Your Pastoral Coach

Let's be Angels of Peace

The stress of the Christmas Season is beginning to increase. People are tired of the first wave of shopping, traffic jams, and wondering how they are going to pay for all the things they want to get for others. Some people are beginning to dread celebrating Christmas for the first time without a loved one. What are we to do? We have a wonderful opportunity to become angels of peace. How? Smiling, allowing someone ahead at the shopping line, allowing someone to get a coveted parking spot, empathizing with retail workers, or by watching your friend's children while they get things done or rest. Remember that the more stressed and depressed we are, the more we tend to be thinking about ourselves. The more we serve, the happier we get. There are so many ways to be angels, let's pray that God can put us at the right place, right time, and right peace of mind to help someone in little ways...

"Let us not be justices of the peace, but angels of peace."

St. Theresa of Lisieux

Technorati Tags: Catholic, Quotes, Service

Pope John Paul II: Rise, Let Us Be On Our Way

A couple of weekends ago I had the pleasure to read Pope John Paul II's Rise, Let Us Be On Our Way. My wonderful sister gave me this book for Christmas. It was just a pleasure to share this intimate moment with this great man and saint. It doesn't appear that he co-wrote this book with anyone, you can truly feel his presence. As you read this book, you feel like he is sitting right there with you reminiscing about his years as Bishop of Krakow. Although His Holiness wrote this book to instruct his bishops, there is plenty of inspiration for all of us.

Notre Dame Stepping Up to Help After Katrina

I received the following e-mail today from Fr. Jenkins, President of the University of Notre Dame, talking about his recent trip to Louisiana, his observations on the current state of affairs, and what the university is doing to help local parishes and Xavier University of New Orleans get back on their feet. After reading it, I was very proud of the university and of how Catholic institutions are helping each other in this time of great need. You may want to read it...

Gospel Reading Reflection: Divine Love

My reflections on the Sunday readings for October 23, 2005, 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time.

In the first reading, a portion of the Mosaic Law taken from the Book of Exodus, it says: "Thus says the LORD: "You shall not molest or oppress an alien, for you were once aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt. You shall not wrong any widow or orphan." Then in the Gospel reading, Jesus says that we must love intensely... "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." What's so difficult about this? Plenty...

How did Jesus reach out to the wealthy, but spiritually poor?

I have always liked this prayer from Mother Teresa:

At the end of life we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things we have done.

We will be judged by 'I was hungry and you gave me to eat, I was naked and you clothed me, I was homeless and you took me in.'

Hungry not only for bread -- but hungry for love. Naked not only for clothing -- but naked for human dignity and respect. Homeless not only for want of a room of bricks -- but homeless because of rejection.

Every time I read this my mind goes to the people that are doing OK financially and have some level of power, but inside are actually feeling empty and are hungry for love. Those who work in corporations and get lost in the crowd, they are naked for human dignity and respect, and those that are professionals but for some reason face rejection. This may for example even happen to women in certain settings. I was wondering, what did Jesus say about this? What did he do?

Pray for the Earthquake Victims

Another major natural disaster strikes. Let us pray for the souls of those who died (well over 25,000!) and for the peace and well-being of those who survived. Moneybags has a touching post and a request for us to pray the Rosary for the victims. Christ-Haunted also has a post with references to an Asian site with information. Let's offer our Rosary prayers this week for this intention.

Technorati Tags: Prayer, Earthquake, Rosary

Charlie Weis honors dying boy

Several days ago I wrote a post commenting that Notre Dame football coach Charlie Weis was exhibiting Servant-Leadership traits and that I was impressed with him so far. Please read this article that my son found about coach Weis visiting and honoring a dying child's wishes. This article will move your heart, even if you don't follow football. It's in the small things that we show our Divine love...

