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It’s Hard to be Humble

*Author: Beth Zanotelli Family Life Coordinator for the Diocese of Palm Beach*

In 1974 country singer Mac Davis wrote a song called “It’s Hard to be Humble”. The chorus repeats, “Oh Lord, it’s hard to be humble, when you’re perfect in every way. I can’t wait to look in the mirror, ‘cause I get better looking each day.” The song is humorous because of its sarcasm, and Mac plays on the loneliness that occurs when you seek to achieve fame. What is this humility that we are supposed to live as a virtue? How can we avoid the sin of pride and live a life of humility? Where is the balance between healthy self-esteem and pridefulness? Why does God want us to be humble enough to see less of ourselves and more of others? It’s a rough road and a fine line…it’s a narrow gate!

There are many ways we can be more humble, and these days the world could use more humility. It’s not always about you and me. If you are sad, lonely and maybe a bit depressed, spend some time thinking about someone else, pray for them, listen to them, help them. A sacrifice of time and energy will help you find humility. As Lent approaches, look for one way you can convert your heart to a humble heart.

The Litany of Humility was written by Cardinal Merry del Val, who was the Secretary of State to Pope St. Pius X (1903 – 1914). In this prayer, it is courageous to focus on even just one line. Pray to Jesus that you might be delivered from the prideful desires of your heart.

Litany of Humility

O Jesus! Meek and humble of heart, hear me.

From the desire of being esteemed, deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being loved, deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being extolled, deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being honored, deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being praised, deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being preferred to others, deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being consulted, deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being approved, deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being humiliated, deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being despised, deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of suffering rebukes, deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being calumniated (talked or gossiped about), deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being forgotten, deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being ridiculed, deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being wronged, deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being suspected, deliver me, Jesus.

That others may be loved more that I, Jesus grant me the grace to desire it.

That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase, and I may decrease,

Jesus grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be chosen, and I set aside, Jesus grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be praised and I unnoticed, Jesus grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be preferred to me in everything,

Jesus grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may become holier that I, provided that I may become as holy as I

should, Jesus grant me the grace to desire it. Amen.

Here’s what the scriptures have to say...

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 – Love is patient, love is kind. Love is not jealous, love is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Micah 6:8 – You have been told, O man, what is good, and what the Lord requires of you: Only to do the right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.

Comfort and Grace

As we say goodbye to 2021 and warmly welcome 2022, it is easy to dwell on all the negative things that happened last year. Most years, especially the last two, we can’t wait to close the door on the past. We say, “I can’t wait for this year to be over!”, or “I’m looking forward to the new year”. Really though, it is the past that has formed us. Take comfort in the positive adjustments you made in your life in 2021. Did you simplify your life? Did you create a new habit? Did you start a new hobby? Did you better appreciate others? As we opened our doors and stepped back outside, did you take more time to greet people? Reflect on the ways you changed last year, ways that you changed for the better that you can bring with you in 2022.

Consider what the great Saint, Sister Faustina, reflected on at the beginning of her New Year’s “blog”, otherwise known as her Diary entry on January 1, 1938 (#1449)

Welcome to you, New Year, in the course of which my perfection will be accomplished. Thank You in advance, O Lord, for everything Your goodness will send me. Thank You for the cup of suffering from which I shall daily drink. Do not diminish its bitterness, O Lord, but strengthen my lips that, while drinking of this bitterness, they may know how to smile for love of You, my Master. I thank you for Your countless comforts and graces that flow down upon me each day like the morning dew, silently, imperceptibly which no curious eye may notice, and which are known only to You as of today because, at the moment when You hand me the cup, my heart may not be capable of giving thanks.
St. Faustina’s Diary Divine Mercy in My Soul

As we enter this new year of 2022, it’s a great time to be present in the moment, the moment you are in right now. Take time to reflect on what “comforts and graces” you can give others this year. In 2022, when you see someone, give them the gift of your smile. Remember that they are a Child of God, just like you. When having a conversation, look at the person as they talk and really listen to what they are saying. Jesus spent time with people. He stopped and gave them time when others wanted to rush past. When Jesus looks at a person, he sees them. Jesus is the perfect example of intentionality. How can you be Jesus to others in this new year?

What is Truth?

