It's been a really long time since I've done a proper gospel reflection, but here's one for today:
Today's gospel is all about temptation and resisting it. Temptation is everywhere, and it will never ever go away. That's what it is. We can't escape it. It panders to our weaknesses, offering us short-term benefits and deluding us of the long-term consequences. But how then, do we resist it? And the honest answer is that sometimes we can't and we won't, and we will fail. But we can learn from these mistakes and come away stronger and closer to God because of them.
One of the common ways in which we are prone to fall into temptation is by placing our priorities in the wrong places. It is so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life that we lose sight of what is most important: faith, hope, love. Lent is a time of rebirth and renewal, and a better time than any to realign our lives and make sure we're what we're striving towards is what will actually make us happy and fullfilled.
Another common temptation is by saying that other people's misuse of power and influence is the cause of the evil and injustice in the world. In this case we are thinking far too highly of ourselves. If we could be more honest with ourselves, humbly admitting that our indifference, our greed, our egoism, and our ambivalence, cause just as much as injustice as the wrong-doings of others, than we may be able to, as cliche as this sounds, be the change we wish to see in the world.
It is much easier to always blame others; to see the source of evil as outside of ourselves and cast ourselves as the victims. But this is not the case. We cannot fight other people, we can try, but we cannot change others if we do not first change ourselves. Thinking otherwise is far too short-sighted. Instead we must face evil head-on. Explore it, find it in our own lives, and conquer it.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Happy V-Day!
Today is Valentine’s Day; the day of love. I myself have never been in a relationship for Valentine’s Day, but that doesn’t mean I don’t know the definition of love. There are all kinds. The love you have for your best friends, the love you have for your family, the love you have for your significant other, the love you have with your God, and the love you have with yourself.
Each of these loves are beautiful because they all come from our heavenly father. They make us the people we are – providing us with strength and comfort and happiness. The people we love are the people we know we can rely on no matter what the scenario. This love helps us feel confident in ourselves. And this love makes us whole.
It also strengthens our relationship with Jesus as we strive to live our lives in his example with the rules that he gave us: Love one another.
But many people have thought about and talked about love over the years and many of them have influenced me or at least made me stop and think. Now I would like to share with you some of my favorite thoughts on love:
--on love—
• Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, it is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek it’s own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
• Love is giving someone the ability to destroy you, but trusting them not to
• In the absence of love there is nothing worth fighting for.
• Love is a journey, not a destination; travel its path daily.
--relationships—
• You aren't going to be her first, her last, or her only. She’s loved before, she will again, but if she loves you now what else matters? She's not perfect. You aren't either, and the two of you will never be perfect. But if she can make you laugh at least once, cause you to think twice, and admits to being human and making mistakes, hold onto her and give her the most you can She's not going to be thinking about you every moment, but she will give you a part of her that she knows you could break. Don’t hurt her, don’t change her, and don’t expect more than she can give you. Don’t analyze. Smile when she makes you happy, yell when she makes you mad, and miss her when she’s not there. Love hard when there’s love to be had.
• To me it's about a mundane task that's suddenly a joy because of who you're doing it with...that's love to me. Someone to fluff while you fold...someone to whisper to at a boring party...
--Friendship love—
• You're not friends because you sit together at lunch or talk on the phone or have matching flip flops or you can recite each other's wardrobe. You're best friends because when she smiles, a grin forces itself across your face, no matter how mad you are
• You often find that it is the person who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, chose rather to share your pain, touching your wounds with a tender, warm hand; The one who was silent with you in a moment of despair or confusion, who stayed with you in an hour of grief, who tolerated not knowing, not curing, not healing and faced with you the reality of powerlessness, that is the friend who cared
• When it hurts to look back, and you're scared to look ahead, you can look beside you and your BEST FRIEND will be there.
• Friends are like quiet angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly
• A friend is someone you can be alone with and have nothing to do and not be able to think of anything to say and be comfortable in the silence.
--Family love—
• As you reach forward with one hand, accept the advice of those who have gone before you, and in the same manor reach back with the other hand to those who follow you; for life is a fragile chain of experiences held together by love.
• Sisters are for sharing laughter and wiping tears.
• Having a sister is like having a best friend you can't get rid of. You know whatever you do, they'll still be there.
• I don't care how poor a man is; if he has family, he's rich
• To us, family means putting your arms around each other and being there.
--with God—
• The soul must long for God in order to be set aflame by God’s love; but if the soul cannot yet feel this longing, then it must long for the longing. To long for the longing is also from God.
