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The Persecution No One Talks About

December 17, 2022 /

Yesterday marked the beginning of the third week of Advent. This Sunday has traditionally been called by the Latin name Guadate, which translates to “joyful” and is marked by lighting the pink candle on the Advent wreath. The reason this Sunday depicts joy is because it marks the second last Sunday of Advent before the birth of Jesus.

For many Christians around the world Advent is a time of fear. While it is rarely spoken about in our media, in the last 20 years Christians have been the most persecuted and displaced religious group around the world, particularly in the Middle East, and parts of northern, Sub-Saharan and Western Africa. For example, Syria contains the only majority Christian town that has Aramaic as its official language – the language that Jesus spoke. Between 2011 and 2013, Churches have been bombed, Christian icons (some well over 1000 years old) have been destroyed, and priests publicly executed. In Syria in 2011, there were 1.7 million Christians, today there are less than 450 000. In Iraq, the Christian population shrunk from 1.5 million in 2003 to less than 120 000 today. Even in Biblical areas such as Gaza and the West Bank the Christian population plummeted from 11 percent to less than 1 percent in the last 100 years. 

Many Christians in the Middle East are ethnically Assyrians, Suryani, or Coptic. These ethnic groups are indigenous to the lands and are even mentioned in the Old Testament. 

A couple years ago I met a Coptic Christian Egyptian man, who was staying at a monastery outside Cairo, Egypt. The monastery attacked and his life was spared because the attackers saw his peaceful faith in God even in the face of death. Another gentleman, I met 12 years ago, who today runs an NGO smuggling persecuted religious minorities out of the Middle East, shared with me that when he was a young man the Cairo police arrested and tortured him because he was found with a Bible. Even in our school, there are Middle Easter Christians who have escaped with their lives. I am grateful for their stories. 

On a hopeful note many of these Christian have chosen to immigrate to Canada where they can live out their faith in peace, not only among their own communities, but among other religious communities as well. Today, let us pray for the families of Middle Eastern Christians who have started a new life in Canada and for those who continue to live in their homeland. 

Let us pray,

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 

Lord Jesus, we thank you for loving us. We thank you for the gift of your Middle Eastern followers., especially those who are part of our school community. We pray that those who are experiencing persecution for their faith be comforted by Your loving presence. We pray especially for those who had to flee for their lives and have become separated from their families. Invite into your loving presence those who have unjustly lost their lives because of their Christian faith. We pray this in Your name. Amen. 

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 

 

Witnessing Your Own Funeral

December 17, 2022 /

A reading from Psalm 1: 

“Happy are those whose delight is in the law of the Lord… In all that they do, they prosper.”

In your opinion, what does it mean to live a rich life? Upon hearing the word, “rich” your mind may have immediately jumped to images of luxury cars, seaside mansions, or expensive clothing. However, while this is nothing inherently wrong with luxury, it is a narrow understanding of what it means to be rich or prosperous. 

To be prosperous is to be rich in gratitude and generosity. While luxuries and money can certainly make life easier and, perhaps more enjoyable, they don’t guarantee a life of fulfillment and impact. 

All the things we acquire in this world we will leave behind after our earthly life and will eventually fade away. But what can remain for a long time is the memories people have of you. 

Think about it this way. Imagine you had the opportunity to witness your own funeral. What do you want your loved ones to say about you as they gather to remember your life. How much wealth have you’ve accumulated? The cars you owned throughout your life? The size of your house? The amount of money in your bank account? Or perhaps, how infectious your gratitude was and how insanely generous you were with your time and wealth? Which message do you think would have a lasting impact on the world? 

I think it’s safe to say that how people remember us will have a greater impact than how much we accumulated? We want to be remembered not by what we took from the world, but how much we gave to it. 

Let us pray, 

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Lord, thank you for overseeing my life. Help me to keep track of all my blessings. Inspire me with the wisdom to prioritize my desires in my life. If I am blessed with wealth in my future, remind me to bless others with generosity. I know that everything that I acquire in this world is not mine. It is a borrowed gift that one day I will leave behind and will eventually pass away. I pray this in Your name. 

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 

A Life Without Sin

December 17, 2022 /

A reading from the gospel according to St. Luke:

“Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” – Luke 1:28

For many Christians around the world, today is called the “Feast of the Immaculate Conception” On this day our attention is directed to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and her sinless nature. 

