The Tightrope: Reflections For Busy Catholics

Why do we have to go to Mass? Why can’t we just pray at home or read the Bible on our own time? In the midst of playing Mass, my 9-year-old son Leo gave three simple answers to this question. He delivered a “homily” that started with, “I know you don’t like coming to Mass, but … ” and then gave three (pretty good) reasons why we go to Mass. He said: 1. Going to Mass is just what we do. 2. We get to receive Jesus. 3. We love Jesus. Going to Mass is a huge part of our obligation and privilege as Catholics, becuase the Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life. And, simply put, we love Jesus. Snippet from the Show “The word ‘liturgy’ means ‘work’. Mass is the work of Christ first and foremost, but it’s also the joining of our works, and joys, and suffering, to that work of Christ.”

What does the Catholic Church say in regards to immigration? The answer is in the Catechism. “The more prosperous nations are obliged, to the extent they are able, to welcome the foreigner in search of the security and the means of livelihood which he cannot find in his country of origin. Public authorities should see to it that the natural right is respected that places a guest under the protection of those who receive him” (CCC 2241). This policy is neither Republican nor Democrat because the Church isn’t aligned to a political party. It’s aligned to the moral principles of the gospel.

Delayed gratification is counter-intuitive. When we’re hungry, we want to eat. Why would we put that off? Because our short term desires are often opposed to our long term goals and ultimate happiness. For example, it may feel good to eat ice cream right now, but if I keep doing that all the time, my health will suffer. When we put our immediate goods before our long-term goods, we will make ourselves unhappy in the long run. St. Thérèse’s Little Way is all about this concept. Choose a small sacrifice to offer up and delay gratification and set your eyes on the ultimate goal of heaven. Snippet from the Show “We sell out our inheritance for what will satiate us for a moment.” Check out this episode at ascensionpress.com/thetightrope

During Lent, Catholics abstain and fast at certain times. But the Catholic Church views every Friday (except solemnities) as a penitential day, which means we should abstain from meat or something else we desire every Friday of the year, and not just during Lent. If you’re confused about the difference between abstaining and fasting, just remember: * Abstaining = not eating a particular food * Fasting = not eating any food Canon 1250 states, “All Fridays through the year and the time of Lent are penitential days and times throughout the entire Church.” The Church prescribes this for three reasons: We find solidarity with Christ. We are moved toward virtue by reordering the passions. Our prayers are deepened. Do you fast during Ordinary Time? Comment below! For a great video on the benefits of fasting, check out “Why Should Christians Fast?” by The CFRs and Jackie Mulligan of Reform Wellness.

There are three reactions to death: trying to forget it by focusing on pleasure (eat, drink, and be merry), panicking and living in fear, or fixing your gaze on God and the promise of life after death. The third option is definitely the best. A number of years ago, I encountered a woman who was very sick, and was planning her own funeral. She had such faith and was living her last days in complete trust in God and the promise of heaven, which is exactly how we should strive to live everyday. Snippet from the Show “When we remember our death our anxieties actually shrink because we realize the great promise of what’s before us.”

If Lent is a fast and Easter is a feast, what’s the purpose of Ordinary Time? Even though it’s called Ordinary Time, we can still use this period for spiritual growth. This season is an opportunity for us to take the discipline we learn from Lent and apply some of the principles to live with intention. To that end, I’ve made three resolutions. Find asceticism in the midst of the ordinary by connecting with God in the quiet moments, or days, where I would normally be on my phone or computer. Be more open to the Holy Spirit and ask to be sent on a mission. Reorient my inner expectations about joy and suffering, knowing that both have the potential to lead me to heaven. What resolutions do you have for this not-so-ordinary season? Email me at thetightropepodcast@ascensionpress.com Snippet from the Show “Don’t save spiritual intentionality for the season of Lent or Advent. Ordinary Time is a time to get serious about living your faith.”

