All Hallow's Eve

Deacon Greg posted this video from Busted Halo. How awesome is Fr. James Martin, SJ? This is a great catechetical presentation! (And - please! - watch it to the end!

Isn't That a Choice?

This disturbing story was in Wednesday's Baltimore Sun, under the headline, "Death of baby found in trash bin ruled a homicide":

The state medical examiner's office has ruled that the death of a newborn who was found Oct. 4 in a Charles Village trash bin after his mother went for treatment at a local hospital, was a homicide by asphyxiation. Police say the investigation is continuing; the death is not yet reflected in this year's homicide count.

Police said the 22-year-old mother, who was involved in a training program with a Christian volunteer organization, went to Union Memorial Hospital with abdominal pain, and doctors discovered during an examination that she had recently given birth.

The woman, whom police declined to identify, told doctors the baby had been stillborn, but she wouldn't disclose where they could find his body, according to police.

Hospital staff notified police about 9:30 p.m., and city officers went to where she had been living - St. John's United Methodist Church in the 2600 block of St. Paul St. - and began searching the church and its property. Officers found the dead, full-term newborn in a blue steel trash bin behind the church in an alley, police said.

Now, I am not into gruesome stories to hammer a point, but it seems that we cannot avoid this stuff in our news. What drove this mother to such a horrible action? Economic difficulty, family instability, temporary insanity? We don't know. However, when a newborn is left to die in a dumpster in our city we are rightly outraged (I hope). There are many people who would have loved that child - would have adopted him and raised him well. However, as it stands, there is nothing now for that child except the embrace of God - and, perhaps, our commitment to work to alleviate any of the conditions that would lead any mother (or father) to such an action. Pray for an end to infanticide (abortion).

Strangely, though, if she had killed her baby a month earlier, it would have been her "choice."

Hope = Looking Forward

I have not been to see "High School Musical 3" - yet (although, I don't know if I can in all masculinity go see this one by myself!). However, I have no problem admitting that I have followed the films, and I think their peppiness and positivity are a welcome addition to the panoply of dismal and hopeless stuff that can sometimes fill our theaters and TVs ("Saw V", anyone?). Anyway, Hollywood Jesus gives their latest spin on this Disney offering, and there's a lot to notice. "With nary a drug, pregnancy, or broken family in sight, this is not the high school of reality but of what we hope it could be." writes reviewer Matthew Kinne. That hope is what we are about as Christians. He goes on:

And isn't that what the promise of Heaven is? Never-ending joy, praise, and quality relationships with God and each other? High School Musical 3: Senior Year gives the viewer a glimpse that perhaps there is another world where we might be able to visit someday. The target audience member, girls 8 to 12, need to have good heroes, role models to which they can aspire—and a dedicated basketball player like Troy or a Julliard scholarship winner like (I'm not telling) fit that bill.

Kind of makes me want to go see it now - I wonder what the girls at Towson are doing tomorrow night....

Bringing the Message Home

Christmas seems to be the only holiday that has been able to spark a movie industry around it. However, I watched again yesterday Tim Burton's "A Nightmare Before Christmas" - which is neither a Christmas film nor, really, a Halloween movie. Rather, as with many of Burton's films, it tells the story of someone struggling with their identity against a backdrop of others' expectations.

Jack Skellington in his own existential angst, stumbles upon "Christmastown" and is delighted with the newness he finds there. He even sings in his wonder:

The monsters are all missing
And the nightmares can't be found
And in their place there seems to be
Good feeling all around

Instead of screams, I swear
I can hear music in the air
The smell of cakes and pies
Is absolutely everywhere

The sights, the sounds
They're everywhere and all around
I've never felt so good before
This empty place inside of me is filling up
I simply cannot get enough

I want it, oh, I want it
Oh, I want it for my own
I've got to know
I've got to know
What is this place that I have found?
What is this?
Christmas Town, hmm...

In his intoxication over the wonderful good feelings he has discovered, Jack takes his vision home to his fellow townspeople in "Halloweentown." However, as the saying goes, something gets lost in the translation. Jack wants to present his vision to them in a way they understand, but ends up completely distorting Christmas for everyone. It is only when he decides that he knows who he is and that it is good enough. Being true to himself, he goes about righting the relationships that were damaged by his phony face.

We too have been graced with a "vision" - the relationship of love that God wants us to have with Him and with others. This is a relationship, however, that we are responsible for living authentically, as we are, not as we want to be - or as others want us to be. In relating the Gospel life that we live, what convinces others of God's love is our love. Cardinal Newman knew this very well. His motto, Cor ad cor loquitur, "Heart speaks to heart," reflects his conviction that true discipleship - and true conversion - comes as a matter of love, not intellectual arguments, and love can only be fully show when we are who we truly are.

In the end of Jack's story, Santa flies overhead and wishes everyone a "Happy Halloween," to which Jack replies, "Merry Christmas." Then all are struck with the same wonder that excited Jack in the first place. Who we are - authentically and truly - are gifts to each other.

What Are You Looking For?

