From Mountain to Mountain

Shiny things. No matter how old we are, they seem to fascinate us. We seem to attribute the love of shiny things to small children, but think about it; shiny things always catch our eye. Coins on the street, disco balls at roller-discos, diamonds, etc.As I write this, my wife is literally waving her wedding ring in front of my face. There have been several times where we have caught each other just staring at it because it is so shiny.

This obsession with all things shiny is something that makes us like animals. If you've ever watched the show, "Finding Bigfoot" on the Discovery Channel then you know that Bigfoot LOVES shiny things! Bigfoot "hunters" who are trying to get conclusive proofs of his existence (what else do we need besides Roger Paterson's Video, right?!) typically hang shiny things, like CD's, near their cameras in the woods to draw the Bigfoot in. 

Shiny things are also a very easy way to hunt a raccoon. In the book, "Where the Red Fern Grows," they stick shiny things in a log in between two nails, and when the raccoon grabs the shiny coin, and closes his tiny little fist, he can't pull his paw out from between the nails. Instead of letting go, the raccoon is so fixated by the shiny thing that he stays there and it is easy for the hunter to kill him. (if you haven't read this book, stop reading this and go check it out of your local library. Or perhaps buy it on your Kindle/iPad, whatever you do these days. But really, it is awesome. It actually made me cry.)

This attraction to shiny things is virtually universal. Even in Biblical times people loved shiny things. The Gospel today shows us that. Jesus goes up the mountain and is Transfigured in front of Peter, James and John. Luke relates that, "While he was praying, his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white." (There must be some joke about the Jesus being the first Stephanie Meyer vampire, but it is really difficult. Being that we are talking about Christ though, I will do my best to not trample upon His Holy Name.)

So when Jesus is Transfigured and dazzles before the three Apostles, Peter offers to build a tent for him. He says, "It is good that we are here, Master." The Transfiguration was a very clear presentation of Jesus Christ's Divinity.  Peter was more than willing to be of assistance to Jesus during this time. But really, how many people would have been unwilling? I mean, hey, this guy Jesus is clearly very special, right? Here he is miraculously transformed and sparkling (again, no "Twilight" jokes). Maybe Peter thought he could get some sort of reward for being helpful. But like I said, how many of us would not leap at the opportunity to do something nice for someone who is clearly full of power?

And yet, it is not upon this mountain that Christ will manifest his Divinity most perfectly. It is on Calvary, when He is crucified for the sins of the world, that Jesus most perfectly manifests his Divinity. It is not the dying that shows us his Divinity, but rather the salvific nature of that death. What mere human could have saved mankind from their sins? Only Jesus Christ, God made man, could have done that. And yet ironically, at the moment of the most perfect example of his Divinity, there is no one there to offer help or assistance to Jesus. Like fair-weather friends, His Apostles had abandoned Him during the time of his greatest suffering.

As we begin the second week of Lent, let us not be fair-weather friends of Christ. Let us not be there for Him in His glory and flee from Him in His suffering. St. Paul says, "Or are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life." (Romans 6:3-4). In order to receive the gift of life that Jesus Christ offers us, we must also share in His sufferings.

Let us re-commit ourselves to our Lenten sacrifice again this week. As Christ continues his fasting in the desert, let us also fast and unite our sacrifice to His, so that we might share in His eternal life. Let us share in the sacrifice of Calvary so that we might share in the glory of the Transfiguration.

God love you!

If God is so Good, why is Bacon so Bad?!

For some reason whenever I think of Bacon, I think of it as something manly. There is something about bacon that men are just attracted to. In fact, in college there was this girl who went around to all of the male dorms and made bacon in the kitchen just because. She became known as "bacon girl." 

(In case you missed it, I went to an incredibly strange college--I'm still not convinced it was real) 

Just thinking of bacon makes my mouth my water. My best bacon experience by far was this past summer. There is this restaurant in California called Slater's 50/50. Its called that because their burgers are made with 50% ground beef and 50% ground BACON!! If that wasn't awesome enough, it gets more awesome!

Every month, they have a special burger. In August, they serve a burger that is so spicy that the cooks have to wear gloves and masks and the patrons have to sign a liability waiver; if the sauce gets in your eyes, you could go blind. Now I know you're thinking, "That's both stupid spicy, and has absolutely nothing to do with bacon." Patience young padawan...

