These are my thoughts… (a post from my friend)

A fantastic post by a good friend…..

 

These are my thoughts…

…shared mostly so you can understand where I am coming from, even if you disagree with me.

It is 11:47 pm right now and I should be sleeping. I should be sleeping but I am unable to. One hour ago, it appeared that the current president was going to win his bid for re-election. One hour ago, I walked into our family room and asked my husband to come join me in our room and hold me until I fell asleep. He fell asleep firs…(typical) I asked him to come hold me because I am scared. Here is the thing, I know I have a lot of friends who voted for ‘the other guy’ and I know that tonight is a night of celebration for you. I know you will be happy and think that you have reached a level of success. I know you are certain that something better has happened for our country. I know you are confident that you can believe in the change that you are striving for. And finally, I know that you don’t quite know why people like me are so scared. I thought I would let you know why. Because here is the thing, understanding where the ‘other’ is coming from is a good thing. I want to help you understand…. (To Keep reading, select here)

_____________________

God Bless

Paul Sposite

Guided Insight Life Coach

 

The Lessons of American Leadership

“The surrender at Saratoga” shows General Daniel Morgan in front of a French de Vallière 4-pounder. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Over the past weekend We celebrated Memorial Day here in the States, a day to stop and thank all the veterans that fought to keep this country safe and free. As part of my celebration I spent Sunday at Greenfield Village, thy have a Civil War remembrance weekend, the village is one large encampment of Civil War tents and solders. It is awesome to see. It wills me with pride to know I live in a land that fought for freedom and preserves freedom. America  is not perfect, no country is, but to me she is the model of perfection for nations to follow.

Freedom is a slippery thing, you can lose it faster than you gained it. For over 200 years we have been fighting for our freedom, fighting to maintain it and preserve it for generations yet to come. As Americans, we all to often get complacent with our freedom, we expect it to always exist, with little to no work on our part. But weekend such as Memorial Day as there to remind us that Freedom is not free, is not guaranteed and can be lost.

As a free nation, a free people we have responsibilities, to each other, our nation and the world. For with great freedoms comes great responsibilities. We are leaders, by our very nature, we are Americans and Americans have always been adventures and risk-takers.

Consider this, this great nation was built upon the backs of explorers, people wanting a new life, people willing to live in extreme conditions to gain this new life. They not only wanted change, they also created the change they sought.

Leaders are people who don’t avoid change, they take it head on. This nation was built upon the principle of leadership. The Pilgrims did not need self-help books to read on the Mayflower, they did not hold group sessions about change or have little motivational posters to remind them that change is good. It was in their blood, they sought it out, forged the path and built upon it.

Setbacks were expected and met with courage and fortitude. The early settlers looked upon America and a change to change and grow, to become a free people able to map out their own existence, one free of the tyranny of the Mother land. Yes, they where British, French and Spanish and proud to be so, yet they were willing to leave all behind to experience personal and spiritual growth.They set up new governmental systems and experimented with the human condition, they allowed the human mind the freedom to thing and grow, they established colonies based upon these ideas, some thrived and some failed, yet they did not give up.

The revolutionary war was fought primarily to allow America to grow, to allow her people to live free. The Founding Fathers did not set out to carve out a new nation, they originally set out to get representation, fairness from the King. They were proud English men, willing to fight for the King, but unwilling to be the step child of the most powerful Nation of its time. They were willing to risk all for the basic rights enjoyed by their fellow English men.

The idea of a new nation, and American Nation was not part of the original plan, but being leaders they were able to adjust to the situation, to see the opportunities before them and to visualize the benefits of freedom. The Revolutionary War was about more than just taxes, the British had already removed the taxes that were in question. The Tea Tax was truly a moot point, the amount was trivial, but what it represented was monumental. The America people were tired of tyranny and deception, there were ready to self govern and willing to die to achieve the goal.

