Following the Example of the Joyful Saint

I recently finished a biography on St. Philip Neri and so enjoyed reading about the love he had for Jesus and the joy he radiated.  It was so refreshing and inspiring to read about a man that on fire with love for Jesus.  And it got me thinking that it’s been a long time since I felt that I was radiating Jesus’ love through me.

So lately I’ve really been trying to let Jesus’ love fill me up.  And I don’t mean in an intellectual sort of way, but in that my-heart-is-overflowing and my-soul-is-glowing kind of way.  The way I much imagine St. Philip experienced it.  And the only way I’ve come anywhere close to getting present to Jesus’ love is through gratitude.

Jesus has done, and is doing so much for each one of us every second of every day that it is so easy to overlook it, to take it all for granted.  It’s so easy to forget about the burning love He first had for us that drove Him to become man and suffer the Cross.  It’s so easy to miss the extraordinary love that is found in the Eucharist.  It’s so easy to ignore all the aids  He has given to help us make it to Him in Heaven (the other sacraments, the Bible, so many graces, prayer, Mary’s guidance, our guardian angels, the list goes on and on…).   If we were truly aware of all of that each day, it would be impossible to keep our love for Jesus inside!

There was a delightful story in the book that St. Philip was so in love with Jesus, that he often had to divert his attention before Mass so that he wouldn’t go into ecstasies while saying the Mass (his favorite diversion: a book of jokes – I kid you not!)!  Can you imagine being so wildly in love with Jesus that you didn’t have to prepare yourself for Mass, and in fact, had to (umm?) unprepare yourself?

Such things may seem beyond the realm of possibility for us, but Jesus is calling you and me both to sainthood.  He’s calling us to be on fire for love of Him and to share that love with the world.  So it is my prayer that tomorrow before we start our mornings, we can really get present to the unbounded love Jesus has for us, let it fill us up, and then share it with everyone around us.

Changes to the Mass Come Advent 2011

So if by chance you haven’t heard, come Advent 2011 the Catholic Church in the US (and other English speaking countries) will be using a revised translation of the Roman Missal, the text followed when saying Mass.  After Vatican II the Missale Romanum (Latin for Roman Missal) was set as the “definitive text” of the Liturgy.  Since it was in Latin, it obviously had to be translated into other languages, and apparently there were quite a few, umm, liberties taken by those who translated it into English.  So after about 40 years with a mediocre translation, efforts were made to better align the English text with its Latin counterpart.

As a result, our Roman Missal has undergone more than a dozen changes (far more than other countries such as Spain, whose Missals are also being slightly revised).  Though these changes have already been approved by both the USCCB (US Conference of Catholic Bishops) and the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments in Rome, the new Missal won’t be used until Advent 2011 to allow time for the education of both clergy and laity.

So a few notable changes:

• “through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault” added in the middle of the Penitential Act
• When the Priest says, “The Lord be with you” and we respond “And also with you”, we will now respond “And also with your spirit”
• A few changes in the Nicene Creed (“of all things visible and invisible”, “consubstantial with the Father”)
• Different Mysteries of Faith (“Save us, Savior of the world, for by your Cross and Resurrection you have set us free.”, “We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again.”)
• “Lord I am not worthy to receive you, only say the word and I shall be healed” is replaced with “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed. (I’ll cop to being a little sad about this change – that was my favorite line of the whole Mass!)

For those of you familiar enough with the Mass that you know by heart some of the Eucharist prayers, they are completely different.  So in some ways the Mass will feel a little foreign.  But as we are One, Holy, Catholic and Universal Church, the texts followed at a Mass in the US should match as perfectly as possible the texts read at a Mass in Europe or Africa or Latin America.  So though it will probably be a worst a little painful, and at best an inconvenience, these changes are necessary!

Check out the new Roman Missal so you can start to familiarize yourself with it.  And share the link with your Catholic friends because we need to help the Church spread the word!

Order of the Mass PDF from USCCB Site

General Info Regarding Changes from USCCB Site

The Importance of Christian Friendship

A few days ago the Church celebrated the memorial of St. Jane Frances de Chantal, who lived from 1572-1641.  Widowed at 28, she later went on to found the religious order The Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary.

What she is most commonly known for though, is her correspondence with St. Francis de Sales.  (If you’ve never read any of their letters, it is HIGHLY recommended!  Two saints learning from and encouraging one another – can’t go wrong with that kind of reading material!).  Whenever I read their letters I’m reminded of how very important it is to have good Christian friends you can rely on and who will help you grow.  This is an idea that has especially been on mind the last few days since I’ve finally started graduate school at Franciscan University.

We’re all affected by our environment and who we spend our time with.  It’s not a weakness, it’s how we’re built.   And while of course not all of our friendships will be Christian ones, it’s still crucial to have a core group of Christian friends if we’re going to stay strong in our faith.  People from whom we can learn and get support.  People who will challenge us to be better followers of Jesus and apply our faith to every aspect of our lives.  Basically, people who will call us to holiness!

In one particular letter St. Francis tells St. Jane, “I must tell you that I have never understood that there was any bond between us carrying with it any obligation but that of charity and true Christian friendship, what St. Paul calls ‘the bond of perfection’; and truly, that is just what is, for it is indissoluble and never weakens.”  May such things be said of some of our friendships!

Dealing with Fellow Christians

In case you haven’t heard, Anne Rice recently left the Church, and it seems any formalized type of Christianity, saying that she was fed up with Christians.  In her words, “In the name of Christ, I quit Christianity and being Christian. Amen.”

I understand the impulse – it can be difficult to “belong to this quarrelsome, hostile, disputatious, and deservedly infamous group” known as Christians.  To say we often don’t do Jesus proud would be putting it mildly.

God knows (literally and figuratively) that the behavior of Christians is sometimes embarrassing, damaging, and even shameful.  We could say the same for any individual (myself, sadly, included).  And yet in spite of that – or perhaps because of that – Jesus became man and died for us.  He continues to love us – calling us to be better, and more like Him.

So since God is always ready to forgive us, despite all the harm we’ve done to Him and others, how can we possibly do otherwise?  If we are true followers of Jesus, how can we give up on anyone, let alone our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ?

We, the Church, are the body of Christ (see 1 Cor 12:27, Eph 5:23).  So to give up on Christians is in fact to give up on Christ!

No part of this job is easy.  But it is our responsibility not to turn our back on our brethren!  We must help them – and humbly receive their correction when we’re the ones not acting like Christians.  “Correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction (2 Tim 4:2), “Encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone” (1 Thes 5:14).  Easy?  No.  But following Christ rarely is.