SMALL THINGS CAN MAKE BIG CHANGES

The ABCs of Prayer

The following was written by Fr. Henry Mancuso. 

        Calling out for help to a higher power is a natural part of our growth and development.  We seek the assistance of a parent for those things we cannot get for ourselves — first food, then calm, then protection, then for answers.   

        Yes, it seems that part of our human nature is to recognize that we do not have “it all” and we cannot provide for all that we want and need — we cry out, we beg, we seek — beyond ourselves.

WHAT WE PRAY

        Then, we are taught to pray …. to pray to God — a power even higher than ourselves.  We say night prayers; we pray before we eat.  When we pray we are reminded of something that we somehow innately know — that there is someone bigger and mightier than us.

         We learn to pray for loved ones in the hospital or for our military before they go off to a war zone.  We pray for the birth of a healthy baby.  We simply look up and beyond.  No one needs to teach us — but when we are getting ready for a test in school — we cry out for inspiration and help.

        There may be … maybe … some instruction on asking for forgiveness or expressing thanks.  But most of all — it comes natural to us — we are taught —– if you need something and you can’t get it yourself — say a prayer — pray.

         Then at some point, we pray, we ask for things — we seek — and things do not happen the way we want

·         we prayed for our children to go back to Church and they do not. 

·         We pray for a healthy baby, and a baby is born with health issues. 

·         We pray that a spouse deals with his/her addiction, and they continue unhealthy behavior.  

So we start to ask:  1] Am I praying wrong?  2] Maybe there is a Saint I need to pray to,  3] Is my sin, my failure the reason my prayer is not being            answered?

 IS MY GOD LISTENING?

         We pray and it seems our prayer is not answered.  Then we hear “human” explanations that seem so trite and empty …… God always answers prayer …. but sometime the answer is “no”;   God’s time is not our time — we think our prayer is not answered ….. but we just have to wait until the end.  This just does not seem right — to a child praying that a parent does not die — who prays that their parents do not get a divorce, but they do — even to us older people, who pray we get a job — and it goes to someone else.

PRAYER WHAT GOOD IS IT?

        Pray?  Why?  What good does it do?  How can God really listen to our prayer when there are billions of other people praying?  What if I am praying that my football team wins and the other side is praying that their team wins? 

·         Who will God listen to? 

·         Does God really care?  

·         Is prayer really doing any good?

        If God hears the cry of the poor and answers the prayer of the righteous . . . and my prayer is “unanswered”, does this mean I am not righteous and I am not “poor” enough?

        Then, at some point we are like Peter when Jesus asks…. will you too go away?  and, we answer, “Lord to whom else shall we go?”   In other words, if we do not pray — then what?

        So — we do pray — maybe with memorized prayers … or prayers with scripture … prayers at worship.  Prayers while sitting in our chair …. Prayers while laying in our bed …. Prayers prayed on our knees …. Prayers prayed with our arms outstretched . . . we pray – “Please God . . . God, please.”

 I offer these A, B, C’s for prayer …..

 A IS FOR AN ATTITUDE OF ACCEPTANCE.  Prayer is not like putting a $1 into a soft drink machine and expecting our drink of choice to roll out.  Sincere prayer — real “prayer” is opening our hearts to a God who really loves us as a good parent would . . . we trust that God is listening and God helps as best as God can.  We pray — with words — in silence — with a spirit of what will be, will be.  God IS HELPING.  God is WORKING.

B — FOR A SENSE OF BELIEF – We believe we will be ok … we believe that me and God — are stronger than me alone.  We pray with confidence that all will be well.  We see that we live in a fractured imperfect world.  We live with people as weak and as sinful as we are.  Still, we believe that tomorrow is going to be better.  We believe that we will survive the challenges of the day . . . and we will enjoy life anew.  We believe that God is by our side no matter what.  We believe that God, deep within us — will give us the wisdom and the insight to make a good choice.  We believe that something does happen in prayer.

 C — FOR A TRUE COMMITMENT – to do our part.  Remember the old expression:  pray like everything depends on God and work like everything depends on us!  This sentiment is similar to the old African expression — often quoted by Congressman John Lewis — when you pray, move your feet. Praying that God will bring a new friend into your life . . . while you go nowhere to meet new people, just may not be the answer to loneliness.  Asking God to give you a better job, but never improving professional skills and never applying for a new job — never networking with other people — just might not improve your daily life.  Asking God to lift the dark cloud that keeps following us — while choosing to be sad and gloomy isn’t going to do much good.  Prayer is not about a few pious words lifted to the sky and waiting for the fortune to come our way.

 THE PROMISED RESULT OF PRAYER

The problem with the folks in Sodom and Gomorrah is that they lived as if there was no God.  They lived as if they were the beginning and the end — there was no acceptance that life was bigger than the moment or bigger than their own desires.  Finding the good folks is about finding people who care about others — who care about the needs of others — who realize there is a creator who has given to us who teaches us to give to others — in order to find, to get.  The folks of Sodom and Gomorrah were about themselves and their needs.  The world was no bigger than them.  In prayer, we need to assure that we are pointed in the right direction — that our heart is bent toward God — not that we are perfect or without sin — but the ultimate desire of our heart is to do good.

In the Gospel of Luke [Luke 11:1-13] we learn what God promises to those who seek, ask, and knock — the promise of God to those who are persistent in prayer . . . and the answer is not that we will get the desired cure for cancer — or that the sun will shine on our picnic — or that our lives be free of worry. THE PROMISED RESULT OF PRAYER is that we will get THE HOLY SPIRIT God’s presence in the stuff of our lives … God right by our side in weakness or fear ….. to those who ask, we will never be alone — God, the good Father will be right there on our side.

