose, this  is an expression of our concern for the Church also. Our desire that the Church should not be falling behind is also clear in the question. Thank you Toji, for the question.

• Is it a case that the Church is too slow or we are moving too fast in the modern world? I suspect it is the latter.
• What do you think?
• We are moving so fast as a society that at times can you not feel the wheels ready to start coming off?

The Church seeks to adhere to the Truth in and out of fashion; Modern Society wants to follow the trend and demands that the Church follows it regardless of whether it is right or wrong in the Church eyes. The Church has to remain apart from society to guide it but also has to be in the Modern world. This tension can then spill over into statements that it is too slow and the fear of being out of touch.

If we try to understand who and what constitutes these two realities namely the Church and the modern world, we will be able to find an answer for this question.

This table illustrates the different view point of the Church in comparison to that of the world. The Church is more focused on the well being of the soul with a view to eternity while the modern world is focussed on comforts of the individual with a materialistic perspective. Progress itself can be defined as the modification and fine-tuning of the existing. However the teachings of  the Church may not be considered something to be modified or altered to keep up with the progress of the world primarily because both operate with two different objectives.

Since the vision of the Church is not solely based on the material world, the Church may take time to adapt to the fast pace of the modern world.

It is mostly the lay people who are the bridge between the Church and the modern world because the lay people are seen to be more ‘in tune’ with the world. The lay people are out in the fields meeting head on with difficult circumstances of life and bringing the Good News according to the ‘signs of the times’. I think the readers of this blog can contribute to today’s reflection a lot.

I would like some of the readers to contribute your opinion also about this question in the comment box below.

There are some other issues associated with this question:

1. Every person who is born will die one day;
2. We are aware of the moments we live;
3. We can recollect the moments we have already lived;
4. We can plan our future;
5. Nobody wants to perish or die;
6. All religions and sciences strive to bring immortality to human beings and eradicate suffering.

However, we are not aware of the moments after our death. So, there can be people saying, “I can only talk about what I can see, hence, I will not say anything about life after death. I know I will die one day”. As a matter of fact there was a time when this very person did not exist. Who brought him / her to life?

Various religions speak differently about what happens to us after our life on earth. Hindus believe that there is a cycle of births until a person is purified to go to eternity. Catholics believe that our one life on earth will give us the opportunity to work hard for eternity. The choices we make here on earth will decide our life for eternity.

“Listen, I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable body must put on imperishability, and this mortal body must put on immortality.” (1 Cor 15:51-53)

Beyond the Grave
You are correct when you say that after our earthly life ends we cease to exist in the same way as we were during our time on earth. Our Christian faith tells us that there is a new life beyond the grave. Theologically we call this living as a resurrected people.  We have been promised that after our life on earth is ended that we will be united with God in heaven. We are promised that in this new and eternal life we will no longer know pain, sadness or disappointment. This belief is that we will experience happiness, peace and exist in harmony with our God.

The Difficulty
While this kind of spiritual heaven sounds really attractive it is also understandable how some people may find it difficult to comprehend particularly when there is no one has come back from the dead to tell us what is was like. It is true that some aspects of our religious beliefs are easier to understand than others. It is easier to listen to and relate to the story of Christ’s life and earthly mission than it is to understand the resurrection of the dead. Some parts of our religious beliefs are based on mystery and mysteries by definition are difficult to grasp.

So if you are experiencing difficulties with some aspects of faith do not think that you are alone or that it is your problem. Some of the greatest believers have struggled with issues of belief. In fact sometimes the struggle we have with our faith is indicative of our deep longing to maintain the spiritual dimension of life and of our eagerness to remain close to God.

Suggestions:

• Continue to ask reflective questions. This spiritual quest will deepen your understanding of the important connections between the human struggle and the spirit of God.   Trust that you will be given what you need to know.
• For all that remains unresolved pray to God for the guidance you need to accept your situation as it is at present.  Trust that life will not always remain the same and that as life changes more will be revealed to you.
• For all the mysteries that remain pray for the wisdom to appreciate and value the great mysteries of your precious life and of the world around you.

Life is for Living
Before we die we have to live. Christ continually reminds us that he came so that we will have life and have life to the full. His desire is that we will life happy, joyous and free. We are the beloved children of God and we have been blessed with many gifts.  Let us take every opportunity to enjoy these gifts of love, and life.  So live well and enjoy your one precious life.

This is a good and genuine question which may be asked by all of us who reflect about occurrences of everyday life.  In the recent incidents in Nigeria when a number of women and children were brutally murdered, many of us thought, ‘In the name of religion! Why?’ When this question arises in our mind the underlying sense of justice, idealism and longing for peace also become explicit. The second part of the question captures the enthusiasm and sincere desire to contribute to the wellbeing of the society. Well done.

There are different kinds of religious intolerance or persecution and dealing with underlying anger may be a way to go forward:

(1) People who practice one religion violently attacking people of other religions
e.g. Northern Ireland, Nigeria, India, the classic example of Gaza and many other

(2) Secular powers persecuting people of any religion because of their religious practices

e.g. Jewish Holocaust & Early Christian persecutions

(3) Religious leaders motivating people to attack and harm all those who are practising values opposed to their faiths

e.g. Jihads and Crusades

(4) People who practice barbaric and evil activities who being threatened by teachings of religion, attack them

e.g. Archbishop Romero of El Salvador who was shot dead while he was celebrating Holy Mass in 1980.

All these people can be:

• with seemingly genuine reasons;
• claiming to be religious;
• practising external rituals;
• losing the true meaning of religion;
• politically motivated or manipulative;
• religious only in their name;
• narrow minded;
• emotionally charged.

Would any of their reasons justify the violence and murder?

What can we do about it?
We can try to understand the TRUE value of religion and live by the principles – love, forgiveness, justice, peace.

Underneath religious persecution there is frequently a lot of anger and hatred. In general we may feel angry for very legitimate reasons. Let us listen to the voice of anger in our hearts:

• Do we know that we are angry?
• How are we dealing with our anger?
• Do we just burst out?
• When was the last time we expressed our anger?
• Do we tell God that we are angry?

Remember, if we let our anger grow it can cause disastrous consequences. We can pray that God will grant us the guidance how to deal appropriately with our anger. Jesus said, ‘Learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls’ (Mtt 11:29)

Our natural instinct can be to pay back evil with evil. But do we think about forgiveness? Forgiveness of Jesus is our best model. He prayed for those who crucified him: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Lk 23:34)
Forgiveness can bring a lot of healing.

Are we impatient? Watch this very moving video:

Message of peace by late Pope John Paul II in 2002.

Write your comments below.

Thank you for asking this interesting question. From the way you have asked the question I realise that your father has died. I don’t know when this happened but I do know that the death of a loved, especially your father can be a really painful experience. Please accept my sympathy. It is very understandable that you would think about whether your deceased father would still know you or not.

I believe that your father still knows you and loves you in a very special way. Once we establish a loving relationship with people especially with our parents those relationships do not unravel in death.

In life, parents create a very intimate and loving bond with their children. This bond of deep love is created when the parents bring their child into this strange big world. In looking after their child the parent will do all that they can to care for and provide their child with everything needed to keep them happy, safe and content. Throughout life parents hold, cherish, worry and look after their child as best they can. From the very beginning of the child’s life, the parent gets to know their child in a most unique way.

Your question indicates that your Father did know you while he was living. It is a real gift to be known, cherished and accepted especially by your father. Even when we don’t tell our parents every single thing, they have a special way of knowing their children in an intimate way. I hope that you were able to enjoy your fathers company and that you have good memories to comfort and console you in your loss.

Death will separate us physically for our parents but the bond of love and affection that is so deeply woven between us will continue to unite us even when they die. We can remain lovingly connected to them, be nurtured by their loving kindness and feel guided by their spirit of heavenly wisdom.

Realistically, we also know that no relationship is perfect. This is especially true regarding parents and their children where conflict and fallout can be a regular issue. When a loved one dies there can often be a residue of regret about issues that were unresolved before the time of death. There is no need to allow such issues to burden your precious life. In situations like this many people have found some of the following useful:

• Journaling – write out all the issues that are causing you regret or pain

• Go to the grave – sit and chat at your loved ones graveside about the issue that you want to mention;
• Share your story with God – You can do this in private prayer;
• Receive the grace of the Sacrament of reconciliation;
• Speak to a spiritual director;
• Speak to a trusted friend or to another family member;
• Share your thoughts with a good therapist and if necessary seek grief counselling.

The loss of a loved one, especially a parent is one of the most significant events that you will ever experience. It evokes a lot of memories, awakens a lot of issues and creates a huge void where many questions arise. It is really important when you lose your parent that you learn how to take care of yourself. So if you have been going through a difficult time recently because of loss or grief, be gentle and caring towards your self. Nurture yourself with all the love and support you need. Trust that the pain of loss will not last forever.

Above all, remember that you are still known and loved by your Dad and will be forever, Amen.
(Written by Fr Ben Hughes)

(1) God created Lucifer as a good angel.

The Church teaches that Satan was at first a good angel, made by God: “The devil and the other demons were indeed created naturally good by God, but they became evil by their own doing.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church article 391-395). It was Lucifer’s choice using his freedom he became a demon. This is based on various passages from the Bible and teachings and traditions of the Church over so many years.

(2) Satan or Lucifer is causing evil or suffering.
By believing this are we blaming Satan for the miseries of our life? In this case there can be the danger of not being responsible for our own actions.

We are living like Lucifer the demon if we choose to be miserable by committing sin and choosing to increase our own suffering.

(3) The gift of freedom has been bestowed upon us being the children of God – hence we have the power to choose between good and evil. This will explain the fact that we all can choose to be good or evil. Through the choices we make, we can make this place either a happy one or a miserable one.

Pope Paul VI once said, “Carry your cross and the cross will carry you.” Watch this video:

At least we can choose to be joyful and happy today, can’t we?

