tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13881118065431594292024-03-13T20:37:32.643-07:00OneCatholicGuyOne Catholic Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18392926680270353465noreply@blogger.comBlogger57125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1388111806543159429.post-7632428474714208882017-06-03T20:39:00.001-07:002017-06-03T20:39:16.744-07:00The Embrace of the Holy SpiritHello everyone! <br />
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It's been a long time since I've posted anything on this blog- nearly a year and a half! Wow, time sure does have a way of sneaking up on us. <br />
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The reason I am writing is actually because of something beautiful my wife did. We have been praying the novena to the Holy Spirit in preparation for Pentecost. This was a big deal in that we last prayed together as a couple consistently during the first week of Easter. In fact, I have been struggling to pray consistently this entire year. <br />
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But, with my wife as a faithful prayer partner, we've done the short prayer each day together. The prayers are simple but show the different graces the Holy Spirit can bestow- Joy, Kindness, etc. It was a rough week of work and, in general, the entire Easter Season has been stressful. Many unexpected changes all in a row threw us for a loop.<br />
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But God truly works in mysterious ways and in hidden and beautiful ways in each of us. My wife went out today to Hoboken to see a friend. Similarly, I met up with my groomsmen. While my friends are good people, sometimes when I'm with them I fall back into bad old habits of mine from when we first met in high school. Cursing, inappropriate jokes- the kind of thing that one does when you forget who you want to be and slip up. My wife too seemed to fall into an old habit while she was out but in a much different way.<br />
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My wife said that she prayed on the train to the Holy Spirit. When she got off the train, she was presented with several homeless people that needed help. While usually, being trained from experiences in NYC, to avoid most homeless people, my wife approached two separate people to help them. One woman she bought food; another man asked for change but, as she didn't have any change she offered a hug. He accepted and she hugged him. She did not have concern for herself, only thinking that this person needed to be loved and feel human. <br />
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That hug is what restored me in my times of trouble. My wife's love is what has brought me back to God and shown me the power of the Holy Spirit. It is a remarkable and amazing hug to experience and she shared that with a person in need today. That act of love without self worry was a gift of self that connected with a person who, like many of us, are not acknowledged as a person. If that were me today, I would have walked right past the man acting for change. <br />
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God worked in a special way in my wife today and hopefully, come tomorrow with the celebration of the Feast of Pentecost, God the Holy Spirit will act in all of us. The Holy Spirit lives in all of the baptized and, if we open ourselves up to Him, asking for the grace of God in our lives, we too may feel His embrace and share the warmth of his love- person to person.<br />
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God love you!<br />
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~OCG<br />
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<br />One Catholic Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18392926680270353465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1388111806543159429.post-36233190523019660942015-12-08T18:04:00.001-08:002015-12-08T18:04:11.227-08:00Mercy! Hello everyone, it's been a very long time! Lots of changes for me, most notably that I have gotten married as of August! I plan on posting a little more this year for the year of Mercy! Which is big news! The year of mercy, not my posting. <div><br></div><div>Anyway, to start off, here are the Spiritual and Corporal works of Mercy which I never fully learned as a wee lad. Or as a not so wee lad. Point is, the size of my corpus did not change my ignorance. If only someone had performed the spiritual work of mercy and instructed me! Ah well, learning it now! Here's the list</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><ul class="para" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">feed the hungry; </span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">To give drink to the thirsty; </span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">To clothe the naked; </span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">To harbour the harbourless; </span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">To visit the sick; </span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">To ransom the captive; </span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">To bury the dead. </span></li></ul><p class="para" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 10px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The spiritual works of mercy are: </span></p><ul class="para" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">To instruct the ignorant ; </span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">To counsel the doubtful ; </span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">To admonish sinners ; </span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">To bear wrongs patiently; </span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">To forgive offences willingly; </span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">To comfort the afflicted; </span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">To pray for the living and the dead.</span></li></ul></div><div><br></div><div>I'm going to make an effort to do one of these works each day consciously during this year, may God give us all the grace to expand hearts to be merciful as He is merciful!</div><div><br></div><div>God bless! </div><div>~OCG</div>One Catholic Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18392926680270353465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1388111806543159429.post-89446226055723621132015-07-20T20:11:00.001-07:002015-07-20T20:21:08.779-07:00Blessed are the SaltyI'm a salt guy. I will eat a pretzel just for the salt. And when I'm done? I'll eat all the spare salt. And then eat some cheese, with extra salt on top. <div><br></div><div>Aside from leading to future hypertension, salt is a necessary ingredient in our lives. It teaches us the value of hard work as everyone tries to be worth their salt. Salt is also a major part of any recipe, even if it's just a pinch. Sometimes a pinch is enough. </div><div><br></div><div>Jesus tells us that we are the salt of the earth. We are meant to do great things, even if we ourselves sometimes feel less than even a pinch. On those days when you are a dash, or even a smidgen!, you are still a necessary ingredient in whatever God is cooking. </div><div><br></div><div>Our Lord warns us also about salt losing its flavor and becoming useless. What is salt without its saltiness? Small white rocks ? A sugar costume for the youth wrapped in sticky tape on Halloween? Perhaps, but it certainly cannot do what salt is meant to do- make things saltier. </div><div><br></div><div>God also tells us very challenging things in the gospels that sometimes seem impossible- be pure of heart, be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect. Whoa! I'm just a little gradual of salt here man! Not enough to purify any heart, especially not my own. And perfect? I'm not even iodized! </div><div><br></div><div>But that's kind of the point. We aren't perfect; we aren't pure of heart. We are made to be like our Father but fall very much short. Jesus however does not. He is pure of heart, He is like the Father, He retains His flavor. </div><div><br></div><div>Purity demands perfection. You can't have something be mostly pure- it's extreme and demanding by its nature. And purity is demanding because it is something <i>special</i>. Something pure is something <i>set apart</i>. Why does God tell us to be pure and perfect? Because we are special; we are set apart; we are necessary. We are salt, and we must stay salty. </div>One Catholic Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18392926680270353465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1388111806543159429.post-35305485733553841232015-04-12T21:42:00.001-07:002015-04-12T21:42:44.356-07:00Broken Promises <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">I promised my fiancee I'd have abs about 6 years ago. It was one of those, "oh yeah? I'll prove I can do it" statements that so often you never quite live down. Well here we are 6 years later, I'm still a chubby deer and she the agile doe gracefully slowing down until I catch up. </span><div><div><br></div><div>I'm reflecting on broken promises as I have already failed to keep my streak of Easter promises. I have not written, or exercised every day of the season but luckily have finished the Divine Mercy novena and I pray God forgives my breaking this other promise. </div><div><br></div><div>I suppose there are two kinds of promises: the trivial and the important. Trivial promises are small ones that break easily and are made to be broken. As Mary Poppins calls them, "pie crust promises: easily made, easily broken". This is my abs and my eating healthier and all those stacks of unfinished screenplays and stopped a week into January New Years resolutions. They exist but are fleeting and flawed and never going to be perfect. In a way, they are our most human promises.