What I Get Out of Lent (vs. What I Give Up)

It has taken me years to fully buy into the idea that Ash Wednesday (and Lent in general for that matter) is good.  I have hated fasting, and for the longest time, I never really understood it.  Until about seven years ago.  And I'll admit that from time-to-time, I slip back into my old habits, believing that fasting is a chore.  As long as I snap myself out of it and turn my attitude around, I'm doing ok. Since that is what people mainly think of when they think of Lent, that became my only focus...what I'm giving up.  I never really focused on what I was gaining during the season of Lent.  When I shifted my attention to that, everything changed!

Fasting

Fasting is not just some thing that we Catholics invented.  In fact, if you look at any number of the fad diets that are going on these days, many of them promote the idea of fasting.  So why, when the Church tells us to fast for one day, do we freak out?

Well, simple.  People don't like being told what to do.  People don't like to suffer.  And most importantly, people don't like being told to suffer.  It's a vicious cycle.

But fasting is important. We need to purge ourselves of the toxins in our lives.  I get all judgmental and on my high horse (no, I'm not bragging about that, but it's the truth) when I hear people talk about giving up soda or chocolate for Lent.  It makes me crazy.  It's not that those things are wrong or bad to give up, I just wonder about how those people are experiencing spiritual development because of their sacrifice. Is this for the sake of spiritual development, or to lose a few pounds?  Let me tell you, and this I know for certain:  if you are completing your lenten sacrifice in order to lose weight, you're doing it wrong!

That's right.  I said it.  If you are contributing to your own, personal, vanity by making your Lenten Sacrifice about food, than it's not a Lenten Sacrifice.  In fact, it's the exact opposite of that.  It's actually contributing to your sinfulness by focusing your attention on yourself.  Vanity is sinful.

Ok, so don't go out and say that you are giving up vanity for Lent, and therefore, you are going to eat a ton of food all through Lent and gain a lot of weight, either.  Remember, gluttony is a sin, too.

But giving up vanity is a good thing for Lent.  For girls that might mean giving up their mascara, or all makeup in general.  For guys it might mean...well...I'm clueless about guys.  I don't know what they could give up, but I know that there are things that they could give up, in order to give up vanity for lent.

The big question to ask yourself is:  "where is my sinfulness?"  To do that in prayer, asking God to give you the answer is best.  And trust me, He will give you the answer.  If you struggle with vanity, give up something that you do because of vanity.  If you struggle with purity, focus your attention on fixing that sin.  Maybe you could give up using your computer in private, so you don't face the temptation to look at bad things.  There are a number of ways you could go.  Do you struggle with pride?  With greed?  With anger?  With jealousy?  Look closely at your sinfulness, and chose your sacrifice that way.  It's the best way to go.

Prayer

Ok, so we've covered fasting, which is the most talked about aspect of Lent, but what about prayer and almsgiving?  These are both important, too.

Prayer, of course, is something that is vital to our lives.  I think that people don't give enough time to prayer because they don't always see the fruits of their prayers.  But if we could really see how effective our prayers are, we would never stop praying.  There is nothing more important than prayer.  Focus on prayer this Lent.  Really find a way to add it to your routine:  a rosary in the morning to start your day, 15 minutes of silent prayer during lunch, a Divine Mercy Chaplet in the afternoon, and 15 more minutes of silent prayer at the end of the day.  Focus on prayers of praise.  Love God with all your heart, and tell Him about His good works!  Spend time loving God!

Alms Giving

I have heard of a lot of really great things that people have done for Alms Giving during Lent.  From writing letters daily to people in their lives in order to help them to see how loved they are, to giving money to the needy (especially those who give up spending money during Lent), to various service projects.  You know, we fast in order to get rid of something in our lives that causes us to sin, but we also add something that causes us to love.

What I GET OUT OF Lent (vs. what I give up)

There is one thing that I have discovered that I truly get out of Lent.  One thing that is important, good, amazing and important.  That main thing is freedom.  Yes, I get healing, I get endurance, I get all kinds of good things.  But my favorite is freedom.  With freedom, I

Revelation Chapter 3

Summary

This chapter picks up after having read the letters that John was to write to the angels of the Churches in Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum and Thyatira.  Now he is to write to Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.  

To Sardis, he begins differently than what is the normal pattern.  Here, is to begin not with the good, but with the bad.  Jesus says that He is aware that other places think that they (in Sardis) are alive, but really they are dead.  Basically, He says that they put on a good show, but that it isn't enough to fool God.  He warns them to be watchful, and to strengthen what good is left, because it will die if they don't.  He reminds them to remember what they heard, to keep it and to repent.  He says that he will come like a thief in the night, and that nobody will know at what time He will come.  He does acknowledge that there are those in Sardis who are pure, and blameless.  They are worthy.

He concludes this letter saying that the victor will be dressed in white, and He promises to keep their name in the book of life forever.  Their name will be acknowledged by Jesus in the presence of the Father and of the angels.  And, again, He tells them that whoever has ears should hear and remember what is said to the churches in Asia.

The next letter is to the angel of the church in Philadelphia.  He begins poetically describing Himself as "The holy one, the true, who holds the key of David, who opens and no one shall close, who closes and no one shall open."  This is the description of Jesus, who is telling the angel this news:

The people in Philadelphia have limited strength, but have not failed.  They don't deny Him.  He talks about those who call themselves Jews but who aren't at heart, and how they are members of the "Assembly of Satan."  Those people will come and fall at the feet of those in Philadelphia, and they will know that Jesus loves those who remain faithful.  Jesus promises to protect them in the coming time of trial, when the whole world will be tested.  He says that He is coming soon.  He tells them to hold what they know to be True, so that nobody will take their crown.  

