Joy of the Redeemed

Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, "Be strong, do not fear; your God will come.

Is 35:3-4

Often when we feel that something is wrong or we feel hopeless, we believe that there is nothing we can do. God says otherwise. He tells us to “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come”. God is like a friend that is always there for us and will never give up on us. We all need to know that God will deliver us from our troubles. He will deliver us from our sorrow. Fear will all be left behind as we follow the Lord.

The Catholic Catechism reminds us that God is always with us.  In any circumstance we are with a God who is present in our lives.

Paragraph 1821 states:

 We can therefore hope in the glory of heaven promised by God to those who love him and do his will. In every circumstance, each one of us should hope, with the grace of God, to persevere "to the end" and to obtain the joy of heaven, as God's eternal reward for the good works accomplished with the grace of Christ. In hope, the Church prays for "all men to be saved." She longs to be united with Christ, her Bridegroom, in the glory of heaven:       

Hope, O my soul, hope. You know neither the day nor the hour. Watch carefully, for everything passes quickly, even though your impatience makes doubtful what is certain, and turns a very short time into a long one. Dream that the more you struggle, the more you prove the love that you bear your God, and the more you will rejoice one day with your Beloved, in a happiness and rapture that can never end.

A core value of Hoban High is hope.  How do we witness to the hope that makes Christ know in this world?  How do we respond to difficult situations? How do we keep going when we encounter setbacks?

Prayer  

Trumpet of God, sound high,

Till the hearts of the heathen shake,

And the souls that in slumber lie

At the voice of the Lord awake.

Till the fenced cities fall

At the blast of the Gospel call,

Trumpet of God, sound high!

Hosts of the Lord, go forth:

Go, strong in the power of His rest,

Till the south be at one with the north,

And peace upon east and west;

Till the far-off lands shall thrill

With the gladness of God’s “Goodwill,”

Hosts of the Lord, go forth.

Come, as of old, like fire;

O force of the Lord, descend,

Till with love of the world’s Desire

Earth burn to its utmost end;

Till the ransomed people sing

To the glory of Christ the King,

Come, as of old, like fire.

Jesus, Remember Me When You Come into Your Kingdom

35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”                                                   Luke 23:35-43

This passage (Luke 23: 35-43) reminds us that often, people judge others too quickly and before they get to know the person.  The people that were killing Jesus didn't listen to him or even think for a second that he might be telling the truth that he really was the king of the Jews.  People should stop being judged at first glance. We all know we do it and most of us know that it is wrong.  The bad part is that it has become a part of who we are, and it is hard to come back from this and not judge people by how they look or who they are.  The man on one side of Jesus knows that Jesus truly is the son of God. Jesus recognizes this and tells him that he too will come to paradise with him. Jesus died for us, proving his immense love he has for us. Amazing love, how can it be that He, our king, would die for us? We need to stop judging our brothers and sisters and start making sacrifices out of pure love for them! Like a rose, trampled on the ground, He took the fall… and thought of you and me through it all. Jesus belittled himself, took up the cross, and died for our salvation. At the end of time, God is the only judge that matters. He is above everything else—especially all the unimportant things we find distracting in our lives. In the short amount of time on Earth, we have time to prove ourselves worthy of paradise. Jesus saw the criminal’s pure heart and understood that he meant what he said. He truly repented for his sins, and because of that, Jesus showed forgiveness. No matter how much we sin and turn away from Him, God will always forgive us.

The Catechism explanation of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ: in paragraph 604:

By giving up his own Son for our sins, God manifests that his plan for us is one of benevolent love, prior to any merit on our part: "In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins."God "shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us."
 
The principles in which this is reflected upon is love. Jesus had love for us so great that he was willing to bear our sins alone. In this passage of scripture, Luke defines the story with the question of "Why did He do it for me?" And the answer will continually be the same.... LOVE! "Why does God love us so?" The answer is: because we are made in His own image even though we may sin against Him. We are the Body of Christ as believers and must give each other the "mandatory", brotherly love that Christ forever gives us. 

