Talking Trinity #2
One of my heroes, theologian Sandra M. Schneiders, IHM is coming to our Castelot Scripture Conference this summer and I love her insightful statement about the Trinity. She said “God is not two men and a bird!” A good place to begin I’d say!
Before we jump into some heavy lifting, let’s plant our feet on some relatively firm ground. Theologian Michael Himes says that when we hear the word “God,” something goes on in our minds. Now, however wonderful, however deep, rich, powerful, consoling, however philosophically and metaphysically precise, however scripturally sound and orthodox, whatever that idea of God that is in our mind - it is NOT God. And THIS is really the most important thing to know about God: that what we have in our mind when we hear or speak the word “God” is only a very imprecise image of God. Us trying to figure out everything there is to know about God is like an ant trying to learn astrophysics. We are way out of our depth, to put it mildly.
That being said, our scriptures tell us that “God is love.” Himes says this “is the least wrong thing we can say about God.” As Christians, we believe that love is the core of God’s divine essence. This is a very important truth to understand because the Trinity is one of the most confusing and misunderstood concepts in our faith, but if we have ever known love in our life, we can at the very least grasp at an inkling of who God is for us. Because as another hero of mine, Elizabeth Johnson declares, 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.
“In the deepest mystery of his being, God is an intimate relationship, a fellowship, a community of love.” (Johnson) So, when pondering the Trinity, I think there are two great places to start. First is from a deep place of epistemological humility. In other words we have to be able to say and believe “There is no way I can comprehend God with my little brain” And truly, if we could understand God, then God would not be a God worth worshipping, right? “A God comprehended is no God at all.” (Tersteegen)
Secondly, our very own Catechism states that the Trinity is the central mystery of the Christian faith and life. It is the source of all other mysteries of Christian faith, the light that enlightens them. So, if we truly believe that the least wrong thing we can grasp about God is that God is a community of equal, self-giving love then – as yet another hero of mine - Catherine LaCugna says – in the Trinity humanity is being invited to ponder “How are we to live and relate to others so as to be most Godlike?
Saturday, February 17, 2018
Saturday, February 10, 2018
#131 - Talking Trinity 1
Your Crazy Catholic Question column has been a tad boring for a few months now. What’s the scoop?
This question was lovingly submitted by my husband who, frankly, even on my best day, finds my column “too Catholic” for his taste. I’m lucky (and annoyed) to have such a straightforward, “borderline-heathen” critic in my own home. But, he does keeps me honest.
So my aim is to retire my CCQ column for a bit and explore with you in my little 600 words in the bulletin each week something that very few Christians find any relevance in for their lives, but yet we claim is at the very center of our faith. Something that in years past, debate and disagreement about has sparked wars and schisms in our church, but now is hardly ever talked about at weekly bible studies, book discussions, or faith formation classes. Even our beloved CGS (Catechesis of the Good Shepherd) does not have a lesson on it! What am I talking about? The Trinity. For the next six weeks of Lent, Let’s Talk Trinity.
And here is why I think “Talking Trinity” might be helpful. Because we need to face the facts: Jesus has officially been confiscated. His teachings have been twisted by corrupt politicians and wayward religious leaders with the result that there is an enormous amount of errant teaching being attributed to him. Good people (especially young people) immediately recognize questionable integrity and statements void of truth – even (and maybe especially) those that are spoken by our so-called “leaders” who profess to believe and serve Jesus.
As a result, even the utterance of the name “Jesus” in any public forum is often received with disdain; perceived by most as distasteful and inappropriate; sometimes even more offensive than the strongest of curse words. Even I – your Director of Religious Education – sometimes find discussion about “religion” repellant! Me!! Someone whose work it is to draw people together at church, finds talk of church off-putting! Quite a conundrum I’d say.
Case in point - the other night on my commute home I was flipping through the radio stations and landed on the judgmental churchy jargon of some evangelist and seriously, it turned my stomach. It made me want to run as fast as I possibly could in the other direction from the “Jesus” he was laying down. The dominant “Jesus and Me” theology is ideal for the children in our atria but is woefully inadequate for the challenges that we are facing as adults in our society. Even the most nominal believer recognizes how this theology can arrest our development and lead us in the wrong direction; away from effective collaboration as the body of Christ toward more isolation…away from respectful dialogue and toward more individual opinions and ideology…in essence away from the mystery of the “God who in Godself is a community of persons” to the impossible task of being a Christian alone.
