Give me Jesus: The Great Physician

Give me Jesus: The Great Physician

Written by: Michael Pavano

Where I Belong- Building 429
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=he32vwlKQPY

We all have wounds. We all have a void to fill. Something in our lives has left us feeling weak or even broken at one point or another. Hurtful words, physical abuse, betrayals, failures, and breakups only to name a few are some of the ways that we have been wounded. There are also mental illnesses and physical illnesses which some of us have been born with. There is not one person on this Earth who has not be wounded in some way, so remember that you are never alone in your suffering. We all have wounds. We all have a void to fill.

The first question we ask is how do we deal with these wounds? How do we go about our daily lives when the past torments us and hurts us? Each of us has a vice, something we use to numb the pain. Alcohol, drugs, pornography, food, Youtube, Netflix, the list can go on forever. We spend so much time with each of these things before ever asking the right question, how do we heal and who will heal us?

Jesus- The Great Physician

I love the song, Where I Belong. It the was the first Christian song I ever heard. It felt like it really summed up what I wanted my life to be about and how I wanted to live it. My favorite line from the song is, "Take this world, and give me Jesus." The world and everything in it is only temporary. Life with Jesus is forever. We are given more of the world, a new Iphone, a new computer, a new car, or a new house. We get more money and more things, but does it fulfill us? Does it heal that wound or fill that void? For me at least, the answer is no. The problems will still be there. Jesus wants to heal our wounds and set us free. 

It's a sad truth that we often know the answer to our struggles but choose not to follow through with it. Jesus is always the answer because He will take us on the journey that heals us. It may be prayer. It may be offering or accepting forgiveness. It may be seeing a therapist or a doctor. It may be an instant healing. Jesus knows the way. We need only follow. Of course, that is easier said than done.

When I was in therapy, my therapist and I talked at length about depression. I asked, why do we choose not to accept help and to stay in our state of pain and suffering? She responded, sometimes we get comfortable sitting in the darkness and are afraid to look beyond to find the light. Jesus is that light, and He will lead us out of the darkness, but we need to allow Him to do this for us even when is uncomfortable and difficult to do. 

I can't tell you how many times I've passed by my little prayer closet to go downstairs to grab something to eat when I was feeling anxious keeping in my that I had just eaten and wasn't hungry. There is no greater way to illustrate filling a wound through consumption than using food. I would stuff my face to avoid facing what I was anxious about. Instead of passing that room, I should go in and embrace the hug from the Lord that is there waiting for me. 

About a year ago during prayer, I was thinking about how everyone has a void to fill. I've had my own personal experiences with trying to fill this void. I considered how often I have tried to avoid the issue entirely by using my own vices of choice. I realized that attempting to fill the void and numb the pain with the world only lead to pain and captivity, but when I filled it with Jesus it lead to healing and freedom. Then I received the following visions:

When we consume to heal our broken hearts, it leads only to more heartbreak and a larger wound. It also has side effects like greater suffering, loneliness, confusion, and shame among other things. There is also hatred and vengeance that we consume or rather that consumes us. It feels good to get back at the person that hurt us, but it only leads to greater heartbreak and suffering. Only forgiveness which comes from Jesus can heal us. 

When we read from Scripture, receive the Eucharist, pray, help others, forgive others, and care for the weak, we are inviting Jesus to work inside of us to heal our wounds and to transform us from the inside out. All of these wonderful actions summon the Holy Spirit to bring the power of God into our wounds providing strength and healing. 

 May each of us invite Jesus into our hearts to heal our wounds and fill the void that only He can fill. 

Our declaration today and always, Give us Jesus!

My Love Letter to God: Answering the Call

My Love Letter to God: Answering the Call
Written by: Michael Pavano

The Gospel from the May 14th daily Mass on the day of writing this post. God's timing :)

John chapter 15: 9-17

Jesus said to his disciples:
"As the Father loves me, so I also love you.
Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love,
just as I have kept my Father's commandments
and remain in his love.

"I have told you this so that my joy might be in you
and your joy might be complete.
This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.
No one has greater love than this,
to lay down one's life for one's friends.
You are my friends if you do what I command you.
I no longer call you slaves,
because a slave does not know what his master is doing.
I have called you friends,
because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.
It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you
and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain,
so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.
This I command you: love one another."

We are called. I am called and you are called. We are all called by God to relationship and to duty, to love Him through serving our sisters and brothers. Jesus said the greatest commandment was to love your God and the second was to love your neighbor as yourself. Something so simple yet so profound. God is calling us each and every single day in all of life's moments and decisions. Are we listening? Am I listening? The world today needs us as it has always needed people of Faith. We are the fighters and the lovers. We are the ones who fight for the good of all and we are the ones who love the way Jesus would have us love. That's what we are called to do. To love and to serve. Each of us is called in our own unique way for our own unique mission because each and every one of us has been created by our Loving and Adoring Father. 

It has been my greatest desire in life to answer this call to love and to serve in my own unique way. We all have purpose in this. Life's greatest purpose is revealed when we actively listen for God's call and our greatest adventure begins when we choose to answer that call and go where the Lord is leading us. It may not be where we expected, but it will always be an amazing journey.

