Magnanimity

I got a newsletter from St. Joseph Catholic Church in Dickinson, ND, and there was a great article written by Fr. Keith Streifel about how we are all qualified to be worthy stewards for the Lord.

He writes that sometimes we feel as if we are not qualified for certain things, or are unworthy of helping because we think that we lack experience or expertise. This feeling can cause us to fail to get involved and help out and use all of the talents that God has given us. However, there is a way for us to get beyond that mental block and mental feeling, and it is by recognizing that God will work through us.

"The antidote to the "unworthiness" disease that threatens the best of us can be summed up in one word: 'Magnanimity' - a virtue with which most of us may be unfamiliar. The word itself is virtually extinct in the English language. It comes from the Latin words, magnus and anima, which taken together mean, 'greatness of soul.'"

So how can we practically apply this to our everyday lives?

"A magnanimous person is someone who see the demands of the Christian life as a sea of endless possibilities with God's grace, and who determines to rise to the greatness to which God calls him, neither stopping to count the cost, nor to measure his unworthiness. Magnanimity is not arrogance, because a magnanimous person recognizes that only by God's grace does he accomplish anything. Nor is it imprudence, since he strives only to do what God asks of him and nothing more."

May magnanimity be a virtue we always strive for, so that we are always ready to answer the call of the Lord like the saints.

Lessons From Mere Christianity: Using Our Gifts

This is a post from my series called Lessons From Mere Christianity.

We tend not to focus enough of our thoughts on the gifts that we have, and the best ways that we can use them to be a better person and to impact others. We focus on what we do wrong, or how we can get better... but is it important to use the gifts that God has given us.

If you have been given great gifts, we must be careful not to attribute our good qualities as being of our own doing, but as given to us by God.

"Everyone says you are a nice chap and (between ourselves) you agree with them. You are quite likely to believe that all this niceness is your own doing: and you may easily not feel the need for any better kind of goodness. Often people who have all these natural kinds of goodness cannot be brought to recognize their need for Christ at all until, one day, the natural goodness lets them down and their self-satisfaction is shattered. In other words, it is hard for those who are 'rich' in this sense to enter the Kingdom." (214)

I think this is one of the most hard-hitting and also scary parts of the whole book. For those who are talented, of a friendly disposition, of whom things come easily... there is no less need for God. We do not need God less if we are more talented or if more people like us... it just makes it harder to recognize that need.

Without God, you would have no talents, no gifts. A total self-reliance is needed more than ever.

Lewis goes on to talk about how the fall could be greater for those with great talents.

"If you are a nice person - if virtue comes easily to you - beware! Much is expected from those to whom much is given. If you mistake for your own merits what are really God's gifts to you through nature, and if you are contended with simply being nice, you are still a rebel: and all those gifts will only make your fall more terrible, your corruption more complicated, your bad example more disastrous. The Devil was an Archangel once; his natural gifts were as far above yours as yours are above a chimpanzee." (215)

I think there are two main things that I take away from this:

- We need always strive to be perfect. There is no such thing as good enough (well unless you have made it to heaven, in which case you hardly have need to read my feeble writings). If you have been given great gifts, do not judge yourself in comparison to others (especially those to whom lesser gifts have been given)... much is expected from those to whom much is given.

- Your actions do not affect just you. He writes that your bad example will be more disastrous. Again, for those popular people, friendly, etc... they will likely have more people watching them, and more people that will be influenced by what they do and who they are. Each bad action is seen by others, who in turn think that that action is acceptable and encouraged. When you do something to turn your back to God, you are not only affecting yourself, but all of those around you.

God Bless!

Garden of the Gods

I got a quick chance to drive through Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs last fall, and it is amazing!

While we didn't do much in the park itself while we were there (due to time constraints), there are ample opportunities for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. I hope to get back there someday and do some of that, because there are some amazing things to see.

The rock formations are beautiful. It is a reddish color that can be seen from all around the area, and there is a good variety of rocks in the park. From the famous Kissing Camels to Balanced Rock, there is plenty to be awestruck by.

Whenever I see stuff like this (or Mt. Cutler, which we hiked the same day), or any type of natural beauty like this, I wonder how there is crime and bad things in the world. This is the idealist in me, but who can see such natural beauty and then think about ever committing a crime, or being anything less than the best they can be?

I know this probably isn't a realistic thought pattern, but it seems like nature and its beauty should be all the crime deterrent we would ever need. If only.

On Perspective

In college I took a class on Detective Fiction, a genre that I absolutely love. It was a great class (seriously, I just got to read Detective Fiction books and write about them, what could be better than that?), and one of the surprisingly fun parts about it is that some of the books had some great insights on life.