The three traditional pillars of Lenten observance are:

• prayer;
• fasting;
• works of charity.

Prayer: More time given to prayer during Lent  to pray especially for the grace to live out our baptismal promises more fully. To get some special and unique prayers for Lent Click here

Fasting: The early Church fasted intensely for two days before the celebration of the Easter Vigil. This fast was later extended and became a 40-day period of fasting leading up to Easter.

• Fasting is more than a means of developing self-control.
• It is often an aid to prayer, as the pangs of hunger remind us of our hunger for God.
• The prophet Isaiah insists that fasting without changing our behavior is not pleasing to God. (Is 58:6-7).
• Fasting should be linked to our concern for those who are forced to fast by their poverty, those who suffer from the injustices of our economic and political structures, those who are in need for any reason.
• Fasting can help us realize the suffering that so many people in our world experience every day, and it should lead us to greater efforts to alleviate that suffering.
• Abstaining from meat traditionally also linked us to the poor, who could seldom afford meat for their meals. It can do the same today if we remember the purpose of abstinence and embrace it as a spiritual link to those whose diets are sparse and simple.

Works of Charity: Charity works, the third traditional pillar, is a sign of our care for those in need and an expression of our gratitude for all that God has given to us. Works of charity and the promotion of justice are integral elements of the Christian way of life we began when we were baptized.

Stations of the Cross
This devotion has a special place in Lent as to take part in the sufferings and injustices Christ endured for our salvation. Some forms of the Stations of the Cross include a 15th station to recall the resurrection as an integral part of the paschal mystery. Some contemporary forms of the Stations also make clear the link between the sufferings of Christ in the first century and the sufferings of Christ’s body in the world today. To get an easy to to use ‘Stations of the Cross’ Click here

Blessed palms
As we near the end of Lent, we celebrate Passion (Palm) Sunday. At the beginning of the liturgy, we receive palms in memory of Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem. As a symbol of triumph, the palms point us toward Christ’s resurrection and might remind us of the saints in heaven “wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands” (Rev 7:9).

The white robes remind us of baptismal garments, and the palms suggest their triumph over sin and death through the waters of Baptism.

Did you practise any of the above traditional observances or something new?
Some people say that fasting can have new various creative dimensions. See them in the comment box below.

Lent is a time when many Christians prepare for Easter by observing a period of fasting, repentance, moderation and spiritual discipline. The purpose is to set aside time for reflection on Jesus Christ – his suffering and his sacrifice, his life, death, burial and resurrection.

The practice of repentance and mourning in ashes is found in:
2 Samuel 13:19; Esther 4:1; Job 2:8; Daniel 9:3; and Matthew 11:21.

The key to understanding the meaning of Lent is Baptism. Renewing our baptismal commitment lies at the heart of the season. Since the Second Vatican Council, the Church has reemphasized the baptismal character of Lent. Our challenge today is to renew our understanding of this important season of the Church year and to see how we can integrate our personal practices into this renewed perspective.

• Do we think about our Baptism?
• What are the commitments we took at the time of our Baptism?

Lent is radically baptismal. Let us watch a short video in which the Pope speaks about Lent (English Commentary starts soon).:

(1.14 to 1.17 seconds in the video tells about baptism)

Giving something up
The first thought that Lent brings to mind is giving something up.

Lent is about conversion, turning our lives more completely over to Christ and his way of life. That always involves giving up sin in some form. The goal is not just to abstain from sin for the duration of Lent but to root sin out of our lives forever.

Tomorrow we’ll consider some of the familiar customs of Lent and show how we can renew our life. The Holy Week is approaching and we need to be little more rigorous in our observance of lent, don’t we?
Tomorrow: Why Penance, prayer, fasting, charity works, Station of the Cross and Palm Sunday in Lent?

The context of this question is very clear when we have read the above lines of explanation by the questioner.

This is a great question. As it not only confronts the external world but more importantly it is looking within and asking, “What do I do?” The question really captures the enthusiasm, genuineness and a deep rooted concern of young people for their brothers and sisters.

What do I do?
We (can) do two things.

• One is to go out to Africa and volunteer without focussing on the religious/spiritual dimension as a humanitarian effort i.e., I am human and as a person of good will I want to help other people. After a while this initial concern can burn out or run out of steam if there is no other, “raison d’être” or reason.
• The second approach I think has deeper roots. I wish to help people as a person of good will but also because I see Christ in them and so I am helping him personally. This reason will be the engine to keep going no matter what situation we are faced with.

This means we can help in Africa or in less exotic places such as our home town.

We can still ask the question, can I help alleviate the suffering of my fellow human beings?
If my mind is adverted to God or Christ in every person I meet, doesn’t the whole tenor of the proposed action change?

It is not actually about me or indeed the other person; it is about real love that comes from Christ, for our brother and sister. This love needs humility, patience and kindness to grow and Christ will give us the grace to attain these virtues. We attain the grace through prayer and frequenting the sacraments.

Irish Efforts in the Past
I am reminded of Frank Duff who was an Irish man who had a love for God and his fellow man. He set up a homeless hostel in Dublin for women, children and homeless men. Most of the women had addictions and were seen as undesirables by society. Frank saw Christ in each of them. He gave up his job in the Civil Service when he was about forty. Then he spent the next fifty years working in the hostels full time. He was known to be a great listener and had genuine concern for people with psychiatric problems in the hostels.

Where does my help come from?

One of the ladies was a tough nut who never appreciated Frank for approximately thirty years. But on her death bed she did thank him for all he had done for her. My point is that we cannot expect any real praise/feedback in this world as it is all God’s work. In fact, if we expect, “To get something out of it” it might not happen. However, if we do it out of love for God then it will never fail as God sees all, knows our intentions, uses our concern and work to develop our own relationship with him. Another similar example is Mother Theresa.

A Personal Experience
From my own personal experience I have seen the two types of voluntary work in action. When I was in college I was involved in a social concern group that did charity work in Dublin’s inner city. Whilst it was good work it did not persevere as apart from concern for inequality in society there was no real reason for the work to exist and therefore faded.

For the last ten years I am familiar with the ongoing work of the Homeless Hostel that Frank Duff set up. In these times it is still run on providence by totally unpaid voluntary lay staff who have dedicated their lives. Their intention in seeing Christ in everybody that they meet is a testament to the effect of real Christian love that that perseveres.

Stirred Up (‘my head is messed’ – in the explanation of the question above)
He sees our concern as a, “stirring up” from our souls or inner self and is particularly happy to see this type of response. This is our movement to Him, not unlike the prodigal son starting to decide to go home to his father. Once you really start walking with God by our concern then we can, “let him in” to start directing where we need to go for him. He will then decide what we need to do once we have submitted to him. He will support you as much as you want to help in little time

At that stage what is happening in the world is still important. But it is all under his control, with his promptings to us as to what he wishes us to do for him and our fellow human beings in whatever context he puts us in.
(Written by Declan Lawlor)
Does this video speak to you?

Write your comments in the comment box below.

A self reflection to understand how we have lost touch with our God will also help us re-establish our relationship. Do these possible reasons given below distance yourself from God?

• I do not find it ‘cool’ to pray or go to church because my friends do not find it interesting.
• I find those who are ‘preaching’ about God too boring and repetitive.
• Some of those who are calling themselves representatives of God are not walking their talk.
• I am happy with what I am busy with.
• I prayed to God that He may not take my beloved but he did not care. I prayed to God and still bad things happen to me.
• God is not for real people.
• I hate those who tell me what to do.
• Religion seems to cause war, mass murders and hatred. So the God who the religions preach about is not real.
• The idea of God was a primitive concept necessary for the aboriginals to organise their life, we who are modern do not need it.

If a teacher who teaches mathematics is not pleasant we tend to reject the subject also. We may still have the aptitude for mathematics, but I hate the teacher and what he/she teaches. Is this an attitude which is applicable to our relationship with God also?

How can we get back to God? Some practical tips:

• Talking to a friend who has faith may be a starting point. He or she may be able to guide you where to go and what to do?
• Visiting a church with a friend may also be beneficial. Sit on the pews relaxing for some time and tell God that you want to come back.
• Identifying your patron saint, the name of the saint you have taken at Baptism or Confirmation, and talking to the saint and praying will bring surprising effects.
• Talking to your guardian angel, God has entrusted you with, will also help you find the way.
• Some people go to confession to start again. Sin can sometimes be the cause of us not connecting with God.
• There are prayer groups organised by various youth groups on a regular basis. Trying to find out about them may be a way of contacting likeminded people who may be on the same journey.
• There are different kinds of retreats available which may help us for a quiet time and personal reflection. A day of prayer and reflection, to a week’s guided prayer and reflections are other possibilities.
• Reading books about coming home to the Church and God, can also help. For instance Rome Sweet Home is a beautiful book by Scott and Kimberly Hahn telling the story of finding answers to our questions.
• Finally praying to the Holy Spirit and asking for personal guidance will be very helpful. The Spirit will inspire the person in his/her mind to take the right direction.

And the Gospel says ‘…while he was still a long way off the father saw him.  He ran to the boy, clasped him in his arms and kissed him tenderly…’

Remember that while God always wants to give us our freedom He never wants to see us lost and lonely.  When God sees us searching to find our way back home, even when we are a long way off He will come towards us with love and tenderness. God’s desire is that we will learn how to find our way home: home to Him to ourselves and to the world in which we live. Home is where we are comfortable with ourselves, happy with God and at peace with the world.

Dear God, help me understand my true self.
Help me find my way back to you.
Please meet me in this journey. Amen

Do you want to add any more tips? Write your comments in the comment box below.

in the middle of nowhere

Being Lost
Being lost is a hard place to be.  We can feel abandoned, frustrated and afraid. When we feel lost the world can seem a very dark and difficult place to be. We are not sure who to trust and what direction to go. We can often feel angry and want to blame others or ourselves.

