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?
Reflections of a Catholic layman on the Mass, spirituality, books, and the occasional tangent
Sunday, February 24, 2013
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!
Saturday, January 19, 2013
All Roads Lead to the Eucharist (part 2 of 4)
This post continues the series I started on four windows from St. Mary's Church, Mt. Angel. There were four windows specifically chosen to be around the tabernacle... and they were chosen for good reason. Read part 1 of 4 here.
The second window I'd like to examine is the Annunciation. The angel Gabriel greets Mary, "Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you!" (Luke 1:28) In the window, Gabriel's promise of the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit is represented as a dove.
This is a perfect window to overshadow the tabernacle. The key, I think, comes from a line of the Angelus: "The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us." The Eucharist is the Real Presence of Jesus among us--it is the fulfillment of His promise to be with us until the end of the age (Matt 28:20). God is not a distant figure. Just as in the Annunciation the Word became flesh, in the Eucharist a similar transformation takes place. God dramatically enters our world in the Eucharist... ordinary food becomes heavenly food; what sustains us day to day fundamentally becomes the spiritual nourishment that carries us through life.
In a sense, we see a reflection of the magnificent moment of the Annunciation at every Mass. God comes again to save His people; Jesus enters and transforms human existence.
This is a perfect window to overshadow the tabernacle. The key, I think, comes from a line of the Angelus: "The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us." The Eucharist is the Real Presence of Jesus among us--it is the fulfillment of His promise to be with us until the end of the age (Matt 28:20). God is not a distant figure. Just as in the Annunciation the Word became flesh, in the Eucharist a similar transformation takes place. God dramatically enters our world in the Eucharist... ordinary food becomes heavenly food; what sustains us day to day fundamentally becomes the spiritual nourishment that carries us through life.
In a sense, we see a reflection of the magnificent moment of the Annunciation at every Mass. God comes again to save His people; Jesus enters and transforms human existence.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
The Sunday Preface
Here is (most) of the Preface from Sunday, the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. Reflection follows:
In the waters of the Jordan,
You revealed with signs and wonders a new Baptism,
so that through the voice that came down from heaven,
we might come to believe in Your Word dwelling among us,
and by the Spirit's descending in the likeness of a dove,
we might know that Christ Your Servant
has been anointed with the oil of gladnes
and sent to bring the good news to the poor.
Just like the Epiphany preface, I'm amazed at how much is packed into this. The major themes:
1) Baptism
2) Revelation
3) the Trinity
4) the Incarnation (since this feast liturgically closes the Christmas season)
5) the promise of the Messiah in the Old Testament
6) Christian mission
That's a lot to chew on... a few notes.
When God chose to reveal Himself to mankind, He did so in a specific way. He used words (not to mention the Word) and deeds. I think it's analagous to the sacraments having matter and form. God didn't speak to men and follow up with an "or else." God didn't just promise His fidelity to the Israelites in Egypt (words)--He raised up Moses and led the Chosen People to freedom (deeds). When Jesus taught and preached (words), He also performed miracles (deeds). In this preface, we first hear of deeds ("signs and wonders") and then words ("the voice that came down from heaven"). It is the pattern of revelation.
All three Persons of the Trinity make an appearance in this preface, which is very appropriate. The entire Trinity was present at the Baptism of the Lord. The Trinity also is a key to Baptism; on it hinges the validity of a baptism. In Matt 28:19-20, Jesus commands the disciples to preach the Gospel to the world, baptizing in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Interestingly, Mormon baptism is considered invalid by the Catholic Chruch because of their deficient trinitarian theology. To close the preface, we are pointed to the image of Jesus being sent... it is mentioned as His mission, but it's one that we all share in. It's an essential part of Christian baptism.
The closing three lines point to Jesus as the Messiah. In this, I see the yearnings of the Hebrews. Living through the Temple getting destroyed... the devastating Babylonian exile... hearing the promises of Isaiah, Jeremiah... praying the Psalms and having irresistable thoughts of the glories of King David's court... remembering the Exodus at Passover, longing for a new Moses...
Israel hoped and prayed for centuries; now Christians pray that the whole world "might know that Christ Your Servant has been anointed with the oil of gladness and sent to bring the good news to the poor." (citing Luke 4:18-19, which references Isaiah 61:1-2)
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