(For part 1, click here)
This is a bit delayed, although not quite as delayed as my posts on the Eucharistic-themed stained glass windows at St. Mary's in Mt. Angel. heh heh...
5) The Book of Revelation chronicles disasters, wars, and terrifying supernatural events. Here on earth, we have only a limited perspective... we tend to get locked into fear when bad things happen. Regardless of what happens, we need to have the faith to have a long perspective. That is: Jesus won. Evil was conquered, death was destroyed. The victory is ours! The catch? Faith such as that has to be developed. We can't ignore the spiritual life and expect to waltz through life's difficult times.
6) God's judgment on us will be an assessment of how we've lived and the choices we've made. From a certain point of view, we have a lot more to do with our judgment than we might think.
7) The imagery in Revelation is fantastical, to say the least. You're not alone if you find it tough to picture a beast with seven heads and seven diadems... or should I ask if I'm alone? :) Still, we can't dismiss the contents of Revelation as a alternating good & bad dream. Real truths are expressed through the symbolism.
8) Let us not forget that redemption isn't something that happens at the end of the world. It's not something that's exclusively reserved to the distant future. God has been and is giving us grace. Jesus comes to us here and now. Let us open our souls to Him!
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Signs and Wonders, Where for Art Thou?
This morning's first reading, the healing of Naaman the Syrian, raised a question in my mind. In this story, the prophet Elijah heals Naaman of leprosy; Naaman was understandably ecstatic and vowed to worship no other god than the Lord. (readings here)
Healing/miracle/mighty deed of God = human conversion.
Where are the healings? Mighty deeds? Lord, You know how they can call people's attention to You. In ages past, great saints did wonderful things; prophets proclaimed your Word and did great deeds through Your grace. An entire city turned away from sin when You sent Jonah to Ninevah. Jesus Himself worked miracles as evidence of the veracity of His words. So many that can't be bothered to turn their eyes toward heaven are the ones that could use a good miracle!
That was my first reaction, at least. As I pondered the question, a few thoughts came to mind...
1) Also in the readings for Mass today was the story of the ten lepers made clean, and only one returning thank Jesus (Luke 17). That's a pretty poor rate of return, 10%. It's a lesson, I think, that miracles don't carry a guarantee that a soul would turn to God. Why did Jesus heal those lepers? For their own salvation! Any and all acts of God, from great to small, are still subject to the free will of mankind. We can recognize God at work and believe, or we can ignore God.
2) I don't feel any guilt in asking the above question, or feeling that reaction. I do need to be careful not to turn into a "what have you done for me lately" kind of believer. Rather than appreciate the long history of God's marvelous works, there's the temptation to turn into a Veruca Salt. I want a miracle and I want it now!!!
One of the interesting features of Judaism and Christianity is what theologians call the "event character" of the Word. Remembering in the theological & liturgical sense takes on a greater meaning than the remembrance of a past birthday or a wedding day. The stories of the Bible, because they come from He Who IS the Word of God, are made present when they're proclaimed in liturgical worship. This also applies to the Jewish celebration of Passover. It's not an event from the past; it stretches to the present and the future. That is, God is constantly working to save His people, just as much now as He did in the days of Moses.
We can't be short-sighted with God. It's a very human way to think, yes, but God's ways are not our ways Thank goodness!
3) This sort of question boils down to a bigger picture question, in my mind: how do we fix the Church? Seems like this comes up a lot, especially among those that want the Church to change Her teachings.
Applied to this matter of miracles, I have the thought that obviously the Church would be in awesome shape if we had more miracles. That would take care of so many things! If we just ____ .... if only ____ .... (etc.)
That's a dangerous way to think. The only solid way to "fix" the Church is to start in our hearts. This is straight from Fr. Z, not to mention the long tradition of the Church. Go to confession. Be holy. Eradicate sin in your life. Believe and obey the teachings of the Church. In other words, the problem isn't out there; it's in here. Goodness, what would the Church be like if...
4) But hey, there's no harm in asking for miracles if we pray for them in the correct way. We can't pin our faith on a miracle happening; if we put our faith in anything other than God, we'll inevitably be disappointed. If we're party to or a witness of any miracles, the two most important things are: giving praise where it's due (=to God) and for the salvation of ourselves and others.
Healing/miracle/mighty deed of God = human conversion.
Where are the healings? Mighty deeds? Lord, You know how they can call people's attention to You. In ages past, great saints did wonderful things; prophets proclaimed your Word and did great deeds through Your grace. An entire city turned away from sin when You sent Jonah to Ninevah. Jesus Himself worked miracles as evidence of the veracity of His words. So many that can't be bothered to turn their eyes toward heaven are the ones that could use a good miracle!
That was my first reaction, at least. As I pondered the question, a few thoughts came to mind...
1) Also in the readings for Mass today was the story of the ten lepers made clean, and only one returning thank Jesus (Luke 17). That's a pretty poor rate of return, 10%. It's a lesson, I think, that miracles don't carry a guarantee that a soul would turn to God. Why did Jesus heal those lepers? For their own salvation! Any and all acts of God, from great to small, are still subject to the free will of mankind. We can recognize God at work and believe, or we can ignore God.
2) I don't feel any guilt in asking the above question, or feeling that reaction. I do need to be careful not to turn into a "what have you done for me lately" kind of believer. Rather than appreciate the long history of God's marvelous works, there's the temptation to turn into a Veruca Salt. I want a miracle and I want it now!!!
One of the interesting features of Judaism and Christianity is what theologians call the "event character" of the Word. Remembering in the theological & liturgical sense takes on a greater meaning than the remembrance of a past birthday or a wedding day. The stories of the Bible, because they come from He Who IS the Word of God, are made present when they're proclaimed in liturgical worship. This also applies to the Jewish celebration of Passover. It's not an event from the past; it stretches to the present and the future. That is, God is constantly working to save His people, just as much now as He did in the days of Moses.
We can't be short-sighted with God. It's a very human way to think, yes, but God's ways are not our ways Thank goodness!
3) This sort of question boils down to a bigger picture question, in my mind: how do we fix the Church? Seems like this comes up a lot, especially among those that want the Church to change Her teachings.
Applied to this matter of miracles, I have the thought that obviously the Church would be in awesome shape if we had more miracles. That would take care of so many things! If we just ____ .... if only ____ .... (etc.)
That's a dangerous way to think. The only solid way to "fix" the Church is to start in our hearts. This is straight from Fr. Z, not to mention the long tradition of the Church. Go to confession. Be holy. Eradicate sin in your life. Believe and obey the teachings of the Church. In other words, the problem isn't out there; it's in here. Goodness, what would the Church be like if...
4) But hey, there's no harm in asking for miracles if we pray for them in the correct way. We can't pin our faith on a miracle happening; if we put our faith in anything other than God, we'll inevitably be disappointed. If we're party to or a witness of any miracles, the two most important things are: giving praise where it's due (=to God) and for the salvation of ourselves and others.
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Strive. (Luke 13:23)
My wife and I are nearly three weeks into St. Louis de Montfort's Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary. So far, it's been very fruitful; I'd like to mention two of the biggest fruits.
The first was something simple my wife said--yet full of impact. After reading the introduction to the first of four parts of the consecration, she said that she didn't want this to be a devotion where we do it and that nothing changes as a result.
I always want my prayers and devotions to "count" and to be done well... who doesn't? I know I can be too laid back sometimes when it comes to practicing the faith. St. Louis' consecration is meant to push us closer, deeper, & further in communion with Our Lord and Our Lady. There's nothing easy about that pushing; it takes constant effort.
Plus, it's been easy to see how seemingly external things affect my spiritual life. If I spend an excessive amount of time watching TV or playing a game on my iPad... if I'm lazy at work... if I yell too much while watching football... if I eat too much... and on and on. Those things don't merely stay on the surface--all of those things echo in our souls. Praying becomes more difficult as a result, not to mention attention at Mass.
In sum, yes. Yes, I want to be different at the conclusion of this Marian Consecration. If I can muster the effort and energy to cooperate with the graces being offered...
The second fruit was a discovery thanks to Fr. Michael Gaitley's book, 33 Days to Morning Glory. He offers reflections for each day of the consecration, using the writings of St. Louis de Montfort, St. Maximilian Kolbe, Bl. Teresa of Calcutta, and Bl. John Paul the awesome. For day 16 of the consecration, the reflection was more of an excerpt from one of Mother Teresa's letters. It was written to the members of her religious community in 1993. It was incredible! Please read it. It's very worth it.
"Jesus wants me to tell you again, specially in this Holy Week, how much love He has for each one of you – beyond all you can imagine. I worry some of you still have not really met Jesus – one to one – you and Jesus alone. We may spend time in chapel – but have you seen with the eyes of your soul how He looks at you with love? Do you really know the living Jesus – not from books but from being with Him in your heart? Have you heard the loving words He speaks to you? Ask for the grace, He is longing to give it. Until you can hear Jesus in the silence of your own heart, you will not be able to hear Him saying, "I thirst" in the hearts of the poor. Never give up this daily intimate contact with Jesus as the real living person – not just the idea. How can we last even one day without hearing Jesus say, "I love you" – impossible. Our soul needs that as much as the body needs to breathe the air. If not, prayer is dead – meditation only thinking. Jesus wants you each to hear Him – speaking in the silence of your heart."
St. Louis de Montfort, pray for us!
The first was something simple my wife said--yet full of impact. After reading the introduction to the first of four parts of the consecration, she said that she didn't want this to be a devotion where we do it and that nothing changes as a result.
I always want my prayers and devotions to "count" and to be done well... who doesn't? I know I can be too laid back sometimes when it comes to practicing the faith. St. Louis' consecration is meant to push us closer, deeper, & further in communion with Our Lord and Our Lady. There's nothing easy about that pushing; it takes constant effort.
