ZIG-ZAGING THRU LIFE

ZIG-ZAGING THROUGH LIFE

“Enter through the narrow gate.

The gate that is wide and the road broad

 Leads to destruction.

The narrow gate and the crowded road lead to life.

Those who find it are few.” (Mt 7:13-14)

Jesus describes the Christian life in terms of waiting in line at the narrow gate.  The wide gate leads to the free-for-all that is the material world while the narrow gate leads to eternal life with Him.  We all know how easy it is to change lanes.

Even though we are required to do this regularly, we still hate waiting in line. When we are driving, we can’t stay in one lane if there is any chance the other lane(s) are moving a bit faster, so we wait for a chance to cut in. When we change a lane, we shorten the one we were in, and then someone takes advantage of our moving and goes to the lane we left, thereby making it longer and on and on and on!  If we could see it from the air, we would understand that all that shifting of lanes has zero effect most of the time.  All our years of experience still do not stop us from trying. 

This is the kind of image that we get from Jesus words.  This is how we live dodging in and out of the line for the wide gate, then scurrying back to the narrow one when things go wrong.  It takes us quite a while to understand that it is not the line but the goal that matters.  The terminus of the wide gate line is unknown, but the terminus for the narrow gate line is promised.

If the world really knew Jesus and what has been promised us, everyone would get in the narrow gate line, pitch a tent, if necessary, and wait patiently no matter how long it takes, the way people do to see the new Star Wars movie.

The saving grace and part of the joy of knowing Christ, is that if you leave the narrow gate line and go over to the other and then decide to come back, you haven’t lost your place. As human beings we don’t like it when people seem to get away with such behavior, but as we know from the parable of the vineyard owner and the hired help, we are equal in His sight.

Isn’t that what keeps us going, the boundless patience, understanding and love of God?   If you must test the other gate, remember, that, like the father of the prodigal son, God awaits your return with open arms.

May the blessings of God make your days in the sun joyful.

Carol Lemelin OPA

I Believe, Therefore, I Speak

I BELIEVE, THEREFORE, I SPEAK

We hold this treasure in earthen vessels.

We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained;

Perplexed but not driven to despair;

Persecuted, but not abandoned;

Struck down but not destroyed;

Always carrying the body of Christ with us,

so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in us.

Since, then, we are of the same spirit of faith, as it

Is written,” I believe, therefore, I speak.”

We, too, believe therefore we speak.

These words of St. Paul in his letter to the Corinthians speak directly to all followers of Christ, regardless of what religious group they belong to.  He calls out to us all to remember what the goal is and to work tirelessly whatever it costs to bring the message of Christ to the world.  In this letter, Paul is reminding himself of these things.  His time in Corinth was difficult and when he left there he was constantly getting news of how off course the faithful were.  Still, he never gave up on them.  He set an example for all other disciples and missionaries and people like us who grieve because our children and grandchildren have abandoned the faith.

The phrases that can keep us grounded are; “Always carry the body of Christ with us, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in us” and “I believe, therefore I speak”.

What would that look like, the life of Jesus manifested in us?  Would it be patient, tolerant, kind, slow to judge, fair, and loving?  That will do for a start.  It would be nice if we were all orators who commanded attention, but St. Paul was that, and he had to work very hard and met serious opposition, but as he said, “We are struck down but not destroyed.” 

We are not evangelists in the usual sense, but by our lives we bring the light. 
When you receive Communion, don’t think of it as a reward for being good. Instead, understand it is a challenge to live the life, which manifests the life of Jesus.  Stand up for what is right. Have courage in the face of opposition. When you are tempted to be discouraged, remember that God has the final say as to the outcome.  You and I are just the messengers called by God.

I BELIEVE, THEREFORE, I SPEAK

Blessings on you all as summer begins at last.

Carol Lemelin OPA

YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

.Jesus was very clear about that when he said,

“A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.

Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a basket; it is set on a lampstand,

Where it gives light to all in the house.

Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds.”

(Matt 5: 15-16)

I have an image of the Apostles laying awake at night worrying about those words and what they meant for the future. They were, by and large, simple men and Jesus’ words that they were the light of the world, must have confounded them. They undoubtedly felt they were not ready to face the whole world on their own!  They hung in there anyway.  Finally, on Pentecost came the answer with the Spirit. Jesus believed in them!  The realization that God trusted them to do it was all they needed and they wasted no time finding it within themselves to bring the Light.

