Taking Time to Reflect

I recently went on a Catholic women’s retreat. The idea came to mind after seeing something online, and I decided to try it out. I wasn’t sure what to expect, since I had never been on a weekend-long retreat. I assumed I might be the only person without grey hair and children. It turned out that most attendees were in fact a few decades ahead of me, but there were also younger women who came in search of the peace and presence of Christ in their lives. During introductions, almost every woman stated she was in need of a break from a hectic job, college classes or challenging family obligations.

I was surprised and happy to meet some great people with whom I bonded with while sharing meals, going for walks and discussing life. What struck me during the presentations was how far I have come in understanding Catholicism. A few short months ago we were learning to follow Christ – to really come to know Him and rely on Him in our daily lives. Some of us have made our lives so busy that we don’t realize how much we are missing out on in terms of practicing our faith.

While the retreat provided new learning for all attendees, I truly felt that I was a step ahead, after having experienced ChristLife. I have been inspired to re-learn and continue practicing my faith, and I have never felt so excited to be Catholic. I love that each day is a new opportunity to learn, pray, share, and be with Christ, even when we feel stretched to our limits. 

Once in a while we all need time to slow down and reflect on what’s happening inside ourselves as a result of our lifestyles. Then we can pinpoint where we are on the road-map, and where we should be headed. 

- Written by: Susan Eick

The First Steps of Sharing Christ

The First Steps of Sharing Christ

On a recent Monday morning at work, my decidedly non-Catholic co-worker asked what I did on the weekend. I told him that I ran errands, went out to dinner, and attended Mass. I casually added that Mass is a great way to start Saturday evening. My co-worker didn't comment, but perhaps it made him wonder. Such a casual statement can be a subtle, yet powerful way to evangelize. The first step for many of us in this process of following and sharing Christ is to let go of our fear a bit and engage others in casual conversation. This is not as hard as I had imagined, because there are so many opportunities, and you don’t have to say very much to put an idea out there.

Prior to the Following Christ sessions last fall, I was far more hesitant to discuss my faith – even casually – with many people I know. I am not sure why I built up such a high wall; I’m sure there are many reasons. But I am happy to say I no longer feel compelled to be so cautious. This is in large part due to ChristLife. Making our faith approachable in conversation can be a starting point for us, and for those we want to reach. My hope is that our collective confidence will grow throughout the spring sessions, as we learn how to share our faith and take down our individual walls, one step at a time.

I recall one of the core team members telling us all a few months ago that we should continue to pray for each other - to say a Hail Mary or other prayer for ChristLife at the end of Mass, or when we have a quiet moment. What great advice.

- Written by: Susan Eick

NO SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL

… please, allow me to introduce myself, I’m a man of wealth and taste; I’ve been around for a long, long year, stole many a man’s soul and faith; and I was round when Jesus Christ had his moment of doubt and pain; made damn sure that Pilate, washed his hands and sealed his fate; pleased to meet you, hope you guess my name…

The lyrics above are from a song by the Rolling Stones. Have you ever listened to the words? Can you guess who they are singing about? We talked about him in our spiritual warfare class and he is known by many names. Satan … Lucifer … Devil … Father of Lies … and Deceiver to name a few but they all refer to the adversary and enemy of God.

I was so happy that we had a session on spiritual warfare at the ChristLife Saturday retreat. The cruise ship vs. battleship metaphor was used to examine our spiritual life. Is your spiritual life a cruise ship? Peaceful and relaxing but going nowhere. Or is it more like a battleship? Locked and loaded with a definite mission. My group thought it was no coincidence when the news that week reported a cruise ship stranded in the middle of the ocean. Talk about going nowhere…

Sometimes, being a parent is like being the captain of a battleship. Satan is everywhere in our secular world and he is attacking our children. My kids always protested whenever I mentioned him, “Oh Mom, there you go again with your devil talk…” My message that Satan was real and present in their lives was not well received. Just as I wanted them to recognize God’s glory and gifts, I also wanted them to be watchful for the deceitfulness of Satan.

