Meditation

In today’s Gospel, Mark recounts for us how the disciples came back to Jesus to share their experiences of healing and casting out demons in his name.  The first thing that Jesus says to them is “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” Mark 6:31

Jesus knew the importance of stepping away from a task in order to rest.  It is through rest that we are able to rise refreshed to continue the work of the day; the work that God has planned for us.

The opportunities for rest and relaxation are far and wide, however, I think that what Jesus wants for his disciples, the original twelve and all of us in the current era, is to find true spiritual rest.  Spiritual rest involves quieting our minds and setting the world aside for a time in order to hear God speak.  Long ago I learned the art of meditating; however, I have allowed the busy-ness of life to keep me from this spiritual gift.  Yoga has also been an outlet of spiritual rest for me which I have recently re-introduced to my life thanks to the Women’s Guild and the ladies who participated in Praying with the Body.

Every year, the Diocese of Youngstown Office of Religious Education offers those in parish ministry a retreat opportunity.  This year the retreat was held at Villa Maria Spiritual Center in Villa Maria, PA.  I feel so refreshed after spending a few days at the Villa.  First of all, the grounds are beautiful.  Nature itself affords us so many opportunities for retreat when we slow down enough to notice.  This was also very apparent at the Jesuit Spiritual Center.  Benches, Adirondack chairs, placed perfectly under trees, tucked away in quiet spaces beckoning you to come and sit and listen to God speak through nature.  Each facility also offered the labyrinth; a journey of walking with God.  Oh, what joy when you can push everything out of your mind and simply walk with God.

One session which I attended at the Villa was guided meditation.  Now, I may have shared this already, but the memory is so very clear I can’t help but talk with you about the experience.   I had really been struggling with the death of my mom.  I felt so far away from her being that she is in heaven and here I am still on the earth.  As Sister was preparing us for meditation, she asked us to find a word upon which we could focus.  As we took a breath, we were focus on the word.    After just three breaths, I was filled with such a bright light and piercing of my heart that I started to weep and nearly left the room.  The feeling was too intense for my human body to hold.  I stayed . . . breathed again . . . and let my spiritual being accept what God was showing me.  I exclaimed, “ah, there you are God!  There is my Mom, right there in my innermost being, the center of my heart.”  So, when I am weighed down by the tasks of the day, I take a breath; focus on my word; and find my God.

I pray that you can make time for retreat and encourage your children to do the same.  We will once again participate in the Kairos retreat for High School students held at Villa Maria in February and pray at the labyrinth in May.  I will be working this year to form adult retreat opportunities.

Until then, find a word; as you inhale focus on the word; as you exhale focus on the word.  Close your mind from everything but your breath and that word.  I pray that you will find God.

Shalom,

Tina

Mission Reflection

I am filled with hope for a bright future after spending two days serving God’s people in Cincinnati.  I could not be more proud of our teens, Tessa, Haley and Bridget who, along with 23 other teens from the Diocese of Youngstown, fed the hungry, gave drink to the thirsty, sheltered the homeless, clothed the naked and helped with disaster relief services.

In addition to mission work, each of the four days of the retreat began and ended with praise and worship.  It was beautiful to pray with these teens; to hear them praise God in both prayer and song.  A main focus as we began our retreat Monday was to help us become one despite coming from seven parishes.  We experienced a few team building games right at the start to help us get to know one another.  When we shared our first meal and had our first “free” time, I noticed that we tended to stay with our own community.  I admit that I was a little worried about 23 teenagers having the freedom to do as they please while we chaperones had our first meeting.  Not one teen wondered beyond the boundaries set by the Jesuit team; quite the contrary; within a short time, nearly all the teens were engaged in a game of volleyball.  What a sight it was for me to walk outside and see such bonding within a few short hours.  From this moment on, teens sat and prayed and worked alongside each other as if they had grown up together.

In reflecting upon this bonding, I wondered if this is what is was like in the early Christian communities.  As the disciples were sent “two by two” into the world to proclaim to good news, heal and drive out demons in the name of Jesus Christ, I suspect that those they ministered to kept to themselves at first.  Just like our teens, once they came to know Jesus and were willing to answer the call to love one another, they would have been compelled to join together.  For it is the love of Jesus Christ that binds us and this love serves as a catalyst to do great things.

I experienced many touching moments.  One of the places in which I was blessed to serve was Mary Rose Mission.  Their motto is “to love as God loves.”  Every volunteer we worked with not only provided food for the hungry, they made sure that every guest who crossed the threshold knew that they were loved because God loves.  I was especially touched when a little girl came running in and into the arms of team leader Cindy.  Her laughter was contagious.  The guests did not walk into a soup kitchen; they walked into a loving home environment where the love of God and friends welcomed them in to share a warm meal.  I can’t stop smiling with the thought of it and also cannot wait to extend this same warmth at St. Vincent DePaul.

