Putting God on the Sidelines

 This is another post on part of a homily that our pastor gave on Sunday.  He quoted a line from the movie "The Punisher".   Apparently it is a Marvel movie. I have not seen it.  Without trying to go into details about that which I have no knowledge (I did read that the main character is either characterized as a serial killer or a vigilante) I will quote the lines and go from there.  

As the punisher is about to go off on a last quest for justice? vengeance? another character says to him "Go with God".  He responds, "God's gonna sit this one out."

In our own lives we often let God "sit this one out".  Whether intentional or not, it is when we forget or refuse to pray about decisions that we are making, be they big or small. 

How many times have we heard or said, "I've got this."? Apparently it's a very male thing, although women also want to feel like they can handle things on their own. 

The truth is, we are dependent!  We have no control over our own heart beating regularly enough to keep us alive.  We must eat and drink by design so that we have the energy to do what we have to do. We need enough sleep to keep us energized and healthy. 

The decisions we face every day are no exception.  My dear one likes to ask me what the next day looks like before we go to bed.  Apart from having a specific appointment that I have to keep, I usually tell him, "God hasn't told me yet." I have found that making a step-by-step plan for many things is asking for frustration when things change. 

If I let God have my day, He usually lets me know what Mass to go to and where. The homily is usually exactly what I need to hear if I go where he leads me. 

 He reminds of things I have to take care of and leads me in the way to make them happen, most of the time, easily. 

He puts people on my heart that need a phone call or some snail mail. 

He calls me to prayer regularly and recently He is showing me how to sit in adoration in silence and wait for Him to speak. (Very hard for me to be silent even in my head.)

There is an old bumper sticker that read: "God is my co-pilot."  We don't need God to be our co-pilot. We need him to take the controls while we wait for His instructions for us. 

Fear not to let Him have that control.  Is it hard at first? Absolutely.  Society tells us we have to have it all together and be all to everyone all the time.  Not so. 

God says,  "take my yoke upon you and learn from me." (Matt 11:29).  Jesus did not scurry from town to town with a to-do list.  He spent time in prayer and learned what the Father's plan was for Him. He lived to do God's will. 

We should too! 

Remember, God's got this.  Go with God. 

 

Writing Your Autobiography

 This Lent, I am participating in Magnify 90. We participants actually started January 5 and will conclude at Easter.  I was sort of keeping up with the demands of the program but on Ash Wednesday I decided to jump in completely and give up my secular audiobooks, scrolling on SnapChat, and definitely chocolate!  

I turned instead to my School of Reading book: Jesus our Refuge by Matt Fradd (highly recommend) and the Hallow app's 40 day challenge.  In this challenge, on the first Sunday of Lent, Fr. Mike Schmitz posted his homily for the day.  WOW.  Homily here 

I am going to summarize the homily but I encourage you to listen to the whole thing.  

Fr. Mike talked about writing our autobiography.  Not starting with our birth and going through a timeline, but rather by making a decision about how our lives will look starting today. Because is it Lent, we are called to three things in particular: prayer, fasting and almsgiving. 

Each Lent is a time for personal renewal and growth in our relationship with God. Giving up "stuff" just to give up "stuff" isn't enough.  We need to lean into these self-imposed crosses as a way to find more time for prayer, to eliminate the false refuges in our life that lead to overindulgence, sloth, vanity, laziness etc., and to help those in need in a more concrete way.  

In short, it is time for a new beginning.  A new strong start, for our autobiography to make a difference, not just for Lent but for a lifetime, is needed.  

Fr. Mike taught that a strong start  has 4 parts:

    -irreversibility

    -identity at stake

    -risk

    -agency

Once we make a decision it is irreversible.  We dive headlong into that decision and whatever it is,  and it will change us. 

Our identity is at stake: who will we be after we make this decision and stick with it?

It is risky: we don't know what the future holds.

Agency is making the decision to start. 

I won't go through the bad choices we could or already have made. You know your shortcomings.  But I will suggest a great choice that will change everything, one I have made a multitude of times in my life:

Confession! 

Going to confession will absolutely change your autobiography (if you are completely honest with the priest, and you are willing to be made whole.)

When you walk into the confessional and unload your life, the effect is irreversible: God forgives you. He washes you clean and those past sins no longer matter. You are free to move forward in your new holiness.

Your identity is really at stake.  After confession, you are a new creation, but that means things in your life will have to change.  The people in your life may have to change if they are holding you back from drawing closer to God. Your habits will have to change.  Your prayer time will have to change. God wants all of you! 

It is risky for all of the above reasons.  You will have to (truly you will WANT to) start being authentically Catholic. What does that future look like?  It's up to you and God.  Ask Him. He will show you. 

You have the power (agency) to make this decision.  Only you. 

Talk to God.  What strong start do you need to make to change the trajectory of your autobiography into one that delights Him? Are you willing?  

