Burnish Your Virtues

A couple weeks ago our young adult group held an ask-the-Priest wine and dinner night with Father Berghout. While most of the discussion revolved around relationships and marriage (of course, especially considering Father is an annulment lawyer and given the general audience age), we also had a very interesting conversation about the seven deadly sins.

This came up because we had all recently heard another prominent priest's perspective on, "What is the greatest temptation for sin facing young adults in the current culture?" That particular priest stated it was sloth, the "noonday devil," also known as acedia. Apparently this is something that has been on people's minds for a long time (like centuries), and it refers not just to laziness but to a sort of zoning out and disengagement from real life. Conversely, acedia manifests itself as "busyness" that has no greater meaning and does not allow one to pursue meaning in one's life. That's the most simplistic way to put it.

Anyway, Fr. Berghout had a different answer. He believes that temptations are different for men and women, with lust/gluttony being first for men and envy/pride being  first for women. Men tend to be sensate, pursuing physical satisfaction of various sorts, and women are cerebral, always looking and thinking about what others have. Again, a very basic interpretation of much larger issues, but one which has been on my mind as a result.

I don't think it's good to sit around and think about sin all the time. There's no purpose; while it's a blessing to be aware of your weaknesses if you are able to grow from them, I believe ultimately God wants us to be happy, and sometimes you just have to move on. But then the question arises: what do I do when faced with this thing which is a source of sin - of falling short, of missing the mark - this thing that, again and again, prevents me from becoming the best version of myself? 

Today a friend asked me a question. His dilemma was that a "friend" (put in quotations by him) was coming into town and wanted to hang. He was hesitant because he felt she mostly had "friendships" in order to get something out of them. Further, he knew he would begin to experience jealousy in conversation with her because of her superior pay grade, which inevitably always comes up. His question: is it the grown-up thing to do to see her and confront those feelings head on, effectively working on them, or is it okay to decline, avoiding the situation so as not to indulge that lesser side of his personality?

My advice was two-fold. The first thought is that it really is practical to avoid the situations that allow us to fall into sin. So, those who know they have a tendency toward gluttony should avoid the buffet. I have certainly avoided spending time with people who, for whatever reason, inspire uncharitable thoughts in my mind. What's the point? Prayer and practice make us stronger, yes, but no need to get right in the fire.

Secondly, we are adults and not only are we allowed to spend our time how we want and with whom we want, but most importantly, you don't owe anybody anything. Life is far too short to spend it with people who do not see the light inside you, respect it, magnify it, and love you for who you are. I can happily say that the people in my life, and who I spend time with, are there because I want them there. And they are amazing, awe-inspiring people who make me feel loved - just as it should be.

My last bit of advice to him was to examine why he felt the need to spend time with her. Was it out of guilt or a sense of obligation? Or because he genuinely wanted to spend time with her? This is a good practice in general - are the activities you're choosing ones that speak to your values and the vision you have for your life? More importantly - do you know what your values are?

So yes, looking at our weaknesses and the tendencies toward particular sins we carry around with ourselves can be useful, but don't get bogged down. A nightly examination of conscience should cover it. Instead, look at your strengths and the virtues you do have. Remember that God endowed you with the ability to be kind, patient, charitable, humble and so on. He has given every one of us these abilities. And best of all, you have the opportunity every day to burnish these virtues, in addition to using the many talents and charisms inside you. It is an exciting thought, that despite our fallen and broken nature, there is always the possibility for closeness with God through the true expression of who we are. Whatever doubts you have, or whatever you feel is lacking because of a disposition to a certain sin, remember that we were never meant to do this alone - God's grace will fill in those empty spaces. 

St. Michael the Archangel

This is the allocutio I will deliver this evening at our Legion meeting. It comes from Ch. 24, part 4: St. Michael. The allocutio is a spiritual talk given by the spiritual director or, when he is not there, the president, during the Legion of Mary meeting.

