Category: Catholic Life

What Would Jesus Do?

A few years ago, this phrase was the popular response to almost everything. People wore bracelets, and for a short time in the relatively early social media world, the hashtag was common: WWJD

The issue that I always had with that was the appearance of this phrase seemed to coincide with many of the places where we might see other phrases that make us raise an eyebrow or two. “Only God can judge me,” is the one that comes to mind for me most often. The issue, of course, isn’t that these phrases aren’t true, but the way in which they’re used – or the particular timing or circumstances – make them less than genuine. In fact, more often than not, the circumstances negate the actual meaning of the phrase. “Only God can judge me,” is frequently used to justify actions we know other people wouldn’t approve and if we’re honest, we never took a moment to consult what God would have wanted in the first place. The same seemed to be true many times when I saw the WWJD response. What would Jesus do? I doubt you took a moment to consult, and even so, how do you know the answer here (that you seem to imply you’re privy to)?

Now, let me make one thing clear. I DO believe we can spend some time in prayer and reflection, especially when properly formed by study of scripture and other relevant sources, to have a better understanding of the mind of the Almighty. I do think there’s value in occasionally, gently, humbly, and with the utmost fraternal love reminding people to take into account what God would wish for them in terms of behavior and attitude. However, I would also say that more than 90% of the time, we simply don’t have that information at our disposal; not like we would like to think we do, and certainly not to the extent we can pass a judgement on someone else’s situation.

Here’s a case to illustrate my point — today’s gospel reading:

Mark 7:31-37

A couple of things come to mind. Right away, we might notice that Jesus told them (the people who brought the deaf man to him – and interestingly enough, not the deaf man himself) not to say anything about this to anyone. They didn’t listen because they (thought they) knew better. What would Jesus do? Celebrate this miraculous healing, right? Apparently not. The reason is that we (were we in that crowd) precisely did not understand his will or what was yet to come. I think this still holds true for the most part today.

Secondly, it was the group of people who brought the deaf man to Jesus for healing; the man didn’t come on his own. The circumstances were certainly different then than they are now, but today, it would almost be seen by the deaf community to be a mutilation of the body to seek hearing where you previously had none. Did these people understand that this man may not want that “healing” to occur? Not likely that they even stopped to consider it. This one holds true today in a much more prominent way, and well-meaning as people may be, this is where the ultimate standard of what is Christ-like behavior comes into play. We have to ask ourselves what is most loving in the situation. I promise, beyond any doubt, that making a decision without consulting the one most directly impacted by the decision is NOT an act of love by any measure. I know for certain that praying for someone with a disability to be healed of their circumstances when that person is a stranger to you can be quite offensive; what you perceive as a disability they may perceive as their special gift from God. Even if they don’t quite view it that way, who are you to determine what they want (or should want) from life?

I truly believe that our circumstances in life are either a blessing or a burden based on the way in which we choose to view them, and when we take these things to God with sincerity of heart, we get the response we need – whether it’s a miraculous change or nothing different at all other than our outlook – that we may have hope.

In many ways, the attempt to forecast what Jesus would do or how God judges a particular situation is our own pride and self-absorbed behavior – one of the primary things the entirety of scripture begs us to move beyond. It brings to mind another phrase of Jesus that we don’t hear very often in most of these conversations: “Remove the plank in your own eye before attempting to remove the splinter from another’s.”

Catholics Reading the Bible

This post was originally written on January 26, 2020, but another act of Providence in the time of COVID quarantine is that many people actually did turn to reading the Bible more often and attending virtual Bible studies where they may never have attended otherwise. Also, 2021 saw the launch of the Bible-in-a-Year program that has proved to be wildly popular, and not just with the intended Catholic audience.

Today, Catholics around the world are celebrating Word of God Sunday for the first time ever. I think there are some particularly Providential aspects to this celebration occurring on this particular day.

As Catholics, we’ve always thought of ourselves as scripture people (I mean, the argument can solidly be made that we literally wrote the Book), but the truth of the matter is, like the vast majority of society, we probably don’t get into it very often these days – at least, not knowingly. For centuries, the Church’s prayers and liturgies, the ways in which things like hymns are written and stained glass windows were designed have always been about relaying scripture and our Christian heritage. These were the primary means of teaching and handing on the faith.

In fact, there was a statistic I read a few years back that said a one hour visit to a Catholic Church for Sunday Mass would give you somewhere near 70% more scriptural immersion than the average visit to an non-Catholic Christian Church. The remarkable thing is: most people wouldn’t know it! That’s why Pope Francis (a Pope of firsts) instituted this particular day; we need to be aware of the scripture around us. We need to know it when we hear it and when we see it, and more importantly, we need to know how to live it.

If ever there was an argument made against Catholics, it’s that we “aren’t Biblical”, and (while I disagree and think there’s plenty of proof to the contrary), those making the argument get the win because on average, we don’t know our stuff very well, or at the least, we don’t make a practice of actually reading the Bible. It’s not that hard. The Church even lays out texts daily for you. If we were to do so in a demonstrable way, I think it would be a huge step toward the Christian unity Jesus prayed for and Paul preached.

(By the way, it’s always bothered me since I was old enough to understand what I was reading how people used the phrase Word of God. John chapter 1, verse 1 even says quite explicitly that the phrase does NOT refer to written text:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

No mistake there. He’s not talking about a Bible. Yep, he means Jesus.)