</div><div><br></div><div>The other kind are different. They are inportant and life changing. These are the big ones- vows, trust, love. Promises, spoken or unspoken that are promised out of love for another person- for it is only in loving another person that we truly can change I think. In the promise we give them, we are transformed by the hope of a new future, closer and more intimate to the beloved. </div><div><br></div><div>This is our identity as Christians, a promised people. We are made new in Christ with our baptismal promises. When we sin we decide to turn against our beloved, against our promise, and against ourselves. And in denying that we sin, or explaining that sin away to ourselves, we actually devolve as people in an attempt to slide back to our old state before the promise. What we fail to realize is that that is not possible. There is no going back once that promise is made, we are already a new being and cannot become the old self for that part of you has died. We live only in this new promise, a betrothal between God and His church. </div><div><br></div><div>All this is to say, while I may never have the abs I promised, the vows I make on my wedding day will infinitely strengthen me more than any crunches or planks. Gof love you ,</div><div><br></div><div> </div></div>One Catholic Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18392926680270353465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1388111806543159429.post-67257796113840673792015-04-05T19:06:00.001-07:002015-04-05T19:06:54.309-07:00A New blog Mission!Hello everyone,<div><br></div><div>Well it's been nearly a year since I last posted. Last easter season my promise was to post once a day about joy, a promise I somewhat fulfilled with lots of gaps. It helped make me more holy in that my writing streak was full of holes. </div><div><br></div><div>What this mission did accomplish was helping me see the light in a dark time in my life- a time of consistent unemployment and personal struggles with sinful habits. The focus of joy was a small way to live out the hope that Christ gives us in Easter. </div><div><br></div><div>I now am making a new Easter goal this year. One that I pray I may faithfully execute that combines my faith with my hope of work. So, here it is:</div><div><br></div><div>There a great app that I highly recommend, the Fulton Sheen AudioLibrary (link: <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Fulton Sheen Audio Library by As Written Productions</span></div><div>https://appsto.re/us/bfQZx.i). Fulton Sheen has been a great resource for my spiritual life since I was in college and I find it enlightening that Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen may one day be the first saint to have won an Emmy, the highest award in the field I aspire to work in television. For a few well worth it dollars, you get access to nearly 100 talks from the most prominent Catholic on TV before Stephen Colbert came along. </div><div><br></div><div>My goal is to listen to "the Sheen Catechism" - 50 episodes in 50 days. With each episode only being a half hour or so, it's doable and I pray (with the intercession of Fulton Sheen) will be fruitful to me. Along with this spiritual goal I am making two other goals for my health and work lives, to walk for 30 minutes a day (usually in tandem with the episodes of the Catechism) and to write creatively for a half hour each day. My hope is this simple goal will be accomplishable and help me holistically set up positive routines heading into my married life. </div><div><br></div><div>In addition, I hope to occasionally post reflections on this blog again. Though it is often poorly written and I don't intend on anyone reading it (but if you are reading it, thank you!) it may be a helpful tool in getting down thoughts about my Easter journey this year. </div><div><br></div><div>So, thank you for the time and I hope you have an awesome and fruitful Easter season filled with faith, hope, and love in the joy of Christ's resurrection. </div><div><br></div><div>In Christ's name,</div><div>~OCG</div><div><br></div><div>HE IS RISEN ALLELUJAH! </div>One Catholic Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18392926680270353465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1388111806543159429.post-38913284715547690772014-06-08T09:54:00.001-07:002014-06-08T09:54:18.573-07:00Happy Pentecost!/ 50 Day mission completeHappy Pentecost everyone! <br /><br /><div>
WE MADE IT! ALLELUIA! </div>
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A little less than 50 posts later ( I missed a few days!) we have arrived at the end of the Easter season. The mission of this blog was to post about joy for 50 days and celebrate Easter by writing. I think there have been one or two good reflections and a lot of filler in between but it was a valuable celebration of Easter for me! </div>
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A lot can change in 50 days. And I think I've changed a little. Doing this blog made me try and find anything that was going on in my life, whether it was painful or stressful or any -ful and find the <i>joy</i> in it. That's the main thing I've learned: there is <i>joy</i> in everything and God re-makes all things. Even suffering can lead to joy. </div>
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I pray to the Holy Spirit on this Pentecost that you and I all be filled with the Spirit of God and may use the gifts given us to spread the Gospel. This blog was part of a daily writing routine that I hoped to establish and, since God has given me an ability to write I hope to nurture it even more in the coming year. </div>
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I will no longer be posting daily but hopefully will do one more reflective and deeper post a week. But I will be writing daily, hopefully two hours or three pages a day. I'm making this semi-public on this blog to hold myself accountable. May the Holy Spirit guide me in writing and in this new teacher position I was just hired for. </div>
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God love you all! Remember to live your life abundantly in Christ this day! </div>
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Be joyful and have a wonderful day! </div>
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~OneCatholicGuy</div>
One Catholic Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18392926680270353465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1388111806543159429.post-58310444923350723822014-06-05T13:34:00.001-07:002014-06-05T13:34:52.529-07:00Old search itemsToday I was on facebook and needed to search for something. I forget if it was a brand I liked or someone from elementary school or anything important. It doesn't really matter. What does matter is the second I typed in a letter a suggestion came up. It was a suggestion for a questionable page that I had requested be removed from Facebook because someone invited me to it and it was not appropriate for facebook. Because I had visited the page when I requested it be removed, it pops up in my search bar now permenantly.<br />
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This is a weird little facebook quirk that many people online have complained about. Very often in the complaints it is the person saying that they searched for their ex and they don't want their current significant other to see that search as a suggestion. It seems frequency isn't the main reason for it being suggested but still some old stuff gets dragged up right in front of our eyes next to the little magnifying glass. <br />
