Final Post

Read Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8.

Arise Together in Christ is a three-year, parish centered program of spiritual renewal, evangelization and adult faith formation.  Those that have participated have developed a closer relationship with Christ, grown in community, and reached out in service to others.

These past three years, have done just that for me, personally.  I have been humbled by the faith I have encountered in others.  I'm sure others have felt the same, especially the Arise team.  Together as a team we have accomplished God's work by allowing the Spirit to move.  It certainly wasn't us.  We had no idea what we were doing; we didn't understand; we didn't know anything; we didn't "get it."

Yet, we did it.  We stepped out in faith.

I still don't know how we did what we did.
    
In looking back over the past three years, I'm awed.  It has to be the work of the Holy Spirit.  In meditation, I definitely see that the Arise program has brought me into a Trinitarian relationship with God.  Read John 14:11, John 14:20, and John 14:23.  IOW, our faith tells us that God is three distinct persons, each relating to the other two in a unique way, much like St. Mary's Arise team, and very much like my Sunday night Arise group, and I'm sure all the Arise groups.  Each person in God is equally and completely one and the same God.  We, who have been made in God's own image and likeness, grow in perfection by becoming ever more united to each other and thus to God, in our groups.  We grew together and still respected the diversity of each of us as being a unique individual.  Wowza. Think of it.

I thank God for this experience.

In the most wonderful way, the Arise team, and the Arise groups, have taught me to respect each person as someone unique,  and someone very special to God.  We have enriched each other.  Our variety has helped me to understand something of the mystery of the Blessed Trinity, imperfectly reflected in the unity in diversity in the Arise team, in my group, in my parish, my community, and the Archdiocese.  So it must be in the world.  And when you think of it, all of history.

I'm sorry.  Words aren't sufficient.  My vocabulary fails me.   Wowza.

St. Thomas Aquinas teaches us that everything aims toward God.  Everyone wants the best.  Of course the best is God.  All human beings want union with God, and working together toward the good is the best humans can be.*

Arise with St. Mary's Parish has done this.  The three years are finished.  We are in the last session.  Finis.
I hope you will continue to read your Bible, reflecting upon what you have read.  My heartfelt thanks to all who have participated in the groups, and those that have found their way to this blog.

OK then, before I go, besides thanking everyone overall, I need to thank some in particular:

• as always, to my husband, my Martha, for loving me
• to my children, for tolerating me
• to Father Dave, for giving me the ball and letting me run with it
• to Father Brian and Father Frank for their prayers and support
• To Deacon Dick for his leadership and prayers
• to Joe, for his marketing skills, his spreadsheet expertise, and running interference for me
• to Nancy, for her teacher skills and procurement abilities
• to Ray for reaching out to our elderly and infirm and Christine for her support and prayers (and I promise to never tell Ray to "shut up" again).
• to Robbie and Paul for stepping in and doing whatever was asked.
• to Brenda and David for the best banner in the diocese and other promotional works
• to Katie for her educational expertise, involvement with  the youth, and dedication to the parish
• to John for back-up and ideas
• to Betsy for back-up and help
• to Mike for his support and sales pitches
• to Neil for lending his presence and support and giving us the perception of "legitimacy"
• for everyone's dedication and faith

To everyone who participated, thank you for your prayers.

For a review of the past three years, check out the Arise pix.

*Thomas Aquinas, I-II, q. 36, a. 3, Summa Theologica, vol.2.

Catholics Come Home

The Boston Globe had an article on this new archdiocesan initiative, called "Catholics Come Home."  The Church recognizes that in the not so distant past, with the priest sex scandal, the closing of  parishes, and just the general feeling of distrust with any authority, that there are a number of unhappy and unsettled people out there, who have left the Catholic Church.  This program is an outreach to them.  The sheep are lost.