In short - Jesus, a hero by any measure (even for those who do not recognize him as God), is badly in need of a new Public Relations manager. The true beauty and force of his teaching is either being romanticized, tamed and individualized to the point where it has no punch OR being blatantly misrepresented and misappropriated in today’s sometimes vacuous culture of tidal-wave force.
Perhaps the seed of well-received discussion about Jesus has died. And maybe, just maybe, God wants to grow something new from the death of this seed. At the very least, I think we need a little subterfuge. So this week I have outlined some of our challenges, but in the weeks to come I hope we can explore together some possible avenues that can lead to more fruitful dialogue about where God may be drawing us and inviting us to grow.
Respectfully submitted by Lisa Brown, comments welcome at dre@ctredeemer.org.
This question was lovingly submitted by my husband who, frankly, even on my best day, finds my column “too Catholic” for his taste. I’m lucky (and annoyed) to have such a straightforward, “borderline-heathen” critic in my own home. But, he does keeps me honest.
So my aim is to retire my CCQ column for a bit and explore with you in my little 600 words in the bulletin each week something that very few Christians find any relevance in for their lives, but yet we claim is at the very center of our faith. Something that in years past, debate and disagreement about has sparked wars and schisms in our church, but now is hardly ever talked about at weekly bible studies, book discussions, or faith formation classes. Even our beloved CGS (Catechesis of the Good Shepherd) does not have a lesson on it! What am I talking about? The Trinity. For the next six weeks of Lent, Let’s Talk Trinity.
And here is why I think “Talking Trinity” might be helpful. Because we need to face the facts: Jesus has officially been confiscated. His teachings have been twisted by corrupt politicians and wayward religious leaders with the result that there is an enormous amount of errant teaching being attributed to him. Good people (especially young people) immediately recognize questionable integrity and statements void of truth – even (and maybe especially) those that are spoken by our so-called “leaders” who profess to believe and serve Jesus.
As a result, even the utterance of the name “Jesus” in any public forum is often received with disdain; perceived by most as distasteful and inappropriate; sometimes even more offensive than the strongest of curse words. Even I – your Director of Religious Education – sometimes find discussion about “religion” repellant! Me!! Someone whose work it is to draw people together at church, finds talk of church off-putting! Quite a conundrum I’d say.
Case in point - the other night on my commute home I was flipping through the radio stations and landed on the judgmental churchy jargon of some evangelist and seriously, it turned my stomach. It made me want to run as fast as I possibly could in the other direction from the “Jesus” he was laying down. The dominant “Jesus and Me” theology is ideal for the children in our atria but is woefully inadequate for the challenges that we are facing as adults in our society. Even the most nominal believer recognizes how this theology can arrest our development and lead us in the wrong direction; away from effective collaboration as the body of Christ toward more isolation…away from respectful dialogue and toward more individual opinions and ideology…in essence away from the mystery of the “God who in Godself is a community of persons” to the impossible task of being a Christian alone.
In short - Jesus, a hero by any measure (even for those who do not recognize him as God), is badly in need of a new Public Relations manager. The true beauty and force of his teaching is either being romanticized, tamed and individualized to the point where it has no punch OR being blatantly misrepresented and misappropriated in today’s sometimes vacuous culture of tidal-wave force.
Perhaps the seed of well-received discussion about Jesus has died. And maybe, just maybe, God wants to grow something new from the death of this seed. At the very least, I think we need a little subterfuge. So this week I have outlined some of our challenges, but in the weeks to come I hope we can explore together some possible avenues that can lead to more fruitful dialogue about where God may be drawing us and inviting us to grow.
Respectfully submitted by Lisa Brown, comments welcome at dre@ctredeemer.org.
Saturday, February 3, 2018
#130 - Resolutions
So, how are your New Year’s Resolutions going so far?
Well, like many of you perhaps, I have good days and bad days. I start the year with great hope and enthusiasm that inevitably gets tempered by the realities and demands of daily life. Luckily, we all get a second chance for a sincere metanoia since Lent is right around the corner! So, perhaps we can sit down with our families in the next week or so (Ash Weds is Feb. 14th) and discuss how we might live out these spiritual resolutions below in a concrete way during our sacred season of Lent.
