Category: Reflection

It was one month ago today when mom took her last breath on this earth.  The picture above was taken just a little over a year ago on October 22, 2014 when I was visiting.  I don’t know if mom enjoyed Steak-n-Shake the way I did, but it was a routine stop whenever I was in town.   We don’t have Steak-n-Shake in Wyoming, so it is imperative to get my “fix” each time I am in the St. Louis area.  Mom would have a strawberry shake and I would have chocolate.  Some things were consistent like that.

The circumstances of my own life colliding with the Season of Advent has led to a significant amount of reflection lately.  As the Church shifts our attention squarely on the end times, mortality seems to look me directly in the eye.  Due to mom’s death last month and my own heart troubles over the past year, the reality of death is very prevalent in my mindset.  The shortness of time on this earth and the length of eternity is not something to be taken lightly.

The process of grief is taking place in my life.  Even though thirty days have passed since mom’s death I still want to reach for the phone every evening to give her a call to make sure she is okay.  After doing that for years, it is a hard habit to break.  It will take time.

I hope the first week of Advent is a tremendous blessing in your life!

Pump!  Pump your legs!  I have no idea how many times I heard those statements when I was learning how to swing.  Apparently, I wasn’t the quickest learner around.  It seemed to take forever before I could swing without needing someone to push me.  I think I will blame it on the plain swings that were a part of my childhood.  I would have succeeded more quickly with horse swings.

Learning new things takes time.  I spent a lot of time crashing into the water as I tried to learn how to water ski.  Attempt after attempt seemed to result in less and less graceful ways of wiping out.  Once I figured out what I was doing wrong and I was able to glide along the top of the water instead of crashing into it, water skiing actually became fun as opposed to frustrating.

Living on a farm and learning to drive a tractor as an adolescent was an arduous task.  “Let out the clutch slowly,” my dad would say.  As the tractor jerked, and the hay bales on the wagon were jolted around, I knew it was bad news for me if the bales had to be picked up a second time.  As I got older and was the one bucking the bales I clearly understood the angst.  Eventually, the workings of the clutch became second nature.

As an adult I learned to drive a tractor-trailer (semi).  Making it go forward was difficult enough.  Backing it into tight parking spots required another level of expertise.  It was so refreshing to get to the point where I was no longer scared to back it up.  I knew where it was going and I knew how much room I needed to get it into the desired spot.  The bigger the challenge the more I enjoyed the task at hand.  Delivering a 105 foot long utility pole into the downtown streets of St. Louis was one of the bigger challenges.  Backing an oil tanker into an electrical substation could also be a bit unnerving.  If the station was still “hot” the driver had to worry about the electrical current arcing over and zapping the trailer or truck.  Thankfully, I never experienced that event personally.  Seeing the results on someone else’s vehicle was enough to heighten my awareness level.

Why am I spending time describing these various learning scenarios?  I want to compare and contrast learning some of these types of things and our spiritual life.  Do you pray?  If so, how did you learn how to pray?  Is it second nature to you now or do you still feel a little awkward and apprehensive about “doing it right?”  Have you learned about the faith to the degree that it is now second nature to you?  Does your day consist of making decisions automatically with the principles and teachings of the Church forefront in your mind?  Is being Catholic (Christian) second nature to you?

Being a follower of Jesus Christ requires persistence.  We don’t simply accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior and then walk perfectly in His ways.  We still have free will.  It necessitates prayer, study, and repeated good actions to develop the habits needed for a vibrant Christian life.  We may fall frequently. Do we have the courage and tenacity to get back up and begin again. Remember, we aren’t just called to be mediocre followers of Christ.  We are called to be great saints.

We can find all kinds of things in which to blame our failures and shortcomings.  I have tried it.  When I couldn’t get up on the water skis I blamed the skis, the rope, and the person running the boat.  Bottom line is that I was still spending more time in the water than gliding on top of the water. Having a fancy swing or a plain swing wouldn’t have made any difference when I was trying to learn how to pump my legs correctly.  I needed guidance and practice.  The same is true for the spiritual journey.  I need guidance and practice.  I also need to be accountable.  A good spiritual director can play an awesome role  in the journey.

In closing, I simply ask you the following:
1. Are you “practicing” the faith?  This includes daily prayer and at least weekly Mass attendance.
2. Are you continuing to study the faith on a regular basis?  Do you know what the Church teaches and how it applies to your day-to-day life?
3. Are you putting your faith into “practice”?  Faith without works is dead.

