There has been a lot of buzz of late in our parishes about the New Evangelization and Mission Fields. Evangelization has been around since Jesus founded the Church, yet over the last couple of years, we have heard our bishop speak and write about the steps the Holy Spirit is giving us in the areas of healing, hope, and joy in Christ. He has been encouraging us to share Jesus with others and make disciples. This is what evangelization is all about. It is the proclamation and witness that Jesus is risen from the dead, is alive and well, living in our presence, and has all the answers to man’s questions. It’s about bringing others to Him and making other intentional disciples. Evangelization isn’t new. So, what makes this evangelization “new”?

At its core, the New Evangelization poses this question: Do I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? This question is key because everything centers around how one answers it. This isn’t a Protestant infiltration into the Catholic Church. In fact, Pope St. John Paul II once wrote that many baptized Catholics have never had a personal relationship or a personal commitment to the Lordship of Jesus.

This is not a new question or novel concept. What makes it new is to who the evangelization effort of proclamation and witness is directed towards. It is directed toward active Catholic’s, marginal Catholics, and all other people living in our families, communities and neighborhoods. It’s about becoming an intentional disciple, on fire with the love of Jesus and filled with the Holy Spirit. This relationship is so great that we can’t keep it for ourselves but need to share it with others. How can a personal relationship with Jesus make a difference?

We must begin our efforts by deepening our own relationship with God. A central tenet of Pope Benedict XVI’s teaching on the New Evangelization focused on the centrality of prayer in this mission. Benedict XVI understands prayer as holding a two-fold significance in evangelization: among those sharing the faith there must first be a conversion brought about by their being re-evangelized and growing in habits of prayer and contemplation amidst life’s busyness. Secondly, among those with whom we evangelize and share the faith, prayer constitutes a deeply personal and essential means by which one encounters God.

Benedict XVI writes: “Praying actualizes and deepens our communion with God. Our prayer can and should arise above all from our heart, from our needs, our hopes, our joys, our sufferings, from our shame over sin, from our gratitude for the good. It can and should be a wholly personal prayer.”

The role of prayer in the New Evangelization has been central to our last three popes. It must become central for us as well. Prayer is not telling about Jesus to others but spending time with Jesus. Prayer is not merely a method but is to be a relationship with the person of Jesus. Borrowing from our Protestant brothers and sisters: Do you know Jesus? The New Evangelization is directed to equip you to make a difference and be a source of healing, hope, and joy in your community.

For Reflection:

Do I have a personal relationship with Jesus? Have I undergone a true conversion where Jesus is the joy and energy of my life? Do I long to share Him with others or is religion something private and evangelization for others? Whether mission fields and evangelization is old or new, how have I responded to the healing, hope, and joy that is found in a personal relationship with Jesus?

Prayer:

Holy Spirit, I want to see Jesus and to know and love Him with my whole being. Set me on fire with Your love, that so transformed I may bring Jesus’s healing, hope, and joy to all I meet.

(blogged November 15, 2024)
Subscribe to my newsletter!

My wife and I recently had the opportunity to visit our daughter living in New Orleans. One evening, while having dinner at her home she showed us a large piece of art hanging over the fire place that had come with the house. It had a distinctive line running through the middle of it.The bottom half being lighter color than the top half. She informed us that this was the “Katrina Line.” This was the line that marked the water level in the house with Hurricane Katrina in 2005. We could not put our arms around 6 ½ feet of water from that storm. When seeing the pictures of Hurricane Helene and Milton’s recent destruction, it begs the question: If there were an emergency tomorrow, would I be ready?

A friend sent me an article they had read lately that sought to answer that question. It’s not a new question for me, I have been asking this and similar questions since the 1990’s.
The article quoted, Creek Stewart, an author of more than 40 books on survival, who says “It’s not a matter of ‘if’ but ‘when’ such events will occur,” and expert Paul Martin who said, “Think of preparedness as an insurance policy. None of us like paying insurance premiums, but we do it in order to transfer the risk of loss.” The Boy Scout motto: “Be Prepared,” fits very well into preparedness and being ready to face adversity which is a responsibility that each of us must accept and embrace.

The article illiterates what hundreds of other articles and books on prepping do by encouraging us to develop a plan that addresses core elements that can help us survive emergencies. Regular review and practicing of the plans with family members, updating ones’ supplies, and staying informed about the types of emergencies most likely to occur in your area, are also encouraged. We won’t be hit with hurricanes here in Minnesota, but wild fires, straight line winds, and no working electrical grid do affect us.

Yes, I believe being ready and prepared is important, but unlike many current day prepper sources, the cornerstone of any disaster plan, in order to be effective, must have our relationship with God and neighbor constantly in right order. The apparitions of our Blessed Mother over the last 200 years give us the proper priority and direction for a plan of being prepared for any emergency we face in life.

