Mercy. By: C.C

"For you, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy to all them that call on you." (Psalm 86:5)





   The proclamation of God's mercy does not reduce the reality of sin and disobedience to God. Mercy does not entitle us to live by our own esteem and do as we wish. To be mindful of God's mercy is to be aware of the reality of our imperfections and our failings. God's mercy towards us illuminates the unconditional love of God for us, despite us. In the understanding of our unworthiness and shortcomings we are met with the radical love and all encompassing embrace of our Father. It is because of the grace of God's mercy that we know to ask for it. 

   Those who have an experience and deep encounter with God who strive to live in a state of obedient grace are perhaps more attuned to recognizing God's mercy and love in their lives. It is this reality that can keep them from straying on the path toward sanctity and the eternal end for which we as Christians should strive for. 

   To forget God's mercy is to dismiss the fundamental aspect of our faith; Love. This love is not about sentimental fluffiness, but a love that nurtures and demands us to reconcile ourselves to the 'image and likeness of God' in which we are created. To the world it shines and proposes a difficult love. 

   To be children of the Heavenly Father, as scripture reminds us, is to remember that ..."He makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust" (Matthew 5:43-48-). This is important for us to reflect upon so we can be certain that no one is outside of the mercy of God, it is only one's ignorance to Him and the gift of generous grace that can leave them at a distance from being receptive to this mercy. It is thus through the witness of one touched by mercy and with eyes open to grace that many can be led back toward the foundational Love at their beginning, in order to arrive most fully at the end seeking reconciliation with God. 

   An authentic experience of God's mercy will lead us to proclaim the love of God in the very way that we live our lives with others. So often we can observe those who claim to be obedient followers of Christ condemning their bothers and sisters. Many rush to take a seat on the throne of judgement, but have no regard for the proclamation of God's mercy. It is as if to determine that people are in fact beyond the mercy of God, and that is not so. To adopt the idea that another's imperfections and sinful inclinations automatically dooms them to hell is to also condemn oneself and render the working out of salvation, through ongoing conversion, by God's grace filled mercy, not a reality of our faith. Where there is still life on earth, there is time to work out life for eternity, those with the grace to know this must make haste to see this through. "Be you therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful"(Luke 6:36).

   The mercy of God is a light of hope that Christ shines in front of us so that we look back with holy trembling at our sins and with a holy fear at our present state. This holy fear is infused by love and not condemnation. It is a gentle embrace that surrounds us as we shed what has become hardened by the world and sin in order to renew ourselves in faith, in trust, and in obedient surrender to God.

   The further we as a society have grown from the Lord, the more radically we must proclaim the mercy of God. To preach justice without mercy, to condemn without first seeking to rid of ignorance is to foster sin and not sanctity. 

"Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need(Hebrews 4:16).

   Nothing is beyond the grace of our Lord, and nothing within our human power can attain an understanding of it's depths. Let us pray, not for the gift of understanding God's mercy, but for the grace to continually seek the mercy of God in our lives. (CC)

The Joy of Yes Forever vs Settling for Being Happy. By: C.C.

Married!!

"Joy suggests a more complete, ecstatic, consuming passion than mere happiness. In short, “happiness” can be described as an emotion, while “joy” is more properly related to a state of one’s being. By definition, happiness is a response to happenstance, contentment, good luck, prosperity, or good fortune.(Catholic Exchange)

This particular time of year is very special for me. While our secular world is preaching love, happiness, and all the other sentimental ideals that come with the arrival of Valentine's Day, I am pausing to reflect upon the journey Carmen and I made to Rome two years ago to participate in the Joy of Yes Forever event held in St. Peter's Square. The symbolism of this day in our lives is one that isn't isolated to February 14th, 2014, it is one that continually confronts me as I strive to truly live out the promises of my "YES" to God and to Carmen through the Sacrament of Marriage.

Awaiting Pope Francis...

                           
   The Joy of Yes Forever in a world that is all about happiness for the moment is truly a difficult task. To understand what joy means is to fully immerse ourselves in the will of God and the path of virtue. It is indeed a battle at best to persevere. I have never been more challenged or more faced with the reality of my own brokenness and shortcomings. I have never known the importance of true love and acceptance in regards to another until faced with the reality of married love. I am humbled time and time again when the cross appears within my marriage, it reminds me of the reality and foundation of our union. It reminds me that alone we can not attain the Joy of Yes Forever. Only with God's grace, the Sacramental Grace belonging to us as husband and wife can we strive, (even if ever so slowly) toward eternal joy. 