          Let the journey toward sainthood continue!

Have you pulled out your scrapbook lately and spent some time reminiscing? Do people even have scrapbooks any longer or is everything kept digitally preserved?  Well, I have a scrapbook and it is falling apart.  The plastic pages have lost their grip, the pictures are turning yellow, and the newspaper clippings are looking a bit worn and tattered.  It may be symbolic of the way I feel recently since spending a couple of days in the hospital in March.  I just don’t feel up to speed and probably resemble my scrapbook in many ways. 

I had not looked at my scrapbook for many years, but I was prompted to do so this week because of something that caught my eye on the internet.  I was looking for an on-line video of a homily I gave about seven or eight years ago before moving to Wyoming.  I typed my name into the search engine to see if I could locate what I wanted to see.  I became distracted when I saw my name associated with a website of which I was unfamiliar.  So I clicked on the site. To my surprise there was an article published in the Heartland Connection on March 31, 2015 which mentioned me by name. http://www.heartlandconnection.com/sports/story.aspx?id=1185091#.VVurR_lViko
It said, “On the mound, redshirt freshman Kent Frantz is the first Bulldog hurler to start 5-0 on a season since Vernon Dobelmann did so in 1982.”

I was unaware that going 5-0 as a pitcher was that dramatic of an accomplishment.  It was a bit surprising to read in this article that another pitcher at the university had not succeeded in doing so in the last 33 years until Kent came along this year.  A lot has changed in those 33 years, including the name of the school.  It was Northeast Missouri State University when I attended.  Now it is Truman State University.

Reading this article prompted me to pull out my scrapbook and spend some time looking back.  It gave me a sense of perspective of how things change through the years.  I played basketball and baseball at the university level and enjoyed a certain amount of success in each sport.  I received Honorable Mention to the Academic All-American Baseball Team my senior year.  This was my favorite accomplishment because I valued the education I received in addition to the privilege of playing sports.

Why does any of this matter today?  It fills me with a sense of gratitude.  I was blessed to play in two different sports at the collegiate level and attain my academic education via a basketball scholarship.  That is truly a blessing.  It also reminds me that everything I have is a gift from God.  It was only three short years after graduation from college that I was diagnosed with cancer the first time.  I am about to hit my 29th anniversary of being a survivor since the first diagnosis and 14 years since the second diagnosis.  The health and vigor I enjoyed as a young man in college is not something I take for granted. Major surgery and chemotherapy treatments have a way of letting you know just how precious the gift of good health truly is.  

I can no longer dunk a basketball.  I can no longer throw an 85 mph fastball or a sharp curve ball.  However, I have the memories of those days.  I have the memories of the college campuses I was able to see because of sports.  I played as far away as Anchorage and Kotzebue, Alaska to the north and west and Florence, Alabama to the south and east.  Those were some fantastic experiences.

My scrapbook may be fading and crumbling.  That is okay.  I still enjoy the pictures and the memories.  My health and vitality is not what it used to be. That is okay.  I am a child of God and blessed with grace.  A trip down memory lane  reminded me that life has not always been easy.  That is okay.  The suffering has highlighted the many comforts, pleasures, and priviliges that have also been present on the journey.

What are some of your favorite memories from days gone by?  Take some time today to give thanks to God for all of the blessings.  

On April 22, 1994, the largest lollipop was created in Denmark weighing 3,011 pounds.  I guess a lollipop that large would discourage an individual from biting into it rather than just sucking on it.  I can still remember the commercials from many years ago asking the question about how many licks does it take to get to the inside of the lollipop.  We couldn’t seem to get the answer for a regular sized lollipop so I guess there won’t be an answer for one weighing over 3,000 pounds.

Who conceived the idea to create a 3,011 pound lollipop?  Next question, why?  What is the point?  Is this just an example of some of the bizarre things people do to try to get “into the record books.”  Was the previous record just a pound less or why did such an odd number get chosen?  Was it supposed to be an even 3,000 pounds and something got messed up?  These are some of the questions bouncing around in my head, but I digress.

I don’t necessarily have a desire to do something outlandish to attract attention, but on the other hand, I am not opposed to utilizing creative measures in my teaching and preaching responsibilities.  On occasion, I have made use of props in my homilies.  Some people appreciate the visual accessories while others have politely (and not so politely) told me what to do with my props.  I guess there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to the techniques of preaching.