Our Lady has asked us to repent and be right with God; to go to confession on a regular basis; to change our lives to be more Christ like; to fast and pray in reparation for ours and others sins; and to pray for the conversion of Church and world leaders, especially the rosary.

While no human plan is perfect, taking proactive steps, especially being right with God and praying, can significantly improve our ability to face the unexpected. Disasters are unpredictable; preparation isn’t. Taking small steps today both spiritually and physically can give you the edge to face the unknown tomorrows.

For Reflection:
Do I worry about the future or do I trust God to provide and care for my every need, helping me to put together a plan to face future disasters? Do I seek His directions on how to prepare or do I embrace my own self sufficiency and ignore my responsibility of being prepared? Do I know the messages of the approved apparitions of the Blessed Mother? How serious do I take her warnings and directions?

Prayer:

Lord, we pray for our brothers and sisters that have experienced the ravages of Mother Nature. Meet their every need and give them hope. Help me to know what I can do to help them. Blessed Mother Mary, help me to know the directions you give for having a plan of being prepared. St. Joseph, please help me to be proactive in being prepared for the unknown.

(blogged November 1, 2024)
Subscribe to my newsletter!

It was a full morning, pouring myself out for others; being upbeat and positive and maintaining an openness to the needs of the people that came forward and presented themselves to me; giving me a glimpse through the window of their soul into a sacred and holy place. It was good, but I was exhausted.

The crowds were now gone; all their activity a memory, and I had time to sit and wait for my ride outside on a rock. I took in a Minnesota October afternoon. The sun gave some warmth yet there was a coolness in the air. There is something about blue sky, warm sun, exquisite fall colors, the feel of an October breeze, and no bugs that makes this my favorite time of the year.

As I sat, a quick gust of cold air sent a shiver through my body. Then the rustling of leaves across the pavement filled my ears. The leaves were racing. It was an amazing spectacle. I sat so still they did not notice me. All shapes, sizes, and colors were trying to catch any movement of wind to move them along. They contorted as much as they could with each new breeze. As many differences in leaves, so there were many differences in how they tried to position themselves to catch the next gust of wind.

Each time the wind stirred or a car passed, the frantic race resumed, for some of the leaves. Those that had not been flattened by a car, moved ever so quicker trying to position themselves for the next movement. A tremble here, a somersault there, a complete 180 degree slide over there; all trying to make it across the road before they were flattened by a car.

As I sat there delighting in the variety of attempts they all made, and relaxing in creation, it struck me: doesn’t human life resemble this race? We go with the wind of the times. We race across the road of life trying not to be eliminated and make it to the other side. We try not to be flattened by the heaviness of burdens. We, too, go through all kinds of contortions and ridiculous moves to catch a breeze and position ourselves. For what? To get to the other side?

But the leaf teaches us a deeper lesson. In order for us to truly move, especially in the spiritual life, we must catch the wind of God, His Ruah, the Holy Spirit. We must come to recognize His movements and position ourselves to catch Him for we know not when He comes, where He comes from or where He is going. If we do not catch His presence, we are flattened and unable to move in any direction by the heaviness of life. Silence, reflection, waiting are all ways we can position ourselves to be ready to move with the Holy Spirit to get to the other side.

For Reflection:

Does my life seem like a leaf blowing in the wind trying to get somewhere but not sure where? Do I recognize the movements of the Holy Spirit in my life? Do I make time for experiencing God in the silence and beauty of creation?

Prayer:
Breathe on me Holy Spirit, and move me along Your paths. Help me to catch Your slightest movements that I may not be flattened by the heaviness of life.

(blogged October 15, 2024)
Subscribe to my newsletter!

Over a span of 4 weeks, I had been asked to officiate as a deacon at three funerals. Two of them were a challenge. In one case the person and their family struggled with the pain of alcoholism. In another, the deceased and family struggled with suffering and the extreme pain of a burst colon.

Not sure what to say, I went immediately to prayer asking the Holy Spirit for His direction and help. The direction He gave was to address head on the pain of alcoholism and suffering, and to call to mind our reason to have hope.

In Lamentations 3:17-26 we read that God’s favors are not exhausted; His mercies not spent, for they are renewed each morning. God is faithful and my portion. Therefore, I hope and await His saving help.

In Romans 5:1-11 we find that we can be at peace even in the midst of suffering through Jesus who gives us access to sharing in the glory of God. St. Paul goes on and says that suffering produces endurance, which produces character, which produces hope, and hope does not disappoint because God’s love is poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.