*Adapted from a Homily by Deacon David Zanotelli*

“…What is truth?” John 18:38. In the world today that question is something with which we are all challenged. This year, on the Solemnity of Christ, the King at the end of the Church year, the Gospel reading was a dialog between Pilate and Jesus; Pilate was seeking the truth. In John 18:37, Jesus says, “you say I am a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” This is not the first time Jesus speaks of truth. In John 14: 5-6, Thomas asks, “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way? Jesus said to him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Jesus says he came to testify to the truth. An example of that truth that Jesus proclaims with his own life…life begins at conception. How did Jesus “testify” to this truth? Well, it’s quite simple and profound. In fact, it is such a fundamental truth in our faith that our Apostles Creed allows you and I to testify to this truth ourselves! As we profess the truths of our faith, we say… “I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son our Lord, who was CONCEIVED by the Holy Spirit…” Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, “Christ the King”, became a precious child, at the moment He was conceived by the Holy Spirit in Mary’s womb!

There is another truth that Jesus came to proclaim. Through our Baptism, we are all adopted children of the King of Kings. If you were born female in the likeness and image of God, you are truly a daughter of the King of Kings. If you were born male in the likeness and image of God, you are truly a son of the King of Kings. Not only are each of us a son or daughter of the King of Kings but each and everyone of us is an irreplaceable, indispensable, unrepeatable gift! Yes, YOU are indispensable to God’s plan for the universe. You cannot be replaced! You cannot be repeated. You reveal a beam of God’s glory that no one else who ever lived or ever will live reveals in this world!

Become what you are – an irreplaceable, indispensable, unrepeatable gift from Christ the King!

Here’s what the Scriptures and our faith have to say:

John 18: 37-38 – So Pilate said to him, “Then you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say I am a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”

Ephesians 6:13-14 – Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and having done everything, to hold our ground. So stand fast with your loins girded in truthy, clothed with righteousness as a breastplate.”

YouCat (Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church) – Based on CCC 781-786 What is unique about the People of God? The founder of this people is God the Father. Its leader is Jesus Christ. Its source of strength is the Holy Spirit. The entryway to the People of God is Baptism. Its dignity is the freedom of the children of God. Its law is love. If this people remains faithful to God and seeks first the kingdom of God, it changes the world.

Back to the Beginning

*Author: Most Reverend Gerald M. Barbarito,*
*Bishop of Palm Beach*

There are matters of faith in the beginning of Genesis which are essential to our faith and always important to reflect upon. As we face so many opportunities and challenges within our lives, it is always good to put them in perspective especially about to how God envisioned life and the world from the beginning. This may be especially important for us today as we recently commemorated the twentieth anniversary of the horrific event of 9/11 and as we face so many tragic situations in our world today.

In the beginning we see that God created the world. It did not come into existence by an accident but from the very being of God Himself. The account of creation in the book of Genesis makes very clear that God created the world out of nothing but with a purpose and order. We read of the creation of light, water and all those elements which give and sustain life from God. All of these follow a natural rhythm as we experience from the movement of the day into night and from one season into another. Genesis then tells us that God created both plant and animal life which are sustained by these elements and natural rhythm.

The Book of Genesis helps us to appreciate better that the world is indeed God’s. His purpose and laws are at the basis of all others. There is a natural law which comes from God Himself. All other laws must be in conformity to His. Genesis also helps us to appreciate better the beauty of creation which so many times we can take for granted. Each day, God reveals Himself to us in nature as the earth moves around the sun reflecting the very grandeur of God. Too many daily preoccupations and concerns can interfere with the joy that comes from appreciating this basic beauty.

When the creation of the world is complete, the Book of Genesis makes clear that God then created the pinnacle of His creation which is the human person. Everything else which God has created is given to and meant to sustain the human person. It is here that Genesis reveals to us one of the most basic truths, which is that the human person is created in the very image and likeness of God. Unlike the rest of creation, to be human means to share in the very depth of the life of God Himself and to reflect that life in the fullest way. This means that every person is given a dignity which comes from God and can never be taken away.

When God created the human person in His image and likeness, another basic truth of life is revealed to us. The Book of Genesis tells us that God created the person as male and female, “God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them,” (Gen 1:27). It is here that the nature of marriage and family life is understood as a participation in the life of God Himself. For as Genesis also tells us, “That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them shall become one body,” (Gen 2:24). God lives for all eternity as a communion of love in the Persons of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Marriage is a reflection of that communion through which life comes into existence. Every single life, from the moment of conception, has an inherent dignity which comes from God. In the family, that dignity and purpose are brought to fruition as a participation in God’s life. Marriage and family life are not a creation of society but a reflection of God’s very life. How much this basic truth needs to be better understood and appreciated in our society today.

