Crazy Catholic Question #92: Most Important

What is the most important thing to teach our children about God?
Well, I must begin by humbly admitting that I don’t believe I’m qualified to answer this question. As someone who fully can relate to author Anne Lamott when she says “I have thought such awful thoughts that I cannot even say them out loud because they would make Jesus want to drink gin straight out of the cat dish” I’m afraid I am forced to disqualify myself from feigning any surety about of what is “most important” to share with our little ones about God. In fact, my first instinct is to listen to them instead. I think children more often than not have a better ear and connection to what is most essential and true about God than we do with our heavy ideologies and “beliefs.”

However, I will say, I think Pope Francis is really on to something…something that the old and young, churched and un-churched, alike recognize unquestionably as “God.” And that would be Mercy. Pope Francis actually wrote a book called The Name of God is Mercy in which he, as you might guess, repeatedly says “God is Mercy.” End of sentence. No qualifications. No exceptions. If its not merciful, it is not of God. Period.

And Jesus is mercy incarnate – or embodied. That is the good news that we celebrate on this great feast day of Christmas. That God loved us so much that He came to be with us right in our very own history to show us the way out of our darkness. To show us that we had him pegged all wrong. He wasn’t some kind of judgmental fascist demanding obedience, aloof and removed from us, on some golden throne up in heaven. Rather, he came to us as a poor, vulnerable baby; a refugee born in a humble barn with not so much as a bed. The light of the world slept his first night in a feeding trough. There is no softer entrance He could have made into our troubled world.

Jesus would one day teach us to call God “Daddy.” He would tell us that there is no sin that is beyond God’s mercy or that can’t be healed by love. He would instruct us to love one another. He encouraged us, as church, to be a safe place for all to come because he knew we most profoundly encounter the mercy of God when we are broken and our wounds are gently bound and healed like at a hospital. So that out of gratitude we may go on to become wounded healers ourselves. I think this is what I most want my children to know about God and recognize here about “being” church.

I hope you have heard this good news today and that you will come back and pray with us. We are offering a special welcome to new members on Sunday, Jan. 22nd at 12:30pm for those of you kicking around the idea of reconnecting. It includes a very brief overview of our CTR history and vision and time to answer any questions you may have about getting your kids “caught up” on all the sacraments, etc.

I write this little “Crazy Catholic Question” column for the bulletin each week, so please consider submitting a question of your own to me at dre@ctredeemer.org. There are no topics that are off-limits or questions too scandalous to ask. Read past columns at crazycatholicquestions.blogspot.com.

I sincerely hope you and your family enjoy the rest of this holy season. Without exception, your ideas, good-spirit and unique theological point of view are valued and very welcome here. And please don’t forget to bring your broken bits too…those are most important.

- Lisa Brown, Director of Religious Education

Crazy Catholic Question #91: Suicide

Can someone who is a victim of suicide have a Catholic funeral and be buried in a Catholic cemetery?

Next Sunday marks the 10th anniversary of a dear friend of mine’s death. My friend Evelina was a victim of suicide. At the time of her death I was consumed with guilt, thinking that as a trusted friend and minister I could have somehow saved her life if I would have just done a little more, been more attentive and present. Had I been a better listener…maybe…what if?

Fr. Ron Rolheiser writes once a year on the topic of suicide and I remember his column being absolute balm to my soul that year we lost Evelina. This time of year suicide seems to touch too many of our lives, so below are some quotes and paraphrasing of Fr. Ron’s comforting, wise words. (FYI: his columns are archived and available on his website at www.ronrolheiser.com.)

Suicide is the most misunderstood of all diseases. Suicide is a disease that takes people out of life against their will. It is the emotional equivalent of a heart attack. We tend to think that since suicide is self-inflicted that somehow it is a choice; voluntary and avoidable in a way that physical illness or accidents are not. For most suicides, this isn’t true. Suicide is a fatal emotional breakdown, an emotional stroke, emotional cancer – not something the victim chooses. The act that ended their lives was not a freely chosen one. They did not “kill themselves” out of arrogance or ego, like Hitler…they were a victim of a deadly illness, so there is no sin to be forgiven.

Having been born in the late 60’s in the wake of Vatican II, I find it unthinkable that in earlier times, people would have been denied funeral rites and even burial in a Church cemetery after such a tragedy. I can’t imagine how this cruel practice compounded the already unbearable pain of family and friends suffering the loss of their loved one. Thankfully, mercifully, justly our Canon Law no longer lists suicide as an impediment to funeral rites or church burial. Please, spread the word! We Catholics have come to our senses!

“Suicide is an illness not a sin. Nobody calmly decides to commit suicide and burden his or her loved ones with that death any more than anyone calmly decides to die of cancer. The victim of suicide (in all but rare cases) is a trapped person, caught up in a fiery, private chaos that has its roots both in his or her emotions and in his or her bio-chemistry. Suicide is a desperate attempt to end unendurable pain, akin to one throwing oneself through a window because one’s clothing is on fire.”

We need not worry about the eternal salvation of a suicide victim, believing (as we used to) that suicide is always an act of ultimate despair for which we are culpable. God is infinitely more understanding and merciful than we are and God’s hands are infinitely safer and more gentle than our own. We need not doubt for a second that those we have lost to suicide are in God’s strong and full embrace.

SPECIAL NOTE: For those among us who may be called to provide the initial help to someone showing symptoms of mental illness or a mental health crisis, Common Ground offers an AMAZING “Mental Health First Aid” training program (www.commongroundhelps.org). The hope is that this kind of training would become as common place as CPR and Medical First Aid training and certification.

Advent by Candlelight Reflection - St. Mary of the Hills

I think it’s a great irony that every year during Advent our readings at Mass so strongly feature John the Baptist because what could be further from our homey holiday ideal of our families all cozied up around the soft glow of tiny tree lights, joyfully exchanging gifts than this wild, haggard, severe prophet? John the Baptist is so profoundly off his rocker!

Imagine a Christmas card with a cover that reads “From our home to yours this holy season…” and then inside there’s this alarming close-up picture of John the Baptist with his fierce eyes, looking dusty and lean from his desert diet of grasshoppers and God-knows-what - screaming at the top of his lungs (veins popping) “REPENT YOU BROOD OF VIPERS!!!” - Merry Christmas from the Browns :)

When I jokingly suggested to my husband that if we wanted to be true to scripture, we should send out a Christmas card like this, he one-upped me and said that maybe we should snap our annual family Christmas card photo on one of “those mornings” when our girls are late for school, frantic but still half-asleep running around aimlessly and I am slapping lunches together in my stained and torn pajama pants with my just woke up “Alice Cooper”-like, smeared mascara eyes and wild hair –urgently screaming directives “Change your underwear! Eat your breakfast! Forget the polished, professional family portrait - THIS would be a Christmas greeting in true John the Baptist style…honest and raw.

But John’s intensity grab us, right? His urgency breaks through the blur of daily living combined with Christmas madness, and his message is very similar to our theme tonight. Prepare. Prepare the way of the Lord through a sincere repentance….a transformative change of heart.

But, what does this preparation look like?

I can only speak for myself, but I found Fr. Ron Rolheiser’s advice on this very helpful. He advises we begin by identifying what is making us sad, because more often than not this will lead us to where true repentance is needed in our lives. Because sin isn't about "offending" God, but rather holding God at arms length. God only asks that we try to be our best selves, which naturally leads to connection and belonging. Sin is anything that alienates us from our true selves, God, and each other. It’s about not being true to our design.

For example, one morning on my way to work, I was on the service drive because there was a mess of construction and traffic on the expressway.  I was passing through a very over developed area; there wasn’t a park or even a significant bunch of trees around within miles…all strip malls and asphalt.   

While painfully creeping in traffic I noticed out my passenger window, standing elegantly, not even 20 feet from the street, next to an over-filled dumpster in the parking lot of a 7-11 was this beautiful deer breathing in the fumes from all the traffic and eating the little tufts of dusty grass that were struggling to break through the cracks in the concrete. 

The vision of this deer arrested me. I did a little double-take because it was so out of place. I thought to myself, I bet that deer doesn’t have long to live before she runs into traffic or simply gets sick from the limited, dirty food and stress she is enduring due to living in such an urban area.  The deer was surviving, but not living the life for which she was created.  She was not living the optimal life of a deer.  Not living as God intended. 

So it is I think sometimes with us.  We are not living optimally as human beings.  We are not living as we were designed to live.  A large majority of us are stressed, depressed, isolated and rather fear-filled.   

We are surviving, but we are not living the life for which we were designed….but like that deer, we are relatively unaware of how malnourished we really are…we don’t really see how our choices and culture sometimes rob us of the rich life that God has intended for each of us…

This is the true danger of sin. That we slowly become unaware of how it is hurting us. It’s not that God would ever withhold forgiveness, God’s mercy is without boundary or breaking point. But through our choices we can distance ourselves from God, from one another and from our true selves. Sin robs us of our ability to live the life for which we were made. It makes us unable to connect with others and to experience joy.

