With the economic difficulties, terrorist threats, and revolutions
occurring in so many places across the globe, it’s difficult for any
of us today to “plan for the future.” Some days, it’s just enough
for us just to make it through the day!
Yet, the vision that scripture places before us provides a very
simple and straight-forward plan. “Take these words of mine into
your heart and soul,” Moses said, promising that when we observe all
of the statutes and decrees he sets before us, God will bless us for
being obedient. The blessing isn’t
a “perfect life” as we might envision it in the “Garden of Eden.”
No, the blessing is a life where all of what could trouble us,
doesn’t because we place all of our trust in God’s word.
Decades ago, it used to be called “trusting in Divine Providence.”
Those words—expressed in statutes and decrees and which require
obedience—are not as many of us might believe the to be, a burden
weighing us down, but—like a horse’s bit and bridle—enable us to
fulfill the unique purpose for which God has created us. These
words are, as the psalmist reminded us, the “rock of safety”
providing divine leadership and guidance, if only we take courage
and are stouthearted enough to trust in the Lord.
I suspect that’s precisely the problem challenging many of us
today. As all of those economic difficulties, terrorist threats,
and revolutions occurring in so many places across the globe cause
us to worry about tomorrow, we allow ourselves to be distracted from
what is required of us today. What
might that be?
Listen to the psalmist: being
obedient to God’s statutes and decrees; taking courage; and, being
stouthearted enough to trust in the Lord to provide us that rock of
refuge.
For
some of us, perhaps the problems aren’t all that far away. The
problems may be right at home, things including among others,
difficulties in relationships, marital stress, job loss, or not
performing well in school. All of these problems cause us to worry
about tomorrow and we then allow ourselves to be distracted from
what we must do today. What might that be?
Listen
once again to the psalmist: being
obedient to God’s statutes and decrees; taking courage; and, being
stouthearted enough to trust in the Lord to provide us that rock of
refuge.
Whether the problems are “far away” or “right here,” they sometimes
conspire in such ways that we don’t allow God’s word to provide the
plan for our daily lives by allowing it to penetrate our hearts and
souls. And, in an effort to figure out what we need to do, we turn
everywhere but to God’s word which, Moses reminds his congregation
and us as well, in our hearts and souls.
Think about it: Most of
us wear wrist watches. We look at them frequently throughout
the day to know where we are and where we are supposed to be.
In much the same way, Moses tells his congregation (and us as well)
to
bind God’s word to their wrists like a watch to keep them on time.
But, we don’t. If God’s word were bound to our wrists and we
used that as the standard to assess where we are and were we are
supposed to be, we’d likely think about today in a different way.
Likewise, Moses tells
his congregation (and, once again, us as well) to
bind God’s word to their foreheads like a pendant. If God’s
word was a pendent on our foreheads, it would keep us moving in the
proper direction as we follow its guidance. But, we don’t and
it’s
obvious not only in the effects of sin all around us—all of those
problems both near and far—but
also in
the fact that
we don’t which way to turn as we attempt to plan our ways out of all
those problems.
What we’re doing by turning everywhere but to God is nothing but
building our house on sand, as Jesus taught. We build our house on
sand when we place our hope and our certainty on things that are
unstable and fleeting, things that do not resist the tests of time
and the hazards of chance. Then—sure
as shootin’ and we
don’t
need AccuWeather to make this prediction—as
the rain falls, the floods come, and the winds blow and buffet us
from all sides, everything around us collapses in complete ruin.
What are those unstable and fleeting things? Money, success, fame,
and even health and prosperity. To build one’s house on rock means
to base one’s life and hope on things that are solid, enduring,
things that will not be carried away with the winds of the times.
Instead, Jesus tells us to build our houses on rock which provides
the stronghold to give us safety despite all of those problems.
Then, when the rain surely falls, the floods sure come, and the
winds surely blow and buffet us from all sides, our homes won’t
collapse. To build a house on rock simply means to build one’s life
on God because God is the rock of our salvation. We take courage and
are stouthearted because we hope not in others but in the Lord.
What is interesting about Jesus’ teaching in today’s gospel is that
being holy and performing all sorts of righteous deeds once again,
for Jesus, isn’t what discipleship is all about. That’s
a warning shot directly across our port bow.
“Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy
in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not
do might deeds in your name?’ Then I will declare to them solemnly,
‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.’”
Well, maybe we won’t
use those terms.
“Many Catholics will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not
go to Mass on Sunday? Did we not do our Easter duty? Did we not
contribute to the support of the Church? Did we not follow the
law of the Church concerning marriage?’ Then I will declare to them
solemnly, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.’”
