Religion and Faith

“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this:
to care for orphans and widows in their affliction
and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”

James 1:27

What does religion mean? How does your definition of religion compare with that of the dictionary’s? Perhaps our definitions may be along the lines of “the belief in a higher power that helps shape and instruct one’s way of life.” Of all the things the describe a religion that is “pure and undefiled before God,” St. James tells us is to “care for orphans and widows” and to “keep oneself unstained by the world.” I do not think we can find the notion of “love” in any modern definition of religion; yet, for Christians we know our “religion” is not really about some thing, some set of rules or laws, or even about some higher being whose purpose is to control us. The Christian religion is one of faith, one of love, and one of relationship. Our religion does not consist of some thing, but rather of some one. It is always about persons, communion of persons, and relationship. Love of God is expressed through love of neighbor and love of self.

The Church has always placed an emphasis on caring for the widow and the orphan because in the early Church and also today they are among the most vulnerable in society. What good is it when are living comfortably while others are trying to survive the day and when we can do something to help them? We are never asked to do something that is outside of our means, but we are expected to do all that we can within our means and to do it well.

In the Gospel Jesus reminded the people and reminds us today that what goes inside our bodies does not defile, but it is what comes from within that does. What is He trying to say? When we think about it, what are the things that really put us on the wrong path? Anger, envy, greed, and others, and these feelings, thoughts, and desires all come from within ourselves, our hearts, and our minds, and these things can harm us, defile us, and even bring harm to others. This is the opposite of loving God, others, and self. Perhaps Our Lord was reminding the people then that following superficial rules just does not cut it, there needs to be a change and conversion on the level of the heart. What good is it to follow the dietary laws to a T but then treat those around us with indifference and uncharity. It doesn’t make sense and it doesn’t add up. As Christians we do not simply follow a religion, rather we believe in a God who is a communion of Persons, and we have faith that this God loves us and compels us to do the same.

Today may we take a good look at what comes from within, what is in the depths of our hearts and see if all that we think, do, and say reflect the love and mercy of God. If not, what is it that is keeping us from doing so? Ask Jesus to show you.

Fraternal Charity

“On the subject of fraternal charity
you have no need for anyone to write you,
for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another.”

1 Thes. 4:9

Love, love, love. It seems like it’s all we have been hearing in the readings. Maybe because it is really all that we need! It is so simple yet to difficult to practice. I think we have all experienced the pain of loving and the pain of not being loved. Loving someone requires sacrifice, and oftentimes sacrifice comes with suffering and pain. In the Gospels we sometimes hear that Jesus was “grieved” or that He was “moved with pity” or “full of compassion.” These are all motivated by love or charity. (Charity comes from the Latin word caritas, meaning “love,” but the kind that is of God.) In his letter to the Thessalonians, St. Paul tells the people that they themselves “have been taught by God to love one another.” It is in our very being and nature to love. Why? Because we are the product of Love. We were created out of love, with love, and for love. We exist because God loves us, and God loves us because God is Love. Hence, there is no course or class on “love.” Love cannot be taught or learned in the classrooms or lecture halls. Love must be received, experienced, and given.

But we all know it is not easy to love. For some people they express their love by buying people things and for others it is by spending time with them. There are so many ways of expressing one’s love, but there is only one source of love and that is God. What am I trying to say? I am trying to say that in all the ways that we choose to love, its root must be in God. Our love must be anchored in Christ because only then will it be real love, and only real love can bear fruit. Think about this for a second: true love never changes but yet it may cause change in people’s hearts and lives, while “fake” love changes when this “love” is no longer reciprocated. Only that which does not change can cause change, and change for the good.

St. Augustine, the great bishop and doctor of the Church famously said, “Late have I loved you, oh beauty ever ancient, ever new.” Just yesterday we celebrated his mother, St. Monica who prayed unceasingly for Augustine’s conversion. That is the fruit of love: conversion. And notice that this fruit of love was not for Monica but rather for Augustine. True love, caritas, is always willed for the good of the other. We love because we have first been loved. “I have loved you with an everlasting love” God says through the Prophet Jeremiah. Everlasting means that this love has no end, but it also has no beginning. There was never a point in time when God did not love us. Isn’t that amazing? St. Augustine recognized this in his conversion when he exclaimed, “Late have I loved you” and who is this “you?” It is “Beauty” — God, who is ever ancient and ever new, who was, is and will continue to be, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Luckily for us, it is never too late for us to love God.

May we take a few moments today to thank the Lord for His love for us, and may we ask Him through the intercession of St. Augustine and St. Monica to give us the grace, desire, and courage to not only receive His love but also to live out this love, this Love who is God Himself.

Persisting in Love

“Afterwards the other virgins came and said,
‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’
But he said in reply,
‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’”

Matthew 25:11-12

When was the last time you tried to do something that you’ve failed what seems to be infinite times before? When was the last time you tried to change a bad habit but only returning to it after so many tries? In the Gospel of Matthew (25:1ff) we are given the “Parable of the Ten Virgins,” where some brings enough oil and some do not. When their lamps were flickering and about to go out, they realized that they needed more oil so that the light will not extinguish. So, they go out to buy more oil, but while they were away, the Bridegroom returned and those who were ready and present there were welcomed inside, while the others who had left to buy oil were locked out. When they knocked they were turned away, “I do not know you.”

The parable sure seems to have painted a portrait of a very mean and not understanding Bridegroom. The problem here lies in what we see as the issue first. Are we upset because the Bridegroom is mean and does not seem to have an ounce of empathy in his heart? Or are we upset because the foolish virgins did not prepare well enough for such an important occasion? What arises first in our hearts can tell us a lot about how we see ourselves and how we see God and others. Are we capable of reflection and introspection or is the problem always someone else? Our God is a loving God but He cannot do anything to help the virgins who were not there when the Bridegroom came. Each person makes their own decisions, and in turn must face the consequences of their action or lack of action. Yes, God is God and He us all powerful, but He will not take over our wills and intellects and control us in a way that makes Him happy. We are free humans beings with the gift of free will and free choice. Real love, true love is love that gives that true freedom.

As Christians we have been called to love. We have been called to always be ready for the Lord’s coming. We must always be prepared at every moment for we know neither the day nor the hour when our time here is up and when we must face Our Maker. We must persist in love. We must persist in a way of living that is holy — which is set apart, set apart from the lures of this passing world — and that leads others to do the same. When we seemingly fail, let’s not give up. God will see us through. God will transform the little that we do and offer up into something greater, something much more powerful. Do you believe that?

Today the Church celebrates St. Monica who prayed day in and day out for her wayward son. Her son was into all kinds of trouble and bad habits, a life that was unholy and that was preoccupied with the things of the world. Who was St. Monica’s son? St. Augustine, the great bishop and doctor of the Church. Monica had prayed for her son’s conversion so that He might find the joy and love for which he so longed. Although it took some time, Monica never gave up. She persevered in prayer and she persisted in love. For to pray is to love.

When we look at our lives today, can we say that we strived to live a life that was holy, a life that pursued the things of God, a life that was rooted in prayer and that was persisted in love? What are some of the things about ourselves that keep us from doing so? Let us ask the Lord for the graces we need to overcome the obstacles that keep us from persisting in love, especially when we are on the verge of giving up. He hears us.