1. I will live in the present moment. I will not obsess about the past or worry about the future.
2. I will cultivate the art of making connections. I will pay attention to how my life is intimately related to all life on the planet.
3. I will be thankful for all the blessings in my life. I will spell out my days with a grammar of gratitude.
4. I will practice hospitality in a world where too often strangers are feared, enemies are hated, and the "other" is shunned. I will welcome guests and alien ideas with graciousness.
5. I will seek liberty and justice for all. I will work for a free and a fair world.
6. I will add to the planet's fund of good will by practicing little acts of kindness, brief words of encouragement, and manifold expressions of courtesy.
7. I will cultivate the skill of deep listening. I will remember that all things in the world want to be heard, as do the many voices inside me.
8. I will practice reverence for life by seeing the sacred in, with, and under all things of the world.
9. I will give up trying to hide, deny, or escape from my imperfections. I will listen to what my shadow side has to say to me.
10. I will be willing to learn from the spiritual teachers all around me, however unlikely or unlike me they may be.
* Taken from New Year's Resolutions based on spiritual practices in the Alphabet of Spiritual Literacy by Frederic & Mary Ann Brussat: www.spiritualityandpractice.com/practices/alphabet.
Well, like many of you perhaps, I have good days and bad days. I start the year with great hope and enthusiasm that inevitably gets tempered by the realities and demands of daily life. Luckily, we all get a second chance for a sincere metanoia since Lent is right around the corner! So, perhaps we can sit down with our families in the next week or so (Ash Weds is Feb. 14th) and discuss how we might live out these spiritual resolutions below in a concrete way during our sacred season of Lent.
1. I will live in the present moment. I will not obsess about the past or worry about the future.
2. I will cultivate the art of making connections. I will pay attention to how my life is intimately related to all life on the planet.
3. I will be thankful for all the blessings in my life. I will spell out my days with a grammar of gratitude.
4. I will practice hospitality in a world where too often strangers are feared, enemies are hated, and the "other" is shunned. I will welcome guests and alien ideas with graciousness.
5. I will seek liberty and justice for all. I will work for a free and a fair world.
6. I will add to the planet's fund of good will by practicing little acts of kindness, brief words of encouragement, and manifold expressions of courtesy.
7. I will cultivate the skill of deep listening. I will remember that all things in the world want to be heard, as do the many voices inside me.
8. I will practice reverence for life by seeing the sacred in, with, and under all things of the world.
9. I will give up trying to hide, deny, or escape from my imperfections. I will listen to what my shadow side has to say to me.
10. I will be willing to learn from the spiritual teachers all around me, however unlikely or unlike me they may be.
* Taken from New Year's Resolutions based on spiritual practices in the Alphabet of Spiritual Literacy by Frederic & Mary Ann Brussat: www.spiritualityandpractice.com/practices/alphabet.
Saturday, January 20, 2018
#129 - Nassar
What can I do to help protect children from the likes of the Larry Nassar’s of this world?
As a mother of three daughters, in the wake of the Larry Nassar sentencing and having listened to all the tragic, emotional testimonies of the beautiful, courageous women whose lives he impacted, I want to compel every member of our community, especially our parents, to consider participating in a couple timely, informative and relevant programs coming up here at CTR.
In the United States 1 out of 4 girls/women and 1 out of 7 boys/men are victims of sexual predators. The first step in lowering these appalling statistics is by becoming informed and aware ourselves.
The Catholic Church is, of course, no stranger to sexual scandals. In fact, the failure of our own leaders to protect the children in our care was one of the first big cover ups to come to public light. If you haven’t seen the movie Spotlight yet (which won the best picture Oscar in 2016), do. It is an important film about our own dark history that helps raise awareness of the insidious ways we sometimes unwittingly participate in systemic failure and abuse of power that can lead to such unfathomable tragedy.