This passage written by Luke strongly relates to one of Hoban’s core values about hope. In our school’s core value list, hope is one of our school mottoes. As a Holy Cross school, we hear the phrase “Hail the cross, our only hope!” quite often. The man who understands Jesus’ reasoning for not saving himself knows that, by Jesus’ dying on the cross, he, along with all future posterity, is now able to have everlasting life. What good news is this! He sees that this man—the man nailed to a tree for preaching the Word of God; the man that was nothing but a perfect role model to us—is truly the Messiah. He gives us hope for everlasting life. Hoban shows us that, like everyone else, we are made new by the same Lord’s love; like them we hope for a world where justice and love prevail.” Another core value that this passage demonstrates is zeal. Zeal is that flame of ardent desire to make God known, loved, and served. Jesus very well could have saved himself. He didn’t have to die for us… but he DID! He set the perfect example throughout his whole life to teach us that God is above everything… even our own lives. Zeal responds to the needs of others in generosity and love, which is exactly what Jesus did when he let himself be a victim of persecution.

Lord Jesus,
Redeemer of all,
hear my prayer.
For the love you bear
to those who ask forgiveness,
look mercifully on me,
as once you on Peter who denied you.
Look on me, Lord Jesus Christ,
as you looked on the thief on his cross
and on every sinner
whom you have ever forgiven.
Look on me, merciful Lord,
as you looked on your mother, Mary,
standing in sorrow beneath your cross.
Let me feel in my heart her compassion for you,
and let my eyes weep for the sorrows
my sins have caused.
Call me from darkness
to my Father’s house,
give me a new heart
and a place at your side
at the banquet of your kingdom.
Amen.

Be a Leader!

And the Lord said to you, “You shall Shepard my people Israel and shall be the commander of Israel.” 2 Samuel 5:2

This scripture passage is about God calling out David to do his will and David accepting. Parallel to Jesus accepting the task of being our king and savior David accepts God’s call for his leadership. David is a normal man who, through God’s grace, achieves numerous victories and triumphs. The meaning of this passage is that God commands David to be the king of his people and David accepts. David is obedient to God’s will and through his obedience gains victory and God’s grace. Not only does this verse foreshadow Jesus accepting his role as our messiah but it also demonstrates to the readers the importance of obeying God’s will and having faith in his plan for you and for humanity. Unlike several kings scattered throughout history before him David achieves glory, not through vicious tactics or birthright, but rather from sheer obedience and faith to God. This verse, along with the entire story of David calls upon us to have the same faith as David and follow God’s voice as we face our own personal “Goliaths” that challenge us in our life, and to remain obedient to the Lord.

The Catholic Catechism states that, God made us, (294) “to be his sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace.”  King David’s leadership is a perfect example of God making his will known through human beings.  For, even though David was an ordinary man when God called him to lead his chosen people as king and do his will, David agreed.

One of the many core values that Archbishop Hoban High School has is Leadership. Leadership is an act or instance of leading; guidance; direction. Being a leader includes having many qualities; strength, dedication, courage, and self-perseverance. King David led his people with a wise heart and he achieved God’s will. David was a gifted leader. Many of us today can be a leader like him, but we have to open our own hearts, as David did, to God’s command. If we accomplish this, then we will reach success in whatever we put our minds too. We can all be an example of the true value of leadership, and we can pursue our ultimate goal of spreading Jesus’ message. Are you a leader or a follower? How can you be a leader in your life as well as those around you? What actions prove that you are a leader?

Prayer of Leadership:

God, inspire us today with the qualities of good leadership. Give us Insight to make wise decisions, Integrity to face the truth, Courage to make difficult choices, and Compassion for the needs of others. Make us a model of justice and honor to the world, and let us never forget that our job is to serve, both You and others.
Amen.