Don’t tread on me was the battle cry of a Nation being born, born out of the minds of great leaders. The American experiment was about to happen, and the founders knew they needed to lead this change. The “grass roots” effort was born. The printing press was the Facebook and Twitter of its day, Thomas Pane and many others took to the press to write the bold plans of Independence, they used the written word to rally the nation and to lead us into change, change that would prove to be historic and universal.

From the Pilgrims through the Founding Fathers Americas psyche was forged. The backbone of America was created off the sweat, blood and tears of our great leaders, many of whom we will never know by name. Our courage was handed down generation to generation and our love of Freedom is in our blood. The American spirit is one of Adventure and Leadership, we are willing to lay our lives down, not for man, but for an idea, the idea that humanity is born to be free. We do not offer up our lives to a King or President, but to a greater good, the good of all.

Great leadership has built this nation and lack of leadership will be its downfall. As President Reagan said:

Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.

Ronald Reagan
40th president of US (1911 – 2004)

We are a people of leaders, a people of change a people of freedom, let us never forget that…

God Bless

Paul Sposite

Guided Insight Life Coach

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9 Timeless Leadership Lessons from Cyrus the Great

I found this on the web and thought it would be a good article to share. I hope you enjoy.

——-START——

9 Timeless Leadership Lessons from Cyrus the Great

Cyrus The Great (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Forget 1-800-CEO Read. The greatest book on business and leadership was written in the 4th century BC by a Greek about a Persian King. Yeah, that’s right.

Behold: Cyrus the Great, the man that historians call “the most amiable of conquerors,” and the first king to found “his empire on generosity” instead of violence and tyranny. Consider Cyrus the antithesis to Machiavelli’s ideal Prince. The author, himself the opposite of Machiavelli, was Xenophon, a student of Socrates.

The book is a veritable classic in the art of leadership, execution, and responsibility. Adapted from Larry Hendrick’s excellent translation, here are nine lessons in leadership from Xenophon’s Cyrus the Great:

Be Self-Reliant

“Never be slow in replenishing your supplies. You’ll always bee on better terms with your allies if you can secure your own provisions…Give them all they need and your troops will follow you to the end of the earth.”

Be Generous

“Success always calls for greater generosity–though most people, lost in the darkness of their own egos, treat it as an occasion for greater greed. Collecting boot [is] not an end itself, but only a means for building [an] empire. Riches would be of little use to us now–except as a means of winning new friends.”

Be Brief

“Brevity is the soul of command. Too much talking suggests desperation on the part of the leader. Speak shortly, decisively and to the point–and couch your desires in such natural logic that no one can raise objections. Then move on.”

Be a Force for Good

“Whenever you can, act as a liberator. Freedom, dignity, wealth–these three together constitute the greatest happiness of humanity. If you bequeath all three to your people, their love for you will never die.”

Be in Control

[After punishing some renegade commanders] “Here again, I would demonstrate the truth that, in my army, discipline always brings rewards.”

Be Fun

“When I became rich, I realized that no kindness between man and man comes more naturally than sharing food and drink, especially food and drink of the ambrosial excellence that I could now provide. Accordingly, I arranged that my table be spread everyday for many invitees, all of whom would dine on the same excellent food as myself. After my guests and I were finished, I would send out any extra food to my absent friends, in token of my esteem.”

Be Loyal

[When asked how he planned to dress for a celebration] “If I can only do well by my friends, I’ll look glorious enough in whatever clothes I wear.”

Be an Example

“In my experience, men who respond to good fortune with modesty and kindness are harder to find than those who face adversity with courage.”

Be Courteous and Kind

“There is a deep–and usually frustrated–desire in the heart of everyone to act with benevolence rather than selfishness, and one fine instance of generosity can inspire dozens more. Thus I established a stately court where all my friends showed respect to each other and cultivated courtesy until it bloomed into perfect harmony.”

There’s a reason Cyrus found students and admirers in his own time as well as the ages that followed. From Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin to Julius Caesar and Alexander (and yes, even Machiavelli) great men have read his inspiring example and put it to use in the pursuit of their own endeavors.

That isn’t bad company.

