Fight for JOY!

As we celebrate Catholic Schools Week 2015, it seems fitting that we cover the final component of this Advent-inspired philosophy: "Be blessed. Be bold. Fight for JOY!"

Be blessed: Pray. Connect. Conserve. Serve.

Be bold: Play. Love.

Fight for JOY!

​Once you start living blessedly and boldly, you can start to experience true joy. Joy surpasses and transcends happiness. It arises when our interior compass points toward Christ, and when our hearts inspire our bodies and minds to follow Him. 

Being filled with joy is a choice. It is not the result of our temporal situation. It does not result from the circumstances of our lives, because - let's face it - life is incredibly difficult. INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT! It is brutal. BRUTAL! It exhausts us. Frustrates us. Angers us. Saddens us. 

But it does not have to defeat us. Remember, Jesus says, 

"I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world" (John 16:33).

Joy is a fruit of the Spirit. St. Paul writes, "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law" (Galatians 5:22 - 23). 

Finding the Spirit takes discipline. It requires prayer that first and foremost adores our Creator. It requires sacrifice - of things and for others. It necessitates courage. It takes a playful, childlike innocence that doesn't remember that we can't​ do something, but instead believes that life is all about doing that one thing. It forces us to love without cost and with everything that we are and all that we have. 

The world can keep us from pursuing these things. But remember, He has conquered the world. 

He has called you - YOU - into His Royal Family. He has chosen you - YOU - for the most important and daring and necessary work in the world. He loves you - YOU - because you bring Him more JOY than you can even imagine. 

Fight for your JOY today, tomorrow, this week and always.  

You are a conqueror. You are His. 

Be blessed. Be bold. Fight for (and find) JOY!

Be Bold

Be Bold

As an extension of living blessedly, we start to see that God is not asking us to stay on the safety of the shore. When we start to recognize our need for God, opportunities for us to sacrifice for and connect to others, and how incredibly fortunate we are, we follow - unabashedly - His voice.

He is calling us into the deep. 

"Come and see." 

The disciples, upon hearing this call, jump out of their boat and swim toward him. Peter walks on water. Saul converts and fights for Christ instead of against him. 

You chose to teach in a Catholic school. You got married. Had kids. Ended an abusive relationship. Fought for justice and equality. Went away to college. Took care of a sick parent. Forgave. 

Being blessed leads to being bold. In fact, you aren't truly living blessedly by playing it safe. God wants all of us. He wants us to stake it all on Him, to hold nothing back, to put all that we have on the line for the fulfillment of His promises. 

He wants us to make a permanent commitment, like getting an irremovable tattoo that marks us as His own. Making such a leap requires a strong faith life; it also necessitates extreme courage. 

Being bold asks us to be playful. It also nudges us, despite our human frailty, to love. 

Kids are bold. They dance like no one is watching. They love like they've never been hurt. They sing as if no one is listening. They try things that are way beyond themselves and they endure countless bumps, bruises, scrapes and failures before finally accomplishing a task. They ask for what they want. They cry. They laugh. They show unrestrained excitement - to see someone, to watch a movie, to get a treat, anything. 

They are bold. 

Think of the last time you danced a good honest dance. Think of the last time you loved unconditionally and selflessly. When was the last time you sang, even if you didn't know the words? Tried something new or beyond your abilities? When did you last asked for what you wanted...or needed? True tears? True laughter? Can you remember the last time you couldn't contain your joy over seeing someone, receiving something or getting rewarded? 

When was the last time you lived boldly? 

Adopting a playful spirit can help to cultivate these child-like attributes. Embracing moments to do the things that our adult minds tell us not to do can help embolden our spirits to live more boldly and to accept the challenges being presented to us by God to follow His call. The next chance you have to sing, do it with passion. An opportunity to dance? Cut that rug like you did at your wedding. Read in a silly voice. Sit on the floor. Mix your cereals. Have a root beer float. Be playful. Go out into the deep. 

