St. Therese of Lisieux wrote, “Prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.”

So, let’s get one thing out of the way. God is never over ‘there’ because ‘there’ implies distance. And He is never distant from us. He is here.  Therefore, we begin with a reality check that prayer is not us speaking into a void and hoping God is close enough to hear. Prayer is a response to our ever present Father who is paying attention and listening even before we begin to speak.

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For centuries, cultures across the globe had male initiation rituals that would delineate when the boys became men. But we don’t have those anymore. So what now? Because the world doesn’t need a bunch of grown boys in men’s bodies. The world needs men for others. We know that because of the fall of man we have weakened wills and dimmed intellects, so we must let God restore our understanding of masculinity.

“When I was a child, I used to talk as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish things.”

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At Mass this morning Fr. Chris Martin spoke of encountering the glory of God and how the weight of His presence makes an impression on all it touches.  He asked us to reflect on who and what has happened to us that makes us who we are today.

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And… we’re back for week 2!

We began our weekend the best way Catholics know how: with Mass! Bishop Rice was the celebrant for our volunteer Mass for the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Today is one of many days our Church dedicates to the Blessed Mother. Who better models missionary discipleship? No one.

Mary: a woman pondering and a woman on the go.

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