“Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.”

Matthew 6:34

A New Year is upon us. It’s that time for us to make our resolutions, to hit the gym in January and stop going sometime in February. It’s that time to give ourselves goals to engineer “new” selves. But how much of life can we really plan for ourselves?

One goal I gave to myself in this past year was to run the Chicago Marathon. A couple of my friends had likewise registered, and our registration fees were nonrefundable, so I was highly resolved to do it. My initial training plan had begun in the late spring, with my intention being to finish in a time I would brag about. On July 2, I suffered a severe ankle sprain while running, and even heard a “pop” when it happened. For over a month I was barely walking. Even though I had had friends who dropped out of marathons due to injury, I never thought that the prospect would ever fall upon me. The closest I could come to training during that month of hobbled walking was to tell God: “I still want to run this marathon, and I’m willing to do what’s needed to get into shape in the time I’ll have, but Thy will be done.”

What little faith I do have comes from God, and He alone knows how whiny I would have been without it.

By August 17, my ankle had healed adequately enough for me to run half a mile on flat surface. I drew up a new (and rather intense) training plan, with under two months time to prepare (most marathon training plans are upwards of twelve weeks), banking on the hope that I wouldn’t re-injure my healing ankle while building up to 20-mile runs which would include hills. I bought a pair of compression socks which I had always thought looked “stupid” when I saw other runners wearing them.

October 13 was the day of the marathon. I finished it. I didn’t finish in the time I initially aimed for, but my goal was met, and I got to barhop in an amazing city with amazing friends afterward, and I have God to thank for it. But even this plan, a personal goal for myself, was improvised due to an unforeseen circumstance. I wasn’t in complete control, even though I, a sinner, so often wish that I were.

The Illusion of Control

If we can barely plan our short-term goals, then what about our long-term goals? And what about our very lives?

Control, our control that is, is an illusion. How often do we fail just to control ourselves? How much evil has been the result of trying to control others? The scale of such can be massive: ideologies, from Nazism to Communism to political correctness in our current day, are built upon the assumption that people can be controlled. And, spiritually speaking, how often are we guilty of trying control God through our prayers? How often do we miss the beauty of the present moment in desire to control our past or future?

The extent to which we try to control ourselves, to control others, and to control God, reveals how deeply pride penetrates our own hearts. We can set ourselves up for so much frustration by failing to realize this. How can a “personality” or “identity,” a mere assumption of who we are that is built upon the countless lies which a gullible world buys into, ever control anything? God alone is sovereign. God is always right and true. It is only by the Grace of God that we sinners, in spite of ourselves, take in each and every breath that is a gift from God.

We men often have greater difficulty accepting our lack of control. I suspect that has much to do with why women attend church more frequently. The husband who rolls his eyes at his wife for planning out each hour of their vacation day could just as well lose his mind if he knew just how little control he has over his very life. At least a day can be (barely) planned.

Our lives do not belong to ourselves, and they never have. Must this be so frightening? What if the God who created us has also set a purpose for each of us? Is it God’s Will for anyone’s talents to go to waste? Would we thwart His plan with our own ambitions? Is living Our Lord’s perfect plan something we sinners do? Could it rather be something we allow the Holy Spirit to work in us? What if allowing the Holy Spirit to take control is, in fact, one of the only things we can control? How much peace and calm would be available if we but accept His gift of faith? 

“And ye shall know the truth” says Our Lord, “and the truth shall make you free.”

And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.

Luke 18:18-19

Holding Our Plans Lightly

What are your goals for 2020? Some of us shall meet those goals. Some of us, in our great fortunate, won’t.

I’d guess that if you’re reading an article about faith, one of your goals may well be to inch ever closer to sainthood. Is it? It’s a very noble ambition, pleasing to God, and the one ambition that places all worldly ambitions in their rightful order. But how does a sinner plan to become a saint? By being active at church? By volunteering? We can force ourselves to do chores, in holy “fake it till you make it,” and merely be do-gooders. There are canonized saints who confirm this. The world has plenty of do-gooders, and plenty of do-gooders who do tremendous harm by insisting what everyone else “should” be doing. And do-gooders can be so annoying!