Technorati Tags: Leadership, Notre Dame, Charlie Weis, Service

Only through the cross can life make sense

I was bummed today over the dismal leadership failure by the world powers. They could have made a difference by signing a powerful U.N. summit document committing to a number of critical positions. The U.S. submitted hundreds of last minute amendments to the 39 page document. Among them was the desire to completely strike any mention of "Millennium Development Goals to half poverty by 2015 and provide universal primary education." They U.S. also lobbied to eliminate the commitment for nations to donate .7% of their wealth to help the third world combat poverty (we contribute .15% today), to eliminate the phrase "war should only be waged as a last resort", to reduce the trade of arms, and to eliminate child labor by 2015 among other things. The Arab countries eliminated the sentence that said "specifically targeting civilians is terrorism." Other countries also lobbied for other changes that disrespect the sanctity of life. At the same time, US and England spoke that all should unite in the war against terrorism. Can't they see the link between extreme poverty, war, disease, and arms trade with terrorism? I know that these are only some factors fostering terrorism, but please...! I felt sad for the world. Yet, I believe that life only gives blessings and opportunities. Where is my opportunity in this sad day?

It so happens that today we celebrate the "Feast of the Holy Cross." My meditation book says that through the cross "The Lord transforms evil into good, tragedy into victory, and death into life." Our crosses, including the cross of injustice, become full of grace and redemption when linked to the passion and cross of Christ. In acceptance and solidarity we offer the plight of the poor up to God, we pray for our sins and the sins of this greedy world, and we ask God to fill our hearts with empathy and love. Maybe things like this help transform our hearts and help us love even more.

Sometimes, only through the cross can life make sense...

Technorati Tags: Catholic, Hope, Justice

A path to live our purpose

As we strive to discover our purpose in life, we look at our character strengths, our talents, our passions, and our life stories among many things. Eventually, we need to apply these gifts and this purpose for something greater than ourselves. But where do we begin...?

David Scott wrote a moving article about Mother Teresa in September's St. Anthony Messener magazine. Her words, inspired by Matthew 25, can definitely help us find ways to truly live our purpose and live a life of meaning...

"As Mother Teresa explained it: “Christ understood that we have a terrible hunger for God...that we have been created to be loved, and so he made himself a Bread of Life and he said, ‘Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you cannot live, you cannot love, you cannot serve’...He also wants to give us the chance to put our love for him in living action. He makes himself the hungry one, not only for bread, but for love. He makes himself the naked one, not only for a piece of cloth but for that understanding love, that dignity, human dignity. He makes himself the homeless one, not only for the peace of a small room, but for that deep sincere love for the other. And this is the Eucharist. This is Jesus, the Living Bread that He has come to break with you and me.”

Many times when we think of the poor, we think of helping with physical things like clothing and food, and we definitely should! This quote from Mother Teresa helps us think about those among us that are hungry for love, naked for human dignity and respect, and homeless because of rejection. To remind me of this on a daily basis I asked my daughter to paint for me a version of the Catholic Worker drawing of people standing in a soup kitchen line with Jesus amongst them. Instead of homeless, she painted middle class people that also hunger for love and dignity.

Technorati Tags: Catholic, Justice, Mother Teresa, Service

I love the way God works!

I love the way God works! I love the way He creates such a beautiful web of intentions and connections. Yesterday I was feeling so helpless and devastated over the suffering by the hurracaine victims. I felt in my heart the need to do more beyond donating money and praying. But what? I talked to my wife about the possibility of flying to the South to help for a week and she was supportive. I prayed at the Blessed Sacrament chapel in the morning. I listened to the stirrings of my heart and was able to finally say "Here I am God." It's easy to think about this, it is hard to call the Red Cross and say, "Here I am, at your disposal, send me wherever you need me." But I did... What if they sent me to New Orleans? I was somewhat afraid. I believe that an important aspect of this process for me was to grow spiritually to be able to say, "Here I am Lord. I'm here to serve as you wish." Once I was able to get there, then God connected all the dots for me.

It so happened that the Red Cross needed me right here in Indianapolis answering calls to the national 800 number. It so happens that 75 evacuees came to Indy tonight and stayed at the Red Cross shelter. I had the blessing to spend 9 hours on the phone today. I talked to many people looking for parents, uncles, and friends. I talked to people staying with friends and looking for ways to get financial help. I talked to people that escaped the worst zones, but did not know where to go next. I talked to a person who's sister was been evacuated in a helicopter from the roof of a hospital. I finished the night praying with a 19 year old who just finished a 10 hour trip on the back of a truck from New Orleans to Houston, and had put all the money she and her friends had to check into a Best Western for two nights. Two rooms and 33 people with nothing but the clothes on their back. She started the call sobbing and we ended the call praying together for peace of heart.

Technorati Tags: Katrina, Service, Spirituality