Dad’s Lenten Blog

Thoughts during Lent

Tag: blessed-mother

  • The greatest yes

    Their are times in your life, many of them just fleeting moments, when you’re asked to do something that is either uncomfortable, inconvenient, or just plain hard. Each of us has a story. At one time or another we had to make a decision. Yes, or no. Sometime today I want you to close your eyes and picture this scene: In a small ancient town, there is a small, nondescript house. Inside, there’s a young girl, maybe 13 or 14 years old. I’d like to believe she’s praying.

    All of a sudden, there’s an intense light. A man appears in the room. She is very frightened. The man kneels at her feet and bows his head. His words, “Hail Mary, full of Grace!“. Just imagine for a second what it would’ve been like for a young girl back then to experience this. Then, on top of this frightening moment, the man tells the young girl that she has been chosen by God to give birth to the savior of the world, the Messiah, the Christ, Jesus.

    Above all else, this young girl must have been so confused and fearful. How could she explain this? What would she tell her fiancé, Joseph??? What thoughts must have been racing through her mind. What would her response be???? I believe all the angels heaven stopped at that moment and were listening and hoping. She had free will to say yes or no. This was the moment that would change everything, forever. Her response: “Behold, I am the handmade of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word“.

    At that moment, heaven must have rejoiced. This young, simple, and innocent girl from a small, poor, insignificant town loved God and trusted Him. Today, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Annunciation. Today we celebrate like the angels did at that moment. Why? Because Mary said Yes.

  • How did he do it?

    How did he do it? How in the world did he do it? Mary would’ve been about 15 years old when they were engaged. I can only imagine how beautiful she would’ve been. Imagine with the singular grace she received from God, never having sinned in her whole life. When Joseph laid eyes on her for the first time, I can’t imagine what he must’ve felt.

    Sometime during their engagement, Mary conceives Jesus through the Holy Spirit. Immediately following that moment, Mary goes to her cousin Elizabeth to take care of her during the later stages of her pregnancy. I can imagine that Joseph took Mary to Elizabeth to protect her along that journey. So he is working hard and anticipating marrying this beautiful girl. But when she returns three months later, she is noticeably pregnant. What could possibly be going through his mind? I can’t even imagine the anxiety, the questions, the doubt.

    He went from being on top of the world to distressed beyond belief. I like to think that he decided one night to pack up his things and just leave and travel to a far off place never to be heard from again so that Mary’s virtue would be protected. How much did Joseph pray during those trouble moments? How many times he must’ve said to our Lord “what should I do?” And then, Joseph gives us perhaps the greatest example of trusting in God. In a dream, an angel tells Joseph to not be afraid, to take Mary into his home, and that the baby, Jesus, would be the savior of the world. And what does Joseph do? He trusted in God’s will and took Mary as his wife and raised Jesus as his son.

    Each time we hear of Joseph in the Bible, he is undergoing some incredible test. When Mary is nine months pregnant, they must make the journey to Bethlehem. And then, upon arriving, having no place to stay. Joseph must’ve felt like a failure as a protector and provider, especially knowing who Jesus was. When they presented Jesus to the temple, Simieon the priest foretold that Jesus would suffer, as would Mary. Can you imagine Joseph’s reaction? Yet he persevered. Soon after Joseph would have to take Mary and the baby and flee in the middle of the night to Egypt. Joseph had to provide for his family in a strange place, probably without any tools.

    Maybe the one that gets me the most is when Jesus is separated from Joseph and Mary. They searched for Him for three days!!!! Can you even conceive of the stress and anxiety that Joseph must have felt? Joseph was one of us. And he gives us the greatest example of trusting in God’s plan. He had to abandon his will to trust in Gods. That’s how he did it.

  • Front of the line

    Sometime ago I was told the story of a woman who had visions while she was in Mass. She could see all the supernatural things happening as the Mass went on. Well, as you know, this is one persons experience and we do not have to believe it. But something she saw really affected me.

    It was during the Presentation of the Gifts. When the bread and wine and the offerings are brought to the priest. Of course we are usually singing the Offertory Hymn. But it was in this moment that she saw something extraordinary. Directly behind the people who bring up the gifts was a line of many, many angelic figures. It was the Guardian Angel of every person in that church.

    In the front of the line, a handful of these angels were joyful and looking towards the altar. In their hands were golden chalices. In those chalices were gifts of prayers and petitions of those individuals in their care that were in the church that offered them at this Mass. As the passed, the angels placed their chalices at the foot of the altar. In the middle of the line, were another handful of angels walking up to the altar. In their hands were much smaller chalices, likewise containing prayers. Their faces were stern as they looked toward the altar. As they passed, theytoo, placed their small chalices at the foot of the altar.

