Separating the Good from the Bad

Last week I sat down and opened up the readings for today to reflect upon as I prepared to write this weekend’s column. I found the clip art to the right that corresponds to today’s Gospel from Matthew 13 and my mind began to wander as I thought about my current projects: clearing out “stuff” (and more stuff!) from my closets, file cabinets, desk etc. I’d pick up something and ask myself why on earth did I buy this? Did I really ever need it? I started separating my stuff into keep, toss and “give to Thrift Shop”.

As I try to refocus on the Gospel, I am realizing my desire to clear out my stuff has more to do with my faith than my desire to get more space in my closets and drawers. At various times in our lives we purchase and procure things to “make us happy” only to find out in the long run they do not. Jesus tells us to rid ourselves of possessions and we will be freer to follow Him. It seems contradictory, but in today’s Gospel the merchant actively finds and keeps a pearl, the farmer a field of treasure and fishermen seemingly fishing to excess… all to find something priceless. When Jesus asks “Do you understand?” the disciples say yes but I say no! I don’t understand.

My mind starts to wander again back to all my cleaning out efforts and I start pondering why now? Why do I wish to clean out my life? I suddenly had an “AHA” moment… The pearl of today’s Gospel is my faith! As I have explored more deeper into my faith and found the love of Jesus, the strength of the Father and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, I no longer need as much “stuff” to keep me happy. I am like the merchant who has found a great pearl--- the pearl of great price is my faith. I will gladly give away all that I have to keep my faith in our Lord and hope in the kingdom of heaven.

This week let us remember those who seek happiness in possessions and pray that they will find a great pearl. Let us also remember and pray for those who have nothing, not even the basic necessities and lastly, let us pray for ourselves to rid ourselves of what keeps us away from the love of our Lord.
God Bless, Holly Clark

At Rock Bottom

Despair is contrary to God's goodness
CCC #2091

A few weeks ago I was watching the tide go out and gazing out at the exposed rocks musing that this was probably the origin of phrase “hitting rock bottom.” I saw all the exposed rocks, cracked and worn from the elements and passage of time. I got up from my beach chair and decided to take a walk “at rock bottom.” There have been times in my life that I have been at rock bottom and full of despair as I am sure we all can identify with. We look to the Cross for our hope but we can also find hope surrounding us in the form of nature and each other.

As I walked among the seemingly barren rocky shoreline I started to look for signs of life and little treasures that may have been hidden by the sea. In the little tidal pools I found sea-life that couldn’t exist without the ebb and flow of the tides. I found little seashells, now devoid of life but bringing me happiness in their dainty forms and shapes. I found little fish, temporarily safe from predators and little bits of polished stone… polished by the sea over centuries or eons. I got to musing what a perfect balance there is in nature.

Keeping the now rising tide in mind I continued my walk and found an awesome little spot that was full of rocks, but water had collected in the indentations and the sun was hitting the wet stones and water to give me a dazzling array of God’s handiwork. A beautiful ballet of water, stone, light and life danced before my eyes. I paused and gave thanks to God. I thought perhaps life at “rock bottom” isn’t so bad after all and when faced with times of despair we should take a walk and explore rock bottom a bit and we will find life, and God, again. Always remember, too, Jesus’ humanly life hit rock bottom when He was nailed to the cross… and look what He gave us… new life… new hope… and so much more…
God Bless, Holly Clark

Today

Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea –Mt 13:1

A couple of weekends ago I went out of my house and literally sat down by the sea in Gloucester. I spent a wonderful weekend on retreat, communing with God through the beauty of nature. I picked up a little book to read from the house library and found this very apt poem on “Today”. I thought with sadness how true to life these words are. How often do we not pay attention to today? How often do we not see God’s peace, joy and love in front of us in the form of each other and in the beauty of nature?

TODAY
Today came, smiling, toward me
Arms laden with brightly wrapped gifts.
And I said, “I’ll be with you in just a minute.”
You see, I was in this conversation with Yesterday
—I forget exactly what it was all about—
And it went on and on.
I called out to Today, “I’ll be right with you.”
Then, when Yesterday finally finished with me
And before I could get back to Today,
Tomorrow barged right up and began talking.
I called out to Today, “Just give me a few more minutes.” Well, Tomorrow would be satisfied with nothing less
Than dotting all the i’s and crossing all the t’s—
I forget what it was all about. really.
(You know how Tomorrow can be.)
So I called out to Today,
“Just hang in there.”
Tomorrow, satisfied at last, left me.
And I looked up.
And Today was gone.**

**Making Friends With Yourself, Leo P. Rock, S.J.- Paulist Press, 1990

This summer, make today count. Look around you right now and enjoy the moment. Thank God for the joy of today and ignore the pains of the past and worries of the future. Today only happens once in your lifetime- make it count.
God Bless, Holly Clark

Resting...

