What is our mission as Catholics?
Our mission as Catholics is to transform the world with the love of God…simple, but very ambitious. Personally, I find how we arrive at this concise directive pretty compelling…
When we hear the word “God,” something goes on in our minds. Now, however wonderful, however deep, rich, powerful, consoling, however philosophically and metaphysically precise, however scripturally sound and orthodox, whatever that idea of God that is in our mind…. it is NOT God. And THIS is really the most important thing to know about God: that what we have in our mind when we hear or speak the word “God” is only a very imprecise image of God (Paraphrase from Michael Himes awesome little 90 page book called the Mystery of Faith - a perfect belated Christmas gift for the seekers with a theological bent in your life). Us trying to figure out everything there is to know about God is like an ant trying to learn astrophysics. We are way out of our depth, to put it mildly. God, for us, can only be a mystery lived not a question that can be analyzed and answered.
HOWEVER, there is one metaphor that our tradition says is closer than all the others, and its from scripture which is always a good place to lean. The “the least wrong thing” we can say about God is that God is love (from 1 John 4:8).
Sadly, in our culture the word “love” has really lost its force. It’s become a warm, fuzzy hallmark word we usually associate with romance and roses. But the ancient Greeks had four words for our one English word LOVE.
1. Philia = love between friends. 2. Storge = affection like that felt by parents for their children. 3. Éros = intimate, passionate love (though not necessarily always sexual) where our word “erotic” comes from and 4. Agape = unconditional selfless, self-giving, sacrificial love. The one used in our scriptures is of course this last one.
So, our scriptures say that God is Agape. God IS the kind of love known as agape; perfect self-gift. God is the stuff between us, that holds us together. In other words, God is a relationship among persons (the Doctrine of the Trinity in a nutshell). So when Jesus said that he would be present when 2 or 3 gathered, it was not because he was some kind of diva who needs a minimum audience in order to show up. Rather when 2 or 3 are gathered together in true mutual love (agape) in genuine care and concern for one another, Jesus will be discovered in what happens among them….for THIS is God.
Jesus says people will know we are his disciples not by the way we love God, but by the way we love one another. God is not the object of love. God IS the love that exists among Jesus’ disciples…among us. The highest experience of God’s presence is in community. God is revealed primarily in the “WE” not the “ME.”
Jesus instructed us to follow him not to worship him. Jesus’ mission was to guide us to God; to true agape, self-giving love of one another (aka the “Body of Christ”). Just imagine what would happen if we all “followed” Jesus in this way; if we all put each other’s needs before our own…if we actively promoted that which connects us rather than what separates us….if we all lived the radical inclusion and compassion that Jesus modeled for us. God would be incarnate…embodied…Emmanuel….Perhaps this is what is meant by the “second coming of Christ”; Christ truly arriving in each of our hearts. An ambitious mission indeed. No small dream.
Send your "Crazy Catholic Questions" to Lisa Brown at dre@ctredeemer.org or read past columns at: http://crazycatholicquestions.blogspot.com.
Sunday, December 27, 2015
Saturday, December 19, 2015
Crazy Catholic Question #61: Incarnation
What is the Doctrine of the Incarnation?
The doctrine of the Incarnation is not only the heart of what we celebrate this sacred Advent and Christmas season, but it is also is a major, central, non-negotiable tenet of our Catholic Faith. Some theologians say that the first and primary claim of the gospel is not, as we often think, that “Jesus died for our sins.” Nor is it, as we are sometimes told, "God loves us and has a wonderful plan for our lives." Rather, the first and primary claim of the gospel is, "God is here.”
“Incarnation” literally means – “in body.” Our Doctrine of the Incarnation states that God has taken on human flesh: in the person of Jesus, in the Eucharist, and in all who are sincere in faith as the body of Christ.
Our belief in the incarnation declares that we are saved as much by Jesus’ birth as by his death. The life of Jesus was the ultimate act of God’s willingness to meet us where we are at, in our very own history, in our suffering, and is a firm promise that God does not choose to be God without us. The Incarnation tells us we are never alone.
There is a story of a boy who receives the gift of a fish from his mother and he loves this fish so much that he saves his allowance for weeks and weeks in order to buy the fish a little bridge to swim under. But no matter what the boy does; yelling at the fish bowl, drawing pictures for the fish, etc. the fish just won’t swim under the bridge! So the boy says to his mom in frustration “Mom, why can’t I teach the fish to swim under the bridge?” And the Mom replies “Oh honey, in order to teach the fish to swim under the bridge, you would have to become a fish yourself.” Not an exact metaphor of course, but insightful. God simply could not bear the alienation that our bad choices and sin had caused so Jesus came among us, to save us, and show us the way home.
So, we do not believe in a God somewhere “out there,” or “up there,” transcendent and aloof towards us. We believe in a God who humbled himself to walk the earth with us and who is still physically present to us in a simple meal of bread and wine shared among us, and inside each and every human being that lives. The Christian God can be seen, heard, felt, tasted, and smelled through the senses. John Shea writes a little story that highlights the power in this belief….
"She was five years old, sure of the facts, and recited them with slow solemnity, convinced every word was revelation. She said they were so poor that they had only peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to eat and they went a long way from home without getting lost. The lady rode a donkey, The man walked, and the baby was inside the lady.
They had to stay in a stable with an ox and an ass (tee – hee) but the three Rich Men found them because a star lighted the roof! Shepherds came and you could pet the sheep, but not feed them. Then the baby was borned! And do you know who he was? Her quarter eyes inflated to silver dollars. The baby was GOD!
The doctrine of the Incarnation is not only the heart of what we celebrate this sacred Advent and Christmas season, but it is also is a major, central, non-negotiable tenet of our Catholic Faith. Some theologians say that the first and primary claim of the gospel is not, as we often think, that “Jesus died for our sins.” Nor is it, as we are sometimes told, "God loves us and has a wonderful plan for our lives." Rather, the first and primary claim of the gospel is, "God is here.”
“Incarnation” literally means – “in body.” Our Doctrine of the Incarnation states that God has taken on human flesh: in the person of Jesus, in the Eucharist, and in all who are sincere in faith as the body of Christ.
Our belief in the incarnation declares that we are saved as much by Jesus’ birth as by his death. The life of Jesus was the ultimate act of God’s willingness to meet us where we are at, in our very own history, in our suffering, and is a firm promise that God does not choose to be God without us. The Incarnation tells us we are never alone.
There is a story of a boy who receives the gift of a fish from his mother and he loves this fish so much that he saves his allowance for weeks and weeks in order to buy the fish a little bridge to swim under. But no matter what the boy does; yelling at the fish bowl, drawing pictures for the fish, etc. the fish just won’t swim under the bridge! So the boy says to his mom in frustration “Mom, why can’t I teach the fish to swim under the bridge?” And the Mom replies “Oh honey, in order to teach the fish to swim under the bridge, you would have to become a fish yourself.” Not an exact metaphor of course, but insightful. God simply could not bear the alienation that our bad choices and sin had caused so Jesus came among us, to save us, and show us the way home.
So, we do not believe in a God somewhere “out there,” or “up there,” transcendent and aloof towards us. We believe in a God who humbled himself to walk the earth with us and who is still physically present to us in a simple meal of bread and wine shared among us, and inside each and every human being that lives. The Christian God can be seen, heard, felt, tasted, and smelled through the senses. John Shea writes a little story that highlights the power in this belief….
"She was five years old, sure of the facts, and recited them with slow solemnity, convinced every word was revelation. She said they were so poor that they had only peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to eat and they went a long way from home without getting lost. The lady rode a donkey, The man walked, and the baby was inside the lady.
They had to stay in a stable with an ox and an ass (tee – hee) but the three Rich Men found them because a star lighted the roof! Shepherds came and you could pet the sheep, but not feed them. Then the baby was borned! And do you know who he was? Her quarter eyes inflated to silver dollars. The baby was GOD!
And she jumped in the air, whirled around, dove into the sofa, and buried her head under the cushion….Which is, of course, the only proper response to the Good News of the Incarnation."
Send your "Crazy Catholic Questions" to Lisa Brown at dre@ctredeemer.org or read past columns at: http://crazycatholicquestions.blogspot.com.
Send your "Crazy Catholic Questions" to Lisa Brown at dre@ctredeemer.org or read past columns at: http://crazycatholicquestions.blogspot.com.
Saturday, December 12, 2015
Crazy Catholic Question #60: Enduring the Holidays
How can I stay relatively sane, centered and loving during all the upcoming gatherings with my bat-$#*& crazy, dysfunctional family?
One of author Elizabeth Gilbert’s favorite teachers once said to her “If you think you’re spiritual and evolved and enlightened, go home for Christmas.” Can I get an “Amen”? A handful of us live the Norman Rockwell dream of peaceful, perfect turkey and stuffing holiday dinners filled with laugher, mutual admiration and encouragement. The rest of us, well….we don’t. We pop a valium, hold our breath as we knock on the door and pray for the best….which is usually 4 to 5 hours minimum of tense smiles and avoiding conversations that bring up old unresolved resentments and conflicts.
So, what would Jesus do when Uncle Bill starts his crazy political rampage? Or when Grandma asks with disgust ‘how could you do that to your body?’ looking at your favorite tattoo? Or when your sister judgmentally scolds you and says you should better mind your children? Or your Dad asks “When are you going to get a real job?” Or any number of much worse scenarios, passive or blatantly aggressive? Seriously, WWJD?!?!?
I think Jesus would invite us to follow him, as he does so often in the gospels. Never once did Jesus say following him would be easy, in fact, quite the opposite he said "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” (Matt 16:24) In other words, Jesus says “those who want to come with me must say no to the things they want, face the hard, painful realities of life, and follow me.” So we must say “no” to our deep, lingering desire to angrily pop Uncle Bill square in the nose, to tell-off Grandma and to spitefully ask our sister where does she get off. Instead, Fr. Ron Rolheiser says that:
“Jesus, invites us to something higher, and he models that for us in the way he died. Jesus took away tension by transforming it rather than by transmitting it. What Jesus does for us is comparable to what a water-purifier does. A water-purifier takes in water containing dirt, toxins, and poisons. It holds the impurities inside of itself and gives back only pure water. Jesus, as the Lamb of God, took away our sins and purified us in his blood not by some divine magic but, precisely, by absorbing and transforming our sin. Like a water-purifier, he took in hatred, held it, transformed it, and gave back love; he took in jealousy, held it, transformed it, and gave back affirmation; he took in resentment, held it, transformed it, and gave back compassion; and ultimately, he took in murder, held it, transformed it, and gave back forgiveness. That’s the Christian design for taking tension and resentment out of our lives.”
Our calling is not just to admire what Jesus did and how he lived but to imitate it; to follow him. It’s easy to love those who love you back, right? Jesus never calls us to be a doormat or endure abuse, buuuut….he did say to choose love in the face of those who aren’t very loving to us. Our doctrine of the incarnation tells us that our touch is Christ’s touch…Christ’s healing, forgiving, transformative touch. Hugging some of our family members with sincerity can be hard, but with Jesus, we CAN do hard things. But while doing these hard things we have to remember to be gentle with ourselves too and sometimes count our effort to even try as a success.
One of author Elizabeth Gilbert’s favorite teachers once said to her “If you think you’re spiritual and evolved and enlightened, go home for Christmas.” Can I get an “Amen”? A handful of us live the Norman Rockwell dream of peaceful, perfect turkey and stuffing holiday dinners filled with laugher, mutual admiration and encouragement. The rest of us, well….we don’t. We pop a valium, hold our breath as we knock on the door and pray for the best….which is usually 4 to 5 hours minimum of tense smiles and avoiding conversations that bring up old unresolved resentments and conflicts.
So, what would Jesus do when Uncle Bill starts his crazy political rampage? Or when Grandma asks with disgust ‘how could you do that to your body?’ looking at your favorite tattoo? Or when your sister judgmentally scolds you and says you should better mind your children? Or your Dad asks “When are you going to get a real job?” Or any number of much worse scenarios, passive or blatantly aggressive? Seriously, WWJD?!?!?
I think Jesus would invite us to follow him, as he does so often in the gospels. Never once did Jesus say following him would be easy, in fact, quite the opposite he said "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” (Matt 16:24) In other words, Jesus says “those who want to come with me must say no to the things they want, face the hard, painful realities of life, and follow me.” So we must say “no” to our deep, lingering desire to angrily pop Uncle Bill square in the nose, to tell-off Grandma and to spitefully ask our sister where does she get off. Instead, Fr. Ron Rolheiser says that:
“Jesus, invites us to something higher, and he models that for us in the way he died. Jesus took away tension by transforming it rather than by transmitting it. What Jesus does for us is comparable to what a water-purifier does. A water-purifier takes in water containing dirt, toxins, and poisons. It holds the impurities inside of itself and gives back only pure water. Jesus, as the Lamb of God, took away our sins and purified us in his blood not by some divine magic but, precisely, by absorbing and transforming our sin. Like a water-purifier, he took in hatred, held it, transformed it, and gave back love; he took in jealousy, held it, transformed it, and gave back affirmation; he took in resentment, held it, transformed it, and gave back compassion; and ultimately, he took in murder, held it, transformed it, and gave back forgiveness. That’s the Christian design for taking tension and resentment out of our lives.”