(Source: Forbes Web)

——-END——-

God Bless

Paul Sposite

Guided Insight Life Coach 

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9/11: How it’s changed American and me…

With the 10 year anniversary of 9/11 upon us, I thought I would take the time to reflect a little on the event and how I have seen America change and how I have changed. First off, we all are 10 years older, maybe wiser, but that can be debated. It’s hard to imagine still that we, the United States of America, were attacked and the 3000 people lost their lives for no good or valid reason. That a few simple-minded religious fanatics decided that flying planes in to buildings, killing innocent people, was the best way to get their message across. Still seems like a made for TV movie or a bad summer teen flick where the hero would be some 17-year-old boy who discovered the plot when he was hacking into the governments secret computer system.

But it happened, it for better or worse it has changed the American land scape. We now have long lines at the airport where 70-year-old grandma’s along with 10-year-old children are searched the same as some Muslim extremist. To me, this is a case-in-point were profiling would be well worth our efforts. As far as I know no 90-year-old grandma nor any 10-year-old has blown up a building as of late, but I am sure we have seen this sort of activity from the Muslim extremist. We all profile people daily, and we should. When I travel to different parts of the world I am always on the look out for people who “just don’t look like they are up to any good” and I am always told by my friends who live their what to look out for. That sounds life profiling to me. Our teachers do it daily, or at least they should, they should be looking for the students that are more prone to cheat or steal. We have reports and findings on this almost daily in the news. Reports that tell us that a child that lives with only his or her mother is more likely to do bad in school and life. To be on the look out to help them and to better understand them. That is profiling… And we should do it, it can save a life, like the life of the teen whom we profiled to be at risk, or my life when I profile a potential terrorist based on there Muslim identity.

So that is one way that 9/11 has changed America,  and one that has caused lots of debates both for more security and less for profiling and not. The debate is healthy and good for America and we should continue it, it is how our government works best, when We the People are involved in the discussion.

I have also seen America become more united, directly after the attacks and then seen her become more divided as time went on. Creating a political hot potato out of the events out of 9/11. I have seen reasonably intelligent people blame the United States for the attacks and others declare it to be the work of the United States Government, all so President Bush can go to war… I have seen people who were for the war turn agents it for political gain and use 9/11 to create emotionally gain votes. But I have also seen heart-felt pain and longing on the face or true Americans who understand the devastation and lost.

9/11 has changed the face of American, it has torn at the fabric that makes this nation great. In some respects it has made her greater and in others it has not. Like most things in this world there is always two sides to every story, and 9/11 is no different.

As for me, it has created a pride for my nation that I have never known. I was always a flag waving proud American, but 9/11 has reminded me the America is the defender of freedoms throughout the world, that she is the light shinning on that hill and that America is the symbol of freedom and liberty that beckons to all who desire it. 9/11 has awaken in me my sense of duty to participate in the great experiment called America, to vote to be informed and to engage in debate. It has awaken in me a sense of urgency to learn and to grow. To watch and to read, to become an informed citizen of this great nation.

The terrorist failed in there attack’s on America, the 3000 did not die in vain, America will come back stronger and wiser because of 9/11 and the world will once again know her for what she is, a land of Liberty and Freedom. A land that is welcoming to all who wish to enter (legally)  and to all who need the protective arms of Lady Liberty. America has changed as have I, I am more resolved than ever before to defend all the America stands for, I have never been prouder to state “I am an American!” (unlike Mrs. Obama) and I will never apologize (like Mr. Obama) for Americas exceptionalism. I will continue to wave my flag and hold it high, I will continue to show my pride in America and I will always state “I am proud to be an American”.

This week I will travel to Germany (September 12) and I am sure the topic of 9/11 will arise, an I am sure I will be hit with anti-American rhetoric. And I am also sure that I will stand strong and proud as I defend her abroad. America is my home and my love, my nation is dear to me and I will defend her honor till death. Patrick Henry said it best when he said “Give me liberty or give me death”.

