The September Rain Made Me Do It

I am sitting in a Starbucks in North West Washington, DC. It is Wednesday. This has been a rainy day. I am alone. I glance out the window and watch the pedestrians, watch the traffic. Every now and then I hear the voice of one of the employees announcing a completed order. There are women in skirts, women in pants, women with their hair neatly, tightly pulled back, women with their hair loosely brushed back.There are men in suits, men in khakis, men in denim jeans. Men lean against the counter, men stand with their arms crossed, men stand glancing at their smart phones. There are people sitting in front of computers, a woman writes long hand into a small journal. There are black umbrellas, white umbrellas, blue umbrellas, blue and white umbrellas. People are talking, people are laughing.

In the background music can be heard, music with a slightly reggae melody, reggae hesitation. And there is a comment on people needing help and some mention of a phone call from a month ago...

Sitting here seeing the expressions on the faces, seeing the lack of expression on the faces reinforces my commitment to seek a life above, to seek a life with Christ, being obedient to God. With all of the noise of conversations and machinery echoing as drinks are mixed and served, as anecdotes and concerns are shared, this afternoon feels gloomy, contains a cinematic goriness tinted with sadness, betrayal, fear. These are things which are heard, which are seen in the faces, in the silences.

The sky is colorless. Nearby there are some trees with leaves green and damp. A man drinks an orange colored soda and discusses how a woman in his office hijacked a conversation. There is a new song playing, there are clapping hands. A man in a pale lavender shirt and a purple striped tie gets his coffee and adds sugar to it. He neither smiles nor frowns. His is a look of terror, of exasperation, or is it exhaustion. There is a sense of a soldier walking into the final battle, into a battle which will be lost.

Sitting here I try to think of what waits above for all believers, for all followers. I am aware of what is on earth. I try to keep all of this in my prayers for these people are my neighbors. Sitting hear I think of my baptism, I remember that I have died, remember that my life is with Christ serving God.

The sky remains colorless but becomes brighter. With Christ life will leads me to goodness, kindness, holiness. With Christ there is glory.

Wonderful Wednesday

I seek the goodness and kindness each day. I believe that to live means to love God above all things. Living is loving God.

The Lord offers mercy and salvation. I am asked to have humility in my heart, humility in my way of being. I know that I can trust God. The Lord offers hope. Loving God allows me to approach the world in a different way, with different thoughts, different insights. I do not fear the world; I live to love God, to serve God.

I believe that to live means to love God above all things. Living is loving God. I seek the goodness and kindness each day.

I ask God for guidance. I ask God for a chance to enter his kingdom of heaven. Each day of my earthly existence I dedicate to God. Each day of my earthly existence is an opportunity for contemplation, reflection, discernment. Each day of my earthly existence is an opportunity to offer praise and thanks to the Lord. Each day of my earthly existence is an opportunity to pray to the Lord.

I live to love God. I seek the goodness, holiness, kindness each day. I believe that God offers each of us life and so much more.

I believe in the beauty of goodness, in the bounty of holiness. These are gifts for those who believe and live for the Lord. Nurture patience, nurture confidence as I wait to meet the Lord. I must grow courage, grow wisdom for I am asked to spread the Good News while I am waiting for the Lord.

I believe in God. I want to serve God.

Earthly life is a temporary event filled with all types of activities and emotions. I feel like a field editor as I live my life and observe others. This can be anthropological, psychological. The circumstances of life present sadness, loneliness, despair to me each day. The circumstances of life reinforce the need for prayer. Murder, madness, and mayhem remain features of entertainment for people moving in lockstep to chaos and emotional danger. There is no normal, there is no regular; there is only consumerism trying to seduce each person with offers of a great, relaxing holiday. Earthly life is filled with many empty holidays. It is time to remember holiness, to observe holy days.

These days offer sensationalism and luxurious misgivings with unabated pleasure. We exist within the cool confines of a computerized solitude and we exist with a detached solicitude wondering if anyone recognizes our work, remembers our name. It is important to remember the impulse to love God first. Keep life simple, keep life honest. Keep life filled with love. These will give you a life of worthiness.

A life of goodness, kindness, holiness blossoms with the right mixture of discernment and solitude. A Christian life is beautiful when it includes a natural solicitude for both God and mankind.

Remembering Those In Need - Simple Lenten Meal

“A PREACHING THAT DOES NOT POINT OUT SIN is not the preaching of the gospel. A preaching that makes sinners feel good, so that they are secured in their sinful state, betrays the gospel's call. A preaching that does not discomfit sinners but lulls them in their sin leaves Zebulun and Naphtali in the shadow of death”—(Jan. 22, 1978). Archbishop Oscar Romero.


As Christians we must never allow ourselves to become complacent, to accept the status quo. We must always be trying to learn more about how to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, how to be more loyal servants for God. Each day we should give thanks for all of our blessings. Each day we should pray for equality and social justice for everyone. As Christians we must be prepared to make sacrifices in the name of God, for the glory of God.

The Social Justice and Community Services Ministry at the Cathedral of Saint Matthew the Apostle sponsored the Simple Lenten Meal. The Spanish Prayer Group prepared and served the meal. Parishioners spoke about an orphanage in Peru that needs to purchase a van to transport patients from the orphanage to the hospital. After that discussion there was a little discussion about Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador.