The Holy Spirit pours into our hearts through the sacraments. It unites us at all times, but during Pentecost, we’re invited to focus on the Holy Spirit. Here are three ways to welcome the Holy Spirit this Pentecost. 1. Prepare your home - go to confession and make your soul a dwelling place for God. 2. Make a dangerous prayer - ask the Holy Spirit to radically reorient your life to Christ. 3. Seal your mission - ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in fulfilling your mission to become a saint. Snippet from the Show “The Holy Spirit has been poured out into our lives and our hearts through the sacraments. At Pentecost, we ask the Holy Spirit to stir into a flame what is already there because of the sacraments that we receive.”

What does a teen philosopher have to say? I interviewed some of my students about the struggles they face in 2019, and this week we’re hearing from Kelly. Kelly talks about having the desire to hear advice that is directed exactly at the problems of today and is unclouded by unresolved issues or baggage. Snippet from the Show “How easy it is for us to carry our unresolved issues into our parenthood and ministry and interactions with teens.”

Sometimes a kindergarten graduation makes you think about the beautiful potential of each and every human life. My children are adopted, so the pro life discussion isn’t political, it’s personal. One thing that we don’t talk about as much as the law is the love and support that we should be offering to women in crisis pregnancies. We are made for a culture of life and a civilization of love, so let's not just protect human life, let's also love it. Snippet from the Show “It’s not just about the law (although the law needs to protect the unborn) it’s about building what St. John Paul II calls a culture of life and a civilization of love.”

Why do we hate spoilers so much? Because they ruin the sense of adventure we feel when we watch thrilling stories unfold, and that feeling is so important to us. We crave adventure. But we look for it on the screen instead of in our lives, and in doing so, miss out on the cosmic struggle that happens in and around us every day. Rededicate your life today to living the adventure God has in store for you. The choices you make today will have real consequences, more important than the fate of a fictional world. Snippet from the Show “Live the adventure of your daily life today.”

How do you react when everything goes right? It doesn’t happen often, but sometimes God’s providence takes over and things seem to work out on their own. This just happened to me when I was trying to move a piano. After failing on my own to find someone to hire, I ran into a random person who offered to help me free of charge. It’s not always as obvious as my encounter with the piano man, but when it happens, it’s a reminder of the resurrected Christ working in our lives. Snippet from the Show “There is evidence of God’s providence in your path today that you haven’t noticed.”

Why did Jesus still have wounds after the resurrection? At the end of the Gospel this past Sunday, we get a look at Jesus' resurrected wounds. Not the gory, bloody wounds of the crucifixion, but the wounds that Jesus retained even after he rose from the dead. I think that he retained his wounds because it is through those wounds that we are saved. Those wounds are beautiful because they reflect our salvation. Do you have wounds that God has healed? Don't hide them, but allow them to bear witness to the power of God.

The Gospels tell us that there are more encounters with Christ than all of the books of the world can contain. This is especially true at Easter, when Jesus has risen from the dead, and we bear witness to his resurrection. When we experience the joy of Easter, the next step is to share it with others. It doesn’t have to be a forced conversation where you admonish them for their sins, but just a normal exchange where you bring up something that God has done to change your life for the better. Snippet from the Show “You and I have encountered the Resurrected Jesus.”

Holy Week is upon us and we find ourselves faced with the mystery of redemption, symbolized by the crucifix we put on our walls. At this time of year, I always think about a man I knew who would take his crucifix off the wall, and place it right in front of him as we worked. The physical reminder of putting Christ at the center of our lives is powerful. This week, try to meditate on the crucifix. Take it off the wall, and think about a particular station of the cross that speaks to you. Snippet from the Show “Christ died for our sins. The crucifix needs to come off the wall and be placed squarely before our eyes.”