Suffering, Pope Benedict XVI said, is a part of our human experience. It stems from our finite condition as humans and is a fruit of sin. We often times think suffering is a sign that God has abandoned us and we seek to eradicate it quickly. But suffering is an invitation into closer union with Jesus. Benedict encourages us that we must do all we can to overcome suffering, but we cannot banish it from the world altogether because it is not in our power as finite creatures. Only God is able to eliminate the power of evil and He does so by entering human history, making Himself man, and then suffering within history and redeeming it. He transforms the darkness of suffering into light. Instead of evil being unleashed within man, His light shines victorious. We are not to avoid, withdraw, sidestep or flee from suffering; but to embrace it and join it to Jesus, who through His Cross and resurrection, truly brings about our inner healing.

Faith enables us to think as God does and to know in moments of suffering that God is my help. The Cross and Resurrection of Jesus challenges us to see the Cross, not as death but life. Not as defeat but as victory. Not as tragedy but as triumph.

Jesus tells us in John 6, that if we eat His flesh and drink His blood, we have life and will live forever. He makes it clear that the cross and suffering come before the victory. In Luke 23, Jesus tells the repentant thief, “Today, you will be with me in paradise.” So, what is the point? Jesus transforms suffering into victory, peace, healing, hope, and joy. In the midst of our suffering and torments, the star of hope has risen. Because Jesus lives, so can I.

For Reflection:

Do I seek the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit in the challenges I face in life? Do I see suffering as a sign that God does not care or as an invitation to deeper intimacy with Him? How can the Cross of Jesus be a star of hope and victory in the midst of my suffering?

Prayer:
Jesus, suffering doesn’t make any sense to me, yet You suffered. In fact, You embraced suffering in order to redeem suffering and our broken humanity. Help me never to forget the power, the victory, and the peace that Your Cross and Resurrection can bring me.

(blogged October 1, 2024)
Subscribe to my newsletter!

Have you ever been told to “Take a hike!” by someone? In 2018, one of my daughters asked me if I was open to take a hike with her on a portion of the Appalachian Trail (AT) through the Great Smoky Mountains in September of 2019. This was a dream come true. I love hiking and the Smoky Mountains.

Plans were made, the year passed, and the day came. I remember so vividly having doubts as my wife drove us further away from civilization to our starting point in the mountains. Had I bitten off more than I could handle? This was the wilderness and not much along the way to help if my 66-year old body couldn’t make it.  We arrived, said our goodbyes to my wife, and started off. It was a great hike, met some seasoned hikers, learned valuable life lessons, and we lived through it.

One seasoned hiker said: “When in the wilderness I learned three important lessons. The first: keep it simple.  The second: keep it simple.  The third: keep it simple.” This might seem very unpretentious, but in the wilderness, you carry everything to survive on your back. Your goal is to keep the weight in your pack low. Our 40 pound pack for a 7-day wilderness hike that we thought was practical and needed for survival, was in reality, way too heavy, not very simple, and a burden.

Lesson two: often times we pack our fears. This was truly our challenge. We learned to ask: what do you absolutely need, what can you get by without, and what are you willing to carry that is an extra.  Too heavy a pack becomes a matter of life and death on the trail.

Lesson three: the power of silence and nature. The wilderness can force you into silence and self-reflection. When asked, one hiker said that every hiker has a story, and each one is on the trail for a purpose. It might be to find themselves, to prove themselves, to sort things out, to have a sense of accomplishment and being able to survive what nature throws at you, it might even be to find oneself and God. To know ourself in God is key.

Lesson four: the importance of others. We seldom ran across a solo hiker. There are lots of solo hikers doing the trail, but early in the journey they come across another solo and they strike up a relationship and hike as a pair, sometimes turning into small groups.  The wisdom and experience of other companions is invaluable and could save your life. It did us.

So how can these AT lessons help with our spiritual lives?  Our days can be so crammed with lots of good things, tight schedules, that they become too heavy for us to carry. Slow down, keep it simple, keep it simple, keep it simple. Trash your sins (confession) and carry only what is necessary.  Find God and the power of silence. Don’t do things as a solo. Now, go “Take a hike!”.

For Reflection:

How can I apply the “lessons of the wilderness” of keeping it simple, trashing my sins, finding God in silence, and not be a solo hiker in the wildernesses of my daily life? Do I make room for silence in my day to reflect on who I am and how I am doing with God? What kind of companions do I surround myself with? Can they help me through my challenges and stresses?

Prayer:
Holy Spirit, stir into flame Your fire and forge me into the image of Jesus. So transform me that I may trust God for helping me hike through the wildernesses of my life and that I may rely on others to help me through my challenges of just living life for You.

(blogged September 15, 2024)
Subscribe to my newsletter!

Autumn is my favorite time of the year.  I look forward each year to walking down to our apple trees that are ready to harvest in late August and early September. Picking a red apple and biting into its sweet, crisp, juiciness cannot be beat. I only have a 2-3 week period before they become soft and fall to the ground.

