Learning to Pray (Moving past goo goo, ga ga)

In "Learning to Pray (An Introduction)" we began to look at prayer at a very basic level, from the perspective of an infant who is learning to communicate with his or her parents through non-verbal means and defined Christian prayer as relationship with Christ.

In the pursuit of education, one's ability to understand and expound that which is learned is made possible by a gradual development of the curriculum. As this development continues, the learner is best served by occasional reviews which reinforce what has been learned and further enables the learner to continually progress in his or her studies.

The same is true with the formation of faith and prayer. This is not to suggest that the approach to these should be undertaken in a merely academic manner. Again, prayer is relationship with Christ. We are not just seeking to know about Him, but rather to KNOW Him.

And yet, when one sets out to know someone, if that person is really important to him or her, does he or she not seek to learn all that is possible about that person? If you have ever been in a relationship with someone, and that relationship was very important to you, then you understand.

So it is with our relationship with Christ and our understanding of prayer as we continue.

While the infant and parents begin to love each other through non-verbal means of communication, the development of that relationship is enhanced as the infant learns to speak.

At first it begins with "Goo goo, ga ga." Both the infant and the parents have no idea what those sounds are, but those sounds serve to reinforce the love that has already been substantiated in the relationship.

Gradually, the child forms the ability to enunciate a word or two.

How special must it be for that child as he or she realizes that its parents understand him or her! Likewise, the proud and loving parents embrace the child's limited ability to verbally communicate.

Stay with me on this baby thing, there is a purpose here.

How does the child learn to speak? The parents have spent a considerable amount of time speaking to him or her, especially focusing on those important words, "Mommy" and "Daddy."

“This is how you are to pray: Our Father..." - Matthew 6: 9

What joy the parents experience with the simple yet beautiful music of their child's voice speaking their name! What joy the child experiences when he or she realizes, "Mommy and Daddy understand me!"

The child's ability to speak these simple words does not signal his or her readiness to present a thesis, nor do the parents expect such. They are pleased and satisfied with the sound of their names for now.

When the Christian seeks to learn how to pray, where does he or she turn if not to Christ Himself?

"Lord, teach us to pray..." - Luke 11:1

Jesus knew the joy that both the Father and we would experience with these first words:

“When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come." - Luke 11:2

We all face troubles, some pain, loss, or other suffering. These are moments when it's hard to know how to pray. In our suffering we may feel like little helpless children, struggling to form the right words.

Jesus understands this as well. Suffering on the cross, in calling to God the Father, Jesus uses the word, "Abba." As I have written about before, this is the word that little children used for their fathers; "Daddy!"

Assignment for the day: Say those first words of the Our Father, but use the word "Daddy."  "Daddy, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come." Reflect on that and the joy that it gives to God to hear your voice speaking to Him, blessing His Name. I bet you say it more than once.

Learning to Pray (An Introduction)

"For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy." - Saint Thérèse of Lisieux

"What is absolutely essential to the Christian life?"

I suspect most Christians, should they ponder this question for even a brief moment, would conclude that prayer is essential to the Christian life.

I bet there have been many times you've heard (or said) "I would really like to have a better prayer life." For the Christian, what is really being said is "I seek to have a better relationship with Christ."

I propose that regardless of the state of our own personal prayer life, there is always room to grow and improve. For if Christian prayer is relationship with Christ, does the true Christian not seek to constantly and continually grow and improve that relationship?

While we may seek a better prayer life, we may often find ourselves to be inadequate or "dry". We might set out with some plan that soon thereafter falls by the wayside. Why is that?

Perhaps it is our misunderstanding of Christian prayer at the very basic and fundamental level. Do you think that prayer is all about words?

Does a baby understand it is loved by its parents? How is that? Do you think it is because the baby understands its parents when they tell him or her "I love you"? Of course not! The baby understands that the parent loves him or her because of the parent's actions!

Ah, the baby's ability to understand that it is loved begins with the actions of the parent. As the baby learns and grows, the relationship between baby and parents grow too. The baby learns to express it's love for his or her parents in ways that they most certainly understand. This is true long before the baby is able to express such affection through verbal communication.