• Being lost can happen to any one at any time.
• Everybody will experience being lost or disorientated in life from time to time.
• We can get lost in life for many reasons.
• Being lost is not your fault.
• Being lost is not permanent.
• Being lost will come to and end and you will find your way through.
• Being lost is not where you are supposed to be.

Being lost may give rise to feelings of regret and we can become very self critical. When we are lost we sometimes feel like giving up because we have not got the energy to keep on trying and failing. We sometimes become used to being lost and sadly decide to stay in that lost place that has become far too familiar.

• Being lost is only a temporary place that you are passing through.
• Being lost is an in-between place where life has become unclear.
• Being lost is a place where you have realised that you are not happy.
• Being lost reminds you that you deserve more from life.
• Being lost is the place where we search for a better way forward.
• Being lost means that we can be found.

Let us watch this wonderful video:

The good news is, and there is always good news, you won’t be lost forever.

What did you feel while you were watching the video? Have you ever had a lost feeling? Reflect and write a comment in the comment box.

Tomorrow: How to Find our Way Back?

He was so down to earth that he had to get the help of a mortal like you and me to complete his journey. Watch it now to see who helps whom. This also shows the meaning of our call to life, you are also called to help God, in doing so, He raises us to the level of the divine.

Take time to meditate on the video:

The dignity of human life as being called to assist God in His saving action is visible in the video.

What do you think? Write your comments on the video  in the comment box.

tap answers

Thank you very much for the question. This question is applicable to most of us because often, we all look for simple and definitive answers or we are trained to look for them. True – we don’t have all of the answers. We’re surrounded by big questions all of the time. There’s enough going on in our own daily lives and in the world to challenge us without having the answers to even bigger questions!

Jesus never had one simple answer either.
He lived in the same world as us and had the same questions and struggles:

• Jesus asked everyone around him questions.
• He never gave one simple answer.
• All his answers were revolutionary and challenging.
• He challenged them to think in new ways by telling stories, being there for those in need, offering forgiveness, using healing words and doing healing deeds.
• He helped people to see life in a new way.
• He revealed God’s love to us by the way He lived His life.

Same Questions Today
People nowadays have just as many questions as they did in Jesus’ time. But we look for the answers in the life and teachings of the Great Guru – Jesus Christ.

We believe that Jesus Christ gives definitive answers. Christians believe that the Lord is present when we read the Scriptures, when we gather together and when we help others, i.e. when we perform the actions that Jesus used to – healing, saving, asking…. We answer the questions by the way we live, just like He did. When we do that, we keep Jesus alive.

He talks to us in the caves of our hearts. He’s there with us because we’re acting as He did. This definitive presence of Jesus is a true and real presence. But this presence is not like the presence of ‘Teddy Bears’ that we are supplied with. This is a different kind of presence. If we look around, even in difficult times, we can ‘see’ miracles and things that make us think. We don’t have all the answers, but we fill the gaps by the way we live. If we had all of the answers, life would have no mystery to it, and no excitement.

For instance:
If you believe that Jesus rose again, then you know that death changes life; it doesn’t end it. The fulfilment that we have been seeking becomes clear. This is what we mean by, “Heaven;” a full life lived, and now united with Jesus in joy, love and peace. But we don’t have to wait till then to start living a fulfilling life. We can have Heaven here on Earth by living like Jesus did. We’re on a journey to a place that is being prepared for us. By being Christians, we may not have the answers to them, but we are open to the big questions in life and the responsibility of living a good life and caring for others.
(Written by Fr Gareth Byrne)

‘The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field . . .’ Mtt 13:44

Jesus said, “I am the way . . .” We can watch this video to get the rest:


Do you ever look for definitive answers of life? Are you able to find them? Write in the comment box below. You can be anonymous if you want.

The language of happiness for youth can be defined by the language of ‘ING’ words. What are those ‘ING’ words you ask?

This is a question asked by all of us? Thank you for raising this question.

Every moment in our life is a pursuit of happiness, is it not?

Happiness cannot be travelled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude. – Denis Waitley

• Children express their happiness through a combination of their eyes, their smiles and their sounds. Have you noticed it?
• As we grow older, we no longer find happiness in simple pleasures. We must find our own level of contentment. We depend on friends, hobbies, sport or technology. Is it true?
• Adults will try to find happiness in many ways. On occasions, the search for happiness can take them on a route towards addiction to external sources of comfort but which rarely provide them with true happiness. What do you think?

Have a look at this video which shows a way to be truly happy:

Money doesn’t make you happy. I now have $50 million but I was just as happy when I had $48 million. – Arnold Schwarzenegger

True happiness can be measured by looking at a person’s eyes. Our eyes reflect the contentment, peace and joy which bubbles away in our hearts. Can others find true happiness in your eyes?

Are we truly happy?
People can be more productive when their working environment is comfortable and welcoming. People in adventure sports are happiest when met by challenges and obstacles! Marketing and advertising experts want us to be happy while we are shopping so that we will buy even more of their product. That’s why they have cheerful assistants, bright aisles and piped music in stores. But will these products guarantee our happiness??

Taste and See
As Christians, the sacraments are moments of strength and peace for each one of us. They are our way of engaging with our God who loves us completely and wants us to be fulfilled and happy. Prayer as a community or alone is an opportunity to express our hopes to our loving God. Prayer can make us hopeful. True happines can be imbibed in prayer.

That’s why our churches should be places which welcome for gentle prayer or for powerful expressions of support in times of joy or sorrow.

Happy Attitudes
At the Sermon on the Mount, the people whom Jesus describes as  being “happy” or “blessed” are a surprising group of people. Their happiness is not an instant promise but a blessing for the future if they live their lives in faith and with a sense of gratitude.

When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us. – Helen Keller

(Today’s question was asked by Louise Foxe and this article is written by Fr Robert McCabe)

Have you ever thought of happiness like the way it is dealt with in this article? What, in your opinion, is true happiness? Why not write it in the comment box below. If you want you can be anonymous.

Strategies to Cope when Suffering Happens:

• Remember that suffering is part of life:  You have not been singled out to suffer;
• Suffering does not last for ever:  All thing pass;
• Seek spiritual help;
• Remain steady and grounded;
• Be really gentle, kind and compassionate towards yourself;
• Resist being judgemental, critical and self blaming;
• Reach out to help others: It may lessen the focus on self;
• Ask for guidance;
• Identify the cause of suffering and seek solutions.

Suggestions to Maximise Happiness
As the journey of life unfolds let us remember that Christ came into this world so that we may have joy and joy to the full.

As we live life let us cooperate with this promise of Christ and proactively work towards creating situations that will maximise happiness, contentment, and general satisfaction with life. We can do this by focusing on all that is positive in life.

Rather than lament what we don’t have we can practice a spirit of gratitude for all that we have. Responding to the call of the Gospel to help others can become a source of social and spiritual connection that generates deep happiness.

Developing a spirit of kindness and human concern towards others can be a source of satisfaction. Looking for the solution rather than focusing on the problem will eliminate the darkness and bring us closer to the light of happiness.

As the journey continues, keep all things in perspective; believe that life is generally a good place to be and trust that God’s desire for you is that you should be happy and content in this life.

• May be we need to look at life through a different lens.

The Next Life
The second part of the question asked is: Is there an after life and if there is can we expect to be happy in it?

In religious terms the afterlife normally refers to life after death and it is the belief that after our physical death occurs on earth we will continue to live on spiritually in another life.  There are many interesting and diverse perspectives on the afterlife based on different religious traditions that can be well worth reading and can also be quite confusing.

Catholics believe that when we die we go heaven, hell or purgatory. This belief is founded on scripture and on the collected wisdom of generations.  It is believed that a well lived life on earth will influence the happiness of our life in the hereafter.   In the end, it is believed that, Heaven is where we will find rest for our souls and where we will discover the ultimate happiness that can never be found in life.

A Spirit of Enquiry
A spirit of enquiry about matters of faith is really important. It will help you to refine your thoughts and help you discover a deep and meaningful faith that will be a source of spiritual support for your life.

However spiritual enquiry if undertaken without guidance can also lead to confusion and result in disillusionment. It can be like going into a bad neighbourhood alone. It is always wise to lean on the supportive care and have the assistance of someone whom you trust as a knowledgeable spiritual guide. This ‘wise’ guide will give you the freedom to ask, explore and challenge questions of faith and belief.  It is only through this process of enquiry that we will come to terms with the traditions of our faith. The spiritual guide will guide you towards trusted sources of spiritual wisdom that will hopefully serve you well as you continue to walk the spiritual journey of life.
(Written by Fr Ben Hughes)
What do you think of this article? Write your comments in the comment box below.

Tomorrow’s Reflection: What is Happiness?

Thank you for your very interesting question.   This is a very real question that we all think about at times but are perhaps are afraid to ask.  You are really courageous to ask difficult questions about life and faith.  By asking this question you have created the opportunity for all of us to reflect on some issues that are complex, and challenging.

When I first read your question I felt afraid because I was challenged to sit and reflect on some serious aspects of what I believe in about this life and the next.

Two key issues that came up for me as I reflected on your question were:

• Living happily in this life;
• Happiness in the next life, if one exists!

Living Happily in this Life: I find it helpful to see life as a journey.  Along that journey we will experience many different situations, meet diverse people and encounter a multitude of adventures.  We will experience happiness, sadness, achievement, peace, anger, excitement, despair and much more.

Sometimes we will feel generous and loving while other times we will feel empty and vengeful.  There will be memorable times in your life when you will feel that life is satisfying, happy and fulfilling.  I hope that you experience this in abundance.  However, life is not one long rollercoaster of joy and glee. Realistically you will have your valley of tears – maybe you that already.  Suffering of one kind or another will be experienced by everybody.  Pain and heartache does not distinguish between age, or wealth or status or nationality.  There is no easy way of protecting yourself totally form some of the hardships of life.

