Well, as many of you might know, my football season is over. I did my best this year, nothing wrong with that. I'm not going to lie though, I miss it. There is something missing from my life from 3 until 7 every day.
It is weird though, as at this point, I think, wow, I have so much more time to get stuff done. But that time fills up, and I have not really seen the advantage of putting different projects or trips to the store or games of pick up basketball in that time slot. Honestly, I can't replace football.
Now, you might not care about my problems with finding a way to get to the next football season. You might not even care about football. But I want you to think about your life with God. Yup, God and football relate. Now you don't have to pray for four hours a day, I think God would even say that that is a little much. But, imagine your life without God, or if your life does not include God, think about where he would fit in it.
Taking God out of your life is like taking away your foundation. Sure, worries, anxieties, and stress are all part of life, but for me, they stop with God's grace. My belief that he knows what is best for me allows me to hedge some of those worries, and put them on the back burner so I can focus on getting my work done. Without God in my life, those worries would overtake me, paralyze me, and inhibit anything I am trying to get done. You don't normally think of it this way, but without God, there really isn't any fun or real happiness. You can trace your good times to God much of the time, as believing in him helps you relax, even if you have a lot on your plate.
You might be one of those people who are currently without a constant reminder of God in your life. Put Him there. Put Him next to you. Think about Him and what He wants, which is always the best for you. You may need to take some time out of your day to get that influence in there, but it is worth it. All you have to do is pick up a Bible, a prayer book, or go to Church, then go from there. People make a lot of bad commitments in their lives, God is something you can to commit to and that you will never regret.
I say all of this in light of the Christmas season. The Angel said that Jesus would be named "Emmanuel," which means, "God is with us." Talk about divine intervention, would you want anything else? Sure a Nintendo Wii is a nice gift, but how about God for Christmas? If He is already in your life, do not take Him for granted, and if possible, make Him a bigger part of it. If He is missing, now is not a better time to fit Him into your life. See Him as a baby, and take the journey with him. God sent that baby, to save us, and be with us every step of the way.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Busy Day...
Tough day for this one...two tests this afternoon. So I will be back with a new post tomorrow, see you then.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Happy Advent
Well it is here. What, you did not see it coming? Amidst stories in the news like Tiger Woods being the next sports hero to bite the dust, another Notre Dame coach getting fired, and the fresh story of Barack Obama sending 30,000 troops to Afghanistan, Advent came this past weekend. I think our preparation time for Christmas could not have come at a better time. It looks like we might need a distraction from the distractions, and I'm pretty sure this season needs to be the answer.
It starts with the Gospel from this past week, and one quote from the Lord Jesus sticks out, especially for the college kids out there.
"Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life..."
Well, that's college in a nutshell: partying and exams. Ask any college kid of what they've thought about the most the past few weeks, and those two things will probably be extremely high on the totem pole. Yet, Jesus tells us to not fall in that thought process. This is the best time to cast those thoughts aside. Sure, you have to do well, but if you work hard, what is there to be anxious about? When you look back in twenty years are you going to remember one test you did not do well on?
God is telling us to relax. It's amazing how the Bible shows us just how timeless it is. It is the start of Advent, and the start of finals week, but God wants us to be able to take time out to focus our hearts on what is truly important. That is being a better person and getting closer to God, in preparation for his Birth.
We all know it is so difficult to focus in this day and age, with instant gratification often at our fingertips. Look at any of the biggest sports figures, as Tiger Woods' lapse in morality is just another blip on the radar, it can be tough when you have to look deep into the crevices of any political or sports roster and find someone who has an actual clean record.
That loss of focus is with us as well. Yet, the Catholic church needs you. Even the priest at my home parish said that enthusiasm is lacking as a whole. You can just feel the down feeling over the course of the Mass. New churches, that serve pizza and are apparently more "entertaining," are taking lifelong parishioners away. The things is, Catholicism is not about being entertained. I've said many times before, you are always not going to leave with a great feeling, you might feel like you got slapped in the face. But, you are better because of it. All God wants is enthusiasm and faithfulness, why not bring it for an hour every week? It's Advent, so maybe it is time to start over and become more dedicated to what is really important. The Gospel's message becomes more evident here doesn't it? Church is not for carousing, you know that.