What makes me sad these days is that I have a deep longing to use my God-given gifts to the full and really admire people who, from my perspective, are succeeding in this way. I really admire excellence. And even though my coworkers and people close to me say I’m very efficient and use my time well, most days I still feel like I’m failing (at least a little bit) at everything. My kids are fed, housed and safe but I’m not excelling at motherhood. There is so much more that I would like to do, prepare better meals, read all my favorite books with them, bake cookies together….but I’m unable because I’m too busy doing my job, which I am certain could be done better by someone else, who has the time to read every book that needs to be read, finish every project that needs doing and go to all the conferences to become truly exceptional.

And as for my house, the white flag of surrender to clutter has been flying for years now. But I still feel fresh anxiety and sadness every time I see a huge dust-bunny, fingerprints in some of the most impossible places…I cringe every time I pass the bent molding that has been begging to be fixed for years now.

I really consider myself an “all in” kind of gal, but you wouldn’t know it from all the ½ read books, ½ swept floors, ½ finished crafty gifts, ½ empty laundry baskets. I don’t feel like I ever get to spend enough time with those I love. I am not caring for my aging parents as I would like. I want to be a better citizen and neighbor. I want to exercise more..and the list goes on. I just never feel I am doing enough or am chronically questioning if I am doing the right things with my limited time.

I really believe we live the lives we fashion, and I know I have chosen the path of working motherhood….I don’t expect it to be easy, but many days I feel defeated from the time my feet hit the floor. I feel more like a compulsive “human doing” not a human being. This is not of God. This is not what I was created for…

I can see your heads nodding, so I suspect I’m not alone in this struggle, yes? So, if this compulsion and feeling of defeat doesn’t come from God, where does it come from and how do we silence it?

Thomas Merton was once asked what is the leading spiritual disease of our time.  With one word he answered, “efficiency.”  He said that our problem is not so much our ‘badness’ as our ‘busyness.’  We are so busy with our to-do lists and packed calendars that we do not take time to reconnect with our source, and really stop to listen and hear God whisper the sweet nothings of love and acceptance in our ear that are like water to a flower. We are starved for the nourishment that comes from taking our Sabbath rest and hearing God’s voice anew.

This year I had one of those grand moments of clarity. I always joked that my tombstone is going to read “Here lies Lisa.  She was very efficient.” Until it almost came to be.

At about 3AM in the morning on April 17th I suffered a cardiac arrest at home, in bed. Miraculously my husband, who can usually sleep through a freight train, became curious about some strange noises from my side of the bed just in time to see me pass out and feel my pulse cease. He and my 13-year-old daughter took turns giving me CPR until EMS arrived. I was shocked twice on the floor of my bedroom.

From all the reports it looks like I was dead between 10-16 minutes. I spent the next 2 days in an induced hypothermic coma and two weeks in ICU. The survival rate for out of-hospital cardiac arrest is only 6%, and of those 6% even fewer live without significant and lasting brain, liver and/or kidney damage. I am very happy to report I am a member of that very small percentage. They still don’t know what caused this kind of electrical short that caused my heart to flutter and eventually stop, but all my doctors are in agreement that stress played a part. I’ve been told I was the winner of both the worst and the best lotteries all in the span of a couple days.

As you might imagine, this experience has brought with it a teeny tiny shake up of my priorities. My day to day life has not changed much…still a packed calendar…but I’m on the road of redemption in how I respond to it…

The month of recovery made it clear that I have to very intentionally stop, get quiet and bask like a cat in the sun in the loving gaze of God every day…without exception. For nourishment.

Because only when I unplug and still my mind, can I begin to hear the only voice that quiets my obsessive inner critic…the still, small, voice of God that says “I love you…you are enough…worthiness is not a prerequisite for my affection. You are mine.”

I still have to remind myself that times of rest, solitude and prayer are not lavish, self-indulgent, or optional aspects of the Christian life…They are non-negotiable essentials…observing the Sabbath is a commandment for a reason.

Sometimes I hear God in silence, sometimes in scripture or my favorite spiritual writers….

I read this gem from Maria Boulding this morning “God doesn’t love us despite of our faults and failures, but rather in and through them we are being emptied, being broke open and brought into deeper intimacy with God and one another. God works in and through our failure to bring about the kingdom!

Our faults force us to shed our self-sufficiency and masks of perfection and accept redemption, knowing that we have not earned it by our accomplishments. Our weakness cultivates a deeper vulnerability, compassion and acceptance towards others – the very hallmarks of a follower of Jesus.

Like the song from the late Leonard Cohen

“Ring the bells that still can ring 
Forget your perfect offering 
There is a crack in everything 
That's how the light gets in."

Dr. Brene Brown says “Imperfections are not inadequacies; they are reminders that we're all in this together.”

I have found it nourishing lately to ponder God’s image in the Trinity. If we believe, and God has revealed, that God in Gods-self is a community of mutual love and equality, and we have been created in God’s image - then whenever we find ourselves freely giving or receiving love we are living true to our design. We image God not alone, but together.

Dr. Brene Brown says “One of the greatest barriers to connection is the cultural importance we place on "going it alone." Somehow we've come to equate success with not needing anyone. Many of us are willing to extend a helping hand, but we're very reluctant to reach out for help when we need it ourselves. It's as if we've divided the world into "those who offer help" and "those who need help." The truth is that we are both.” (Brene Brown) 

Alone, we are not the Messiah, but together, as we are designed to function, we can do amazing things. Like the bees and ants found in nature, as individuals – none of us are the whole enchilada, so to speak. But, we are also not powerless or expendable. Each of us – warts and all - are unique and important pieces of God’s puzzle; an irreplaceable part of the body of Christ, equipped and called to make a special contribution to the on-going revelation and redeeming action of Christ in our world.

Odd though it may be, we are the vehicle of choice for God’s grace. 
As St. Paul says “God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness.” We are “made perfect” by loving and accepting our limited, human, selves and others in their imperfection and in doing so we are bringing about God’s kingdom. (2 Cor 12:9) God’s perfection is found in US not ME.

So preparing our hearts through repentance might mean actively silencing our inner critic, reaching out to heal our broken relationships, connecting in a deeper, more intimate way with one another. Speaking our faults and failures to God and others, which saps them of their power to make us sad.

Recognizing and asking forgiveness restores intimacy, enables us to drop our masks and stop hiding our imperfect, rickety selves and brings an openness and trust that enables us to truly enter into the joy of the season.

This is the repentance – the vital preparation, that John the Baptist is desperately urging us to embrace with all our might this Advent.

And this repentance, by necessity, is worked out not alone in isolation, but rather in our relationships, so this highly interactive and social time of Advent is a perfect season for THIS type of “preparation.”

A final note, my daughter says she learned CPR from watching Grey’s Anatomy. I very seriously considered not allowing her to watch that show, for a million reasons. In fact, in a very real way I felt like a failure as a parent when I caved on that fight…

But, alas, I’m alive and now she wants to be a doctor! So, ALL things work together for the good…and Dr. McDreamy is not to be underestimated!

Wishing you and your family every blessing this holy season…thank you.

Crazy Catholic Question #90: Advent Preparation

What is our Advent “preparation” supposed to look like?
It’s a great irony to me that every year our Advent readings feature John the Baptist because what could be further from our homey, holiday ideal of our families all cozied up around the soft glow of tiny tree lights, joyfully exchanging gifts than this wild, haggard, severe prophet? Imagine a Christmas card with a cover that reads “from our home to yours…” and inside an alarming close-up of John the Baptist with his fierce eyes, looking dusty and lean screaming at the top of his lungs “REPENT!!!” But, John’s intensity does manage to break through the blur of daily living and all the Christmas madness, and his message is simple. Prepare the way of the Lord through a sincere repentance; a transformative change of heart. But, what does this preparation look like?

Fr. Ron Rolheiser advises we begin by identifying what is making us sad, because more often than not this will lead us to where true repentance is needed in our lives. Sin robs us of our ability to live the life for which we were created because it alienates us from our true selves, God, and each other.

What makes me sad is that I have a deep longing to use my God-given gifts to the full and really admire people who are succeeding in this way. I really admire excellence. And even though the people close to me say I’m very efficient and use my time well, most days I still feel like I’m failing (at least a little bit) at everything. There never seems enough time to be the mother, wife, minister, friend, sister, citizen, neighbor I really long to be. I consider myself an “all in” kind of gal, but you wouldn’t know it from all the ½ read books, ½ swept floors, ½ finished crafty gifts, ½ empty laundry baskets. The white flag of surrender to clutter has been flying at my house for years now, but I still feel fresh anxiety every time I see the indomitable dust bunnies and fingerprints.

I don’t feel like I spend enough time with those I love. I’m not caring for my aging parents as I would like. I just never feel I am doing enough or am chronically questioning if I am doing the right things with my limited time. Some days I feel defeated before my feet even hit the floor. I feel more like a compulsive “human doing” not a human being. This is not of God. This is not what I was created for.