However, there is a way to minimise suffering and to maximise the levels of happiness that we can experience.

Minimise Suffering
Some of life’s sufferings are unavoidable.  However we can take responsibility for preventing as much suffering as possible.   Much suffering can be the result of our choices, behaviours, decisions that leads to pain, heartache or injury of ourselves or others.

Suffering may be prevented by doing some of the following:

• Develop a spirituality that connects you healthily to God, yourself and others;
• Don’t take unnecessary risks;
• Pay attention to the wake-up calls;
• Listen to feedback from others;
• Examine the negative consequences of your decisions;
• Take responsibility for yourself;
• Be honest at least with yourself;
• Learn from mistakes: other peoples and your own;
• Set realistic and achievable goals for yourself;
• Walk before you can jump

Suffering can also be something that is internalised. It can be closely connected to how we see ourselves or feel about our lives.   God continually invited us to see ourselves as His beloved children. We may not always feel like that but allow yourself to hear that you are cherished, blessed and loved by God.  This will encourage you to move in the direction of a more positive acceptance of Gods love and a more loving acceptance of yourself.  The following suggestions may help:

• Develop a spirituality that allows for a loving God;
• Resist being harsh, critical and negative towards yourself;
• Avoid loud, aggressive and rude people;
• Mingle with people who are positive, healthy and respectful of you;
• Forgive yourself for your mistakes;
• Celebrate your strengths and achievements;
• Avoid comparing yourself to others.

(Written by Fr Ben Hughes)

Only the first part of today’s question is addressed today. The second part  ‘Happiness in the next life, if one exists!’ is to be addressed tomorrow. Hope to see you tomorrow.
You are invited to comment about this in the comment box below.

Moses Never Saw the Face of God!?
The Old Testament is the account of the people of Israel’s experience of God. Some members of the people of Israel had a very special experience of God, such as Moses and the prophets. They had a sense that God was speaking to them in a special way and using them to speak for God to the rest of the people. All of these people were understood to have a very close relationship with God. God called them and communicated to the people through them. The Old Testament experiences of God seems to be more evident and close to nature. But how real was that experience of God?

God spoke to the prophets of Israel through visions and dreams, but to Moses He spoke, “not in dark sayings,” but “plainly.” In other words, God, Who never showed His face to Moses (Exodus 33:20), nevertheless allowed Moses to see “some unmistakable evidence of His glorious presence” (Jamieson, 1997), and spoke to him “face to face, as a man speaks to his friend” (33:11), i.e., He spoke to Moses plainly, directly, etc.

God Walked with Us!?
As Christians we believe that Jesus, a person in the Trinity, had an even closer relationship with God than Moses or the prophets. On the basis of what Jesus said and did, and on the basis of his death and being raised to life again, the early church came to understand Jesus as the Son of God, indeed, as God in human form. If God spoke to the people of Israel and to all humanity through Moses and the prophets, he spoke even more powerfully to all men and women through Jesus.

Jesus not only spoke the word of God, he was the Word of God. As John the evangelist says at the beginning of his gospel: ‘In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God… the Word became flesh and dwelt among us’. God visited humanity through Jesus in a way that was more wonderful and definite than any previous visitation of God to humanity, because Jesus is the Son of God.

• We can say, Jesus is the Sacrament of God, because God presented himself to us in Jesus Christ.

Presence of Jesus Today
As Christians we believe that God who visited us through Jesus of Nazareth continues to visit us through the same Jesus, now risen Lord. Matthew the evangelist gives the child Jesus the name Emmanuel, which means God-is-with-us. The risen Jesus remains, Emmanuel, God-with-us today.

• Where do we find Emmanuel, God-with-us today?
• Where does God visit us through the risen Jesus today?

We believe that we encounter the risen Lord above all in and through the church, the community of those who believe in Jesus and struggle to walk in his way.

• The Church is the sacrament of Christ because the Church is presenting Jesus to us.

Bodily Presence is the Real Presence
St Paul calls the church the body of Christ, because the risen Christ expresses himself today in and through the church. God continues to visit humanity in and through the body of Christ, the church. If Jesus dwells within the church as his body, he is present in a very special way when the church gathers to listen to the word of God and to celebrate the Eucharist. The risen Lord is present to us in his word and in the Eucharist. When we listen to the word of God and when we gather to celebrate the Eucharist, God continues to visit us through his Son.

• The Eucharist is the Sacrament of Christ and the Church because the Eucharist is presenting Jesus to us.

We are sent out from the Eucharist to live as members of Christ’s body, to give ourselves to others as Christ gave himself to us. When we try to live as Jesus lived, and to love as Jesus loved, the risen Lord visits others through us in a very tangible way – God visits others through us in a very tangible way. If the risen Lord is present to us in his word and in the Eucharist, he also wants to be present to us, to visit us, in and through each other.

• We are sacraments of the Eucharist because we carry Jesus in our body and present to others by our good deeds.

(Written by Fr Martin Hogan)

Write your comments in the comment box below. You can be anonymous if you want.

]]> http://faithfriend.wordpress.com/2010/03/14/why-did-god-visit-moses-and-all-of-them-in-the-old-testament-and-doesn%e2%80%99t-visit-us-anymore/feed/ 2 Fr Sony Sebastian Palathra CMI presence-of-god1 presence-of-god2 body_of_christ http://faithfriend.wordpress.com/2010/03/13/how-can-i-improvestrengthen-my-prayer-life/ http://faithfriend.wordpress.com/2010/03/13/how-can-i-improvestrengthen-my-prayer-life/#comments Sat, 13 Mar 2010 08:33:08 +0000 Fr Sony Sebastian Palathra CMI http://faithfriend.wordpress.com/?p=480 ]]> Thank you for the question. Today’s question is leading on from yesterday’s. This is a very natural progression, ‘How can I improve/strengthen my prayer life? Throughout the ages, all kinds of people have asked this question and learned how to pray. Why not you, too?

Natural Yearning for God, still alive
This is a question asked by anybody who has some initial experience of God. This desire to grow in prayer may have been triggered by a retreat in school/college, by the help of somebody else’s prayer or may be the natural ‘yearning for God’ is still alive. The need to grow in prayer and spiritual life are as natural as one person’s desire for love and friendship. It is as frequent as the rivers flow into the mighty ocean. Like weeds that can outgrow and suppress plants, it may have been put down by other desires which are easily nurtured. I believe the desire is given by God Himself (Phil.2:13). He can only give us the desire. Decision is always ours.

Strange!
As with faith itself, God does all of prayer’s hard work! We get the easy part. And our part is learning how to pray, and then praying every day. St. Paul tells us, “The Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes with sighs too deep for words.” (Rom 8:26)

How does it work?
Indeed prayer may be like sitting down beside the uncle in his broken down garden shed that nobody visits, but you are sitting beside him in the warmth of the shed looking at the slow painting job taking shape. It is when you look around the shed and see all the colours, feel the heat, enjoy the company, notice the silence  that you realise that the old shed is not such a bad place to hang out. The same may be said regarding the faith in some respects. God is like the favourite uncle we visit who knows everything that is going on in our lives. He wants us to choose good things for ourselves and experience different aspects of life as part of our overall development to become the best that we can be. This will lead to a more enjoyable life in relationship with HIM.

On reflection, I think that it is important that usually God takes his time, to him you are a great masterpiece that he is quietly painting like a favourite uncle who enjoys painting as a hobby.
And the Catechism says: “The Holy Spirit, the artisan of God’s works, is the master of prayer.” (CCC#741) With a Master like that, how can you go wrong? Learning how to pray is simple. The basics of prayer are simple.

Some Initial Thoughts on Prayer
The amount of time we are going to spend in prayer is important. A minimum of one hour per day is the least necessary but we can begin with whatever time we have, at least 15 minutes.

Just as all of us have a living room, a dinning room and a bed room, each of us needs to have a place where we go for prayer. The place too is important as we are all people of habit, a fixed time and a fixed place will draw our hearts to prayer.

The best pose in prayer is to kneel. Kneel beside a cot or a chair with an open Bible and a hymn book. But choose the best posture for yourself. Do you have your Rosary with you and the intercession of the Mother of Jesus and we can get  every help  in prayer. I chose this video which will lift us in prayer:

That’s all for today. More about how to improve in prayer tomorrow.
Write your comments below.

Take your pick how do we tackle this situation i.e. need to change but not that much, like St Augustine.

Initial fears are common and if you didn’t have them dipping our toe in the ‘faith water’ there would be something wrong .

Effectively you are starting to change which is the most important thing as, you were actually made for this, nothing else. Not  to be the coolest in the school /college /gang, not for your dazzling taste in film, clothes, music or indeed your sketchy views on life, it’s all —ehm —-well relative —depends on a lot of factors.

We may have good reasons why we do not want to pray. Don’t believe them!
I’ve used these excuses myself too many times in my life. And they still creep back in when I’m not looking!
Some common myths are:

• “I don’t need to pray in any ‘formal’ sense. God knows I love him.”
• “I just can’t find the time to pray.”
• “My faith isn’t deep enough to get anything out of prayer.”
• “I’ve tried learning how to pray, but I just don’t ‘get it’. It’s too hard.”

Please know that the truth about prayer is the Good News!

Truth: A prayer life is essential to life, especially Christian life.

• Prayer is “a vital and personal relationship with the living and true God.” (Catechism, 2558)

• Prayer is the lifeblood of your faith. Without prayer, your faith will die. (Catechism, 2744)

Truth: Prayer is compatible with everyday life.

• You do need a small amount of quiet time each day to learn how to pray. But it’s not difficult — just 5 or 10 minutes to start is fine.
• And you’ll also make prayer a part of the fabric of everyday life. You can find God in all the normal tasks of daily life. Seek him there!

Truth: Even the smallest faith will blossom through prayer.

(Part of the article written by Declan Lawlor; some excerpts also from beginningcatholic.com)

Raise your questions about prayer in the comment box. Use a different name if you want to be anonymous.
More on the power of prayer coming days.