So, get a fresh start. Get your homework, projects, and studying done, and come down to Muller Chapel or just your favorite quiet spot for awhile. Spend some time every single day to think about what Jesus brought to us the day he was born. I think of hope for a better future. With that thought, why not let the enthusiasm flow? Just make sure to keep the main thing, the main thing.
It starts with the Gospel from this past week, and one quote from the Lord Jesus sticks out, especially for the college kids out there.
"Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life..."
Well, that's college in a nutshell: partying and exams. Ask any college kid of what they've thought about the most the past few weeks, and those two things will probably be extremely high on the totem pole. Yet, Jesus tells us to not fall in that thought process. This is the best time to cast those thoughts aside. Sure, you have to do well, but if you work hard, what is there to be anxious about? When you look back in twenty years are you going to remember one test you did not do well on?
God is telling us to relax. It's amazing how the Bible shows us just how timeless it is. It is the start of Advent, and the start of finals week, but God wants us to be able to take time out to focus our hearts on what is truly important. That is being a better person and getting closer to God, in preparation for his Birth.
We all know it is so difficult to focus in this day and age, with instant gratification often at our fingertips. Look at any of the biggest sports figures, as Tiger Woods' lapse in morality is just another blip on the radar, it can be tough when you have to look deep into the crevices of any political or sports roster and find someone who has an actual clean record.
That loss of focus is with us as well. Yet, the Catholic church needs you. Even the priest at my home parish said that enthusiasm is lacking as a whole. You can just feel the down feeling over the course of the Mass. New churches, that serve pizza and are apparently more "entertaining," are taking lifelong parishioners away. The things is, Catholicism is not about being entertained. I've said many times before, you are always not going to leave with a great feeling, you might feel like you got slapped in the face. But, you are better because of it. All God wants is enthusiasm and faithfulness, why not bring it for an hour every week? It's Advent, so maybe it is time to start over and become more dedicated to what is really important. The Gospel's message becomes more evident here doesn't it? Church is not for carousing, you know that.
So, get a fresh start. Get your homework, projects, and studying done, and come down to Muller Chapel or just your favorite quiet spot for awhile. Spend some time every single day to think about what Jesus brought to us the day he was born. I think of hope for a better future. With that thought, why not let the enthusiasm flow? Just make sure to keep the main thing, the main thing.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Thank you CELEBS
A trip to Billy Way's CELEBS bible study meeting on Monday night was not only cleansing physically, but spiritually as well. We all know it can be hard at times to read the bible and fully understand and get what we need out of each passage. This was my chance at focusing on a few verses and really analyzing what God was saying.
A group of about 10 of us took about 40 minutes to look over Luke 17:11-19. I know you are looking at a computer screen, so take a look at the passage below...
Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance 13and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!"14When he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed.15One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.17Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" 19Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well."
Sure, this happened thousands of years ago, but as you look more closely, these words really relate to the present time.
With Thanksgiving around the corner, the idea of thankfulness is clearly evident here. Sure, we have the day of Turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes to make us think about what we are thankful for, but what about on a daily basis? We all have our problems, like the lepers, and when God cleanses us of those worries, are we thankful? In this passage, the nine lepers who did not come back did what many of us do after our problems are solved, move on to the next worry in their lives. It is like when you get a test back you had been worrying about: you do better than you thought, but instead of taking a step back and thanking God for that gift of knowledge, you start thinking about an argument you had with a friend or the fact you might not be happy with your girlfriend or boyfriend at the time. All Jesus wanted was for those nine lepers to take a step back and thank God for His good works. He wants us for that too.
It is not that hard or time consuming to be thankful, all you really need to say is "Thank you Lord for (insert gift/something that makes you happy here)". Why not thank God for one of those November Ithaca sunsets, or a beautiful winter's night. Taking things like that for granted is one of the worst things a person can do. It's life, so take it in, enjoy it and be thankful for everything, instead of worrying about the next problem on the neverending list.