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This can be a moment of temptation. Should I look at this page, this person's profile, this thing I looked at once only fleetingly? You cannot change these suggestions or delete them in any way. You're stuck with what they give you. Sometimes it may be a past sin that you're looking at, or the profile of someone that you hurt by accident or on purpose. But there it is, right in front of you. What do you do with that?<br />
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I think that more than a temptation it can be an opportunity of grace and humility- both on and off facebook. Very often in our lives we are reminded, sometimes daily, of a big mistake we've made or an offense committed or a stupid action done for no reason. Those reminders should not be a way of beating ourselves up. If we've sinned and been forgiven, those things are in the past. But, like all sin, their consequences and effects still can haunt our present. The ghosts of old search items may plague our minds if we do not give them over to God and say, "these were my mistakes. This is where I've gone wrong. Left on my own to search, I will seek things for myself which will lead to my self-destruction. You are the way, the truth and the Life. You are what I truly seek God. Help me to seek you always, and to put the past in the past." <br />
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These reminders certainly can test us or even trick us into thinking we are the same person we are now as we were when we searched for them. But we are not. We are the person God has made us today. When you're tempted to look at an ex, remember who you are now, not the person in a faded relationship from the early annals of facebook. When you are tempted to look at a page that could cause you to stumble down a rabbithole into sin, remember that rabbithole is a tomb that Christ has overcome. God will give you the grace to avoid the hole but you need to take the opportunity to go around it. <br />
<br />There is no strength to be found in facing your biggest weaknesses head on alone. We are often weak and will fail and fall into bad habits. Go at it with God, and avoid the near occasion. Don't let the old search items take up any more of your thoughts than they deserve. Stick to your guns and walk away, you'll much more surely win the fight. <br />
<br />God bless you all and keep you on the right path!<br />
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~OCGOne Catholic Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18392926680270353465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1388111806543159429.post-36751756433515834192014-06-04T19:57:00.001-07:002014-06-04T19:57:21.986-07:00French friesToday I had many happy moments, accepted a new job, got to watch puppies playing, saw family and friends. But the happiest moment for me was the two minutes I got to see my fiancée and share a few French fries. That is the joy that sticks out on an eventful day, because even on the biggest day of my life, my true joy is to be with her. Ketchup or no ketchup. <div><br></div><div>~ OCG</div>One Catholic Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18392926680270353465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1388111806543159429.post-37547032092850193992014-06-03T19:57:00.001-07:002014-06-03T19:57:28.459-07:00An offer I can't refuseToday's joy is a brief personal one: after many months in a job search I've finally been offered a full time job! I am so grateful that God has provided me this opportunity and am especially grateful that it is in a surprising bit of a career change! <div><br></div><div>Thank you God!</div><div><br></div><div>~ OCG</div><div><br></div><div><br></div>One Catholic Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18392926680270353465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1388111806543159429.post-24826018088074176272014-06-02T08:14:00.001-07:002014-06-02T08:14:54.978-07:00Making Gravy- Why Pasta unites usToday my house is very busy as we are making some sauce, sausage and meatballs. It's a unique smell that fills the air and a unique joy that fills your heart and stomach when a family cooks together. Cooking is a process that is part science, part art, and a large part genealogy.<br />
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Recipes are passed down through the generations and only those who are blood relatives or marry into the family get to share in the secrets that make children smile and grown men cry, "Molto bene!". <br />
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The uniting factor of food is something God intimately uses in creating His family with His Bride the Church. From the earliest days, Christ shared meals with His disciples. He met some of them for the first time at the seashore where they were fishing. He brought all of them to celebrate at a wedding feast at Cana before He started His ministry. He fed 5000 and more with a few loaves and fishes.<br />
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Most important to the unity of the family is a family dinner. We all lead hectic lives, ranging between relationships and states, both mental, spiritual and, in my case, geographical. The family dinner is when everyone sits at one table and shares one meal. And in that sharing of the meal they share everything: their troubles, joys, laughs, griefs. Food is a flash point of our familial existence inside and outside of the frying pan of temperaments family's can be. <br /><br />Jesus unites us in one universal meal at the mass. He offers Himself up as the meal that satisfies, the true food and true drink of our humanity. We are united in Him not only as our priest, our King, our God, but our very sustenance. He is the very food that gives us life, and life eternal. It is in the Eucharist that the Catholic Church is truly united as a family around one table which also serves as an altar of sacrifice.<br />
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God's love within the Blessed Trinity is familial and it's appropriate and beautiful that He chose a family meal as the sacrificial remembrance of Jesus' Passion. As I sit and enjoy this time with my family, I am grateful to God I have them in my life, that we have this time together before I get married, and that I will have the opportunity to someday soon have my own family. Blessed be God forever in His Trinity and may He bless all your families this day!<br />
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God love you!<br />
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~OneCatholicGuy<br />
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PS: The meatballs are really good! One Catholic Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18392926680270353465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1388111806543159429.post-36584445708239508722014-05-31T22:29:00.001-07:002014-05-31T22:29:56.872-07:00Another forgotten postBut for good reasons!<div><br></div><div>I was:</div><div>-working </div><div>-speaking with my fiancée</div><div>-eating pasta</div><div>-creating something</div><div><br></div><div>All four of which are good things that bring me joy! Perhaps the pasta too much so! </div><div><br></div><div>Anyway, that's a brief post explaining why i didn't post before midnight, my apologies!</div><div><br></div><div>~OCG </div>One Catholic Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18392926680270353465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1388111806543159429.post-13805478569372910512014-05-30T20:27:00.001-07:002014-05-30T20:27:30.227-07:00An interview questionI had an interview earlier today and I'm very hopeful and grateful to God for the opportunity. It would be somewhat of a career change for me and my interviewer asked me first thing off the bat: <div><br></div><div>"Given your background, your round about way to this career, how do you know what you're doing? How can I trust you to do this job?"