First Reading: Isaiah 52:13—53:12

13 Behold, my servant shall prosper, he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high.
14 As many were astonished at him — his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the sons of men –
15 so shall he startle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which has not been told them they shall see, and that which they have not heard they shall understand.
1 Who has believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or comeliness that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people?
9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it was the will of the LORD to bruise him; he has put him to grief; when he makes himself an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand;
11 he shall see the fruit of the travail of his soul and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous; and he shall bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he poured out his soul to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Matt Maher - Rise Up (Official Music Video) from providentlabelgroup on GodTube.

Be grateful each and every day as if it were the first day of your life.

Virtual Stations of the Cross – Busted Halo

You Are The Light

Catholic singer-songwriter Josh Blakesley released his newest album, You Are The Light, to a warm reception on both the Christian Radio Weekly Adds Chart and the iTunes Gospel/Christian charts early last week. This comes as no surprise to this writer who has followed Josh Blakesley’s rise as a leader in Catholic music ministry and a songwriter and recording artist for the past several years.

You Are The Light is an album deeply rooted in an understanding of God’s redeeming love and the beauty of communion with God in daily life. Joined, in songwriting, by other well-known Christian artists and composers (Sarah Hart, Audrey Assad, Ed Cash, and Marc Byrd), Blakesley delivers a seven-track album that blends pop and rock into a beautiful mosaic that is both praise album and prayer.

Light of the world in the cover of the night;
glorious star, in the shadows you are shining.
Hope for the lost, salvation for the sinner,
you conquered the cross, oh, with the brightness of your rising!

(Bridge) Tear the veil and rend the heavens;
let the darkness burn away!
Tear the veil and rend the heavens;
let the darkness burn away!

The song is both a song of praise for the wonders of God’s revealing power, but it is also a prayer (as noted in the bridge’s allusion to Isaiah 64:1) for God to continue to come through the darkness with His power in order to destroy it, so that only the light may prevail. The song is a beautiful expression of a knowing faith that God is present here and now and continues to shine the light and truth of his resurrection upon His people.

The album kicks off with “Restored”, a song co-written by Grammy-nominated artist Sarah Hart and the very talented Marc Byrd. Listening to this song I am reminded of the gift of redemption that is continually offered at the Eucharistic table—the gift of being transformed by God’s saving grace. The beautifully worded lyrics only enhance this image of surrendering ourselves to the gift of redemption—to being changed, transformed:

Here is the altar of your mercy;
I bring the offering:
ashes of Eden laid before you,
all of the worst in me.

Seeing the things I lay before you,
beautiful in your hands;
turning the ashes into beauty,
turning my heart again
to you, to you!

This song makes me think of each time we walk to the altar during communion. We are truly united with each other, but also united with Christ in his life, death, and resurrection. More importantly, we come to the altar with all that we are and all that we can give—all of ourselves with our imperfections, joys, suffering, sorrows, and pain. We approach the altar with the trust that God’s love does restore us and fills us in the broken places. The images of Eden, ashes, and laying down ourselves as an offering all make this a deeply poetic song and a great way to begin this album.

Building off of the first song, comes the second track, “I Will Give Thanks.” Co-written by Audrey Assad the song is a song of gratitude and thanksgiving for God’s love and faithfulness. But, it is also a song of trust—the trust that God knows us and that, in His care, we will always have what we truly need: “Grateful for your enduring love,/ when I call your name you answer faithfully./True, Lord, to all your promises;/so I’m trusting in the plans you have for me.”

“We Are Yours” is the next track in the album. Co-written by the fantastic Sarah Hart, “We Are Yours” is that loud “YES!” that we should be singing from our hearts at His call to serve:

We are workers in your vineyard,
we will labor for your kingdom,
we will follow where you send us, God!

(Refrain) We are yours, we are yours,
for your glory, we are yours!
We are yours, we are yours,
for your glory, we are yours!

I could easily see this song being sung at a retreat for youth, as a closing song, or as part of a prayer service before or after a service activity. I am particularly taken aback by the way these songs are positioned on the album. If “Restored” is about accepting the gift of redemption and “I Will Give Thanks” is about gratitude and thanksgiving for God’s infinite goodness, then “We Are Yours” is clearly the response and the living out of gift wrought on the cross and offered anew at the Eucharist. I couldn’t help but think of how true the song is to what Blakesley and other Catholic musicians do for God’s Church and its people; they are among the workers in the vineyard bringing the good news to where it is needed. What a great song whose message Blakesley (and Hart) fulfills in the very singing of the words. Beautiful.

I strongly believe, as many other Catholics do, that we cannot separate the resurrection of Christ from the His life, His passion, and His death. We proclaim the mystery of faith at the Eucharistic table and it is there where the living God becomes present as the risen Christ, but also as the Christ who suffered, died, and lived for us. “That We Might Live” (penned by Blakesley, Hart, and Byrd) is a lovely communion song that recalls the events of the Last Supper, the Passion and death, and the Resurrection of Christ as we take in the presence of God in bread and wine—simple gifts with a profoundly transformative truth for us and for the world: “You are the bread broken for the world,/broken for us all that we might live./You are the cup emptied for our sins,/filling us again that we might live.” This deep reflection continues in the Blakesley and Hart-penned “At The Name,” which rejoices in the triumph of the cross and resurrection, reminds us of His sacrifice, and reminds us of the beauty and power of His name.