Since the time of our own scandals, the Catholic church, to our credit, has lead the way in the research, development and prolific offering of some stellar, free programs that provide top notch guidance in how we can work together to keep our children safe from harm. Here are some that are coming up in the next few weeks here at CTR:
Circle of Grace
Sunday, Feb. 25th all are welcome to join us for a quick 20-minute presentation on safe environments and right relationships that will serve as an introduction to the curriculum being presented to our children at our March Faith Formation classes as required by the Archdiocese of Detroit. Some great safety tips, signs to look for and very helpful resources will be shared. Anyone who cares about children and/or has young people in their lives can benefit from this short course. No RSVP necessary. Just grab a donut, some coffee and join us after Mass in the chapel.
Called to Serve
This interactive safe environment training program designed for teens grades 9-12 will be held here at CTR on Sunday, April 15th from 1PM-4PM. The important information shared is empowering and absolutely essential to every young person in our community. It is an Archdiocesan requirement for all our teens who volunteer with children in our parish. Please register with Lisa Andridge at highschool@ctredeemer.org.
Protecting God's Children
This safe environment training program for adults will be held here at CTR on Saturday, March 3rd from 1PM—4PM. The Archdiocese requires that ALL of our adult volunteers who work with children attend this workshop which alerts adults to signs of child abuse but, more importantly, offers a variety of ways to ensure the safety of our children. It is an excellent program which ALL the adults in our community could benefit from. The kindness of an RSVP is requested to Gabriela at eduadmin@ctredeemer.org.
For both Called to Serve and Protecting God's Children we bring in (in mine and many other people’s opinion) THE best local presenter, Michelle Pittel, who works with teens at Notre Dame Prep. All participants WILL leave enlightened and informed. The three hours with Michelle truly flies by. This workshop is time well spent, not only for the good of our parish, but for the safety of ALL children in our lives.
These programs grew out of our own great failure. Let’s do our due diligence as a community to inform ourselves so we can be protectors and advocates for our children and work together to put an end to the horrors such as our own church scandals and those propagated by Nassar and others who pose a threat to our most precious gift; our children.
Send your "Crazy Catholic Questions" Lisa Brown at dre@ctredeemer.org or read past columns at: http://crazycatholicquestions.blogspot.com.
As a mother of three daughters, in the wake of the Larry Nassar sentencing and having listened to all the tragic, emotional testimonies of the beautiful, courageous women whose lives he impacted, I want to compel every member of our community, especially our parents, to consider participating in a couple timely, informative and relevant programs coming up here at CTR.
In the United States 1 out of 4 girls/women and 1 out of 7 boys/men are victims of sexual predators. The first step in lowering these appalling statistics is by becoming informed and aware ourselves.
The Catholic Church is, of course, no stranger to sexual scandals. In fact, the failure of our own leaders to protect the children in our care was one of the first big cover ups to come to public light. If you haven’t seen the movie Spotlight yet (which won the best picture Oscar in 2016), do. It is an important film about our own dark history that helps raise awareness of the insidious ways we sometimes unwittingly participate in systemic failure and abuse of power that can lead to such unfathomable tragedy.
Since the time of our own scandals, the Catholic church, to our credit, has lead the way in the research, development and prolific offering of some stellar, free programs that provide top notch guidance in how we can work together to keep our children safe from harm. Here are some that are coming up in the next few weeks here at CTR:
Circle of Grace
Sunday, Feb. 25th all are welcome to join us for a quick 20-minute presentation on safe environments and right relationships that will serve as an introduction to the curriculum being presented to our children at our March Faith Formation classes as required by the Archdiocese of Detroit. Some great safety tips, signs to look for and very helpful resources will be shared. Anyone who cares about children and/or has young people in their lives can benefit from this short course. No RSVP necessary. Just grab a donut, some coffee and join us after Mass in the chapel.
Called to Serve
This interactive safe environment training program designed for teens grades 9-12 will be held here at CTR on Sunday, April 15th from 1PM-4PM. The important information shared is empowering and absolutely essential to every young person in our community. It is an Archdiocesan requirement for all our teens who volunteer with children in our parish. Please register with Lisa Andridge at highschool@ctredeemer.org.
Protecting God's Children
This safe environment training program for adults will be held here at CTR on Saturday, March 3rd from 1PM—4PM. The Archdiocese requires that ALL of our adult volunteers who work with children attend this workshop which alerts adults to signs of child abuse but, more importantly, offers a variety of ways to ensure the safety of our children. It is an excellent program which ALL the adults in our community could benefit from. The kindness of an RSVP is requested to Gabriela at eduadmin@ctredeemer.org.