Think of yourself as that baby and God as the parent. We know how to do this! It is at the core of our being, and that should be a comfort to anyone who thinks, "I don't know how to pray."

Kendra and I recently went on a Marriage Encounter weekend. On the second evening of the weekend while Kendra and I were reflecting on the day, we discussed one of the presenting couples. "Have you noticed how Judy looks at Ron?" I asked. "How couldn't I?" Kendra responded.

We went on to discuss some of the little ways that each member of the presenting couples had displayed love and affection for each other. These were all non-verbal means. They were each able to visibly express their love for each other to one another and to us without saying a word.

If our prayer is relationship with Christ, then we are able to understand His love through non-verbal means. We are able to express our love to Him through non-verbal means. Others are able to visibly recognize our relationship with Christ through such means, and this all works toward some benefit in the salvific plan of God.

Assignment for the day: Think of someone special in your life today. That person is a gift from God to you; a non-verbal means of His communication to you. Think about that gift today - and smile.

There, you did it! What a nice little prayer.

My date with some Baptists in the boat of Jesus

A few months ago I was invited to speak to a group of men at their monthly prayer breakfast and did so this past weekend. The breakfast was at LakeWay Baptist Church in The Colony, about 8 miles away. 

There are some pretty significant theological differences between Baptists and Catholics so I wasn't sure if that would somehow be a hindrance to my presentation, but I was determined to be who I am and to let the Holy Spirit do the real work. 

Oh, their pastor was there too. He didn't run me off or rebuke me or anything so I guess the Holy Spirit being in charge worked. ;-)

Seriously, it was a great experience for me, and I believe the men enjoyed our time together as well.

I was asked to talk about my experience through Hurricane Katrina, and more specifically, how my faith sustained me and my family through that trying time. I did talk about those experiences, but also about the other storms, the various unnamed storms of life that are every bit as turbulent, dangerous, and even deadly.

When I was preparing, I set out to make some brief "bullet point" notes or outline to follow, but that's never really been my style. In fact, I always work backwards. I write out what I want to say, and then make the outline afterwards. But this time, I just left my presentation completely written out; all ten pages.

When I practiced, I found myself looking at the pages often, and that worried me. There's probably nothing worse than having a presenter read from notes. I think I was worried about what I might forget to say or that I would leave out something that was important.

In the end, as I said, I just asked the Holy Spirit to do the work, and all went great. My notes were there as a security blanket (I guess I will always have control issues) but since the presentation was very personal, I used them probably even less than if I had used an outline instead.

As we prayed afterwards, nearly all of the men picked up on the "storm" theme, affirming to me that all of us are facing some storm or another throughout our lives. More affirming though was that it was evident that the true message was delivered and received appropriately.

That is that we are in the boat of Jesus. It's His boat, not ours. When we forget that we are in the boat of Jesus, when we take our eyes off of Him and focus on the storm - how powerful it is instead of how powerful God is, and what it might do to us, how it might hurt us, what it might take away from us - we are in danger of drowning; in every way a man can drown.

As it turns out, there were a few things that I didn't say, some things I thought were significant, but in the end I guess they really were not.

But here's the point I actually set out to make with this post: I was moved by what I witnessed as the Holy Spirit working in these men's lives. It seemed to be reciprocal. Because we all opened our hearts to God and allowed Him to be in control during that time, not focusing on what separates us but on what unites us, we were able to allow Him to accomplish some new work in all of our lives.

My date with those Baptist Christian men in the boat of Jesus was a very uplifting experience.

Father, that we may all be One. +++

The Same God?

I sat on this post for a couple of weeks now. The problem is that I try to be careful about giving an opinion that could cause someone else difficulty in their faith. Questioning faith or certain aspects of one's faith is normal and questioning with an intent to seek truth rather than questioning with a mind that is already made up can lead one to a better appreciation of the foundations of one's faith.