Sure America has her issues and her spotted past. Slavery is a black ark upon her soul, but she also has her silver linings and admirable attributes. America, like any other human endeavor, will  falter from time to time, but unlike any other republic ever conceived, America will, as it always has, correct her course through debate and discourse and the power of the vote. “We the people” has meaning and power in America, and as history has proven, We the People are not afraid to use it. No other nation in history has helped so many and ask for so little in return, no other nation in history wins the war, rebuilds the nation just to return her back to the people. America is a proud nation, a nation of Peoples who are willing to die for the ideals that define her. Our past is filled with patriots who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms, they have spilled their blood upon the soil of not only this nation but the nations of the world, in the defense of an ideal, that all people are created equal and free. That liberty is worth the fight and that the gains will out number the losses. Yes it is true that loss of any life is not cause for celebration, but it is also true that sometimes the ideal is worth the fight. The principles that make up the American character are simple and true, the words are known by some, but sadly not by all, our founding Fathers sacrificed all they had to declare and defend these basic life principles.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

America is the land of the free and the home of the brave, she is the shinning light upon the hill-top and a beacon for all who seek truth and liberty. America is all that she set out to be and will be, for we are a nation of people who believe in the ideals our founders established for us, we are a nation of freedom lovers and defenders of the truth. 9/11 has shown me this, besides all the political grandstanding and anti-American Americans. The true heart of America still beats and pumps the red, white and blue blood through our veins and the flag still flies high and proud.

On this tenth anniversary of 9/11 take the time to thank our military and first responders, hug your children and tell them you love them. Fly the flag with pride and remember the ones that lost their life in the cowardly attacks of that faithful day. Take the time to read-up on our nation, our founders and the first principles of this great nation. On this anniversary take the time to stop into a church or synagogue or mosque, give thanks to God for this great nation and ask for His guidance and grace. Spend a few moments in silence and solitude, and remember that day, lest we ever forget.

God Bless and may God shed His grace upon thee

Paul

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The dangers of the 4th of July on your children

Image via Wikipedia

Harvard University did a study on the effects of children attending a 4th of July celebrations. Yep, you read it right, the effects of the 4th of July celebrations on children. The results, simply put, children who attend some sort for 4th of July celebration will more than likely turn out to be…. Republicans…

• Fourth of July celebrations have a significant impact upon people’s political preferences;
• Attending one Fourth of July before age 18 increases the likelihood of identifying as a Republican by at least 2 percent and voting for the Republican candidate by 4 percent. It also increases voter turnout by 0.9 percent and boosts political campaign contributions by 3 percent.  (The press release)

So for me, I say if that is the case, than every child should attend a BBQ or parade on the 4th of July.  Maybe our nation will than have a chance to survive.

But the better questions is why does 4th of July celebrations turn kids in to Republicans, and not Democrats?  My simple answer, Republicans love America, Democrats despise her, so they wont show up at a 4th of July celebration anyway.

 

A Brief History of Fourth of July

(Taken from the research paper)