Another striking message from the passage is that faith will save us. The one leper who came back gained Jesus' trust because of his faith in knowing why and how he was cleansed. The others may have not even had enough faith and trust in the Lord to see the priests in the first place.
Faith is facinating to me, it is not something that people can handle on a normal basis. Faith can be shaken and stirred, it can change on a daily basis for some. The more consistent you are in your faith, the more you will trust in God's plan. That one leper's faith may have given him a one-way ticket to heaven, which isn't a bad deal. I'd say it is even better than the Polar Express, though Santa is a pretty big deal too.
And when it comes to all of the "end of the world" speak, faith becomes even more important. Considering the readings, Father Carsten talked about it in Mass, you can't always be waiting, scared to death over the world ending. What kind of life is that? Faith saves us. Who knows, our world might end tomorrow, are you ready? Fear isn't always a bad thing, but faith makes us stronger.
We need to know that whenever the world ends for us, either individually or in a catastrophic world population fashion, we have another life waiting for us with God and Mary and Jesus and the whole gang in heaven. But alas, God's work for us here is obviously not finished. So whether it is tomorrow, or next year, or 2012, or 2112, be thankful for today, and have the faith that God will be with us through everything that happens tomorrow as well.
A group of about 10 of us took about 40 minutes to look over Luke 17:11-19. I know you are looking at a computer screen, so take a look at the passage below...
Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance 13and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!"14When he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed.15One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.17Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" 19Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well."
Sure, this happened thousands of years ago, but as you look more closely, these words really relate to the present time.
With Thanksgiving around the corner, the idea of thankfulness is clearly evident here. Sure, we have the day of Turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes to make us think about what we are thankful for, but what about on a daily basis? We all have our problems, like the lepers, and when God cleanses us of those worries, are we thankful? In this passage, the nine lepers who did not come back did what many of us do after our problems are solved, move on to the next worry in their lives. It is like when you get a test back you had been worrying about: you do better than you thought, but instead of taking a step back and thanking God for that gift of knowledge, you start thinking about an argument you had with a friend or the fact you might not be happy with your girlfriend or boyfriend at the time. All Jesus wanted was for those nine lepers to take a step back and thank God for His good works. He wants us for that too.
It is not that hard or time consuming to be thankful, all you really need to say is "Thank you Lord for (insert gift/something that makes you happy here)". Why not thank God for one of those November Ithaca sunsets, or a beautiful winter's night. Taking things like that for granted is one of the worst things a person can do. It's life, so take it in, enjoy it and be thankful for everything, instead of worrying about the next problem on the neverending list.
Another striking message from the passage is that faith will save us. The one leper who came back gained Jesus' trust because of his faith in knowing why and how he was cleansed. The others may have not even had enough faith and trust in the Lord to see the priests in the first place.
Faith is facinating to me, it is not something that people can handle on a normal basis. Faith can be shaken and stirred, it can change on a daily basis for some. The more consistent you are in your faith, the more you will trust in God's plan. That one leper's faith may have given him a one-way ticket to heaven, which isn't a bad deal. I'd say it is even better than the Polar Express, though Santa is a pretty big deal too.
And when it comes to all of the "end of the world" speak, faith becomes even more important. Considering the readings, Father Carsten talked about it in Mass, you can't always be waiting, scared to death over the world ending. What kind of life is that? Faith saves us. Who knows, our world might end tomorrow, are you ready? Fear isn't always a bad thing, but faith makes us stronger.
We need to know that whenever the world ends for us, either individually or in a catastrophic world population fashion, we have another life waiting for us with God and Mary and Jesus and the whole gang in heaven. But alas, God's work for us here is obviously not finished. So whether it is tomorrow, or next year, or 2012, or 2112, be thankful for today, and have the faith that God will be with us through everything that happens tomorrow as well.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Win at everything you do
Think about your typical day from the time you wake up to the time you fall asleep. Was it good/bad/busy/relaxing? Probably the most important question is: Did you get better today? It is a saying we use all of the time on the football field.
