Lent Begins

Ash Wednesday officially begins our Lenten season. Growing up, we were told to do certain things, to act in certain ways, and to fast on certain days.  But we often forget as we get older what Lent is all about.

Here is a link to some good information from Our Sunday Visitor:

http://www.osv.com/YourGuideToACatholicLent/tabid/8267/Default.aspx


My prayer for all of you is that you experience a reconnection with Christ this Lent. May God bless you always.

Happy Paczki Day!

With respect to my Polish heritage, I will not call today Fat Tuesday.  I will not even call this a day of Mardi Gras. No, today I will call paczki day!

Growing up as a child, my parents would always bring home paczki on this day, and we would delight in the many different flavors of plum, strawberry, raspberry, apricot, lemon, and on and on. It was a wonderful day to smother oneself in this doughy, delicious, and decadent treat. Of course, all had to be consumed before Ash Wednesday, a day of fasting.

So eat up. Feast on this fanciful food. Enjoy your paczki - for tomorrow, the season of Lent begins.

Elvis Presley Singing at Mass

As an Elvis fan, I couldn't help but to pass this along:

http://cantuar.blogspot.com/2012/02/video-1969-elvis-presley-singing-in.html

Thank you. Thank you very much.

The Psychology of Color

Color (or lack of color) triggers a very powerful emotional response in us. Check out this fascinating graphic on how we react to color. You may never paint your house the same way again!

It's All for the Glory of God

Sometimes, all of us get wrapped up in our own little world. We become self-absorbed, and we want to hang onto our God-given gifts because they're ours.  Here is a little prayer that will hopefully help break this "it's all about me" syndrome.

Touch your forehead, mouth, heart and hands as you say this:

"May all I think, speak, feel, and do be for your honor and done with love."

Begin your day (every day) with this prayer, and your perspective on life will change.

Dream On...

Last night, I had two very strange dreams.  This is not really out of the ordinary for me, but last night was very memorable as I am still thinking about it now.  So if you don't mind, here it is...

Dream One: I was in Paris on business, doing what I have done there on business trips in the past. But then I noticed that I didn't have my passport. Well, it was one problem after the next. And to shorten this story, I ended up not being able to come back to the United States. I woke up, and after a short time, fell back asleep.

Dream Two: I was in New Jersey on business, doing what I have done there on business trips in the past. But then I was sitting in a diner ready to have dinner. I ordered the soup of the day, ate it, and was waiting for the check. The waitress brought the check, and the total was $65 - for just a bowl of soup! I almost fell out of my seat. I complained to her, and asked to speak with the manager.  I ended up waiting for 20 minutes, mainly because the manager was avoiding me. I told him that I was not going to pay $65 for a bowl of soup, especially since it tasted like it came out of a can. Then, I woke up.

Alright, I think I understand dream one. I've been under a lot of stress lately at work, and I am working on a show that will be held in Europe soon. So I can see where this one would come from, and that makes total sense to me. But dream two, I have no idea what's up with that. I wish I knew someone who could analyze dreams. In a way, that would be good. In a way, that would be bad. Sometimes not knowing is better than knowing.

Perhaps it's time to let go of my burdens and offer it up to the Lord. Maybe then I could sleep through the night. Maybe then I could have normal dreams. Until then, I am staying away from ordering soup in a restaurant.

Attitude Adjustment

"If I am to know the will of God, I must have the right attitude toward life."

Trappist monk Thomas Merton really hit the mark when he wrote this. How can a person expect to hear the voice of God if one isn't listening? How can a person expect to see the path one must walk if one is blinded by their own desires? How can a person expect to experience the presence of God if one doesn't let God inside one's heart?

Live the gospel by the way you live your life, and you will experience the Lord in ways you never imagined.

Know Christ, Know Peace

As I was sifting through our pile of mail, I picked up our copy of U.S. Catholic. I casually flipped open the magazine, and my eyes zoned onto this quote:

"God wants...us to turn guns and bullets into iPads and computers."

The quote originated from Archbishop Charles Maung Bo of Yangon, Myanmar. What he did was update the quote from Isaiah 2:4 which says:

"They shall beat their swords into plowshares."

Since we are living in a highly technological society, what if we were to re-think the way we function in our world. What if we were to reform our own lives by being people of peace? What if we were to truly love our neighbor? If we could only let go of our hatred and malice, we could truly live at peace.

Instead of going to war, why can't we just get together and play a video game with one another? Why can't we huddle around a table and instead of strategizing our next move against our enemy, strategize over "Words with Friends?" Why can't we leave our ego behind and live the gospel?

We need to understand that we can only achieve true peace when we truly encounter Christ in our lives. Know God, know peace. No God, no peace.