Put aside your inhibitions in safe ways and you'll start to have the courage to put aside the boo birds that start to swoop in any time you try to tackle something new. 

Be playful.

Love boldly. Be more patient than is fair. Be more forgiving than others deserve. Show compassion. Be empathetic. As you move from being blessed to being bold, you start to recognize that our efforts at loving others fall so pathetically short of what others need and of what we are capable. Before meeting Emily, I didn't think I was capable of loving someone else more than myself. I also didn't think my love for her could increase. It increases every day and I do all that I can to put her needs and wants above my own. Then, I never thought before having kids that I could love someone else the same amount that I love Emily - but I've doubled that amount of love twice and I feel the infinitude of that love I possess. It doesn't mean I always love with this type of immense love, but I recognize my potential for loving boldly. 

Being blessed leads us to start living more boldly. Living more boldly allows us to love in the way we were created to do so - completely. 

Be blessed: Pray. Serve. Connect. Conserve.  

Be bold: Play. Love. 

Fight for JOY!

Be Blessed

At some point during this past Advent season, I adopted the following tagline:

"Be blessed. Be bold. Fight for JOY!"

The first two components I lifted from the signature line on my brother's emails / message (thanks and sorry, Joe). The final piece was added from the inspiration of one of my favorite musical groups, Rend Collective Experiment. 

As I reflected and prayed throughout the course of Advent and during Christmas break, I started to form a list of steps that could be taken to live out the three components, and I realized that doing the first two (being blessed and bold) can lead to the third (fighting for - and finding! - joy). 

How can we live blessed? It seems somewhat self-righteous, doesn't it, to live in recognition of the many blessings God has bestowed upon us? It somehow feels too prideful, too greedy, too self-promoting. "Look at my blessings. Look at how wonderful my life is because of how much God loves me." While this humility helps to keep our human pride in check, In some ways that same humbleness can work against us accepting God's blessings as we should. 

Being blessed starts with prayer. We can't come to love what we don't know and we can't come to know God without a life of prayer. If you're feeling a lack of blessings in your life, it may stem from a lack of prayer. It may stem from a lack of the right kind of prayer. It may stem from the wrong kind of prayer. Jesus gives us the words we are to say when we pray, "Our Father..." Similarly, at the institution of the Mass at the Last Supper, Jesus passes on the highest form of prayer and the opportunities to participate in it. Prayer, done "correctly" (as any conversation and openness you have to God is "right"), consists of four components:

1. Adoration
2. Contrition
3. Thanksgiving
4. Supplication

Taking Jesus as our model, we also have insights into how often we are to pray. Throughout the Gospel stories Jesus frequently goes off by himself to pray:

Mark 1:35 - Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed.

Matthew 14:23 - After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When it was evening he was there alone.

Luke 6:12 - In those days he departed to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer^* to God (scripture from usccb.org)

Fr. Kevin Grove, C.S.C., wrote this about the importance that Blessed Basil Moreau, founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross (who's feast we celebrate today), placed upon prayer:

Blessed Moreau knew and understood that for busy and apostolic religious who worked hard, there could be the temptation to sacrifice time in prayer. And so he says that a minister who does not pray is like a canal without water or a tree that is withered. Tiredness or weariness should not take them away from prayer, but be all the more reason to give themselves over to the Lord (FaithND). 

Take the time each day to pray. It will start to reorient your life toward a spiritual destination and will give you the eyes to see God's Hand working in your life. You will start to see that you are blessed. 

Being blessed continues with sacrifice. Once we start feasting on God's abundant goodness we start to live in that same abundance. Instead of sitting on it, we give it away. Through service to others we can come into a deeper understanding of the One who gave everything for us and from Whom every good thing comes. The more we give of ourselves, the more we become the people God created us to be. If you're feeling a bit lost and unsure of what God's asking of you, it may stem from a lack of self-less, sacrificial service to others.

