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.