Today, I met someone through an inadvertent gaffe, and I think that person and I will come to be good friends in spite of my blunder. As I was flitting about the blogosphere, as I’ve been known to do occasionally—did you all hear my husband laugh out loud just now? Anyway, while I was out and about, I read an article posted by PatHound over on the
Association of Catholic Women Bloggers. It was a great article written by Father Patrick Brennan, and well worth reading. I wanted Pat to know how much I appreciated her posting the Good Father’s article and shot off a message that started off something like this—
Hey, Pat~ Great article, thanks for posting it, blah, blah, blah...
I hit the submit button, and off it went, as did I. Before I left the site, however, I was scanning the list of authors who contribute to the blog … when I came across Father Patrick Brennan’s name again. BING! The light goes on. I didn’t just write a message to Father “Pat(rick)” Brennan, and greet him by saying … Hey, Pat, did I? There was one way to find out. The author of the article, Father Brennan, mentioned he had posted the article on his website today, too. If I wanted to know, all I had to do was click Father Patrick’s link. So, what the heck, holding my breath, I clicked.
Yikes! You can read my apology
here, visit Father Patrick Brennan’s blog, Humblepiety
here, and read the post that led me to Father Patrick below.
As you can see, Father “Pat” and I have struck up a friendship now that we’ve got our introductions straight, and he’s kindly allowed me to post his article on our Parish blog. Be sure to click the links above, and check out his other fascinating posts, and if you happen to be a lover of cats, you’ll be pleasantly surprised! Be sure to mention you’re a friend of mine, because I’m sure he’ll take pity on you and offer up a few extra prayers for your care!
Whoever acts on these words of mine!
Reading the gospel today I see the inspiration for the fairy tale the “Big Bad Wolf” published in 1843, the tale of the three pigs who huffed and puffed!
The gospel is a real goodie! It contains a wonderful few words from Jesus, words not to be missed!
There is a practical reality of listening to and acting upon the words of Christ and this is demonstrated quite beautifully. The listener is left in no doubt about the importance of hearing Jesus’ words and putting them into practice.
We all need to reside somewhere, a shelter, a place to base our lives, a sanctuary, a place to call our own, the Englishman’s home is his castle! The home is important whatever way we look at it. If my home is built on sand, the foundations will not keep the house in one piece, a downfall of rain and my home is gone!! So simple and so practical too, this for me is the essence of a good spiritual life simple and practical!
Jesus tells us the importance of making a foundation when it comes to sustaining faith It is no good saying I love Jesus dearly but I love bickering just as much! Not much point in saying I accept forgiveness for my weakness from the sacramental encounter with Christ and then stubbornly refuse to forgive those who trespass against me! There is little gain in sitting in my Sunday best in church each Sunday and the rest of the week persecuting my neighbor! Simple, we cry, I get it! But good to be reminded of it and I think that is the beauty of the scriptures A little gentle reminder to me to say: Am I taking care of the foundations of my faith: Prayer, trust, Mass, confession, charity, love, hope joy, peace, neighborliness, gentleness, patience, reverence, modesty, humility? There are a lot of foundations! One or other may slip and bring the house down! Stormy weather in life’s journey could loosen the foundations, so it is good to concentrate on them now and again. How are your foundations?
What cements the Word of God in the Mass today is the bit of advice from Jesus that says; don’t just listen to God’s Word but act on it! In other words receive it, allow it to make an impact on you, enable it to penetrate to the very foundations our faith is built on and allow it to repair and tweek the cracks and strains we find.
When troubles come and boy oh boy do they come! When doubts come to the surface, when we look at the media laying before us the weakness and the sins of "holy" trusted men and in some cases the vile crimes of those in positions of trust, as it has done recently it feels as if the house we have built in faith is shifting on its foundations, it is shaking, we are shaking with fear, anger, indignation, disbelief.... in these moments we dig deep we check the foundations, we see that our Faith is built on the rock of faith in Christ a sustaining and encouraging rock in bad times and good.
Take care of the foundations, act on the Words of God!
By Father Patrick Brennan