Christ Before All Things

Christ is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. –Colossians 1:19

Colossians 1:12-20 talks about the supremacy of Christ. This reading says that Jesus is the image of the invisible God, and he is the firstborn of God’s creation. Christ is to be put before all things because he holds all things together. Christ reconciled our sins by dying on the cross for us, and without Christ all of us would be living in eternal sin. The main message of this passage is that God should be honored and be put ahead of all other things in our lives

This passage portrays God as a supreme creator of everything. The passage says that he created us and the world and that he is the one who holds the earth together. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that God is the “Mighty One of Jacob” (Gen 49:24). “Whatever God wills is done” (Ps 115:3). “He can do everything in heaven and earth. He is the Lord of the universe governing all events by his will” (CCC 269). While the thought of God having absolute control over everything can be somewhat frightening, the CCC also comforts us by telling us that, “God’s almighty power is also fatherly. I will be a father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters” (2 Cor 6:18). God’s power is not arbitrary. “Nothing can be in God’s power which could not be in his just will or his wise intellect” (St. Thomas Aquinas) (CCC 270). This leads us to believe that God is a caring God that will watch over us and guide us in our trials, and that he will never abandon his creations.

A Hoban core value is zeal. Zeal is the hunger for a mission. In Colossians 1:13 it says, “He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son.” God was successful in his mission. Zeal is the power to do good for others. Who has more power to do good and wonderful things that the creator of everything that ever was and ever will be? “In him all things hold together” (Col 1:17). Zeal is also when our actions reflect the love that we have for each other in our hearts. Jesus’ love for humanity was so great that everywhere he went his love for his creation was reflected in his actions on Earth. Especially “by making peace through the blood of his cross” (Col 1:20).

Prayer
I was alone
Like the earth
before your Spirit moved over the waters.
I was formless and empty
and darkness filled the depths of my heart.
Then, it was as if you declared
'Let there be Light'
and out of the darkness
I began to see hope
like a shimmering ray of love
breaking through the parting clouds at the conclusion
of the night.
In the beginning, Lord I was alone
but when I saw you in the light I was no longer afraid.
You held out your hand
and though I had a choice
I had no choice
because to refuse
was to embrace again the darkness.
In the beginning, Lord I was alone
Now I feel again a part
of your creation
loved, wanted, needed, family.
In the light of your presence
I hold out my heart that others
might glimpse through it your reflection
and be drawn from the darkness that I once embraced
into the light of your sunrise
the brightness of your face. Amen

Peace Be Within Hoban's Walls

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
  “May those who love you be secure.
May there be peace within your walls
  and security within your citadels.”
For the sake of my family and friends,
  I will say, “Peace be within you.” Ps. 122:6-7

In Psalm 122, the singer is rejoicing that he can go into the city of Jerusalem. He is saying that this is the place of the Lord and this is where the people go to praise. This is where the people listen to the judgment of the Lord. The singer then prays and hopes for peace inside the city. The singer hopes for peace with family and friends and peace in the house of the Lord.

One word that is repeated throughout the passage is the word peace. Peace is shown many times in the Catechism including this passage:

2304 “Respect for and development of human life require peace. Peace is not merely the absence of war, and it is not limited to maintaining a balance of powers between adversaries. Peace cannot be attained on earth without safeguarding the goods of persons, free communication among men, respect for the dignity of persons and peoples, and the assiduous practice of fraternity. Peace is "the tranquillity of order." Peace is the work of justice and the effect of charity.”

One core value of Hoban is zeal.  Zeal is “a hunger for mission, a passion to continue what Jesus of Nazareth began through His life, teaching, and example”.  This relates to Psalm 122 because the people were passionate about continuing to follow the Lord by going to Jerusalem.  They desired to be faithful to the Lord.  Also, “zeal responds to the needs of others in generosity and love”, and at the end of this psalm, it talks about wishing for peace and prosperity of others. How do you build peace in your life?  Are your daily action and attitudes means for building peace?

The Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
enjoying one moment at a time;
accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
that I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
forever in the next.
Amen.

--- Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971)

Do What is Right

Do not weary in doing what is right. 2 Thes 3: 13

Second Thessalonians ends with an exhortation, a discourse that encourages, incites, or earnestly advises. St. Paul directs them to stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that they were taught by the apostles.  Traditions like Mum Day give us an identity and our commitment to living out that identity witness to all our faithful membership.  Are we living it or just giving it lip service?  We are called to do the right and not be examples of sin.

