Wow! We finished our three-day Lenten mission tonight at St. Pius X with Father Joshua Wagner. It was incredible. Father Wagner was one of the best stand-up comedians I have ever seen and he was able to weave the humor into a very serious, yet motivational mission. If you ever get a chance, try to see him in action. Find out his schedule and more at FatherWagner.com.
Monthly Archives: February 2012
Tsunami survivor quit job to be with family
Yuko Sugimoto, the Japanese woman in an iconic tsunami photo from last year, at that point did not even know her son was alive in the submerged school across the street. Almost a year later, Yuko has quit her job to spend more time with her son and husband even though they are renting an apartment and still paying on a 31-year mortgage on their home lost to the tsunami.
Perhaps we should enjoy our family more while we can.
Read the full Woman in iconic tsunami photo looks to future at Reuters.
A tired Jesus wants committed disciples (Matthew 8: 18-22)
Bible Summary:
As the crowd surrounds Jesus, he tells his disciples to go to the other side of the lake. A teacher of the Law tells Jesus he is ready to go wherever he goes. Jesus says, “Foxes have holes, birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lie down and rest.” Another disciple tells Jesus he needs to bury his father first, but Jesus tells him to come and let the dead bury their dead.
My Thoughts:
Price of Fame: Jesus shares a little about the pressures of fame. The demands of the crowds weigh on him enough that he complains about not get rest and barks at his disciples who want to leave to care for their families. Many people dream of being famous like movie stars or top athletes, but they have no idea the price of fame: loss of freedom from overwhelming crowds and persistent paparazzi, demands of their agents, strained relationships, etc. Be careful what you wish for because you might be better off where you are. No matter how much fame or money you gain, you cannot buy love and happiness. Luckily Jesus knew the price he had to pay and was willing to accept the consequences for us.
Holy Offerings (Leviticus 22)
Bible Summary:
God commands Moses that priests are to treat the offerings sacred. Anyone ritually unclean that comes near the offering can never serve at the altar again. No one with skin disease may eat the offering. Priests who have touch a corpse, unclean person or unclean animal are unclean until evening and cannot eat the offering until they have bathed. Only priest family members may eat the offering. If anyone else does they must pay the priest the value plus 20%. The offering must also be a male animal with no defects and not obtained from foreigners.
My Thoughts:
Rigidness: I am beginning to understand how the Jews could despise Jesus for going against the rigid Laws of Moses passed down from God, including not touching a corpse (Lazarus), people with skin disease (lepers) and prostitutes.
Where there is the greatest love
Where there is the greatest love,
there are always miracles.
– Willa Cather
Mona Lisa’s “twin” heading to the Louvre
A second painting of the Mona Lisa by one of Leonardo Da Vinci’s students is now on display at the Prado museum in Madrid, Spain and headed to the Louvre on March 13 to join the famous original. A “technical study” requested by the Louvre shed light on the twin previously believed a recent copy. During the study, experts learned of hidden mountains and other similarities to Da Vinci’s painting, leading them to believe Da Vinci’s student painted it. I wonder how many other works of art have been mistaken because the time was not taken to verify them. Read the full Madrid’s Prado puts Mona Lisa’s “twin” on display story at Reuters.
Jesus Heals Many (Matthew 8: 14-17)
Bible Summary:
Jesus touches the hand of Peter’s feverish mother-in-law and heals her instantly. People bring him many others to heal of their demons as foretold by prophet Isaiah.
My Thoughts:
Convenience: Many of Jesus’ miracles fit too nicely into the prophecies of old like someone fit him into the mold to prove to the Jews he was the Messiah. The story is almost too perfect. And, why has he not returned in 2000 years?
Many critics bring up these points to discredit Jesus. We have no way to prove or disprove the miracles but we all know in our hearts what he taught about loving each other is right.
Test your will this Lent
Another Lent begins tomorrow, also known as Ash Wednesday, 40-days of fasting and prayer to match those spent by Jesus in the desert when Satan tempted him. By my count 40-days ends Palm Sunday, so Lent is really 47-days long as it continues through Holy Week ending Easter Sunday.
Catholics fast tomorrow, eating only one meal and do not eat meat on Fridays throughout the Lenten period. Many give up something minor like chocolate or another favorite food. One year I gave up media. I did not read the newspaper, news on the Internet, or magazines and I did not watch any TV. It was amazing the transformation that made in my life. Prior to that Lent, I always felt I had to keep up with the news. I had to know what was going on. I was an information junkie. It was a very difficult Lent, especially since my wife thought I went overboard and tried to tempt me with watching programs with her. I read books at the table in the other room so we could at least see each other.
That Lent was like a purification process. I realized I did not need the news in my life and I discovered that all the negative news was actually dragging down my mood. I felt uplifted without all the fear they “sell” in the news weighing me down each day. I stopped paying so much attention to it until I started this blog. Now I read the news regularly to find positive news to post. I have felt more edgy lately as the fear creeps back into my psyche from all the negative headlines. I am tempted to stop reading the news, but feel I am providing a valuable service for everyone, so I continue my mission.
This Lent I challenge you to take give up something more meaningful, more difficult this year, like smoking or any other bad habit. Or, if you are really up for the challenge, skip giving up something altogether and do good deeds each day of Lent instead. Your life will never be the same, but much better when you discover what you can do with a strong will. You can do anything.
Holy Priests (Leviticus 21)
Bible Summary:
God commands Moses to tell Aaronite priests to be holy and not to take part in a relative’s funeral, except for immediate family, not to shave their heads or trim their beards during mourning. The High Priest is also not allowed to defile God’s sacred Tent by visiting the house of a dead person, even if it is his mother or father.
The priests may marry virgins, but not divorcées or earlier prostitutes. If a priest’s daughter becomes a prostitute, she must be burned to death for the disgrace. And, no descendant of Aaron with any physical defects may present the food offering.
My Thoughts:
Specific Laws: The Laws of Moses are becoming more and more specific. This is a natural response: something happens a few times, the issue gets raised to a higher-up, they do not want to deal with it any longer, so they set up a rule so lower-level management can handle the situation in the future. Each repetition gets finer and finer.
Do not commit murder commandment: I do not understood the circular logic of some of the Laws of Moses. How could a priest’s daughter be put to death for becoming a prostitute if the sixth commandment says not to commit murder? Who is allowed to execute the deed without going against this commandment and being subject to the same law and outcome?
Wherever we are, God’s in that moment
Wherever we are, God’s in that moment,
God’s speaking to us,
and if we’ve just got our ears open and our antennas up,
there’s no lack of inspiration.
He’s not silent. We just have to be listening.
– Steven Curtis Chapman