Into the World

Day 29: Aliens and Strangers

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 21:17:04 -0500

Jesus calls us to be in the world, but we must never forget that this world is not our final home. We are reminded of that every time we have pain or sorrow, because Scripture describes Heaven as a place where there are no more tears and no more pain. The pain, sorrow, and sin we struggle with in this life are not waiting for us in our real home with God.

So why wait? Because the longer we live on this earth in faith, the more we can show our love for God. Also, we are called to share the Word with others - to be God's arms and legs to this generation. The short time we spend on this earth is like a drop of water in the ocean when compared with the eternity we will spend in Heaven. It is going to be so incredible! Never lose sight of the hope you have received!

Though we are called to be in the world, we are not called to be of the world. We are not supposed to become "worldly" beings. In Romans, Paul warns us, "Do not be conformed by the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Simply put, he is challenging us to let God shape the way we think, not the world.

The world often sends conflicting messages. It says that you should be yourself, but then it tells you how to be. "Be an individual... but wear these clothes we're trying to sell to you and every one of your friends." In truth, the world wants us all to be the same, but only in following God can we discover who we really are. God, who is infinite, made us infinitely different. Being holy doesn't make us cookie cutter replicas of each other. Just look at the saints to see how wonderfully unique we can be while still being united in faith.

When John tells us not to "love the world," he is not talking about disrespecting the earth. He's talking about not loving the things of this world more than we love God. The possessions, popularity, and power we gain on earth will all pass away - yet we spend so much time trying to get them! We must instead work to gain the everlasting treasures of our God and our faith.

Pray about what you are "attached" to in this world, and ask God to release you of those attachments. Pray to receive an eternal perspective, so that your focus will be on everlasting goals.

Day 30: Witnessing

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 21:17:01 -0500

The summer of my junior year of high school, I was at a theater camp where we were told to do an improvisational rendering of the end of the world. As everybody began the improv, one girl, Sarah, was knocking things down in panic. I walked around trying to calm her and kept rebuilding what she had destroyed.

This went on for about twenty minutes. A lot of people were really getting into it, including Sarah. She came up to me, grabbed me, and screamed, "WHO ARE YOU?!" I didn't know what to say. "I'm Jesus," I said. I'm not sure where that came from, but she broke down and cried. A few days later she came up to me and told me how, after talking to another friend, she had decided to give her life over to Jesus.

I was blown away. It was the first time that I had ever witnessed my faith in a way that I saw somebody's life change because of it. The irony was, I wasn't even trying. But that is very often the case when you witness your faith.

Another example: When I went to college, I decided to pray, out loud, before every meal with my friends. That was intimidating to do at first, because many of my friends weren't Christian, let alone Catholic. When I graduated, the most frequent comment I got was about how much people respected me for praying at meals. For some, that was the most prayer they had been exposed to in college. For others, that was the first time they had ever prayed!

Grace before meals was a small expression of my faith, but it was an outward expression of my faith. In order to witness, we can't keep everything internal and private. We have to do things that are blatantly Christian.

Here's a question you should ask: If you were convicted of being Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you? Think about that. Who would be witnesses at your trial? Would it all be circumstantial evidence (goes to church, hangs out with youth group, wears a cross) or would there be things that you have done that make you stand out as a follower of Christ?

Peter tells us to "always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you a reason for your hope." If we live out a Christian faith, people will ask us why. That is when we tell them how God's love saved us and can save them, too. Christ didn't die because a few needed Him- He died because we all need Him. Re-read and memorize Romans 1:16.

Day 31: Works of Mercy

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 21:16:58 -0500

Justice is the virtue that calls us to give people their due. St. Thomas Aquinas described the worship of God as an act of justice, because we owe Him so much. But we also see justice at work when we feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and visit the sick.

Did you know that 5% of the people in the world control 90% of its resources? There is more than enough food for everyone on this earth to eat- we just don't spread it out. On the face of every needy person is a story. Some of the stories are not so pleasant. Some of the stories might even make you think, "They deserve it."

But does anybody deserve to be hungry, poor, or naked? Jesus tells us to reach out to these people. He also tells us to visit prisoners. When Bishop Fulton Sheen visited inmates in a New York prison, he said, "We are all criminals. You just happened to get caught." The truth is, we all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory. There is no one "too sinful" for God. His mercy is for us all, and we must extend that mercy to each other.

The easiest way to grow in justice is this: Treat others like you would treat Jesus. If I knew Jesus was downtown and hungry, I would rush to feed Him. If Jesus was in the hospital and lonely, I would be at his bedside in a minute. But Jesus clearly tells us that those who are in need are Him. Whatever we do for others, we do for Him. What an opportunity!