He concludes this letter saying that the victor will be made into a pillar in the temple of God, and will never leave it again.  On the victor, He will inscribe the name of God and the name of the city of God, the new Jerusalem.  Finally, He again says that whoever has ears ought to hear this message.

Finally, He writes to the angel of the church in Laodicea.  He names Himself "The Amen."  His complaint about these people is that they are neither hot nor cold, but that He wishes that they were either, because lukewarm is worse.  Because they are lukewarm, He will spit them out of His mouth.  They claim that they don't need anything, but they don't see how little they have.  How much Christ can give them.  He tells them to take care of their wretched, pitiable, poor, blind and naked selves.  He comforts them, saying that he chastises those whom He loves, which is why He is chastising them now.  

He tells them that famous line, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock."  He is constantly asking to come into our homes and dine with us, but that we have to allow Him to enter.  The victor will sit with Him on His throne, just as He has won the victory and sits with His Father on the throne.  

He concludes, the same way, saying that anyone who has ears ought to hear.

Reflection

This chapter is so full of goodness, that it is difficult to figure out where to begin.  Jesus is hard on these people.  He would rather that they be cold in their faith than lukewarm?  That sounds strange.  He is like a thief?  Also rough.  But this chapter is full of amazing love.

Jesus just wants us to be sincere.  To be authentic.  He doesn't want us to be fake, or to lie about our faith.  He wants us, ultimately, to have integrity.

There are so many Catholics running around out there these days, who call themselves "Catholic," but openly deny the teachings of the Church.  Jesus is very clear here.  He knows who has integrity, and who doesn't.  True, the teachings of the Church aren't always popular.  Even though the teachings of the Church are always "Love," people don't always see it that way.  But Jesus does.  And He wants us to pick Him, and to pick love, instead of picking to win the popularity contest.  And He doesn't want us to do it resentfully.  He wants us to be excited by it.  He wants us to be excited to chose Him!

So, when we don't keep the teachings of the Church, we disappoint.  But God doesn't allow us to just sit back and die because of it.  No.  He is a God of Love.  And because of that, He chastises us.  He corrects us.  He points out our failures. But He does it with perfect love.  Sometimes parents correct their kids (although, not always enough times).  But sometimes parents can be too hard on their kids, without meaning to.  And sometimes parents can be abusive.  But Jesus is not abusive.  And He is not too hard.  He corrects because He wants us to be with Him.  It's a truly loving, just, and good thing to do.

A lot of times, as a Youth Minister, I think that the teens get upset when I correct them.  They don't always like being told that what they did was wrong.  Ok, that's not just a teenager thing.  That's an everybody thing.  But the sign of a good friendship, the sign of real love, is to be able to correct and love at the same time. And a person who truly loves you back will take that "chastisement" with grace, forgiveness and love.  That's how we should respond to Jesus' chastisement.  That's how we should respond to the words of friends and loved ones, who correct our behavior out of love (ehem...loved ones like, say, parents?).

Jesus is at the door of our hearts, and He knocks.  He wants in, to reside in our hearts.  But when we don't let Him in right away, it's not like He just stands outside the door, quietly knocking, waiting to come in, like He is portrayed in religious art.  No, it's more like He is outside pounding on the door, making His presence known.  And we won't experience peace until we let Him in.  It's amazing how quickly that change happens, too.  Once we allow Him to enter our hearts to live and stay.

He is a thief in the night, but He is good.  No, we don't know the hour when He will come. But we do know that He is good.  And anything He takes was never ours to begin with, but always His. 

 

Reflection Questions

1.  Where am I in my faith right now?  Am I hot, cold, or lukewarm? 

2.  How do I react when God "chastises" me?

3.  Am I true to the teachings of the Church?  How can I become true to them?  How can I have integrity?  Do I trust that God will guide me in the right direction for answers, or do I rely on my own pride to get the answers that feel good, that I want?

Revelation Chapter 3

To the angel of the church in Sardis, write this:  'The one who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars says this:  'I know your works, that you have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.  Be watchful and strengthen what is left, which is going to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God.  Remember then how you accepted and heard; keep it, and repent.  If you are not watchful, I will come like a thief, and you will never know at what hour I will come upon you.  However, you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; they will walk with me dressed in white, because they are worthy.

The victor will thus be dressed in white, and I will never erase his name from the book of life but will acknowledge his name in the presence of my Father and of his angels.

Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit ways to the churches.'"

To the angel of the church in Philadelphia, write this:  "The holy one, the true, who holds the key of David, who opens and no one shall close, who closes and no one shall open, says this:  'I know your works (behold, I have left an open door - before you, which no one can close).  You have limited strength, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.  Behold, I will make those of the assembly of Satan who claim to be Jews and are not, but are lying, behold I will make them come and fall prostrate at your feet, and they will realize that I love you.  Because you have kept my message of endurance, I will keep you safe in the time of trial that is going to come to the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.  I am coming quickly.  Hold fast to what you have, so that no one may take your crown.'"

The victor I will make into a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will never leave it again.  On him I will inscribe the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God, as well as my new name.

Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'"

To the angel of the church in Laodicea, write this:  "The Amen, the faithful and true witness, the source of God's creation, says this, 'I know your works; I know that you are neither cold nor hot.  I wish you were either cold or hot.  So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.  For you say, 'I am rich and affluent and have no need of anything,' and yet you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.  I advise you to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may be rich, and white garments to put on so that your shameful nakedness may not be exposed, and buy ointment to smear on your eyes so that you may see.  Those whom I love, I reprove and chastise.  Be earnest, therefore, and repent.

Behold, I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, [then] I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me.  I will give the victor the right to sit with me on my throne, as I myself first won the victory and sit with my Father on his throne.

Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'"

Go!

As a Youth Minister, it is one of my biggest frustrations that the teens in my program so rarely bring their friends from school to our program.  I know that we could do great things for those teens, and that all of their fears and concerns about what a youth group is and what the Catholic Church is could easily be dispelled if they came to an event.  But we can't be there for them if they aren't there!

One of the biggest frustrations that the teens in my program encounter is that they so rarely bring their friends from school to our program!  It's not that they aren't inviting their friends, it's that their friends are refusing to come with them!  One of my volunteers pointed out that this is not a topic that gets addressed very often, and I think that they are right.  I think that we do need to figure out what the problems are, and find a way to deal with them.

Problems with Evangelization

The Guilt Trip! - This is a very easy trap to fall into, that enslaves volunteers and youth ministers, specifically.  It is really easy to send a teen or a friend or a family member into a guilt trip to get them to attend mass or a church event.  However, this doesn't usually end well, because the person goes into it with a closed heart, and leaves resentful that their friend/family member/stranger "forced" them into something they weren't ready to receive.  The guilt trip comes across as accusation.

Youth Ministry and "Church" Stereotypes - The media.  It's always the media.  But look at movies like, Easy A, and how they portray Christians (Amanda Bynes' character specifically), and tell me that is attractive to you.  It isn't.  But it's entertaining, and it feeds the misconceptions about what Christianity is, and so people eat that stuff up!  But it's dangerous and wrong. I have never met a Christian who is what the media says we are, and yet, not much is happening to change that portrayal.  Special interest groups get up in arms about the way the media portrays certain groups, but nobody seems to be refuting the portrayal of Christians. 

Haven't earned trust - People don't care what you know until they know how much you care.  This is now and always will be the Truth.  I think of the comedian Jim Gaffigan, who says that nothing is more off-putting than a stranger coming up to you to talk to you about Jesus.  He imagines the conversation going this way:

"I'd like to talk to you about Jesus."
"Yea, I'd like you not to."
You could say that to the Pope, "I want to talk to you about Jesus"
"Easy freak. I keep work at work.

People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care. You have to earn the trust of the person with whom you are speaking.  You have to build their confidence.  You have to prove your own credentials.  Why should I trust you?  Because you said so?  That's not exactly reassuring.  

This is why "street preaching" is usually ineffective.  Now, I'm not saying that it's always ineffective, or that we shouldn't go out into the streets and tell people about Jesus.  But just know that it is better to go out to teach people about Jesus who have reason to trust you.  And trust takes time. 

Hypocrisy in the Church - "The greatest cause of atheism today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, then walk out the door and deny Him with their lifestyle.  That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable" - Brennan Manning.  The outside world sees a lot of hypocrisy in the Church, and can't accept that.  However, what those who aren't Christians don't see is that the Church never says to be perfect.  Because we can't be perfect.  The Church says to love with all of your heart, to have faith in God's mercy, and to keep trying.  However, it is important to be authentic with our struggles.  To proclaim at Church that I live a holy life, and to put on that show, and then to go out into the world and openly deny that, is dangerous and wrong.  If you want to show Jesus to those around you, admit your brokenness, and allow Jesus to transform your own heart, and your own life.  Don't tell people that it's easy when it's not easy.  Don't go to church and put on a show.  Be yourself.  And try to be better.

We don't know what Evangelization is, or what the GOAL is.  We think that the goal of Evangelization is conversion.  And that's not exactly true.  The goal of Evangelization is obedience to God.  God asks us to preach the Gospel.  He asks us to proclaim the Good News.  We have no control of whether or not the person accepts that message.  The Catechism of the Catholic Church says this about Evangelization (CCC 905):

Lay people also fulfill their prophetic mission by evangelization, 'that is, the proclamation of Christ by word and the testimony of life.'  For lay people, 'this evanelization...acquires a specific property and peculiar efficacy because it is accomplished in the ordinary circumstances of the world. 
This witness of life, however, is not the sole element in the apostolate; the true apostle is on the lookout for occasions of announcing Christ by word, either to unbelievers...or to the faithful."

Conversion of heart is good, but it's not something that we have any control over.  Which is why that isn't the goal.  You can't make a goal for something you can't control.  However, doing everything in your power to inspire a person to convert, is in your control.  

So what now?

Jesus doesn't want you to be successful.  Not necessarily.  He wants you to answer yes to His call to talk about your faith.  That's the most important thing about Evangelization.  Think about it.  Can Jesus even be considered a successful evangelizer?  No, not when you really think about it.  At least, not by our standards of Evangelization.  And why do I say that?  Simply because He wouldn't have been crucified if He had successfully converted everyone.  Believers don't crucify. 

