An Important Distinction: Christ Did Not Come into This World to Suffer, But to Reveal The Father's Love For Us

                                                      

                                                     April 15th, Divine Mercy Sunday                                                           


                                                         An All-important Distinction:


Christ Did Not Come Into this World To Suffer, But To Reveal The Father’s Love For Us



Prelude to This Reflection:

Two weeks ago I was at Mass while traveling in another part of our beautiful country. I was part of a congregation which filled the Church to the point of standing room only. It was Lent, and even that Sunday in Lent that traditionally we call “Passion Sunday”. But still I was not prepared for a homily that I can only characterize as fearsome – frightening even to the extent of morbid and menacing.

The preacher, with an intensity that stared down his congregation from an elevated pulpit, told the Catholic faithful assembled that Christ came into this world to suffer. And if we would be His disciples, we must embrace suffering too. We must “crucify all unholy thoughts and desires” and through fasting and penance wage war upon our sinful flesh. This was the Christian life, and were ready to drink from the chalice of Christ’s suffering?



A Response

Jesus did not come into this world to suffer! As God’s only Son become man, he was a person on a mission, a man driven by a dream of the Kingdom of God, a man sent into this world to bring humanity back home to the heart of God, a man determined to restore us and our world to that realm where God’s Love reigns supreme. If that mission involved cost, cross, crisis, and challenge, so be it. If that mission called Him to embrace on the Cross a Love like only God could love, then so be it.

But suffering was not His focus. You, me, all of us were His focus, the reason why He did all He did. We were His focus and He died with our names upon His lips. You, me, all of us were His focus as He died knowing that He had paid the price to bring us back home to the Father. In doing that He revealed on the Cross the fullness of the Father’s Love for us. To reveal that Love was at the heart and core of His mission, at the heart and core of the reason why He was sent into this world.

To say that Jesus came into this world to suffer is to completely misunderstand His focus. We were and are His focus, and this focus gave Him power – power to do whatever it would take to wrest us from the grip of Evil and restore us to the Father’s embrace.

It is so absurd to see Jesus’ focus as SUFFERING! My mother and father raised eight children. We children were their focus. Out of love they gave us home, food, clothing, shelter and warmth, protection from the evils of this world. If such a task and mission involved cost, cross, crisis, and challenge – and it did – then so be it! They paid whatever price necessary to be there for us.

But how absurd it would be to characterize my parents’ lives as a call to suffering. Rather, they saw their mission as a call to love their children and to pay whatever price necessary to provide for them.

My wife and I raised six children. We did the same. But never once did we view our lives as a call to suffering. It was a call to love. And we did whatever was necessary to love them, provide for them, and protect them.

So enough already to the preacher who, with menacing eyes, stared down his congregation and told them that “…Christ came into this world to suffer. And if we would be His disciples, we must embrace suffering too. We must crucify all unholy thoughts and desires and through fasting and penance wage war upon our sinful flesh.”

Give me a break! No wonder the congregation seemed repressed and devoid of all joy. With a weekly homily like that they would be in danger of mental illness.

I suppose there is something to be said for the good intention of the preacher, as well as for the good Catholic faithful who welcomed His message out of a holy desire to do God’s will. But please, don’t pass off to us such a warped message and sick focus as having anything to do with the authentic Gospel, or with that beautiful Christianity which once changed the world and can still do the same today.

A recommendation to that preacher would be to prayerfully read again the story of the “Prodigal Son” – also called the “Story of the Father’s Love”. If you want a correct focus while preaching on God’s Word, that’s the story which should guide your message to society today, and it is the Love of that story which should forever be our focus.

In Jesus' Love,
                        Doug +

Passion Week - Hurt People Hurt People

As we head into the “home stretch” of Lent and enter into Passion week, I always find myself thinking of Dominic Cavallaro, a Marist Brother and my high school teacher, as well as someone who became my mentor and friend for over forty years. He has passed on to God now, and I miss being able to come to him, for it was to him I turned when I was hurt or dealt with unjustly.


Passion Week deals with that theme in such a central way – a week when so-called friends, colleagues, disciples (Today we call them “students”!), and even religious leaders turned on Jesus. They turned on Him and condemned Him unjustly, and they did this out of envy, jealousy, and hate, but most of all out of fear – afraid and intimidated by an authenticity, integrity, and a charismatic Power of the Spirit that was unnerving.

How incredible it still is for me every year to contemplate the steadfast and unconditional love of Jesus in the face of the unbridled hate, the sinister fury, and the calculated malevolence that was unleashed upon Him in the Passion. In the face of that fury, His words to this day bring me to my knees: “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Only the Son of God could respond like this to the Evil that assaulted Him – only the Son of God, only One Who could Love with a Love like only God could love.

Jesus told His disciples to expect the same to happen to them if they followed in His steps. Bro. Dom was one such disciple whose love was so genuine and palpable that he too endured the moments of Passion. He too endured the hate of people who feared the Light, and would not “…enter the Light for fear that their evil would be exposed.” (John 3:20) And like Jesus, Br. Dom endured that hate with Love, a Love like that on the Cross, a Love like only God can love.