Thomas Merton once said that the leading spiritual disease of our time is “efficiency.” Our problem is not so much our ‘badness’ as our ‘busyness.’ Our to-do lists and packed calendars keep us from reconnecting with our source; God.

I find I need to very intentionally stop and bask like a cat in the sun in the loving gaze of God every day. Because only then can I begin to hear the only voice that quiets my obsessive inner critic; the still, small, voice of God that says “I love you…you are enough…worthiness is not a prerequisite for my affection. You are mine.” This nourishment is to me like water to a flower.

“God doesn’t love us despite of our faults and failures, but rather in and through them we are being emptied, being broke open and brought into deeper intimacy with God and one another. God works in and through our failure to bring about the kingdom! Our faults force us to shed our self-sufficiency and masks of perfection and accept redemption, knowing that we have not earned it by our accomplishments. Our weakness cultivates a deeper vulnerability, compassion and acceptance towards others – the very hallmarks of a follower of Jesus.” (Boulding) “Imperfections are not inadequacies; they are reminders that we're all in this together.” (Brene Brown).

Crazy Catholic Question #89: By Design

Are we living the life we are called by God to live? Somedays it sure doesn't feel like it...
A few years back while painfully creeping in traffic through a very over developed area - not a park or substantial bunch of trees within miles, just strip malls and asphalt - I noticed out of my passenger window, standing elegantly, not even 20 feet from the street, next to an over-filled dumpster in the parking lot of a convenience store was this beautiful deer, breathing in the fumes from all the traffic and eating the little tuffs of dusty grass that were struggling to break through the cracks in the concrete.

The vision of this deer arrested me. I did a little double-take because it was so out of place. I thought to myself, ‘I bet that deer doesn’t have long to live before she runs into traffic or simply gets sick from the limited, dirty food and stress she is enduring due to living in such an urban area.’ The deer was surviving, but not living the life for which she was created. She was not living the optimal life of a deer. Not living as God intended. So it is I think sometimes with us. We are not living optimally as human beings.

One of our keynote teachings for our kids this year invites us to believe that “In the mind of God there has always been a plan to bring all of life to fulfillment.” That throughout the long 15-billion-year history of our planet, God “created the heaven and the earth” and has been ever so slowly, intentionally, guiding the growth of creation – dividing the water and land, carefully placing each mineral, plant and animal, preparing each one for their special role in this plan of God – so that eventually, when this creative work of love is complete, at the parousia, God will be “all in all.”

This teaching, rooted in our scriptures, says that we humans are distinguished from all the other creatures in our ability to take the earth into our hands and wonder: “Who has made all of this?” We arrived like guests at a banquet to find that everything that we needed (everything that we could even have dreamed of!) had been prepared for us before we arrived. In us, for the first time there was a creature who could be thankful; who could love the creator in return.

The teaching goes on to say that without humanity, creation would have been beautiful and wonderful, but it would have been incomplete. For in this great plan of God is built in a unique role for the work of the human hand, guided by love…that somehow, through the work of OUR hands, creation is to be brought to its fullest potential.

And yet, Jonas Salk, a Medical Researcher most famous for developing the very first successful polio vaccine, once noted “If all the insects were to disappear from the earth, within 50 years all life on earth would end. But if all human beings disappeared from the earth, within 50 years all forms of life would flourish.” What does this tell us?

For me, this says loud and clear that most of us are not living as we are called or designed by God to live. Many of our hands are not bringing creation to fulfillment through love but rather are pushing and grabbing in greed, fear and hate and bringing destruction.

We desperately need to rethink and contemplate what living as a human being is supposed to look like - by God’s design - because I think we are dangerously off the mark. Let us prayerfully vision together…

Crazy Catholic Question #88: Loaves & the Fishes

Do you believe Jesus really fed 5000 people with just five loaves of bread and two fish?
This particular miracle is found in all four gospels, which is rare and speaks to its authenticity. I genuinely believe that Jesus had complete power to miraculously feed this hungry crowd of 5000 single-handedly. But, just for a moment I’d like to entertain another possible scenario.

Imagine the scene. It’s a blistering hot afternoon in a far off deserted and dusty plain. Jesus has just finished preaching to a great crowd of people about the dream he has for our world. A dream of a kingdom where no one is in need, where everyone’s hunger is met, a joyful time when God’s goodness will reign, where there is no hostility, no war, a kingdom of compassion, sharing and deep communion with God and with each other, a time and place where love is the law of the land.

Jesus finishes his powerful teaching, sits down, spent, parched. One of the disciples hands him a towel and a jug of water and as the disciples look around they are overwhelmed with the cheers coming from the people. The crowd is inspired and full of hope. Jesus has “wowed” them once again, especially with his closing exhortation - ”I tell you the truth, the time is at hand!”

Minutes later, the disciples say to Jesus, “Now we have an excited, hungry mob on our hands. We have to send these people away so they can find some food for themselves before nightfall.”

Jesus had just spent the whole afternoon preaching his heart out and the crowd is finally united in spirit, they are hugging and laughing, at peace with one another - A perfect opportunity for some real community to be built. Some deep bonds of friendship to be formed – the kingdom taking shape and the disciples want to send them all away! So, he responds “Why don’t you give them something to eat?!” I imagine the disciples giving a little chuckle, like “yeah right.”

Jesus, says “Bring me the food you have and have the people sit down in small groups.” Once seated, he stands up in front of the crowd and speaks loudly the familiar words of Jewish blessing over the few loaves and fishes he has in his hands (which is also part of our Eucharistic prayer) and then he shares the little he has with those around him.

The people, seeing this gesture look blankly, maybe a little sheepishly, at those around them. Every good Jew knows full well that when people sit down to share a meal it is no small deal. In Hebrew culture, even today, a meal is a sign of deep fellowship and friendship; an occasion where all is openly shared.

Is it possible that Jesus knew that these people were not so dim as to hike out to a deserted place for most of the day in the scorching heat without some provisions? So, maybe, as Jesus shared the little he had, all the people slowly began to dig into their pockets and purses to share the food they were hiding and saving for the long walk home.

And of course, all went home that night with a full belly and maybe even a doggy bag for their relatives who weren’t healthy enough for the long day’s journey. Maybe they went home with more than just a meal to share, but with a wonderful story about a preacher who inspired with his words and actions a crowd of over 5000 people to share all they had with one another…I wonder, what could be a greater miracle than that? Eucharist at its best.

Crazy Catholic Question #87: Loneliness

I feel lonely often. Is this a spiritual problem? A deficit? If so, what is the remedy?
We all feel it from time to time even if we come from strong families and have ample social bonds, we still have moments where we feel alienated, misunderstood, excluded, like we are missing something of deep significance, but we are not sure exactly what. There is in each of us a certain empty space that just won’t be filled.

Loneliness is not a new problem, but some sociologists tell us that it is an intensifying problem. Some label loneliness the epidemic of this age fueled by the so called ‘break down of the family,’ the prevalence of divorce, 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 relationships.

Ronald Rolheiser suggests in his book “The Restless Heart” that we should pay special attention to our loneliness. Rather than trying 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, Rolheiser suggests that our loneliness is communicating something very significant to us about who we are if we listen to the experience.

The Chinese word for “crisis” comes from a combination of the words “danger” and “opportunity.” We all easily recognize the destructive potential of loneliness, but, surprisingly, many of our tradition’s greatest theologians see our inevitable loneliness also as a great opportunity for spiritual growth. They say, loneliness itself is not necessarily an unhealthy emotion, it just depends on our response to it. We need to be alert to both the dangers and the potential of this very powerful, universal human tendency towards loneliness.

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, 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; the only thing that will ultimately satisfy us. From such a perspective, loneliness is a valuable and necessary force in our lives. It is the force that drives us to keep searching, to keep reaching. It is the force that will not let us isolate comfortably or settle for the things that are fleeting and unreal such as fame, wealth, success, and pleasure; those things that will never truly gratify us.

Our loneliness, on our better days, keeps us always focused on the end for which God made us. We are told often in the scriptures that God is love. God IS the hope, the glue, the “stuff” of right relationships with each other, our world, and our selves. By listening to our inner urges and desires, and our loneliness, God has written the divine dream for us right into the very structures of our heart, mind, and body. What truly endures in times of strife and struggle are our relationships rooted in the love that is the essence of God. Loneliness is, in a sense, God’s imprint in us, constantly telling us where we should be going - towards love, sometimes reluctantly, pulling us out of our protective shells to build relationships – the backbone of the kingdom that Jesus preached.

Crazy Catholic Question #86: Camel and the needle

What does the scripture “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God” really mean?

In our long history of wrestling with this verse, our tradition has taken many approaches. We have theologized it and said that Jesus was simply challenging the common Hebrew wisdom of the day that viewed wealth was a sign of God’s favor and this is just another time he turns this belief upside down.

We have claimed that the “eye of the needle” was a small gate in the protective stone wall surrounding ancient cities through which a camel could only pass through if it’s load was removed and it scooted through on its knees. Which makes the task difficult, but not impossible.

