November 29

by David Lins  |  11/29/2020  |  (Being) Catholic Matters

Well. We made it. Thanksgiving has come and gone. This long year of 2020 has been quite the experience, hasn’t it?

But I keep hearing people saying, “2021 can’t come soon enough!” Be careful what you wish for. There is no guarantee 2021 won’t bring even greater challenges.

This counsel can sound pessimistic. It isn’t my intention. Allow me to back up a moment...

A great formula for prayer is ACTS. Adoration (Telling God how truly great He is). Contrition (Repenting for all the ways you’ve fallen short of God’s perfect will for your life). Thanksgiving (Gratitude for all God has given us). Supplication (Petitions for ourselves and Intercession for others).

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November 22

by David Lins  |  11/22/2020  |  (Being) Catholic Matters

It’s that time of year again. Many of us are beginning to rack our brains in an effort to come up with good gift ideas for our loved ones. We hope the gifts effectively communicate our love. We hope that the gifts are instantly cherished. We hope they are put to use.

As the father of a little toddler, I can tell when she loves a gift because she immediately starts using it—be it playing with a toy, coloring in a book, or putting on a dress. And when it is put to use, it honors me, the giver of the gift.

Many of us have been richly blessed with many gifts. And I used this analogy years ago, but it is worth repeating now that I have a three year old…

When Georgiana is playing with a friend, I’ve noticed her obvious joy when she is sharing her toys freely. There are giggles and smiles all over the place. But when she is in rough patch (usually due to exhaustion or hunger) and she is trying to hoard everything, her beautiful disposition is masked under a scowl.

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November 15

by David Lins  |  11/15/2020  |  (Being) Catholic Matters

It was election day and I was driving home. Like a moth to a flame, I was listening to talk radio. Then, the local traffic guy came on and said there was a freeway closure because of a fatal accident.

These happen more often than non-commuters realize, but this one stuck with me.

I immediately reflected upon all the burdens the deceased was probably carrying that day. Is my candidate going to win the election? How long is Covid - and our reaction to it - going to dominate our nation? Is my job as secure as I hope it is? Not to mention all the concerns and worries a typical human carries without these added pressures.

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November 8

by David Lins  |  11/08/2020  |  (Being) Catholic Matters

I’m writing this on the eve of the election and there are people all over the radio, the internet, and television working feverishly to get as many clicks or views as possible. And as always, the number one motivator is fear. (They don’t change what works.)

Let’s be clear: most of these people don’t care who you voted for. In fact, many people in the industry get BETTER ratings when their “opposition” is in power. Why? It goes back to fear. You can’t scare someone who is in power, except every four years when they might lose it again. My point is, as people in the industry know, ratings improve when you have four straight years of fear instead of just one or two.

These talking heads just want to keep you frightened. They do not care about you. They just want you to keep tuning in.

Listen, I hope you made an informed vote. But now, I hope you remember the words repeated often in Scripture: DO NOT FEAR.

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November 1

by David Lins  |  11/01/2020  |  (Being) Catholic Matters

If the first ten months of this year has reminded us of anything, it is that a familiar tomorrow is never promised.

God has tried to teach me that lesson several times and in societal and individual ways. The day the Challenger exploded. The day my parents moved our family from Wisconsin to Arizona when I was 15. The day my first engagement came crashing down. The day terrorists made four airplanes fall out of the sky. The day I accompanied my dad to his doctor’s appointment and he was notified he had less than a year.

And yet, this year, every month seems to carry with it—and excuse the description a friend recently used— a new fresh hell. Anxiety over some distant virus. Worries over a potentially Biblical plague. The sudden arrival of Covid. Runs on grocery stores. Church shutdowns. Anger and angst over what could and should be done. Discord even within households over the proper level of precaution. Questions over what sources to trust. Masks becoming a visible sign of who each individual actually trusts. Political division. Televised tragedies. Arguments over race relations and law enforcement. Protests and riots. Political tensions somehow rising even higher.

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