You may be overwhelmed by all of this. But you can do something. If you are blessed with money, maybe you should sponsor a needy child in a country. (Visit Catholic Relief Service’s webpage here.)

Maybe there is a soup kitchen you can help out at, or a nursing home that you can visit. Your church might be connected to various ministry outreaches you are not even aware of. Check the bulletin or call the parish office!

Justice also applies to how we treat others in school. There are many who are emotionally hungry, or spiritually starved - they need YOU! But don't say, "That sounds easier. I'll just do that instead." Do both. Jesus is hungry, naked, and lonely, all around you. Don't leave Him that way.

Day 32: Suffering

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 21:16:56 -0500

When people mine for gold, the gold is often mixed with pieces of rock and stone. By putting it over a fire, it melts the gold in order to separate it from the rock. In our Christian walk, we are often put through trials by fire. They are painful and difficult experiences, but through them the junk in our lives gets strained out, and our faith becomes as pure as gold.

We need those trials in order to become holy. Some Christians think that once they give their lives to Jesus, everything will be happiness and flowers. They think, "Christ suffered so I don't have to."

That is far from true. The central symbol of our faith is a cross - a two-thousand-year-old torture and execution device! It is not the sign of a people who think nothing bad will ever happen to them. But it is a sign of this: Our suffering no longer leads to death, but can lead us to eternal life in Christ.

In John, Jesus talks about how we are the branches that the Father prunes to bear much fruit. In order to prune a branch, you have to cut it. Someone who knows nothing about gardening might think it odd or even wrong that a gardener would clip away at the ends of branches, but the gardener knows what he is doing. If he did not trim the branches, the plant would not bloom to its full potential. By cutting them, the branches grow out even more.

Our Father is the perfect gardener. He knows just where to cut us. He does it so that we can bear more fruit, fruit that will last eternally. Reflect on what Paul says in Romans 8: 18. There is a purpose to our trials.

When we suffer in any way, we can participate in the sufferings of Christ, but only if we offer it to Him. St. John of the Cross once said, "Whenever anything disagreeable or displeasing happens to you, remember Christ crucified and be silent."

Because of our sinful condition, there is suffering in this life. Those things that promise to remove our suffering are liars, and only compound the pain of this world and spread it more heavily to others. Christ helps us carry our cross and turns our death into life.

What trials do you face? Start to see sufferings in life as opportunities for spiritual growth, and think of how you can unite your sufferings to Jesus, so that they will serve an eternal and powerful purpose.

Day 33: Vocation

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 21:16:54 -0500

Do you trust God?

Do you really trust God?

Do you really believe that God wants what is best for you?

If you do, then you should be open to the priesthood or religious life.

Over and over again Scripture talks about the value of celibacy. Paul talks of how the celibate person can truly be open to doing God's work. I am married, and as I'm writing this my wife is pregnant with our first child. [AUTHOR’S NOTE: Now I have five!] I know things are going to change once our baby comes. That child will need a lot of my attention, and I won't be able to do as much ministry as I can do now. My family will more and more become the "ministry" that I will focus on.

How many children will we have? We're not sure. But we will never have as many kids as someone like Mother Teresa. She spent her life working with the poor in Calcutta, India. In doing that work, she became the "mother" of hundreds of thousands of homeless and starving children.

Upon receiving Confirmation we are all equipped to be single for the Lord. If we are called to continue in that lifestyle, we can consider the priesthood or religious life (brothers or sisters), or just stay single. If instead we are called to the sacrament of Marriage, a man and a woman become one, and begin a family. All are powerful ways of serving God and building the Church.

Those who are called to administer sacraments receive the sacrament of Holy Orders. That sacrament is what makes our Catholic faith what it is. Where would we be without our priests? There would be no Reconciliation, no Confirmation, no Anointing of the Sick, and no Eucharist! Our Catholic priests are more than just people who work at church, they are our Catholic faith.

A vocation is more than a job. It is who you are created to be. Finding and pursuing our vocation is how we live out our Catholic faith in this world.

God has a plan for you, and it's a good one. He is not desperate for priests or religious; He is going to call you to what is best for you - what will make you the most fulfilled in this life.

Do you trust Him? Open your heart to God's calling. You might not know what you're called to now, and that's okay. Just be open. And if you feel even a little bit like you might have a special calling in the Church, talk to a priest or a sister about it. Don't be afraid.

Day 34: "Be Not Afraid"

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 21:16:47 -0500

If there is anything we need to go into this world, it is the virtue of fortitude. Another word for fortitude is “courage”. Like all of the virtues, we can grow in them only when we are challenged. Being courageous does not mean that we do not fear. It means that we overcome fear. If we are never afraid, then we never have the chance to show courage.