Each moment of our lives presents a chance for us to proclaim God’s works, to praise him, to offer him thanks. Each moment of our lives presents an opportunity for us to seek fairness for everyone, to seek social justice for everyone. As Christians it is not enough to have definitions for words; we must also have understanding. We hear so many words every day, with so many being lost, misunderstood.

How often do we hear freedom, liberty, dignity, peace, liberation? How often do we really truly understand the context. It is not enough to have dictionary definitions; these words must ignite something within our souls and hearts; these words must provoke some universal thoughts for all mankind; these words ask us to look beyond our neighborhood, beyond our town, beyond our state, beyond our country; all human beings deserve the same basic things, freedom, peace, liberty, dignity.

Each day of our lives we should strive to help our neighbors, strive to become closer to God, strive to increase the goodness, kindness, and holiness which emanates from within us.

Technology does not change man’s basic instincts; human beings have always been sinners controlled and influenced by all types of desires and impulses. Jealousy, greed, selfishness can lead individuals and entire nations in the wrong direction. Archbishop spoke out against the injustice and the abuse of the poor people in El Salvador. By doing so he became a role model for us, reminding us to have compassion and empathy for our neighbors, reminding us to seek the Truth, share the Truth.

Thirty-one years ago today, Archbishop Oscar Romero was assassinated while saying Mass.

of erring heart

We have become partners of Christ if only we hold the beginning of the reality firm until the end, for it is said: "Oh, that today you would hear his voice: 'Harden not your hearts as at the rebellion.'" Hebrews 3:14-15

Faithful. Glory. Honor. Faithful in all his house. Take care. Encourage yourselves daily.

These words leap into my imagination as I think of the building a relationship with God. Jesus Christ asks for our love, our mercy, and our honor. Good Christians are people filled with the faith and grace of God. These people are filled with charity and hope which they freely share. Their existence is one of serving the Lord, asking others to serve the Lord. Their existence reflects the hope of God for all human beings and for the followers of Christ. Their existence begins with simplicity of faith, with spirituality organic and growing, with solidarity for all human beings especially those who are forgotten, marginalized. Their relationship with God is the most important relationship in their lives. These Christians live quiet lives of great humility and sacrifice.

Each day is an opportunity to praise and exalt God by their deeds of compassion and mercy. Each day provides one more instance of their obedience to the teachings of God. With faith and courage each one of us can learn how to serve the Lord, each one of us can learn how to listen for the Lord’s voice. With prayer and patience we can learn the will of God when we allow ourselves to be loving, unselfish, quiet.

Modern life creates anxiety. Each day we are encouraged to be selfish, gluttonous, avaricious by the secular world. The flesh is seen as more important than the spiritual. Sometimes modern life seems dirty, dangerous. The media likes presenting images of all types of sin and vice. There is always the possibility of a passive indoctrination, animosity and loathing is encouraged, often heralded. Being good, following in the footsteps of Jesus Christ is often presented as weakness, being boring.

There is an intense need for cleansing now. Our society is unclean. Our faith can help us. Our love and obedience to God can save us. We must remember prayer. We must remember God’s greatest gift to each one of us.

We all need compassion, charity, humility, mercy, hope, civility, love.

We must be willing to help our neighbors with deeds and prayers. We must be willing to praise God with deeds and prayers.

The world is filled with demons, with evil. With God’s help we can survive and flourish. We must ask for help, we must obey his commands.

Assemble and listen - December 17, 2010

There is but one thing necessary thing in life. That is to know and love God; to have God within your heart, mind, and soul; to have the benefits of God within your entire being.

It is essential that we learn how to approach and how to adore God, both during Mass and outside of Mass, inside of a church and outside of a church. Personal resources will have to be developed to seek and to experience divinity. We must learn how to detach ourselves from our possessions, from our thoughts, from all things which might be taken, all things which might be lost. It is important, absolutely essential to understand and believe what is eternal. Everything in life which is not eternal is temporary, simply borrowed. All those things which help us gain admittance to heaven are real, are beautiful when they are used appropriately for the glory and love of God. As Christians we are asked to learn, to adore, to understand, to accept, to experience, to share, to teach about God, about his love and mercy for each of us, about loving our neighbors as we love ourselves. This is a responsibility. This is our duty. This is God’s law, God’s plan. When we follow it, we experience happiness, we move closer to God, closer to heaven. When we truly, honestly, deeply love and serve God nothing can stop us, not even death. The purpose of our Christian life is to develop a peaceful mind, to discover and extoll the presence of God, to discern how to better serve God. Being in communion with God, listening to and following his instruction is the goal. There is no reason to have fear. Let the love for God give you strength. Let it teach you to sacrifice, teach you to pray, teach you to love, teach you to live with the beauty and peace of the principles of fairness and social justice as taught by Jesus Christ. All moral thought and ethics will begin with love and loyalty to God. Let his will act as your guide. All greatness exists for those who do his work patiently, lovingly, gently. Being Christian means allowing and wanting God to dwell within our beings, our complete beings and wanting this completely and consciously. The potential for goodness, kindness, and holiness waits to expand within each Christian, waits for moral fairness, moral decency, moral superiority to flourish. A superiority of spirit, a kind of purity which is obtained and maintained by prayer and discernment is necessary when doing God’s work.

All of this begins with love; all is nurtured by love.