Being blessed also involves connecting with others. The best days of your life most likely center around a connectedness to others. The best days of our lives have nothing to do with things and everything to do with people. Unplug. Stop posting, tweeting, hash tagging, instagramming, pinning, messaging, liking and commenting and start connecting (or blogging!). Eat meals with others. Spend time with others, especially time with others engaged in prayer. Accept invitations and opportunities to connect with others. Talk on the phone (instead of texting!). Write a letter (instead of emailing!). Turn off the TV and turn on the conversation with those around you. If you're feeling a bit disconnected, it may be that you are more connected to electronics than you are to people. 

Finally, being blessed entails conserving. We live in abundance. We have too much food, too many clothes, too many distractions (see above), and too little appreciation for the things (blessings) that we do have. Abundance leads to wastefulness. Wastefulness leads to greed. Greed leads to unrest. Unrest makes it nearly impossible to be blessed. Embrace a spirit of thanksgiving and gratitude, through prayer, giving of yourself, and  connecting with others instead of accumulating things. 

Be blessed: Pray. Serve. Connect. Conserve.  

Be bold.

Fight for JOY!

It's Not Too Late

Only 7 more shopping days left until Christmas! 

It's your last chance to qualify for free shipping / 50% off all double-priced items  / complimentary gift wrapping / an extra tote bag (for all of our stuff!) / $10 in-store credit so that you'll buy more stuff!

It's not too late! 

Truly, it isn't. 

It's not too late to push aside the message of our world that Santa's presents bring happiness and instead embrace the reality that God's presence ensures JOY!

It's not too late to reject the hectic pace - cards, cookies, decorations, parties, gifts, cleaning, wrapping - and instead reveal in the expectant JOY of Christ's coming into our world, into our hearts, and again at the end of all time. 

It's not too late to prepare for Christmas.

http://www.adventconspiracy.org

Truly, it isn't. 

I hope and pray that you have taken time to pray throughout Advent with more fervor and frequency. I hope and pray that in the midst of all of the snowmen and reindeer and jingle bells that you have found space in your homes for Advent wreaths and manger scenes. If you haven't, it's not too late - Consider attending a weekday Mass, or on the weekend if that isn't already a part of your Ordinary Time routine. Attend one of the many Reconciliation services planned throughout the diocese. Pray. Ask God for the strength, patience, guidance, wisdom to receive JOY that can only come from Him. 

It's not too late - pray.

I hope and pray that you have realized that more stuff doesn't lead to more happiness and that it is our extreme excess that deceives us into wanting more. In a world filled with choices, nothing satisfies. Consider embracing "Waste Not, Want Not" as a mantra during these last few days of Advent  - especially as it pertains to your consumption of food. Try it for a day. Try it for a meal. Vow to see even the most mundane of choices as the blessing that it truly is. Make a point to not waste food, or water, or time and watch how God blesses these efforts by making you feel more satisfied. 

It's not too late - waste not, want not. 

I hope and pray that you have sought out others to serve this holiday season. Perhaps it takes the form of direct service. Maybe it's more fully engaging your wife or husband or kids. Maybe it's cleaning out your closet. Maybe it's adopting a family who will go without this Christmas and making sure that they go with something. Out of your abundance, offer up just one gift to give to those in need. Offer up just one day of service to the less fortunate. Out of many, give one. Again, God will bless these efforts and you will have more space for Him, with less space being consumed by stuff.

It's not too late - serve.

I hope and pray that you can come to recognize that the best days of your lives had nothing to do with things and everything to do with people. Reflect on what the best days of your life have been. I hope that this simple reflection, which will most likely be incredibly easy, demonstrates to you the importance of relationships in your lives. I hope that during this season you may choose to give yourself to those whom you love, realizing that the memories of being together sustain much longer than the things purchased out of obligation. It's not too late, if you haven't already brainstormed ways to more fully connect with others, extend an invitation to a friend, co-worker or family member to GO do something together and be open to accepting that invitation to connect to someone else. God will bless this participation in the mystery of the Trinity - He is three persons in one! He is, by nature, relational!

