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“Stay awake!” These are Jesus’ words to us in today’s gospel, and they’re very timely at this hour of the morning!* Seriously, however, Jesus spoke them so we would live in anticipation of his coming again.

But do we do this? I can’t imagine that our first thought this morning was: “Maybe Jesus will return today!” But perhaps it should be. Because if we lived in real expectation that Jesus might appear at any time, we would probably live very different lives. I say this because we so often we don’t do today the things we can put off until tomorrow.

This tendency to procrastinate affects our spiritual life. We say things like: I’ll work on getting rid of that bad habit- tomorrow. I’ll start praying more regularly- tomorrow. I’ll apologize to that person I hurt- tomorrow. I’ll become more generous with my money- tomorrow. I’ll make my confession- tomorrow. And so on and so on. What’s worse, our “tomorrow” often becomes the next day, and then the next, until whatever it is we should have done doesn’t get done at all.

But the truth is that one day there will be no tomorrow. That’s why Jesus insists that we “stay awake”- so we don’t put off until tomorrow, the things he wants us to do today.

Readings for today’s Mass: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/082511.cfm

Photo Credit: theogeo via Creative Commons

* homily was preached at a 7:15 a.m. Mass!

Elizabeth Lent, junior at Notre Dame and parishioner from Little Flower takes us back to World Youth Day.  Read about her experience at Cuatro Vientos.

Saturday, August 20^th-Sunday, August, 21^st

The past 48 hours have been a whirlwind of emotions, culminating World Youth Day 2011 in an unimaginably high spirit of enthusiasm and hope.

At 9:15 am on Saturday morning our group head out to make the 5 mile hike to Cuatro Vientos, an airport outside of town where the vigil would be held that evening.  That night everyone would sleep outside and then wake up to attend mass with the Pope on Sunday morning.  Carrying backpacks stuffed with our next three meals, sleeping bags and pads, we prayed the Joyful mysteries of the Holy Rosary and sang the Chaplet of Divine Mercy…For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world… We also joined in signing praise songs with other groups walking along side us.  Making friends with some fellow Americans from California, we got lost with them a few times during the hike; don’t we all lose our way in life occasionally, knowing though that the Lord will always come after us like the lost sheep, just as he did through the helpful volunteers scattered all over to help direct the crowds.

Arriving at Cuatro Vientos at noon we maneuvered around masses of people all gathering to honor the Pope andreceive his words and blessing.  We left our things in section D8 where we would be sleeping that evening and then proceeded to stuff our pockets with food, water, a journal, cards, and anything else we would want for the rest of the day.  Next stop was to claim our seats in front of the stage where Pope Benedict XVI would lead a vigil celebration that evening and we would not return to our backpacks until 11pm.  Our group, fortunate to receive tickets for the front section of seats, secured the seventh row in the second bunch of seats, front and center from the stage.  As we waited for the Pope’s arrival at 7pm, the sun’s heat beat down on us but we were all just so pleased to be sitting down, it was a blessing to see how much we take for granted in our ordinary life, something so simple as a chair.  We also may take advantage of how present Our Lord is to us each and every day.  We may not always make us of his love for us, believing that we can do it on our own, but nothing can be done without the power and love of God.

Throughout the afternoon, several bands performed and pop culture music was played on loud speakers.  It was purely fun the many times the whole community of youth stood up on our chairs, waving flags, singing, and dancing along to these songs we were all familiar with, uniting us into one body, one family.  As we had these 6 hours to spare, my friend and I who are working on a documentary film about World Youth Day had a lot of time to go around and meet with youth from several countries.  Asking why they came to WYD and what they believed to be the significance of the youth in the Catholic Church, we had the opportunity to interview two young adults from Ethiopia, several girls from Canada, two English guys, an Aussie, and others.  At one point we talked to a brother and sister from Southern France.  The sister answered our questions in French, and though we had no clue what she was saying, it was clear to see she was quite hyped up and enthusiastic about her faith.  The excitement and emotion that came through in her eyes, hand motions, and tone of voice was absolutely powerful.  It makes me smile now, remembering how alive this young women was.  This is the spirit of the youth in the Church, the spirit that we are all hear fighting to renew in the world.

Written by: Elizabeth Lent, Junior at University of Notre Dame and parishioner at Little Flower in Bethesda

Photos by: Elizabeth Lent

Today we celebrate the legacy of someone we know next to nothing about. You’ve heard of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier? Perhaps we could call today the Feast of the Unknown Apostle! I’m speaking, of course, about St. Bartholomew.

