Champaign-Urbana Deaf Catholic Ministry

"Gold medal" moonrise

This past weekend, I was driving East, coming home from Missouri.  It was late in the afternoon and as I looked ahead at the road, I marveled at the sight in front of me - a gorgeous moonrise that was absolutely golden.  (My picture did not turn out this well - I found this one on the Internet but can't find the name to properly credit it.) 

I probably have been watching the Olympics too much but it immediately made me think that God was sending a Gold medal evening to all of us.  I then thought about the Gospel reading from Sunday.  In the story of the Transfiguration, Peter, James and John hear the voice of God speaking from Heaven: "This is my Chosen One.  Listen to Him!"  In essence, God was giving his Son a "gold medal" recognition - and telling the disciples to pay attention to it! 

We, too, need to pay attention, both to the gold medals that God sends us in our lives, and to the Son.  God loves us so much, he sends mini presents to us each and every day.  Something as simple as the sun coming out after who knows how many days of rain can be a blessing from God.  His Son, of course, was the Ultimate blessing to all of us.  Let's try to take a little time each day to savor the "gold medals" that God has sent us that day, and also to savor the Word that he sent to give us strength.

God bless you, and angels watch over you. 

Olympics and God

I have been watching the Winter Olympics in Vancouver a lot on television.  I have just been in awe of all of the athletes that I am watching.  They have spent years of their lives working very hard, in preparation for this one event.  Some of them have no hope of winning a medal, but they compete to represent their country and to show the hard work they have put into their sport.  What is really wonderful is watching people who never expected to win a medal get on the podium - and see how overcome they are by emotion and the sheer joy of the moment.  I watch athletes who have won gold medals sing along with their national anthem with pure, complete joy.  The feeling of satisfaction and success is just so complete they light up with happiness.I was thinking tonight about how this has some similarities to our spiritual lives.  We work years, all of our lives, for that one special moment when we will confront God face to face.  We will have to account for what we have done with our lives - and we pray that we will hear God tell us the immortal words, "Well done, my good and faithful servant!  Well done!" 

In the Bible, there is a place where Jesus is telling his disciples a story.  God is sitting on his throne and has one group on his left and one on his right.  He says to the group on the right, come into my Kingdom, because you gave me food or clothes, a job, a place to stay, or you came to visit me when I was sick or in prison.  And the people on his right ask, "When did we do this to you?"  God answers, "When you did it to the least of these, you did it to me."  Then, God tells the people on his left, "Get away from me, you can't come into my Kingdom, because you gave me no food or clothes, no job, no place to stay, and you never visited me when I was sick or in prison!"  The people on his left ask, "When did we not do this to you?  We never saw you!"  And God answers, "As often as you did not do it for the least of my people, you did not do it for me." 

What does all of that mean?  God has given each of us talents and skills, just as he has blessed the Olympic athletes with talents and skills.  He wants us to USE those skills to help other people.  If you can't give money, give your talent.  Visit those who are sick, smile at someone at work or church, or help out someone who needs help some other way.  Wouldn't it be wonderful to hear God say, "Well done, you have helped out my people!"  It would be like winning the ultimate Gold medal!   

May God bless the Olympic athletes, each of whom has represented their country to the best of their ability, and may God bless us, as we each try to represent our faith to the best of our ability!

Ash Wednesday - Lent 2010

Today (February 17) is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent for the Roman Catholic Church and other churches.  One of our rituals on this day is that we trace ashes (made from burning last year's left over palms from Palm Sunday) on our foreheads in the sign of the Cross.  The priest or minister says one of three things:

"Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return"  (Genesis 3:19)

"Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel" (Mark 1:15)

"Repent, and hear the good news."  (Mark 1:15)

In Old Testament and New Testament times, ashes meant that someone was being penitent, or sorry for their sins.  We continue this today as we prepare for the great feast of Easter.  We remember that we are human (we will return to dust), made by God, chosen to hear/see the Good News of Salvation brought by Jesus Christ.