The whole mission of apples is to be a source of food for man and beast. On Day 83 of my book, Stirring Into Flame, I quote Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation Gaudete et Exsultate, “Rejoice and Be Glad,” written in 2018.  He speaks of our life as a mission; a mission of holiness, that is to be forged into the image of Jesus. He encourages us to allow the Holy Spirit to transform us into Christ which involves the process of perfecting our charity within us, which is holiness. He says the Holy Spirit takes from the riches of Jesus and gives them to His people through us. He reminds us that the Spirit is to renew us for a life of mission and our mission is to be conformed to the image of Jesus and to bring Jesus, through our holiness, to the world.

We are to become His fruit. We see this in the beginning of Genesis, throughout the Psalms and picked up again in Ezk. 47:12, “… there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month … Their fruit will be our food, and their leaves for healing.”

Jn. 15:16 says, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should last …” How can you and I bear fruit that will last? Jesus tells us we must abide in Him, the vine. We are the branches needing to keep connected to Jesus. The sap running through the vine to us is the Holy Spirit. We stay connected and abide in Jesus by love. Love is a decision, a choice for the good of the beloved. So, we are to love Jesus and keep His commandments, thus staying connected and filled with the Holy Spirit. When we abide, we are doing what St. Paul tells us in Gal. 5:16-17, 22-23: we are walking in the Holy Spirit and not gratifying the desires of the flesh which prevents us from doing good and bearing fruit. Walking in the flesh is directly opposed to the Spirit.

The fruit that will last and heal and is ever new is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These are the fruits of the Spirit that are cultivated in a life in the Spirit, and abiding in Jesus.

The time of harvesting is upon us, not only of the fruits of creation, but the fruits of the Spirit. The Spirit renews us in holiness and for a life of mission.

For Reflection:

Do I see my life as a mission of holiness and feeding others through charity? Do I allow the Holy Spirit to transform me into fruit that will last? Do I allow the Holy Spirit to give me as food to others?

Prayer:
Holy Spirit, stir into flame Your fire and forge me into the image of Jesus. So transform me that I may bear everlasting fruit to feed and heal a broken world.

(blogged September 1, 2024)
Subscribe to my newsletter!

I enjoy canoeing. My first canoe trip was a section of the Minnesota River with my brother, in a borrowed canoe, when we were in high school. It was just the two of us. The enjoyment of that trip has led me to make many other canoe trips.

I have canoed through rapids, flood waters, lazy water, and the monotonous bend after bend that rivers take. I have canoed the wilderness lakes of the Boundary Waters in northern Minnesota. I have fought wind, rain, snow, hot sun, mud, and bugs. Despite the various conditions, good and not so good, the call of the wilderness and the challenges Mother Nature throws at me seem to draw me back. There is something about what lies beyond the next bend that compels me on. I am an adventurer who finds satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment when I set foot on land and load my canoe on top of the car after a trip.

Our spiritual life and journey can be a lot like a river. Having basic skills, maps, gear, and planning, are all a part of the journey in both a canoe trip and our spiritual life. To help us with this analogy I am going to use something Bishop Robert Barron wrote. His image of the river can be most challenging and insightful.

“John Henry Newman said that what gives a river verve and energy is precisely the firmness of its banks. If one were to knock down those banks, the river would promptly spread out into a lazy lake, serene perhaps, but lacking in direction.

“Our moral and spiritual lives are something like a river: provided they are delimited by clear boundaries and objective values; they will remain purposive and invigorated. In the name of liberty and self-expression, our culture is frenetically knocking down every restriction imaginable – and the predictable result is that the river is broadening out into that lazy lake of subjectivism and indifferentism, what I have called the M’eh culture. We might be blandly tolerant of one another, but we lack common purpose. We are no longer adventurers on the fast-flowing river; rather we are individuals, floating languidly on separate air-mattresses.

“The laws, teachings, demands, and prescriptions of the Church are not threats to our flourishing. On the contrary they are the very restrictions that make meaningful action possible. They are the banks that ensure that the river is actually going somewhere. Accordingly, they ought to be embraced as the condition for the possibility of an authentic humanism.”

The Holy Spirit is the “Master of the Interior Life” (CCC #1995). We need to allow Him, during this last month of the summer, to help us stop paddling and to look at the waters of our spiritual life. Bishop Barron’s words, challenge us to examine the influences that the M’eh river culture has on us; to explore the attitudes that form our river’s banks; and to ask ourselves what we are embracing on this journey of life.

For Reflection:

What shapes my river’s course? Am I growing closer to Christ and learning to hunger more for Him or concerned more about my self-expression? Am I a floater or an adventurer when it comes to the river of my life? What is the “something” that compels me forward in the adventure of my spiritual life?