I love those AT&T commercials with Bill Kurtis, where he is promoting their wireless Internet cards. He goes "to the ends of the earth" and "discovers" the Internet. The humor of it all is that, as he is finding Internet access, in the background something even more wondrous is going on too. He goes to the "fountain of youth," as people are going in and emerging as children; he's on a desert island, standing right in front of Amelia Earhart's crashed plane; he's in the mountains as the Yeti goes about his daily work; or at the end of the rainbow, completely ignoring the leprechaun waiting there.



These commercials underscore how we can often miss the most wonderful aspects of life because we are too busy looking for something else. We have pre-set notions of what we think we want to find, only to end up completely ignoring the message that God might be sending us through another route.

For us, it is useful to sometimes let go of our expectations and stop looking for what we think we need. Rather, we start looking for what God wants us to see - and the view becomes so much better then!

Media Done Well

I stumbled across this site the other day, and I find it wildly exciting - even if I am too scared to actually purchase anything at this time. There are some wonderful videos on it and some very neat graphics for presentations, etc. So, while I take this small break on our Sabbath, check out Catholic Media House (and let me know if you like it!).

Nothing Is Right

My friend Scott sent me this song from Baltimore-based singer/songwriter Ruut, who actually just became one of 12 finalists in the New York Songwriter Circle Contest. I don't really know where to go with this, but any time you dress up a monkey, I'll be there!

Picking on Mickey - Again?

Is Steven Colbert taking cues from Sheikh Mohammed Salah Al-Munajid?



When I go to vote this year, I'm wearing a helmet!

Part of That World

Ariel, the "Little Mermaid", wanted something more; she was restless. Wandering through her collection of "treasures" from the world above, she dreams of being "where the people go." No matter how many trinkets she collects, she knows that she will always lack what is really real - without that encounter with those who created that "stuff."

Her yearning is not unlike what 20th century theologian Karl Rahner called the "supernatural existential." Now, that is a big theological term for a sort of built-in human awareness that there is more to life than what we encounter here. There is more, even though we cannot see it now. Ariel know this, and she strives to know ever more - eventually leading her to actually become "part of that world."

The First Reading from daily Mass for Tuesday comes from St. Paul's Letter to the Ephesians, and he also touches on this theme. However, he also offers the key to breaking out of our human limitations and brings us into contact with the One who offers us the opportunity to become part of God's world:

Brothers and sisters:
You were at that time without Christ,
alienated
from the community of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise,
without hope and without God in the world.
But now in Christ Jesus you
who once were far off
have become near by the Blood of Christ.
For he is
our peace, he made both one
and broke down the dividing wall of enmity,
through his Flesh,
abolishing the law with its commandments and legal
claims,
that he might create in himself one new person in place of the two,
thus establishing peace,
and might reconcile both with God,
in one
Body, through the cross,
putting that enmity to death by it.
He came and
preached peace to you who were far off
and peace to those who were near,for
through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

We are "far off" no more. In fact, in Jesus, these two worlds - that of our human sphere and God's divine realm - become one, united in Christ.

Make Up Your Minds - First!

This morning, I turned on VH1 and watched a bit of their morning wake-up video block - something I've not done in a long time. I caught the latest video by Katy Perry (of "I Kissed a Girl and I Liked It" fame). The new single, "Hot N Cold," starts off with the rather damning, "You change your mind like a girl changes clothes..." The video begins a a wedding, where Katy has just pronounced "I do" to the minister's question. When it is the groom's turn, everyone hangs on his response...which is less than forthcoming. An exasperated bride then launches into her song.

Yeah, you always think
Always speak cryptically
I should know
That you're no good for me

'Cause you're hot then you're cold
You're yes then you're no
You're in and you're out
You're up and you're down
You're wrong when it's right
It's black and it's white
We fight, we break up
We kiss, we make up

You, you don't really wanna stay, no
You, but you don't really wanna go, oh

Katy sings these words as if none of this is a surprise to the bride - and yet, there she is, at the altar with Mr. Indecision. A relationship like that should not result in a wedding - let alone a marriage. There's a reason for courtship - and it is not to find out whether or not a couple is physically "compatible." Dating helps both parties discover who they are and for whom they are looking in a life-long relationship of marriage. If there are obvious problems that you have with your fiance or fiancee, these do not magically go away with the wedding vows (nor do problems in seminarians go away once we are ordained!). That is why it is important to pay attention during a courtship and relationship. He will not change if he shows no sign of wanting to - neither will she. This is something to discuss, before you get to the altar.

We used to be
just like twins, so in sync
The same energy
now's a dead battery
Used to laugh 'bout nothing
Now you're plain boring I should know
That you're not gonna change...

Someone call the doctor
Got a case of a love bipolar
Stuck on a rollercoaster
Can't get off this ride

Oh, yes you can - and it's better to get out before you take that plunge - call your priest or deacon!