We know that he’s an apostle. We know that he was born in Cana of Galilee. We know that he was first brought to Jesus by Philip, because today’s gospel tells us that. And we know that he was sometimes called Nathaniel, because today’s gospel tells us that too. Later traditions say that he traveled to India, maybe he wrote a gospel that’s now lost to us, and was martyred for the faith. But that’s about it!

But perhaps it’s a good thing we don’t know much about St. Bart. Maybe the fact that we don’t have a lengthy chronicle of his teachings and mighty deeds should remind us that as Christians, we aren’t meant to draw attention to ourselves.

 Instead, we’re asked to die to self, and live for Christ;

 We’re to build up God’s kingdom, not our own reputations;

 It’s God’s glory we are to seek, and not our own;

 Self-sacrifice, and not self-promotion, is our goal;

 We are to ask: “Lord, what can I do for you?” and not, “Lord, what’s in it for me?”

History doesn’t always remember those who answered this call, but heaven is full of them. And we know that St. Bartholomew is in heaven! But at the end of the day, perhaps that’s all we really need to know.

Readings for today’s Mass: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/082411.cfm

Image Credit: wikipedia commons

An Irish bishop once preached: “Paddy Murphy went to Mass, and never missed a Sunday. But Paddy Murphy went to hell, for what he did on Monday!” It was the bishop’s intention to remind his listeners –in a rather crude and direct way!- that Christianity involves more than simply fulfilling religious obligations.

Our Lord seems to say the same thing in today’s gospel. As we heard, he challenged those scribes and Pharisees who kept religious rituals but neglected more important matters, such as justice, mercy, faith, generosity, and sacrifice.

You and I can be tempted to fall into this same trap. And when this happens, we lose sight of the fact that at the heart of Christianity are not rituals but a relationship- a personal relationship with God the Holy Trinity.

Such a relationship was Jesus’ deepest wish for the scribes and Pharisees he criticized. And it is his deepest wish for us.

Readings for today’s Mass: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/082311.cfm

Photo credit: momentcaptured1 via Creative Commons

When he was the Archbishop of Washington, Cardinal James Hickey told a funny story of an experience he had at Reagan National Airport, while on his way to Rome. Even though he was 75 years old and obviously dressed as a bishop, he was told by an embarrassed ticket agent that he had “fit the profile” of an international terrorist, mostly because he held a one-way ticket. As a result, he had to submit to a complete search. Although he was able to laugh about it later, at the time Cardinal Hickey was, shall we say, not amused.

This story just goes to show that none of us wants to be falsely identified or misunderstood. Jesus himself was very concerned about being properly understood, as we heard in today’s gospel. When he asked his friends about who people thought he was, he received a variety of answers: John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, maybe one of the other old prophets come back to life. Yet each of these answers, while not bad in light of the circumstances, was wrong. It was up to Peter who, prompted by the Holy Spirit, proclaimed Jesus to be the Messiah, the Son of the living God.

Jesus wishes to be properly understood, not for his sake, but for ours. This is because our understanding of who Jesus is has profound implications for our behavior. As Christians, we seek to live in imitation of Christ. It follows, then, that the image we have of Christ will largely dictate how we shape our lives in order to conform to his. If we operate with a distorted image of Jesus, we will end up living distorted lives.

All of us here today share common beliefs about Jesus. When we recite the Creed together, we say, “We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father,” and so forth. Nevertheless, we can profess correct doctrine in Jesus and still operate with a warped image of who he is. Just consider Peter in today’s gospel. He correctly identified Jesus as the Messiah. But then, moments later, as we’ll hear in next week’s gospel, he was appalled to learn that Jesus would be tortured and executed. His image of Jesus, at that time, did not include the possibility of his suffering and death.

Like Peter, most of us operate with a limited understanding of who Jesus is. Which is understandable; as today’s second reading reminded us, the things of God are largely a mystery to us! I have a suspicion that when we meet the Lord face-to-face at the end of our lives, we will be absolutely astonished by the full reality of who he is. In the meantime, however, our image of Jesus needs to be constantly revisited, challenged, and revised.

To do this, it’s important to recall where our images of Jesus have come from. For instance, our culture shapes our image. I once read how Victorian England was scandalized by a painting, called “The Carpenter’s Shop,” that depicted Jesus and the rest of the Holy Family in Joseph’s workplace. They were portrayed as rustic, simple, and poor- just as Scripture and historians tell us they were. Yet the class-conscious Victorian English refused to accept Jesus as portrayed in such a way. Their culture had a warped understanding of Jesus. You and I need to be on guard for how our materialistic, faced-paced, self-centered, and superficial culture might disfigure our image of our Lord.