Cold Comfort

What kind of God do you Believe in?
I do not believe that God deliberately brought this suffering upon the people of Haiti or that he wishes to maliciously hurt any group of people. The God I believe in is kind, loving and compassionate. I believe His desire is that we should live happy and fulfilled lives. I also believe that God is always willing to hear our questions which are a sign of our need to make sense of our experiences in the context of our faith. I also believe that God is particularly present in a most powerful way especially in moments of great difficulty and suffering.

What We can do in Hard Moments
When bad things happen to you or to others:

• Dig deep into your resources and try to find a way to negotiate your way around such experiences as best you can.
• Be really gentle with yourself.
• Find a safe and healthy way to express your anger and your frustration with all that has happened.
• Try to understand that the world is not perfect and forgive God for not making this life an easy place to be in at times.
• Seek help, hold on for dear life and resist being consumed by resentment, anger.
• Continue to search for solutions and strive to prevent it from happening again.

All Will Be Well
Finally, many people have discovered that it was exactly when they were pushed to the limits and when they experienced great darkness that something very transformative happened. So even when bad things happen, remain open to the possibility that something good may emerge. So in the rubble of all that may be difficult continue to hope and believe that in the end all will be well and all matters of things will be well in the end.
(Written by Fr Ben Hughes)

Where was the Father when His Son, Jesus utterred the last words on the cross?
(Read them prayerfully one by one)

• “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” (Luke 23:34)

• “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43)

• Jesus said to his mother: “Woman, this is your son”.
  Then he said to the disciple: “This is your mother.”  (John 19:26-27)

• “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34)

• “I thirst.” (John 19:28)

• When Jesus had received the wine, he said, “It is finished”;
  and he bowed his head and handed over the spirit. (John 19:30)

• Jesus cried out in a loud voice,
  “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit” (Luke 23:46)

Let us remember people who died in Haiti now, we can dedicate all of them into the hands of the Father in Heaven.

Write a comment below, you can be anonymous if you want.

The disaster in Haiti brings before us the most incredible stories of suffering and devastation. Your question reflects a deep searching angst in the bottom of our hearts as we try to cope with and understand the immense suffering that has befallen upon these poor people.

Not fair
I constantly struggle with ‘why bad things happen to good people’. It doesn’t seem fair that good people experience disappointment, hurt and suffering and yet it happened to them. Perhaps in your own life you have also experienced situations where bad things have happened that you did not deserve.

Angry
When this happens we can feel angry, disillusioned, afraid and defeated. We may question Gods goodness and become very sceptical of others and wonder what the point of life is if such horrendous things can happen. While these questions are really difficult they are reasonable, intelligent responses to disasters like Haiti.

Difficult Questions
It is sometimes difficult to ask challenging questions among religious people or within a faith context. There can be resistance among ‘religious’ people to listen or to dialogue with questions that are difficult. By asking these questions we may be told that we are being disrespectful of God. In the past we were told to ‘offer it up’ or to say our prayers or to accept ‘everything’ as the will of God without question!

These kinds of replies may be specific to a particular generation who learned that to question any issue of faith, including the priest, the church or God was ‘sinful’. I am not convinced that God is as resistant to us as others tell us!

The accumulated treasury of faith, theology and spirituality are as a result of generations of good people questioning, asking, seeking, searching and trying to understand life, self and God in the context of  our faith.

Faith in Hard Times
Faith is easy in normal situations and when life is good. However it is really necessary to ask questions, to seek answers and to search for God in the midst of crisis. Asking the hard questions of God, ourselves and of life prepares us with strong, real and relevant faith to sustain us when the crises happens.

Your question of why suffering and heartache can happen to good people has been at the heart of religious discussion for years. It is well documented by Harold Kushner in his book called ‘When Bad Things Happen to Good People. This book is a result of his own experience when his own son, Aaron, who died at age 14 as a result of an incurable disease.

He says that ‘God does not cause our misfortunes. Some are caused by bad luck. Some are caused by bad people, and others are simply an inevitable consequence of our being human and being mortal, living in a world of inflexible natural laws’.

He says that these happenings are not punishments and that God has no intention to hurt or punish. Sometimes bad things happen at random. So we must learn to ‘accept the idea that some things happen for no reason, that there is randomness in the universe’. He goes on to say that the laws of nature are fixed which means that the ‘laws of nature treat everyone alike. They do not make exceptions for good people or for useful people. As a result nature is morally blind and without values. It simply rolls along on its own laws, not concerned about who or what gets in the way’.
(Written by Fr Ben Hughes)
To be continued in tomorrow’s post . . .

Let us watch a video about Haiti like a meditation and know how we can respond in similar situations?

I know you have a lot of questions in your mind now . . . kindly raise them in the comment box below. (If you want to be anonymous you can.)

See you tomorrow with more discussion about Haiti.

We already dealt with forgiveness in the answer to the question, Does God Forgive Everything? (part 1 and 2 on 2nd   and 3rd of March) This is a question related to the same topic.

Sin is an offence against God; it also damages communion with the Church. Therefore, sin is not only personal but communal. Hence, it requires both God’s forgiveness and our reconciliation with the Church.

Only God forgives sins. But he gives this power to His Apostolic successors to exercise in His name.

Christ sent his Apostles so that the repentance and forgiveness of sin should be preached to all Nations.  It is Christ Who acts in the Sacraments to communicate His grace. God the Father always hears the prayers of the Church.

“Whose sins you shall forgive they are forgiven them; whose sins you shall retain they are retained. ” ( Jn. 20).  Also to Peter He says, “I will  give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in Heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven (Matt. 16).”

Confessing to a Priest
The confession of sins to a priest is an essential element of the Sacrament of Penance or Reconciliation, by this Sacrament God grants pardon and peace.

All Sacraments are outward signs instituted by Christ to give grace. We’re human; we use signs to live our life every day. Examples:

• A currency is a sign of economic wealth, but we take it as money.
• A kiss is a sign of welcome and love, but we take a kiss for love.

Similarly numerous signs and symbols we use every day.

Sacraments are conferred by priests. The priest stands for Christ, the son of God. The priest is a representative of Christ. To hear the words of forgiveness from another human is encouragement.

The priest also gives advice, in the Sacrament of Penance, to help us  improve our living. We all need guidance and direction. This Sacrament has a human and divine element. We do our part by admitting our faults; the priest does his part through absolving and administering a penance. We also receive healing of hurt and anger through this sacrament. This is done by the power of the Holy Spirit who commissions the priest to carry out the mission of Jesus.

The ordained priesthood guarantees that it really is Christ Who acts in the Sacraments, through the Holy Spirit, for the Church. The saving mission entrusted by the Father to Jesus was committed to the Apostles and their successors who act in His name.

God and the whole company of heaven rejoice  at the return of one of God’s children who was lost.

(Written by Fr Joseph Connick OFM Conv)

What is your opinion? Write your comments in the comment box below.
Use a different name if you wish. Send in your questions if any in the page ‘Question Time’ above.
The questions all of you asked already are deep and interesting, come back tomorrow for a very different and stimulating question.

This is a continuation from yesterday’s post. Please read yesterday’s post before you read this.

. . . When we know all of this, does it not make the answer to the question self-evident?
God knows what will happen, but does not interfere with our right to choose, nor with our bodies, so He does not prevent us from dying, does not discriminate between old and young, believers and unbelievers. So yes, sometimes the young and innocent die, and sometimes the old who have lived full lives (in our eyes). Whose time has come, and why, we cannot know because God does not reveal His mysteries to us. To some he does, but to most of us not. So we cannot know WHY someone has died, only that they have.

Even then, the question may still be haunting us.

• Why God, did you do this to my son or daughter, so young and so precious?
• How can we say, ‘God is so compassionate’ when He mercilessly takes the children and young people away from their loved ones?
• May be the whole idea of God does not seem to work at all?

There is a time for these questions also. God understands all these questions and he is close to the broken hearted.

Remember
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom 8:38-39)

May be slowly we may be able to say like Job, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there; the Lord gave, and the Lord  has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” (Job 1:21)

Dying is being born into eternity with God, for a Christian. Like a child who does not know the language of the mother when the child is in the womb of the mother, we may not know God or his language while we are on earth. But we are immersed in his love. Tagore says, “Lord, your love surrounds me; like the air particles, your love is engulfing me.”

It is wonderful to have the ability to choose, not to be a pre-programmed robot, but with that comes the fact that we are born and we will die, when, why and how may not be revealed to us. With our free will, comes the responsibility and obligation to act responsibly – the obligation to take responsibility for our actions and to make moral choices. We cannot avoid making choices because we have free will – the right to self-determination.

What makes a difference is how we make those choices and on what moral basis we do so. That determines the quality of our lives and of us, as moral human beings. We are created in God’s image. Whether we act with love, compassion and with moral integrity is a choice we have to make. It is within us, but we have to choose to be so.

Reflection
So next time you choose to do anything we can ask some questions:

• Are we doing so out of your own free will?
• Are we doing it out of love for God who created us in love?

• Death and departure from this world surely make us upset, sad and angry, rightly so.
• But the Lord offers them eternal happiness which surpasses all our present sorrows.
• It is our choices that matters whether we can enter into the eternal happiness God is offering us.

God and the Church are worried about eternal death. John says, “We know that we have passed from death to life because we love one another. Whoever does not love abides in death. All who hate a brother or sister are murderers, and you know that murderers do not have eternal life abiding in them.”
(1 John 3:14-15)

(Written by Jeremy Nel)

Write your comments in the comment box below. You can choose a different name if you want to.

Tomorrow: Why should we confess our sins to a priest? Why not go directly to God and ask forgiveness?

1. God’s ‘Let’ting (anything bad)
2. Death of babies and young people (will be dealt tomorrow)

First we consider the first part  today.