We concluded the four days with the celebration of Eucharist.  I share with you the video of one of my favorite songs that we prayed throughout our experience: https://youtu.be/3gpU15nVe4Q  (This video is hosted by the St. William YouTube Channel.)

Humble thyself before the Lord.  Walk in his ways.  “Love as God loves.”

Shalom,

Tina

Strength from the Lord

I may have shared with you this story before, so please bear with me as I once again reflect upon the moment that I first recognized God calling me to service as an adult.

I believe the year was 1991.  I was a mother of a 2 year old and a 10 month old at the time.   Sister Yvonne stood at the ambo and announced that she was being transferred.  Sister had been nudging me for a few years to become involved in religious education but I kept saying no way, I was

working fifty to sixty hours a week and was a new mother.  When she made the announcement that she was leaving I felt it was more than Sr. Yvonne nudging me, I finally realized that it was God who was calling me.   I remember the moment like it was yesterday.  We were singing “Here I Am Lord”; I was staring at the face of Christ in our mosaic, and just like Ezekiel

"As the LORD spoke to me, the spirit entered into me and set me on my feet.”   Ezekiel 2:2

From that moment on, I was no longer satisfied working in the secular world ~ I felt I had to work for the Church.  It has taken me a long 20 years to actually officially “work” for the church but during those twenty years my life has been so full of learning, volunteering at both our parish and our Catholic school, and best of all, teaching religious education.  I LOVE TEACHING!  My heart is on fire to share my love of Jesus with others.  I have been blessed with mentors like Sr. Mary Cora, Margaret McCarthy, Carol Potts, Fran Ray, Theresa White and Mary Pytlik to name a few.

The road has not been easy and what I have come to appreciate is that it is not supposed to be easy.  I have found that the biggest obstacle has been my own worry of whether I am smart enough or clever enough or liked by others.  I have beaten myself up countless times because I never finished college.  I have come to understand that this is all rubbish!  We listen today to the words of St. Paul as he talks with the people of Corinth and I am reminded that all I need is my total reliance on my savior, Jesus Christ, for he assures me,

    

     “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.”  2 Corinthians 12:9a

So, I continue to forge ahead, to accept my many human weaknesses, but I am strengthened by the sure knowledge that “when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:10b because in my weakness, I automatically turn to God, the source of my strength.

Be weak my friends.  Be weak enough to surrender pride and ambition and find true strength in the grace of God!

Shalom,

Tina

Mission

http://www.ignatianspirituality.com/what-is-ignatian-spirituality

As I write this blog, I am anxiously awaiting my very first “mission” trip with teens from our parish.  We leave first thing Monday morning and have two days of serving the people of God in Cincinnati.  I already feel like this is not enough and I have not even packed my bag!  I have been drawn to this type of work since I was little, but here I sit; 51 years old and finally have the courage to venture beyond my backyard to serve God’s people. When I was reaching out to teens to join this mission experience, I thought of looking up the definition of the word mission.  Here is what Google has to say: mis·sionnoun1.  an important assignment carried out for political, religious, or commercial purposes, typically involving travel. "a trade mission to Mexico" synonyms:  assignment, commission, expedition, journey, trip, undertaking, operation

2.  the vocation or calling of a religious organization, especially a Christian one, to go out into the world and spread its faith.  "the Christian mission"

synonyms:  vocation, calling, goal, aim, quest, purpose

I shared with teens that “we will embark on an important assignmentof helping those in need  . . . spreading faith not by word but by our action!”

In looking back on these words, I realize that to me, mission is more of a verb rather than a noun.  It is the action of being the hands and feet of Christ and carrying out his call to be a servant to others.  Our scripture study group has been talking about service to others as we have studied the Gospel according to Mark.  Mark continually shows us that Jesus lived out his love of the Father by serving others even to death.  Jesus calls us to honor the Father in both our words and deeds. 

Please keep our group in your prayers this week as we join 35 others and travel to Cincinnati.  Know that we will pray for the good people of Saint William and together let us remember that we are called to be a light to each other and to the world.

Shalom,

Tina

Honor Thy Father

Happy Father’s Day! My prayers are with those of you who may be celebrating this Father’s Day without the earthly presence of your Dad.  I remember the first Father’s Day that we celebrated without Charlie, my dear father-in-law.  It was a bittersweet day but we did celebrate because he filled our life with joy, and discipline and taught us how to be men and women of honor!  We continue to celebrate his life.  May you find comfort in the sure knowledge that your father is celebrating this day with our heavenly Father!

This day marks another first for my family as Dad faces his first Father’s Day without his beloved Rose.  I have been thinking about this quite a bit since Mother’s Day.  Often you hear husbands or wives say about their spouse, “he/she is not my mother/father” when it comes to honoring their spouse on this day set aside for parents.  My parents did not fall for this notion and neither do I.  Today I not only honor my Dad but my husband, the father of my five children.  I have been wrestling with how my Dad is struggling to now be a single parent and this brings me a little closer to grasping the hard task that so many parents face in the current era.  My heart goes out to all of you Dads and Moms who have to fill both roles.  May God give you the strength that you need as you raise up his children.

