Speaking of Love ...

I’ve been writing, thinking, and praying a lot about love lately.  One thing I’ve neglected, however, I’ve been reminded of:  Love is a natural thing.  Witness this young female, who has been sitting there patiently on my front porch windowsill for the past week (I noticed 4 blue eggs before she plopped down for the duration)  : -)

A Mother's Love

Today we celebrate both the Ascension of Jesus into heaven and Mother’s Day.  The religious feast we will celebrate to the end of time, the secular, well, I’m not so sure.  And that makes me sad to contemplate.

In one way, both the Ascension and Mother’s Day celebrate the same thing:  unconditional love.  Unconditional love is not looked upon in our society favorably these days.  Self-love, egoism, narcissism, these are esteemed today, as is love given to those who, in our perception, merit the effort of our love. No, today love comes with MANY conditions, if given at all, it is far from unconditional.

In the news this week I read an article celebrating a scientist who had made some discovery; he was labeled “great”.  Also celebrated in the article was how he prized science, and denigrated the “stupid” who followed any religion.  There is no god, he believed --- and pushed for you to believe--- because well, he knows more than you.  But, to me, it matters not what he thinks or says, I will love and pray for this creation of God, this self-loving man, anyway.  Another article this week celebrated that women are marrying much later in life, if at all, and so are no longer held back from being what THEY want to be.  Two articles, both of which, it seems to me, are representative of the priorities in our culture.

Great religious scholars say that a defining feature of hell is that there is no love there. For all the self-loving scientists and feminists and all others who so adore themselves and the adulation of others for their self-perceived greatness, I wonder what this hell might be like for them.  For in this definition of hell, there will be no adulation of others.  There will be no more unconditional love of them or their self-perceived greatness, by anyone.  There will only be themselves, loving themselves, alone.  I can’t imagine what they will feel like, having obtained this ultimate victory of what they prized in their lives, and feeling so alone.

I wrote about David and Eric who I saw in concert in my church last week.  David looked into the eyes of people at Planned Parenthood who had no value for another’s life; he looked into the eyes of evil. He said he could bear it by praying that all the evil they spread was returned to them triple in grace. Frightening evil, yet he loved them despite their actions.  Eric spoke about the growing efforts in Canada to enact legislation to allow and even encourage assisted suicide, for the disabled, for the unwanted, and for the elderly. He spoke to me personally before the concert about his plans to buy a large farm, where he would love those whom this world no longer wants to love.  He later spoke to our church gathering about the Canadian official who celebrated that there are now few Down’s Syndrome babies born in Canada (or in the U.S.); they are all aborted.  And then Eric spoke of his Down’s Syndrome daughter, who loves, unconditionally, like no one else he knows. My brother Eddie was like that.

I am now reading a book titled “As We Await the Blessed Hope,” by Mark Kyriakos. It is an extensive study of End Times references in Scripture and scholarly opinions. There are many interesting insights in the book, and many scary ones too, but none more so than these words:  “Jesus, in speaking of those days, says, ‘because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold’ (MT 24:12.), The Greek word for ‘love’ used here is agape --- unconditional love.”  The end will come when unconditional love grows cold.

Last week at the COC board meeting (www.cocliving.com), I arrived to see a man and woman sitting alone at the end of the table.  They were two of the developmentally-disabled people who live in our homes, and for whom we care.  As I sat down between them I said “I want to sit with you guys tonight,” and they both smiled, and I elicited conversation from both on how their world was treating them.  Then the meeting began --- and it went long.  Both of my friends patiently, quietly, looked through the many meeting handouts, obviously confused as to their meaning.  When the meeting ended, I picked up the papers they had left on the table and was chatting with some of the other board members when suddenly I noticed the lady I had sat next to standing patiently at my side, waiting for my attention.  I turned to her, smiled, and was about to speak when she held her arms out and up to me. Wordlessly, she wanted a hug, to thank me for sitting with her. 

Unconditional love; why would anyone celebrate its passing?