Like Mary, and billions of humans before us we all came into this world as innocent babies. Yet, due to the many complications that surround us we often make decisions that fracture our relationship with God, other people, and creation. Our tendency to fracture these relationships is referred to as original sin. Sometimes Christians refer to original sin as human brokenness. Our brokenness twists our will into denying our sin, but being quick to point out the sin of others very quickly. 

Image by Mateus Campus Felipe from Unsplash.com

I often fall into this trap of pointing out the faults of others, but slow to recognize my own. Recently, I was talking with a close friend of mine, who is very good at holding me accountable. I was upset and complaining. He patiently listened to me vent and instead of affirming me, he told me the following words, “The only reason I have any good in me is because of God.”

His words stung almost immediately as thoughts of my own brokenness rushed into my mind. Imagine that on your desk in front of you, you were to lay out all the things that you are ashamed of from your life for everyone to see. Thinking about this makes me take my own brokenness more seriously. 

The good news is that we are not destined to remain broken forever. We are God’s “work in progress.” We can start this process of restoration by saying “yes” to God, just as Mary did on the evening when the Angel Gabriel appeared to her. Saying “yes” to God takes courage, because it’s a realization that we can’t control everything, it’s trusting in our Heavenly Father, that His plans for us are greater than we can conceive of on our own. 

Let us pray,

Busyness Is Not A Virtue

December 17, 2022 /

A reading from the Gospel according to Luke:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free.” 

Yesterday marked the start of the second week of Advent. Advent means waiting. Waiting can be boring, waiting can make us impatient, or waiting can be the cause of great anticipation. Either way, waiting requires stillness. 

By Robert Bye from Unsplash.com

Yet, when you look around you, do you see stillness, or do people seem busier than normal? Do you feel busier than normal? Sometimes, excessive busyness can result in not thinking about others. And yet, during Advent and the Christmas season following, more people experience hurt and loneliness than anytime of the year. For some, the Christmas season can be a reminder of losing loved ones. For example, tomorrow we will remember the women who lost their lives in a targeted shooting at the Polytechnique Montreal on December 6, 1989. For the families of these women, Christmas may not necessarily be a celebratory season. For others, Christmas can be a time of loneliness and isolation, especially those who are in need, in addition to carrying the burden of mental illness. 

This Advent, whether you consider yourself Christian or not, we can all place greater effort on slowing down and noticing people around us and asking ourselves, how we can respond to them? How can we live just a little more for others during this time of the year? 

Let us pray,

In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Lord Jesus, I long to do your will. Give me the grace to see and respond to the needs around me and be with me always as I pray for the needs of all who suffer. Amen.

In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

How Spiritual Blindness Keeps Us In Darkness

December 17, 2022 /

A reading from Psalm 27: 

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?”

Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night and felt creeped out? When we moved into our new home a couple of years ago, I would wake up to random sounds that I didn’t notice in our previous home. On occasion, I would hear creaking floorboards, ruffling paper, and even the occasional item falling over. Waking up in the darkness of night and hearing these noises got my mind racing. However, I soon discovered that our cat Emma was the culprit. She was busy exploring our new home. 

Image by Oscar Keys from Unsplash.com

Darkness in the middle of the night keeps us from seeing things as they really are. Especially, if we allow the darkness to play with our imagination. Similarly, the spiritual darkness in our world can also keep us from seeing things as they really are. More importantly, spiritual darkness can keep us from seeing goodness in others and in the greater world. 

We all experienced spiritual darkness to some extent. Five years ago, I noticed I was facing a lot of anxiety and fear when I was glued to my Facebook and Instagram feeds. I was consumed by the never ending debates in comment sections and political click bates. One time I was having a debate with an old classmate of mine for two days straight on Facebook. I remember being on a date with my wife and all I could think about was what he would say next and how I would respond. I was blinded from seeing the goodness that was in front of my very eyes. That night I made the decision to delete all my social media accounts. The days following were like a breath of fresh air. More importantly, God’s goodness in my life became a lot clearer. 

So I ask you, what are the things in your life that are keeping you in darkness. Is any of it in your control? 

Let us pray, 

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 

Father God, thank You for loving me. Thank you for being patient with me for the times I willfully blind myself from seeing Your goodness. Holy Spirit, bring healing into my life and open my eyes to seeing Christ. Inspire me with the discipline and fortitude to take control of the things in my life that are keeping me in darkness. I pray this in Your name. Amen. 

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 

Do What Your Mother Says! Why we should honour Mary.

January 18, 2022 /

When I was growing up it was difficult to say “no” to my mom. Yes, of course, there were times when I was plain rude to her; especially as a teenager, but I always ended up feeling guilty.

