Balance

I remember in college there was a joke that was sent around that went something like this:

Steps to writing a term paper:

Step 1: Turn on computer.
Step 2: Check email.
Step 3: Open New Document.
Step 4: Begin rough draft.
Step 5: Check email.
Step 6: Spell check first paragraph.
Step 7: Make a snack.
Step 8: Check email.

I think you get the point. Why is it that we have such a difficult time putting first things first? Why do we fill our days with things that don't matter, then complain that we don't have enough time to do the things that do matter. I don't know that I have the answers. It seems like all I can provide is more questions.

One thing that I do know is that I cannot do it on my own. I have recently found that when I pray, "Lord, give me the strength to...", what I really mean is , "Lord, remind me of the things that I am supposed to do for you so that I can go out and do them."

I guess that means that I still have a ways to go with this whole humility thing. I want to rejoice in my weakness for it is in my weakness, that Christ makes up what I lack. It isn't me. It is Him. I have nothing to offer that will add to Christ. Yet he wants me nonetheless.

Our Young Adult Ministry Starts This Friday at 7pm!

Our St. Annes Youth Ministries would like to welcome all Young Adults to be a part of an active community dedicated to strengthening our faith and devotion to God. Our young adult ministry will Kick Off on Friday, April 24th 2009 at the St. Annes Youth Plaza.
Our ministry understands that there are many good and sincere, though misguided, people out there who are spiritually hungry, thirsty for the truth, who feel like a stranger to the Church Christ Established, or for a variety of reasons, are not as active in our Church as they might want to be. This is where we can lend a hand. We're here to help all our friends and family discover (or rediscover) the saving truths of the Catholic Church.

-Do you have a thirst for learning and understanding more about the Catholic Faith?

-Are you having trouble living out your Catholic Faith among friends, peers, or co-workers?

-Would you like to know where our Catholic Faith is found in the Bible?

If you answered 'YES' to any of these questions, we encourage you to join us on Friday, April 24th, at 7 p.m, at the St. Annes Youth Plaza at St. Annes Church. These gatherings provide insights, understanding and perhaps a deeper awareness of the Catholic tradition. In some sessions, we present a brief overview of what it means to be Catholic as an adult, and open the floor for questions from participants.

Our Young Adult group desires to help others grow in their Faith and come to the fullness of the truth! We understand that at times we are weak, and we may stumble on our faith journey. None of us our perfect. Only God is perfect. Catholic Author Peter Kreeft is fond of saying, ". . that the Catholic Church is not a museum for Saints, but a hospital for Sinners." But we are Family! No other institution on Earth has its core more structured as a Family than the Catholic Church. We welcome all young adults, not as strangers, but as brothers and sisters in Christ.
If you are a “Curious Catholic” young adult yourself, please join us! There will be a number of people who have come on their own, looking to learn more about our Catholic faith. If you are a young adult who can invite a young adult friend, neighbor or co-worker to come as your guest, we would be sincerely grateful. Thank You, and God Bless!

-When? Friday, April 24th

-Where? St. Annes Youth Plaza

- Time? 7:00-8:30pm

Celebrate

About two years ago I was invited to attend a women's retreat with a Methodist Church. There were over two hundred women who attended this reatreat, and as I accepted the invitation, I was numbered among them. On the second day of the retreat we were broken into "small groups" so as to provide a more intimate atmosphere for sharing and relfection. I don't even remember the prompt at this point, but my contribution involved (as it often does) a story about St. Therese and how she loved Jesus.

As I was talking, one woman especially stood out to me. I wish I could say it was because my keen sense of spiritual awareness told me there was something special about her. Truthfully though, it was because she was wearing a volleyball sweatshirt and I wanted to arrange a pick-up game after lunch. So I waited afterwards to talk with her.

To my dissapointment, she told me that the sweater belonged to her daughter and she was no volleyball player. But she did ask me if I was Catholic, and my disapointment disapeared! She asked me how long I had been Catholic, then finally added that she herself had been received into the Church that last Easter Vigil! She went on to explain that she is a teacher, and two years ago got a job at a Catholic School teaching the 2nd grade.

The parents of the second graders were upset, to say the least, that a non-Catholic would be preparing their children to receive their First Holy Communion. Their pastor however thought that perhaps she was placed with them for a reason. She told me she had assured them all that she had "no intention of becoming Catholic," but God had other plans. What changed her heart? A classroom full of 2nd graders celebrating their faith. Every day, she witnessed their joyful anticipation and their pure desire to receive Christ, their Savior; Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, in the Holy Eucharist.

So as we enter into this time of great celebration, It is my prayer that I will live out my gratitude to God and also to Art and David for inviting me to participate in this blog. May it be evident that our duty to defend our beliefs has become our joy to celebrate them. And I praise God for placing the only other Catholic at a Protestant retreat in my Bible study. I praise Him for her journey Home. And I praise Him for the testimony and example of that second grade class that taught me how true converts are won: through the celebration of our faith!
To the Glory of God the Father, Jesus Christ is Lord!

Easter Dawn

Mark 16:1-7
And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week they went to the tomb when the sun had risen. 3 And they were saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the door of the tomb?" 4 And looking up, they saw that the stone was rolled back; --it was very large. 5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe; and they were amazed. 6 And he said to them, "Do not be amazed; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen, he is not here; see the place where they laid him. 7* But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him, as he told you."

The highlight of the Church's liturgical year is the celebration of Easter. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us that, "The Resurrection of Jesus is the crowning truth of our faith in Christ." (CCC 638) This mystery is too awesome to be appreciated in a few days. That's why Easter is an eight-day feast. Liturgically, each of these days is treated as a Sunday. And why not? The Church does its best to absorb the profound mystery that is our Salvation! St. Athanasius on Easter, . . " Therefore, Easter is not simply one feast among others, but the "Feast of feasts," the "Solemnity of solemnities," just as the Eucharist is the "Sacrament of sacraments" (the Great Sacrament). . Easter is 'The Great Sunday."

Let's all remind ourselves this week of how important Easter is to ALL our lives and encourage one another to a deeper spiritual effort. "All who celebrate the Easter Feasts will by the Lord's grace experience their effort in their daily lives." (Given at Rome, at the Offices of the Congregation for Divine Worship, January 16, 1988.)

Humility

"Humility lies in peaceful acceptance of one's own radical proverty, which leads people to place all their trust in God. Humble people, for whom God is everything, are happy to accept the fact that they are nothing. They don't carry on about their wretchedness: they consider it a stroke of luck, since it gives God the chance to show how merciful He is."

Jaques Phillippe, Time for God


My oldest son, Dawson, loves to serve on the altar. Absolutely loves it. A couple of Sundays ago, he didn't have a particular job. He just took his place behind the tabernacle and didn't even have one of the seats on the altar. He didn't hold a patent during communion or help during the Liturgy of the Eucharist. He just sat in the back and knelt during the times of prayer. I wondered to myself if he was upset because he had no "special" responsibility during mass. During our walk home, Dawson looks at me and says, "Dad, did you notice that I didn't have a job on the altar."
I said, "Yeah, I noticed. Why was that?"
He says, "Because I want to learn humility."

If that were me, I would have said, "Because I am so humble I can't even stand it! Look at how humble I am. Oh, man, I am humble."

Why don't I get it? Why is it that when I am prideful, I repent. And then when I repent, I feel prideful for how "spiritual" I am being? I guess it is time to read Screwtape again!