A core value of Hoban is discipline. Do we give the example of a discipline person?  Do we keep the environment of Hoban “orderly?” Are we ready to learn?  Do we have the good habits of learning? Are we an example of respect? Do we embrace the habits and encourage growth and change?

The Catholic Catechism 1866 reminds us of the vices that we must avoid:

 Vices can be classified according to the virtues they oppose, or also be linked to the capital sins which Christian experience has distinguished. They are called "capital" because they engender other sins, other vices. They are pride, avarice, envy, wrath, lust, gluttony, and sloth.

Let us be example of virtue not vice.

Lord we ask you to guide us through the path that only you know. We ask you to show us your light when we are surrounded by darkness. We ask you for the strength to work so that we earn what is given to us and not take service for granted. We ask that you help us to follow your laws and not become a custom to slothfulness. we ask this in your son Jesus' name. Amen

Spes Unica: One Hope for All

But for you who revere my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. Malachi 4:2 


This passage teaches about destruction and healing. It says that the sun can burn you like an oven, or heal you in its wings. This means that the same sun that can hurt you can also save you. God is like the sun, a source of healing or a judge who will punish those who do not keep the covenant. The central meaning of this passage is to be faithful to God because that will determine the meaning of your life.


The Ten Commandments and a man’s moral life has their full meaning in the covenant. (CCC 2061) When we obey the commandments, we are made free of the slavery. God gives us freedom, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” 

Spes Unica, meaning “our only hope,” is a core value of our school and   in this particular passage it is fitting. It says that all the arrogant people who do wrong in the world will be judge for their wrong doing but those who honor God will rise to his kingdom. God tells us to not worry. If we are truly good and pure, we will receive him.  At this school we are taught that giving hope for others is one of the most commendable things you can do. We are supposed to go out of our way and put others first, giving them a hope for something better in their life to come and teaching them to have faith for the future and trust in God. It doesn’t matter what you do, it’s how you do it; whether you’re working a spaghetti dinner or teaching a mentally challenged child to ride a bike, you are giving them a new hope in life, and with that, through God, anything is possible. By doing service, we are giving those less fortunate than us a hope to see God through our actions. Just like in this passage, if we are good people, God’s kingdom is ours.


God of mercy,
you know the secrets of all human hearts,
for you know who is just and you forgive the repentant
sinner.
Hear my prayer in the midst of destruction;
give me patience and hope,
so that under your protection and with you as my guide,
I may one day be reunited with my family and friends
in peace, tranquility, and love.
Grant this through Christ our Lord. 

Our God is the God of the Living

He is God not of the dead but of the living. Luke 20:38

Luke 20: 27-38 is a scripture passage that conveys both scorn and happiness. Scorn because in this passage Jesus is talking to the Sadducees, Jews who do not believe in resurrection. They come to Him and try to prove that there is no resurrection. They asked Him a question about resurrection that they think cannot be answered. Instead of being faithful and believing Jesus, they disrespect Him. The Son of God,  however has an answer to everything that the Sadducees use in their attempt to outsmart Jesus. This shows their lack of faith in God and that they thought they were smarter than anyone. Jesus destroys the Sadducees sinful efforts by answering them in an absolutely perfect and complete way. In response to the question about marriage, Jesus says that in heaven marriage does not exist because everyone is already in communion with one another. This symbolizes that Earthly things do not matter in heaven. He also manages to turn their question against them and use it to prove the resurrection of the body after death. This is the part of the passage that sends a message of hope and joy because Jesus then speaks of the everlasting and glorious life in heaven. He says that people in heaven become like angels and are children of God. This shows that anyone who follows God can happily look forward to the day they will be completely renewed in Christ and be able to live in perfect bliss for eternity.

In the Catholic Catechism we are taught that:
Belief in the resurrection of the dead has been an essential element of the Christian faith from its beginnings. “ The confidence of Christians is the resurrection of the dead; believing this we live.”
“How can someone of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain ... But in fact Christ has been raised from he dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. (CCC 991)

One of the Hoban core values is hope. Hope is something that keeps us going. Jesus’ message that sends us hope and joy and proves the resurrection of the body is what keeps us going and believing in the after life. In Luke 20: 27-38 we earn a sense of hope when Jesus proves the Sadducees that there is life after death. Do you hope there is life after death? Is the hope you look for encouraged by others? Does your hope encourage the hope of others?

