Question: My God, My God, Why Have you Abandoned Me?

Do you want to know something that contributes to my uniqueness?

Tough, I’m going to tell you anyway.

My favorite genre of movies is Holocaust movies.



Life is Beautiful. The best movie ever!

Now, I know that probably sounds morbid and sadistic upon first hearing, but I do not mean it in that way. I just happen to love movies (and books) that portray the victory of the human person over difficult or demoralizing conditions and the resilience of the human spirit in suffering, especially when the story is based on true events.

The victory of the human spirit in suffering…

I don’t think it would be right to write a series of blogs on what it means to be human and say nothing of this mystery that we call “suffering.”

Why on earth is there so much of it??? Why do our families break apart? Why are we mistreated and abused by the people who say they love us most? Why are there children in Africa dying of hunger and violence and AIDS? Why are our countries torn apart by natural disasters, and children orphaned by chemical warfare? Why?!

Man suffers physically, emotionally, and psychologically, and when he finds no satisfactory meaning to for his suffering, he suffers all the more. What is the meaning of it all?

“If God is good, why is there so much suffering in the world?”

Man suffers on account of evil, which is a certain lack, limitation or distortion of good. We could say that man suffers because of a good in which he does not share, from which in a certain sense he is cut off, or of which he has deprived himself. He particularly suffers when he “ought"—in the normal order of things—to have a share in this good and does not have it. (Bl. Pope John Paul II, Salvifici Doloris, para. 7)

God does not desire for His children to suffer. It is the companion of evil and sin, which entered the world not with the dawn of man, but with the Fall of man. When man first chose sin – disobedience to God – he chose to deprive himself of the goodness of life in God, and suffering was the natural consequence of his choice. We suffer because of that original sin, and because of the actual sins that we and those around us continue to commit. God does not cause suffering, but He does permit it, because in love, He will not overstep our free will.

 

“What have I done to deserve this?”

Although suffering can be, at times, a consequence of sin, a call to conversion and a catalyst for the “rebuilding of goodness” (SD, 12) within us, we would be mistaken to believe that all of our pain and sorrow comes to us because we have done something wrong. Sometimes God allows us to experience suffering as a test, an opportunity for personal growth and growth in virtue. We need only recall the story of Job to see that this is true. Job was a “blameless and upright man….who feared God and avoided evil” (Job 1:1). Yet, in a matter of days, Job loses ten children and hundreds of livestock, and contracts a disease. Talk about an archetypical example of bad things happening to good people. Maybe it would help to reframe our questions from “God, why are you doing this?” and “What have I done?” to “God, what is this for?” and “What are you teaching me?”

“My God, My God, why have You abandoned me?”

God, where were You when I needed You?

Where were You when all that I hoped for -
Where were You when all that I dreamed -
Came crashing down in shambles around me?
You were on the cross.
(From the song “You Were on the Cross”, by Matt Maher)

The cross: The place where our suffering is finds its ultimate meaning. The Cross is the place where God, in the Person of Jesus Christ, chooses to fully embrace the mystery of human suffering, brought about evil and sin. Though He Himself is sinless, He chooses to enter into it, to wrap it around Himself and breathe in all its torments….even the terrifying anguish of feeling abandoned by God (Mt. 27:46)….and by means of His suffering and death, to redeem a world under its curse. Christ’s suffering, death, and RESURRECTION open, for us, a door to life which was previously closed because of sin. Through them, we again become sharers in God’s divine life.

His suffering is an expression of the magnanimous love of the Father, willing to GIVE His own beloved Son up to death, and the love of the Son, willing to freely lay down His own life…for me and for you. Everyone suffers. Everyone has a “cross” to bear. But without Jesus Christ, that cross is just a heavy burden, a hunk of senseless pain. Jesus Christ gives meaning to our suffering: Love. On the Cross, He took MY sin upon Himself, and He entered into MY suffering. He proves that He does not abandon me; He does run from me in my suffering. He takes it upon Himself; He suffers with me in it (compassion).