   Sacramental grace does not mean that we are "super-human" , it does not take our humanity away, our faults, our imperfections, or our difficulties. But as the Rite of Marriage reminds us we are "Sealed and Strengthened by God" It takes great virtue to maintain this perspective and I have such a long way to go until this is achieved....therein lies the beauty of journeying with another along this path toward sanctity. I have learned in my brief years of being married that the Sacramental Grace is present in accordance to our remaining true to our "YES". By acting in the favour of our union, by welcoming God into every area, especially when most seemingly difficult the grace of God does sustain us and provide for us. God labors with us to uphold our union when we strive to live our union seeking union with Him above all....it is here we can begin to have an experience of the Joy of Yes that God so willingly desires us to have.

"Let not, then, those who are joined in matrimony neglect the grace of the sacrament which is in them; for, in applying themselves to the careful observance, however laborious, of their duties they will find the power of that grace becoming more effectual as time goes on. " (Pope Pius xi)

Our joy is often limited because our gaze is set upon our desire for the fleeting reality of happiness. By keeping our eyes upon the visible and not entrusting ourselves entirely to Him we can not attain a true sense of joy in our lives. To be joyful is to go beyond what is mere 'happenstance' and toward the Source of our true joy found in God alone. It takes perpetual work and constant renewal of our desire to understand married love and to forfeit the desire to be temporarily happy. We must return to God time and time again renewing our reliance and need for Him in our midst. He fills us with the grace to endure, He alone provides the joy and grace to sustain us all our days. 

In times when I fail, in times when my wounds and my faults become bigger than my surrender and sacrifice in my marriage, I meet God's mercy by kneeling before Him and commit again to the joy that He provides. 

In order that our joy may be full we must first become empty and make ourselves humble before God. Our Lord's commands to us are designed for the purpose of our joy. If our gaze is limited to the things of this world and our perception of fulfilment rooted in our emotions, then we keep ourselves away from knowing true joy in this life. When we dismiss the path of virtue as one of destruction and embrace the inauthentic sensory pursuit of happiness, we deny ourselves the genuine experience of joy as God wills for us. 

The enduring presence of joy in life and in married love depends upon the endurance of our hope, trust, and love of God in all things. As our faith teaches us, “... true happiness is not found in riches or well-being, in human fame or power, or any human achievement…or indeed in any creature, but in God alone, the source of every good and of all love.” In other words, temporal happiness is not enough to satisfy us; we long for the “joy of the Lord” (CCC 1720). Recognizing that God is our Creator and that we rely totally on Him is a “source of wisdom and freedom, of joy and confidence” (CCC 301)

I am joyful to not have settled for being happy. Most days of married life are not happy, and for that I am joyful! I can have the potential to know the truth of love only because I seek to know God and his design for love. In a world that tempts us with the allurement of happiness, let us be reminded that the Joy of Yes Forever, is built up of many small moments of surrender and sacrifice. The reward is beyond our understanding. (CC) 

Carrying Our Cross. By: C.C.

Wedding Day March 8th, 2014

“If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself?” (Luke 9:23-25)

   The richness of letting go and an experience of fruitful surrender is found in our ability to recognize our inner poverty. The discomfort with suffering and our human reaction  to "fix things" inhibits the ability for us to see God's unwavering providence, especially amidst the difficult moments of our lives. Today's Gospel reminds us to deny ourselves and to accept our Cross. Ultimately, we are reminded to accept suffering. Nobody likes to suffer. Our discomfort with the suffering causes us to close our eyes at the foot of the Cross. To imagine only a resurrected Lord. To solely proclaim Easter joy, and not reflect on the sacrifice and pain that paved way for our eternal joy blinds us from the very reason for our faith.

   As Christians we must embrace the Cross of Christ, and thus we can better encounter our own with Divine help. We are much too weak and limited to endure what comes alone. Our Lord does not invite us to deny ourselves so that we lose ourself in a harmful way, but so that we recover and become our most authentic self in the way that God intended.  Lent is a fitting time to ask ourselves some important questions.....Do we become obsessed with the joy of Jesus, with the love, with the compassion, with his unconditional care, so much so that may we forget the suffering; forget His message to us in these times? The joy of the Gospel is most evident in the Cross, this choice of love to provide such joy and freedom for us. Jesus chose the Cross so we could make sense of the crosses in our lives. To be 'sons in the Son' is to be bound to the Lord, to belong to Him, and thus to face the Cross within our own lives. Because of the love, compassion, and unconditional love and mercy of our Lord, we do not face our cross alone. 

