Be Still!

Psalm 46:10 : "Be still and know that I am God."

"If we keep praying, our relationship with God will grow and deepen into a rich union of hearts, allowing us to be still and know that He is God. We begin our life of prayer with words, our own and the words of others; in particular, the Word of God. When choosing material to pray with, it is important to choose carefully...sacred scripture, the inspired word of God, is always the best source for texts for prayer. If we allow the words of Scripture to soak into our hearts and minds, we will be able to say with the prophet Jeremiah, 'When I found your words, I devoured them; they became my joy and the happiness of my heart' (Jeremiah 15:16)" (Spirit of Caramel Fall 2009, pg 15).

I love that - be still and know that I am God. He does not say, "Busy your minds with prayers and petitions for me." While there is a time and a place for petitions and thanksgiving, our relationship with God is deepened when we listen because it is just that - a relationship. It goes two ways. It requires our listening to the Lord and responding to Him as God.

And this should be done ALWAYS. Constant mental prayer. That is what we strive for! That is what Paul preached to the Thessalonians ("Pray without ceasing..."), and it is the essence of a fruitful, rich relationship with Christ.

Psalm 1:

"(1)Happy those who do not follow the counsel of the wicked,
Nor go the way of sinners, nor sit in company with scoffers.

(2)Rather, the law of the Lord is their joy;
God's law they study day and night.

(3)They are like a tree planted near streams of water, that yields its fruit in season;
Its leaves never wither; whatever they do prospers."

I broke it up by verse on purpose. First, "Happy those who do not follow the counsel of the wicked." Sorry, but who you hang out with DOES matter. A lot. Are they leading you towards Christ and encouraging a life of prayer?

The second verse is critically important, saying, "The law of the Lord is their joy; God's law they study day and night." Day and night! Constantly! Another version uses the word "delight" instead of "joy." We should delight in the law, which is the Word of God (also Christ - John 1); it is our source of joy. What do we delight in?

The third verse is probably the most unbelievable: "They are like a tree planted near streams of water...whatever they do prospers." Whatever they do? Well, yeah if their entire life is founded on Scripture and if every prayer comes straight from the Word of God! To be like a tree planted near streams of water sounds wonderful to me. Never thirsty, never dry, never in want of anything...Scripture often uses water symbolism when referring to the Holy Spirit, and I can't help but recognize that here as well. Judge a tree by its fruits, right? Well if the tree is one founded on the Word of God, constantly being fed by the Spirit, will fruits not be born? If you are constantly praying in the Spirit, who is God, will not whatever you do prosper? It says so in Psalm 1. And the Word is Truth.

Study it. Delight in it. Pray it. Claim it.

Fear.

Have you ever noticed that when you resolve to do better, to pray more, to make a change, things get harder? Suddenly praying those 5 minutes every morning are a lot tougher than you originally planned, and it's difficult to stay focused.

Do not be discouraged.

It's actually fairly common, as frustrating as that is, but most people think it means something is wrong. They are told that they must be doing something wrong. They think that they aren't good enough or holy enough.

That's a lie.

I am reading a book called Wild at Heart by John Eldredge. It's actually a book on manhood written from a Christian perspective (the one for women is Captivating), and I definitely recommend it. The reason I mention it is because there is a section where Eldredge really hits the nail on the head in regards to this, our efforts to move forward in faith:

"That is the next level of our Enemy's strategy. When we begin to question him, to resist his lies, to see his hand in the "ordinary trials" of our lives, then he steps up the attack; he turns to intimidation and fear. [...] Satan will try to get you to agree with intimidation because he fears you. You are a huge threat to him. He doesn't want you waking up and fighting back because when you do he loses. 'Resist the devil,' James says, 'and he will flee from you' (James 4:7, emphasis added). So he's going to try to keep you from taking a stand. He moves from subtle seduction to open assault. The thoughts come crashing in, all sorts of stuff begin to fall apart in your life, your faith seems paper thin" (page 166).

Sound like a familiar story? That sure is the story of my life. Something really good comes into my life, I form a good habit (or try to), meet a person who needs my help, start a bible study or praise and worship group... What happens? Satan tries to attack it -- and me -- at all the weak points.

Face it -- he knows our weaknesses, our wounds. He constantly goes after them. What do you struggle with the most? Try to grow closer to Christ and see where you begin to hit road blocks. Probably in the most vulnerable, wounded areas of your life.

But God is with us. To the very end! And perfect Love casts out all fear. The Lord is that perfect Love. He is with us, and in Him we have nothing to fear. Standing firm in our faith in Christ, we have been given the same Spirit as the apostles on Pentecost. The same Spirit! The same Spirit that guided them across nations, that gave them power to heal, that gave them power to cast out demons, that gave them power to preach the gospel of Christ, that gave them the courage to die for their faith. This Spirit is the Spirit of Truth, which is Christ, and he is with each one of us.

So do not lose heart. For although our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed every day. For this momentary slight affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to what is seen but to what is unseen; for what is seen is transient, but what is unseen is eternal (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).

Fight the good fight.

Reality

It hit me last night.

People don't live in reality.

Lot's of people think they do, but they don't. The reality is that most people live without ever giving a thought to anything spiritual. However, because it is real, because God is real, because there is a spiritual battle happening for our souls as we speak, how can we say we truly live in reality if we ignore this aspect of it?

