The Standard for Becoming Blessed

  By Derek | April 26, 2012 - 3:41 PM | Charity, Detachment, Humility, Meekness, Mercy, Patience, Poverty, Sacred Scripture, Zeal for Righteousness Leave a comment

Being blessed or becoming blessed is a great idea…in theory.  Yet, when the term is thrown about, it is rather amorphous.  It’s like trying to catch and hold a blob of jelly.

What does it mean to be blessed?  How can I become blessed?  By what standard should I measure my progress in blessedness?

Jesus’ teaching about the meaning and objective of blessedness took place at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3-12).  Therein, the Lord identified a litany of dispositions that would make blessed those who practice them.

  • Blessed are the poor in spirit…
  • Blessed are those who mourn…
  • Blessed are the meek…
  • Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness…
  • Blessed are the merciful…
  • Blessed are the pure in heart…
  • Blessed are the peacemakers…
  • Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake…
  • Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

The rewards for all of these dispositions are rather appealing, too.  Those blessed people who practice the above dispositions will receive the kingdom of heaven, comfort, inheritance of the earth, satisfaction, mercy, seeing God, and being called sons of God.

Yet, most people would rather have the quick solution.  Fallen human nature desires the grandiose banquet without the menial preparation.  This recipe for blessedness, which includes much sacrifice in the beginning, is not the one that most people would prefer.  These propositions are contrary to the notions happiness that the modern world presents to its students.  They are radical, paradoxical, and quite uncomfortable!  They lead us to a complete death to self!

How can I attain to such a lofty, and self-sacrificial, objective?  I am not poor in spirit, meek, merciful, pure, prone to making peace, and/or dying to self.  I do not do these things easily because of the sinfulness that is within me.  I get discouraged easily because I know that I am far from perfect.  Surely, blessedness must reflect something other than my physical feelings and emotions or the goods, statuses, and juridical norms of modern culture.  Otherwise, I would be convicted as living among the dregs of humans; and I would stray far into despair.

Praised be the God of all creation for His different, radical, and paradoxical answer to the question!  In His great mercy, “the word become flesh” so that “we have beheld his glory” (John 1:14).  He is the one who proclaimed, through the Apostle James, that “mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13).  It is Christ who died to Himself in order to release the abundance of God’s mercy and blessedness into the world.  He came to proclaim the new “law of liberty” (James 2:12), the love of God and neighbor (cf. Matthew 22:37-39; Mark 12:28-34)

So, the answer to the question of becoming blessed is simple: look to Christ and imitate Him!  Rely on Him and not on self.  Gaze upon Him, listen to His words, watch His actions and the movement of the Spirit throughout the history of His Church.  Watch mercy and blessedness unfold.  That will provide a fresh understanding of the possibility and process of blessedness.

To watch and imitate Christ is to grow in blessedness, to become blessed.  Jesus’ perfectly self-sacrificial actions, even when they weren’t comfortable or popular, were an exhibition of love rather than impatience, jealousy, arrogance, resentment, or any other negative disposition (cf. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7).  After developing such self-sacrificial ways, I will be able to say that I am among the “imitators of God” who “walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:1-2).

My objective, the standard by which I will measure myself, will be to fulfill the new law of love; to love others as Christ has loved them (cf. John 13:34).  Only in that way can I practice the Beatitudes without counting the cost and anticipating the reward.

That is to become blessed!

“Full of Grace” Equals “Full of Life”

  By Derek | March 26, 2012 - 2:09 PM | Grace, Magnanimity of Soul, Mary, Saints and Virtue, Virtue Leave a comment

Think of what it means to be “full of life and vitality.”  Does that phrase conjure images of smiling faces, healthy bodies, laughter, and general personal fulfillment?  Indeed, it does.  Those images, then, ought to be applied to our Blessed Mother, Mary, whom was greeted as “full of grace” (Luke 1:28).

But, how can one make such a claim?  How does “full of grace” equate with “full of life”?  And, why does this matter today, March 26?

The Universal Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Annunciation today (moved from its usual date of March 25 because of a Sunday in Lent).  This is a major Christological celebration!  We must keep in mind, however, that the state of grace in which Mary lived is an integral part of the foundation of our teaching on the Incarnation.  The “word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14) inside the womb of a sinless virgin; and she passed along to the Logos her full and sinless human nature.

Let us begin with the words of the angel, Gabriel, to the virgin in Nazareth.  In his first statement, the angel said to Mary, “Hail, full of grace” (Luke 1:28).  Immediately after a retort from the young girl, Gabriel said, “you have found favor with God” (Luke 1:30).  These two simple statements reveal profound things about Mary’s life.

The Church defines grace as a “favor…that God gives us to respond to his call to become…partakers of the divine nature.”  She goes on to teach that grace is “a participation in the life of God” and that it “introduces us into the intimacy of Trinitarian life” (CCC 1996-1997).  Thus, the person who is “full of grace” and whom has “found favor with God” is participating in the Trinitarian life; is becoming a partaker of the divine nature (cf. 2 Peter 1:4)

Let us not end the thought process there.  It would be easy enough for a skeptic to question, “So what if she’s participating in the Trinitarian life?  What’s so special about Trinitarian life?”  Those would be a reasonable questions.

Drawing from the tradition of the Hebrew Scriptures, Holy Mother Church teaches that “God is the fullness of Being and every perfection” (CCC 213).  The phrase “every perfection” implies that God lacks nothing, wants nothing, and cannot change because it is unnecessary for Him to do so.  If God had emotions like ours, His perpetual smile couldn’t be taken away.  If God had a body like ours, it would be perfect in every facet; and He would get to eat the best food.  Unlike us, God has reached His fulfillment in every way, just by being.  Hence, He is “the fullness of Being.”

Humans aspire to such perfection.  We try to keep our bodies healthy.  We try to smile a lot and think happy thoughts.  We try not to get angry unjustly, and we try to direct our righteous anger in healthy ways.  We try to attain intellectual prowess or recognition for artistic beauty.  We really, really enjoy looking a beautiful pictures and people, or eating really great food.  Yet, nothing other than “the fullness of Being and every perfection” will satiate our deepest longings for fulfillment.  We must ask for and rely on God’s grace to bring us to that state of perfect peace, joy, and fulfillment (see Galatians 5:22-23).

There is, though, one human creature who has attained such a state while on this earth: Mary, our Blessed Mother.  Because of God’s favor toward her, she was “rapt into God and made one spirit with him.”  Mary, the sole human who basked in God’s presence for her entire life, “lived only to him who is the life of all the living” [1].  Because of her communion with the Divine, Mary must have experienced physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual realities at every moment and in very intimate ways.  Our Lady must surely have been proficient in cultivating virtue as well.

Again, it is good that the reflection not end here.  Rather, it is best to apply this scenario to our own lives and growth in the spiritual life.  How can we do that?

First, we must cry out, daily in prayer, for God’s favor, His “free and undeserved help” (CCC 1996).  We must ask for intimacy with the Divine, participation in the very inner life of God, which will heal and sanctify us (cf. CCC 1997, 1999).  After this, we can complete the process of cleansing our souls of attractions to created things and work on adorning our souls with virtues [2].  When we begin and continue to cultivate virtues in our souls, we gain “the life of all the living.”  Or, as Josef Pieper stated: “Virtue…is the realization of the human capacity for being.”

To be “full of grace” means to be completely open and able to cultivate of virtue.  To be completely open and able to cultivate virtue means to reach the fullest potential of one’s self.  To reach the fullest potential of one’s self is to have the fullness of life and vitality, which is ultimately to glorify God.  “Man fully alive is the glory of God,” said St. Irenaeus of Lyons.  Thus, it can safely and logically be concluded that the Blessed Mother is the creature who most fully and perfectly glorifies God.

That is why I write about Mary on this solemn feast.  That is why I exhort all of you to virtuous living!

[1] Quoted from “The Annunciation,” by Fr. John Tauler, O.P. (Magnificat, Vol. 13, No. 13 [March 2012], p. 378).

[2] Ibid.

Death by Laundry and Dishes

  By Derek | March 19, 2012 - 10:23 PM | Children, Diligence, Fatherhood, Grace, Saints and Virtue, Self-Gift Leave a comment

There are several types of death that are possible in my house, and each of them is very real.  Do I have your attention yet?

The first death that is possible is one by lack of oxygen, water, and/or food because either my wife or I have been trapped under an avalanche of toddler clothing.  The second death to which I refer is the very real possibility that my wife will kill me because I don’t undertake household chores when I ought.  I joke, but only a little.

Two adults and three children produce more laundry than I ever imagined.  The children bring every toy from their sizable playroom to a four-foot-square where my wife and I (occasionally) sit.  It will be a happy day in our home when we can convince children to keep toys where they belong; and when we get to keep a clean house for more than a half-hour.

To make matters worse, I use every available pot, pan, skillet, cutting board, and knife while I cook dinner.  Thus, I create a mountain of metal in the sink and on the surrounding counter space.  I take the prize for nonchalance regarding piles of stuff in my house.  On many occasions, I have awakened the ire of my beloved because of my excessive clutter, even if it is in “neat” piles.

The final death, then, is the one that I must learn.  It is the death to self that will allow me to serve my wife and children more perfectly.  This death, for which I strive daily, must be marked innumerable trips up and down the stairs with laundry baskets; by fingers that resemble prunes because of long periods of immersion in dish water;  and by oft-interupted prayer time when kids need breakfast or bandages.

The analogy that the author of the letter to the Hebrews used (chapter 12, verse 1) is applicable here.  Over six years, and with an abundance of grace flowing from the sacraments and prayer, I think I’m getting out of the proverbial starting blocks.  In this long race, I must “lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely” and causes me to focus on myself.  My Lord has set before me the course of marriage and fatherhood, and I seek to “run with perseverance,” even if that means doing more dishes and laundry, or picking up more toys.

On this Solemnity of St. Joseph, I know that the Patron of the Universal Church and Fathers, along with St. Lawrence (patron of cooks and laundry workers), St. Monica (patroness of mothers), Sts. Martha and Veronica (patronesses of laundry workers), St. Therese of Lisieux and Brother Lawrence (who found joy in doing mundane tasks for the glory of God), St. Lucy (the patroness of young families), and the rest of the “great cloud of witnesses,” is praying for my family and me.  I know that the provider for and protector of the Holy Family, and these others who join him in eternal Beatitude, will show me what it means to die to myself and find holiness.

St. Joseph, I pray for your blessings upon all families!

Frustration, Gratitue, and Beauty

  By Derek | February 29, 2012 - 9:46 PM | Beauty, Gratitude Leave a comment

My wife left town for a week on this past Sunday.  That day was emotional, exhausting, and, most of all, frustrating.  I cannot recall a day that deflated me, emotionally and spiritually, as that one did.

The next morning, I entered the chapel at my parish and knelt before the Tabernacle, as I am blessed to do nearly every day.  I poured forth my afflictions to my Eucharistic Lord, and I cried.  I missed my wife and a few minor, but most unpleasant, variables had been thrown into my daily routine.  Everything that was firm in my world seemed to have been shaken.

Within moments, the Divine Healer began to  assuage my grief and shepherd me toward peace.  What mitigated the turmoil that gripped me?  The very first step of my daily examen: listing to the Almighty everything in my life for which I’m thankful.

My anguish turned quickly to gratitude as God allowed me to see the things in my life that are most beautiful.  The source of all my frustrations was that beauty was not nearly as close to me as it usually is; and that I was depriving myself of opportunities to see and celebrate beauty.  So, my Lord taught me a lesson again.

It was as though the words of St. Paul were written directly to me: “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts….  And be thankful” (Col. 3:15).  At last, free of the emotional and spiritual burden (at least for that day), I can “Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation….  Declare his glory” (Ps. 96:2-3).  I feel an ardent desire to “Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring a offering, and come into his courts” (Ps. 96:8).

To cultivate gratitude in my life will allow me to see the beauty that is ever-present there through my wife, children, ministry, and leisure time.  I shall strive only to see and appreciate beauty exactly where it is; to “Rejoice always, pray constantly, [and] give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus” for me (1 Thess. 5:16-18).

Bringing Food and Me to Completion

  By Derek | January 2, 2012 - 3:28 PM | Charity, Faith, Food, Grace, Virtue, Wine Leave a comment

On most mornings, my prayer time circles about and lands with a focus (sometimes brief, sometimes extended) on food and/or wine.  This morning was no different.  Many times, these thoughts are brought on by my stomach and/or my desire for a really classy meal; thus, they must be pushed out of my head.  This morning was different.

I know not what caused my mind to settle on a general culinary and enological principle that I’ve picked up in recent years.  Whatever the reason, I recalled that a great wine will make a good meal (maybe even a mediocre meal) taste better, while not even a stellar wine can make a bad meal taste good.  Rather than push this thought out of my head, I dwelt upon it briefly and asked the Spirit to speak to me through that idea.

“The proper disposition allows a little grace to go a long way,” the Spirit spoke.  Thus was a connection drawn in my mind and heart: God’s grace will work powerfully in and through me if I am open and disposed to him doing so.  Yet, not even God’s amazing grace could work in and through me if I remain closed off, refusing to respond to His promptings.  There I sat, realizing that God’s grace is analogous to the finest of wines, ready to enhance the very mediocre meal of my heart and actions.

That important realization about God’s grace viz-a-viz my dispositions and efforts led me to search the Scriptures and the Catechism of the Catholic Church.  I wanted a deeper understanding of this rich principle; and I wanted to know how to apply it, practically.  Ever the provider when I ask (cf. Lk. 11:10), God revealed deeper, richer, more exciting spiritual delicacies, just like I find on the plate during epic, multi-course dining experiences.

“And I am sure that he who began a good work in your will bring it to completion…,” (Phil. 1:6) St. Paul wrote to the Philippians, articulating the Church’s teaching that God always moves first toward humans (cf. CCC 1996-2001).  Teaching further, the Apostle reminded his audience that “you are all partakers with me of grace” (Phil. 1:7), because he knew the Holy Spirit was infusing “the source of the work of sanctification” (CCC 1999) into them.  Finally, this spiritual father and shepherd exhorted his children to form a proper moral and spiritual disposition: “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent…” (Phil. 1:9-10).  The purpose of this whole passage (indeed, of the whole letter and the whole corpus of his scriptural letters) was to ensure that his flock was “pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruits of righteousness which come through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God” (Phil. 1:11).  The same formula is equally visible in 2 Peter 1:3-9.

Holy Mother Church continues to echo the formula that St. Paul laid out nearly two millennia ago.  She recognizes that “preparation of man for the reception of grace is already a work of grace” (CCC 2001), and she proclaims that Baptism is the doorway (cf. CCC 1997) to the “permanent disposition to live and act in keeping with God’s call” (CCC 2000).  From the point that God brings us into His family, it is the sacramental life, prayer, and community that nourish those good dispositions within us and make us wider and more capable conduits from day to day.  Quite simply, without God’s preemptive work and his continual help, humanity would never be able to “arouse and sustain our collaboration in justification through faith” or our “sanctification through charity” (CCC 2001).

Imagine the worlds greatest vintner sent an invitation for a banquet hosted in his best tasting room.  All he asks is that you come, bring a plate of food to share, and a willingness to partake of others’ food and his wine.  The result would be a beautiful feast in which people share food, drink, and conversation.  All the while, they remember that none of it would be possible without that first invitation or barrel of unforgettable spirits.  Thus it is when the Divine Vintner opens His metaphorical tasting room to us.

What shall be my recipes for this figurative banquet?  In my spiritual life, I must always recall that grace is leading me everywhere; that I should emit no word or action without thinking first of that Trinitarian grace.  In my kitchen, the menu for the evening is often enhanced by the most appropriate bottle of wine.  Preparation of flavors and presentation take on new meaning.  Finally, there is the moment when the tastes and textures of the food are brought to their fullness because of the acidity, sweetness, and/or body of the wine.  Thus it is with the work of the Holy Spirit, sent forth by the Father and the Son.  His love, zeal, and gifts bring humans, those who are open to His work, to the fullness of their potential.  Those people, in turn, begin to reveal the beauty and power of the Spirit to others around them.

Rather than belabor this post, I will make ready to prepare an actual meal, with recipes and all: chicken dijon with wild rice and broccoli, paired with a semi-sweet Riesling.  I certainly hope that this wine will enhance the meal, just as I hope that God’s grace will make my thoughts, words, and actions conduits of His magnificent grace.

Docility Leading to Diligence

  By Derek | December 12, 2011 - 2:12 PM | Diligence, Docility Leave a comment

My eyes and ears have seen and heard many times the biblical narrative of Jesus visiting Martha’s house while her sister, Mary, was there.  Just a few days ago, I happened to read it again.  As ever, when I pray the Scriptures, God has led me to new realizations.

I have unwittingly created a false dichotomy with this passage, Luke 10:38-42.  For one reason or another, I have thought that the best disciples, including me, must mimic Mary instead of Martha; that Mary’s actions were far superior to Martha’s.  Moreover, I know others who struggle, day in and day out, with “not spending enough time in prayer” or being “too focused on various tasks that need to be accomplished” without focusing enough on Jesus.

Alas, it has occurred to me that Mary’s choice is not mutually exclusive from Martha’s.  I have begun to understand, and embrace, the fact that Mary’s example of docility is necessary if a disciple (a husband, father, and minister like me) is to be well-prepared to emulate Martha’s example of diligence.  These two virtues, docility and diligence, really do work very well together in the moral and spiritual life, as disciples seek to grow in love and service of our Lord.

Docility is the virtue by which one desires to hear whatever the Lord wants to say, no matter how long it takes Him to say it.  Docility allows individuals to hear His voice most clearly, and it assists in knowing how God’s revelation applies to my life in a concrete way.  Docility is a virtue that requires silence of heart and the willingness to listen, even painstakingly so.

Once the Master has spoken, He will not fail to provide clear direction and inspiration.  Only in that way will disciples know how to make His will a reality, how to make His love incarnate in the world today.  Thus enters the virtue of diligence, by which we joyfully work to fulfill a task or role that God has asked of us.  Diligence spurs us forward, over obstacles and through difficulties, while the Holy Spirit inspires and directs us.

In order to make this practical, I will share from my personal experience.  My primary vocation, the way God has called me to work toward sainthood, is to serve as a husband and father; and my secondary vocation is to serve the good people of a Catholic parish, evangelizing, teaching, writing, and coordinating ministries.

At various points during my tenure in both, I have tried to accomplish these vocational tasks simply out of my own talents, gifts, and resources.  Each time, my own efforts have proved drastically insufficient.  I am highly prone to crankiness and selfish, and all the more susceptible without Divine inspiration, direction, and assistance.

On the other hand, I have found these two biggest and most important areas of my life (family life and ministry) run much more smoothly when I sit “at the Lord’s feet and [listen] to his teaching” (v. 39).  I have noticed that the “much serving” asked and required of me becomes less burdensome and more joyful (not necessary less chaotic) when I remember that “one thing is needful,” and then choose the “good portion” (v. 42) as Christ directed.

The life of a husband, father, and minister is never simple, and it is definitely chaotic.  Yet, if I work to cultivate and employ the virtues of docility and diligence, the complexity and the chaos amount to nothing more than minor obstacles and opportunities for extra grace.  With these two effective moral and spiritual tools at my disposal, it will not be necessary for me to be “troubled about many things” (v. 41); and I know that I will never feel that I “serve alone” (v.40).

I pray to the Lord that His grace might help me cultivate and exercise docility and diligence.  I pray that, with His Divine help, I might be able to listen like Mary and serve like Martha.  Finally, I pray for the intercession of these two women who sought holiness in the presence of Christ.

Fear Overcome by Faith

  By Derek | December 7, 2011 - 3:18 PM | Faith Leave a comment

I humbly admit that there is fear within me, serious fear.  This fear is a spiritual disease, and it has, quite likely, been eating away at my spiritual vitality for some time.  This fear must be overcome.

Thankfully, the Divine Physician has not announced this malady without the providing a prescription to go with it!  This acute problem has been brought into clearer perspective by some powerful and poignant passages from the Gospel of Luke.  Within chapters 7 and 8 (let alone numerous other passages in the New Testament), Jesus revealed that faith is a most necessary tool for overcoming fear and experiencing life as He intends.

A very important formula, faith leading to healing and peace, was revealed throughout several scenes in the chapters referenced.  In chapter 7, verses one through ten, Jesus healed the servant of a centurion based on the latter’s faith, noting that “not even in Israel have I found such faith” (7:9).  Again, the Anointed One of God forgave a prostitute of her many transgressions after her homage to him.  With the absolution, Jesus told her, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace” (7:50).

Later, when a group of disciples feared the loss of their boats, their livelihoods, and their very lives, Jesus “rebuked the wind and raging waves…and there was calm” (8:22-24).  The Savior responded only with a simple question. “Where is your faith?” (8:25).  Yet, that question relayed a crucial fact to them in that moment: belief and trust in His mighty power could overcome anything, and it could prevent all affliction.

In a subsequent scene, a woman believed with certainty that she would be healed if only she touched the Lord’s garment.  Her bold, yet humble action garnered a miracle cure for a twelve-year hemorrhage, and it elicited another statement by the Divine Healer about the power of faith to produce spiritual and physical peace.  “Daughter,” He said, “your faith has made your well; go in peace” (8:48).

Jairus, who believed that his daughter was dead, was told, “Do not fear; only believe” (8:50).  The Messiah proceeded to raise the daughter back to life and “her spirit returned” (8:55).  By that series of events, Jesus must have wanted to reveal two things: 1) faith has power to heal beyond the one who believes; and 2) faith provides the restoration of body and spirit, which are intimately and ultimately bound together.

If Jesus revealed these things while He walked the earth, then they must also remain true for my life today.  I must “only believe” (remembering that faith leads to righteous action) that He will guide me to my personal fulfillment (with my humble cooperation), in the time and manner that He chooses, not that I choose.  I must continue to look toward Him and I must not fear.  I must faithfully conform my life to the power that emanates from Him (cf. 8:46).

Such faith, I can already glean, will liberate my body and spirit.  By faith, my life will be freed from fear and set in the proper order.  It will help me to trust in the midst of storms, and it will cause me to persevere through physical shortcomings and spiritual attacks (cf. 8:26-39).  Faith will allow me to be counted among “those who hear the word of God and do it” (8:21).

Attempting Virtue in Advent

  By Derek | November 28, 2011 - 3:18 PM | Charity, Children, Faith, Fasting, Fatherhood, Gratitude, Hope, Justice, Obedience, Patience, Prudence, Virtue Leave a comment

Increasingly over the last several years, I have had to work extra hard to remember Advent…let alone to remember to celebrate it as the Church intends.  This year has not been much different: I don’t really feel ready for Advent, and I don’t really know how to overcome that feeling.  However, God has seen fit to continue working with such a dull tool as me, choosing still to send forth His Spirit and guide me.

In the midst of a rare occurrence of sleeplessness last night, I began my Advent Scripture reading and prayer a few hours early.  While reading the Gospel according to St. Luke in preparation for the Nativity of Christ, I happened upon the following passage, which I have never known before.

“…to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared” (Luke 1:17).

Although I read further, my mind and heart have remained fixated on those words and will not be moved.  God must have wanted me to learn (or re-learn) something important through that powerful sentence.  Within a few moments of reflection and prayer, I had the answer: this Advent must be about developing the virtues that will make these things possible in my body, mind, and soul.

Fatherhood, ministry, and general spiritual preparation are at the very core of what God has called me to do.  Fatherhood, ministry, and general spiritual health, then, must be the target for all of my moral and spiritual works, as well as the arrow with which I shoot at the target of eternal life.

As November ends on the secular calendar, and as a new liturgical year begins with this blessed season, I must work to become a better husband and father; I must adapt to the wisdom of the just so as to be able to teach others; and I must make ready my soul and do my best to help others prepare.  Several virtues are necessary, and my efforts will be focused on those.

Gratitude and patience will keep my heart turned toward my children, because only those will maintain inner peace in the midst of incessant back-talking, fights between siblings, and repetitive requests for toys/games that cannot wait four more weeks.  Obedience, prudence, and justice will focus my mind and heart on the Truth that comes from God alone; and they will help me to recognize and obey exactly where God desires most of my meager efforts (which He can use far more efficiently).  Temperance will aid in circumcising my heart, revealing those things that are unnecessary or unreasonable during this season of preparation (e.g., too much food and wine, too many gifts, or too many bad holiday movies).  Finally, the theological virtues, which come more from God and less from my own efforts, will allow me to wait and watch and work for the coming of the Glorious King, the Way to a fully human existence and Eternal Happiness.

Caution!  This process could cause much friction and frustration over the next four weeks.  However, my prayer is that all of the temporary friction, like running water smoothing out a rough stone, will allow my soul to be polished and beautiful.  Now, it’s time to go take some target practice with my arrows of virtue.

Back to the Garden

  By Derek | October 13, 2011 - 2:59 PM | Humility, Sacred Scripture, Virtue Leave a comment

I am currently in the midst of presenting a three-part series entitled “The Treasure That Is Your Family.”  The most recent session was focused on the theme of “Forgiveness, Healing, and Communion in Your Family.”  Because of some teaching points that I made, and because of God’s beautiful revelation to me at other times, I am inspired to write about God’s plan to lead humanity back to the Garden (or to the New Jerusalem, as we more commonly say).

Recall the state of original righteousness (justice) that the first humans enjoyed in the Garden with God.  It was perfect unity, communion.  “The first man was…established in friendship with his Creator and in harmony with himself and with the creation around him…” (CCC 374).  There was not even the tiniest hint of hurt, mistrust, rejection, resentment, or blame (to use some of the words of Fr. Jacques Philippe) in that time and place; and there certainly was no pride, the greatest sin and the root of all other sins.

Despite this state of perfection, “Man, tempted by the devil, let his trust in his Creator die in his heart…” (CCC 397).  By the subsequent choice to disobey God’s only command, Adam and Even tarnished “the harmony in why they had found themselves” (CCC 400).  Further, they bequeathed to humans for all subsequent generations those “temporal consequences of sin…such as suffering, illness, death, and…weaknesses of character,” also known as concupiscence (CCC 1264).  Pride thus entered the human realm and opened the pathway to myriad physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual wounds for mankind.

From that moment, however, God has not ceased to unveil His plan to “heal them [humanity] and reveal to them abundance of prosperity and security”; to “rebuild them as they were at first” (Jeremiah 33:6-7).  He has sent the prophets and, “in the fullness of time” (Galatians 4:4), sent His son followed by the Holy Spirit to create “a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13).  His will is to establish a place in which tears will be wiped away; mourning, crying, and pain will be gone; and “death shall be no more” (Revelation 21:1-4).  So, despite the fact that man has been “deprived ‘of the glory of God,’” we have the opportunity to walk with Him again, and for His “likeness” (CCC 705) to be restored within us.

This is all fairly easy to understand, since it comes directly from the teachings of the Church, which have remained unchanged for nearly twenty centuries.  Yet, many who are just learning these truths may not fully recognize the path by which humans return to the state of perfect righteousness “as they were at first.”  Virtue is the pivotal and foundational reality by which believers are assisted and motivated as they attempt to restore communion with God and others.

If Christ is “the way” by which we walk again in union with the Father (cf. Jn. 14:6), then virtues are the steps which we take along that way.  Virtues keep us in communion with Christ and each other and lead us toward “the final realization of the unity of the human race, which God willed from creation.”  Union with Christ and others through virtue will eradicate the “sin, stains, [and] self-love, that destroy or wound the earthly community” (CCC 1045).

Of the utmost importance in returning to the Garden is cultivating the virtue of humility.  Over and over again, men and women must take the (oft-painful) step of thinking less about self and more about the needs of others along the path.  We must take St. Paul’s advice to the Philippians as if he were giving it directly to us: “Do nothing from selfishness or conceit, but in humility count others better than yourselves.  Let each of you look…to the interests of others.”  And, remember that not even Christ deemed “equality with God something to be grasped” (Philippians 2:2-6).

Another piece of good news is that humility does more than just affect and heal our emotions, minds and relationships.  Indeed, our bodies will become more ready to do what God has planned for us if we are “not wise in our own eyes.”  He will restore individuals’ brokenness and bring “healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones” if we “fear the Lord, and turn away from evil” (Proverbs 3:7-8).

So, recognizing our sinfulness, especially pride, and growing in virtue, particularly humility, will set us on the way to escaping bodily and spiritual corruption and partaking of the Divine Nature (cf. 2 Peter 1:4).  Moreover, it will make us zealous to “preach the word” (2 Timothy 4:2) to others.  In all humility and virtue, let us begin our trek…back to the Garden…to the new Jerusalem!

The Weight of Wisdom

  By Derek | October 5, 2011 - 10:46 AM | Obedience, Prudence Leave a comment

Over the last several years, I have fallen more deeply in love with the wisdom literature of the Old Testament.  The lessons for life that are contained within those pages resound in my soul, and they call me to a more virtuous life.  By these lessons, my daily activities take on a new perspective as well as greater gravity.

To grow in wisdom and prudence is a weighty and lofty task.  Yet, there is no task that is more liberating, no task that provides more perfectly for soaring to new heights.  Such is the paradox of virtuous living: it seems cumbersome from the outside; but it brings peace and joy beyond compare.

Speaking from the Sacred Page, the Lord has called me to a loftier, more liberating prudence than I ever have known.  He says:

“Listen, my son, and accept my judgment; do not reject my counsel.  Put your feet into her fetters, and your neck into her collar.  Put your shoulder under her and carry her, and do not fret under her bonds.  Come to her with all your soul, and keep her ways with all your might.  Search out and seek, and she will become known to you; and when you get hold of her, do not let her go.  For at last you will find the rest she gives, and she will be changed into joy for you.  Then her fetters will become for you a strong protection, and her collar a glorious robe” (Sirach 6:23-29).

What the world sees as a hindrance to personal expression and “happiness” is, in reality, the very path toward the fullest expression of my humanity.  Humans have been created to seek the perfect will and wisdom of the Almighty through prudence and obedience.  In those we will attain the heights of wisdom and happiness, and we will become like royalty in the eyes of the Lord (cf. Sirach 6:31).