"Every day you always get better or worse, you never stay the same."
I know every person is not an athlete, but that statement can easily be applied to anyone's life.
Dedication, work ethic, commitment are all good qualities in a person that wants to become better everyday. Yet, being a pretty competitive person, I like to take another saying along with me in the quest to be the best. "Win at everything you do." Sure, a loss is often the best way to learn, but striving to win at various aspects of your life gives you something to try and attain. You are often your best competition.
Let's look at my Monday:
Wake up on first alarm: Lose-2 hits on snooze
Brush Teeth/Wash up: Win
Eat solid breakfast: Loss-just pop tarts
Try and look presentable: Win
Get to class on time: Win-30 seconds to spare
Study during 2 hour break: Loss-played Xbox instead...and lost at that too
Lunch?: Win- Rogan's Sub plus peanut butter bread
Focused Film Session: Win
Solid Lifting Session: Win
Studying done at night: Loss-Studied while watching football/basketball
Sleep at early hour: Win
So that's my day. You may not care about any part of my life, but there is definitely room for improvement, even where I won. I could have ate healthier, or went to bed even earlier. Having high standards for yourself is important, especially something you can really gauge a win or loss on.
The poor widow in this week's Gospel had a win in her life as she gave all she had to the treasury, the scribes though, gave only a piece of their wealth. They may have given more than the widow, but for them, that is a loss. Everyone is different, so don't be afraid if a loss for you is a win for others.
So now, think about your day again. If you have to diagram it, go for it. But as you go through your day today, think about whether a decision you make, or an action you take, will result in a win or a loss. You might surprise yourself with the decisions you make. Then repeat that process. As the sign in the football locker room states, "Winning is not a some time thing, it is an all time thing."
"Every day you always get better or worse, you never stay the same."
I know every person is not an athlete, but that statement can easily be applied to anyone's life.
Dedication, work ethic, commitment are all good qualities in a person that wants to become better everyday. Yet, being a pretty competitive person, I like to take another saying along with me in the quest to be the best. "Win at everything you do." Sure, a loss is often the best way to learn, but striving to win at various aspects of your life gives you something to try and attain. You are often your best competition.
Let's look at my Monday:
Wake up on first alarm: Lose-2 hits on snooze
Brush Teeth/Wash up: Win
Eat solid breakfast: Loss-just pop tarts
Try and look presentable: Win
Get to class on time: Win-30 seconds to spare
Study during 2 hour break: Loss-played Xbox instead...and lost at that too
Lunch?: Win- Rogan's Sub plus peanut butter bread
Focused Film Session: Win
Solid Lifting Session: Win
Studying done at night: Loss-Studied while watching football/basketball
Sleep at early hour: Win
So that's my day. You may not care about any part of my life, but there is definitely room for improvement, even where I won. I could have ate healthier, or went to bed even earlier. Having high standards for yourself is important, especially something you can really gauge a win or loss on.
The poor widow in this week's Gospel had a win in her life as she gave all she had to the treasury, the scribes though, gave only a piece of their wealth. They may have given more than the widow, but for them, that is a loss. Everyone is different, so don't be afraid if a loss for you is a win for others.
So now, think about your day again. If you have to diagram it, go for it. But as you go through your day today, think about whether a decision you make, or an action you take, will result in a win or a loss. You might surprise yourself with the decisions you make. Then repeat that process. As the sign in the football locker room states, "Winning is not a some time thing, it is an all time thing."
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Saint Thomas of Cazenovia
Sounds good, doesn't it? Like Father said in Church on Sunday, we are all members of the Communion of Saints. Yet, no one can hold a title like that one, even myself. Until we leave this earth, our names stay the same, and for a very good reason. Throughout our lives, we are taught to strive towards being like Jesus and the Saints, which should be the driving force behind all of our daily decisions and actions. As sinners, we forget this at times, bringing us away from that healthy lifestyle.