“Take these words of mine into your heart and soul.” These
words—God’s statutes and decrees—are not a burden placed on our
shoulders to weigh us down, but a plan that inspires our hearts and
souls to lead us through the many problems near and far that
confront us during our lives. Obedience to these words is not a
straightjacket keeping us from being free, but the bridle and bit
that enables us to be fully the people God has created us to be.
Of course, all of this is utter nonsense to those who haven’t
listened to what Jesus has been teaching for the past three weeks.
Three weeks ago, Jesus said: “When you say ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes’ and when
you say ‘No’ mean ‘No.’” Two weeks ago Jesus said: “So be perfect,
just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Then, last week, Jesus
said:
So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to
drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’ All these things the pagans
seek….But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and
all these things will be given you besides. Do not worry about
tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day
is its own evil.”
Our
challenge is to cut out all of the “maybe’s” and to “be perfect” by
“not worrying about tomorrow” but “building our lives on the rock of
our salvation” today. When we do, Pope Benedict XVI, has written:
“…in this way [we] know the fundamental truth: who we are, where we
come from, where we must go, [and] what path we must take in life.”
And, now, the
Annual Top 10 Lenten Penances:
The 2011 edition...
These penances are arranged in order from those fellow parishioners
have identified as “least demanding” to those they’ve identified as
“most demanding.” Those who want to practice a more “muscular” form
of Catholicism during the season of Lent should try performing as
many penances from the most difficult (“easier”) penances to the
least difficult (“very difficult”) penances as is possible.
(easier penances)
10. Immediately upon waking up, begin each day by making a very
slow and thoughtful Sign of the Cross. Be sure to press you hand
against your forehead (mind), your stomach (source of emotions), and
shoulders (heart and lungs) so that you feel your body as you say
the words. And, before going to bed, do the same.
9. Abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday and all Fridays during
Lent and give up something you enjoy—like second helpings, candy, or
desserts—for forty days.
8. Attend daily Mass and participate in the Stations of the
Cross on the Fridays of Lent.
7. Each day, pick out and offer to complete an undesirable
chore assigned to someone else at home, school, or at work.
(more difficult penances)
6. Abstain from all foul language, lewd jokes, gossip, and
sarcastic or demeaning language each day of Lent.
5. Turn off the computer except for absolutely essential work.
That means: no Internet chatrooms, IMs (instant messaging),
non-essential emails, and absolutely no websurfing for forty days.
4. (a choice) [especially for retired persons] Spend one hour
each week of Lent in Eucharistic adoration. Don’t bring anything
but yourself. Sit there in silence and contemplate the gift of the
Eucharist. [especially for married couples] Spend one hour one
night each week looking at your wedding albums and discuss what your
hopes and dreams were. Ask each other: What do I need to do so that
we can fulfill our hopes and desires? [especially for kids] Ask you
Mom or Dad what one thing you need to do to improve yourself during
Lent and do it.
(very difficult penances)
3. Say the rosary every day. But, do so by offering the rosary
sincerely from your heart for someone you are having difficulties
with, like your in-laws, brother or sister, etc. Or, in a private
space each day, stand up, stretch out your arms as if you are
placing yourself on the Cross, and envision your sins nailing Jesus
to the Cross. Feel the pain that sin causes and offer this pain up
for those you are having difficulties with.
2. Turn off the television, radio, IPod, Playstation, etc., for
forty days. “What am I going to do?” you may wonder. (especially
for single adults and older couples) Try reading the Sunday
Scriptures each day of the week or a section from the Catechism
of the Catholic Church each day. (especially for teenagers)
Along with your parents, read Pope John Paul II’s encyclical, On
The Family (Familiaris Consortio). It’s free and
available on the web. Read one section each day and discuss it
after dinner as a family. If you don’t understand something, ask
your parents to explain what the Pope means. Or, alternatively, take
one hour after dinner each evening to engage in spiritual reading
and discussion together in the living room or family room.
Take 20 minutes to read a selection. Take 10 minutes to write
down what that selection indicates you need to change in your life
to be a more spiritual person. Take the next 20 minutes to
share these insights with one another. Use the last 10 minutes
to invoke God's Holy Spirit to help each member of the family build
one another up in doing these things.
1. Each day, sit down in absolute silence. Think about
yourself and your life for about five minutes. Then, write down a
sin or character flaw you know you need to improve upon. When you
think you’ve completed your list, go to Church and make a good
confession. Then, repeat as necessary.
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