Our calling is not just to admire what Jesus did and how he lived but to imitate it; to follow him. It’s easy to love those who love you back, right? Jesus never calls us to be a doormat or endure abuse, buuuut….he did say to choose love in the face of those who aren’t very loving to us. Our doctrine of the incarnation tells us that our touch is Christ’s touch…Christ’s healing, forgiving, transformative touch. Hugging some of our family members with sincerity can be hard, but with Jesus, we CAN do hard things. But while doing these hard things we have to remember to be gentle with ourselves too and sometimes count our effort to even try as a success.
Saturday, December 5, 2015
Crazy Catholic Question #59: Why Small Groups?
Why are small groups important? Why and how do I join one here at CTR?
Theologian, Elizabeth Johnson, once said that at the root of all our Catholic doctrine is an encounter with the holy mystery that is God. Our doctrines are not just speculative mental acrobatics but rather an attempt to express a truth we have experienced.
The Trinity is an image, a concept of God that developed historically out of our collective experience. In the doctrine of the Trinity God has shown Godself to be a community of three persons, equal in every way, living together in loving, mutual relationship. So, if we believe, and God has revealed, that God is a community of mutual love and equality, then whenever we find ourselves freely giving or receiving love we are actively growing in knowledge and discovering the truth of the Trinity in the most potent and powerful way…not through our limited reason and words, but through our graced experience. "Hope is a dynamic at work in a community, finding expression in a community's imagery, rituals, and stories. It arises in individuals insofar as they partake of this social reality.”
So, community is deeply grounded in the nature of God. It flows from who God is. Therefore, we can’t regard the creating of community as an optional endeavor for us but rather a compelling and irrevocable necessity; a divine mandate of sorts. Sharing our stories and building community is God’s prescription to heal our broken world.
There is no question that Eucharist is essential to our life as Catholics. However there is something powerful and unique about an intimate gathering in a living room or a small classroom or around a dining room table that forces us to think differently than when we are worshipping as the larger church at Mass. Small groups, as the early church discovered (Acts 2:42-72) is where the rubber hits the road, where we genuinely care for one another and our theology begins to be fleshed out in conversation and action. There is tons of research that shows that small groups are absolutely crucial to the life and growth of any church. God calls us to love, not in an abstract or superficial way, but in a deep, face to face, transformative way…and this happens profoundly in small groups.
We currently have many small groups that meet: FIRE groups that have been meeting for decades, Scripture Study, Moms groups, Books studies, etc. Our hope for Lent is to nurture and tap existing small groups for their wisdom and insights as well as encourage the birth of a bunch of new small groups to better join our lives together and grow the kingdom of God.
In short, our Christian life is not meant to be lived alone. Our doctrines point to the deep truth that God is to be found much more in the “WE” than in the “ME.”
Ash Weds is Feb. 10th. We are going to train our facilitators and begin gathering small groups all through January (all shapes and sizes: couples, singles, men, women, kids, no kids, workplace, under 20, over 40…the list goes on). We invite you to think about participating in a small group as part of your Lenten devotion (three or more people who gather each week for prayer, study and sharing). Need not be a parishioner to participate, so invite your friends, family and neighbors too if you like.
Sign up here: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0b48aaaa2fa2f85-ctrsmall
Theologian, Elizabeth Johnson, once said that at the root of all our Catholic doctrine is an encounter with the holy mystery that is God. Our doctrines are not just speculative mental acrobatics but rather an attempt to express a truth we have experienced.
The Trinity is an image, a concept of God that developed historically out of our collective experience. In the doctrine of the Trinity God has shown Godself to be a community of three persons, equal in every way, living together in loving, mutual relationship. So, if we believe, and God has revealed, that God is a community of mutual love and equality, then whenever we find ourselves freely giving or receiving love we are actively growing in knowledge and discovering the truth of the Trinity in the most potent and powerful way…not through our limited reason and words, but through our graced experience. "Hope is a dynamic at work in a community, finding expression in a community's imagery, rituals, and stories. It arises in individuals insofar as they partake of this social reality.”
So, community is deeply grounded in the nature of God. It flows from who God is. Therefore, we can’t regard the creating of community as an optional endeavor for us but rather a compelling and irrevocable necessity; a divine mandate of sorts. Sharing our stories and building community is God’s prescription to heal our broken world.
There is no question that Eucharist is essential to our life as Catholics. However there is something powerful and unique about an intimate gathering in a living room or a small classroom or around a dining room table that forces us to think differently than when we are worshipping as the larger church at Mass. Small groups, as the early church discovered (Acts 2:42-72) is where the rubber hits the road, where we genuinely care for one another and our theology begins to be fleshed out in conversation and action. There is tons of research that shows that small groups are absolutely crucial to the life and growth of any church. God calls us to love, not in an abstract or superficial way, but in a deep, face to face, transformative way…and this happens profoundly in small groups.
We currently have many small groups that meet: FIRE groups that have been meeting for decades, Scripture Study, Moms groups, Books studies, etc. Our hope for Lent is to nurture and tap existing small groups for their wisdom and insights as well as encourage the birth of a bunch of new small groups to better join our lives together and grow the kingdom of God.
In short, our Christian life is not meant to be lived alone. Our doctrines point to the deep truth that God is to be found much more in the “WE” than in the “ME.”
Ash Weds is Feb. 10th. We are going to train our facilitators and begin gathering small groups all through January (all shapes and sizes: couples, singles, men, women, kids, no kids, workplace, under 20, over 40…the list goes on). We invite you to think about participating in a small group as part of your Lenten devotion (three or more people who gather each week for prayer, study and sharing). Need not be a parishioner to participate, so invite your friends, family and neighbors too if you like.
Sign up here: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0b48aaaa2fa2f85-ctrsmall
Send your "Crazy Catholic Questions" to Lisa Brown at dre@ctredeemer.org or read past columns at: http://crazycatholicquestions.blogspot.com.
Saturday, November 28, 2015
Crazy Catholic Question #58: Help! Advent is a blur!
I’m a parent of young children, Advent is usually a blur of holiday preparation and the joys and exhausting chaos of school break - any recommendations on how to draw nearer to God and be more centered & present?
I hear you! Advent is my very favorite season of the year, but it can be a difficult one to truly enter into spiritually, especially if you have small children. I advise against taking on any rigorous new spiritual discipline during this busy time, but there is one simple one that may help. Wine. Making it wasn’t Jesus’ first miracle for nothing! Ha Ha. No, kidding aside, truly St. Ignatius taught a very simple spiritual practice called the “Examen” that is a “small but mighty” way to keep our eyes on Jesus and the beauty of the incarnation this sacred season.
I hear you! Advent is my very favorite season of the year, but it can be a difficult one to truly enter into spiritually, especially if you have small children. I advise against taking on any rigorous new spiritual discipline during this busy time, but there is one simple one that may help. Wine. Making it wasn’t Jesus’ first miracle for nothing! Ha Ha. No, kidding aside, truly St. Ignatius taught a very simple spiritual practice called the “Examen” that is a “small but mighty” way to keep our eyes on Jesus and the beauty of the incarnation this sacred season.
Here is it….short and sweet:
Recognize the presence of God Take a few deep breathes. Be still and know that you are with God.
Look at your day with gratitude Acknowledge God in the big and small things of life.
Review your day When or where in the past 24 hours did you feel you were cooperating most fully with God’s action in your life? When were you resisting?
Ask yourself:
Recognize the presence of God Take a few deep breathes. Be still and know that you are with God.
Look at your day with gratitude Acknowledge God in the big and small things of life.
Review your day When or where in the past 24 hours did you feel you were cooperating most fully with God’s action in your life? When were you resisting?
Ask yourself:
What habits and life patterns do I notice?
When did I feel most alive? Most drained of life?
When did I have the greatest sense of belonging? When did I feel most alone?
When did I give love? Where did I receive love?
When did I feel most fully myself? Least myself?
When did I feel most whole? Most fragmented?
Reconcile and Resolve
Seek forgiveness
Ask for direction
Share a concern
Express gratitude
Resolve to move forward
A cool website on this daily Examen: http://www.sacredspace.ie/
Also, I highly recommend a little book called This Blessed Mess by Patricia Livingston.
Some days, my Examen reminds me of this lovely post from Rebecca Ruiz entitled A Mom’s Examen (aka “The Burnt Cookie Examen”)
Lord, here I am in your presence.
I’m having a hard time with gratitude right now so please, Lord,
help me to see past the burnt cookies, spilt flour, and milk too.
Piles of dishes, and mountains of laundry too.
Soggy soccer gear, bags of groceries on the floor.
Kids’ tantrums, and grandpa’s too.
My breathless frustrations and imperfections.
Because, Lord, I know that you are all good,
and you are with me through it all.
Each moment, each day, a gift.
I offer you myself, my efforts this day, so imperfect, yet so true.
I offer them to you, my God, who sees beauty where I see mess.
Who makes all things whole, and nothing less.
Remind me, Lord, of the privilege I have in serving you
in the family, in the mundane.
Remind me, Lord, of the gift of food that makes the dishes dirty.
Machines and harnessed power that wash the dishes and laundry too.
You, Lord, who makes a symphony of a practice session.
Gourmet meals of burnt offerings. Harmony from dissonance.
Open my eyes, Lord, to see you in the mud from the field.
You, in the warmth of those around the hearth.
Where I have failed today help me to do better tomorrow.
For where your touch is, there is Grace, Life, Beauty, and Love.
And you know, Lord, I need your Grace, your gentle caress, for imperfect me.
When did I have the greatest sense of belonging? When did I feel most alone?
When did I give love? Where did I receive love?
When did I feel most fully myself? Least myself?
When did I feel most whole? Most fragmented?
Reconcile and Resolve
Seek forgiveness
Ask for direction
Share a concern
Express gratitude
Resolve to move forward
A cool website on this daily Examen: http://www.sacredspace.ie/
Also, I highly recommend a little book called This Blessed Mess by Patricia Livingston.
Some days, my Examen reminds me of this lovely post from Rebecca Ruiz entitled A Mom’s Examen (aka “The Burnt Cookie Examen”)
Lord, here I am in your presence.
I’m having a hard time with gratitude right now so please, Lord,
help me to see past the burnt cookies, spilt flour, and milk too.
Piles of dishes, and mountains of laundry too.
Soggy soccer gear, bags of groceries on the floor.
Kids’ tantrums, and grandpa’s too.
My breathless frustrations and imperfections.
Because, Lord, I know that you are all good,
and you are with me through it all.
Each moment, each day, a gift.
I offer you myself, my efforts this day, so imperfect, yet so true.
I offer them to you, my God, who sees beauty where I see mess.
Who makes all things whole, and nothing less.
Remind me, Lord, of the privilege I have in serving you
in the family, in the mundane.
Remind me, Lord, of the gift of food that makes the dishes dirty.
Machines and harnessed power that wash the dishes and laundry too.
You, Lord, who makes a symphony of a practice session.
Gourmet meals of burnt offerings. Harmony from dissonance.
Open my eyes, Lord, to see you in the mud from the field.
You, in the warmth of those around the hearth.
Where I have failed today help me to do better tomorrow.
For where your touch is, there is Grace, Life, Beauty, and Love.
And you know, Lord, I need your Grace, your gentle caress, for imperfect me.
Imperfect and loved.
Lastly, we have two WONDERFUL Moms groups here at CTR that meet weekly or bi-weekly for faith sharing, friendship and laughter that are always welcoming new participants (childcare provided of course). Happy Advent!
Send your "Crazy Catholic Questions") to dre@ctredeemer.org or read past columns at: http://crazycatholicquestions.blogspot.com.
Lastly, we have two WONDERFUL Moms groups here at CTR that meet weekly or bi-weekly for faith sharing, friendship and laughter that are always welcoming new participants (childcare provided of course). Happy Advent!
Send your "Crazy Catholic Questions") to dre@ctredeemer.org or read past columns at: http://crazycatholicquestions.blogspot.com.
Saturday, November 21, 2015
Crazy Catholic Question #57: Sympathy & Empathy
What is the difference between sympathy and empathy?
Brene’ Brown says that compassion is a deep, spiritual decision and commitment to practice empathy and that empathy begins with “perspective taking” - being able to see the world as others see it. An example; my 8th grader arrived home the other day very upset because she dislikes having to share a locker at school. She is a bit of a packrat and all her important things are not fitting properly. I listened to 45-minutes of painful, dramatic complaining about this problem, complete with tears.
But what I was thinking right before she arrived home (and honestly, while she was actually talking a bit too…no expert here) was “How can I help my co-worker who is in pain and dying?” (RIP Maryalice) and “How we are going to find and afford another car (transmission blew) AND still manage to have a decent Christmas and continue to pay our mortgage?”
My daughter is talking about how she was so embarrassed when her math book fell out of her locker - because that’s where she is at…in middle school…and I’m thinking “Has my sister noticed like I have how bad my Dad’s memory is getting?” "What can our family do to ease the suffering of the refugees from war in our world?" Am I alone in finding it super difficult to listen empathetically to my kids? Their experience is so different than ours as adults, right? What I wanted to say to her is “locker problems are not on my radar right now - they don’t qualify as urgent” or something along the lines of “Grow up! Count your blessings! Buck up!” Not very empathetic I’m afraid….
Brene’ goes on to say that empathy is also wholly non-judgmental. Sounds like someone else we know, right? How many times does Jesus say “Do not judge” in the scriptures? Empathy only happens if we stay out of judgment. It’s about knowing ourselves, not being afraid to share our own imperfections and effectively communicating that incredibly healing message of “You’re not alone.”