    In the back of the line is where most of the angels were. Something looked very different about them. They were empty handed. Their heads looked down, with sadness, to the ground as they passed by the altar with nothing to offer. You see, the first Guardian Angels had chalices filled with prayers and petitions to offer Our Lord. The second group with smaller chalices only had a few tokens of prayer and petitions. But at least there was something. Then the last group, the bigger group, they had nothing to offer.

    How did this affect me? It was pretty profound! And I will say that, at almost every Mass now I will always try to tell my Guardian Angel to for offer this to Jesus. First, I thank God for all my blessings, which includes all of you. Second, I try to recall my sins and ask for forgiveness. Third, I pray for or ask for whatever intentions are on my mind. And Fourth, I resolve to do better! And then I ask my Angel to place those on the altar. This just takes a few moments, and it has the effect of settling me into the Mass. Sometimes I’m distracted and forget and then the Offertory starts and I try to do a quick one. (no ones perfect :-). Whether it is truly happening or not, I just love the thought that my Guardian Angel is at the front of that line.

  • Don’t tell anyone

    I have often wondered why after Jesus healed someone, he charged them not to tell anyone. The leper, the blind men, the mute man, the father of the daughter he brought back to life, and even the demons He cast out who knew who he was. Why?

    Many scholars can espouse on this better then me. Why all the miracles and then the command not to let anyone know about it? Wouldn’t that draw people to Him. Wouldn’t that make people believe?

    I think the truth lies in our hearts. What is more important? Jesus the miracle worker or Jesus the Savior. Perhaps the reason was that he wanted His message, His teachings, His mission to be front and center. First and foremost….. faith. If we got what we wanted all the time, every time we asked we would be like spoiled children. His actions always were driven by an increase in faith and sometimes our hearts are so hard that only a miracle can break through. 

    I like to think about this from the perspective of the hemoraging woman who touches His cloak. She is healed. And He says to her,”Your faith has healed you”. This is the point.  His message is clear. He has come to heal, to cure. But not in the way that we think. He came to heal hearts. To show us the path to heaven. 

    All His words, all His teachings, all His parables, all His actions lead us to transform our lives. To believe. To have faith that we are loved and through Him we have a path to heaven. 

    If all people thought about was Jesus working miracles or that Jesus was the Messiah would they hear His message? If they weren’t cured would they walk away disappointed or worse? He taught to love our enemies… wasn’t the Messiah supposed to deliver Israel from the hands of the Romans??

    All His words, His Gospel message lead us to one place. We pray with fervor and hope. And when we do, miracles of all sorts small and large come to us. But it is those personal miracles that only we can see that strengthen our faith. 

    So for three years He performed all kinds of miracles, Turning water into wine, healings, razing people from the dead, feeding thousands, on and on. There is no question in my mind that all of those people absolutely told people. When the blind man who could now see or the paraplegic walks around. People could see and ask how did this happen? Wouldn’t they seek out the man who had done this? 

    Who would have thought in a million years that the man with the message of love, of hope, of forgiveness,  would be tried, tortured and nailed to a cross? The miracle worker could not save Himself. How confused everyone, including the disciples must have been???? How their faith would have been tested. How did those miracles look now with Jesus hanging on the cross?

    But then…….. the Resurrection. He conquered death. He defeated sin. He completed His mission. 2000+ years later, for you and me. His words, His message, His teachings are the most important things. Lasting and unfathomably deep. Certainly miracles are all around us. But it demands from us what He wants the most. Faith. 

  • Now that is a sacrifice

    I have always wondered about St Peter. Being a husband, a father and a provider I have always questioned how he could do it. The real sacrifice he had to make. I have always struggled, admired, contemplated and reflected on Saint Peter’s decision. So without quoting scripture, the story goes that he was out fishing all night and caught nothing. We fisherman know how that feels. And so he brings his boat ashore and is most likely putting up all of his equipment. And then Jesus walks up, looks at him and tells him to put out a little and put your nets in. If I was Peter, I would be like “I’m exhausted, there is no bite, I wanna go home and sleep!” But of course, Jesus must’ve been very convincing.

    So Peter obeyed him and put his nets back out. You know the story, the nets filled with so many fish that it almost sunk the boat. But it’s what happens next. Saint Peter recognizes that Jesus is something beyond words, something truly holy. “Depart from me Lord, for I am a sinful man.” These were Peter’s words. Jesus didn’t choose a highly exalted righteous educated man. He chose this working man, more than likely, rough around the edges.

    “Come, follow me…. and I will make you a fisher of men.” And so Peter left his boat and nets and everything behind and followed him. Wait a minute…… what???

    He left everything he worked for his whole life, he left his wife and maybe his children??? His friends?? His home?? Now that is a big decision. I can’t imagine the sacrifice. Not just for him but also his family.

    But I always come back to this. That sacrifice beared so much fruit. That “Yes, I will follow you”, though it must have been so hard, resulted in the foundation for Christ’s church on earth. 

    So in your lives remember that even the smallest sacrifices will bear fruit whether you see it or not! St Peter, Pray for Us!!