Perhaps my favorite song on this album is the deeply moving “All of Me.” I’ll admit that I teared the first time I heard this song and have stopped myself from doing the same every time since. This song is a prayer in every sense of the word and it is a prayer that, I venture to guess, many of us have uttered before. I certainly have. It is a prayer of full surrender. The beauty of this song is in the music, in the lyrics, but most importantly it is in the heart and faith of Blakesley as he infuses this song with pure emotion. It is a prayer of surrender, of letting go when one realizes that God is one’s strength and is willing to bear one’s burdens and mend the brokenness:

Take all of me. Take all of me.
I’ve been holding on to brokenness
and empty promises.
Take all of me. Take all of me.
Take the love that I don’t have the strength to give,
all of me.

Simply put: in the brokenness God is there. Not only is the song beautiful in a number of ways, but Blakesley certainly showcases the clarity of his voice and his natural ability to move between musical styles.

You Are the Light is a beautiful work by a rising Catholic artist. Blakesley is a fan favorite at Catholic retreats, Steubenville conferences, and youth days around the country (and even the world!). This album leaves no doubt as to why this Louisiana-native is inspiring the hearts and minds of people, with the Gospel message, wherever he goes.

I highly recommend you pick up a copy of You Are the Light, available now on iTunes and available in CD-format in early summer. It is a blessing to the church, indeed.

Where There Is Love, There Is God

Mother Teresa was one of those rare people that seemed to exude holiness with each step she took. I’ve long admired her for her simple way of life, her extraordinary management skills, her love of God, her compassion for others, and her deep humility. She was the living saint with a public face—the small feisty nun who was coach, mentor, and mother to the Missionaries of Charity and a strong leader and advocate for the poor. To those of us who didn’t meet her, but remain touched by all she accomplished, it is a treasure to read her words and be touched and inspired.

Where There Is Love, There Is God is a compilation of Mother Teresa’s words as gathered from mostly private lessons to her sisters. In these words, she teaches them about the importance of humility, service, love, forgiveness, and building a relationship with Jesus. The lessons are inspiring and provide a window into the everyday lessons Mother Teresa passed on to her listeners.

I was impressed by the wide range of wisdom found in this book and how it covers both the spiritual and the practical. I read this book through once, but have also found myself flipping through it a few times looking for inspiration as I continue my new career as a teacher and continue to walk the journey of faith. Recently, I was struck again by Mother Teresa’s lessons on our interactions others. The lessons read:

Each time anyone comes in contact with us, they must become different and better people because of having met us. We must radiate God’s love. (192)

Have deep respect for each other; that respect will leave to love, love to service. (192)

Love is not talking, love is living. I can talk about love the whole day and love not once—looking everywhere, except looking down when there is a man dying on the street. (209)

Though words spoken to her sisters, these words resonate deeply with readers like me today. Mother Teresa was and continues to be a model of faith and spirituality. In dark times and in good times, she lived her life with her eyes and heart in the direction of heaven. This book gives us the words borne out of that relationship in an accessible and well-formatted volume.

Disclaimer: Image Books provided me with a free copy of Where There Is Love, There Is God upon its release in exchange for a completely honest review of the book. This is my honest review.

Rediscover Lent

Lent is one of my favorite times of the year. It is a time when we recollect and reflect on our spiritual lives and our relationships with God, self, and others. I admit that, lately, it has been difficult to find the time I need to really sit down and be “in the moment” this Lenten season. As a writer and educator, my time is spend planning, planning, and more planning and somewhere along the way I end up forgetting to plan the few minutes that matter most—time with God, quiet time.

I read Matthew Kelly’s book, in its entirety, a few days before Lent started. I didn’t read it as I should have then—taking it day by day and letting it sink in. Instead, I read it much like a novel…cover to cover. Kelly’s book is not meant to be read; it is meant to be prayed. And, so in these past few weeks I have been doing exactly that. In the day to day craziness, it is quite difficult for me to find the few minutes that I need in my day to regroup and re-energize my spirit. These past six months, in particular, have been some of the most hectic and jam-packed months I’ve had in a long time. I’ve had school, more school, teaching, writing, more school, and side projects from ear to ear.

Kelly’s book has been a wonderful reminder to stop and pray, if only for a matter of minutes. Rediscover Lent is a handy little book that is organized according to the Lenten calendar. Each day’s entry includes a verse from scripture, a meditation, a reflection, and a prayer that helps to remove the reader from the outside world and to reflect on the day and the joy and beauty of the Lenten season. This little book has been a blessing as it has kept me conscious of the need to stop and take some time out for myself in order to reconnect with what is most important. Not only is the book easy to read and pray, but it is also full of great meditations that pose thought-provoking questions that leave one reflecting long after reading the day’s selections. I found Kelly’s book to be inspiring, encouraging, and a fantastic companion to one’s Lenten prayer practice. An added benefit: the size makes it easy to carry around in a bag, purse, or even in a laptop case!

This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Rediscover Lent.