Plus, it's been easy to see how seemingly external things affect my spiritual life. If I spend an excessive amount of time watching TV or playing a game on my iPad... if I'm lazy at work... if I yell too much while watching football... if I eat too much... and on and on. Those things don't merely stay on the surface--all of those things echo in our souls. Praying becomes more difficult as a result, not to mention attention at Mass.
In sum, yes. Yes, I want to be different at the conclusion of this Marian Consecration. If I can muster the effort and energy to cooperate with the graces being offered...
The second fruit was a discovery thanks to Fr. Michael Gaitley's book, 33 Days to Morning Glory. He offers reflections for each day of the consecration, using the writings of St. Louis de Montfort, St. Maximilian Kolbe, Bl. Teresa of Calcutta, and Bl. John Paul the awesome. For day 16 of the consecration, the reflection was more of an excerpt from one of Mother Teresa's letters. It was written to the members of her religious community in 1993. It was incredible! Please read it. It's very worth it.
"Jesus wants me to tell you again, specially in this Holy Week, how much love He has for each one of you – beyond all you can imagine. I worry some of you still have not really met Jesus – one to one – you and Jesus alone. We may spend time in chapel – but have you seen with the eyes of your soul how He looks at you with love? Do you really know the living Jesus – not from books but from being with Him in your heart? Have you heard the loving words He speaks to you? Ask for the grace, He is longing to give it. Until you can hear Jesus in the silence of your own heart, you will not be able to hear Him saying, "I thirst" in the hearts of the poor. Never give up this daily intimate contact with Jesus as the real living person – not just the idea. How can we last even one day without hearing Jesus say, "I love you" – impossible. Our soul needs that as much as the body needs to breathe the air. If not, prayer is dead – meditation only thinking. Jesus wants you each to hear Him – speaking in the silence of your heart."
St. Louis de Montfort, pray for us!
Saturday, August 31, 2013
7 Quick Takes 8/31/13
I just returned from a family vacation in Park City, Utah. It was wonderful, and I'm always amazed of the calming effects of certain surroundings. My wife and I live in a nice, small town and I definitely consider my state to be a beautiful one. In going to the mountains, however, just looking out the window was relaxing. Our hotel was at 6,000 ft. and the gondolas went up to 8,000 ft. The trees, mountains, little chipmunks scurrying across the pathways... wonderful! A great place for vacation.
My little nephew isn't quite half a year old and he's one of the happiest babies I've ever been around. Is there anything that can make you smile bigger than a happy baby?
Today's gospel (from Saturday) is the parable of the talents. We can reflect on many things in the passage, but one that doesn't come up very often in Catholic preaching: a judgment awaits us. Yes, Jesus loves us and God the Father is love... but we can't cast off the demands of the gospel to suit our tastes. This line from Romans comes to mind: "do you presume upon the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience? Do you not know that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?" (2:4)
I've been reading Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa's book, The Mystery of the Transfiguration, and what a gem! Go buy it from your local Catholic bookstore (or from here) and read it. Fr. Cantalamessa is the preacher of the papal household; I read his book on the Eucharist a number of years ago and it was one of the best I've read on the subject. The Transfiguration is special to me, as it was the subject of my very first Scripture paper. I experienced Scripture in a deeper way than I ever had in my life. (see Ps 119:103)
Here are some great quotes from the book:
[regarding the Eucharist/being at Mass] "It is a great misery and a miserable weakness that when you have Him present with you in this way, you concern yourselves with anything else in the entire world." -St. Francis of Assisi
Ouch, that hits home. Staying focused is one of the hardest things for me to do in the spiritual life, not to mention in prayer and at Mass.
"In the case of Tabor, the meanings brought to light by the evangelists with recourse to the 'variety of Old Testament conceptions' do not, in a strict sense, 'add' anything new or extraneous to the event [of the Transfiguration] but rather 'extract' and highlight portions of its inexhaustible content." (Fr. Cantalamessa, pg. 12)
For me personally, a shot across the bow to biblical exegetes. There's a lot of great stuff in exegetical writings; there's also a lot of garbage. When I researched that paper on the Transfiguration, I ran across an article that filed the event under the category of "how the early Christians expressed their belief in Christ's divinity," and not as something that actually happened. Grrrrrrrrrrr....
"The icon of Christ, and even more so the sacramental host that contains Him, exercises its sanctifying power even through simple sight, if it is accompanied by faith." (Fr. Cantalamessa, pg. 25)
Implicitly, this references the great mystery of the Incarnation. Our culture has so many images--not all of them good ones. Some, even if they aren't objectively wrong, are at best, distracting. We need to have good, holy images in our lives!
For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!
Sunday, August 18, 2013
Cologne, 2005
Yesterday I received a book in the mail, one that I ordered just as much for the nostalgia as I did for the price ($3.00!!!): God's Revolution: World Youth Day and Other Cologne Talks, by Pope Benedict XVI. I went into the closet in my office to find the dusty accordion file with my World Youth Day mementos. Unfortunately, the scrapbook that I intended to make is still in said accordion file... so here's a virtual scrapbook. Or at least a page or two. What a wonderful trip it was! I made some great friends that have been an invaluable blessing in my life. I experienced the universal Church in a unique way and the love of my faith grew. I'm incredibly grateful to the Lord for the trip!
I traveled with the group from St. Rose Parish from Roseville, CA. I was a seminarian at the time, and I actually didn't know anyone from the group. My sister Kristy suggested I give her friend a call at St. Rose, and he welcomed me into their group. It was a mix of youth, their chaperones, and young adults.
I flew over to Europe ahead of time with the chaplain of the group in the trip of a lifetime--Paris, Lisieux, Rheims, Prague, Vienna, and best of all: the village in Slovakia where my great-grandfather was born. My good friend Fr. Avram and I saw and experienced not only the glories of Europe (and Czech beer) but holy sites, cathedrals, and the most beautiful stained glass windows I've seen in my life.
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| The information guide, hymnal, lanyard, special Magnificat for English-speaking folks, and some surprisingly unused meal coupons |
Pope Benedict had just been elected to the papacy months before World Youth Day. It only happened to coincide with WYD taking place in his homeland. When the St. Rose group arrived in Cologne, there was a palpable excitement. The city was teeming with youth. The trains and train stations were crowded until 9 p.m.; I couldn't remember being around that many people or an event that size.
Just how big was it? I read that 800,000 people attended Sunday Mass with the Pope; I was surprised the number was so low. More on that in a minute.
The week leading up to the Papal Mass was packed with lots of activities. The parishes in Cologne hosted catechetical sessions, with each parish hosting groups of certain languages. I can't offer much of a review on them, since there must've been a bit of a snafu with our assigned parish. We arrived at the catechetical session among an oddly large proportion of Italian groups. Once the program started in Italian, we returned to the hotel for our own catechetical session.
One of the activities later in the week was the arrival of the pope. He flew into somewhere and got on a boat, and took the boat down the river to Cologne. We excitedly traveled to the soccer stadium for his reception; turns out the welcoming ceremony was only on the jumbotron at the stadium. Eh. Some spontaneous entertainment came about as youth from countries all over the world went down onto the covered field, running around with their country's flag in the air.
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| My ticket into the pope's audience with seminarians and our group's assigned place in the field for the Papal Mass |
The last thing I want to mention is about the candlelight vigil and the Papal Mass. We walked for about an hour from the city out to a field big enough to handle a crowd of a million people. There was music, praying, and Eucharistic adoration during the vigil. I was taken aback when I stood up from our spot and looked around: in the darkness around me, there were lighted candles as far as I could see. It was like a sea of light. At that point, I felt a strong sense of community. I was not alone! That feeling continued the next day at the Papal mass: the Church that I was part of and the faith that I professed enveloped me; languages and cultures blended together in a single act of worship. It was humbling, nourishing, and life-giving and I pray that I'll never forget it.
The St. Rose group ended up becoming my spiritual family for the first two years after I left the seminary. Last year, I went to the wedding of one of the high school kids in the group. I grew in so many ways on that World Youth Day trip... the most important one being loving my faith and my Church even more. I pray that everyone who attended WYD last month will experience the same thing!
Saturday, August 10, 2013
Spiritual Lessons from the Book of Revelation, Part I
Somewhat recently I finished an .mp3 series on the Book of Revelation. The seven-talk series, "Unveiling the Apocalype," was given by Fr. Alfred McBride, OPraem and one of the Catholic Courses. The imagery in the final book of the Bible is foreign, to say the least. Seven heads with seven crowns and four horsemen and the dragon? Well, okay, the symbolism of the dragon is pretty obvious. The rest of the imagery, however, can be less than obvious... hence my need for a survey of the book.
Rather than go into the decoding of Revelation, I'd rather write about the spiritual lessons that I gained from Fr. McBride's talk series.
1) One of the foundational paradoxes of Christianity is the cross and resurrection. Suffering and the promise of heaven. While the two concepts are opposed in human thinking, God has revealed and displayed them to be inseparable. St. John repeatedly reminds the reader of this, exhorting them to be "faithful unto death," after which believers will be given "the crown of life" (Rev 2:10, letter to the church at Smyrna). Suffering is a given in life, whether we face violent persecution or not. Our response to it can lead to heaven!
2) That leads into the second point, something most often forgotten in suffering: Jesus is never absent from His Church, His people. It's tempting to think that suffering is proof of God's absence; either He is indifferent, is otherwise busy, or does not care. That's a very understandable human reaction... do any of us like suffering? We wouldn't let our loved ones suffer if we could avoid it. So why would God Who IS love (1 John 4:8) let us suffer? This is something mysterious to us, but Jesus came to teach us and show us the way. He revealed to us that the way to the Father (=to heaven) is through Him (John 14:6); and in following Jesus, we must take up our cross as He took up His (Luke 9:23).