In addition, our parents play a significant role in shaping our image of Jesus. Their attitudes, prejudices, ways of handling stress, work-habits, intelligence, and temperament all contribute. Distant parents suggest a distant Jesus; angry parents evoke an angry Jesus; happy parents reflect a joyful Jesus, and so forth. Conscious of this, we need to honestly reflect on our experience with our parents and consider how this may have influenced our understanding of Jesus.

Sometimes our image of Jesus is simply a projection of ourselves. This might result in a Jesus who never challenges us and smiles upon everything we do. It might also result in a Jesus who too much reflects our anger and incapacity to forgive each other. This Jesus is quick to punish and slow to pardon, is easy to fear but hard to love. Once an adult daughter asked her mother to forgive some old hurts. Both of them are committed, practicing Catholics. Yet when the mother hesitated to forgive, the daughter asked, “Don’t you think if I told Jesus I was sorry, he’d forgive me?” But the mother said, “I don’t presume to say what Jesus would or would not do.” Sadly, her image of Jesus had been warped by her pain and resentment.

To grow in an authentic understanding of Jesus, we can do several things. First of all, we need to explore the Scriptures, especially the gospels, which paint for us complimentary and complex portraits of the Lord. “Ignorance of the Scriptures,” insisted St. Jerome, “is ignorance of Christ.” We also need to pray- honestly, openly, and frequently- and let the Spirit of Jesus deepen our relationship, and thus deepen our understanding. We need to be active in the Church, the body of Christ, where our brothers and sisters in Christ can help shape our image of Christ. We need to embrace the teachings of the Church, which come with authority and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. And we need to try and understand our pain and suffering in light of the Jesus’ cross.

First and foremost, however, you and I need to love. To truly understand Jesus, the one who came not to be served but to serve, who gave up his life that ours might be saved, we need to be generous, sacrificial, and loving people as well. Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery. But when it comes to Jesus, imitation is the key to understanding who he truly is. To love him is to know him, and to know him is to love him.

Readings for today’s Mass: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/082111.cfm

Image Credits: Wikipedia Commons

Friday, August 19, 2011

I think it’s nearly impossible to get anywhere on time during World Youth Day.  You have to tack an extra hour onto the normal travel time for wherever you want to go.

Missed our train to Toledo, Spain this morning at 10:20 am.  We arrived at the station at exactly 10:20am… so technically, we weren’t late.  Decided to take the next train at 12:20 pm.  The Refne Train is a commodity here in Madrid as it travels super-fast, making the hour long car drive to Toledo only 25 minutes.

While waiting for the next departure, we walked around town and purchased red and blue clothespins to decorate with U.S.A. mottos.  Everyone at WYD has been trading buttons, flags, etc. and it turns out a lot of people want our American paraphanalia.  As some of us forgot to bring trading goods, clothespins will have to do…

Toledo (Photo at right) was absolutely beautiful.  Built on a hill, the city’s summit is a great cathedral.  After crossing a bridge over a river moat and passing through the city’s great wall that surrounds the city, we made our way up the steep cobblestone roads to the cathedral.   Inside the vast space with high ceiling and towering pillars, we were overcome by awe.  Following along with a walking tour of the cathedral in a guide book, we learned some extremely interesting things—in the choir section scenes of sins were portrayed on the seats because nothing holy could ever be sat upon.  Additionally, in the chamber room there were paintings of all Toledo’s bishops.  The fun fact is that only the last two paintings were done as live portraits and looking closely you will see that every two or three bishops look strikingly (suspiciously) similar.   Most likely the artists reused faces every so often.

The remainder of our day was spent exploring the streets of Toledo and then returning to Madrid for the Via de la Cruz (Way of the Cross).  As could be seen on the big screen, the stations were intricately designed and stood on large floats.  Different identified groups of pilgrims would carry a life size cross between stations.  It was frustrating though, that I could not understand Pope Benedict’s address to the youth at the culmination of the ceremony.  As we are in Spain, the Pope has been speaking Spanish and no translation for any other language is provided.  I am going to have to figure out how to fix this because the Pope is the most important person here to hear!  I have seen some other pilgrims listening to little radios in order to understand.  Purchasing a mini-radio is now top on my priority list…other then getting some sleep that is.

