How Does One Help A Non Believer?

I was recently confronted with a situation where the person was looking to "feel better". For years, and I mean several years, this person, who is close to me, has been harboring a resentment, an anger, almost an obsessive hatred. Let me say she is not a Christian of any sort. In fact, she is Jewish.

Generally, in my own life, when I have a situation that tries my patience, I attempt (sometimes successfully, sometimes not. May I add the issue is with me, not with the Lord in resolving these incidents) to offer this angst up to the Lord to use as He sees fit. Within my faith, this can be used a couple of ways:

~ self servingly, if you will: Lord, please take this burden from me because I can't take any more

~ unselfishly: Lord, I am offering up this angst in order to sanctify the soul of another (St. Paul said our suffering can be used in this manner)

~ devotedly: Lord, if I can share your cross, if even for a second, allow me to.

These are just a couple of examples. (and I just discovered my answer, as I write this and will go into it later).

Within the Jewish faith, there is no mechanism to "offer up" that I know of. There is one day of atonement, Yom Kippur, centered around prayer and fasting. One day is not quite enough for me to atone. I am not saying I sin to such a large degree that I could occupy a confessional for a week. Did I turn my back on someone in need? Instead of praying, was I thinking about something else? Was I irritated with someone, as opposed to reflecting Christ? We all do this all the time, don't we? If I had only one day per year, the list of even minor transgressions would occupy too much time. I also understand that the spiritual side of the atonement in important; more so than the "list" itself. Sin, major and minor, is inevitable and requires awareness. Otherwise we lose humility.

So, this person is suffering (getting headaches, stomach pain, interfering with her life in general). I am desperate to help. So, first I tried the thoughts listed above without mentioning Christ. Receptive, yes, but something was missing i.e the Covenant of Christ to start with. I wasn't happy with this approach, because I couldn't adequately finish the argument. Now what?

I said forgive the person, offer up the anguish to God and if it takes a year to forgive this person, then it takes a year. Pray on it and you will be answered in God's time. Forgiveness is liberating.

Good enough? Sort of.

I didn't feel right. I wasn't making the point I wanted to make: accept Christ now because He is the only way. How many times does He have to prove it, to anyone with any sense??

And now it dawns on me: I have to pray that God works His plan. In this case, I can't do much except pray that the illumination comes in whatever manner it does. I am just a mere mortal. Why didn't I think just to pray for enlightenment for this person that I love? So, I am doing it now.

There was this famous person, who became a saint. I don't recall who it was exactly (it may have been one of the disciples). I do know, the story goes, that he was in a bath house in Rome. There was an infamous heretic there also. When the future saint's acolytes came to him, they told him the heretic was there and being very loud and, well, heretical.

Now being a future saint, I would have expected him to take on the heretic and try to straighten him out. Seems natural. Instead he said:

"Let's get out of here, before the roof caves in !!!!!"

In other words, in some cases, let God do His work. He is so much better at than we are. We just need to know when to ask for His help and when to take on the project ourselves, in His name.

God bless you.

KJ Price

Yes, He is here, too

I have visited places in my life, in some cases, ones of great carnage. Let's say Gettysburg, Pearl Harbor, Dachau, etc. How about Ground Zero? (somewhere I still can not bring myself to go to. This happened in my lifetime; the others are history. The wounds are too fresh for me still).

I know God is in these places, even while the "battle" rages. Where do we find Him there?

Well, to start, no one goes to their deaths alone. Life is the only game -- the only one -- were we are guaranteed a positive outcome. If one is a betting person, do we know any other "game" where the outcome is 100% assured? Heaven is assured, promised by Christ. He tells the truth only. Guaranteed. One can't say this about anything else.

Suffering and death bring us closer to Him. Our strength within this experience glorifies Him. Through suffering comes sanctification. If we can take one billionth of His torment (His Passion, Death and Resurrection), it brings us closer to Him. I believe this should be something we all try to do, if only metaphorically.

Recently, I experienced, vicariously, if you will, a business decision that affected the lives and livelihoods of some folks who are very close to me. Financially, their lives could be potentially turned upside down. I can't really explain how my love for them caused me such anguish to see them going thru this. The angst was unbelievable. I hurt for them in magnitude I simply can't adequately describe. I still do.

Not to equate the two, but allow me a use of symbolism. I never the saw the movie "The Passion of Christ". I know that Jesus's Passion, Death and Resurrection were given for me; its purpose divinely planned. But I can't stand the thought of the torture they put my Blessed Lord thru. I wish it was me instead.