In the beginning of the book, however, St. John takes this idea deeper: "I John, your brother, who share with you in Jesus the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance..." (1:9). Jesus cannot be separated from His Church, His beloved Bride! He has preceded us in suffering: "we have not a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sinning. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Heb 4:15-16). If we ever get tempted into thinking that Jesus didn't experience the level of our suffering? He felt the deep emotional pain of being abandoned and hated by the people he loved so dearly; he felt the physical pain of being tortured and killed in an agonizingly slow manner. I'd think He could understand our sufferings after going through that...
3) We cannot be indifferent to spiritual warfare. The war rages whether we act or not; indeed, our inaction is a weapon in the hand of the enemy. he who has been cast down into the pit (whose name I won't type) is aggressive and seeks humanity's destruction. St. Peter saw this, warning of a "roaring lion, looking for someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8). Revelation 12 describes the evil one as coming "down to you in great wrath"; he is not a harmless, red, horned sprite.
4) There are great catastrophes depicted in Revelation, with the four horsemen (ch. 6), seven seals (ch. 6-8), and seven trumpets (ch. 8-10, 11:15ff). This echoes back to #2 above, why would God let humanity suffer such a fate? It's important to see these catastrophes as calls to conversion. It's also important to note that the tribulations are not penned by a capricious God. Much of these judgments were consequences of sin and of human free will.
Stay tuned for part 2...
Rather than go into the decoding of Revelation, I'd rather write about the spiritual lessons that I gained from Fr. McBride's talk series.
1) One of the foundational paradoxes of Christianity is the cross and resurrection. Suffering and the promise of heaven. While the two concepts are opposed in human thinking, God has revealed and displayed them to be inseparable. St. John repeatedly reminds the reader of this, exhorting them to be "faithful unto death," after which believers will be given "the crown of life" (Rev 2:10, letter to the church at Smyrna). Suffering is a given in life, whether we face violent persecution or not. Our response to it can lead to heaven!
2) That leads into the second point, something most often forgotten in suffering: Jesus is never absent from His Church, His people. It's tempting to think that suffering is proof of God's absence; either He is indifferent, is otherwise busy, or does not care. That's a very understandable human reaction... do any of us like suffering? We wouldn't let our loved ones suffer if we could avoid it. So why would God Who IS love (1 John 4:8) let us suffer? This is something mysterious to us, but Jesus came to teach us and show us the way. He revealed to us that the way to the Father (=to heaven) is through Him (John 14:6); and in following Jesus, we must take up our cross as He took up His (Luke 9:23).
In the beginning of the book, however, St. John takes this idea deeper: "I John, your brother, who share with you in Jesus the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance..." (1:9). Jesus cannot be separated from His Church, His beloved Bride! He has preceded us in suffering: "we have not a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sinning. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Heb 4:15-16). If we ever get tempted into thinking that Jesus didn't experience the level of our suffering? He felt the deep emotional pain of being abandoned and hated by the people he loved so dearly; he felt the physical pain of being tortured and killed in an agonizingly slow manner. I'd think He could understand our sufferings after going through that...
3) We cannot be indifferent to spiritual warfare. The war rages whether we act or not; indeed, our inaction is a weapon in the hand of the enemy. he who has been cast down into the pit (whose name I won't type) is aggressive and seeks humanity's destruction. St. Peter saw this, warning of a "roaring lion, looking for someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8). Revelation 12 describes the evil one as coming "down to you in great wrath"; he is not a harmless, red, horned sprite.
4) There are great catastrophes depicted in Revelation, with the four horsemen (ch. 6), seven seals (ch. 6-8), and seven trumpets (ch. 8-10, 11:15ff). This echoes back to #2 above, why would God let humanity suffer such a fate? It's important to see these catastrophes as calls to conversion. It's also important to note that the tribulations are not penned by a capricious God. Much of these judgments were consequences of sin and of human free will.
Stay tuned for part 2...
Thursday, July 25, 2013
7 Quick Takes 7/25/13
For more quick takes, see Jennifer Fulwiler's excellent blog at www.conversiondiary.com.
Ever notice how your tastes change as you age? Faith, too, changes as time goes on; for me, I guess I assumed this was true but didn't always notice it. I really notice it now! I'd be afraid to grade myself on a scale of fervency, but I try to do my best. As I'm trying to be the best version of myself (make sure to say that with an Australian accent), I'm becoming less and less patient with least-common-denominator Catholicism. Here are my quick takes along this theme...
1) Bland homilies are more frustrating than anything else, and priests/laity who take liberties with the liturgy make my blood boil. I didn't notice it as much as I do now, and I'm only partially surprised that it's everywhere. I do believe we've lost a sense of what's sacred in the Catholic Church over the past fifty years; I think we need to ease ourselves back into solemnity because to go straight up Tridentine would be a shock. Could we start with using Latin in the Mass parts? Get better music, too. Then move to ad orientem. Then maybe more prayers in Latin. Bit by bit...
2) On the more positive side of the coin, a good fruit is that I've been listening more to Catholic radio. For the past week or so, my drive to and from work has either featured a talk, homily, or podcast in the morning and Catholic Answers Live in the evening. Catholic Answers Live is on iTunes, they have every show in podcast format... although they don't skip the commercials. Want a good homily to listen to? Absolutely check out Fr. Robert Barron (Word on Fire podcast) and Fr. Gary Zerr ("Weekly Sermons from St. Edward Catholic Church - Keizer, OR" podcast).
3) I just finished one of the Catholic Courses on the Book of Revelation; it was a series of 8 talks/classes given by Fr. Alfred McBride, OPraem. Highly recommended! Check it out here. The Book of Revelation was always intimidating to me; the imagery is very strange to 21st Century American eyes. Fr. McBride demystifies it, gives the background, and draws good spiritual lessons from the book. Hopefully it will be a future blog post.
4) Speaking of things traditional and Latin, the William Byrd Festival is coming to Portland next month. Check out the calendar of events here. I went to Mass at St. Stephen's last year with my wife; Cantores in Ecclesia sang Byrd's Mass for Four Voices. I don't know how to describe it other than I was literally overwhelmed with beautiful music. Had it not been Mass, I would've sat there, drooling, mouth agape, eyes glazed over, being carried away by angelic music. Maybe that's a little much, since my wife would refuse to go out in public with me if I even approached that kind of behavior.
5) My wife recently finished The Lamb's Supper by Scott Hahn and is in the process of going through Fr. Mitch Pacwa's talk series on the Eucharist. I'd read/heard both before and after I finished, I wished every Catholic could read that book and listen to that talk series. No one could complain about Mass being boring after that! My wife felt the same--and I wondered, why hadn't we heard this when we were younger? Going through sacramental prep? Shoot, from the pulpit?
6) The funny thing about getting more immersed in the faith... it only leaves you wanting more. We've been saying the rosary mostly daily; I've been reading more Scripture; listening to Catholic radio/CDs. I love a particular sports talk radio show, I download the podcasts nearly every day and listen to them at work. I used to listen to them on the drive to/from work; now I can't. It's a funny feeling that, I guess I feel like it's a waste of time. Almost like I'm cheating myself if I don't listen to something life-giving.
I didn't ever think I'd feel that. The saints talk about detachment from the world, and here, I can accomplish this eensy bit of detachment! They fasted, did penance, suffered greatly, and me? I don't listen to that podcast in the car. After 34 years... hope I'm further along in another 34 years. And, I'm not so disciplined that I can't fall out of these habits...
7) Did you know Scott Hahn's website (www.salvationhistory.com) has free Bible studies? There are outlines/courses as well as talk series on .mp3. I haven't listened to any yet, but it's exciting to know there's good, free stuff out there.
4) Speaking of things traditional and Latin, the William Byrd Festival is coming to Portland next month. Check out the calendar of events here. I went to Mass at St. Stephen's last year with my wife; Cantores in Ecclesia sang Byrd's Mass for Four Voices. I don't know how to describe it other than I was literally overwhelmed with beautiful music. Had it not been Mass, I would've sat there, drooling, mouth agape, eyes glazed over, being carried away by angelic music. Maybe that's a little much, since my wife would refuse to go out in public with me if I even approached that kind of behavior.
5) My wife recently finished The Lamb's Supper by Scott Hahn and is in the process of going through Fr. Mitch Pacwa's talk series on the Eucharist. I'd read/heard both before and after I finished, I wished every Catholic could read that book and listen to that talk series. No one could complain about Mass being boring after that! My wife felt the same--and I wondered, why hadn't we heard this when we were younger? Going through sacramental prep? Shoot, from the pulpit?
6) The funny thing about getting more immersed in the faith... it only leaves you wanting more. We've been saying the rosary mostly daily; I've been reading more Scripture; listening to Catholic radio/CDs. I love a particular sports talk radio show, I download the podcasts nearly every day and listen to them at work. I used to listen to them on the drive to/from work; now I can't. It's a funny feeling that, I guess I feel like it's a waste of time. Almost like I'm cheating myself if I don't listen to something life-giving.
I didn't ever think I'd feel that. The saints talk about detachment from the world, and here, I can accomplish this eensy bit of detachment! They fasted, did penance, suffered greatly, and me? I don't listen to that podcast in the car. After 34 years... hope I'm further along in another 34 years. And, I'm not so disciplined that I can't fall out of these habits...
7) Did you know Scott Hahn's website (www.salvationhistory.com) has free Bible studies? There are outlines/courses as well as talk series on .mp3. I haven't listened to any yet, but it's exciting to know there's good, free stuff out there.
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Saint Joan of Arc, Flower of France
Sometime while I was in college, there was a brief craze of movies about St. Joan of Arc. That is, if you count a T.N.T. miniseries starring Leelee Sobieski and a terrible movie starring Milla Jovovich. The miniseries was decent, and Leelee Sobieski was a pretty good fit for the role. The movie, called "The Messenger," portrayed St. Joan as a charlatan who invented her visions & voices in order to seek revenge on the violent death of her sister. I have very little good things to say about it and it angers me that the reputation of such a great saint was defamed.