On July 3, 1776, John Adams, the second president of the United States wrote “[Fourth of July]
ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance…It ought to be solemnized with pomp and
parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this
continent to the other, from this time forward, forevermore” (Adams, 1776, p. 3).9 In the years that followed, Fourth of July was the only national holiday, marking the date of the nation’s existence and serving as a display of national unity. The latter function of Independence Day was particularly important in helping the scattered citizens of 13 states view themselves as part of a single nation (Waldstreicher, 1995; Travers, 1997; Heintze, 2007). Celebrations in the early republic included militia drills, processions, readings of the Declaration, dinners, and fireworks. 10 Present-day festivities took form in the late 19th and early 20th century, being part of the Progressive Movement’s effort to revive civic ceremonies on Fourth of July. Appelbaum (1989) describes how the tastes of the progressive reformers ran towards “patriotic pageants, patriotic music, parades with patriotic floats, marching units patriotically costumed in period dress, and tableaux vivants depicting patriotic scenes in American history” (Appelbaum, 1989, p. 141). Through campaigns such as “Safe and Sane July Fourth”, the reformers sought to convince local civic officials to make the public holiday resemble a playground festival, in which children performed dramatic skits and dances (Smilor, 1980; Glassberg, 1987). In documenting Fourth of July celebrations in Minnesota in the early and mid 20th century, Nemanic (2007) writes “Independence Day programs featured events for the entire family, with particular emphasis placed on children…festivities would begin with a noisy wakeup ritual followed by a patriotic parade. Afterwards, a formal ceremony might be held that included orations and readings from the Declaration of Independence. The afternoon offered an array of contests, concerts, and sporting events. In the evening,…a torch light parade might be held…Fireworks ended most celebrations” (Nemanic, 2007, p. 121).
Celebrations in the first half of the 20th century were political events. Local politicians were
involved in planning for the occasion, as well as providing financial support to the Fourth of July
festivities. They also participated actively in the parades and presented orations during the formal ceremonies. Many used the holiday to campaign or to gain visibility between campaigns by giving political speeches. In the cities, civic groups and political parties organized separate events to further their particular cause (Appelbaum, 1989; Nemanic, 2007).
Fourth of July in the 1950’s and the 1960’s included beauty contests, auto races, regattas, dog
shows, and parachute-jumping contests, as well as traditional parades and orations (Appelbaum, 1989). The holiday became increasingly commercialized as businesses took over the Fourth of July program sponsorship from town volunteer committees and the political parties (Nemanic, 2007). Also, the backyard barbecue was institutionalized during this period, making Fourth of July a more private tradition among friends as opposed to a community festival. As a consequence of the holiday’s changed character, the event became depoliticized. While Fourth of July celebrations in the last 40 years have kept much of the private features introduced in the 1950’s and 1960’s, some of the patriotic practices from the beginning of the 20th century were reintroduced. Contemporary festivities can be full-day affairs, with parades and speeches in the morning followed by afternoon barbecues, tailgating, and evening fireworks (Heintze, 2007).

9John Adams’ letter to his wife, Abigail, actually spoke of July 2, the date the resolution of independence was approved, but from the outset, Americans celebrated independence on Fourth of July, the date shown on the Declaration of Independence (Appelbaum, 1989).
10Historic accounts further document how newspapers played a vital role in spreading common Fourth of July practices across the country (Waldstreicher, 1995; Newman, 1999).

I pray that everyone has a blessed, fun and safe 4th of July celebration, and God Bless America!

 

God Bless

Paul

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Lent 2011: Are you ready for it?

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With Lent here, it’s a good time to ask the question, “Are you ready for it?” or an even better question, “Do you understand it?”

Lent is a complex time in the Church year, we are depriving ourselves, we are reminded of our mortality yet we are to be preparing for the Death and Resurrection of our Lord, a time of celebration….

Talk about emotions running the gamete… The high and lows of life are all put into the 40 days of Lent… We as Catholic/Christians are called to use this time as a time of renewal, a time to prepare for the new life, the new life in Christ.

It’s a time of sacrifice, a time to offer up to God. But many look at it as a time to stop eating candy or drinking pop. Yes they are sacrifice for many, but is that all we need to do?

---

(Source)