Coming Down the Mountain

I came across this link at another blog. It seems that there are guidelines for faithful and Christian blogging. Many thanks for Laura and Jim for posting these:

1. You shall not put your blog before your integrity
2. You shall not make an idol of your blog
3. You shall not misuse your screen name by using your anonymity to sin
4. Remember the Sabbath day by taking one day off a week from your blog
5. Honour your fellow-bloggers above yourselves and do not give undue significance to their mistakes
6. You shall not murder someone else’s honour, reputation or feelings
7. You shall not use the web to commit or permit adultery in your mind
8. You shall not steal another person’s content
9. You shall not give false testimony against your fellow-blogger
10. You shall not covet your neighbour’s blog ranking. Be content with your own content

I don't think that I am terribly guilty of any of these - except for number 4. With that in mind, and in a prayerful spirit, I am going to cut back one day a week (so as to avoid also breaking number 2!). Again, thanks for posting this!

Assigning Value - Recognizing Worth

Money is an interesting thing.










Do you know why this dollar bill is valuable? It's valuable because it bears a mark - an image - put there by the authorities of our country, that says it is valuable. It is worth one dollar.

This one is worth ten.









It seems rather arbitrary when you think about it. In fact, if I go to France and try to buy a croissant with it they'd probably tell me to go away!

It was the same way in the Roman Empire, in Jesus' time. People had to pay taxes in order to pay for the privilege of being protected and governed by Rome; and the Roman tax had to be paid with Roman money. These coins had an image of the emperor, Tiberius Caesar, and bore his inscription: "Tiberius, divi Augusti filius augustus , pontifex maximus" (Tiberius, august son of the divine Augustus, high priest." No other coin would do, and these coins were worth something because Rome said they were worth something. In fact, these coins came from Rome in the first place.

So, when Jesus says, "Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar," he is really saying, "Give him back his coins - they have his image; they belong to him."

But, Jesus goes farther. He takes this opportunity, again, to point out what is truly important. The Pharisees and Herodians (who rarely agreed on anything), we concerned about a small matter: a coin or two. Jesus redirected them to what really matters: God, and our relationship with Him.

Remember: human beings are made - created - in the image and likeness of God. We bear God's image. Therefore, when Jesus says, opposite "Repay to Caesar..."), "Repay to God what belongs to God," he is, in truth, saying, "Whose image and Whose inscription do we bear?"

God's.

So, we must give to God what is truly God's. That is, our very selves.

We each have inherent dignity and worth because God says we do. No one can tell you otherwise, because you always bear God's image - whether one is in the womb, suffering at the end of life, rich or poor, free or imprisoned, black, white, yellow, red, purple or blue. Everyone has value. When we render unto God what belongs to God, we make an offering of our lives, and this is a "giving back" of what God has given us in the first place.

So how can we do this?

We do it by centering our lives on what really matters - our relationship with God. It is from this first relationship that all others flow - even those of politics, obedience to authority and taxes.

We do it when we say, "I can't work on Sunday because I have to go to church."

We do it when we pray before our meals - even when out at a restaurant.

We do it when we treat each other with dignity and respect, because we are all bearers of God's image and are worth the world to Him.

A few coins?

Forget it.

A couple of bucks?

You can keep it.

I am worth the world to God.

Do you want proof? Just look to Jesus. God sent His only Son into the world to suffer and die for us. We are reminded of that love every time we celebrate the Eucharist.

I'm worth it.

You're worth it.

We all are.

Why?

Because God says we are!

Never Pray Alone

Catholic prayer is never really just prayer by oneself. Even when we are praying alone, we are actually in communion with all those who pray. The greatest expression of this is the celebration of Mass, where we are united not only with those who fill the pews with us, but also with those who have gone before us "marked by the sign of faith," as well as all the angels and saints. The Liturgy of the Hours is a continuation of that prayer of the Mass in which we follow St. Paul's advice to "pray without ceasing." This is the "prayer of the Church," and even when recited privately, we are praying with the Church. In the Rosary, we are united with Mary, the saints and the faithful in praying for intercession.

Online, there are many new ways to be reminded of our interconnectedness as we pray. I encourage folks to use online prayer resources - if for no other reason than people are online anyway. Catholic.net has a recently-added feature that allows visitors to pray the Rosary with a group online, as well as "attend" Mass. On resource I use from time to time on Fridays, usually, is the Liturgy of the Hours Apostolate; and the Anchoress has been posting podcasts of morning, evening and night prayer. All of these are great ways to be connected with the Church as we pray - and to remember that whenever and wherever we do, we are not alone.

30 Days Has September...

We passed an interesting period in the year, ecclesiastically speaking, that is. The days between the Feast of St. Francis (Oct 4th) and that of St. Theresa of Avila (Oct 15th) always take me back to my time as a tour guide in St. Peter's Basilica when I was in seminary. One of the stops on the tour was at the monument to Pope Gregory XIII, for whom the "Gregorian" Calendar is named.

It seems, in 1581, there was growing confusion in pinpointing the celebrations of various feasts and solemnities - not least of all, Easter - as well as difficulty in the planting seasons because of a discrepancy in the calendar (then the "Julian" Calendar, used since 45 BC). In consultation with astronomers and theologians, Gregory determined that a new calendar should be put into effect ("So let it be written, so let it be done"). In a papal bull entitled "Inter gravissimus" Gregory, among other things declared:

"we prescribe and order that there is removed, from October of the year the 1582, the ten days which go from the third before Nones [the 5th] through the day before the Ides [the 14th] inclusively. The day which will follow IV Nones [the 4th], where one traditionally celebrates Saint Francis [of Assisi], shall be the Ides of October [the 15th]..."

