Send Me An Angel

Enchantment with the supernatural is not something new to our modern age.

The human person remains in a state of conflict, of turmoil. Within each person there is a unity but a separateness. Each person is part material, part immaterial; part visible, part invisible; part flesh, part spirit.

The spirit longs to know and to be known; it seeks to love and to be loved. Human beings, by our very nature, are social beings. We seek communication and relationship.

So what does all this have to do with angels?

Everything.

Angels, as “servants and messengers of God,” aid us on a daily basis. We live in communion with them through the common “Object” of our knowing and loving, namely God Himself.

336 From its beginning until death, human life is surrounded by their watchful care and intercession.202 “Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life.”203 Already here on earth the Christian life shares by faith in the blessed company of angels and men united in God.

202 Cf. Mt 18:10; Lk 16:22; Ps 34:7; 91:10-13; Job 33:23-24; Zech 1:12; Tob 12:12.
203 St. Basil, Adv. Eunomium III, I: PG 29,656B.

God sends each of us an angel. They are our companions in this life and will remain so in the next.

Many of us seek “signs” of God’s presence in our lives. We want to know that we are loved, that God cares.

The fact is God, in His love for us, has never allowed us to be alone. In addition to His awesome presence in the Eucharist and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit; God has sent each of us an angel to protect us, to guide us, to be our friend.

Today let us call to mind the words of the Guardian Angel Prayer:

Angel of God,
my guardian dear,
To whom God’s love
commits me here,
Ever this day,
be at my side,
To light and guard,
Rule and guide.
Amen.

May God bless you and keep you.

All Things St. Joseph

On the Solemnity of St. Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary I thought it appropriate to pay tribute to my patron saint and the patron of this Average “Catholic” Joe blog.

Joseph passes through the Gospel without our hearing him utter as much as a single word. He is not on record as having written a single line. None of the things he did seem to have exceeded the limits of the most common actions. He appears to have been – to use an overworked modern expression – a man without a message….

His figure could, in a certain sense then, appear to the eyes or in the estimation of some as that of the man-in-the-street, so ordinary that little could usefully be said of him tho those who would come after. Those who think in this way are perhaps to be found among the regrettably too many who nowadays employ in their judgment inadequate criteria having only short term values. They make their assessments by following some conventional guidelines which are based more on appearance than on reality, more on popular opinion than on absolute and true values. In other words, more importance is placed on worldly rankings than on supernatural criteria. People are in consequence judged not for what they are, not even for what good they have done but only by certain ‘achievements’ which, it has been previously decided, are to be classified as meritorious or worth recognizing with acclaim.

It is not surprising then, that using such fashionable criteria with little or no supernatural dimension to them and in general lacking in any depth, the figure of Joseph is a little hazy and indistinct, and apparently deficient in personality. Men of our time do not see the figure of Joseph as sufficiently interesting to consider it worth a more detailed examination. With such criteria an unexciting man, a village craftsman who never seems to have made an utterance of any importance, who never made anything worth preserving, could be quite respectable and a good man. But life is too short for us to reflect on all the good men there have been in the world. There are more urgent, more useful, more necessary and more important things to get on with.

By the world’s standards, that God chose this man to take custody of the two greatest treasures – Jesus and Mary – who have ever been on earth, does not count for much. This can certainly be one of the reasons which allows one confidently to assert that such criteria are of this world and consequently superficial. For this very reason such criteria will always fall short of practical usefulness for a christian who really is what his name indicates – a disciple of Christ. A disciple of Christ can never accept anything at its face value….

For a christian who believes in Jesus Christ, who believes that Jesus is true God and true Man, that God choose Joseph as Our Lady’s spouse and the legal father of Jesus, is sufficient reason for him to feel that perhaps Joseph was not, after all, such an ordinary man as he seems.

– Joseph of Nazareth, pgs 13-16

Thus Fr. Federico Suarez begins his masterful work on the life of our beloved patron, St. Joseph.

My mother, from an early age, instilled in me a great love for and devotion to St. Joseph. Being the son of a craftsman, and a craftsman myself, I quickly grew to love St. Joseph the Worker, an attribute of St. Joseph of such importance that it merits a feast day of its own on May 1.

