On Green Jelly Beans, Ducks and Community

Will someone please tell me what is wrong with green jelly beans?  The remaining Easter candy in our dish on the table consists of a few Twix bars, some chocolate eggs and a whole host of green jelly beans. I sort of doubt anyone has even tried them.  I am betting they have been rejected because they are simply not as visibly appealing as the orange ones.

Because I was feeling bad for the little green guys, I decided to consume them out of deep compassion.  While not as good as the orange, which are my favorite by far, their sugar content was certainly more than satisfactory.

As I was being the jelly bean martyr for my family, I started thinking about our ducks.  Now I don’t know anything about ducks except that apparently the male ducks are the ones with striking color, which, as you no doubt can now see, links my jelly bean question to my duck story—color.

Anyway, every year as the torrential rains come and our neighbor’s property is transformed into lakefront property, I am always happy to see our ducks return.  This duck couple, who have been together for many years, blissfully float around, enjoying their new saturated landscape.

The reason for our neighbor’s flooding goes back to the beginning of time, long before we moved in.  Apparently, our house and yard were built up by using our neighbor’s soil, leaving his yard depressed and ours high and dry. Our current problem is that the culvert under our driveway makes everything back up even worse into his front yard. We are trying to resolve the problem, looking into getting the culvert fixed.

But until that happens, I was thinking maybe we should build an ark and invite our neighbor to join us. Our next guests would be our duck couple, of course, although I’m not really sure what you would do with ducks on an ark, seeing as the point of the ark is to be dry.  Nevertheless, it seems like the right thing to do.

And I am all about doing the right thing, having done the wrong thing on more than one occasion.  It never feels good, does it, when we do the wrong thing?  Worse, I think, is when we know we are doing the wrong thing and we do it anyway.

St. Paul, in the New Testament book of Romans (7:15) knew all about this dilemma.  He said, “What I do, I do not understand.  For I do not do what I want, but I do what I hate.”

We are all human and we all sin.  None of us can escape this reality.  It is good news that we are not alone as we strive for holiness in the midst of our inclination to sin.  If we work to help each other, to lift each other up, we quickly discover that the individualism so prominent in our culture today, is not healthy.

It should be within our community—our modern-day ark—that we experience the power of God, and enjoy great love and support from our neighbor.  We must help each other try to do the right thing.  When we, as a community, choose good, it lifts up our society as a whole.  And when we, as a community, choose poorly, it takes us all down together.

A common notion today is that I can do whatever I want to do because it is my right and it doesn’t hurt anyone else.  That idea is just ridiculous.  Since we live in community, with others, what we do as individuals affects other people.

The weakening of community today—whether it is the community of our family, our parish life, or even our basic social structure—is proving quite detrimental. Paradoxically, as our communication methods have grown, our ability to communicate effectively, and meaningfully, hasn’t.

The sad thing is, we don’t even realize this phenomenon is taking place because it is happening so quickly.  We look around us and wonder what is happening to the family and marriage, our societal lack of morals and our seeming inability to pass on the faith to our children, but we do not relate it to the fragmentation that is taking place within the communities in which we live.

The more disconnected we become, the more difficult it is to support each other.  The less we support each other, the more unhealthy we become.  We think we are connected, but the fact is, merely exchanging information is not the same as being in a relationship.

I forgot to mention something else about our ducks.  One day we watched the male duck cross the street ahead of the female duck.  As he moved safely across, leading the way, she then followed.

If ducks know what it means to be in a relationship and support each other, seems like we could figure it out!

Copyright 2013 Janet Cassidy

Celebrating the Holy Days of the Triduum

I can hardly believe that Easter is right around the corner. It has been a busy and exciting Lent. With the resignation of Benedict XVI and the election of our new Pope, it is an amazing time in the Church.

What a relief it was, coming home after a long day at work, to pick up the paper and read, not another negative article about the church, but a refreshing headline that seemed to indicate the world is going to embrace our new Pope.

What perfect timing, I thought, as we are embarking on the implementation of the New Evangelization. It feels like spring is in the air and the breeze blowing in is surely the Holy Spirit at work.

I think the hearts of the faithful are poised to be opened wide and flooded with a newness of life we haven’t seen in a long time. As I tell our candidates and Elect who are entering the church at Easter Vigil, the church simply does not need more lukewarm Catholics. Now is the time for increased, active, prayerful participation by everyone who calls themselves a Catholic.

To be a Catholic today will require a level of commitment that most of us have not had to make. The challenges to the message of Christ in a culture filled with misinformation, misunderstanding and a too-oft desire for scandal, will surely require Christians everywhere to live out their faith with increased awareness of the cost of discipleship.

To prepare ourselves for the future, we will need a passion for the Gospel and a deep love of God. It will need to be evident in the way we live our lives, in the choices we make, and in the words we use. We will find ourselves explaining why we love the sacramental life of the church and will likely need to defend the teachings of the church, as well as make clarifications against the heresies of our time.

This is a time when, rather than blending in, Christians will need to stand out. As Catholics, we do so every time we come together to celebrate the Liturgy, because it speaks of our belief in the Incarnation and the resurrection of Christ.

As we approach the highest holy days of the year, I’d like to share with you an analogy I came across in a book by Robert Wilken titled, The Spirit of Early Christian Thought.

In thinking about Good Friday and the Veneration of the Cross, an outsider might ask us, Why would you hold up a cross that has been buried in church storage for the past year and genuflect before it or kiss it?

