Christian Counseling: Story of Lydia

As the Resurrection season continues, the Church reads from Acts of the Apostles.  One interesting story of relation to us is the story of Lydia.   Christian Counselors should utilize her as an example of Christian action.

Lydia upon hearing the words of Paul was moved by the Holy Spirit.  She invited Paul and his companions into her home and worshipped with them.  The faith of God in Lydia was manifested by her works of charity and her action.

As within the early Church, today, we must take action.  We must, like Lydia, give ourselves to Christ and aid those in ministry.  We must share our talents, time and possessions for the overall Church.   The Church, in micro, exists in the home and then spreads into its larger form from church to church with Christ as the head of all.  Still, the smallest actions sometimes have the greatest value.  This is what we learn from Lydia.

We can also learn that we need to give our home completely to Christ.  Spiritually invite him into your home.  Many consecrate their home to him or portray his image throughout the home.  What Christian home is it, without images of our Lord?  We enter into so many homes and see designs and fine furniture, but no image of our Lord.   If you want peace in your home, you must invite the Lord into it.  Images, pictures and statues are excellent way for our physical senses to share in the same union with Christ that our spiritual senses already share.

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Mark Moran, MA

The Resurrection Narratives

See on www.apologeticspress.org

Christian Counseling: Christ is Risen!

Christian Counselors and all Christians can rejoice in Christ’s joyous resurrection.
While many doubt and wish to label this as a mere mythical tale, we as Christians know it is a historic and true event.
Those who doubted it where first the Jews.  In the Gospel of Matthew, Matthew points out that the high priests paid the guards to lie about the true surroundings of the resurrection.  They told the guards to lie and tell the people that the disciples stole Christ’s body.  Yet as we all know, the disciples were terrified to even leave the upper room.  All but John stayed with Christ’s mother and the holy women.
Later foolish skeptics would even state that perhaps Jesus was not truly dead.  This theory lost ground when pointed out that the Romans were experts at execution, especially crucifixion.  Muslims would also add their theories in that Christ was magically taken down from the cross and another put in his place.
Modern skeptics completely dismiss the resurrection story as myth.  They contend Jesus rose spiritually, and the apostles taught in a mytical lanaguage.  Other modern ‘scholars’ contend the apostles merely lied.
Yet with all these doubters of the true and risen Christ, we can be assured that we will be blessed in our faith, for Christ told Thomas ‘blessed are those who have not seen and yet still believe”
Below is a quick video for all skeptics and Christians alike—our Lord’s resurrection!
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKSe9PE002o

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Mark Moran, MA

Learning More About Christian Counseling: Easter Triduum

Christian Counselors can better help their spiritual children prepare for Easter by teaching them the value of the Easter Triduum.  If you are interested in learning more about Christian Counseling the this set of feasts, then please read and enjoy
The Easter Triduum is a separate season within a the season of Lent and Holy Week.  It focuses on the final three days before the Resurrection with special emphasis on the Passion of Christ.

Holy Thursday

It begins on Holy Thursday at Seven where in the Catholic Church, a special Mass or Liturgy is offered in remembrance of the Lord’s Supper.  Within the Catholic Church, this Mass has special meaning because it both institutes the sacrament of the Eucharist within the first Mass and also institutes the priesthood.  Catholic theology sees a very intimate connection between the Last Supper and the Sacrifice of Calvary.  It through the eternal nature of Calvary that the graces of that historic event are forever poured out to the faithful through the Mass which in turn continues the tradition of the first Passover Mass of Christ.  Another beautiful tradition, found in the Latin Rite, is the priests washing of the feet of the faithful.  This pious practice allows the priest, as representing Christ, to wash the feet of his own “disciples”.
Protestantism still finds great value in this feast as well as they too remember the Lord’s Supper.  Of course within Protestantism, the Eucharist is seen as a spiritual presence or in some cases only a symbolic gesture.  Yet, the importance of the Last Supper and its ties to the sacrifice of the cross are equally revered and honored.
Holy Thursday is also meditated upon by both traditions as time to reflect upon Christ’s agony in the garden, his arrest and beatings at the hands of the Temple guards.

Good Friday

Good Friday is reserved completely for the Passion of Christ.  In the Catholic Church, this is the only day Mass or Liturgy is not offered.  The reason behind this is because of Christ’s death.  It is on this day that the only sacrifice offered is that of Christ himself.  He is the high priest of the church and all other “priests” bow before his eternal sacrifice.  Some Protestant churches during this time also offer passion plays.  These plays allow people to remember the sacrifice of Christ.  Some Protestants and Catholics both give time to reflect on the stations of the cross and in the Eastern Church, the faithful reflect on the twelve gospels leading to Christ’s death.
It is a time honored tradition on this sad day for Christians of all denominations to remove themselves from the secular world between the hours of Noon and Three and to remain in silent contemplation, prayer and fasting.

