Being Word-less in a World of Words

Sometimes life can be so overwhelming that mere words can’t express what’s going on in our hearts, in our minds, or around us…but perhaps that’s a good thing. There are other ways to express ourselves and to vent our frustration.

At some point in your life, you are going to feel disappointed and hurt…no matter who you are…it’s a vulnerability we all open ourselves up to, just by being human. We place our trust in someone, and they let us down…or perhaps, we don’t believe in trusting people, and end up letting ourselves down. Either way, it hurts. And it is okay to be hurt.

Yes, you read that last sentence correctly…it’s okay to be hurt. But it is not okay to hurt someone else, just because you are hurt. So learning to express yourself in a way that does not hurt others, is vitally important.

We can talk to close friends about the issue at hand, however, there will be times when the hurt is so deep that no matter how many words we use, the hurt won’t be conveyed…and we might feel depressingly alone, buried alive under all the pain. Then what should we do? Be silent. Don’t ramble at people, because they might get the wrong idea, and we may say something that we will regret.

Notice that I said, “be silent” and not “bottle it up”…there’s a crucial difference in the two phrases. If we bottle up an emotion, it will manifest itself in the worst possible way…we will explode. It is like putting baking powder and vinegar into a soda bottle, then screwing on the cap…(spoiler alert) it explodes. You need to find a way of expressing yourself, not a distraction. Do something that brings you joy and peace. For example, if there is something bothering me, I will go for a walk or get into my car and just drive…maybe I’ll even take a close friend with me. However, it is important to realize that sometimes we do need time to think about the hurt or disappointment that we feel, we need to spend some time in solitude…and pray.

There’s that evil four-letter word! But the funny thing about prayer (as I’ve mentioned in previous posts) is that words are optional. Sit in quiet, and take that hurt to your Father. Then, feel your Father come to you and hold you. Pour the contents of your heart out in front of Him. Yes, it is okay to cry…especially while you rest in the arms of the one who gave you the ability to cry! But it is important to be silent. Sometimes we need to hear words of comfort, but how will we hear them if we are not listening?

Have the courage to express yourself in a word-less manner. Have the courage to be alone with God. Have the courage to be silent. Only then will you begin to heal.

Merry Christmas!

I am what you would call a “Christmas Freak”. Usually, I get into the Christmas Spirit around late October and don’t come off the “Christmas High” until late January…is that okay? Heck yes! In fact, I encourage it…let me tell you why.

The Incarnation of Christ is one of the central mysteries of our faith as Catholics. God took on human frailty so that we might leave our frailty behind and strive to be more like our creator. The Un-comprehensible Being became a creature, just like you and me, in an act of amazing love…how awesome is that?! That is not a mystery that should be locked into a short 12-day period of celebration for the individual believer. Sure, liturgically speaking, we have other awesome things to celebrate so we set aside that 12-day period strictly for the celebration of the Incarnation. But we, as individual Catholics, should not loose the spirit of love, fellowship, and warmth when we pack up the Christmas tree.

Christmas, of course, has fallen victim to the secular world, as most Christian holidays have. It has become more about the presents under the tree, rather than the presence of Christ, real and living, in this world of ours. How do we reverse this trend? Well, as I said earlier, packing up the spirit of Christmas with the tree, is not helping the situation. We, ourselves, need to learn what Christmas is all about. If we know what Christmas is all about, it is almost impossible not to be overjoyed. God loves us all so much that he comes to dwell with us. But if we shove Christ out the door after the Christmas movies come to an end, are we really immersed in the Christian experience that Christmas is?

Am I telling you to leave your Christmas décor up throughout the year? No. Personally, I would get sick of those flashing lights on the tree after awhile. But perhaps leave a nativity scene displayed somewhere in your house to remind you of the awesome gift that the Incarnation is, and to remind yourself daily that Christ’s presence in your life. If you feel like you are loosing that spirit which has come to be associated with the season of Christmas, take a few minutes and meditate on the mystery of the Incarnation. Perhaps you will even gain some sort of new insight into the mystery of the Incarnation and, maybe, you will even fall deeper in love with your Catholic faith.

This idea should be applied to EVERY Christian holiday. Some of you are probably scratching your head and asking “Why?” Well, the answer is simple, Catholicism is a joy-filled religion. We have many feasts and mysteries to celebrate throughout the year, but if we allow our celebration to cease, there is no reason for Catholicism to be filled with joy. Perhaps you don’t outwardly celebrate 365 days a year, but every day (yes, every day) we should set some time aside to sit and be thankful for the many mysteries of our faith. If we do this, more and more people will be drawn to us, because, in doing so, we would become joy-filled people who seek to serve God in every way possible, out of thanksgiving for all He has done for us.

Come and Journey with Me

“Come and journey with me”

That is God’s simple and humble invitation to each and every one of us…lately it’s been a phrase I have been taking to prayer…

Vocation. The English form of the word comes from the Latin word Voco, Vocare, meaning, “to call”. According to Merriam-Webster it is “a summons or strong inclination to a particular state or course of action; especially : a divine call to the religious life.” But it is important to remember that we all have a vocation, not just priests and religious…we often forget that marriage and celibate single life are also vocations.

Whatever your vocation in life may be, it is important to remember these three things:

1. Pray and discern, even if you are contemplating a vocation to Holy Matrimony. Answering the call God has given to you is counter-cultural, we need that source of strength which only prayer can give us. God is your Father, God is your Brother, God is your Strength and Inspiration…why wouldn't you spend some time with the awesome gift that God is?! We know that there will be people out there that view us differently for answering our call…but God will only love us all the more. Perhaps we can get discouraged and down because of the way some people view us, or because the road is beginning to get rocky…go to God in prayer and allow Him to hold you. You don’t need to say anything…just sit, know that He is God, and allow the hands that formed the universe to hold you.
2. Do not be afraid. Christ loved us so much that he was willing to go to the cross. Do we love Christ enough that, if our journey leads to the cross, we will push on? Do not be afraid…God is saying, “Come and journey with me” not “Go ahead and go on that journey”…God longs to be with you, let Him lead you and you will never be alone. He loves you so much that he quite literally holds out His hand to us and patiently waits for us to take hold of it, so that the journey can begin. And if your journey does lead to the cross, He is right there beside you, loving you with a love that we cannot even begin to understand.
3. I am no saint, I don’t pretend to be one, if I come off that way I am so sorry…I am a sinner and I will ask for God’s mercy and forgiveness all the days of my life. I fall, but those hands that held the leper, broke the bread, and were pierced by the nails of the cross, are held out to me…waiting to help me back to my feet. Then, joined hand-in-hand, we continue on the journey…together. God never abandons us…we abandon Him. Perhaps we can’t feel God’s presence…that does not mean He isn't there with you. Do not be discouraged…know that God loves you, and if you fall, the journey is not over, He is waiting to help you back to your feet.

Whatever your vocation is, it will lead you to holiness. It is not by pretending to be extraordinary that we become holy, but it is by becoming ordinary that we become extraordinary and holy. The lives which God is calling us to may seem ordinary, but the very fact that God has called you to that way of life, is what makes it extraordinary and by following that way of life, we can grow in our relationship with God, which, in turn, will make us holier men and women.

Christ is inviting you to journey with him…the course is set, the thongs of your sandals are tied, your walking-stick is in hand…will you take that first step?