Pema Chödrön, writes: “Compassion is not a relationship between the healer and the wounded. It’s a relationship between equals. Only when we know our own darkness well can we sit in the dark with others. Compassion becomes real when we recognize our shared humanity.” Absolutely beautiful.
How is this different than sympathy? Brown offers this image. Let’s say we have a friend who's fallen down into a hole (i.e. depression, addiction, shame from any number of bad choices) and we call down and ask “Are you OK?” And our friend responds, “No, I'm really struggling.”
And we offer, “Can I come be with you?” and we go down into the hole to be with our friend, but only if we know how to get back out! Namely we take our “listening-with- perspective-taking-and-no-judgment” skills; in short, neither of us gets out of the hole without empathy.
Sympathy on the other hand is walking up to the edge of the hole and saying “What’s happening friend?” and our friend responds “Something really bad happened” and we say “Oh, sorry to hear that, but there is no way I’m going down into that hole. I’ll feel bad for you up here where people don’t do the kind of stuff that gets them into holes like the one you are in.”
Sympathy or “you poor soul” kind of sentiments, actually distance us from one another. Empathy recognizes that our “imperfections are not inadequacies; but rather reminders that we're all in this together” and that God doesn’t love us despite our faults and failures but in and through them he connects us and builds God’s kingdom.
Send your "Crazy Catholic Questions" to Lisa Brown at dre@ctredeemer.org or read past columns at: http://crazycatholicquestions.blogspot.com.
Brene’ Brown says that compassion is a deep, spiritual decision and commitment to practice empathy and that empathy begins with “perspective taking” - being able to see the world as others see it. An example; my 8th grader arrived home the other day very upset because she dislikes having to share a locker at school. She is a bit of a packrat and all her important things are not fitting properly. I listened to 45-minutes of painful, dramatic complaining about this problem, complete with tears.
But what I was thinking right before she arrived home (and honestly, while she was actually talking a bit too…no expert here) was “How can I help my co-worker who is in pain and dying?” (RIP Maryalice) and “How we are going to find and afford another car (transmission blew) AND still manage to have a decent Christmas and continue to pay our mortgage?”
My daughter is talking about how she was so embarrassed when her math book fell out of her locker - because that’s where she is at…in middle school…and I’m thinking “Has my sister noticed like I have how bad my Dad’s memory is getting?” "What can our family do to ease the suffering of the refugees from war in our world?" Am I alone in finding it super difficult to listen empathetically to my kids? Their experience is so different than ours as adults, right? What I wanted to say to her is “locker problems are not on my radar right now - they don’t qualify as urgent” or something along the lines of “Grow up! Count your blessings! Buck up!” Not very empathetic I’m afraid….
Brene’ goes on to say that empathy is also wholly non-judgmental. Sounds like someone else we know, right? How many times does Jesus say “Do not judge” in the scriptures? Empathy only happens if we stay out of judgment. It’s about knowing ourselves, not being afraid to share our own imperfections and effectively communicating that incredibly healing message of “You’re not alone.”
Pema Chödrön, writes: “Compassion is not a relationship between the healer and the wounded. It’s a relationship between equals. Only when we know our own darkness well can we sit in the dark with others. Compassion becomes real when we recognize our shared humanity.” Absolutely beautiful.
How is this different than sympathy? Brown offers this image. Let’s say we have a friend who's fallen down into a hole (i.e. depression, addiction, shame from any number of bad choices) and we call down and ask “Are you OK?” And our friend responds, “No, I'm really struggling.”
And we offer, “Can I come be with you?” and we go down into the hole to be with our friend, but only if we know how to get back out! Namely we take our “listening-with- perspective-taking-and-no-judgment” skills; in short, neither of us gets out of the hole without empathy.
Sympathy on the other hand is walking up to the edge of the hole and saying “What’s happening friend?” and our friend responds “Something really bad happened” and we say “Oh, sorry to hear that, but there is no way I’m going down into that hole. I’ll feel bad for you up here where people don’t do the kind of stuff that gets them into holes like the one you are in.”
Sympathy or “you poor soul” kind of sentiments, actually distance us from one another. Empathy recognizes that our “imperfections are not inadequacies; but rather reminders that we're all in this together” and that God doesn’t love us despite our faults and failures but in and through them he connects us and builds God’s kingdom.
Send your "Crazy Catholic Questions" to Lisa Brown at dre@ctredeemer.org or read past columns at: http://crazycatholicquestions.blogspot.com.
Saturday, November 14, 2015
Crazy Catholic Question #56: Why do Catholics do that?
Why Do Catholics Do That?
Are YOU someone….Or do you KNOW someone who….
· Often wonders “Why do Catholics do that?”
· Has never received First Communion?
· Has never been Confirmed?
· Has expressed an interest in becoming Catholic?
· Has a child over the age of seven who has not been baptized?
If you are interested in learning more about the Catholic Faith or perhaps have been thinking of becoming a member of Christ the Redeemer, you may wish to consider being a part of our RCIA process.
The RCIA, which stands for Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, has its origins in the earliest centuries of the Church as a way for welcoming new members into the Catholic community. It is an ancient practice of the Church restored by the Second Vatican Council as the normal way adults prepare for baptism and enter the Catholic Church. It includes several stages marked by study, prayer and rites at Mass. Participants undergo a process of conversion as they study the Gospel, profess faith in Jesus, and eventually (at their own pace) receive the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist. The RCIA is a profound and beautiful way of responding to the words of Jesus: “Come, follow me.”
A friend of mine likened RCIA to those who go through the process of becoming a U.S. Citizen. They enter knowing little about our country but by the time they are naturalized they often know more about our American heritage and history than natural-born citizens. So too with the RCIA. Those participating in the process often end up knowing much more about our rich tradition, history and faith than many of our “cradle Catholics.”
Our weekly meetings provide an opportunity for prayer, study and small group discussion. Sessions focus on our scriptures and the teachings and experience of our faith and prepare individuals to celebrate the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist during the Easter season.
We currently have 16 CTR members involved as Sponsors and/or Team members supporting our RCIA candidates and are always eager to welcome more of our “regulars” to be a part of this meaningful ministry of witness and care.
In short, if you hail from another tradition, we genuinely hope the experience of our community has sparked an interest in knowing more about our Catholic tradition. We also recognize that there are many reasons why some Catholics have never received the Sacraments of First Communion or Confirmation. Whatever your reasons or motivation, now may be the time for you to answer the invitation of Jesus to deepen your faith life. It is never “too late.” Our door is always open. You are welcome to participate in the process with your questions, your insights and your faith story in a warm accepting setting. For more information please contact Lisa Brown and/or send your "Crazy Catholic Questions" to dre@ctredeemer.org. Read past columns at: http://crazycatholicquestions.blogspot.com.
Are YOU someone….Or do you KNOW someone who….
· Often wonders “Why do Catholics do that?”
· Has never received First Communion?
· Has never been Confirmed?
· Has expressed an interest in becoming Catholic?
· Has a child over the age of seven who has not been baptized?
If you are interested in learning more about the Catholic Faith or perhaps have been thinking of becoming a member of Christ the Redeemer, you may wish to consider being a part of our RCIA process.
The RCIA, which stands for Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, has its origins in the earliest centuries of the Church as a way for welcoming new members into the Catholic community. It is an ancient practice of the Church restored by the Second Vatican Council as the normal way adults prepare for baptism and enter the Catholic Church. It includes several stages marked by study, prayer and rites at Mass. Participants undergo a process of conversion as they study the Gospel, profess faith in Jesus, and eventually (at their own pace) receive the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist. The RCIA is a profound and beautiful way of responding to the words of Jesus: “Come, follow me.”
A friend of mine likened RCIA to those who go through the process of becoming a U.S. Citizen. They enter knowing little about our country but by the time they are naturalized they often know more about our American heritage and history than natural-born citizens. So too with the RCIA. Those participating in the process often end up knowing much more about our rich tradition, history and faith than many of our “cradle Catholics.”
Our weekly meetings provide an opportunity for prayer, study and small group discussion. Sessions focus on our scriptures and the teachings and experience of our faith and prepare individuals to celebrate the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist during the Easter season.
We currently have 16 CTR members involved as Sponsors and/or Team members supporting our RCIA candidates and are always eager to welcome more of our “regulars” to be a part of this meaningful ministry of witness and care.
In short, if you hail from another tradition, we genuinely hope the experience of our community has sparked an interest in knowing more about our Catholic tradition. We also recognize that there are many reasons why some Catholics have never received the Sacraments of First Communion or Confirmation. Whatever your reasons or motivation, now may be the time for you to answer the invitation of Jesus to deepen your faith life. It is never “too late.” Our door is always open. You are welcome to participate in the process with your questions, your insights and your faith story in a warm accepting setting. For more information please contact Lisa Brown and/or send your "Crazy Catholic Questions" to dre@ctredeemer.org. Read past columns at: http://crazycatholicquestions.blogspot.com.
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Crazy Catholic Question #55: Why Sacramental Prep?
Why do our children need to participate in such elaborate preparation to receive the Sacraments?
First, you would be (and I sure was!) surprised how many times I have been asked this question in my short tenure here. Second, our Sacramental Prep programs are pretty concise and reasonable in comparison to other parishes. Third, though we always defer to the parents’ wisdom here at CTR because they are the primary catechists of their children and the first and most powerful Gospel their children will ever read (Visit: http://www.familyformation.net/ChurchDocumentSupport.asp), here are my two cents….
We believe that our Sacraments have three parts to them: 1) Preparation, 2) Celebration, and 3) Living them out in our daily lives. Eucharist, Reconciliation & Confirmation are not things that "happen to" your child but events that we want them to actively participate in. Our Sacraments are fundamentally public in nature; deep communal experiences that bestow a certain kind of grace that all of us aim to fully receive and savor...to be fully present to…that are given by the community, for the community, and to the community. They are never a private event, but always a collective experience with the purpose of making Christ's presence more real in the world.
In other words, when we baptize our children into the body of Christ it is not just for the salvation of our child, but in a very real way for the salvation of the world. We are initiating them into a life of compassionate service to transform the world with the love of Christ…our membership in this body is what we celebrate each week at the Eucharistic table and affirm at Confirmation. This is the ambitious and stunningly beautiful dream and vision for our world that Jesus gifted to us…
The intimacy with God/Community that we parents so deeply desire for our children is the main aim of our Sacramental preparation process. Just as our child would never ask his/her coach if she could go to a competition without having attended any of the practices because she simply would not be prepared AND would not have that all-important "team" experience and all the relationships that make the activity such a rich, full and essential experience in her life, so too, to only partially or half-heartedly attend our preparation sessions and then have our children celebrate the Sacrament may not being doing them any favors. Sure we want them to be fully initiated, without question. But, we short-change our kids when we don’t whole-heartedly prepare them for these momentous milestones in our faith life.
We in the Office of Family Ministry really do our very best to listen, understand and accommodate busy families (most of our staff are living within them!). We don’t want to force any tough choices…but when our kid is swimming seven days a week, what can be done? And I wonder what we parents are teaching our children when hockey trumps going to Mass on Sunday?
We believe that our Sacraments give us a special strength for the journey when our lives get tough...and we parents (hopefully) know how essential our connection to God and our community is to our spiritual well-being as adults. In the end, we need to seriously ponder and prayerfully discern which choices are going to serve our kids best in their adult life.
First, you would be (and I sure was!) surprised how many times I have been asked this question in my short tenure here. Second, our Sacramental Prep programs are pretty concise and reasonable in comparison to other parishes. Third, though we always defer to the parents’ wisdom here at CTR because they are the primary catechists of their children and the first and most powerful Gospel their children will ever read (Visit: http://www.familyformation.net/ChurchDocumentSupport.asp), here are my two cents….
We believe that our Sacraments have three parts to them: 1) Preparation, 2) Celebration, and 3) Living them out in our daily lives. Eucharist, Reconciliation & Confirmation are not things that "happen to" your child but events that we want them to actively participate in. Our Sacraments are fundamentally public in nature; deep communal experiences that bestow a certain kind of grace that all of us aim to fully receive and savor...to be fully present to…that are given by the community, for the community, and to the community. They are never a private event, but always a collective experience with the purpose of making Christ's presence more real in the world.
In other words, when we baptize our children into the body of Christ it is not just for the salvation of our child, but in a very real way for the salvation of the world. We are initiating them into a life of compassionate service to transform the world with the love of Christ…our membership in this body is what we celebrate each week at the Eucharistic table and affirm at Confirmation. This is the ambitious and stunningly beautiful dream and vision for our world that Jesus gifted to us…
The intimacy with God/Community that we parents so deeply desire for our children is the main aim of our Sacramental preparation process. Just as our child would never ask his/her coach if she could go to a competition without having attended any of the practices because she simply would not be prepared AND would not have that all-important "team" experience and all the relationships that make the activity such a rich, full and essential experience in her life, so too, to only partially or half-heartedly attend our preparation sessions and then have our children celebrate the Sacrament may not being doing them any favors. Sure we want them to be fully initiated, without question. But, we short-change our kids when we don’t whole-heartedly prepare them for these momentous milestones in our faith life.
We in the Office of Family Ministry really do our very best to listen, understand and accommodate busy families (most of our staff are living within them!). We don’t want to force any tough choices…but when our kid is swimming seven days a week, what can be done? And I wonder what we parents are teaching our children when hockey trumps going to Mass on Sunday?
We believe that our Sacraments give us a special strength for the journey when our lives get tough...and we parents (hopefully) know how essential our connection to God and our community is to our spiritual well-being as adults. In the end, we need to seriously ponder and prayerfully discern which choices are going to serve our kids best in their adult life.