Neither this post nor my particular opinion here represent some mind-blowing, world-altering position. It's just that I have difficulty with the belief that many seem to have about "the One God" so I do think it's important.

************
So the Vatican sends an envoy to Malaysia, and he gets into trouble with the government for "interference" with the "internal affairs of the country."

The problem? The use of the word "Allah" by non-Muslims. I saw this article about the controversy stirred up by the envoy, Archbishop Joseph Marino. At least for me, this highlights a larger problem. Oh, here's what started it:

He (Archbishop Marino) described arguments put forward by the Catholic Church in an ongoing court battle for the right to translate "God" as "Allah" in Malay-language Bibles and other literature as "logical and acceptable". 

I need to state that while I usually cite Church teachings on this blog, what I suggest today is my opinion.

I agree with the Muslim groups here. While we share a common heritage of faith with Abraham, I am increasingly concerned with the attempts to say that Muslims and Christians worship the same God.

One need only perform elementary research on the Muslim understanding of "Allah" to know that this is not the God that Christians worship. At the very least, we certainly have completely different understandings of God.

It's not hateful. I just think we have to be honest here. A rejection of the Trinity, a rejection of the Incarnation (basically saying Jesus is a liar), a rejection that God interacts with us, does not sound like the same God to me. And that's really just the tip of it.

I just think this can be confusing to many, especially to those with little understanding of the Christian Faith. Oh, and I don't believe this comparison is only true with the Muslim faith either.

So I usually cringe when someone says "we worship the same God" rather than saying "we share the roots of faith via Abraham." Semantics? Or a dangerous difference that can lead someone to think that Jesus is not THE WAY?

That's all. At least for now.

Viva la Vida: What's in a Name?

I was 19 years old, and working as a Merchandiser in the New Orleans metropolitan area. On this particular day, I was servicing a grocery store in the Faubourg Marigny neighborhood of New Orleans, when a lady employee of the grocery store approached me.

"Somebody told me you're name is Vogt. Is that right?" I stopped for a moment to affirm that her "source" was correct. She began to probe a bit more, asking if my father had been a policeman. I was hoping that this poor woman didn't have a questionable past. "Yes, and so was my grandfather and my great grandfather." I replied. After a few more questions, we established that it was my grandfather she was inquiring about. And when I mentioned the name of the only partner of his that I was aware of, I saw her face light up.

She smiled really big, revealing a couple of missing teeth, thrust her arm up and then down while simultaneously stomping her foot on the ground, "I knew it! I knew it! Vogt and Viguerie! Vogt and Viguerie! We never had to worry about the neighborhood with those two around!"

I was already accustomed to hearing good things connected to my paternal surname, as I had been told repeatedly by those who knew my father (most of them police officers themselves) of his unsurpassed honesty and integrity.

While I have asked my own children to respect their last name, I really don't recall my father making the same request. I learned more through examples. There are many times during my life that I have made certain decisions for the better simply because of the pride I had in my last name...or fear for what I thought might happen if I did something to tarnish it. Oh, I have not lived a saintly life and have made many choices which do not "live up" to such high praises, but I'm sure that I would have turned out much worse without these "lessons".

There's a lesson here for Christians too. We bear the name of Jesus everywhere we go. We've not always done a great job of living up to the Name, have we? But yet, the truths of Love, Mercy, Justice, and everything that is of God still remain in the Name. Let's work harder to be better witnesses to others in the Name of Jesus, keeping in mind that it is the Name above all names.

Today, March 19, is the Solemnity of Saint Joseph. My grandfather passed away 31 years ago today. To this day, his was the longest funeral procession I have ever personally witnessed; a testament to the name.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

-------------------------
Viva la Vida (Live Life) is a running series of posts about my life experiences, meant to help me reflect on the "why's?" of who I am becoming through my ongoing conversion. It won't be chronological or all-inclusive, and I'll be careful not to indict anyone else (too much).

Related posts:
A Glimpse
Tribute to a man I never knew

So you don't make the Sign of the Cross?