The beginning of the Book of Genesis also makes clear another basic truth. God created us to be happy. He placed the human person in the Garden of Eden in a natural state of happiness. God wants us to be happy and to know the joy that is His. It is only by living as He created us that we find this happiness. Living life in a manner that is forgetful of God and the natural order and beauty of His creation is what leads to unhappiness and frustration.

In this context the Book of Genesis places before us another fundamental truth. The first man and woman decided not to live in the manner for which God had created them but attempted to find happiness in another way and disobeyed God’s natural law. Once they did this, they put themselves in an unhappy state and caused a disruption in the order and plan of God’s creation. Original sin entered the world and with original sin came an accompanying disorder.

The Book of Genesis also makes clear another reality of our faith and that is the existence of the evil one – Satan. Man and woman were tempted to go against God’s plan by Satan who fooled them by making evil look good. They chose evil, and its accompanying unhappiness, because they thought it would make them happy. The devil works in subtle ways, and we must always be cautious in this regard. God has given us, as He gave the original man and woman, freedom. Freedom is not the ability to do whatever we want but the ability to choose the good. It is Satan who works against this and is most effective when his existence is denied. That is why the first baptismal promise, as well as the one made by a young person to be confirmed, is “Do you reject Satan, and all his works and all his empty promises?”

As we reflect upon these basic truths given to us in the very beginning in the Book of Genesis, it is also essential for us to reflect upon the basic truths given to us in the Person of Jesus Christ who took our human nature to Himself in order that He might free us from ourselves. The Gospel of St. John begins with the words reflecting the opening Book of Genesis, “in the beginning.” The Son of God became one of us to bring us back to the beginning which God had planned for us in creation. Not even sin can hinder God’s plan and prevent us from experiencing His love in the original way for which He had created us. God had a plan for us from the very beginning and it is Christ who restores us to that plan.

The Book of Genesis reminds us of fundamental truths. It is Christ who sheds light upon those truths and brings us back to them in order that we might have the joy for which God created us.

It is always good to go back to the beginning.

Here’s what Scripture and Tradition have to say…

Genesis 1:27 – God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them.

Genesis 2:24 – That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one body.

Colossians 1:15-20 – He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things were created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he himself might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile all things for him, making peace by the blood of his cross whether those on earth or those in heaven.

Catechism of the Catholic Church: 289 – Among all the Scriptural texts about creation, the first three chapters of Genesis occupy a unique place. From a literary standpoint these texts may have had diverse sources. The inspired authors have placed them at the beginning of Scripture to express in their solemn language the truths of creation – its origin and its end in God, its order and goodness, the vocation of man, and finally the drama of sin and the hope of salvation. Read in the light of Christ, within the unity of Sacred Scripture and in the living Tradition of the Church, these texts remain the principal source for catechesis on the mysteries of the “beginning”: creation, fall, and promise of salvation.

What’s the One Thing?

Author: Cathy Loh, Diocese of Palm Beach Director of Marriage,
Family Life, Faith Formation and Youth Ministry

As the long, hot summer days speed by, we are once again quickly approaching the start of another school year. Ah, new beginnings, new hopes, new challenges, a time to start anew. Yes, God has provided us with many occasions for a fresh start…. a new calendar year, a new liturgical year, a new school year, indeed, each new day when God’s mercies are made new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23).

Our Christian faith encourages us to not let these opportunities go to waste. We must be intentional about making the most of them. Some of us may just overlook these opportunities for a fresh start, while others may set lofty goals. However, experts tell us that the greatest chance for success in starting over and creating lasting change is to focus and decide what is the one thing we can do to affect meaningful and positive change in our lives.