Unlike my patron, I am not the model of “few words” nor have I been, even remotely, as ready to do what the Father asks of me. Yet, at least now, I try to imitate him, to learn from him.

Here are 7 things St. Joseph is teaching me:

1. The extraordinary is found in the ordinary – I have to make the best of what abilities God has given me. It is not necessary for me to “shine” before men, but to be able to give an account to God for the talents He has given me.
2. Silence is golden – St. Joseph shows me that there is a silence which is beneficial. It is a silence that is not preoccupied with self or “other” things, but rather a silence fully occupied with God and His will, a silence that is focused on the interior life, a silence that listens.
3. Authenticity is found in acceptance – I’m just another “bozo” on the bus. I don’t have to strive to be more important than I am. I shouldn’t wish to be, or appear to be, other than who I am. I must strive to avoid being fake and accept who I am.
4. Pursue “true” justice – St. Joseph is called in Scripture a just man, i.e. he acted with justice. I have to give to each person what is his due, this includes God. Therefore, I strive to acknowledge that all I have, all I am, I have received from God. Strive becomes the active word here, I fall short daily, but I strive.
5. Before I act I should reflect – Right solutions are not arrived at “on impulse, on a hunch, or on an instinctive or precipitate reaction…He reflects who really wants to find a solution or longs to do what he ought” (pgs 60-61).
6. Chastity is necessary, especially in marriage – The Catechism of Catholic Church states:
   

   2337 Chastity means the successful integration of sexuality within the person and thus the inner unity of man in his bodily and spiritual being. Sexuality, in which man’s belonging to the bodily and biological world is expressed, becomes personal and truly human when it is integrated into the relationship of one person to another, in the complete and lifelong mutual gift of a man and a woman.

   The virtue of chastity therefore involves the integrity of the person and the integrality of the gift.

   In marriage, the sexual instinct is not given free rein. Too many in this modern age are of the opinion that “all is fair game” in the bedroom of the married couple. St. Joseph, and the Church, teaches me that respect for my wife, makes necessary the proper use of our sexuality. It cannot become a means of purely selfish gratification.

   If respect is lost, both for oneself and for one’s spouse, love will begin to die at the hands of an egoism which seeks only personal gratification. A man, even when married, has always to be master of his instincts and not ever at their mercy. – Joseph of Nazereth, pg. 74

7. Fatherhood demands the complete gift of self – This is never easy for me, but necessary. St. Joseph is the model. He shows me that fatherhood doesn’t mean just making sure the bills are paid, the kids have college funds, nor that the family is best-dressed, best-fed, best-housed. He shows me that fatherhood, first and foremost, entails spiritual headship. I have to strive to be a virtuous man. I have to be the living, breathing model of faith, hope, and charity for my family. I have to show them that true happiness is found in self-denial rather than self-assertion. Again, this isn’t easy for me. It can become “all about me” rather quickly. What is important, in those moments, is that I am able to admit that I was wrong and make amends. I must be in the business of trying.

In closing, I’d like to share a prayer to St. Joseph that is important to me.

Act of Consecration to St. Joseph
O dearest St. Joseph, I consecrate myself to your honor and give myself to you, that you may always be my father, my protector and my guide in the way of salvation. Obtain for me a greater purity of heart and fervent love of the interior life. After your example may I do all my actions for the greater glory of God, in union with the Divine Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. O Blessed St. Joseph; pray for me, that I may share in the peace and joy of your holy death. Amen.

May St. Joseph be with you and your family and lead you ever closer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Suffering From Anxiety? Try Faith, Hope, and Love

Why do we become anxious?

What exactly is anxiety?

These are questions worth pondering.

Wikipedia offers this:

Anxiety is a psychological and physiological state characterized by somatic, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral components. The root meaning of the word anxiety is ‘to vex or trouble’; in either the absence or presence of psychological stress, anxiety can create feelings of fear, worry, uneasiness and dread. Anxiety is considered to be a normal reaction to stress…

So, to a certain extent, anxiety is normal, right? At least, that’s what modern psychology tells us.