No matter. What prompts me to write about St. Joan is a book written by French historian Regine Pernoud. So much has been written on St. Joan's condemnatory trial--but since that was technically an ecclesiastical trial (however twisted and politically motivated it was), St. Joan had to be "rehabilitated" (as Pernoud calls it) from being a relapsed heretic. In terms of ink, nobody who writes about St. Joan seems to care about the rehabilitation trial! Before Pernoud's book, I don't know if there was anything written in English on the subject... only in French.
Pernoud's The Retrial of Joan of Arc: The Evidence for Her Vindication covers the trial that occurred twenty-five years after her death. Many witnesses from the trial were still alive, including those that passed judgment on her. Witnesses from all parts of St. Joan's life were called to testify to her character; her mother, childhood friends, her soldiers, priests, and bishops. In reading this book, I gained a great appreciation for St. Joan. She is commonly known for her military exploits, but that's not what made her a saint!
The testimony of the witnesses was overwhelming. All described her as a kind, thoughtful girl. She participated in the sacraments as often as she could. She was widely held to be a good Catholic in word and deed.
Her time as a soldier was also marked by sanctity. She held a high standard for herself, but also expected the same for those around her. Soldiers knew not to take the name of the Lord in vain around her; she chewed out many a man for doing so. Prostitutes were not allowed in the camps and were literally chased away if they tried to join the camp. More than one soldier noticed an odd thing about her great chastity: they lost the ability to lust after women when around her.
We speak in hushed tones, respecting the heck out of mystics like St. John of the Cross, St. Teresa of Avila, and many others. Don't forget that St. Joan was a mystic, too! Her voices and visions were a privilege afforded to very few. A simple, illiterate farm girl from Domremy, one of the least by worldly standards.
As St. Joan was tied to the stake and the fire stoked, she cried out to Jesus, begging him for mercy. One of the bishops present wept openly and bitterly. One of the English soldiers, who boasted that he'd personally bring the fuel for her burning, witnessed St. Joan's execution. He, too, was moved to tears and went to confession immediately after St. Joan's death.
Let's remember that the Church declared her a saint for possessing a rare quality of holiness--not for being popular, not for being a military hero.
Thursday, May 30, 2013
On Virility
My new job is an incredible source of stress and I'm finding that I'm not as patient of a person as I thought. Sure, I can be nice when things are easy. When I'm an overwhelmed ball of anxiety? Not so much. Hence maybe some of the bluntness of this post. (apologies)
Between a book and a movie, I've been really impressed at what masculinity can bring to the practice of faith. That might sound like a weird thing to say... but in the age of cafeteria Catholicism (believe what you want and discard what you don't want), it's striking at how absent it's been in the Church. During my seminary years, there was great emphasis on being pastoral and sensitive. Speak carefully and in couched terms, lest you seem clericalist. Being pastoral is a very good thing, of course, but I think it was overemphasized. There is a power and virility to masculinity, and it enriches our faith! It contributes something unique that femininity can't; just as authentic femininity contributes something to our faith that masculinity never could.
The book was Henri Daniel-Rops' "Paul: Apostle of Nations." He took the Acts of the Apostles and clues from St. Paul's letters and traced his entire Christian life. HDR takes the details and uses history and speculation (not in a bad way, I believe) to fill in St. Paul's life. Fascinating! What struck me most about St. Paul was his boldness. Here was a man tough as nails who could speak so eloquently about love (see 1 Cor 13); here was a man who had the guts to preach the Gospel in a public square and the personal touch to connect with families (Acts 16) and individuals (see both letters to Timothy).
The movie was 1963's "The Cardinal." It was based on a book by Henry Morton Robinson, covering the life of a fictional American priest from WWI to WWII. I'd read the book previously; although I didn't remember it all that well, I can promise that it was better than the movie. Fr. Stephen Fermoyle was a priest who was confident in his identity, unwavering in his commitment to the faith, and willing to sacrifice himself for the greater good of those around him. The actor that played him in the movie had this great deep voice; everything he said exuded strength, whether it was a kind word or a harsh rebuke.
With the examples of St. Paul and the fictitious Fr. Fermoyle, here is a list of the good kind of virility (distinguished from the egotistical, macho kind of virility). If I had any say in the formation of priests (which I do not), here is what I would ask of them:
1) Be bold in proclaiming the Gospel
2) Love what you do and whom you serve
3) Commit your whole mind, heart, and soul to the faith. Anything less is not enough. If you don't believe what you preach, your people won't, either.
4) Carry yourself so that you command respect. Not demand. You are a leader and people expect you to lead! No amount of committees can compensate for a vacuum of leadership.
5) Your words should be worthy of being listened to
6) You are a Father. Sometimes you need to discipline those in your charge.
7) Be strong and comfortable in your masculinity.
Between a book and a movie, I've been really impressed at what masculinity can bring to the practice of faith. That might sound like a weird thing to say... but in the age of cafeteria Catholicism (believe what you want and discard what you don't want), it's striking at how absent it's been in the Church. During my seminary years, there was great emphasis on being pastoral and sensitive. Speak carefully and in couched terms, lest you seem clericalist. Being pastoral is a very good thing, of course, but I think it was overemphasized. There is a power and virility to masculinity, and it enriches our faith! It contributes something unique that femininity can't; just as authentic femininity contributes something to our faith that masculinity never could.
The book was Henri Daniel-Rops' "Paul: Apostle of Nations." He took the Acts of the Apostles and clues from St. Paul's letters and traced his entire Christian life. HDR takes the details and uses history and speculation (not in a bad way, I believe) to fill in St. Paul's life. Fascinating! What struck me most about St. Paul was his boldness. Here was a man tough as nails who could speak so eloquently about love (see 1 Cor 13); here was a man who had the guts to preach the Gospel in a public square and the personal touch to connect with families (Acts 16) and individuals (see both letters to Timothy).
The movie was 1963's "The Cardinal." It was based on a book by Henry Morton Robinson, covering the life of a fictional American priest from WWI to WWII. I'd read the book previously; although I didn't remember it all that well, I can promise that it was better than the movie. Fr. Stephen Fermoyle was a priest who was confident in his identity, unwavering in his commitment to the faith, and willing to sacrifice himself for the greater good of those around him. The actor that played him in the movie had this great deep voice; everything he said exuded strength, whether it was a kind word or a harsh rebuke.
With the examples of St. Paul and the fictitious Fr. Fermoyle, here is a list of the good kind of virility (distinguished from the egotistical, macho kind of virility). If I had any say in the formation of priests (which I do not), here is what I would ask of them:
1) Be bold in proclaiming the Gospel
2) Love what you do and whom you serve
3) Commit your whole mind, heart, and soul to the faith. Anything less is not enough. If you don't believe what you preach, your people won't, either.
4) Carry yourself so that you command respect. Not demand. You are a leader and people expect you to lead! No amount of committees can compensate for a vacuum of leadership.
5) Your words should be worthy of being listened to
6) You are a Father. Sometimes you need to discipline those in your charge.
7) Be strong and comfortable in your masculinity.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
7 Quick Takes - Pentecost!
For more quick takes that were actually submitted on time, see Jennifer Fulwiler's excellent blog at www.conversiondiary.com.
After Mass last week, I realized how little I was in touch with the Holy Spirit. I've been confirmed, and I do things that involve the Holy Spirit (sacraments, praying in general, etc.) but how much do I really involve the Spirit in my life? Directly, actively? A good question to seek... a few related answers (some in the form of more questions) below.
1) I'm reading Henri Daniel-Rops' Saint Paul: Apostle of Nations. HDR takes the book of Acts and reformats it, so to speak, into a biography of St. Paul. Little details are filled in, including portraits of the ancient cities Paul visited. An interesting fact? Nowhere in Acts does Jesus change Saul's name to Paul. Saul was his Jewish name, and apparently as was customary in those times, some Jews had Greek names. Anyway, it's impressive to read the story of the early Church. The almost reckless abandon with which they dedicated their lives to preaching... the boldness and vitality of the Apostles is inspiring.
2) One point I remember from classes is that the same Holy Spirit that is the Third Person of the Trinity is the same Spirit that opened the eyes of the blind and raised the dead, is the same Spirit promised by Jesus to the Apostles, is the same Spirit that drove the Apostles to the ends of the earth... is the same Spirit that we received in the sacrament of Confirmation. Say it with me, Keanu:
3) One of the answers to my beginning question (how do I involve the Holy Spirit more directly in my life?) had a partial answer in a devotional booklet. Presentation Ministries has a great devotional booklet called "One Bread, One Body." You can access it here. What really struck me the other day is this post, which says to dive into the Scriptures to know the Holy Spirit. One of those obvious points that I often forget.
4) "Veni Creator Spiritus" is a beautiful chant.
5) Another illumination regarding the Holy Spirit was from this morning's Gospel reading. John 14:26 reads "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you." Part of the Holy Spirit's function within the Church is to teach. The learning that we need as Catholics covers a lot of area and isn't confined to theology. We need to know our faith (see 1 Peter 3:15); we need to learn how to love others; we need to learn to love ourselves and fight the interior battles in developing sanctity and virtue; we need to learn how to be a light to others. Come, Holy Spirit, and instruct us!
6) & 7) Having a tough time finishing the last two quick takes. Let's pray for the Church!
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Willa Cather's "Shadows on the Rock"
My spiritual director of happy memory, Fr. Jerome Young, loved Cather's Shadows on the Rock. One of his confreres, Br. Claude the King of the Icon Way, reported that Fr. Jerome read his copy of Shadows so many times that the book fell apart. He never mentioned it to me in the years that I knew him; I only heard about the book after he passed away. My wife gave me a copy of the book for my birthday in January, and I finished it a few weeks ago. What a charming story!
The central characters are Cecile Auclair and her father, Euclide, who live in Quebec at the turn of the 18th Century. Cecile is a 12 year old girl who helps her father with his apothecary shop and keeps the home. The book follows Cecile over the course of the year. The book is thoroughly Catholic but not all the characters are.