According to Wilken, in the same way that someone, in the depths of grief over the loss of a loved one, might touch their clothes or smell their lingering fragrance in their longing to recapture their physical presence, “the faithful kissed the wood of the cross that held the precious body of Christ.”

It is not unusual for the faithful, in their desire to be close to Christ, to reach for that which is tangible in an effort to draw closer to him.

On Holy Thursday, as we open the three highest holy days of the year with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, we will recall Christ washing the feet of his disciples as members of our community sit at the feet of our Priests to have their feet washed.

This action by Christ speaks to each of us and our call to be servants. Some of us may be called to be leaders, it is true, but true leadership cannot happen without a servant’s heart. One day, Christ tells us, we will be able to sit at the heavenly table, but for now, we serve.

At the Easter Vigil, on the Saturday evening before Easter, we see a most magnificent display of beauty as we enter the darkened church. In great symbolism, our lighted candles pierce the darkness with the light of Christ. Hope is present and victory over sin is evident!

We welcome those who have said Yes! to God’s calling by stepping forward for Baptism or the other Initiation Sacraments. They are supported by the community’s prayers and it is the presence of the community that affirms their decision. The faithful of the community, gathered for the Vigil, is an essential part of this Liturgy and speaks volumes to the Candidates and Elect.

Would you leave your house when your invited guests are due to arrive? Of course not! You would greet them at the door, as we greet our newest members at the Baptismal font on Easter Vigil.

If you have never participated in these Holy Days, I encourage you to do so this year as much as possible. They are the capstone of Lent, indeed, of our life as a Catholic.

Copyright 2013 Janet Cassidy

Augustine, Temptation and Perseverance

I was reading an excerpt from Augustine of Hippo in the Magnificat titled Temptation and Perseverance.  While it may not sound particularly gripping, this extract was quite enlightening. It was typical of Augustine.  Straight to the point, with no frills attached.

His topic was a familiar one to anyone who has ever had one moment to consider God’s intervention in our lives.  He doesn’t so much raise the question, as he makes the statement: God tests us.  In fact, God tests us, Augustine says, not because God is “so ignorant of things, so unacquainted with the human heart that he has to find out about a man by testing him,” but in order that the “person may find out about himself.”

I found his statement intriguing.  Augustine points out that through this testing God brings out hidden things in us that we must confront.  St. John of the Cross, as well, in Dark Night of the Soul says that it is a purification when these obstacles to our union with God are arrested, for retaining them is not good for us.

The truth is, they get in the way by weighing us down.  We carry them in the deep recesses of our being, pretending they are not harming us, when in reality, they are.  In fact, Augustine notes, we may not even be aware of them ourselves, so it is important that through testing, they are brought out. As we become free, we can move closer to God, unrestricted by these encumbrances.  God can help us do this most difficult work.

This testing, Augustine says, is to teach us, whereas the devil tests us to mislead us.  God our Creator knows us better than we know ourselves, and these trials and temptations, he says, are necessary in order for us to come to know ourselves.

Now all of this talk about knowing ourselves, and God teaching us by testing, might sound a bit vague, but the fact is, there are a whole host of “hidden” elements to everyone’s life that are often endured alone, in secret, that if acknowledged and released, would free us to love God and others as we ought.

The freedom to love unhindered is exactly what God wants for us.

This freedom cannot be experienced when we dwell on uninvited thoughts that create tension within us, or when our actions cause us great suffering.  These temptations must rise to the surface and be loosened from us.

Of course, none of this work being done in us happens outside the mercy of God.  After all, God created us.  He knows our impulses, our weaknesses, our thoughts and our actions.  He knows our sins.  God loves us and constantly draws us nearer himself.

A sure relief from these so-called hidden, interior challenges to holiness is the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  It is here, in this Sacrament, that those things that cause us the most shame can be brought to light.  Our priests are there in the Person of Christ to offer God’s forgiveness.  So, too, they can help us sort out what is sinful and what is not, for often that which we think is sinful is not, and that which we easily dismiss should be given greater consideration.

I always figure that if there is one thing you least want to confess, that is probably the very thing you need to confess the most.  It is probably causing you the most trouble.  We should never let fear prevent us from confessing, lest we want to stunt our spiritual growth!  The Sacrament of Reconciliation is a beautiful gift given to us by Jesus out of love and we are so very fortunate to have this amazing recourse in our fight against sin.

In the Magnificat meditation, Augustine quotes Psalm 19:12, which is a prayerful verse that is helpful in loosening the ties that bind us:

“From my hidden sins cleanse me, O Lord.”

Ask God for help to free you from these sins, for it is through his power, and his power alone, that the freedom to go forth in love, unhindered, is possible.

Copyright 2013 Janet Cassidy

Cultivating a Respect for ALL Life

I admit to being a bit distressed to hear about the turkey abuse that went on at Butterball Farms.  Apparently a number of employees kicked and stomped on turkeys, dragging them by their wings and necks, and even worse.   It really was an abomination and points to the inhumane, oddly violent action of these particular Butterball employees. Of course, I would not for a moment imagine Butterball is the only place where this sort of thing occurs.

After reading the news report, however, my thoughts turned to another injustice and how strange it is that people can get their feathers all riled up (forgive the pun, please) over turkeys, yet seemingly be okay with violence against unborn children.  Will the turkey abusers be punished? I wondered, while abortionists are allowed to freely practice their morbid form of “medicine?”

I often scratch my head as I try to understand how it is possible, in this country, that a law was made permitting medical personnel (I won’t call them doctors) to actively engage in the destruction of our children.

Maybe you bought into the woman’s right-to-choose philosophy when it was touted as a reasonable response to pregnancy and a right (it is neither.) Maybe you formed your views before you really understood that to be Catholic is to be pro-life, or maybe you just never really considered the immorality of it all and sort of jumped on the bandwagon. Regardless of where you started, I now invite you to reconsider your thinking if you are pro-abortion.

Most people who accept abortion prefer the term pro-choice, rather than pro-abortion. That’s because the language sells better.  After all, who doesn’t like having choices? Of course, there is a difference between choosing spaghetti or lasagna for dinner and allowing an unborn child to live or die, but that distinction sort of gets lost in the rhetoric.  For the most part, I think this fuzzy terminology worked very well, psychologically, on those who were susceptible to immoral influences in the first place.

I am one of those people who believe there is room for everyone in the church.  Well-informed, thinking people do differ on a variety of issues, and I can accept that.  But when it comes to abortion, there simply isn’t any wiggle room.  If you believe abortion is a moral act, rather than the intrinsically evil act it actually is, then you are not embracing the practice of Catholicism, no matter what you may tell yourself.

A very profound conversion of heart is needed when someone has deeply held convictions that are contrary to church teaching. Conversion can take place through a lot of prayer, study and with an openness to God’s loving plan. Abortion is not now, nor ever has been, of God’s design.

To be Catholic is to be pro-life.  Listen to the words God spoke when he made his covenant with Noah (Genesis 9:5) in the Old Testament.  They give you a sense of the value of life:  “. . . .from man in regard to his fellow man I will demand an accounting for human life.”

This respect for human life continues in the day of Christ, and whoever calls himself a disciple today must assume the same care for the vulnerable as he did.  As a follower of Christ we must take up his preaching about loving one’s neighbor and see in his healings and teachings the absurdity of promoting the death of the unborn.

I must repeat–every act of abortion is intrinsically evil and is contrary to loving one’s brother.  It distances us from a loving Father.  To separate ourselves from Him is step back into the Garden of Eden and pretend that there are no limits to human authority, to live under the illusion that we are fully in control of our own destiny (and others’), and that God is simply a master rule maker who set things in motion and walked away.

Our first parents lost their trust in God and walked the path of deception rather than truth.  We must be careful not to repeat their sin by following those who place themselves above God and who, in matters of life and death, clothe deceit under the umbrella of choice.

Choosing to kill the unborn does not come without cost. God gives us the freedom to choose between good and evil in this world, and we must choose wisely, for in the end, we will indeed be accountable for our actions.

Copyright 2o12 Janet Cassidy

Flowing into the Church

The other day I was on the on-ramp of the expressway trying to enter the flow of traffic while following a slow-moving car.  Honestly, some people have no idea how to get on an expressway!

It’s a strange dance we do.

Some people creep along at their own pace and surprise everyone at the last moment by fitting in.

Other people fly in quickly, and just as fast, they are gone.

Then there are those, like the guy I was following that day, who move in, find their place, but still do not pay much attention to the people around them.

The easy ones are those whose entrance is smooth, they make appropriate adjustments, and remain happily in the pack they have entered.

It reminds me of the initiation process into the church–The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults–or RCIA for short.

Like an expressway on-ramp, everyone’s entry into the church is unique. Some people pace themselves and need processing time.  Others arrive almost breathless, ready to move in quickly. Some people come but don’t really attach, and, of course, there are those who have been ready for years and find themselves at home almost immediately.

What we sometimes don’t realize is that Baptism is the true mode of entry into the Church.  Far too often we don’t understand why we need it and we remain unaware of its impact over the course of our lifetime.

Baptism isn’t something we do just because it’s a nice thing to do. We don’t do it so parents can show off their baby, dress him up cute and have a party.  Nobody thinks that, I’m sure.

Neither is it something we do because we have to.  Who would approach baptism with the idea that once it’s done they’ve fulfilled an obligation and they don’t need to come to church anymore?  Nobody does that, right?

Hopefully, those who come to baptism, or bring their children to baptism, recognize the power of the sacrament.  They probably understand that the water used in baptism is a sign of both death and life.  Death, because we leave our old selves behind, and life because we enter into a new life with God.  Blessed water, poured over the one seeking baptism, when accompanied by the Trinity in the words “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,” changes lives.

Do you remember the scripture passage that speaks of the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan (Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 3, Verse 13)? Jesus didn’t need baptism to cleanse him from sin like we do, since he was sinless.  But, in that Trinitarian event (where the Father spoke, the Holy Spirit was revealed in the form of a Dove and Jesus was present), we learn the significance of baptism. Just being born does not make us members of the People of God.

Have you been floating along okay in life?  Maybe you don’t see any point to being baptized.  Family’s good, job’s okay, you have some fun here and there. It’s all good, right?

Well, all of those things I just described are related to what?  The here and now.  None of it–the family, fun or work–has the innate power to lead you to God after you die.  Now I don’t want to shock you, but you are going to die someday, and then what?

There is a real grace that comes with the Sacrament of Baptism and we respond to our baptismal call throughout our whole life. It is very easy for this beautiful life on earth that God has given us, to actually distract us from the reality that after we die, we are going to go somewhere.   Whether you believe it or not doesn’t change the reality.

Do you imagine that life on earth is everything?  Are you standing in stubbornness, for the most part ignoring God?  Are you trying to meet God on your own terms, in your own time?

We are not self-created. Our very existence is owed to God. He calls each of us continuously; whether we respond or not is up to us.  Most people are amazed at how wonderful it is to live this life fully awake, fully alive in God, once they make the decision to do so.

Jesus began his public ministry by demonstrating our need for baptism.   We enter into the life of the church through baptism and this leads to an increased desire to love God and become witnesses to him.  Baptism is very powerful.

If you want to learn more about baptism or entry into the Catholic Church, all you need to do is talk to your Priest, Deacon, or your parish Director of RCIA.  It is our hope that in our enthusiastic response to our own baptism, coupled with the power of God’s grace, you will find an attractive, living example that says,”Come join us!  This is great!”

Copyright 2012 Janet Cassidy

Leave it to Beaver

A few months ago I caught part of an old episode of Leave it to Beaver, that late 1950’s family television series. Apparently The Beav (one of the sons) was distraught that his baby picture didn’t win a contest. His father, Ward, tried to console him using the “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” line. Ward went on to add, “Sometimes, ugliness is too,” and for those who would laugh at the picture, Ward said, well, the “ugliness was in their head.”

So the Beav, clearly inquiring for all of America, asks, “Do you mean that all of the bad stuff in the world is in people’s minds, then?” Ward answered, “A lot of it is.”

Oh, wouldn’t it be wonderful to believe that all the bad stuff was just in our heads?

While it may seem that Ward totally missed the boat here–because there is definitely penetrating evil in the world today–he may not have been completely wrong. I am thinking of that passage from Mark 7:18 where the disciples of Jesus started questioning him about what he had been saying to the Pharisees and the crowds that had gathered around him.

“Hear me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.”

Now Jesus had been speaking about all of the burdens the Pharisees had been placing on people (such as ritual purifcation, handwashing, etc.), but in verses 21-23 he also went on to say: “From within people, from their hearts, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. All these evils come from within and they defile.”

So, back to Ward. Is the ugliness in our heads? Where does the first thought of evil come from anyway?

Consider this. A thought enters your head and you meditate on it. You let your imagination run with it. Now if it is a good thought, wonderful. But what if you are dreaming up a mean retort, or imagining that your twisted sense of justice be delivered to one who has treated you unfairly? While at that point the ugliness is still in our head, we must be careful, for we may easily be tempted to act upon it. I suppose our ruminations would fit in the category of “evil thoughts” on St. Mark’s list, although the sense of them being evil may be a little strong.

You see, our bad thoughts can lead us into danger if we entertain them too long, or enjoy them too much. Thinking a thought that pops into our head is not sinful, but dwelling on thoughts that are not healthy can be, or they can lead us into sin. That is why, if we find them prevailing over us, it is best to find a remedy for ridding ourselves of them.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes varying degrees of sin (venial/mortal). Jesus provides the remedy for sin in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. But, even after we have admitted our sin and been forgiven for it, there is still work to be done. The damage our sin has caused is very real and needs to be repaired as best we can. As we move through these days of Lent, it becomes especially important that we set our hearts on Jesus. Once freed of the immediate sins we commit, we should begin to examine how to amend our lives so that we have the best possible chance of avoiding those sins in the future.

If what we have within is in danger of defiling the outside, then we better make very sure our “within” is as clean as possible. We will want to be aware of any tendency to dwell on that which we may be tempted to act upon. It is there, in our actions fed by our inclination to sin, that the “ugliness in our heads” becomes the “bad stuff in the world.”

This is truly the work of not only Lent, but also of the entire year. This is a time of cleansing that helps us turn away from sin. This is conversion. We are not converted when we acknowledge and confess our sins and continue on our way, the same as before. Conversion is transformation. Our lives will look different when they are transformed by Christ.

While poor Ward Cleaver is often mocked for his holier-than-thou attitude, and The Beav is often made fun of for his naivete, maybe they shouldn’t be dismissed so quickly by those of us who still need to work on ridding ourselves of the ugliness in our heads.

Copyright 2012 Janet Cassidy

In the meantime, I came across a note from my sister-in-law who lives in Wyoming. She was losing her internet service because of the huge snow storm she was getting.  She lives, literally, in the wilderness.  The only access to her house is by snowmobile in the winter. (Personally, I believe she lives on another planet, rather than in another state!)

Anyway, she was telling my husband that she and her husband were going home (by snowmobile) one night when a moose wandered onto their path.  The moose apparently decided that it was not in any hurry, so it spent the next hour sauntering down the road in front of them, leaving them cold and in slow-motion.  Eventually, when the land smoothed out, they were able to go around it and avoid getting dunked in the river.

While I cannot begin to imagine being held up by a moose–which, apparently is bigger, stronger, and uglier in person than one might think–I suppose there are times when we all need a moose in our path to slow us down.  If a moose stood in my way, for instance, and said, “Not so fast.  You need to stay put,” I’d listen. While moose tend to be big, dumb and hairy, they might actually be helpful at times!

The presence of the moose can serve as a reminder that we should walk the path we are supposed to walk, take our time, and enjoy the view.  We shouldn’t let others rush us. There will always be people behind us, trying to get us to move faster, or do more, but if we know what is good for us, we won’t listen to them.  We’ll set our own pace and be true to it.

I’m a big believer in balance.  Take January, for instance.  It was a busy month for me.  Even still, I made sure that it was dotted with great moments of peacefulness.  I carved out huge chunks of time for rest in front of the tabernacle and conversations with God.

When our lives get out of balance–as so many are today–it is unhealthy for us.  I suspect Jesus knew something of this because when you look at his active ministry, you can see that there was balance between people and prayer.  He would go off on his own, up the mountain to pray, and then there were times when he was present to the people.  Sometimes, the two intersected naturally, but we can see from his example that prayer and quietude are a solid path to balance.

So, if you are not lucky enough to have a moose cross your path today to remind you of balance, at least you have me.  While I may not be big, dumb and hairy, I’d be happy to saunter in front of you if that’s what it takes!

Spend some time resting in the Lord this week.  There really is nothing better.

Copyright 2012 Janet Cassidy

“I will sprinkle clean water upon you to cleanse you from all your impurities . . .”

“I will give you a new heart and place a new spirit within you, taking from your bodies your stony hearts and giving you natural hearts.”

“. . . . you shall be my people, and I will be your God.”

Perfect.  Absolutely genius.  What better speaks to our need, gives us hope of conversion, and affirms our covenant with the Father?

This passage—related to the restoration of Israel—speaks of the power of God to prove his holiness through the very nation that profaned His name.

For us today, when we read this, we can see that God can also be glorified through us.  Even though you may have many—perhaps great—sins, it is not beyond the power of God to wipe them all away.  All we must do is turn toward God.

Notice in the second quote that God will give us a new spirit.  And did you notice how our stony heart is not our natural state? If we are standing in stubbornness, refusing to be loving or forgiving to others, chaos and interior distress will be ours.  Why?  Because, this is not our natural state.

God created us to love.  That is what it means to have a natural heart.  If you are becoming hard-hearted, angry or bitter, let that renewed spirit of God come in.  You do not have to stand in your sins.  You do not have to be that way.  You are not called to be that person.

It is particularly nice, when returning from reception of the Holy Eucharist, to keep this verse in mind.  Ask God to give you His Spirit.  His Spirit of joy.  His Spirit of love.  Ask him to replace that stony heart of yours with a natural heart.  Ask that His love penetrate your very being.  Be open to this powerful conversion.

And the final passage—covenant.  Do you know how amazing it is, this covenant with God?  We are his.  He is ours.  What does that mean for you in your life, to be in covenant with God?

It is an unbreakable bond.  It is love and mercy and forgiveness all together.  If we love, we are doing what God asks us to do and we are receiving what He gives.  We can spend our days trying to figure out some other thing that we think we should be doing—fasting, laboring, preaching, but, in the end, the good work of God—the totality of being in covenant with God—is love.  It may be both easy and complicated, but that is our mission, that is the place he calls us to, and that is the natural state of our being.

Copyright 2011 Janet Cassidy

I commented that whenever you are totally immersed in a language like that, you tend to learn it better.

Then it hit me.

How could I make that leap to Religious Education?  If the children are immersed—and I mean really immersed–in the faith, in Jesus, when they come to us once a week, wouldn’t that have the same result?

My daughter was doubtful because, as she reasonably pointed out, we are talking about once a week, rather than daily like her high school class.

Then I was reading a history of Pope John Paul II and read about how every morning he would rise with his father and they would pray together.  Again, this was a daily practice, but what if you could inspire Religious Education families to flood their families–their domestic churches–to such a degree?

Ever the optimistic, I believe it could work.

So I think that will be my goal this year.  Not just to have our students immersed in the faith, but to inspire their parents as well.  Give them a little nudge so that, in the end, their children will be speaking the language of faith and they will no longer have to ask, “Why don’t my children go to church?”

Idealistic?  Maybe.  But certainly hopeful.  And what are we, if not people of hope?

Blessings,

Janet

Copyright 2011 Janet Cassidy

What are the wonders of God?

According to this Psalm, His majestic glory, wonderful deeds, fearsome power, goodness, justice, mercy, patience and love.  God’s “compassion to every creature”, His great works, power and “dominion for all generations,” are also delineated.

Following this amazing list praising God’s wonders, the Psalmist moves beyond these descriptions to what God can do for us:

1. The Lord supports all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down.
2. He opens his hand and satisfies the desire of every living thing.
3. He is just and faithful.
4. He is near to all who call upon Him.
5. He hears our cry and saves us, watches over all who love Him; destroys the wicked.

Then the Psalmist sums it all up:  “My mouth will speak your praises, Lord; all flesh will bless your holy name forever.”

When you feel like things are falling down around you, it can help a great deal to reflect on the reality that God will respond and raise you up.  The simple statement, “He is near to all who call upon Him,” reminds us that all we have to do is take one tiny step toward him, whether it be a word uttered or quiet desire, and, without a doubt, He who loves us will be there to respond.

Copyright 2011 Janet Cassidy

I remember sitting on the well-worn blue leather couch in the hotel, looking out at this huge, bright moon. I was in a reflective mood and was comforted, imagining that my family back home was staring at the very same moon, so many, many miles away.  It connected us, filling my heart with a peacefulness that brought a closeness to our separation.  That one, beautiful object in my vision, gave me a central focus.

The image of the moon on that early Friday morning on the way to Church reminded me that God is like that in our lives today.  He is the center that brings us all together.  He lights our path and draws us into Himself; his beauty and his presence inspiring awe.  It doesn’t matter where you are standing, he creates a connectedness.

For those who are feeling lonely or sad, separated from others, do not despair, for while at times God may feel as far away as the moon in the sky, in reality, He is much closer than you think.

Make God the center of your focus today, and discover the joy and peace that comes with his light.

Copyright 2011 Janet Cassidy

This line from a conclusion to Saturday morning prayer for the Fourth Week of Easter is a very powerful petition with three strong components.  If we were to take each one separately, and seriously, it could transform the life of every Christian.