Do we think that the Apostles got the Spirit extra-large, and we got the Spirit small?

If you believe that Jesus was telling the truth that the Father is in him, and he is in you, there should be no more questions in your heart as to whether you can bring the light or not, since the Light is in you through your Baptism. 

Pray that you will recognize the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Then be sure you know that the Light is truly Jesus and all he stands for and commands.  Everyone who believes in Jesus has access to the Light.  Therefore everyone is commanded to shine it on the world around them. I heard an old country song that says in part, “Jesus got his own folks working for Him all over the world.”  Not just believing, but working as well.

Follow the example of the Apostles; be yourself, trust in the Holy Spirit, have confidence that the Light is within you and live with the thought uppermost in your mind that the Apostles mission is your mission, too.

Blessings on you all,

Carol Lemelin, OPA

Finding the Words

FINDING THE WORDS

In a plot to trick Jesus into saying something they could use against him, a gang of Pharisees and Herodians approached him. Jesus once called them a brood of vipers and here, in Mark 12:13-17, they show they deserved the title. They started with false flattery and insincere praise. Their unctuous questions were obviously an attempt to trick Jesus into heretical response.  Naturally, we know they are barking up the wrong tree, but they did not know who they were dealing with. They ask if they should pay their taxes figuring if they couldn’t get him to speak against the Law, they would get him to say something that would anger the Romans. Jesus leads them on by asking them to show him a Roman coin.  He asks, with all seriousness, whose image is displayed and they respond quickly, “Caesar’s”.  Then Jesus confounds them with, “Then render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s”.  Done.  End of questions.  They weren’t finished, of course.  They kept up the questions until finally they just started making up the answers and swearing they were true, which gave them what they wanted, the death of Jesus. 

Every time I read this passage, I think of the tragedy that is the hostility between Christian denominations.  The differences in thought that created these groups are usually about unimportant details, or misinformation about your church, which are allowed to grow into barriers between us.  For example, early this year, a man said to me,

“I have looked at the Catholic religion, but I just can’t buy the ‘Mary thing’.  I responded, “Why don’t you forget the ‘Mary thing’, and concentrate on the ‘Jesus thing? “ His response was a surprise.  He laughed and said, “Why I believe I will!”

I walked out of there thanking the Holy Spirit for putting the words in my mouth.  Since then I have been thinking that, when faced with a situation like this, we first must pause and call on the Spirit to help us redirect the focus to Jesus and doing his will to love one another. Bite down hard to quell the desire to fight back when in a confrontation.  You’re not required to answer.  If no words come, walk away.

Like the Pharisees and Herodians, some people are scared to death of anyone who challenges their faith/religion and, as we see in the world today, will go to any lengths to force others to their way of thinking.  We are followers of Christ who used the word peace 105 times in Scripture, which means he must have used it thousands of times.  Imagine how St. Paul had to learn to rethink his usual response to the suggestion that his way was not the only way.  He did and we can too. 

When all is said and done, your life in Christ and your efforts to be peaceful and kind, following his command to love, will be all that will matter.

Blessings

Carol Lemelin OPA

Love in Action

LOVE IN ACTION

When we read Jesus words to his disciples, as told to us by John 14:15, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments”, our thoughts go immediately to the Ten Commandments.  The commandments Jesus spoke of are much more difficult than those ten.  Jesus commandments are deceptively simple.

“‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’  This is the great and   foremost commandment.  The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’  On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

These are the only two commandments by which we must live and by which we shall be judged.  The first seems easiest, but the second, not so much.  The second prompted the question, “Who is my neighbor?” and that brought us to the story of the Good Samaritan, which answers the question, “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

Faced with this message St. Paul created a simple plan to help the early Church in Rome and us, what loving your neighbor means, a plan that could be called Love in Action.

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil, cling to what is good.

Be devoted to one another in love.  Honor one another above yourselves.

Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.

Be hopeful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer,

Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.

Live in harmony with one another.

Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.

Do not be conceited.  (Romans 12:9-16)

Personally, I am grateful for the Holy Spirit, because despite all the helps we got from Jesus and the apostles and the evangelizers of the first century, loving my neighbor all the time and with sincerity would be very hard without the gift of the Spirit.  No matter how hard it is, or how often I fail, I remind myself that I do it because I want to show Jesus that I do love him and want to live up to his call; “If you love me, keep my commandments.”

Blessing,

Carol Lemelin OPA