Some scholars claim that the word translated as “camel” is very close to the word in greek for “rope,” so if we had a big enough needle and a thin enough rope – it could happen!

We have individualized it, saying that wealth just happened to be the weakness of this particular young man and that “riches” could symbolize other things for other people such as career, reputation, security, fame, power, vanity, etc. So its not necessarily a statement on wealth as much as surrendering whatever is keeping us from God.

All these may be valid approaches to interpreting this passage, however, I think we risk quite a bit if we don’t consider the possibility that this passage may be intended just as it is written. What if it is really hard for the rich to enter heaven? Very hard. Maybe even impossible?

What if wealth is an obstacle to eternal life?
What if our saints like St. Francis of Assisi, St. Benedict and Mother Theresa, had it right?
What if God is truly calling us to give up everything we own?
What if the ‘shall nots’ are simply not enough?
Where does this leave us?

At the very least, it should leave us uncomfortable, looking quite seriously at the choices we make. Beyond that, I don’t even pretend to have a clue.

We stand lacking, and sad with the rich young ruler, knowing deep within that God is calling us to more selflessness, more surrender, more sacrifice, more than we feel able to give. We stand with the apostles asking “Then who can be saved?”

Jesus’ response is key to our hope. The young ruler comes to Jesus with a restlessness, an awareness that something is missing in his life, there is a pull, urge, whisper, thirst, a deep desire that haunts him. He has done his best to live as a decent, honest, hard-working person who has “observed the commandments since his youth” but he still believes he could do more...BE more….and Jesus looked at him with great love and holds unwavering hope for him even as he turns to walk away.

We too need to feel that loving look of Jesus upon us, and hear his continual invitation to a deeper more authentic Christian discipleship. Theologian Walter Rauschenbusch suggests that the key to this story is to concentrate not on what the man was asked to give up, but instead consider the incredible opportunity he gave up. Because of his ‘many possessions’ he declined the opportunity to be one of Jesus’ closest friends.

The apostles lived passionate lives full of purpose and love and turned the world upside down. The rich young ruler walked away sad…and he had reason. Each of us are invited and uniquely equipped to be a part of the ongoing radical transformation of the world. The question is are we too walking away sad? Are we missing the point of life?

Crazy Catholic Question #85: Voting

Are Catholics required to vote a certain way?
Yes and No. The Catholic Church does not endorse any candidate or party. Period. No matter what you have read or heard, there is NO mandate on which candidate(s) Catholics must vote for from Rome. However, we ARE asked to bring our values and commitment to the common good with us to the voting booth. What that actually looks like on our individual ballots depends….

Matt Malone, SJ wrote this great little opinion piece for America magazine recently, in which he said “I can virtually guarantee that if you attend Mass on Sunday morning in any parish in the United States, you will find yourself sitting in a pew near someone who disagrees with you about what the public policy should be on abortion, or same-sex marriage, or the death penalty. While the teaching of the church on the moral dimensions of these issues is consistent, there is today, as there has always been, a spirited debate about HOW to APPLY those moral principles in the public realm, one that is democratic, diverse and nonsectarian. Catholics are free to disagree with one another in good conscience, if not about the moral principles at stake, then certainly about the prudential application of those principles in the public square.

Our fundamental identity and unity as Catholic Christians does not reside in our allegiance to a set of ideas, much less to some political manifesto. Our unity resides in the person of Jesus Christ. For us, truth is ultimately a person – a “someone” we encounter rather than a “something” with which we beat each other over the head.”

In another piece in the NCR by Michael Sean Winters: "conservative Catholics have every right to be Republicans, to try and play their faith in ways that correspond to their conscience, to reach conclusions that might differ from that of more liberal Catholics. They sometimes leave aside certain concerns that I think are central to the relevance of our faith at this time in history, but there are those on the left who do the same. The bastardization came when conservative Catholics claimed theirs was the only acceptable application of faith. By aiding the reduction of faith to morals, these conservative Catholics have unwittingly been agents of the very same secularization they claim to oppose. What makes Catholic social teaching so powerful is that it doesn’t fit squarely within in any one party or ideological movement.”

St. Paul says “Let love be genuine; hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Outdo one another in showing honor. Never be lacking in zeal, but be aglow with the Spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in your hope, be patient in affliction, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of all God’s people. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another…Do what is noble in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”

This is our Catholic “practice.” These sacred hopes are what we take with us to the polls as believers on Nov. 8th.

All our CTR families are invited to set aside the hour of 7-8PM on Mon. Nov. 7th for a “Community Prayer Hour at Home” on the eve of this important election. A brochure is available in the vestibule or at our website at ctredeemer.org that will help us to “unplug,” gather those we love, and be united in prayer as a parish family. 

Crazy Catholic Question #84: Trinity

Why does our doctrine of the Trinity matter?
Karl Rahner, one of our most beloved Catholic Theologians, a key architect in the process and a significant contributing author to many of the 16 documents of Vatican II, is very famous for once having said “If people were to read in their morning newspapers that a fourth person of the trinity had been discovered it would cause little stir, or at least less than is occasioned by a Vatican pronouncement on a matter of sexual ethics – so detached has the triune symbol become from the actual religious life of many people.”

And I think he is quite right. I found it to be quite a stretch to meaningfully connect this mind-bending paradox to our everyday faith life….pondering how three persons can exist in one God….3 modes, but one substance….while the dinner is boiling over next to a sink full of dishes, my kids are running and screaming, and my aging father is cursing while negotiating the complexities and little buttons of his cell phone…

In the midst of the everyday grind, I was left wondering “does the Trinity really matter?” Which reminded me of this story….

Jesus said “Who do people say that I am?”

And his disciples answered and said, some say you are John the Baptist, others Elijah, or one of the prophets…

He said to them, “But who do you say that I am? Peter answered in reply

“Thou art the Logos, wisdom incarnate…one of the three distinct, but not solitary, persons in the consubstantial, Divine Triune Unity, in yourself whole and entire, sharing full divinity without disparity of substance or nature, emanating from the co-naturality of three infinites in perfect and profound egalitarian, relational communion.

Jesus said to him in reply “What?”

Sometimes I wish that God wasn’t so damned cryptic and subtle…that God would just say what needs to be said, clear as a bell….providing directions on the path of life like a trusted crossing guard….with no ambiguity, no doubt, no lengthy discernment period or straining to find that elusive ‘quiet place within.’

But instead, it seems that when I’m trying my very best to be an attentive and faithful servant of God, I often feel like a mouse poking around in a maze trying to find the cheese….not exactly edifying….

Now, of course, we all realize that fully grasping the mystery of God is absolutely and without question beyond us and our human capabilities…and that is as it should be.…But, that still leaves the question, is the revealed, paradoxical, truth of the Trinity relevant for our faith lives and in what way?

I caught sight of the cheese when reading theologian Elizabeth Johnson who affirmed that
at the root of ALL our 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…the first Christian believers were faithful to their Jewish monotheistic tradition and without abandoning Yahweh, the God of Israel, they pondered and tried to make sense of their experience of this same God in the person and mission of Jesus Christ…and then once again coming to know this same God in the Holy Spirit in the days following Pentecost.

In the doctrine of the Trinity, and why perhaps it is a non-negotiable for every Christian believer, God has shown Godself to be a community of three persons, equal in every way, living together in loving, mutual relationship…

….and somehow in the life, death and rising of Jesus we too have been swooped up into this communion, invited into this love of God that is gratuitous, overflowing, and life-giving… God is pure self-gift and we are the happy recipients of this nature, for God did not choose to be God without us. This is the God we worship and aspire to imitate.

And studies show that people actually do become like the God they worship …so, if people believe in a Warrior God, people become Warriors. If they believe in an aloof, patriarchal God, they become very detached from one another and struggle with issues of power and authority.

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.

A sufi mystic (Rumi) once said, we live “with a secret we sometimes know, and then not know.” There will always be moments of feeling like a mouse in the maze…this is the human condition….we don’t, and won’t, always ‘get’ what God is trying to communicate and draw us into.

But then there will also be those other times, when the sun is blazing through the colored leaves on a crisp fall morning, or when we are enjoying a spirited meal with those we love, or we feel the support of our faith community in a time of distress or loss….or, for me, last night, as I’m writing this, listening to my youngest laugh uncontrollably as my husband made silly faces at her in a game of peek-a-boo, and my feeling thankful almost to bursting for being alive…and at those times we know, deep in our souls, that God is in this….that the love that we are sharing, the love that is between us, IS the stuff of God, the substance of life, the Trinity expounded…and it is enough…..(it is relevant.)

So, perhaps paradox is just God’s loving way of playing peek-a-boo…getting us out of our heads and into the communion of the moment.

Crazy Catholic Question #83: Hardship and Hope

Hardship abounds, how can we stay hopeful?
A little piece by Clarissa Pinkola Estes, an American poet, author of Women Who Run With the Wolves:

My friends, do not lose heart. We were made for these times. I have heard from so many recently who are deeply and properly bewildered. They are concerned about the state of affairs in our world now. Ours is a time of almost daily astonishment and often righteous rage over the latest degradations of what matters most to civilized, visionary people.