One of the other things that we do during Lent is, on Ash Wednesday we fast and abstain from (do not eat) meat.  On Fridays during Lent, we do not eat meat.  On Good Friday, we will again fast and have no meat.  Many people also give up something they like (candy?  chocolate?) or do something extra.  Why do we do this?  In the words of Fr. Joe Mulcrone (Chicago Catholic Office of the Deaf), "During Lent, we give up something we like to do OR we do something extra (read the bible everyday, pray everyday, be quiet each day, help someone).  Why?  Because we feel a little bit if discomfort in our sacrifice.  That discomfort helps us remember in our body the suffering of Jesus in His body.  Jesus suffered terribly to forgive OUR sins!  We feel this little suffering so we will be grateful for all the suffering of Jesus.  That suffering gives us heaven!  Eternal Life! "  Father Joe gives up watching TV during Lent.  (Wow!  And during the Olympics, too!)  I have promised to be more kind to people, especially those that sometimes make me frustrated.   

The readings at Mass today reminded us that God does not want us to "advertise" that we are fasting or not eating meat.  We should go about our day as usual, as if not eating meat was as normal as could be.  (And for people who are vegetarian, it is very normal!)

I want to finish this post with a reading from Isaiah 58, in which God tell us (through Isaiah) the kind of "fasting" he wants us to practice:

"This, rather, is the fasting that I wish: 

releasing those bound unjustly, untying the thongs of the yoke;

setting free the oppressed,

breaking every yoke;

sharing your bread with the hungry,

sheltering the oppressed and the homeless;

clothing the naked when you see them,

and not turning you back on your own.....

Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer,

you shall cry for help, and he will say:  Here I am!" 

God is in the Silence

Wow!

Yesterday (Friday) and today, St. Patrick's Church in Urbana hosted a women's retreat.  We had speakers from AVAH ministries come to talk about prayer and how we as women see ourselves.  It was a wonderful experience.  Two things struck me during the weekend - and both were from movies that were shown.  Both were developed by a company called nooma and written by Rob Bell.  You can find information about them at Nooma.com. 

The first movie, shown on Friday night during the prayer discussion, was about noise.  In the movie, Rob shares something that he learned from a man who records nature sounds for movies and CDs, etc.  The man said in 1968, in order to get one hour of complete silence (no planes, traines, cars, etc.) it took 15 hours of recording time.  Today, that same one hour of complete silence requires 2,000 HOURS of recording time!  That is over 83 days. 

Then, he shared the Bible story of Elijah from 1 Kings 19:11-13.  "[God said] “Go forth and stand on the mountain before the LORD ” And behold, the LORD was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.  After the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing.  When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave And behold, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

Rob shared that there are some authors who say that the word for the "still voice" that Elijah hears is actually complete silence.  Some editions say "God was in the silence".  And so, we are challenged, those of us who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Hearing, to quiet ourselves so that we can hear God in the silence of our lives.

The second movie, called "Lump", was shown today.  Rob shares a story about his young son who was caught in a lie.  He was so frightened and ashamed that he ran upstairs away from his mother and hid under the covers of his parents' bed for 2 HOURS.  Once Rob came home, his wife told him what happened and he went up to talk to his son.  He was really very wise, I think.  He knew that his son was going to have to say "I'm sorry" to his mother, his brother, and others he had hurt.  But first, when he saw his son hiding under the covers, he realized there was a more important message to be shared first.  So, he pulled the covers back and looked at his son, and said a very important message.  What did he say?  He told his son, "There is nothing you can do that will make me love you less."  I want to repeat that.  "There is nothing you can do that will make me love you less."  His son comes over, hides his face in his shoulder, and sobs.  All Rob does is hug his son, rock him, and say "There is nothing you can do that will make me love you less."

Then - he reminds us - our Heavenly Father says the same thing.  The Bible says "Nothing can separate us from the love of God."  There is nothing you can do that will make God love you less.   This is an important message for me to remember.  I have made mistakes.  But, there is no mistake or sin so big that God will not continue to love me.  The same is true for you.  God loves you exactly as you are.

So - this week I will try to make time to be quiet with God, to listen for his "still small voice", and to remember that no matter what mistakes I may have made this week, God still loves me, completely, wholly, and passionately.  And guess what?  He loves you too! 