</div><div><br></div><div>I answered that my , ahem, scenic route to this position is exactly what makes me qualified. I am not on the same path as everyone else you're interviewing and I'm happy I had the other experiences I did to get me here today. I don't know everything but I can learn what I don't know and bring something unique to the job. </div><div><br></div><div>It hits me tonight that same principle applies to our discipleship. We all are sinners, and each of has had at one point or another a roundabout way back to God. We've all had lapses in judgement and bumps in the trail. No two saints follow the same road or there would be only one path to sanctity. And, truly, a all roads to heaven have only one common factor- Jesus. He is the way, but His Body has many parts and we all blaze a new trail to sainthood in our flawed humanity by God's love and grace. </div><div><br></div><div>What wualifies each of us for sainthood only God knows. We all are called to that vocation in our baptism and Jesus alone is the path to the Father. He ascended so as to send the Holy Spirit to guide us and bring us closer to God. He loves us all individually as we are for we are His children, each unique but possessing traits of our Father, imitating the firstborn to eternal life, Jesus the Christ. </div><div><br></div><div>I'm not sure if I will get the job, but I know that question will remain with me. Why this long and winding road to here? So I may become the person God needs me to be, today, tomorrow, and for all eternity with Him in heaven.</div><div><br></div><div>God love you!</div><div>~ OCG</div>One Catholic Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18392926680270353465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1388111806543159429.post-32865392524530047952014-05-29T20:27:00.001-07:002014-05-29T20:27:58.720-07:00Happy Ascension Thursday!Happy Ascension Thursday! I had a longer post but it got deleted which is probably for the best. <div><br></div><div>I'll keep it short since it's late: the Ascension is joyful because it is Christ bringing the fullness of the Trinity in His triumphant ascension to His throne in heaven! </div><div><br></div><div>The Som returns to the Father to allow the Holy Spirit to come down in 10 days. Christ remains with us in the Eucharist giving is strength for our pilgrimage to the Father while His Ascension signals the Holy Spirit to come down and guide His Church!</div><div><br></div><div>That's about as happy as it gets! God loves is and wants us to participate fully in the Trinity and this great feast celebrates that love!</div><div><br></div><div>Amen and Allelujah, He is truly Risen!</div><div><br></div><div>good night and God bless </div><div><br></div><div>~OneCatholicGuy</div>One Catholic Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18392926680270353465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1388111806543159429.post-41952648037804899362014-05-28T09:47:00.003-07:002014-05-28T09:47:48.987-07:0040 winks after workI realized this morning that I missed two posts this week because of late nights and travelling and tonight I fear the same thing may happen so, to prevent that, I am posting early. You ever get the sleepy midday feeling after a big lunch? That's kinda what I have right now. I want to say something profound, perhaps about the importnatce of the Ascension or the Pope's recent visit to the Holy Land but I'm just durn tired right now. <div>
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I've been very blessed this week to have some part time work. It's the first work I've had in several months and I've found I'm getting pretty exhausted by the end of the day. That's a good thing, but I'm even more tired today on my day off. Partially the muggy dawn of summer is to blame but there's something to be said about work and exhaustion. </div>
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Very often, people who have high stress jobs or exceedingly long commutes can go into a zombie like state once they are done working. They cannot process anything because their mind and body have been moving too fast all day. That's completely understandable but also a shame. Their families never get to see them at their peak state that makes them so productive during the workday. And at the same time unemployment can rob you of your energy and make you feel worth less than you are. </div>
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<br />The key thing is to work to live not live to work. We should love our jobs and be ambitious and try and make as much progress in our days as we can. But what is more important is the whole of your life- not just what you do but also who you are, how you love, etc. </div>
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o as I'm tired today, feeling still very lethargically unemployed I pray to God that I remember the truth- that I am a person, created and loved by God the Almighty Father. </div>
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May the Holy Spirit grant us who are tired in mind, spirit and body a refreshing new spring of energy today and help us remember that our true vocation is to love God and one another and our work should be one of many expressions of that work. </div>
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~OCG</div>
One Catholic Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18392926680270353465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1388111806543159429.post-11749371733044814312014-05-26T19:28:00.002-07:002014-05-26T19:28:58.702-07:00C is for Commandments- That's good enough for me! <div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-width: 0px !important; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif !important; font-size: 11px !important; letter-spacing: 1.2px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 26px !important; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 40px !important; padding: 0px; text-transform: uppercase; width: 550px;">
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Yesterday in the Gospel reading Jesus told us, "If you love me you will keep my commandants". This is an extremely simple truth the Lord lays on us: we cannot sin and love God with our whole heart. Sin, by its very nature divides us from God. </div>
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I find this sentence really hard to follow, because it is literally asking us to "be perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect". Like the rich young man, it could be discouraging to us, especially when we are young and quite fond of our frequent sins. We all have one or two or five that we can't seem to shake and continually return to perhaps out of addiction but mostly out of habit. God is asking us to radically change that, to turn away from sin and return fully to Him. </div>
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And Jesus doesn't leave us hanging with this strict order alone. Immediately afterwards He tells us that He will ask the Father to send down an Advocate, the Holy Spirit, to strengthen us. That's awesome! Jesus also says that the world does not know the Spirit but we will because the Spirit will remain in us. This passage provides us both strength and comfort: The Lord says He will not leave us orphans. By following His commandments we will enter into the Trinitarian love of the Father, Son, and Spirit. This is worth so much more than any temporary pleasure or feeling induced by a favorite sin. This is complete happiness, this is the joy of true love. </div>
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And this is something I feel I've forgotten lately. I've struggled with a series of continual sins throughout my young adulthood and now during stressful times they've reemerged. Frequent confession is a wonderful grace but I worry that a habit is forming that will become harder and harder to break. How can you return to God wholly and not sin? Because we <i>have to! </i>Jesus explicitly says that to love Him is to not sin. I'm a wishy washy lover right now if I say I love Jesus and profess Him God and then disregard what He says to continue to sin. Not only is that hypocritical but it's hurtful to my relationship with God. It's also a completely human thing to do. Perhaps the most human. </div>
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That's no excuse. We all are human but that is why Jesus sends us the Holy Spirit to remain with us. This is why we are initiated into the Church with Baptism, the Eucharist, and Confirmation. Baptism forgives our original sin, the Eucharist gives us strength and is the summit of our love for the person of Christ, and Confirmation keeps us strong in the Holy Spirit. We are given the tools needed for the battle. It is not what is naturally within us to win the fight but what is super-naturally within us: The Paraclete, the Advocate, the Holy Spirit of God most high! </div>