A quick shout out to
Nancy Clancy - her wisdom is reflected in this article. Send your "Crazy Catholic Questions"
to Lisa Brown at dre@ctredeemer.org or read past columns
at: http://crazycatholicquestions.blogspot.com.
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Crazy Catholic Question #54: Descent into Hell
Our creed tells us that Jesus “descended into hell”? What does this mean?
This question was submitted way back in the winter, but I hadn’t stumbled on a really meaningful answer until hearing Ron Rolheiser’s presentation at the most recent Gerald Martin Conference (GREAT annual conference here in the Detroit area early in August. Always top-notch speakers and Fr. Joe records it so audio files are always available in our library...great listening for your morning commute!) This is a paraphrase of what he said….
Rolheiser begins by telling the story of a young woman he knew who had attempted suicide. She had a very supportive family who got her the very best medical and psychiatric care available. They did everything they possibly could, but they were not successful. Two months later, she killed herself. She had descended into a place into which no human love, medicine, or psychiatry could penetrate, a private hell beyond human reach. How do we cope with our human helplessness in situations such as this?
Rolheiser says that it is our doctrine of Christ’s decent into hell that consoles us when we stand helpless before depression, anger, suicide, alienation and pain that we can’t penetrate. We are helpless, but this doctrine assures us that God is not.
We believe as Christians that our God has revealed in the cross of Jesus an unconditional love that is so powerful that even when we can’t help ourselves, God can help us. Rolheiser says that this the most of consoling doctrine in ALL of religion; there is nothing in Judaism, Hinduism, Islam, or any other religion that approximates it. This doctrine tells us that there is no place we can go where Christ has not been, no hell where Jesus is unable to meet us and redeem us, no place where God is not with us in our suffering. There is no place that God is unwilling to go to find us and love us into life.
Rolheiser cites the famous painting that shows Jesus outside a door with a lantern knocking and a desperate soul inside, but the knob is only on the inside of the door, suggesting that there is no way Jesus can enter unless we open the door to let him in and he says this is all wrong! This painting does not reflect what our Gospels tell us is true.
Rather, the Gospel of John tells us that after Jesus suffered his own personal hell of crucifixion, all his disciples were huddled in fear inside a locked room. But Jesus doesn’t stand outside the door and knock, waiting for them to open the door. He goes right through the locked doors, stands inside their huddled circle of fear, and breathes out peace to them. He isn’t helpless to enter when they are too frightened, depressed, and wounded to open the door for him. He can descend into their hell by going through the doors they have locked out of fear.
We all have private hells where others can no longer reach into our pain and where we are too wounded, frightened, and paralyzed to open the door to let anyone in. But Jesus can enter those locked doors…he can descend into our hell.
He ends by saying this doctrine assures us that the young woman who took her own life woke up on the other side finding Jesus standing inside her fear and sickness and breathing out peace, love, and forgiveness. Now THAT is good news indeed.
Send your "Crazy Catholic Questions" to Lisa Brown at dre@ctredeemer.org or read past columns at: http://crazycatholicquestions.blogspot.com.
This question was submitted way back in the winter, but I hadn’t stumbled on a really meaningful answer until hearing Ron Rolheiser’s presentation at the most recent Gerald Martin Conference (GREAT annual conference here in the Detroit area early in August. Always top-notch speakers and Fr. Joe records it so audio files are always available in our library...great listening for your morning commute!) This is a paraphrase of what he said….
Rolheiser begins by telling the story of a young woman he knew who had attempted suicide. She had a very supportive family who got her the very best medical and psychiatric care available. They did everything they possibly could, but they were not successful. Two months later, she killed herself. She had descended into a place into which no human love, medicine, or psychiatry could penetrate, a private hell beyond human reach. How do we cope with our human helplessness in situations such as this?
Rolheiser says that it is our doctrine of Christ’s decent into hell that consoles us when we stand helpless before depression, anger, suicide, alienation and pain that we can’t penetrate. We are helpless, but this doctrine assures us that God is not.
We believe as Christians that our God has revealed in the cross of Jesus an unconditional love that is so powerful that even when we can’t help ourselves, God can help us. Rolheiser says that this the most of consoling doctrine in ALL of religion; there is nothing in Judaism, Hinduism, Islam, or any other religion that approximates it. This doctrine tells us that there is no place we can go where Christ has not been, no hell where Jesus is unable to meet us and redeem us, no place where God is not with us in our suffering. There is no place that God is unwilling to go to find us and love us into life.
Rolheiser cites the famous painting that shows Jesus outside a door with a lantern knocking and a desperate soul inside, but the knob is only on the inside of the door, suggesting that there is no way Jesus can enter unless we open the door to let him in and he says this is all wrong! This painting does not reflect what our Gospels tell us is true.
Rather, the Gospel of John tells us that after Jesus suffered his own personal hell of crucifixion, all his disciples were huddled in fear inside a locked room. But Jesus doesn’t stand outside the door and knock, waiting for them to open the door. He goes right through the locked doors, stands inside their huddled circle of fear, and breathes out peace to them. He isn’t helpless to enter when they are too frightened, depressed, and wounded to open the door for him. He can descend into their hell by going through the doors they have locked out of fear.
We all have private hells where others can no longer reach into our pain and where we are too wounded, frightened, and paralyzed to open the door to let anyone in. But Jesus can enter those locked doors…he can descend into our hell.
He ends by saying this doctrine assures us that the young woman who took her own life woke up on the other side finding Jesus standing inside her fear and sickness and breathing out peace, love, and forgiveness. Now THAT is good news indeed.
Send your "Crazy Catholic Questions" to Lisa Brown at dre@ctredeemer.org or read past columns at: http://crazycatholicquestions.blogspot.com.
Saturday, November 7, 2015
Crazy Catholic Question #53: Equality & Justice
Aren’t equality and justice the same thing?
We have been taught from a very early age that fairness matters. It’s a well-worn loop that plays in our head that says “If someone gets what I am getting - but hasn’t put in as much work as I have then I’m being cheated.”
I like to use this example: I was dolling out some candy to my kids in exchange for their help in cleaning the house (because I believe in the power of bribery) and one of my daughters actually counted the microscopic candy Nerds I gave to her and then eye-balled the candy in her sisters palm and proclaimed “Hey! She got the same as me! I put away the towels AND did the dishes; that’s way more work than she did! That’s not fair!” Yet, no mention was made that she is 13 years old and her sister is only 5 years old. I’m confident that I need not elaborate this point. If there’s a single parent in this parish who hasn’t heard “It’s not fair” about a billion times, I’ll eat my hat. This is a light-hearted example of the key distinction between “fair” and “equal” that Pope Francis has made repeatedly during his pontificate.
Our equality lies in each and every person’s inherent dignity and value as a child of God. But when it comes to justice, what is “fair” is not everyone getting the same, but everyone getting what they need. Just as parents would not treat all their children exactly the same (“equally”) if one of their children had special needs, so too, in our family of the church when one of our members needs more than the usual share of time, resources and encouragement we are called to bend and meet those needs as best as we are able.
“Basic justice calls for the establishment of a floor of material well-being on which all can stand. This is a duty of the whole of society and it creates particular obligations for those with greater resources. Catholic social teaching does not maintain that a flat, arithmetical equality of income and wealth is a demand of justice, but it does challenge economic arrangements that leave large numbers of people impoverished and lacking basic necessities.” (Economic Justice for All: Catholic Social Teaching and the U.S. Economy U.S. Bishops, 1986, #74)
Christian spirituality teaches that our right to private property is not an absolute one. It must be subordinated to the common good, to the fact that the goods of the earth are intended for all. No person, group of persons, or nation may have a surplus of goods if others lack the basic necessities. We are morally obliged to come to the aid of those in need. In giving such aid we are not “doing our good thing for God.” This is not charity, but serving justice. Helping the poor is not an issue of personal virtue and generosity, but something that is demanded of all followers of Jesus.
So, until the present immoral situation within the world, that goes directly against the teachings of Christ, where some individuals and nations have excess while others lack even the most basic of necessities, “fair” is not everyone getting the same, but everyone getting what they need.
We have been taught from a very early age that fairness matters. It’s a well-worn loop that plays in our head that says “If someone gets what I am getting - but hasn’t put in as much work as I have then I’m being cheated.”
I like to use this example: I was dolling out some candy to my kids in exchange for their help in cleaning the house (because I believe in the power of bribery) and one of my daughters actually counted the microscopic candy Nerds I gave to her and then eye-balled the candy in her sisters palm and proclaimed “Hey! She got the same as me! I put away the towels AND did the dishes; that’s way more work than she did! That’s not fair!” Yet, no mention was made that she is 13 years old and her sister is only 5 years old. I’m confident that I need not elaborate this point. If there’s a single parent in this parish who hasn’t heard “It’s not fair” about a billion times, I’ll eat my hat. This is a light-hearted example of the key distinction between “fair” and “equal” that Pope Francis has made repeatedly during his pontificate.
Our equality lies in each and every person’s inherent dignity and value as a child of God. But when it comes to justice, what is “fair” is not everyone getting the same, but everyone getting what they need. Just as parents would not treat all their children exactly the same (“equally”) if one of their children had special needs, so too, in our family of the church when one of our members needs more than the usual share of time, resources and encouragement we are called to bend and meet those needs as best as we are able.
“Basic justice calls for the establishment of a floor of material well-being on which all can stand. This is a duty of the whole of society and it creates particular obligations for those with greater resources. Catholic social teaching does not maintain that a flat, arithmetical equality of income and wealth is a demand of justice, but it does challenge economic arrangements that leave large numbers of people impoverished and lacking basic necessities.” (Economic Justice for All: Catholic Social Teaching and the U.S. Economy U.S. Bishops, 1986, #74)
Christian spirituality teaches that our right to private property is not an absolute one. It must be subordinated to the common good, to the fact that the goods of the earth are intended for all. No person, group of persons, or nation may have a surplus of goods if others lack the basic necessities. We are morally obliged to come to the aid of those in need. In giving such aid we are not “doing our good thing for God.” This is not charity, but serving justice. Helping the poor is not an issue of personal virtue and generosity, but something that is demanded of all followers of Jesus.
So, until the present immoral situation within the world, that goes directly against the teachings of Christ, where some individuals and nations have excess while others lack even the most basic of necessities, “fair” is not everyone getting the same, but everyone getting what they need.
Send your "Crazy Catholic Questions" to Lisa Brown at dre@ctredeemer.org or read past columns at: http://crazycatholicquestions.blogspot.com.
Saturday, October 10, 2015
Crazy Catholic Question #52: Dialogue
How can we claim to be a united Catholic Community when we all seem to hold such different political and social views and even theological beliefs?
One of the things I love most about being Catholic is how wide our umbrella of “belonging” is. We differ in a multitude of ways; how we interpret church teaching, understand the role of conscience, discern God’s presence and acting in our unique life experiences. We share a core of unchanging, revealed truths (Dogmas) but our Doctrines develop over time (Read An Essay On the Development of Christian Doctrine by John Henry Newman, free all over the internet).
We don’t believe that God’s revelation is a “once and for all” type thing, but rather is on-going…every minute of every day. Growth in our doctrine & our understanding of the truth most often happen through honest, passionate, and sometimes uncomfortable or even painful dialogue with one another; staying at the table even when the urge to “take our toys and go home” is so enticing. If we are able to humbly admit that we all know so very little about the great mystery that God is (like an ant contemplating astrophysics) we open ourselves to this revelation.
Cardinal Bernardin through his Common Ground Initiative offered these seven PRINCIPLES OF DIALOGUE to guide us in our shared listening…(http://www.catholiccommonground.org/principles-dialogue)
1. We should recognize that no single group or viewpoint in the church has a complete monopoly on the truth. While the bishops & Pope have been endowed by God with the power to preserve the true faith, they exercise their office by taking counsel with one another and with the experience of the whole church, past and present. Solutions to the church's problems will inevitably emerge from a variety of sources.
2. We should not envision ourselves or any one part of the church a saving remnant. No group within the church should judge itself alone to be possessed of enlightenment or spurn the Catholic community, its leaders, or its institutions as unfaithful.
3. We should test all proposals for their pastoral realism and potential impact on individuals as well as for their theological truth.
4. We should presume that those with whom we differ are acting in good faith. They deserve civility, charity, and a good-faith effort to understand their concerns. We should not substitute labels, abstractions, or blanketing terms--"radical feminism," "the hierarchy," "the Vatican"--for living, complicated realities.
5. We should put the best possible construction on differing positions, addressing their strongest points rather than seizing upon the most vulnerable aspects in order to discredit them. We should detect the valid insights and legitimate worries that may underlie even questionable arguments.
6. We should be cautious in ascribing motives. We should not impugn another's love of the church and loyalty to it. We should not rush to interpret disagreements as conflicts of starkly opposing principles rather than as differences in degree or in prudential pastoral judgments about the relevant facts.
7. We should bring the church to engage the realities of contemporary culture, not by simple defiance or by naive acquiescence, but acknowledging, in the fashion of Gaudium et Spes, both our culture's valid achievements and real dangers.
God is easily found in our warm, fuzzy moments but we also need to work hard to recognize and listen for God in the friction between us. We are all like jagged rocks thrown into a burlap bag and furiously shaken for 20 or 30 years (or a couple thousand)….eventually, we become better, “well-rounded” people. This is our collective work and our calling as the People of God.