• You look at us Lord and see our faults and weaknesses; you see our pettiness, our selfishness, our narrow-mindedness, our arrogance, and you still love us. You love us just as we are with all of our flaws and imperfections. You love us without reservations or condemnation…
--Loving yourself—
• You have to love yourself before anyone else does
• This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap; the being a force of Nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.
• Even if you produce stuff that's interesting to nobody but yourself, the activity justifies itself. Making things is a way of finding out who you are
Each of these loves are beautiful because they all come from our heavenly father. They make us the people we are – providing us with strength and comfort and happiness. The people we love are the people we know we can rely on no matter what the scenario. This love helps us feel confident in ourselves. And this love makes us whole.
It also strengthens our relationship with Jesus as we strive to live our lives in his example with the rules that he gave us: Love one another.
But many people have thought about and talked about love over the years and many of them have influenced me or at least made me stop and think. Now I would like to share with you some of my favorite thoughts on love:
--on love—
• Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, it is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek it’s own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
• Love is giving someone the ability to destroy you, but trusting them not to
• In the absence of love there is nothing worth fighting for.
• Love is a journey, not a destination; travel its path daily.
--relationships—
• You aren't going to be her first, her last, or her only. She’s loved before, she will again, but if she loves you now what else matters? She's not perfect. You aren't either, and the two of you will never be perfect. But if she can make you laugh at least once, cause you to think twice, and admits to being human and making mistakes, hold onto her and give her the most you can She's not going to be thinking about you every moment, but she will give you a part of her that she knows you could break. Don’t hurt her, don’t change her, and don’t expect more than she can give you. Don’t analyze. Smile when she makes you happy, yell when she makes you mad, and miss her when she’s not there. Love hard when there’s love to be had.
• To me it's about a mundane task that's suddenly a joy because of who you're doing it with...that's love to me. Someone to fluff while you fold...someone to whisper to at a boring party...
--Friendship love—
• You're not friends because you sit together at lunch or talk on the phone or have matching flip flops or you can recite each other's wardrobe. You're best friends because when she smiles, a grin forces itself across your face, no matter how mad you are
• You often find that it is the person who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, chose rather to share your pain, touching your wounds with a tender, warm hand; The one who was silent with you in a moment of despair or confusion, who stayed with you in an hour of grief, who tolerated not knowing, not curing, not healing and faced with you the reality of powerlessness, that is the friend who cared
• When it hurts to look back, and you're scared to look ahead, you can look beside you and your BEST FRIEND will be there.
• Friends are like quiet angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly
• A friend is someone you can be alone with and have nothing to do and not be able to think of anything to say and be comfortable in the silence.
--Family love—
• As you reach forward with one hand, accept the advice of those who have gone before you, and in the same manor reach back with the other hand to those who follow you; for life is a fragile chain of experiences held together by love.
• Sisters are for sharing laughter and wiping tears.
• Having a sister is like having a best friend you can't get rid of. You know whatever you do, they'll still be there.
• I don't care how poor a man is; if he has family, he's rich
• To us, family means putting your arms around each other and being there.
--with God—
• The soul must long for God in order to be set aflame by God’s love; but if the soul cannot yet feel this longing, then it must long for the longing. To long for the longing is also from God.
• You look at us Lord and see our faults and weaknesses; you see our pettiness, our selfishness, our narrow-mindedness, our arrogance, and you still love us. You love us just as we are with all of our flaws and imperfections. You love us without reservations or condemnation…
--Loving yourself—
• You have to love yourself before anyone else does
• This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap; the being a force of Nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.
• Even if you produce stuff that's interesting to nobody but yourself, the activity justifies itself. Making things is a way of finding out who you are
Thursday, February 11, 2010
An [Un]Answered Prayer
They always say that if you pray for courage God doesn't just give you courage - He gives you an opportunity to be courageous...
Throughout the last 2 and ½ years at Marist I often prayed to God for the things I wanted: more friends, more fun, more adventures, more academic success, more late nights that unexpectedly turned into mornings, more chances for athletic improvement, more trips … my list of wants went on and on. However, this semester when I found myself in the middle of Middlesex, England, which is nothing like the hustle and bustle of excitement that is London, God gave me what I needed more than anything: simplicity.
At first I refused to accept this gift – I fought it by trying to throw myself into activities, clubs, sports, and even uncharacteristic social situations. I fought it by spending all my spare time frantically reaching out to people, constantly searching for a new source of entertainment, and by going out and doing things that I really had no desire to do.
But slowly I began to realize that God was not testing me, pushing me - He was giving me a unique gift: a semester to rediscover myself in a chaotic world; a semester to rethink and reconsider; a semester to appreciate all the small things in my life I’d come to take for granted; a semester to realize in-full all the small wonders God has put on earth for me to enjoy.