What this meant was that, in 1582, October 5 through October 14 never existed! You could do that when you were pope. So, normally, a saint's feast day will be the day after he or she died. In 1582, St. Theresa of Avila, a doctor of the Church, died on October 4. Her feast day? That's right: October 15.

This episode with the calendar, I think, is a nice example of the interplay between science and the Church. This has not always been the case (has it, Galileo and Copernicus?). However, when we accept that faith and science have a common goal of discovering Truth, and that that Truth is meant for the common good, it should not be so surprising that things like this can happen. But, so as to underscore Gregory's role as Supreme Pontiff, he protects this decree in this way:

"No one among men, therefore, is permitted to infringe on this page, our prescription, mandate, establishment, wish, approval, prohibition, suppression, abolition, exhortation and request, nor dare reckless opposition. But if you tamper with this, Almighty God will take you up with indignation, and you will be making an incursion against His happy apostles Peter and Paul."

It's good to be the pope.

A Strange Condiment Trend

Some of the Catholic blogs that I frequent have been reading lately, all of a sudden, have posted an odd personality test: "What Condiment are You?" I find out that Greg is ketchup, Elizabeth is mayonnaise, Julie is mustard, and Dean is ketchup (seems to be a "deacon thing," guys!).

Anyway, yours truly wandered into that back-yard cookout in cyberspace, and, well, here:

Pardon me... do you have any Grey Poupon?

Pontifical Blogification?

At the Synod on the Word a Scripture scholar suggested that Pope Benedict start blogging. More specifically, said bloggery would include a verse of the day, a brief reflection - and lots of pictures (the kids like the pictures, Your Holiness). I don't know - I have a tough enough time blogging daily with my own schedule; I can't imagine being pope and doing it. Although, maybe the pope can just appoint some cardinal to do it.

Jeff Miller suggests some blog titles for big B.

Staying in Touch with the Light

I went to see "City of Ember" Sunday night. The film tells the story of an underground city that harbors the remnant of humanity. The city is established by the "Builders," who set up Ember as a refuge for humanity after the end of the world. The film doesn't explain how the world ends - only that it does end. The ones who will populate Ember are set there for 200 years, so that, in the words of one of the builders, they will have no memory of the sorrow that preceded the establishment of the city.

Each mayor of Ember was entrusted with a box that contained instructions on how to get out of Ember when the time was right. However, after seven mayors, the purpose of the box was lost, and it was stowed away in the dead mayor's family home. We join Ember after 200 years, and humanity is still living in the deteriorating city - the "lone bastion against the darkness" that surrounds them. The City of Ember itself becomes the center and the purpose of the existence of its residents, and the mayor thrives off the corruption of his office. There is an almost religious naivete that exists among the people - and mayor - of the city. The city is good, as are all the rules set up to guide life there. However, there is no sense as to where those rules came from, nor why they are good.

Two young people question this existence, and their curiosity and intelligence lead them to find the box (the girl is a descendant of that lost mayor) and decipher its secret. Of course, the mayor does not want to listen to these kids and seeks to stop them from continuing their quest for escape. He likes his position, even in the midst of a dying city.

Go see it to find out how that plays out (an intelligent observer can probably guess). I want to save more reflection for some other time. What I want to point out today is the link between this "box" given by the Builders and another gift given to us by The Builder. God has revealed Himself to us in time - we have both Scripture and Tradition in the Church as the manifestation of this revelation of God. When we lose touch with these "fonts" of revelation, we lose our course as far as meaning in life is concerned. Throughout history, people have based their meaning on self-imposed categories and other sources. Certainly, this has been the source of abuse for many leaders (even Church leaders). That is why it is important to remain in contact with the Source of revelation and look at our lives in light of it. We become complacent in our unexamined lives, and this can lead to a sort of stagnant existence for us. God offers us, through Scripture and the unbroken Tradition of the Church, a "way out" - a sense of direction and meaning in our lives.

The bishops' Synod is attempting to maintain and strengthen that connection with Scripture in the life of the Church. Much of their reflection has pointed to a greater contact with God's Word in the liturgy and our participation in that mystery with the people of God. Scripture is alive in our Church - not because we are writing new books or chapters, but because the Tradition of the Church has carried that light of the Word through history.

We continue to participate in the revelation of God because He continues to touch us. We are a "bastion of light against the darkness that surrounds us." But we can only be effectively so if we remain in touch with the One who makes that light shine in us.

"Urgent" versus "Important"

I am taking my own advice today and relaxing.