Candlemas, candles and St Blaise

Yesterday, the Catholic Church celebrated the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, also known as Candlemas.  Why is it called Candlemas?  Because St. Simeon (I talked about his canticle in an earlier post) talks about how Jesus is a light to the nations. 

I was thinking about candles again today - because today is the Feast of St. Blaise.  St. Blaise was a bishop in Armenia who was martyred in the early fourth century.  According to legend, he was born to a rich family who raised him as a Christian.  After he became a bishop, the government began to persecute Christians.  God spoke to St Blaise in a dream and told him to go into the mountains to try to escape the government.  Men hunting in the mountains discovered a cave surrounded by wild animals who were sick.  St. Blaise walked among the wild animals, completely unafraid, and healed them.  The hunters captured St. Blaise and took him back for trial.  He was sentenced to be starved to death but a woman sneaked into the prison with food and candles.  The governor finally beheaded him.  

There is another story in the legend that says St. Blase healed a boy who was choking to death on fishbones.  Because of this, St. Blaise is the patron saint of those with throat illnesses.  Today, in honor of St. Blaise, the Church traditionally has a ritual called the Blessing of the Throats.  Two candles are tied together into a "V" with a red ribbon.  A priest or deacon then puts the two candles around a person's throat (with the bottom of the "V" at the bottom of your throat and the candles on either side of your neck) and says the following prayer:  "Through the intercession (help) of St Blaise, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you free from every disease of the throat, and from every other disease.  In the name of the Father and of the Son, + and of the Holy Spirit".

My mother often tells me that they actually LIT the candles when she was young.  I'm not sure if she was serious - I can't imagine trying to make sure your hair doesn't catch on fire!  I have had this blessing many times through the years and I always like the feeling I get afterwards.  It's a reminder to me that (1) we have saints in Heaven that are constantly interceding (praying) for us.  I kind of look at it as big brothers and big sisters going to "Dad" and talking to him on my behalf.  And (2) this ritual reminds me that God is constantly watching over me, too.  All we have to do is ask Him and he is there, willing to help with whatever we need.

We've finished one month of this fantastic year.  I pray that February is a month that is filled with holiness, wonder, and peace for each of you. 

Night Prayer

The Catholic Church has a great prayer tradition called the Liturgy of the Hours.  It consists of two "big" hours:  Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer, plus some other "smaller hours", the last of which is Compline, or Night Prayer.  The Liturgy of the Hours is recited by all priests, religious and consecrated people within the Church.  I discovered this tradition 10 years ago when I went to Our Lady of the Mississippi Abbey in Dubuque, Iowa and prayed the Hours with the cloistered Trappistine nuns that live there.  It's a beautiful way of ordering your day through prayer and an attentiveness to God.

Tonight, in an effort to make good on my resolution to give God more time, I spent some time praying Night Prayer.  There are several things I love about Night Prayer.  One is that it is traditionally said just before going to bed - and often might be said in the dark.  Therefore, the words and Psalms do not change as much as they do with some of the other hours.  Psalm 91 is always one of the Psalms said, and it is the basis of one of my favorite hymns, "On Eagle's Wings".

Night Prayer also has its own special canticle.  Morning Prayer has the Canticle of Zechariah, said by John the Baptist's father when John was named.  Evening Prayer has Mary's wonderful Magnificat, said when Mary went to visit Elizabeth.  Night Prayer has the Canticle of Simeon, said when Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to be presented God at the Temple.  God promised Simeon that he would not die until he had seen the promised Messiah.  Simeon knew God would keep his promise, and went to the temple every day to watch for the Messiah.  When Simeon saw Jesus, he immediately knew THIS was the Messiah and he said a beautiful poem:"Now, O Lord, let your servant go in peace, for your word has been fulfilled.  My own eyes have seen the salvation which you have prepared in the sight of all peoples:  a light to reveal you to the nations, and the glory of your people, Israel."