So in July, right before I left California for Wisconsin, Slater's 50/50 sells the Ultimate Bacon Burger:

This messy looking work of art is the Paradise for bacon lovers. It is a 1lb patty--weighed after it was cooked--made of 100% ground bacon. Then they put slices of bacon on it. Then, a poached egg. Then, "Bacon-Island" Dressing. And finally, they slather bacon grease on the bun before toasting it. Finish that off with Slater 50/50's famous Bacon Brownie, and it is a recipe for the best "Fat Tuesday" meal ever (if only I was still in California!)

So here I am, about one week into Lent, mouth just watering for Bacon. So bear with me as I draw a belabored analogy between bacon and Lent. If you noticed the title of this particular blog, it asks why, if God is so good, bacon is so bad. Bacon is incredibly unhealthy for you. Even in small doses, it is just full of fat. Therefore, although God is good, it is in our best interest to not eat large amounts of bacon. We sacrifice the wonderful, delicious, savory, heavenly flavor of bacon, in exchange for better health. 

Lent is very much the same. We sacrifice something that is good for something better. Lent is a time for sacrifice. Typically we give something up for Lent. For some reason, chocolate seems to be the favorite "thing" to give up for Lent. So what do we get that is better when we give up chocolate? Well traditionally, we give the money saved from our sacrifice to charity. So if we give up chocolate we get the opportunity to develop virtue.

Our sacrifices are not meant to be ends in themselves. Our sacrifice is supposed to lead us to something greater. This is always how we sacrifice in the Christian life. We sacrifice for a purpose. During Lent, we sacrifice in order to unite ourselves with Christ. We fast in order to prepare ourselves in order to better celebrate the Resurrection. We fast in order to help us live in the freedom that Christ won for us.

This Lent, let us continue to sacrifice for the sake of Christ. Let us continue to unite our fast to His. Let us continue to look to receive the eternal good that comes from sacrificing the temporary good. Let us continue to seek the life that Christ offers us, life to its fullest. 

God love you!

Why We Hate The Catholic Church

Why do we hate the Catholic Church? Is it because She is patriarchal and misogynistic? Is it because She is "outdated" and needs to "catch up with the times"? Is it because She is homophobic? Is it because She refuses to allow a woman to do whatever she wants with "her own body"? Is it because She is hypocritical?

No. None of these things are why we hate the Catholic Church. In fact, the Catholic Church is none of these things! (Sorry if you accidentally found this page and thought you were going to read another incredibly biased anti-Catholic rant filled with misleading rhetoric and misinformed opinions) Venerable Fulton Sheen--that beloved, Emmy-winning Bishop who was the worlds first televangelist--once said, "There are not one hundred people in the United States who hate the Catholic Church, but there are millions who hate what they wrongly perceive to be the Catholic Church."

We are constantly bombarded with strong, anti-Catholic rhetoric in our media, whether it is direct or indirect. Our media is slowly training us to look at people who are pro-life, believe in marriage, and refuse to poison their bodies with drugs as "backwards," "prudish," and "intolerant." People are slowly but surely being trained to hate the Catholic Church (Whether this is deliberate or not is another question, but I think it is impossible to deny that the values the Catholic Church holds dear are being dragged through the mud in our society and those who continue to hold to them are disdained).

So why do people hate the Church? The answer is simple. People hate the Church because She forces them to acknowledge their own shortcomings, weaknesses, and failures. We spend so much of our lives trying to be independent, trying to make our own way, that we don't want to acknowledge our helplessness. We spend so much time covering up our mistakes and blaming others that we don't want to have to ask for help or forgiveness. We spend so much time building up our own egos that we don't want to be reminded that we could never have done any of it on our own.

In the Catholic Church we encounter Jesus Christ Himself, and there is no other encounter that could ever make us feel more inadequate, more helpless, or more feeble. Christ is so perfect, so holy, that we are immediately and acutely aware of how unworthy we are to even be in His presence. Why else do you think so many of the Saints called themselves such great sinners? Why else did Blessed Pope John Paul II see the need to go to Confession ever, single day? Encountering perfection forces us to see just how imperfect we are!

Take the readings from this Sunday, for example. In the first reading, the prophet Isaiah was pleased with himself until he encountered the Lord in a new way. He was happy with his life until, "I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne... Then I said, 'Woe is me, I am doomed! For I am a man of unclean lips, living among a people of unclean lips, yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!'" Immediately, Isaiah is struck by his own inadequacy, his own imperfection, his own unworthiness.

The Second Reading is from one of the many letters of St. Paul. St. Paul is one of the most prolific writers in the New Testament.  He also has one of the greatest stories of conversion and dedication to the Lord! It is St. Paul who dedicates so much of his life to spreading the Gospel to the Gentiles and who will endure so much pain for the Lord. He writes:

 "Five times at the hands of the Jews I received forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I passed a night and a day on the deep; on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own race, dangers from Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, dangers among false brothers..." 2 Corinthians 11: 24-27.