Jesus doesn't expect you to "win" people.  I hate that word, especially in the context of evangelization.  It is not a game.  It is serious.  And when we think of the goal of evangelization as how many people we can "win," it makes it about you, instead of the person with whom you are preaching the good news.  The focus should be on that person's soul, not on our own bragging rights.

It seems like a hopeless situation.  But I promise you that it isn't.

Let me ask you a question.  How do you behave when you have a crush, or when you are "in love?"  How do you behave when you are passionate about something?  I can tell you clearly that I know well what the people who I know and love, know and love.  I know that certain friends like the show, "How I Met Your Mother."  I know that my boss likes "Ancient Aliens."  I know that my sister likes to cook.  I know that my dad like politics.  I know that my mom likes gardening.  I know these things, because those people, in a way, "evangelize" to me about them.  They share their love for those things with me.  We are called to love like that.  To love Jesus so much that those who are closest to us know that we love Him that much.  So that they feel comfortable asking us questions about Him.  It doesn't mean that we have to go out and be crazy all the time. 

Of course, pray about it.  Ask for the Holy Spirit to come and guide your words while you speak about your faith, so that you can speak to them in a way that they can hear you.  He will give you the right words.  And the right courage.  Also, of course, ask Mary.  Mary, who brought Jesus to Elizabeth when she was pregnant, and, as a result, brought great joy (Luke 1:42)! 

Jesus' left with these words, "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.  And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age" - Matthew 28:19-20.  Our goal is not to stay where we are.  We are not to simply go to Mass, and then leave our faith there after we walk out those doors.  We are supposed to go out into the world, and bring Jesus with us as we go.  This is not just Jesus' advice, or suggestion, but His command. 

Questions for Reflection

1.  What does the word "Evangelisation" mean to you?  What images does it bring up?  How do those images make you feel?

2.  Who is someone in your life who has spoken to you about Jesus?  What effect did that have on you?  Why did it have that effect on you?

3.  Where is the hardest place for you to talk about your faith?  Why?

4.  What is one practical way that you can talk to someone about your faith this week?

Spiritual AND Religious

I don't think that many would disagree with the statement that the internet is an extremely sad place these days.  One thing that I see a lot of is the argument about which is better, being religious or being spiritual.

 It's amazing to me how heated and hurtful the debate about “religious vs. spiritual” can get.  I guess that I can understand that there are a lot of people out there who have been hurt by institutionalized religion, and I can understand how that could leave a sour taste in their mouths.  How could it not?  I would be lying if I pretended like there aren’t bad examples in churches throughout the world today.  There is hypocrisy.  There is an unhealthy materialism.  There is pride, greed, gluttony, and lust.  These things are real, they are problems, and they need to be dealt with.  But there are two sides to every story, and I have experienced a lot of hurt from so-called "spiritual" people about my faith, simply because I consider myself to be both spiritual and religious.  

What are the differences?  Well, there are probably more in-depth answers to this question, but I think that, in an effort to keep it simple, I will just say that spiritual people tend to have a more private idea of spirituality.  It’s all about the interior self, and it’s not about being public.  On the other hand, those who are called religious belong to an institution.  It’s more public.

Now, when I said that I consider myself to be both spiritual and religious, I meant it.  And I don’t think that I was contradicting myself, either.  In fact, it is because I am religious that I am spiritual.  And I want to make that very clear.  My religion causes my spirituality.  Not the other way around.  I have a very full prayer life, and it isn't consistent of just one or two types of prayer.  I look for God in all things:  people, animals, nature.  Even things that humans create:  architecture, art, sports, movies, music.  And I talk with Him every day.  My spirituality consists of maintaining friendships with those who are in heaven, great Saints who have walked this Earth before me.  The rules, rituals, Sacraments, rites, Traditions, prayers and communion all add to my spirituality.  They add to my relationship with Christ.  If a person is religious and not spiritual, that means that they are missing the point.  They are missing the beauty and depth of all of those symbols, signs and mysteries.  There is nothing routine about the Catholic Church.  There is nothing small or boring.  Nothing.  

My religion teaches me that there is such a thing as objective Truth.  My religion teaches me that I should behave according to certain rules.  My religion teaches me that authority is good (so long as that authority is one of love).  My religion teaches me to attend Mass on Sundays.  My religion teaches me that my faith is public.  But my religion also teaches me to have a deep, private, interior spirituality.  To be honest, I don't know what's wrong with any one of those things.  What's wrong with attending Mass?  What's wrong with loving authority figures?  What's wrong with objective Truth?  As far as I can see, nothing!

I get really sad when I see people post memes, bumper stickers, etc., that say things like, “God wants spiritual fruit, not religious nuts,” "Religion is for people who are going to hell.  Spirituality is for people who have already been there,” or when religious people make snarky comments about how some people pick-and-choose their religion based off of what’s comfortable.  Doesn’t your religion call you to be more than sarcastic?  Doesn’t it teach you to be kind?  Gentle?  Loving?  I’m not saying that you shouldn’t call people out, but I am saying that you should do it in a more loving way.  Without rudeness.  You should do it while protecting the dignity of those you’re helping.  Willa Wonka memes aren’t exactly the way to go.  

As I already said, there are problems in institutionalized religion today.  The Church is holy, but her people don't always do holy things.  And, while I don’t know about every religion in existence, I can tell you that the Catholic Church does not teach or encourage those things.  The Church does not promote hypocrisy.  The Church does not promote greed.  Those things are sinful and harmful.  Just because they exist doesn’t mean that they are good.  Or desired.