Why did He do it? Love.
And because He did it, He transformed suffering from mere punishment and deprivation to an entry point into deeper union with Him and His abundant love.

How do we respond to suffering?

Viktor Frankl, telling the story of his life in a Nazi concentration camp, says this: “If [suffering] were avoidable…the meaningful thing to do would be to remove its cause, be it psychological, biological or political. To suffer unnecessarily is masochistic rather than heroic” (Man’s Search for Meaning). 

And St. Paul says this: “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church…” (Colossians 1:24).

It is commendable to seek medical help, to work for social justice, to seek to alleviate suffering, especially the suffering of others – provided we do this humanely and morally. It is perfectly acceptable to pray for God’s healing or deliverance. But while we wait, and if the healing we expect does not come, still we can find cause for rejoicing. We don’t rejoice because we are in pain, but because we believe that God desires the good and is already at work in bringing good things from our suffering, for ourselves and for others. We rejoice because through our suffering, borne in love, we are purified of our pride, our imperfections, our sin….and we are better able to help others and suffer with others going through the same trials. We rejoice because, through our suffering, united to Christ’s on the Cross, we share in His work of redemption.

“I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared to the glory to be revealed for us” (Romans 8:18).

Regardless of the answer to the “why?” of our pain and sorrow, the answer to the “what for?” is always love. As with our joys, our gifts, our relationships – the whole of our lives – our suffering is an invitation and can be a means to greater Love. Suffering may be the result of evil, but with Christ our Victor, let us “overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).

10. You are Unique

Here’s a friendly reminder from our good friend Dr. Suess:

From the book Happy Birthday to You!

When I was a senior in high school, I began a spiritual formation program called Plan of Life. In the very beginning of this program, we learned five basic principles of life. The fifth was this:
God created us as unique individuals.

So often, it just seems so easy to compare myself to others, even to try to conform myself to others.

If I sang like her….If I played sports like him….If I were as smart as that guy or as humble as that one…..
Imagine what I could do…..Imagine what people would think…..
If I act the way he does when I do youth ministry, maybe the teens will think more highly of me.
If I get a “real” job, maybe my friends would think I’m more responsible.
If I do my hair the way she does and buy more “fashionable” clothes, or carry a purse instead of a backpack, maybe the men would find me more feminine and more attractive.
If I had a boyfriend, maybe they wouldn't think I was so weird.
If I become the woman he wants me to be, then he will want to be with me.

If I just do what I think you want me to do, you will like me more.

The truth is this: If I just do what I think you want me to do, I will not be happy with myself. If I am constantly wishing to be like someone else, then I have failed either to recognize or to appreciate the unique gifts God has given me.

It is good for me to recognize what is good in others and what others do well, and even perhaps to emulate them, but not at the expense of my own individuality. I may not work or do ministry like the next guy, but that's okay! We are different people. I do not have a high-paying job or a recognized career, but I do not need one. The mission God has given me is different. I may look plain and act goofy, but I am happy. And you know, if I am not the woman that this guy or that guy wants me to be, too bad. I would rather be the simple woman that I am until I find a man who loves me as I am.

God did not create me to become  like the person next to me, but to become more like myself.
We are all unique.
We all have different gifts.
We all have different tasks to fulfill.
We are all in a different place in our lives.
God did not create me on an assembly line, so why do I behave that way?
I bring something to the table which the person next to me does not: a different life experience, a distinctive skill set, a unique perspective. If I set that aside in favor of conformity and acceptance, I withhold from the world something truly beautiful.

 

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.' We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people will not feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone and as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
-Marianne Williamson-

 

 

Question: Who Will Go to Heaven?

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then Peter, filled with the holy Spirit, answered them, “Leaders of the people and elders: If we are being examined today about a good deed done to a cripple, namely, by what means he was saved, then all of you and all the people of Israel should know that it was in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead; in his name this man stands before you healed… There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved.” – Acts 4:8-12

Wow.                      