Even though those are some details about the story, it seemed like there was something deeper. What was it really about? This took some thought and I don't think I've come up with the right answer. One more remark before I lay out my grand conclusion...
Cecile was the most delightful girl, and she had the ability to make everyone feel special. She was kind to every townsperson, from the prostitutes to the local Bishop. She had an incredible personality that radiated out from the pages. What I realized after reading it was that Fr. Jerome shared that very gift with Cecile. I had this feeling whenever we met; he made me feel special, like I was his favorite. He loved me as a friend and a spiritual father. After he passed away, I talked to many people who encountered him at the Abbey. Many more people left comments on Facebook. I found out that I wasn't the only one! So many people talked as if they were his favorite, too. I wasn't jealous in the least; if anything, it made me respect him more. That's a unique gift of loving that he possessed. Praise the Lord for wonderful people like Fr. Jerome, who are among His most amazing gifts!
Back to the book. I was sorely tempted to look up Wikipedia or something to find out more on what the book was truly about. (my procrastination and forgetfulness won the battle there) Was it simply a story about life on the Canadian frontier? My best guess was that Cecile represented the Church. There she was, taking care of an orphan. There she was, bestowing nothing but love and kindness upon her troubled next-door neighbor. No matter who it was, she welcomed them.
Perhaps it's a stretch, and Wikipedia may call me nuts. Thanks to Willa Cather for writing such a wonderful book!
The central characters are Cecile Auclair and her father, Euclide, who live in Quebec at the turn of the 18th Century. Cecile is a 12 year old girl who helps her father with his apothecary shop and keeps the home. The book follows Cecile over the course of the year. The book is thoroughly Catholic but not all the characters are.
Even though those are some details about the story, it seemed like there was something deeper. What was it really about? This took some thought and I don't think I've come up with the right answer. One more remark before I lay out my grand conclusion...
Cecile was the most delightful girl, and she had the ability to make everyone feel special. She was kind to every townsperson, from the prostitutes to the local Bishop. She had an incredible personality that radiated out from the pages. What I realized after reading it was that Fr. Jerome shared that very gift with Cecile. I had this feeling whenever we met; he made me feel special, like I was his favorite. He loved me as a friend and a spiritual father. After he passed away, I talked to many people who encountered him at the Abbey. Many more people left comments on Facebook. I found out that I wasn't the only one! So many people talked as if they were his favorite, too. I wasn't jealous in the least; if anything, it made me respect him more. That's a unique gift of loving that he possessed. Praise the Lord for wonderful people like Fr. Jerome, who are among His most amazing gifts!
Back to the book. I was sorely tempted to look up Wikipedia or something to find out more on what the book was truly about. (my procrastination and forgetfulness won the battle there) Was it simply a story about life on the Canadian frontier? My best guess was that Cecile represented the Church. There she was, taking care of an orphan. There she was, bestowing nothing but love and kindness upon her troubled next-door neighbor. No matter who it was, she welcomed them.
Perhaps it's a stretch, and Wikipedia may call me nuts. Thanks to Willa Cather for writing such a wonderful book!
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Preface of Praise: Easter! Alleluia!
Easter is a feast of great joy! Alleluia, He is risen, as He said! I've written before about the beautiful, laudatory theology nested in the prefaces for Mass; the Easter season is a very fitting time to write about them again.
There are 5 prefaces for the Easter season. Here is the first:
It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation,
at all times to acclaim you, O Lord,
but [on this night / on this day / in this time] above all to laud you yet more gloriously,
when Christ our Passover has been sacrificed.
For He is the true Lamb Who has taken away the sins of the world;
by dying He has destroyed our death,
and by rising, restored our life.
Therefore, overcome with paschal joy,
every land, every people exults in your praise,
and even the heavenly Powers, with the angelic hosts,
sing together the unending hymn of your glory, as they acclaim...
Note in the third line that the preface can be used for the Easter Vigil ("on this night"), Easter Sunday ("on this day"), or during the rest of the Easter season ("in this time").
I really love how the preface reflects the heightened celebration. While every Mass celebrates the resurrection of the Lord, the Easter liturgies do this par excellence. The Easter Vigil has the Exultet and 9 readings, guiding the faithful in the story of salvation history. The Easter Sunday Mass has the sequence "Victimae Paschali Laudes" inserted between the second reading and the long-awaited alleluia. In short, there's extra. If one foreign to Catholic liturgy were to go to a Sunday Mass in ordinary time, and then go to Mass on Easter Sunday, he/she would see lots of extra. Extra servers; infrequently-used incense; brighter hymns (hopefully); the giant paschal candle in the sanctuary; and all the rest. By all those touches, the Church is telling us just how important this celebration is. Pull out all the stops! There is something incredible here that we're celebrating!
The preface picks up that tone--we praise God like we usually do, yes, but at Easter "yet more gloriously"! Yes, the fruit of the Spirit is joy, and Christians ideally display that, but at Easter we are "overcome with paschal joy"!
Lastly, we need to highlight the title that is given to Jesus: Lamb. This carries with it multiple scriptural allusions: John the Baptist naming Jesus as the Lamb of God (John 1:29), the many references in the book of Revelation. Most of all, however, a lamb is one of the most important parts of the Passover (Exodus 12). Hebrew families in Egypt were to buy a lamb, kill it, eat it, and then spread the blood on the doorposts of their house.
The Eucharist that we share in fulfills the Passover meal! Like the ancient Hebrews, we, too, eat the Lamb Who was slain. And, only by the shedding of the lamb's blood were the Hebrews spared. By the shedding of Jesus the Lamb's blood, humanity was redeemed and spared the eternal punishments we would otherwise deserve.
SANCTUS, SANCTUS, SANCTUS!!!
There are 5 prefaces for the Easter season. Here is the first:
It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation,
at all times to acclaim you, O Lord,
but [on this night / on this day / in this time] above all to laud you yet more gloriously,
when Christ our Passover has been sacrificed.
For He is the true Lamb Who has taken away the sins of the world;
by dying He has destroyed our death,
and by rising, restored our life.
Therefore, overcome with paschal joy,
every land, every people exults in your praise,
and even the heavenly Powers, with the angelic hosts,
sing together the unending hymn of your glory, as they acclaim...
Note in the third line that the preface can be used for the Easter Vigil ("on this night"), Easter Sunday ("on this day"), or during the rest of the Easter season ("in this time").
I really love how the preface reflects the heightened celebration. While every Mass celebrates the resurrection of the Lord, the Easter liturgies do this par excellence. The Easter Vigil has the Exultet and 9 readings, guiding the faithful in the story of salvation history. The Easter Sunday Mass has the sequence "Victimae Paschali Laudes" inserted between the second reading and the long-awaited alleluia. In short, there's extra. If one foreign to Catholic liturgy were to go to a Sunday Mass in ordinary time, and then go to Mass on Easter Sunday, he/she would see lots of extra. Extra servers; infrequently-used incense; brighter hymns (hopefully); the giant paschal candle in the sanctuary; and all the rest. By all those touches, the Church is telling us just how important this celebration is. Pull out all the stops! There is something incredible here that we're celebrating!
The preface picks up that tone--we praise God like we usually do, yes, but at Easter "yet more gloriously"! Yes, the fruit of the Spirit is joy, and Christians ideally display that, but at Easter we are "overcome with paschal joy"!
Lastly, we need to highlight the title that is given to Jesus: Lamb. This carries with it multiple scriptural allusions: John the Baptist naming Jesus as the Lamb of God (John 1:29), the many references in the book of Revelation. Most of all, however, a lamb is one of the most important parts of the Passover (Exodus 12). Hebrew families in Egypt were to buy a lamb, kill it, eat it, and then spread the blood on the doorposts of their house.
The Eucharist that we share in fulfills the Passover meal! Like the ancient Hebrews, we, too, eat the Lamb Who was slain. And, only by the shedding of the lamb's blood were the Hebrews spared. By the shedding of Jesus the Lamb's blood, humanity was redeemed and spared the eternal punishments we would otherwise deserve.
SANCTUS, SANCTUS, SANCTUS!!!
Saturday, March 30, 2013
7 Quick Takes - Good Friday Edition
I know I'm a little late for this, but still going for it...
For more quick takes, visit Jennifer Fulwiler's www.conversiondiary.com blog extravaganza. [UPDATE: She didn't do 7 Quick Takes and I didn't realize until afterward. But anything she writes is worth reading, definitely check out her blog!]
2) Sacred art for Good Friday: Michelangelo's "Pieta"
I've seen this in person and it truly is an incredible work. As one deficient in the sculpting skills department, it blows my mind that Michelangelo turned an enormous rock into one of the greatest masterpieces in western civilization. I was amazed at how lifeless Jesus looked. I remember half expecting Mary to breathe or turn her head. The technical skill to carve such a scene is one thing; the ability to capture the mood of Good Friday is extraordinary.
3) Sacred art for Good Friday: Dali's "Christ of St. John of the Cross"
I've been exposed to this image before, mainly on holy cards. Whenever someone talked to me about the image, they'd always point out one thing: there are no nails on the cross. "No one takes [my life] from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have the power to lay it down, and the power to take it up again; this charge I have received from my Father." (John 10:18, RSV-CE)
For more quick takes, visit Jennifer Fulwiler's www.conversiondiary.com blog extravaganza. [UPDATE: She didn't do 7 Quick Takes and I didn't realize until afterward. But anything she writes is worth reading, definitely check out her blog!]
1) Sacred music for Good Friday: Stabat Mater
Check out this for a beautiful, polyphonic treatment of the hymn...
2) Sacred art for Good Friday: Michelangelo's "Pieta"I've seen this in person and it truly is an incredible work. As one deficient in the sculpting skills department, it blows my mind that Michelangelo turned an enormous rock into one of the greatest masterpieces in western civilization. I was amazed at how lifeless Jesus looked. I remember half expecting Mary to breathe or turn her head. The technical skill to carve such a scene is one thing; the ability to capture the mood of Good Friday is extraordinary.