1. Take 30 minutes to pray, ask the Holy Spirit’s guidance, look over this activities list for the Season of Lent, and make a few practical Lenten resolutions. Be careful. If you try to do too much, you may not succeed in anything. If you need to get up early or stay up late to get the 30 minutes of quiet, do it. Turn off your phone and computer. Don’t put it off and don’t allow interruptions.
2. During the Season of Lent, Get up earlier than anyone else in your house and spend your first 15 minutes of the day thanking God for the gift of life and offering your day to Him.
3. Get to daily Mass.
4. If you can’t do Mass daily, go to Mass on Fridays in addition to Sunday and thank Him for laying his life down for you. Maybe you can go another time or two as well.
5. Spend at least 30 minutes in Eucharistic adoration at least one time during the week.
6. Recover the Catholic tradition of making frequent visits to the Blessed sacrament throughout the week, even if it is only for 5 minutes.
7. Get to confession at least once during the Season of Lent after making a good examination of conscience. If you are not sure why confession is important, get my CD “Who Needs Confession.”
8. In addition to the penance assigned by the priest, fulfill the conditions necessary for a plenary indulgence. You can learn about plenary indulgences from the official Handbook of Indulgences.
9. Make a decision to read at least some Scripture every day. Starting with Today’s!
10. Even if you can’t get to daily Mass during the Lenten Season, get a Daily Roman Missal or go visit the Crossroads Homepage for a link to the Daily Mass readings, and read these readings daily. During special seasons such as Lent, the Mass readings are thematically coordinated and make for a fantastic Bible study!
11. Pray the Liturgy of the Hours. You can buy a one volume edition or a full four volume edition. Or you can get it day by day online for free at www.universalis.com. Or you can subscribe to a monthly publication called the Magnificat that provides a few things from the liturgy of the hours together with the Mass readings of the day. The Magnificat is a great way to start learning the Liturgy of the Hours.
12. Get to know the Fathers of the Church and read selections from them along with Scripture. Short selections from the Fathers writing on Lenten themes can be downloaded for free from the Lenten Library of our website at www.crossroadsintiative.com
13. Make the Stations of the Cross each Friday of the Season of Lent either with a group or by yourself. If you have kids, bring them.
14. Pray the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary often during Lent, especially on Friday and Wednesday. The glorious mysteries are especially appropriate on Sundays. Joyful and Luminous mysteries are great on other days.
15. Purchase the Scriptural Rosary, which supplies you with a scripture verse to recite between each Hail Mary. This makes it easier to meditate on the mysteries. Another resource to deepen your understanding of the Rosary is my CD set “How Mary and the Rosary can Change Your Life.”
16. If you’ve never done a family rosary, begin doing it. If starting with once a week, try Friday or Sunday. If it’s tough to start with a full five decades, try starting with one. Use the Scriptural Rosary and have a different person read each of the Scriptures between the Hail Mary’s. This gets everyone more involved.
17. Make it a habit to stop at least five times a day, raise your heart and mind to God, and say a short prayer such as “Jesus, I love you,” or “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner,” or “Lord, I offer it up for you.”
18. Pray each day for the intentions and health of the Holy Father.
19. Pray each day for your bishop and all the bishops of the Catholic Church.
20. Pray for your priests and deacons and for all priests and deacons.
21. Pray for the millions of Christians suffering under persecution in various Muslim and Communist countries around the world such as the Sudan, Pakistan, Indonesia, China, Viet Nam, and North Korea.
22. Pray for Christian unity, that there would be one flock and one shepherd.
23. Pray for the evangelization of all those who have not yet heard and accepted the Good News about Jesus.
24. Pray for your enemies. In fact, think of the person who has most hurt you or who most annoys you and spend several minutes each day thanking God for that person and asking God to bless him or her.
25. Pray for an end to abortion on demand in the United States. Pray for pregnant women contemplating abortion.
26. Pray for a just peace in Iraq, Afghanistan, the Holy Land and elsewhere. Pray for our troops and for others in harm’s way.
27. Pray for an end to capital punishment. Pray for those on death row, and for the families of murder victims.
28. Find a form of fasting that is appropriate for you, given your age, state of health, and state of life. Some fast on bread and water on Wednesdays and Fridays. Some fast from sweets or alcohol throughout Lent. Some fast on one or more days per week from breakfast all the way to dinner, spending lunch hour in prayer or at noon Mass. Some cut out all snacks between meals. The money saved from not buying various things should be given to an apostolate or ministry serving the physically or spiritually poor.
29. Prayer is like breathing – you have to do it continually. But sometimes you need to pause and take a very deep breath. That’s what a retreat is. Plan a retreat this Lent. It could be simply a half day, out in nature, or in a Church. Or it could be a full day. Or an overnight. You can certainly read lots of things during your retreat or listen to lots of talks. But try sticking to Scripture, the liturgy, and quiet as much as you can. During or at the end of the retreat, write down what the Holy Spirit seems to be saying.
30. Find a written biography of a Saint that particularly appeals to you, and read it during the Season of Lent.
31. Instead of secular videos for weekend entertainment, try some videos that will enrich your spiritual life. Suggestions: Jesus of Nazareth, by Franco Zeffirelli, The Scarlet and the Black, the Assisi Underground.
32. While driving, turn off the secular radio for awhile and use commute time to listen to some teaching on audiocassette or CD. Some great resources can be purchased through this site or from other Catholic apostolates and publishers that you can find on our links page.
33. Find a local homeless shelter, soup kitchen, or crisis pregnancy center, and volunteer some time there throughout Lent. Serve the people there with the understanding that in so doing, you are serving Jesus. Try to see Jesus in each person there.
34. Visit someone at a nursing home or in the hospital or sick at home. Again, love Jesus in and through the suffering person.
35. Is there a widow or divorced person living in your neighborhood? If so, invite that person to your home for dinner, coffee, etc.
36. View Mel Gibson’s movie The Passion of the Christ during Lent on VHS or DVD, if you feel you can handle the violence. Get a copy of The Guide to the Passion to help you get the most out of the movie.
37. Invite folks to view The Passion of the Christ with you, especially people whose faith is rather nominal, or who do not practice their faith, or who do not profess Christian faith at all. Give them a copy of The Guide to the Passion.
38. Spend some focused time with your spouse, strengthening your marriage. Start praying together, or make praying together a more frequent occurrence.
39. Spend some focused time together with each of your children. Listen. Pray. Maybe even have fun.
40. When Easter comes, don’t drop the new practice you’ve begun during the Season Lent! Make a permanent feature of a deeper Christian life!

