12 August 2018
Msgr. Pope on the Importance of Praying Honestly
"How do you think of prayer? Is it another thing you 'have to do' among many other things on your list? Or is prayer a time when you refrain from doing? Is prayer a requirement you regret or a rest you relish? What is prayer for you?
"The danger in answering questions like these is that we may answer them the way we think they 'should' be answered rather than in an honest way. Many struggle with prayer and experience it with a lot of negativity: boredom, distraction, drudgery, and so forth.
"The fact is, prayer is tough. We are very sensory by nature and used to seeing and hearing the one to whom we speak. To encounter God in silence and without sight is unfamiliar, jarring, and challenging. Some use icons or pictures, some a prayer book; some pray before the Blessed Sacrament. But in the end, the eyes of the flesh cannot see, only the eyes of the heart, the eyes of faith can. This is not only difficult, it is obnoxious to our flesh (i.e., sinful nature), which demands to see and hear on its own terms. And the flesh wages war on our spirit (cf Gal 5:17) and like a fidgeting child protests all throughout prayer."
In a recent commentary, Monsignor Charles Pope (pastor of Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian Parish, Washington, DC) reflected on ways one may experience prayer and on the importance of praying honestly.
To access Msgr. Pope's complete post, please visit:
Community in Mission: Sweet Hour of Prayer! Or Not? How do You Experience Prayer? (9 AUG 18)
Reflection Starter from Pope Francis
"The Kingdom of God grows in a mysterious and surprising way throughout the world with the power of a tiny seed." - Pope Francis
10 August 2018
The Music of the Sacraments
In the life of the Catholic Church, the seven sacraments are visible signs or rituals instituted by Christ that serve as channels of God's supernatural grace. There's Baptism, Confession, Communion, Confirmation, Marriage, Holy Orders, and Anointing of the Sick. Singer-songwriter Sarah Hart has now created an album called Sacrament with songs that serve as meditations on these timeless aspects of our faith lives, and can also be used during Masses.
The project's genesis came when her daughter was preparing for Confirmation several years ago. Hart looked at the song selection and saw that many of them didn't fit the service. She decided to write a song specifically geared toward the meaning of Confirmation. It's called "May You Walk," and includes the lyrics, "As you are sealed with the truth / So may you seal the truth in your heart. / Write God's word upon your soul / and know you belong."
During an interview with me on Christopher Closeup, Hart explained that making the album was a refresher course in the sacraments that led her to gain a deeper understanding of each one. For instance, after reading the Rites of Baptism for guidance and inspiration for the track "Gather at the Water," she said, "There's a little passage that talks about receiving the garment of God. [I thought], what a great image to be receiving! We're not just standing around dipping a baby in water. We are receiving the garment of God's love. We're receiving God's mercy. And the biggest thing is we are receiving the welcome of the community that we're entering….[and] the supernatural welcome of God, where He says, 'Welcome to the family.'"
Hart is also a big proponent of building community in the Church, so her song "To Live With Him Forever," which addresses the Eucharist, focuses on the "communal" part of Communion, which connects us to the body of Christ. She said, "We take Communion knowing and believing in a God who does not reject us, but accepts us, loves us and expects us to take Communion, and also to give communion to the world. It's one of my big things, personally, that church doesn't stop at the door. The world is church. Life is church and holiness. So [we take] Communion with the body of believers. We take it with the saints, but we also take it with the whole world because that's where we're meant to share it: with the whole world."
That theme of community and relationship is also present in the track geared toward Marriage, called "Beloved, Arise," sung with PJ Anderson. Hart said she had her husband in mind the whole time she wrote it, and found inspiration in the Song of Songs. But she also believes the lyrics can reach even further into people's experiences.
"When I do this song in concert," said Hart, "I ask, 'Who's in relationship?' Maybe five people raise their hand. [Then I say], 'I should see every hand in the room go up because we are all in relationship with someone.' So this song applies to us all. And I think it goes a step further in that my second goal is to paint not just the union in marriage, but the mystical union of Christ in his Church. He is calling us all constantly saying, 'Beloved, arise… Come with Me. Don't waste your time. Serve Me, love Me, let Me love you, and let's do something wonderful on this planet while you have the time."
This essay is a recent "Light One Candle" column written by Tony Rossi, Director of Communications, The Christophers; it is one of a series of weekly columns that deal with a variety of topics and current events.
