so much more

To fight, to love, live, breathe, dance, jump, cry, surrender, die and rise daily. We were meant to live for the afterlife -- not cash, cars, clothes and company -- to break free from the daily humdrum and really live.

so may it be.

"Remain steadfast in the journey of faith, with firm hope in the Lord.  This is the secret of our journey!  He gives us the courage to swim against the tide.  Pay attention, my young friends: to go against the current; this is good for the heart, but we need courage to swim against the tide.  Jesus gives us this courage!  There are no difficulties, trials or misunderstandings to fear, provided we remain united to God as branches to the vine, provided we do not lose our friendship with him, provided we make ever more room for him in our lives.  This is especially so whenever we feel poor, weak and sinful, because God grants strength to our weakness, riches to our poverty, conversion and forgiveness to our sinfulness.  The Lord is so rich in mercy: every time, if we go to him, he forgives us.  Let us trust in God’s work!  With him we can do great things; he will give us the joy of being his disciples, his witnesses.  Commit yourselves to great ideals, to the most important things. We Christians were not chosen by the Lord for little things; push onwards toward the highest principles. Stake your lives on noble ideals, my dear young people!

The new things of God, the trials of life, remaining steadfast in the Lord.  Dear friends, let us open wide the door of our lives to the new things of God which the Holy Spirit gives us.  May he transform us, confirm us in our trials, strengthen our union with the Lord, our steadfastness in him: this is a true joy! So may it be."

- the end of Pope Francis' homily for April 28th, 2013 

Do you write about Him?

“How come you never write about Jesus?” 
“I’ve never written about Jesus? … You’re an insane phony … All I write about is Jesus.”

This was the poet Jack Kerouac quoted by Paris Review during an interview in 1968. He hits the nail on the head: You do not have to name Christ to be speaking of Him -- He is in everything! He is Beauty, Truth, Joy, Peace, Love, Consolation and Hope. He has endured suffering, pain, temptation, fear and terror. Kerouac's response was beautiful witness that I just had to share.

BEAUTIFUL LETDOWN

                                       "It was a beautiful let down

                                       When I crashed and burned

When I found myself alone unknown and hurt

It was a beautiful let down

The day I knew

That all the riches this world had to offer me

Would never do.

In a world full of bitter pain and bitter doubt

I was trying so hard to fit in, fit in,

Until I found out

I don't belong here

I don't belong here

I will carry a cross and a song where I don't belong

But I don't belong..."

That's really exactly what this weird life is anyway -- a beautiful letdown. Each failure, disappointment and struggle; each time I'm at the edge of hope about to tumble over into hopelessness; each time I run into yet another dead end... it is beautiful.
It is the gentle caressing of God saying "No, silly child, these things will not fulfill you. Look to Me." It's a humility check, a reminder of what's good, true and worth chasing after. If something seemingly so good and worthy leads to such disappointment and emptiness how incredible will heaven be? That place we dream of and hope of our entire lives and is vastly more incredible that our finite little minds could ever grasp. Every little failure serves us by slowly (or quickly) severing the bindings of this world full of empty promises freeing us to live for what we were truly made for. What a beautiful letdown.

ALLL THE ABUNDANCE

"I am come that they might have life, and have it more abundantly."

-John 10:10

This is exactly it. Christ's coming gave us the dearest Savior, Companion, Hero who conquered death giving us the hope of an eternal life of pure bliss and a constant protectress and gentle Mother, an unnumbered army of angels and saints, His very own flesh and blood to nourish and sustain us in this life, and the best of examples of the transforming powers of suffering -- something so base and seemingly worthless is now able to purify and bring the truest joy. 

He has brought meaning to the daily paper cut, aching back, tired body and broken heart and amplified the meaning of every happiness, laugh, smile and moment of peace on this earth for it echoes the joy and peace awaiting us in His heavenly kingdom. Every flower, tree, piece of grass, breeze, bird, rain drop and person are seen with so much more meaning knowing it was created purposefully and wonderfully. 

We do not have a self centered existence that ends and leads to emptiness. No, we have been given a life to suffer, love, refine, purify, glorify and live for something higher, greater and majestic. And once we've done that, we will be welcomed, good and faithful servants.

Sirach 37:5

- true love -

Oh, Tumblr

One of the biggest trends I see on Tumblr is people finding a photo or a quote and claiming it to be the epitome of profundity: revolutionary, mind opening, wow-man-that's-freaking-awesome...

The caption on the photo is "we evolve into a product of society." 

But we don't. At least not as Catholics. 

As a Catholic one is constantly insulted, attacked, mocked for being counter-cultural. Woah, wait. I thought the movement was "down with social constructs! we won't be a product of society!" But when a group of people are truly counter cultural they are shunned and hated. Huh.

People of the world are always searching for truth and meaning. That's why they grab hold so fast with such hope to phrases and movements that sound different, seem counter cultural and promise to escape from the dull marching on of time and society. But they won't be fulfilled. 

We can't be fulfilled by conformity to movements, dull work with out an end and any other societal replacement. We were created to break free from this world into eternal life! The soul is meant to suffer with joy, be refreshed with beauty, create, love and live freely in truth. Anything less ends in frustration, emptiness and disappointment. As Augustine so beautifully said: "My heart is restless until it finds its rest in Thee."

Peace, calm, quiet...love.

As soon as I step across the threshold, I belong. This is what I've missed, what has made my heart so restless. You enter my soul, embrace every fiber of my being, and fill me with peace, calm, quiet and love. Hate, envy, jealousy, worry and anxiety all lose their piercing grip. Reclaimed as Yours, You complete me, nurture, console and liven me. Whom then shall I fear?

O Beauty.

The recent warm weather and spring time relief has turned my thoughts, fittingly, to beauty and it's incredible testament to God's love for us. He created us, saved us, gave us eternal life, the most loving of Mothers, saints, Christ present in the Eucharist, hope, joy, love and beauty. There is beauty in each of the things above listed but also woven into each and every created being. The whispering wind, gentle breeze, lazy stream, and breath taking sunsets just barely being the list of His creativity. Not only has He created beauty for us to enjoy but He has given us the ability to participate and make it ourselves: a gentle heart, a pretty dress, a kind smile, art, poetry, prose, song and dance.... We are in His likeness -- beauty fulfills us.

Broken Ice

Winter to spring, ice to flow,

Shatter, shake, renew and make

My heart alive and new...

Strip away all fear and pride,

Chop away the branches died,

Bear my heart unto the Light

That shines and pierce it through.

Lord, this cage of iron bar

Restricts, kills, smothers but still

I yearn for You alone...

Coldness creeps and slows me numb,

Frozen here yet still my tongue

(Urged by heart not conquered yet)

Sings love, in trial, to You.

Birds of the Air

"Look at the birds of the air..."

-Matthew 6:26

Your father in heaven provides all His creatures with shelter, food, life, fulfillment and goodness; will not He do the same for you? Are not you more valuable than they?

Creation gives me such peace of heart -- it is so beautiful. The variety in creatures, plants, weather, landscape and all the rest gives testimony to the genius of God, His creativity and His love for us. The beauty of nature not only give glory to the King of kings but it delights us and brings us so much joy.

Seeing the way a single blooming flower fulfills it's purpose by adding beauty to the world reminds me of what this life is really all about. Take away the stress of jobs, money, school, work, and all other worldly cares that we look to fulfill us and we are so much like the flower: our purpose is to add beauty to the world and glorify Him. It's simple.