   Pope Francis often reminds us of the difficulty in following Jesus closely, because eventually, and unavoidably we encounter struggle. Granted these challenges and Crosses in life are presented to all of us. It is part of the human condition to suffer. Many look upon this truth and see no reason for following such a God. No purpose for embracing Him and His Cross if we are 'doomed' to have our own. This thinking leads to imprisonment and further disillusion in regards to what it means to be free. Faith shows to us that we are free because we have first been created and found by a God who loves us despite of ourselves and our brokenness. He meets us within our struggles and teaches us the way to be free.

    Belief in our Lord and trust in His mercy and love leads us to trust that He too bears our Crosses with us. It is not a means for us to escape the reality of our human condition, but to live our condition well and to dwell within this world with great purpose, with hope, and with an understanding of our suffering. To set our gaze upon the Divine reveals to us the reason and purpose for our humanity. Our Lenten journey especially welcomes our sacrifice and acceptance of going without. We choose to suffer, in a very minute way so that we may draw closer to Christ and further from worldly allurements. Let us strive to deny ourselves daily as to affirm our walk with Christ. (CC)

God's Time. By: C.C.

Abbey of The Genesee: Bethany Retreat House, August 2014 Retreat

"It is only the present moment alone that holds the possibility of coming into the presence of God. Look around, breathe deep, enter into one moment. Now could be an altar. This time could be a tabernacle. In God, there is no time, only eternity- or more simply, only now. His name is I AM- wherever my feet are-is where I can love him." (Ann Voskamp)

   To come into the presence of God we must step away from our many distractions and drop the weight of our burdens. To present ourselves to the Lord and strive to live in the presence of God we must ultimately step away from ourselves. 

   Waiting can be as a weight upon our shoulders as we strive hastily in the time we are given each day to accomplish, pursue, and strive for what it is we desire. We have become a culture obsessed with time. Yet, we are no closer to capitalizing on the fullness of it through our activities, we have rather succeeded in achieving emptiness and exhaustion. 

    "What if all our running around is only our trying to run away from God?" (Voskamp) Our running around as a means of becoming our own gods. With the illusion of control we deprive ourselves of the grace of God's presence in every moment given to us. And yet, God has a way of breaking through our stubbornness, of putting a halt to our running, of reminding us Who is in control of our days.  

   Perhaps, by our nature we can only become more sensitive to time when it is tested. In the elations of life's moments or in times of suffering and sorrow time becomes everything. In the ordinary moments of our lives we may look past the moments as we motion our way through them. God is not silent. We have silenced our souls and deafened our ears by our running. It is only by offering our present to the presence of God that one can recognize His love. We can arrive a point of understanding that "wherever our feet are" - is where He loves us. 

   It is by awakening ourselves to the presence of Him in our present that we can gain appreciation for each moment and have greater sense of it's fullness; a greater sense of our purpose. We can heal our hurried nature by taking time to rest at His feet. (CC) 

   "The Son of Man has come to save what was lost (Luke 19:10) Having wandered from any true sense of a spiritual home and any real sense of direction, many are lost and they hunger hopelessly for they know not what. God, however, is a tireless seeker." (Magnificat- Morning Prayer)  

Waiting With Hope By: C.C.

  

  We live in a privileged time of expectant waiting. We live in a time with access to the fullness of Truth found in the Word of God and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. We live always awaiting the birth of our Lord, mindful of the shadow of the Cross, and hopeful in the Resurrection of our Saviour. We have in many ways access to the “complete story” the fullness of Truth and knowledge of the One through whom, by obedience we can attain eternal life. To acknowledge this reality is to also be aware of our own end, of our own return to dust. We are better able to make sense of Christ’s birth when we reconcile with the reality of His passing and suffering from this world.

   We can “prepare the way” more efficiently by recognizing the implications of what the birth of this Saviour truly means. We can venture back in time and into Scripture to educate ourselves on the state of humanity at the time of Christ’s birth. We witness hardness of heart, lack of faith, immense sin, and turning away from God. We can see the reality of our days mirrored there. We undoubtedly witness the same within our current surroundings. We can affirm our continual need for our Redeemer and ongoing repentance.