We are pretty busy most of the time. Too often, we have “things to do and people to see.” Sometimes, this busyness is a good thing – it keeps us out of trouble and helps us be productive. However, chronic busyness is a problem. Why? It fills our lives and creates a constant state of urgency – this has to get done, and it has to get done now. Moreover, it has to get done by me.
Like I said, being busy is alright from time to time. We run up against deadlines and have obligations that require our attention. But Jesus presents us with a challenge today that should shake us out of our state of constant urgency and force us to see what is really important. Someone once said that “not everything that is urgent is important.” The challenge that Jesus gives us today is the wisdom to know the difference.
The first guests who were invited to the important feast that Jesus talks about were, no doubt, busy people. They had lives, duties and responsibilities. The invitation to the feast came in the midst of their busy lives. But, this was no ordinary invitation; it was an invitation from the king. When the king invites, you go. However, pressed with the wild urgency of their own lives, the invitations went unanswered – and even resented.

That wild urgency stands in stark contrast with the peace and rest that most people so desperately want. Today, as our retirement funds and plans are threatened, the possibility for peaceful rest seems less likely. Oddly, this scary possibility only spurs us to become more busy! However, if the hope for personal peace and security seems long-off, then the possibility for true peace – and peace on earth – is only a distant dream. Blessed Pope John XXIII, before he convened Vatican II, wrote an encyclical entitled Pacem in Terris (“Peace on Earth”). In it he notes:

"Every believer in this world of ours must be a spark of light, a center of love, a life-giving leaven amidst his fellow men. And he will be this all the more perfectly, the more closely he lives in communion with God in the intimacy of his own soul. The world will never be the house of peace, till peace has found a home in the heart of each and every man, till every man preserves in himself the order ordained by God to be preserved."

This interior order is not something that we ourselves can invent. Certainly, it is not something that our busyness will create. Rather, it is the result of the invitation – the same invitation that Jesus talks about today. His image of the king’s feast is reminiscent of Isaiah’s depiction of the heavenly banquet to which all are invited. This is not an invitation that we can turn down simply because we are “busy.” This is a time to put aside those “urgent” things for what is truly important.

What God is inviting us to, as John XXIII pointed out, is communion – communion with God, and communion with others. The feast is a place where our agendas cease to be important and God’s will becomes the driving force. We put on the grace that God offers and share fully in the peaceful security of knowing that we belong at that feast, because God has invited us there. Not only that, God has invited a vast amount of people there. As Jesus notes, “Many are called.” Whether we are “chosen” or not depends on our acceptance of that invitation on God’s terms, not our own.

When we are able to come to the feast – a feast prefigured in this Eucharist – we can set aside those “urgent” things of our busy lives and embrace what is truly important – communion with God and each other.

Atonement - Finding That Peace

Friday, our Jewish brothers and sisters observed Yom Kippur - the Day of Atonement. Here in Baltimore, there was a synagogue that was vandalized with anti-Semitic images and words, and on my own campus, a dozen or so dorm rooms were "decorated" with swastikas. It seems that the Jewish people are not the only ones who have atoning to do.

As Christians, we must reaffirm our solidarity with all those who suffer hatred, but especially with our brothers and sisters of the Jewish faith and culture. Such childish, hateful acts cannot be tolerated in an "enlightened" society, and we have to rededicate ourselves to prayer to overcome the attitudes and prejudices that give rise to such behavior. Yesterday, Rocco at Whispers posted this quote from John XXIII's encyclical, Pacem in Terris ("Peace on Earth"):

"Every believer in this world of ours must be a spark of light, a center of love, a life-giving leaven amidst his fellow men. And he will be this all the more perfectly, the more closely he lives in communion with God in the intimacy of his own soul. The world will never be the house of peace, till peace has found a home in the heart of each and every man, till every man preserves in himself the order ordained by God to be preserved."

May our prayers be united in seeking to make our hearts a home for this peace.

Shalom.

Yeah - Sometimes We Do That

I saw this in the paper yesterday. You don't need me to break this one down for you. Have a great weekend!

Know the Stories; Know the God

I found this on the Disney Blog the other day:



That was woven together so well that it might be hard to know that they were from two different trailers, if one didn't know either of those films. This requisite of knowledge also applies to our encounter with God in His Word, the Scriptures. When we lose touch with the stories of the Bible, and their connection through the Spirit with us, then those stories might as well be some fairy tale or wild fantasy fiction. Cardinal Francis George of Chicago commented on this modern phenomenon at the Bishops' Synod on the Word.

In his address the cardinal spoke of the "lived contexts in which believers hear the Word of God and the need for pastoral attention to conversion of the imagination, the intellect and the will."

"Western culture has been historically shaped in 
conversation with the Bible," he said. "References to 'the prodigal son' or 'the Good Samaritan' or 'Sodom and Gomorrah' could be taken for granted as images popularly recognizable.

"This familiarity, that has now largely disappeared from popular imagination, disappeared a generation ago from the world of art and theatre."

"Behind this loss of biblical images lies the loss of a sense and an image of God as an actor in human history," Cardinal George continued. "In Scripture, God is both the principal author and the principal actor. In Scripture, we encounter the living God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

"Our people, for the most part, do not live confidently in the biblical world of active spirit, of angels and demons, of the search for God’s will and God’s intentions in the midst of this world governed by God’s providence.

"Scripture takes on the genre of fantasy fiction, and the biblical world becomes an uninhabitable embarrassment."

