Bibles and Cell Phones

I don't know about you, but I've seen this image popping up on Facebook and Twitter lately. Does it look familiar? If you haven't looked at any of the pictures that I've posted, I highly encourage to the point of pleading please look at this one.

I don't know about you, but I am usually lost without my cell phone. I check my mail, my bank balance, play games, Facebook, this blog, communicate, and even pray with it in my hands. I'm bored waiting for an appointment, let's play Temple Run 2. Trying to better plan out my day, lets look at Evernote or my calendars. Trying to get some deeper level of prayer in adoration, try Laudate or iBreviary. (Yes I have used my cell phone as a prayer book in Adoration. Yes I've had to explain it to little old ladies. It is embarrassing.) But I am completely and thoroughly attached to this electronic leash that I can't get rid of.

Then I look at my Bible. I have two which are mine and a couple dozen floating around my office that occasionally make their way home too. But of the two that are my own I have one that is a paperback, slightly dog eared at the corners and never written in. The other has been graffitied, decorated, highlighted, has a broken spine, pages falling out, duct tape and smoke damaged. I shouldn't use it as a reading Bible but it serves a much deeper reminder.

My very worn Bible. Can you see where the cracked spine is?

I look at the above image and acknowledge, that even though I access prayer apps and occasionally the daily readings on my phone, my Bible lays stagnant.  I can't help but get mentally caught on the "... turned back to get it if we forgot it?"

The spine has broken here completely in half. The two halves are held with duct tape.

When I was 22, I was student teaching, preparing for end of year finals which I was writing the finals for students. I was living with my extended family when their home was caught in a house fire. It was a huge fire that impacted two other houses that were nearby. When I was trying to get my composure and get out I grabbed my Bible, cell phone and other necessities. I couldn't think clearly until I heard in my head "drop everything and get out" in my father's voice. My father was a firefighter and always stressed the need to get out when a fire struck. I thought I had dropped everything when I ran downstairs and saw my cousin, (who's about 65) on the phone in his kitchen calling 911 as I'm watching the sliding glass door 10 feet behind him melting in an oozy pile of orange glass. I yelled at him to get out scooped up my shoes and ran outside.

In the few moments after I hit the fresh air I looked and saw that I was wearing shoes with my pajamas and holding my cell phone. I used my phone to call my family and try to find a place to stay but my beloved Bible was dropped from my hands and was sitting on the floor of the bedroom where I had been staying. Once the fire was completely put out, I was able to go back in and I got my Bible.

Evidence of smoke damage in the front cover

I was at a crisis of faith. I had chosen to leave an object significant of my faith behind when I had the chance. I wasn't proud of that and I wanted to leave the church behind. I was simply going through the motions of faith because I knew it would make my family happy. After brooding and being bitter about it, I worked my way back to going to Confession. The priest that heard me had only been ordained the day before. He was new, I was in pain and he truly had the graces from God I needed to come back fully to church, even though I never fully left.

As Catholics we declare that the Bible in its entirety is the Divinely inspired Word of God. It is a true gift of faith to be utilized, studied and prayed with. I wasn't proud that I left my Bible in such a hurried disordered way. Living a life, regardless of how short it was without the word of God was painful. The very top image illustrates quite poignantly why the Bible is important in our lives and what would the impact be if we had the same need for the Word of God as we did Facebook or Twitter.

This Bible in particular I received while on retreat and in the front cover was a message which I am glad to share with you.

Funhouse Mirrors

Sorry for my break in blogging, trying to get more content ready to go so I can post more successfully. However onward to today's post.

Let’s unravel a story shall we?

A young girl around 5 years of age and her mother were going through a funhouse and the young girl was able to see a reflection of herself for the first time in one of the warped mirrors. It took her a moment to recognize that the distorted reflection that she saw was her own. After spending time with her mother making faces and having fun, her mother began to move on without the girl noticing. She was having too much fun playing with her reflection. By the time she noticed she was alone, her mother had already passed out of sight. Suddenly the new reflections weren’t funny but rather scary. The girl ran through the corridors of the funhouse to catch up to her mom.

This could have been me, I know that my mom and I went through a few funhouses as a kid, but I don’t remember if I was ever lost in one.

As I was talking with a few people I found ourselves talking about the effects of sin on our relationship with God. One of my friends mentioned they felt like a funhouse mirror. My friend didn’t like that he felt that way, but in truth, he was right. We are all like funhouse mirrors.

In Genesis when man is created, God, in the form of the Trinity says, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness...” (Genesis 1:26) we were intended to be creatures with great knowledge, free will and immortal souls. Then when sin entered the world, that nature was forever blemished.The same is true of mirrors or metal that has been warped. The reflective quality is still there but the image is warped. We are not able to see a true and authentic image of the original image.

Then there exists the grace that God gives us. If grace is like a light beam, an unblemished mirror would reflect and refract the light back at an angle perpendicular to the source. The effect of sin would be twofold, the change in shape, (as stated above) and the grime and gunk build up.

Children are inquisitive and often leave smudges and fingerprints on everything. Venial sins would be your average child with dirty hands, light can still somewhat pass through but the reflection isn’t as bright. Mortal sin would be like letting a hoard of toddlers with opaque finger paint at the mirror. There isn’t any light that could get through there and it’s a mess that we don’t want to necessarily deal with.

Since it is Spring and a time to make things clean and fresh, there is a way to deal with this. Going to the Sacrament of Reconciliation will give us all the boost that we need to get rid of the toddler prints on our souls. We have the choice and free will to turn back to God and let him at us with spiritual windex and a squeegee, or a power washer, whatever our case might be.

