Be Still and Know by Casey Cole (1/23/20)

I believe we are naturally restless people. For whatever reason, we feel our lives are somehow incomplete as we experience them and we long to fill in what is missing. We anxiously grasp at the world, hoping that more stuff, more wealth, more power, and more acclaim will satisfy us. Despite the futility of the world, something tells us it will bring us ultimate rest, but it never does. The more we seek, the more we realize how unsatisfied we are.

I would argue, interestingly enough, that this is among the best arguments for the existence of God. As we continue to search unsuccessfully for what will bring us rest, the longing we feel only grows stronger within us. With every question we are drawn to a wider horizon, forced to see ourselves against the infinite backdrop of our lives. Despite the ever-deepening hole within us and the futility of the world, something within us drives us to keep seeking, makes us believe there is something out there that will ultimately fulfill us. We refuse to settle, refuse to find comfort, no matter how much we have, because something within us knows that we need more. Our very longing points to that which can fulfill us. How true were St. Augustine’s words: our souls are restless until they rest in God!

As disciples of Christ, we must give up our restless anxiety and trust in God.

That means first and foremost trusting what we know in our hearts, what yearns within. Despite our doubts, we also possess some faith that we cannot explain, brief moments of calm that offer us a taste of a kingdom far beyond our own. There is something deep down that finds solace in the story of the Gospel and is filled with joy in the presence of goodness. Like the pregnant Elizabeth upon meeting her cousin Mary, there is something that leaps inside us at the presence of Christ. This is more than just wishful thinking or projection; it is our very souls reaching out for our Creator. In moments of doubt, do not worry that this feeling cannot be proven or quantified, but simply rest in it. Trust your feelings. Be still, and know that God has created you and speaks to you in the depths of your heart.

If this is not enough, trust in the faith that has been passed down for millennia. Things that are false, things that are destructive, pass away, but that which is true remains. For thousands of years, people of faith worshipped God and maintained a Tradition of faith; for two thousand of those years, that people existed as the Church, a people founded by Jesus himself and guided by the Holy Spirit. Despite scandals and wars, abuses and threats, division and persecution, the people of God have refused to be turned away. They staked their lives on what they have seen, passed down what they have heard, and stood by what they have known to be true. Despite the world, the Church prevails. In times of frenetic anxiety, do not worry about what cannot be seen, but simply remember the faith of our ancient mothers and fathers. Trust in their examples. Be still, and know that God founded and guides the Church.


If that still is not enough to calm your fears, trust, finally, in the power of love and truth you find in the world. While we are quite familiar with being disappointed by the worst we see in the world, we cannot deny the extraordinary heroism of which humanity is also capable. All around us, ordinary people are performing acts of sacrifice, giving up their own lives so that others may live. It is nearly impossible to look into the world and not see love overflowing at every turn. Science cannot explain it, logic doesn’t understand it. And yet, love emanates more powerfully than any substance we can measure. Truth transcends any instrument or equation. In moments of pessimism, when we find ourselves impatient with the world, do not grow hopeless, but trust in the unexplainable love lived by so many. Trust the goodness you see. Be still, and know that God is the source of all that is Good, Beautiful, and True, and that all love exists because God wills it.

For a world fixated on proofs and certainty, following a God of mystery seems ludicrous. Giving up our will and assenting to another seems like we’re following blindly and passively. It may seem as though we enter the darkness because we can’t face the truth. But we know through faith that this couldn’t be more wrong. We enter the darkness, letting go of our need to know and be in control, not because we wish to be blind, but because it is only time when we can truly see. In leaving our anxiety and trusting in God, we enter into the source of all truth and allow ourselves to be led in a way that we could have never found by ourselves. We may not know where the road leads, and that might cause great concern in us. But for those who trust in God, simply knowing who is leading is all we need to know. Following Christ is not about knowing where we are going, but knowing who we are going with, and trusting that he knows the way.

When Christ is our leader, we have no reason to worry.


The Widow’s Mite by Randall Smith

There’s a story that when the Statue of Liberty was being renovated and restored in the early 1980s and money was being solicited from donors across the country, an envelope showed up with two dimes in it and a note from a young boy, saying: “This is my lunch money for today, but I am sending it for the Statue of Liberty. Please use it wisely.”