For both Called to Serve and Protecting God's Children we bring in (in mine and many other people’s opinion) THE best local presenter, Michelle Pittel, who works with teens at Notre Dame Prep. All participants WILL leave enlightened and informed. The three hours with Michelle truly flies by. This workshop is time well spent, not only for the good of our parish, but for the safety of ALL children in our lives.
These programs grew out of our own great failure. Let’s do our due diligence as a community to inform ourselves so we can be protectors and advocates for our children and work together to put an end to the horrors such as our own church scandals and those propagated by Nassar and others who pose a threat to our most precious gift; our children.
Send your "Crazy Catholic Questions" Lisa Brown at dre@ctredeemer.org or read past columns at: http://crazycatholicquestions.blogspot.com.
Saturday, January 13, 2018
#128 - Greatest Need
I was very inspired by Ann Garrido’s visit last week and would like to support our Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Faith Formation efforts here at CTR. What is our greatest need is at the moment?
If you are interested in taking Level I training, please contact Lisa Brown at dre@ctredeemer.org and/or visit www.cgsusa.org for more information.
(You can listen to Dr. Garrido's talk at this link: http://www.ctredeemer.org/we-form/education/adults/)
In a word, we need: CATECHISTS. More specifically, catechists formally trained in the CGS method.
Before I elaborate, I want to express how INCREDIBLY thankful we are for the OUTSTANDING current and past catechists we have here at CTR. We couldn’t be more grateful or blessed by your selfless service and care of our children and how eagerly and gracefully you have moved with us into the CGS style of formation over the past 3 years.
But we are still hopeful that some adults in our community will hear the call to seek formal catechist training/certification. Careful training of the catechists is core to the effectiveness of CGS. Rather than invest money in textbooks, the CGS method invests in training of our catechists. In order to receive official national certification as a Level I CGS catechist, (also recognized locally by the Archdiocese of the Detroit) the commitment is considerable; 90 hours of study and observation…but what a delight these hours are!
Parents, catechists, religious educators, clergy, and other interested adults are drawn to the very rich, retreat-like courses that focus on the essentials of our faith. I have yet to meet a single person who has taken the training that didn’t find it absolutely enthralling; providing a much appreciated enlivening of their own faith. There is a clarity, excitement and a kind of “falling in love” that just radiates from those who have taken the training.
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is not a published program. Through the course, adults experience all the presentations that are given to the children. Led by a formation leader recognized by the national association, course participants also discuss the theological and pedagogical principles that undergird the children’s presentations. During the training, each catechist is guided in writing his or her own album of lesson presentations. This leads to considerable investment in time and labor by each catechist but also remarkable "ownership" of the material.
The catechist's role is to prepare the environment for the children and to present materials that encourage the children to respond to God's love. To that end, our CGS atria resemble retreat centers for adults, but the furnishings are scaled to the size of the child. One of the foundations of CGS is that God and the child have a unique relationship with one another and that the growth of this relationship should be assisted by the adult, but is directed by the Spirit of God within the child. The catechist serves as a co-witness with the children, listening to them and with them as they ask, "Who are You, God?" and "How do You love us?" The catechist is the initial go-between in this relationship through the presentations and dialogues during prayer time. The catechist suggests meditative questions that come from the Bible stories or parables for the children to grasp and hold in their hearts. These conversations together with the prepared environment help to foster the children's relationship with God as they express themselves through art, songs, and prayers.
"If we want to help the child grow near to God, we should, with patience and courage, seek to go always closer to the vital nucleus of things. This requires study and prayer. The child her/himself will be our teacher if we know how to observe him/her.”
In a word, we need: CATECHISTS. More specifically, catechists formally trained in the CGS method.
Before I elaborate, I want to express how INCREDIBLY thankful we are for the OUTSTANDING current and past catechists we have here at CTR. We couldn’t be more grateful or blessed by your selfless service and care of our children and how eagerly and gracefully you have moved with us into the CGS style of formation over the past 3 years.