WE ARE SPIRITUAL BEINGS LIVING A HUMAN EXPERIENCE

Deacon Tom’s homily for November 16^th and 17^th

 

 “BY YOUR PERSEVERANCE YOU WILL SECURE YOUR LIFE."

 

       We have certainly seen way too many instances of violence, war, and natural disasters in our world.

 

       When it comes to crimes of violence and terrorism – we might ask: what has 2,000 years of Christian teachings and beliefs accomplished?

 

       There certainly seems no less evil in the world today than at the time of Jesus. 

 

       It is also true that our personal life can be a microcosm of world times. We each have our own personal wars and disasters of the spirit. 

 

       What is it that will bind up our brokenness? What is it that will heal the wounds we all experience and live with?

 

       After 2,000 years – what does Christianity have to offer the world?

 

WHAT DOES CHRISTIANITY HAVE TO OFFER TO YOU AND ME?

 

 

       As bad as some of life circumstances and events can be, they none the less seem to call forth God’s living and compassionate presence among us, within us, and through us!

 

       Whether it is the first responders and firefighters rushing into the collapsing World Trade Center Towers, or the task force of aircraft from around the world bringing food, medicine, and medical care givers to the Philippines; or in our personal life, acquiring the spiritual resolve to return our life to God; it is God’s compassion and mercy that becomes experienced in these times of great trial and need.   

 

       There is no denying that the world we live in, and the life we live, can be both terrible and tender. 

 

       Jesus’ final words in today’s Gospel are: 

 

“By your perseverance you will secure your lives." (Luke 18:18)

 

    ·        Jesus teaches this truth –

·        Jesus calls us to act on this truth –

·        Jesus lived and experienced the hatred, the pain, the disappointments, and the love, that are all part of human life.  

 

HOW WE ARE EXPECTED TO “PERSEVERE?”

 

        At the Mass, we celebrate the pinnacle of our Catholic faith. 

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states,

“In the most blessed sacrament of the Eucharist

the body and blood,

together with the soul and divinity,

of our Lord Jesus Christ

and, therefore, the whole Christ

is truly, really, and substantially contained.”

 

       By what authority does the Church proclaim and teach this “real and substantial presence” of the living Christ?

 

       On that night before Jesus was tortured and then executed – on that night of the Lord’s Last Supper, he took ordinary bread and giving thanks to God, said the blessing, broke the bread and gave it to the disciples, saying:

 

“Take this, all of you, and eat of it,

for THIS IS MY BODY . . .”

 

       When supper was finished, he took the chalice containing wine - and once more giving God the Father thanks, handed the chalice to his disciples, saying:

 

“Take this, all of you, and drink from it,

for THIS IS THE CHALICE OF MY BLOOD,

DO THIS IN MEMORY OF ME.”

 

       This is a key doctrine of our Faith and a teaching that sets Catholics apart from most other Christians.

 

       Today, we like the people Jesus is speaking to, experience this real and living presence.

 

       When we come forward to receive Holy Communion, we not only ‘receive’ but we are ‘received into’ the very essence of the living Jesus Christ.

 

 

WE RECEIVE THE GRACE NECESSARY TO PERSEVERE.

 

 

       I would like to say a few things about the proper manner we receive the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.

 

       First there is the Eucharistic Minister – who has the honor and the blessing of answering Jesus’ call to, “feed my sheep,” Mark 6:37.  They have the honor to hold the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ and the privilege to distribute it as Jesus did on the night of that last supper; an honor and grace that is beyond all human comprehension.

 

       When you approach the minister of Holy Communion, reverently bow – acknowledging the moment of this great sacredness. Preferably this bow is done while the person in front of you is receiving Communion.

 

       When the minister of the Eucharist announces: “The Body of Christ” or “The Blood of Christ,” you express your faith and belief in that reality by proclaiming and saying: “Amen.”

 

       Saying “Amen” is a declaration and the affirmation, of your belief in this real and living presence of Jesus Christ.

 

       Saying “Thank You” does not proclaim this belief and acceptance of this doctrine of our Catholic faith.

 

       Saying “Thank You,” in this circumstance is not the proper response. 

 

       When receiving in the hand – hold your hands up as in a gesture and symbol of profound gratefulness. 

 

       If receiving on the tongue, extend the tongue far enough out so that the Host can easily be placed on it. 

 

       Immediately upon receiving, swallow the entire Host and Precious Blood in the presence of the Eucharistic Minister before moving on. 

 

IT IS THIS GIFT OF GOD that makes it all possible for us to preserve in our journey of life to eternal salvation.

 

IT IS THIS GIFT OF GOD that fortifies us in our struggle to lead the life God calls us to.

 

IT IS THIS GIFT OF GOD that gives us the grace to continually re-direct our lives back towards God – to return to God’s grace regardless as to how many times we have failed in the process.  

 

 LET US PRAY:

 

We give thanks to you, our God, because of your constant love for us, you have given us your promise and the means to achieve everlasting life.  Amen.  

 

  

 

    

 

FAITH AND THE HUMAN SPIRIT

And God said:

“Do you still trust me?” 

"Do you still believe I have what is best for you?”

On Sunday, November 10^th - CBS Morning Show showed a video of the Stand Up for Heroes Concert.  It is the most inspirational video I have ever seen – I have watched it more than a half a dozen times.  You can watch it at: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50158847n

The video begins with a 15 or 30 second advertisement – we can be thankful that someone is paying the cost of showing this awesome testimony of sacrifice, courage, faith, and hope.

The featured song, Hallelujah is available on i-tunes.