Even today, if she asks me to do something I have a hard time saying “no” even if her request is annoying. For example, asking me to drive all the way to St. Catharines to set-up her new Ipad because she’s intimidated by technology.

It can be so difficult to say “no” to moms, thats why dad’s often say, “Listen to your mother!”

To me it’s a mystery why our mom’s have this spell over us. Perhaps it’s because we just don’t want to let them down, since they sacrifice so much for us throughout our entire lives.

Jesus honours his mom. Shouldn’t we?

I think the same is true for Jesus.

Often the focus of the Wedding at Cana reading is Jesus turning water into wine. In one sense, that is not that interesting. If Jesus is God, then he has the ability to suspend and alter nature’s laws. At this point in the Bible that has long been established.

What I find interesting is his obedience to Mary. Remember, Jesus is God incarnate. Mary is not divine. Yet, with little hesitation, Jesus does as she says. Mary must have had some sass. When Jesus makes an excuse for not providing wine, Mary doesn’t even bother to entertain her son’s excuse. She simply assumes that Jesus will do as she says by telling the servants “Do whatever, he tells you.” Jesus then turns the water into wine.

Jesus honored his mother, Mary. This is one the reasons why I as a Catholic Christian honour her. Why would I do anything different than Jesus? Once again, if we ask ourselves the often rhetorical question: “What would Jesus do?” We should be prepared to actually “do” what Jesus does. In this case, it is to honour Mary just as Jesus honoured her.

Don’t Forget to Celebrate

June 25, 2021 /

As some of you know, millions of soccer fans from around the world have been gathering in front of their tv sets to watch the Euro Cup. On Tuesday I watched Croatia vs Scotland. Both teams had to win to move on in the tournament. After 90 minutes of physical and mental torment in front of a loud Scottish crowd, Croatia won the game 3-1 and secured their place in the final 16 of the tournament. 

One of the outstanding parts of the match for me happened after the final whistle. Croatia’s captain, Luka Modric, dropped to the ground covering his eyes as tears flowed out of them. 

 

He looked as if he just won the entire tournament. Winning that game meant so much to Modric because he went all out for the game, easily covering nearly 12 km on the pitch, and scoring a goal that curled the ball around the Scottish keeper. 

 

Celebrate, But Don’t Become Complacent 

 

As you reach the end of the school year, it’s important to celebrate. In the past two years we have been bombarded with so much bad news that we often forget to celebrate the small wins in life. Sometimes, we even have the tendency to downplay our achievements. Celebrating life is a major theme in the Bible. Psalm 145:7 reads, “They shall eagerly utter the memory of Your abundant goodness, And will shout joyfully of Your righteousness.” 

 

I know many of you gave it your all this year, and then some. Finishing this school year deserves celebration; especially if you’re a graduate. 

 

Make sure to honor God in your celebration. Thank Him for sustaining you throughout this year and being there to lean on when you felt like giving up. 

 

Finally, keep in mind that while celebration is important, don’t become complacent. There will be new challenges awaiting you in the near future. Don’t look at these challenges as something bad; look at them as opportunities to further win at life and celebrate further achievements. 

 

Finishing this school year is like winning one game in a tournament, except the tournament for us lasts a lifetime. We have to celebrate, but then we have to prepare once more.  

 

Let us pray, 

 

Almighty Father, We offer you all honour and praise. We thank you for sustaining us throughout this school year. Thank you for keeping us close to your Sacred Heart. Help us to always be aware of your Holy Spirit in our lives. Continue to guide us as we move into the summer. Grant us much deserved rest and to our families many blessings and good health. Throughout the next two months equip us with virtues and spiritual gifts to overcome future obstacles and to conquer any crosses that may burden us. We make this prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen. 

 

Hail Mary…

The Measure of Real Love is Our Willingness To Lay Down Our Lives Daily

May 10, 2021 /

In this Sunday’s gospel Jesus says that “there is no greater love than to lay down your life for a friend.” 

 

What comes to mind when you hear the words “lay down your life”?

Story

 

My mother in-law, Anna, lost her husband 20 years ago to cancer. Anna’s husband was an only child so she became responsible for the wellbeing of her in-laws as they aged. 

 

Her father-in-law developed Alzheimer not long after his son’s passing. Not long after Anna’s mother in-law fell into depression followed by an avalanche of health complications that made her a regular at the St. Catharines General Hospital. Anna tirelessly drove them from appointment to appointment, cleaned their home, cooked for them and was always a call away. This was in addition to her duties as a mom, her job as a nurse, and tending to her own parents when needed. Both Anna’s in-laws have since past. Yet, if you knew Anna during those times you’d never guess what she was dedicated to. She was laying down her life for her in-laws, her daughter Jennine (my wife), her parents, and her patients at work. 