Notes from the reading:

·         The prince of all the heavenly court

·         The most zealous in honoring Mary

·         The task of the good angels is the protection of people and solicitude for their salvation

·         Michael is the angel associated with covenant with the Jews – he is their special protector, as well

·         He is the loyal defender of the Church

This week we are strong on the angel theme, as our handbook study from Mary Shall Reign also covers the importance of the angels to the Legion. I read a book about angels recently that opened with this quote from Pope St. Leo: “Make friends with the angels.”

Why should we make friends with the angels, and what role do they play in our lives? Personally, I know I neglect my thought and prayer toward them, aside from maybe asking for their protection ahead of going on a trip. With all the other figures we can pray to, the angels are simply not at the top of my list – I am sad to say I forget about them.

We should make friends with the angels because they are powerful figures in our lives and the lives of all those we interact with, and their intercession is a powerful tool. If you are arguing with a friend and family member, you can ask their guardian angel to help or intercede, along with your own. If you are worried for your safety, you can ask your guardian angel to be at your side. Angels have been credited with stopping traffic incidents, shielding people from harm and even bringing couples together for marriage, as was the case with Tobia, who was led by the angel Raphael to his future wife, Sarah, as we learned in the recent readings from the Book of Tobit.

Just the idea of angels is really astonishing – beings whose whole reason for existence is to look after us. They are our best friends and allies, and they share in our joy and sadness equally with us. We must make friends of them and lean on them, because that is what God designed them and us for.

We are fortunate in the Legion to have St. Michael the Archangel watching over us. It is particularly fitting given the military lexicon in the Legion – we are Mary’s army, and he leads the army of angels. We know him as the angel who cast Satan from Heaven. He is the guardian of the church, patron of police officers, paramedics and the military. He also has a special role related to death – he carries souls as they depart, giving them a chance to come back to God and redeem themselves. He is depicted with a sword and, often, scales, where he is measuring souls with mercy. The sword is his weapon against evil, and he wields it on our behalf.

St. Michael will always come to our aid, and it is a good idea to invoke him before performing our works each week. He is, as Frank Duff noted, zealous in his willingness to render service to Mary’s servants (that’s us).

I will close with the powerful words of St. Michaels’ prayer:

St. Michael the Archangel,

Defend us in battle.

Be our defense against the wickedness and the snares of the Devil.

May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,

and do thou,

oh Prince of the heavenly hosts,

by the power of God,

thrust into hell Satan,

and all the evil spirits,

who prowl about the world

seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

Mustard Seed

Sunday, June 14, 2015 had the familiar reading about the mustard seed. It goes:

“This is how it is with the kingdom of God; it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land and would sleep and rise night and day and through it all the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how. Of its own accord the land yields fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once, for the harvest has come.”

Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.” (Mark 4:26-32)

I love this reading because it gives me hope. It tells me that even during the times when my faith is low - on something important, or something negligible - just having faith in God is enough. The purpose in having faith is not to create a result - the largest plant, the most gorgeous leaves, the most generous shade. The purpose of faith is to live your trust in God, through all things. 

Can you think of a time in your life when you had nothing to rely on but pure faith, and perhaps it wasn't even that much faith? 

God just wants us to show up for Him. The test that has your worried, the bill that needs paying, the stranger you want to speak to, the idea you want to pitch in the meeting - these are all opportunities to say, I don't know the outcome, but I will have faith regardless. And the beautiful thing is, when we do trust and rely on God - even this tiniest bit - His grace fills in the rest. The act of faith is enough. It shows God where our hearts are, trusting in His heart.

What a wonderfully comforting thought. You need not run a marathon for God's love. Praying, fasting and acts of service, of course, are all noble efforts, but in reality, this deep closeness we can have with God is accessible within ourselves, simply through having faith. Speak to Him, trust in Him and offer that mustard seed's worth of faith. In return, your faith will flourish and you will reap the rewards like grain at the harvest.

"This is how it is with the kingdom of God."