The very first prayer that my mother taught me was to make the Sign of the Cross, saying as I did so, "In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit".

Now, I have noticed that many Christians do not make the Sign of the Cross, and I'm curious as to why one would be reluctant to do so.

After all, making the Sign of the Cross is an outward sign which tells others "I am a Christian. I am in this world, but I am not of this world. I belong to Jesus. It is by this Sign that I have been grafted on to my Savior  thus making me an adopted child of God."

The Sign of the Cross.......THE Cross

• reminds the Christian that all that we do should be done in God's Name
• is the altar of the New Covenant
• is the tree of death which became the tree of life
• is the means by which Jesus revealed His kingship, and by which God's kingdom is established
• is the instrument of our salvation
• is a reality of our responsibility for the pain which Jesus suffered for us
• is a reminder that we are to take up our own cross daily
• is a reminder that the Cross paves the way to follow Jesus
• is the way that leads to holiness
• and so much more

Isn't it time that we once again remind the world of the great contradiction; the Cross, our true HOPE?

The sign of the cross, on the threshold of the celebration, marks with the imprint of Christ the one who is going to belong to him and signifies the grace of the redemption Christ won for us by his cross. - Catechism 1235

The Christian begins his day, his prayers, and his activities with the Sign of the Cross: "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen." The baptized person dedicates the day to the glory of God and calls on the Savior's grace which lets him act in the Spirit as a child of the Father. The sign of the cross strengthens us in temptations and difficulties. - Catechism 2157

+ + +

Reverence: Catholic Cataclysmic Failure

The past several decades of incredibly bad catechesis, combined with an ever-compounding  failure of Catholics to properly form themselves and thus their children, have effectively caused an inability for many to decipher (much less to be able to explain) what makes the Catholic Church "different" from other Christian ecclesial Communities.

The effects of such have been cataclysmic, and NO, I am NOT over-reacting!

This past Monday, in "Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion: Necessity or Convenience", I stated:

I like to post articles which draw attention to a more reverent attitude toward the Liturgy, the Sacraments, and especially the Eucharist.

Because of the aforementioned reasons, many find this conversation "difficult", and many refuse to enter into it (the discussion) or even consider availing themselves of well-documented Christian history, which is more accessible (and affordable for sure) than ever through today's technology.

That said, I believe the items below "draw attention to a more reverent attitude toward the Liturgy, the Sacraments, and especially the Eucharist":

Fr. Z responds to a question about women lectors in which he states

"because the lectorate has always been a step to Holy Orders, women reading in the sanctuary can be seen by some as a step to the ordination of women to the priesthood."

Of course, a less damaging yet still wrongful misunderstanding can also be concluded via male lectors who clearly are not "officially instituted" as a "step to ordination". See the full post here.
-------
Max Lindenman writes

I've only served as an EM on an emergency basis; it was all I could do to remember to wipe the chalice. I had no idea how much on-the-spot legal analysis the job can potentially involve. 

...and then links to an Ed Peters piece regarding the canons governing reception, distribution  and withholding of Communion.
-------
Adoremus in Aeternum, A Catholic Gathering shared a most excellent article by John Vennari "The Day the Host Dropped" which includes a look at some Christian history

First of all, Saint Thomas Aquinas taught that “out of reverence for this Sacrament, nothing touches it but what is consecrated.” Thus, he said the sacred vessels of the altar are consecrated for this holy purpose, but also, the priest’s hands are consecrated for touching this Sacrament. And St. Thomas said that it is therefore not lawful for anyone else to touch it, except to save it from desecration. (Summa, III, Q. 82. Art. 3)

...as well as how we treated the Eucharist not so long ago

1) From the moment the priest pronounces the words of the Consecration over the Sacred Host, the priest keeps his forefinger and thumb together on each hand. Whether he elevates the chalice, or turns the pages of the missal, or opens the tabernacle, his thumb and his forefinger on each hand are closed. The thumb and forefinger touch nothing but the Sacred Host; 

2) During Holy Communion, the altar boy holds the paten under the chin of those receiving Communion, so that the slightest particle does not fall to the ground. This paten is cleaned into the chalice afterwards; 

3) After Holy Communion is distributed, the priest scrapes the corporal (the small linen cloth on the altar) with the paten, and cleans it into the chalice so that if the slightest particle is left, it is collected and consumed by the priest; 

4) Then, the priest washes his thumb and forefinger over the chalice with water and wine, and this water and wine is reverently consumed to insure that the smallest particle of the Sacred Host is not susceptible to desecration.