First of all, the address to the Father is a simple, strong statement that it is God our Father who acts to renew us and has the power to strengthen us to bear witness to our faith.  As Pope Benedict XVI has said in On Christian Love any movement toward God on our part is actually a response to his call.  We are not the initiator here.

On to the three components . . .

Our Baptism is our entry into what we call The People of God.  From the Second Vatican Council we understand that it is by virtue of our Baptism–not by our natural birth–that we become one of God’s people.  We were not a people, until God called us and made us His own.   Once we receive Baptism, we are transformed, born into a new life with God, and our original sin is washed away. The whole trajectory of our life changes.  We join in the mission of Christ to spread the Good News that God has redeemed us through his cross, bringing salvation to all.  This is great news!  This is something we are excited about and want to tell the whole world about.  As laypeople in the Catholic church, we have a special responsibility to bring this news into our workplaces and penetrate all the corners of the secular world which we encounter.  Thus, our Baptism leads us into the second component of this prayer–bearing witness to our faith.

How do you bear witness to our faith?  Do you do it by word, action, or both?  Are you comfortable bringing the name of Jesus into everyday conversation?  Are you comfortable speaking of your own faith and what it means to you?  Have you contemplated what faith means to you?  In order for our faith to break through, into the ordinariness of life, it must first be brought to the surface in our own lives.  Only then will we be able to use this gift of faith that God has given to inspire others.  And that brings us to the third component of this prayer–the way we live.

Every day we breathe, we make choices.  As disciples of Christ, those choices should reflect our life in Christ.  A life in Christ is one in which our primary desire is to love others as God loves us, to forgive others (and ourselves!) as God forgives, and, through the power of God, to be an instrument to draw others to Him.  We are renewed, we bear witness, and we live in Christ.  We must, of course, be close to God in order for this to happen.

Take some time today to pray that you may be open to following God’s will, whatever that looks like. Christianity does not have to be complicated and it certainly is not a narrow view of life.  The freedom that comes when you practice your faith is such a gift, a real grace poured out.

In many of our churches, throughout the Easter season, we have been sprinkled with holy water.  May God’s blessings through this very beautiful ritual, renew you in your Baptism!

Copyright 2011 Janet Cassidy

At that time, a middle-aged couple went up to the altar, and there, standing before God and our local community, simply, and without fanfare, exchanged their vows.  I looked at my husband and commented, “That’s all it really takes, isn’t it? Just a simple ‘I do.’”

For all the planning, expense and fretting over weddings, the most important action taken by the couple on their wedding day are saying those two little words.  Our 5:00 o’clock couple were just as married as the couple who spent thousands of dollars and endless hours of lost sleep on a myriad of details.

Whether it is the Sacrament of Baptism, Confirmation or Eucharist at the Easter Vigil, or our participation in the Sacrament of Marriage—or any of our seven Sacraments—our encounters with Christ in the Sacraments is both uncomplicated and profound.

As I sat and watched, listening to Father recite “I Baptize you in the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” my heart gave way to sheer delight in what was happening before my very eyes—the stripping away of original sin, the outpouring of grace and the Holy Spirit; the person, kneeling before me in the Baptismal font, being transformed by the power of God.  It was almost too much to take in.  Here, one who presented himself to the Church was receiving what he most desired—to die to self and be reborn anew as a member of the People of God.  So uncomplicated, yet so profound.

Also, those who were received into full communion with the Catholic Church that night, who made a Profession of Faith, turned a simple “I do” into a profound, public witness, as they professed their belief in God and their desire to reject evil in their lives.

The fact is, choosing God does not have to be hard. Sometimes it may feel complicated when marriages, annulments, and various other details have to be worked out, but in the end, when you are standing before God and your community, fully engaged in the Sacraments of the Church, there is no greater sign of the presence of God in our world today.  There is no greater sign of his continuing love for His people, and there is no greater revelation of his limitless mercy available to us today.

The pastoral spirit flowing through the church today is committed to healing and compassion.  If you, or someone you know, has put off or avoided entering full communion with the church, encourage them to call their local Catholic church and talk to a member of the staff.  You may just find yourself standing with them at Easter Vigil next year as they proclaim “I do!” for all the world to see!

Copyright 2011 Janet Cassidy

All kidding aside, I was reading an article in my September, 2010 issue by Cameron Gunn titled How Ben Franklin Changed My Life.  A quote stuck in the middle of the page jumped out at me:  “The noblest question in the world,” Franklin wrote in Poor Richard’s Almanack, “is, What Good may I do in it?”

Wow, what a great question.

I wonder how many times, if we asked ourselves this question, might we resist acting or speaking on impulse.  Or, even beyond impulse, might it prevent us from plotting, gossiping or otherwise scheming against our neighbor?  Any action or word that would not contribute good would have to be ignored.  I suspect this sounds much easier in theory than it would play out in reality.

Of course we always hope to act in a way that contributes good to a situation, and if we are following God’s will, that will always be the case.  It is when we set out on our own, following our own impulses, that we usually get into trouble.

In the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5) we are called to be peacemakers and this is different than simply being peace lovers, as the popular William Barclay of bible commentary fame has noted.

The question, “What Good can I do in it?” challenges us to seek peace and work toward reconciliation.  It is a call to walk humbly, letting our pride fall by the wayside.  Pride, as we so well know, does nothing to work toward peace.  It keeps us feeling arrogant and powerful over others.  It makes us smug.  This is not the way of God, not at all!  It is not the way to peace and it is certainly not the way of love.