I encourage those of you who consider yourself to be either spiritual or religious to do me a favor and look up a Saint named St. Theresa of Avila.  Read some of her work, even if you don't fully understand it (I don't think that anyone FULLY understands it!).  Keep in mind that she was extremely religious and spiritual.  She had the rules, the tradition, all of it.  And yet, she had a spirituality like none even today.  When you read her work and learn about her life, you will see that she did suffer greatly.  But it was the Church and its structure that led her to a deep and profound spiritual life.

I can hear the voices of some saying that I'm all wrong.  I know that's what you think.  And I don't expect that this piece has done anything to change your mind about whether or not you should be spiritual, religious, or both.  What I do hope that this piece does, though, is challenge you to at least, if nothing else, stop hating one another.  This meanness that goes on between the two sides is horrible, unnecessary, and unhelpful. Try seeing what the other side has to offer before calling names, or acting like you're better than the other.  Talk to those who truly understand.  Both are good.  Both are important.  And both work together.

Someone Else's Story - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Today we celebrate the birthday and the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  I'm not going to say much.  You all know who he is.  But I wanted to highlight a speech that he gave, just before he died.  This was the last speech that he ever delivered, almost as if he knew that he was going to die.  Maybe he did.  But what is important is the correlation to the story of Moses.  It was recently pointed out to me the ways that he and Moses were alike.  It is eerie how Martin Luther King, Jr. chose to compare this time in history to the end of Moses' life.  Moses, who had led the people so far for so long, didn't ever get to make it into the Promised Land.  And yet, he got to stand on the mountaintop, just before the Israelites entered, and see it.  Martin Luther King, Jr. didn't get to enter his promised land either, but he saw it.  And I believe whole heartedly that, if he had a chance to come back and do it all over again, but live, that he'd take that chance.  Because a life of oppression is not a life at all.

Here is his speech.  Please read the whole thing.  It's a sad speech, and hopeful at the same time.  

I've Been to the Mountaintop

Thank you very kindly, my friends. As I listened to Ralph Abernathy in his eloquent and generous introduction and then thought about myself, I wondered who he was talking about. It's always good to have your closest friend and associate say something good about you. And Ralph is the best friend that I have in the world.

I'm delighted to see each of you here tonight in spite of a storm warning. You reveal that you are determined to go on anyhow. Something is happening in Memphis, something is happening in our world.

As you know, if I were standing at the beginning of time, with the possibility of general and panoramic view of the whole human history up to now, and the Almighty said to me, "Martin Luther King, which age would you like to live in?" — I would take my mental flight by Egypt through, or rather across the Red Sea, through the wilderness on toward the promised land. And in spite of its magnificence, I wouldn't stop there. I would move on by Greece, and take my mind to Mount Olympus. And I would see Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, Euripides and Aristophanes assembled around the Parthenon as they discussed the great and eternal issues of reality.

But I wouldn't stop there. I would go on, even to the great heyday of the Roman Empire. And I would see developments around there, through various emperors and leaders. But I wouldn't stop there. I would even come up to the day of the Renaissance, and get a quick picture of all that the Renaissance did for the cultural and esthetic life of man. But I wouldn't stop there. I would even go by the way that the man for whom I'm named had his habitat. And I would watch Martin Luther as he tacked his ninety-five theses on the door at the church in Wittenberg.

But I wouldn't stop there. I would come on up even to 1863, and watch a vacillating president by the name of Abraham Lincoln finally come to the conclusion that he had to sign the Emancipation Proclamation. But I wouldn't stop there. I would even come up to the early thirties, and see a man grappling with the problems of the bankruptcy of his nation. And come with an eloquent cry that we have nothing to fear but fear itself.
But I wouldn't stop there. Strangely enough, I would turn to the Almighty, and say, "If you allow me to live just a few years in the second half of the twentieth century, I will be happy." Now that's a strange statement to make, because the world is all messed up. The nation is sick. Trouble is in the land. Confusion all around. That's a strange statement. But I know, somehow, that only when it is dark enough, can you see the stars. And I see God working in this period of the twentieth century in a away that men, in some strange way, are responding — something is happening in our world. The masses of people are rising up. And wherever they are assembled today, whether they are in Johannesburg, South Africa; Nairobi, Kenya; Accra, Ghana; New York City; Atlanta, Georgia; Jackson, Mississippi; or Memphis, Tennessee — the cry is always the same — "We want to be free."

And another reason that I'm happy to live in this period is that we have been forced to a point where we're going to have to grapple with the problems that men have been trying to grapple with through history, but the demand didn't force them to do it. Survival demands that we grapple with them. Men, for years now, have been talking about war and peace. But now, no longer can they just talk about it. It is no longer a choice between violence and nonviolence in this world; it's nonviolence or nonexistence.

That is where we are today. And also in the human rights revolution, if something isn't done, and in a hurry, to bring the colored peoples of the world out of their long years of poverty, their long years of hurt and neglect, the whole world is doomed. Now, I'm just happy that God has allowed me to live in this period, to see what is unfolding. And I'm happy that He's allowed me to be in Memphis.

I can remember, I can remember when Negroes were just going around as Ralph has said, so often, scratching where they didn't itch, and laughing when they were not tickled. But that day is all over. We mean business now, and we are determined to gain our rightful place in God's world.