You are right in your assessments. The luster and hubris some have aspired to while endorsing acts so heinous against children, elders, everyday people, the poor, the unguarded, the helpless, is breathtaking. Yet, I urge you, ask you, gentle you, to please not spend your spirit dry by bewailing these difficult times. Especially do not lose hope. Because, the fact is that we were made for these times. Yes. For years, we have been learning, practicing, been in training for and just waiting to meet on this exact plain of engagement.

I grew up on the Great Lakes and recognize a seaworthy vessel when I see one. Regarding awakened souls, there have never been more able vessels in the waters than there are right now across the world. And they are fully provisioned and able to signal one another as never before in the history of humankind.

I assure you that the long timbers composing your prow and rudder come from a greater forest. That long-grained lumber is known to withstand storms, to hold together, to hold its own, and to advance, regardless. In any dark time, there is a tendency to veer toward fainting over how much is wrong in the world. Do not focus on that…That is spending the wind without raising the sails.

Didn't you say you were a believer? Didn't you say you pledged to listen to a voice greater? Didn't you ask for grace? Don't you remember that to be in grace means to submit to the voice greater?

Ours is not the task of fixing the entire world all at once, but of stretching out to mend the part of the world that is within our reach. Any small, calm thing that one soul can do to help another soul, to assist some portion of this poor suffering world, will help immensely. It is not given to us to know which acts or by whom, will cause the critical mass to tip toward an enduring good.

What is needed for dramatic change is an accumulation of acts, adding, adding more, continuing. We know that it does not take everyone on Earth to bring justice and peace, but only a small, determined group who will not give up during the first, second, or hundredth gale…There will always be times when you feel discouraged. I too have felt despair many times in my life, but I do not keep a chair for it. I will not entertain it. It is not allowed to eat from my plate.

In my uttermost bones I know something, as do you. It is that there can be no despair when you remember why you came to Earth, who you serve, and who sent you here. The good words we say and the good deeds we do are not ours. They are the words and deeds of the One who brought us here. In that spirit, I hope you will write this on your wall: When a great ship is in harbor and moored, it is safe, there can be no doubt. But that is not what great ships are built for.

Crazy Catholic Question #82: Conscience

What is Conscience? How Do I Form My Conscience? 

“Conscience is not something that allows us to justify doing whatever we want, nor is it a mere ‘feeling’ about what we should or should not do. Rather, conscience is the voice of God resounding in the human heart, revealing the truth to us and calling us to do what is good while shunning what is evil. Conscience is a judgment of practical reason that helps us to recognize and seek what is good, and to reject what is evil (Our Catechism, no. 1778, 1796). Conscience does not simply “come to us.” Throughout our lives, we have to spend time forming our consciences so that we can make well-reasoned judgments about particular situations.

When examining any political or social issue or situation, we must begin 1) by being open to the truth and what is right. 2) We must study Sacred Scripture and the teaching of the Church. 3) We must examine the facts and background information about various choices. 4) We must prayerfully reflect to discern the will of God (USCCB, Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship). The Church does NOT support any one political party or candidate! That decision is our work…

Some quotes to ponder….

1776 Deep within our conscience we discover a law which we have not laid upon ourselves but which we must obey. Its voice, ever calling us to love and to do what is good and to avoid evil, sounds in our heart at the right moment…For each of us has in our heart a law inscribed by God. Our conscience is our most secret core and sanctuary. There, each of us is alone with God whose voice echoes in our depths.

1778 Conscience is a judgment of reason whereby the human person recognizes the moral quality of a concrete act that one is going to perform, is in the process of performing, or has already completed. In all one says and does, the person is obliged to follow faithfully what (s)he knows to be just and right.

1784 The education of the conscience is a lifelong task. Prudent education teaches virtue; it prevents or cures fear, selfishness and pride, resentment arising from guilt, and feelings of complacency, born of human weakness and faults. The education of the conscience guarantees freedom and engenders peace of heart.

“A decision of right conscience is a complex process; and although it is an individual process, it is far from an individualistic process. The Latin word conscientia literally means “knowledge together,” perhaps better rendered as “to know together.” It suggests what human experience universally demonstrates, that being liberated from the confining prison of one’s individual self into the broadening and challenging company of others is a surer way to come to right knowledge of the truth, including moral truth, and right practical judgment, including moral judgment, of what one ought to do or not do. This communal search for truth, conscience and morality builds a sure safeguard against both an isolating egoism and a personal relativism that negates all universal truth.” (“Following Faithfully,” America Magazine February 2, 2015 Issue).

To this end, we invite all our parishioners to join in a “Community Prayer Hour at Home” on the eve of our election, Monday, Nov. 7th. Everyone is invited to set aside the hour of 7:00 – 8:00 PM for one hour of quite reflection and prayer at home for this important election. A brochure will shortly be available that will help us to “unplug,” gather our family and lead this time of prayer. Our hope is that it will be a unique experience of practicing our “conscientia” if all of our 1800 households joined together in prayer at the same time.

Crazy Catholic Question #81: Community

Why is community such an important part of being Catholic? Can’t I just go to church and be a good Catholic on my own?

We live so alone today. In the book Bowling Alone, social scientist Robert Putnam expresses his concern that in the last 50 years we have experienced an unprecedented collapse in civic, social, associational, and political life with some rather serious negative consequences. He cites as an example that there are more bowlers today but fewer bowling leagues, because everybody is “bowling alone.”

From a purely scientific viewpoint, Putnam says that our rugged individualism and some of our habits such as watching TV rather than sharing face time around the dinner table, has undermined what he calls our “social capital:” the product of communal activity and community sharing (and his book was written before the smart phone!).

His research shows that social bonds are by far the most powerful predictor of life satisfaction. Social capital is also a strong predictor of personal health. If you both smoke and belong to no groups, it’s a close call as to which is the riskier behavior. Clinically measured depression has increased ten-fold in our country over the past 50 years, and although the origins of this epidemic are not yet clear, the prime candidate is social isolation. The loss of social capital is reflected in higher crime rates, lower educational performance, dysfunctional democracy, more teen pregnancy, and incidents of suicide.

Jesus was no fool. He knows us better than we know ourselves and knows our needs better than we do. Human beings are designed by God to find joy in being with one another. Without each other, we shrivel and become very unhappy, confused and unfulfilled people. We become disconnected from God and one another. Through our collaboration and communal celebrations we are building the Kingdom of God here on earth, one relationship at a time.

A story: A theologian died and went to the pearly gates, where St. Peter welcomed him warmly. Though eager to enter heaven, he had a request. He said “As a theologian I’ve often speculated on the essential difference between heaven and hell. Before I go in, could I have a glimpse of hell, just to satisfy my curiosity?" St. Pete said "Of course!” and took him to a great banquet hall. Wash basins and grooming supplies were located around the perimeter. At the center was a banquet table loaded with the finest in food and drink. But the people milling around the great hall were naked, dirty, unshaven, and emaciated. They were clearly starving.

Shocked, the theologian asked, "What’s wrong? Why are they like this?" St. Peter said, "They have no elbows. They can grab the food, but they can’t get it to their mouth. Neither can they wash, dress themselves, cut or comb their hair, shave, or scratch where it itches. Just try to do any of those things without bending your arms!"

"How horrible! Please, show me heaven" he said and St. Peter whisked him to another banquet hall identical to the first. The room and food were the same. But the people were handsomely dressed, immaculately groomed, well fed and happy. The sounds of singing, conversation, and laughter filled the room.

"So, the difference between heaven and hell is…elbows?" the theologian asked incredulously.

"No," said St. Pete, "they don’t have elbows here either. The difference is that here, everyone takes care of each other. They wash each other, dress each other, and feed each other. They scratch each other where it itches. You don’t need elbows in heaven. The people that come here have learned to accept their interdependence. People can go to hell all by themselves, but they never go to heaven alone, but as a community.

Listen to reflection on the Gospel from Catechetical Weekend Sept. 17/18

Listen to reflection on the Gospel from Catechetical Weekend Sept. 17/18, 2016 on the Dishonest Manager at this link:
www.ctredeemer.org/september-18-2016

Crazy Catholic Question #80: Abiding

CCQ# 80: Is there a second atrium in the works?

Yes! Slowing it’s coming together! The central theme for our second atrium is taken from John 15 when Jesus describes himself as the vine and we as the branches.

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. Abide in me, as I abide in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that withers and is thrown into the fire and burned…”

Our definition of abiding is nuanced. It can mean waiting, enduring, living within. Pope Francis says that to “abide” in Christ is another way of saying being close with Jesus, connected, attached and talking with him all the time. Abiding is an attitude, a habit, a willingness to let ourselves be led by God.