Each of us is called to be a Servant of Love.  This is a vow we can make that dovetails nicely with the question at hand.  A Servant of Love–linguistically, and in reality, multi-leveled–is a call to be at the service of Love (God) and at the same time, to serve others out of our love for God.

I coined this phrase Servant of Love many years ago, believing that it fully encompasses our Christian call.  It speaks of service, which Jesus modeled so perfectly, it speaks of loving God, and it speaks of humbly submitting to love–being at the “service of love” in all things, at all times, to all people.

The phrase, naturally, goes beyond Franklin’s question, but if we have the courage to ask “What Good may I do in it?” we may just find ourselves expanding far beyond “Good” to the height of love.  What a beautiful place to be!

May God speak to you today and inspire you to become a Servant of Love.

As always, I welcome your comments.

Copyright 2011 Janet Cassidy

His slow movements caught my attention and caused my thoughts to wander.  What would it be like to have to move that slowly to get anywhere?  And where was he going?  Surely it would take him forever to complete his trip.  I wonder what he did before he retired?  Was he in education or law enforcement?  Maybe he worked in the factory or sold insurance. Often when I meet the elderly, my mind runs to their past, when, like me, they were focused on work and family, trying to do all of the very important things young people have to do.  Then against that backdrop, I think how, just maybe, it is nice to have the patience to plug along, walking your dog, making small trips throughout your neighborhood.  Maybe there is a great deal of peace and contentment in that stage of life as well.

Of course, it doesn’t matter where we are in life, our life–indeed our very self–has great value.  That is something that is often missed today.

I heard the popular Fr. Corapi tell a story on television the other day.  He said that when his grandmother got old and had to go into a nursing home, the caregivers reported that she always had her rosary with her.  Her fingers were constantly running along her beads.  He witnessed it himself, as well.  His point was that even though his grandmother was not physically well, she could still do much on this earth to draw people to Christ.

He also spoke of a seminarian he knew that had been diagnosed with a terminal illness.  When he went to visit his friend–with whom he had shared many deep discussions about redemptive suffering–he knelt down at his bedside to pray with him.  His friend called him close and mouthed to him, “You cannot believe the joy.”

In that Fr. Corapi recognized that his friend had come to relate his suffering to the passion of Jesus and that within that suffering he could find peace.

So, whether you are young and active, slowly moving along in life, or facing the end, your dignity comes from a source far beyond your earthly existence and extends out to the far reaches of heaven.

May God grant you joy and peace, wherever you are this day.

Copyright 2011 Janet Cassidy

You can imagine our surprise when he contacted us again a week later.  As it turned out, our number had come up accidentally in his call cue. He knew our name was familiar, but he had forgotten we talked.  When I reminded him how he helped us and about my funny email, he laughed and said quite seriously, “When I opened that email and read ‘You’re a genius,’ it was so motivating!” I could tell that it had really made his day.

Well, we had another little question for him about some software (unrelated to his company’s software, but one any tech would know), and he was willing to help us once again.  But before we could finish, he said, “They’re closing our building early.  I guess they do that on Friday nights, and since I’ve stayed late, I have to go, but if you can’t figure it out, email me and I’ll be glad to help you.”

I made a comment about there being worse things he could do on a Friday night than having to go home and wished him a nice weekend.  It was a friendly exchange and, naturally, we haven’t spoken since.

But in that conversation laced with pleasantries, I came to realize how often we treat the person on the other end of the phone like a service robot, a mere caricature of a real person.  Sometimes I think we forget that maybe they’ve had a long day, are dealing with personal struggles, or are just as frustrated as we are.

Our interaction with Jason really got me to thinking.  Although we originally connected to resolve a software problem, maybe on a cold Friday evening in January, three strangers just needed a good laugh.  He is a reminder that the joy of humanity comes from our connectedness, not our usefulness.

Copyright 2011 Janet Cassidy

“Since the creation of the world invisible realities, God’s eternal power and divinity, have become visible, recognizable through the things God has made.”

I have always found this awareness to be one of the best arguments one can make for belief in our Creator, a Creator who had a particular design and love for his creation.

First, we must reflect on how the invisible realities–God’s power and divinity—are manifested and become visible in this world.  We mustn’t limit ourselves by the phrase “through the things God has made” and assume a reference only to the physical beauty of the earth–the mountains and sky, trees and landscape.  The things God has made includes–perhaps primarily–ourselves.

So, with that in mind, how then, through us, does God’s eternal power and divinity become visible?

Is it simply through our sense of something (someone) supernatural?

Is it through the oft-called God incidences?

Or, is God’s power and divinity revealed most  profoundly when we cooperate with him, as when the Priest, through the power of the Holy Spirit, consecrates the communion bread or when we love selflessly, going against our seemingly almost-natural  tendency to put self interests first?

We can easily comprehend the revelation of God’s power and divnity in our sense of the supernatural and in the coincidences that force us to look to God when no earthly conclusion can be drawn, but it is in the last example that I think we can most clearly see God, for to love unconditionally, where our own personal, strongest inclinations are put aside on behalf of others, is to see all that God is about.

When we love, that is a reflection of God.  We can know that because that is how God was revealed in the incarnation.  Continuing from the cross, that self-sacrifice that goes far beyond mere human capactiy, and joins God and man in one great act of love, speaks definitively of God’s power and divinity.

And so this is Christmas . . . God’s invisible realities becoming recognizable in an infant in a manger, in the person of Jesus on the cross bringing salvation to all the world, and in his people, learning to love anew.