As a Catholic, i.e. a follower of Jesus Christ, I find it necessary to bounce things like this off Him. Jesus has this to say about anxiety:

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O men of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, `What shall we eat?’ or `What shall we drink?’ or `What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.

Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day’s own trouble be sufficient for the day.”Matt 6:25-34 (RSV)

Wow! So Jesus is telling us not to be anxious about: (1) our lives, (2) what we’re to eat, (3) what we’re to drink, (4) our bodies, (5) what we’re to wear, (6) tomorrow.

First, implementing Jesus’ message here takes a lot of faith and I think that’s His point. In the preceding passage Jesus says:

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. Matt 6:24

If I serve God and am devoted to Him why wouldn’t I trust Him? Well, for starters, I’m human and a sinner. My faith-life experience is kind of like a T-shirt I heard about:

They say I have ADHD, can you believe it? OH LOOK A BALLOON!

I think I’m serving God, that I trust in Him completely…then the car breaks down, I lose a job, a family member gets sick or dies, I don’t get something I thought I needed…

Would the real Joe please step forward! That’s right…I press forward with my will. I feel like I need to be in control or like the sky is falling.

I’m getting better at reminding myself that feelings aren’t facts, that I’m not in charge, that I need a Savior, but I certainly don’t live any of these principles perfectly. Like the boy’s father in Mark’s Gospel I pray:

“I believe; help my unbelief!” Mark 9:24

Our Lord points to this crisis of faith in Matt 6:30, when He uses the phrase men of little faith. Yeah, that’s me.

So could there be more? Could something help my weak faith?

Dr. Scott Hahn, in his book First Comes Love, states:

We need not search far for other reassurances. Take, for example, the hope we have by God’s grace. “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for,” says Heb 11:1. Yet I believe that hope is the most neglected of the three theological virtues. Many Catholics find themselves burdened with a faith that is devoid of hope. Often, they disdain hope because they have wrong ideas about what it is. Perhaps they’ve confused it with mere “wishful thinking” – “I hope I win the lottery! I hope my team wins the World Series.”

Some hopes are unlikely, and some are impossible. But some hopes are quite reasonable. When I hope to see my friend Dan, who lives across the country. I call my travel agent. I get on a plane…And I have good grounds to hope that I’ll see my friend.

In faith, we have more assurance, and more realistic assurance, that we’ll get what we hope for-more reasons than I have when I step on that plane. We have God’s oath…“So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of His purpose, He interposed with an oath….We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul… (Heb 6:17,19)

…”Yeah, that’s all well and good,” you might say,…”What’s in this for me?”

It’s all in there for you, because God has sworn an oath to you. Remember, the Latin word for “oath” is sacramentum-“sacrament.” God has given you oath after oath, sacrament after sacrament, so that you’d never be afraid, never be anxious, never doubt His fatherly care. (pgs. 169=170)

So the answer lies in the hope I receive in the sacraments. It’s not a matter of if God will take care of me and meet my needs, He does take care of me, He does meet my real needs.

In Baptism, Confirmation, and, in an on-going way, in Confession, He clothes me in His Grace and Mercy; in Holy Communion, He feeds and refreshes me, spiritually and physically; in the Anointing of the Sick, He attends to my body as well as my soul; and in Matrimony (Holy Orders for others), He provides direction for my life.

Lastly, the answer lies in LOVE. When I love, when I get out of myself, I find that I’m not as anxious about my wants and needs. I become soulish, not selfish. It’s not all about me.

Mother Teresa once said:

“Do not think that love in order to be genuine has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired. Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.”

I have to love in the present moment, in the now. It is what lasts. With St. Paul, I remind myself, that faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

So when I get anxious I must remember the words of Jesus, echoed through the centuries in the lives of His saints. I’ll close with another Mother Teresa saying,

“Let nothing perturb you, nothing frighten you. All things pass. God does not change. Patience achieves everything.”

Words to remember.

A final note: This post in no way is meant to minimize the suffering of those who have been diagnosed with clinical anxiety. My heart goes out to them and, if anything, maybe this reflection will serve as a form of self-therapy in addition to the treatment they are already receiving.

May God bless you and keep you.