And that's all this whole thing is about. We aren't engaged in any negative protest and in any negative arguments with anybody. We are saying that we are determined to be men. We are determined to be people. We are saying that we are God's children. And that we don't have to live like we are forced to live.

Now, what does all of this mean in this great period of history? It means that we've got to stay together. We've got to stay together and maintain unity. You know, whenever Pharaoh wanted to prolong the period of slavery in Egypt, he had a favorite, favorite formula for doing it. What was that? He kept the slaves fighting among themselves. But whenever the slaves get together, something happens in Pharaoh's court, and he cannot hold the slaves in slavery. When the slaves get together, that's the beginning of getting out of slavery. Now let us maintain unity.

Secondly, let us keep the issues where they are. The issue is injustice. The issue is the refusal of Memphis to be fair and honest in its dealings with its public servants, who happen to be sanitation workers. Now, we've got to keep attention on that. That's always the problem with a little violence. You know what happened the other day, and the press dealt only with the window-breaking. I read the articles. They very seldom got around to mentioning the fact that one thousand, three hundred sanitation workers were on strike, and that Memphis is not being fair to them, and that Mayor Loeb is in dire need of a doctor. They didn't get around to that.

Now we're going to march again, and we've got to march again, in order to put the issue where it is supposed to be. And force everybody to see that there are thirteen hundred of God's children here suffering, sometimes going hungry, going through dark and dreary nights wondering how this thing is going to come out. That's the issue. And we've got to say to the nation: we know it's coming out. For when people get caught up with that which is right and they are willing to sacrifice for it, there is no stopping point short of victory.

We aren't going to let any mace stop us. We are masters in our nonviolent movement in disarming police forces; they don't know what to do, I've seen them so often. I remember in Birmingham, Alabama, when we were in that majestic struggle there we would move out of the 16th Street Baptist Church day after day; by the hundreds we would move out. And Bull Connor would tell them to send the dogs forth and they did come; but we just went before the dogs singing, "Ain't gonna let nobody turn me round." Bull Connor next would say, "Turn the fire hoses on." And as I said to you the other night, Bull Connor didn't know history. He knew a kind of physics that somehow didn't relate to the transphysics that we knew about. And that was the fact that there was a certain kind of fire that no water could put out. And we went before the fire hoses; we had known water. If we were Baptist or some other denomination, we had been immersed. If we were Methodist, and some others, we had been sprinkled, but we knew water.

That couldn't stop us. And we just went on before the dogs and we would look at them; and we'd go on before the water hoses and we would look at it, and we'd just go on singing "Over my head I see freedom in the air." And then we would be thrown in the paddy wagons, and sometimes we were stacked in there like sardines in a can. And they would throw us in, and old Bull would say, "Take them off," and they did; and we would just go in the paddy wagon singing, "We Shall Overcome." And every now and then we'd get in the jail, and we'd see the jailers looking through the windows being moved by our prayers, and being moved by our words and our songs. And there was a power there which Bull Connor couldn't adjust to; and so we ended up transforming Bull into a steer, and we won our struggle in Birmingham.

Now we've got to go on to Memphis just like that. I call upon you to be with us Monday. Now about injunctions: We have an injunction and we're going into court tomorrow morning to fight this illegal, unconstitutional injunction. All we say to America is, "Be true to what you said on paper." If I lived in China or even Russia, or any totalitarian country, maybe I could understand the denial of certain basic First Amendment privileges, because they hadn't committed themselves to that over there. But somewhere I read of the freedom of assembly. Somewhere I read of the freedom of speech. Somewhere I read of the freedom of the press. Somewhere I read that the greatness of America is the right to protest for right. And so just as I say, we aren't going to let any injunction turn us around. We are going on.

We need all of you. And you know what's beautiful tome, is to see all of these ministers of the Gospel. It's a marvelous picture. Who is it that is supposed to articulate the longings and aspirations of the people more than the preacher? Somehow the preacher must be an Amos, and say, "Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream." Somehow, the preacher must say with Jesus, "The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to deal with the problems of the poor."

And I want to commend the preachers, under the leadership of these noble men: James Lawson, one who has been in this struggle for many years; he's been to jail for struggling; but he's still going on, fighting for the rights of his people. Rev. Ralph Jackson, Billy Kiles; I could just go right on down the list, but time will not permit. But I want to thank them all. And I want you to thank them, because so often, preachers aren't concerned about anything but themselves. And I'm always happy to see a relevant ministry.

It's all right to talk about "long white robes over yonder," in all of its symbolism. But ultimately people want some suits and dresses and shoes to wear down here. It's all right to talk about "streets flowing with milk and honey," but God has commanded us to be concerned about the slums down here, and his children who can't eat three square meals a day. It's all right to talk about the new Jerusalem, but one day, God's preachers must talk about the New York, the new Atlanta, the new Philadelphia, the new Los Angeles, the new Memphis, Tennessee. This is what we have to do.

Now the other thing we'll have to do is this: Always anchor our external direct action with the power of economic withdrawal. Now, we are poor people, individually, we are poor when you compare us with white society in America. We are poor. Never stop and forget that collectively, that means all of us together, collectively we are richer than all the nations in the world, with the exception of nine. Did you ever think about that? After you leave the United States, Soviet Russia, Great Britain, West Germany, France, and I could name the others, the Negro collectively is richer than most nations of the world. We have an annual income of more than thirty billion dollars a year, which is more than all of the exports of the United States, and more than the national budget of Canada. Did you know that? That's power right there, if we know how to pool it.