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Holy Spirit, I am weak. I have fallen so many times that I am unsure how I am not but a huge scrapped knee in your eyes. But You still remain with me, with all Your people. Spirit of God I pray wholeheartedly to You that I may amend my ways and do as Jesus has taught us and follow all of His commandments. I desire to love You God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and make our relationship the center of my life. Help me to do that. Help me to be recreated once again in Your love. Amen. </div>
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I want to leave you tonight with a section of Psalm 119 that I found very inspirational in choosing tonight's topic. Ps119 is really long and is many sectioned, each section beginning with a Hebrew letter. Much like <i>Sesame Street, </i>this blogpost was sponsored by the letter B: </div>
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BETH<br />How can the young keep his way without fault?<br />Only by observing your words.<br />With all my heart I seek you;<br />do not let me stray from your commandments.<br />In my heart I treasure your promise,<br />that I may not sin against you.<br />Blessed are you, O L<small style="border: 0px; font-family: georgia, times; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">ORD</small>;<br />With my lips I recite<br />all the judgments you have spoken.<br />I find joy in the way of your testimonies<br />more than in all riches.<br />I will ponder your precepts<br />and consider your paths.<br />In your statutes I take delight;<br />I will never forget your word.</blockquote>
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~OCG</div>
One Catholic Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18392926680270353465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1388111806543159429.post-52761437885493774922014-05-25T18:56:00.002-07:002014-05-25T18:56:44.822-07:00Word up! The Joyful MysteriesSo yesterday I was reflecting on the joyful mysteries of the Rosary. These mysteries are especially apt for Easter since were celebrating a season of joy. The joyful mysteries some of my favorite but I must confess sometimes I just can't get that in to them. They're very happy and familiar<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> and especially the third one the nativity of the Lord. I often only think of the cute little baby Jesus in the manger and can't get to a deeper level of understanding. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> However yesterday it dawned on me that the common thread in these mysteries is not just the person of Jesus but the person of Jesus as the word of God. Each mystery is a different Gospel reading about someone receiving the Gospel, the good word of Jesus the word incarnate. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">The first mystery is the annunciation, where the archangel Gabriel tells Mary God has chosen her to bring Jesus into the world. This is a call to disicplship and vocation that Mary alone is fit for by God's grace in her immaculate conception. Mary hears and freely chooses to accept this mission. She receives the word and responds to it, "Let it be done to me according to your word." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">The second joyful mystery is the Visitation, in which John the Baptist, still in the womb, leaps for joy at hearing Mary speak. Mary contains in her the Word incarnate and because of her being totally free of sin she is able to spread that Gospel in a uniquely unadulterated way. John the Baptist evangelizes his mother in turn after Mary evangelized him. Elizabeth praises Mary and calls her blessed for believing what God said to her. Our Blessed Mother then returns that praise to God. She is a great model for us in discipleship: all praise, honor, and glory belong to God and realizing that is a moment of intense joy. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">The third mystery is the Nativity. As I said, this one has always been tough for me. In some ways it stands out the most since it is Jesus' birth and in other ways it's so overly familiar that I forget to even think about it as I pray. Using this reflection on the Word, I was thinking that Christmas is the time the word comes into the world. And, just as an angel appeared to Mary at the Annunciation, in the Gospel of Luke chapter 2 the angel announces the birth of Jesus to the Shepherds: </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span class="text Luke-2-10" id="en-NIV-24984"><span class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;">10 </span>But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid.<span class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-24984B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)"></span> I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.</span> <span class="text Luke-2-11" id="en-NIV-24985"><span class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;">11 </span>Today in the town of David a Savior<span class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-24985C" title="See cross-reference C">C</a>)"></span> has been born to you; he is the Messiah,<span class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-24985D" title="See cross-reference D">D</a>)"></span>the Lord.<span class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-24985E" title="See cross-reference E">E</a>)"></span></span> <span class="text Luke-2-12" id="en-NIV-24986"><span class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;">12 </span>This will be a sign<span class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-24986F" title="See cross-reference F">F</a>)"></span> to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”</span><span class="text Luke-2-13" id="en-NIV-24987"><span class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;">13 </span>Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,</span><span class="text Luke-2-14" id="en-NIV-24988" style="position: relative;"><span class="versenum" style="display: block; font-weight: bold; left: -4.8em; position: absolute; vertical-align: top;">14 </span></span><span class="text Luke-2-14" id="en-NIV-24988" style="position: relative;">“Glory to God in the highest heaven,</span><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="font-family: monospace; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Luke-2-14" style="position: relative;">and on earth peace<span class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-24988G" title="See cross-reference G">G</a>)"></span> to those on whom his favor rests.”</span></span><span class="versenum" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;">15 </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> </span></i></span></blockquote>
This is great news that will bring joy for all people! Even the angels in heaven rejoice and sing God's praises at proclamation of the Word! Why is such important news not first told to the leaders of the world? Or the teachers and Rabbis? Or the scribes? Even the Magi who visit Jesus in Mt2 follow a star but certainly don't mention choirs of angels singing. So why Shepherds who were most likely illiterate and unknowledgable about the world and definitely smelled like sheep? Because they are the most likely to listen! They are leaders to their flocks as Christ is leader to us. They heard the word of God and were humble enough to receive it. Someone like Herod, the King, we see finds out about Jesus and takes His birth as a threat. Oppositely, Jesus does take over the Shepherds' role and they accept that fully. He is the Good Shepherd who is a cause of great joy to all people. The Shepherds are willing to listen and therefore hear the Word.<br />
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Next is the Presentation of the Lord. Here, Joseph and Mary bring Jesus to the temple where an old man named Simeon sees Him. Simeon was told that he would not die until he saw the Messiah and when he sees Jesus he exclaims, "Now you can dismiss your servant in peace. You have fulfilled your word." Simeon says God has fulfilled His word because Jesus is God's Word! Seeing Jesus, his journey is complete. He had to wait until the appointed time, perhaps a longer wait than he wished for. But Simeon says nothing about that, he rejoices in finally seeing the Word made flesh in Christ.<br />
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And finally the finding in the temple. This was always my favorite mystery of the Rosary because it was a favorite bible passage. I'm fascinated by the young Jesus teaching and, in light of this reflection on the Word, I think the pattern fits that the last group to receive the Word is the learned. These wise rabbis are literally being school by a twelve year old and are completely astounded by His knowledge and teaching! They've studied the Mosaic law their entire lives and still a boy of 12 knows more than they do. That is because He is the Word of God, Jesus is the law! And what's truly beautiful, is in a young moment of humility, Jesus shows the rabbis He is subject to God's law by going back under the rule of Joseph and Mary. He does so to show a complete consistency in God's law, that even though He is God He subjects Himself to the guardianship of His Blessed Mother and foster Father.<br />