It's not too late - engage. 

Finally, I hope and pray that you will, through these efforts, feel the true Spirit of Christmas. 

Be blessed. Be bold. Fight for JOY!

It's not too late...truly, it isn't. 

The Art of Celebration

The Art of Celebration

The night is always darkest before the dawn. When you think of epic adventure stories like Star Wars, Lord of the Rings or even fairy tales like Cinderella and Frozen, there is a sense that evil is not only gaining ground and getting the upper hand but also that its victory seems imminent. 

Image courtesy of Creative Commons.

It is precisely at this moment that light pierces the darkness - Luke withstands the temptation of Darth Vader, Aragorn takes on the role of leader, Cinderella is given a dress and ticket to the ball, and Anna is willing to give the ultimate gift.

Hope breaks through the despair. There is a sense that perhaps good can win. 

We realize that even the darkest dark is no match for the light.  

As our days get shorter and the nights grow longer, as we survive the hustle and bustle of this season and move toward Christmas, let us recognize that Christ entered the world - became Incarnate! - and that this event has present day significance and consequence. 

Good can win. There is reason for hope. 

Trust him with your sorrows. Cast aside your shadows. Fight for your joy.

This Advent, (re)discover the art of celebration! Maranatha - the Lord is coming! 

An Advent Prayer

This Christmas, may we have abundant Joy in Christ and may our Joy be complete.

He is the Song of our hearts.

He is the Joy of our lives.

He is the light of our souls.

Let us cast aside our shadows.

Let us trade in our sorrows.

Let us choose celebration.

Awaken our hearts to His Love – He is our Song!

Enliven our spirits to help others – He is our Joy!

Move in us and through us – He is our light!

This Christmas, may we have abundant Joy in Christ and may our Joy be complete.

Amen.

-inspired by Rend Collective Experiment

Truly Thankful

In a few short hours, Americans will gather around tables with family and friends and celebrate what had been one of the purest holidays we had left. While not religiously associated, Thanksgiving had had a stranglehold on authenticity that neither Easter or Christmas could rival. There were no presents exchanged. No silly character to steal the spotlight and take all of the glory. There was overeating (lots of overeating), but Americans gathered to give thanks - for family, for friends, for life, for health, for what we have and maybe even for faith.

We gave thanks. 

Many of these things, including the gluttonous overeating and the thanksgiving, will still occur. But, Thanksgiving has finally succumbed to defeat at the hands of the all powerful Consumerism. Stores will open on Thursday afternoon and evening, offering the best deals on all of the stuff without which we cannot live. The infant Christ was overthrown by Santa years ago. The Easter Bunny supplanted the risen Christ even more easily than the big guy in red. And now, Thanksgiving can join the ranks of another "holy-day" ruined by Consumerism. 

Consider the irony. We follow up the day on which we offer thanks and reaffirm just how blessed we are with a day where we fool ourselves into thinking that we might actually be more thankful next year by accumulating more things. 

Confession 1: I have participated in Black Friday shopping. I've bought items at incredible discounts for others and even for myself. 

Confession 2: I like things - music, shoes, clothing, movies - and can find it difficult not downloading something from iTunes or stockpiling another pair of workout or dress shoes or buying movies once released. 

But, I would give all of my things - all of it - away for more time with my wife or kids or mom or siblings. I would give up all of my possessions for just one more day with my dad. Regardless of the Black Friday deals that will be snatched this year, will any of them outweigh the blessing of other people? Would all of the stuff in the world mean anything to us if a loved one were to be snatched from us? Would any amount of belongings ease the pain of death? Do any of our things really bring us happiness? 

If we were truly thankful for the things - people - that really matter, we might be slower to buy into the lie of Consumerism that more things brings us more happiness (pssst...more things make us want more things). If we were truly thankful for people we might put more time into creating memories with them than buying things for them. If we were truly thankful for the blessings in our lives we might spend more time in actually thanking the One responsible for every good thing. 

