The gift of rest is important to our life for at least two important reasons.
First, sufficient, quality rest is essential to the proper stewardship of the gifts of our physical and mental health. Proper sleep, time for recreation and opportunities to “unwind” are essential to mitigate the effects of stress and fatigue. While we often forget that good health is one of the greatest gifts that God has given us, we can equally forget that it is our responsibility, to the best of our ability, to care for this great gift. Rest is essential in the stewardship of good health.
When we find ourselves in the difficult position of being unable to spiritually help those whom we love, it is very easy to become disappointed. At times, such disappointment can even lead to resentment and anger. However, if we remember the spiritual fact that God loves those whom we are unable to help, whether they be our children, grandchildren, siblings or friends, in ways that are both generous and unknown to us, we have a powerful reason to fight against developing such resentment and anger. Rather, we must surrender to God and ask Him every day to do for those whom we love what we cannot do for them ourselves.
As we continue to reflect upon the gift of miracles, I have my own miracle story to share.
When I was a seminarian living my pastoral year at Saint Sylvester’s Church in City Line, Brooklyn, one day in late October I had accepted an invitation attend a friend’s musical recital held at Queens College. So at mid-morning I set out for the college by car. At that time in my life, as a young (and stubborn) man, I almost never wore my seat belt. As I left the parish, this day was no exception.
It is interesting to note that in almost every miracle story in the Gospels, the evangelists never say that everyone who witnessed the miracle believed in Jesus. Rather, we read that many came to believe in Him. The difference between “everyone” and “many” offers a significant spiritual challenge for us to reflect upon in our own age.
We must remember that every miracle performed by Jesus was a sign of the Kingdom of God that was inaugurated in His life, death and resurrection. They were acts of divine healing, or the restoration of right order or a sign of Jesus’ power over death that point to the restoration of God’s rule over all creation. They were not magic but acts of divine power that required its witnesses to acknowledge the true identity of Jesus who performed them. If there was no openness to see Jesus’ true identity, or if the person who witnessed His miracles was hard of heart, stubborn, or cynical, such a person could easily have walked away claiming that the miracle was a magic act or a hoax.
If beauty is seen in the eyes of the beholder, so too miracles can only be “seen” by those who recognize the inbreaking of God’s power in our world.
How often do we miss the power of God in our lives because of our stubbornness, anger or cynicism? How many times does a miracle occur and we automatically ascribe it to “chance” or “good luck” or some “unknown scientific reason”? How can we recognize God’s power in our own age when we are not attuned to His presence around us?
Many people walked away from Jesus’ miracles unimpressed and non-believing. Will we do the same?
The previous reflection originally appeared on Bishop Frank Caggiano’s Facebook page. Follow the Bishop for daily reflections and weekly videos!
My friends, I have exciting news! As our community grows on Facebook, my hope is that we can continue to find new ways to use social media as a means by which we can engage the world and one another, so that we can become ever more faithful to what the Lord is asking.
Starting next week (July 1st), we will begin exploring different topics together. Every Sunday, I will be posting a video reflection that I hope will start our discussion. Each day after that, I will post reflections and questions related to that topic, with the hope that you will answer with your own feedback, answers, and questions.
As we continue to walk this journey together, my hope is that we will be able to have a dialogue together. If you have not commented before, or perhaps not for a while, I encourage you to do so! I also would ask that you share this video, and those that will follow, with your friends and loved ones. Let us continue to grow our digital community of Catholics here in the Diocese of Bridgeport!
The previous reflection originally appeared on Bishop Frank Caggiano’s Facebook page. Follow the Bishop for daily reflections and weekly videos!
As our nation continues to grapple with the practice of separating children from their families at the border, we must distinguish our political feelings on this issue from the actual teachings of the Lord Jesus, who is the fullness of Truth Himself.
As a son of immigrants, the thought of separating children from their parents as an instrument of immigration policy is personally very troubling to me. It is also inconsistent with our moral values and with Catholic Social Teaching. The Lord Jesus could not have been more explicit about welcoming the stranger and protecting the dignity of all human persons.
At our recently concluded USCCB meeting held in Fort Lauderdale, Cardinal DiNardo issued the following statement on behalf of all the bishops of the United States. I ask that you read it carefully, since the practice of separating children from their parents and denying women asylum as they flee domestic violence in their home countries, even in the exercise of enforcing the law, is contrary to the moral values of Catholic social teaching: Read More ››
NORWALK—This past Sunday I had the privilege to participate in two Eucharistic processions to commemorate the Feast of Corpus Christi. The first was held at Saint John’s Church in Darien, following the 11:30 AM Mass. The other was a procession for the deanery of Norwalk, Darien and New Canaan that originated at St. Matthew Church and extended over two miles to Norwalk Community College. This procession was attended by over 400 people. Both processions were a beautiful public testimony of our Catholic faith in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Read More ››
Since I do not believe that “luck” or “chance” exist, last Saturday brought me a surprising moment of grace during my visit to the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It is a grace that I continue to reflect upon since my arrival back home.
Each time I visit Rome, I am powerfully reminded of the universal character of the Church. As I walk the streets of this city, reminiscing of my time spent here as a student priest, I am always struck at the diversity of cultures, languages and races that one encounters. Read More ››
Could you ever imagine inviting a guest into your home and then ignoring his or her presence? Under normal circumstances, such behavior would demonstrate bad will or a total lack of regard for the person visiting. In the home that I grow us in, such behavior would be unimaginable. Read More ››
Saint Thomas once taught his students that to love God means to love all the things that God loves. In light of this simple and profound truth, I am most grateful to all the mothers, living and deceased, who taught their spouses, children, grandchildren, neighbors and friends the things that God loves the most! Read More ››
There is an old saying: “man proposes and God disposes.” As I woke up this morning, I was reminded of how much God is in charge of everything we do. Read More ››
“In such a difficult mission, one must be holy.” These are the words spoken by Saint Peter Chanel, whose feast day we celebrate today. Saint Peter, born in France, joined the Marists brothers and traveled to the Pacific Island of Futuna to serve as a missionary. Read More ››
Yesterday I began spring cleaning in the apartment in Brooklyn. In this way, I am continuing a tradition that my mother observed for all the years of her life. For mom, spring cleaning meant washing all the windows, draperies, cleaning out the closets, getting the backyard ready for entertaining and so much more. To be honest, my version of spring cleaning is not as thorough as my mother’s, but it is better than nothing! Read More ››