I was at a high school Bible study yesterday and the teens were asking some great questions. Among them, they asked (in several different ways, in fact): Who will go to heaven? Just Christians? All people of good will? Could an altruistic athiest go to heaven? What about a child who has never been baptized? After all, it clearly says in Scripture that there is no other Name but the Name of Jesus by which we can be saved....

What does that mean???

Again, wow. A loaded question.

At one point, one of the young ladies spoke up: “I don’t think that’s a fair question to ask. It is not for us to judge who goes to heaven and who does not.” True! Ultimately, God alone knows each and every human heart and He alone will be our Judge, perfectly just, yet perfectly merciful. He knows the extent of each person’s knowledge of Him and their opportunity (or lack thereof) to encounter Him, and He takes everything into account. But let us not let this attitude of non-judgment degenerate into one of indifference towards our own responsibility to seek and to share truth.

What do we make of this statement that there is no salvation through anyone else but Jesus Christ? Elsewhere, Jesus calls Himself the gate (John 10:9) and says, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Not just one possible way among many comparable options. THE Way, THE Truth, and THE Life. That sounds pretty serious.

If I have heard all this, if I know it, I have a certain responsibility:

1.      To seek to know more about this Jesus, because hopefully, the more I know, the more I will understand, believe and fall in love. If Jesus is the Truth (and He says that He is), I should find myself more attracted to Him as I develop a deeper relationship with Him, because Truth is inherently beautiful.

2.      To seek Baptism. After St. Peter finishes making his famous speech on Pentecost, the people present are “cut to the heart” and say to him, “What are we to do???” Peter replies, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the holy Spirit” (Acts 2:37-38). Often, it goes without saying or it is presupposed, but truly Baptism is a necessary “next step.” It is necessary because Baptism is what restores God’s divine life within our soul (lost through original and/or actual sin), makes us children of God and members of His Church (leaving an indelible mark of this new identity on our soul), and is a gateway to the other Sacraments of the Church.

3.      To share this with others. Jesus’ Great Commission was to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit” (Mt. 28:19). If Jesus truly means something to me, if I truly love Him, and if I truly believe that He is THE Way, THE Truth, and THE Life – not just for me, but for all people – then how can I justify my refusal to share this with others? How can I let them wander around on some other path, believing some half-truth, and never experiencing the fullness of life that they could find in Christ, if only they knew? “How can they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How can they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone to preach?” (Romans 10:14)

Pope John Paul II wrote this to the bishops of Asia in 1990: "Although the Church gladly acknowledges whatever is true and holy in the religious traditions of Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam as a reflection of that truth which enlightens all people, this does not lessen her duty and resolve to proclaim without fail Jesus Christ who is 'the way, and the truth and the life.'...The fact that the followers of other religions can receive God's grace and be saved by Christ apart from the ordinary means which he has established does not thereby cancel the call to faith and baptism which God wills for all people."

The Sacraments of the Church are the ordinary means Christ has established for us to receive His grace and come to share His divine life. Though a person who, through no fault of their own, has never heard the message of Christ, could still receive His grace through “extra”-ordinary means, and even come to enter heaven by following as best as they can the truth that they know [because God is not bound by His Sacraments (CCC 1257)], the Church always invites these persons into the fullness of Truth and the safety net of the Sacraments.

Who will go to heaven?
I can’t say for certain. I am not God.
But whoever is in heaven, baptized or not, they are there because of Jesus Christ and His mercy and His redemptive act on Calvary. They are there because He made it possible for them.
After all, "there is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved." 

9. You Have a Name

Actress Shannyn Sossaman and son,
Audio Science

Singers Beyoncé and Jay-Z and daughter,
Blue Ivy

Toni Braxton, with sons
Denim and Diezel



 

I love names! It always interests me to find out what a person's confirmation name is, or how they got their birth name, why they chose their religious name (i.e. if they are a nun or brother), or why a parent chooses a particular name for their child.

In Biblical times, names had great significance. They were used to describe the birth of the child, to convey different aspects of the person, to carry on a family name, or even to proclaim God’s prophetic message.