Part 1: A Look Back

I felt a call from God when I was very young. My parents were pursuing a new Elementary School for me to attend because I wasn't having a good experience at my present one. All I can recall now is that my parents found St. Paul's and that was when I began attending both the Church and School. I learned later that I informed my parents about the school saying that it was a commercial I had seen on television that led me to want to go there, but there was no commercial around at that time that I would have seen. God had led me there. 

I began to fall in love with what I had witnessed. I saw the other students hands folded and praying all together thanking God for the coming day or asking for blessing over food. What captivated me most, however, was when I began to learn more and more about this Jesus, who He was and is and who He desires us to be. Christ commanded that we not only call His name but follow Him and do as He commanded us to do. Something in me always desired righteousness, to follow rules and I had come upon the source of all righteousness and goodness, Jesus. 

I think for me the hardest part was always in two parts. The first: Following Christ, and the second: Knowing what Christ needs specifically from me. 

As a child following Christ was easier. There was less responsibility and less difficult decisions that had to be made on a daily basis. As I grew older, the decisions that had to be made were more frequent and more complex. Jesus tells us to follow Him wherever He leads and sometimes that means passing through suffering and rejection and even giving up what we want.

I had always had a difficult time figuring out where God was leading me and as many know, still today there are parts of my life that feel clouded in uncertainty, but that's OK. I'd rather be led by Christ on the righteous path through the fog than to take my own path through the clearing to find myself more lost than ever. Remember this most importantly, Christ has a plan for each and every one of us, a plan for you and for me. 

I had for a long time deeply considered priesthood. It started at about the age of 16. I fell madly in love with Jesus and His Church and had this deep desire to serve. I got to know many amazing people as I discerned my calling whether it be the calling of a priest or husband and father. Each step of the way I learned more about myself and I learned so much about the amazing journey to becoming a priest. There have been so many priests that have had amazing impacts on my life. Some have passed on and others have moved on to other parishes but each of them have helped me in developing my relationship with Jesus. They have also helped me in many ways personally teaching me what it means to love as Jesus has loved us, without counting the cost. I invite everyone to pray for vocations to the priesthood and religious life because they are so clearly needed. Priests and religious will always be the leaders and guides of his Earthly Ministry, the Church.

As I discerned priesthood, I began to have deep feelings that God was calling me to have a family of my own. I remember during a Knight's of Columbus meeting I had this very deep feeling as I was gazing upon the cross that there was someone I was about to meet who would impact and change my life tremendously. That person was my wife Brandy, and it is definitely true that my life has certainly changed and that God has touched me in so many beautiful ways as a Father and Husband. This is my calling, my vocation as a layperson with a beautiful family. Within that calling lies a great deal of responsibility which is what this post is truly about. It is often a misconception that priests are the only ones called to be saints and to lead souls to Heaven, but all of us are called to be saints of God and bring disciples to Christ.

Part 2: A Leap Forward/The Call of the Laity

Pope Francis has called the Catholic Church a field hospital for the wounded, the weak, and the broken of the world. He calls the Church into action to not stand back hidden behind walls but out into the world to bring Christ's love and healing to all who need it. This is where I believe the laity play a key role and I have seen it myself many times.

We need to show that we are followers of Christ. As stated in scripture: "A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so also you must love one another. By this all men know that you are My disciples." John 13-34-35. We are often the soldiers on the front lines, fighting the battles day to day. We see all different kinds of people in all different situations at work, at school, or in our own neighborhoods. They each have their own struggles in their daily lives and all of them like each of us are looking for answers and ways to get through it all. They are also watching us intently. 

When I worked for MARC, I would pray each day in my car before going inside. I would make the sign of the cross say a brief morning offering to our Lord, and again cross myself. One day as I was leaving my vehicle, I was approached by another staff member who mentioned the fact that I pray every morning. I responded that I didn't realize that anyone had noticed me. She said, "Trust me, we notice." I'm always amazed that people know that I am a man of Faith because I am also a man of few words, but again they notice. 

When Brandy and I would go to New York for Catholic Underground, I would feel God telling me to bring bags filled with food and drink and daily items for those in need. Inevitably in New York City, people will come up to you asking for assistance. Giving them food, I feel is often the best way to help followed by a God bless you and a short prayer. The idea has again occurred to me with one small addition. When driving around Connecticut, we see people asking for help. A bag filled with some kind of food and drink and a Bible can be the best way to help them, I believe. We all need help at some point in our lives and there is no greater way to help than to show others the love of Christ.

When I was younger, I was so afraid to share my Faith with others for fear of how they would respond. I choose now not to be afraid. As freely as I talk about Brandy and Daniel whom I love, I should feel just as free to talk about the God whom I love and whom loves me. Jesus is the greatest gift bestowed on the world. I feel so deeply in my heart that I want the whole world to share in the glory of this great gift, and that includes my beautiful family. As we grow stronger as a family, we become a more shining example of Faith. Daniel himself will be that great example someday as he shares how an army of believers prayed for him and got both he and us through his surgery, his time spent in the hospital, and the challenges that followed. I want the world to know that we couldn't have done it without our Lord. When I am weak, He makes me strong.

