Broken

Last Sunday at church we had some visitors.  A teenage boy with his family, he had a moderate learning disability, autism possibly.  A young man with severe mobility and learning disability, possibly cerebral palsy, accompanied by his mother.  An elderly lady with limited mobility, incontinence and dementia.

The sermon was not engaging with me. So I was looking around, a man with two prosthetic arms another with no arms at all and that was what I could see.  What about hidden problems, the hard of hearing, partially sighted, diabetics, heart issues, those with depression, mental illness, anxiety, the bereaved, the lonely, the broken hearted and unloved.

I realised that virtually everybody, if not everybody, in the church were broken.  The minister, the congregation were like you and me broken, physically and spiritually broken.

Our only true hope is through the healing power of Christ. Christ loves us all, the blind, the cripple, the incontinent, the depressed and anxious.  Only through Christ will we be made whole.

And we must remember we must be Christ to each other, we are called to heal and care for the sick around us.

Ashes to ashes

Recently I had the privilege to be with somebody in their last moments.  I was present as she became ill and passed into unconsciousness and sat beside her bed as she took her last few breaths.  This christian lady was not fearful or agitated, it was clear to everybody she was dying, it was clear to her.  She was calm, collected and peaceful.  It was over and she was going home to be with Christ.

We cannot avoid death it comes to us all.  Our fragile life ceases like a flower withering, ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

But like my friend Elizabeth in Christ we can die without fear, not just hopeful of something else, but certain of a new life in Christ.  The death and resurrection of Jesus blesses us all in this certainty.

All we have to do is accept Christ.  In the name of the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit.

Say yes to Christ and you too can face death without fear.

The lady's not for turning

Many years ago a politician said.

"The lady's not for turning"

Like her many of us arrogantly and resolutely refuse to change.  We wish to conservatively remain as we are, but we have a choice.  In Advent we are called to change, to metanoia we can choose and accept change.  You and I can choose to love God with all our heart, all our soul and all our minds.  We do not have to accept sin and death, we can choose life and joy.

Let us turn, turn to Christ this Advent, accept Christ and the wisdom of God rather than the human cleverness of  and foolishness.

By turning to God we can change the world, starting with our own attitudes and importantly LOVE.

A great Advent message

Today I watched a great Advent Message

Please check out Fr Paschal

We fail ourselves, Our calling and God

It is so easy to fail God, ourselves and our calling.

It is very difficult to keep the first commandment.  However it is not impossible

"We ought to give ourselves up to God with regard both to things temporal and spiritual and seek our satisfaction only in the fulfilling of His will. Whether God led us by suffering or by consolation all would be equal to a soul truly resigned."

To achieve this all that is needed is

 "...one hearty renunciation of everything which we are sensible does not lead to God. We might accustom ourselves to a continual conversation with Him with freedom and in simplicity."

Brother Lawrence

Renounce the things of the world
Focus of things divine
Continual and costantly pray, talk with God.
Listen to God
Focus on achieving God's will, NOT your will

Riches vs Poverty

We live in a world where the pursuit of wealth and money is valued, but for the Christian poverty should be valued.  Fr Murray Bodo sums up the right attitude to money.

If I am truly poor, then I am dependent on others for everything, and I feel useless and worthless, and I realise deep within that everything is a gift from the Father. Then in this attitude of complete dependence, I become useful again, for then I am empty of selfishness and I am free to be God's instrument instead of my own. In poverty I begin to value everything rightly again. I see how little really matters, and I see that only that which glorifies God is of value.

I write these words in pain, Lady Poverty, for I have wept bitter tears because I was poor and had to beg from others, and I felt like a burden to people and to God . . . And I have grown weary of Christ's words not to worry about tomorrow. But in His grace I have surrendered to God's sovereignty and providence, and it has made me free.

. . . Lady Poverty, I love you. You, my Lady, take all the sting from being poor. In your embrace I am rich indeed, for I have someone to love. I have you. Perhaps, my Lady, that is why I keep submitting, surrendering my desire to control my life, my need to provide for the future. You have stolen my heart and made me happy, and your love makes up for all the pain that loving you involves.

. . . And we know it is all worthwhile because when we look into your eyes, we see Christ Himself.

Fr Murray Bodo OFM
Fr Murray Bodo

Being Happy, being called

Awaiting evening prayer today I realised that I was only happy when I was doing what I was called to do.

Not what I thought was best, but doing what I was meant to do.

Society will encourage us to earn more money, gain more influence.  We may be attracted to important, ‘sexy’ and prestigious roles.  Even our relatives may not have our best interests at heart.  When in fact we are called to do something simple and well.

In addition to loving God with all your heart, ALL you soul and your mind.  I am called to work, simple domestic work.  I am not called to be a priest, deacon, an officer, a manager rather to be humble before God and others.  When I serve, when I clean toilets, wash up then I feel fulfilled.

We each are called.  Pray that you come to know to what you are called to.  If you strive to follow Christ, it be something humble and humbling, not proud or arrogant.

Read 1 Corinthians 12:12