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There's probably a more eleqouant or deeper thought to be said about all this but since I'm posting it a day late let's just leave that for tomorrow!<br />
<br />Good night and God Bless,<br />
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~OCG</div>
One Catholic Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18392926680270353465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1388111806543159429.post-62531062558457912312014-05-22T19:27:00.001-07:002014-05-22T19:27:59.262-07:00ExhaustionTonight's joy is the exhaustion that comes from a good day's work. My back is right, my feet are sore, and my brain is too tired to write a post. <div><br></div><div>good night and God bless </div><div><br></div><div>~OCG</div>One Catholic Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18392926680270353465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1388111806543159429.post-58392006222592109702014-05-22T19:26:00.001-07:002014-05-23T18:20:13.336-07:00Thank you Service men and women!Today I wanted to make a short prayer of thanks for<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> veterans. It's fleet week in NYC and as I walked around today, talking to soldiers, sailors, and Vets as part of my new job for the next few days, I was astonished by their service and dedication to our country. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">What really shocked me is how young so many of the soldiers are! Many are several years younger than me and willing to serve until they're older than me. In face, the man who hired me for this temp job entered the army at 41 to serve his country! It's a level of dedication and bravery that we all should aspire to. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">As we come upon Memorial Day weekend, I want to pray for all men and women of the military who lay their lives on the line for us: for those who've died in service to their country, who have been unjustly mistreated back at home after defending our freedom, who are veterans changed in mind, body, and soul by their service, who are still serving across the world this day on active duty and reserves. And also we must pray for those loved ones, who worry about their spouses, sons and daughters, and parents constantly but at the same time are proud of these heroes. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">May God keep and bless all Servicemen and women, veterans, and military families!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Happy Memorial Day!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">~OCG</span></div>
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One Catholic Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18392926680270353465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1388111806543159429.post-15124865681681558482014-05-21T19:01:00.001-07:002014-05-21T19:01:24.038-07:00CollaborationTonight's post is a quick prayer of gratitude for collaboration and His gifts through connections we would never think about seeking. <div><br></div><div>I was just in a meeting for a collaborative creative project and ran into an old school friend I hadn't seen in many months. He asked if I was working and I said no. This friend was in a position to offer me a small temporary job which, through God's providence, should be able to hold me over for a small period of time. </div><div><br></div><div>God works in mysterious ways and He alone perfectly knows what we most need at any given moment. I thank God for this opportunity to work and am happy to be working on this new creative endeavor! </div><div><br></div><div>Back to the collaboration part though: I am thinking back to Genesis where God says, " it is not good for man to be alone". Why is that? Because man is made in the image and likeness of God. And God is a Trinity of persons. Man, by his nature, desires to be close to first God and then other people. </div><div><br></div><div>In collaborating, our own creativity is enhanced and made productive by joining in a dynamic relationship with our collaborators. The creative spirit of a project is shaped in a multi-fueled fire and becomes more unified as many voices meld into one new whole project. </div><div><br></div><div>That's not to say there are not often bad collaborations. Some projects falter and fail as personalities and ideas clash. But, at it's core, collaboration is a good that God gives us as a responsibility and a gift. The purpose of our collaboration,Ike a creative endeavors, should be self giving. An apt analogy may be the love of a husband and wife which is a total gift of self that yields new life. </div><div><br></div><div>If the point if collaboration is selfish it will fail. Much like the Tower of Babel which was man uniting to build themselves up, literally hoping to reach heaven by pride. That prideful effort collapsed as the tower did and the result was a division of men forevermore until they were again untied under one language by the power of the ultimate Creator in the Holy Spirit. </div><div><br></div><div>So I thank God for collaboration and the ability to work! </div><div><br></div><div>Until tomorrow,</div><div><br></div><div>good night and God bless </div><div><br></div><div>~OneCatholicGuy</div>One Catholic Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18392926680270353465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1388111806543159429.post-36705043255088859852014-05-20T13:44:00.001-07:002014-05-20T13:44:10.161-07:00Mustard and MulberryI was reading Fr. James Martin's <i>Between Heaven and Mirth</i> which so far is a wonderful read about joy, laughter, and humor in our spirituality. One short passage from the book mentioned that some of the phrases and parables Jesus said may have been funny to the ancient Jewish audience hearing it at the time. For example, pointing out the speck in your brother's eye when you have a wooden plank sticking out of yours. Fr. Martin says that we hear the stories so often we cannot hear them with fresh ears and don't see the obvious humor in some of the Lord's teachings. <br />
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With that in mind I went to the Bible and found a passage that always intrigued me but I never deeply reflected on. This is from Luke 17:5-6:<br />
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"And the apostles said to the Lord, 'Increase our faith'. The Lord replied, 'If you have fiath the size of a mustard seed you would say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.'"</blockquote>
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Now I'm not sure if there's exactly anything funny about a Mulberry tree since I only know Mulberry from Dr. Seuss and Little Italy street signs in NYC. What spoke to me about this passage was that the mustard seed is ridiculously small. You may have been passed one at a retreat or confirmation class some time but for reference its only yea big (see below)<br />
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That's either a tiny tiny seed or a giant hand. The apostles ask the Lord to increase their faith because He just told them some stuff that is really hard for humans to do: to resist sin, to care for the poor, to preach against divorce. Some themes we currently still are talking about in the Church. And the apostles think that they need more faith to be able to accomplish this. <br /><br />Jesus tells them that if they had even the smallest amount of faith they can do extraordinary things. The image of the Mulberry tree is pretty cool once I looked up what they are: </div>
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This is a mulberry tree which is pretty big. Looking through the <a href="http://www.veritasbible.com/commentary/catena-aurea/Luke_17:5-6" target="_blank">Catena Aurea</a> many of the Church fathers point out that this tree's fruit begins with a white flower and then turns red. Some say that tree represents the "Gospel of the cross" and the uprooting it into the sea is the Gospel being brought from just the Jews to the Gentiles. Others make a point that the tree is a symbol of the devil because it starts out with angelic white flowers as Lucifer did and then the fruit grows red and eventually an irredimable black. </div>