 

Here’s one more story.

 

Sarah, a high school teacher, is a hard-working teacher and dedicated wife and mother. While at school Sarah remains positive and inspires her students. When at home, she is loving towards her children. Perhaps, it’s only her husband who knows what she is going through. Sarah’s mom is an alcoholic and lives alone, one hour away. Despite being anxious, exhausted and even angry at her mom, Sarah drives one hour to see her mom every day after school and one hour home. She brings her a bottle of liquor (because it’s dangerous for alcoholics to suddenly stop), prepares food for her and ensures she’s comfortable and safe for the night. In the evening she gets home in time to tuck her own children into bed. She repeats the next day. Sarah lays down her life for her students, her family and her mom. 

 

Connection

 

Do you know people who lay down their life daily? 

 

Do you lay down your life daily for someone? 

 

When I hear the words “lay down your life,” I immediately think about grand heroic acts. But laying down one’s life is not always so grand that it would make a good movie. You and I can lay down our lives by doing little acts with great love. Here’s some examples:

 

Wash the dishes after dinner. There’s nothing exciting about washing dishes, but it can make a huge difference for your parents. Study and do your homework, even when you feel tempted to play video games or scroll through Instagram. Don’t dismiss someone just because you don’t see eye to eye them. Teach yourself to listen. Be present for your younger siblings, even if they are annoying. Honor and respect the dignity of your friends, peers and teachers. Finally, lay down your life for your own sake, by stopping negative life-degrading habits. None of this is glorifying and you may even be made fun of, but it’s the virtuous thing to do. 

 

The measure of our love is found in our willingness to lay down our lives every day. 

 

Let us pray, 

 

Lord Jesus, you laid down your life for us in an extraordinary way on the cross. But you also laid down your life in more ordinary ways when you encountered those who were marginalized or in need of forgiveness. We thank you Lord for your example of love and the examples set by countless saints before us. Sometimes the most difficult thing to do is to lay down our lives daily for our friends, family, co-workers and peers. When we feel lazy or unmotivated, help us to see opportunities to lay down our lives in simple ways. We pray for the inspiration of Your Holy Spirit. We make this prayer in Your Holy Name. Amen. St. Joseph…Pray for Us!

Good Relationships Don’t Just Make You Feel Good, They Get You To Heaven

May 5, 2021 /

What are the relationships you value most in your life?

 

My close friend, David and I have had similar life experiences growing up. We had similar family dynamics, similar interests, and our faith journeys parallel one another. What makes our similarities awe inspiring is that we grew up in different parts of the world, separated by thousands of kilometres, speaking different languages, and being influenced by different cultures. We only met because we happened to share a class during our Master’s program. 

Accountability

 

One of the things that I value most about my friendship with David is that we hold each other accountable. We have an agreement to hold each other accountable to the high (and sometimes difficult) standards set out by Jesus. When we fail to live up to these standards, we are compassionate, but at the same time we have a mutual understanding to give each other a kick in the butt. Kind of like a coach who sees great potential in an athlete, then tries to push the athlete beyond his/her limit, good relationships should be defined by inspiring greater holiness and virtue. 

 

My friendship with David has inspired me to seek discomfort. David calls me out whenever I drop the ball. He doesn’t affirm every decision I make. Instead of getting offended, I am shaken out of my guilt and inspired to push forward with greater resolve. In the 10 years I’ve known David, I’ve overcome personal sins I struggled with and have grown in my relationship with God. 

 

Fertile Soil

 

A good relationship is like fertile soil that allows for a tree to grow strong and resilient against the harmful and unpredictable elements of nature. If the soil is poor quality, then the tree may not grow to its intended height, the roots can become weak and fragile and the tree will eventually fall over and die before it’s time. Good relationships aren’t primarily defined by how we are made to feel, but by how much it inspires growth and the conquering of sin in our lives. Yes, David and I have things in common and we laugh at the same stupid things, but so do a bunch of other people, including strangers I’ve met. 

 

We Can’t Fix Ourselves

 

God created us to be in relationships because we are broken and we can’t fix ourselves. In fact, God, Himself, is a relationship of three persons – a Trinity. So if we are created in  God’s image and likeness, it only makes sense for us to be created for relationships. Moreover, we are all in the same boat. It doesn’t matter what you struggle with, we all struggle with something, some sin. The people in our relationships are God’s potential instruments to start repairing us, a bit at a time, on the road to Eternity with God. 

