Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Getting There


I recently spent some time at a Catholic Marketing Network Conference--via the hospitality of New Hope Press publishers of my book, A Lost Shepherd.

I was a fish out of water.  I had no idea that there was such a thing as 'catholic marketing' let alone an annual conference.
In the middle of the garden state convention center was a gathering of publishers, vendors, and authors.  It was a home show for anything 'catholic'.  There were little light up ornaments, and thousand dollar icons, there were books and pamphlets and even a promotion for fasting bread (which, by the way was incredible).  I spent two days standing at a booth and taking an occasional meander through the center--amazed at the amount of stuff that is, in the end, supposed to bring us closer to God. 

Ah, the soul's journey to its Creator.
That's, after all, what it is all about, isn't it?

And all the stuff is supposed to help us get 'there'. 

I wonder if one of the disciples like John or Peter would have walked through the convention--what would they have been attracted to?  


Thursday, August 15, 2013

Feast of the Assumption 2013

Perhaps there is more of a spiritual coordination to the timing of this post.  It is, after all, The Feast of the Assumption.
I've decided to offer an occasional muse on this blog, Praylium (still one of the coolest blog titles--but I am a little biased)

I stopped writing, months back partly out of having no 'material' but more so because I was becoming a bit too cynical.  Sure humor can have a bite--but I wasn't charitable.  In addition I found myself rather too melancholic and at times depressed--especially when it came to ecclesial issues.   In a nutshell I had nothing constructive to write and I needed to take a break.
Enough explaining--here's some thoughts I had today at Mass.

That first reading, boy!  The dragon in the sky, the woman suffering the pangs of birth, that dragon waiting, throwing a tantrum, hurling stars.
That dragon--destroying.
That dragon--overbearing, huge, other worldly
That hideous creature--chaos in the ordered universe
That dragon's concern?--a woman and her baby.
Really?  It can alter the stars in the sky and it is concerned over an infant?
Tell me there isn't a sacredness in the womb, in the woman, in the child, in creation of human life?

Isn't that what it is like when we find ourselves up against evil? There seems to be no way out, no hope, destruction and despair, fear and trembling, loud chaos and world altering movements attack us---evil.

And yet, that woman and her baby--She gives birth to the one who will conquer sin and death.
She intercedes, She intervenes, She puts herself in the pursuit of the devil in order to bring her Son into the world--into my world, your world, our world.

Find yourself in a predicament?  Find yourself combatting evil?  Find yourself without hope?

Find our Lady and let her hold you and shelter you.

Happy Feast of the Assumption!

It's good to be back.