Chronicles

On a Thursday, of Week Six

February 17, 2011

And he asked them,
“But who do you say that I am?”
Peter said to him in reply,
“You are the Christ.”
Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him.

There comes a time in the life of Faith, when one realizes the Truth of the fact — Jesus Christ is Lord.

We realize we can no longer live in fear, or in ignorance, or in sin; our lives are profoundly changed.

“A fountain of life is the mouth of the just, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. … Wise men store up knowledge, but the mouth of a foul is imminent ruin. … The just man’s lips nourish many, but fools die for want of sense.” from Proverbs 10

“Meditate, then, at all times, on the things of God and speak the things of God, when you sit in your house. By house we can understand the Church, or the secret place within us, so that we are to speak within ourselves. Speak with prudence, so as to avoid falling into sin, as by excess of talking…. You speak along the way if yo speak in Christ, for Christ is the way.”

I’m often called, with readings like this, to think again upon the word ‘meditation’. It simply means to direct our thoughts towards a subject, which is easy enough to do. And turning our thoughts to Jesus Christ is an obvious source of activity for every Christian.

So, it’s good to remember that we are called to simple spiritual exercises throughout the day if we intend to acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord. Directing our thoughts to Christ, to the mysteries and wisdom of Sacred Scripture, helps our words and actions to be filled with life. Our interior disposition is the largest key in the outward polish of our lives as Christians.

Gone Photoshopping

February 16, 2011

It’s one thing to get into photography, and I’ve been ‘into it’ for about 2 months now, so obviously I’m a complete expert. But it’s quite another thing to get into Photoshop.

So, I took the plunge with a free trial and a book on the matter and, Behold!

Before…

…and After!

They look exactly the same! Except for the fact that the ‘before’ looks better.

I remember when I got into music and naively decided to make my living as a musician because I loved to play, and wanted to work toward some goals there. I did in time. But it took hours, and hours a day. Day after day. Month after month. Year after year. And even in Seminary I was playing for 4 – 6 Masses per weekend, several at the Seminary during the week, plus rehearsals, concerts, weddings, a few dance classes and recording sessions… Bar Mitzvahs, club openings and raves (not really on the last ones.) And then suddenly it all ended at Ordination. I had a new life, and was now a Priest, not a Musician.

But that’s another story, which I’ve been meaning to write.

Point being, I guess I had best practice the virtue of patience, and keep plugging away little by little. Day after day.

It’s back to the drawing board.

Redoing Linx..

February 16, 2011

I’m getting together some links to eventually redo my connections, and have a couple here…

Well, I just deleted one, realizing it’s heretical. Life is tough like that sometimes.

Focus on the Family’s Plugged In offers reviews and reflections, etc., on pop culture.

Well, I guess that’s it.

An Interesting Article relates ongoing Christian leaders’ concerns for the continuation of Christianity in the Mid-East.

“According to the archbishop, Europe and North America are blind to the possibility of such an “Islamization” of the Middle East.

The western mentality does not allow it to fully comprehend this risk,” he said.

He explained that politics and religion are interwoven in the Middle East, whereas there is “a tremendous void” between them in western nations.

This results in two extremisms, he said. The Middle Eastern mentality is dominated by Islam, while a secularism that denies its Christian roots and relegates Christian values to the private sphere reigns in the West.

Although “material violence” does not appear in the West, the general privatization of Christianity is “against democracy,” he said. “In the East, however, it is the opposite: religion pervades all.”

He called the future of the Middle East “unknown and scary” and said the international community is “incapable of moving” in reaction to the recent turn of events.

On a Wednesday, in the 6th Week

February 16, 2011

?”The proof of love is in the works. Where love exists, it works great things. But when it ceases to act, it ceases to exist.” ~ Pope St. Gregory the Great

Who, dear brother, is capable of describing the great joy of believers when they have learned what the grace of Almighty God and your own cooperation achieved among the Angles? They abandoned the errors of darkness and were bathed with the light of holy faith. With full awareness they trampled on the idols which they had previously adored with savage fear. They are now committed to Almighty God. The guidelines given them for their preaching restrain them from falling into evil ways. In their minds they are submissive to the divine precepts and consequently feel uplifted. They bow down to the ground in prayer lest their minds cling too closely to earthly things. Whose achievement is this? It is the achievement of him who said: My Father is at work until now and I am at work as well.

God chose illiterate preachers and sent them into the world in order to show the world that conversion is brought about not by men’s wisdom but rather by his own power. So in like manner God worked through weak instruments and wrought great things among the Angles. Dear brother, in this heavenly gift there is something which should inspire us with great fear and great joy.

For I know through your love for that people, specially chosen for you, that Almighty God has performed great miracles. But it is necessary that the same heavenly gift should cause you to rejoice with fear and to fear with gladness. You should be glad because by means of external miracles the souls of the Angles have been led to interior grace. But you should tremble, lest on account of these signs, the preacher’s own weak soul be puffed up with presumption; lest, while seeming externally raised aloft in honour, it fall internally as a result of vainglory.

We should remember that when the disciples on their joyous return from their preaching mission said to their heavenly master: Lord, in your name even devils were subjected to us, he immediately retorted: Do not rejoice about this but rather that your names are inscribed in heaven.

I love these quotes from Gregory, and consider that they speak to the readings this day, this week. God makes a covenant with Noah after the epic flood, fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who is working miracles amongst the people and being tested by the Scribes and Pharisees. He tells those healed not to go into the village, not to tell anyone; he warns the disciples against the leaven of the Scribes and Pharisees.

Despite the signs and wonders, the call is always to interior conversion, which will lead to an outward manifestation of that conversion.