If true, this is a modern version of the story of the “widow’s mite” (Mark 12:41-44, Luke 21:1-4), in which a poor widow donated two small “mites,” the lowest denomination coin in the realm, to the Temple treasury. “Calling his disciples to himself,” Mark tells us, “Jesus said to them, ‘Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they

have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood.’”

It’s a lovely story, generally well known and well-liked. I sometimes worry that we like it so much because it’s one of those stories where the rich might seem to get their comeuppance and the poor (whom we associate with ourselves, even though we live in the richest country on earth) get praised. “Yes, poor people like me are going to heaven and those rich arrogant jerks will finally get what’s coming to them.”

This may not be the best lesson to glean from the story, given that we are a rich people to whom much has been given and so from whom much will be expected. And who, if we are honest with ourselves, generally contribute from our surplus wealth, and not from our need. So perhaps it would be best to set aside those financial resentments for the moment and consider two other lessons we as a Church might take from the stories of the widow and the young person who sent his lunch money with the note to “Use it wisely.”

The first lesson is one that it seems certain bishops need to learn. That money in the “Temple treasury” is not your money. It is that widow’s money that she has entrusted to the Church and to your stewardship. Your God-given duty is to use it wisely and worthily.

Of each and every expenditure, a bishop should ask: Is this use of this money worthy of the poverty and love of the person who gave it? Did the widow put her last two coins in the collection plate so that you could fly first-class to Rome? Did she donate so that you could hand out expensive gifts to those with whom you are currying favor?

There are few things more disgusting than prelates who treat donated money as though it has become their property to do with as they will. I don’t suppose this would be a good time to mention that at their last meeting in November the U.S. bishops voted to increase the tax on every diocese in the country by 3 percent, to fund the various activities of the USCCB. I trust they will use it wisely.

The second lesson, however, is one for all of us and is undoubtedly more important because less directly “financial.” Whatever gifts or talents we have, they are enough if we offer them to God. Especially during troubling times such as these, when large-scale historical “movements” in the world and the Church seem so far beyond us, it is tempting to say, “Me? What can I do? What can I give?” If God gave it to you, it is enough.

Recall the story of the multiplication of the loaves and the fishes. (John 6:1-14) Seeing the crowd of “some five thousand,” Jesus says to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” Philip answers, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each person to have one bite.” Another of the disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish.” The rest, as they say, is history. Jesus took the two small loaves and the fish and fed the entire crowd. And after all had eaten their fill, the leftovers filled twelve baskets.

This is another famous story, for good reason. But we don’t want to miss the importance of one of the minor characters: the young boy. The five loaves and two fish were his entire food for the day. When the apostles asked him, “Can we have those?” we can imagine him replying: “These? Not these. This is all I’ve got. Go find a rich guy with a big crate of bread.” But he didn’t. He gave the little he had. Not much, but it was enough.

Imagine being him and having people ask you: “You gave the five loaves and two fish that fed five thousand?” What do you say to that? “Well, sort of. It’s not like I fed five thousand people.” “No, but if you hadn’t given the five loaves and two fish, it wouldn’t have happened. It was like Mary. You did your part; you said ‘yes.’ And that made all the difference.”

So, dear friend, you give your lousy five loaves and two fish freely, selflessly, without a desire for profit or advancement, and then just trust that God can feed thousands with whatever gifts He has given you. This is the strange mathematics of love: it multiplies. The selfless gift of love of two people creates a third, and then another and another until there are thirty-five grandchildren. A small society of friends can produce good effects that expand exponentially, on their own, without the mechanisms of power, propaganda, and social control.

It’s a big Church, a big world, with billions of people. “What can I do?” Give your two cents worth. Give your loaves and a couple of fish. And then let God do His God thing.*

Image: The Widow’s Mite by Émile Auguste Hublin, 1869 [Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Coventry, England]


Practical Evangelization.

The Contagious Catholic: The Art of Practical Evangelization. 5 Ways To Be A Better Catholic Evangelist by Marcel LeJeune

If it were up to me to save the world, I probably wouldn’t do it the way Jesus did. I would come in an age like our own, where I could get my message out using the internet, phones, apps, TV, etc. I would broadcast my teachings around the globe and have an international organization trumpeting my message by the end of my life. I would establish large structures, plans, and implement a strategy that went as wide as possible. I would allow as many people as possible to see my miracles and experience my holiness.

