BLAZE Sunday May 30, 2004

Pentecost

What does Pentecost mean for a Christian today? That day, 2000 years ago, when the Apostles were locked in the upper room afraid of the future, and uncertain of their destiny, what does it have to do with us today? How do those tongues of fire become more than just an interesting story . . . is the event of the descent of the Holy Spirit just a memory?

If it is just a memory, then it is irrelevant. But thankfully, that day when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles is lived out today. The fact of the Church is the direct result of the event of Pentecost. The Church then becomes the way we understand Pentecost today. The Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles and it did two things: It made them want to stay with each other, to be close in their friendship and it made them want to tell everyone about this friendship.

Communion (being together) and Evangelization (announcing this friendship) is the basic identity of the Church. Christ is present through her today, and it is through this Communion that the presence of Christ is made present today. This friendship, born from the encounter with Christ, is lived in the World and the Presence is announced both through our friendship and through our proclamation.

And that is what is amazing about Pentecost and the descent of the Holy Spirit. This man, who was an enigma to them, who is an enigma to us, is made "ours" through the Holy Spirit. The same is true for us today. The Holy Spirit gives a life that is lived in a revolutionary way. We could not, of our own will and power, live this Christian life. Sometimes we don't realize this. We aren't always aware that it's the Holy Spirit that gives us the grace to live with Christ. Yet, without the Holy Spirit we would truly be lost.

This is why the Challenge for us is to always live aware of the Holy Spirit's effect on our lives. We must desire this awareness, we must desire the Holy Spirit to be present to us at all times. We can do this, through the intercession of Mary, the Spouse of the Holy Spirit.

Veni Sancte Spiritus, Ven per Maria.

Workers

Today I drove out to my grandmother's house in Fabens, TX. I was driving by the many fields and noticing the laborers who work the irrigation, or hoe the fields, or whatever. One thing that struck me, which when I was younger I don't remember: All of the workers were pretty old, like late 50's 60's. And, even though that's not technically "old" it does seem beyond what you would expect for men who spend the whole day in the burning El Paso sun doing manual labor with a hoe and a shovel. I just wondered to myself: Why are there not younger workers?

Meanwhile, my grandmother tells me that more and more in Fabens you see people using Food Stamps to buy their groceries. This is a phenomenon that has been increasing in the last 10 years.

It seems that the older men, who had a strong work ethic, still do. And the younger men, who never had one, probably never will.

Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.

I'm still with my family, tomorow we will bury the cremated remains of my Aunt Martha and her daughter who died last year. After my cousin Roxanne passed away last year, it became Martha's desire to have Roxanne buried with her. It will be done tomorrow at the Catholic Cemetary near my grandparents' farm. There will not be a priest officiating, which I don't think is necessary anyway, and I will probably lead the prayers at the internment. The Funeral Mass was yesterday.

If any of our clerical friends happen to read this tonight and know that its not Kosher, please let me know.

Martha Vasquez, Requiem in Pace

Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy
I just finished a long (they're always long when they're 9 hours!) drive from Brenham to El Paso for my Aunt Martha's rosary and funeral mass.

Our Life, Our Sweetness, and Our Hope.
She was a great woman. I remember how much she loved to laugh and how generous and cheerful she always was. One time, when I was about 12 years old, I was riding back from a camping trip with her and my uncle. We popped in a cassette that I had made in my more "comedic" moments. She laughed and laughed so much you would have thought I was Bill Cosby. Sometimes when she and I were sitting quietly, a smile would come across her face and she would say "You remember that tape?"

To thee do we Cry, Poor Banished Children of Eve,
For the last 5 (almost 6) years she has been battling recurring brain tumors. I'm pretty sure she has had 14 brain surgeries and 2 gamma radiation treatments to destroy 17 tumors. Each surgery left a little less responsive and mobile. In the last couple of years she had been slightly paralyzed on one side and almost completely speechless. It was difficult to see this gregarious personality be so limited in her physical expression. Still, everytime I visited, heck, everytime ANYONE visited, Martha would beam a smile and do her best to welcome us.

To thee do we send up our sighs,
Last year, her daughter Roxanne passed away from Leukemia. Roxanne was 21. She had Downe's Syndrome and had been the light and life of our family for 21 years. Her death was hard for all of us. Hardest, I think, for Martha. After Roxanne died Martha just longed to be with her daughter in heaven. Last Sunday, Our Lord answered Martha's prayer. He took her home to Himself.

Mourning and weeping in this Valley of Tears.
For me, purgatory seems like such a consolation . . . for ME. I know what a wretch I can be, God would be merciful to send me to purgatory. But, as much as I have seen Martha suffer over the last 6 years, purgatory seems harsh. I know it isn't, but it feels that way. I hope, with all of my heart, that these 6 years have been her temporal purification . . .