God knows how much of my own Christian journey has been spent being a do-gooder, as a Christian who still understood faith as the Muslim is taught to, and asking the same dreaded question over again: “am I doing it right?” There are no words to fittingly describe how dependent we are upon God. And yet Love ever knocks upon the doors of those unjust judges that we are (Luke 18:1-8). We can do nothing, and yet we can allow everything. We Catholics even have the Sacraments, including Reconciliation and the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, to guide us in realizing who we are, and who we really are.

The person who says “I give my concerns to you, O Lord” could find himself the same bundle of worries as he was before he said it. That same person may feel a tremendous rush of peace when he gives up on any notion of being capable of actively doing anything, even surrendering himself, if he would just sit himself still, and say: “here I am, as I am. I don’t even know how to give you anything, but just go ahead and take what’s yours, what’s always been yours.” This is because we Christians have a supernatural faith, not a natural one.

Saints know that they can do nothing and yet God can do all things, and that in allowing, paradoxical seeking of the Kingdom of God, they receive the thrill of seeing the face of Christ in every sinner. A saint is someone who means it when he or she says: “Thy will be done,” and in so, finds his true identity as a child of God. From there, he cannot help himself but serve the kings and queens all around him. The chores of the do-gooder are the privileges of the saint.

“Life is a marathon, not a sprint,” the saying goes. We start ourselves sprinting, always in a hurry, without giving consideration to the vast distance of the course. The Holy Spirit knows the proper pace with which to finish, and He’s ever ready to be our strength and our endurance, if we but hand the baton to Him. “I’ve got this,” we so often snap at Him, carrying on with our mistakes, necessary faults, “everything’s under control: I’ve even got a plan!” But soon enough, we tire out. All too many of us collapse in exhaustion. But blessed is he who yields his plans and says to the Lord: “I’m tired: You take control,” for he shall know that the Lord has sustained him all his life, and shall sustain him through eternity. And when the Lord has taken control all he has to do from there is enjoy the scenery: of the Kingdom of God that is all around him.

May we take our plans lightly, O Lord, and from there, may we take ourselves lightly, that we may fly like the angels, saying always: Thy will be done.

Have a blessed new year!

With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

Matthew 19:26

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Zubair Simonson, O.F.S., is a convert who currently lives in Raleigh, North Carolina. He is a professed member of the Secular Franciscan Order. His written works include The Rose: A Meditation, a narrative guide through the rosary now available on Kindle. The story of his conversion, and admiration for G.K. Chesterton, is included in the book My Name is Lazarus, published by the American Chesterton Society.

Follow Zubair on Twitter: @ZubairSimonson

The Virgin is with child…On the roads they pass by pagan Greeks and Samaritans and fellow Jews, shepherds and slaves and soldiers and traders, and divers others who along their way see naught more than a man and wife from Galilee.

from The Rose: A Meditation

Caesar, whom they called the son of the gods, demanded a census be taken throughout the empire that he thought was his. At the emperor’s bidding a husband and wife journeyed the roads to Bethlehem, the City of David, to be counted among his kin. Their journey was very difficult. The wife was pregnant. The husband knew that the Child growing in her belly was not his, that in her womb the Virgin was carrying the Son of God.

Many men and women passed them by on that road to Bethlehem. Perhaps some who passed them by were called “great” according to the world’s measures, though we couldn’t care less about their fleeting eminence today. And as they passed the Virgin and her husband they saw naught more than a common Jew and his pregnant wife. It didn’t occurred to any of them that the Child in her womb could be their Creator. They were men and women with normal vision, with normal concerns, and so they kept on walking by without giving them a second look.

What would you have seen on that road to Bethlehem?

