Athanasius and the Incarnation

Athanasius and the Incarnation

"You can keep it all. Give me full, red blooded Catholicism. Give me the incarnation--Athanasius' incarnation, and let me be transformed right down to the very deep and dark and dirty parts of me..."

Fr. Dwight Longenecker is fast becoming one of my favorite bloggers. The depth of his words pierce through the shallow layers of my "spirituality" and open the doors to the darkest parts of my heart.
Here Fr. Longenecker gives a great reflection on the Incarnation and parallels today's pop-spirituality with the heretical claims against Christ's divinity and humanity.

Read this profound blog in its entirety here:
Athanasius and the Incarnation

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Wake Up and Lean Into God

This is part two in my series on "Trust" You can read part one here "Waking Up to our Need for God".

We have learned to accept exterior comfort in place of internal peace of heart and mind. I know it in myself. It seems I pray pretty darn well when I am in need of something. Boy I can pray when I'm trying to stretch that paycheck just a little further than it can go. But, when I have a little extra to throw around I find I don't have so much time for prayer. Why is that? - From "Waking Up..."

Since September 11, there have been even more tragedies, the Tsunami in Asia, Hurricane Katrina, the shootings at Virginia Tech, the bridge collapse in Minnesota. How many more wake up calls will we need before we realize that while we can do it our way, we must first lean into God a little more.

I do not believe that we have a punishing God and I certainly do not believe that God intended for these events to happen. Our God is a God of love, he would never perform such an evil act on his people. However, I do believe that he uses events in our lives to work in us. When we say all things happen for a reason it is not to say that all things were planned, good or bad. God did not plan for us to sin, he did not plan for wars, he did not plan for Katrina, or September 11, or my Grandpa's heart attack. His perfect plan was for us to live perfect lives in union with him.

Since sin entered the world however, we have lots of consequences to deal with and tragedy is one of them. So, while God must allow events to take course in order to preserve our free-will, he does write straight with crooked lines. Through the aftermath of these tragedies God tugs at our heartstrings, he calls us home to him. We must learn to trust in him through all things, good or bad. We must remember that his love surpasses all things and that we need him in our lives, no matter how good things may or may not be.

There are many people who lost everything in these disasters, they lost people they loved, they lost money, they lost their homes. For many, they literally had nothing left. What these tragedies seem to do for us is to remind us that we are fragile beings and that we need God no matter what, for indeed the good and the bad in life will pass. If our trust is in God, then do we find joy in the midst of all that we struggle through.

It reminds me of a question I often ask people to reflect on during retreats. I would ask that you take a moment to read this question and then close your eyes while you reflect on it. Allow yourself to feel the weight of this question and the weight of your response, no matter what it is. There is no right or wrong answer to this question. It merely tells you where you are in your walk with God, so don't feel judged by what you think I want you to say, just allow yourself to honestly look inside:

If you woke up tomorrow and everything you had was gone, everyone you loved was no longer in your life, every part of your life that put a smile on your face was no longer there, would you still have joy in your heart, would you still have God's peace in your life, would you still know that despite all that you lost, despite any pain you may feel all will be well?

Read Part Three of this Series: "It is Well" here

Waking Up to our Need for God

I believe that if any lesson is to be gleaned from the tragedy of September 11, 2001 it is that no matter how much we have or how good our life is we need more than anything to cling to God. At the time I was working at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Tempe, Arizona as the youth minister. I awoke to a roommate knocking at my door saying to get up, something horrible had happened.

Together the four of us along with a guest watched in horror as the towers fell. We all know the emotion of that day. Each time they repeated the footage of the plane entering the tower I felt a blow to my chest. Then we watched in utter horror as the towers each fell. With each image my heart and soul was pierced.

Our guest had arrived the night before in Arizona, he had moved from New York and this was how he spent his first day in his new home. For all the sorrow and pain that the rest of us felt, we could not help but hurt for him as he frantically called those closest to him only to find that phone service was cut-off. Without hesitation we all entered into prayer. On our knees we begged God's grace on this moment, for us, for our friend and those he loved back in New York, and of course for all of those who must have lost their lives. To this day I still ache when I see images of that day, or when I recollect memories of that day.

What a horrific event. It would be nearly impossible for anyone to watch that and not have their soul shaken about. It was a wake up call, a reminder. It was an event that would have us all checking ourselves and our lives a bit. There are countless stories of divorced couples who reevaluated their lives and got back together, family members who reconciled past differences, and countless people who came back to Church, at least for a time.

I recall the prayer service that our church held a day or two later. It was at lunchtime. We left the service open to the public. It was amazing, I would say there had to be well over 1500 people filling the Church which sat only about 1200. People were pouring in from all over. Many hadn't been to church in a very long time. Yet, the way people prayed would have made you think there was a revival going on. People prayed with everything they had. For the next month or so it seemed that attendance was up at most churches. People had woken up to their need for God, at least for a time.

That is the sad part, it was only for a time. It seems that it is easy to forget our need to trust in God. We are a nation of doers. We thrive on adversity and overcoming obstacles. The more we can succeed autonomously, the more we are praised for our victories. "I did it my way", goes the song and we love that song. We cheer as Sinatra bellows the final chorus, "I did it myyyyyyy wayyyy!"

What September 11, did for us as a nation was to wake us up to our need for God, Psalm 23, was sounding pretty good as we walked through that valley of death as a nation. Yet, that seemed to only last for a time. Once the stock market bounced back, businesses got to be booming again, and the unemployment lines got shorter we started singing our favorite old song again.