We are curious as human beings

• We demand that we be allowed to make our own mistakes;
• That we have the right to be individuals;
• That we have the right to do as we please.

And we are right in doing so – we do have that right, provided of course that it does not inflict a cost on someone else, that we are not making someone else the victim of our demands and that we are not doing so at someone else’s expense.

Even more curiously – we only demand this right when things are working out fine for us, when things are going ‘our way’: When things go wrong, we demand protection. From our parents, from God. Now suddenly our right to do as we please becomes our right to be protected from the folly of our own decisions.

We are curious Christians also
In the same way we want to be Christians, but at the same time we want the right to ‘break the rules, or bend them a little’ and then we will go back to church on Sunday and ask forgiveness for what we have done, with the full intent to do so again in the coming week – whether it is drinking to excess or being promiscuous or anything else in-between. We seek the short term ‘pleasures’ of the flesh and then cannot understand why it leaves us feeling empty and in need of more of the same.

Ever wondered about that? The fact that you CAN do this? That God does not reach out and punish us each time we make mistakes or commit sins although He knows what we are doing? He can, but He doesn’t. God does not interfere in our lives unnecessarily. He has already called us to life. The Bible shows very few examples where the Lord God reached out and ‘meddled’ in someone’s life. Each time it was for a leader to step forward, whether it was Abraham, or Elijah. But never with ordinary mortals – only when he needed a messenger or a leader for a specific purpose.

We are NOT robots, we are not God’s lackeys or repressed servants. If we were, there would be no sin on earth. But the Lord our God wants us to reach out and love Him out of our own free will – because we want to. Not because He has programmed us to.

Therefore we have the right of self-determination – we have the ability and the right, indeed the obligation, to CHOOSE. We can choose to love God, or we can choose to ignore Him. But, with that right to self-determination and free will, that right to choose, comes the ability to be self-destructive, even to kill ourselves. In the German language the word ‘suicide’ is ‘selbstmord’ – self murder. It is a terrible word. In the same way as we have the right and ability to kill someone else, we do have the freedom and ability to murder ourselves.

As human beings created in the image of God we are capable of the most wondrous empathy and compassion for our fellow person, and yet also capable of the most vile acts of torture and rape and the most reprehensible thing of all – taking the life of another human being. Or to commit suicide.

God can prevent this, but in doing so He would take away our universal right of self-determination, our free will. This is a question that has been raging as long as Christianity itself. It has exercised the collective minds of the early church fathers since St. Augustine in AD 426  and even before (source).

St Augustine quotes the Apostle Paul, James and John to show how we can choose, because we have free will.  What is interesting too is that virtually all religions and belief systems agree on this point – that we have free will – the right to make mistakes and the ability to choose to do what is morally right, to choose God or to reject Him.

God does not demand our love – He asks it, but He leaves the choice up to us whether we choose to accept Him or reject Him. If our every actions were controlled by God, would we be human? There are many arguments for and against this, but the fact is, if we lived in a perfect world, we would be in heaven already, we would not have to earn the right to enter it, so what purpose would earthly life have? I would venture to say – none whatsoever. It would be redundant.

(Written by Jeremy Nel)
Reflection: How would you feel if somebody interfered in your life by controlling all you do?

Tomorrow: Why Babies and Young People die?
Write your comments below.

Thank you for your interesting question. We can know that God exists through the beauty, diversity, intricateness, complexity and vastness of the created world. We can say that the beauty of the natural world reflects the beauty, truth and goodness of God.

Creation Stories
The creation story in the book of Genesis, first book of the Old Testament (i.e. the stories of God’s chosen people from the beginning of time up to the last of the prophets), tells the story of how God made the world in seven days ; he saw that his creation was good and rested on the seventh day. The Bible is sacred scripture and is regarded as being profoundly true, though not literally true. (See more in the comment box)

Study of the Knowledge of God
This was a burning question in the Middle Ages and many philosophers came up with theories that fell into three categories of arguments: the Ontological Argument, the Teleological Argument and the Cosmological Argument.

• The Most Pefect Being Possible
  The Ontological Argument is from the nature of ‘being’; imagine the greatest most perfect being possible; if that being has every attribute except existence then he/it is not the greatest and most perfect being because one that exists is obviously more perfect and greater than one that does not. Some people feel this argument does not hold but it is difficult to say exactly what is wrong with it.
• Intelligent Design
  The Teleological Argument: the universe exhibits design and purpose, everything seems to be acting out of a plan or purpose; things in nature act in a predictable way e.g. the acorn becomes an oak; and concludes that there must be an intelligent being, whom we call God by whom all natural things are directed toward their end or purpose. This argument has been questioned by the rise of modern science which tries to explain natural phenomena in terms of either causes or randomness.
• The Universe is Here; Someone Must Have Made It
  The Cosmological Argument: the universe is here; someone must have made it. St. Thomas Aquinas argued that things move in the world and concludes that there must be a first mover which is not moved by anything, i.e. the  Prime Mover (everyone thinks this is God). Similarly, we find in the world an order of efficient causes, and the conclusion is that there must be some efficient cause, which everyone calls God, which is the first in the chain of such causes i.e. the First Cause. The weakness of this argument is in its infinite regress; the existence of the universe always needs to something else to explain it.

If We Need to Verify Our Mothers’ Love, That Is Unfortunate
The consensus among philosophers today is that the existence of God cannot be proved. This does not mean that God does not exist, but rather that he cannot be proved to exist. Since Kant’s time it has been accepted that the existence of God is a matter of faith. So asking if the existence of God can be proved is probably asking the wrong question. One cannot look at the existence of God as one would verify a scientific hypothesis. That way of thinking is rooted in a false objectivity where arriving at truth starts from taking a good hard look at the data.

God Remains Unseen: so there can be no direct data to be examined. Anyway who would want to pray to a Prime Mover or a First Cause? Religious questions belong to a personal region of truth and facing the question of God’s existence will involve the whole person. Faith is a different type of knowledge, a more fragile form of knowing, usually borne out of an experience wonder and awe. But once you do believe in God, reason plays a large role in understanding and arriving at a deeper kind of truth.
(Written by Mary Hynes)

Reflection (Isaiah 66.10-14)
As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you.
Knowing God changes depending on the way we look at reality. See  two responses to the same act of nurturing:

If like a little child we can see the mother and her love behind the food, there we begin to know God and His love behind every event in the world.
Write your comments in the comment box below, put a different name if you want to.

Tomorrow: Why does God let babies and young people die?

While fighting and arguing happens regularly about what we believe, I do not think that it is necessary to fight and argue about our beliefs.  It is reasonable to expect that most topics including faith issues can be resolved through negotiated and peaceful discussion.

Reflection

• Is arguing the only way that you will be heard?
• By arguing are you trying to convince yourself that you are right?
• Does arguing prevent you from listening to others?  What are you afraid to hear?
• Is arguing a way of life?
• Do you feel threatened by others and argue to protect yourself?
• Does arguing get you noticed or win you admiration?

Healthy Debate
With this question it is important to differentiate between a polite debate and a venomous fight. There can be a value to a good lively debate about matters of faith within a respectful environment. Such a debate is likely to ignite healthy discussion, ask searching questions and clarify and inform about matters of spirituality and religious belief.

Damages Done Already
Beyond the polite and enlightening debate arguments about belief may also become irritating, humuliating, annoying, dangerous and intolerable. Among neighbours, friends and within families religious beliefs can cause great hurt, disownment and division. We have witnessed centuries of war and bloodshed among Christians. We continue to see the naked face of hostility and hatred among members of organised religions on the global stage.

• The consequences of continuous arguing about beliefs can be very damaging.
• This kind of ongoing argumentative behaviour can create confusion, doubt, fear and insecurity.

We have a right and an obligation to protect ourselves from anything that is damaging and intrusive on the goodness of our precious lives.

What’s Behind the Fight?
There can be some significance related to our fighting. Arguing or fighting about our beliefs can often be an indication of our need to communicate something that is close to our heart. It may also suggest that we feel that we will not be heard unless we fight.  Sometimes our fights may hold very valuable information which we can use to advance our personal development and enhance our beliefs. It may be worth observing the pattern of who we fight with, how often and why the fight begins. Some of the questions below may help!

Reflective Questions about Fighting for our Faith !

• Do you feel you are in control if you continue to argue?
• Will arguing keep others away from you?
• Is arguing a sign that you are just angry at the other person or with some other issue?
• Are you using religious issues to fight over power, history, and cultural hatred?

Does your God really want you to argue and fight about what you believe in? (Written by Fr Ben Hughes)There was a man who fought without violence but was killed violently, Jesus Christ. Let the gentle presence of Jesus conquer many hearts with love.

What do you think of this article? Come up with your views in the comment box below. Use a different name if you want to be anonymous.

Tomorrow’s topic: ‘How do we know that there is God?’

How to reach this fullness of life?
When Christ comes to live in us, then we become fully human, fully alive with the love of God. That is our calling in life, the goal and purpose of our lives. That is what we pray for when we pray, in the prayer that Jesus gave us: ‘Father… thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as in heaven’. When Christ lives in and through us, then, in a sense, heaven comes to earth.
As Christians we believe that we can become fully alive by growing in our relationship with Jesus so that HE can live his life in and through us. God sent his Son to show us what it means to live a fully human life, as Jesus said, ‘I have come that they may have life and have it to the full‘. Jesus shows us what it means to live a full life, a fully human life, which is life as God wants us to live it.

Some people have this notion that to believe in Jesus is a burden and it is going to curtail their freedom and restrict them from doing a lot of things they want to do. If that is the case, read what Manya says:
He shows us that a fully human life is a life of love, a life of self-giving service of others.
Jesus gave himself for others, for all of us, even to the point of giving his very life for us. Jesus wants to continue living his life in and through each one of us. If he is to do that, we have to open our lives to him and to his Spirit. It is in opening our lives to his Spirit, to his presence, that we can come to say with St Paul, ‘It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me’.
Our final destiny beyond this life is to be conformed to the image and likeness of the risen Lord. This process of transformation is to begin here and now, and will begin here and now insofar as we open our lives to the Lord and his Spirit and he comes to live in us through the Spirit. Our ultimate goal or destiny is also our present goal and calling. In responding to that calling, we give purpose and meaning to our lives.

