I mentioned yesterday that I'm reading Fr. Michael Gaitley's new book, The 'One Thing' Is Three: How the Most Holy Trinity Explains Everything. SO GOOD. So. Good. Beauty! Glory! Wisdom! Ahhhh... mmmm. (contented sigh).
So far, he's doing a brilliant job of bringing the reader a little closer into the mystery of the Trinity. Fr. Gaitley is simply blowing me away with his ability to teach theology in understandable terms, while still elevating the soul into a place of wonder and awe and gratitude at the immense beauty and love of God. The Trinity is something we often tend to shy away from speaking about, or even trying to think about. The whole 3-in-1 thing can kind of give us a headache, you know?
But as several of my professors drilled into my head in college (and as Fr. Gaitley points out), "mystery" doesn't mean that it's totally off-limits to us. Sure, it cannot be fully and totally understood, but we are still able to know something of it. As I'm reading this book, I can't help but be amazed at how understanding just a few things about the Trinity has the possibility to be completely life-changing. This isn't just some pie-in-the-sky theology with fancy words that no normal person can understand, as Fr. Gaitley himself describes... it has a very real bearing on our spiritual lives, on our relationship with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and with each other as well.
I realized this very early on in the book, when I reached this passage:
"In our heart of hearts, what do we long for above all else? Love. We all want to love and to be loved. Specifically, we long for the communion of love. Look around - our culture makes it so obvious. Almost every song on the radio is about love (or a counterfeit of love). So much of what people say, do, and wear is really just an effort to be lovable, attractive, and accepted. Indeed, we hunger to be in communion with others and seek it out in so many forms, be they good or bad. For instance, we seek it in friendship, family, Facebook, fantasy, or fornication. With desire, we may run to these things while with fright, we run away from what seem to be the alternatives (loneliness and alienation).
"Given our situation of being communion addicts, God is the perfect fit! He himself fits the hole in our hearts, for we pine for the communion of love, and God himself is the Communion of Love. We've often heard the 'good news' that Jesus died for our sins - thank God and amen! But perhaps we haven't yet come to realize the good news that's just as good, namely, that God is Trinity. Put differently, he's the Communion of Love that we long for."
More to come on this beautiful, central truth of our faith!
By the way, you should listen to this new song by Audrey Assad... I'm trying to figure out a way to describe it, but the best I can do is that it will resonate with you, if your soul has ever been wounded by beauty or love (in a good way): http://soundcloud.com/levvmusic
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Monday, January 28, 2013
I'm Back!
Happy Monday, and happy feast of St. Thomas Aquinas! Welcome back to my blog - I've obviously been away for quite some time now! I'm always overawed at the people who are able to pull off major accomplishments on the side of their full-time occupations (whether those full time occupations involve careers, families, religious life, studies, a combination of many such things, etc.). You know, the sorts of people who found organizations, write books, and other such "projects" on the side.
Personally, in busy seasons of life and work I go into overload and my brain simply shuts down. I don't clean my house at all, or return phone calls/text messages/emails/etc. properly, etc. It's really not the best way to live, but I truly am working on it. Oh, to live an integrated life...
Also, it probably doesn't help that my new coping mechanism has been to spend a lot of my free time on this:
But as I've caught up to the current season of Downton (by the way... I just watched episode 4 of season 3, and what the heck?!?!?!), and be it that the March for Life is now behind me (and everyone in one piece), I'm back! It's a "blogging was made for man, not man for blogging" kind of thing anyway, right?
I'm rather excited to start sharing some insights from Fr. Michael Gaitley's new book with you:
I picked it up the other day at the Basilica's bookstore in D.C., and oh my word! I'm only about 50 pages in, but I'm already blown away! Insights/awed reactions/fabulous quotes to come soon...
In other news, over the last few days I've been reflecting on all of the unconditional love that I have in my life. Bus trips, intense periods of ministry and sleep deprivation always have the potential to bring out the best and worst in people. Our strengths and weaknesses are brought to the forefront, like cream rises to the top on milk. I think this phenomenon always happens in friendships, but weekends like the March for Life or summer programs like Totus Tuus very much amplify it. It's like using the ginormous side of a hand-held mirror, instead of the ordinary-sized side. You see everything magnified times 10,000; it's human interaction on steriods, really. Often, these sorts of experiences reveal us to ourselves, as well. You see your strengths, your sinfulness, as well as the things about your that aren't sins - those little, annoying tendencies and habits we all possess.
As life goes on, I've had the honor and privilege of collecting an amazing array of beautiful friends who have seen me at this close-up, zoomed-in level, and have stuck around for the ride. It's really quite an awe-inspiring, humbling thing!
I've got people who love me despite my phlegmatic vices of procrastinating and being too relaxed about things; despite the fact that I'm rather likely to roll with things on the fly, without telling them about all the details. They stick around, despite my tendency to sleep through my alarm in the morning and/or snooze it to death. They love me despite the fact that I constantly twirl my hair, talk much too fast, sometimes (often) either make no sense, and the way that I'm apt to tell them the same story fifty times. They deal with the way I can fail to return their texts, phone calls, emails and letters, and they still try to contact me again anyway. These are the people who have seen me confused about life or with absolutely no idea of what to do next; they've seen me at the end of my rope, completely drained and with nothing left to give; they've seen me through both depressing failures and successes that I've only sought for my ego's sake, and they still love me.