Do you recognize Satan in your life? I admit that I am not always aware when he is around but this Christ Life session jogged my memory. I recalled an incident from my son’s childhood and shared it with my group. I share it now with you.

I have three children and they all learn differently. When my eldest son was in fourth grade he was struggling with math concepts. He had been ill and missed a lot of school so he fell behind his classmates. One chilly afternoon he was in his room working on his homework and I heard him talking to himself. Curious as to what he was doing, I peeked around the corner. My beautiful son, my gift from God, was verbally berating himself at his desk. “You are stupid, you are stupid” were words that he had written many times on his paper and was repeating over and over to himself. You … are … stupid!

I am not proud to share with what my reaction was but… I lost it. I totally, totally lost it! My body and mind instantly filled with rage. I threw open his door and started yelling, “YOU ARE NOT STUPID! YOU ARE NOT STUPID! GOD DOESN’T MAKE STUPID!” I wasn’t just yelling, I was practically screaming. I grabbed him and his paper and pulled him into the living room where a fire was crackling in the fireplace. Only slightly calmer I told him … how special he was … how loved he was … what a miracle he was … that God made him exactly the way he wanted him to be … that not understanding something was temporary …  that God didn’t make stupid. I asked him if he thought that the message he was repeating to himself came from God or from someone else. Finally, I helped him tear the paper that he had written on into little pieces and we threw them in the fire. My anger still burned as hot as the fire, anger that Satan had attacked my son. As we watched the paper burn I held him close to me on the couch. I prayed with him and shared all the positive, Godly thoughts and scripture that I could remember. I explained that these types of negative, harmful thoughts were never from God but this was how Satan tried to gain a stronghold in our hearts.

Do you recognize Satan in your life? Are you ready for battle? On that day, at that moment, I recognized him. I saw the Father of Lies clearly and there was nothing for him to hide behind as his lies burned in the hot fire. May we be ever watchful for Satan and remember, James 4:7 “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Unlike the song title above, we must have NO sympathy for the devil!

- Written by: Connie Moretti

Following His Lead

I was looking over the water of Puget Sound and watched a tug boat slowly pull a large freight ship. It almost looked as though the heavy freighter was reluctant to follow the tug boat’s lead. It can be the same with us as we follow Jesus. Every person has some type of burden to carry, and even if we want to do God’s will, we seem reluctant at times to follow Him.

As we have completed two thirds of the ChristLife program, we know that following Christ is not always easy. But we also know that with this calling comes great reward. Throughout the past seven weeks we have journeyed through prayer, scripture, the sacraments, forgiveness, the devil, and more. What has stood out to me is the power of God’s compassion for us. Even in dark times and places, He journeys with us and meets us there. If we take our eyes off of Him, we can fall. But if we look for Him and reach for His hand, somehow we will be taken care of.

I look forward to the upcoming seven-week journey of sharing Christ, which may be the most challenging yet. No matter how it unfolds, we should keep following His lead. 

- Written by: Susan Eick

Following Christ: An Evaluation

I have a lot of faults which I have been trying to overcome all my life. I am one who believes that whatever problems I cause, I have the responsibility to solve my way - the way I see it.

I used to do good things, by following every inspiration I got, always thinking of making things easy for others, like offering to do what I foresaw they needed, even before I was asked. Even now, I cannot remember saying “no” to any chance that has come my way to do some good, believing that the opportunity may not come again. Unfortunately, my good intentions have often been misunderstood.

One of my biggest faults is my impatience, which almost always results in anger and ultimately un-forgiveness. For as long as I can remember, I have always tried to live a righteous life, and probably because of that, I have had no patience or understanding when things and people fall short of my expectations.