One of the things I love most about being Catholic is how wide our umbrella of “belonging” is. We differ in a multitude of ways; how we interpret church teaching, understand the role of conscience, discern God’s presence and acting in our unique life experiences. We share a core of unchanging, revealed truths (Dogmas) but our Doctrines develop over time (Read An Essay On the Development of Christian Doctrine by John Henry Newman, free all over the internet).
We don’t believe that God’s revelation is a “once and for all” type thing, but rather is on-going…every minute of every day. Growth in our doctrine & our understanding of the truth most often happen through honest, passionate, and sometimes uncomfortable or even painful dialogue with one another; staying at the table even when the urge to “take our toys and go home” is so enticing. If we are able to humbly admit that we all know so very little about the great mystery that God is (like an ant contemplating astrophysics) we open ourselves to this revelation.
Cardinal Bernardin through his Common Ground Initiative offered these seven PRINCIPLES OF DIALOGUE to guide us in our shared listening…(http://www.catholiccommonground.org/principles-dialogue)
1. We should recognize that no single group or viewpoint in the church has a complete monopoly on the truth. While the bishops & Pope have been endowed by God with the power to preserve the true faith, they exercise their office by taking counsel with one another and with the experience of the whole church, past and present. Solutions to the church's problems will inevitably emerge from a variety of sources.
2. We should not envision ourselves or any one part of the church a saving remnant. No group within the church should judge itself alone to be possessed of enlightenment or spurn the Catholic community, its leaders, or its institutions as unfaithful.
3. We should test all proposals for their pastoral realism and potential impact on individuals as well as for their theological truth.
4. We should presume that those with whom we differ are acting in good faith. They deserve civility, charity, and a good-faith effort to understand their concerns. We should not substitute labels, abstractions, or blanketing terms--"radical feminism," "the hierarchy," "the Vatican"--for living, complicated realities.
5. We should put the best possible construction on differing positions, addressing their strongest points rather than seizing upon the most vulnerable aspects in order to discredit them. We should detect the valid insights and legitimate worries that may underlie even questionable arguments.
6. We should be cautious in ascribing motives. We should not impugn another's love of the church and loyalty to it. We should not rush to interpret disagreements as conflicts of starkly opposing principles rather than as differences in degree or in prudential pastoral judgments about the relevant facts.
7. We should bring the church to engage the realities of contemporary culture, not by simple defiance or by naive acquiescence, but acknowledging, in the fashion of Gaudium et Spes, both our culture's valid achievements and real dangers.
God is easily found in our warm, fuzzy moments but we also need to work hard to recognize and listen for God in the friction between us. We are all like jagged rocks thrown into a burlap bag and furiously shaken for 20 or 30 years (or a couple thousand)….eventually, we become better, “well-rounded” people. This is our collective work and our calling as the People of God.
Saturday, September 12, 2015
Crazy Catholic Question #51: Children
My friend says that “church is no place for children and that parents should just keep their kids at home until they are able to be quiet so they do not bother others who are trying to pray.” I don’t think that is the spirit here at CTR at all. What are your thoughts?
CTR is a very family friendly parish. Our weekend liturgies are truly a place for everyone, including the little ones and all their interesting noises, smells and gestures. . Here is a little piece I recently found that I think sums it up nicely….
To the Parents of our Young Children, may we suggest….Relax! God put the wiggle in your children; don’t feel you have to suppress it in God’s house. All are welcome! Sit toward the front where it is easier for your little ones to see and hear what’s going on at the altar. They tire of seeing the backs of others’ heads. Quietly explain the parts of the Mass and actions of the priest, altar servers, choir, etc. Sing the hymns, pray and voice the responses. Children learn liturgical behavior by copying you. If you have to leave Mass with your child, feel free to do so, but please come back. As Jesus said, “Let the children come to me.” Remember that the way we welcome children in church directly affects the way they respond to the Church, to God, and to one another. Let them know that they are at home in this house of worship.
To the Wider members of our Parish, please welcome our children and give a smile of encouragement to their parents. The presence of children is a gift to the Church and they are a reminder that our parish is growing.
The Gathering Space and the Reconciliation Room certainly can serve as cry spaces or places to nurse when needed, but we hope you won't begin there or stay there throughout the whole Mass. We want the children to be with us when we pray, and among us in the main church is their rightful place as much as anyone else’s.
Coming to Mass every week (or as often as possible) getting dressed up, greeting friends, eating donuts after Mass, listening to live music with real instruments, and singing and praying together really help our children to consider this place 'home.' Our children’s presence is good for others too; especially some of our elderly members who perhaps don't get to see the energy and vitality of youth but once a week! Holding a child's hand at the ‘Our Father’ may be a very deep and real experience of the sacred for a fellow member. So, just because your kids are a little fussy or distracted, please don't deprive us of their terrific and important presence…or yours!
Of course, we are a reasonable and realistic community too, so we DO offer some options that aim to help parents get a little valuable, undisturbed prayer time. When your child can walk, we do offer a free nursery service. We also offer a terrific PreK/K program during Sunday Masses (drop-ins welcome!), and then at the beginning of Mass our 1st – 3rd graders are invited to leave the main church and head to the chapel for our “Children’s Liturgy of the Word,” which consists of an age appropriate proclamation of the readings and homily, and then return to their family for the Eucharistic prayer and communion.
Personally, I think the wider parish welcomes our children quite effectively already!! So, kudos to all of you who help make this a special, sacred place that our treasured little ones can truly call “home.”
CTR is a very family friendly parish. Our weekend liturgies are truly a place for everyone, including the little ones and all their interesting noises, smells and gestures. . Here is a little piece I recently found that I think sums it up nicely….
To the Parents of our Young Children, may we suggest….Relax! God put the wiggle in your children; don’t feel you have to suppress it in God’s house. All are welcome! Sit toward the front where it is easier for your little ones to see and hear what’s going on at the altar. They tire of seeing the backs of others’ heads. Quietly explain the parts of the Mass and actions of the priest, altar servers, choir, etc. Sing the hymns, pray and voice the responses. Children learn liturgical behavior by copying you. If you have to leave Mass with your child, feel free to do so, but please come back. As Jesus said, “Let the children come to me.” Remember that the way we welcome children in church directly affects the way they respond to the Church, to God, and to one another. Let them know that they are at home in this house of worship.
To the Wider members of our Parish, please welcome our children and give a smile of encouragement to their parents. The presence of children is a gift to the Church and they are a reminder that our parish is growing.
The Gathering Space and the Reconciliation Room certainly can serve as cry spaces or places to nurse when needed, but we hope you won't begin there or stay there throughout the whole Mass. We want the children to be with us when we pray, and among us in the main church is their rightful place as much as anyone else’s.
Coming to Mass every week (or as often as possible) getting dressed up, greeting friends, eating donuts after Mass, listening to live music with real instruments, and singing and praying together really help our children to consider this place 'home.' Our children’s presence is good for others too; especially some of our elderly members who perhaps don't get to see the energy and vitality of youth but once a week! Holding a child's hand at the ‘Our Father’ may be a very deep and real experience of the sacred for a fellow member. So, just because your kids are a little fussy or distracted, please don't deprive us of their terrific and important presence…or yours!
Of course, we are a reasonable and realistic community too, so we DO offer some options that aim to help parents get a little valuable, undisturbed prayer time. When your child can walk, we do offer a free nursery service. We also offer a terrific PreK/K program during Sunday Masses (drop-ins welcome!), and then at the beginning of Mass our 1st – 3rd graders are invited to leave the main church and head to the chapel for our “Children’s Liturgy of the Word,” which consists of an age appropriate proclamation of the readings and homily, and then return to their family for the Eucharistic prayer and communion.
Personally, I think the wider parish welcomes our children quite effectively already!! So, kudos to all of you who help make this a special, sacred place that our treasured little ones can truly call “home.”
Saturday, September 5, 2015
Crazy Catholic Question #50: Vulnerability
When Jesus instructs us to love our enemies and be a servant to all, doesn’t that just give other people license to take advantage of and even abuse us? I thought Christians were supposed to fight injustice, not acquiesce to it?
In Mark 9:30-37 Jesus recognizes that his disciples are afraid about Jesus’ fate…and their fear has made them insecure…and their insecurity has led to a shallow argument about “Who is the greatest” among them. So Jesus looks to comfort them in their insecurity and he does this by bringing a small child in front of them and giving the little toddler a sincere embrace. What does he mean to teach with this action?
In the original ancient Greek of the Gospels there are three words for power. The first indicates physical energy: strength, health and muscle. The second means dynamism or vigor, like the energetic and vibrant power of a good salesman. But when the Gospels speak of Jesus as "having great power", they use a third word, “exousia,” which is best translated as “vulnerability.” Jesus' real power was rooted in his ability and decision to be vulnerable… like the powerlessness of a child.
Jesus is inviting us to imagine the kind of world it would be if rather than exerting our power through physical strength or verve we embraced our own and others vulnerability and exercised our power not through selling ourselves and our accomplishments but through loving service and being gentle with one another….not by collecting powerful friends but by welcoming the weak and small in the world.
This is a very counter-cultural idea. We are taught to value competition and to glamorize success. One of our most basic assumptions is that we all have an unbridled right to pursue our own self-interest, and that doing so successfully (and often defeating others in the process) is what makes us powerful and secure in our own happiness. If you ask a little boy “What is power?” he will take a strong, stern stance, and puff out his chest with “conquer” in his eyes, right? Jesus is telling us this is NOT the kind of power that is “of God.”
A toddler is someone who entirely lacks any accomplishments, status, or pretensions.
During Jesus’ time children were considered insignificant liabilities because they weren’t productive members of the household and were completely dependent on others. They were the picture of smallness. So when Jesus embraces the little child who represents utter vulnerability he teaching the disciples something about God. He is in effect saying our worthiness has no prerequisites, because this is how God welcomes us too…and THIS is the power of God. We need not vie for power or position, because we are not loved for what we DO but for who we ARE; beloved, unique, treasured children of God.
So, Jesus isn’t asking us to be doe-eyed doormats that other people can take advantage of rather he wants to birth a community where everyone relinquishes the calculating and manipulative tendencies born of fear so that the pecking order and the relationships of superiority and inferiority, are abolished altogether.
Brene Brown says “We cultivate love when we allow our most vulnerable selves to be deeply seen and known….when we stop judging and offer trust, respect, and kindness to one another. Love is something that we work very hard to grow. “ Jesus taught that this unconditional love and vulnerability is the power of God; the ONLY power that can ever bring about true and lasting change in our troubled world…but, without a doubt, it is some hard, dangerous work, as the cross displays.
In Mark 9:30-37 Jesus recognizes that his disciples are afraid about Jesus’ fate…and their fear has made them insecure…and their insecurity has led to a shallow argument about “Who is the greatest” among them. So Jesus looks to comfort them in their insecurity and he does this by bringing a small child in front of them and giving the little toddler a sincere embrace. What does he mean to teach with this action?
In the original ancient Greek of the Gospels there are three words for power. The first indicates physical energy: strength, health and muscle. The second means dynamism or vigor, like the energetic and vibrant power of a good salesman. But when the Gospels speak of Jesus as "having great power", they use a third word, “exousia,” which is best translated as “vulnerability.” Jesus' real power was rooted in his ability and decision to be vulnerable… like the powerlessness of a child.
Jesus is inviting us to imagine the kind of world it would be if rather than exerting our power through physical strength or verve we embraced our own and others vulnerability and exercised our power not through selling ourselves and our accomplishments but through loving service and being gentle with one another….not by collecting powerful friends but by welcoming the weak and small in the world.
This is a very counter-cultural idea. We are taught to value competition and to glamorize success. One of our most basic assumptions is that we all have an unbridled right to pursue our own self-interest, and that doing so successfully (and often defeating others in the process) is what makes us powerful and secure in our own happiness. If you ask a little boy “What is power?” he will take a strong, stern stance, and puff out his chest with “conquer” in his eyes, right? Jesus is telling us this is NOT the kind of power that is “of God.”
A toddler is someone who entirely lacks any accomplishments, status, or pretensions.
During Jesus’ time children were considered insignificant liabilities because they weren’t productive members of the household and were completely dependent on others. They were the picture of smallness. So when Jesus embraces the little child who represents utter vulnerability he teaching the disciples something about God. He is in effect saying our worthiness has no prerequisites, because this is how God welcomes us too…and THIS is the power of God. We need not vie for power or position, because we are not loved for what we DO but for who we ARE; beloved, unique, treasured children of God.
So, Jesus isn’t asking us to be doe-eyed doormats that other people can take advantage of rather he wants to birth a community where everyone relinquishes the calculating and manipulative tendencies born of fear so that the pecking order and the relationships of superiority and inferiority, are abolished altogether.
Brene Brown says “We cultivate love when we allow our most vulnerable selves to be deeply seen and known….when we stop judging and offer trust, respect, and kindness to one another. Love is something that we work very hard to grow. “ Jesus taught that this unconditional love and vulnerability is the power of God; the ONLY power that can ever bring about true and lasting change in our troubled world…but, without a doubt, it is some hard, dangerous work, as the cross displays.
Saturday, August 29, 2015
Crazy Catholic Questions #49: Silence
Are there local places that offer silent retreats?
Yes! Several! Treat yourself to a weekend retreat at the Capuchin Retreat Center! www.capretreat.org. This year’s theme is “Sacred Listening.” Nancy Clancy and I are part of the extended preaching staff there and she wrote this beautiful piece for our retreats this year…What a wonderful family prayer and discussion this would make!!! A little mini-retreat at home!