At the risk of sounding overly sappy and sentimental, the only response I have is awe and gratitude. Thank you Jesus, and thank you, my friends! I'm so blessed.
It's good to be back... talk to you all later! I'm off to enjoy the rest of this day off (definitely needed it to recoup from the weekend!).
And one last thing: if you need a pep talk, here you go! (Thanks to yet another fabulous friend for sending this to me the other day. We could all use a little of this in our lives!)
Keep the faith!
Personally, in busy seasons of life and work I go into overload and my brain simply shuts down. I don't clean my house at all, or return phone calls/text messages/emails/etc. properly, etc. It's really not the best way to live, but I truly am working on it. Oh, to live an integrated life...
Also, it probably doesn't help that my new coping mechanism has been to spend a lot of my free time on this:
 |
| Oops. |
But as I've caught up to the current season of Downton (by the way... I just watched episode 4 of season 3, and what the heck?!?!?!), and be it that the March for Life is now behind me (and everyone in one piece), I'm back! It's a "blogging was made for man, not man for blogging" kind of thing anyway, right?
I'm rather excited to start sharing some insights from Fr. Michael Gaitley's new book with you:
I picked it up the other day at the Basilica's bookstore in D.C., and oh my word! I'm only about 50 pages in, but I'm already blown away! Insights/awed reactions/fabulous quotes to come soon...
In other news, over the last few days I've been reflecting on all of the unconditional love that I have in my life. Bus trips, intense periods of ministry and sleep deprivation always have the potential to bring out the best and worst in people. Our strengths and weaknesses are brought to the forefront, like cream rises to the top on milk. I think this phenomenon always happens in friendships, but weekends like the March for Life or summer programs like Totus Tuus very much amplify it. It's like using the ginormous side of a hand-held mirror, instead of the ordinary-sized side. You see everything magnified times 10,000; it's human interaction on steriods, really. Often, these sorts of experiences reveal us to ourselves, as well. You see your strengths, your sinfulness, as well as the things about your that aren't sins - those little, annoying tendencies and habits we all possess.
"Cleanse me of my unknown faults." -Psalm 19:12
As life goes on, I've had the honor and privilege of collecting an amazing array of beautiful friends who have seen me at this close-up, zoomed-in level, and have stuck around for the ride. It's really quite an awe-inspiring, humbling thing!
 |
| Three such people! |
I've got people who love me despite my phlegmatic vices of procrastinating and being too relaxed about things; despite the fact that I'm rather likely to roll with things on the fly, without telling them about all the details. They stick around, despite my tendency to sleep through my alarm in the morning and/or snooze it to death. They love me despite the fact that I constantly twirl my hair, talk much too fast, sometimes (often) either make no sense, and the way that I'm apt to tell them the same story fifty times. They deal with the way I can fail to return their texts, phone calls, emails and letters, and they still try to contact me again anyway. These are the people who have seen me confused about life or with absolutely no idea of what to do next; they've seen me at the end of my rope, completely drained and with nothing left to give; they've seen me through both depressing failures and successes that I've only sought for my ego's sake, and they still love me.
At the risk of sounding overly sappy and sentimental, the only response I have is awe and gratitude. Thank you Jesus, and thank you, my friends! I'm so blessed.
It's good to be back... talk to you all later! I'm off to enjoy the rest of this day off (definitely needed it to recoup from the weekend!).
And one last thing: if you need a pep talk, here you go! (Thanks to yet another fabulous friend for sending this to me the other day. We could all use a little of this in our lives!)
Keep the faith!
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Stressed is "Desserts" Spelled Backwards
So I guess I lied... definitely didn't catch back up on posting right after Christmas! Blogging got lost somewhere in the middle of a road trip to Connecticut for a beautiful retreat, visiting with family/friends, and getting sick (again).
And since getting back into town for work, things have shifted into overdrive. I have been so insanely, ridiculously busy! Like, no time at ALL busy. Working extremely hard at every moment, with no let-up, and still feeling swamped... I'm sure you know what I mean! That tube-looking thing that you heat up in the microwave and then put on your shoulders to relax has become my best friend.
It's exhausting, but in a way it's also exhilarating!
However...
And since getting back into town for work, things have shifted into overdrive. I have been so insanely, ridiculously busy! Like, no time at ALL busy. Working extremely hard at every moment, with no let-up, and still feeling swamped... I'm sure you know what I mean! That tube-looking thing that you heat up in the microwave and then put on your shoulders to relax has become my best friend.
It's exhausting, but in a way it's also exhilarating!
However...
- I need to remember to take time for prayer. It's so easy to toss by the wayside, even with all of my great New Year's resolutions!
- Our worth does not depend on what we do. God cares a lot more about who we are.
- Being present to people is still more important than getting a list of tasks done! (Even if I have to stay late to finish my tasks, it's worth it... and my state of life makes this possible, at the moment.)
- I'm kind of just rolling with the punches... trying not to take myself too seriously! Every day is an adventure. What else would I be doing, anyway?
- There are fabulous people doing their best to take care of me, as long as I let them!
- Plus, my Father in heaven loves me!! Isn't that just incredible?
"Have patience with all things - but first
with yourself. Never confuse your mistakes with your value as a human
being. You are a perfectly valuable, creative, worthwhile person simply
because you exist. And no amount of triumphs or tribulations can ever
change that." -St. Francis de Sales
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