A little note on irreversibility: Every decision leads to consequences, good or bad.  If you have made bad decisions, you can reverse course and make better ones. You already know how the bad decisions have molded you, changed your identity, and affected your future.  The point here is, make a strong start toward a better tomorrow. The homily talks about the prodigal son.  He made some really bad decisions. However, he was able, with a strong start, to begin again and be healed. 

Have a blessed Lent.

A HUGE PRAISE REPORT 

Our Tenacious One was in an accident in my truck near campus last Friday.  When the call came from the Ottawa County Sherif's department, my reaction was subdued and hopeful.  I have prayed so hard for her to be safe and not hurt anyone with the vehicle.  

In the back of my mind, there was always a little niggle of a worry that she would have an accident.  Well, this the third one in less than a year.  No one was hurt badly in any of the accidents, but her confidence level in driving has dropped significantly. 

The truck was totaled (according the the sheriff-our insurance company has yet to investigate.) But OTO was checked out the the local hospital and was found fit, but bruised.  All Praise to Jesus Christ for hearing the prayers of this mom and dad and
so many others (including several Saints in heaven) who have been praying for her for a very long time. 

She will not have a vehicle now and that takes care of two prayer requests at once.  One-no more accidents that she is responsible for in her near future (though now I have to pray for her driving friends!) and two- that she would meet some very nice Catholic friends on campus this year. This is not totally taken care of yet, but she will have to attend Mass on campus instead of roaming the area in search of new places for Mass.  This increases the odds of Catholic friends on campus tremendously.  

While we are on the subject of praise, I'm also very grateful that she took a huge step toward getting her laundry taken care of on campus instead of a drive to a friend's house.  So grateful!

God is so good all the time.  Just look around you and find things to thank Him for.  Never miss an opportunity for gratitude. 

Courage and Action

 

Those prayers God puts on our hearts are His way of helping us to do His will. Several months ago, He nudged me to start praying for courage.  I found two prayers to Dominican Saints and started to pray. Not shockingly, He also gave me a task that would require that courage. 

One of our Dominican Pillars is, of course, preaching. We are the Order of Preachers after all.  I have always been a little leery about this aspect of my vocation. I have always dreaded speaking in public. 

But God knows best, and He knew that I needed to break through that barrier. 

We have a women’s group at our parish called Women of Worth. We have book studies, speakers and other opportunities to grow as a community and in our faith. 

At a planning meeting last Spring, I listened to the other women coming up with ideas and mostly sat quietly contemplating what I had to offer as a suggestion for the group.  Not until after the meeting did the Lord tell me what He wanted me to do.  He asked me to give a talk on prayer. 

I am sure it was the Holy Spirit because of how easily the talk came together (I even figured out how to do a PowerPoint slide show!). I told the woman who is in charge that this is what the Holy Spirit asked me to do, and she put me on the WoW calendar for the end of May. It would be a long six week wait.  Though the talk was written and the PowerPoint done, it consumed my thoughts as I tried to decide if it needed tweaking (the Holy Spirit would not let me change much!) and spent time practicing.  

Finally, the day arrived.  I got to the church early and made sure my computer would connect to the projector. It did.  As I watched the women gather, all my nerves left me.  It was a wonderful feeling.  

I was calm and excited at the same time.  These women wanted to hear my thoughts on prayer.  All the prayers I prayed for courage worked!  The talk went very well and as a bonus, was well received.  There was very positive feedback which was a lovely pat on the back from the Lord. 

As Dominicans, we are called to preach.  It may not always be to a crowd, but we need to be prepared for whatever the Lord asks of us.  So, pray for courage and see what happens in your life. 

Here are the two prayers that I pray:

Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati:

Prayer for the Courage to Be Great

Heavenly Father,

Give me the courage to strive for the highest goals, to flee every temptation to be mediocre. Enable me to aspire to greatness, as Pier Giorgio did, and to open my heart with joy to Your call to holiness. Free me from the fear of failure. I want to be, Lord, firmly and forever united to You. Grant me the graces I ask You through Pier Giorgio's intercession, by the merits of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Amen.

To St. Catherine of Siena, Doctor of the Church

Intercede for me this day. O bold bride of Christ, pray for my intentions (mention) which I entrust to you. Share with me your impassioned liveliness for union with God, in fidelity to my vocational calling. Teach me to discern, with clarity and certainty, our Lord's perfect and holy will for my every situation. Inspire me into courageous action so that whatever our Heavenly King may ask of me, be it great or small, I may respond with a generous love and pure heart.Wherever God may place me, I wish to tirelessly serve our Eucharistic hard by serving those He has entrusted to why care. Dear St. Catherine, I echo your prayer, "I trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, not in myself." Amen.

It has become evident to me through all of this, that God has really broken through that barrier. I was asked to preach at a fraternity meeting, with only a few days notice.  In the past this would have caused some anxiety.  This time, it did not. I wrote what I wanted to say, and looked it over a couple of times. The day of the meeting, I confidently walked to the front of the room and read the reading and preached.  I was glad it was so easy. God has a plan for each of you. Pray for courage, and take action. 

 

Mrs. Mary Schultz OP. MI-ANN