Becoming Like A Child

Kids long for affirmation.

As a parent, I have to be mindful of this need. Whether by commenting on a picture they are coloring or lifting them up when they successfully complete a lap around the yard I strive to fulfill their need for attention and praise.

Whenever life gets hectic or I “zone out” on some project and forget about this need, they come in search of it. Both of our children will come and try to show Daddy what they are doing or call out to me to take notice. They generally are not satisfied until I look and make some comment of approval or tell them how awesome they are.

Isn’t this how our relationship with God should be? Shouldn’t we be running to Him seeking His delight?

We know that Christ demands child-like faith of us (Matt 18:3). We know that we are to “ask…seek…knock” (Matt 7:7), but how often do we actually do it?

I find that if I’m not turning to the Father in prayer on a daily basis I forget my need for God. I become self-reliant, the poster boy for self-will run riot. It never ceases to amaze me.

I have to be like a child, constantly looking back to see if Daddy is watching me, approving of what I’m doing, and leading me on.

In prayer I ask for His Will to be done in my life. I make a decision to turn my will over to the care of God. But decisions require action. I have to spot-check myself throughout the day.

Is this God’s will or my will? Will this please God my Father?

As I run this lap around the yard of life, I should constantly be looking to the Father for His approval, for His delight. I must become who He has created me to be. With Jesus I pray:

Not my will, but thine, be done (Luke 22:42).

One of my favorite lines comes from the movie, Chariots of Fire when Eric Liddell says:

I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure.

Today, may I seek the Father’s pleasure.

Restless, Irritable, and Discontent

Christmas time, for our family, in addition to being the celebration of our dear Savior’s birth, is that special occasion when everyone gets together to share the holiday cheer.

I am the oldest of six children, three of us are married with children of our own. All twelve of the grandchildren are under the age of 11, so our family gatherings can be quite “active”…okay, flat-out chaotic! A house full of dynamic personalities all going a hundred miles an hour. It can go from being a blast to a disaster in a matter of minutes.

As the evening wore on, I grew more and more restless, irritable, and discontent. I was craving ease and comfort but couldn’t find either. I became short with my wife, impatient with the kids, and eager to retreat to the security of sleep. By the time we reached home, I had completely lost the Christmas spirit. As I went to sleep I asked God to show me what on earth was wrong with me. When I awoke the next day it dawned on me…

I still think that I’m the director and that everything revolves around me.

I recalled the words of a friend of mine – “If I’m not the problem, there is no solution!”

I quietly said the Serenity Prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971):

God, grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference.

With that the fog lifted. I understood that I can only change me. Out of the chaos came clarity:

I’m still a mess, and I still need a Savior.

Thank God for Christmas!

Wishing You A Merry Christmas!

May the Holy Family find a place in your home.

May Christmas this year be a time of peace, joy, and love for you and your family.

Here are a couple Christmas day prayers I am particularly fond of:

Moonless darkness stands between.
Past, the Past, no more be seen!
But the Bethlehem star may lead me
To the sight of Him Who freed me
From the self that I have been.
Make me pure, Lord: Thou art Holy;
Make me meek, Lord: Thou wert lowly;
Now beginning, and always,
Now begin, on Christmas day.

(By Gerard Manley Hopkins, 1844-1889.)

Prayer for Christmas Dawn

Almighty God and Father of light, a child is born for us and a son is given to us. Your eternal Word leaped down from heaven in the silent watches of the night, and now your Church is filled with wonder at the nearness of her God. Open our hearts to receive his life and increase our vision with the rising of dawn, that our lives may be filled with his glory and his peace, who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.

Merry Christmas!

Act of Consecration to St. Joseph

A key part on the daily, practical application of my Catholic faith is my prayer routine. Here’s a prayer that I say during my morning prayer time.

O dearest St. Joseph, I consecrate myself to your honor and give myself to you, that you may always be my father, my protector and my guide in the way of salvation. Obtain for me a greater purity of heart and fervent love of the interior life. After your example may I do all my actions for the greater glory of God, in union with the Divine Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. O Blessed St. Joseph; pray for me, that I may share in the peace and joy of your holy death. Amen.