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God Bless and Happy Lent

Paul

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I Thirst

“I Thirst” Jesus spoke these worlds from the cross, but do you think Jesus really mean that he wanted a drink? In his hour of need to do think he was thinking about a nice cold glass of wine? I think not.

The simple phrase holds more meaning than volumes of books, Jesus used the moment in History to create an infinite of meaning.

“I Thirst”

To truly understand this phrase we need to look at what we call The Last Supper. The Last Supper was the Jews holiday of Passover. Jesus and His friends were celebrating and remembering there heritage, the freeing of there people by Moses. God commanded that the Jewish people were to celebrate the feast of Passover every year. The Passover is full of prayers, singing and feasting, and Jesus and his friends were no exception, they to celebrated Passover. The Passover meal consist of three cups of wine that are prayed over and shared. Except at the Last Supper Jesus did not bless and share the last cup of wine:

After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, "Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." Luke 22:17-18

Jesus did not finish the Passover Meal or Celebration, at that time. The Passover is a celebration of the Israelites passage from slavery to freedom The Last Supper is the Christians calibration of death to life. Jesus was initiating a new Passover a new celebration of freedom and He was not yet done at the time of the Passover. He had a few more preparations to make.

Jesus was referred to as the Lamb of God, the Pascal Lamb to be sacrificed. Once again a reference to the Passover, the Jewish people are to sacrifice and eat an unblemished sacrificial lamb, Jesus is that lamb. But at the time of the Passover Jesus had not yet freely offered Himself up as the sacrifice, that was yet to come.

Once Jesus offered Himself, by the kiss of Judas:

While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called  Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him, but Jesus asked him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?" Luke 22: 47-48

Jesus now becomes for all to see the unblemished sacrificial Lamb of God, offer up for our sins, yet He was sinless. 

Upon the cross, the Sacrificial Lamb finished the Passover and offered up the to God Himself, sinless and perfect.

Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. John 19:28-30

The Last cup of wine was prayed over and drunk, Jesus had completed the Passover and it was celebrated to its ultimate end. The new Passover was indicated on that day, the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." Luke 22:19

I Thirst is the completion of the Passover, yet it is so much more. Jesus is not just completing a custom of requirement of His Jewish faith, He is calling to all of us, He is thirsting for you and me. Jesus is stating that He is calling us to Him that He desires our souls and is thirsting for us to come to him. Like a man desires water in the heat of the day, Jesus desires us.