Disclaimer: Any links to or references to persons or organizations which may advocate schismatic ideologies or tendencies or in any way lend to an insinuation of anything other than complete fidelity to the Holy See and/or Magisterium are NEVER intended to represent me or my beliefs in any way. NEVER.
-------

On a personal note, my son Brandon and my Faith Formation class will all be receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time tonight. Please say a prayer for these and all children. Thank you, and God's blessings be with you and your families.

I Don't Love My Wife Enough

A couple of days ago I was following a discussion about husbands and wives "bickering". The discussion was started by a single woman, a Christian in no hurry to find just any old man, but living her life faithfully to God expecting that IF God has someone in His plan for her, that He is preparing both of them for marriage and not just a wedding. Her exact statement was;

"I don't want to hate my husband. When i marry him, I want us to face things and still love each other. I am thinking about this because I am listening to a couple bicker. I think years of endless bickering leads to hatred."

When I see statements like this, I generally stop to reflect on what God might be trying to tell me as well. I believe that He is always there in little "opportunities" to whisper into my heart the things that I need to hear.

This time it was the truth that I don't love my wife enough. Of course I love her. But, "enough"? No.

Disagreements will always happen but "bickering" is the result of one or both putting themselves before the other.

As a husband, the biggest challenge to me is always;

"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the Church and handed Himself over for her". - Ephesians 5: 25 

When I reflect on how Christ "loved" us and "handed Himself over for" us.....well, I realize how lacking my love for my wife really is.

But it is NOT a moment of despair. It is a clarifying moment, showing me just how much I have to rely on God's Grace moment by moment and especially in my marriage, where the enemy will always seek to destroy more than one.

In his Homily this past Sunday, our deacon pointed out that Jesus was always serving. He was always serving the Father, and He was always serving others (who would become "the Church")

Connecting these thought then, as a husband I am to serve God and to serve my wife. But this service to my wife is a specific type of service. St. Paul explains;

"to sanctify her, cleansing her by the bath of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the Church in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish." - Ephesians 5: 26,27

Of course this was all affirmed to me when I came across a picture with a caption that sums this all up very simply. The caption reads;

"The greatest thing a man can do to woman is to lead her closer to God than to himself"

When my actions as a husband fail to lead my wife closer to God, I am not loving her enough.

Realizing that a husband is to serve God and to serve his wife, doesn't keep me from falling, but it does help me to return to the waters of Grace in the Sacrament of Reconciliation; to be refreshed and renewed and to continue to love just ever so slightly better than before.

Can I Just Stay Home on Election Day?

Disclaimer: Not an endorsement of the website noted

Back in August, I entered several posts about the need to prayerfully weigh the choices we have in electing public officials and the need to enter the voting booth with a properly formed conscience. I also entered several posts indicating that we have some particularly poor choices this year for those of us who believe that it is important for our elected officials to promote Christian morals and principles.

While I stand firmly behind all that I have written, as we draw closer to the presidential election, I feel compelled to make a few things clear, and I'll tell you why.

When I entered those posts, I had three very close friends contact me offline, or rather, in the "real world". Each of them had different concerns, but I was actually very happy to think that my friends were challenged by what I wrote.

Well, can't I just avoid evil by not voting?

Two of the questions hinged on the actual choice of candidates, and I will lightly touch on that a bit later in this post. But the other question was about whether we should just stay home, not vote, and avoid voting for any less-than-desirable choices. Those of you who know me well, know that I try to avoid giving absolute advice unless I am absolute in my understanding and conviction.