The cardinal added that Scripture is then "approached only as a moral guidebook, and often found deficient even in that."

His solution is to get us back into that encounter through the Liturgy. It is there that we are spoken to through God's Word and find our connection with God as we worship. Our conversation with God - which comes in prayer and reflection and reading of Scripture - should lead us to want to deepen that relationship, and this is only best done in our celebration of the Mass. So kids: go to church! God is waiting to talk to you!

Announcing: Peace Between the Sheikh and Mickey! (Setting the Record Straight)

I've been following the saga of the Sheik versus Mickey Mouse. Deacon Greg at the Deacon's Bench first presented the story and brought it to my attention. Then, I saw that there was an outcry against the sheik from other Muslim scholars. Well, finally, the Sheik has come to set the record straight! Check this out:



I particularly like how he sort of vanishes at the end.

Anyway, this is a great way that controversy offers not simply an opportunity for division but also a teaching moment. Jesus did the same thing as he taught. Notice how the Sheik offers his exposition of the teachings of Islam in a calm, straightforward, rational way, for our benefit. Well done, Sheik! By the way, here is the original conversation that sparked this mess in the first place:

American and Catholic

When I was working on my STL (license in moral theology) at the Accademia Alfonsiana in Rome, I needed to pick a topic for my major thesis. We had gotten so much coursework on bioethics and other "below the waist" moral theology, that I decided I wanted to go "above the waist" and do something in what is called fundamental moral theology. This branch of study deals with what lay at the foundation of Catholic moral teaching, such as issues of conscience, sin, freedom, choice and the like. I also wanted to delve into something that was more American for my study, so I ended up writing on "American Individualism and an Understanding of True Freedom in the United States." I know - oooh, interesting stuff!

Simply put, I looked at the foundations of our nation as an independent country and how we developed an individualist spirit that has been responsible for many of our historical triumphs. However, as Alexis deToqueville observed in the early 19th century, this individualism within American democracy could also lead to isolation and fragmentation of society. Carry that through a philosophical development like that of Ralph Waldo Emerson's non-conformist and all the way into the post-modern spirit that pervades today, and we get the fulfillment of deToqueville's worry in our day. The counterbalance to that, however, comes from an understanding of true Christian freedom, which is a freedom directed in line with the common good. John Courtney Murray noted that such a view, espoused by Catholic teaching, was actually just what America needed - that one can be truly Catholic and truly American for the benefit of both (he called them the res sacra and the secular part of the human person).

This has always been the tension for the believer in a secular society. The founding fathers saw religion as a good thing - and that is why its free exercise was so important to them to safeguard. Rather than keeping it away from the public, a person's religion instilled values in them, which were helpful in forging a just society. The tension will always be there, I suppose. That's why it is nice to see it played out here in the Blogosphere. A new blog illustrates this: American Catholic. Check it out from time to time.

In Our Image

The film, "Pocahontas" plays out the typical "two worlds collide" story of Europeans meet Native Americans, wherein the "Old World" penchant for dominating, conquering and reshaping places that they "discover" is forced up against the harmonic way of life of a people who have long since learned to live with what they have been blessed with. Given superior technology, that tale usually plays out the same way: another world is recreated in the image of the assertive intruder.

Rocco, over at Whispers in the Loggia, posted a story about Cardinal Rode's criticism of post-Vatican II faithful who have co-oped the "spirit" of that council in order to fashion a Church that they want. Using humanistic language and categories, this "pseudo-aggiornamento" seeks to promote an image of a "backward" Church prior to the council and a renewed, better Church after it. Now, Vatican II was a great breath of fresh air for our Church, but - as Pope Benedict has underscored - it comes in continuity with what had come before - without which, in fact, Vatican II (and its "spirit") would never have been possible. Those who hold that the Church is entirely new afterward, or those who say they have the best grasp on the spirit of the Council, are actually outside of the living Tradition that has guided the Church for centuries. What they often seek is to make a Church in their image.

It is God's Church, not mine or yours or theirs. The Spirit of Vatican II is the Holy Spirit, and that Spirit has guided the Church since the day of Pentecost. It is presumptive to go outside of our Tradition and fashion a Church that more closely reflects the values of the world. Here is a bit of the speech to which the Whispers story refers:

In the Holy Father’s analysis, “The hermeneutic of discontinuity is based upon a false concept of the Church and hence of the Council, as if the former were from man alone and the latter a sort of Constituent Assembly. The call to change would be the true “spirit of the Council”, to such a degree that whatever in its documents reconfirms the past can be safely said to be the fruit of compromise and therefore to be legitimately forsaken in favor of the Council’s ‘spirit.’

This spirit that all is new and has to be made new gives rise to the fervid excitement of the explorer, the prospect of stepping courageously beyond the letter of the Council. But the call is so vague that one is immediately left anchorless, a victim of his every whim and rejecting all correction. It is idealistic in so far as it underestimates the frailty of human nature, and it is simplistic in thinking that a Yes to the modern era will solve all tensions and create harmony .

Given these premises, and given also the best of intentions, what calming influence could there be on experimentation, and what principle was there to moderate the tendency to incorporate into religious life the fads and patterns of modern culture?