None of these things are my favorite part of Night Prayer.  My favorite part of Night Prayer is the small prayer that is said just before and right after Simeon's canticle.  This prayer summarizes the whole of what I want to ask God every night absolutely perfectly:

"Protect us Lord as we stay awake, watch over us as we sleep, that awake we may keep watch with Christ, and asleep rest in His peace." 

May this prayer be yours as you rest in the peace of God tonight.

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

This past weekend I was home with my mother and sisters, celebrating Christmas (and my mother's birthday!)  Mom was born on Christmas Eve, so that day has always been "Mom's day" in my family.  We would celebrate her birthday, then we would take naps before getting ready for Midnight Mass (which was actually at Midnight when I was growing up!)  We would put on new, special Christmas dresses that were specially bought for Midnight Mass, then we would bundle up into the car and head to church.  Sometimes we wouldn't be able to sit together because we got there too late - and the church was PACKED!  Even the choir loft would be packed!  I knew I was a "big kid" when I was actually able to stay awake all the way through Midnight Mass.  (For those of you who are not Catholic, Sunday Mass is usually about 45-50 minutes, but Midnight Mass is at least an hour plus because of all the carols and hymns that are sung - plus the blessing of the crib, Jesus, etc.  Midnight Mass - and any Mass during the Christmas season - is all about the senses:  the smell of the incense used to bless the crib and the altar, the look of the white lights on the Christmas trees that are FINALLY out, the flicker of the candles all around the church, the sound of all of the songs of praise for the newborn King, and the literal warmth of all of those bodies SQUISHED together into a small church!)  

Our family had 3 celebrations this weekend - we celebrated Mom's birthday Thursday, had a small family brunch on Friday morning, then hosted a larger family dinner on Saturday evening.  There were a lot of gifts exchanged, but not all of them were wrapped.  Think of the gifts that we give each other every day:  the gift of our attention as someone talks with us; the gift of a warm hug or kiss; the gift of our presence as we visit someone who may not have regular visitors;  the gift of stories when a number of generations get together.  We had four generations present on Saturday night and it was nice to share family stories and hear new stories of things the grandkids and great-grandkids had done recently. 

As I begin to close 2009 and start to think towards 2010, I focus more on the gifts that I can give others that don't cost anything in money but are worth more than any amount you could pay.  I want to spend time with friends, cheering their successes and supporting their challenges.  I want to visit those who maybe don't have someone visiting that often and might be lonely.  Most of all, I want to spend time with the One who gave me life:  God.  He has given me so much - more than I could ever ask or hope for.  He also constantly challenges me to continue to grow and be with Him.  I can always spend more time with Him in prayer, thanking and praising Him, and listening to Him gently give me counsel.  One thing I have found is that God does not often "speak" with words.  I have literally felt Him wrap arms around me several times, and He often speaks to me through my journals and writings. 

May God bless each of you abundantly in the coming New Year and grant you graces to overcome any challenges that may be put in your path.

Take time...

I have been using a book titled "Daily Prayers for the People of God", by Owen O'Sullivan (Pauline Press, 2000) recently to help me with my daily prayers.  As I was reading the entry for tonight ("Friday Evening, week 3), I came upon a prayer that I feel compelled to share.  The source is cited as "anonymous" - everytime I see that, I think of God using someone for His work!

This is the prayer:

Take time to think: it is the source of power.

Take time to play: it is the source of perpetual youth.

Take time to read:  it is the fountain of wisdom.

Take time to pray:  it is the greatest power on earth.

Take time to love and to be loved:  it is a God-given privilege.

Take time to be friendly: it is the road to happiness.

Take time to laugh:  it is the music of the soul.

Take time to give:  it is too short a day to be selfish.

Take time to work:  it is the price of success.

Take time to do charity:  it is the key to heaven.

Today, I went to the wake for a friend's grandmother.  She was 99 years old and was well-loved by her family and friends.  Her family and friends told stories of how she always took care of her children, always had dessert at every meal, and always wanted to make sure that her family was safe and happy.  She is now in a better place, reunited with her husband and watching over us all.  Although I did not know her personally, from the stories at the wake, it is evident that she heeded the prayer above.  She loved, laughed, gave of herself, played, lived and was friends with many.  This is the second week I have attended the wake of someone who lived a long, well-lived, well-loved life.  My prayer tonight as I go to sleep will be that God will see fit to grant me the same thing that these two women have enjoyed:  a long life and a happy death.