The sixth Station of the Cross is where Veronica wipes the face of Jesus—and her example of reaching out to Jesus, even though she couldn’t change anything, is a powerful statement of love. Wiping Jesus’ face seemed to be a futile effort, since his face would be bloody and sweaty again soon, but that small act of human kindness can actually count for a lot. To look into someone’s eyes, and let them know that they are loved, even if it’s all you can do, can be an enormous comfort. _Snippet from the Show Even when you can’t fix the problem, know that it’s not always about that. We are called to wipe the face of Jesus, just like Veronica, even if it’s going to be bleeding again in a few moments._

St. Dismas is the good thief who hung next to Christ during the crucifixion, and in my opinion, there’s no better saint to think about in times of suffering. In the middle of Dismas’ agony, he recognizes Jesus as his savior, and asks to enter the kingdom of heaven alongside him, and Christ himself canonizes him as a saint when he says, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43). We can follow St. Dismas’ example and invite Jesus into our suffering, not to ease the pain, but to find meaning by uniting it to the cross of Christ. Snippet from the Show “No matter what your suffering is, you can take a cue from St. Dismas, and as you hang on your cross, know you do not hang alone. Christ is right there next to you.” “One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, ‘Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!’ But the other rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we are receiving the due

C.S. Lewis, in his book Till We Have Faces, suggests the idea that each of us has one complaint holding us back from God. This complaint is the root of our resistance to God, and it is most certainly based on a lie. This Lent ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you what the issue really is. Do you think you’re unworthy of God’s love? Do you think God is uncaring and distant? Are you questioning God’s plan for your life? What is taking you away from God? Snippet from the Show “In order to attack weeds, you have to pull up roots.” RESOURCES Till We Have Faces (https://www.amazon.com/Till-We-Have-Faces-Retold/dp/0062565419) by C.S. Lewis Abiding Together Podcast (https://media.ascensionpress.com/category/ascension-podcasts/abidingtogether/) - ascensionpress.com/abidingtogether

Ever had a Lenten commitment that just flopped? Me too. You can have the best of intentions at the start of Lent, but if it doesn’t work out, throwing in the towel all together is a real temptation. But don’t give up! Whenever you find yourself starting to slip, stop yourself right away. Put your phone down as soon as you realize you picked it up without thinking, or wrap up the rest of the hamburger you started to eat on Friday. God doesn’t expect us to be perfect in our fasts, but he does expect us to keep trying. GREAT NEWS! We’ve reached over 100,000 downloads of the Tightrope! This is a huge landmark that I’m excited to share with you!! Let me know what you think in the comments of this episode over at ascensionpress.com/thetightrope Snippet from the Show _ “When we fast and fail, it reminds us that we are in need of a Savior.”_

Colin has two non-negotiables when it comes to morning prayers: Some kind of interior prayer. Some kind of family prayer. The interior prayer helps him immediately start the day with God in mind. The family prayer helps him orient the family mission towards God. Though the MacIvers attempt to say a decade of the Rosary every morning, they sometimes need something a little shorter for those days when nothing goes right. Check out Colin’s prayers below, and tell us about your morning prayers in the comments! Snippet from the Show “If you can start off the day with interior prayer, it’s more likely that your inner monologue will turn into an inner dialogue.” Interior Prayer Here I am Lord, I come to do your will. My intellect is dark and my will may be weak, but it’s you oh God I’m after, your face oh Lord I seek. Family Prayers Jesus I love you, Mary I love you. Help us to be more like you. Little Flower, Little Flower, show your power in this hour. We adore you oh Christ and we praise you, because by you

Should you give up swearing for Lent? Well, yeah. But there’s more to it. Lent is a season of repentance, where we attempt to conform ourselves evermore to Christ. We should always be striving to detach ourselves from sin and bad habits, like swearing, but this time of year we go even further. There are three things we should do during Lent: fasting, almsgiving, and prayer. * Fasting: This is the part where we give something up. We fast from things that are good (like chocolate, or coffee) and move them to the side to make more room for God. * Almsgiving: This is the part where we give something to others. Whether it’s money, time, or kindness, we should give from the heart. * Prayer: This is the part where we root it all in God, knowing that this period of repentance is possible because of his loving mercy. What are you doing for Lent? Do you have a question or comment about the show? Email Colin at thetightropepodcast@ascensionpress.com