But Jesus didn’t do those things. Rather, he spent most of his time with 12 men, who had no extraordinary talent. He had a lot of conversations with people who were poor and powerless. He rebuked the hypocrites and ended up being hunted by the leaders of his religion. He did this for three years, got killed for these things, rose again, left for heaven,sent the Holy Spirit to empower his followers, and then empowered them to take on his mission.

Fast forward to today’s parishes and our own lives. In many ways, we operate as if Jesus was wrong in his strategy. We focus our money and time on programs and events that achieve a shallow and wide return. These programs are good, but they are not how Jesus operated. Jesus modeled a way which was deep and narrow. He was inefficient in howhe went about saving the world, at least in how we see things today. We need a return to deep and narrow evangelization in the Catholic Church. This is what Jesus revealed to be his strategy. He then told his followers to do the same. They did what he told them to do and because of it, they changed the world in a few generations. Jesus had to save the world, we just need to follow his strategy. Do you believe he made a mistake? If so, then there is no point in further reading. If not, then I hope you find this guide helpful.

Door To Door? Not So Much

Have you ever had a Mormon or a Jehovah’s Witness come to your door? Did you feel like they were there to truly love you? Probably not. Most of us feel like we are being used and that they are selling something more than wanting to help us. This is because they don’t know us, aren’t really looking to enter into our lives and befriend us; rather, they are looking for a project they can complete. We are really just part of a checklist. They do their door-to-door evangelism and boom…they are done with evangelizing others for the day, even if they make no converts.

Now this certainly isn’t always the case. I know many Catholics who do door-to-door evangelization and do so very effectively. But, their attitude is much different. Still, I think there are some Catholics who approach evangelization the same way the Mormons do—as something to check off the list, in order to “be a good Catholic”. It isn’t something they really intentionally try to grow into, get better at, or eventually get skillful at doing. This is a shame. We are made to evangelize, in fact, this is the core mission of all Christians! So, we ought to be aiming at getting better at it! But, the first step is to jettison some false images of what it means to be an evangelist. Day-to-day evangelization doesn’t mean you stand on a street corner (though some are called to do so).

Nor does it mean you have to go door-to-door (some do). Ordinary evangelization is with those who are part of your life on a daily basis. It is your family, neighbors, coworkers, parents at your kid’s school, etc. To be a better evangelist doesn’t mean you have to radically change your life. Rather, you have to change how you look at life. It starts withseeing opportunities to share your faith that are already around you

So, if you want to be a better evangelist, I hope the followingsuggestions are helpful to you. I have learned, through years of trial (and lots of error) what not to do and a few things we ought to do.

1. Invite non-Catholics (or fallen-away Catholics) to coffeenot Mass. At first glance, this might sound counterintuitive, but let me explain. The Mass is not primarily intended to be a tool for evangelization. It is meant for the Church to worship God and be strengthened to go back into the world, where we evangelize others. So, it isn’t meant to evangelize others for us. In fact, it is meant for those who are already evangelized and thus believe in what the Church teaches. Furthermore, many people will feel out of place in Mass (and some may even be offended) because we do not invite everyone to

Communion. Finally, we can’t have good conversations in Mass and trying to explain what is happening (and talking throughout Mass), isn’t appropriate. Therefore, instead of inviting someone to Mass, invite them to coffee orlunch. Invite them to join other friends at a dinner party. Invite them to go fishing. Whatever the event, find a time and place where you can talk to each other, in an informal setting, as a friend or someone interested in getting to know them. Which leads to the next point.

2. Stop treating others as evangelization projects and moreas people you love. Remember that feeling we talked about at the beginning, of being treated like a project? Well, don’t do it to others either. Your job isn’t to fix others or to get them to convert to your way of thinking. Your job is to love other people. When you enter into a relationship with anotherperson, that should be your ultimate goal. While you want what is best for them, you shouldn’t be pushy, argumentative, aggressive, or annoying. Rather, be personable, affable, interested in them, and genuine. Your evangelization should always flow out of a real relationship. Real relationship means we have the other person’s best interest at heart. This means being merciful and accepting folks (loving them) right where they are. If they choose to allow you to help them get someone better, it will be due to trusting you, not because you treated them as a project. St. Paul says it best in 1 Thessalonians 2:8 when he says he is sharing his life, not just Jesus’ teachings with others

3. Know the proper time and place for using apologetics.Apologetics, the reasonable defense of your faith, is a good tool to have at your disposal. That doesn’t mean it is appropriate for every situation. In fact, it can be detrimental at certain times. How many times have you been annoyed or defensive with someone because they dumped a big argument on your lap about something you disagreed with? When it comes to faith issues, that merely adds fuel to the fire.

