The Unites States of America celebrates Memorial Day today. We remember all those who have given their lives in the defense of our freedom. We especially remember them in our prayers. "Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen."
The particular set of prayers that I am using for my Holy Spirit novena during these days between the Solemnity of the Ascension and the Solemnity of Pentecost focused my attention on the gift of fortitude today. As I sat quietly reflecting upon this gift, I could not help but think of all the times I have failed to persevere in my journey toward holiness. Fortitude is essential if we are going to unite ourselves completely to Christ. Are we able to keep moving toward Christ especially when the cross shows up?
I am grateful for the upbringing I received as a child, and I am blessed to have had years of continuing faith formation in my adult life. This is something I cannot take for granted. Not everyone has had the opportunities to be formed in the faith in such a magnificent way. I was reminded of this while sitting at my computer writing this blog. In an attempt to multi-task, I was flipping channels on the television to catch up on the latest news stories. Sadly, I came across, The View. High quality programming--right? Why did I even pause before moving onto the next channel?
Whoopi Goldberg asked a question about whether it is right or not to have an atheist as a godparent at a baptism. Are you kidding me? Why would that even be a question? After listening to the gibberish offered up as answers, it was easy to see how it could be a question. Wow! Thankfully, Sunny Hostin was able to give a correct definition of the difference between a sponsor and a witness at a Catholic baptism. I did not know who Sunny was, but the world of the internet informed me about her. At least one person on the show made some sense.
Although I wanted to get an update on the shooting rampage in Mississippi, this brief encounter with The View coaxed me into simply shutting off the TV without getting to the news. The gift of fortitude can help me stop wasting time watching TV. The gift of wisdom would clue me in to just get rid of the televisions from our house. Now that is something to seriously consider.
The particular set of prayers that I am using for my Holy Spirit novena during these days between the Solemnity of the Ascension and the Solemnity of Pentecost focused my attention on the gift of fortitude today. As I sat quietly reflecting upon this gift, I could not help but think of all the times I have failed to persevere in my journey toward holiness. Fortitude is essential if we are going to unite ourselves completely to Christ. Are we able to keep moving toward Christ especially when the cross shows up?
I am grateful for the upbringing I received as a child, and I am blessed to have had years of continuing faith formation in my adult life. This is something I cannot take for granted. Not everyone has had the opportunities to be formed in the faith in such a magnificent way. I was reminded of this while sitting at my computer writing this blog. In an attempt to multi-task, I was flipping channels on the television to catch up on the latest news stories. Sadly, I came across, The View. High quality programming--right? Why did I even pause before moving onto the next channel?
Whoopi Goldberg asked a question about whether it is right or not to have an atheist as a godparent at a baptism. Are you kidding me? Why would that even be a question? After listening to the gibberish offered up as answers, it was easy to see how it could be a question. Wow! Thankfully, Sunny Hostin was able to give a correct definition of the difference between a sponsor and a witness at a Catholic baptism. I did not know who Sunny was, but the world of the internet informed me about her. At least one person on the show made some sense.
Although I wanted to get an update on the shooting rampage in Mississippi, this brief encounter with The View coaxed me into simply shutting off the TV without getting to the news. The gift of fortitude can help me stop wasting time watching TV. The gift of wisdom would clue me in to just get rid of the televisions from our house. Now that is something to seriously consider.
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