In the words of the dear friend who died last week:  "May God bless you, and angels watch over you." 

Holy Mary, Mother of God

I've been thinking a lot about Mary, the Mother of God, recently. 

A week ago, on December 8th, the Catholic Church celebrated the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.  Every year I get the question, "How can Jesus be born on December 25th if His immaculate conception happened on December 8th?"  Every year, I explain that it is the Immaculate Conception of Mary that we are celebrating.  (Jesus' conception is celebrated March 25th with the Feast of the Annunciation.)  God, in His infinite wisdom, created the perfect vessel to carry His Son, granting her the freedom from original sin and grace to resist sin as she grew up.  Sometimes God's actions are part of a long-range plan.  He had to wait for Mary to grow up before she could become the Mother of His Son.   

Last week, a very dear friend passed away.  She was 90 years young, full of faith and love, and leaves behind a large loving family.  Seeing them together at the wake was a lesson in how a family should be - husbands and wives openly holding hands and supporting each other, grandchildren telling loving stories of "Life with Lee" and just giving thanks for a life well-lived.  Mary's beautiful Magnificat - the hymn she sings upon visiting her cousin Elizabeth - was on the back of the memorial cards handed out at her wake and funeral.  This song was also sung during Communion during her Funeral Mass.  It is one of my favorite songs - and reminds me of God's wonderful graces and promises.

On December 12th, the Church celebrated the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.  On December 12, 1531, Mary visited St. Juan Diego, a humble peasant, near Mexico City and told him she wanted to have a church built in her honor on the site.  Juan Diego went to visit the bishop, who requested a sign to prove that his claim is true.  When Juan went back, Mary told him to gather some flowers and take them to the bishop.  He found some roses (even though it was winter), Mary arranged them in his cloak, and he went off to the bishop.  When St. Diego arrived back at the bishop, he opened up his cloak and the picture of the Virgin Mary had miraculously appeared on his cloak.  This cloak is still preserved at a shrine outside Mexico City. 

The stories of Mary herself and Juan Diego remind me that God visits those that are humble, the ones that "others" don't seem to think are "important".  Every time I read the biblical story of the Annunciation, I get goosebumps.  Imagine you are a 13-year-old young woman.  An angel appears to you and says you are going to bear God's son. Your first question is how in the world this will happen, since you are a virgin.  The angel tells you, "The Holy Spirit shall come down upon you and the Power of the Most High will overshadow you.  Therefore, the child to be born shall be called holy, the Son of God."  Now - this is where I get goosebumps.  How many 13-year-olds do you know who would listen this - this preposterous idea that a humble virgin would give birth to the Son of God - and say, "Behold, I am the handmaiden of the Lord.  Let it be done to me according to your word."  There's no way she could have known exactly what she was saying "yes" to - but we, her spiritual sons and daughters, owe her a great debt of gratitude and praise, for her "yes", for her faith, and for her example.

This Advent season is truly challenging for some of us.  Times are uncertain, some people have no jobs or homes.  We don't know what's coming in this next year.  Maybe we need to be willing to step outside of what is comfortable and what is "usual" to actually believe in God's preposterous plans and say "Yes, Lord, I will follow you.  I don't know where it will all lead, but you do and will give me the tools I need."  Who knows?  Maybe your "yes" will lead to something even greater than you could imagine! 

May each of you have a Blessed Advent. 

Prayer for Renewal of Deaf Catholic Church

Father Mike Depcik (a Deaf Priest who is coming to Champaign next month for our workshop) is very concerned about the Deaf Catholic church in America.  He's worried about the fact that many of the young adults and young people do not seem to be interested or involved in the church.  He has developed a prayer to ask God to help the Deaf Catholic church in America grow and become better.  He is asking everyone to pray this prayer together on FRIDAYS.  I think this is a great idea.  Please go to his Vlog (below) for more information and to get the prayer.  Thanks!

 

Father MD's Kitchen Table