Yet it goes much deeper than that, Jesus told us to “do this is remembrance of me.” He was not just talking about the sharing of bread and wine, he was talking about the taking of His body and blood, He essence. And His essence is also His actions, we too are to thirst, we are to thirst for HIM. We are to thirst for salvation and righteousness and the purity of heart that Jesus showed us.

I Thirst is a quest statement, a quest that Jesus is on seeking us and a quest that we too should be on seeking Jesus. I Thirst speaks of the depth of passion the Lord has for us, it speaks of the longing in His heart for us to come to him and it should also speak of our passion and longing for Him. Yet so often it does not, so often He is left seeking those who do not wish to be found. His deep thirst is left unquenched. His lips remain parched and His quest left unfulfilled.

Jesus offered freely His life for our salvation, and offers freely His love, yet we so often refuse the gift of salvation and shun His love as if it were of no use to us. We thirst, yet we do not seek the life giving water.

 

 

 

Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." John 4:5-10

Easter is almost upon us, can we, can you, can I truly say that I Thirst? Am I truly seeking Him whom offered His life for me? Are you on a quest to find Him who is seeking you? Do we want to drink from the well of the live giving water?

Lent is almost over, Easter is almost here, did we seek salvation on the cro
ss during the forty days of Lent? Are we going to seek the one who can quench our thirst during the fifty days of Easter? Salvation is at hand for those who seek the well of the life giving water and who drink from the cup of salvation.

God Bless

Paul

The Seven Last Words

2 Corinthians 5:21“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Brought to you by BibleGateway.com. Copyright (C) . All Rights Reserved.

 

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Celebration

In my opinion it is no coincidence that that first miracle of Jesus was at a party. The wedding fest is a well know story, it’s the one where Jesus turns water in to wine. He makes the finest wine ever, and all in attendance knows it.

 

In fact through out the bible we hear stories of celebrations, God created us to celebrate the achievements of others, to wish them well, and God’s blessings.  Jesus, I am sure celebrated important moments with his friends, I am sure they held parties and enjoyed the company if others.

 

Being Catholic means celebrating life, all aspects of life, we not only celebrate the holy days such as Christmas and Easter, but also the secular days such as the 4^th of July or Memorial Day. We gather together for a BBQ or have a nice home cooked dinner with family and friends. I am sure Jesus and his family and friends did the same.

 

The bible has a lot to say about celebrations, the wedding fest was most likely a 3 day event filled with great food and drink, we read in the Old Testament about Holy Days that lasted days, with all kinds of preparation leading up to the main celebration, and when the day arrived, they where more then ready to celebrate with family and friends.

 

Well I just had such a time, for the last few weekends my sister and I have been preparing for her daughters graduation. We cleaned the house, re-painted, hung the pictures, laid carpeting, did yard work, created new gardens and the list goes on and on. The day before the party we ran around like chickens with our heads cut off. Doing all the last minute things that need to be done, and the day of the party, more of the same; Then the party hits, and the celebrations begins, and we are more then ready for the celebration.

 

We gather with family and friends, have good food and drink, and celebrate the accomplishment of one creation of God, we celebrate her life lived and yet to be lived. The day is hers and all the attention is on her.

 

As for my sister and I, we bask in her glow and sit down with a cold beer and sigh a sigh of relief, we are done, the celebration is on and the preparation is over. My sister has done all she can for her daughter, she is now an adult, ready to lead her own life. In a few more weeks she will be off to University and will continue her life journey. But until then, my sister can relax knowing she has done a good job, and the celebration was as much for her daughter and affirming her accomplishments as it was for my sister.

 

Although we didn’t turn water in to wine, no true miracle was preformed and the party was not 3 days long, we considered it a great success. But it would have been cool if water was turned in to wine, or if someone would have walked on water. But all in all, a great time was had by all.

 

Paul