The Church realizes that we may stray at times, so planned Holy Days and appropriate Gospel readings throughout the year hit us where it may hurt sometimes. The truth can be painful, but as Lee Imbriano quoted in his homily from the latest Rocky Balboa movie, "It ain't about how hard you hit, it's about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward."
Quite a statement from Sylvester Stallone. But by going to Mass every week, there is always that ability to punched right in the gut by a reading or by anything someone says over the course of the Mass. But, much like Rocky, your life does not end right there. Another week comes, and hopefully another one after that. There is no choice but to keep moving forward with your life. After God shows you the error of your ways, you have to react by getting better in the next week. Think about it, if you improve some aspect of your life every week, how good of a person can you be?
That brings us to All Saints Day and All Souls Day. Sandwiched together in the time of year for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and even Christmas, these two days are widely underrated. November 1 was All Saints Day, a time where we sit back to think about and praise those who lived their lives completely for others. It is a humbling thought to realize their devotion to God's way. If we can do one tenth of what they did in their lives, we are better for it. As a part of the Communion of Saints, we should be striving to do that.
All Souls Day, on November 2, is not so much a celebration, but a remembrance of those who went before us. Every person has been touched by death in one way or another, and as we all know, it stinks. All Souls Day is an opportunity though, as cliche as it sounds, to remember the good and bad times with those who have left us. It is tough, but there is nothing wrong with a smile amidst a few tears on your face. It makes you evaluate your life as well, and maybe live it just a little better knowing that life is a bit shorter than we realize.
My thought is that many people forget these two days in their year, and they are always a guaranteed punch in the stomach. So, don't do me a favor, do yourself a favor and go back to the ithaca.edu/catholic website and reread the readings on page 2 of this week's Bulletin. Take a few minutes and think about the Saints' lives and the people who have left your life. It is both a humbling and enriching experience. After thinking about that, you might be knocked down to the mat, you might lose this round of your life, but surely you won't be knocked out or down for the count. What would Rocky do?
The Church realizes that we may stray at times, so planned Holy Days and appropriate Gospel readings throughout the year hit us where it may hurt sometimes. The truth can be painful, but as Lee Imbriano quoted in his homily from the latest Rocky Balboa movie, "It ain't about how hard you hit, it's about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward."
Quite a statement from Sylvester Stallone. But by going to Mass every week, there is always that ability to punched right in the gut by a reading or by anything someone says over the course of the Mass. But, much like Rocky, your life does not end right there. Another week comes, and hopefully another one after that. There is no choice but to keep moving forward with your life. After God shows you the error of your ways, you have to react by getting better in the next week. Think about it, if you improve some aspect of your life every week, how good of a person can you be?
That brings us to All Saints Day and All Souls Day. Sandwiched together in the time of year for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and even Christmas, these two days are widely underrated. November 1 was All Saints Day, a time where we sit back to think about and praise those who lived their lives completely for others. It is a humbling thought to realize their devotion to God's way. If we can do one tenth of what they did in their lives, we are better for it. As a part of the Communion of Saints, we should be striving to do that.
All Souls Day, on November 2, is not so much a celebration, but a remembrance of those who went before us. Every person has been touched by death in one way or another, and as we all know, it stinks. All Souls Day is an opportunity though, as cliche as it sounds, to remember the good and bad times with those who have left us. It is tough, but there is nothing wrong with a smile amidst a few tears on your face. It makes you evaluate your life as well, and maybe live it just a little better knowing that life is a bit shorter than we realize.
My thought is that many people forget these two days in their year, and they are always a guaranteed punch in the stomach. So, don't do me a favor, do yourself a favor and go back to the ithaca.edu/catholic website and reread the readings on page 2 of this week's Bulletin. Take a few minutes and think about the Saints' lives and the people who have left your life. It is both a humbling and enriching experience. After thinking about that, you might be knocked down to the mat, you might lose this round of your life, but surely you won't be knocked out or down for the count. What would Rocky do?
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Some more research...
I'm looking up some information for my next post...check back tomorrow for a new one.......
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