A Lament in Times of Terror

Posted on July 5, 2016 by the Bouchers

It was a treacherous time during the late sixties. Half a dozen burly college men marched down the hill with torches, hell-bent on burning the ROTC building. We were next door at a faith sharing meeting. Four of us, mostly conscientious objectors, ran out to defend the building. Two stayed behind to beg for God’s help. That’s when it started pouring buckets of rain. God had arranged a standoff…

How do you respond to yet another violent attack, whether near of far? What about political mayhem or family emergencies? Do you feel like screaming or crying? Or do you feel numb? The book of Psalms is chuck-full of responses to terror that are called ‘laments’. This word comes from a Latin word meaning ‘to howl’ or ‘to mourn loudly.’ Some psalms literally groan and wail. Some whimper. And even though some sound like a feverish mind gone awry, they are also acts of faith because they are addressed to God. Are you ready to give God all the terror and human rubbish that disturbs you?

Step One: Choose one of these laments: Psalms 13; 22:1-11; 42:1-5; 130; or 142. Pray this psalm aloud and slowly. Then pray it again.

Step Two: Recall a difficulty that disturbs you. It can be anything, large or small, personal or global, anything that absorbs your thoughts and moves you to the edges of worry and fear. Now bring this difficulty into God’s presence by writing your own lament.

Greeting (or title for God):   _________________________

Describe the threatening situation in a few words: ________________________________________

Step Three: Step back and state God’s point of view (a scriptural image or a statement from the Creed might help): __________________________________________________________

Step Four: Ask God for help. Then add a surrender prayer:

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

Step Five: Choose a psalm of trust and thanksgiving—Psalms16; 23; 34:1-10; 91:1-10; or 124. Pray it slowly. Then finish by reading this passage aloud:

Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, (terrorism, political mayhem, extreme weather) or sword?

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.      (Romans 8:35, 38-39)

Adapted from Praying for our Adult Sons and Daughters

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Jesus Answers Us –Even When We Whine

Posted on June 3, 2016 by the Bouchers

IMG_0553 copyOur good friend, Lorene Duquin, author and gifted Catholic evangelizer, is putting together a book of stories from everyday Catholics whose prayers have been answered.   “It can be any kind of prayer experience… an earth-shaking revelation or a smaller event that made you recognize God.”

Here’s a story we are thinking of submitting:

John was whining to his spiritual director, Sr. Nancy, about family finances AGAIN.  “Whenever I ask the Lord for the money we need I get no answer!” he complained.

Sister Nancy stopped him in mid-sentence. “Do you remember a few years ago when you asked Jesus to help the last of your children with the money for college? And didn’t all five of your children receive scholarships for the colleges of their choice? Did you ever add up all the financial aid they received?”

“No,” John sheepishly replied.

She handed him paper and a pen to start a tally. After a few minutes, he had figures next to each of our child’s name. Then came the moment of revelation: their scholarships and other financial aid totaled over $500,000!

Sister Nancy took the list and whispered, “Your prayers have been answered!  And just imagine if you and your wife had not followed Jesus into full time ministry in the Church. Imagine that you had worked in business? Do you suppose you could have saved that much money to send them to college?”

“No!” he gasped.

How about your answered prayer? Think of the simple formula for witnessing: 1. The need. 2. Jesus answered me. 3. Now I can see… Send your witnesses to Lori Duquin at LDuquin@aol.com today! And if she wants to include yours, she will I will make arrangements to interview you. There is no stipend but you will get a copy of the book!”

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The Holy Spirit Brings More Pentecosts

Posted on April 28, 2016 by the Bouchers
Come Holy Spirit!

Come Holy Spirit!

John’s drug addicted cousin, Jim, stumbled to the door declaring, “What do you want?”

“I just want to talk. Can I come in?” As they settled into two decrepit chairs John blurted out, “I came to tell you about how I met Jesus and how he has made me a new person.” Then he described his experience on a recent retreat weekend.

Jim shouted in John’s face, “I can’t hear you! I have hated you since we were kids! You always invited my older brothers to stay at your house, but you never once invited me.”

John stared at him for several agonizing moments, while inwardly crying out, “O MY GOD!” Finally, sensing the Holy Spirit’s help for them both, he stammered, “Jim, I am so sorry for hurting you. Please forgive me.” “NO!” answered Jim, as he ended the visit.

Then fifteen years later, on Christmas Day—Jim called to share the joy of his own conversion to Christ and his healing from addiction. “You’re the first person I wanted to tell, John, because it all started when you asked me to forgive you!”

This story reminds us that when we seek to evangelize, we are dependent on the action of the Spirit; for what we say and for another’s response –both being “works of the Holy Spirit.” (Go and Make Disciples: A National Plan and Strategy for Catholic Evangelization in the United States, no 10)  Here are seven ways we can grow in radical sensitivity to the Holy Spirit as we strive to share our faith.

  1. Pray for others. Humbly come before the Holy Spirit daily, giving God permission to do whatever is needed to bring us and others in our lives, parishes, our families, and workplaces into deeper relationships with Jesus and the Church. Pray for the grace to love unconditionally, also.
  2. Look for ways the Spirit is already working in others’ lives. Adopt an ever-expanding vision of the many ways the Spirit moves in people. Thank God for what you see. But let go of any time-table for a next step in someone’s life.
  3. Share ways the Spirit is working in the details of your life with other faith-filled people. This provides mutual encouragement to witness to those who are not regular church-goers.
  4. Expect conversion when you share. We can expect new outpourings of the Spirit. Sharing stories of faith invites others to turn from self-centered sin and toward Christ. But let go of when this may happen.
  5. Tell others about Jesus Christ as the Spirit leads. Blessed Pope Paul VI described this as the “touchstone of evangelization” (On Evangelization in the Modern World, 24), a clear sign that we are growing as disciples of Christ.
  6. Let yourself be surprised by the Spirit. God’s deepest desire is to breathe new life into the Church and the world, person by person. The disciples of Jesus experienced the rushing fire of the Spirit on the feast of Pentecost, but the prophet Elijah experienced a gentle whispering voice.
  7. Study and support Catholic evangelization so that multiple-overlapping ways to encounter Jesus are available, in ongoing one-to-one, small group, and large group settings. To learn more read, Sharing the Faith that You Love.

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