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<br />I don't know what it really means. The intriguing thing to me is that this metaphor comes on the heels of a series of difficult teachings. Maybe Jesus is asking the apostles to uproot their own misinterpretations and hang ups about his teachings and cast them away. <br /></div>
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The word for uprooted used here seems to be used mostly in the Bible for something being replaced by God or a human force acting for God because it's not according to His plan. Most are about treacherous people or bad plants being torn up. See the full list <a href="http://www.blueletterbible.org/search/search.cfm?Criteria=uprooted&t=NASB#s=s_primary_0_1" target="_blank">here</a>. The mulberry plant, possibly representing the devil or man's own sinful nature or hesitation to listen to Christ's Gospel, is uprooted and planted in the sea by the smallest of seeds, the mustard seed. </div>
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The joyful message for today is, as deficient, small, and miniscule as our faith may be, God can do great things with it! All it takes is the smallest faith in God and mountains will be moved (Mt17:20) and sin cast away from us. Mustard is small but persistent. It has a pungent and fervid flavor and once tasted it cannot be untasted. Get yourself a mustard seed today because God will reward your faith and make it more fruitful than any tree you could imagine.</div>
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~OCG</div>
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One Catholic Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18392926680270353465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1388111806543159429.post-52340472246048598202014-05-19T20:52:00.001-07:002014-05-19T20:52:51.853-07:00Change the ChannelJust a very quick post tonight: <div><br></div><div>The other day I was waiting to watch a new show I wanted to see. I went to the channel I thought it would be on, the channel I always thought was a certain network was instead a subsidary carrying some kind of movie that hasn't been doing it's ab exercises. Meaning it was softcore something or other. </div><div><br></div><div>I found the channel I was looking for after looking through the guide but I was reminded that sometimmes we gotta change the channel. Something we thought would be good for us, enjoyable, etc, turns up to be something harmful. And it surprises us. And that shock can yield enough curiousity to stay on that "channel" to see what is happening, maybe it isn't what we think at first. But yeah, no sometimes that situation is exactly what your gut tells you. </div><div><br></div><div>More importantly than following our gut is to follow our conscience. God gave us the gifts of intellect and free will as well as a conscience. There are times that it does nothing but harm us if we do not get out of a bad situation and change the channel. God will give you the grace to do that but you gotta build the virtue, find the clicker, to actually do it. </div><div><br></div><div>Let's find the remote, it's probably stuck in the cushions somewhere. </div><div><br></div><div>God love you!</div><div><br></div><div>~One Catholic Guy </div>One Catholic Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18392926680270353465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1388111806543159429.post-67870217736710282542014-05-18T19:52:00.002-07:002014-05-18T19:52:51.743-07:00Lazy SundayI wanted to apologize for not posting yesterday. I believe it is the first time since starting my 50 day project of daily posts that I have neglected to post anything at all. I did start a draft of a post but failed to complete it and almost failed to complete one today. I'm very sorry about that.<br />
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Today I will briefly talk about something I was excited about, focusing my energy on and failed to come through. A few days ago I decided to do a stand up comedy open mic. It's something I've been thinking about for a while and after the disappointment of not getting the job I anticipated early last week I figured I had nothing to lose. But I didn't dedicate enough time to writing material and tonight I chickened out before even leaving for the club. <br />
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So I'm a little disappointed in myself for that and I want to find a positive spin since this is Easter and there is much to be happy about stilL! I think where I find solace tonight was in today's Gospel reading. The apostles are kind of just not getting what Jesus is talking about (see my last <a href="http://onecatholicguy.blogspot.com/2014/05/do-you-not-understand.html" target="_blank">post</a>) and they are talking in a way that is focusing back on them, "How are we supposed to know the way?" "Show us the Father". It's all about them, and their experiences. In this case, it is their lack of understanding which is really caused by their lack of Faith. And that's what I'm experiencing too I guess.<br />
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Jesus is the answer to both Thomas and Philip's question as He is to mine. When I'm disappointed in myself for forgetting to blog or chickening out of standup because I'm too scared or not writing, beating myself up isn't going to help. Any time we reflect the issue back to ourselves it can indulge our pride and leave us alone, unproductive, thinking only of our inferiority. And our sucking shouldn't come as a surprise. We aren't perfect; we're only human. We'll fail, miss opportunities, hurt those we love. We err. But Jesus transforms that err into "Are" because He is one with the Father "I AM". <br />
<br />One line of the Gospel particularly stuck out to me:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Amen, amen, I say to you,</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">whoever believes in me will do the works that I do,</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">and will do greater ones than these, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">because I am going to the Father.” John 14:12</span></blockquote>
Though I failed in the works I wanted to do today, in Christ I can do great works for God. Not that my trying to do some comedy will be of any impact on the world but, through Jesus, it may be a part of spreading the Gospel. The works that Jesus says will be greater than those He showed the apostles I believe are the collective works of the members of the body of Christ, all of us. While God may have performed many extraordinary miracles through Peter and Paul and many apostles and saints, the daily work of all of God's people is truly a testimony to His love for us. <br />
<br />I believe in God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I have faith in God and trust that He will provide for me. And I also believe that He has imbued me, as He has every person, with a certain talents, dispositions, and creative energies. I pray now that though I failed today, in His grace tomorrow I may make that talent profitable for God. <br />
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God love you!<br />
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~One Catholic GuyOne Catholic Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18392926680270353465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1388111806543159429.post-77389599394108514892014-05-16T17:28:00.001-07:002014-05-16T17:28:32.652-07:00Do you not understand?I've found that as the fifty days of Easter continue, I'm finding it harder to post. Not because the joy of the season is over, or that there isn't any more Gospel to proclaim, but rather I find myself insufficent for the task. I apologize for the past two weeks of posts which have become less deep, a lot less funny, and not rooted in scripture. When you go to read a catholic blog, you deserve to see some catholic stuff on it and I feel I haven't done that properly lately. <div><br></div><div>So today, instead of another self inspired post, I'm starting with a quote. It's a long quote. In fact it is the entire Gospel reading for today, John 14:1-6:</div><div><br></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i>Jesus said to his disciples:<br>“Do not let your hearts be troubled. <br>You have faith in God; have faith also in me. <br>In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.<br>If there were not,<br>would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?<br>And if I go and prepare a place for you,<br>I will come back again and take you to myself,<br>so that where I am you also may be.