If you are looking for an Examination of Conscience to start out with, check out this link from the United States Council of Catholic Bishops for adults, children and based on the Ten Commandments. As for me it’s time to find my way to the Confessional as well.  

To Love Another Person...

My husband and I are huge musical theater fans. I am not ashamed to say that he is a bigger fan than I. It may not surprise readers that this being said, we are fans of the recent 2012 movie of Les Miserables. *sigh* I have linked to a Youtube clip of the audio.

While I'm not going to debate the Theology of the movie version (I'm still working on the book) I am using the music to make a point. During the Epilogue of the movie, Jean Valjean, at the end of his life sings one of my favorite lines in the show, "To love another person is to see the face of God."

On my Ignatian Prayer Adventure today I am naming my blessings. The biggest blessing that I have and gift that God has given me is that of Love. I can confidently say that I am loved by my husband, my family, my friends and last and not least, God. Yet I also love those I interact with. Each person I encounter is deserving of a different kind of love. My parents and my husband will always have a deep and prominent place in my heart; I have friends that I have adopted as siblings as I am an only child. I also love those I work with and for through what I complete during my days. Those that I love are gifts that God has placed in my life, and I would not be who I am without their love and influence.

Beloved, let us one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love. 

1 John 4: 7-8

While I look at those that I love and love me, I truly see how God works through all of us in the world. This ability to see God in each other also comes from being created in God's image. If we were created in his image then we are also made for love.

Because of the love that comes from God, there are other gifts I have received: healing, mercy, joy, hope and faith. Each of these gifts could warrant an individual post of their own. I am grateful for these gifts and I each flows through my life and those lives that I touch.

I maybe digressing from my initial topic so I will return to it now. "To love another person is to see the face of God." Through the Catholic Teaching and Tradition, as well as my own experience, I believe that all human life is to be treated with love and respect just because they are human. I have recognized God in people simply because they are my fellow man. True, I have not seen Jesus' physical face, body, and human form, (unless you count the Eucharist) but I can recognize his love and grace in those I meet. 

To conclude my reflection for the day is to count what I am thankful for. I am thankful for my husband, family, friends, my job, basic necessities, this blog and my faith.

What are things that you are grateful for today?

Sunshine and Snowflakes and Darkness

Once upon a time when I lived in Iowa, I learned that Spring meant warm sunbeams and crazy western winds from the plains. When I moved back to Minnesota I thought Spring would come a bit later, the winds would be a little less and Spring would eventually come. This year, the winds have followed me from a direction I cannot find, and when we thought Spring had come, we got 13 more inches of snow. 

Nasty trick Winter, nasty trick.

There is something I cannot doubt though, Spring is "here". It is hiding like an illusive child but it is here. (I say this knowing that "Winter Storm Yogi" is going to drop more snow on us Wednesday/Thursday. *sigh*)

Today I started my second week of this Ignatian Adventure and I am beginning to work on the Examen. If you aren't familiar with this practice, it involves prayerfully looking through your day at triumphs and sins and asking to be forgiven as you strive to be better. I apologize if I'm off base with this. Part of the challenge is to walk around today and enjoy God's scenery.

When I read that, I chuckled and said "yeah right, the wind is kicking up enough where road salt is sand blasting my car." Then it dawned on me, while I was running errands today the primary thought I had was "Oh the sun feels nice, and I haven't seen the sky this blue for a while." There I was, basking in the beauty of God's creation between stores and my car, trying to find Red Vines for a friends birthday.

Regardless of what I was doing out and about, I am glad I made it outside today. It is a gorgeous day in Minnesota and I am happy to be here, even if I'm writing this blog.

Then at work, I start seeing posts and tweets about the Boston Marathon. Another great day to be outside until I realize that this isn't what these messages are about. There has been a bombing near the finish line of the Boston Marathon.

The first I heard of it was from a message that a dear friend sent that she was praying for the victims in Boston. I have since then been praying and keeping up with the news myself. Just last year I knew of a priest who was running the marathon who dedicated each mile to a different prayer request. He had prayed each of the 26.2 miles and I don't know if he was back again this year.

I can't tell you how many times as a "responsible adult" I've been asked why God lets evil happen if he is completely good. What I've learned is that evil is just an easy definition.

If you were to ask me explain mathematical concepts of subtraction or division, I could tell you that they don't really exist. Subtraction and division is just another way to explain a way of addition and multiplication. 5 - 3 can be explained the same as 5 + (-3). Division is the same as multiplying by a fraction. Any scientist will tell you there is no such thing as "cold". If it is cold outside, it is the same as saying there isn't enough heat for it to be comfortable. It would be the same to say that darkness is the absence of light, white is the inclusion of all color and black is the absence of all color. 

Evil is the absence of goodness and grace.

True enough, God has given of himself and God is all things good and filled with grace. To be blunt, the absence of God, his love, his grace, is what we call hell.

What happened in Boston is horrible, we cannot work fast enough to help everyone who is affected by this tragedy. This was not an evil act, this was an act done with the absence of love for one's fellow person. That being said over the next few days we will hear many other stories. Stories of grace and love. Stories of people who ran in where darkness prevailed. These people will be hailed as heroes, I am happy to call these people grace filled, compassionate, individuals who did what was right. They have tended to the wounded, cared for the grieving and brought love into an unloving situation. They are God's love and grace in action. They are living out the Corporal Works of Mercy in our midst.

Then as one person in southern Minnesota I will do what I can, I will pray for those who have been affected and pray that God's grace and mercy touches those who did this today.

Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy Will be done, on earth as it is done in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who have trespassed against us. Lead us not in

to temptation but deliver us from evil. World without end. Amen