As each person is loved by God to come to existence/life, this question can only be answered completely, in the context of his/her individual relationship with God, in prayer, in one’s own cave of heart.
(Written by Fr Martin Hogan)

What do you think of this article? Do you think you are in the process of becoming fully alive?
Write your responses in the comment box below; use a different name if you want to be anonymous.
(Source of quotes and pictures, see comments)

How can God forgive everything when we have been sinned against?
When we have been hurt it can be particularly difficult to forgive. It is equally difficult for us to understand why God would want to forgive those who have hurt us or who have hurt others.

Pause for Reflection:
Do you continue to carry resentment or anger from past hurts?
Are you finding it difficult to reconcile your desire to forgive and your resistance to forgive?

How Sin and Forgiveness Works
From God’s point of view His intention is to save us all and in doing so He sent his only Son Jesus into the world. Throughout his ministry Jesus continuously addressed the destructive impact of sin (Mathew 6:14) and identified the possibility of finding a pattern of sin which is left behind (Mark 9:43-47).

Christ spent time with sinful people. (Matthew 9:10)

• He acknowledged the human struggle that we all experience with attitudes, behaviours and our vulnerability towards unhealthy patterns of living.
• However Christ distinguished very carefully between the sin and the individual who was behaving in a sinful way.
• Essentially Christ invites us to realise that we are more than our sinful or bizarre behaviours.

Our sinful behaviours may be an indication that there is some issue unresolved, issue of hurt or injury that is in need of loving attention.

• The behaviour may suggest that there is an underlying unhappiness causing the individual to act in a manner that is contrary to the regular pattern of normal daily engagement.
• If left unattended, this issue of unhappiness will continue to cause sin and destruction again and again which becomes a pattern.

So Christ invites us to examine the source of the sin and by doing so we will see how the sinful behaviour can be positively transformed. This spiritual journey of transformation happens successfully when the grace of God and the cooperation of the individual work simultaneously.

Cooperation
Through Christ:

• God does his part in offering us the possibility of leaving our sin behind.
• We are given the opportunity to begin afresh.
• However we are also endowed with freedom of choice which means that we can refuse to cooperate with the grace of God and remain entrenched in our sin. This refusal to accept Gods invitation towards forgiveness leaves us inaccessible to the possibility of change and allows the negativity of sin to continually darken our lives.  This will further complicate the process of healing and resolve that underpins all our sin.

Sin and Suffering
Sin normally causes great suffering. Depending on the issue the sin and the related suffering may sometimes be known only by the individual who sins. They may experience guilt, fear, loneliness and anxiety related to their sin. Sometimes the sin and the suffering are public involving the individual’s relationships, their home or their work. Sometimes the sin may have community, legal, or criminal consequences increasing the levels of shame and hurt involved. God does not wish to punish us further. In fact God’s hope is that we will be restored from all the enslavement and suffering of sin.

We all pay heavily for sin no matter what it is. Sin has a way of disconnecting us from our better selves and from the goodness of others. Sin isolates us into secrecy. Sin undermines our confidence and cast a shadow over our good lives.

May you experience the healing power of forgiveness for everything in all areas of your life.
(Written by Fr Ben Hughes)
Do you want to respond to this article in the comments below? Use a different name if you want to be anonymous.
What was I put on Earth for? (Come back tomorrow to reflect on this topic)

He wants to forgive, do you?

God Wants to Forgive You Everything
God’s intention is that we should all live enjoyable, happy and fulfilled lives. He acknowledges that we are capable of sin and He is ready and willing in offering the opportunity for healing and forgiveness.

Forgiveness? What is it?

Forgiveness is not a licence to do what we want.
Forgiveness is rather permission to recapture a life that is worthy of us.
Forgiveness is a recognition that mistakes were made.
However forgiveness is a reminder that we are not prisoners of our past.
Forgiveness reassures us that we are not to be defined by the events of yesteryear.
Forgiveness is about the possibility of new beginnings, of a fresh start and of the freedom for a second chance.

God sees in you a heart that is good and a soul deserving of many blessings. Open your life to God and trust that you will be unburdened from all the negativity that is holding you back. God is willing to forgive you everything.

Often times when we ask the question ‘Does God Forgive Everything’ we may be thinking of our own sinful lives. Perhaps we have committed some very dark sins that we believe are unforgivable even by God. Perhaps we are entangled in a pattern of destructive and sinful lifestyle and feel that there is no point in stopping because God could not forgive me even if I did stop.

Pause for Reflection
Are there issues in your life that you feel are beyond the forgiveness of God?
Is there anything in your life that you cannot forgive yourself for?
(Written by Fr Ben Hughes)

Reflection on forgiveness is to be continued tomorrow. Questions like ‘how sin and forgiveness works’, ‘sin and suffering’ etc., will be discussed tomorrow.
Use a different name to ‘comment’ if you want to be anonymous;
ask your doubts about forgiveness in the ‘comments’ or say a prayer and log it in ‘Lenten Devotions’ page.
See you tomorrow.

Why always blame God?
What is worth noting is who inflicts the bad things, is it God, ourselves, life itself or a combination of all three. I think it is probably a mixture really, where it can be self-inflicted by ourselves by the use of our free choices. We are not robots and so God has to let us get on with our decisions, at the same time, quietly whispering “DON’T DO IT”, some inner voice/conscience at work. We will then decide WHAT TO DO, do the right thing or drown out the moral promptings by taking the easier road that will end in ultimate suffering.

Child in the middle says: What ‘s happening to mammy and daddy God?
Mother: Why us, God?” (Understandably so)

God says: But I gave them free will. I tried to get him to stop and warn him, but then he has given up on the religion thing a long time ago so the moral compass is thrown out the door and how can I try and talk to him when he doesn’t pray. Have you ever tried to talk to somebody who will not only talk to you in return but will ignore what you say?!

Turning away from God: It is like the sullen faced teenager who stays in his room, comes out for meals only, grunts, does his own thing but then wonders why he is miserable and feeling depressed. Parents get the blame but they can’t give him a personality transplant.

That is one type of bad thing and the other type is maybe the God ones. Little Mary 6 years of age is terminally sick. How does God explain this one? To me God sent his only son to die a cruel death for me personally, so when it comes to the mystery of suffering we try and rationalise it in our minds as if God has a human type reason for this, but maybe Mary will spend eternity in heaven with God which will be endless and timeless joy. That is where we will all come to in the end, we hope. God is a loving father who can decide to call his children home as he wishes, as he creates and loves each of us into existence. Whilst this is very hard for Mary’s parents, time will heal the pain and no cross is given that cannot be carried.

As to whether bad things come in threes I don’t really agree that is how it works, God allows us to live life with all that it throws up good or bad. How we cope depends on our attitude and outlook with a faithful response of hope. No matter what is happening, secure in the knowledge that there is a reason for all things that happen, good and bad that will become apparent at the end of our short time on earth.
(Written by Declan Lawlor)
What do you think of this article? Post your comments below.

This question is addressed, first, with a video “Life without limits”:

What do you think about life now? What are you going to do when you leave school?

May be I am going to understand what God has in store for me. I shall have to pray in order to determine God’s will for me. Then, maybe I am going to do the will of God.

Rather than trying to decide on a career I may try to understand what my vocation is. May be God has a better plan than I have for myself? In other words I shall try to understand what I am being called for by God to do in this life.

I shall try to cultivate my God-given abilities and develop them to the maximum extent possible and try to identify an area of work which shall provide me with the wherewithal to support myself and meet whatever responsibilities I may have to shoulder in life.

God has said: “I have a plan for you, It is not a plan for destruction, but for prosperity.” Jeremiah 29:11 or Romans 8:28. Therefore I shall not be afraid. I shall try to advance in holiness which simply means that I shall try to draw nearer to God and I shall try to serve Him by being of service to all others who have been created in the image and likeness of God.
(Written by Ciarán Ó Coigligh)

Watch one more video of Nick who radiates the glory and grace of God in his crippled life:
If he can, why can’t I. May the heights and depths of God’s plan be revealed to you, when you submit yourself in prayer to God during this lent. Life is a precious gift of God to tell us that He loves us personally.

What do you think? Write your comments in the comment box below.

Let us see what the Pope says about sport, first in the video:

Thank you for your question about the importance of sport. You have inspired me to reflect on sport in the context of this blog which focuses on spirituality. As a marathon runner I have a keen interest in sport and as a priest I have an ongoing interest in the spiritual journey. Many issues in sporting life are similar to and complementary to the spiritual journey. I invite you to consider how sport and spirituality may be a source of encouragement for you as life unfolds.

In general terms sport can be energising, healthy, enjoyable and a source of fun and achievement. These attributes coincide with the promises of the spiritual journey and with the experiences of those who enjoy personal peace and interpersonal harmony as result of their spiritual lifestyles.

Variety is the Spice of Life
There is a variety of sports that are available to us. There are sports to suit all ages, seasons, moods, and levels of expertise and energy. Sporting activities are available for those who wish to actively partake, quietly support or simply observe. We have all engaged in a variety of sporting activities and we do so for a variety of reasons. The same pattern of variety is also to be found in our spiritual lives. There is an enormous variety of spiritualities available both within and beyond the Christian churches. This diverse availability allows us to search deeply and to meet the spiritual hungers of our hearts. These spiritual hungers may include seeking guidance, understanding relationships, discerning our place in the world or simply searching for healing and hope which we richly deserve. Resist being confined or closed to one type of prayer, spirituality, or faith expression. Remaining closed may limit the creative and nurturing spiritual possibilities that are available to help us answer the deep spiritual questions that arise in all our daily lives. Franciscan, Carmelite, Salesian, Benedictine, Augustinian, Jesuit, Dominican ways may tell us about only few different spiritual aspirations of the people within the Catholic Church. We may find those who practice the above traditions to pursue contemplative, active or charismatic spiritualities or an amalgamation of all three. Like sport, it is important that faith also needs nurturing.

