Welcome Message

Welcome to my blog about Catholic life and family values.
This blog will center around the beauty of Catholicism and how to raise families, evangelize our faith, and fight the ongoing spritual battles that challenge us daily.

You are invited to share your wisdom on these pages with all the readers. Together we will address important life and faith issues and how to enhance our Catholic identity.

Key areas that you will find me addressing regularly will be about important Catholic doctrine and beliefs and how they help us raise strong Catholic Christian families. My hope is that you will learn, enjoy, and be challenged by my posts. You may be informed, amused, or even annoyed, but I hope it will in some way improve your Catholic faith.



Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Friendship

This past weekend I had my annual opportunity to hang out with twelve of my high school buddies for a long weekend of golf, food, and fellowship. We’ve been doing this for twelve years now and as we get older I realize how important friendship is. We play five rounds of golf over three days and that is the “reason” we get together. But, I couldn’t help but think as we all sat for several meals together about other more important things.

For at least two evenings, there were twelve of us sitting around one large dinner table sharing food, memories, and laughs. Ironic that this is the same number of apostles that sat and ate with Jesus on a regular basis. For just a short time that hit me. Those apostles were men just like us. They were friends who experienced many highs, lows, and just regular days following Christ for three years. I wondered about their meals together and the food, memories, and laughs they all shared. Granted, they didn’t play golf together, but fishing can certainly be a great topic of conversation around a dinner table, too! Even though Jesus was not physically at our table with us this weekend as he was with the apostles, I knew he was there with us in spirit. One of God’s greatest gifts that He blesses us is with is the gift of friendship. I was fortunate to receive a lot of that this weekend…and probably WAY too much food!

How often do you get a chance to share time with friends during your busy schedule? Is it as much as you’d like? I urge you to take some time and think about friends that you don’t see on a regular basis, or that you haven’t seen in a long time. In today’s technological world, God has also given us a gift of ease of communication with cell phones, e-mail, and even text messaging (which I still don’t know how to use). Consider taking a moment to make contact; it may make someone’s day.

Of course, the preferable way to have fellowship is in person. And, there is a special bond when it is shared with a meal. Breaking bread together has long been a standard reason to get together and share time. We do it all the time today – meeting friends or business associates for lunch, eating a family dinner, AND at every Mass we eat our most important meal with our best friend. Next time you have the chance to eat a meal and share time with family and friends, take a moment to think about Jesus being in your presence and sharing it with you. He is there at every meal and calls us to join him personally at each Mass.

Monday, July 23, 2007

Mary Magdelene

OK...I'm off and running with my first post. I'll say a special prayer at Adoration for everyone who answers this post and let's me know what they think!

Sunday (July 22) was the Feast Day for St. Mary Magdelene. Of course, since it was a Sunday, we didn't celebrate it. I was fortunate to have a Holy Hour Sunday evening to say a short prayer to her. Mary Magdelene was a loyal follower of Jesus'...maybe the most loyal. She accompanied Christ all the way to the cross alongside Our Blessed Mother, while all the other disciples except St. John fled. She is a wonderful example of true discipleship and friendship. Do we show this level of friendship to Jesus or do we flee when the going gets tough?

If you'd been at my house the last month or so, you'd have heard me whine about my early morning Saturday holy hour. It's a tough hour and I've struggled with it. Something happened last night though as I prayed to Mary Magdelene. It was as if I heard her say, "Dan, it's not always easy to be a disciple of Jesus. In fact, it's often very difficult." My response, "Yeah, especially at this hour. You don't need your sleep anymore!" I think I heard her chuckle and respond, "I know, but I've been down that road; one that was even rockier!"

"Hmm, I guess it's like taking the narrow road, right?" I heard her reply, "Yes, that's right."

As much as I didn't want to hear that, I knew in my heart that she was right. What discomforts she must have faced walking with our Lord? I realize now that Jesus will let me know when it's time for a change on that hour. Until then, it's mine to guard the best I can.

We can all learn from the lessons of Mary Magdelene, who was a notorious sinner turned penitent follower. The road is sometimes hard, but the rewards are worth it. What can you look at in your life and find you must endure for the glory of God? Is there something you've been struggling with and know in your heart that maybe, just maybe, the challenge is a temptation? I urge you to spend some time in prayer, especially in front of the Blessed Sacrament. You too may hear a voice in your head gently leading you.