But we are still hopeful that some adults in our community will hear the call to seek formal catechist training/certification. Careful training of the catechists is core to the effectiveness of CGS. Rather than invest money in textbooks, the CGS method invests in training of our catechists. In order to receive official national certification as a Level I CGS catechist, (also recognized locally by the Archdiocese of the Detroit) the commitment is considerable; 90 hours of study and observation…but what a delight these hours are!
Parents, catechists, religious educators, clergy, and other interested adults are drawn to the very rich, retreat-like courses that focus on the essentials of our faith. I have yet to meet a single person who has taken the training that didn’t find it absolutely enthralling; providing a much appreciated enlivening of their own faith. There is a clarity, excitement and a kind of “falling in love” that just radiates from those who have taken the training.
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is not a published program. Through the course, adults experience all the presentations that are given to the children. Led by a formation leader recognized by the national association, course participants also discuss the theological and pedagogical principles that undergird the children’s presentations. During the training, each catechist is guided in writing his or her own album of lesson presentations. This leads to considerable investment in time and labor by each catechist but also remarkable "ownership" of the material.
The catechist's role is to prepare the environment for the children and to present materials that encourage the children to respond to God's love. To that end, our CGS atria resemble retreat centers for adults, but the furnishings are scaled to the size of the child. One of the foundations of CGS is that God and the child have a unique relationship with one another and that the growth of this relationship should be assisted by the adult, but is directed by the Spirit of God within the child. The catechist serves as a co-witness with the children, listening to them and with them as they ask, "Who are You, God?" and "How do You love us?" The catechist is the initial go-between in this relationship through the presentations and dialogues during prayer time. The catechist suggests meditative questions that come from the Bible stories or parables for the children to grasp and hold in their hearts. These conversations together with the prepared environment help to foster the children's relationship with God as they express themselves through art, songs, and prayers.
"If we want to help the child grow near to God, we should, with patience and courage, seek to go always closer to the vital nucleus of things. This requires study and prayer. The child her/himself will be our teacher if we know how to observe him/her.”
If you are interested in taking Level I training, please contact Lisa Brown at dre@ctredeemer.org and/or visit www.cgsusa.org for more information.
Saturday, November 25, 2017
#127 - Ann Garrido
What is happening this Sunday, Jan. 7th at 2:15PM here at CTR?
So glad you asked! We have a very special guest joining us - professor, author & theologian Ann Garrido will be with us to speak on the topic of Speaking to Children about God. All are welcome.
(You can listen to Dr. Garrido's talk at this link: http://www.ctredeemer.org/we-form/education/adults/)
If you are able to attend, your time will be very well spent. Ann is a remarkable speaker and teacher. Most of our Office of Family Ministry staff had the pleasure of gleaning her wisdom, vast knowledge and wit for over 40 hours of Level Two CGS training this past summer. We couldn’t recommend her more enthusiastically.
Here are some potential resources she has recommended for our parish to review together.
Cavalletti, Sofia. The Religious Potential of the Child. Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications. A little denser read, but very substantive understanding of the spirituality of the child and how to nurture it within the Catholic tradition. There are two volumes – one for children under age of 6 and one for children between 6-12. Both are very good and available to borrow from our CTR library, or you may order your own copy here: http://www.ltp.org/
Krista Tippett’s On Being, interview with Rabbi Sandy Sasso:
http://being.publicradio.org/programs/2010/spirituality-of-parenting/transcript.shtml
Ms. Sasso: We know from research, that all children by the time they are age five have a conception of God, whether or not we've talked about God to them as parents. And we also know that children ask these really large questions. And there seems to be an innate spirituality, a great sense of wonder, spontaneity, imagination and creativity, and a connection to something larger than themselves. What children seem to lack is a language to give expression to that sense of something deeper. And I think, as parents, our responsibility is to provide them with a language, an opportunity to have a conversation about these matters that they care very deeply about. Because I think what happens is, if we don't provide the language and if we don't encourage the conversation, then children stop asking. If you don't exercise your muscles, they atrophy. If you don't exercise your soul, I think your soul atrophies as well.
Wolf, Aline D. Nurturing the Spirit in Non-Sectarian Classrooms. Hollidaysburg, PA: Parent Child Press, 1996. A solid description of what constitutes spirituality and ways to nurture spirituality in children even if parents aren’t comfortable with organized religion or you feel you aren’t sure what to say about God/Church questions. Originally written for Montessori teachers, but has broader application for family life. Has a broad bibliography of additional resources in the back.