I think the time is right for these lost sheep.  Aquinas tells us that we are born with a desire for God.  Man will always search for God.  Often we think money, power, sex, etc., will fulfill this yearning.  It doesn't.  We remain unsatisfied.  We try more, and more.  We never find satisfaction until we find God.  He's there.


Yes, right here--in the Catholic Church, in the Eucharist.  The sheep are meandering here and there and trying to find satisfaction.  Let us pray, they come home.  


Read Matt. 16: 18.


Jesus left the care of His Church to His apostle, Peter.  From the first century to today, all the popes have inherited the spiritual, ecclesiastical and sacramental authority and responsibility that Jesus first gave to Peter.
That is why we say that Pope Benedict XVI is the Vicar of Christ.


One reason I love being Catholic is this source of the authority exercised by a hierarchical priesthood based in Rome.  It makes sense.  It's historical fact.  It still exists after 2010 years.


My prayer, my promise, my creed:
I believe in the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church founded by Our Lord Jesus Christ upon the Apostle Peter, and today I fully accept Pope Benedict XVI as the Vicar of Christ.  

Not to be Ignored

God calls each of us to do his work. You might as well listen to him in the beginning, and save yourself a lot of trouble because if you're needed, He'll get you.

Read the Book of Jonah. It's not long; you know the story anyway.

Do you think one of the reasons we don't undertake whatever God's will is for us, is because we are afraid we'd have to sacrifice what we possess? Is it all about money? It could be a job change. It could be a life change. Whatever we cling to obsessively is not going to be easy to give up. Even knowing, as Aquinas said, we can only find real happiness by serving the Lord, we aren't going to let go easily. Jonah learned the hard way. In the end he realizes that if he had done what God asked in the first place, he would have received many blessings. Jonah 2:8

After reading Jonah you'll see that ignoring God and doing things "your" way is not going to work. Obeying God is the only good way.

Francis Thompson is his poem, "Hound of Heaven" compares God to a relentless hound that will pursue you until He gets you. I prefer this verse:

No hound of heaven; rather playful kitten,
Scratching at the door--not to be ignored,
Circling feet, rubbing, caressing, tail high.
Alack! You have always been my Adored.

Distractions

I'm persevering. Last Sunday's post, Aug. 16, "Hang in There," is also today's. That's due to the fact that distractions bother me to distraction! I sometimes think that my prayers are useless because I spaced out when praying and don't even know what I've prayed. Sound familiar?

Read Ephesians 6:18

Prayer is so important, that you can't just give up. I've been advised, which I subscribe to wholeheartedly, that it is the intention that counts, not the result. I certainly hope so.

When I first became serious about praying, I couldn't believe what an "air head" I was. I'd start a Rosary and finished in 5 minutes wondering what I did, knowing that I couldn't have prayed each bead. I'd try centering prayer and fall asleep. I'd begin the Our Father and realize that I was saying "and lead us not into the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints..." What the...?

You know what I did? I kept at it. It use to upset me that I couldn't get rid of the distractions. I asked everyone for advice. I tried every suggestion:

Incorporating the distraction into the prayer
Pray to St. Michael to protect you from distractions.
Just start over (you'd never finish if you did this).
Try a different time of day when you could focus better. (Ha!)
etc.....etc....etc.

You know what worked?

Nothing.

You can't be human and not have distractions. Period.

I kept trying. I keep trying.

You get use to the distractions. They don't upset me anymore. I don't just deal with them, because I can't deal with them. I can't ignore them. I acknowledge that I was just distracted and move on. Like I said, you get use them. You don't give up. Don't waste your energy on beating yourself up. As I said before, it's the intention that counts.

Just to back up my theory, I checked with St. Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologica. In Vol. 2, Part 2, Question CXXXVII, paragraph 899, and Aquinas said that when we persevere we are strengthened by God's gifts of habitual grace. He points out that perseverance requires "gratuitous help of God sustaining the human being in the good until the end of life."

This sounds reasonable to me, because on my own, I certainly can't do it. It takes God's divine grace. Let us pray.