Seeking the face of God in everything, everyone, all the time, and his hand in every happening; This is what it means to be contemplative in the heart of the world. Seeing and adoring the presence of Jesus, especially in the lowly appearance of bread, and in the distressing disguise of the poor.

St. Teresa of Calcutta

“Behold the handmaid of the Lord,” the Virgin Mary said to the angel during the Annunciation, “be it done to me according to thy word.” She was a young woman of deep humility. Being labeled as a “great” was of no concern to her. Taking pains to fit in with the Roman world around her didn’t concern her either. She had no false ego. The illusions which so many of us wrap around ourselves to form our “identities” didn’t affect her: such lies were nonexistent to her, just as they are nonexistent in reality. She was a pious woman, who knew that she was created in the image of God just as equally (completely, that is) as anyone else, and the world could not tarnish that image in her. She regarded herself, more than anyone, merely as a servant of the Living God who is Everything.

And at long last, after many ages of sin and Man’s vain efforts to earn his own salvation, the world had what was groaned for: the woman who was worthy to be the Ark, the Mother of God who could take upon herself the terrifying responsibility of raising the Son of God. In her disregard for “greatness” according to the world’s measures, and because she could gracefully handle such high office, she became our great Queen of Heaven.

There is beauty in innocence. Just look at any child to confirm this. Our Lady is the most beautiful woman who ever lived. Her innocent and shining eyes were ever vigilant, eager to see God’s work in everyone and everything. She could see the goodness, the beauty, hiding behind the facade of the sinner’s face. Her vision was not clouded. She could even see the angel appearing before her when the message of Our Savior’s birth was delivered unto her. The Gospel of Luke records this. Even St. Joseph, a very holy man, was visited by the angel in a dream, during the vulnerable sleeping state, when he was urged not to put away his wife.

The Virgin Mary is a model for all of us. Yes, we are all sinners, lacking in humility and burdened by our pasts, and so it can be very easy to say “I can never be like her.” But we may also give to God the final say in such matters, and by His Grace innocence lost may yet be recovered. Those who know this are destined to one day see the angels as she did. And knowing just this much, why would anyone want to settle for normal vision?

But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.

Matthew 13:16

“Let go and let God,” the saying goes. It’s very simple, and very sound, advice. But it can be very difficult to follow. How many among us take ourselves, our “identities,” so seriously that the world’s gravity prevents us from flying like the angels?

The Necessity of Humility

It can be rather easy to spot some men or women who lack humility when their circumstances are abnormal enough. Anyone can turn a blessing into a curse, whether it is being more intelligent, deemed more photogenic, more wealthy, more renowned, or more anything else than the average, and a curse which can be exceptionally difficult to surrender to God, when we fool ourselves into believing that any gifts and talents are ours instead of God’s. Pride led to the devil’s fall. To recognize the ugly thoughts which cloud and darken the minds of so many abnormally influential men and women is healthy. But I do also wonder: how often is it our own envy that kindles resentment of such men and women?

Anyone with half a brain likewise understands that a narcissist, in his poor state, lacks humility. I very much sympathize with the person who is aggravated by a narcissist in his or her midst. But is it fair for any of us to judge and despise such a person? Isn’t a diagnosable narcissist only doing what most of us do, with the only difference being in degree?

Plenty of us are possessed by the desire to stand out. Plenty of us are possessed by the desire to fit in, to a world which we’ve throughout our lives been conditioned to perceive. It is very common to wish to stand out in a manner in which we fit in, to have it all! Such desire guides a host of our “preferences” and actions. The desire to fit in can guide our tastes in the music we claim to like or the entertainment which we spend countless hours immersing ourselves with (and those with common sense understand that much of what’s out there is trashy and/or propaganda, and better to be avoided). The desire to stand out and fit in guides much of what we say (which can often be a repeat of something heard on TV), what we claim to stand for or to be offended by (which political correctness and identity politics have turned into pretty much anything: the Simpsons even wrote off Apu!), whom it is that we are physically attracted to (usually influenced by the consensus of our peers), what we do with and to our bodies (the desire to stand out and fit in is why many Millennials have gotten tattoos). So many of us spend hours of the day with our faces buried in our little phones, figuring out which of those fifty selfie pictures is the most worthy for an Instagram post (I do wonder how many would have passed by Mary and Joseph while doing this), so that we miss the million interesting happenings going on all around us, all in our desire to stand out and fit in.