A few good examples:
Moses = means “draw out”. Moses was “drawn out” of the Nile River by Pharoah’s daughter.
Samuel = means “God has heard”. Samuel’s mother, Hannah, was barren. She prayed many years and finally God “heard” her prayer and gave her Samuel.
Hannah = means “Favor, grace”. God favored Hannah. Incidentally, Hannah was also the favored wife of her husband (he had two).
Isaac = means “laughter”. Isaac’s mother laughed when she was told she would conceive in her old age.

And a few….others:
Nahor = means “snorting”
Esau = means “hairy”
Nimrod = means “rebel”
Hosea the prophet’s children were named Lo-ruhama (“Not-pitied”) and Lo-ammi (“Not-my-people”)

In other words, a person’s name contained their identity and/or their mission. Sometimes people’s names were even changed to indicate a new identity or a new mission.
For example:
Abram à Abraham
Jacob à Israel
Sarai à Sarah
Simon à Peter
Saulà Paul
And don’t worry, “Not-pitied” was changed to “Pitied” and “Not-my-people” changed to “My-People”

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         Dwayne JohnsonàThe Rock                                                                       Eldrick tont WoodsàTiger Woods

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So what’s in your name?  What does it mean? Where did it come from? What’s your story?

Sometimes it’s fun consider the origin of your name. Does your name reflect who you are? Do you wear it well? Is it something you can be proud of?

Your name is an important part of your identity. It is how you are called, how you are remembered. Hopefully, your name is only a constant reminder to you of good things – how much you are loved, the great qualities you have, the family you’ve been blessed to be a part of, or some family member or holy man or woman that you can learn more about and model your life after.

But maybe your parents gave you a name like Dweeb or Fungus or Man-with-Pimples, or maybe your family name (or history) is something like Footlicker or Pooperscooper, or maybe your classmates or coworkers have assigned you a name you are not so happy with, and so through no fault of your own your name evokes laughter or judgment rather than respect or admiration. Maybe it makes you feel less than what you are truly worth, beneath your true identity. When you believe a lie about yourself, you will act accordingly. When you do not really know who you are, you will not really know how to act.

IDENTITY (noun): the fact of being who or what a person or thing is.

What is your true identity? Where does it come from?

“Christ, the final Adam, by the revelation of the mystery of the Father and His love, fully reveals man to man himself and makes his supreme calling clear.” (Pope John Paul II, Guadium et spes, 22)

Whether you are happy with your given name or not, His is the Name above all other names.  

Jesus = from the Hebrew Yeshua, meaning “God saves.”

God saves. It’s what He does. It’s His Name.
Jesus Christ came to save us from our sin, not in some abstract way or in a one-time event, but in our everyday lives. He wants to liberate us from our sinful behaviors and tendencies, our judgments, our addictions, our unforgiveness and resentment, our disordered desires and attachments, etc. He wants to! It’s His mission. It’s His identity. It’s His Name!
(Watch this homily if you have time.)

In fact, He is called by many names. Check out this list. No matter what your given name is, you can lay claim to power of the Name of Jesus, by faith and by prayer. And He wants you to! He wants to be for you everything His name signifies and proclaims – Deliverer, Savior, Redeemer, Lover, Lord... As Scripture says: “To all who did receive Him, who believed in His Name, He gave the power to become children of God” (John 1:12).

If you are already baptized, you share in a unique way in the identity and mission of Christ. You are now Christian - a “follower of Christ”. Your name has been changed, your identity substantially altered. And when you know who you are, you will know how to act.

Question: Do you know what your gifts are?

There was once a little boy named Ted who loved to draw. His drawings were anything but normal, animals with strange faces and ears that hung down to their feet. At school, Ted doodled and daydreamed, and his teachers were not supportive of his....interesting….artistic expressions. But his mother praised everything he made, even allowing him to draw all over the attic walls. And because of this support, Ted realized his unique imagination and creativity were gifts and he continued to develop them and share them, eventually writing and illustrating more than 40 children’s books.

Here are some of his best known characters:

 

That’s right. Little Ted is Theodor Seuss Giesel, better known as Dr. Seuss.