It’s interesting to me, then, that today’s scripture readings at Mass worldwide (coincidentally) are these:

  • Isaiah 8:23-9:3 — the people in darkness have seen a great light
  • Psalm 27 — the Lord is my light and my salvation
  • I Corinthians 1:10-13, 17 — may there be no divisions among you
  • Matthew 4:12-23 — Jesus begins preaching and calls his first disciples

The calling of the first disciples is a really interesting way to wrap this up. This is the key transformation of the Gospel message. We are to utilize scripture to learn about Jesus, but we’re also supposed to be learning our mission. If we’re to get into the idea of Word of God Sunday, we should spend some time in the Bible, because that’s one of the primary places we’ll learn, but it’s not the end. The Word isn’t that page or that book. The Word is what we learn about, and we believe in-dwells us, calls us, and we respond by living accordingly.

So, as Providence would have it, it’s also the beginning of Catholic Schools Week here in the U.S. Catholic Schools Week is an annual celebration that recognizes the Church’s long held commitment to education, not just in matters of faith, but in all areas of learning. The Church has always been a patron of the arts and sciences. Catholic education fosters the beliefs that a high quality education is a vital benefit for even the most vulnerable, and we don’t shy away from integrating our faith with the study of the world around us. (For example, the current “buzz” in most curricular programs lately is STEM education – bringing together science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. In Catholic education, we get to approach it as STREAM – science, technology, religion, engineering, arts, and math.)

Through education, both in the formal, traditional sense and in the historical immersive nature of scripture, we are prepared for mission; not just a mission of solitary faith and behavior that we hope leads us to a someday eternal reward, but also a mission of here and now among the people around us to be their light and help.

That’s why St. Francis of Assisi is often (mis)attributed as saying, “Preach the gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.” The Church was on the right track. We should be so immersed in scripture that we live our relationship and mission with the Word that it’s not an effort or something else we do, but a natural part of living. Somewhere along the way, we got off track. Today’s our call to get back on the right track by taking concrete steps to make the automatic meaningful again. May God grant me the grace (and courage) to do so.

The Avenue Moment

This post has been carried forward from an older site (see Content Note below). Any modifications to the original content are indicated by a change of text color.

The Sisters of Providence call it the “Avenue Moment”. It’s that indescribable feeling that you can only recognize by experience. They’re referring to the overwhelming sense of peace and calm that floods your entire being when you pass through the gates onto the main road of the Motherhouse grounds. It looks just like the ordinary trees, pavement, sky, and squirrels that are common to everyday experience, yet you know within your core being, you’re somewhere special, somewhere holy.

The Avenue at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods
The Avenue at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods

That juxtaposition is really the reason for me to do this. I’ve experienced many Avenue Moments over the years. I can describe some in detail like they happened yesterday: a retreat at Gethsemani Abbey of Kentucky with the silent Trappist monks; standing next to a waterfall with my newlywed bride the day after we married; reaching through the incubator in the NICU to touch my daughter’s foot the day she dramatically entered the world; even a simple rainy day in a fast food parking lot when I needed an extra reassurance of life’s path. Other moments I know have come and gone and my memory of them is only foggy at best, but the effects are lasting. That’s why. The effects are lasting. And life-changing. And contagious.

The Avenue Moments happen when we’re open to them, when we’re aware of ourselves and how the Spirit moves in our lives and how we are marvelously and miraculously cared for in spite of ourselves. This openness and awareness can, if we allow it, move us toward where we’re meant to be – not on autopilot, but like the Avenue in reality leading to Providence Center and all connected thereto, we see more clearly the destination unfolding ahead. That nudge and waxing vision – we call that Providence.

You don’t have to be a philosopher to have heard life described as a journey; you may have made the reference yourself. The starting point and the end point are obvious markers of significance, but so are the many landmarks along the way, the pit stops and side trips, the sights, and the path itself. We don’t get wrapped up in every detail, but we acknowledge the whole package for what it is.

We codify the important points in our journey with photographs, certificates, and souvenirs of various kinds. Birthdays, anniversaries, new homes, new jobs, religious events, even special gatherings of friends or a common cup of coffee made special can be marked with a diary entry or receipt to help us remember and set aside that moment in time, consecrating it in a sense for our own happiness, so that we can gather again and say, “Do you remember…?”

I’ve had the honor of officiating half a dozen weddings or so over the years, and one thing I usually tell the couple is that the marriage ceremony itself is just a marker – it signifies a commitment they’ve already made and a love they already share. In many ways, we’re just making a public declaration of something they’ve already been living inside themselves, and those few things that may change afterward are just details.

Becoming a Providence Associate for me is a marker; it’s a public recognition and declaration of a spirituality I already live and embrace.

Funeral Reading for Grandfathers

When my grandfather passed away in April 2017, I came across a reading that I thought captured our sentiments in a poetic and succinct way better than I ever could have, proving once again the great treasure we have in sacred scripture. This reading is in the optional readings of the Roman Missal for funerals and is taken from Sirach 44*:


Now will I praise those godly men, our ancestors, each in his own time: These were godly men whose virtues have not been forgotten; their wealth remains in their families, their heritage with their descendants; through God’s covenant with them their family endures, their posterity for their sake.


And for all time their progeny will endure, their glory will never be blotted out; their bodies are peacefully laid away, but their name lives on and on. At gatherings their wisdom is retold, and the assembly proclaims their praise.

Sirach is a book of Hebrew Scripture found in Catholic and Orthodox Bibles but commonly omitted elsewhere. This difference in scripture canon is the result of various texts being considered authoritative by the leading Jewish scholars at different points in history; thus, many Bibles have 66 books, Catholic Bibles have 73, and the Orthodox recognize 80 (or 81, in some cases).