Quick disclaimer: Opinion and absolute voice are far from the same.

So here, you go, and I say this with love: No, you cannot avoid evil by staying home.

"Responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation." -- Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship (USCCB)

Ugggg!!! So what now?

Well, you will still need to do your own homework. Whether you are Catholic or not, I believe that the resources provided by the Catholic bishops are quite good and should aid in responsible discerning.

Here is a link to the full version of the bishops' Forming Consciences For Faithful Citizenship.

Here is a link to their flyer The Challenge of Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship.

So what's a donkey to do?

Even though I did not intend to ever publicly state how I am going to vote, I will do so if for no other reason than to avoid confusion. We had enough of that in 2008. However, as I said earlier, I will only lightly touch on this. I've done my homework and discernment, you should too.

I am going to cast my vote for Romney. Although I do not believe that he is a Christian in the sense of what I believe to be a Christian, I do believe that he espouses to the values and morality that are much more in line with Christianity than does President Obama. Romney is the only viable choice of candidates with a legitimate chance of defeating Obama.
--------------------------------------------
Dear Reader, if you find these posts helpful or even enjoyable, please consider using the buttons below to share them with others.  Thanks.

Failing at Family, Working at Perfect

Did you ever feel as though no matter how hard you were working to be perfect, that you just keep failing your family? Honestly, I feel like that a lot.

In general, there are many people in my extended family that I wish I had better relationships with. Heck, I think I could do better in this area with every single member of my extended family most if not all of the time. But it is with my immediate family that my struggles overtake me the most. 

I think the urge these days is to think that we are so flawed that we can't ever be perfect, so we blow off the idea that we should even try.  But his inclination to lower the bar so to speak is why I think God always raises it.

In Leviticus, God says

For I, the LORD, am your God. You shall make and keep yourselves holy, because I am holy. Leviticus 11:44

And Jesus tells us

So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:48

It's always easy to pick and choose who I want to measure myself up to, but Christ reminds me that it is He that I am to be measured to. When doing so, it's always evident just how little I truly "measure up" and just how much I really need Him.

Why oh why does it seem as though the more time I set aside for prayer, the more time I examine myself in the light of Christ, that something always "comes up" and that "old me", the short-tempered, impatient, rush-to judgement me comes blaring out like a raving lunatic?

Yesterday there seemed to be a lot of "pressure" to get the children dressed, get Brandon to school, and to get the van to the dealership (with Monica tagging along of course). There was a moment there, like so many others, that I could see so clearly what Kendra and the children were all doing so wrong, thwarting my plans at making a productive day out of a potentially boring and futile one.

Of course, I lost my cool. Of course I had to let them all know that I knew what a conspiracy they were all a part of in hindering my wonderful plan. Of course I had to, once again, set a bad example for my family.

Accused or Convicted

Of course I began to feel accused of what a worthless husband and father I can be so much of the time. Of course I heard a voice telling me "You're trying to be perfect, but you're always failing your own family."

Well, while the facts about my reactions and their lack of Christian example are correct, I thank God that I am learning to sift through those accusatory voices, remembering that accusation of itself is not from God, while true conviction surely is. .

And this is the entire point of this post. That the voice of God is usually a "whisper" of conviction just beneath the "noise" of the accusation.

Brushing aside the accusation, I was able to hear the voice of true conviction, telling me that while it's true that I fell again, falling is not the same as failing. Falling is an opportunity to stay down or to get up. Failing is choosing to give up, to stay down, to quit trying.

Jesus loves Rocky Balboa

We have the greatest example in Jesus falling, but continuing his torturous journey to Calvary. Or if you're goofy like me, you might even have a flashback to the Rocky movies with Mick telling Rocky, "I didn't hear no bell!" Hey, the Lord works in mysterious ways.

I see so many great things in my family, and I know that God is working in all of our lives. I know that his enemy hates us and wants to keep us distracted from God. But I thank God, that even in all of my FALLings, He is there to remind me to keep working at perfect.