We don't have to argue with anybody. We don't have to curse and go around acting bad with our words. We don't need any bricks and bottles, we don't need any Molotov cocktails, we just need to go around to these stores, and to these massive industries in our country, and say, "God sent us by here, to say to you that you're not treating his children right. And we've come by here to ask you to make the first item on your agenda fair treatment, where God's children are concerned. Now, if you are not prepared to do that, we do have an agenda that we must follow. And our agenda calls for withdrawing economic support from you."
And so, as a result of this, we are asking you tonight, to go out and tell your neighbors not to buy Coca-Cola in Memphis. Go by and tell them not to buy Sealtest milk. Tell them not to buy—what is the other bread?—Wonder Bread. And what is the other bread company, Jesse? Tell them not to buy Hart's bread. As Jesse Jackson has said, up to now, only the garbage men have been feeling pain; now we must kind of redistribute the pain. We are choosing these companies because they haven't been fair in their hiring policies; and we are choosing them because they can begin the process of saying, they are going to support the needs and the rights of these men who are on strike. And then they can move on downtown and tell Mayor Loeb to do what is right.

But not only that, we've got to strengthen black institutions. I call upon you to take your money out of the banks downtown and deposit your money in Tri-State Bank—we want a "bank-in" movement in Memphis. So go by the savings and loan association. I'm not asking you something we don't do ourselves at SCLC. Judge Hooks and others will tell you that we have an account here in the savings and loan association from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. We're just telling you to follow what we're doing. Put your money there. You have six or seven black insurance companies in Memphis. Take out your insurance there. We want to have an "insurance-in."

Now these are some practical things we can do. We begin the process of building a greater economic base. And at the same time, we are putting pressure where it really hurts. I ask you to follow through here.
Now, let me say as I move to my conclusion that we've got to give ourselves to this struggle until the end. Nothing would be more tragic than to stop at this point, in Memphis. We've got to see it through. And when we have our march, you need to be there. Be concerned about your brother. You may not be on strike. But either we go up together, or we go down together.

Let us develop a kind of dangerous unselfishness. One day a man came to Jesus; and he wanted to raise some questions about some vital matters in life. At points, he wanted to trick Jesus, and show him that he knew a little more than Jesus knew, and through this, throw him off base. Now that question could have easily ended up in a philosophical and theological debate. But Jesus immediately pulled that question from mid-air, and placed it on a dangerous curve between Jerusalem and Jericho. And he talked about a certain man, who fell among thieves. You remember that a Levite and a priest passed by on the other side. They didn't stop to help him. And finally a man of another race came by. He got down from his beast, decided not to be compassionate by proxy. But with him, administering first aid, and helped the man in need. Jesus ended up saying, this was the good man, this was the great man, because he had the capacity to project the "I" into the "thou," and to be concerned about his brother. Now you know, we use our imagination a great deal to try to determine why the priest and the Levite didn't stop. At times we say they were busy going to church meetings—an ecclesiastical gathering—and they had to get on down to Jerusalem so they wouldn't be late for their meeting. At other times we would speculate that there was a religious law that "One who was engaged in religious ceremonials was not to touch a human body twenty-four hours before the ceremony." And every now and then we begin to wonder whether maybe they were not going down to Jerusalem, or down to Jericho, rather to organize a "Jericho Road Improvement Association." That's a possibility. Maybe they felt that it was better to deal with the problem from the causal root, rather than to get bogged down with an individual effort.

But I'm going to tell you what my imagination tells me. It's possible that these men were afraid. You see, the Jericho road is a dangerous road. I remember when Mrs. King and I were first in Jerusalem. We rented a car and drove from Jerusalem down to Jericho. And as soon as we got on that road, I said to my wife, "I can see why Jesus used this as a setting for his parable." It's a winding, meandering road. It's really conducive for ambushing. You start out in Jerusalem, which is about 1200 miles, or rather 1200 feet above sea level. And by the time you get down to Jericho, fifteen or twenty minutes later, you're about 2200 feet below sea level. That's a dangerous road. In the days of Jesus it came to be known as the "Bloody Pass." And you know, it's possible that the priest and the Levite looked over that man on the ground and wondered if the robbers were still around. Or it's possible that they felt that the man on the ground was merely faking. And he was acting like he had been robbed and hurt, in order to seize them over there, lure them there for quick and easy seizure. And so the first question that the Levite asked was, "If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?" But then the Good Samaritan came by. And he reversed the question: "If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?"

That's the question before you tonight. Not, "If I stop to help the sanitation workers, what will happen to all of the hours that I usually spend in my office every day and every week as a pastor?" The question is not, "If I stop to help this man in need, what will happen to me?" "If I do not stop to help the sanitation workers, what will happen to them?" That's the question.

Let us rise up tonight with a greater readiness. Let us stand with a greater determination. And let us move on in these powerful days, these days of challenge to make America what it ought to be. We have an opportunity to make America a better nation. And I want to thank God, once more, for allowing me to be here with you.

You know, several years ago, I was in New York City autographing the first book that I had written. And while sitting there autographing books, a demented black woman came up. The only question I heard from her was, "Are you Martin Luther King?"

