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

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

Father, Son and Holy Spirit – the Most Holy Trinity – our awesome GOD. 

I like to use the metaphor of water in trying to teach second grade students this mystery of the Trinity.  To describe God the Father, we (my partner teachers) have the students think of flowing water.  We ask the following questions:  What makes up most of the earth?  WATER.  What is the one thing that the human body needs to survive?  WATER. God is as vast as the oceans, he “reigns” down from heaven, and we cannot live without him.

Maid in the Trinity ~www.catholicworldart.com

To describe God the Son, we get an ice cube.  We talk about how humans could not grasp God as the Father, just as we cannot hold liquid water in our hand.  So God the Father asked God the Son if he would leave heaven and become man.  The Son obeyed and for a time, humanity was given the gift of being able to touch God – physically touch him – a solid being and yet divine.  We could not hold on to him forever, for just as an ice cube melts in your hand and returns to liquid water, the Son had to return to heaven.

The Spirit was next and while the Spirit of God is promised all throughout scripture, the Son promised again that he would send an advocate.  We put the ice cube in a steamer and watch the steam rise to get an idea of the Spirit, a vapor, mysterious – you can pass your and through it but you cannot grasp hold of it.  Steam has the power to put things into motion just and the Spirit gives us strength when we need help.

This lesson may seem a little simple but oh, to see the students try to hold a cup of water in their hand, have them hold an cold ice cube – feel the smooth texture of it and watch it evaporate into steam is a remarkable thing to witness.  We can learn so much when we remember to marvel at the simplest things, when we remember that no matter what our age, we are children of God.

“The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.”                                                                                                                                                                                              Romans 8:16-17

Glory to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; to God who is, who was, and who is to come.

Revelations 1:8

Shalom,

Tina

The Feast of Pentecost

I love the color red!  It is so vibrant and strong.  It is no wonder that red is the color chosen to represent the Spirit.  Last week I shared with you my prayer for the mystery of the Rosary, the Ascension.  Here is my prayer from Kennedy Prays for the third Glorious Mystery of the Rosary:

The Descent of the Spirit

I have learned that You keep the promises You make. Our covenant is sealed by the grace

and strength of the Holy Spirit. It is a strength that I cannot explain but I know that I am

ready to go forth and spread the good news of Your life and work! I have the strength to

proclaim that You, my Jesus, are the Son of God – the chosen one – My Savior! Hallelujah!

Have you ever felt strength beyond what you can explain as your own?  Have you ever had the power to do something that you did not think you could possibly do?  That strength comes from the Spirit of God.  Jesus did not leave us alone, he sent an advocate, the Holy Spirit. 

Being able to put to words the experience of the illness and death of my mother has helped me along in the grieving process.  I hope that my experience helps you somehow grow in faith or heal any sorrow that you may be carrying inside of you.  When Mom lost the use of her legs, I knew that I had to sing Psalm 116:  The Presence of God by Tom Kendzia, for her Mass of Christian Burial.  I also knew that the choir would be in the loft and would have my back should I fail to have the strength to give my Mom this last gift.  I had sung this to her a few times during her last months to remind her that she would indeed “walk in the presence of the Lord” for she always sang of the good things that God had done for her.

Now, I often pray for strength to proclaim the psalm before I leave my seat, but on the morning of December 31, 2014, I prayed with a vengeance for the strength needed to accomplish these corporal works of mercy of the funeral liturgy and burying my Mom.  Before I stood to pray the psalm, I sent one last request for strength and I want to bear witness to you of the Descent of the Spirit, for as I rose from my seat, I felt a power come over me that cannot be explained.  It was unworldly – the best way that I can describe the feeling is to say that I was given my own personal Pentecost at that moment.  The feeling was so intense and I was given the strength needed to stand and face my Mom’s earthly remains and proclaim with certainty that she would “walk in the presence of the Lord.” 

When we listen to the experience of Pentecost for the first followers of Christ we hear how there was a strong wind and tongues of fire came and rested over their heads.  Oh I have felt the heat of this fire!  One of my cousins recently shared with me that her mother saw rays of light coming from my fingertips when I raised my hands to invite those assembled to pray the psalm together.  This vision further affirms for me that the strength I needed truly was the Holy Spirit.  It wasn’t me – it was God working through me. 

Our God is so amazing and his Spirit is right there for the asking.  Call upon it when you need help to get through life’s daily struggles and life’s hardest battles – for I assure you that when you ask God will indeed provide.