Bishop Ken Untener said that this image of the vine and the branches - and in particular the details about pruning - are meant to teach us about how kind and loving God is toward us. This may not be clear at first, because the scripture sounds a little rough when it speaks of cutting off the branches that don’t bear good fruit and throwing them into the fire. Once, he was giving a retreat at a Trappist monastery, where the monks live in the Benedictine tradition which can be summarized with the Latin phrase, “Ora et Labora” – which means “Prayer and Work.” They earn their own way by working, and they pray day and night, a majority of the time in silence.

In this particular Monastery, their work was cultivating plum trees; this was how they made their living. During the retreat Ken got to know one of the older monks whose specialty was pruning the plum trees. There were thousands of them, and he spent all day out there - every day deciding which branches were the ones that should be “pruned” in order to make the tree more capable of producing good plums. He was their expert “pruner” - something a machine could never do. One day Ken asked the old monk “You must be able to do a lot of praying and feel very close to God when you’re working out in the peace and quiet of this orchard.”

The monk stopped and a tear crept into his eye as he said, “Oh, indeed I do. I love these trees and I know them well. I always think of when Jesus talks about the fact that he is the vine and we are the branches, and that the Father prunes away the branches that are in the way. And while I’m pruning I say to the Lord:

‘Thanks for doing that to me. You have pruned me, and shaped me, and helped me become what I never could have become without you. I’m not perfect, and I know I need more pruning, but you are always there to make me more into your image.’ The Lord has done wonderful things for me, and I’d be nowhere without it.”

All of us, in our own lives, consciously and perhaps sometimes unconsciously, have a very clear order of priority concerning the things we consider important. Prayerfully abiding in God has a consequence in our lives; we empty ourselves of the many small or great idols that we have and in which we take refuge; we are “pruned” of the idols that we sometimes keep well hidden; the things that we often seek to base our security. A beautiful seed for our second atrium indeed.

Crazy Catholic Question #79: Did you see the light?

After a four-month plus hiatus, the crazy questions column returns! There really is only one question that I have been asked repeatedly during this time: “Did you see the light?” For those of you scratching your head right now, in the early morning of April 17th, just a few hours before our formal ribbon cutting and dedication of our new atrium here at CTR I suffered a cardiac arrest at home, in bed. Miraculously my husband, who can usually sleep through a freight train, became curious about some strange noises from my side of the bed just in time to see me pass out and feel my pulse cease. He and my 13-year-old daughter took turns giving me CPR until EMS arrived. I was shocked twice on the floor of my bedroom.

From all the reports it looks like I was dead between 10-16 minutes. I spent the next 2 days in an induced hypothermic coma and two weeks in ICU. The survival rate for out of-hospital cardiac arrest is just 6%, and of those 6% even fewer live without significant and lasting brain, liver and/or kidney damage. I am very happy to report I am a member of that very small percentage. I have no lasting damage and now have a defibrillator/pacemaker implant, so I guess you could say I have my bases covered. They don’t know what caused it. I’m having some genetic testing to be sure my daughters are not at risk.

My husband and children are doing well. I have very fuzzy, but warm memories of my husband’s tender, patient care of me in the hospital. The nurses and doctors at Troy Beaumont are simply the best. I’ve been back to work since early June, feeling strong and focused. My priorities had a bit of a shake up, but I surmise that is a good thing.

So back to the question. In short, the answer is “No. I did not ‘see the light.’” No meeting Jesus for me quite yet. But some things have certainly come into the light through this experience.

I “see the light” through all your cards, letters, prayers, emails, gifts and other expressions of love and concern for me and my family. YOU continue to be the light of Christ to us. Thank you. Sincerely.

I “see the light” every time I pass the red ribbon on the door of our atrium that was never cut (that I just can’t bring myself to take down) because it reminds me to stop and thank God for the gift of life, the gift of this compassionate community, and the gift of the creative, meaningful work that I share with our amazing CTR staff who went above and beyond in their support through this trauma (Fr. Joe was a “first responder,” at my bedside, anointing and singing over me on your behalf, before Masses even started on Sunday).

And I know it sounds so cliché, but I “see the light” in all the clichés! Such as:
· Life is short (God's way of encouraging a bit of focus?)
· Too often too late comes too soon.
· Work to live, don’t live to work.
· Many sundials in old monasteries have inscribed on them the words of St. Benedict “memento mori: remember that you will die.” But there are also some that say “memento vivere: remember to live.”
· Most importantly, tell and show those you love that you love them often. All the time. I advise you to hug them right now if they are in arm’s length.

A side note, my daughter says she learned CPR from watching Grey’s Anatomy. I very seriously considered not allowing her to watch that show because…well, so many reasons. But, alas, I’m alive and she wants to be a doctor. So, Dr. McDreamy? Not to be underestimated.

Crazy Catholic Question #78: Ribbon Cutting

When is our “Official” Ribbon Cutting & Dedication of our completed Atrium?
TODAY! OPEN HOUSE! AFTER MASS! Please join us for a few minutes after all the Masses this weekend for a special “self-guided” tour of our completed first atrium. Fr. Joe will lead us in a prayerful dedication of the space to the children of Christ the Redeemer following our 11AM Mass. The self-guided tour features several “stations” that explain, in brief, things like: The History of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, What is the purpose of an Atrium?, a typical outline of what time spent in the atrium looks like, and such. The experience ends with a silent tour of our atrium.

For those of you still scratching your head, a couple years ago our staff started researching and establishing a different method of Faith Formation here at Christ the Redeemer called “Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.” CGS was founded over 50 years ago by two Italian laywomen, one a scriptural scholar and one an expert in Montessori education. Together they conceived of a simple and exceptionally effective method for sharing the richness of our Faith with children. The curriculum is presented in three levels for ages 3-12 years old. Central to this CGS method is what is called the “atrium”: a sacred, prepared space containing beautiful homemade materials that focus the child's attention on key scripture passages or liturgical moments. Our Pre-K, Kindergarten, and elementary students have benefitted from a rich CGS-inspired curriculum over the past year! After two-years of intense training, creating and study we have just completed the first of what we hope will eventually be three atriums.

It is believed that young children learn best through the work of their hands. Fashioned after a Montessori educational environment, the atrium includes hands-on materials such as small models of various objects they would see inside the church, dioramas and figures to accompany the Scripture readings, prayer cards, maps of ancient Israel, timelines of the history of salvation and resources for further study of Scripture and liturgy. Research shows that through their engagement with these three-dimensional materials, children are better able to absorb the Christian message and explore the themes they find most vital to their spiritual life.

Our deepest gratitude to Fr. Joe for giving a rather “newbie” team the go ahead for such an ambitious effort – we continue to appreciate your confidence and support. We hope that we are able to communicate our great excitement and confidence in this program in just a few minutes after Mass today. All are welcome! Bring the kids! We will have some donuts back by the atrium too!

We will have a second open house preceding a brilliant presentation on the CGS method by Sr. Nancy Ayotte, IHM on Weds, May 25th at 6:30PM in Bethany. The kindness of an RSVP for this presentation is deeply appreciated to Lisa Brown at dre@ctredeemer.org.

Also, with enough interest, we would love to have a book discussion of the seminal work by Sofia Cavalletti on the CGS method entitled The Religious Potential of the Child sometime this coming year. Again, contact Lisa if you are interested (childcare provided). 

Here is a link to a TERRIFIC article on the CGS method: http://americamagazine.org/issue/667/article/faith-child

No RSVP is needed for the OPEN HOUSE today! Just follow the bright yellow signs and arrows as you exit Mass. You may also invite friends and family who may be interested via our Facebook event here: facebook.com/events/1648505518747714

Crazy Catholic Question #77: Perfectionism

What does Jesus mean when he says “Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matt 5:43-48)?
The definition of Perfectionism: “A disposition to regard anything short of perfection as unacceptable; especially: the setting of unrealistically demanding goals accompanied by a disposition to regard failure to achieve them as unacceptable and a sign of personal worthlessness.”

Hi, my name is Lisa and I’m a recovering perfectionist. I know some people wear that label like a badge of honor, but I don’t. Perfectionism is an ailment; the enemy of the good; an evil taskmaster that keeps us stiff and always feeling not quite good enough. Individual perfectionism is not of God. I agree with Anne Lamott who says “Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people. It will keep you cramped and insane your whole life. Perfectionism is based on the obsessive belief that if you run carefully enough, hitting each stepping-stone just right, you won't have to die. The truth is that you will die anyway and that a lot of people who aren't even looking at their feet are going to do a whole lot better than you, and have a lot more fun while they're doing it.”

But, what then does Jesus mean here? Dr. Brene Brown says “Imperfections are not inadequacies; they are reminders that we're all in this together.” Alone, we are not the Messiah, we are not perfect, we - as individuals - are not the whole enchilada, so to speak. But, we are also not powerless or expendable. Each of us – warts and all - are unique and important pieces of God’s puzzle; an irreplaceable part of the body of Christ, equipped and called to make a special contribution to the on-going revelation and redeeming action of Christ in our world. Odd though it may be, we are the vehicle of choice for God’s grace.