The gift of the Rosary as a way of prayer has survived many centuries. It is meant to be a sort of mantra prayer, the repetition of familiar prayer releasing us to focus on the life of Jesus. The Church has established four traditional sets of mysteries (Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious, Luminous). For our theme at the Capuchin Retreat this year, we offer you this combination of mysteries.
The Mysteries of Sacred Listening
The Annunciation – how quiet Mary had to be in the depths of her being to hear this strange and unexpected message from God. How willing am I to be that open? What might God be asking of me today? Let us pray this decade, asking for the virtue of Spirit filled openness.
The Baptism of the Lord - Early on, Jesus learned to listen to His Father’s words of love and tenderness. Those words, once heard, transform all relationships. That same God speaks to me today…you are my beloved child. Let us pray for a listening heart.
Jesus visits Martha and Mary - Within each of us lies a Martha and Mary personality, sometimes we scurry about doing, much too busy to sit and the feet of Jesus to listen. Then there are times when we must stop, slow down, and pay total attention to what the Lord is saying to us. Let us pray this decade seeking balance in our lives.
The Agony in the Garden – To hear God’s Will is hardly ever easy; in fact there are times that it is absolutely agonizing. Let us find strength in Jesus’ surrendering to His loving Father. We pray this decade asking for the virtue of surrender.
The Coming of the Holy Spirit - How important to be able to listen in the midst of noise, confusion and excitement! The results of our openness and surrender to God are always meant to result in bringing the Joy of the Gospel to the world. Let us pray for a renewal of the energy given to us at our Baptism…an energy which comes only from God’s Holy Spirit.
Manresa Jesuit Retreat House also offers wonderful silent retreats. https://www.manresa-sj.org/.
Yes! Several! Treat yourself to a weekend retreat at the Capuchin Retreat Center! www.capretreat.org. This year’s theme is “Sacred Listening.” Nancy Clancy and I are part of the extended preaching staff there and she wrote this beautiful piece for our retreats this year…What a wonderful family prayer and discussion this would make!!! A little mini-retreat at home!
The gift of the Rosary as a way of prayer has survived many centuries. It is meant to be a sort of mantra prayer, the repetition of familiar prayer releasing us to focus on the life of Jesus. The Church has established four traditional sets of mysteries (Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious, Luminous). For our theme at the Capuchin Retreat this year, we offer you this combination of mysteries.
The Mysteries of Sacred Listening
The Annunciation – how quiet Mary had to be in the depths of her being to hear this strange and unexpected message from God. How willing am I to be that open? What might God be asking of me today? Let us pray this decade, asking for the virtue of Spirit filled openness.
The Baptism of the Lord - Early on, Jesus learned to listen to His Father’s words of love and tenderness. Those words, once heard, transform all relationships. That same God speaks to me today…you are my beloved child. Let us pray for a listening heart.
Jesus visits Martha and Mary - Within each of us lies a Martha and Mary personality, sometimes we scurry about doing, much too busy to sit and the feet of Jesus to listen. Then there are times when we must stop, slow down, and pay total attention to what the Lord is saying to us. Let us pray this decade seeking balance in our lives.
The Agony in the Garden – To hear God’s Will is hardly ever easy; in fact there are times that it is absolutely agonizing. Let us find strength in Jesus’ surrendering to His loving Father. We pray this decade asking for the virtue of surrender.
The Coming of the Holy Spirit - How important to be able to listen in the midst of noise, confusion and excitement! The results of our openness and surrender to God are always meant to result in bringing the Joy of the Gospel to the world. Let us pray for a renewal of the energy given to us at our Baptism…an energy which comes only from God’s Holy Spirit.
Manresa Jesuit Retreat House also offers wonderful silent retreats. https://www.manresa-sj.org/.
"Nothing approximates the language of God so much as silence." - Meister Eckhart
Saturday, August 22, 2015
Crazy Catholic Question #48: Finding our Calm
What do you think Jesus would prescribe for our chronic “busyness” so prevalent in our culture today?
I don’t know about you, but when autumn arrives, my chest hurts. I look at my calendar and think “when am I going to squeeze in a shower?” I think many of us recognize how different our culture is from even 30 years ago. I miss being unplugged and unreachable, how about you? Anybody else answering emails at 2AM? I instruct my teenager to unplug and I know that is a key part of being a good parent these days, but if I’m honest with myself I also see how ridiculously hypocritical it is of me to demand of her.
In talking with other people, I’m quite confident that I’m not alone in feeling like we never have enough time to accomplish everything we want or need to do; to be truly present to those we love (evident too by the submission of this “not-so-crazy” question). The ticking clock has the urgency and alarm that reminds us of some late-night thriller movie. Getting a decent meal on the table every night, shuttling the kids to and from school and “sportsball” (what the nerdy folks in Portland call ALL sporting-like activities according to my cousin …love it!) in relatively clean clothes, meeting work deadlines, keeping our car insurance current, cleaning the gutters…and then we hear in our souls the Pope passionately urging us to thoughtfully contemplate our environment and the billions of people on this planet that have it waaaay worse than us. I feel like such a whiner, missing God’s cues no matter how hard I try, because I know in the deepest part of my being I must do something when 2-year old refugees are dying to escape war. But..but...but I didn’t get a chance to shower today, Lord. There is little doubt that the pace of our life sometimes causes us to lose touch with what is most important.
I’m not sure what Jesus would “prescribe” for our culture but we can and do observe that during Jesus’ earthly ministry, He Himself escaped the busyness of the crowds occasionally to renew His strength. Mark 6:31 reads “Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to [His disciples], ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’” Jesus knew the importance of stopping, eating and finding our calm in order to hear God’s still, quiet voice over the roar of our lives. But I don’t think this stopping and paying attention comes naturally to us these days. We need to be very intentional about how we spend our hottest commodity these days: time.
Romans 2:12 reads “Do not be conformed to this world, but continuously be transformed by the renewing of your minds so that you may be able to determine what God's will is—what is good, acceptable, and perfect.” So, with that, though I don’t want to add yet another thing to your list, I do want to invite you to reserve the 6 Thursday evenings of Lent in your calendar now (Feb. 11 – Mar. 17, soup supper & childcare provided) to stop and “renew our minds” together as a community. To spirituality nourish ourselves so that we may hear the will of God more clearly and hone our ability to ruthlessly prioritize!
I don’t know about you, but when autumn arrives, my chest hurts. I look at my calendar and think “when am I going to squeeze in a shower?” I think many of us recognize how different our culture is from even 30 years ago. I miss being unplugged and unreachable, how about you? Anybody else answering emails at 2AM? I instruct my teenager to unplug and I know that is a key part of being a good parent these days, but if I’m honest with myself I also see how ridiculously hypocritical it is of me to demand of her.
In talking with other people, I’m quite confident that I’m not alone in feeling like we never have enough time to accomplish everything we want or need to do; to be truly present to those we love (evident too by the submission of this “not-so-crazy” question). The ticking clock has the urgency and alarm that reminds us of some late-night thriller movie. Getting a decent meal on the table every night, shuttling the kids to and from school and “sportsball” (what the nerdy folks in Portland call ALL sporting-like activities according to my cousin …love it!) in relatively clean clothes, meeting work deadlines, keeping our car insurance current, cleaning the gutters…and then we hear in our souls the Pope passionately urging us to thoughtfully contemplate our environment and the billions of people on this planet that have it waaaay worse than us. I feel like such a whiner, missing God’s cues no matter how hard I try, because I know in the deepest part of my being I must do something when 2-year old refugees are dying to escape war. But..but...but I didn’t get a chance to shower today, Lord. There is little doubt that the pace of our life sometimes causes us to lose touch with what is most important.
I’m not sure what Jesus would “prescribe” for our culture but we can and do observe that during Jesus’ earthly ministry, He Himself escaped the busyness of the crowds occasionally to renew His strength. Mark 6:31 reads “Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to [His disciples], ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’” Jesus knew the importance of stopping, eating and finding our calm in order to hear God’s still, quiet voice over the roar of our lives. But I don’t think this stopping and paying attention comes naturally to us these days. We need to be very intentional about how we spend our hottest commodity these days: time.
Romans 2:12 reads “Do not be conformed to this world, but continuously be transformed by the renewing of your minds so that you may be able to determine what God's will is—what is good, acceptable, and perfect.” So, with that, though I don’t want to add yet another thing to your list, I do want to invite you to reserve the 6 Thursday evenings of Lent in your calendar now (Feb. 11 – Mar. 17, soup supper & childcare provided) to stop and “renew our minds” together as a community. To spirituality nourish ourselves so that we may hear the will of God more clearly and hone our ability to ruthlessly prioritize!
Saturday, August 15, 2015
Crazy Catholic Question #47: Wake Up!
All four gospels tell us that Jesus said “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.” What did Jesus mean by this?
I’m not sure I’m qualified to say with any surety “what Jesus meant” but I can share what I would guess at this time in my life, though I will most likely read this article 5 years from now and laugh at myself (I hope). Maybe he meant that if we over-focus, over-identify with our individual lives as separate beings, we will lose our life. We will remain unfulfilled and dead inside. But if we do not over-identify (navel-gaze) with our separate individual life, the death of that self-centered life becomes a stage in a process of transformation. We awaken to what is most important in life and we are joined with God’s Spirit…God’s way of thinking about things….
Perhaps all our little sacrifices, our little deaths to our self-centered selves to develop the habit of self-giving that Jesus calls us to are not a loss but a key part of our growth and transition into abundant life; the route to a true and meaningful life. Maybe by dying to our self we, paradoxically, experience new life. Jesus said “unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”
In his autobiography Nikos Kazantzakis tells how a young man went to visit a famous monk in search of the love of God and hope of salvation. He describes their encounter as follows:
Working up courage, I entered the cave and proceeded toward the voice. The ascetic was curled up on the ground. He raised his head. I did not know what to say, where to begin…Finally I gathered up my courage.
“Do you still wrestle with the devil, Fr. Makarios? I asked him.
“Not any longer, my child. I have grown old now, and he has grown old with me. He doesn’t have the strength…I wrestle with God.”
“With God!” I exclaimed with astonishment. “And you hope to win?”
“I hope to lose, my child. My bones remain with me still, and they continue to resist.”
“Yours is a hard life, Father. I too want to be saved. Is there no other way?”
“More agreeable?” asked the ascetic, smiling compassionately.
“More human, Father.” He replied “One…only one.” “What is it?”
“Ascent. To climb a series of steps. From the full stomach to hunger, from the slaked throat to thirst, from joy to suffering. God sits at the summit of hunger, thirst, and suffering; the devil sits at the summit of a comfortable life. Choose.”
“I am still young. The world is nice. I have time to choose.”
Reaching out his hand, the ascetic touched my knee and pushed me.
“Wake up, my child. Wake up before death wakes you up.”
I’m not sure I’m qualified to say with any surety “what Jesus meant” but I can share what I would guess at this time in my life, though I will most likely read this article 5 years from now and laugh at myself (I hope). Maybe he meant that if we over-focus, over-identify with our individual lives as separate beings, we will lose our life. We will remain unfulfilled and dead inside. But if we do not over-identify (navel-gaze) with our separate individual life, the death of that self-centered life becomes a stage in a process of transformation. We awaken to what is most important in life and we are joined with God’s Spirit…God’s way of thinking about things….
Perhaps all our little sacrifices, our little deaths to our self-centered selves to develop the habit of self-giving that Jesus calls us to are not a loss but a key part of our growth and transition into abundant life; the route to a true and meaningful life. Maybe by dying to our self we, paradoxically, experience new life. Jesus said “unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”
In his autobiography Nikos Kazantzakis tells how a young man went to visit a famous monk in search of the love of God and hope of salvation. He describes their encounter as follows:
Working up courage, I entered the cave and proceeded toward the voice. The ascetic was curled up on the ground. He raised his head. I did not know what to say, where to begin…Finally I gathered up my courage.
“Do you still wrestle with the devil, Fr. Makarios? I asked him.
“Not any longer, my child. I have grown old now, and he has grown old with me. He doesn’t have the strength…I wrestle with God.”
“With God!” I exclaimed with astonishment. “And you hope to win?”
“I hope to lose, my child. My bones remain with me still, and they continue to resist.”
“Yours is a hard life, Father. I too want to be saved. Is there no other way?”
“More agreeable?” asked the ascetic, smiling compassionately.
“More human, Father.” He replied “One…only one.” “What is it?”
“Ascent. To climb a series of steps. From the full stomach to hunger, from the slaked throat to thirst, from joy to suffering. God sits at the summit of hunger, thirst, and suffering; the devil sits at the summit of a comfortable life. Choose.”
“I am still young. The world is nice. I have time to choose.”
Reaching out his hand, the ascetic touched my knee and pushed me.
“Wake up, my child. Wake up before death wakes you up.”
Saturday, August 8, 2015
Crazy Catholic Question #46: Holding on too tight?
A little parable for your spiritual pondering this week from Jesuit Anthony De Mello….to what are we holding on to too tightly?
A Hindu monk had reached the outskirts of the village and settled down under a tree for the night when a villager came running up to him and said, "The stone! The stone! Give me the precious stone!"
"What stone?" asked the monk.
"Last night the Lord Shiva appeared to me in a dream," said the villager, "And told me that if I went to the outskirts of the village at dusk I would find a monk who would give me a precious stone that would make me rich forever."