So, we have to know when to offer a good argument for why we believe something, not just what that argument is. In fact, it is best used when someone has a sincere question and they come to you, because they trust that you won’t judge them for asking it, try to convince them you are correct, or be argumentative about it. I have gotten to the point where I merely answer the question, to the best of my ability, and thenlet God do the big job, that is, moving their heart (if he chooses to do so and they say “yes”). I can’t convince anyone by merely dropping knowledge on them, but I can pray for them, do my best, follow-up with them, and be ok with their free will to choose.

4. Ask more questions of others than they do of you.If you know the content of your faith well, then you might just gain a reputation, which means folks seek you out to ask you questions. Whenever this happens of me, I try to make sure to ask the other person more questions than they ask of me, so they can think through issues themselves. When someone comes to a conclusion, based on thinking through an issue, they are more likely to truly believe it to be true. Rather than just receiving information, they have discovered a truth and that means much more. If you are familiar with the stories ofJesus in the Bible, you will notice that what many thought would be a Q&A of Jesus turned into a Q&Q. Jesus frequently asked a lot of questions of others. Furthermore, everyone likes a good listener and someone who is genuinely interested in hearing what they have to say. So, be that person. Finally, if someone then asks for your opinion, they are more open to receiving what you have to say because they know you havebeen open and sincere with them.

5. Try to understand someone else’s viewpoint notnecessarily agree with it. This is a tough one for many people. I realized I struggled with it when I was dating a young woman who was pro-choice. We had gotten pretty serious and had started to talk about some tough issues. She was a Christian, and I assumed she was pro-life. When I found out she wasn’t, I got upset and flew off the handle. After I calmed down a fewdays later, we had a good discussion about the issue. I realized that I didn’t know her as well as I thought. I also realized she hadn’t really thought through being pro-choice or pro-life but had fallen into the “default” position of our culture.

Once I understood where she was coming from, I asked her many questions. These questions got her thinking. She had a conversion, and she is now very pro-life…and also my wife. To understand why she believed what she did wasn’t a compromise to my own beliefs, but instead it allowed me to enter into her experience and walk with her. I didn’t agree with her but loved her. This allowed me to be a channel of God’s grace, which ultimately changed her heart. None of us will ever be a perfect evangelist, but all of us can get better.Evangelization doesn’t have to be awkward or scary. It can mean being a better friend and Christian. This is how Jesus did it. Why not us too?

This free guide is brought to you by Marcel LeJeune, author of Ascension’s new book “The Contagious Catholic: The Art of Practical Evangelization.” To learn more about TheContagious Catholic, visit ascensionpress.com.


Daily Devotion – Weight of Heavy Burdens

“Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.” – Psalm 55:22 NKJV

David faced serious problems. He admitted being “restless” and in “turmoil” (v. 2 CSB). But God showed him how to respond. He could not find relief by holding on to or dwelling on his burdens. David needed to give them to God. As the Hebrew word indicates, he had to literally throw them. This meant aggressively committing every burden to God. David was seeking Him in earnest prayer and praying until he found answers.

David recognized that God was his only hope of finding relief. Trusting Him gave him the strength and release he needed. Through this process, David could find peace to be freed from the burdens weighing him down.
Echoing a similar conclusion, Peter wrote, “Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God.” Peter, too, learned to cast his worries on God, confident that He cares and is ready to help (1 Peter 5:6-7).

Do you have burdens that seem too heavy? A physical need? An economic challenge? A worry or relationship crisis? Do you face a crossroads? You may be worried or afraid and have trouble sleeping. You may feel confused or frustrated and not know what to do.

No matter the circumstances, if you truly trust in the Lord, He promises to sustain you. Confess your needs to Him. Then give Him your burdens. If they return, keep giving them back to God. The Bible says that He will take away your fears and worries.

