Monthly Archives: February 2019

Immaculate Heart of Mary

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Most Holy Trinity, we put the United States of America into the hands of Mary Immaculate in order that she may present the country to you. Through her we wish to thank you for the great resources of this land and for the freedom which has been its heritage. Through the intercession of Mary, have mercy on our president and all the officers of our government. Grant us a fruitful economy born of justice and charity. Have mercy on capital and industry and labor.

(Taken from the act of consecration of United States to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.)

I am constantly being drawn to examine what is biblical and what is worldly. This is not in terms of how they may be separate, more as to how they complement each other. What I find compelling about this prayer taken from the act of consecration of United States to the Immaculate Heart of Mary is first we bring our gratitude and our thankfulness and then we ask for mercy appealing to God through Mary for His grace. For me this is the formula, the way our prayers should be structured. Now, look through this formula and see what we find. There is a great appeal to the biblical to grant us fruitfulness of spirit grounded in justice and charity along with worldly success centered on capital, industry, labor and prosperity.

 Notice how different these two aspects appear to be. In the worldly, we would expect great struggle and great risk to lead to great rewards. Rightfully so, in the world, a healthy psychological equation would demand that great risk would have an equal or greater reward. Biblically, we find great love doesn’t lead to great gain, benefits or rewards; great love leads to great suffering. Bishop Barron tells us love is willing the good of the other for the sake of the other. This necessarily means giving of ourselves in self-giving love. Nothing says this better than the Cross and the lives of Mary and the martyrs. In our lives, this aspect means giving of ourselves without being in the equation, not expecting and demanding a return on our investment. There is also the painfulness of giving yourself for the sake of this unconditional love. In our ego driven world, the realization of giving up some of our own aspirations, time and energy for the sake of others can lead to some very undesirable responses, bitterness, feeling unappreciated or resentment come to mind. For the believer, the focus remains in the moment. The love is the reward, standing alone, its own merit. The love has no need of the worldly, of joy postponed, of expectations to be met. The love biblically blossoms into compassion, kindness, empathy and hope. Pope Francis tells us optimism can be disappointing; hope is eternal, never changing, always faithful.   

Pilgrimage

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A pilgrimage by its very design is a quest. The question is, what do we seek? Are we looking for what has been forgotten or perhaps something lost? Is it a moment of spiritual epiphany or a glimmer of psychological clarity? Have we reached the point when we finally realize, what we are looking for, is not what we thought we wanted? Have we discovered the greatest paradox of all; we will never find what we earnestly want? What a comforting realization. How much easier has life just become. If you know me, you know I am looking for the next better question, not the best answer. The best answer never changes, it’s always the same, stop trying and start being.

If this all sounds like some mumbo jumbo; then consider this: you can’t find a gift, you can only receive one. In this world you may expect one, and rightfully so; it’s the Christmas season, or Valentine’s Day, or that long awaited graduation. This is similar in the sense that perhaps you have prepared for the gifting event, or maybe a life event has thrust you into circumstances which make you receptive to the gift you are about to receive. Perhaps it is an unexpected prayer answered or a long-awaited prayer fulfilled. The point being a journey has a destination; a genuine gift is beyond expectation.

The Perfect Paradox

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Perhaps the perfect paradox is, the perfect answer lies outside the parameters of the question. When the Jews brought the adulterous woman to Jesus and asked, what should we do with this woman, Moses said, “a woman like this should be stoned, what do you say?” They were expecting an answer somewhere between, stone her or let her go; Jesus found the answer in the third way. When Satan tempted Jesus after the 40 days in the desert, turn these stones into loaves, he was expecting a yes or no; again, Jesus found the third way. If this perfect paradox seems plausible, that the perfect answer lies outside the parameters of the question; then one conclusion would be; that the perfect question lies outside the parameters of any possible answer. It wouldn’t be the perfect question if it had an answer. Conversely, if the answer did lie within the parameters of the question, then you would have to admit that you already knew the answer before you asked, or you would never recognize the answer was the answer. If this is plausible, then, there can only be one perfect answer to the perfect question. So, if you see the only answer to this seeming endless ‘catch 22’ is; the perfect question is the perfect answer, then you would be absolutely right. Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last. He is the cause and the effect. He is the question and the answer.