One book that I read was called "Valley of Bones" by the author Michael Gruber. It was one of my favorite books of the class, and actually at one point in the book it provided me with a great prayer that I still pray to this day. But I will talk about that another time on this blog I am sure!

Anyway, this particular section deals with the perspective we have on life and how we view things, and some of the ways that God talks to us. The book talks about the "Conspiracy of Accidents." God is there, we just have to look for him!

But I digress. The section in the book is:

"A pilot walks into a saloon in Alaska and the bartender says, oh Fred we have not seen you in church recently. Where have you been? The pilot says, I don't go to church any longer. I have lost my faith. The bartender says, but why? The pilot says, last month I crushed my plan in the wilderness in the mountains and I was trapped in the wreckage. I prayed to God to get me out but nothing happened. Day after day I am praying, but nothing. I decide there is no God and I am going to die and there is nothing after death. This is how I lost my faith. So the bartender says, but you did escape from there. You are here alive. And the pilot says, oh, that had nothing to do with God. Some damn Eskimo wandered by and pulled me out." (265)

Are we open to the ways that God talks to us?

My Favorite State High Points

So far in my life I have climbed the high point for 3 states. Ideally, I will reach all 50 before the end of my days, but for now, here are the rankings of my favorites (to be updated as I climb more!)

1) Eagle Mountain, Minnesota - This one is helped by the fact that I climbed it with Hannah! It's also helped that it's in the area of the beautiful North Shore of Minnesota, right along Lake Superior. The views aren't spectacular along the way, but the area is gorgeous, filled with plenty of vegetation (the trail enters the Boundary Waters about a mile in, which is a prime spot if you like remote nature that has been well-preserved from too much human contact). It is not a super strenuous hike but it does get a little long, about 7 miles round trip. But totally worth it!

(Note: If you are in the area you would be remiss if you did not stop at all of the state parks along the North Shore. Temperance River, Tettegouche, Split Rock, and Gooseberry Falls are all beautiful, more scenic than the high point itself. I can't recommend it highly enough).



2) Mt. Frissell, Connecticut - I liked this hike and high point because I felt like a real explorer. The high point was pretty remote, and it didn't seem to be popular at all. Just finding it was an adventure, as was the fact that I was the only one on the trail. Adding to it, it rained steadily on me as I approached the top, and then while I was at the high point itself. Pretty darn fun to explore and adventure around there.

On a funny note, the high point of Connecticut is a point on Mt. Frissell. This is funny because the actual peak of the mountain is in Massachusetts! At one point during the hike I was in Connecticut, New York, and Massachusetts.... pretty darn cool!



3) High Point State Park, New Jersey - This one was a bit lame, I must say. Because it was within a state park, it was a very popular tourist area, with beaches within the park. They also had a road that took you right up to the top, which (for me) kinda defeats the purpose of the high point. So I did what any good adventurer would do.... drove to the high point, but then didn't look out at all, hiked to the bottom, and then hiked back up. That made things a lot more fun!

The thing it did have going for it is that there was a gorgeous view at the high point. From the high point you can look out and see New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York, as well as the Delaware River... so that is pretty cool! Definitely still worth a trip if you are in the area!

Scripture Sunday: Genesis 18: 13-14

Every Sunday on this site I will take some time to look at a passage from the Bible that I like and think is great... though they could obviously be presented by themselves without further mention, I will throw my two cents in on what the verse(s) mean to me.

This week is a look at a verse from the story of Abraham and Sarah... they are well past the child-bearing age, but they are told that Sarah is pregnant and will have a baby. Sarah laughs at this, knowing that she is past the child-bearing age. Then we get this nugget of wisdom.

"But the Lord said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh and say, 'Shall I really bear a child, old as I am?" Is there anything too marvelous for the Lord to do?"

So many times we think that our plans are too grandiose, or that we do not have a right (not the best word, maybe, but you know my point) to dream big or to feel that we can accomplish a lot. We think we are too busy, don't have enough money, don't know how to do something... but if it is something that the Lord also desires, is there anything too marvelous for Him?

St. Therese of Lisieux wrote in Story of a Soul, "I want to be fascinated by Your gaze." She knew the secret that all saints have known, and more difficult, that they have truly been able to live out... that nothing is too marvelous for the Lord. If we let Him, He will fascinate us.

And then what a more fulfilling, uplifting, marvelous life we will live.

Mysteries of the Rosary

Whether you are Catholic or not, I believe there is still a lot to be gained by reflecting on the Mysteries of the Rosary.