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find rest for yourselves. – Mt 25:28-30

Welcome to summer! Last Monday I saw a comic strip that featured a father and son relaxing in lawn chairs enjoying the gift of summer and in flies Mom frantic that it almost July and panicking over not making any vacation plans: “If we don’t get off our duffs and start planning something fast- I MEAN NOW- then we won’t get a chance to relax this summer.” As the father and son continue basking in the summer sun the son asks his father “Can she hear herself?” How often does this happen in your family? Cramming every minute of vacation with fun and adventure but not relaxation time? Do you ever feel like you need a vacation to recuperate from your vacation? Vacationing is not the same as resting!

Even Jesus understood the need for rest. Very often in the scriptures we see that He will go off to the mountains to get away from the crowds and to be with His Father. He needed some alone time to rest and pray and rejuvenate Himself. Today’s Gospel reading emphasizes rest. I find it interesting that Jesus does not simply tell us to rest but instead tells us to turn to Him and He will teach us and help us to find rest. He tells us He will show us how to unburden ourselves and find rest for ourselves.

This week let us remember to find time for true rest… sit in a chair quietly, perhaps outside with nature or inside by dim light. Listen to the silence around you… pay attention to the little noises you’ve never heard before… a bird chirping, wind chimes chiming, a floorboard creaking… listen for the voice of Jesus teaching you how to rest. Spending time at rest is time you cannot afford to miss.
God Bless, Holly Clark

We are one...

Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.
1 Cor 10:17

Last weekend was the Feast of The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. We celebrate and reflect upon the source and summit of our faith: the uniting of individuals at the table of our Lord and partaking of the Holy Eucharist. When we gather together at Mass to celebrate the Eucharist we become one body in the Lord. Look around you at Mass today. Do you see individuals or do you see one body, a mystical body? When you listen and respond to the Liturgy of the Eucharist do you hear one voice, a mystical voice? Do you feel at one with the Lord AND your fellow worshippers?

Take some time today to reflect upon the bread and wine that become the body and blood of Christ. Think of how many grains of wheat it takes to make the bread and think of how many grapes it takes to make the wine. The grains and grapes start their lives as individuals and then come together to form bread and wine. The priest consecrates the bread and wine to form the body and blood of Christ. We too are like grains of wheat and grapes. We start out as individuals before Mass, each doing our own thing, but when we come together at the table of the Eucharist we form one body and one voice. And after Mass we become the earthly hands of Christ and the earthly voice of Christ. How will you carry out this responsibility? How will you be Christ in your home, workplace, playground, grocery store etc.? How will you carry on Christ’s earthly mission? How will you go forth to love and serve the Lord?

Always remember that you carry the Light of Christ with you. He will guide you, travel with you and will illuminate your path. Christ is a part of us and we are at one with Christ. Though we are many, we are one…
God Bless, Holly Clark

Be Filled with the Holy Spirit

Acts 2:1-4
When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled,
they were all in one place together.
And suddenly there came from the sky
a noise like a strong driving wind,
and it filled the entire house in which they were.
Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire,
which parted and came to rest on each one of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit

I have always found this passage from Acts to be a very prayerful and thought provoking image. Today I’d like for you to travel back two thousand years and put yourself into this reading. Picture yourself gathered with the early disciples of Christ. You may feel saddened and lost, maybe even abandoned by your friend’s death. You wonder where your new found faith will take you, martyrdom and death or to new journeys? Suddenly you feel a strong wind… you know something is in the air… you hear a huge noise coming from the sky but yet you are not frightened. You feel a sudden warmth in your heart and you see tongues of fire hovering over your friends’ heads. You are mesmerized for a moment or two and you know you have touched God for God has filled you with the Holy Spirit!

