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Love Hurts

LifeTeen.com

True Love is the Answer

“I was there when they crucified my Lord
I held the scabbard when the soldier drew his sword
I threw the dice when they pierced his side
But I’ve seen love conquer the great divide”
- “When Love Comes to Town”, U2 and B.B. King

Have you ever seen the crucifixion of your Savior? Not in a movie, but in your own heart, in prayer? Have you ever truly pictured Golgotha, where Christ was executed for you?

Try to picture it now. When the earthquake subsided and the darkness lifted that Friday afternoon, it must have resembled something like a crime scene. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide your mind and heart now as you discern the site.

Survey the rocky ground. Feel the stones crushing one another and moving beneath your feet. Hear the eerie wind whistle through the valley below muffling the sobbing of your Mother. See the blood stained rocks and cloths that surround the site. Notice the indifference of the guards on duty. Hear the mockery and gossip of the remaining onlookers. Ask yourself why anyone would perform such an unspeakable act upon another human being, much less allow such an act when he had the power to stop it instantly.

Now, look forward to where the wood enters the stony ground. Let your eyes slowly track up the blood-stained wood. See the spike driven through the feet. Witness the flesh hanging from the bones like ribbons. Look at the nails in His hands, the hands that washed feet and broke the bread. Look upon your Savior, again, for the first time.

On Good Friday, love conquered the great divide between God and man and between God’s children.

Man relates to others, to one another, in the same way in which God relates to man…through love. Mankind comes together in times of suffering but, ultimately, what brings people together, even more than mutual suffering, is sacrificial love. Love conquers the greatest divides of hatred, racism, greed, lust, sexism, etc., but it doesn’t stop there — love conquers sin and love destroys death. That is how Christ defeated Satan, not merely with the blood of sacrifice, but with the blood, sweat and tears of love.

How can such a gruesome sight simultaneously be so beautiful? The answer is this: love. It was because of the love involved.

Love Requires Bodily Sacrifice

Love is the answer. I don’t mean that figuratively, but literally. To almost every question asked, the answer will be “love” because, to Paul, love was the answer to every question (re-read 1 Corinthians 13).

When St. Paul envisioned the cross of Christ, he saw in Jesus what our Heavenly Father sees…perfect love. St. Paul must have had the crucifix engrained in his mind and emblazoned on his heart when he penned the following words to the Romans:

“I appeal to you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship (Romans 12:1).”

Offering our bodies as a sacrifice can be looked at in two ways. The first ay involves the “do not’s,” as in do not have premarital sex, do not look at pornography, do not use profanity, do not be lustful, do not abuse your bodies with drugs or alcohol. These are obvious sins and St. Paul definitely would have included all of them (and many more) in what we ought to sacrifice. True sacrifice like the kind mentioned in this verse, however, goes even deeper into the “do’s,” as well, as in what Christians should do with their bodies. We should pray, serve others, work for justice, remain pure, affirm others, live the virtues, etc. This verse is simultaneously telling us to “put to death” the deeds of the flesh (Romans 8:13) and to be righteous (Romans 6:13).

St. Paul is telling us to be countercultural. Most in the world put themselves first. He is calling us to change our attitudes and free our minds with the Gospel message, to reject worldliness and selfishness.

“Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:2).”

St. Paul warns us about people who twist the truth (Romans 1:18-32, 2 Timothy 4:1-6). Modern “wannabe” philosophers claim to have truth but offer little more than self. God’s will must guide us in all circumstances, otherwise it is “my will be done,” which was Adam’s sin. Living like Christ, the new Adam, means we seek God’s will and that is how we are transformed into God’s image (Romans 8:29, 2 Corinthians 3:28), how we become “good and acceptable and perfect.”

Christ’s identity and kingship were not made known by the sign above His head which proclaimed His “title.” Christ’s identity upon that wood was made known by the beautiful and mangled body that hung beneath the placard. Words didn’t proclaim the kingship of Jesus, the sacrifice of His body did. It’s not the sign on the parish you attend that makes you a Catholic. It’s not the words on a t-shirt, the message on the bumper sticker, the Rosary around the rearview or the title on the parochial uniform that makes you a Catholic.

It’s what you do with your body (and what you don’t do) that makes you a true Catholic, a true Christian. St. Paul understood this fact and lived it out with the core of his being. We can learn a lot from him.

That is what the body of Christ does…it dies, out of love, in order to rise and bring life. Why did Christ die? The answer is this: love.

Alert: Pro-Life Student Scholarships Deadline

This Monday, April 4, is the deadline to apply for the 2011-2012 “Generation Now” Pro-Life Leader Scholarship Program. Applications should be completed online: www.TexasRightToLife.com.

The “Generation Now” Scholarship Program seeks to take the message of Life to college campuses where “personal choice” is often viewed as more important than the “right to life.” Recipients of the scholarship program earn up to $8000 throughout their undergraduate collegiate studies by promoting a Culture of Life among their peers.