Where to start? Jesus teaches us that the greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and the second greatest is to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39). What is the one thing that we can do today to better love God? We could spend some time with Him in prayer, even if just for a few minutes; it’s a place to start. Perhaps stop by Church for a daily Mass or just to sit with Him. Or we can stop in an Adoration Chapel. Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist, the consecrated bread, and He waits patiently for us to visit with Him, ready to bestow those mercies that are made new each morning. We could spend a few minutes reading His love letter to us, the Bible, where He tells us about His plans for us. We could seek Him in the Sacrament of Reconciliation where He forgives our sins and restores our relationship with Him. After all, Jesus tells us that the way to love God is to keep His commandments, and they are not burdensome (1 John 5:3). Well, that may require some divine assistance, so we can just ask for help and be assured that when we ask according to His will, He hears and answers us (1 John 5:14-15). So now we are back to prayer again. Have you ever tried to pray the Rosary? What about one decade? What’s the one thing you could do today to grow closer to Jesus, to love Him more?

What about loving our neighbor, who might just be a family member rather than the person next door? Or it could be someone we know or are related to who lives miles away. What’s the one thing we can do to love that person more? Maybe it’s as simple as a smile or forgiving the person who offended or annoyed us. Perhaps it’s offering up a prayer or making a phone call to say, “I’m thinking of you.” Maybe it’s something slightly more involved like making a meal or a visit or running an errand for them.

We all lead very busy lives, so we need to be intentional about making changes in those lives. How can we grow in love of God and neighbor? Take advantage of the opportunities to start fresh. Tomorrow is a new day, and God’s mercies will be there for you. Take some time, be intentional, and decide what is the one thing you can do, no matter how small, to better love God and neighbor.

Here’s what Scripture has to say…

Lamentations 3:22-23 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.

Matthew 22:36-39 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” And he said to him, “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 first commandment. And a second is like it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

1 John 5:2-3 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.

Here’s what the Saints have to say…

St. Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa) Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.

St. Therese of Lisieux Miss no single opportunity of making some small sacrifice, here by a smiling look, there by a kindly word; always doing the smallest right and doing it all for love.

Labels

Author: Beth Zanotelli, Diocese of Palm Beach Coordinator of Family Life

Do you ever label yourself in your thoughts? A label is a name you call yourself in your head. It is part of your self-talk. Whether it is a name you were called, or words you have “tagged” yourself with, you use labels to describe yourself. They can be positive or negative. These labels arise when you accuse or maybe repeatedly accuse yourself of a misdeed or pat yourself on your back for a success. Really, it is your pride and your humanness that keep you stuck in these thoughts.

Pope John Paul II said, “We are not the sum of our weaknesses and failures, we are the sum of the Father’s love for us and our real capacity to become the image of His Son Jesus.” If you want to know who you are, it is misguided to look to a wounded humanity for answers. When labeling yourself, you should look to God and remember His words to Jeremiah (1:5), “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, before you were born, I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you.” God gives you every label that you need. God helps you to realize that there is more to your life than the labels you hold on to.

As you were created in His image and likeness, you reflect God’s truth, beauty, and goodness. Do not allow your self-talk to direct who you are, rather, be satisfied with the way the Lord sees you, hears you, and loves you. St. John Paul II’s words render so much wisdom, it makes sense to share them now, to help you to see God’s truth, beauty, and goodness:

“It is Jesus that you seek when you dream of happiness; He is waiting for you when nothing else you find satisfies you; He is the beauty to which you are so attracted; it is He who provoked you with that thirst for fullness that will not let you settle for compromise; it is He who urges you to shed the masks of a false life; it is He who reads in your heart your most genuine choices, the choices that others try to stifle.

It is Jesus who stirs in you the desire to do something great with your lives, the will to follow an ideal, the refusal to allow yourselves to be ground down by mediocrity, the courage to commit yourselves humbly and patiently to improving yourselves and society, making the world more human and more fraternal.” JPII – WYD 2011

Challenge yourself to do as St. John Paul II says and “shed your masks of a false life”. Do not settle on the “compromise” of the labels you give yourself. Fully rely on God!

Here is what the scriptures say…

Jeremiah 1:5 – Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, before you were born, I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you.

Psalm 139:16 – Your eyes foresaw my actions; in your book all are written down; my days were shaped, before one came to me.

Romans 8: 28-30 – We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined he also called; and those he called he also justified; and those he justified he also glorified.

Romans 12:2 – Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.

You Belong!

What is it that makes you feel like you belong? When you walk into a store, is there a sense that you belong? Probably not. At your home when you walk through the door, do you experience belonging there? What about belonging at school or at work? Each of us has an innate desire to belong. We long to be wanted; we long to be loved.