Background information:
The Christophers
The project's genesis came when her daughter was preparing for Confirmation several years ago. Hart looked at the song selection and saw that many of them didn't fit the service. She decided to write a song specifically geared toward the meaning of Confirmation. It's called "May You Walk," and includes the lyrics, "As you are sealed with the truth / So may you seal the truth in your heart. / Write God's word upon your soul / and know you belong."
During an interview with me on Christopher Closeup, Hart explained that making the album was a refresher course in the sacraments that led her to gain a deeper understanding of each one. For instance, after reading the Rites of Baptism for guidance and inspiration for the track "Gather at the Water," she said, "There's a little passage that talks about receiving the garment of God. [I thought], what a great image to be receiving! We're not just standing around dipping a baby in water. We are receiving the garment of God's love. We're receiving God's mercy. And the biggest thing is we are receiving the welcome of the community that we're entering….[and] the supernatural welcome of God, where He says, 'Welcome to the family.'"
Hart is also a big proponent of building community in the Church, so her song "To Live With Him Forever," which addresses the Eucharist, focuses on the "communal" part of Communion, which connects us to the body of Christ. She said, "We take Communion knowing and believing in a God who does not reject us, but accepts us, loves us and expects us to take Communion, and also to give communion to the world. It's one of my big things, personally, that church doesn't stop at the door. The world is church. Life is church and holiness. So [we take] Communion with the body of believers. We take it with the saints, but we also take it with the whole world because that's where we're meant to share it: with the whole world."
That theme of community and relationship is also present in the track geared toward Marriage, called "Beloved, Arise," sung with PJ Anderson. Hart said she had her husband in mind the whole time she wrote it, and found inspiration in the Song of Songs. But she also believes the lyrics can reach even further into people's experiences.
"When I do this song in concert," said Hart, "I ask, 'Who's in relationship?' Maybe five people raise their hand. [Then I say], 'I should see every hand in the room go up because we are all in relationship with someone.' So this song applies to us all. And I think it goes a step further in that my second goal is to paint not just the union in marriage, but the mystical union of Christ in his Church. He is calling us all constantly saying, 'Beloved, arise… Come with Me. Don't waste your time. Serve Me, love Me, let Me love you, and let's do something wonderful on this planet while you have the time."
This essay is a recent "Light One Candle" column written by Tony Rossi, Director of Communications, The Christophers; it is one of a series of weekly columns that deal with a variety of topics and current events.
Background information:
The Christophers
Reflection Starter from Leonardo da Vinci
"In rivers, the water that you touch is the last of what has passed and the first of that which comes; so with present time." - Leonardo da Vinci
09 August 2018
Joseph Haydn: Symphony No. 59 in A major ("Fire Symphony")
It's time for some classical music. This is a presentation of Joseph Haydn's "Symphony No. 59 in A major (the "Fire Symphony")," as played by the Concentus Musicus Wien (conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt):
Happy Birthday, Smokey Bear
Today,
9 August, Smokey Bear (often called Smokey the Bear or Smokey)
celebrates his 74th birthday. Smokey was first used as a poster
character in August of 1944 and is considered to be one of the most
widely recognized characters in the world.
Since he was introduced to America in 1944, the efforts of the Smokey
campaign (including his message, “Only YOU can prevent forest fires!”)
have contributed to reducing the number of acres burned annually in
wildfires from 22 million to an average of 6.5 million.
Background information:
Thank You, Lord
Thank you, Lord, for the blessing of the "maps" You give us to help us find our way through life.
Rick Becker on Fitting Our Journey to God's Map
"I’m on the road and heading east to deliver to my college-graduate his
wardrobe, some pots and pans, and all his earthly goods he cares to
have with him. He flew out to start his new job in New York City a week
or so ago, but he’s been staying with friends until he can move into his
new apartment this week. Thus, he’s been living out of suitcase and a
backpack, anticipating his more permanent digs and his dad swooping in
like the cavalry with a van full of stuff. . . .
"I've been looking forward to this drive. I like road trips - especially the meandering kind where you have the freedom to start and stop at will, to track down those intriguing brown 'Historical Marker' signs and see where they lead, to allow events to unfold rather than attempting to peg every detail ahead of time.