Later in the night, vespers are offered in some churches.  In the Eastern Church, an icon of Christ nailed to a cross, is unscrewed.  Symbolically, the icon is taken from the cross and then placed in a shroud of relics.  The priest then puts the shroud over his head and leads a candlelight procession around the church.  This procession commerates Christ’s death and his burial.

Holy Saturday

This is a day of great anticipation.  In the morning, especially in the Catholic and Eastern Churches, there are resurrection matins recited.  By eve, after sundown, the Church then is permitted to offer Mass or Liturgy for the Resurrection.  In many churches, Easter Baskets are blessed.  In the Eastern Church, the pashca–Easter meal is celebrated the eve of Easter.
Holy Saturday is a good day to prepare oneself for Christ’s resurrection.  As Christ was crucified, we too should feel “crucified” through our meditations during the Triduum to only be resurrected with Christ on Sunday!
If you are interested in learning more about Christian Counseling, then please review our site

Mark Moran, MA

Which Sacrifice is Better: Self Imposed or Inflicted?

Lent begins next week for the Eastern Catholic Church on Monday and for the Western Church as a whole on Wednesday.  While there are many regulations and ideas regarding fasting, days of abstinence and sacrifice, we will focus on a deeper spiritual idea today.  If you are interested in regulatory issues, please review blogs from last year that are archived, but this year I would rather focus on a deeper mystical issues.   Issues that Christian Counseling should look at as true methods for spiritual growth instead of merely giving something up and “grumbling about it for forty days”.
The first concept lies in obedience.  So many times, in Lent, we choose our own “demise”.  We pick to give up chocolate, television, or radio as our means of sacrifice.  While this has merit and is not discouraged, it should not be our primary and sole purpose of Lenten sacrifice.  Instead, let us focus on the small and trivial things that come before us without our consent.  The annoying individual or the small ache can all be utilized as sacrifice to God.  In obedience we accept what God gives us and then offer it up to the Lord.  In fact, we offer all our pains and irritations up to Christ at the foot of Golgatha, as he prepares to carry our crosses.  When we unite our pains with Christ, he gains merit for us and others.
So yes, voluntary sacrifice is important, as well as mandatory fasting, but the biggest impact may be in the unexpected and unwanted sacrifice that comes our way.  In obedience and charity we can make these things the biggest sacrifices for this Lent.
Tied to this obedience will grow a closer union with God.  This is the purpose of Lent!  The great mystics, St. Teresa of Avilla and St. John of the Cross all emphasized in their mystical theologies, the importance of union with God.  Obedience was always central in their teaching.  Through Lent, we exercise the first step of that union via purgation.  Sacrifice enables the soul to purge itself of the false idols of this world and enter into a state where the soul becomes pure and more able to receive illumination, which then leads to unity.
This Lent, let us purge ourselves, but not only by our chosen end but by whatever God may send us.  This is truly the heavy cross–and much heavier than self imposed penance.  If we wish to emulate Christ, we must realize his sacrifice was not his choice but one he accepted via obedience.  Christ was not able to pick or choose a way he would redeem us but was ultimately given only one choice and he accepted that cross.  Let our Lenten sacrifices also include the unexpected cross that God may give us.
If you are interested in learning more about Christian Counseling, then please review the program.

Mark Moran, MA

Christian Counseling: The Life of Solitude in Christian Thought

Christians Counselors and Mystics understand the value of solitude and peace.  St. Teresa of Avila found it essential in contemplative formation.  Solitude is in many ways, the spiritual fortress Christians retreat to in order to heal and reconvene with their master, Christ.  As St. Teresa learned though, Christian solitude while necessary for formation is only temporary, for the Gospel of Christ is a social Gospel to spread and care for one’s brothers and sisters.  Christ recreates us with his grace and utilizes us for his purpose.  Solitude and peace is only temporary for it is the forging period of one’s soul to later make disciples of all nations.

How Does Solitude Help

Solitude frees one from the occasions of sin and the noises of the world.  It removes the social character of our human nature and forces one to look deep within.  The spiritual mirror of our soul does not lie or offer excuses, it reflects what we truly are.  In contemplation of solitude, our soul wears no mask or pretends to be something it is not, for we are confronted with what we truly are.  We  are stripped of our colors and fronts and exposed for all our weakness.  In this solittude, we discover truth and in truth we discover humility.
In this stricken moment, the soul in solitude can only look one place for comfort and peace; Christ.  Christ acknowledges what we are but through his grace elevates us and transforms us.  As a sword being forged, in solitude, Christ forges us.  He speaks to us, elevates us and transforms us into his disciples.
Without solitude and peace, we cannot find ourselves.  We will always be distracted by the world and its lies.  We will not find who we truly are because we will be too busy trying to be someone else.  Solitude gives us that opportunity to find ourselves.
Christian Counselors should recommend retreats for their spiritual children.  At  retreat, a person has time to fall back from the world and focus on one’s spiritual and true self.  They can see what wrong turns they may have made and correct these faults.  Most importantly, people can reconnect with Christ and truly see what matters most.
If you are interested in learning more about Christian counseling, please review the program.

Mark Moran, MA