The Ascension and Mother’s Day both celebrate unconditional love.  During mass as we stood praying, Fr. Ed said:”Would all the men sit down now, please; women remain standing?”  And then after a moment he said:”I did not say mothers should remain standing, I said women remain standing.” And after some more shuffling in the pews, Fr. Ed went on to explain the unique gift of loving God gives to women; only they can exhibit a mother’s love. And whether they are mothers to children or mothers to the society we live in, their unique form of love is greatly, greatly needed in this world.  And so we celebrated them, all women, and we prayed for them.  After mass we celebrated all the moms, and their many, many children present at mass.

Father concluded by reminding us that we will celebrate Pentecost next Sunday. “And as we focus on Pentecost this week, please remember to pray for the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Ask Him to teach you to love.  Our country, this world, so needs more love.”

Amen.

Please Pray For Joe (knot)

God often has a purpose for me, and often I ignore it.  So I am not surprised when on occasion He is rather firm so that I can’t ignore Him.

I think last night may have been one of those nights.

I was going to have a bit of a nip of some liquor, just to take the edge off mind you, and help me nap a bit before my late night adoration hour.  But first I was going to take something out of the freezer for dinner tomorrow.  And as I opened the freezer door --- plop! --- the last bit of a quart of ice cream fell out onto the floor.

“Well, God, I guess You wish me to eat this very good ice cream instead of having a drink.  Okay, I shall.”  And so I did.  It was wonderful!  It really hit the spot.

However, …

It wasn’t twenty minutes later when the call of alcohol got a bit loud and so I answered.  And then perhaps I answered a bit more.  And so I went to sleep --- soundly; it too was wonderful!

Until, that is, the timer went off in the kitchen and I suddenly awoke, finding myself crashed on the couch.  Ooof!  And then I took a couple of aspirin and headed out to the chapel ---with a stop for coffee along the way, of course.

As I entered the chapel and sat down, I reached in my pocket for my rosary.  Oops!  In my waking haze I guess I had forgotten to take it off the kitchen table.  So I went over and reached into the basket on the chapel bookcase, where there was ALWAYS a half dozen or more rosaries, and --- the basket was empty.  And that's when I looked up at the monstrance and the host on the chapel altar.  “Okay, Lord, are you telling me something here?”  And my silent thoughts guiltily went to an “Okay, I’m sorry I had that drink,” but then I noticed a pretty blue rosary just sitting there on one of the chairs.  And so I picked it up.

The rosary had a white silk ribbon tied to it, on which someone had written some words.  Again I glanced up at the monstrance.  I guess this too must be part of God’s plan for tonight, I thought.  And with the lead up of all these “coincidences” I thought perhaps this plan of His must be important. 

On the ribbon was printed a request for prayers. And with that apparent importance in mind, I now ask your prayers also for the intention that was printed there:

PLEASE PRAY FOR JOE (big knot) AMILY – GOD BLESS YOU!

(I’m sure God will understand).

Jesus' Greatest Gift

As Catholics we often hear about the Eucharist, Jesus’ very body and blood, which He gave to His disciples, and with Do this in remembrance of Me, also gave to us.  This Eucharist is His I will be with you always gift.  In so many ways, this is Jesus’, this is God’s, greatest gift to mankind: We may once have turned away from God in the Garden of Eden, but this Eucharist is His I will never turn away from you response.

Of late, I’ve been thinking lots about this remarkable gift of God, and of His example of “unconditional love.” He gave His life for us; He GIVES His life TO us.  I don’t imagine anyone could even count the number of saints, philosophers, or people on their knees – as I am in the chapel each night – who thank God for His Presence in the Eucharist.  Every time I receive Him at mass, a scent of fresh flowers, a scent of the angels, fills my being.  Even those mornings when I kneel through mass a bit tired, or a bit queasy, or a bit headachy, it all changes as I walk back from Communion. He makes all things well. Could He have given us any greater gift?