3) Sacred art for Good Friday: Dali's "Christ of St. John of the Cross"
I've been exposed to this image before, mainly on holy cards. Whenever someone talked to me about the image, they'd always point out one thing: there are no nails on the cross. "No one takes [my life] from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have the power to lay it down, and the power to take it up again; this charge I have received from my Father." (John 10:18, RSV-CE)
4) Beautiful church for Good Friday: Sainte Chapelle, Paris, France
A travel book described this church like "walking into a gem," such was the magnificence of the architecture and the stained glass windows. It truly was breathtaking! King (later Saint) Louis built the edifice in the 13th century to house relics from Jesus' Passion; among them, the crown of thorns. Thankfully the chapel survived the French Revolution... although not all of the windows did. Hidden but present behind the brutality of the crucifixion is the radiant glory of the resurrection; this chapel really captured that for me.
5) Church for Good Friday: Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, Rome, Italy
This church houses one incredible relic of the Passion of Jesus: the titulus crucis, the sign that hung on the cross above Jesus' head. "Jesus the Nazarean, King of the Jews" was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin--as noted in St. John's Gospel (19:19-20). Since that phrase was a little long to put on devotional crucifixes, an acronym was used instead: INRI, the first letter of the Latin portion of the titulus crucis... "Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum." As you probably learned from "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade," the letter J is not found in Latin. Check out this news clip:
6) Devotion for Good Friday: St. Faustina and the Divine Mercy
(shout out to my sister Kristy and her household at Steubenville) Three o'clock is the hour of mercy, as it's the hour that Jesus uttered His last breath. His death bought redemption to us all, and His sacrifice opened the gates of heaven to us. PRAISE THE LORD!!!!!!!!!!! It's extraordinary that God would be so merciful to us, in light of all the sins of humanity from the original one to now. St. Faustina was privileged to be visited by Christ in visions and in prayer; the fruit of that is a special devotion to Jesus' divine mercy. Check out the webpage of the Marians of the Immaculate Conception for a deeper description.
7) Sacrament for Good Friday: Confession
Be healed by the divine physician; let go and seek forgiveness of the spiritual death (i.e. sin) in the soul. Here are Fr. Z's tips for a good confession and a quick story of the great graces that ensue from confession.
Friday, March 15, 2013
7 Quick Takes the Second, 3/15/13
7 Quick Takes
For the other quick takes, go to Jennifer Fulwiler's www.conversiondiary.com.
1) HABEMUS PAPAM!!!!!!!!!!! I wanted to write about my interest in the conclave, but the time for that post has passed. I even had a title ready: “I Got a Fevah!” Next time...
I had no clue that Cardinal Jorge Brogoglio was a serious candidate; actually, that was the first I heard of him. So far, he looks like a simple, humble, holy man. I’m excited for his pontificate, and I can’t wait to “get to know him” through his writings, etc. His gesture of asking the prayers of the crowd at St. Peter’s Square—beautiful. And from everything I’ve read? Utterly genuine.
2) Thank you to Catholic bloggers! I realized the other day how much I enjoyed frequenting them. Thank you to Rocco Palmo @ Whispers in the Loggia, Fr. Z @ What Does the Prayer Really Say, Robert Moynihan @ the Moynihan Letters, John Thavis @ Decoding the Vatican, John Allen Jr. @ the National Schismatic Reporter (shout out to Fr. Z), and anything that George Weigel writes. Thanks also to FOCUS for doing the white smoke text alert—although my older sister beat them to the punch. Good quality Catholicism from good quality writers. Keep up the good work!
3) It’s an interesting time in western Oregon; we not only have a new pope but also a new archbishop. What will the church look like in 5 years, when both have had time working in their respective positions?
4) Hearing of the happenings in Rome reminds me of two trips there. The first was in 2004, I think, when I went for two weeks and stayed at the Pontifical North American College (the NAC). I was a seminarian at the time, treated wonderfully by my hosts, some of my then-diocesan brothers at the NAC. The things I saw! Being a history major deepened my appreciation, and I was lucky enough to have taken a history of art class the semester immediately prior to the trip.
Walking into St. Peter’s Basilica was breathtaking (literally). The Pietá truly is a masterpiece; I kept looking at it, thinking I’d catch Our Lady turning her head or caressing her Son’s hair. The four major basilicas were awesome—and to think, these were the burial places of St. Peter! St. Paul! On my second trip to Rome, I was part of a World Youth Day group going to Cologne in 2005. The tour began in Rome, and one of the big highlights was having Mass in one of the catacombs.
The greatest gift from that whole trip was experiencing the universality of the Catholic Church—presently, with pilgrims from every corner of the world in Cologne; past and future, seeing the tombs of saints and martyrs, knowing they were in heaven praying for us. And the capstone: seeing the pope and St. Peter’s, the touchstone of unity in the Church.
5) I’ve been watching the History Channel’s Bible show. I’ve enjoyed it! Honestly, I didn’t think I would. I felt obligated to watch it at first—how can you say ‘No’ to the Bible??? Once my wife and I started watching it, however, we didn’t want it to end. I appreciate seeing the biblical figures as real people. I’m always wary of a secular channel doing a project like this; effectively, they’re telling the story of the Bible with their own reflections. Skip this, show this, make a connection there with this figure that wasn’t explicit in the text (but doesn’t contradict the text), etc. I’m excited and nervous for the New Testament. And I wonder... are they going Catholic or Protestant? That is, those books that are the “apocryphal books” to Protestants and conversely part of the Old Testament canon to Catholics. The Maccabees’ revolt would be a neat thing to see!
6) Happy St. Patrick's Day! Let's not forget amidst the beer drinking and music that St. Patrick was a devoted and zealous pastor. He loved his people and loved the Lord even more.
7) Go Dodgers! (author deflects responsibility for lazy quick take to braindeadedness)
Saturday, March 2, 2013
To get to the Third Heaven, make a right at the second...
My main vehicle for Scripture study recently has been confronting problems and questions. Case in point yesterday and today: I have never fully understood 2 Cor 12:2-4.
"I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven--whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. And I know that this man was caught up into Paradise--whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows--and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter." (RSV-CE)
If you start from the passage's face value from the eyes of a 21st century schlub like me, it's just... odd. Shouldn't St. Paul know that there's only one heaven, not three? Why is his phrasing less than direct? And this revelation is private? We can't know what it was?
Complicating this verse in my mind was a Mormon coworker from years ago. Together with 1 Cor 15:40-42, Mormons assert that there are three levels of heaven:
"There are celestial bodies and there are terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory." (RSV-CE)
Rather than get into an apologetic discussion--for that, I'd refer you to Isaiah Bennett's books on Mormonism--this little endeavor illustrated a few important points to me.
1) Context
If taken out of its proper place in the epistle, 2 Cor 12:2-4 can be confusing. Reading the context of it, however, sheds much of the confusion. Paul's indirect language 'I knew this guy...' is cleared up in 12:7, where he notes that "to keep me from being too elated by the abundance of revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh." This guy that had revelations was HIM. And, going back to chapter 10 in that letter, Paul is defending his ministry to the Corinthians. Citing his visions is part of that defense.
Similarly, 1 Cor 15:40-42 is a small part of a chapter that Paul devotes to the resurrection. He covers the resurrection of Jesus, that we share in that resurrection, and that our bodies will gain a new form on the last day. Paul used an allegory to compare the difference between earthly things and eternal things. No Christian believes that Paul was referring to three separate levels of heaven in that passage.
2) Background
The commentaries I read regarding 2 Cor 12 were very helpful in providing background. The Jewish mind at the time saw three levels of heaven, but not all meant the same thing. The first heaven was the realm of the birds and clouds; the second was the sun, moon, and stars; the third was the dwelling of God. Not being a 1st Century Jew, I never might've known this without the commentaries' help. Also helpful was Isaiah Bennett, who gave examples of "heaven" being used in Scripture in all three levels/meanings.
In my mind, St. Paul was using a phrase similar to "cloud nine" or "seventh heaven" today. The phrases are used in an abstract sense--extreme happiness--rather than a literal, numeric value. St. Paul used "third heaven" to refer to a specific place, not to say that there were three levels of the afterlife. In the sentence immediately following, he says "this man was caught up into Paradise."
All in all, commentaries can be a great tool for sifting through difficulties. Seeking the wisdom of those wiser than us is very prudent. The only catch is finding a good commentary...
3) Marinating
Yeah, I don't know what else to call it. Reflection, lectio, praying with the Scriptures... I can't say I spent a fortnight deep in contemplation. I started reading on this last night and read more again this morning. All I can really claim is that the more I read, the more I thought about it, the Holy Spirit provided new insights.
St. Paul saying that "this man" heard things which cannot be told. My instinctual response was one of indignance. (classic American) What, I can't know? You're too holy to tell me, a sinner? But I really want to know, I want to hear what it was like!
Upon further marinating, two thoughts arrived. First, St. Paul didn't exactly keep the message of his revelation to himself. To suggest that he would deliberately withhold something essential from his preaching is ridiculous and not consistent with Paul's character. Sure, the experience of the revelation was just for him, but it leads to the second thought. I imagined 2 Cor 12 read in the following manner: 'I can't even begin to tell you how wonderful it was. Things inexpressible; fulfillment beyond all telling. How can I convey to you what I felt? I can't... it was that amazing.'
4) Accentuate the positive
I was also blessed with a reminder: don't let apologetic pursuits remain in the negative realm. I'm not slamming apologetics, quite the contrary! Every Catholic should know their faith and be able to defend it (1 Peter 3:15). Apologetics aren't about me being right and them being wrong. The Truth is the focus; it's something we affirm (positive), devote ourselves to (positive), believe in (positive), and draw our life from (positive).