The Joyful Mysteries
(Said on Mondays, Saturdays, Sundays of Advent, and Sundays from Epiphany until Lent)
1. The Annunciation of Gabriel to Mary (Luke 1: 26-38)
2. The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth (Luke 1: 40-56)
3. The Birth of Jesus (Luke 2: 6-20)
4. The Presenation of Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2: 21-39)
5. The Finding of Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2: 41-51)

The Sorrowful Mysteries
(Said on Tuesdays, Fridays, and daily from Ash Wednesday until Easter Sunday)
1. The Agony in the Garden (Matt 26: 36-46)
2. The Scourging at the Pillar (Matt 27:26)
3. The Crowning With Thorns (Matt 27:29)
4. The Carrying of the Cross (John 19:17)
5. The Crucifixion (Luke 23: 33-46)

The Glorious Mysteries
(Said on Wednesdays, and Sundays throughout the year)
1. The Resurrection of Jesus (Luke 24: 1-12)
2. The Ascension of Jesus (Luke 24: 50-51)
3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2: 1-4)
4. The Assumption of Mary into Heaven (Revelation 12)
5. The Coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth (Revelation 12: 1)

The Luminous Mysteries
(Said on Thursdays throughout the year)
1. The Baptism in the Jordan River (Matthew 3: 13-17)
2. The Wedding at Cana (John 2: 1-11)
3. The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God (Matthew 4:17 - 5: 1-16)
4. The Transfiguration (Luke 9: 28-36)
5. The Institution of the Eucharist (Luke 22: 19-20)
Meditations on the Luminous Mysteries

It is important to note that the rosary is not meant to be merely a meditation of prayers, as is often claimed. It is meant to be a meditation upon the mysteries of the Rosary. This is what makes the Rosary so powerful.

From catholic.com:

First we must understand that they are meditations. When Catholics recite the twelve prayers that form a decade of the rosary, they meditate on the mystery associated with that decade. If they merely recite the prayers, whether vocally or silently, they’re missing the essence of the rosary. It isn’t just a recitation of prayers, but a meditation on the grace of God. Critics, not knowing about the meditation part, imagine the rosary must be boring, uselessly repetitious, meaningless, and their criticism carries weight if you reduce the rosary to a formula. Christ forbade meaningless repetition (Matt. 6:7), but the Bible itself prescribes some prayers that involve repetition. Look at Psalms 136, which is a litany (a prayer with a recurring refrain) meant to be sung in the Jewish Temple. In the psalm the refrain is "His mercy endures forever." Sometimes in Psalms 136 the refrain starts before a sentence is finished, meaning it is more repetitious than the rosary, though this prayer was written directly under the inspiration of God.

It is the meditation on the mysteries that gives the rosary its staying power.

Most relaxing song ever

For my money, the most relaxing song that I have heard.

Bishop Allen - Butterfly Nets

Oh what a beautiful view...

[I wrote this as a Facebook note once but figured I may as well repost it on here!]

"I wish we could open our eyes,
To see in all directions at the same time.
Oh what a beautiful view,
If you were never aware of what was around you"
-- Death Cab for Cutie - Marching Bands of Manhattan

Picture a typical Monday morning (or really, any weekday morning)... walking around, going to school or work. With few exceptions, everyone has a dreadfully dull look on their face. You probably do too (I know I usually do). Everyone seems to be simply... bored. And unfulfilled. But that's not how it should be. That's not how it's supposed to be. To put it simply, I think, in many respects, we've lost our excitement for life. The way the snow falls, the way the leaves change colors, a letter from a friend, the way we can affect the lives of others... these things are exciting! If we really stopped to appreciate life and the things around us, I would humbly suggest that we would be in awe. The grandeur of the world is mindblowing, but we reduce it to its simplest level. We are always thinking about the things we have to do and need to get done, and we stop focusing on simply enjoying things. Things like watching the snow fall, or seeing how our bodies adapt to freezing temperatures, or enjoying the presence of the people around us. These are things to be celebrated, not tossed aside and forgotten.

This reminds me again of a quote from GK Chesterton that I've used before, but it's so good I'll use it again. "How much larger your life would be if your self could become smaller in it; if you could really look at other men with common curiosity and pleasure; if you could see them walking as they are in their sunny selfishness and virile indifference! You would begin to be interested in them, because they were not interested in you. You would break out of this tiny and tawdry theatre in which your own little plot is always being played, and you would find yourself under a freer sky, in a street full of splendid strangers." Life isn't boring, we're just not looking hard enough. Or in the right places.