    We anticipate the birth of Christ each year, preparing the way of the Lord by clearing out the pathway of our cluttered souls.  This is a season of great hope and joy, but we must maintain a spirit of sacrifice and penance in order to prepare well. The readings at the end of our Liturgical year echo this reality of sin and darkness in our midst. We hear of ‘The end of times” and the need for repentance and conversion. These readings can challenge us. They can lead to discomfort and deeper questions. They should not lead us to a hopeless fear, but toward a holy fear and hopeful expectation of the Lord to come. They should leave us trembling with motivation to pursue sanctity and humbly beg for the mercy that our Lord so generously offers us. We are not to numb ourselves with feel good theologies/ideologies but perpetually seek to purify our faith as it is tested.

   The terrorist attacks in Paris on November 13^th, 2015 invited the temptation of great fear. I sat in Mass on that Sunday listening to the Gospel message gazing at my eight month old daughter, wondering what this world would be for her in the coming years.The Gospel passage was Mark 13:24-32. There is much spoken of in this Gospel that can rouse fear, yet it is within this same very Scripture where we are reminded of the promise of God, the hope of our Lord for his faithful. The promising of His enduring word to not pass away should comfort us.  Today, our secular society likes to drive home the joy, hope, and happiness of these days. Festive celebrations and materialistic consumption can often take precedent over the most important Event of all time; the birth of the Son of God into humanity!

  We do well to focus our attention on His humble birth to a lowly handmaid of the Lord. When we reflect upon the two Servants chosen by God to serve as the earthly parents of Jesus we can begin to understand the very way we are to prepare ourselves in virtue to receive Him into our hearts. The way that we are called to serve Him is most exemplified by His first servants, St. Joseph and the most Blessed Virgin Mary.

United with them, embracing the unknown that is to come, we faithfully endure understanding “that day or hour, no one knows,neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."  We cling by faith to the will of Father. With hope and expectant waiting for Christ’s birth. For the “God who is, who was, and is to come at the end of the ages, will not forsake his people. May we praise and glorify His Holy Name.- C.C.

A Sinner's Dinner. By: C.C.

"Perhaps we would obtain a more vivid impression of our Lord's personality and of his character if Luke had described this scene from the point of view of the sinners at table with Jesus in addition to telling us of the highly critical attitude expressed in the comments of the learned scribes and religiously observant Pharisees.  Had he done that he might well have added such words as these: "Tax collectors and sinners upon hearing Jesus as he preached were so impressed with his warmth and the friendly message he so simply and winningly conveyed that they eagerly invited him to share a meal with them. They wanted to know more about him and his message.  At table they hoped to hear at greater length what he had to say about God of whom he spoke so naturally and who displayed such familiar spontaneity as he referred to God as his Father. They wished to know better this person so friendly who could speak of such serious matters with a captivating charm.   He caused them to feel a new kind of self-respect by his whole manner of treating them.   He made them interested for the first time in religious teachings that were presented not as burdensome prescriptions of law but rather as a more appealing, more worthy way of life.   In his presence these hardened men no longer felt despised by someone they recognized as being highly intelligent and cultivated with a new kind of learning in the Torah that caused them to recognize that he was somehow more concerned for their welfare than in imposing observances." (Abbot John Eudes Bamberger)

    There is a perspective presented here that draws our attention and compassion onto that of the sinners who ate with Jesus. In doing this, Eudes succeeds in highlighting some ways that we as followers of Christ are called to imitate the way of our Lord through humility and compassion. We are presented with the opportunity to reflect upon the way that we share Christ and encounter the truth of our own inner state. Do we share the love of our Lord? Do we act with compassion? Are we quick to judge and label others as sinners--before first looking at ourselves? Through the eyes of others do we appear as self-righteous hypocrites or do we truly show Jesus? It can be suggested that the most effective part of our journey as followers of Christ is striving to be "Christ-like". 

     Today's first reading reminds us of the unavoidable reality of God's judgement....

"Why then do you judge your brother or sister?

Or you, why do you look down on your brother or sister?

For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God; "

   It is dangerous to place ourselves in a position of superiority to others as if to appoint ourselves to the judgement seat of God. We must set our gaze upon our own affairs being harsh to examine our own deeds and recognize our own inadequacies and lack of faith. We should be so busy striving toward the Lord in love with a fullness of devotion and repentance, thus leaving little time to regard the faults of others.

