Finding Peace and Joy in the Midst of Rejection

Rejection. Paul and Barnabas were thrown out of the city because of their preaching. They were rejected by their own people, so they turned to the Gentiles who drank up all they said and relished that the tables had turned- they now had a chance at salvation if they truly believed that Jesus died for our sins and that he rose-just like Scriptures said He would.

Feeling Joy After Rejection?

How did Paul and Barnabas deal with that rejection?  They shook the dust from their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium. The disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.  (Acts 13:51-52) Rejection is a part of life. No one can escape it. Jesus even knew how it felt to be rejected. What a great example of how we should deal with it! It's easier said than done, to "shake the dust off our sandals", or in other words, to disassociate with those who reject us. Or, to just say, "Yes, I'm hurt/bothered by the rejection, but obviously, God has other plans for me." It's really hard to feel joy after being so hurt from rejection.

Inexpressible Peace and Interior Freedom

Paul and Barnabas were in it together. They had each other to lean on, and they had the presence of Jesus. We have that presence as well, as long as we can put our trust in Him and let his love shine through. He will give us peace if we trust in Him. Father Jacques Philippe in Searching for and Maintaining Peace says "...he who accepts to put everything into the hands of God, to allow Him to give and take according to His good pleasure, this individual finds an inexpressible peace and interior freedom." THAT is what Paul and Barnabas had and that's why they were "filled with joy and the Holy Spirit". Yes, it's harder for us because Paul and Barnabas saw Jesus first-hand. But isn't that the beauty of faith? To believe what we haven't seen. To believe because those who have gone before us didn't stop when they were rejected. They knew there would be people who wouldn't believe them. They knew there would be people who were scared of what they were saying. They responded by shrugging their shoulders and maintaining their peace.

Accepting the Rejection

We have that same choice: to turn away or to stay joyful. In those times of rejection, may we turn to Jesus and say "Yes, Lord. I accept the rejection because it turns me back to You and helps me to maintain my peace and joy."

I Will Try Again

When I walked into the Adoration Chapel the Thursday following Easter Sunday, I was struck by how differently things looked after being covered up with purple cloth. The white on the Virgin Mother statue seemed whiter, with the blue rosary draped around her seeming to be bluer. Jesus on the cross appeared to be more life-like. This is the same crucifix that I looked at in my parish while growing up, so it's very familiar. Even so, his face looked as if he could come to life at any minute. The harder I stared, the more life-like it became. I thought of the disciples locked away, scared of what was going to happen to them. I can imagine his head straightening and I have to admit that I am just a tad bit frightened until I hear the words "Do not be afraid. I am with you." It is then that I can actually feel his presence.

The blood on his knees and feet seem more pronounced. I can almost see the blood dripping from his feet. In fact, I would swear that I see it dripping.

And then I get sidetracked. I make the mistake of looking at my phone for the time and see a message. That leads to another thing, and I've lost this state of mind I was in.

I didn't take any reading materials with me this time. My plan was to just sit, be still, and listen. I failed miserably, but it's okay. I had a few minutes of that deep state of mind with Jesus. It's a start. Next week I'll try again. I'll turn my phone off (or leave it in the car) and not worry about the time. I'll gaze at Jesus' precious wounds and imagine what it must have been like to be with him on his journey to the cross. I'll know that he forgives me for my short attention span. I know that he will still be here, waiting for me.

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time: Don't Miss the Point

photo by Nmedia | Dreamstime Stock Photos

I didn't read the Readings before going to Mass this week...and I didn't take notes during the Homily. Let's just say I'm winging it!
My impressions: During the 1st Reading (2MC 7:1-2, 9-14), my heart went out to those 7 brothers. What faith they had! You would have thought that since "...the king and his attendants marveled at the young man's courage..." he would have shown some mercy on the other brothers, but that didn't happen. All just because they didn't want to eat pork??? Those were some rough times to live in, weren't they? 
During the homily, Father mentioned that Maccabees is one of the books in the bible that protestants left out of their versions, because it deals with the after-life. He said that when he was having a conversation with a protestant, he was questioned about really believing in purgatory. Father's response was that not only did he believe, but he was counting on it...he was counting on being able to have a chance at cleansing his soul so he could enter into heaven. What a great response, and what a great way to answer that question!
As I listened to the Gospel during Mass, I couldn't help but think that Jesus never answers their question. I was right: He didn't answer, but pretty much told them that they were missing the point. As Father said: marriage, remarrying, and divorce are all things of the earth. We should be looking toward heaven and doing our best to get there.
Don't we all miss the point? More often than not, I think we do...everybody does. We get wrapped up in the happenings of our daily life that we miss the reason we're here. We miss what our ultimate goal is: to have everlasting life. To have that chance for our souls to be cleansed so that we may enter into heaven and see our loved ones who have passed from this life. This week, when things seem to be going crazy, take a second and say to yourself, "Don't miss the point."

6th Sunday of Easter

This week’s readings were all about uncertainty, the fear of the unknown. As the priest said during his Homily, the disciples were concerned about what they were going to do after Jesus left them…and what was going to be done to them. They learned that they are never truly alone; even when they knew Jesus wouldn’t physically be with them.

There was also the uncertainty of what is expected of the Gentiles; these earliest non-Jewish Christians. Are they expected to follow the same dietary rules? Apparently the disciples weren’t all on the same page; as the priest said, they “came close to drawing blood”. Can you imagine the arguments/debates they must have had?

 I did have an “AHA” moment reading the first Reading:

‘It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us

not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities,

namely, to abstain from meat sacrificed to idols,

from blood, from meats of strangled animals,

and from unlawful marriage.’

---Acts 15: 29

Again, I’m no theologian, but is this where being able to eat fish on Fridays originated? It makes perfect sense to me that it is.

The priest stated that 1 fact remains: Jesus will always be with us. Throughout all of the Councils, beginning with the Council of Jerusalem as described in the first Reading all the way up to Vatican II, there is consistency because you can’t change what God has revealed. He said that some people say that the Church is out of touch, but he indicated that it was a good thing because that means we have more of a chance to be in step with God, again, because you can’t change what God has revealed.

I thought it was neat the way the priest tied the Reading and the Gospel together. The message in both of them is the same: We aren’t alone. Jesus is always with us, especially in the Sacraments, and most especially in the Eucharist. As the priest said, “don’t let our hearts be afraid, because He is always with us.” I had a moment of thinking he was going to burst out in song when he said that “we’ll never walk alone”. He ended the Homily by saying that God only wants thanks for what all we have been given, all He has done for us.

It’s hard to imagine how the disciples felt about Jesus physically being there, knowing He wasn’t going to stay. The Homily put a different light on how they must have felt: the beginning of Christianity was put on their shoulders. Some of the Jews turned their backs on them, but then they had to determine God’s will for the Gentiles to become Christians. Apparently, it wasn’t all hugs and kisses. ePriest compared how they must have felt to loved ones who leave for the military: they assure their loved ones that they’ll be back. And they’re missed terribly.

The Word Among Us shared this definition of peace: It's the grace to be holy and resist evil. It's the grace to forgive. It's the grace to remind us that God is with us and we leave nothing to fear. (Jn 14:27) 

May we not let our hearts be afraid, and may we all have the peace of God in our hearts.