Friday, March 1, 2013
7 Quick Takes, 3/1/13
---1---
This is my first 7 Quick Takes! I've long admired Jennifer Fulwiler's writing at www.conversiondiary.com and it's very cool that she's cousins with one of the monks at Mt. Angel Abbey (one of my almae matres) I've read these in the past and thought, it would be nice to do the 7 Quick Takes someday... when I actually write on this thing more than once every three months. And here it is! Does this mean I'm a real blogger now? For more quick takes from all around the world, check out Jennifer's blog.
 |
| Maybe it's because I'm a visual person, but I really like the picture. You can understand without even reading that the purpose of Mass is to ascend to heaven. |
--2---
Me being a bibliophile, there was a wonderful event today... Salem's YMCA has an annual used book sale. Don't tell my wife, but I walked out with about 10-12 books. Two great finds: a Douay Version of the Bible (I'm assuming it's what we know as the Douay-Rheims)... by the musty smell I’m assuming it’s a lot older than me; second was a pocket-sized Sunday Missal from the 1950s. It talked of this new thing called a “Dialogue” Mass, where the congregation joined the acolyte in his responses... and even the priest in certain places! (the Gloria, e.g.) Gee, that’s a swell idea! See the scan at the right, from Fr. Stedman's "My Sunday Missal."
---3---
I’ll really miss Pope Benedict. I wish there were some retrospectives from the leftist media types who called him all sorts of unsavory things upon his election. I’m not really caught up in who gets elected next. The Italian, Canadian, Ghanan, Philipino... ??? Nobody saw John Paul II coming, and I didn’t think Joseph Ratzinger had even the slightest chance of getting elected. So what do the predictors know?
---4---
The more I read about the prophecies of St. Malachy, the more I’m comforted and the less stock I put in them. Although my heart skipped a beat the other day... I was reading the blog/letters of Robert Moynihan and he called the Pope Emeritus “Petrus Romanus.” A little unnerving... but I still don’t give much credence to the prophecies.
---5---
Work has been incredibly stressful as I’m transitioning into a new job. It’s funny, it’s like there are two competing parts of me. One part wants to succumb to the strain on my mental faculties and stare into a wall for a few hours. The other part of me knows that when I’m pushed like this, I have the capacity to excel. God bless my wife for putting up with my irritability after work last night...
---6---
The Portland Timbers (of Major League Soccer) start their season on Sunday. I can’t wait! Timbers games are a blast to attend (nevermind what my wife says) and the crowd is really into it the whole game. I was trying to think why I like soccer as a sport when some in this country look down on it. My answer? It’s so fluid, it’s like a game-long fast break in basketball, or the deep ball in American football. Wait, did I just tarnish my credibility by calling football, American football? I promise I’m not wearing a scarf or a beret.
---7---
Did I mention I’ll miss the pope? He was a great spiritual father to the Church. God bless him in his retirement! And God help his successor.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Go West, Catholic Men
This weekend I was away at a brief men's retreat in Pendleton, OR (www.gowestcatholicmen.com). The retreat began on Friday evening and went nearly all day Saturday. Bishop Carey from the Diocese of Bend celebrated our two Masses and gave a talk on Friday night. We were also graced to have confessions available the whole time, talks by three other priests, and a magnificent holy hour to conclude the weekend.
I wanted to offer a few reflections from the weekend...
-The Hispanic youth group from a neighboring parish came to do a living Stations of the Cross. I thank Mel Gibson for his work on the movie "The Passion." For all the controversy surrounding him and the making of the movie, there are some very moving and beautiful scenes. I'm very thankful for the movie! One of my favorite scenes is Jesus encountering His Mother while carrying His cross. In the movie, Mary sees Jesus fall and has a flashback of watching a five year old Jesus trip and fall. It was very tender and an insight into the mind of a mother. At the living stations on Friday, I couldn't help but recall that scene from the movie as Mary came running to Jesus and embraced His legs. Our Lady is a great model for us in the love she has for Jesus.
-One of the priests, Fr. Robert Greiner of the Diocese of Bend, spoke about Catholics in the modern world. Specifically, he confronted every single uncomfortable Church teaching and reminded us: if we believe the Catholic Church was instituted by Christ, these matters of faith are there for us to believe. Period. The Church's teachings on contraception, abortion, euthanasia, and homosexual unions aren't unclear because of something the Church did/said; the Church is very clear. The problem is with the minds of believers, taken in by the world's opinions. Those that dissent from the Church's teachings might have the best of intentions; they might be brilliant intellectuals; they might have less than pure reasons for turning away from the Catholic faith. Wherever they are on that spectrum, they lack one thing: obedience.
Obedience is a dirty word in American culture. It has connotations of subservience, inferiority, blind submission... and in religious circles (not just Catholic, I'm guessing) it can come across as checking your brain at the door and believing "because the Bible/Church/Pastor/etc. says so." If that were truly the case, why would the Catholic Church bother to have a Catechism, a summary of its belief? Why would the popes have issued volumes of encyclicals? Why would the Church councils have published their decrees? Wouldn't it have been easier for Pope Benedict to say, "Your concern is to believe X, Y, and Z. Do not trouble yourselves with why."
Actually, I think those Catholics that hold to that negative definition of obedience are stuck in the past. Obedience to Church teachings as something robotic and archaic? Really? Have they read anything by John Paul II or Benedict XVI? Do they see how the Church has published the contents and reasons behind her faith for all the world to see? Obedience is a dynamic virtue, not a passive one. The Catholic faith makes demands on our intellect and does not seek to destroy it. (check out the old Catholic Encyclopedia article on obedience)
I think the final word on obedience rests on one central question: is Jesus really Who He said He is?
I wanted to offer a few reflections from the weekend...
-The Hispanic youth group from a neighboring parish came to do a living Stations of the Cross. I thank Mel Gibson for his work on the movie "The Passion." For all the controversy surrounding him and the making of the movie, there are some very moving and beautiful scenes. I'm very thankful for the movie! One of my favorite scenes is Jesus encountering His Mother while carrying His cross. In the movie, Mary sees Jesus fall and has a flashback of watching a five year old Jesus trip and fall. It was very tender and an insight into the mind of a mother. At the living stations on Friday, I couldn't help but recall that scene from the movie as Mary came running to Jesus and embraced His legs. Our Lady is a great model for us in the love she has for Jesus.
-One of the priests, Fr. Robert Greiner of the Diocese of Bend, spoke about Catholics in the modern world. Specifically, he confronted every single uncomfortable Church teaching and reminded us: if we believe the Catholic Church was instituted by Christ, these matters of faith are there for us to believe. Period. The Church's teachings on contraception, abortion, euthanasia, and homosexual unions aren't unclear because of something the Church did/said; the Church is very clear. The problem is with the minds of believers, taken in by the world's opinions. Those that dissent from the Church's teachings might have the best of intentions; they might be brilliant intellectuals; they might have less than pure reasons for turning away from the Catholic faith. Wherever they are on that spectrum, they lack one thing: obedience.
Obedience is a dirty word in American culture. It has connotations of subservience, inferiority, blind submission... and in religious circles (not just Catholic, I'm guessing) it can come across as checking your brain at the door and believing "because the Bible/Church/Pastor/etc. says so." If that were truly the case, why would the Catholic Church bother to have a Catechism, a summary of its belief? Why would the popes have issued volumes of encyclicals? Why would the Church councils have published their decrees? Wouldn't it have been easier for Pope Benedict to say, "Your concern is to believe X, Y, and Z. Do not trouble yourselves with why."
Actually, I think those Catholics that hold to that negative definition of obedience are stuck in the past. Obedience to Church teachings as something robotic and archaic? Really? Have they read anything by John Paul II or Benedict XVI? Do they see how the Church has published the contents and reasons behind her faith for all the world to see? Obedience is a dynamic virtue, not a passive one. The Catholic faith makes demands on our intellect and does not seek to destroy it. (check out the old Catholic Encyclopedia article on obedience)
I think the final word on obedience rests on one central question: is Jesus really Who He said He is?
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Praying is--oh wait, there's something shiny!
When Pope Benedict announced his resignation, I was surprised. Shocked, really. I understood his reasons and respected his decision; I also figured there was more to the story of his medical condition than we knew. Inevitably, some attention turned to the prophecies of St. Malachy. Many other people have written on this, and better than I could, so I'd refer you to Fr. Dwight or Fr. Z or The Anchoress.
I received the news on a Monday morning that Pope Benedict resigned. At work, I was terribly distracted. What if the next pope is the last one? What if this is the end of the world? And if it's the end of the world soon, then severe tribulations should be coming soon... my imagination spiraled down in fear. At the same time, other concerns that I previously had--a job interview the previous Friday the chief among them--disappeared. A better salary and a job with more responsibility seemed insignificant to the state of my soul and the scenarios running through my imagination.
Then a funny thing happened. I was offered the job that afternoon and it was a complete surprise! I thought I had a decent chance at it but I didn't expect my work to move that quickly (it is the guvmint, after all). And poof! My apocalyptic imagination ceased. I resolved to read up on the prophecies when I could, but I had so many things to think about! Getting ready for my new job... preparing a training list for my replacement... thinking of ways to spend my raise... and so forth.
Granted, not all of that is bad--especially being better able to provide for my family. Working harder and confronting new challenges will require personal growth on my part, which in turn will benefit my marriage and my spiritual life. All good things!
In the midst of that, however, was the stark realization of how easily distracted I can be when it comes to the spiritual life. For all my efforts toward greater holiness, there are many more failures, distractions, sins, etc. Last Monday was humbling and a reminder that I have a ways to go in holiness.
I received the news on a Monday morning that Pope Benedict resigned. At work, I was terribly distracted. What if the next pope is the last one? What if this is the end of the world? And if it's the end of the world soon, then severe tribulations should be coming soon... my imagination spiraled down in fear. At the same time, other concerns that I previously had--a job interview the previous Friday the chief among them--disappeared. A better salary and a job with more responsibility seemed insignificant to the state of my soul and the scenarios running through my imagination.
