From the Associate...

The Angelic Host

"And now with all the choirs of angels, we sing the heavenly song of praise."  These words, or similar ones, lead us every week into the great hymn, the "Holy, Holy, Holy" that marks the beginning of the most sacred part of the Mass.
With all the choirs of angels.  But now let us ask ourselves.  Do we really believe that these beings exist?  We should.  They do.
Nothing is more clearly attested in the Bible, the revelation of God to us.  In the life of Christ alone, there are angels around every corner.  It is an angel who announces to Mary her coming child; angels appear to the shepherds and give them news of the birth of Christ; angels comfort Jesus in his temptation; an angel is again with him in his agony in Gethsemane; angels tell the news of the resurrection to the disciples when they come to the empty tomb.  Jesus often  speaks of them.  It is angels, he tells us, who will separate the good from the evil at the end of time.  They will accompany him when he comes in glory.  They rejoice over even one repentant sinner.  And at the moment when Jesus is about to be taken by his enemies, he says to his disciples, "Do you not know that I can call upon my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal ten legions of angels?"
Some poor souls, of course, believe that "what you see is what you get."  For them the world is a small and boring place.  There is no God, no human soul, only molecules.  And of course, they don't think there are angels either.  But for those of us who understand that the greatest of all personalities, the One, Holy, Mighty, Eternal, Creating God, is himself invisible to our eyes; for those who know that we

have an unseen soul hidden in our physical bodies, there is nothing to trouble the mind in the idea that there are other beings, closer to God than we are, living in His presence but unseen by us. 
It is a healthy exercise of the mind to ponder the existence of angels.  We tend to get caught up in what we see, and forget what is far more important, namely, what we can't see.  Remembering that there are angels (and demons) around us, that there are eyes that see us even though we don't see them, that the whole material world is upheld by the action of these bright and powerful servants of God, helps us to keep clear about reality.  It can save us from the numbing suffocation of the merely seen, and remind us that what we see is only the outward clothing of a vast invisible world, infinitely more beautiful than the one we now inhabit.  Our task during the short time we are here is to grow eyes, eyes of faith, that will one day be able to perceive that world in all its glory, and gaze upon the great and almighty God, face to face. The angels will help get us there.  St. Michael, and all angels, pray for us!

Compassionate people are needed to volunteer two hours, 1 - 2 times per month, to help others experiencing a crisis pregnancy. Birthright offers free pregnancy testing and supports people in making alternative choices to abortion. Training will be held Saturday, Nov. 22, 8:45 am - 4:00 pm, and Sunday, Nov. 23, 11:45 am - 4:00 pm.  Call Judy Quayle, 651-633-0459, for more information (You also have an opportunity to come to our office and observe before training, if you wish.).

Connections: September 28, 2003  26th Sunday of the Year

"Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, will surely not lose his reward…" 

"If your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.  Better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes be thrown into Gehenna…"                                (Mark 9: 38-43, 45, 47-48)

LONESOME DOVE: CROSSING THE LINE

In Larry McMurty's great western, Lonseome Dove, Jake Spoon is a former Texas Ranger who eventually finds himself on the wrong end of the law.  While Jake is far from a saint, he's not the worst sinner, either.  He just wants to live his life as a gambler without and ties or responsibilities. After a poker game in Fort Worth, Jake agrees to join up with a gang heading up to Nebraska to rob banks.  Nobody gets killed robbing banks, Jake reasons.  But, as they ride north, Jake discovers that he has hooked up with a band of brutal horse thieves and murderers. It falls to his best friends, all ex-Texas Rangers as well, to hunt the gang down.  Cal, Gus, Deets, and Newt follow the carnage and catch up with Jake and the gang.  The ex-Rangers pronounce the "judgment of the West"  for horse thievery and murder and prepare to carry out the hangings.
Jake begs his friends for mercy.  He didn't mean any harm, Jake says, he was just looking for safe company to get across Indian territory. But Gus tells Jake, "Sorry, Jake, you crossed the line."
But Jake pathetically pleads, "But Gus, I didn't see no line."

CONNECTION In his rather harsh words about cutting off and plucking out what causes us to sin, Jesus is pointing to that "line" that poor Jake can't see -- that line between the things of God and the things of earth, the line between authentic love and selfish infatuation, the line between the common good and narrow self-interest, the line between true wealth and fleeting celebrity fame, the line between life and death.  To be faithful to the call of discipleship means letting nothing -nothing! - dissuade us or derail us in our search for the things of God; not allowing the pursuit of prestige, wealth, social status, or instant gratification desensitize us to the presence of God in our lives or diminish the love of the God we cherish in family and friends.  May we have the courage and freedom to "cut off" and "tear out" whatever removes us from the joy and peace of God!