Prayer:

Come Holy Spirit, Master of the Interior Life, and guide the canoe of my soul through the M’eh river cultures I face each day. Bring me safely to the shores of authentic humanism, as a disciple of Jesus.

(blogged August 15, 2024)
Subscribe to my newsletter!

I came across an entry in my 2023 journal that is so pertinent today.

Fr. Keller, O.P., wrote in A Year with the Eucharist, day 223, “It is possible to become so engaged with the material world that we begin to see ourselves as primarily, or even only, our bodies. Some forget about the life of the soul, which is the life of the body. The soul, like the body, needs nourishment to attain to its supernatural end. Without it, we will starve to death supernaturally.”

Wow! It is possible to become so engaged, so one-way focused with the material world and our comforts that we begin to take the things of God for granted, beginning to tweak them to better fulfill our sensual pleasures, allowing them to slip through our hands. We begin to see the things of the world as reality and take our eyes off beauty, goodness, and truth to focus on the counterfeits.

We begin to see good as evil and evil as good. What is right and proper becomes blurred. I am Catholic, but…. When truth is proclaimed, ouch, it stings and we try to do away with the source of our discomfort. We become so influenced by ourselves, the culture we live in, and our lifestyle choices that we subtly form our own religion and convince ourselves we are still Catholic. We fudge on the truths of our faith, because they aren’t all that important. A sure tail example of this is when we believe that the Eucharist is merely a symbol. We come forward and receive “it” and walk away with no grace and unchanged. We are supernaturally starving and we don’t even notice the signs of our failing and our straight lining. We have become more enamored with ourselves.

Because we are so engaged with the material world, we have rejected the true faith. We are easily deceived. We no longer have the parameters God has given to protect us because the world says they cramp our freedom. We have dulled our consciences and walk in a spiritual fog. We seek to live in our own little fantasy world when in fact, we are spiritually dying, starving our souls. We have become supernatural zombies.

What is the remedy? Jesus. There has never been a time in the history of the world that Jesus has literally walked across a nation in His Real Eucharistic Presence. The pilgrims walking with Jesus in the National Eucharistic Procession, is a watershed moment for our country and Church. This has become a major turning point for us as Catholics in this country. The sad thing is that most Catholics have no clue what just happened.

We are to be so engaged in Jesus that we again see Him as primary and the life of our soul. Our soul needs nourishment to attain to its supernatural end. Without it, we will starve to death supernaturally. We need the Holy Spirit to stir up again His fire within us.

For Reflection:

How does what I am engaged in affect my soul?  Do I notice hints of being a supernatural zombie? What do I do to nourish my supernatural life? How important is it? Is it important enough to make it important enough to make it a priority in my life right now?

Prayer:

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, truly present in the Holy Eucharist, I consecrate anew my body and soul to be one with Your Heart being sacrificed at every instant on the altars of the world. Nourish my soul with Your presence and help me to engage in Your supernatural life.

(blogged August 1, 2024)
Subscribe to my newsletter!

Often times, my blogs start with an idea and the moving of the Holy Spirit as I seek to share with my readers something that will be of help to them. How these blogs come about always varies and there seems to be no set template for their writing. So is the case with this blog.

Reflecting on the readings for the sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, that you will hear this coming weekend, drew me to reflect on the Gospel of Mark 6:30-34 where I read, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” A deserted place caused me to stop and ponder for a time.

All three readings and the responsorial psalm speak of peace. This peace is found in the Shepherd of Jesus, as He gathers us in and invites us to a deserted place, a quiet place to rest with Him and thus, be renewed, healed, gain perspective, clarify focus, and to be fortified to go back into the business of life. These thoughts reminded me of a poem I wrote July 13, 2017 upon visiting the crumbled remains of a mansion built in the late 1800’s that I want to share with you.

A Deserted Place

I sit amidst a haunted shell, where life once dwelt now gone,
a life once lived now buried, scattered ruins on the ground.
A home where love and laughter lived within the stony walls,
now mason stones lie silent, bleached in sun’s aged thralls.

All quiet and hushed colors clothe this placid place,
while spiders crawl on webbing floors, and vultures soar above in space.
The calmness of the present now covers up the past,
the empty rooms mere guesses, where brambles live at last.

This meeting place that you have picked, I wait in silent awe,
an epitaph upon my soul your love has etched, still raw.
I sit in echoed stillness here, redemptive hours pass by,
my restless heart now given wings soars upward through the sky.

To gaze upon my waiting form, with life, with joy, with love,
a deserted place, a resting place, a meeting chosen from above.

Where is your deserted place? Fr. Jacques Philippe, in his book:  Searching for and Maintaining Peace, says “The more our soul is peaceful and tranquil, the more God is reflected in it, the more His image expresses itself in us, the more His grace acts through us. On the other hand, if our soul is agitated and troubled, the grace of God is able to act only with much greater difficulty.” (pg. 5) He goes on to say that a soul that is not at peace cannot hear the Holy Spirit speak, and this, he says, is the tactic of the enemy who seeks to keep us distant and separated from God.