The monk rummaged in his bag and pulled out a stone. "He probably meant this one," he said, as he handed the stone over to the villager. "I found it on a forest path some days ago. You can certainly have it."
The man gazed at the stone in wonder. It was a diamond, probably the largest diamond in the whole world, for it was as large as a person's head.
The villager took the diamond and returned home in great celebration. But all night he tossed about in bed, unable to sleep. The next day at the crack of dawn he returned to the outskirts of town and woke the monk and said “Please, give to me that which made it possible for you to give this diamond away so easily."
A Hindu monk had reached the outskirts of the village and settled down under a tree for the night when a villager came running up to him and said, "The stone! The stone! Give me the precious stone!"
"What stone?" asked the monk.
"Last night the Lord Shiva appeared to me in a dream," said the villager, "And told me that if I went to the outskirts of the village at dusk I would find a monk who would give me a precious stone that would make me rich forever."
The monk rummaged in his bag and pulled out a stone. "He probably meant this one," he said, as he handed the stone over to the villager. "I found it on a forest path some days ago. You can certainly have it."
The man gazed at the stone in wonder. It was a diamond, probably the largest diamond in the whole world, for it was as large as a person's head.
The villager took the diamond and returned home in great celebration. But all night he tossed about in bed, unable to sleep. The next day at the crack of dawn he returned to the outskirts of town and woke the monk and said “Please, give to me that which made it possible for you to give this diamond away so easily."
Saturday, August 1, 2015
Crazy Catholic Question #45: Limbo
Do Catholics believe that babies who die before being baptized go to Limbo?
It was once widely held that if a baby should die without being baptized that they didn't have God's life within them; they were missing the grace needed for salvation which is given at the time of baptism. Limbo wasn't a place of suffering, but not a place of intimacy with God either. This funky theological idea formally emerged for the first time during a 5th century controversy between St. Augustine and the British monk Pelagius.
But even before this public debate there was an intriguing bit of ancient lore circulating that claimed that sometime around the early 4th century some random monk was reading about how we receive grace and the erasure of original sin through the sacrament of Baptism and he wrote a little note in the margin of the book he was studying “What about un-baptized babies?” perhaps with the intent to follow up on this question later or remember to ask his professor about it. This question that was scribbled in the margin of the book in the days before the printing press was then inadvertently copied into another edition of the book by a scribe, and then copied over and over again. Aaaand here’s the twist….the word for “margin” in Latin is "limbo"! So it eventually it became common language to say that un-baptized babies are in the "margin" or "limbo" state. True story? Who knows…but fun nonetheless.
The bottom line is limbo has NEVER been and is not now a bonafide Catholic doctrine. But it definitely continues to linger in our Catholic imagination because whenever I ask people “Hey, do you have a Crazy Catholic Question I could use for this week’s bulletin?” their question usually has to do with limbo, hell, or purgatory (or they just take the opportunity to tell me how awful their experience of confession was when they were a kid. Not sure if there’s a question in that last one or not, but we’ll have to find one for a future article because the “ack!” of confession seems an almost universal experience. For another time…).
So, the church has never taught or held limbo as a doctrine of the faith…ever. This concept of limbo does not appear anywhere in scripture. The word is not even mentioned in our Catechism. Sadly for many years it was taught AS IF it was official teaching, leading to much unnecessary and downright cruel suffering for already devastated parents and families.
Now, have theologians debated it? Yes. But thankfully limbo gets about as much attention and debate today as the question of how many angels can sit on the head of a pin, and rightly so, because it is a rather trivial discussion at best. Would any of us ever doom an infant that died before being baptized to eternal life separate from God? Of course not! I think it’s safe to assume that God is AT LEAST as merciful as us, no? Our church teaching instructs us to trust the fate of un-baptized babies to the boundless love and providence of God knowing that we have no power to limit or shackle God’s grace. God’s very essence is love…God in God’s self IS mercy.
Since Vatican II our language around Baptism has shifted too, from erasure of sin to the centrality of Baptism as a sacrament of Initiation. Baptism is a ritual that celebrates our belonging to the body of Christ.
Fr. Ron Rolheiser once said “To submit to love is to be baptized, that is, to let one's life be forever interrupted. To not let one's life be interrupted is to say no to love.”
It was once widely held that if a baby should die without being baptized that they didn't have God's life within them; they were missing the grace needed for salvation which is given at the time of baptism. Limbo wasn't a place of suffering, but not a place of intimacy with God either. This funky theological idea formally emerged for the first time during a 5th century controversy between St. Augustine and the British monk Pelagius.
But even before this public debate there was an intriguing bit of ancient lore circulating that claimed that sometime around the early 4th century some random monk was reading about how we receive grace and the erasure of original sin through the sacrament of Baptism and he wrote a little note in the margin of the book he was studying “What about un-baptized babies?” perhaps with the intent to follow up on this question later or remember to ask his professor about it. This question that was scribbled in the margin of the book in the days before the printing press was then inadvertently copied into another edition of the book by a scribe, and then copied over and over again. Aaaand here’s the twist….the word for “margin” in Latin is "limbo"! So it eventually it became common language to say that un-baptized babies are in the "margin" or "limbo" state. True story? Who knows…but fun nonetheless.
The bottom line is limbo has NEVER been and is not now a bonafide Catholic doctrine. But it definitely continues to linger in our Catholic imagination because whenever I ask people “Hey, do you have a Crazy Catholic Question I could use for this week’s bulletin?” their question usually has to do with limbo, hell, or purgatory (or they just take the opportunity to tell me how awful their experience of confession was when they were a kid. Not sure if there’s a question in that last one or not, but we’ll have to find one for a future article because the “ack!” of confession seems an almost universal experience. For another time…).
So, the church has never taught or held limbo as a doctrine of the faith…ever. This concept of limbo does not appear anywhere in scripture. The word is not even mentioned in our Catechism. Sadly for many years it was taught AS IF it was official teaching, leading to much unnecessary and downright cruel suffering for already devastated parents and families.
Now, have theologians debated it? Yes. But thankfully limbo gets about as much attention and debate today as the question of how many angels can sit on the head of a pin, and rightly so, because it is a rather trivial discussion at best. Would any of us ever doom an infant that died before being baptized to eternal life separate from God? Of course not! I think it’s safe to assume that God is AT LEAST as merciful as us, no? Our church teaching instructs us to trust the fate of un-baptized babies to the boundless love and providence of God knowing that we have no power to limit or shackle God’s grace. God’s very essence is love…God in God’s self IS mercy.
Since Vatican II our language around Baptism has shifted too, from erasure of sin to the centrality of Baptism as a sacrament of Initiation. Baptism is a ritual that celebrates our belonging to the body of Christ.
Fr. Ron Rolheiser once said “To submit to love is to be baptized, that is, to let one's life be forever interrupted. To not let one's life be interrupted is to say no to love.”
Saturday, July 25, 2015
Crazy Catholic Question #44: Our Children's Spiritual Growth
How do I know if my child is “where they should be” in their spiritual development?
Welp, personally, I don’t think it’s very helpful, especially in regards to spiritual development, to “should ourselves.” I think we would all be better off and much happier, healthier people if we could retire from the overuse of that word.
As parents, we are aware of our child’s growth in many ways. We measure their growth physically by the little lines that mark their height in our doorways or by the way their pants fit (my grandpa used to ask me “When’s the flood coming?”) We measure their academic progress by listening to them read aloud and discussing their report cards. We measure their athletic ability by appreciating their coordination and abilities in a variety of sports. We measure their social and interactive skills by watching them play with others, address adults, negotiate conflict and how regularly they employ the all important “please” and “thank yous” that we have drilled into them over the years. In working with our children here at CTR, I would say we are all doing a rather bang-up job in aiding in our children’s development in a variety of ways.
Now, let’s change realms…and our language a bit. Instead of “measure,” let’s ask “How have we ‘observed’ our child’s spiritual growth?” This, I find as a parent, is a little more tricky to assess, yes? A few questions that may help…
· Do our children have a spirit of joy and inner peace?
· Is there a curiosity about God and things of the Spirit?
· Is there a desire and an ability to initiate prayer?
· Is there an ability to make good decisions?
· Is there an interest and a growing understanding of the Bible?
· Are there signs of generosity and an acceptance and desire to help others?
· Is there an awareness of God’s gifts in creation, animals, etc.?
· Is there an attentiveness and participation at Mass? (FYI being an altar server has IMMENSELY helped my most fidgety child focus…and she loves it! For info contact Pamela Koczak (248) 227-2372, pkoczak@sbcglobal.net).
We also may ask ourselves what traditions were most important in OUR childhood formation, i.e. bedtime prayers, grace at meals, weekly Mass, family rosary, advent wreath, etc. Which ones are we doing? Or not? And why? I know I still cross myself whenever I hear a siren. I don’t think we can’t underestimate the power of these little rituals. They are little opportunities for God to in-break into our daily lives.
Here is a great idea I gleaned at a conference and immediately instituted in our home.
In the morning I ask my kids “Which of the 7 GIFTS of the Spirit do you need most today? Knowledge, Courage, Understanding, Reverence, Wonder & Awe, Right Judgment, Wisdom” and then I sign a little cross on their foreheads and pray “Vivienne, today may the Spirit give you the gift of _____.”
At bedtime I ask “For which of the FRUITS of the Spirit are you most grateful for today? Joy, Faithfulness, Peace, Gentleness, Goodness, Patience, Love, Kindness, Self-Control...” A wonderful, brief conversation often ensues about their day and why this gift was important. This helps our kids (and US) to identify and speak meaningfully about how the Holy Spirit is active in our daily lives. Simple & Essential.
In the end, (I like to remind myself) God IS present and at work in and through our imperfection and ‘what we have left undone’ AND also have confidence that in continuing to love and care for our children we ARE indeed teaching them in the most concrete and trustworthy way of the love God has for each of us.
Saturday, July 18, 2015
Crazy Catholic Question #43: Loneliness
I understand the value of Christian community and believe in the value of our shared work and life as the Body of Christ, but often I struggle with deep feelings of loneliness - sometimes even while I’m here at church! Am I being unfaithful in some way that brings on these feelings of disconnectedness?
I hear you! Even if we come from strong families and have ample social bonds, we still have moments when we feel excluded, misunderstood and involuntarily cut off.
The problem of loneliness, obviously, is not a new problem or one unique to our age. But, some sociologists tell us that it is, at best, an intensifying problem. Others go so far as to label loneliness the epidemic of this age. The so called “breakdown of the family,” our constant mobility, more automation and less human interaction in our day to day errands, and our pervasive modern media that presents unrealistic ideals of love and intimacy – all these cultural factors push us, as a society, into a new place of reckoning with our loneliness.
We all have different coping mechanisms, some of us choose to ignore of our feelings of loneliness by getting really busy, sending lots of emails, watching lots of TV, nightly shopping sprees or submerging ourselves into our work or home improvement projects. Other times, we can’t ignore the pain and we become sad, finding ourselves at times on the verge of despair.
We all recognize from our own experience the destructive potential of loneliness, but, surprisingly, many of our tradition’s greatest theologians see our universal human tendency towards loneliness also as a great opportunity for spiritual growth. Fr. Ron Rolheiser suggests in his well-researched book The Restless Heart that, spiritually speaking, loneliness itself is not necessarily an unhealthy emotion but rather something that we would be wise in giving some special attention.
St. Thomas Aquinas defines human loneliness as our “innate thirst for oneness, with God, others and nature.” He bids us to look sensitively and through the eyes of faith to see that our loneliness is our God-designed thirst for love and community…our longing for right relationships…a desire to be part of the intimate oneness of creation as God originally intended…a readiness and hunger to receive and give love in response to the darkness that sometimes envelopes us. St Thomas states that this oneness is the very end for which we were made.
From such a perspective, loneliness is a valuable and necessary force in our lives because it keeps us searching and will not let us comfortably isolate or settle for the things that are fleeting and will never truly gratify us such as fame, wealth, success, and pleasure.
So, on our better days, our loneliness helps keep us focused on the end for which God made us. If we listen to our inner longings we will be drawn deeper into the divine dream that God has written within the very structures of our heart, mind, and body. Loneliness is, in a sense, God’s imprint in us, constantly telling us where we should be going; towards love, pulling us out of our protective shells to build the relationships that form the backbone of the kingdom that Jesus preached.
We are never going to be fully satisfied this side of the grave, but we are given glimpses of the divine in our lives in those that love us, accept us, welcome us, redeem us, forgive us, and give us hope. Our challenge is to respond to our thirst and discomfort not with bitterness or hardness of heart, but rather with an openness and acceptance to where God is leading us in our sometimes painful longing and loneliness.
I hear you! Even if we come from strong families and have ample social bonds, we still have moments when we feel excluded, misunderstood and involuntarily cut off.
The problem of loneliness, obviously, is not a new problem or one unique to our age. But, some sociologists tell us that it is, at best, an intensifying problem. Others go so far as to label loneliness the epidemic of this age. The so called “breakdown of the family,” our constant mobility, more automation and less human interaction in our day to day errands, and our pervasive modern media that presents unrealistic ideals of love and intimacy – all these cultural factors push us, as a society, into a new place of reckoning with our loneliness.
We all have different coping mechanisms, some of us choose to ignore of our feelings of loneliness by getting really busy, sending lots of emails, watching lots of TV, nightly shopping sprees or submerging ourselves into our work or home improvement projects. Other times, we can’t ignore the pain and we become sad, finding ourselves at times on the verge of despair.