Shalom,

Tina

Seventh Sunday of Easter ~ The Ascension of Jesus

Have you ever experienced the joy in being reunited with a dear friend or family member whom you have not seen in some time?  Just to hear their voice, their laughter, to see the light in their eyes brings comfort and somehow makes you feel whole again.  Then reluctantly, you must return to your corner of the world and feel a little melancholy for a few days because you miss being in their presence.

This is something that I think about quite often when I reflect upon the resurrection and ascension of our Lord.  I often wonder what it was like for the apostles, friends and family of Jesus when he told them that he would be leaving them once again after rising from the dead.  I mean, really, that had to feel like their heart tearing in two all over again.  As I was thinking about this, I remembered a prayer that I submitted to be published in a book of prayers which I was lucky enough to help create with students and administration of John F. Kennedy Catholic School, Kennedy Prays.  I would like to share the prayer which I wrote for the second Glorious Mystery, The Ascension.

I feel such peace in Your presence but now You say You must go. Your father awaits You. I am afraid to be without You again. Yet – as You rise to the Heavens – to Your father – the Peace remains with me. You have left part of Yourself here. You reside within me! Thank you! Hallelujah!

 

When Jesus was crucified under Pontius Pilate, suffered death and was buried, his mother, family members and friends were left with a terrible sense of loss.  Their world was ripped in two just as surely as was the temple.  Three days of darkness and their world opened back up again just like the gates of heaven when Jesus stood in their midst in the upper room.  They came to realize that indeed he was the Son of God.  After spending 40 glorious days once again in his presence, he tells them he must go.  Did they beg him to stay?  I wonder. 

 

I tend to think that this separation did not bear the same agony as his death; for they could now be certain that he was going to prepare a place for them in heaven.  This separation brought them hope that they would be reunited with Jesus in the kingdom of God.

 

This is a hope to which I cling, especially since my mother went home to heaven.  I long for the day to be reunited with her in the presence of the Holy One.  Until then, I will do my best to  . . .

 

“live in a manner worthy of the calling you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”                                       Ephesians 4:2-3

 

Shalom,

Tina

Sixth Sunday of Easter ~ Mother’s Day Blessing

Happy Mother’s Day!  This will be a difficult day for me as this is the first Mother’s Day that I and my family will experience with our Mother residing in Heaven.  Today is also my Father’s birthday, so we will be celebrating both life and death this day.  My Mom had an intense devotion to Mother Mary, so while I miss my Mom terribly, I can’t help but smile thinking of her celebrating this day with the Blessed Mother.  I imagine all the women in heaven gathering for a lovely tea as Mary shares stories of Jesus as a child.  Those years were not recorded for us, for Mary pondered them in her heart, but it is great fun to imagine Mary sharing those stories with other mothers in heaven!

My life has been filled with wonderful moments created by my mother.  In sharing some of the stories with you, I hope that some of my stories might trigger a happy memory of your own mother and childhood!

Birthdays ~ We had great family parties!  We were allowed to have what was then called “slumber parties” for a few of our friends.   Oh, the food she would make and the cake!  What I now realize is that while she created wonderful memories for me, this taught me a bigger lesson in life to not get caught up in materialism.  The important thing about celebrating is being with family and friends, not in the theme or elaborate setting.  The older I get, the more I understand this lesson. 

Vacations ~ our vacations were also focused on family.  My mom would often apologize to us for not being able to take us on a big fancy vacation but oh my gosh the fun we had visiting our cousins in Maryland and Indiana!  We thought that was great!  Our dad was very involved in the Optimist Club when we were young, so our vacations were often tagging along with them to conventions.   I do not know how my mother packed up six children, one husband, and everything needed for the hospitality room while in heels and looking fabulous the entire time.  Geez I can’t hold a candle to that!  Like my mom, I carry this guilt that our younger children have not been to Disney or Universal Studios or Niagara Falls. Our vacations have been to visit wherever their older brother lives and the yearly trip to the shores of Lake Erie with the McCue clan.  Another life lesson which I am still learning; it does not matter where you go but who you are with on the journey. 

Mother’s Day ~ as a young mother it bothered me that my mom was still the one doing all the work on Mother’s Day!  I would be fierce with my dad, husband and brothers that they should be doing the work.  Ah, another life lesson.  My mom was all about serving others.  Our Mother’s Day celebrations gave her the chance to once again feed her six children and their families.  This is a lesson that I need to learn, for in my selfishness, I want a day to be served rather than to serve.  I pray for the strength to daily remember “it is better to serve than be served.” 

So Mom, thank you for being such a wonderful Christian Mother, teaching me by word and deed how to walk like Jesus.  To all mothers and caretakers, thank you for being Jesus to those you love and serve.

Shalom,

Tina