While this topic could go in many directions, this blog is meant to focus on belonging in a church family. When we stop by on Sunday to worship God in our community called “Church”, what makes us feel like we belong? Surely the presence of our loving God, and the open doors of our church, but what calls us? We have a deep longing to be recognized and feel we belong to the “Body of Christ”. We long to have someone make eye contact and give a genuine “hello” or even a “how are you today?”. It goes even deeper than that. Belonging happens when we are invited to sit near someone. Belonging happens when someone asks for our opinion or advice. Belonging happens when someone invites us to join a group (even if we choose not to join). Belonging happens when someone compliments us or takes an interest in our life. These gestures of love hint at a relationship. What causes us to belong is when we are recognized, when our presence is acknowledged, when we are included just as we are, and when we are accompanied on our journey. These gestures let us know we are appreciated and not judged.

We are experiencing a tough time in our world. Remember to see each other and help each other feel the love of the Body of Christ. Take time today, this week and going forward to authentically see someone! Maybe a smile will help them feel they belong. Perhaps kindness will help them in their personal struggle of the day. “So be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us…” (Ephesians 5:1)

Here is what the scriptures have to say…

Ephesians 5:1-3 – So be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and handed himself over for us as a sacrificial offering to God for a fragrant aroma.

1 Peter 2: 9-10 – But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may announce the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were “no people” but now you are God’s people; you “had not received mercy” but now you have received mercy.

Acts 10: 34-35 – Then Peter proceeded to speak and said, “In truth, I see that God shows no partiality. Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him.

Colossians 3:14 -And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection.

Love One Another

Practice what you preach, or practice what you teach. In our world today, we are full of so much information. If we acted on it, some of that information could really make us different people, perhaps even better people. In Scripture, Jesus teaches us, actually, He commands us: “This I command you: love one another” John 15:17. This seems like a simple, practical, do-able command, and in our heads, we know it! We know it is what we must do! So how do we take it to our hearts and live this command? It is not an easy task to love one another, we really must set our own selfishness aside and appreciate each person for who God created them to be, without judgement, without trying to change them, without trying to control them. We are commanded to merely, “love one another”.

Taking knowledge to our hearts requires help! We really cannot do it alone; we need the Lord’s assistance. We need to ask Him in prayer! “Lord, please accompany us through our trials. We desire to love one another as you have commanded.” Our prayers can be simple, “Lord, help me to appreciate each person I meet today, help me to see them as You do.” “Help me to treat each person I meet with Christ-like love”.

“Love one another” sounds easy, and with God’s help, we might get a little closer to moving what we know is an important command, from our head to our heart and our actions. Pray today for the Lord to show you ways you can “love one another”, pray for the courage not to judge, change, or control. Pray to have more influence on people by showing them your love!

Here is what the scriptures have to say…

1 Peter 4:8-10 – Above all, let your love for one another be intense, because love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaining. As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace.

1 Corinthians 13: 4-7 – Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, love is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Philippians 2:3-4 – Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests, but also everyone for those of others.

John 13:34-35 – I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another.

Let’s not give up on each other…

By Cathy Loh
Diocese of Palm Beach Director of Marriage, Family Life, Faith Formation and Youth Ministry

“It is not good for the man to be alone…” declared God in the Garden of Eden after he created Adam, the first man (Genesis 2:18). Why is this important? Because we are made for relationship, for friendship. We are made in the image and likeness of God who is a community, a trinity, three persons in one God. So, being made in God’s image means that we are made for relationship, with God and with each other.

Our innate need for relationship is why the isolation experienced during this past year of COVID-19 lockdowns, social distancing and masks has been harmful to so many. It is well documented that babies need regular physical touch for normal cognitive development and to learn to relate socially. It is not only newborns who need touch to thrive, adults also need contact for their physical and emotional wellbeing. Imagine the toll on the elderly and the sick, who have had to face so many days separated from loved ones, deprived of a hug or kiss or reassuring pat on the arm. Not to mention the impact on the spouses, children, or other relatives of those isolated from them. While technology can be a blessing and enable us to “see” our loved ones, it is a poor substitute for physical presence. Sometimes this virtual connection is not even possible.

Another experience of isolation or deprivation comes in the form of faces hidden behind masks. My heart aches for the little ones, toddlers, children who may not be deprived of physical touch, but are deprived of a smile or other facial expressions blocked by masks. What impact will these masks have on children’s social interactions and their ability to interpret facial expressions in the future? Time will tell.

