IIt's All About What Ya Put Into Your Head

Finally, brothers and sisters,                                                      

whatever is true, whatever is honorable,
whatever is just, whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious,
if there is any excellence
and if there is anything worthy of praise,
think about these things.



Keep on doing what you have learned and received
and heard and seen in me.
Then the God of peace will be with you.

Poor Harold, he is so shy that he knows what is going to happen when he goes to the homecoming dance.  He will simply sit there too shy to ask a girl to dance and he will never know that the girl with the blue ribbon in her hair thinks that he is just adorable and wants to dance with him.  Instead,  Harold will sit there all evening and go home with that sad feeling that comes from being alone.  

What if Harold, instead came to the dance, knowing that he looked good in his new suit and shoes and went up to the girl with the blue ribbon in her hair and asked her to dance?  That would have changed the outcome of the evening and probably the rest of his life because now he knew that there was at least one person who liked him so there might be more out there!  So, our wallflower boy would become confident and because of this new confidence he would go out for the football team and become the quarterback of the team, throw a long pass and win the state championship for good old Turtle Creek High School.  

It is what we put in our brainbox that will determine what kind of person we will be.  In this respect, we are like a computer where if we put garbage in, well, garbage will come out.   Paul here is telling us to banish evil and trash from our mind and to fill it with good thoughts and to continue to be the Christians we were taught to be.  

Last Sunday we were told how to do this in great detail.  We were told our attitude should be like that of Christ.  This week we are told what should fill our minds and make no mistake about it, it is up to us to change our attitude.  We have freedom of will and God's Prime Directive (thank you Star Trek) is to never interfere with his children's free will.   He will use our conscience to give us hints, but the work of cleaning up what needs to be cleaned is a voluntary operation that we have to choose to do ourselves. 

So this week, when someone approaches you with the gossip of the day, politely tell them that you are not interested.  If you are tempted by unworthy thoughts, tell yourself that you are going to reach up for fresh, ripe fruit that is above and you will not stoop down to gather the wormy, rotting. fruit that has fallen to the ground.   In either case, you will get the harvest you have chosen. 

Some people do not believe in Purgatory.  I fear that this attitude affects the Poor Souls who suffer much as they long to see and be with God.  If you are one of those that doubt the reality of Purgatory, please get a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, it is free online and will show you why there is a Purgatory and why we should pray daily for the Poor Souls there who can do nothing to help themselves.  

What Do You Want The Most Of?

The LORD was pleased that Solomon made this request. 
So God said to him:
"Because you have asked for this—
not for a long life for yourself,
nor for riches, 
nor for the life of your enemies,
but for understanding so that you may know what is right—
I do as you requested. 
I give you a heart so wise and understanding
that there has never been anyone like you up to now, and after you, there will come no one to equal you."

Brothers and sisters: We know that all things work for good

 for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose. 

"The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again,
and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field."

Okay, I am walking along the street one morning and a truck goes through a large muddy puddle and splashes me.  Do you know what my first thoughts are?  Of course, I am thinking on how all things will work for good and I whisper a prayer of thanksgiving as I attempt to wipe the muck from my glasses so I can see and include the truck and the truck driver in my prayers.  Right!   What I need here is a bit of Solomon to be added to the mix.  When God told him that He wanted to give Solomon a present, Solomon asked for something that was very valuable indeed, wisdom. God was very pleased with Solomon's request and He immediately granted it and he became a wise and powerful ruler over all Israel. Solomon could see outside of himself and was cognizant of what was in his heart and what he needed to fulfill his duties. He also was humble and that made bestowing of the gift easier for God. 

When we last looked at me, I was standing there, looking like a fool and praying for nasty things to happen to a certain truck driver as I scraped the muck from my clothing and turned to head back home to change clothes. I could not see how being drenched in mud furthered the kingdom of God. That itself is a lesson.  Whatever happens to us, God is aware of it.  He knows fully how this will help get this muddied, drenched, upset, ignoramus into heaven and I have to have the wisdom to trust God for that.  He does not expect me to say "Alleluia! I am soaked to skin and caked with holy mud." But, He does expect me to accept these little things in life as they come and to trust in Him to see me through.

I have to say I am truly blessed because of our faith community, St. Mary of Vernon, has a gang of good preachers. This Sunday proves this point very well.  Our pastor's homily was very good.  It dealt with the treasure found in the field and the pearl of great price. The men that found these treasures went and sold everything that they had to acquire these things.  They had to give up something to get something more valuable.  It hurt to give up absolutely everything but in the end, it was worth it.  That is the same as it will be for us in obtaining heaven. We will give up everything but in the end, it will be worth it.  Thank you, Father Joe. 

This week our teens returned from their yearly mission trip.  They spend a week in the field helping the less fortunate with different things and they come back and share their youthful exuberance with the parish.  I look at these young people and I see the future of our Church. It was not so long ago that I was a teen, well it was a long time ago, but what the heck?  Anyway, when I was young I remember how wise I was. As I got older, the wisdom of youth dropped away and was replaced with the wisdom of experience. I pray that for our youth, that the energy and love that they expressed to others this week will follow them and re-energize the Church in the coming years.  

Repeat After Me: "I will pray for the Holy Souls in Purgatory today, an Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be takes only a few moments of our time but it means so very much to them."