We should fear falling into sin, but we shouldn't fear anything else. As St. Paul wrote, "If God is for us, who can be against us?" Ridicule, abuse, and isolation are all things that Jesus had to suffer while on earth. If we live like Jesus did, we might end up the same way. There are still many places in this world where Christians are killed because of their faith.

The people I was most afraid of offending when I was young were not the non-Christians, but the Christians. I didn't want to seem "too holy." I didn't say a lot of things that I should have. I was afraid. But the more I grew in Christ and was grounded in Church teachings, the more courageous I became.

But it is hard for us to be confident if we are not sure of ourselves. We need tools like the Catechism and the Bible to give us knowledge that leads to assurance. If we live according to our faith, we know that we're following God. Then we stand not on our own power, but His.

Many people are afraid of the future, but that is also in God's hands. He cares for us, and is watching out for us. Most things we worry about are completely out of our control. One study found that people spend 90% of their time worrying about something, and 10% actually dealing with the problem.

We cannot be courageous if we are worldly or worried. If we love this world, we will care about what it says and how it treats us. But when we act in fortitude, we separate ourselves from those cares and attach ourselves to God.

The real definition of fortitude is "the willingness to die in battle." If we go into a battle ready to die, then we have no reason to fear. It is only when we try to hold on to this life that we lose it. The virtue of fortitude allows us to "let go and let God." Then we will witness and live our faith boldly.

The most common phrase Jesus said in the Gospels was “Be Not Afraid”. Like Jesus, Pope John Paul II reminded the Church of these words over and over again. “Fear is useless,” said Jesus, “what is needed is faith.” (Mark 5:36)

Easier said than done? You bet. But when we practice fortitude we say, "I don't care what the world thinks - I care only what God thinks." And the good news is that God thinks you are awesome! He loves you more than the world ever could, especially since the world is temporary and He is eternal.

Write your fears on a piece of paper. Then surrender them to God, and destroy them. Reflect on 2 Timothy 1:7 and memorize it.

Day 35: Life

Thu, 15 Jan 2009 12:20:16 -0500

Who knows better how to work a TV set - the guy who bought it, or the guy who built it? The answer is obvious. But so often we think that just because we own our life we know what is best to do with it. That's where sin enters the world, and we mess everything up.

Jesus died on the Cross to bring us back to the "owner" for repairs. Through Christ, we now have the chance to be healed, and to live life to the fullest, as God intended when He first made us. This is great news! And the best part is, we have a FREE lifetime warranty! He will repair us at any time, for any reason (even our own neglect), at no charge.

Congratulations on making it through this Spiritual Workout. There are many of those who decided to follow Jesus a month ago but gave up along the way. The fact that you have made it this far is proof that God has taken a hold of your life. Trust in Him always, and love Him even when it gets difficult.

Now that you've got some of the basics of your "dance" with God, try your own moves. Just make sure you keep your footing in Jesus Christ. He has given you the tools to live out your faith. You can find shelter in the teachings of the Catholic Church, and power and healing through the sacraments, especially the Eucharist and Reconciliation. Our mother Mary and the saints are waiting to pray with you and guide you into holiness. Continue to work your spiritual muscles, the virtues. Don't despair when you fall, just get up again. Make sure to share your love of Jesus with believers and non-believers alike.

And don't forget the Bible! Every day you have gotten little pieces of Scripture. Now you're ready for more. The Bible is not just a book of handy sayings- it is the story of our salvation.

It is your story.

Read the first chapter of Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John. The next day, read the next chapter, and so on. Then read the Book of Acts. Don't forget to meditate upon them, not just read through them. Hear God's voice calling to you. Write down questions you may want to ask your youth leader or priest, or check out what the Catechism has to say about it.

Don't think that you're finished just because it's Day 35. What kind of fool would spend over a month working out just so they could get out of shape again? Remember the marathon you are running. God is faithful to us, even when we are not faithful to Him. His pierced hand is always reaching out to save. He is calling you now, calling you by name. Now... keep running!

Let me know that you’ve finished it!
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There are a lot of great resources out there to help you keep growing strong in your spiritual journey. Let me suggest a few of them to you:

My good friend, Jim Beckman, wrote a great book called “God, Help Me: How to Grow In Prayer”. It’s a great way to learn more about becoming more intimate with God in prayer.

My friends at LIFE TEEN have written a wonderful bible study called “40 More”. It’s like the 35 day workout, only for 40 days! That’s like, five days more better.

But I think the best thing to read about prayer is in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The fourth section of it is called “Christian Prayer”, and it’s chock full of great stuff that will really inspire you.