And I was looking down writing, and I said yes. And the next minute I felt something beating on my chest. Before I knew it I had been stabbed by this demented woman. I was rushed to Harlem Hospital. It was a dark Saturday afternoon. And that blade had gone through, and the X-rays revealed that the tip of the blade was on the edge of my aorta, the main artery. And once that's punctured, you drown in your own blood—that's the end of you.

It came out in the New York Times the next morning, that if I had sneezed, I would have died. Well, about four days later, they allowed me, after the operation, after my chest had been opened, and the blade had been taken out, to move around in the wheel chair in the hospital. They allowed me to read some of the mail that came in, and from all over the states, and the world, kind letters came in. I read a few, but one of them I will never forget. I had received one from the President and the Vice-President. I've forgotten what those telegrams said. I'd received a visit and a letter from the Governor of New York, but I've forgotten what the letter said. But there was another letter that came from a little girl, a young girl who was a student at the White Plains High School. And I looked at that letter, and I'll never forget it. It said simply, "Dear Dr. King: I am a ninth-grade student at the White Plains High School." She said, "While it should not matter, I would like to mention that I am a white girl. I read in the paper of your misfortune, and of your suffering. And I read that if you had sneezed, you would have died. And I'm simply writing you to say that I'm so happy that you didn't sneeze."

And I want to say tonight, I want to say that I am happy that I didn't sneeze. Because if I had sneezed, I wouldn't have been around here in 1960, when students all over the South started sitting-in at lunch counters. And I knew that as they were sitting in, they were really standing up for the best in the American dream. And taking the whole nation back to those great wells of democracy which were dug deep by the Founding Fathers in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. If I had sneezed, I wouldn't have been around in 1962, when Negroes in Albany, Georgia, decided to straighten their backs up. And whenever men and women straighten their backs up, they are going somewhere, because a man can't ride your back unless it is bent. If I had sneezed, I wouldn't have been here in 1963, when the black people of Birmingham, Alabama, aroused the conscience of this nation, and brought into being the Civil Rights Bill. If I had sneezed, I wouldn't have had a chance later that year, in August, to try to tell America about a dream that I had had. If I had sneezed, I wouldn't have been down in Selma, Alabama, been in Memphis to see the community rally around those brothers and sisters who are suffering. I'm so happy that I didn't sneeze.

And they were telling me, now it doesn't matter now. It really doesn't matter what happens now. I left Atlanta this morning, and as we got started on the plane, there were six of us, the pilot said over the public address system, "We are sorry for the delay, but we have Dr. Martin Luther King on the plane. And to be sure that all of the bags were checked, and to be sure that nothing would be wrong with the plane, we had to check out everything carefully. And we've had the plane protected and guarded all night."

And then I got to Memphis. And some began to say the threats, or talk about the threats that were out. What would happen to me from some of our sick white brothers?

Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop. And I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.

"Of the Week's"

My Dog and My God

My dog hates it when things touch him.  He doesn't mind if people touch him, but he doesn't like things touching him.  Blankets.  His leash.  A piece of ribbon!  If his leash gets wrapped around his leg, he won't move.  He will literally just freeze where he is until I untangle it.  It's a good think that he's not out in the wild, because someone might not be there to rescue him!  What a weirdo!

Anyway, I was taking my dog for his walk when his leash became tangled between two of his toes.  I don't imagine that this was a painful moment.  He didn't yelp or limp later at all.  But he began trashing about, panicking, and acting like he was about to die.  This panicked movement just made matters worse.  He got it more and more tangled.  He wouldn't sit still long enough for me to do much about it, which just made things even worse.

When things come into our lives that we can't fix ourselves, it is our natural tendency to start flailing about, trying to fix it anyway.  But the Truth is that if we stay calm and let God take care of it, it won't get any worse than it already is.  We just have to take a deep breath, and let Him work.

Bible Verse of the Week 

  My heart is so dirtied sometimes, by pride, hatred, jealousy, fear, disappointment.  This verse is what I pray to help me get rid of those toxins, and replace them with nutrients.

"A clean heart create for me, God; renew within me a steadfast spirit" - Psalm 51:12 (according to the NAB, but is Psalm 51:10 in the NIV translation)

Saint Quote of the Week:   

The word freedom relates to different people in different ways, but there is only one definition.  And this is it:

"Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought." -Venerable John Paul I

Prayer of the Week:  

O God our Creator,
Through the power and working of your Holy Spirit,
You call us to live out our faith in the midst of the world,
Bringing the light and the saving truth of the Gospel
To every corner of society.

We ask you to bless us
In our vigilence for the gift of religious liberty.
Give us the strength of mind and heart
To readily defend our freedoms when they are threatened;
Give us courage in making our voices heard
On behalf of the rights of your Church
And the freedom of conscience of all people of faith.

Grant, we pray, O heavenly Father,
A clear and united voice to all your sons and daughters
Gathered in Your Church
In this decisive hour in the history of our nation,
So that, with every trial withstood
And every danger overcome -
For the sake of our children, or grandchildren,
And all who come after us - 
This great land will always be
"One nation, under God,
Indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen             

Video of the Week:  

Since this week we are praying for Vocations, I thought that it would be good to post this video that is an advertisement for the Priesthood.  This video is cool, and it inspired me, even though I cannot (nor do I think I should be able to) become a priest.  This video shows the joy and the awesomeness (yep, I said awesomeness) of the priesthood, and it makes me really appreciative of what we've got!  So I encourage you all to watch it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FbL7eFJGdQ