Since I have been thinking of Mother’s Day and Father’s Day so much, I got to thinking of how symbolic that Sunday was the day of the week chosen for these honors.  That thought led me to think of the Trinity and parenthood which I had never thought of before.  I came upon this revelation:  Mother and God the Holy Spirit, the one sent to give courage and strength, the advocate!  Father and God the Father; the creator, the bearer of rules and consequences.  Celebrated on Sunday – God the Son – the day set aside to celebrate new life in Christ’s resurrection – the Son – who brings us forgiveness and healing and eternal life.  A good parent needs to embody the traits of each person of the trinity.

We must each strive for these traits and honor each other.  As we honor our fathers this day, let us remember to also honor our God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  More importantly, let us remember that this honor should be given every day of the year!

I cannot close without wishing the father of our parish, Father Balash, a happy birthday!  Thank you for being a good shepherd to us all.

Shalom,

Tina

One Nation under God

I am not a political activist by any stretch of the imagination, and I do not want this blog to become a place to vent political views.  However, on this the day that our nation sets aside to honor the Flag of the United States of America, I feel compelled to talk about this “one nation, under God.”

Our Little Rock Scripture Study group had nice healthy conversation concerning our nation recently in studying the Gospel according to Mark.  The scripture verse that sparked the conversation is this:

“Whose image and inscription is this?” Mark 12:16  

You know the story ~ the Pharisees and Herodians are trying to trick Jesus in stating his allegiance to God or Caesar.    Jesus answers by saying:

“Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”  Mark 12:17

I have always viewed this as a statement from Jesus that it is proper to serve God and country.  In reflecting upon this passage of scripture and the commentary which accompanied the study, I have a more full understanding of what Jesus was trying to say.  Here is what Marie Noonan Sabin has to say in the New Collegeville Bible Commentary:

     “There is more at stake than money.  Mark shows Jesus using language that would have reminded his audience of the most important verse in Genesis: ‘God created human beings in God’s image’ (1:27).

     What the response implies is this:  Caesar’s image may be on the coin, but God’s image is inscribed on every human being.  Jesus’ response is first of all a theological one.  The theological answer, moreover, touches the core of Mark’s Gospel, because Mark has shown Jesus himself to be the image of God.”

If we as Christians believe in this fundamental root of our faith; that we are made in the image and likeness of God, then we must remember that “God’s image is inscribed on every human being.”  It seems to me in our efforts to keep the separation of Church of State, we have somehow allowed there to be a separation of God and humanity.

The flag that flies over every government building, covers the casket of a fallen soldier, is handed to a grieving spouse or child of a veteran once represented a nation that honored God.  Sadly, I fear that this is no longer the case.  I recently read an article given to me from the Tribune Chronicle titled “The decline of Christian America.”  It is a startling slap in the face to me of what our nation has become.  We seem to have failed, my fellow Americans, to teach our children to love God with their whole heart, their whole mind, their whole soul.

Let us look in the mirror every morning and remember that we are inscribed with the image of God.   Let us look at our neighbor and remember they are inscribed with the image of God.  Let us stand from sea to shining sea and honor our God, for it is He who created the majesty of the mountains and oceans white with foam.  May he mend our every flaw and shine his grace upon us.

Shalom,

Tina

The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

When I hear the word Eucharist, so many different images come to my mind.  First and foremost is of course, Holy Communion.  As a Catholic, I firmly believe that Jesus works through the Holy Spirit and common bread and wine truly become the body and blood of Jesus; holy gifts for God’s holy people.  Through scripture, we know that Jesus declared “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”  John 6:35.  While I believe with my whole heart that Jesus nourishes me through Eucharist, I find that the more I believe this to be true, the more I hunger for justice; the more I thirst for knowledge; the more I want others to believe in this wondrous miracle, this perfect sacrifice offered for all.  I long for the day when all Christians come to believe in the real presence of Christ in Holy Communion.

During the Liturgy of the Eucharist, I love to listen to the eloquent prayers offered by the priest.  The words are rich in meaning and echo the words spoken by Jesus when he shared his last Passover meal with his friends.  I hang on to the words “do this in memory of me.”  I am often asked why I go to church so often.  My answer is so simple, “because Jesus asked me to.”  He asked me to remember him – to remember his sacrifice.

Just as Jesus took the bread, offered thanksgiving to the Father, blessed it, broke it and shared it with others; so too does he take me by the hand every time I celebrate this holy meal.  He thanks God for me ~ he blesses me ~ he breaks me open so that I can receive him ~ then he beckons me to go forth and share him with others.

I share this good news with you my friends.  Jesus lives through the good deeds that you and I do in his name.  Let us share this communion ~ this common belief ~ and through our Eucharist ~ our thanksgiving ~ let us give flesh to Jesus by being his hands and his feet and bring peace to this world in memory of him!

Shalom,

Tina