John 11:25 is a great Bible scripture passage that truly captures the essence of Luke 20:27-28.  The scripture of Luke tells about resurrection and how Jesus was sent to save all the people in the world.  the Scripture prayer tells people to believe in life after death because that is the reason Jesus came to earth. He needed to teach us that there is a Heaven and that when he comes again to judge us the second time, we will all be reunited with God and all of our loved ones.

“I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die.” John 11:25

Zeal of A Knight

Stand firm, and you will win life. Luke 21: 19

During the time of this passage Jesus observes a widow giving all that she had to the Temple. Yet others sadly did not see the widow but was praising the temple for its greatness. While Jesus saw the poor widow other people were trying to bring attention to themselves by bringing extravagant gifts. Jesus said that a time would come where no one would leave any kind of offerings. The disciples were shocked and then asked when the time was coming, and how would they know the time is coming. Jesus said that they should watch out and make sure they aren't easily caught up with the greatness of the Temple and its wealth. That true belief was staying faithful to the teachings of the Commandments. He said a lot of people would come and claim that they are the good. The disciples should not be quick to follow false teachers but endure with the teachings of Christ. When they hear of upcoming wars, they shouldn't be scared because these things need to happen. There will be terrible things happening, such as earthquakes, no food, and cattle dying. None of these is the test of faith. The test is their loyalty to Jesus when life is trying. The most difficult test for the disciples would be betrayal by the ones who mattered to them, such as parents, brothers and sisters. They would hate the disciples because they hated Jesus. Jesus even said some would die, but if they stayed firm they would win life.

The Catholic Catechism in paragraph 1851 reminds us that Christ suffered betrayal:

It is precisely in the Passion, when the mercy of Christ is about to vanquish it, that sin most clearly manifests its violence and its many forms: unbelief, murderous hatred, shunning and mockery by the leaders and the people, Pilate's cowardice and the cruelty of the soldiers, Judas' betrayal - so bitter to Jesus, Peter's denial and the disciples' flight. However, at the very hour of darkness, the hour of the prince of this world, the sacrifice of Christ secretly becomes the source from which the forgiveness of our sins will pour forth inexhaustibly.

We are called to forgive others and continue zealously to do God’s will.  We are called to build his kingdom.

This passage relates to the Hoban core value of zeal because in the passage Jesus is telling us to continue to worship and be ready for the end. Jesus also tells us to stay strong in our faith because then we will win life. Zeal is the passion to finish what Jesus started and to do what he told us to do. In our daily lives at school we portray the value of zeal through our actions. To live the value of zeal we can help others by giving through opportunities such as  the canned food drive or Project Hope. We can also offer help to those struggling in school or other activities. Through our every action we have the ability to show zeal and to be Christ-like and it is up to us to make sure that we live everyday for God to the best of our ability.


All people of the earth, each and every nation
Arise and rejoice at the continued creation
Of beauty, of springtime.
Who despite our apparent lack of care
Creates bountiful splendor for all to share
From mountain tops to the deepest sea
All wonderful earthly miracles bursting free!
Yet this miracle of renewal requires the helping hand
Of the people to replenish and renew the land
From the largest of cities to the most remote farms
To unite in spirit and with the strongest arms.
Become a guardian of our resources hour by hour
We must learn to take time to appreciate
The miracles of which we did not create.
For God has given this wonderful treasure
And its preservation will be the measure
Of people who recognize and will celebrate
The birth of each season before it's too late.
In citizenship, in willingness to toil
We must bend our backs and tend to the soil
In stewardship, arise and applaud the worth
Of the wondrous marvel of our Living Earth!
Consider creation. . . . Consider it now.


Source: service from August 1992, "Coming to See"

Our Hope is in the Lord

  

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, comfort your hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word. -2 Thessalonians 2:16

  The passage reminds us God has always and will always love us and has always been our source of comfort, strength, and hope. This strength and hope comes from our faith and our belief in eternal life. We  are encouraged to do good deeds and to pray often.