Robbins, Patience Leiden. Parenting: A Sacred Path – A Reflection Booklet for Personal or Group Use. Washington, DC: Center for Children & Theology, 2008
So glad you asked! We have a very special guest joining us - professor, author & theologian Ann Garrido will be with us to speak on the topic of Speaking to Children about God. All are welcome.
(You can listen to Dr. Garrido's talk at this link: http://www.ctredeemer.org/we-form/education/adults/)
If you are able to attend, your time will be very well spent. Ann is a remarkable speaker and teacher. Most of our Office of Family Ministry staff had the pleasure of gleaning her wisdom, vast knowledge and wit for over 40 hours of Level Two CGS training this past summer. We couldn’t recommend her more enthusiastically.
Here are some potential resources she has recommended for our parish to review together.
Cavalletti, Sofia. The Religious Potential of the Child. Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications. A little denser read, but very substantive understanding of the spirituality of the child and how to nurture it within the Catholic tradition. There are two volumes – one for children under age of 6 and one for children between 6-12. Both are very good and available to borrow from our CTR library, or you may order your own copy here: http://www.ltp.org/
Krista Tippett’s On Being, interview with Rabbi Sandy Sasso:
http://being.publicradio.org/programs/2010/spirituality-of-parenting/transcript.shtml
Ms. Sasso: We know from research, that all children by the time they are age five have a conception of God, whether or not we've talked about God to them as parents. And we also know that children ask these really large questions. And there seems to be an innate spirituality, a great sense of wonder, spontaneity, imagination and creativity, and a connection to something larger than themselves. What children seem to lack is a language to give expression to that sense of something deeper. And I think, as parents, our responsibility is to provide them with a language, an opportunity to have a conversation about these matters that they care very deeply about. Because I think what happens is, if we don't provide the language and if we don't encourage the conversation, then children stop asking. If you don't exercise your muscles, they atrophy. If you don't exercise your soul, I think your soul atrophies as well.
Wolf, Aline D. Nurturing the Spirit in Non-Sectarian Classrooms. Hollidaysburg, PA: Parent Child Press, 1996. A solid description of what constitutes spirituality and ways to nurture spirituality in children even if parents aren’t comfortable with organized religion or you feel you aren’t sure what to say about God/Church questions. Originally written for Montessori teachers, but has broader application for family life. Has a broad bibliography of additional resources in the back.
Robbins, Patience Leiden. Parenting: A Sacred Path – A Reflection Booklet for Personal or Group Use. Washington, DC: Center for Children & Theology, 2008
(http://www.cctheo.org/catalog1.html#Parenting) Parenting is a challenging call. Many resources for parents focus on the child, but Parenting: A Sacred Path is for parents to reflect on their experience, with all of its joys and struggles, as an invitation to grow in faith, love, trust and compassion. Each of six chapters provides an opening reflection for personal or group use, followed by a week of quotes for reflection and prayer.
Contact Lisa Brown at dre@ctredeemer.org if you would like to be part of a group discussion of any of the above texts. FYI: Our greatest need at the moment, to help grow our Faith Formation program and keep it strong and effective for our CTR children, are trained catechists. If you are interested in taking the training please visit www.cgsusa.org for more information.
Contact Lisa Brown at dre@ctredeemer.org if you would like to be part of a group discussion of any of the above texts. FYI: Our greatest need at the moment, to help grow our Faith Formation program and keep it strong and effective for our CTR children, are trained catechists. If you are interested in taking the training please visit www.cgsusa.org for more information.
Saturday, November 18, 2017
#126: Suicide
Crazy Catholic Question#126: I’m struggling to understand the suicide of a friend. Any thoughts?
This time of year especially, suicide seems to touch so many of our lives. We just passed the anniversary of a dear friend of mine’s death by suicide, and even 10 years later, I still have pangs of confusion and guilt when I think of her. I don’t understand how, as a trusted friend, I could have missed the signs. I still think that if I somehow had done a little more, been more attentive and present…what if?
Fr. Ron Rolheiser writes once a year on the topic of suicide and his column remains balm to my soul when I think of losing my friend Evelina. Below are some quotes and paraphrasing of his wise words that I hope you find as comforting as I do. (FYI: his columns are archived and available on his website at www.ronrolheiser.com.)