Again, we all need that "anchor" - the anchor that is Christ, and the Spirit which Christ continues to give to His Church.

Interestingly, after I read that article from Rocco today, I went to Scott Miller's site and read a story about youth ministry's common problem of taking everything on oneself and taking guidance of a parish youth program away from the Spirit and the parish in one's own hands. Yes, we are blessed with fervent, talented youth ministers in our Church, but Scott's story is a reminder to all of us that what Mark Riddle says is true: "[We] aren't called to make things happen at our church[es]." It is God's work, and we are merely cooperators in that work.

There is a Spirit that guides us in our work and ministry, and we are called by God to be in harmony with that Spirit. It's akin to "painting with all the colors of the wind," and it is our assurance that we are continuing Jesus' work in the world, in communion (read: harmony) with His Church.

Asleep in Christ - Awakened By Love

This week, Disney will release "Sleeping Beauty" on DVD. This is one of my favorite Disney films - with its visual beauty and heroic story. The tale is like the traditional fairy tale, and the theme of death and resurrection is immediately accessible to any Christian. Aurora, who sleeps a death-like rest, is awakened by the kiss of true love. The Christian, who one day will sleep the sleep of death, also looks forward to the touch of True Love that awakens us to eternal life. It is a touch that has come through our baptism and continues through our life in the Church.

Beliefnet carries a neat interview with Mary Costa, the voice of Sleeping Beauty here. Thanks to Deacon Greg for the referral!

Caring for the Vinyard - in Gratitude

We are eagerly awaiting the pope's newest encyclical, Caritas in Veritate ("Love in Truth"), which, while addressing the social teaching of the Church and issues of globalization, will also have an environmental element to it. With that in mind, as I reflected on the Sunday readings this week, I found myself wanting to go outside the obvious spiritual message of acceptance of Christ and attention to God, the "landowner," and I preached about the spirituality of environmentalism. It went (something) like this:

Yesterday, we celebrated the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi. This 13th century Italian saint, because of his love of nature and creation, has been dubbed the patron saint of the environment. Today, our readings point us to the type of care that God has given – and expects – from His People, using an environmental image: that of the vineyard.

According to Isaiah, “The vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel.” By extension, and through the embrace of Jesus, that vineyard becomes all the people of God. Today, I think it is worthwhile to reflect on the environmental implications of this image for us as Christians. In particular, what does Jesus’ parable have to tell us about our place in creation and what God expects of us? The actions of the landowner and those of the tenants serve to give us a sense of how our relationship with God, us and the world should work.

The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church devotes a section to humanity’s duty toward the environment. It deals with themes of stewardship and proper relations between humans and the earth and humans and God - what Scripture and theology would term “justice.” Listen to what it says at the outset:

“The relationship of man with the world is a constitutive part of his human
identity. This relationship in turn is the result of a still deeper
relationship between man and God. The Lord has made the human person to be
a partner with him in dialogue. Only in dialogue with God does the human
being find his truth, from which he draws inspiration and norms to make plans
for the future of the world, which is the garden that God has given him to keep
and till” (CSDC, 452).

Thus, our care for what we have been given is a reflection of how in touch we are with the One who has given to us. The tenants in Jesus’ story today were not in touch with the landowner. Certainly, they knew the vineyard was not theirs’ they knew who had hired them. Yet, when the servants came to announce the landowner’s will, the tenants didn’t even talk with them. They mistreated, beat and even killed them without a word being spoken. That is a reflection of the lack of dialogue that can bring mistreatment of the environment, the gifts that God has given.

So, prayer should be a part of our relationship with the environment. How are we to manage this vineyard as it is given to us? What is the purpose of our technology and how should we best use it? Should we do this or that with nature or biology? These are questions that we are not left on our own to answer. We have that relationship that we nurture here to help guide us in our actions.

Another point from this parable is raised by St. John Chrysostom, who preached on this in the fourth century. Chrysostom notes that the landowner was the one who did all the real work as far as the vineyard is concerned: he cleared it; he planted it; he watered it, hedged it in and cared for it; then he handed it over to the tenants for care-taking. They had no real “work” to do, other than keeping the vineyard clean and productive.

We have been handed this great gift of our planet, which we had no hand in creating. Our task is also one of caretakers. Our care for the earth, again, is a reflection of our care for the One who has given this gift to us. This is why we have responsibilities as far as our use of technology goes. Human technology is not merely our way of “dominating” the earth; rather, it is our way of using our talents and ingenuity to cooperate in care for creation with God. Vatican II recognizes this in its “Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World”:

“Thus, far from thinking that works produced by man's own talent and energy are
in opposition to God's power, and that the rational creature exists as a kind of
rival to the Creator, Christians are convinced that the triumphs of the human
race are a sign of God's grace and the flowering of His own mysterious design”
(GS, 34).