A complete list of requirements and an application may be downloaded at www.TexasRightToLife.com. If you have any questions, please contact Melissa Pici at 713-782-5433 or MPici@TexasRightToLife.com.

Graduate Scholarship Program – Earn $1000 Each Semester

Pro-Life values are often decried and challenged in nursing school, medical school, and law school. A support network fosters the maintenance of these strong convictions among graduate students. A limited number of scholarships are reserved for nursing, medical, and law students who are willing to establish a Pro-Life organization and host speakers and seminars at their in-state graduate school. Texas Right to Life will assist and mentor the students in these efforts.

Visit www.TexasRightToLife.com for a full list of requirements and to complete an application. The application deadline is Friday, April 29th.

High School Summer Camps

Pro-Lifers know how to rough it! Join us at REveAL, Texas Right to Life’s second annual summer camp for high school students, on July 23rd-July 26th at Messiah’s Ranch in Bryan, TX. Last year’s campers had so much fun that they demanded another camp to address more advanced topics!

Thus, REveAL2 will begin on the afternoon of July 26th and end on July 30th. We’ll dig deeper into stem cell research, euthanasia, and human cloning. Campers can expect to build long-lasting friendships with peers who share their values while playing games, exploring the outdoors, and learning the fundamentals of Pro-Life issues:

-- How was abortion legalized?
-- How do you respond to those who are pro-abortion?
-- What’s the difference between embryonic and adult stem cell research?
-- Why should you worry about euthanasia?

Visit www.TexasRightToLife.com/StudentCentral for more details, to view photos from last year, and to complete an application.

What Do You Believe? Video: The Apostles’ Creed

The Apostles' Creed [LifeTeen] from Life Teen on Vimeo.

“I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: Who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, is seated at the right hand of the Father; He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.”

Desert Dwellers: Finding Life in Lent

(LifeTeen.com)

Cool Breeze -or- Suffocating Heat

Rain -or- Drought

Rich color contrasts -or- Brown

Lady Bugs -or- Scorpions

Garden -or- Desert

Given the choice, which one would you choose?

I’ll go with the garden.

In Scripture, the imagery of gardens and deserts provides for us a vast contrast of settings, themes and spiritual undertones. Many great moments in Scripture happen in gardens: creation, the fall, Jesus’ agony and arrest and the Resurrection. There are also great moments that happened in deserts: the exodus and exile of Israel, the Ten Commandments, John the Baptists’ preaching of the coming Messiah and the temptation of Jesus. During the season of Lent, the Church in her infinite wisdom calls us out into the desert for a time to draw near to the Lord, but do we willingly go?

When I think of the desert a few things come to mind: hot, barren, desolate, miserable, extreme weather, drought, death…and camels. So why is any of this appealing? Why would I want to go to a place like that? For the same reason Jesus did and the same reason the Church calls us out during Lent: purification and preparation for the journey ahead. What I love about the beginning of Jesus’ formal ministry is that the first place He went after his Baptism was to the desert. He could have jumped right into the business of healing and miracles and raising people from the dead, but instead He was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil (Matthew 4:1).

Often we think that the desert is a fearful place. We’d much rather stay in the garden where we can bask in the cool breeze, stay comfortable in the shade and enjoy the beauty of the flowers and trees. But if we always remain in the wellspring and comfort of garden, how easily we forget that the desert is just as necessary for our spiritual journey.

The desert allows us to be stretched and tested in a unique way. It takes away all our distractions and leaves us vulnerable. We are left with our broken hearts and the choices we’ve made. No mountains to hide behind. It is just God and me. For many of us that is very uncomfortable and scary. We don’t want God that close. We’ve become experts at the “if I don’t think about, it is not a problem” mentality, and when the areas of our hearts and lives that need the Lord the most are exposed, we quickly try to cover them and run and hide from God.

During Lent this year when you find yourself in the desert, your first instinct, like mine, will most likely be to immediately find a way to get out of the harsh conditions and extreme temptations, but what if this year we let the Lord find us? What if we stopped doing things our way, we give up running from God, and let the Lord bring us out of the desert His way (Isaiah 55)?

Although the Spirit leads us into the desert, we have the promise that Jesus will not leave us there. We have the promise of the coolness of the garden. We have the Resurrection. We are a hopeful people, and our hope is the Good News that Jesus conquered the grave.

So my prayer for you this Lenten season is that you would let the Spirit lead you out to the desert, face those struggles and temptations with courage, purify your heart, repent of your sins, and let the God of unconditional love find you ready with a heart fully alive to celebrate the Risen Christ.

A Plan for Your Lent

(LifeTeen.com) Here we are, on Fat Tuesday – and if you’re like me, you’re scrambling to decide what exactly you’re giving up for the next 40 days. Will it be candy – no, procrastinating… or maybe you’ll finally tackle that missing prayer time. The possibilities seem infinite and overwhelming. Before you know it, there are going to be ashes on your forehead and all your Catholic friends will be asking, “So what did YOU give up this year?”

