Audio from recent interview; prayer and God outside of time

On Friday I spoke with Glen Lewerenz on Morning Air about concrete steps we can take to make the most of the Sabbath: to pray, feast, rest and thank God for all He’s given us. My favorite part was explaining how God has given us Sunday as a gift, and how I believe He delights in our delighting in His day. Also, I should have have asked Glen what kind of toppings they put on their homemade pizzas, but I am confident there will be another opportunity. You can listen here starting around the 24:12 mark.

Yesterday I took a mini road trip with some gal pals to a scenic town in Northern Virginia. We talked a lot about prayer on the ride there, and my friend Sara shared an insight I find fascinating. As she told us, “God is outside time.” This is a phrase I have heard before, but she explained it in a new way, as it relates to prayer: if God is outside time, the prayers we offer him now can impact other periods of times. For example, you can pray now for someone’s children - that they haven’t had yet. But also, your prayer can flow retroactively - for the resolution of a conflict in your past. Why would God not work in that way? If you pray, for example, for your parents’ marriage now, could it not be that today’s prayers were working ten years ago? Do you think? Is that not astonishing but obvious?

We also talked about purgatory and the ability of souls there to pray (for others, not themselves, as it turns out). You know, regular ol’ girly road trip conversation.

I also wondered, if you pray for someone a lot - like a whole lot - is there something that changes between you, even if the prayer is not directly, specifically answered the way you want it to (or if you do not know the result of the prayer)? Can prayer bond two people? As an example, if you “adopted” an orphan in another country and sent money each month for that child’s needs, and also prayed for her, though you never met, wouldn’t that act of praying for her bond your souls in some particular way? It is something I am thinking about. I don’t know what the answer is, but I think it’s yes.

Of course, that sort of intense intercessory prayer need to not occur across oceans; most of the people around us in our everyday lives need prayer (especially if they are disconnected from a faith community and do not have others praying for them. Don’t go asking them about that, though; that’s rude). It reminds me of another thing from this week: I was speaking with Fr. Kelley, my esteemed Jesuit spiritual director (dang those Jesuits understand prayer) and he reminded me we are not to look for crosses in life - they are already present. And usually, found in the people closest to you, the tough relationships and miscommunications of family and friends. Those are abundant opportunities for mortification and humility. Definitely don’t need to go seeking out other opportunities.

So in other words, keep praying, especially for those closest to you. Be their intercessor. Don’t look for what it will get you, though. Our job is to pray, not to tell God how to answer it.

Celebrating Mary's Queenship

Happy memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary! I wrote an article about this two years ago, “Why Mary’s Queenship Matters.” In sum: “Jesus has given us the love and protection of His own mother; with her, our faith is whole.”

An additional thought from Bishop Barron today:

“The Queenship of Mary is not a sentimental feast. Whenever biblical people spoke of kings or queens, they were speaking of warriors. The question for us is: Which side are we on? Those trained in the Jesuit spiritual tradition know of the ‘two standards’ meditation, which compels us to make the simple choice: In which army do you serve?

We fight, of course, not with the puny weapons of the world, but with the weapons of the Spirit; by God we fight. So don’t just honor and acknowledge the Queenship of Mary; get in her army.”

Get in her army! I am reminded that this truth is also why Frank Duff in his wisdom, when creating his powerful lay apostolate known as the Legion of Mary, called it that rather than “Mary’s Club” or “Mary’s Buddies.” Warriors, people!

Programming note: my Morning Air interview next Friday, 8/30 has been moved back 15 minutes to 7:30 am eastern. We’ll be talking my recent article, 4 Steps to a Better Sunday, and all the practical things you can do to properly “keep the Sabbath holy” with your friends, with prayer, and of course with feasting. Maybe it’ll make you change your mind that Sunday is the best day of the week. It really is!*

*If done properly

4 Steps to a Better Sunday

Friends, Sunday has long been one of my favorite days, and I realized I may be in the minority on that. I say, what’s not to love about Biblically-mandated feasting and relaxation?

For those with not enough feasting and relaxation in their lives, I wrote an article for Catholic Stand called 4 Steps to a Better Sunday, which you can also read below. Mark you calendar - I’ll be joining the Morning Air radio show on Friday, August 30 at 7:15 am to talk with John and Glen about this. You can stream and listen live on your phone or iPad here. In the meantime - what are you doing to observe the Sabbath? Yes, having a cookout and drinking a beer with neighbors counts.

Enjoy!

4 Steps to a Better Sunday

In college, I learned the phrase “the Sunday scaries.” It means that feeling of dread on Sunday night as Monday morning approaches, with its threat of work, meetings, overdue homework, tests, and all the unwelcome results of procrastination. With this train of thought, Sunday night symbolizes the end of fun and freedom for the next five days.  Sound familiar?

Ultimately, God chose the Sabbath to be a day of rest – His day – when we, as His children, are to enjoy Him, each other, and give thanks for all that He has given us. I believe a Sunday well spent is not only the cure for “the Sunday scaries” but for the Monday morning blues as well!  When Sunday is properly-ordered, the rest of the week follows.