Seek First the Kingdom of God

So many of us participate in gossip, dull conversation which only really reveals the smallness of our own minds, because our peers do so, because we somehow think we are “greater” when the subject of gossip is deemed “lesser.” So many of us get burned out chasing scraps in rat races, while all too often neglecting those who love us, so that we may stand out and fit in. On the darker side, many of us keep ourselves earthbound by recreationally using drugs (including marijuana) to fit in, and we have a hookup culture which has dealt so much confusion and pain to so many people. This list, of normal and seemingly innocuous activities which prevent us from flying, can go on and on.

Context determines content. “Everyone is doing it” becomes our bottomless excuse. “I’m not a criminal locked up in the penitentiary,” or “I’m not a powerful man who tosses people around like toy soldiers,” we can say, in attempt to vindicate our banal shortcomings. We allow the world (the version of it we were conditioned to see, that is) to become our judge, to inform us what is “good” and “bad,” and we ourselves go on to become judges according to the standards of that world. We allow ourselves to become generic, because there is a feeling of security (perhaps an animal instinct) in it. We allow ourselves to become so boring, and the world which we see and those living in it to become so boring in turn. We proceed to blame those around us for our own lack of the peace which God is all too eager to grant us, and to complain. We turn small matters into “big deals.” Some people even turn violent in their blame. Such is a recipe for a lifetime of worry and frustration, bitterness and cynicism. In our common lack of humility, we settle for normal vision, and it’s not all that great.

Yet amidst the noise of the world, the truth still speaks to us in silence. “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God,” Our Lord tells us, and “the Kingdom of God is within you.”

God has never made a boring person. We are so often tempted to be like that brilliant kid in high school who acts dumb just to fit in with his or her peers. Though the world would ask for us to be doubles and triples and millionths, we are each uniquely formed in the image of God, and set for His purposes. There really is only one you. There are even other faith traditions with many helpful insights on our having a true self and false selves, although without knowledge of the person Christ, full and proper context shall always be lacking.  

We sinners can do nothing, and yet we can allow everything. Such knowledge is what sets apart the faith I accepted as an adult from the religion I was raised with. To really say “Thy will be done” or perhaps “Jesus, You take control,” to allow the Grace of God to help us find our true selves (even if by slow measures), is a choice we always have, even when it hardly feels like one. The simple urge to read an article (preferably one in the Catholic Gentleman) which might deepen one’s faith, or to attend a church service, is proof enough that the Holy Spirit is at work, quietly calling us toward that end. And with just a little bit of abandonment, the humility to allow the Spirit to guide us always, the humility to acknowledge that we need not be that outward-looking person whom the world tells us to be, the humility to be alright if that means being labeled as “odd” by a few peers, any one of us can become truly interesting, so much so that we would even take interest in others. The lives of the saints is testimony that we are each unique, and that we become truly interesting in proportion to our humility.

Do you think the Virgin Mary walked around telling everyone how worthless she was? No. She knew that God alone is the rightful judge of our value, that I highly doubt she even judged herself. And if God resorted to such a desperate measure as He did on Calvary, for the sake of saving your soul despite yourself, then, logically, you must be pretty valuable. 

Do you think she uttered the words “God make me awesome and give me the things I want” when she prayed alone at night? No. She knew that God understands each person’s true needs, far beyond the common capacity to fool ourselves and attempt to control Him. Nobody could speak the words “Thy will be done” with such sincerity as her. To her there was only God. And in such humility she could even see the angel. 