After Day 5, I am wearing thin.  The crowds are claustrophobic and smelly.  I don’t even want to think about how many people I have touched and how many gallons of water I have sweated out (my apologies for probably unnecessary details).  The early mornings and late nights after walking and standing all day throughout Madrid are making my head hurt.  Staying in a room with fourteen other people and their stuff is not easy.  And I haven’t made it to the Prado Museum or eaten Chocolate con Churros yet, both which I hear are must do’s.

Lord, I pray that tomorrow you may get our group through the 5 mile hike, which begins at 9:15 am, to the site where we will spending the evening and vigil celebration before the concluding mass Sunday morning.  Give us Your strength to pull through as You did while carrying Your cross through the streets to Calvary.  Make us brave and faithful youth for You.  “Esta es la Juventud del Papa!” (This is the youth of the Pope).

Eliz.

Hell, it’s been said, is like a big pot of delicious stew. Around this pot are seated people with spoons longer than their arms. Because it was impossible for them to get the spoons into their mouths, the people are starving and angry.

Heaven has an identical pot of stew surrounded by people with equally long spoons. These people, however, are joyful and satisfied, because they have learned to feed one another, instead of trying only to feed themselves.

I’ll concede that this is a somewhat corny inspirational image, but it does remind us of the truth that we are happiest when we make it a priority to love and serve God and others first. Indeed, our Lord command us to do this in today’s gospel. We are to love ourselves, Jesus teaches us. But we are to love God and others first.

Mother Teresa once put it very well. She said that the proper order of priorities in our life is JOY: J-O-Y. J is first, and that’s for Jesus; O is next, and that’s for Others; and Y is last- and that’s for You.

Readings for today’s Mass:http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/081911.cfm

Photo Credit: PetLvr via Creative Commons

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Pope Benedict arrived in Madrid today and we got to the streets super early, securing an excellent pope-viewing spot—second row, to be exact.  In ready position at 11am, we had two and a half hours to spare before Papa Ratzi (as the Italians have nicknamed him) was to complete his drive through the streets and finish at his Spanish dwelling, right across the corner from where we stood.  The hours were filled with time for reflection, people watching (my personal favorite), chanting and cheering, and befriending four Polish volunteers!  They taught us how to say “thank you” in Polish—Dziequje, pronounced JenKUya—as we ended up having to say that to them quite a few times…  We also had an opportunity to hear the girls’ studies in Warsaw and of course take pictures together!

Hearing the approaching cheers prompted by the Popemobile, we all then crowed as close to the barricades as possible and readied our cameras.  In front of us were standing three disguised protestors. Right as the Pope was about to pass, they open a large banner and hold it high, blocking everyone’s view behind them.  Understandably frustrated, we all tried to pull it down.  It was then that a policeman made them take the sign down and we were able to see the pilgrims across the street cheering violently at the protestors.  Only then did we realize the whole time these protestors had been under our nose since the beginning.  Eventually the policeman confiscated their banner, thank goodness!

So seeing the Pope in the Popemobile was not as uplifting as I expected, though a group member was able to reach her hand high above the banner and get a perfect video of the whole thing.  Reflecting back on the experience now, however, this is just one example of the persecution most Catholic youth go through daily.  And we stood all together through it all, success indeed.  Additionally, imagine what Christ endured carrying His cross to Calvary, a much stronger pain of persecution, as it puts into perspective just how much Jesus sacrificed to save us, the sinners.  Pope Benedict XI, the Vicar of Christ, does the exact same thing.

Next stop, the English speaking base in Madrid: the Love and Life Center.  Here we waited in line for almost 45 min for pizza and Coke (lunch was much needed) and then heard from panelists speaking on the Theology of the Body.  It was a wonderful experience to see so many other enthused youth and to hear from inspiring speakers such as Jason Everett.  But honestly, the best things about the event were as follows: air conditioning, English speaking people, and bathrooms.

Moving on to the welcoming celebration for the Pope, we had to again endure the absolute craziness of the metro crowds.  Waiting two or three times to get on a train is becoming normal.  The celebration was similar to the Pope’s entrance earlier in the day.  With constant cheering, standing, and another display of the Popemobile, the only difference was the increased mass of crowds.  Oh, and no protestors.  Welcomed and presented with a gift by a youth from each continent, Pope Benedicto, encouraged us to cherish friendships and to always participate in joyful celebration for the glory of God.

With sore feet and exhausted bodies after standing and walking the whole day, we returned home to discover a sudden second wind.  Laughing and taking ridiculous pictures as we reflected on many funny anecdotes from the day, our abs certainly got a workout.  God has showed his love by ending our tiring, up-down day on a good note.  He always figures out something if we just pay attention. Thank You, thank You, thank You!

Eliz.