When my associates were "crushed", so to speak, it tore my heart out. I was powerless to do anything about it. Here's the thing: people I love, including the Lord, were being punished. They were victims of greater forces (in the Lords' case, allow me the allegory; there is no greater force).

Now here is how I know God is at the sides of my friends. One of them called me and told me my Faith inspired him. You could have knocked me over with a feather. Emotionally, I was St. Peter taking two steps into the water, walking on it, doubting, then sinking. How on earth could I inspire anyone? I couldn't sit back and say everything will turn out OK. I thought this very thing, but inside, I was being torn apart. Now, I know these people and they are people of great Faith. I was told by them as much. To be put into this situation and believing clearly that God will take care of them is an inspiration to me. I am the one clearly benefiting; the blessing is to me.

When St. Peter walked on the water, then started to sink, what happened next? The Lord asked him why his faith wavered? And then the Lord reached down and brought St. Peter back to the surface.

He reached down, with his gentle hand, and gave St. Peter back his life.

That hand is always there. I just need to keep my focus on it, and look at what a blessing the simplicity of Faith is, this Luminous Mystery, as shown to me by these people I love, including our Blessed Lord.

God Bless You.

KJ Price

Trying To Live Up To My Faith (daily)

I think we go through this, every day. What do I mean, and what is its value to others?

I go to Church, pray diligently (and try to do so meaningfully on a daily basis), think I have a pretty good grip on the Lord's expectations of me, believe I am reflecting Christ on earth ... and realizing I have so far to go....

Don't we all think this way, if even fleetingly? If we do, I think this is a good thing. Humility, at the foot of the Cross, brings us closer. Our desire to reflect Christ pleases Him. Even if we don't, our efforts to please Him are very important (Thomas Merton said this, so I can't take credit. But I was deeply moved by the words, paraphrasing, mind you, that the "efforts to please Him do, in fact, please Him").

I need to keep this in mind daily. I am a writer, but I'll get into that another time as the blog develops. The most important thing, to me, is to get others to talk with me about similar experiences and to share wisdom about increasing our Faith.

Here's an example in my own life: my latest book is doing OK (still in its infancy), my regular vocation is hanging by a thread (I am not a famous writer, so my royalty checks can't quite pay the rent). My beautiful wife has taken the religious education of our kids under her wings (which are broad and infinite) for 15 years.

Now it is my turn to treat them like adults, talk to them about Faith like adults, and they are fighting me. Indifferent, actually, like teens can be. Nothing makes teens look at a dad as a religious fanatic like demanding (which I do) that they make Jesus the center and pinnacle of their existences. Pray daily, say the Rosary, go to Church. You get the idea (PS even if you are not Catholic, the Rosary contains prayers all directly from Scripture and how can that hurt anyone? The effort to pray can count as prayer too). I have extended family that can cause me inner anguish. So what's my point?

I am not a happy person. However, I have prayed hard on all these issues. Not for material success, but for spiritual enhancement, for me and mine. I prayed for my Faith to be stronger. Because if one's Faith is strong, that all things can be given to God to allow His child to flourish in trying times, then we are fulfilling, partially, our obligations to Him. The other is not just to give Him one's issues, but to love Him above all else. Frankly, I have a tendency not to want to bother Him because I love Him. I am getting past this, thankfully.

This spiritual exercise of prayer (this virtue of religion, which we perform for Him) has slowly helped me. I mean I prayed hard, friends. I did ask that He take care of others, before taking care of me (like He couldn't do both at once or times 10 million...). I had a chance to reflect Christ or be an angry person recently. He came to me, I reflected Him (this, that I prayed hard about) and it changed my circumstance, in this case, as if it never happened. How is that for the power of Christ? I was wavering, asking for help, and it came like a tidal wave. It lightened my heart considerably.

But I wavered, first, emotionally. Even, perhaps, psychologically, at this part really bothered me. I should have known He would take care of me, as He chooses and when He chooses. I needed to be patient ... and Faithful.

This is the gift I want to give Him: my unwavering Faith in His love, for this tiny creature. And to reflect Him, an irascible guy like I am. This is the daily thought. I think we all struggle with it. Don't we?

I have lots more to say, as I explore my Faith. I hope you take the time to read my blog and give me your thoughts and testimony. God bless you.

KJ Price