I know that this post won't necessarily cause anyone to refrain from Black Friday madness. I know that it won't go viral and that most readers won't actually do much differently because of its words. It may spur reflection, but not much else. 

It definitely won't bring back Thanksgiving - may it rest in peace. 

And, actually, that's okay with me. I'm thankful for the gift of words and I'll glorify my God by writing. I'm thankful for the few readers - basically my family - who will hopefully see that they mean more to me than any thing in the entire world. I'm thankful for the gift of of my faith, without which I'd probably be out on Friday morning honoring the all powerful Consumerism with my offering of money. I'm thankful for my job, which allows me to the opportunity to humbly try to educate young people (and adults) in more than just academics. I'm thankful for my country and for the things that I do have - the computer that I'm writing this on, the running water that provided me hydration and sanitation all day long, the house that I'm sitting in, the heat that is keeping me warm (from sunny Ohio!) and all of the things that I own. I'm thankful for my wife, Emily. She is the most incredible woman in the world, taking on crusades like healthy eating and child rearing and family relations and she makes me want to be a better person and to do a better job at trying to change this world. I'm thankful for my daughters, Elizabeth and Catherine, who bring more joy into my life than they will ever know. I'm thankful for their health, for their laughter, for their ability to make me laugh, for their generous hearts, and for making me realize that the best part of any of my days is the time that I get to spend with them. I'm thankful for my mom and dad, Linda and Robert. I'm thankful for my brother and sister, Joe and Mary. I'm thankful for being a Zelenka and for my extended family. I'm thankful for the people in my life that I am privileged to consider friends (you definitely have the short end of that stick - sorry!). 

I'm thankful for love. I'm thankful for music. I'm thankful for food. I'm thankful for life. I'm thankful for sleep. I'm thankful for art, and shoes, and light, and freedom, and clothes, and garbage dumps, and mail carriers, and farmers, and glasses (corrective ones), and windows, and for the feeling swelling inside of me as I think about all of things for which I am thankful. 

I'm thankful. Truly thankful.

Thank You, God. Thank You.

Happy Thanksgiving. 

GO: Pray

GOSPEL

Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.”

Jesus said to them, “When you pray, say:

Father, hallowed be your name, your Kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test.”

Luke 11:1 - 4

REFLECTION

The Internet has changed the nature, scope and method of communicating information. Most specifically, the answer to just about any question rests at our fingertips. Want to know the answer to something?

Google it.

Want to know how to do something?

YouTube it.

Want to know something completely useless about your favorite celebrity?

Become a “Follower” on Twitter or “Like” them on Facebook.

A wealth of information and an entire team of experts wait patiently to be called into service by each and every one of us.

Despite the multitude of viral videos, though, and blog posts that rise from unknown to overnight Internet sensations, if we want to learn how to pray we should turn directly to Jesus. We should turn to God’s Word, the Bible.

God’s Word lives in the Bible. When the Gospel is proclaimed, we transcend time and participate in that moment alongside Jesus. He speaks to us through the Bible. It is, literally, His Word.

Want to know more about Jesus? He will speak to you through the Bible.

Want to come to know Jesus’s plan for your life? Meet Him in the Gospels.

Want to know how to pray? Jesus, the world’s foremost expert on prayer, tells us in today’s Gospel. He gives us the words, His Words, to use. That’s why we call it the Lord’s Prayer. We don’t need anything fancy. We don’t need anything cute or more poetic. We don’t need anything longer. We just need these words, His Words:

Father in heaven, your name is above all other names.

Your Kingdom reigns above all others; Your Will be done both on earth and in heaven.

Humbly we ask for food for our journey, physically and spiritually.

We are sorry for our sins and we forgive those who have sinned against us.

Please don’t let evil come to us, but when it does (because it will) give us Your Strength to overcome it.

GO: Pray.