LIFT  March 20, 2013

The "In" Zone
We talked about a lot last night at LIFT.  It may take me a couple of days to unpack this one, so keep checking back.

Years ago, I was thinking about the elements I thought were essential for cultivating and nurturing a relationship with God and a healthy spiritual life.  What I came up with was that I need to constantly keep myself:

• In God's word
• In God's grace
• In God's presence

I started calling this The In Zone.  It's easy for me to remember, because it sounds like "the end zone" (football).  More importantly, it's where I want to be.  I've found that when I stay actively in His word, in his grace, and in his presence, I seem to keep moving forward.  For me, it seems to work.  What do I mean by each of those?

In God's word
God's word is the Sacred Scripture, or what we call The Bible.  It's God's love letter to each one of us.  While it has something to say to us collectively, it also has something to say to each of us personally.  If you want to get to know Jesus, there's no better place to look to then the Bible, especially in the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John).  If you want to have a relationship with someone, you need to get to know them.  This is where you get to know Jesus.

In God's grace
The word grace means gift.  God's grace is simply the gifts He offers you.  His grace is found most profoundly in the Sacraments of our Church.  If you want to stay in God's grace, you need to receive the sacrament of Reconciliation regularly.  The more you turn from sin (the opposite of what God offers you), the more you are open to hearing his voice (like when you're calling out to Him for help in making tough decisions).  The sacrament of Eucharist is our "food for the journey." 

In God's presence
Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection was a monk who lived in the 17th century.  He had a habit of trying to be constantly aware of God's presence in his life.  God is indeed always present to us, but we're hardly ever aware of it.  He's with you right now.  But you may not have even thought about it until you just read that.  In addition, Brother Lawrence made a habit of saying little prayers throughout the day.  Just like you'd say, "hey" to a friend in the hall at school, he would just say, "hi" to God whenever he thought about Him.

Obviously, the best place to be in The In Zone is at Mass.  There we find ourselves in His word, His grace, and His presence.  You should absolutely go to Mass every Sunday.  You should also try now and then to go to daily Mass.  Imagine the difference it would make in your life to start adding one daily Mass per week.

Starting point:
Word:  Go HERE to find the daily Mass readings.  Try to read the daily Gospel reading while eating breakfast, or some other time at the beginning of your day (before things get hectic).

Grace:  If you haven't been to Confession in a while, make a real effort to go soon!  Go to a daily Mass some time in the next week.  The schedule is found on our church's WEB SITE (look on the left side of the page where it says "Mass Schedule")

Presence:  Try to get into the habit of thinking about God's nearness to you throughout the day.  Put a sticky note in your locker that just says "Hi, God" to remind you.  Or better yet, make a sticky note from the love letter He wrote to you, "And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age."  (Matthew 28:20)

Stay tuned for more...

I've been trying to find words for my reaction to this video.  I can't.  So, I'll let it speak to you for itself.

We have a shuttle that runs around campus and out where I work. The driver in the morning is a lady named Ms. Annie. She makes it a point to learn the names of everyone who ever rides in her van. For many of our foreign students, she's their mother away from home. She's a real bright light in our world.

 Sometimes I'll ride the shuttle route just to catch up with her and visit. When I was riding with her this morning, she was telling me about this man from China who came here as a visiting professor for a year. His year is almost up and he'll have to return home. He has very mixed feelings about going back. He lives in a large, congested, polluted city in China and has really enjoyed just breathing clean air for a year. He has also enjoyed some other opportunities here that he just doesn't have back in his home. On the other hand, his wife and daughter, his parents, and his home are back in China. He's just become very attached to Starkville.

 As usually happens when Ms. Annie and I talk, the conversation took a spiritual twist. We talked about how, sometimes, we get very attached to something comfortable and don't want to let go. Sometimes, God is leading us to something more meaningful, but we don't want to step out of what is comfortable. It really made me look at the things that I want to hold on to when, maybe, God wants me to let go - so He can lead me closer to my true home.

As I stepped off the bus, I let out a little groan as my stiff back yelled at me to slow down. I said, "Wow. I'm not 20 any more. I not what I used to be." Annie smiled and said, "Mr. John, thank GOD you're not who you used to be!"

Amen, Ms. Annie. Amen.

Prayer requests:
Remember to please pray for the Deacon candidates of our Diocese who are being installed into the Ministry of Reader at the Cathedral tomorrow at 11:00.

Also, please pray for the expectant mothers in our parish.  Especially Jennifer (Ffej's wife) and Katy Kraszewski (whom you will all meet very soon!).  May God bless them and their babies.

Have a great weekend everyone.

For those who were at Abbey Fest, this should take you back:

LIFT  March 13, 2013

News:
What an awesome day!  Habemus Papam!  We have a Pope!
Today, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina was elected Pope.  He chose the name Pope Francis I.    He is our 1st Pope from the Americas, our 1st Pope Francis, our first Jesuit Pope, and our first Pope with only one lung  (yes, I'm serious!).

Prayer request:
 Please remember to keep Monica and Jordan in your prayers as the prepare to be married this summer.

Scripture:
"Not to us, LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory because of your mercy and faithfulness."  Psalm 155:1


And, finally, here's the video I mentioned.  Chase Hilgenbrick was a professional soccer player, who heard God calling him to become a priest.  His story is inspirational.