  In the Catholic Catechism, verse 2559, it states that “prayer is the raising of one’s mind and heart to God” or “the requesting of good things from God.”    When God calls on us to pray He can gives us strength and protect us from evil. Prayer is our main security and defense against sin. The passage reminds us that God is faithful and believes in us even if others are not. Our hearts should be focused and committed to Christ and to God’s love. 

One of Hoban’s core values is “Hope.” This passage relates to this value because it states that God always loves us and gives us hope. That hope comes from our faith and our beliefs. At Hoban our hope is all around us, in the cross of Christ and in our community. We support the poor and those that are less fortunate then ourselves through donations and our canned food drive. We provide others with the things we often take for granted.  We bring hope to the ones who need it and through our faith we share our hope with others. How are you currently a source of Hope?  Are you being generous supporting the can food drive?  Are your prayers  making hope visible in the world? 

A Prayer for Hope and Strength 

 God is our hope and strength,

  a very present help in trouble.

   Therefore we will not fear,

 though the earth be moved, 

and though the hills be carried into the midst of the sea;

   Though the waters rage and swell,

  and though the mountains shake at the tempest of the same.

   There is a river,

 the streams make glad, the city of God, 

the holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.     

Life through Faith

"It is my choice to die at the hands of men with the God-given hope of being restored to life by him; but for you, there will be no resurrection to life." 2 Maccabees 7:14

The first part of this biblical passage is about seven brothers and their mother, who are suffering for their religious beliefs. They have a spokesman declare that they would rather die than disobey God’s law. The second part of the passage, when the brothers are dying, they say to the king that it doesn’t matter that he is making them suffer on Earth, because they will be rewarded in heaven. When the fourth brother was close to dying, he said to the king that he is glad to know that when he is killed by him, that he will be raised again by God. No matter what hardships we face in our lives, as long as we remain faithful to God, we will be rewarded in heaven when we die. Because of this, we should not be afraid to stand up for our beliefs even if the world is telling us it is wrong.

This passage expresses the Hoban core value of zeal.  The Hoban website defines zeal as “a hunger for mission, a passion to continue what Jesus of Nazareth began through His life, teaching, and example.” The brothers in this story are eager and willing to die for their beliefs.  What are we willing to give up to live out Christ’s mission?  Do we avoid doing what is right because we are afraid it will make us unpopular?  Do we accept everyone with the hospitality of Christ without being reminded to by a teacher?  Are we sometimes reluctant to share our faith?

The Catholic Catechism teaches us about faith and obedience:  

Faith is the theological virtue by which we believe in God and believe all that he has said and revealed to us, and that Holy Church proposes for our belief, because he is truth itself. By faith "man freely commits his entire self to God." For this reason the believer seeks to know and do God's will. "The righteous shall live by faith. " Living faith "work[s] through charity."  (CCC 1814)

Our moral life has its source in faith in God who reveals his love to us. St. Paul speaks of the "obedience of faith" as our first obligation. He shows that "ignorance of God" is the principle and explanation of all moral deviations. Our duty toward God is to believe in him and to bear witness to him.  (CCC 2087)

 We will make it to Heaven if we obey his will and spread the faith to others.  By only listening to what God wants and not listening to what others want will help us to live as God wills.

Prayer:
Lord, please bless me with courage.
Bless me with the courage to be loyal to you.
Bless me with the courage to honor your laws through any situation.
For you will be with me through the darkest times in life.
And guide me to live a greater life with you in heaven.
Amen

In Difficult Circumstances: Trust!

“To this end we always pray for you, asking that our God will make you worthy of his call and will fulfill by his power every good resolve and work of faith, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. As to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we beg you, brothers and sisters, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as though from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord is already here.” (2 Thes. 1:11-2:2) 

 The first thing that came to mind when reading this passage was to always trust in the Lord. Sometime, it is easy to doubt God especially when things aren’t going as planned. One may wonder why good people suffer the bad things in life, considering they weren't deserving of such punishment or why wasn’t the Lord there for them.  One questions why the loving single mother of six passes away at a young age, or why a good man loses his job and is forced to beg on the streets. It can become easy in desperate situations to look upon the Lord and ask “why me?”