I wonder what would have happened to Dr. Seuss (or if “Dr. Seuss”, as we know him, would exist at all) if his mother had not supported this obscure talent of his from an early age. What if she told him his Lorax was ridiculous? Or he should stop making up words and grow up….write like an adult?

It makes me stop and think about how often I fail to affirm or encourage others in the gifts and talents they have because I don’t personally consider their gift to be anything worthy of note. Or, perhaps, it is because they make an arrogant display of their gifts and make me want to give them less attention. Or, because I myself am arrogant and, in my quest for personal attention, I fail to even notice what others have to offer.

One way we come to recognize our own gifts and talents is through the affirmation of those around us, When others realize I am good at something and they tell me, I gain more confidence in that area, especially if it’s not something I thought I was good at. This is why it is important for me to also be outspoken in encouraging others.

Another way I come to know my gifts, talents, or special aptitudes is through the challenges I face. (I can also come to know my weaknesses then too!) Trials reveal my true character.

Finally, some gifts or talents I discover as I simply explore what I enjoy – my hobbies – or, through prayer, as I do my best to be faithful to what God asks of me in the situations He places me in.

It is important to consider what my gifts and talents are, so that I can reflect on how I use, develop and share them. God expects me to be a faithful steward of the gifts He gives me, which includes putting them to good use for the building up of others!

If you are sitting there thinking “Do I have any gifts? What are they?!?!”  here is a list that might help get the wheels spinning. It is by no means comprehensive….

Natural gifts:
These are things that are more or less innate in me, that I discover. For example….
Am I a good listener? Do people often come to me for advice? Am I a joyful person, a patient person? Do I like to organize things? Am I skilled at foreseeing and solving problems? Does a particular subject in school come easy to me? Do I find a great sense of fulfillment in helping others? Do art, music, sports come easy to me? Am I intuitive, sensitive? Am I creative? Am I a “born leader”, like this guy?

www.costumecraze.com

Supernatural gifts:
Of these there are really two types, those given for my benefit and those given for others. The first type can be found in Isaiah 11:2-3, which lists the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: Piety, Understanding, Fear of the Lord, Fortitude, Wisdom, Counsel and Knowledge. These are given to sanctify us and perfect the virtues in us.

The other type of supernatural, or spiritual, gift is that which is given for the building up of others, of the Body of Christ. Many of these are enumerated in 1 Corinthians 12: 1-11, 27-31.
“To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit. To one is given through the Spirit the expression of wisdom; to another the expression of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit; to another mighty deeds; to another prophecy; to another varieties of tongues; to another interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit produces all of these, distributing them individually to each person as he wishes….Some people God has designated in the church to be, first, apostles; second, prophets; third, teachers; then, mighty deeds; then gifts of healing, assistance, administration, and varieties of tongues….”

Of course, there are other gifts, some common and some uncommon, because God is not so limited! Perhaps, you have a gift of intercession, evangelization, love for the poor or marginalized, or an unrivaled missionary zeal.
Or maybe you can bilocate, like this guy!

Acquired skills:
These are the special talents or aptitudes I have developed throughout my life. They may coincide with my natural gifts. For example:
Have I been trained in a particular trade? What is my profession, and what unique skillset have I acquired as a result of my work?  Am I a good artist, athlete, musician, etc.? What knowledge do I have as a result of my educational background? Am I good mechanic, technician, plumber, computer programmer? Am I good friend, a good parent? Can I obliterate you in a thumb war, like this guy?

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Thumb_war_in_Iraq.jpg

 

I am sure you can think of other questions and examples. Discovering your gifts is fun, especially if one of them is humor! ;) Take the time to consider what your gifts are, to develop and “grow” them, and to use them to bless others. If you don’t know what your gifts are, ask a friend to help you discover them. And if you know what someone else’s gifts are, point them out and encourage them!

“As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace.”
– 1 Peter 4:10
“Strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts, but I shall show you a still more excellent way…..LOVE!”
- 1 Corinthians 12:31