This weekend’s readings show us that we are a people (sheep) without a shepherd. As sheep, we are to know the Master’s voice, recognize it, and follow it. This is impossible without cultivating silence in a deserted place, where we can come away and sit with Jesus and rest for a while; to be at peace.

For Reflection:

Do I long for peace, a peace that only Christ can give? Where do I search for this peace? How does the poem help me and draw me in to find a deserted place to sit with Jesus? Where is your deserted place of rest?

Prayer:
Holy Spirit, stir into flame your great love for me and lead me to a deserted place to be alone with Jesus, my shepherd and my peace.

(blogged July 15, 2024)
Subscribe to my newsletter!

My wife and I have a tradition going back to our honeymoon of 1975. We enjoy camping together. We have camped many places, and in many weather conditions. We recently decided to camp on the prairies of western Minnesota at Lac Qui Parle State Park.

While camping, I experienced two things I hadn’t counted on. The first was how I missed the prairie vastness and the life that resides there. I love listening to the wind play in the tall prairie grasses. I love to watch wave after wave of swaying grasses dance with the wind through the fields. I love sitting or walking and allowing my sense to feel the experience of the wind that is so therapeutic and calming.

The second thing was the different variety of birds that I don’t see “up-north.” They fly up from nowhere in the prairie grasses and disappeared as quickly. I was expectant for new surprises with every step I took on the trails. Expecting to see new species, new colors, and hear new songs. I was not
disappointed by this constant expectation to encounter a surprise. It stimulated a great sense of gratitude for the colors, smells, and sounds that greeted me.

As is most often the case, when I am pondering the wind and the encounters of surprise, my mind goes right to the 3rd chapter of John, verse 7-8. “Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born anew.’ The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with every one who is born of the Spirit.”

The Holy Spirit is the breath of God, the ruah, the wind, the unexpected surprises and presence of God. These images can help us come to know more of who this mysterious Person of the Trinity is by engaging our senses and noticing the effects of what He does. He is our peace and calm, as well as the transforming power that breaks into our lives. He is unchanging, while bringing about constant changes in us. He manifests Himself in what He does, yet remains invisible. Where He comes from and goes is elusive to us.

The wind can sometimes be calm and gentle; refreshing and cool. Other times it can be turbulent and destructive. Its force cannot be tamed, harnessed, or bottled for future use. The image of the wind as a breeze on the prairie or in the tornadoes and hurricanes we experience, helps convey not only the peace and sheer power but also the freedom of the Holy Spirit to come and go.

So how am I to respond to the “wind” and unexpected of God? I respond with expectant faith. This helps my soul to be sensitive and docile to the Spirit like the leaves on the poplar trees dancing in the wind. I am to sit in silence asking the Spirit to stir into flame His breath dwelling in me.

For Reflection:

How can my experience of the wind help to better understand who the Holy Spirit is and what He does? Do I have an expectant faith waiting for surprises God has planned for me? Do I make time to encounter God in nature? Do I seek to be born of the Holy Spirit?

Prayer:

Breathe on me Holy Spirit the gift of Your life, that I may encounter in the wind, in the birds, and in the beauty of creation, Your great love for me. Help me to be a Happy Camper.

(blogged July 1, 2024)
Subscribe to my newsletter!

My wife and I parked the car and walked to the sidewalk that followed the rapidly moving water. The river was wide and in the distance a rumbling could be heard. I picked up a small branch and chucked it into the river. It immediately shot forward and in no time vanished out-of-site around the bend, quickly heading towards the thundering sound we were hearing the closer we came. As we rounded the bend,
we stopped, awed by the spectacular sight. The river seemed to plunge into the sky and disappear. In its place was left the mist and roar of the mighty Niagara River as it dropped out of sight.

Did you know that Niagara Falls is not the highest falls in the world? It is definitely very impressive with 6 million cubic ft. of water that goes over the crest-line of the falls every minute. The rapids above the falls reach a maximum speed of 25 mph, with the fastest speeds occurring at the falls themselves (recorded up to 68 mph.).

The “Maid of the Mist” is a tour boat that takes you close to the bottom of the falls and allows you to experience the noise, power, and the clouds of midst, as the water whirls around and speeds off down the river to Lake Ontario. Standing on the deck of the Maid of the Mist, one is totally covered with the wetness of the mist.

In Chapter 4 in the Gospel of John, Jesus is talking to the Samaritan woman about His thirst and His desire for a drink. The symbolic meaning of His thirst is a beautiful, gentle, moving story of encounter and conversion.