 An example of a good person suffering is seen in the book of Job. Job lost nearly everything and maintained his faith to the Lord. Through Job’s misfortunes, we learn a very important lesson. There are times in life that are so difficult that it appears right to blame or doubt God. God  is always there for us, and we may never fully understand his reasons.

  This passage bears a parallel with the American motto of “In God we Trust”. This motto was originally printed on American currency during the Civil War as a way of encouraging Americans to keep their faith in God. This statement remains on our money and in our contemporary society as a way and a reminder to trust in God not only with our savings but with our souls. We should forever trust in God, we should not doubt Him -- because He is always with us, looking over us -- in the best and worst of times.

 As students at this school, we celebrate reliance on divine providence... or the fact that God is with us and an active part of our world and lives. How do you demonstrate your faith in “difficult times?”  How do you support and encourage your friends and family?  Is prayer a part of the support that you give?

 In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1817 provides a good example of keeping trust in the Lord.  “Hope is the theological virtue by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ’s promises and relying not on our own strength, but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit. “Let us hold fast the Spirit...he poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that we night be justified by his grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life.”

Prayer of Trust

 My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going.  I do not see the road ahead of me.  I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself. And the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually going to do so.  But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have the desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And i know that if I do this you will lead me by the right rough though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost in the shadow of death. I will not fear for you are ever with me and you will never leave me to face my troubles alone.

God is an Awesome God

Every day I will bless you, and praise your name forever and ever.
Ps. 145:2

Psalm 145 is a hymn of praise both for personal and public worship. People describe it as a “Psalm of David”; but its format has an acrostic pattern, which goes back to a later period. Each verse begins with the successive letters of the alphabet.  The word of praise echoes other verses in other Psalms and also from the Book of Exodus. The first three verses are to introduce the rest of the Psalm. The author declares that he will praise God daily and forever. It is divided into three sections verses 4-7, 8-13, and 13-20, to build a close relationship between God and the writer. In the first section,verses 4-7 focus on the wonder and splendor of God’s greatness. The writer recognizes that God’s people need to be aware of and to proclaim God’s greatness. The second section, 8-13, revisits many attributes of God as a mighty, but also merciful God whose dominion is forever. The third section, 13-20, calls for God’s faithful people to make it known all of the qualities that distinguish God from all earthly people.

Psalm 145 describes how God is gracious,merciful and good to all. God’s kingdom is everlasting and endures for ever. In the Catholic Catechism 2816 states:
The Kingdom of God lies ahead of us. It is brought near in the Word Incarnate, it is proclaimed throughout the whole Gospel, and it has come in Christ's death and Resurrection. The Kingdom of God has been coming since the Last Supper and, in the Eucharist, it is in our midst. The kingdom will come in glory when Christ hands it over to his Father:
It may even be . . . that the Kingdom of God means Christ himself, whom we daily desire to come, and whose coming we wish to be manifested quickly to us. For as he is our resurrection, since in him we rise, so he can also be understood as the Kingdom of God, for in him we shall reign.

We live out the core value  of reliance on the divine providence of God, when we believe that God will look out for us. With God’s grace we can do what seems impossible to us. In Psalm 145 it tells us that God is patient and good to all. Therefore we should be patient with others, and work with them. We must witness to the Kingdom by acting and helping people around us. Do you pray for the grace you need in life? Are you making an effort to be more patient? Is the help you extend to others given freely?

A Prayer in Praise of God's Greatness

Almighty, true and incomparable God,
You are present in all things,
yet in no way limited by them.
You remain unaffected by place,
untouched by time,
unperturbed by years,
and undeceived by words.
You are not subject to birth
and in no need of protection.
You are beyond all corruption,
above all change,
immutable by nature.
You live in unapproachable light
and are invisible,
yet You are known to all those
who seek You with hope and love.
You are the God of Israel,
and of all who hope in Christ.

Amen.