Don’t worry too much. I’ve been thinking about it, and I have some rock-solid advice on how to make this the most productive (and rewarding) Lent ever.

In Luke 10:27, Jesus is talking with a lawyer about what it takes to get eternal life. The lawyer says “You shall love the Lord you God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”

Jesus tells us that’s the right answer; “Do this, and you will live.” For me, this verse is the foundation of all my Lenten ideas and sacrifices. A lot of times, we try to do one HUGE sacrifice that seems like the most impressive thing we can think of… but the point isn’t how big our sacrifices are. Lent is about learning to love God better, and he gives us a few different areas to work on in the Gospels.

Heart, soul, strength, mind, neighbor; here are five different ways we can grow closer to Christ.

1. Heart: Where are you emotionally with God? With your parents? Are there grudges or unresolved problems in your relationships? Do you need to break free of an unhealthy infatuation with someone or something?
2. Soul: Be honest – how much prayer time are you getting daily? When was the last time you went to Confession or a daily Mass? Do you have a patron Saint or a particular part of Church history you want to know about?
3. Strength: Pope John Paul II always talked about how our bodies are linked into our spiritual lives, and it’s very true. Are you living an active life? Do you spend time with others? It’s amazing the freedom that comes from the small accomplishment of just getting off the couch and out the door for a game of pick-up basketball or a jog.
4. Mind: Where’s your willpower at? Can you resist that extra-large order of French fries – or the extra ten minutes you know you shouldn’t be online at night? Even in the smallest things, growing in willpower helps us resist temptations in all areas of life. Try sleeping without a pillow, getting up 10 minutes earlier, or remembering to brush your teeth (and floss) three times a day. Discipline is a great weapon against the occasions of sin.
5. Neighbor: How do you love those around you? Do you sacrifice for others? Do you listen when they need to talk? Something as simple as a word of affirmation or emptying a full dishwasher can serve as a huge statement of love for those around you.
   

At this point you might be thinking “Dang, that’s a lot of stuff to do! I can’t even handle ONE thing for Lent.” Worry not. Pick one area from those five, and then pick one small, attainable thing from that category. Maybe it’s getting up ten minutes earlier to pray, maybe it’s trying to stop calling your siblings names. It’s up to you. As Lent goes on, if you’re doing well, you can add in something from another category too. Just remember to keep focused on why you’re doing this – to love Jesus better. Walk the road these 40 days and you’ll be that much more united with Him when he walks the road to Calvary this Triduum.

Have a powerful Lent.

Counterfeits of Love (and why people accept them): Abuse and Manipulation

Eminem and Rihanna's song "Love the Way You Lie" glorifies an abusive relationship.

(LifeTeen.com)

What it is. Someone can be abusive with words (insulting you), actions (hitting you), or with emotions (manipulation).

Where you see it. Most abusive behavior in a teen relationship is learned at home. A teenage boy who sees his father hit his mother is more likely to hit his own girlfriend. A teen girl who is emotionally manipulated at home is more likely to accept that behavior in a boyfriend.

Why people accept manipulation and abuse. An abusive relationship is very dramatic, and for some young people, they like the excitement and the attention they get because they’re relationship is always center-stage. An abusive relationship is an emotional roller coaster: you will have very low lows, but the next day you can try to make up and you share a very high high. That emotional adventure can be addictive.

Each of these components are tucked into Eminem and Rihanna’s song disturbing song “Love the Way You Lie.”

The emotional adventure:

Here we go again. It’s so insane. Cause when it’s going good. It’s going great… …But when it’s bad. It’s awful. I feel so ashamed. I snap.

Verbal and physical abuse:

Now you’re in each other’s face. Spewing venom and these words when you spit ‘em. You push. Pull each other’s hair. Scratch, claw, bit ‘em. Throw ‘em down.

About being emotionally abused:

Just gonna stand there and watch me burn. But that’s alright because I like the way it hurts. Just gonna stand there and hear me cry. But that’s alright Because I love the way you lie.

Why manipulation and abuse is the counterfeit of love.

What is love? There are many ways that the Bible talks about love, but this one is pretty clear from John 15:13:

“No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

And that’s exactly what Jesus did for us. For me. For you. So why would you be in a relationship with someone that wouldn’t die for you? You deserve to be with someone whose top priorities are to cherish your dignity and get you to heaven. You deserve someone who cares for soul.

Let me finish with a line from the song called “Sigh No More” by the band Mumford and Sons:

“Love that will not betray you, dismay or enslave you, it will set you free.”

Editor’s note: If you or someone you know is in an abusive relationship, get help. Talk to a school councilor, teacher, parent, or your parish priest. You were never meant to make it on your own.