We are “made perfect” by loving and accepting our limited, human, selves and others in their imperfection and in doing so we are bringing about God’s kingdom. “God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness.” (2 Cor 12:9) God’s perfection is found in US not ME. As Martin Buber wrote: “When two people relate to each other authentically and humanly, God is the electricity that surges between them.”

In context, when Jesus instructs us to “be perfect" he means "love as God loves: without partiality.” Jesus said “You have heard it said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”

Jesus is clarifying, despite popular opinion, that the intent of this commandment is that we make the decision to love everyone - even our worst enemies. If we love those who love us, big deal? Who doesn’t? We are to love as God loves, without partiality. God takes care of (“makes the sun shine on the wicked as well as the good”) and shows mercy to all. We are to be perfect, as our God is perfect, in the way in which we embody – together - this indiscriminate, caring, nonjudgmental, lavish, undeserved, unearned love. This is the stuff of God.

Jesus said: “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (Jn 13:35). The apostles back this up too in Rom 13:8, Gal 5:14, Jam 2:8-9, and the list could go on...This is all to show that in scripture - perfection, completeness, spiritual maturity, fulfilling the Law, and loving others are all synonymous AND are most definitely a team sport. WE are the body of Christ.

Crazy Catholic Question #76: Story

Every year we gather for an entire weekend, from Holy Thursday through Easter Sunday, to read together our ancient sacred texts, pray, remember and ritually celebrate the suffering, death & resurrection of Jesus. Why is this important?

I offer this little story from Elie Wiesel in answer to this question:

The great Rabbi Israel Baal Shem-Tov saw misfortune threatening the Jews it was his custom to go into a certain part of the forest to meditate. There he would light a fire, say a special prayer, and the miracle would be accomplished and the misfortune averted. Later, when his disciple, the celebrated Magid of Mezritch, had occasion, for the same reason, to intercede with heaven, he would go to the same place in the forest and say: "Master of the Universe, listen! I do not know how to light the fire, but I am still able to say the prayer." And again the miracle would be accomplished. Still later, Rabbi Moshe-Leib of Sasov, in order to save his people once more, would go into the forest and say: "I do not know how to light the fire, I do not know the prayer, but I know the place and this must be sufficient." It was sufficient and the miracle was accomplished.

Then it fell to Rabbi Israel of Rizhyn to overcome misfortune. Sitting in his armchair, his head in his hands, he spoke to God: "I am unable to light the fire and I do not know the prayer; I cannot even find the place in the forest. All I can do is to tell the story, and this must be sufficient." And it was sufficient.

Christianity is a story. As Michael Himes rightly points out it is a story about a particular person and set of events in a particular place and time in history. “Christianity is not a series of conclusions that any one of us could have reached by simply sitting down and thinking about them very seriously and carefully for a long time. Christianity is a report that requires that someone bring us the ‘good news.’ We need to hear it from someone else.”

During our sacred Triduum we tell the story that in its simplest form says “Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.” This retelling is a deep part of our calling as believers – so as to both share with others and to remind ourselves of the source of our hope. We live this paschal mystery each day when we love with no expectation of return (Christ has died), we rise above all that threatens to bring us to despair to follow Jesus’ example of service (Christ is risen) and when we somehow, mystically know deep within ourselves that each of our stories are intrinsically and irrevocably linked to God’s story - our creator, our beginning and our end - and in that strange, indefinable “knowing” we all taste and touch eternity (Christ will come again). Don’t waste a minute in sharing with your children and those you love what you find meaningful and life-giving about the story of Jesus. This story is what our faith is all about…and it is sufficient.

Crazy Catholic Question #75: Our Children

CCQ#75: What is offered for our Pre-K and elementary-age children here at CTR?
Many of us who are now the parents of school-age children were raised in the 70’s in the wake of the most significant period of transition that the Catholic Church has experienced in over 500 years (aka, Vatican II). The Chinese have a curse that says “May your children be born in a time of transition.” Now, though I’m VERY grateful and happy to be a post-Vatican II baby, I do have to admit that my early faith formation (aka “Catechism”) despite - the prayerful good intentions of many faithful people - wasn’t all that. The Catholic Church is a big ship that changes course about as fast as an iceberg. So, understandably, it took a bit of time to develop engaging and sound curriculum to replace the Baltimore Catechism of our parents’ generation. My experience of catechism can be characterized (a tad tongue-in-cheek) like this….“God loves you. Now go make a collage.”

So my Dad really took over our religious education, and I have, for the most part, done the same with my own kids who really didn’t’ get much out of the “workbook” style of delivery. A couple years ago I was introduced to the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd through some friends at Gesu Parish in Detroit and it has been nothing short of life-changing for our family. The profound connection with the Gospel and the liturgical life of the Church that this Montessori-based program has given my kids is just remarkable.

CGS was founded in the 50's by two Italian laywomen, one a scriptural scholar and one an expert in Montessori education. Together they conceived of a simple, attractive method for sharing the richness of the Faith with children. The curriculum is presented in three levels, and includes time in the "Atrium," which is a quiet environment where children hear Bible stories and watch them acted out with simple handmade materials; they learn songs and prayers, and are encouraged to play quietly with simple and meaningful objects. The method emphasizes contemplation of Scripture, Liturgy and "the enjoyment of God."

Since beginning CGS my youngest daughter, age 6, has become very alert and interested in the details of our liturgy and enjoys explaining things to me at Mass, “I know what a chalice is, Mom. I know why the priest is wearing purple, do you?” She gasps when she recognizes phrases. "The people in darkness have seen a great light!" she agrees in a church whisper. "I KNOW THAT."

My two older kids, who haven't been through CGS for the earlier levels, are slightly tougher nuts to crack. But even my 13-year-old didn’t groan even once this year when we headed off to Gesu for time in the atrium. That alone in my book is a miracle! This method effectively conveys the most cherished, central spiritual messages and images of our faith to everyone, even the tough nuts.

So, about a year and a half ago I took on the role of Director of Religious Education here at Christ the Redeemer…AND guess what? Our “Official” ribbon cutting for our first Atrium is on Good Shepherd Sunday, April 17th! It’s a bit of a groundbreaking as well because we are beginning to build our second atrium for our older children over the summer.

Our Faith Formation program runs twice during the summer or we offer a school-year program that meets eight times from Fall - Easter on Sunday afternoons. You need not be a parishioner to enroll, so invite your neighbors and friends to consider joining us too! Happy Easter!

Inquire about CGS and/or send your "Crazy Catholic Questions" to Lisa Brown at dre@ctredeemer.org or read past columns at: http://crazycatholicquestions.blogspot.com.

Crazy Catholic Question #74: Mercy

I am paralyzed by regret and fear that God is disappointed and angry with me. I just can’t seem to believe in God’s love and forgiveness. How can I find healing?

Many years ago Brennan Manning, when he was still a priest back in the 70’s, shared a story about one day when he was at the airport getting ready to travel and he had his collar on and a man came up to him and begged him to hear his confession. He said the man looked gaunt, tired and so desperate that even though he was in serious “travel” mode, he couldn’t say “no” - so they found a quiet place to talk and this man shared what Brennan describes as a “very grave and serious sin” this man was carrying for many, many years.

He recounts that as he spoke the words of absolution and prayed over this man, he could actually see the man’s face change and lighten. He said that it was absolutely stunning the physical effect that the release of this sin had on the man; the words of forgiveness literally transformed him.

So, Brennan went on with his day, checked his baggage, got on the plane and he says as he was putting on his seat belt he heard the Lord speak in his heart and say “Will you do for yourself what you just did for your brother?” Can you take hold of the boundless mercy that I offer to you, always, without conditions or barriers?

Pope Francis is all over this, right? He says the very essence of God is Mercy. Period. End of discussion. He says the Mercy of God is the most beautiful truth of our faith. God’s love for us is so great, so deep; it is an unfailing love, one that always takes us by the hand and supports us, lifts us up, and leads us on. Fr. Greg Boyle says Jesus never modeled the “One-False-Move-God, but rather was always proclaiming the “no-matter-whatness of God.”

I long to believe in the image of God that Jesus paints for us. I want to believe in the utter foolishness of God’s mercy. That like the Good Shepherd, God would do the pastorally unthinkable, and completely outrageous thing and leave the 99 to find that one lost renegade sheep. I want to believe that I’m that precious and treasured by God; that each of us is that precious.

Today, together, we profess our belief in the power of God’s love to change and heal each of us, and for us to then change the world. No small dream.

Bishop Untener says Jesus didn't go from town to town saying, "Bring me your best and brightest." Rather, he sought out the ‘hot-messes’ among us. He taught us that God doesn’t shun or abandon us in our darkness until we clean up and get our act together. Rather he said God loves and accepts us as we are, not as we should be. God doesn’t love us despite our faults and failings, but rather works in and through them to bring about His kingdom. Jesus preached a God who knows that we're not perfect, that there's a dark side to our lives, that we've got some shameful memories, and that God wants to be with us in those parts of our lives where we don't feel so good about ourselves. Jesus came to say not simply "I love you," but to say, "I love you THERE, in the part of your life no one else sees.” May this love seep deep into our souls this sacred day…

Crazy Catholic Question #73: Paschal Mystery

What is the Paschal Mystery?
Ah, Churchy words…gotta love em’. We Catholic Christians understand and respond to suffering in a very distinct way based on centuries of shared, collective wisdom around what we call the Paschal Mystery.