So I would come to Dom whenever I was hurt or dealt with unjustly. It was a ritual for me really. I already knew what he was going to say, and I already knew what he would need to do before He said it. He would always take me to the Brothers’ chapel, and as he said the words he always said, he would look to the Cross, a Cross that had to have the corpus of Jesus upon it.

What was his repeated counsel to me in the face of life’s injustice and in the face of the malice of dishonest men? Pointing to Jesus crucified, Dom would urge, insist and even declare as a moral imperative that “You must always ask yourself, Doug, how much had those people been hurt, to become so mean?” “Reach out to them with the healing Power of Christ’s Love, not with revenge and malice.”

The words of a true Temple of the Holy Spirit… Yes, Dom was such a Temple. He taught me what it was to be a Temple of God’s Son. To do that he pointed me to Mary, the radiant Temple of God’s Son; Mary, who models for all of us what it is to be the dwelling place of God’s Spirit in this world. “Look to Mary!” Dom would say to understand what it is to be a Temple of God. “She will teach you that at the heart of the Temple there must be only God, and all must be Love. Only Grace must flow forth from the Temple to touch, heal, and transform the darkness and iniquity of this world.”

In the Passion, in the face of Hell’s fury, both the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary were pierced for Love. And when pierced it was seen that only Grace poured forth, only Divine Life and Love poured forth, only rivers of “Living Water”. Their hearts were filled with Love and belonged to God alone. There was no room for revenge, for hate, for malice.

May the same be said for us – that pierced by the malice of men, only Grace flowed forth from the Temple of God that is our heart.

God bless us abundantly with His Grace during the events of Paschal mystery…

Peace,

Doug +

P.S. Please visit our most expansive website at http://www.trinitycorministries777.net/

Lenten Reflections

Here are some thoughts that I always return to for Lent:


       Then Jesus told His disciples, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what does it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what shall a man give in return for his life?”

-          Matthew 16:24-26

“An immortal soul is beyond all price. There is no trouble too great, no humiliation too deep, no suffering too severe, no love too strong, no labor too hard, no expense too large, but that it is worth it, if it is spent in the effort to win a soul for God.”

-          Author Unknown


From my friend, Brother Shawn:


Lent is a season that calls us:

• to fast from discontent and to feast on gratitude;
  to fast from anger and to feast on patience;
  to fast from bitterness and to feast on forgiveness;
  to fast from self-concern and to feast on compassion;
  

  The dying words of Jeanne d"Arc: "Jesus! Jesus!"

  Mother Teresa: "All for Jesus!"

  St. Ignatius: The greatest act of Love is to yearn that a person possess Christ, and to lead that person to Him."

  His Love and Power to all of you today... - Peace, Doug + 

  
  

Adult Antioch in Stowe, VT - March 2nd-4th 2012

 
To All My Friends in Christ,
 
       An alert to all of you about the upcoming Adult Antioch in Stowe!!! It's an amazing experience of sharing the reality of Christ's Love and the Power of His Spirit alive and with us today. You can't ask for a better setting either in the beautiful surroundings of Stowe Hollow, VT. If you're 18 or older, this experience is a must! Hope to see you there...
 
Peace, Doug +
 
 
Dear Friends in Christ –


We are looking forward to the Antioch Retreat here in Stowe (as we do each year) scheduled for

March 2 – 4, 2012. We hope you have found it to be a peaceful and enjoyable way to further your

relationship with Christ.

This year, we will need to make some changes so that we are able to continue the tradition while

we live here in Stowe.

For the last 14 years, we have joyfully sponsored and subsidized the retreat; however, with

increasing taxes, cost of living, food, utilities, etc., we will need to increase the price. We will also

need to have people commit earlier so that we know who is coming and how many we need to feed.

Though it may not seem difficult from the outside looking in, it can be a real challenge to coordinate

all the details so that things run smoothly. Please consider that we have to plan for meals (decide

what to serve, purchase and prepare it, etc.…), coordinate who stays where and why, prepare the

guest house and have it professionally cleaned after the retreat so it is ready for our next group of

renters.

Changes:

1.) Cost for the weekend will be $60 per person, or $100 per couple. This will be for all

out of town guests who stay on the property, including speakers. I believe this to be very

reasonable for 4 – 6 meals and two nights lodging. Stowe residents attending are not

charged, but will be asked to help supply and/or prepare food for the meals, and assist in

the clean up. If this creates a financial hardship for you (or someone in your group),

please speak to me directly so we can work something out.

2.) People will need to register for the retreat no later than February 15th. Registration will

include sending me a check for the cost, names of those attending in your party, and

anticipated time of arrival. This will make it much easier to plan for and purchase food, and

prepare the guesthouse for visitors.

3.) We will need to cap the number of out-of-state attendees @ 24, first come, first served.

I already have 6 “commitments” for this year.

