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Read the Sunday readings here!
A branch’s ability to produce fruit is absolutely dependent on it remaining on the vine. A branch’s life is absolutely dependent on it adhering to the vine, from which it draws life. So it is with us in our faith journeys. Only by remaining in Him, can we bear fruit, i.e. do what is good and holy. Only by adhering to Him do we live to the full.
What does it mean to remain in Him? We see the answer in the Second Reading, from the First Letter of St. John: “Those who keep his commandments remain in him, and he in them, and the way we know that he remains in us is from the Spirit he gave us”. The presence of His Spirit and the following of the commandments indicate that we have His Life coursing through us, that we are tied to Christ. Both Love and law are required, power and responsibility, heart and action.
Too often do we forget this, and we end up emphasizing one over the other, which is unhealthy. Since the presence of the Spirit naturally leads to outward action, love without fruits borne out in action seems unnatural. On the other hand, overemphasizing action, without concern for love, leads to lame works, devoid of power or substance. Worse yet, we all too often willfully let go of our Lord, only to, sooner or later, wither from lack of Him!
Brothers and sisters, may God be gracious to us on this Fifth Sunday of Easter, filling us with His Love and moving us to action. May we never lose sight of our radical dependence on God and by cooperating with His grace, may we be filled with His Life and fruitful in due season. A blessed Sunday to you all!
"Even the Rich Are Hungry for Love..." -
The first football jersey I ever owned was that of Junior Seau’s.
Admittedly, news of Junior’s death - an apparent suicide - has rocked me.
Even before I understood the intricacies of football, I looked up to Junior - his work ethic, his humility, and his passion were an inspiration. He was a role model. As children, we often think our role models are invincible. They are not.
Celebrities hurt, too.
“Superman is dead,” said Shawn Mitchell, a chaplain for the San Diego Chargers. “All of us can appear to be super, but all of us need to reach out and find support when we’re hurting.”
Sometimes we might dream of having a celebrity lifestyle. I know I did. Money, fame, power, success, all are so very tempting. From an early age we are trained to value these temporal treasures. We often forget that none of these things provide genuine happiness. How many stories of celebrity tragedy must we encounter before we really get it?
Junior was a celebrity - especially amongst football fans and in the San Diego community. By many accounts, Junior had it all. He had a legendary football career, his successful restaurant in San Diego is a popular eatery, and he almost certainly will be a first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee. The question is what could have caused him to take his own life? Now, I can’t venture a guess as to what demons or struggles Junior Seau was battling, and maybe no one can, but there must have been something that he lacked if he took his own life.
Who knows? But I am reminded of these sobering words from Blessed Mother Teresa: “Even the rich are hungry for love, for being cared for, for being wanted.”
I’m not sure what else there is to say for now. I’m still processing this whole thing.
May we all do our part in spreading it.
Requiescat In Pace, Junior Seau.
“Even on the cross He did not hide Himself from sight; rather, He made all creation witness to the presence of its Maker.” - St. Athanasius of Alexandria
On May 2nd, the Roman Catholic Church commemorates Saint Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, Doctor of the Church, and courageous defender of the truths of the Christian Faith in the fourth century. His tenacious adherence to the doctrine of Christ’s divinity in the face of the politically powerful Arian heresy earned him persecution from many of his fellow prelates, who drew up a host of false charges to oust him from his episcopacy. Though innocent of wrongdoing, Athanasius was forced into exile from Alexandria no less than four times by four separate emperors! He held fast to the truths of the Faith in spite of dogged opposition from a multitude of opponents and even threats on his life, giving rise to the phrase, “Athanasius contra mundum,” i.e. “Athanasius against the world”.
As we celebrate the memorial of Saint Athanasius, let us pray that God may forgive us for the times we silenced ourselves concerning our faith, especially when the light of that faith was truly called for by the situation. May God give us the grace to follow Saint Athanasius’ example of Christian fortitude amidst the trials and tribulations that we face everyday.
A detailed biography of Saint Athanasius and his published works can be found on New Advent.
From the Breviary:
Father, You raised up Saint Athanasius to be an outstanding defender of the truth of Christ’s divinity. By his teaching and protection, may we grow in your knowledge and love.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, forever and ever. Amen.
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Be the Straw: CONTEST TIME!!! 2 more days -
This contest started on Monday but, to remind you guys here it is.To celebrate my return (Ruben, if you want to know where I’ve been), I will be running a contest. There are two categories for you to enter this contest.
Category 1: Either email me at ruben@bethestraw.org or reblog this…
(via letsrocketeer)
Read the Sunday Readings Here!
“I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice, and there will be one flock, one shepherd.”
When reading this passage, I see the sheep that do not belong to the fold Christ speaks of as the future members of His Church, the sheep who had not yet joined. Even in the days of His earthly life, the Good Shepherd had us lowly sheep in mind. In fact, before His earthly life, He had us in mind. From all eternity, He calls out to us, and in a mysterious way, we hear His voice. We recognize the rich resonance of Truth when we hear it issue forth from others’ lips, and this pull of the Truth is far stronger than we can comprehend. It is like the voice of a loved one, inviting us to embrace. No, actually, it’s more than that. It is the voice of Love Himself, enticing us, drawing us into His flock, into the Church.
I encourage you to heighten your sensitivity to the voice of the Good Shepherd, both in recognizing Him and in following Him once you know that He is speaking to you. Learn to love silence. Dive into the Scriptures and the writings of the Saints. Seek out the guidance of a competent spiritual director. And in all things, pray for His grace, that He may bestow on you the strength to hold to what His voice says to you. A blessed Sunday to you all and may His voice resound more fully in your lives and hearts!