Copyright 2010 Janet Cassidy

To answer this question, it helps to ask, Who was in charge of the temple that he cleansed?

Naturally, it would have been the religious leaders of the time. So the cleansing of the temple by Jesus reflects his authority over those leaders who were constantly trying to trap him. In a number of passages following this one, we often hear it described that he was “teaching in the temple.” His actions reveal his rightful place as a teacher, and especially as one who teaches with authority.

A more personal application can be helpful to us, though, as we reflect on the state of our own “temple.”

Do you allow Jesus to come into the temple of your body and cleanse it? Do you cooperate with him as he tries to unburden you of any self-deceptive tendencies weighing you down? Sometimes we are dishonest with ourselves and rationalize away things that need to be faced.

One of the best ways to cleanse our temple is to go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It is an encounter with Christ, where he gives us his grace and absolves us from our sins.

But even beyond our sins, cleansing our temple can be in our best interest—and that of others. If I strive for purity of heart, self-less love and a deep relationship with God, there simply will not be a lot of room left for the lesser things of life, those things that attract us, and deceive us, into thinking they will satisfy.

Spend some time in prayer this week, asking God to show you what you need to throw, where you need to grow, and where you are getting it right.

Copyright 2010 Janet Cassidy

For instance, the Lord asks Job (38:37, 40:9 respectively):  Who tilts the water jars of heaven so that the dust of earth is fused into a mass and its clods made solid? Or, my personal favorite—”Have you an arm like that of God, or can you thunder with a voice like his?”

Uh, no, not really. Neither do I have anything to do with giving the horse his strength or endowing his neck with splendor (39:19)!

Finally, Job replies to the Lord and acknowledges the power of God (42:2-3):  “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be hindered.  I have dealt with great things that I do not understand; things too wonderful for me, which I cannot know.”

Oh that we would take these words to heart!  God can do all things and we do indeed have to face things we do not understand.

In the end, we learn that the Lord restored everything to Job.  He was prosperous and he celebrated with his friends.  His days were blessed and he lived to a ripe old age, enjoying his children, grandchildren and even great-grandchildren.  The last line of the books says, “Then Job died, old and full of years.”

For all the suffering and ridicule Job experienced in his lifetime, we are lifted up by the good news that he is restored.  It gives the rest of us hope whenever we have days that must simply be endured, people whom we can just barely tolerate, or trials that seem overwhelming.

For some people, the internal battles and worldly battles must be faced every day.  Someone just said to me the other day, “I’m done.  I’ve had my trials.  It’s time for things to get better.”  Sometimes, like Job, we just want to be restored.

And that’s the hope we can glean from the Book of Job.  Hang in there.  No matter how bad it might get, the Lord is with us.  The Lord walks alongside us and never abandons us.  Even in the worst trials of life. He may be silent for awhile and we may have to face things we do not understand, but that does not mean the Lord is absent.

Hold fast to the fact that “God can do all things.”  This is a lifeline from our God who loves us beyond understanding.


Copyright 2010 Janet Cassidy

Since the Gospel of Luke is being proclaimed at this time, I thought I would share a passage that I had to reflect on for one of our services.  The passage is in Chapter 9 of Luke’s Gospel, verses 51-56.  This section of Chapter 9 opens Luke’s Travel Narrative, as Jesus begins his journey to his final earthly destination—Jerusalem.

Looking at the geography of the land, Samaria is physically centered between Galilee to the North and Judea to the south, so for Jesus to journey to Jerusalem (in the south), he would need to go through Samaria.  Of course, Samaria is home to the people known as Samaritans, who were not exactly friends with the Jewish people.

So in this passage, Luke tells us that the messengers of Jesus were sent ahead of him, to Samaria, to prepare a place for him.  The Samaritans rejected him, and when they did, the disciples of Jesus—specifically James and John—asked the Lord if they should “call down fire from heaven to consume them.”  Jesus rebuked them and they went to a different village.

For us today, we can take a great lesson from this passage.  How many of us have friends, or children, or spouses, who reject Jesus?  Or, if they do not reject Jesus outright, they do not attend Mass or have drifted away from the church?

How painful this is!  I believe it is a great pain for parents who must stand by and watch their adult children reject all that they have been taught.  Sometimes you can do everything right as a parent, and still lose your children spiritually.

When a parent asks, what should—or what can—I do for my child who no longer practices the faith, this is a very helpful passage.  You see, James and John, acting on what they thought would be a reasonable response, wanted to call down fire from heaven on the Samaritan people who rejected Jesus, but Jesus would have none of it.  In fact, if you look elsewhere in scripture (recall the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10, 30-37) and The Samaritan Woman (John 4, 4-42) for instance), you can find evidence that Jesus treated the Samaritan people with respect.  His response to their sinfulness or rejection was not one of punishment.

So, too, should that be our response to those who reject Jesus.  Calling down the fire of Heaven—or getting angry—is not going to help matters.

Adult children make their own choices.  You have done what you could do—what you knew to do at the time—so now you turn to prayer in the spirit of St. Monica (the mother of St. Augustine) and ask God for help.  Turn to Our Lady, the mother of Jesus, and ask her to stand with you by her Son’s side, on behalf of your child.

Be at peace in your relationship with your child and have confidence in the power of God.  Continue to be a good role model and witness to the faith with your life, and treat with respect those who have turned away from their faith.

The fact is, Jesus was accepted by some of the Samaritan people, so why would we think that he cannot reach our loved ones as well?

Anything is possible with God.

Copyright 2010 Janet Cassidy