Christ strengthens me to love and to be the best version of myself. I am far from perfect and I am now in a better place to admit that this is ok. Without God, I would fall into sin more often and wouldn't realize the affect that it has on those arounds me. I want to do better for them and for my God. Anytime I resist temptation as a child of God, it is a victory for Heaven. I have the temptation to not give my all on a daily basis, to be lazy in many things, but I cant do that as a disciple of Jesus. Jesus calls us to give everything for everyone as He did when He died on the cross. We need to show the world that to truly be yourself, you need to follow Him and allow him to transform you every day. This is the only way to love others with the sacrificial love of Jesus. 

As laity we are called to bring Christ to the entire world which is itself a lifelong mission. May we never forgot that each of us is called by Christ to do something that only we can do because we are all special in the eyes of the Lord. Thank you Jesus for taking us on an amazing journey! Amen

My Father's Will: The Source of Freedom and Peace

My Father's Will

The Source of Freedom and Peace

Written by: Michael Pavano

God made known to me, what true love consists in and gave light to me about how, in practice, to give proof of it to Him. True love of God consists in carrying out God's will. To show God our love in what we do, all our actions, even the least, must spring from our love of God. (279) - Diary of Saint Faustina

Hillary Scott & The Scott Family - Thy Will

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dp4WC_YZAuw

One passage from the Gospels that I find most shows Christ's humanity comes from His time spent praying in the Garden before He was to be sentenced to death on a cross. This was truly the moment of calm before the storm from a storytelling perspective, but for Jesus, this was a horrifying moment that was anything but calm. He was in agony thinking of His torture to come. In prayer, He begged the Father to take this pain, take this responsibility from Him... But only by His Father's Will. Jesus being human of course did not want to experience pain and death, but He refused to put Himself before His Father and before us. He died for us because it was the Will of the Father. Truly amazing, that in that moment of agony, Jesus prayed that His Father's Will be done before all else. There is so much for us to take away from this, but I want to focus today on how following God and His Holy Will can allow us to experience true freedom and true peace even in the midst of the most difficult moments.

I had a conversation with a co-worker a few days ago about God. He believed that God exists but had some challenges committing Himself to this God. His major complaint which I have heard many times before is that if God is personal, if God is a loving God, then why does He allow bad things to happen to good people. How is that a God he can follow? It's a valid point especially with all the horrendous things that have happened throughout history even in recent history. I had another family member that after the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary said that God cannot be real because otherwise this would not have happened. How do you respond? What are your thoughts on all of this? I don't pretend to have an answer to this question. Sometimes we must learn to live with the mysteries of God. What's most important for us to remember is that God loves us and that He has a special place planned for those who believe in and follow Him. But it's also important to remember that this is a broken world. 

My co-worker believed he had an answer. We have free will to do whatever we desire, so if we choose to do bad things, God will punish us, but if we choose to do good things, God will reward us. I disagree but there is one valid truth in this. We do have free will and from free will comes natural consequences. If someone decides to take the life of another, do you believe this was God's Will? Did God pull the trigger? The answer is no. I also don't believe that God will punish us here on Earth based on our choices. Whether we choose to follow God or not will have natural consequences on Earth and Divine consequences when we leave this Earth, whether we spend eternity with God or Eternity separated from God. The Bible teaches us that God Will's the good of the people, and I believe this with all my heart. We may suffer here which Jesus promised. Scripture says, "Then Jesus told His disciples, 'If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.…'" There will be suffering in this life, but God desires that He walk with us through the suffering. Knowing this is our greatest source of peace. 

Following the Will of the Father is also our greatest source of freedom. You hear a lot these days that freedom is merely doing what you want to do, but in the life of Faith, freedom frees you to be your true self and to align your Will with God's Will. In my life, there has been so much that I thought I couldn't live without, video games being one example. In reality, I must be OK with the idea of living without all worldly things because I am destined for the things of Heaven. I have often felt trapped into needing video games or needing to overeat or needing to engage in television or videos that only hurt me because I was stressed out or just feeling lost. But in reality, I have the freedom to choose God rather than these things. If I did only what I wanted, I would be at home playing video games or stuffing myself at an all you can drink milkshake buffet all day. That won't save me, that won't help me. Only God's Will can save me and lead me along righteous paths. 

People have often told me that following God will only lead you into this "safe zone," but the more I sought out the Will of God, the further I delved from my comfort zone. I went to college, got my first job, and had a family out of God's calling me forward. Following the Will of God will lead us only to good because that is all God desires for us. Happiness is fleeting and following after the righteous path may come with sorrow but in the end, it is for our greatest good. 

The final point I wish to make is that God gave us free will. He does not force us to love Him. He does not force us to follow Him, but it's through following Him that we can live our greatest life and become our greatest selves. I will forever choose to serve my loving God rather than be a slave to sin, hate, and the things of the world. There is no greater freedom than being able to be your true self and to love freely as God would have you love.