In verse 10, Jesus says, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” In verse 14 He says, “… the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

In Chapter 7:37-38, Jesus picks up the theme again of thirst and living water. He says, “If any one thirst, let him come to me and drink… ‘Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.’ Now this he said about the Spirit, which those who believed in him were to receive…”

So what is the connection to Niagara Falls? Jesus came in order to send the Holy Spirit, to be with us, and dwell in us. This is the Living Water Jesus speaks of. This amazing Gift is often overlooked, so little known or appreciated. The Holy Spirit is the abundance of the water (life), the power and beauty of God. He is breathtaking, and covers us with His mist.  Jesus tells us in Jn. 3:34, that God does not limit or measure out the Holy Spirit, but gives Him in an unlimited lavished way, pouring Him into our hearts and we will never spiritually thirst again.

For Reflection:
Do I take time to reflect on the powerful Gift that God offers me in and through the Holy Spirit? Have I taken time to think about the Holy Spirit as the ‘living water’ and how abundantly God pours Him into me? How do I respond to this great Gift of Love?

Prayer:
Come Holy Spirit, stir within me Your Living Water. Wash over me, cleansing me of all doubt and fear. Quench my spiritual thirst by welling up within me, that I may be a source of spiritual refreshment for those around me.

(blogged June 15, 2024)
Subscribe to my newsletter!

I live in north central Minnesota, and no, I can’t see the North Pole or the end of the world from here. Our record snow falls and cool temperatures to extreme hot and drought conditions came suddenly and un-expectantly last year, turning our lawns brown and crisp. No rain for two months in forested areas, takes a toll on Mother Nature and upon human nature.

One morning, as I was sitting in prayer, absorbed in meditation, I felt the gentle presence of the Holy Spirit. My restless soul filled with peace. A sound from outside caught my attention; it was a gentle falling rain. Gratefulness washed over me as I watched with renewed amazement each small rain drop hitting a leaf and running down to its point, collecting other drops on the way, forming a rivulet of water. Running off the surface of one leaf, it fell onto the next, repeating its downward journey, finally falling into the waiting arms of the parched earth. In its wake, there was a shining glow of green as creation rejoiced at the life-giving water from above.

This living water cycle strikes me as being similar to what and how the Holy Spirit,the Lord and Giver of Life, works in my life. God sends the Holy Spirit, pouring Him into my heart. This pouring is often gentle and sometimes unnoticed. It is the Holy Spirit who helps me catch the droplets of His graces, directing and unifying them into little rivers of blessings meant for others. Each leaf of my being is touched and transformed by His living water.

Humanity’s response to the rain varies. There will be those that are upset with it, for it ruins their plans. There will be others who pay no heed to it because there is a job to be done and they are oblivious to its presence. Others will take an umbrella or stay indoors, as they seek not to get wet. In all these forms of rejection, they will not see rain as gift. Few will see the gratitude of the dry earth that receives it. Fewer will hear the cry of joy and thanksgiving creation shouts forth as it receives this life-giving water from above. Even fewer will see the dancing of the leaves, the shiver of delight that comes from being touched from above.

How sad, I use to myself, that man is so ignorant and oblivious to the things around him, especially the supernatural; the presence and workings of the Holy Spirit. So many may miss The Silent Presence, each touch and caress of grace from the Spirit. So many of us are so caught up in our plans and time that we fail to recognize the Holy Spirit, whose presence is poured gently upon us. Will you stay in the comfort of your dry shelter or dance in the rain? Maybe it’s time to ask God to stir into flame the Holy Spirit’s life-giving qualities in you and dance.

For Reflection:
Everyone experiences spiritual dryness. Do I look for God’s graces even in the time of spiritual drought? How open am I to receive God’s graces? Am I willing to dance in the rain, or to stay safe in the dry shelter of my heart when it comes to the Holy Spirit? How might I stir into the flame the Holy Spirit dwelling in me?

Prayer:
Send Your living water like a gentle rain into my heart O Lord. Help me to dance in Your presence with a heart full of gratitude.

(blogged June 1, 2024)
Subscribe to my newsletter!

When I was a young kid, I was playing with some neighbors in a field behind our home. I sat down on an old stump to rest. I heard, “Don’t move!” I froze. I had unknowingly sat down on a garter snake’s nest. I was covered with snakes. Fear of snakes was permanently etched into my psyche. Just the thought of that moment, 65 years later, still makes me squeamish. It wasn’t until I was in my late 50’s that God delivered and healed me of this fear. I still don’t like snakes, but the crippling fear is gone.

Fear isn’t new to our human experience. Adam and Eve disobeyed God, ate the forbidden fruit and hid from Him in fear. Israel’s fear of Goliath, the giant Philistine, paralyzed their army. The disciples of Jesus woke Him from His sleep in a boat during a storm, fearing for their lives. They deserted Him in fear and scattered upon His arrest; then they hid behind locked doors in the upper room for fear of the Jews.

