Getting Back to It

09-13-2015Weekly ReflectionFr. Brian Jazdzewski

Many of us are aware that in some way, shape or form we have returned to the work of forming our young people. Remembering that we intentionally form them according to the human, physical and spiritual standards; that leaves adults the arduous task of helping God make good people. Our Catechism, by way of reminder, teaches that parents are the first teachers of their children. Of course that means that human, physical and spiritual formation ought to be at the heart of parenting, and therefore be at the center of each home.

Further, our Church continues to teach that the home is the domestic church. In other words, families come to be nurtured in faith each weekend at Mass and take those graces home to be a domestic church for the balance of the week. Like the Holy Family, each family is summoned to keep Christ at the center of all they do. So, how do we measure up as Catholics, particularly here in southern Buffalo County? Rather than being overly critical, let’s suggest a couple of metaphors which can make a big difference.

Some of us remember, others of us vaguely remember, the Lone Ranger. Part of his drama was the use of a silver bullet. Some think the silver bullet was fired to summon the Lone Ranger, others think they were used by the Lone Ranger himself. Anyway, the Lone Ranger used silver bullets to ward off the bad guys. According to lore, the silver bullets were not used to kill (the Lone Ranger had respect for all human life), they were simply used to injure the bad guys enough to disarm them. Then, once disarmed, the legal officials could tend to the most just way to resolve the alleged crimes. Bottom line is, silver bullets were used to keep good people from danger.

Cases can be made that Catholics in our parishes could improve in the integration of faith into daily life. Some people look for the silver bullet to find quick and easy solutions to the alleged lack of faith among some of our parishioners. Frankly, its easy to blame someone else, be it Church teaching, the Pastor, or whatever, rather than to discover what needs to change in each of us to help make a difference. Again, rather than blame someone or something, questions need to be asked about how each of us can make a difference for ourselves and our young people. Each of us can take some responsibility to keep Christ at the center of all we do. Our priorities will return to keeping Christ at the center of all we do, when we choose to make that our priority.

Once again I look at one of my spiritual heroes who happens to be a Polish saint named Maximilian Kolbe. He coined the phrase spiritual bullet in referring to the Rosary. Saint Maximilian believed that the Blessed Mother’s prayers could do so much in fending off dangers in life. He also understood that in meditating upon the mysteries of the Rosary, people would keep their minds on Christ. In turn, spiritual protection would come to prayerful people and their loved ones as spiritual favors granted by God. Sometimes preachers speak into what appears to be ghost town like minds about these matters; and yet, in faith, preachers believe that spiritual bullets are available and work quite effectively in warding off dangerous things.

So while we go about our daily battles, unique from those of the wild, wild west, we are in a position to build up strength against those things which harm us and our young people. The Church provides us ample guideposts to help us continue building the Kingdom of God. The work of human, physical and spiritual formation is the responsibility of each baptized person. Somehow we can recognize a society where these things are weak. We also need to be courageous enough to restore them for the sake of our present and future situations. May our choices, by the grace of God, help us be more effective in fostering positive changes within our homes, parishes and communities.

~Fr. Brian

BACK TO LIST