 

Life is An Endurance Race

 

I see life as an endurance race. When athletes run marathons, along the sidelines are people offering them water, food, first aid and even massages to rehabilitate their aching limbs. Can you imagine if the people on the sidelines just told you to just give up, you ran enough, you should be happy where you are? Our friends, loved ones, and family are like the people at the sidelines, constantly pushing us forward. That includes you. You too have been placed in people’s lives on their journey to Eternity. The question you have to ask yourself is: Are you inspiring them to keep moving forward? 

 

Let us pray,

 

The most important relationships in our lives are our family. Our family are our first educators, for Christians, the family is the domestic church. 

 

Let us pray for healing, blessings and an increase in love in our families.

 

God of light, we know that no family is perfect. We often take things for granted and place higher standards on our own family members. Help us to overcome any jealousies, conflicts, or bitter feelings that may get in the way of family harmony. May we always show pride in and appreciation for our family members. Help us to express the care and concern we truly have for one another. May our families be blessed with good health, joy and love. Amen. 

How To Make Peace In An Evil World

January 7, 2021 /

Reflection & Prayer – January 7, 2020 

 

So… What Now?

 

A reading from the first letter of St. John:

 

For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 4For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith.

 

Reflection

 

Did you turn on the TV last night or look at your phone? How did you feel?

 

Typically, when a new year starts one tries to be optimistic. After a year violence, economic instability and health crises I feel emotionally drained? For some of you all these challenges were additional weight to personal challenges. For some of you, what you saw last night is the last thing you needed and may have crushed any reminisce of optimism you had for the new year. 

So what now? 

 

Let me share with you a brief story.

 

An Unintended Friendship

 

Seven years ago the director of a retirement home asked me to lead a Remembrance Day prayer service for their residence. 

 

At the end of the prayer service I met a man who was a former Canadian navy officer in the Second World War. He was stationed on a battleship in the North Atlantic Ocean. One day they captured a German submarine. After the submarine pulled up next to their ship, the Canadian officer recalled how he opened the hatch of the submarine to find the Nazi soldiers ready to die. One of the Nazi soldiers spoke English, so through him, the Canadian sailors were able to give them instruction. 

 

When the German soldiers came on board, the Canadian sailors didn’t shoot them and throw them overboard, but gave them food, conversed and even played cards with them. 

 

The former Canadian sailor was the son of German immigrants. To his surprise, he discovered that one of the German soldiers they captured was his cousin. What are the chances?! He told me that the rest of the time out at sea, it was like a family reunion. No hate, no anger, but laughter. 

 

The retired navy officer told me that it didn’t take long for his Canadian crew and German soldiers to ask each other, “What the hell are we even doing?”.  In other words, what’s the purpose of all this violence? 

 

The Victory that Overcomes Evil

 

This encounter between the two men is an example of Christ’s great commandment lived out: “Love God above all things; and love others as yourself.” 

 

In today’s reading, the apostle John writes, “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.”

 

John then continues to say, “For his commandments are not burdensome.” Was this encounter a burden on the Canadian sailor? No! In fact, it was the opposite, it led to reconciliation. Yet, if his crew executed the German soldiers, that violence and hatred may have haunted him for the rest of his life. 

 

John then concludes with the words, “…this, is the victory that overcomes the world. Faith.” In the Bible “the world” is characterized as being under the influence of satan (the devil; the great deceiver). St. Paul writes, “Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News (2 Corinthians 4:4). 

 

Not only did this man overcome hate, but by his love, he conquered evil…he conquered the devil, just as Christ did. The man was a devout Christian. 

 

So what to do? If you want peace in the world, start by loving those people whom God has placed in front of you every day, even if you find it difficult. For many of you, that’s your friends, teachers and families.

 

Mother Teresa once said, “If you want peace in the world, go home and love your family.” 

 

Let us pray,

 

Prince of Peace, today we pray for the peace in our hearts, in our minds, and in our actions. In the world that is struggling to find meaning and often itself witnessing deliberate acts of violence, help us to be peacemakers. Grant us the wisdom, insight and prudence to be able to distinguish the need and necessity to resolve issues and conflicts without violence. Grant us the vision to recognize that although we are all unique and different, we share a commonality rooted in our humanity, dignity, and worth. Help us to embrace the model that you lived and to love one another as you continue to love us. Amen. 

 

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