In many respects, most of us have resigned ourselves to being ordinary. Cogs in the machine. But we shouldn't be satisfied with this, we are called to be better. "So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Mt 5:48) We cease to think big, and focus more on our limitations than our abilities. We fit in with the crowd. As Marianne Williamson writes, "We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, 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 won't 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's not just in some of us; it's in everyone." We see no way to break out of the day-to-day doldrums, and so at some point we simply stop trying. We become content to be an average worker, average student, average friend, average listener, average person. It's easier that way. It's less work, and we probably won't be called out for it. No one finds it easy to go the extra mile, to help out just a little longer, to be a friend even when it's not convenient... but these are the things we were made for. We must continually strive to become better than we are, to turn weaknesses into strengths. Change isn't impossible, it's just hard.

Being ordinary people (in our own minds), we begin to lose sight of our dreams! We forget we even had any in the first place. Or we keep putting them off for "someday." We forget the importance of them. Matthew Kelly writes, "Isn't one of the primary responsibilities of all relationships to help each other fulfill our dreams?" (Dream Manager) Instead, what happens is this... if someone tells us their dreams, we make a face and say "good luck," knowing it will be hard and take a lot of work, more than we ourselves would probably want to do. Plus, if we're honest with ourselves, we're probably a little jealous, because having dreams helps give us a sense of purpose, and we lose that to some degree when we lose our dreams. Think about it... if our only goal is surviving, then of course we'll get caught up in everyday things, and find them all boring and ultimately unsatisfying. When we have dreams and goals, it gives us something to look forward to. Ultimately, hopefully the end goal is heaven(!), but it's good to have some intermediate goals too. As Jack Johnson sings, "Don't let your dreams be dreams." Dream big, and work to achieve it. As Henry David Thoreau writes, "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined."

Ultimately, we should seek to change the world! Lofty goal, right? It sure seems daunting, upon first blush, but I don't think it's as hard as you think. By every act of kindness, every act of love, every small thing we do, we change the world (for good or bad). Maybe it's small, but it helps. "It is better to light one small candle than to curse the darkness." (Confucius) To put it at the simplest level, think of when anyone (even a stranger) smiles at you, or says hello, or opens the door for you... doesn't that put you in a better mood, brighten your day? It does for me. Doesn't that make you more likely to reciprocate, or do something nice for someone else? It does for me. It's a small action, but it might start a chain of small actions. Everything we do affects others, even if we don't know it. Mother Teresa has so many great quotes on this, but I'll limit myself to two. First, "We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop." We might feel it makes no difference to anyone else if we're a little crabby, and this causes us to be a little rude, or simply indifferent to those around us. But life is all about the small actions, the little details. Again from Mother Teresa, "We do not need to carry out grand things in order to show a great love for God and for our neighbor. It is in the intensity of love we put into our gestures that makes them something beautiful for God."

Lastly, I would suggest this... if you are constantly seeking to help others, or simply in the mindset of appreciating everything around us, the reverberations will be felt. Again, at the simplest level, it's like this... when I am able to put the little worries out of my mind, it allows me to focus on the great things of life. When I do that, I'm happier. When I'm happier, I smile more, and help out others more. When I do that, I help make others happier. Still think you have no affect on others? Think about the happiest person you know... are you happier when you're around them? Your happiness makes other people happier, your unselfishness makes other people unselfish... at the same time, your worrying causes other people to worry, your dissatisfaction causes other people to be dissatisfied. There are exceptions to every rule, but I have found that we are indelibly linked to those around us, and we feed off of them many times, whether good or bad. Again, Marianne Williamson writes, "And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." There's a popular quote by Gandhi that says, "Be the change you wish to see in the world." This is not idealistic fluff, it's practical, life-changing advice.

Thank you to all of you who help me look beyond myself, who help me not to be satisfied with being ordinary, who help me reach for my dreams!

Scripture Sunday: Matthew 11:28

Every Sunday on this site I will take some time to look at a passage from the Bible that I like and think is great... though they could obviously be presented by themselves without further mention, I will throw my two cents in on what the verse(s) mean to me.

This week we look at a verse that should be a comfort to all of us when we are overwhelmed, stressed out, worried, or frustrated. It comes from the 11th chapter of Matthew.

"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest."

I read that and see God as the great comforter in our lives, the friend who will always be there to listen to us when we are in need, or who will always comfort us when we need it.

There might be times in our lives where it seems like the whole word is against us, and we simply cannot get a break. It will be very difficult to find peace and comfort in these times, but Jesus reminds us that we simply need to go to Him, and He will give us rest.