My anger and frustration with people, and how situations had been handled, embittered me and made me so angry that I quit going to my weekly prayer group meetings and attending daily morning Mass. But God has been so patient and loving, so understanding and forgiving that He continued to call me to frequent confession, and to stay faithful to my Sunday and Holy Day Mass obligations, and the reception of the Holy Eucharist.

Still, my hardness of heart made it hard for me to even think of letting go of my bitterness. Considering being humble enough to forgive did not even cross my mind. With ChristLife, I have come to accept what I have known all along; that being “right” is not always what is important, because being “loving” is what Jesus asks of me.

Through ChristLife, God spoke to me deep down in my heart. He helped me see how important it is for me to forgive those who have wronged me, because I myself have done many wrong things that have offended God who is all good and deserving of all my love. If God forgives me every time I sin and ask for His forgiveness during Reconciliation, then I, too, must ask forgiveness from those I have hurt and offended.

God works through the people He places in our lives and through the situations we find ourselves in. I praise and thank God for inviting me to participate in ChristLife because he has removed the blinders from my eyes to see what has been preventing me from becoming the person He has always wanted me to be. I realize now, more than ever, that pride had prevented me from seeing His truth. Through the lectures, witness testimonies, group sharing, and the many cumulative events that have happened to me, God humbled me to the very core of my being. He showed me that on my own, I can do nothing. But with Him I can overcome pride and find true peace by becoming more loving and quick to forgive.

Thank you, Holy Spirit. I know You moved me to write my reflection, because our grandfather clock struck three in the afternoon, the Holy Hour of Mercy, just as I was finished writing. Please hold my hand, lest I fall back into my old ways. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

- Written by: Cora Sanchez 

Putting on our armor

Last fall, when we prayed for each other in small groups at the  ChristLife retreat, it was the first time many of us had tried this type of prayer. It was a big step out of our comfort zone, but a powerful practice which positively impacted the participants. Like many challenges, a new form of prayer takes practice. At last week’s retreat, after we had prayed again in small groups, one person observed that we were improving our spontaneous prayer skills. What a great feeling! As one participant at the retreat suggested, this is the place where we arm and support each other before facing the world.

We truly are in a spiritual battle – in our workplaces, at school, in secular relationships, and even in our homes. We require support from our Christian community and need to consider reaching out to each other, perhaps more than we have before. After the latest session on the topic of the devil, what surprised some of us was the multitude of doorways through which he tries to enter. It is clear that we need to stand our ground and use our physical and spiritual energy wisely – in ways which lead us toward, rather than away from God. 

- Written by: Susan Eick

Spirit-Empowered Life

How can all of the strange little events that happen to us simply be coincidences?

I was in a crowded grocery store after work recently, going from aisle to aisle at my usual fast pace, trying to get the shopping over with as quickly as possible. I was checking items off my mental list when I realized there was a disabled man in a wheelchair whom I had seen before. Suddenly a tidal wave of guilt consumed me and nothing seemed terribly important. How odd. Where did this feeling come from? I stood there, fixated on the thought that this man needed someone to help him complete basic tasks like pulling grocery items off the shelf.

How many times had I complained recently about my inability to obtain the things I want? I already have so much for which to be thankful. The cloud of frustration that had been hovering over me for the past few weeks seemed to disperse. How selfish I had been. I was able to practically run down the aisle and get through the checkout line while this man was still struggling to get a few items (granted, he had someone shopping with him). I went home and unpacked my groceries, still obsessed with the guilt I had felt in the store. It was a nagging feeling, like someone was tapping me on the shoulder.

I believe these kinds of experiences are the Holy Spirit breaking through to us. The timing of this event was a little strange, considering two days later the week’s topic was the Spirit-empowered life. We talked about prophecy – hearing the Lord speak to you for the sake of others.

There is a real and ever-present challenge for some of us – perhaps all of us - to step outside of our self-absorption and help others solely for their sake. Maybe I should slow down, pay more attention, even volunteer more. Maybe I should thank that man the next time I see him.  

- Written by: Susan Eick