“Christians celebrate the Sunday because it is the day of the Lord’s Resurrection and the beginning of the new creation. Catholics are obliged to participate in the celebration of the Eucharist on Sundays and to devote the remainder of the day to rest, relaxation, spiritual reflection and activities that are consonant with this.” [United States Catechism for Adults, US Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2006, p.529]

Here are a few things you and your family can do to not only give proper reverence to the Sabbath, but to set yourself on a course for a happy and holy week.

Extra time for prayer

On Sunday mornings, I intentionally set aside extra time for prayer, first thing in the morning. I structure my time to include my usual, daily prayer practice and anything extra I feel called toward. This could include a rosary, a meditation with the day’s Scripture, or an Ignatian-style colloquy with God. Or it could be meditating on the life of a saint, practicing Lectio Divina, or spending time praying for someone else’s intentions.

The key thing here is to have a willing heart. Understandably, sometimes prayer is hard because the world and our lives are full of distraction. But prayer should never be rote, even in times of spiritual desolation. Instead, it is good to come to God sincerely, with the true concerns and needs on our heart and the trust that He hears. Otherwise, if approached as work, it is more difficult for the grace of prayer to work in our lives.

The fruit of this time spent in extra prayer is contentment, peace, and the knowledge that God is near. What better day than Sunday to not only be open to these graces, but to actively welcome them!

Enjoy Catholic content

When I was young I remember reading the Little House on the Prairie series and feeling awed by the austerity of the Ingalls family’s Sunday observances. No cooking, no playing, and the only reading could come from the Bible.  I think cooking and playing are critical components of a Sunday well spent.  And while reading from the Bible is commendable (and should be done every day of the week), it need not be your only resource on Sunday. Truly, there is an abundance of Catholic content to read, watch, and listen to in order to set Sunday apart as a holy day.

For example, many churches are now sponsoring Formed for their parishioners. Formed is a free app with Catholic movies, podcasts, audio books and special content for kids.  It is  perfect to put on while getting ready for church, cooking dinner, or simply spending time together as a family. Formed offers information on everything from the lives of the saints to deep dives into theological debates from well-known speakers.  But Formed is just one example of one-stop-shop Catholic entertainment.

Other ways you can consume Catholic content on Sunday: you can listen to Relevant Radio, which has a streaming service where you can listen live, for free.  Or try a podcast like the informative and hilarious conversations of Fr. Anthony and Fr. Harrison on Clerically Speaking. CNA Newsroom has become a personal favorite.  And I never miss Bishop Robert Barron’s weekly homilies.

Netflix, Amazon Prime and other streaming services also have plenty of religiously themed movies – all you have to do is search! By the way, none of these things requires a TV – all are accessible on a phone, a tablet, a notebook, or a laptop.

Practice hospitality

Sunday is a day for feasting, whether that’s at breakfast, a big, post-Mass brunch, or a delicious dinner at home. If you come from a family where the shared Sunday meal is a tradition, congratulations – you already know how fun this is. And if you don’t have this tradition, congratulations – you get to start a tradition of your own choosing!

The Sunday meal is not about indulging for its own sake.  The Sunday meal is an opportunity to slow down, connect over conversation, and share your blessings (a bountiful table) with others.

Which brings me to my next point: a big meal is meant to be shared, and Sunday is the perfect opportunity. It can be argued that hospitality is a lost art, and one whose loss means fewer opportunities for real, human connection – so chronically needed today. I do not need to share statistics related to the loneliness epidemic (though it has been in the news).  Chances are, you’re already aware of how fractured our society is. Sunday dinner won’t solve this problem entirely, but it’s a little step any of us can take toward creating a more human-centered world.

No matter your age, consider welcoming family, friends, and neighbors into your home for a meal. If ‘full-on’ cooking is too much, tea and coffee are good, too. The important thing is to get together – to provide the opportunity for face-to-face connection. St. Benedict reminds us in his Rule, “All guests who present themselves are to be welcomed as Christ, for he himself will say: I was a stranger and you welcomed me.”

Do something for someone else

Jesus always calls us to be of service to others, to “Love one another as I have loved you,” (John 13:34), and what better way to honor our Creator than to serve those created in His image. Volunteering or giving back is not just good for those served, it’s good for our own souls – an opportunity to be grateful for our blessings, to meet new, like-minded people, and maybe to learn a little about ourselves.

When setting out to find a volunteer opportunity, there are a few things to keep in mind. Two important points to consider are what type of service you would like to engage with, and whether you want to do so by yourself or with family and friends. I mention this because service for service’s sake is a bit empty; God calls us to use our gifts for others.

So, if serving breakfast at a soup kitchen is not your favorite thing, that’s okay.  Maybe you are more suited to a pro-life knitting group or a group gardening activity. Also, if you see a need but no immediate volunteer listing available, be proactive. Reach out and offer your own expertise to your parish.  When looking for an opportunity, your parish is a great place to start. You can also check the volunteer listings at your local Catholic Charities.

Remember the Sabbath, keep Sunday holy

Are there other things you could do to live Sunday more intentionally? How about spending time in nature; devoting time to the crafts and projects in your garage that you love but have put off; calling family members in other parts of the world; or instituting family game night? Remember the goal in all these activities is to do something different that sets Sunday apart as a special, holy day for fellowship – with others and with God.