Our lives are filled with the Holy Spirit. We do not always realize it or understand it but the Holy Spirit is always with us, ready to fill our hearts with God’s love and guidance. We need to slow down our lives and listen for the Wind of the Spirit. This week let us pray with this passage from Acts and ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance for what may be troubling you. Slow down and feel the Holy Spirit’s “tongue of fire.” Let the fire penetrate your mind and your heart. Let us set our hearts ablaze with the Spirit! Come Holy Spirit, Come and fill us with God’s love.
God Bless, Holly Clark

And With Your Spirit...

Reflections on the New Mass:
The first weekend of Advent in 2011 we will be coming together and celebrating the Mass together with a fresh, new voice. We will come together and worship as one body in Christ, a Mystical Body with one Mystical Voice.

The very first thing you will notice is the priest greeting you with… “The Lord be with you.” We used to respond with, “And also with you.” Instead we will respond instead with “And with your spirit.” When I first heard this new response, it sounded very foreign to me and not quite grammatically correct. I also was asking myself what difference does it make?

Last week I attended a conference called Mystical Voice, Mystical Body which was offered by the Archdiocese to help explain to Church staffs the changes in the Mass. The presenters explained to us that “And with your spirit…” does not refer to the spirit of the priest but rather to the spirit of the Lord that ordained priests receive at ordination. The priest, is offering us Christ’s greetings, not his own. Taken in this context the wording makes perfect sense.

The new wording may seem to be a bit formal, but as one of the presenters pointed out: “wouldn’t you greet Christ more formally than a buddy at the football field?” The language one uses needs to fit the occasion. When we come together at Mass we form the Mystical Body of Christ and speak from the Mystical Voice of Christ. We want our words to be more prayerful and reflective in Mass than the current translation allows. (Don’t you think “and with your spirit” sounds more prayerful than “and also with you?”). Let us all pray for an open mind and heart as we reflect on the new translation of the Roman Missal in the weeks and months to come.
- Holly Clark

A Dream Begins With a Tear...

How often in life do you feel like the world is against you and you have nowhere to go? Perhaps you suffered the death of a loved one or the loss of a job or perhaps the insanities of life are catching up with you and you feel the loss of all your dreams and hopes. How do you cope? Do you become bitter at the world or do you turn to your faith? Do you pick yourself up and build new dreams? Many dreams are “built on a tear.”

We are now bringing the Easter season to a close next weekend with the celebration of Pentecost. After Jesus’ death, the first Christians felt as if their world was torn apart. They believed all of Jesus’ hopes and dreams for a new life on Earth were destroyed. They mourned the death of their leader and friend. Slowly, as they traveled the road to Emmaus and met the risen Jesus, they began to realize larger dreams, a life after death. The disciples began to spread the joy and Good News of the risen Christ. Christ had died and was risen once again. Christ’s tears, as He suffered on the cross began a process to enact God’s hopes and dreams for all of humanity. It was a dream begun with a tear…

This week take some time to review your life. Where are your tears flowing from? Using Christ as a role model, can you take those tears and turn them into dreams? It is difficult to reflect upon sorrows, when you feel as if your heart has been ripped open. But always remember when you feel as if God has ripped your heart open, it is to make it bigger for Him to pour His love into. Turn your tears into dreams… and you’ll be surprised at what will arise!
God Bless, Holly Clark

Reflections on the New Mass Translation

On November 27, 20011, the First Sunday of Advent, the words to our Mass will be changing. When the first translation of the Latin into English came out post-Vatican II, the translation was rushed and did not accurately reflect the original Latin text. The new translation of the Mass will bring the text closer to the original Latin. Parishioners may feel that this is a step backwards from the intent of Vatican II. I can tell you nothing could be further from the truth!

I recently attended a workshop on the new Mass and had the chance to delve into the new translation. It was explained to us that the original Latin contained many references to Scripture that were altered, or removed, in our current translation. The bishops felt, at that time, that Catholics had not had a lot of exposure to Sacred Scripture and parishioners would feel lost in the English Mass. In the years that followed, we became more familiar with Scripture through the daily and Sunday readings and we began to study the Bible in small Bible study groups. We became more familiar with our Biblical roots. Now we are ready for a more accurate translation steeped in scripture.

During the upcoming weeks together we will be reflecting upon the New Mass. We will start publishing side-by-side comparisons of the old and new translations. Change is always difficult but we ask you to please keep an open mind. When you begin to look at the new translation you will find it more prayerful, scriptural and inspirational. I, for one, am truly looking forward to deepening my faith with the New Mass translation.
Holly Clark