From Pretender to Surrender....

Today's Readings

The GregCast was out on the road March 4th in West Hartford, CT serving the Xaverian Brothers Sponsored School's XBSS Retreat!  This video, and blogpost was used for the presentation.  Things went well and we got some good video from the evening's presentation that I hope to share on an upcoming GregCast over on YouTube.  Pray for me, as I am praying for you!

Dave Grohl, former Nirvana drummer, and founder of the Foo Fighters, once wrote this lyric to a song called "The Pretender": "To keep you in the dark, you know they all pretend!"

This world of ours cares, but only to a point. They love, but only if things go their way. They give, but only what's been budgeted. They try, but only until it starts to hurt just a little. They allow their hearts to be moved, but then harden quickly in the face of challenges and change. In other words, this world of ours has gotten good at wanting to maintain control over their own image, and our life's actions and outcomes as well. The world would rather us stay in the dark as, Mr. Grohl put it, "just another soul for sale."

I would like to offer that God wants us to be free... Free to smile, free to choose, free scream, free to retire, and free to live! My friends, "what if I said, I'm not like the others? What if I said Im not just another one of your plays?" I am free to be determined! I am free to survive the struggle! I am free to never surrender to the darkness of sin and death! Like Mr. Grohl, "I'm finished making sense by pleading ignorance"... I'm echoing the voice inside your head that you refuse to hear! I'm the face that you have to face, mirroring yourself!

 Memo to the world: "You're the pretender... And what if I said, I will never surrender?"

The Cardinals of the Church will gather this week, and they are called to open their hearts to the will of the Holy Spirit, and the purpose of God's mission, to allow for His Church to continue to grow as evangelizer of the Good News, empowering us all to become the disciples that they we were born to be!

It's time to consider that being in the light of Christ is a better place to be. It's time to come out from under that bushel basket that wants to hide you. It's time to respond to God's love, and fall in love with His service. And even though it sounds like a contradiction, its time to promise that you'll never surrender to sin and death, so that you can truly live and surrender yourself to God's will.

Reflect...

• Who are you, and who do you follow?
• What are the hopes and dreams that will help you truly live?
• Will you trust the Spirit, and waters of your creation to make yourself a vulnerable witness?
• Will you cross the boundaries and allow for faith and forgiveness?
• Can you commit to sharing God with everyone you meet?
• Can you handle following The Way, The Truth, and the Light?

When you fall...

• Will you allow our Lord to catch you? 
• Will you get back up? 
• Will you?