The Paschal Mystery simply refers to Jesus’ life, death & resurrection and what we have slowly come to understand about this mystery over the centuries. The Paschal mystery is kind of the lens through which we Catholics look at all of life. It is the process of dying and rising, death and new life that we can observe all around us and in our own personal lives and history.

We experience this mystery of dying and rising each year as we go through the different seasons; things die in fall/winter, spring & summer bring new life. We are a part of nature too. We also have our own dyings and risings. Sometimes these are obvious; someone dies, and a baby is born. But other dyings and risings are less obvious. An experience of dying might be when you have an argument with a friend that leaves you feeling upset, or you see a homeless family and don't know what to do to help. We die a little with each experience of conflict and sadness.

An experience of rising might be reconciling with that person who you hurt or who hurt you. Or after seeing the homeless family and some despairing over the complexities of poverty, new life can come from gathering some friends and volunteering together for an organization like the HOPE Warming Center that cares for people who are in need.

All of life has this rhythm of dying and rising. Thousands and thousands of years of reflection on this Paschal Mystery and human experience tell us: if we trust God in times of suffering and death and don’t cling too tightly to our sense of how things “should be,” our surrender, somehow, eventually brings us to a deeper fullness of life.

This is not to say that we should seek or endure suffering without a fight or let people abuse us. God never asks us to be doormats. Jesus was certainly not a doormat - quite the opposite. Jesus was always standing up for what he knew was right and healing people, easing the suffering and isolation of others. Sadly, the way that he loved often brought suffering with it. Though never “good,” if we do not give in to bitterness, our suffering CAN have value. It can actually draw us closer to God and one another. God does not inflict or will our suffering, but is with us in it.

When asked what brings eternal life, Jesus said love God and love your neighbor as yourself. When we love someone we are not indifferent to their struggle, right? It becomes our own; we carry their pain. We hurt too. Togetherness is our greatest remedy for suffering. By supporting each other in our suffering, we give each other hope. In the Paschal Mystery of Jesus, God is telling us to love with abandon and determination, that suffering is not the end, God is with us in our pain, and death does not have the final word.

Crazy Catholic Question #72: Salvation

How are we saved by the cross? How are we to understand Jesus’ death as salvific?
Many Christians around the world are still taught and believe the outdated, debunk and disturbing 12th century understanding of the Cross often called the “theory of satisfaction” that basically says that we humans sinned and offended God, so God was angry with humanity and demanded justice, or some kind of payment for our blunder. But humanity couldn’t offer any kind of divine gift big enough to diffuse God’s anger since we are just lowly humans. So, God, needing to loose a lighting rod, sent Jesus, and Jesus said, “You can loose it on me” substituting himself for us. Lighting rod gets struck; Sacrifice is carried out; and God is again happy because he got his bloodlust satisfied. (Alison)

This is a very pagan idea of sacrifice going back to the ancient Aztecs in which the priest sacrificed a person or animal to satisfy a hungry God. It is NOT our Catholic understanding. It was not Jesus’ understanding. The Jewish priestly rite that Jesus grew up with was already way beyond this primitive understanding of sacrifice.

“If we cling to the idea that God will not forgive us until his Son has been tortured to death for us then God is a lot less forgiving than even we are sometimes. If God is satisfied or somehow compensated for sin by Jesus’ suffering, he must be vengeful in a pretty infantile way.” (McCabe)

St. Thomas Aquinas states that the mission of Jesus from the Father is NOT the mission to be crucified; what the Father wished is that Jesus should be human.

The obedience of Jesus to the Father, his mission, was simply to meet us right here in our own history and show us the way to be a loving human being.

Jesus’ death on the cross was not “God’s will” - that would make him a rather sick and abusive God, certainly not worthy of our trust. Rather the cross is the reminder of the world WE have fashioned where it is dangerous and sometimes even fatal to be a compassionate, courageous and loving person. God, out infinite love for us, his misdirected people, sent his love embodied in the person Jesus to live with us and show us the way and we murdered him.

The fact that Jesus never broke, never became bitter, and never stopped loving us even as we were nailing him to the cross, but rather prayed “Father, forgive them, they don’t know what they do” - his endurance in this love is what saves us and continues to show us the way; this is how we are “saved” by the cross of Christ, both by how Jesus lived and how he died.

Not for one minute did Jesus stop being a loving compassionate person and we are bid to follow him in this way. Jesus knew that this kind of limitless, unconditional love is the only force in our world that can bring about real and substantial change but sadly, it sometimes, also brings us to genuine suffering because of the state of the world.

As the story goes: Seeing all the suffering in the world, the man prayed, “Great God, how is it that a loving Creator can see such things and yet do nothing about them?” And out of the long silence, God said, “I did do something . . . I made you.”

Crazy Catholic Question #71: Bodily Resurrection

I believe and follow Jesus but have doubts in his, and our, bodily resurrection. Can I still call myself a Christian?

Yes you can, and moreover you would be in good company! Resurrection is no small pill to swallow. It flies in the face of everything we know about physics, biology and chemistry. How can cells that have disintegrated be brought back to life? A human body decays, turns to dust and is eventually absorbed into the earth to become food for plants and the on-going march of nature. How could our resurrection be “bodily” after the scattering of all these molecules?

I can think of no other doctrine that has been met with more opposition and “spiritualizing,” and yet, our church’s teaching remains constant; At the end of time, we WILL be raised bodily. Now what form this body will take and actually look like? This we don’t know. Our catechism says that the HOW of our resurrection far exceeds our imagination and understanding.

I learned a little about St. Christopher at our recent “Favorite Saints Wax Museum.” Faith in God apparently did not come easy for him, so he lived a majority of his life as an agnostic, unable to believe in anything beyond what he could physically see, feel, and touch.

Nonetheless, he embraced Jesus’ call to love and serve others. He became a ferryboat operator and spent his life helping to carrying people across a very dangerous stretch of river. Our legend holds that one night a terrible storm arose and the ferryboat capsized. Brave Christopher dove into the dark waters to rescue a child and while carrying that child to the shore, he looked into its face and saw the face of Christ. After that he believed. Fact or fiction? No matter. The story teaches us a very practical and profound lesson. What are we to do when our faith is weak? Live as honestly as we can and use our gifts to help others – and God will make himself known to us.

Remember too St. Thomas who said “I won’t believe until I can touch the holes in his hands and side!” Jesus doesn’t resist or scold him for his doubt, but rather invites him to “Come here. Place your finger my wounds. See for yourself that I am real and not a ghost.”

Fr. Ron Rolheiser says “Skepticism and agnosticism, even atheism, are not a problem as long as one is honest, non-rationalizing, non-lying, ready to efface oneself before reality as it appears, and generous in giving his or her life away in service. If these conditions are met, God will eventually become evident, even to those who need physical proof. God is neither angered nor threatened by an honest agnosticism.”

Ultimately we are bid to acknowledge and accept that the God of love who created the universe is way beyond our understanding. We are like ants being invited to contemplate Astrophysics. Full comprehension just ain’t happening! We will never understand how or what our glorified bodies will be or look this side of the grave.

As Paul Tillich says “The opposite of faith is not doubt, but certainty.” Perhaps our prayer can be that of the father of the child Jesus healed in Mark 9:24 who exclaims “Oh Lord, I do believe, but help my unbelief!” and trust that at some point God will appear as we need him to be and will invite us to “touch his wounds so we may believe.”

Crazy Catholic Question #70: Too late?

Is it too late to join a Book Discussion Small Group for Lent?
IT’S NOT TOO LATE! You can SIGN-UP via our website at ctredeemer.org ANYTIME during Lent OR you can DROP-IN any Thursday evening at 7PM OR Tuesdays at 9:30AM and we will gladly get you connected. If you can only attend one or two gatherings, that’s a-okay too! Also, ALL those who have participated in our small groups are very welcome to attend a closing social following Taize prayer on March 15th.

Why consider being part of a small group? There is something powerful and unique about an intimate gathering of 6-10 people in a living room or a small classroom 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. The people we meet regularly with to discuss our faith are the folks that concretely support our family by attending graduations, baptisms, funerals, etc. This is how real “church” is lived day to day.

And our theology supports this concept too. In the doctrine of the Trinity God has shown God’s-self 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.

In short, our Christian life is not meant to be lived alone. Our doctrines and experience point to the deep truth that God is to be found much more in the “WE” than in the “ME.”

Our CTR Small groups meet all different days, time and locations. Need not be a parishioner to participate, so invite your friends, family and neighbors too if you like. Books are still available 2 for $10 in the main office during business hours and after Masses.

Sign up here: www.ctredeemer.org/bring-a-friend-lenten-book-discussion/