Man, I sure wish I had that tape today. My mom might have it. We'll look for it.

BLAZE -- Sunday, May 23

What We Are Searching For

Every man is searching for a passion worthy of filling his soul to capacity. So long as he has failed to find it, his existence is lifeless, joyless, deprived of light and of any goal worthy of the name; it is a problem to which he has not yet found the key. He is lost in a world which has shown him no value to which he can dedicate himself, in other words, sacrifice himself. True passion is essentially selfless and generous; we are not trying to acquire anything, we want to remake the world.

So far from rending our soul and abandoning it to distress and impotence, it brings us inner certitude, equilibrium, tranquility, and peace. It puts an end to all convulsions in the soul: it gives them no time to appear. It marks the end of doubt, hesitation, and inertia. We do not question, for through it we have found our way and our salvation; all our concern is for the object of our passion, since we can never be sure we are givng it the attention it deserves. Nothing else enables a man to become conscious of the power by which he realizes himself, and to know that his destiny and his vocation are one and the same.

Louis Lavelle was a prisoner of war in World War I and a French philosopher.

I love this reflection that I found in Magnificat and I used it as our main meditation for BLAZE on Sunday night. As I was reading it, I couldn't help but think of the "Extreme Sports" craze. These are guys who are searching for a passion that will fill them to capacity, the base jumpers, the sky divers, the BMXers, the skaters . . . these guys can never get enough. Every jump needs to be outdone by the next jump. Every trick needs to be outdone by the next trick. As much as they love it, they can never get enough of it.

This is our human life. We are always searching for something that will satisfy us, we are always searching for the thing that will fill us. We have a tendency to seek it in material posessions, drinking, drugs, fame, sex, thrills, etc . . . but none of these fill us. Then how is man to ever feel at peace?

Louis Lavelle tells us that it is in the gift of self that this fulfillment can be found. Simply, it is when man realizes that "his destiny and his vocation are one and the same." It is in this realization that man actually realizes himself. Our hearts are always searching for fulfillment and they are restless, until Augustine says, they rest in Him.

Yes, the Presence that we seek to fill our hearts is Christ. The drama of our lives is brought to the forefront when we begin to live this encounter and seek the Presence at every opportunity of our lives. Christ was made man so that he could be encountered as a human presence. This human presence lives on today through the Church.

And this is the task: To beg that the Presence can be encountered through us. Let us pray with Mary that it might be so.

Veni Sancte Spiritus, Veni Per Maria!

Which Narnia Book Are You?

The fifth book written, you're the third book chronologically and take place during The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. You tell the story of the humans Shasta and Aravis and the talking horses Bree and Hwin, all trying to escape from unhappy lives in Calormen to go to Narnia.

Find out which Chronicles of Narnia book you are.

Thanks to Fr. Bryce at A Saintly Salmagundi for this heart warming story of two brothers, and two families, and how death can bring life.

Take the time to read it, you won't be disappointed.

I'm sick . . .

Yesterday afternoon, I got sick . . . It was wierd. I went from normal to fever and chills in 5 minutes. So, well, I'm probably not going to blog much today. I will try to get the BLAZE night update up before the end of the day. Ciao!

Wearing religion on your sleeve . . . and everywhere else

I know I've said this at BLAZE before, but allow me to take this opportunity to say it again: Faith is not found on a T-shirt.

It has become "cool" to put cute little Jesus sayings on clothing. Some places are selling the pink "Jesus Loves Me" Kitty Shirts meanwhile Madonna and Pamela Anderson are sporting their new "Mary is My Homegirl" gear. I'm sure Mary Immaculate, Mother of Purity, is particularly proud of the low waistline and navel on display method of wearing this shirt.

Is there anything fundamentally wrong with wearing your faith on your sleeve? Wrist? Back? No, of course not. I like the Padre Pio shirts I've seen (the all black ones with white writing). I saw a cool "Mama's Boy" T-shirt with the Hail Mary on the back. These shirts are usually an outward expression of an inward conviction. You would probably never see Madonna with a shirt proclaiming that the Church was founded on Peter.

See, I think there is a difference between a cutesy shirt with a kitten proclaiming "Jesus Love Me" and a shirt that expresses a devotion to a stigmatic priest who lived his life hearing confessions.

I'm trying to tease out exactly what it is that bothers me so much about the kitty . . . maybe you guys can help me make the distinction. Or, maybe you can point out how I'm completely off track . . .

This is cool-moe . . . in my opinion

It's the Birthday E-Card that Communion and Liberation made for the Pope.

It's cool! I like mountains, I like il Papa, and I love the dramatic feel of the whole scene.