We have learned to accept exterior comfort in place of internal peace of heart and mind. I know it in myself. It seems I pray pretty darn well when I am in need of something. Boy I can pray when I'm trying to stretch that paycheck just a little further than it can go. But, when I have a little extra to throw around I find I don't have so much time for prayer. Why is that?

[This post is the first in a series of posts I will be doing on Trust. Click here to read Part Two "Wake Up and Lean Into God".]

He was filled with Grace

Exerpt from The Catholic Sun, Catholics reflect on the man who forever changed their lives

“But what I will never forget was a moment that may not have lasted long in which I looked into his eyes. It was then that I began to understand why his presence was so overwhelming. I saw in his eyes a love that I had never seen before,” Faddis said. “I swear that I saw the weight of God’s love in those eyes.”

It’s moments like this one described by Faddis, that have a profound, lifelong impact — and there are thousands of Catholics throughout the diocese who have similar experiences to share. - Robert DeFrancesco, The Catholic Sun, Sept. 6, 2007

That's me - the skinny kid holding John Paul II's hand - and that is the moment, a moment I'll never forget, it was the moment I saw the depth and mystery of God's love for me.

In that moment, locking eyes with John Paul II of blessed memory I saw through him the love, the mercy, the generosity of God's love. This moment which I have relived over and over again is the moment in which God used his humble servant to share His love with me, and it is the moment I believe which has led me to youth ministry.

John Paul II is known and remembered for so many numerous acts, words, and deeds that made a difference in millions of lives. We remember him as a champion of social justice, a
defender of life, a fighter of the communists, and a victor over evils of all kinds. Still, he was merely a man - a man called by God, who through faithfulness and great courage became a walking and living saint.

For a long time I wondered why that experience was so powerful to me. I mean, he was merely a man and I had met so many famous people before and never had the same reaction, nor did it ever have the same effect. Why had his presence, his holiness, and his simple look given me such a powerful and life altering glimpse into the mystery of God's love for me?

It was shortly before his death that I had the realization that John Paul II was so filled with God's grace that he truly had been a mirror of God's love. That is our goal to become "full of grace" - that is why Mary is our model, and that is why the Saints are so important. John Paul II was a living, breathing, walking sign of God's Grace in our horribly confused and troubled world.

Today we remember him and ask him to pray for us. John Paul II, thank you for living out the Gospel in such a Heroic way.



To read more about my experience check Catholics reflect on the man who forever changed their lives

FUS Portiuncula Named Site to Obtain Plenary Indulgence

I was very excited to receive this in an email from an old friend from Steubenville... the Portiuncula also known as "The Port" is a very beautiful and holy place to pray. It deserves distinction as it is a place where many people have converted, received their call to Priesthood, been engaged, received a message or calling from God, or been healed. It truly is a place "set apart".

Father Terence Henry, TOR, is pleased to share with you the wonderful news received from the Holy See regarding our very holy site, the Portiuncula, which has meant so much to our students, our grads, families, and friends of the University.

We have just received a decree from J. Francis Cardinal Stafford, Apostolic Penitentiary, naming the Portiuncula as a site to obtain a plenary indulgence. The decree reads in part:

The Apostolic Penitentiary, by the power of the most special faculty granted by Benedict XVI, graciously grants from the heavenly treasure of the Church a plenary Indulgence to be gained by each and every one of the Christian faithful, who devoutly visit the chapel called Portiuncula found at the Franciscan University of Steubenville. There they pray to God the prayers for the intentions of the Holy Father including the Our Father and the Creed. The visit should take place on (a) August 2, on which the Indulgence of the Portiuncula occurs; (b) October 4, on the feast of St. Francis of Assisi; (c) January 23, on the dedication of the tomb of the unborn; (d) one day in the year, which day each individual may freely choose; (e) as often as in a group they make a holy pilgrimage which is completed at this place (the Portiuncula).This will be in effect for seven years; nothing to the contrary withstanding.

Given at Rome from the Apostolic Penitentiary on the 11th day of February in the year of the Incarnate Lord, 2009 on this feast day remembering Our Lady of Lourdes.

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Wondering what a plenary indulgence is? http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07783a.htm

All is Well in 2009

The reports are in. It is only going to get worse. The sky is falling and the boy is crying wolf. I've been amazed at how gloomy the already despairing news media has gotten. Pull up any popular news site or web portal and you'll see the reports.

Here we are entering into a new year, a new opportunity, a fresh start, and we've already gone and dumped on it. Why? Because our blessed stocks aren't going to perform well? Because we are in fear for our jobs? Our retirement fund? Our savings accounts? Look, I understand those concerns. Perhaps you are someone who has lost your job recently and for you I pray. All of these concerns are valid and I completely get our worry when things don't look so great.

However, we seem to forget one thing. GOD HAS A GREATER PLAN THAN THIS. That's right, it may be that you lose your job this year, it may be that your stocks don't perform well and your 401k dumps more than it saves. I don't know what will happen for you this year but I do know that God is calling us to trust in HIM... not in our finances or our careers, or our material possessions.

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat [or drink], or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Matthew 6:25 - 26

2009 can be the best year of your life. Even if you lose your job or if you do by some good fortune make a million dollars. However, it will not be the best year because of what you gain, earn, or save. It will only be the best year of your life if you make it an opportunity to trust in God more. To let him show you His plan for your life. It may be a different plan than yours, but I can promise you that it will be a greater plan then you could ever have imagined. So, give your finances, your marriage, your possessions, your children, your future over to Him and let Him do the worrying (Which by the way he doesn't worry, but you get the point.)

After all:

Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? Matthew 6:26

Here's to a great 2009 for all those who place their trust in the Lord!