Suicide is the most misunderstood of all diseases. 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. But, for most suicides, this isn’t true. Suicide is a disease that takes people out of life against their will. It is the emotional equivalent of a heart attack. 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 were a victim of a deadly illness, so there is no sin to be forgiven. Moreover, since some suicidal depressions are treatable with medication, then clearly some suicides are caused by biochemical deficiencies, like many other diseases that kill us.
And though, it should go without saying but it helps to hear it, Fr. Ron says “We need not worry about the eternal salvation of those who die in this way. God’s understanding and compassion infinitely surpass our own. Our lost loved ones are in safer hands than ours. If we, limited as we are, can reach through this tragedy with some understanding and love, we can rest secure in the fact that, given the width and depth of God’s love, the one who dies through suicide meets, on the other side, a compassion that’s deeper than our own and a judgment that intuits the deepest motives of their heart.
God’s love is not as helpless as our own in dealing with this. We, in dealing with our loved ones, sometimes find ourselves helpless, without a strategy and without energy, standing outside an oak-like door, shutout because of someone’s fear, wound, sickness, or loneliness. Most persons who die by suicide are precisely locked inside this kind of private room by some wound through which we cannot reach and through which they themselves cannot reach. Our best efforts leave us still unable to penetrate that private hell. But, as we see in the resurrection appearances of Jesus, God’s love and compassion are not rendered helpless by locked doors. God’s love doesn’t stand outside, helplessly knocking. Rather it goes right through the locked doors, stands inside the huddle of fear and loneliness, and breathes out peace. So too for our loved ones who die by suicide. We find ourselves helpless, but God can, and does, go through those locked doors and, once there, breathes out peace inside a tortured, huddled heart.”
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). With enough interest, we could even hold the training here at CTR…
This time of year especially, suicide seems to touch so many of our lives. We just passed the anniversary of a dear friend of mine’s death by suicide, and even 10 years later, I still have pangs of confusion and guilt when I think of her. I don’t understand how, as a trusted friend, I could have missed the signs. I still think that if I somehow had done a little more, been more attentive and present…what if?
Fr. Ron Rolheiser writes once a year on the topic of suicide and his column remains balm to my soul when I think of losing my friend Evelina. Below are some quotes and paraphrasing of his wise words that I hope you find as comforting as I do. (FYI: his columns are archived and available on his website at www.ronrolheiser.com.)
Suicide is the most misunderstood of all diseases. 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. But, for most suicides, this isn’t true. Suicide is a disease that takes people out of life against their will. It is the emotional equivalent of a heart attack. 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 were a victim of a deadly illness, so there is no sin to be forgiven. Moreover, since some suicidal depressions are treatable with medication, then clearly some suicides are caused by biochemical deficiencies, like many other diseases that kill us.
And though, it should go without saying but it helps to hear it, Fr. Ron says “We need not worry about the eternal salvation of those who die in this way. God’s understanding and compassion infinitely surpass our own. Our lost loved ones are in safer hands than ours. If we, limited as we are, can reach through this tragedy with some understanding and love, we can rest secure in the fact that, given the width and depth of God’s love, the one who dies through suicide meets, on the other side, a compassion that’s deeper than our own and a judgment that intuits the deepest motives of their heart.
God’s love is not as helpless as our own in dealing with this. We, in dealing with our loved ones, sometimes find ourselves helpless, without a strategy and without energy, standing outside an oak-like door, shutout because of someone’s fear, wound, sickness, or loneliness. Most persons who die by suicide are precisely locked inside this kind of private room by some wound through which we cannot reach and through which they themselves cannot reach. Our best efforts leave us still unable to penetrate that private hell. But, as we see in the resurrection appearances of Jesus, God’s love and compassion are not rendered helpless by locked doors. God’s love doesn’t stand outside, helplessly knocking. Rather it goes right through the locked doors, stands inside the huddle of fear and loneliness, and breathes out peace. So too for our loved ones who die by suicide. We find ourselves helpless, but God can, and does, go through those locked doors and, once there, breathes out peace inside a tortured, huddled heart.”
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). With enough interest, we could even hold the training here at CTR…
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