Pause for Reflection
It may be helpful to make a list of all the spiritual experiences that you have encountered? What ones were nurturing and why? In what way could you expand your spiritual practice so as to benefit from the variety of spiritualities that are waiting to be discovered by you?

Challenges
Sport involves many different challenges. All those involved in active sports need to invest time and energy in training which requires discipline and commitment. Sport can be demanding and difficult. We can experience frustration, defeat, and disappointment. Participants have to set targets, make sacrifices and negotiate many issues.

The issues that arise in sport often mirror the same issues that we experience in our spiritual lives. If we take time to learn from our experiences of sport or observe the lessons of other sporting individual’s maybe we may gain valuable insights into how best we can deal with the challenges that we encounter in all aspects of our lives.

Winning and Losing
Sport is competitive and there is a healthy dimension to competing fairly with others in life. In sport aiming to win is normal and the sweet taste of success is very enriching. While we do our best we may also experience losing. In the sporting arena we can learn the lessons for life. We learn to accept that we are capable of winning and that it is important to value our achievements and to celebrate our success. However, we also learn that losing can be a reality in life. We can lose confidence, friends, loved ones and sometimes even lose our way. With the love and guidance of a loving God and spiritual help we can learn to mange our losses. A spiritual life can support us as we come to terms with loss and guide us forward as we negotiate our path to find our way through and beyond these bewildering experiences.

Rules for Life
Each sport has a specific code of ethics and regulations that set the context for the game. These may include fair play, respect for others, team-work, honest communication, appropriate boundaries and good self care. We learn that these ethical considerations are not there to punish or to restrict. In fact the code of ethics facilitates safe, enjoyable and full participation of all. The ethics of sport echo many admirable spiritual gems that have added significantly to the quality of our personal and relational lives. In what areas of life can we use these suggested codes of behaviour to improve healthy living?
(Written by Fr. Ben Hughes)

We want to hear from you, write your comments below (You can use a different name to make yourself anonymous in the comments.)

Here this question takes a crucial twist which brings us into serious danger:

Why does God let bad things happen to good people?
One of the important teachings of all religions is the invitation to change from the sinful ways and to do good. For example the Bible says: “He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it (1 Peter 3:11).” There are few questions raised here in the above question of the young person:

• I/They do bad things => God sometimes allows good things to happen to me.
• I/They do good. => God allows bad things to me.

So what is the point in doing good? Irrespective of what I do, I may get good things from God. Why should I do good if good God is letting bad things to happen to me?

As a result:

• I cannot believe in a God who brings bad things to me.
• I do not want to do good things because, it seems, God loves a sinner than a good person.

If there is a God who tells us to do good and when we obey, he should at least appreciate us by letting only good things to happen. But he lets bad things happen even if I/they do good.
Young people may not need all the above premises to reach this conclusion.

While I was writing this piece, the picture of a rat in a cage, the famous Skinner box, came to my mind:

This is a special cage (called, in fact, a “Skinner box”) that has a bar or pedal on one wall that, when pressed, a little mechanism releases a food pellet into the cage. The rat is bouncing around the cage, doing whatever rats do, when he accidentally presses the bar and — hey, presto! — a food pellet falls into the cage! In no time at all, the rat is furiously peddling away at the bar, hoarding his pile of pellets in the corner of the cage. What if you don’t give the rat any more pellets? Apparently, he’s no fool, and after a few futile attempts, he stops his bar-pressing behaviour.

Is this is the way we are also brought up? Fed on good things only? Our behaviour is very much controlled like the rat in the cage. We believe in anything good only if we get good things in life. I am not big enough to question the famous psychologist after Freud, Skinner. But this is the way, the world, especially the rich western world, has turned out to be, I think.

We do not like suffering or evil, but we go to the reality shows to show our capacity to endure suffering. Many of the things they do in shows like ‘I’m a celebrity, get me out of here’, are normal for the people in the developing world. It is also mocking at the normal life of the people in the developing world when these activities are part of their survival.

So a self evaluation and retrospective thinking is necessary.

So, ‘why should we continue to do good and believe in God even if God lets bad things to good people?

• Have the dignity of human persons gone down to the level of caged rats to think like that?
• Let us think out of the box.

God is a loving father who loves us freely and considers us ‘friends’. He invites us to share the dignity of the divine.

Another reason why we should continue to do good is regarding the life after life or eternal life.

“But if the wicked turn away from all their sins that they have committed and keep all my statutes and do what is lawful and right, they shall surely live; they shall not die.” Ezekiel 18:21

“I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us.” Romans 8:18

What do you think of this? Comment

Is Bono a believer?
To take a contemporary example: Some people might be sur­prised that one of the biggest names in rock actually has close ties to Christianity. But both die-hard fans and theologians have been aware of this for years. Bono has spoken at shows of the rosaries he always carries with him, given to him by the late Pope John Paul II (who in turn re­ceived the singer’s famous shades). Though the band is not affiliat­ed with any religion, its links with Christianity are well-documented. Books such as “Get Up Off Your Knees: Preaching the U2 Catalog” (Cowley Publications, 2003), a col­lection of essays from internation­al ministers on the group’s music, and “Walk On: The Spiritual Jour­ney of U2″ (Relevant Books, 2001), are dedicated to the topic. (Source, read more about Bono’s faith

Closest to the heart
The human voice is, some say, the musical instrument closest to the heart as it comes directly from our body without any outer props. As such, I believe with the right intent, singing becomes prayer in itself. Our soul responds differently to music than spoken word and one may find a deeper connection is made to the Divine. As a means of building or exploring one’s faith then the use of song can be a great aid – either listening to it or singing. Music crosses all barriers, is a universal language and can join us together like no other medium. As a matter of interest, The World Festival of Sacred Music takes place each year at Fes, in Morocco. Here, people from all over the world come to perform and share their passion for sacred music. For me, to use a quote – “Music is a glimpse of Heaven.”
(Written by Mairead O’Donnel)

Some famous quotes about the connection between music and faith:
He who sings prays twice. (St Augustine)
Music is an outburst of the soul. (Frederick Delius)
After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music. (Aldous Huxley)
Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosphy. Music is the electrical soil in which the spirit lives, thinks and invents. (Ludwig van Beethoven )
God respects me when I work, but He loves me when I sing. (Rabindranath Tagore)
Music is the art of the prophets. (Martin Luther)
Music is well said to be the speech of angels. In fact, nothing among the utterances allowed to man is felt to be so divine. It brings us near to the infinite. (Thomas Carlyle)
Do you know that our soul is composed of harmony? (Leonardo da Vinci)
(Source)
 How do you feel when you sing or play music? What kind of emotions can you express through music that you find it hard to express otherwise? Comment below.
Listen to some tune also in the comment box.

First of all it is to be pointed out that Buddha or Muhammad or any other religious leader did not claim to be God or the Son of God, except Jesus Christ. So this question may be looked at in the following angle. Further discussion on ‘goodness and compassion’ can be seen in the comment box at the bottom, you can agree or disagree; you are welcome to comment.

There is a value in all religions
I suppose at one level I agree that there is a value in all religions, and that is something endorsed in the Catholic faith also, in so far as everybody is earnestly searching for God and that is a good thing. Sometimes it is within the blurred lines of all “spirituality is good” is where I have a concern. If this is the first step on the road to getting to know God then I think that it is a good starting point.

He is fighting my corner
We have not met God per se but I know all will be revealed in the end and when I look at my life to dates I know that he is with me all the way, not like a guitar playing hippy with sandals, but more like Russell Crowe out of the “Gladiator” fighting my corner when I am not interested. He is a warrior (AND PROBABLY A HIPPY) for me today that is helping to break the tsunami like waves that wash over us every day between economic bad news church scandals, floods, despair etc. and whatever else is thrown at us. 

I Am the Way, I Am the Truth, I Am the Life
The urgency of concern suddenly heightens in the same way that we hear that prostitution is the oldest profession in the world and therefore it should be legalised. All very well in the abstract but how would you feel if it was your sister or your daughter?—–not so clear cut? My point is that essentially I need truth. My life is relatively short and if I want to find the right way I don’t want to waste time on wandering in the deserts and taking de-routes. I want the truth and when Jesus said I am the way and the life, I believe it. God the ever loving father sent his only son that he clearly loved to be sacrificed for our sins out of love for us in order that he could conquer all the sin and badness in the world. This supreme act of sacrifice of love resonates through all mankind today, yesterday and for the future. He did it for you and for me and God himself has counted every hair on our heads. (You may understand the sacrificial love of your parents, not your friend’s parents unless you know them well. If you experience the love of the Father in heaven revealed in Jesus personally through your act of faith only, you may be able to say, “What an awesome love!”) 

 The real game!!!
Life is a battle most of the time and the prayer life a bigger battle than most. It is then that the real games begin but when I look in my corner I want someone that I know will back me up no matter what trials I am facing and for that reason to me Jesus is the answer, with his mother, angels and his saints. If all religions are the same, why did God sacrifice only son for you and me?

Maria: Church is so boring because 99.99% of the time the actual story that Christ himself preached about is not being truthfully told.
Read what Meril has to say:

Lisa says she is on fire:

A non-christian says:

Has it got anything to do with your attitude and contribution?
Stephen says:

What do you think of the response of Cathy below?We all agree in one thing, right. A church can be boring at times, but the problem can be in the church as well as within us.

(Source of the answers: Yahoo Answers!, Why is church so boring?)
Which response of the above will be yours? Or do you want to add any more?