Sure, we can't see it necessarily. But neither can you see the wind.

Have you ever stopped--I mean really stopped--and been present? As in, fully and completely acknowledge where you are, right now, in this moment in relation to everything else?

This world we try to build for ourselves is nothing without God.

It's time we stop ignoring it and start facing the fact that what we think, say, and do does matter. It does have moral bearing. It does affect us. I does affect others. It does change lives.

That is the reality.

"If you are who you should be, you will set the world on fire."
- St. Catherine of Siena

The Fallen

We are human. That's why we fall.

Why do we try then, in our human nature, to not fall? By our nature, we fall.

It is God's grace that saves us, God's grace by which we fight and win.

Therefore, why do we not ask for God's grace in the moment that we see we are about to fall?

And if we continually ask for His grace, wouldn't it stand to reason that we would continually find strength to not fall?

And if we do fall...then get back up. Through grace.

For it is only through grace that we do not fall, and only through grace by which we get back up.

We Always Hate Change!

I used to complain at how difficult it is to adapt to change, especially spiritually. Because I go to school in Ohio, I transition every few months from my home in southern California to my school in eastern Ohio. The two environments are not only severely different in weather and culture, but in the atmosphere I'm in as well. My actual home is a nice place, and I enjoy my family...sometimes. My friends are great as well, but I'm discovering that the more I change and grow at school, the harder it is to be home. At school, I'm surrounded by 2500 other people striving to be holy and become saints. There are 3 Masses every day, perpetual adoration, chapels in every dorm, and a million possible ministries you could join. My professors pray before class, and I'm friends with priests and nuns.

All of this makes the transitions that much harder. I don't have the same opportunities at home as I do at school (i.e. Mass at 3 different times every day). I'm not around the same people. I have absolutely no school schedule that I have to follow. My friends don't even get out of school at the same time...It all makes for an interesting change, to say the least.

However, I mentioned that I used to complain. It just seems so hard. Even semester to semester at my school is so different.

But why wouldn't it be? It should change. We are people and as such, we perpetually change. School is basically a large community of people, a.k.a. other perpetually changing humans. If our faith and spiritual life isn't changing, then something's wrong! I heard it put so beautifully once - If you're not moving forwards, you're moving backwards. Why, do you ask? Because life is an uphill battle. Life and faith are climbing the mountain, and if you stick yourself into Neutral and become complacent, you're just rolling back down the hill.

So obviously we'll be changing. Obviously my spirituality will change. I can't get stuck into a routine of "prayer life" that happens to work for me because that's not how you grow. When I come back to a place that's more spiritually dry than Franciscan University, it's my opportunity to grow in a different way. It's my opportunity to have more quiet time with God in my room, alone, as opposed to only in a chapel 20 ft. from my dorm room. I can experience God anywhere, YOU can experience God anywhere.

Don't complain about change like me, and definitely don't let complacency take hold of you without you knowing it. I've done both, and they haven't really worked out for me very well. Experience God in new ways. He is, after all, the living God. The Bible is the living Word of God, so read it. The Holy Spirit is living, and he is everywhere, so experience him!

Complacency and discouragement is NOT of the Lord. Ever.

Encourage.

During a sermon at Mass on Wednesday, Fr. Mike talked about St. Paul and how one of his favorite ministries that we are all called to is the ministry of encouragement.

Think about it. Think about how people's attitudes would change day-to-day if we just encouraged each other to keep going, keep fighting, keep persevering.

He then proceeded to tell a story from 71 yrs. ago when he was 6. He hit a bully in the head with a frying pan because he was picking on the girls, and the other kids encouraged him. After Mass, he told us that we should not miss the moral of the story and that we should find ways other than frying pans to encourage each other...but the point remains the same.

We can over-compliment, but we can never never over-encourage.

Do not let one another fall into discouragement and hopelessness, both of which are not of the Lord.

Encourage one another always, and keep fighting the good fight of faith.

Take Action

Love is a powerful word thrown around these days, often in ways that aren't so powerful.

Like my love of burritos.

I wouldn't exactly say it's on the same level as my love for my family.

That's why the Church often uses the word "charity," which means love.

However, charity is much more distinct. It clarifies what is often intended by Jesus when we are called to "love."

Charity is about action.

It is love in action; therefore, love is an intentional choice and not just an emotion.

And that is the type of love Jesus calls us to.

Find Jesus

God is love.

Mary is the Mother of God. She loved even when her son was persecuted, tortured, and killed.

Mary is the perfect example among humans for loving, especially for loving Jesus. Her heart yearns for all of humanity to know him as our Savior, and as his mother and spouse of the Holy Spirit, his graces are poured out through her.

Sometimes we struggle in our attempts to approach Jesus and to take him as our loving King, but sweet Mother Mary shows us how. We don't just imitate Mary, but we find Jesus through living her virtues of faith, charity, humility, patience, obedience, continual mental prayer, mortification, sweetness, purity, and wisdom.

We entrust our lives to the Holy Spirit in order to do God's will, but in doing so, we give ourselves also to the care and love of Mary. We promise to live out the virtues in order that the graces of God may be poured down upon us, and we ask for her intercession so that every struggle, suffering, joy, and petition may be made perfect before the Lord.

Challenge one another to love as Christ loves, and through Mary's example of humility and purity, submit to Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior.