More Than Survive: Rest in the Lord (Week # 2)

We began last Lord’s Day (All Saints) a Message Series called “More than Just Survive”. If you want to know what it is about…well…check out the video link below….and feel free to share it with friends and neighbours:

We all lead and live busy lives. We are constantly rushing from one thing to another - and in the hustle and bustle, at the end of the day - we ask ourselves: “what I am chasing?” So last week we looked at the lives of the saints - who didn’t live life in a bubble - they lived real lives and they too had to make choices. Choices about who is first and how they must thrive not just survive- in fact they chose in three ways: to Rest, to Resist and to Reflect - so these next three weeks we are looking at each of these and asking ourselves - what I am rooted in as I seek to more than survive

Warm-Up: 

·         What do you find attractive about “Discipleship” – being a follower of Jesus?

·         What do you find at times challenging about “Discipleship”?

·         Group action last week was to try not to chase but rest, resist, and reflect. how did it go?

You may wish to listen again to the Audio of the Lord’s Day Message

 

At this point please use the video Message for this series – Week # 1 

The widow in the Gospel mirrors, in many ways, the plight of the widow of Zarephath (1^st Reading). She, too, was destitute, without protection or resources. Yet, she trusted in the blessing of God and gave all that she had. All that she had! That, indeed, was an act of faith. With humility she came before God, recognizing Him as the source of all grace and blessing, trusting in the providence and benevolence of God. She hoped for the impossible and the improbable, that God would provide for her.

But guaranteed in their lives, there were moments of “groan”. Occasions when the struggle of life seemed insurmountable. When a marriage blows, when you go to hospital and visit people we love, see their suffering and we think “it is just not right.” When we meet someone who has no sense of meaning or purpose in their life or you run into someone when there is loss in their life - and see emptiness in their eyes. Or when we talk to someone about having God in their life and they use the church as venue for a Sacrament and nothing else and walk away saying “I don’t need you.”

In these times, the trial, the test, the turmoil seems more than what we can handle, no matter how must hustle or bustle we take on. If this is where you are at – survival mode – well you are correct it is more than you can handle – it must be what God can handle. The busyness and demands of today are more than we can handle. But when we put all that “needs to be done” in the perspective of “what God needs to do”, we finds ourselves relived of the stress and strain and our lives replaced with the serenity and sanctity of a “Good, Good Father”in our life.But we must trust He will.

Here is where the first element of “more than just surviving” comes in…to rest. To rest in the Lord – is to rely upon Him. To rest in the Lord means to live with the knowledge that it is through the Groan we Find Glory! The widows in the readings knew and lived that - it was their faith that told them - this groan will bring me to the Glory of God, because God is handling it – I don’t need to do it all, He will. If I rest in the Lord - find time for Him, rely upon Him, Trust Him - that relying upon the Lord will bring me to Glory.  This takes surrender and trust to accent that God has a plan and He will make the provision, I need only bring my best and He will do the rest.

For here is a truth - The road to glory is through the groans of the present, but if you forget the glory - you are just left with the groan. Painfully that is what happens in our life - we are surviving and not thriving because all we have is the groan and we have not made time to rest in and see the glory. We are at it so hard, groaning away, trying to do everything and be everywhere that in the end we are nowhere further and feel like a no body.

So here is what the widows taught us - two things - which bring glory - Give and Know. They gave of their most precious and believed that God would do the impossible and improbable in and through them. For us today, the most precious of to us is our time - give it to Him. Adoration, Daily moments of prayer and especially time on the day that is His Day. Secondly, the widows - they knew His word. Here we have the power of Small Groups who support each other rooted in His word. Not a series of what we want to learn (because that is our agenda and even our groans) but His word – which helps us share and see His glory.

We can’t expect we will understand that God is good all the time if we don’t make time for God all the time.  Rest in Him, Rely Upon Him. Trust in Him. Don’t Live just with the Groan - strive for the Glory by not just surviving but thriving!

Message this week – Before concluding – listen once again in mediation to this beautiful song which will be our “theme song” during this series – it is called “Good, Good Father” by Chris Tomlin. Don’t only listen to the tune, but examine the words. In particular listen for the words…..”and I am loved by you…its who I am.” There it is – the secret to being a saint – and not just surviving!

More Than Survive - Week # 1

We begin this Lord’s Day a four part Message Series called “More than Just Survive”. If you want to know what it is about…well…check out the video link below….and feel free to share it with friends and neighbours:

Most often, when we hear of Saints, we think of those of long ago, perhaps our Patron Saint, the Saint whose name we took for Confirmation, or that of our Parish School or Church. Because they may seem so 'far off' from here and now, we can tend to think of them as people whose lives were a breeze, who never had hardship or suffering, who walked a meter above the earth. This separates us from them, and 'gets us off the hook' in terms of thinking about being a future Saint in the Church of God.

But the Saints actually teach us how we can become like them, not in leading lives of idealism, but real lives faced with challenge. Even in the hustle and bustle of life, they make us ask the question – “what are you chasing?” Put another way, they make us take a long hard look at where we are rooted and where we get our strength and significance from.

Over the next four weeks we will take a look at these who questions:

·         What are you chasing?

·         Where are you rooted?

You may wish to listen again to the Audio of the Lord’s Day Message

The Beatitudes reflect the heart and mind of Jesus the Lord. This is what a Christian looks like, because this is what Jesus Christ looks like. We are called to resemble – reflect Him. These values and virtues should distinguish us as followers of Jesus, 'saints' in the making! They make us people who are not “running around”, chasing that which we can not even name, but rather people who – Rest in the Lord, Resist the World, Reflect our God. These three are the attributes of the saints and they are counter-cultural but they are also firmly implanted in the fact that (1 John 3:1-3) “we may be called children of God.”

Over the next three weeks will examine these three aspects of being saints and being people who don’t just want to survive. For the world will ask - who wants to be poor in spirit, or mourn, be meek, be hungry and thirsty for righteousness, be merciful, be clean of heart, be peacemakers, or be insulted or persecuted for the sake of righteousness? Whereas we see these as positive, our society sees them as negative - for losers and the weak. These are the values and virtues that saints are made of. These are the extra-ordinary gifts that they shared with others and with the Church, and continue to share with us. They not only unite us to God, but bring us into harmony with one another. They lead us away from “the rat race” into a rootedness which allows us not to “survive” but to “thrive.”

Message this week – Before concluding – listen in mediation to this beautiful song which will be our “theme song” during this series – it is called “Good, Good Father” by Chris Tomlin. Don’t only listen to the tune, but examine the words. In particular listen for the words…..”and I am loved by you…its who I am.” There it is – the secret to being a saint – and not just surviving!

Fan or Follower?

You may wish to listen again to the Audio of the Lord’s Day Message

Life is a journey and during it, in our relationship with Jesus, we are often either: fascinated by Jesus, a fan of Jesus, frustrated by Jesus or we are followers of Jesus. In the readings of today we see all of those portrayed and the challenge of God’s word – as we discern to see the road ahead for us - is to decide which we are, and do you wish to remain there or move toward full discipleship in Christ – being His follower

Bartimaeus, the main figure in the Gospel this Lord's Day, was a blind beggar sitting by the side of the road. All he could say was “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me”—a prayer of last resort. The people there scolded him and tried to shut him up, but he wouldn’t stop, just kept repeating, “Son of David, have pity on me!” Jesus notices him and beckons him to approach. Bartimaeus does so without hesitation.

He asks nothing of Bartimaeus, demands nothing. He simply inquires, “What do you want me to do for you?” Is this not the question we really want to hear? Could it be that the distancing we so often feel between God and ourselves is not so much God’s doing as it is my own? Am I even aware of the blindness, the tardiness, the hesitation that keeps me from following Jesus? A blindness, tardiness and hesitation which turns us into fan instead of follower disciples? 

Bartimaeus got his sight and followed Jesus on the way (he took the step and saw the affect of Christ in his life and followed Him.) It is easy to be fascinated, frustrated and even to be a fan of Jesus. Well, because its dependent on us. But that is not what allows us to see. Jesus wants followers on the Way Forward – He wanted Disciples and the cornerstone of making the step from fan to follower is to rely on God’s Mercy. It is openness to letting God do His will that permits us to take the next step.

St. John Paul II stated that: 'the Church lives an authentic life when she professes and proclaims mercy ... and when she brings people close to the sources of the Saviour’s mercy, of which she is the trustee and dispenser'.

Benedict XVI, too, said: 'Mercy is indeed the central nucleus of the Gospel message; it is the very name of God … May all that the Church says and does manifest the mercy God feels for mankind. When the Church has to recall an unrecognised truth, or a betrayed good, she always does so impelled by merciful love, so that men may have life and have it abundantly'.

Mark, the Gospel’s author, sums up this story: “He (Bartimaeus) followed Jesus on the way.” His point is that only a person enlightened by faith can walk “the Jesus walk” without fear because they are not “fans” but they truly see and are “followers/disciples”. Might this turn of events be an example of such a reversal? Perhaps it is our turn to cry out and insist, as did Bartimaeus: “Master, I want to see.”

Thanksgiving Message.

 Here at St. Mary of the Visitation Parish we are thankful and blessed to have so many wonderful and amazing people as part of our parish family...

- Our member ministers (volunteers) are the best & the most gracious folks you could ever meet, they serve our Family of Faith in so many different ministries.

- Our Families big and small are giving, loving and doing all they can to be apart of our parish. 

- Our Seniors are loving elders of wisdom and support.

- Our Youth are dynamic and always challenge us to be and do better.

- Our Committees are humble servants, giving so much to those they serve, in all they do.
- Our Choir and music ministries fill our hearts with "joyful prayer" in everything they do and sing.

- Our Staff is dedicated and committed to all that they do for you.

Today we want to share our blessings with all of you, your families and all those you love.

No matter what our situations, our health challenges, let us take time....a long time....to be thankful, grateful and joyful that we live in Ontario, that we have the right to vote, that our homes are better than most of the world enjoys, no matter how simple. 

We are blessed and to God we give the Glory.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

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A Way Forward - Week # 4

This is the final week of our Message Series: A Way Forward. It’s all about doing what disciples do and, in the process, finding our way to more successful living

Week One invited us to be “of God”. To know that we belong to Him, that we accomplish what we do with His inspiration and that we must be people who are firmly rooted not solely in our religious tradition, but also our ability to relate to the person of Jesus.

Week Two challenged us to take the last place, to be servants. The only way we know who we are is by who He is – and that comes through service especially to the least, the last and the lost.

Week Three called forth from us the declaration that our serenity, peace and purpose comes not from outside of us, but rather from within us – a Way Forward – rooted in Mercy which comes not from an outwardly found happiness but an inwardly rooted happiness.

The recent visit of Pope Francis to the United States, in part for the World Meeting of Families, has given our Holy Father an opportunity to discuss so many issues, and I must admit that I love the issues he is talking about and how he is talking about them. Pope Francis has a profound commitment to God’s word - and a lifestyle that backs it up. He is crating conversation around important issues - poverty, justice, immigration. He call us to be part of a society that is tolerant and inclusive, but has a solid stance on the institution and definition of marriage, family and speaks about restoring hope and building peace – he asks us to treat one another with passion but compassion. In our society of today – this is a challenge and if we are a people of both passion and compassion – well we stand out. The courage to do that - stand out - is the final point in our Way Forward.

This “standing out” can overwhelms us - overtakes us - over stresses us and we feel lost and as our 2^nd Reading today - the presence of Jesus offers a hope -  “do not be ashamed”. What stops us at times in our way forward - well is fear of standing out  and yet the answers to our problems, including that of fear – is that we must have Confidence in Christ. For we are a child of God, chosen, redeemed, loved, cherished and cared for. We should stand out – for His love calls us to. Part of this call to stand out is rooted in a life of Prayer which leads us to decide and discern to do it Christ’s way, not our way forward.

Jesus says - try it my way forward:

I.                   Seek righteousness in your heart and there will be beauty in your character

II.                seek beauty in your character and there will be harmony in the home

III.             seek harmony in the home and there will be order in the nations

IV.             seek order in the nations and there will be peace in the world

It all begins by seeking Christ’s Way Forward: Being of God. Being rooted in Service to least, last, lost. Being  People who Make Every Effort to be rooted in Mercy - people who walk along with Christ standing out (living differently) – and being willing to stand out from the crowd.

At this point please use the video Message for this series – Week #4

Your group may wish to listen again to the Audio of the Lord’s Day Message

A Way Forward - Week # 3

Our Message Series continues: A Way Forward. It’s all about doing what disciples do and, in the process, finding our way to more successful living

Week One invited us to be “of God”. To know that we belong to Him, that we accomplish what we do with His inspiration and that we must be people who are firmly rooted not solely in our religious tradition, but also our ability to relate to the person of Jesus.

Week Two challenged us to take the last place, to be servants. The only way we know who we are is by who He is – and that comes through service especially to the least, the last and the lost.

The Gospel of today, as Jesus talks to us about the importance of our example for others. He uses dramatic and severe examples of how serious our rejection of temptation and sin should be. By sharing in His life, He is empowering us to choose grace over temptation, and redemption over condemnation. Today's challenge highlighted in the readings is that we have to actively wage peace, promote it, and base our critical decisions on the common good as we make our Way Forward – one rooted in peace which comes not from an outwardly found happiness but an inwardly rooted happiness.

Although we may think of our Gospel as filled with condemnation, there is a glimmer of hope. Jesus tells us that "For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward." Again – to be “of God” and to be “people of service”. But here we come to understand the next step – we must also walk on this Way Forward as people of mercy!

Mercy paves the way for peace with self, with others, with God. Mercy roots us in peace. A peace that comes from within. A peace that comes from Him and is founded on His principles. Without this peace we live as people of judgement, we live as people who are self-absorbed, we live lives that are self centered and we live without happiness or joy.

Are you of Happy?   Do you have Mercy in your life ? The answer to that should not depend on an outward force, person or event, rather it should come from within as we make every effort to be people of Mercy.

At this point please use the video Message for this series – Week # 3

Your group may wish to listen again to the Audio of the Lord’s Day Message

A Way Forward - Week # 2

This Lord’s Day Weekend we continue our four week Message Series called “A Way Forward”. Any journey, long or short, is just a series of steps which we take seeking to find a way forward. Faith, as is often said, is a journey and it all comes down to simple steps moving us in His direction. We think there are basically four steps that the Bible teaches us to take toward greater maturity in our Catholic faith. To kick off the 2015-2016 year we’re offering an all-new series taking a fresh look at those steps as we seek to discern A Way Forward. It’s all about doing what disciples do and, in the process, finding our way to more successful living

Last week we discerned that we must be “of God”. That this is essential to our way forward. To know that we belong to Him, that we accomplish what we do with His inspiration and that we must be people who are firmly rooted not solely in our religious tradition, but also our ability to relate to the person of Jesus.

This week our readings reflect the fact that often we tend to be much more interested in who are the most successful, the richest, the most glamorous. In a culture rich in examples of selfish ambition and jealousy, righteousness is not a quality to be prized. While we expect people to be honest, we are more apt to applaud the clever, those who know how to get ahead. Yet, we are reminded today that righteousness is a pillar of the reign of God, The righteous ones strive to be people of peace, to be willing to take the last place, to be servants

St. James, the author of our 2^nd Readings, locates the center of the conflict as being seated in our passions—the spirit of coveting, of envy and of aggression. The fruits of righteousness, he tells us, can only be sown in peace. But to have peace we have to deliberately cultivate it. Peace, James insists, is more than the absence of war. Today's challenge highlighted in the readings is that we have to actively wage peace, promote it, and base our critical decisions on the common good as we make our Way Forward.

In this action, Jesus makes the message even clearer on the Way Forward, not only is He saying, as He did last week, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” But now also the element of service and humility arrive at our pathway. Thus, for us the next step on the Way Forward is not only to Be Of God, but that we must know who we are and therefore we will know what to do?

See the Disciples knew who Christ was - “the Son of the Living God” - remember Peter last week! The Disciples understood what He was to do - “die and rise again” - they got that!  They said to themselves - we will accept this and Be of God, but they forget that had been commissioned - to do the same in His name! They did not take the time to discern what it meant in relation to their friendship with Christ - that can happen to us on our way forward...we can say.... I am of God and I know He is important, His Son died for me, the Holy Spirit guides me. But when it comes then to applying it to my life and how I live day to day - I am of God - is that not enough?  That attitude and question is what made the Disciples argue about who was “the greatest”…who was “more of God”. Instead they should have focussed on who was seeking to see their relationship “of God” to being in the service of the least, the last and the lost. We are made for it - we are co missioned for it, this is part of who we are. We are not who the world say we are, we are commissioned by Christ to go forth in service – in His name. The only way we know who we are is by who He is – and that comes through service especially to the least, the last and the lost.

At this point please use the video Message for this series – Week # 2

Your group may wish to listen again to the Audio of the Lord’s Day Message