Though John Dawyot remains the retreat leader, please respond back to me directly via email or

phone (see below) so that I can keep track. I hope you understand the need for these changes

and look forward to seeing you in March.

May God bless you & your family.

Steve

513 Hollow View Road

Stowe, VT 05672

802.253.4673 (Home Office)

epiphanyvt@aol.com

Rick Santorum, I Applaud You! - A Response by Mike Naranjo

Mike NaranjoJan 29, 2012 07:57 PM


I could not agree more! If we were to boo or even disagree with Obama the name calling would start. Clearly those who believe in Christ are closed minded and uncaring.



Those who believe in smaller governments and less taxes are considered greedy and accused of not "not paying their fair share". While I am not a huge Mitt Romney fan I do not like some of the things being said about him. Over the the last 2 years he has paid $6 MILLION in taxes and has given away $7 MILLION to church and charity. Obviously he is what is wrong with how the wealthy pay taxes. Because he made, earned or risked $40 MILLION does mean he should have to give another $6 MILLION to political pork projects.



Sorry I got sidetracked- It is a shame Santorum is too far to the right to be electable. Perhaps Gingrich or Romney can be the voice of the right and not the right now. Perhaps when in office they will stop worrying about the 1% and the billions of dollar they contribute but perhaps addressing the trillions that is needlessly spent. Here is a great place to start- save $150 MILLION annually by stop funding Planned Parenthood, NPR and PBS. The people who want that stuff should pay for it. Those that are opposed to what they stand for should not have to support it with their tax dollars.



Doug- you are a champion for those who cannot articulate what is happening all around. The erosion of values and character. Everyday our world moves in the wrong direction. That is why when someone like Rick Santorum or Tim Tebow stands up for Christ it strikes fear into the hearts of those who prefer darkness to light!



Thanks for listening

Tim Thomas and Tim Tebow - I Applaud You!

It vexes me to listen on radio to the onslaught of criticism directed at both Tim Thomas and Tim Tebow. The substance of the criticism is that “I just want to watch sports. To do that I shouldn’t have to be subjected to political or religious statements that I find offensive.”




My response to all this is “Welcome to the world of Christians in our culture today!” For example, I was watching a film recently – “The Ides of March” to be specific. I just wanted to watch a movie – not be subjected to political or religious statements that would insult and offend my beliefs.



Yet there it was: a reference to my Lord Jesus Christ with the “F” word being used as His middle name. You can search high and low through American movies, magazines, and media and you’ll never see a reference to “Yahweh” or “Allah” being denigrated in that way. But the name “Jesus” being insulted, disrespected, and mocked is a regular occurrence in our society today.



Is there any outcry against this appalling development in media and movies? Not really… That’s because such a denigration of things Christian is right in line with the anti-Christian bias that media and movies have been imposing upon American society for years now.



Good for you, Tim Thomas and Tim Tebow. I applaud you for standing your ground against the intolerance that surrounds us everywhere in our contemporary culture – intolerance toward Christ and things Christian, toward the Judeo-Christian values upon which this country and its constitution are based.



- Doug M. +

Rick Santorum, I Applaud You!

Rick Santorum, I Applaud You!






Rick Santorum! Awesome! I applaud your courage to boldly declare your moral convictions in a society suffering from a crisis in courage. The jury is still out on whether I want to completely “come on board” with your election bid, but I can say at present that it is so refreshing to experience a Presidential candidate whose authenticity is so palpable. To be frank, I haven’t been this excited about a Presidential candidate since Ronald Reagan, and before that, JFK.



In our sick society so many universities and so many religious and secular “leaders” are “selling out” and sliding down the “slippery slope” of moral decadence. Faced with that, how striking and inspiring it is to see someone standing up and standing out in stark contrast. Your example and your message so far have been a brilliant light, “a city set on a mountain top” (Mt. 5:14), a “lamp burning and shining” in a dark place (Jn. 5:35).



As for the students from all over our country at that college conference in Concord, what were you thinking? When you “booed” what Mr. Santorum said, you mocked and insulted the Judeo-Christian foundations of America and the values which have guided two hundred and thirty five years of United States history. Shame on you.



Such students and the universities which represent them may also want to reflect upon the fact that “booing” is the response of the intellectually weak. Did any student actually have anything intelligent to say by way of response to Mr. Santorum? The only facts reported in the media were that the students “booed”, “shouted”, and tried to talk over the speaker. Such strategies are all the responses of the defeated, the responses of “losers” in the face of wisdom which the stupid can neither gainsay nor refute.



Such students and the universities they represent need a “reality check”. If these schools are teaching that such responses have any place in an academic dialogue, then their educational product is not at all worth the expensive price tag of university matriculation today. It is a product that certainly has no place in a true community of scholars. Whatever “bill of goods” they are selling, it has nothing to do with the substance of a real classical education.



I welcome responses to this blog. I would welcome also your responses to our “Trinity-Cor” website at www.trinitycorministries777.net.



God bless,



Peace,

Doug +