<br>Where I am going you know the way.” <br>Thomas said to him, <br>“Master, we do not know where you are going;<br>how can we know the way?” <br>Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. <br>No one comes to the Father except through me.”</i></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i><br></i></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Jesus' message to us today is what He always tells us in the Gospel, "Be not afraid!" But this is a deeper level than fear, He's talking to us like a father addresses his children. Don't be troubled in your hearts, don't you know I will care for you? Don't you see that the Father and I are one? </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Jesus is one God with the Father and the Holy Spirit. He has promised the disciples He has prepared a place for them. It's really important to note that this Gospel begins directly after<i> </i>Jesus has told Peter that he will deny Jesus three times before the cock crows. And, also importantly, going back one line more the reason Jesus says Peter will deny Him is in response to Peter saying, "Why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thee." (Jn13:37-38)</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">By the time we get to the beginniing of this fourteenth chapter of John, Jesus and Peter have already discussed where Jesus is going several times. And now Jesus tells the disciples He is going ahead to prepare a place for them and "where I am going you know the way". This causes Thomas to say in either complete confusion or maybe even frustration that how are they to know the way? </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">It is at that moment that Jesus tells that "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Where Jesus is going is to the Father. He is about to die, descend into hell and raise from the dead to ascend to the Father in Heaven. He is the way to the Father, the truth, the Gospel message incarnate, and the life, the Resurrection. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">And this Gospel shows us how the apostles do not understand. In fact, just a few lines later, Philip asks Jesus to show him the Father. Jesus, about to go to His death, is maybe upset that they still don't get it. They know the Father in knowing Jesus. But, He knows the solution. Jesus says He will ask the Father to send down the Holy Spirit to remain with them. It is then that they may understand, when the Spirit of God dwells within them. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">I too feel like the apostles. I do not understand. My mind and heart are not united to Christ in the way I wish they were and I am far from the man I wish I would be. But God has confirmed His people in the Holy Spirit and we are to know the Father in Christ. What is lacking in us is completed and perfected in Jesus. May this night we come to God, quietely listening to hear His voice and love more as He loves. Pentacost is almost here, the Spirit stirs about the Church, ready to recreate us and make us more unified to God. Let us love Him greater tonight. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">God love you!</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">~OCG</span></div>One Catholic Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18392926680270353465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1388111806543159429.post-7809687414531492602014-05-15T20:53:00.001-07:002014-05-15T20:53:14.747-07:00Goodnight mom !I have only ten minutes to post as to not break the chain so I'll share a little thing my fiancée and I are doing this week. <div><br></div><div>To help decide our wedding day we are praying a rosary and asking for Mary's help deciding if this new day we have in mind is fitting for God's will. This new day we're considering is also a Marian feast vigil. </div><div><br></div><div>So far we both are leaning towards that day and I pray that we may dedicate our marriage in a special way to Mary and use the Holy Family as an inspiration for our love. </div><div><br></div><div>That's all for tonight! Reber to tell your Mother in heaven you love her and want to be more like her in an effort to love her Son even more!</div><div><br></div><div>good night and God bless!</div><div><br></div><div>~ OCG </div>One Catholic Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18392926680270353465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1388111806543159429.post-9876221672111730772014-05-13T14:47:00.001-07:002014-05-13T14:47:30.493-07:00Joy in DisappointmentToday started out very sad for me. After months of waiting to hear back from a company I'd interviewed with several times, and being told the prospects of a job were very good, I was informed that the position went to someone else. <div><br></div><div>After months of unemployment, this was the closest I had gotten to a full time job. This was the job I was hinging my future hopes on: the job I thought I may keep when I was married and the job that may launch my career. But it did not happen and that may be for the best. </div><div><br></div><div>Unemployment really does take a toll on you. It makes you feel worthless, empty, scared, and not good enough. That's how I felt this morning, "I'm not good enough. They didn't want me". Of course this extreemly personal statement of rejection is unwarranted and for the employer business is business. But in the moment you never can phrase it that way to yourself. And, even more untrue, is saying that you're worthless. Realizing this is a falsehood is what leads to today's joy. </div><div><br></div><div>The truth is that I am a person of value. I am a child of God: a human created in the image of the Father, reborn in the baptism of the Son's passion and resurrection, and confirmed in the Holy Spirit. My life is valuable because God says so. That's a lot more important than whatever job I may have not gotten today. God has made all of us because we all are valuable to Him, even the unemployed, the homeless, the undesirable to others. Especially them in fact. The Lord hears the cry of the poor and loves them as they give back to Him even out of their want. </div><div><br></div><div>During last Sunday's mass I was mediatating on Christ's wounds and the deep suffering he faced in His Passion. As the priest consecrated the Host and I saw the Blessed Sacrament raised above the altar, Body seperated from Blood, I reflected (as best as I could) on Christ's death. We don't neglect this now that we are in Easter. We don't consecrate all the hosts on Holy Thursday and leave out the sacrifice of the mass through the Easter season. No, in order to celebrate Easter weekly we still must remember Christ's suffering. Though He died only once, for His sacrifice is so complete and perfect no other sacrifice is necessary for salvation, we still remember His death every mass. </div><div><br></div><div>And so too does our suffering combine with Christ's in our struggles as members of His Body. My suffering is miniscule compared to other peoples. A few months unemployment is typical of many people nowadays and I am happy to be so blessed as to not be struggling even more financially. I have a home and a family and a fiancee who love and help me. I am truly grateful for these daily gifts God gives me. But I also need to thank Him for this suffering, for the burden of unemployment. For, in my life, this is a way I can share in the wounds of Christ. I will never be a martyr or a great hero of the Church but I strongly desire to lay down my life for God, and in this small way I can. All of our little sufferings are opportunities to share in the Passion of Our Lord. I am glad this day that my unemployment and this disappointment can be offered to Jesus and I hope this suffering finds profit in the salvation of a soul: one in purgatory, one here on earth, maybe even my own. </div><div><br></div><div>God, please bless those who are contintually unemployed this day. Especially those with families to support, those who are homeless, and those who are sick and in need of healthcare. May this small, obsolete sadness in my heart be but an atom in the drop of your Precious Blood that will restore them to true life in You. I offer this discouragment, disappointment, and all the feelings I have towards this current moment to You God that they may be made useful for the healing of a family, the reuniting of a person with the Church, or the salvation of a soul. </div><div><br></div><div>God Love you,</div><div><br></div><div>~OneCatholicGuy</div>One Catholic Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18392926680270353465noreply@blogger.com0