Your Calling and Mine

Yes, there is only one Mother of God. But every single person is called to be a saint, in the form which God has uniquely created us to express this. Even if we have spent our whole lives settling for normal vision, right now is as a fine time as any to abandon ourselves, to allow God to plant forgiveness and faith in our hearts, to begin seeing past those illusions which cloud our sight. We don’t have to be like the men on the Road to Emmaus who couldn’t even see Our Risen Lord when he was walking right next to them.

I see Jesus in every human being.

St Teresa of Calcutta

What do you see in others? Such a question is a litmus test to gauge the health of our own inner worlds.

Many of us will go out with our families this Christmas season. What would you see in your server? Is he just some person who waits tables, with no destiny aside from that? For all you know, that server might be destined to be the president, a man absorbing lessons and soaking experiences which our whole temporal world shall one day feel the impact of. One would hope that in his current lot, and in humility, he is learning fraternity and genuine service and attentiveness so that in the coming years he will be a decent president. Perhaps this can even be seen if we would just bother to look him in the eyes, to see the intensity of ambition burning inside of him.

“If I have told you earthly things,” says Our Lord, “and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?” What about our greater spiritual destinies?

Practically all of us will be stuck waiting in long lines while shopping during this Christmas season. Yes, this would be an opportune occasion to complain to ourselves about the rabid commercialization (which may well be a symptom of collective failure to imagine beyond the material realm) of a sacred holiday. But can we allow God to show us the face of Christ in those others who are waiting in that same pain-in-the-ass line, or in that tired cashier? There is a saint dwelling in each of them. Maybe all that he or she needs for that saint to be unleashed upon our world, to set it ablaze in a manner which a mere president will never have the power to match, is for you to smile at that tired face, and to say, from one child of God to another: “Merry Christmas.”

Yes, Merry Christmas! This is the day in which the Extraordinary so humbled Himself as to join us here in the ordinary world, even when He knew that men with normal vision would kill Him (Veritas odium parit), so that we may always see the extraordinary in the ordinary. Christ became man, that we may ever see His face in all men and women. And we owe our eternal gratitude for the humility of Our Lady, that this remarkable event could happen, that we all may walk this world, sinners that we are, with a hope of redemption.

Bethlehem, and all the world, keeps on sleeping. Only lowly shepherds and wise men know what has happened: the King is born.

from The Rose: A Meditation

The Gospel of Luke records that only a few local shepherds, men blessed with “lowliness” according to the world’s measures, and wise men, guided by true wisdom, were able to discern just what happened on that Christmas day. Would we so humble ourselves? Would we allow ourselves to be so detached from the world’s gravity that we ourselves may fly?

It can be great fun for any of us to say “I would have known” that it was the Sacred Family passing by on the road to Bethlehem. I, for one, doubt that I would have figured it out. I doubt this because I can just as easily pass by a pregnant couple, or anyone for that matter, today, without giving them much thought. I all too often fail to see the face of Christ in others, those pearls hidden in plain sight. I often enough struggle within myself with the lie that such Good News is far too good to be true, and the temptation to give in to this lie has expressed itself in plenty of my own actions. I lack humility, and get in my own way for it just like plenty of others, and the fault is entirely my own.

To “let go and let God” is simple, and sound, advice, but not necessarily easy. I do hope that the recognition of my own shortcomings, shortcomings which a “Zubair Simonson” has no power to overcome, would be the catalyst for my surrender, that I may see the works of God while on this side of life. God, who is Love, will only do so much as I allow, and whatever patience I do have toward this end comes from God alone. But one day, and maybe soon, and by Grace alone, I hope that I could point at that young woman on the road to Bethlehem, that I would fall to my knees as my eyes would well with tears, as I say: “there is the mother of Our God.”

And I do hope that all of us would better be able to see the marvels all around.

May your Advent be a season filled with wonder, and have a very Merry Christmas.

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Zubair Simonson, O.F.S., is a convert who currently lives in Raleigh, North Carolina. He is a professed member of the Secular Franciscan Order. His written works include The Rose: A Meditation, a narrative guide through the rosary now available on Kindle. The story of his conversion, and admiration for G.K. Chesterton, is included in the book My Name is Lazarus, published by the American Chesterton Society.