Even outside of biblical times, man still is crippled by fear. In our own day, we have COVID, mass shootings, a crumbling economy. We don’t want to lose our jobs or be rejected by our peers. Cancer or Alzheimer’s sets us into panic.

Jesus told His disciples a number of times not to be afraid, yet they didn’t get it. So, what happened? The same group of guys who were paralyzed in fear 50 days earlier, now go out and proclaim boldly the mighty works of God. In fact, they tell a large crowd of more than 3000 that it was they who had crucified the Son of God. What happened to these guys who were governed by fear, to fearlessly lay down their lives to bear witness to Jesus crucified and risen from the dead? Pentecost! What happened was they received the Holy Spirit, the promised One Jesus told them He and the Father would send.

During His public ministry, He had told them, “be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) St. John tells us that perfect love casts out all fear. (1 Jn. 4:18) That perfect love is the Holy Spirit who the Father and Son pour into our hearts. They send the Holy Spirit not only to be with us, but to dwell in us (Jn. 14:17). Because the Holy Spirit dwells within us, we have every spiritual . We have what is needed to combat our fears; we have the Holy Spirit.blessing in the heavens (Eph.1:3)

Yet in our ignorance and fear of this mysterious, unknown Person of the Trinity, we prevent Him from working with and through us. Just as God delivered me and set me free from my paralyzing fear of snakes, so too, He can set you free from your many fears. This Counselor, sent in His name, desires to dwell in us, to set us free, to embolden us to fearlessly love. Allow Him to stir into flame the fire of His love.

For Reflection:

What are the fears in my life that tend to cripple me? Do I trust in the immense love of God to heal me of my most inhibiting fears? Is the Holy Spirit someone I fear, an unknown, a casual acquaintance, or a personal friend of mine? How might I stir into the flame the Holy Spirit dwelling in me?

Prayer:

O Holy Spirit, I ask that You dwell richly in me. Set me free of my fears, so I may experience the Father’s great love for me.

(blogged May 15, 2024)
Subscribe to my newsletter!

My favorite time of day is early morning before dawn. The darkness is turning into light; the silence is peaceful and still; the crazy pace of activity has not yet begun. Sitting with a cup of coffee, “liquid grace,” I watch the new day birth. I focus on God, pondering His marvelous workmanship. As I meditate upon Him gracing me with a new day, I am filled with something that words cannot describe that fortifies me to face the day.

Today as I sat in my silent contemplative time, the words to a song came to mind. “Blessed assurance ….” I didn’t remember the rest of the song, but those words summed up my attitude of prayer today. Pondering on the concept of strength, I recall I am able to move mountains; to uproot trees and cast them into the sea; to take on giants; to face death defiantly and speak to it, “Death, where is your sting?” Do I feel that confidence today? Most days, not.

Strength isn’t about feeling strong, courageous, and pumped up for combat. I am so weak; so broken; so full of holes I could not hold any amount of strength that God would pour into me. But strength is not about my abilities or within my capacity. Strength is God’s gift to me of the blessed assurance that He is present. Not merely somewhere close by me, but dwelling within me; abiding in me; surrounding me; equipping me for the mission of today.

We’re seeing more electric cars, bikes, scooters nowadays. They get plugged in to recharge. We too need to be spiritually recharged daily. Our plugin source is prayer. Now, if you are not a person of prayer, or if your prayer seems unproductive, or you find little time to pray, then you face your day with a depleted battery; often times feeling overwhelmed, fearful, and anxious. You stumble about your day aimlessly hoping to survive.

Prayer is a time I set aside to be present to the God who dwells within me. It is a time I make, a time I position myself, to focus on His presence; to attune myself to His silent abiding within. It is watching the day unfold through the eyes of faith.

As I leave this silent refuge with God, there are often no fire works; no feelings of consolation; no great revelations. Most often times I don’t hear Him audibly speak. More likely than not, I still feel weak, broken, vulnerable, and unsure about facing the challenges of the day. But when my eyes of faith settle on Jesus sleeping in my boat, I have that blessed assurance that all is well; I am fortified to take up my cross and continue my pilgrimage in faith. Having recharged, I am now ready to face the day, believing and trusting that God is my strength and He dwells within me; that blessed assurance, that when I am weak, God is strong.

For Reflection:
When is my favorite time of day, my silent refuge with God? How might I be experiencing God’s blessed assurance at this time in my life? Do my eyes of faith focus on my troubles and woundedness or on Jesus? Where and how do I spiritually recharge?

Prayer:
O God, You make all things new. Be with me in my silent refuge. Renew me with Your Blessed Assurance, that I may face my challenges with Your peace and joy, knowing that You love me and are here with me.

(blogged May 1, 2024)
Subscribe to my newsletter!