Writing this blog on a weekly basis is not something that comes easily for me. I suppose, in all fairness, when I started out ten years ago, I had a whole plethora of topics before me – in a certain way, the world was my oyster. 2019 would mark the tenth year since I started this blog ago and have since managed to, with the grace of God, to be able to come up with something each week to help my readers’ faith to grow and mature, albeit slowly. To date, I have archived 466 essays in this blog. There have been hits and misses, and some topics that I reflect on seemed to garner much greater interest and readership than others, and strangely, some of these were things that I thought wouldn’t interest many people. I continue to be surprised by my readers’ interests.
No one but God helps me in this effort – it really is largely a solo effort, and I have come to a point where I seem to have run rather dry on what to write about. I seem to be scraping the bottom of the proverbial barrel. I have written on many different issues - prayer, forgiveness (which seems to be a big issue with many), what we can do with our pains and struggles in life, and today, I now am asking you, my reader/s, to help me to keep this blog going, if at all you think it benefits you. I need ideas from you about the burning issues that you have as a church, what your personal struggles are with your faith which I may not see because of my own narrow vision, and unless I get some topics to ponder, this blog will in all likelihood cease to continue in the new year.
Sure, I can venture to put out my homilies on this blog, but that would be far too easy and I think that would make me a lazy writer, simply putting out something that I have written for another purpose. I am a firm believer that homilies are mean to be listened to attentively, and not to be read. For that reason, I am not in favour at all of posting my weekly homilies online. So, I kindly ask that you do not ask me to do this.
Instead, my request is for you to sit for a while and dig deep into your own faith journey, and identify what topics or issues you would like to read reflections on. This would help greatly in sustaining this blog, which I hope does help your growth in faith. I often do get people coming up to me in different circumstances telling me that they read my reflections, but I also do get a sense that it is much easier to read something and be passive about it, than making the effort to write something like a comment or post a question to keep the discussion going. My humble request this new year is precisely this – to ask you what it is that makes your Catholic life such a great challenge and what is it about your faith that you need help in. It may be asking you to put in a little more effort in your spiritual journey, but all effort in this endeavor of spiritual maturity counts as love.
One of my spiritual go-to guides is, as some of you may know, is Fr Ronald Rolheiser. I am in great admiration of how this septuagenarian has the ability to churn out meaningful reflection after meaningful reflection week after week. Some of his musings are truly brilliant and insightful, clearly something that had to be inspired by the Holy Spirit, and I sometimes think to myself – how can he possibly top this one? But he still does.
Well, he is a notable scholar of great repute, and he is a syndicated writer as well – meaning that he has a steady flow of income which he gets from his writings, and this must benefit the congregation of the OMI (Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate) greatly. I guess, for many blog writers, it can be a good source of monetary income, but in all the ten years of my writing, not a cent has come my way. I don’t ask much from my readers, (least of all anything financial) but this year, I am asking – not for money, not for more readership, but for your effort to put in writing (sent to my comments page of my blog) your suggestions on how this weekly blog can help to deepen your Christian life. Please do not just put a ‘like’ on the FaceBook page that you found this blog post – these likes do absolutely nothing to aid my writing. I ask that you do a bit more than just ‘like’. Bring to prayer my request, and perhaps this will help me overcome this long-coming writers’ block that I have encountered lately.
Having said this, I do wish each one of you a very blessed and holy 2019. God love you.
The Catholic teachings and sin. As a single Catholic, I find it difficult to resign myself to a life of celibacy. I look around and see so many people who are happy as they are with their partners and I want that for me but oftentimes the Catholic teaching becomes a burden rather than a blessing.
ReplyDeleteDear Friend
ReplyDeleteThank you for having shared the 10 years of your life and reflections through your literary skill.
I have, I must confess, I have not read all of your blogs but the ramsom ones that I believe God has lead me to read have been really helpful in giving me light for my life's journey and my ministries.
Fr Rolheiser is one of my favorite writers too. Between you and him, it is the sharing in bare honestly of life's hurdles, pain and the light that it subsequently gives, the trust and faith of life's twists and turns and the difficult abandonment to God's hand is what touches me most. God is infinitely incomprehensible, just and yet Infinitely loving... It's tough. My mortal being often struggles to live with such conflicts but knowing someone else lives this makes a difference and that's God's hand to sustain me and gives me faith and hope to persevere.
God will, I am sure give you material for the likes of me...
Thank you and God Bless. pax!
Dear Fr Luke, thank you so much for keeping your blog going. Many of your articles are very enlightening. May the Lord bless you abundantly for your undying dedication in your ministry.
ReplyDeleteHere's my suggestion:
Often we hear from the pulpit (by different priests) on the need to have a personal relationship with God. But just as often we are left with only that, and not told about HOW to develop this personal relationship with God. Perhaps you can write about this from time to time.
Thank you and God bless!