In the past I always would have told you that I loved music, loved running, loved nature… but they were such small highlights of my life, so I never focused on how beautiful each of these experiences could really be. With time to breathe, I have found new meaning in the lyrics of songs, new peace in the long run on the winding road to nowhere, and more joy in each snow flake, billowing cloud, and twisted tree branch. My eyes have been re-opened to the small wonders that I passed by everyday with no notice.
At times I still may get overwhelmed by how underwhelming it all is, but I know that this is merely God’s way of teaching me to take life slower, take my true interests more seriously, and to save time for Him – a task that sometimes got overlooked in my much too busy life.
And while I would not recommend eliminating everything essential to your life and starting over as I essentially have this semester, I would recommend taking stock of what you have and recognizing that some of the best parts of your life are the ones you fail to notice. Try and appreciate them more; it’ll help you find an indescribable happiness.
Throughout the last 2 and ½ years at Marist I often prayed to God for the things I wanted: more friends, more fun, more adventures, more academic success, more late nights that unexpectedly turned into mornings, more chances for athletic improvement, more trips … my list of wants went on and on. However, this semester when I found myself in the middle of Middlesex, England, which is nothing like the hustle and bustle of excitement that is London, God gave me what I needed more than anything: simplicity.
At first I refused to accept this gift – I fought it by trying to throw myself into activities, clubs, sports, and even uncharacteristic social situations. I fought it by spending all my spare time frantically reaching out to people, constantly searching for a new source of entertainment, and by going out and doing things that I really had no desire to do.
But slowly I began to realize that God was not testing me, pushing me - He was giving me a unique gift: a semester to rediscover myself in a chaotic world; a semester to rethink and reconsider; a semester to appreciate all the small things in my life I’d come to take for granted; a semester to realize in-full all the small wonders God has put on earth for me to enjoy.
In the past I always would have told you that I loved music, loved running, loved nature… but they were such small highlights of my life, so I never focused on how beautiful each of these experiences could really be. With time to breathe, I have found new meaning in the lyrics of songs, new peace in the long run on the winding road to nowhere, and more joy in each snow flake, billowing cloud, and twisted tree branch. My eyes have been re-opened to the small wonders that I passed by everyday with no notice.
At times I still may get overwhelmed by how underwhelming it all is, but I know that this is merely God’s way of teaching me to take life slower, take my true interests more seriously, and to save time for Him – a task that sometimes got overlooked in my much too busy life.
And while I would not recommend eliminating everything essential to your life and starting over as I essentially have this semester, I would recommend taking stock of what you have and recognizing that some of the best parts of your life are the ones you fail to notice. Try and appreciate them more; it’ll help you find an indescribable happiness.
Monday, February 1, 2010
pro-life ad in the Superbowl?
An interesting article:
Should CBS pull the Tebow ad?
Just imagine if a pro-life message could reach the hundreds of thousands of people who watch the Superbowl?
I think prayers are in order - if we all band together more people will be able to see the sanctity and importance of life.
Should CBS pull the Tebow ad?
The culture wars are moving to the gridiron. The conservative Christian organization Focus on the Family is buying a 30-second Super Bowl ad featuring Heisman-winning college quarterback Tim Tebow and his mother.
According to today's story by Post reporters Hank Stuever and Emily Yahr, "Tebow will appear in the commercial with his mother, Pam, who reportedly will tell one of the Tebow family's favorite stories: How, after severe complications arose in her 1987 pregnancy, she declined medical advice to have an abortion. Her fifth child -- Tim -- was born and went on to win the Heisman trophy in 2007 (and is rarin' to go for the 2010 NFL draft)."
CBS's acceptance of the advocacy ad seems to mark a shift in network policy against airing Super Bowl commercials with divisive political or social content. "An ad that uses sports to divide rather than to unite has no place in the biggest national sports event of the year -- an event designed to bring Americans together," Jehmu Greene, president of the Women's Media Center, said in a statement.
Gary Schneeberger, a spokesman for Focus on the Family, told the Associated Press that funds for the Tebow ad were donated by a few "very generous friends. . . . There's nothing political and controversial about it. When the day arrives, and you sit down to watch the game on TV, those who oppose it will be quite surprised at what the ad is all about. (Watch Tebow's response today.)
What do you think? Should Super Bowl ads contain divisive religious, social or political content? Should CBS pull the ad?
Just imagine if a pro-life message could reach the hundreds of thousands of people who watch the Superbowl?
I think prayers are in order - if we all band together more people will be able to see the sanctity and importance of life.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