Follow Zubair on Twitter: @ZubairSimonson

Christmas is fast approaching, and many of you are looking for the ideal gift for the Catholic man in your life. But let’s face it, men can be hard to buy for! Never fear. I’m here to help. Here are 10 great gift ideas that any man will love.

The Catholic Gentleman Rosary

This manly rosary features heavy, gunmetal steel beads, military grade paracord, and a bold and prominent crucifix with dirt from the catacombs. It is the ultimate spiritual weapon for any Catholic man.

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Be Not Afraid: A Book of Quotes for Catholic Men

The Holy Catholic Church has produced thousands upon thousands of saints. Among them were countless authentic men who knew that holiness is the highest calling, the supreme vocation of every man. Though they have long since been laid to rest, the heroic lives of these men still shake the world. And these men still speak to us today. They teach us how to be courageous, how to suffer, how to grow in virtue, and ultimately, how to find God, the true end of every man. These are their words.

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Artwork from Daniel Mitsui

Daniel Mitsui is one of the finest Catholic artists today. His artwork combines traditional forms with modern innovations to create something entirely unique. Several of his prints hang in my office, and I can attest that his works are filled with a dizzying level of detail and are truly stunning. He has a shop where you can commission original works, purchase prints, or buy original illustrations with prices to meet every budget.  

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Bibliotheca Bible

There are seemingly hundreds of published versions of the Bible, but the majority of them are cheaply produced. Worse still, they aren’t enjoyable to read, with verse numbers, notes, and paragraph markers cluttering up the page. Bibliotheca is different. It’s a stunningly crafted reader’s Bible, with immersive reading as the goal. There are no verse or even chapter numbers, and not footnotes. Every detail is finely crafted, from the bookmark (made in France) to the cover fabric, to the pages (made of a mineral base instead of wood). It is a gorgeous heirloom Bible that will change your experience of the scriptures. I have one and highly recommend it.

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Exodus 90 (The Gift of Asceticism) 

What’s more heartwarming than the gift of fasting and cold showers in your stocking? Exodus 90 has changed hundreds of lives and renewed many men in their faith. Yes, it’s hard, but also rewarding. It will challenge you and change you.  Join me this January for Exodus 90, which we are offering up for the good of the Church. 

Join the Waitlist

Guadalupe Roastery Coffee

If you’re like most people, you begin each day with a cup of coffee. I look forward to mine every day! But how great would it feel to know that with every sip, you are helping small, Catholic-owned family farms and Catholic ministries? Guadalupe Roastery is a unique coffee roaster that combines excellent coffee with an outstanding mission. Check them out, and if you feel so inclined, select The Catholic Gentleman as the ministry you want to support when you check out. 

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Gift Set from The Catholic Woodworker

The Catholic Woodworker is a ministry aimed at helping men lead lives of prayer through beautiful, handcrafted products. He’s released some stunning gift sets for this year, including corn cob pipes, which are some of my favorite pipes. Limited quantities are available, so don’t wait too long!

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Drinking With St. Nicholas

If you love alcohol, Catholicism, and all things Christmas, this book is for you. I recently acquired a copy and can attest that it’s full of fun and good cheer. Get a copy for yourself or for someone you love!

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Monk Manual

I recently came across Monk Manual, and it’s now my preferred way to stay organized. It’s an entirely unique planner that combines monastic wisdom with modern psychology to encourage deep reflection and action. It’s as much about who you are as about what you do. I love it and I think you will too.

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Beard Oil from St. Kilda Beard Care

If you, like me, possess a glorious mane, you’ll know that it requires constant upkeep and care so as not to grow unkempt and unseemly. And beard oil is essential to this care. One of my favorite beard care companies is St. Kilda. Not only do their products work and smell great, but they are also Catholic-owned and operated. Show your beard some love and check out what St. Kilda has to offer. 

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Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.