While we navigate this uncharted territory of a worldwide pandemic, we need to consider the unintended but natural and not surprising consequences of our actions. We must prudently balance protection in the present with protection for a future. We must remember that God created us for relationship, for community. To deprive the healthy, let alone the young, frail, sick or elderly, of contact with their loved ones, is to deny our innate need for community and risk our spiritual and emotional wellbeing.

As we enter into this penitential season of Lent, let us remember how much we have already given up this past year. Let us consider our loved ones and how we might reach out to offer them consolation and fellowship. Let us consider how to prudently balance the spiritual and emotional needs of those we love with their physical safety needs. Let us not overlook our own need for connection and community. To continue to emphasize one need at the expense of the other may mean we are resting in a false sense of security rather than prayerfully trusting in the God who made us in His image for community.

Here is what the scriptures have to say…

Genesis 2:24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Ecclesiastes 4:12 Where a lone man can be overcome, two together can resist. A three-ply cord is not easily broken.

Matthew 18:20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.

Have You Lost Your Wonder?

Recently someone reminded me of the process that occurs when we use the internet. I am neither a tech savvy person nor a tech ignorant person, I am probably somewhere in between. In my words: Internet makes the Web possible; it is a huge network of computers which communicate together, many call it an “information superhighway”. So, when we want to watch a funny cat video, or answer important questions like “what sound does a cardinal make” or “who was the lead singer of the Foundations”, you type your question, and that question enters the information superhighway. This superhighway includes a trip to space where it bounces off a satellite comes all the way back to earth and communicates with a network of computers, probably bounces off another satellite in a different part of outer space and then the information finds its way back to your computer. It is quite amazing when you think about it. Yet, as I was reminded, how many times do you get upset that your internet is too slow? Have you ever sat back and thought about the amazing process that happens each time you hit enter? I was also reminded of a time when we had to research or ask other people about our questions. Sometimes when we ask someone a question, a conversation begins and if you are fortunate this conversation will lead to a lasting friendship or a great discovery. There was a time when we looked in books or went outside to observe and listen, we talked to other people and continued to ask the questions until we found an answer. Sometimes it took a long time, but it allowed us to wonder, what is the answer? We learned how to search for knowledge and information, and we discovered amazing things.

We are living in a fast-paced world. We expect things to happen immediately, and we get upset when they do not. Many of us cannot even wait in a line anymore. We have forgotten what Wonder is! Take a moment to look around you, pause from the information superhighway and physically survey all the amazing things you come across in a day. Use your senses! God created the world, and it is filled with so much more than we take the time to see, hear, taste, touch, and smell. Have you ever been driving, when the sun is rising, and it gets in your eyes? Do you take time to stop and see the beauty of the sunrise, or do you complain about its brightness? God created that amazing light and it gives us warmth, colors, and life. The person next to you could be making you happy, sad, angry, or just sitting there. God created that person to be unique, unrepeatable! God created each of us in His divine image, male and female He created us. Embrace the thought that God loves you so much that even before you were born, he was in love with you! Embrace the beauty in your masculinity or femininity and that God created you perfect! We have been inside too long; we have been fixated on our phones and computers too often. Praise God by going outside and looking at the beauty of all creation! Thank God for each day and for all the goodness that surrounds us!

Here is what the scriptures have to say…

Luke 5:26 Then astonishment seized them all and they glorified God, and struck with awe, they said, “We have seen incredible things today.”

Psalm 96:11-12 Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice; let the sea and what fills it resound; let the plains be joyful and all that is in them. Then let all the trees of the forest rejoice before the Lord who comes…!

Catechism of the Catholic Church 1299 At the Sacrament of Confirmation – In the Roman Rite the bishop extends his hands over the whole group of the confirmands. Since the time of the apostles this gesture has signified the gift of the Spirit. The bishop invokes the outpouring of the Spirit in these words: All powerful God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, by water and the Holy Spirit you freed your sons and daughters from sin and gave them new life. Send your Holy Spirit upon them to be their help and guide. Give them the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of right judgment and courage, the spirit of knowledge and reverence. Fill them with the spirit of wonder and awe in your presence. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Matthew 6:25-29 Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your lifespan? Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wildflowers grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith? So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ Or ‘What are we to wear?’ All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.