Prayer
Father, I cast these burdens on You: ______. I know You will sustain me. Thank You for caring for me. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Extended Reading: Psalm 55
 

Minute Meditation – Answer Found in Walking

I am a walker. Indeed, walking is one of my favorite pastimes. I rejoice in sunrise while striding on the beach near my home or through urban landscapes when I’m traveling on business. I delight in an afternoon saunter with my wife, Kate, and our goldendoodle, taking in the beauty of

Cape Cod as my dog gallops across the beach. Knowing my love for walking, a dear friend once gave me a glass paperweight, inscribed with Augustine’s words: solvitur ambulando, “it will be solved in the walking.” Movement awakens novel visions and stimulates creative thinking. It’s difficult to hold onto old ideas when you’re on the move. Walking becomes the place of possibility, intimacy, and service. God is our companion as we venture toward new horizons.

—from the book Walking with Francis of Assisi: From Privilege to Activism
by Bruce Epperly


Saint of the Day – January 28th

(1225 – MARCH 7, 1274)

Saint Thomas Aquinas’ Story

By universal consent, Thomas Aquinas is the preeminent spokesman of the Catholic tradition of reason and of divine revelation. He is one of the great teachers of the medieval Catholic Church, honored with the titles Doctor of the Church and Angelic Doctor.

At five he was given to the Benedictine monastery at Monte Cassino in his parents’ hopes that he would choose that way of life and eventually became abbot. In 1239, he was sent to Naples to complete his studies. It was here that he was first attracted to Aristotle’s philosophy.

By 1243, Thomas abandoned his family’s plans for him and joined the Dominicans, much to his mother’s dismay. On her order, Thomas was captured by his brother and kept at home for over a year.

Once free, he went to Paris and then to Cologne, where he finished his studies with Albert the Great. He held two professorships at Paris, lived at the court of Pope Urban IV, directed the Dominican schools at Rome and Viterbo, combated adversaries of the mendicants, as well as the Averroists, and argued with some Franciscans about Aristotelianism.

His greatest contribution to the Catholic Church is his writings. The unity, harmony, and continuity of faith and reason, of revealed and natural human knowledge, pervades his writings. One might expect Thomas, as a man of the gospel, to be an ardent defender of revealed truth. But he was broad enough, deep enough, to see the whole natural order as coming from God the Creator, and to see reason as a divine gift to be highly cherished.

The Summa Theologiae, his last and, unfortunately, uncompleted work, deals with the whole of Catholic theology. He stopped work on it after celebrating Mass on December 6, 1273. When asked why he stopped writing, he replied, “I cannot go on…. All that I have written seems to me like so much straw compared to what I have seen and what has been revealed to me.” He died March 7, 1274.

Reflection

We can look to Thomas Aquinas as a towering example of Catholicism in the sense of broadness, universality, and inclusiveness. We should be determined anew to exercise the divine gift of reason in us, our power to know, learn, and understand. At the same time we should thank God for the gift of his revelation, especially in Jesus Christ.

Saint Thomas Aquinas is the Patron Saint of:

Catholic Schools
Colleges
Schools
Students


Meditation of the Day – January 28th

“God cannot cease to love me. That is the most startling fact that our doctrine reveals. Sinner or saint He loves and cannot well help Himself. Magdalen in her sin, Magdalen in her sainthood, was loved by God. The difference between her position made some difference also in the effect of that love on her, but the love was the same, since it was the Holy Spirit who is the love of the Father and the Son. Whatever I do, I am loved. But then, if I sin, am I unworthy of love? Yes, but I am unworthy always. Nor can God love me for what I am, since, in that case, I would compel His love, force His will by something external to Himself. In fact, really if I came to consider, I would find that I was not loved by God because I was good, but that I was good because God loved me. My improvement does not cause God to love me, but is the effect of God’s having loved me.”— Fr. Bede Jarrett, p. 51


Morning Offering

“Prayer is the best preparation for Holy Communion. Prayer is the raising of the mind to God. When we pray we go to meet Christ Who is coming to us. If our Creator and Savior comes from heaven with such great love, it is only fitting that we should go to meet Him. And this is what we do when we spend some time in prayer.”
– St. Bernardine of Siena