We all recognize from our own experience the destructive potential of loneliness, but, surprisingly, many of our tradition’s greatest theologians see our universal human tendency towards loneliness also as a great opportunity for spiritual growth. Fr. Ron Rolheiser suggests in his well-researched book The Restless Heart that, spiritually speaking, loneliness itself is not necessarily an unhealthy emotion but rather something that we would be wise in giving some special attention.
St. Thomas Aquinas defines human loneliness as our “innate thirst for oneness, with God, others and nature.” He bids us to look sensitively and through the eyes of faith to see that our loneliness is our God-designed thirst for love and community…our longing for right relationships…a desire to be part of the intimate oneness of creation as God originally intended…a readiness and hunger to receive and give love in response to the darkness that sometimes envelopes us. St Thomas states that this oneness is the very end for which we were made.
From such a perspective, loneliness is a valuable and necessary force in our lives because it keeps us searching and will not let us comfortably isolate or settle for the things that are fleeting and will never truly gratify us such as fame, wealth, success, and pleasure.
So, on our better days, our loneliness helps keep us focused on the end for which God made us. If we listen to our inner longings we will be drawn deeper into the divine dream that God has written within the very structures of our heart, mind, and body. Loneliness is, in a sense, God’s imprint in us, constantly telling us where we should be going; towards love, pulling us out of our protective shells to build the relationships that form the backbone of the kingdom that Jesus preached.
We are never going to be fully satisfied this side of the grave, but we are given glimpses of the divine in our lives in those that love us, accept us, welcome us, redeem us, forgive us, and give us hope. Our challenge is to respond to our thirst and discomfort not with bitterness or hardness of heart, but rather with an openness and acceptance to where God is leading us in our sometimes painful longing and loneliness.
Saturday, July 11, 2015
Crazy Catholic Question #42: Our Common Home
Why is the Pope so hot on climate change these days?
I was kicking around Facebook the other night and hit a link posted by Jesuit Fr. James Martin (who I deeply respect) entitled: “When the End of Human Civilization Is Your Day Job: (subtitled) Among many climate scientists, gloom has set in. Things are worse than we think, but they can't really talk about it.” Whoa. After being jolted out of my complacency with the darkness forecast in that article, I turned to Pope Francis’ encyclical letter Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home for a little hope. But quite frankly, it only confirmed the urgency.
Not that any of this concern for climate change is particularly new, but it IS new to hear it SO boldly proclaimed in our very own Catholic language, reflecting our theology and morality from the pen of our globally respected leader. It is strange and uncomfortable to realize that it is the scientists who are predicting the end of days and the religious fundamentalists who deny that anything is wrong…I’m thankful that the Pope has placed us squarely in the scientists’ camp!
Change doesn't happen until the status quo becomes unacceptable, right? Seems that day has arrived. Courage (and/or character) isn’t the absence of fear but our response to it, right? So, what is to be our response?
Here is what Pope Francis advises: “We require a new and universal solidarity. The urgent challenge to protect our common home includes a concern to bring the whole human family together to seek a sustainable and integral development, for we know that things can change...”
The Pope says our Catholic “spirituality proposes an alternative understanding of the quality of life, and encourages a prophetic and contemplative lifestyle, one capable of deep enjoyment free of the obsession with consumption.” He encourages us to embrace the “ancient lesson” that “less is more” and makes an “urgent appeal for a new dialogue about how we are shaping the future of our planet. For all our limitations, gestures of generosity, solidarity and care cannot but well up within us, since we were made for love.”
What do you think this ‘new dialogue’ really sounds like and looks like in action? I can only speak for myself, but I attend this church to pray, dream and work along-side people who share in my beliefs and concerns and to be inspired and empowered by our shared hope in God. Let’s dream up some practical new ways for our community to live this prayer below, found at the close of the encyclical. Please email me or post your clever ideas on our bulletin board in the vestibule on how we might better “Live simply, so others may simply live.” (challenge the kiddos to post something too!)
All-powerful God, you are present in the whole universe
and in the smallest of your creatures.
You embrace with your tenderness all that exists.
Pour out upon us the power of your love,
That we may protect life and beauty.
Fill us with peace, that we may live
as brothers and sisters, harming no one.
O God of the poor,
help us to rescue the abandoned and forgotten of this earth,
so precious in your eyes.
Bring healing to our lives,
that we may protect the world and not prey on it,
that we may sow beauty, not pollution and destruction.
Touch the hearts
of those who look only for gain
at the expense of the poor and the earth.
Teach us to discover the worth of each thing,
to be filled with awe and contemplation,
to recognize that we are profoundly united
with every creature
as we journey towards your infinite light.
We thank you for being with us each day.
Encourage us, we pray, in our struggle
for justice, love and peace.
Thursday, July 2, 2015
Crazy Catholic Question #41: Same-Sex Marriage
Do you think the recent SCOTUS (Supreme Court of the US) ruling on same-sex marriage is a violation of religious liberty?
I’m sorry I’m a little late to this party. I’ve taken a couple weeks vacation from writing this bulletin column, but I’m glad you asked because I really wanted to share this quote from Michael Rossmann, SJ of The Jesuit Post about the ruling back on June 26th. “As America has become more welcoming to gay and lesbian people over the past decade in particular, more of our brothers and sisters, daughters and sons, friends and neighbors have come out. Many of us know people in same sex relationships of authentic love. We have come to understand that love, fidelity, and mutual commitment are worth being grateful for, regardless of the genders involved. We know the real hardships our loved ones suffer on account of not having the same rights as their heterosexual counterparts – whether through actual discrimination on the part of the government or through internalized perceptions of inferiority and worthlessness. We can, and do, celebrate the relief and affirmation they are experiencing right now.
For those who support it, the SCOTUS ruling is against injustice and for equality. It is not, by any stretch of the imagination, against religion and for immorality. And there’s a danger if religious voices continue to react as if advocacy for same-sex marriage is in itself a form of religious persecution. It simply is not. The motivations don’t match religious persecution, and neither does the end result. To equate what many perceive as correcting an injustice with religious persecution is to invite that persecution. It also encourages the church to act out of fear, rather than out of love born from the subtle urging of the Holy Spirit – and only bad things can come of acting from a place of fear.”
Two of my dearest friends are a Catholic lesbian couple who have been married for almost 15 years, together well over 25 years. They volunteered with our Campus Ministry efforts at OU for many years and I saw first-hand all the lives that they saved. Not figuratively, but quite literally. Their individual witnesses and stable relationship were life-giving and life-saving for many young people on the verge of suicide because they felt so ostracized and unjustly discriminated against in so many ways. This couple stands as a beacon of hope, fortitude, and Christ’s boundless love in the face of hate and ignorance. And now they are permitted by law, among other rights, to be there for one another if/when one is sick and/or dying in the hospital. This is a good thing. This is of God.
In our own words “respect for the God-given dignity of all persons means the recognition of human rights and responsibilities.” (USCCB, Always our Children, 1997). “The teachings of the Church make it clear that the fundamental human rights of homosexual persons must be defended and that all of us must strive to eliminate any forms of injustice, oppression, or violence against them” (The Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons, 1986, no. 10). This ruling is not about religious liberty but rather was an end to unjust discrimination and inequality and I think most Catholics feel very comfortable celebrating this all too rare occurrence in which love has indeed won….
I’m sorry I’m a little late to this party. I’ve taken a couple weeks vacation from writing this bulletin column, but I’m glad you asked because I really wanted to share this quote from Michael Rossmann, SJ of The Jesuit Post about the ruling back on June 26th. “As America has become more welcoming to gay and lesbian people over the past decade in particular, more of our brothers and sisters, daughters and sons, friends and neighbors have come out. Many of us know people in same sex relationships of authentic love. We have come to understand that love, fidelity, and mutual commitment are worth being grateful for, regardless of the genders involved. We know the real hardships our loved ones suffer on account of not having the same rights as their heterosexual counterparts – whether through actual discrimination on the part of the government or through internalized perceptions of inferiority and worthlessness. We can, and do, celebrate the relief and affirmation they are experiencing right now.
For those who support it, the SCOTUS ruling is against injustice and for equality. It is not, by any stretch of the imagination, against religion and for immorality. And there’s a danger if religious voices continue to react as if advocacy for same-sex marriage is in itself a form of religious persecution. It simply is not. The motivations don’t match religious persecution, and neither does the end result. To equate what many perceive as correcting an injustice with religious persecution is to invite that persecution. It also encourages the church to act out of fear, rather than out of love born from the subtle urging of the Holy Spirit – and only bad things can come of acting from a place of fear.”
Two of my dearest friends are a Catholic lesbian couple who have been married for almost 15 years, together well over 25 years. They volunteered with our Campus Ministry efforts at OU for many years and I saw first-hand all the lives that they saved. Not figuratively, but quite literally. Their individual witnesses and stable relationship were life-giving and life-saving for many young people on the verge of suicide because they felt so ostracized and unjustly discriminated against in so many ways. This couple stands as a beacon of hope, fortitude, and Christ’s boundless love in the face of hate and ignorance. And now they are permitted by law, among other rights, to be there for one another if/when one is sick and/or dying in the hospital. This is a good thing. This is of God.
In our own words “respect for the God-given dignity of all persons means the recognition of human rights and responsibilities.” (USCCB, Always our Children, 1997). “The teachings of the Church make it clear that the fundamental human rights of homosexual persons must be defended and that all of us must strive to eliminate any forms of injustice, oppression, or violence against them” (The Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons, 1986, no. 10). This ruling is not about religious liberty but rather was an end to unjust discrimination and inequality and I think most Catholics feel very comfortable celebrating this all too rare occurrence in which love has indeed won….
Saturday, June 27, 2015
Crazy Catholic Questions #40: Joyful Communion, submitted by Shannon Carlson
What is our new CTR “Joyful Communion Prayer Service” planned for Sunday, Nov. 22nd at 2PM? (Answer submitted by Parishioner Shannon Carlson)
On the surface, Joyful Communion is a no-shush, meaningful inclusive prayer service for persons of all abilities and all ages. It is a shortened (roughly 20-minute), lively, interactive and joyous prayer service centered around music, instruments, prayer, bible stories (acted out) and the teaching of simple life lessons.
On a deeper level, this ministry was created to enrich the spiritual lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities as well as to create a prayerful environment in the church where all who attend are encouraged to be themselves without fear of being “shushed.”
The idea of inclusion is one that works to benefit all people and the very premise recognizes and honors the fundamental value and dignity of each person. There’s a saying that is passed around that says, “It takes a special kind of person to care for a person with a disability.” I believe it is rather the opposite. I believe it takes a person with a disability to inspire people to be that special kind of person. Inclusion allows us to realize that we are all fundamentally alike in many ways, regardless of our abilities or disabilities, but also gives us more insight of the very unique strengths those with these challenges have. These strengths allow them to make very valuable, meaningful contributions to the church and its community.
Everyone should be welcomed and fully included into a faith community of their choice and have a meaningful way to participate, lead, serve and build relationships with people in similar and different situations in this community. Joyful Communion will not only provide this opportunity, but will provide our parish with the opportunity to become more aware and accepting of people of all abilities. This lesson is carried from our faith communities and into our daily lives. The impact of this has far reaching implications, not only for our church and people with disabilities, but for our entire community.
Our monthly Joyful Communion Prayer Services will be open to people with or without disabilities and to all faith backgrounds. Families with small children may also prefer the more casual, no-shush style of prayer.
Many volunteers are needed to launch this new venture with a strong start. If you are interested in getting involved please email Shannon at carlsonshannon1234@yahoo.com and/or attend our upcoming planning meeting on Sunday, July 12th at 1PM in the library. Your support and prayers are deeply appreciated. Mark your calendars!
On the surface, Joyful Communion is a no-shush, meaningful inclusive prayer service for persons of all abilities and all ages. It is a shortened (roughly 20-minute), lively, interactive and joyous prayer service centered around music, instruments, prayer, bible stories (acted out) and the teaching of simple life lessons.
On a deeper level, this ministry was created to enrich the spiritual lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities as well as to create a prayerful environment in the church where all who attend are encouraged to be themselves without fear of being “shushed.”
The idea of inclusion is one that works to benefit all people and the very premise recognizes and honors the fundamental value and dignity of each person. There’s a saying that is passed around that says, “It takes a special kind of person to care for a person with a disability.” I believe it is rather the opposite. I believe it takes a person with a disability to inspire people to be that special kind of person. Inclusion allows us to realize that we are all fundamentally alike in many ways, regardless of our abilities or disabilities, but also gives us more insight of the very unique strengths those with these challenges have. These strengths allow them to make very valuable, meaningful contributions to the church and its community.
Everyone should be welcomed and fully included into a faith community of their choice and have a meaningful way to participate, lead, serve and build relationships with people in similar and different situations in this community. Joyful Communion will not only provide this opportunity, but will provide our parish with the opportunity to become more aware and accepting of people of all abilities. This lesson is carried from our faith communities and into our daily lives. The impact of this has far reaching implications, not only for our church and people with disabilities, but for our entire community.
Our monthly Joyful Communion Prayer Services will be open to people with or without disabilities and to all faith backgrounds. Families with small children may also prefer the more casual, no-shush style of prayer.
Many volunteers are needed to launch this new venture with a strong start. If you are interested in getting involved please email Shannon at carlsonshannon1234@yahoo.com and/or attend our upcoming planning meeting on Sunday, July 12th at 1PM in the library. Your support and prayers are deeply appreciated. Mark your calendars!
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