I simply raise the issue today to stir your creative network.  In a world that seeks to get information in 30 second sound bites, how do we convey the message of the Gospel so that it gets heard?  I don’t want to print a 3,011 pound Bible, but how can we generate interest in our parishioners to read, study, pray, and meditate upon the sacred Scriptures?  How do we awaken the flock to hasten them to the Lord.  Building up the Kingdom of God is no small task.  We each have a responsibility to do our part.  I think it is time for us to “GO BIG or GO HOME!” 

Have you ever noticed how “clean” our crosses and even our crucifixes are? We have frequently turned them into pieces of art rather than depict them as the instruments of death for which they were actually used.  Is that because we are unable to cope with the gruesome reality of a brutal execution?  Mel Gibson’s movie years ago The Passion of Christ certainly provided a vivid depiction of the horrendous sufferings Jesus endured at the time of His death.  Today, “YOUTUBE” videos provide the gruesome images.  Torture and death are certainly not clean.

Watching the evening news just makes my stomach churn.  I want to be an informed individual, and yet, each time I learn of more awful events happening around the world, I want to throw up my hands in despair.  It can seem like there is no hope.  Life in our world today is not clean.  Actually, has it ever been?  I guess we can go all the way back to Adam and Eve to watch the trend begin.  Cain and Abel certainly gave us a taste of brutality in action.

As more and more Christians are taken hostage in the Middle East, my heart breaks for them and their families.  Is there not something we can do to stop these atrocities?  Is it my imagination, or is the whole world just sitting by watching these things happen with more and more frequency?  There are many Christians carrying some heavy crosses.

Frequently, we don’t have to look across the globe to see people carrying their crosses.  There is a lot of pain and suffering close to home as well.  It may not be the cross of martyrdom that Middle East Christians are facing, but it can be painful nonetheless.  How do we find the strength to carry the crosses in our lives?  I don’t simply want to throw out a casual response, but I think we essentially pray and seek God’s grace, strength, and perseverance. That can be easier said than done at times.  I am good at the first part of Jesus’ prayer, “Father, let this cup pass from me.”  It’s the second part of the prayer that I have difficulty offering.  What was it again?

Today, I offer a prayer for all who are carrying the cross of aging and/or failing health.  I clearly remember my own struggles through multiple surgeries, chemotherapy, and a plethora of tests throughout the last three decades in my two battles with cancer and open heart surgery.  That is not to mention the WAITING FOR RESULTS from those tests and the anguish that accompanies that process.  It is not easy to cope with the reality of suffering and the loss of one’s independence.  I see that clearly in my mom’s own recent experience.  Today marks three weeks since her surgery to repair her broken hip.  Life has changed immensely for her in literally the blink of an eye.

In March of 2014 my mom wanted to visit the Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters in St. Louis.  They are known as the “Pink Sisters.”  Years ago when my mom and dad were first married they made novenas at the chapel with the sisters praying for a variety of intentions.  Our visit less than a year ago was very nice.

In October of 2014, just four months ago, mom and I made a trip to EWTN in Irondale, Alabama.  On the way we stopped at a few other places such as the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville.

Stopping at Steak-N-Shake is necessary too.  Recovering from a broken hip is no small task for an elderly individual.  However, I am going to hold out hope that we will eventually be sitting at Steak-N-Shake where mom can enjoy her strawberry shake while I enjoy my chocolate one.

As we approach the Second Sunday of Lent, my prayer is that we will each experience the love of God as we hear the Gospel account of the Transfiguration of Jesus.  May each of us experience grace as we carry our individual crosses and be able to echo the words of Peter, 
“Master, it is good that we are here.”

It was the second time in three months that our local community experienced the tragic deaths of more than one individual from a family.  Last fall a car accident claimed the lives of three individuals in one car.  This time it was a father and son killed in a snowmobiling accident.  That funeral took place this morning.

As I stood and looked at the two caskets, I couldn’t even imagine the level of grief being experienced by the family.  Mom and dad lost their young son as well as their 8 year old grandson.   In an instant their lives were forever changed.

The precious gift of life is not something to take for granted.  Pause for a moment to pray for your loved ones.  Then, be sure to tell them how much they mean to you.  Don’t assume that those close to you know that you love them.  Take the time to tell them and to show them just how much you care.