And yet St. Paul, despite how learned he is, how much he suffers for the Lord, and how he dedicates his entire life to the Gospel message, writes in today's Second Reading, "I am the of the Apostles, not fit to be called an Apostle." St. Paul's writings are filled with his own proclamations of his weaknesses and his unworthiness.

And finally, today's Gospel written b y St. Luke expresses so beautifully and clearly the helplessness and inadequacies of St. Peter: "After [Jesus] had finished speaking, he said to Simon, 'Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.' Simon said in reply, "Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing...'" So we have Simon Peter and his coworkers, all professional fisherman, who have worked all night long and not caught a single thing! This must have been very strange for them. They relied on a good catch of fish to feed their families and so it is not as if they were fishing at random. They knew where the fish were, they knew where their they could always catch something, and they must have tried those spots at different times during the night. And now we have Jesus, a carpenter, telling them how to do their job. I would have loved to see Peter's face. I can't imagine the exasperation he must have experienced. He must have been thinking, "Really? You're going to tell me how to do my job? C'mon man!" But he doesn't say that. Instead he says, "Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets."

I can't imagine what Peter's co-workers thought. I can't help but wonder how much convincing it would have taken for them to lower the nets again. Its not recorded in the Gospel, but these men probably didn't know Jesus well, they didn't know what he was capable of. They were exhausted from a hard night's work, they had already washed the nets, they just wanted to go home. I am sure that it must have been difficult for Peter to convince them that they were not just wasting more time. (On a side note not really related to the topic of this particular blog, this is a great example of how we are to live in the world. Peter was not ashamed of his faith in Christ, he was not afraid to proclaim it publicly, even among his co-workers. What if they hadn't caught any fish? Peter would have been ridiculed among his coworkers for putting his faith in 'a mere carpenter.' But Peter was not afraid to be faithful to Christ, even though doing so could have made his life more difficult and could have made those he worked with think less of him.)

So they go out into deep water and "When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing." So after all night not catching anything, they lower their nets once and catch more fish at once then they ever had before! They must have been amazed. They must have been astonished. And even more than that, they must have been humbled. How many of them had been filled with doubts at the command to drop the nets once more? How many of them had sneered at this poor carpenter telling them how to do their jobs. And yet with him they do their job better than ever before. St. Peter is immediately struck by his own inadequacy, as well he should be. He is forced to realize that without Christ he can't do anything, even that which he considers himself to be an expert at doing! When we are faced with this notion today, we often get angry, but St. Peter (who has quite the hot temper) does not get angry. Instead, "he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, 'Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.'"

Instead of being angry about his own inadequacies, he humbly acknowledges them saying, "Lord I am not worthy to be in your presence!" How difficult it is for us to acknowledge this today! We don't want to be weak, we don't want to be unworthy, we don't want to need help. We want to do everything on our own.

This is why we hate the Catholic Church. Our Holy Mother Church shines forth the light of Christ so strong and so bright, that we see even our smallest inadequacies and they anger us instead of leading us to humbly acknowledge our need for Christ! We have been so trained to think that we have to better than others that we don't want to see our own deficiencies. We want to constantly believe that we are better than those around us and if we are then we don't need to improve ourselves. But Jesus calls us to so much more! He calls us to "Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matthew 5).

We hate the Church because She has the Light of Christ. And in that light "There is nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light" (Luke 8:17). We spend so much time hiding our inadequacies from one another, hiding our sins from one another, hiding the fact that we are brokenness from one another, that we even begin to trick ourselves into believing that we are without blemish. But we cannot hide from the Truth in Christ's presence. The holiness and perfection of Christ acts as a sort of mirror that forces us to face the truth that we have been hiding from for so long: that we are broken and imperfect and we can do nothing on our own.

But this truth is too much for many! They refuse to acknowledge their weaknesses and react in anger to the Light of Christ. "The light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil" (John 3:19).

Brothers and Sisters, let us acknowledge our own weaknesses humbly before the Lord. For then, like St. Peter, our lives will become more fruitful and we will truly become Fishers of Men. Let us go before the Lord confidently, embracing the Light of Christ and asking the Lord to use his grace to make us more perfect each and every day. Let us be like St. Paul and say: "If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness... I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me. Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ, for when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Corinthians 11:30; 12: 9-10). Let us embrace this beautiful paradox of being strong when we are weak, for the Lord our God says, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness."

God Love you!