   We must be humble, seeing ourselves and our own affairs before we condemn. Let us love our neighbour through all faults, gently guiding them along a path by our witness that we too attempt to walk. 

   Like the Sinners who saw Jesus as a man of love and compassion, so too should we strive to share the love of our Lord and not concern ourselves with condemning and judging our bothers and sisters.  We must take the time to know our faith, take the time to recognize that it is not a collection of "burdensome prescriptions of law", but rather a way of attaining life. Perhaps many would be more apt to embracing religious observances if they witnessed the authentic freedom and living joy of those who follow the Lord.

      "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them" May we pray for the humility to see ourselves among the sinners, understanding that it is only by the grace of God and His mercy that we can acquire holiness. May we strive each day to "imitate Christ" sharing the love of God and being true examples of Who it is we follow. (C.C.)

A `Bushel Of Falsehood` & A Lesson From Archbishop Lynch. By:C.C.

"The Ecumenical Council of the Vatican is only known to the world in general from reports of newspaper correspondents. These reports are generally very unreliable, many totally false, others containing a grain of truth in a bushel of falsehood, and cannot be relied upon. These reports generally came back to us in Rome, and amused and often surprised us, as each bishop received the leading newspaper of his city. A weekly Toronto journal kept me posted in the news of the day here and brought me news from Rome that I was entirely ignorant of. The secular newspapers, as a rule, were what we term in opposition." (Archbishop John Joseph Lynch-Lecture at St. Michael's Cathedral Toronto, following the first Vatican Council)

    I have chosen to revisit these words from the first Archbishop of Toronto as I see them rather fitting in regards to what we are currently experiencing throughout much of the media coverage on the current Synod taking place in Rome. 
   Due to the nature of this Synod there is much being discussed that is hitting home with many people. There is a danger however when the information that one is reading and receiving is flawed. It is important to remember as  Fr. John Zuhlsdorf  reminds us that "there is a Synod and there is a Synod of the media". 
   Through revisiting this excerpt from a lecture given by Late Archbishop John Joseph Lynch at St. Michael's Cathedral in Toronto -following his return from the first Vatican Council,  I could not help but be drawn to his eloquent words about newspaper reports concerning matters of Vatican events. These words from long ago echo today and offer some insight as to how one should treat secular and politically driven media reporting today.

   It is important to unearth these words from Bishop Lynch as I find that they affirm the fallibility and error in much of what we may read, hear, and receive today.  

   The immediate accessibility of information has allowed for a large number of articles, interviews, and video footage to surface about our Pope and our Bishops. Their words are often misused, misunderstood, or related in such a manner to serve one's own ideals/agenda. This rapid sharing of news carries both positive and negative elements. It is important to approach information that we receive regarding the matters of our Holy Catholic Church with great discernment and understanding of our faith. 

   Many are often inclined to cling to the `grain of truth`within the `bushel of falsehood` as a result of personal agendas and many other varying reasons.        While seeking to know more about matters concerning the faith can be leading one closer to encountering the fullness of Truth, it can also damage or alter perceptions of this Truth if what is being absorbed is flawed.. 

    The `grain of truth` that we may cling to amidst the `bushel of falsehood` may be a reflection of our own selfish desire and our unwillingness to surrender to the complete Truth found in the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church;Truth that is unwavering and does not bend with the opinions, views, and wants of a majority, but remains fixed and concrete as when it was proclaimed by Christ. I do not desire to judge the opinions and values of others or to determine that their sentiments or desire for `change` is wrong, I am simply at peace with what has always been and remains consistently right and just (C.C.)

More from Archbishop Lynch...

``The secular newspaper correspondents have published that Papal Infallibility means that the Pope is like unto God, Supreme, not subject to any error, and can make truth falsehood, and falsehood truth. I need hardly say that this definition is utterly false. Another journal says that Papal Infallibility means that the Pope is impeccable — cannot err — and that all his sayings and doings are infallible; that also is false. He is subject to human weaknesses, and confesses them, like every good child of the Church, and receives absolution and penance. An other writer says that the Pope can prophesy and invent a new religion as he pleases — well, that also is false. He receives no gift of prophesy by his election to the Popedom and can invent no new dogma or religion ; he can only pronounce that such and such truth has been always in the Church, and has been revealed to the Church by the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost, according to the words of Christ, " I will send you another Paraclete who will teach you ALL truth — not truth, but ALL truth.`` (Archbishop John Joseph Lynch)