How we put our gifts to use is a reflection of our own gratitude. Recklessness with God’s creation is not a sign of this gratitude. We have to be wise and prudent in our use of our blessings – and this extends beyond just nature and the environment: we have been handed a wonderful tradition in our Church, in our liturgy, in our families, in our nation and government. The Compendium, again, can be helpful here:

“As regards the ecological question, the social doctrine of the Church reminds
us that the goods of the earth were created by God to be used wisely by
all. They must be shared equitably, in accordance with justice and
charity” (CSDC, 481).

The tenants in Jesus’ parable lost the great gift they were given because of the disdain that they showed for it – and by extension, the disdain they showed to the landowner. May we never be guilty of the same thing, and show our gratitude for God’s many gifts by our just, charitable and loving use of the blessings of creation.

Coming of Age - With (Real) Style

Tomorrow, Miley Cyrus will close down Disneyland for her 16th birthday bash (much to the chagrin of "Gay Day" participants and organizers). The celebration of the "Sweet Sixteen" has long been an important milestone in American culture, especially among girls. MTV had a program, "My Super Sweet Sixteen," that celebrated this fact - among the wealthy, often showcasing the brattiness and materialism of the girls they featured (honestly, it turned my stomach to see it).

It is important to celebrate these events - even to "do it up," if one can - but not to showcase materialism and how we can spoil our kids. Rather, as with any birthday, these celebrations can become times to be grateful for life and to anticipate that "the best is yet to come" for these young people. In many Hispanic cultures, there is the tradition of the "Quinceanos" or "Fifteen Years," which celebrates a girl's maturing to a young adult. As with many Hispanic celebrations, there is a religious undertone (that can be played up more or less, depending on the family), but it is essentially a big birthday party. The love of parents for their little girl is often evident in the lengths they go to provide a great party for her.

Last year, the USCCB provided an order for blessing a girl on the occasion of her fifteenth birthday. The rite is simple, yet eloquent. In it's introductory note, the bishops point out:

Among several Spanish-speaking countries and among many Hispanics in the United States there is the custom of celebrating the passage from childhood to adolescence with a ritual that expresses thanksgiving to God for the gift of life and that asks for a blessing from God for the years ahead.

What a great way to look at any birthday. I doubt this will happen at Disneyland, but imagine if it did! looking at a birthday as an opportunity to thank God and others for the blessings received thus far, and anticipating the blessings of the future, is also at the heart of who we are as Catholics - particularly when we gather for the celebration of the Eucharist (which name means "thanksgiving," and anticipates the Heavenly Banquet). Here is the part of the rite and the prayer that is recited by the Quinceanera during that same rite:

Before the final blessing the priest invites the quinceañera (quinceañeras) to make an act of thanksgiving and of a personal commitment to lead a Christian life. The quinceañera (quinceañeras) may do so in these or similar words:

Heavenly Father,
I thank you for the gift of life
for creating me in your image and likeness
and for calling me to be your daughter through baptism.
Thank you for sending your Son Jesus to save me
and your Holy Spirit to sanctify me.
To that which in your goodness and love
you will for me, I say “yes,”

With your grace I commit myself
to serve my brothers and sisters all my life.

Mary, Mother of Jesus and our Mother,
I dedicate myself to you.
Since you are my model of faith,
help me to continue learning from you what I need
to be a Christian woman.
Help me to hear the Word of God as you did,
holding it in my heart and loving others,
so that, as I walk with Jesus in this life,
I may worship Him with you in all eternity.

Amen.

The priest responds:

N. (N. and N.), may God who has begun this good work in you
bring it to completion.

For all those young women who will celebrate their coming of age - be it 15, 16, 18, or whatever - a very happy and blessed birthday!

One Girl Made a Difference

One more "YouTube" entry this week, then I promise I will try to return to Disney World. But...since we have begun the month of the Rosary, I think it is appropriate to just sit back and enjoy a prayer. At the Newman Center where I work, a young lady asked early last year if we could start praying the Rosary on one evening of the week. "It doesn't matter if you and I are the only ones there," she told me. "I just think it is important." I agreed with her, and we started - one year ago this week - gathering on Wednesday evenings to pray the Rosary. We were not the only ones there that night. Now, we usually have between 8 and 12 young people, learning and praying the Rosary together for our various intentions. And, that young woman who started it usually cannot come now.

To the young people who might be reading this, I say, don't be afraid to ask for something holy and good from your pastors and youth ministers. Each one of you can make a difference, because you have the most powerful Advocate in Our Lady. Mary herself is an example of how one young person, with trust in God, can make the greatest difference.

A Catholic Ticket??

Jeff at The Curt Jester posted this "campaign ad" yesterday. Funny stuff!

For the Birds

I don't pretend to understand the ins and outs of the financial crisis. I do know that we as Americans tend to spend more than we earn, but as far as a bailout is concerned, I tend for favor a "jubilee" writing off of debts! How would that go over on the Hill?

Money is a gift and a blessing, and as such it should be used wisely and respectfully. Catholic social doctrine has seen that the goods of the earth are never any one person's, but insofar as we possess them, we have them in order to support one another and serve the common good. Ask a child what he'd do with his money in hand, and you'll get some interesting answers - even Mary Poppins knew that!



I'd rather feed the birds too at this point. At least they don't need golden parachutes!