Blindness

Most of us are able to see (maybe not very well, but enough to get by) and are lucky enough not to know what it’s like to be blind. We get to see the smiling faces of our parents, friends, or children. We get to see the beauty of God’s creation. Blindness steals this from us. Similarly, the beauty of this life can be stolen from us if we suffer from spiritual blindness. Maybe we can see God’s creation, but we haven’t really SEEN it.

Recently, I heard someone speak about our knowledge of God using two Spanish words—conocer and saber. I am by no means bilingual, but these two words speak to two different things. Conocer is to know someone. Saber is to know something. Do we know (saber) God? Or do we KNOW (conocer) God? If we only know (saber) God, it’s time to get our vision checked and repaired.

Too Much of a Good Thing

Ever heard the saying, “You can never have too much of a good thing”? Well, that’s not true. Sorry. It’s actually a pretty easy trap to fall into. The Gospel this Sunday is the famous story of the rich man whom Jesus told to sell of his belongings. Jesus went on to say how difficult it is for the rich to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

We have varying degrees of monetary riches; however, we all have a wealth of riches that can seem like great things, but can still lead us away from God—social media, friends, sports, school, food, and yes, money too. If we’re not careful, our priorities can get out of order and something that was good has now replaced God, which is not good. If you’re allowing your happiness to be determined by something that can be lost or taken away, you’re putting it in the wrong place.

Love and Marriage

Getting married is one of the most awesome things you can do (so sayeth the guy who has only been married for a few months). All kidding aside, it really is. God laid out four possible vocations, and each of them are equally awesome, but let’s face it, most of us will be called to the vocation of marriage. The Gospel this weekend spoke about the permanence of marriage—a covenant between husband, wife, and God. However, whether we’re called to marriage or not, this pertains to all of us. Confused? Let me explain.

Christ is the groom, and the Church is the bride. Christ sacrificed Himself for us, and we’re called to serve Him—much like a marriage. It’s a circle of giving. Also like a marriage, we can try to break, violate, or divorce ourselves through our actions. Just like wedges shouldn’t be driven into a marriage between spouses, we also should not divorce (or separate) ourselves from Christ.