"And I won't use a GPS device or an i-Gizmo to help me stay on track. It’s a bit risky, I know, and unconventional these days, but I'm rather giddy about the prospect of relying on maps to get me to the vicinity of Central Park by Saturday - actual, physical paper maps, which fold up funny and which are incapable of being updated by Google along the way. Remember those? . . .
"And I know I'll get hopelessly lost at least once or twice. What fun! Good thing I'll have a map along to help me get my bearings again. . . .
"It was a recent review article in the Wall Street Journal that prompted these cartological musings. 'During the next few months,' writes Michael FitzGerald, 'visitors to 'Tolkien: Maker of Middle-Earth' at the Bodleian Libraries' Weston Library of Oxford University can immerse themselves in Tolkien's world through the most extensive exhibition of his life and work since the 1950s.' There will be draft manuscripts and memorabilia, letters and photos, and 'the illustrations and maps that contribute so much to the visual impact of his stories.'
"But here's the bit in FitzGerald’s review that especially caught my attention: 'The most fascinating objects in the exhibition are the maps Tolkien created to chart his tales. As he said about 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy, 'I wisely started with a map and made the story fit.'' Huh - that sounds backwards to our modern way of thinking. . . .
"[Tolkien']s maps came first. 'Believable fairy-stories must be intensely practical,' he told an interviewer. 'You must have a map, no matter how rough. Otherwise you wander all over the place.' Once you have the map, however, the narrative and the characters become liberated."
In a recent commentary, writer Rick Becker reflected on the parallels between our (including Tolkien's) use of maps and the maps which God presents to us in the deposit of faith, including "a general awareness of what the Church teaches (doctrine), how she makes us holy (sacraments and liturgy), what is expected of us (morality), and how we should pray - the Catechism’s Four Pillars."
To access Mr. Becker's complete post, please visit:
National Catholic Register: Blogs: Rick Becker: Fitting Our Journey to God's Map (9 AUG 18)
Editor's note: I am another one who prefers to work with maps.
"I've been looking forward to this drive. I like road trips - especially the meandering kind where you have the freedom to start and stop at will, to track down those intriguing brown 'Historical Marker' signs and see where they lead, to allow events to unfold rather than attempting to peg every detail ahead of time.
"And I won't use a GPS device or an i-Gizmo to help me stay on track. It’s a bit risky, I know, and unconventional these days, but I'm rather giddy about the prospect of relying on maps to get me to the vicinity of Central Park by Saturday - actual, physical paper maps, which fold up funny and which are incapable of being updated by Google along the way. Remember those? . . .
"And I know I'll get hopelessly lost at least once or twice. What fun! Good thing I'll have a map along to help me get my bearings again. . . .
"It was a recent review article in the Wall Street Journal that prompted these cartological musings. 'During the next few months,' writes Michael FitzGerald, 'visitors to 'Tolkien: Maker of Middle-Earth' at the Bodleian Libraries' Weston Library of Oxford University can immerse themselves in Tolkien's world through the most extensive exhibition of his life and work since the 1950s.' There will be draft manuscripts and memorabilia, letters and photos, and 'the illustrations and maps that contribute so much to the visual impact of his stories.'
"But here's the bit in FitzGerald’s review that especially caught my attention: 'The most fascinating objects in the exhibition are the maps Tolkien created to chart his tales. As he said about 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy, 'I wisely started with a map and made the story fit.'' Huh - that sounds backwards to our modern way of thinking. . . .
"[Tolkien']s maps came first. 'Believable fairy-stories must be intensely practical,' he told an interviewer. 'You must have a map, no matter how rough. Otherwise you wander all over the place.' Once you have the map, however, the narrative and the characters become liberated."
In a recent commentary, writer Rick Becker reflected on the parallels between our (including Tolkien's) use of maps and the maps which God presents to us in the deposit of faith, including "a general awareness of what the Church teaches (doctrine), how she makes us holy (sacraments and liturgy), what is expected of us (morality), and how we should pray - the Catechism’s Four Pillars."
To access Mr. Becker's complete post, please visit:
National Catholic Register: Blogs: Rick Becker: Fitting Our Journey to God's Map (9 AUG 18)
Editor's note: I am another one who prefers to work with maps.
Reflection Starter from Edward Albee
"Sometimes it's necessary to go a long distance out of the way in order to come back a short distance correctly." - Edward Albee
08 August 2018
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