Then a funny thing happened. I was offered the job that afternoon and it was a complete surprise! I thought I had a decent chance at it but I didn't expect my work to move that quickly (it is the guvmint, after all). And poof! My apocalyptic imagination ceased. I resolved to read up on the prophecies when I could, but I had so many things to think about! Getting ready for my new job... preparing a training list for my replacement... thinking of ways to spend my raise... and so forth.
Granted, not all of that is bad--especially being better able to provide for my family. Working harder and confronting new challenges will require personal growth on my part, which in turn will benefit my marriage and my spiritual life. All good things!
In the midst of that, however, was the stark realization of how easily distracted I can be when it comes to the spiritual life. For all my efforts toward greater holiness, there are many more failures, distractions, sins, etc. Last Monday was humbling and a reminder that I have a ways to go in holiness.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
What a Relief
The daily Mass readings have been coming from the Letter to the Hebrews. It's an epistle that I admittedly haven't read much... and I've been missing out!
The first reading at Mass last Friday was from Hebrews 10. The feel of the chapter is exhorting and encouraging--the author is trying to remind the Christian community to hold on to their faith in Jesus. Don't go back to your old ways; continue pursuing Him Who IS the Way, the Truth, and the Life! That's a good reminder for Christians of any age. Embracing the faith requires turning away from sin; no matter how much we devote ourselves to the faith, temptation to turn away from it will never cease.
As the first reading progressed, I heard what immediately became one of my favorite verses in Scripture: "Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that you may do the will of God and receive what is promised." (Heb 10:35-36) Actually, it was relieving to hear. We don't have to do it on our own, and we're not expected to! We need (=can't get by, are unable on our own, etc.) endurance, we need grace.
On one hand, this shouldn't be a surprise. It's a "first principle" of faith and belief in God. Since the beginning of time, God is the one making the first move toward us. On the other hand, if we get too wrapped up in the things of the world, our relationship with God and the faith can fall out of focus. The author of Hebrews is trying to restore their focus on Jesus and the faith; may God grant us all the grace of focusing on living and doing His will!
The first reading at Mass last Friday was from Hebrews 10. The feel of the chapter is exhorting and encouraging--the author is trying to remind the Christian community to hold on to their faith in Jesus. Don't go back to your old ways; continue pursuing Him Who IS the Way, the Truth, and the Life! That's a good reminder for Christians of any age. Embracing the faith requires turning away from sin; no matter how much we devote ourselves to the faith, temptation to turn away from it will never cease.
As the first reading progressed, I heard what immediately became one of my favorite verses in Scripture: "Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that you may do the will of God and receive what is promised." (Heb 10:35-36) Actually, it was relieving to hear. We don't have to do it on our own, and we're not expected to! We need (=can't get by, are unable on our own, etc.) endurance, we need grace.
On one hand, this shouldn't be a surprise. It's a "first principle" of faith and belief in God. Since the beginning of time, God is the one making the first move toward us. On the other hand, if we get too wrapped up in the things of the world, our relationship with God and the faith can fall out of focus. The author of Hebrews is trying to restore their focus on Jesus and the faith; may God grant us all the grace of focusing on living and doing His will!
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Fickleness, Thy Name Is Human
Sunday's gospel reading is one of many that's very illustrative of human nature. First the crowds love Jesus and flock to Him; just a short time later, they want to kill Him. (Read the readings here)
Although it's not surprising that a group of people would change their minds, the situation in Luke 4:16-30 makes more sense when we flesh some things out. Specifically, Matthew, Mark, and John all have details leading up to this situation in the beginning of their gospels. Huge crowds followed Jesus (Matt 7:28-29) for three main reasons.
1) He taught with authority. Jesus was undoubtedly a dynamic speaker; not always in a showy way, but in an enthralling way. There are many gospel stories of Jesus being surrounded by crowds. And there was good reason! "And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes." (Matt 7:28-29)
2) One passage from Mark's Gospel: "Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, 'the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel." (1:14-15) A little imagination would aid us here. These would have been heavy, heavy words for a first century Jew. Those Jews no doubt had prayed the psalm many times throughout their lives: "How long, O LORD? Will You hide Yourself forever?" (Ps 89:46) And now Jesus is talking about the coming of the kingdom of God! Could this one truly be the Messiah? Imagine the expectation! Nearly a millennium away from David and Solomon... after being conquered many times... centuries and centuries of celebrating the Passover and the other Jewish feasts. This would have been more than enough to arouse at least the curiosity of people in the area.
3) Take everything from #1 and #2 and add miracles. Luke 4 references miracles that Jesus had done but it doesn't list them. Mark 1:21-27 shows Jesus healing a man with an unclean spirit; John 4:46-54 has Jesus in Capernaum, and He heals the son of an official. For the first century Jew, this is now a serious thing. Later in the chronicle of the Gospels, John the Baptist sends a messenger to Jesus to inquire about who He is. I really believe John the Baptist's question was the same one that was on everyone else's minds: "Are you he who is to come, or shall we look for another?" (Matthew 11:3)
There are many images we could use to describe the situation in Luke 4, with the background details filled in. Like a crescendo in a symphony... the start of a thunderstorm... make no mistake, this is a huge deal. The Jews in the synagogue in Luke 4 had heard so much about this potential messiah. They'd probably even gone out to see Jesus themselves! Just as quickly as they praised Him, however, doubt crept in. Isn't this the son of Joseph? In other words, who does He think He is??? The crowd likely wanted Him dead for blasphemy.
Part of me thinks that if I was alive at the time, I wouldn't be so foolish as to not recognize Jesus. Pretty obvious, right? Although that might be comforting, it's also vain. And stupid.
Whenever we hold on to sin, we throw Jesus out of our hearts just as that crowd threw Jesus out of the synagogue. Just like the Jews on that day, we distort the question "Who is He?" into "Who does He think He is?" And just like He did that day, Jesus won't force it. He very well could have called down thunder and lightning and performed sign after sign until they all believed. Nope. He taught the crowd and He revealed who He was in the synagogue. He leaves the response completely to us, for good or ill.
Although it's not surprising that a group of people would change their minds, the situation in Luke 4:16-30 makes more sense when we flesh some things out. Specifically, Matthew, Mark, and John all have details leading up to this situation in the beginning of their gospels. Huge crowds followed Jesus (Matt 7:28-29) for three main reasons.
1) He taught with authority. Jesus was undoubtedly a dynamic speaker; not always in a showy way, but in an enthralling way. There are many gospel stories of Jesus being surrounded by crowds. And there was good reason! "And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes." (Matt 7:28-29)
2) One passage from Mark's Gospel: "Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, 'the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel." (1:14-15) A little imagination would aid us here. These would have been heavy, heavy words for a first century Jew. Those Jews no doubt had prayed the psalm many times throughout their lives: "How long, O LORD? Will You hide Yourself forever?" (Ps 89:46) And now Jesus is talking about the coming of the kingdom of God! Could this one truly be the Messiah? Imagine the expectation! Nearly a millennium away from David and Solomon... after being conquered many times... centuries and centuries of celebrating the Passover and the other Jewish feasts. This would have been more than enough to arouse at least the curiosity of people in the area.
3) Take everything from #1 and #2 and add miracles. Luke 4 references miracles that Jesus had done but it doesn't list them. Mark 1:21-27 shows Jesus healing a man with an unclean spirit; John 4:46-54 has Jesus in Capernaum, and He heals the son of an official. For the first century Jew, this is now a serious thing. Later in the chronicle of the Gospels, John the Baptist sends a messenger to Jesus to inquire about who He is. I really believe John the Baptist's question was the same one that was on everyone else's minds: "Are you he who is to come, or shall we look for another?" (Matthew 11:3)
There are many images we could use to describe the situation in Luke 4, with the background details filled in. Like a crescendo in a symphony... the start of a thunderstorm... make no mistake, this is a huge deal. The Jews in the synagogue in Luke 4 had heard so much about this potential messiah. They'd probably even gone out to see Jesus themselves! Just as quickly as they praised Him, however, doubt crept in. Isn't this the son of Joseph? In other words, who does He think He is??? The crowd likely wanted Him dead for blasphemy.
Part of me thinks that if I was alive at the time, I wouldn't be so foolish as to not recognize Jesus. Pretty obvious, right? Although that might be comforting, it's also vain. And stupid.
Whenever we hold on to sin, we throw Jesus out of our hearts just as that crowd threw Jesus out of the synagogue. Just like the Jews on that day, we distort the question "Who is He?" into "Who does He think He is?" And just like He did that day, Jesus won't force it. He very well could have called down thunder and lightning and performed sign after sign until they all believed. Nope. He taught the crowd and He revealed who He was in the synagogue. He leaves the response completely to us, for good or ill.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
No Biggie
A variety of things/people/events have come up for me recently; causing me to reflect on the counter-cultural nature of the Catholic Church. All the controversial issues in society today... I thought about the trials of the Church in the past. Today, the thought of burning a little incense for the emperor seems minor and odd. How was that a cause for martyrdom? Something so small!
In that thought there's a little insight into the methods of the Evil One. What's a little sin? And why would you listen to the Church tell you it's a big sin? It's not a big deal. It's a minor thing. Standing up is much more difficult, tiresome, and look at what it can cost you!
I think we frequently overestimate our resolve against the devil's wiles for this very reason. Temptations can be blatant, of course, but more often than not, they are subtle. A compromise here, an accommodation there, and we can be well on the road away from God and not even know it!
In that thought there's a little insight into the methods of the Evil One. What's a little sin? And why would you listen to the Church tell you it's a big sin? It's not a big deal. It's a minor thing. Standing up is much more difficult, tiresome, and look at what it can cost you!
I think we frequently overestimate our resolve against the devil's wiles for this very reason. Temptations can be blatant, of course, but more often than not, they are subtle. A compromise here, an accommodation there, and we can be well on the road away from God and not even know it!
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