And yet, …

I’ve read many a scholar and heard many a great preacher who speaks about His word, The Bible, as being His greatest gift, as being His I am with you always.  Even the Catholic Church says He is present in His word (Scripture), the mass, and in the Eucharist --- but pre-eminently in the Eucharist.  And certainly at certain times we perceive His presence in one of these sources more than the others.  I know I can easily recall certain times, special times, when I felt His presence more in one or another.  I think certainly all the scholars who would say that any one of these three is Jesus’ greatest gift to us would be in a certain way, at a certain time, absolutely correct.

And yet, …

As I prayed the Glorious Mysteries of the rosary tonight, and meditated on the great heavenly glorious mysteries of Jesus’ life, I suddenly had a different thought:  so many great scholars (way wiser than I) and so many holy people (way holier than I) have said and justified why these three things were Jesus’ greatest gifts to mankind, but I wonder: What did Jesus think?  If He were to describe the one, the greatest, thing He gave us, what would He say?  I think we would describe OUR OWN greatest gift, humanly speaking, as being the one we didn’t want to give, the one thing we would cherish the most, the thing about which we would like to say:  “That’s mine, and no, you can’t have it.”  So, what did Jesus cherish in that way?

I’ve been writing about “unconditional love,” the love that God, Jesus, came to teach us, and recently I said we don’t need to learn this type of love but re-learn it, since we once had it.  I described it as the love we had --- and gave--- as innocent young babies. And so thinking on this innocent love, this precious thing we once had (and thinking on some events of this very day where God made clear this love to me), as I prayed the Glorious Mysteries I suddenly perceived what Jesus might describe as the most precious thing in His life, and what would therefore become His greatest gift to us:  His Mother.

I read the following meditations while considering Mary’s Assumption into heaven, when Jesus brought His mother to be with Him: 

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee --- and now you with Him.

You are the first to be raised by Him, but not the last.

No greater love than to give life, and eternal justice for Life to return that love.

Creator- created. No other love compares.

I sometimes wonder how God can forgive me,
but I know my mother does.

My Jesus, how glorious is Your love for us.

You’ve read my conversion story, how after years away from church I believe it was Mary’s prayers for me that brought me back. I think Jesus, the man like us, knew very well what a precious gift He was giving us when from the cross He said: Behold your mother.

I said that often I feel Jesus’ presence physically, and then I can’t stop crying.  But there are times, special times, when in my heart I feel His mother’s love present for me also, and like my own mother, I am confident she prays for me.

I believe that if I were to ask Jesus, as I perhaps shall one day, what he thinks is His greatest gift to mankind, I will not be surprised if He says: “I gave you My mother; I loved no one on earth more.”

And giving away what you love the most is unconditional love.

            - - - - - - - - - -

With the month of May comes Mother’s Day.  Perhaps that is why the Catholic Church has dedicated the month of May to Mary.  And perhaps that is why all this week the daily meditations I read in the book titled “Divine Intimacy” were titled:  Mary Our Guide and Model, The Handmaid of the Lord, Spouse of the Holy Spirit, and Mother of God.

And after I finished writing these words of meditation on Jesus’ greatest gift to us, I opened the Divine Intimacy book and read today’s meditation.  It was titled:  Our Mother.

“As one woman, Eve, had cooperated in the losing of grace, so by a harmonious disposition of Divine Providence, another woman, Mary, would cooperate in the restoration of grace.”

Holy Mary, Mother of God,
Pray for us sinners, now
And at the hour of our death.  Amen.

            - - - - - - - - - -

I’ve got to mention one other great thing that happened to me this weekend.  On Friday God blessed me and caused me to attend a concert and talk at my church—I originally hadn’t planned to.  The concert was by Eric Genuis, a most remarkable man who writes and plays heavenly music, and yes, I cried at its beauty.  The speaker at the event was David Daleiden, the man who exposed through videos Planned Parenthood’s harvesting and sale and of baby body parts.  When David spoke at times I physically felt the chill of evil he described encountering.  He is a most wonderful man and speaker.  If you ever get the chance to hear either of these two men, take it.  You will be most blessed.

And after hearing the talk Friday night, in Saturday morning’s headlines I read how in California David Daleiden’s home was raided by state officials, trying to find evidence to stop his exposure of the greatest evil of our time.  Please pray for him.